Log:Alderaan: Trade Relations
Aldera Squadron probes the Panteer led embargo of the Alderaan System
OOC Date: June 23, 2022 (Optional)
Location: Alderaan
Participants: Ulani Kalgaav, Aryn Cortess, Ejnar Celchu, Caid Panteer and Bors Thul as GM
Most planetary systems with established government utilize Jump Points - buoy marked navigation points that give specific coordinate ranges for entering and leaving systems. Intended to safeguard from gravity shadows causing miss-jumps and for ships already within the system to move away from to avoid the chance of inbound craft reverting to realspace in the middle of another craft or other potential disasters.
The Alderaan system maintains several entry and exit points and regularly patrols for 'Pirate Points' where unmonitorable traffic can enter and go about, most often, nefarious business. If the siege proceeds, these Pirate Points may have to be discovered to keep logistical lines open.
<<"Aldera Leader, Aldera Squadron - form wings and maneuver in scout formation. We have confirmation of the Nebulon Frigate and reports suggest a half squadron of old T-65s, they may have Headhunter support as well.">> The silver and azure painted E-Wing flown by Bors on point, to give a fixed point for the others to assemble about. <<"We're using Alliance tactics today, hit and fade. Get close enough to assess, see if there are additional heavy craft, get fighter numbers. If they give chase, punch them in the nose and get out. Don't chase glory. Once we have what's needed move to clear any gravity wells and micro-jump to the coordinates already programmed into your ships. We'll be returning home via an undocumented hyper point after.">> Pirate Points.
The shapes of the Panteer forces begin resolving from the darkness, a line of cargo craft headed to Delaya moving away from them while a quartet of bulk transports hang in the void. Detained. <<"If questions there be, nary a better time...">> Lord Thul drifting unconsciously into High Galactic.
Ejnar Celchu sat up a bit in the cockpit of his E-Wing snub-fighter, adjusting and tightening his safety straps as he did so. "Start a passive scan 5T, don't want anything sneaking up on us." Fresh from the battle over Thyferria, Lord Celchu was feeling rather comfortable in his shoes after his return to space fighter combat. <<"Headhunters I'm not worried about, but if they've got a couple of X-Wings, don't care how old they are we could be in for some fun.">>
Fun was a very broad term here, considering the hardware. <<"No Questions here, lead.">>
He pilots his craft into formation, slowing it down a bit by switching a ten percent power drain from the engines to the shields, boosting their recharge rate slightly.
Lt. Aryn Cortess is in the cockpit of a T-85 snubfighter, her gloved hand flipping a switch up to establish a steady flight pattern within the formation. Aryn is not a fighter pilot by trade and it shows in the short, jerky motions made to keep the bird from drifting to one side or another. Seasoned pilots say that takes time, experience, and some close and personal adventures with one's fighter. Aldera Three is still new, her paint still fresh, so it had some seasoning to do, much like its pilot.
Aryn's accented tone responds over the comms, <<"Aldera Leader, this is Aldera Three, roger. I am in formation, and standing by, over.">>
Aldera Two lines up to the formation on Leader's wing, assessing her systems and maknig sure the coordinates are properly set into her navcom. Rinky Dink is ever-present in the socket behind her, dome swivelling this way and that. Grateful to not see any immediate danger yet, it whistles to the young pilot in the cockpit. To which Ulani replies: "Of course you like space better. No plummeting to the ground at ridiculous speeds. Nevermind that whole lack of oxygen thing."
There is a pause then a thought, pitchy whir.
"I suppose it wouldn't help, no. Let's try to focus now, hmm?" Her comm flicks over to the secured frequency. <<"Aldera Two on your wing and ready, Leader.">>
"And spring became the summer..." singing-songing to himself while adjusting his systems, head bobbing and digits passing over the various toggles and Bors looks to his sensor reads.
<<"Usurper Loyalists, you are entering our sensor ranges.">> a cultured voice with accents of one whom had grown up in the Qel-Nosh compounds crackles over comms, no distortion for scrambling. A clear broadcast intended to be heard in full.
Size grants it to be the first to be truly seen visually. The long 'suicide' hull of the Nebulon-B appearing like a child's toy for the distance. Not a nimble craft, but a well known picket ship for the sheer firepower it boasted that made it a line frigate for old navies and a front-line craft for the era of the Civil War.
<<"Nay, sir. Stand thee down and return to thine haggard crone wot perches like a scavenger bird upon her knotted branch. Thrice cursed and ugly thing.">> Bors snorts and flips his comms to the squadron's, scrambler distortion making his tone robotic, <<"Yea, methinks I have handled the diplomatic forms for this our mission... Break thee to wings and begin our run, aye? Aldera Two, thou hast Her Highnesses wing">> Because your ship is slow, Ulani. IT'S SLOW, <<"Aldera Six, form on me.">> already beginning to goose his throttle to full.
Sensor blips begin to appear, scant and fuzzy. Mixing with the freight craft now maneuvering to try and escape the potential battle theater.
<<"Watch out for the laser cannons of the Frigate. They're a doozy.">> Ejnar says as Bors orders them to their mission. <<"Roger Lead, coming up on your Wing.">> He pushes the throttle to full, switching shields to double front and barrel rolls right onto Bors' wing just as he levels out tipping his swooped wings back and forth before settling into a level flight. He glances down at the fuzze static of the sensors and attempts to clear it up. "5T... I'm having trouble with the sensors, can you do something about it and give me a report?"
The Droid whistles a happy reply and goes about the work. It only takes a moment before the sensor screen clears up and bogie feeds starts rolling through. <<"Uh Yup... There's the Z-95's. Looks like they got boosted shields too. They're the point fighter screen... there's something behind that though giving off a large Ion trail... here I'm sending you all the data.">>
Aryn maintains her cruise mode, pairing off with the XO, Aldera Two, and trying to match the other pilot's flight pattern. Flipping down the visor of her helmet, the information being relayed through the HUD began to interface with the fighter's computer and sensors, and Aryn set to the task of performing a deep scan.
She heeds Ejnar's concern about the big laser cannons on the frigate by flying beneath it and looking up to see where those cannons were oriented.
The scans find quite the purchase, and she relays information to enhance Celchu's report by confirming the presence of a half-squad of T-65's. Additionally, there was a Lancer hiding in the Nebulon's sensor shadow. <<"Lead, this is Three, there is a significant presence here, sir.">>
<<"Very diplomatic, Aldera Leader. Thy sister would be proud,">> Ulani remarks over the comms even as she is already trying to get a lock on those sensors. But she's not quite fast enough as others are far more expert at it than she is. All the better to adjust her positioning.
<<"Copy that. Leaving you to your new playmate.">> The x-wing tilts to the side and breaks away from Bors' ship so that the e-wings can pair up and gallavant. Let the two nerdy girls wreck some fools. <<"Got your wing, Aldera Three.">> Blue eyes skim over the information being to to the squadron which causes her brows to pinchh. <<"Oh dear. That is concerning.">>
<<"Aldera 7, back from taking in the sighs and sounds,">> Caid's voice sounds over the comm as his X-wing waggles its s-foils (seductively, of course) and falls back into formation with the other fighters, having just returned from conducting a brief recon flight, <<"Did I miss anything juicy?">>
A pause as he regards the sensor readout and comms traffic.
<<"Hope these chaps aren't old friends. It'd be a shame to space them.">>
<<"Three, Lead. I copy. Keep thine distance. Like a smaller, yet nay less imposing Carrack that.">> A wing waggle is given to Celchu and Bors throws his throttle to his beloved '11' etched where the fine tuning has his control go to, <<"I was erring on rendering to them the Thul touch.">>
The incoming, and aged, X-Wings opening their S-Foils from cruise position and speeding to form up with the Headhunters they supplanted decades ago. Weapons to full and pairing off on the incoming vector before the Nebulon's comms go out again.
<<"Your warning has been given, you shall be destroyed or disabled to be brought to justice. Fight well, Alderaanians.">> the voice cutting out and the Nebulon drifting relatively upwards to allow the oblong Anti-Fighter frigate to begin maneuvering to screen.
<<"Squad, Lead. A little closer to confirm then we must away. Be ready to engage and evade.">>
As the Lancer popped into visual and sensor screens, Ejnar blinked. <<"That is /not/ good.">> And this said very, very seriously. As the late arrival entered the hairy situation, Lord Celchu shook his head, <<"I don't think we'll be killing much today... not with that thing looming around. We need the Flotilla to deal with this... or a larger force.">>
He takes a moment to study the lancer, <<"Further? I can see it fro-">> He clears his throat, <<"Aye, Lead... I'll take a pass and get a read out on it.">> He turns his vessel then, noticing a flight of Z-95's forming up to intercept on his approach. Switching his shields double front, he attempts to let off a distance round, but it goes wide.
<<"Two, this is Three, I am pushing toward the battle group in an effort to get a better read. Mother save me, I hope I can scan this bloody thing and not get blown to oblivion!">> Aryn's voice sounds flustered, but her flying proves to be a bit more than most might have anticipated. There's an intimidating presence in space right now, and that is not lost on Aryn as she makes her approach and initiates the scans. Unfortunately, she draws too close and earns the ire of the Lancer, taking fire.
Her inherent sense of danger led Aryn to rely on her instinct; an instinct honed by the influence of the Force. Her vessel moved, as if prognosticating the shot well before it had arrived. The short spin/roll concluded with the sudden deployment of her s-foils, which locked into attack position. This, in turn, darkened her cockpit in a hue of violet, making it easy for the targeting equipment to highlight where her cannons were trained in front of her. Her gloved hand tightened on the throttle, and she looked to Ulani to make sure the other pilot was okay!
"EEEEee.. this is scary!" Aryn relays the data from her scan in breaking off. Sensor readings inside the Nebulon show heavier multi-role size engines, and a partial visual made by her droid (which is also communicated) suggests B-Wings, or something close to the class. Cedar, her droid, warbles over the encrypted net, sharing the findings.
Ulani -- in her super fast ship that is the fastest and not slow, also -- keeps up with Aryn in Aldera Three as the pair of x-wings dare to run the guantlet. And a guantlet it be. With two of them coming in hot, it seems to split the Lancer's attention. At least in terms of shots fired. The cannons of the Lancer open up on their approach.
Aldera Three jukes with plenty of time to spare but the Force has always been silent to Ulani. She rolls to the outside curve of the incoming blast the twists back in the other direction to rejoin Aryn with a heavy sigh. <<"Tis a /bit/ hairy, indeed.">> She concurs to the princess. Once in better range, Ulani does a quick if incomplete scan, still having to bob and weave as necessary.
Even with the scan not making it to full, what she gets back is.... <<"I'm getting high readings of magnetic pulse. Both from the cargo bay and from the Nebulon's ordnance tubes. They're packing rather heavily, Leader.">>
Ulani -- in her super fast ship that is the fastest and not slow, also -- keeps up with Aryn in Aldera Three as the pair of x-wings dare to run the guantlet. And a guantlet it be. With two of them coming in hot, it seems to split the Lancer's attention. At least in terms of shots fired. The cannons of the Lancer open up on their approach.
Aldera Three jukes with plenty of time to spare but the Force has always been silent to Ulani. She rolls to the outside curve of the incoming blast the twists back in the other direction to rejoin Aryn with a heavy sigh. <<"Tis a /bit/ hairy, indeed.">> She concurs to the princess. Once in better range, Ulani does a quick if incomplete scan, still having to bob and weave as necessary.
Even with the scan not making it to full, what she gets back is.... <<"I'm getting high readings of magnetic pulse. Both from the cargo bay and from the Nebulon's ordnance tubes. They're packing rather heavily, Leader.">>
The X-Wing's PG-7u short-range primary threat analysis grid is a great piece of technology for dogfights - unfortunately for Caid Panteer, this is his first time using it. He hisses through his teeth as he looks down at the machine, furrowing his brow to parse its meaning as he begins a run against the Lancer frigate.
The screen blinks an angry red, beeping aggressively.
>> Multi-polyhedric failure, reboot to prism branch. <<
"What the bloody hell does THAT mean?!"
The quadlaser's shots spark across the nosecone of his fighter but miss, causing him to sit upright and peel away.
"Good grief ... "
The Lancers' cannons continue to track even after the X-Wing elements scream through the storm of fire the frigate puts down range. Engines flaring and maneuvering with the clear intention of pursuit - only to suddenly be put to full stop. As though it had been chided by an irritated parent.
<<"Squad, lead, Excellent work, now lets get clear so we can get out of here.">> Bors's voice cheery as ever, weaving through fire that can't quite seem to trace him through the growing furball that is quite literally twelve to two.
Until the lead of the X-Wing half-squadron erupts under a display of poor luck on their part, heavy guns ripping off the port side wings and coring the fuselage to 'make a hole'. Aldera Lead blowing past, jetwash from the outsized engines spreading debris in its wake.
The withering storm of fire facing both lighter craft turning blue paint black and silver to blood with the saturation of color all around them. A pair of Z-95s teamed and making an effort to box the more nimble craft into a crossfire.
The Nebulon begins to turn, to show the fighters fleeing from the Lancer its broadside.
<<"Yes let's get the krif out of here.">> Ejnar says in response to Bor's orders and information that the mission was complete. Though, not before he has to dance around some rather skilled pilots behind the yokes of the Headhunters he was trying to poke. Their scarlet cannon fire zipped far past him though. However, as he tried to angle around and fire into one of the enemy perhaps with a bit too much confidence, the enemy juked out of the way. He perhaps would have followed. The Explosion from the destruction of one of the T-65's happens just as Ejnar rips through behind Bors, just avoiding the fireball, a bit of the shrapnel ripping into the shields and sheering it a bit. "5T get on that would you... and start plotting that hyper jump!"
<<"Lead, this is Three, understood. Breaking contact to get away!">> Aryn shoves the throttle and the sudden burst of propulsion puts her firmly against her seat. "Nnngh.." She grunts, trying to reach for the s-foil lever to push it back into place and lock the wings back to cruise, but she's struggling against the sudden change within the fighter and having to adapt. Cedar has to initiate it for her, and the s-foils close, triggering the inertia dampeners to raise their threshold. "MY... goodness!" Is all a breathless Aryn can manage as she aligns the vessel with the exit vector.
The task is done. The new is not good. Now it's time to get the hecky out of there before one of those nearly two dozen cannons eventually hit their mark. The threat of that second fate is very real, too, convincing Ulani to take evasive maneuvers as she sticks to Aryn's wing. <<"Aldera Two copies, Leader. Falling back.">>
And by 'falling back' she means screamning through the void of space surrounded by things that want to blow her up. An enemy ship makes the mistake of flying too close to their escape route and Ulani opens up immediately. Perhaps catching the pilot by surprise. Maybe they didn't know these two x-wings actually /could/ fire. They don't have long to ponder this new development as they are too busy exploding in the wake of the Aldera Squadron pair.
Caid turns about, catching one of the enemy craft in his crosshairs. Gloved fingers draw back the trigger on the steering yoke and --
>> Tri-quadratic error. Please reboot X-Wing. <<
His mouth opens, his eyes wide ... and then he peels away, falling back into formation with the other craft even as further laser fire hisses through the vacuum on either side of his fighter.
He glances over his shoulder at the astromech in its mounting: "Speak of this to no one."
<<"Squad, lead. We look clear. Don't bother to form up, check for gravity shadow and jump to the coordinates given. We'll reconvene and move from there.">> The pair of E-Wings blasting clear of the Killik's nest and the X-Wings being pursued in the withdrawal from the engagement zone.
Can't call it a retreat when the the larger, chasing force are the only ones with casualties, can we?
Now both frigates are moving, bringing their bows to a chasing posture and their diminished half-squadrons forming into a pursuing chevron formation. One could only imagine the shouting going on aboard the command ship, in the command center. The shouting and accusations.
The realization that Lana will need to be informed. The looming threat of what that will bring.
Aldera Squadron, clear of threat is given the order, <<"See thee all on the other side.">> Bors's E-Wing stretching out in a flicker of pseudomotion, to the rally point - so that they can make the run to return to New Alderaan.
Surprisingly, Rinky has been relatively quiet this mission. Something about the emptiness of space brings him a measure of zen. It's the dogfight in atmosphere that sends him screaming and Ulani is thoroughly convinced the R2 unit dreams of being functional space debris just floating around undisturbed. It would explain why he keeps suggesting a small solar panel for his power core.
Ulani hasn't been quite so quiet. There's a lot of technical information now on her screen; locations of the Lancer now highlighted with the combined efforts of their scans as well as the blips of all the enemies they were able to scan. It's a worrying picture that has her hmming to herself. "It bodes ill," she says privately to Rinky who only whistles forlornly. "Very likely we will be clashing with them again, yes. But for now..."
The coordinates already in, Ulani maneuvers to the safest jump point and rips her way through the hyperlanes; away from the nest of vipers they are all vacating.
