Log:Black Squadron: Patrol Skirmishes II
An escort mission goes sideways
OOC Date: January 15, 2021
Location: Chandrila Space
Participants: Black Squadron, Jessika Pava, Ektor, Magni, Poe Dameron
<<"This is Rickens convoy to Malastare to New Republic; we've encountered a malfunction with our hyperdrives on every ship and need time to repair. Unfortunately, our engines are locked at a certain speed, so we're angling away from Chandrila to avoid any issues, over.">>
This transmission sparked all sorts of concern given the anomalous nature of an entire convoy having engine problems that were identical, and hyperdrive troubles to boot. This prompted a response that came in the form of a female voice responding with, <<"Rickens Convoy, this is Control. We're deploying a squadron to escort you out of the system. Inform them when you've got your engines and hyperdrive back online. Over.">>
<<"Copy, control. We have our beacon on for tracking purposes. We apologize for the inconvenience.">>
The squadron on patrol for this is Black Squad, and they receive the order to reroute and track down the convoy to escort them. Poe's voice is heard over the heavily encrypted comms, sounding slightly like a robot but still distinctly Poe. <<"This is Black Leader, setting a course for Rickens Convoy. All callsigns check in and follow me in..">>
Poe's T-85 X-wing's impulse engines glow a bright red though the s-foils stay closed, locked in a cruise position. Shields shimmer into place as the small BB series astromech in the socket appears and moves its small head to look over the top of the black fighter's canopy.
<"Black Two, checking in."> Decayed by the nature of the transmission, Major Pava's voice maintains its familiarity over the net in response to Black Leader's call for presence. The verbal part of his order acknowledged, Jessika adheres to the physical, right hand easing against the natural resistance in the flight stick to guide her craft around towards the necessary heading that'll allow them to intercept the convoy and provide the escort they've been volunteered as. "I--," Jessika starts to say to herself, but pauses, knowing that expressing the rhetoric will cause her droid, Ailee, to volunteer the information under the guise of a serious question. "Nevermind. We all good on systems, Ailee?" That, too, is rhetoric in and of itself.
The X-Wing's performing exactly as she wants it to. "Nobody messed with anything?" Ailee's message is as succinct as it is reassuring, allowing Jessika to focus on the mission ahead. And the slight nagging in the back of her head.
Magni takes a deep steadying breath this wasn't exactly how he expected his first patrol with black squadron to be like. <"Black six, checking in."> Magni watches his sensors and keeps his hand on the flight stick. His R2 unit beeps and whirs. "Thats right Dive our first mission. Make sure all systems are in order."
The squadron's lone Y-wing was keeping pace with it's faster brethren by shunting weapon power into the engines. And some of the shields. <<Black Three, follow me,>> Ektor drawls, echoing Poe. <<Ah.. I mean, I'm following YOU, yeah? Obviously. But I'm here! Annnnd it rhymed, so I went with it. Say, who's the new guy? Hey there, new guy.>> Very formal, this squad.
It did not take the squad long to reach the convoy, a string of medium to large freighters all locked on a course out of the system but cruising at impulse speed. Sensors indicate their shields are online, and as they reach the extended range of the fleet, that becomes a blessing.
The squadron picks up on the sudden arrival of 12 fighter crafts that all flash into existence in near unison. Readouts mark the craft IFFs as unknown, but the make is distinctly Z-95 Headhunters. Their shields come online, and without a moment of regard or hesitation, they begin to open fire on the lead convoy ship.
Poe, during the flight, referred to Magni Njord (Black Six) as the new rookie to Ektor, but before the conversation can really kick off, the arrival of a full squadron of fighters temporarily concerns Dameron. He was going to initiate comm contact with them, but they started to engage the convoy! <<"We have positive ID! Engage!">> Is all he can manage before reaching out to slap the switch prompting his S-foils to open. Four fighters against twelve during a coordinated assault, it seemed bleak.
When Black Squadron reaches the convoy, Jessika has a discerning look at the ships themselves, as if staring at their congo line of craft will somehow allow her to divine the exact mechanism of their strange predicament. She's barely got the time to hypothesize before a squadron of fighters emerge from hyperspace and begin an immediate blitz of the convoy. No warning, no declaration, no nothing. They arrive, they begin firing. It doesn't sit well with Jessika, but the present facts on the table are simple: they're here to escort a convoy and that convoy is now being harassed by fighters that have definitively identified themselves as hostile. General Dameron's command is clear, within the rules of engagement, and simple.
And so is Jessika's response. The new intercept vector is the squadron heading their way, and Jessika's targeting computer is working on a firing solution for all of them at this range. That narrows the closer she gets, until just one craft is left within the parameters, and it's a craft she returns fire at, squeezing the trigger and unleashing a volley of crimson bolts that the Z-95 is respectfully wary of in its avoidance. She only briefly considers the four-to-one odds, because the thought is in her head no longer for a second before one of the twelve explodes in a brilliant scatter of debris and a mixture of ignited fuel and tibanna gas.
Magni groans so much for a routine patrol he thinks to himself. He changes course and trajectory. <"On your six. Black 2."> He responds before he fires at the enemy his blaster bolts missing. "Shit. Dive check on the targeting system." He says before looking around to make the next pass.
Ektor isn't great with names. <<Magnet North?>> Further correction is forgotten as a dozen hostiles emerge from a likely microjump. <<Arright, finally some action,>> the reformed (?) pirate crows, balancing power outputs to recharge his guns an instant before landing a hit on the shields of an enemy Headhunter. << I hope these Hutt-suckers is better than the last bunch, yeah?>>
Poe's initial trade off score a kill right off the cuff, and his fighter skirts the blast radius of the sudden explosion after his cannons rip the outdated Z-95 Headhunter to shreds. <<"Splash one,">> Poe reports, already earning the attention of three fighters on his tail. He spins away, not because it's a good trick, but it throws the pursuing trio into a situation they have to pilot AND shoot simultaneously to be able to score a hit on him.
<<"This is Rickens, do you want us to help out? We're not without teeth, you know?">>
Poe answers, his teeth clenched as he survives his technique only to reach forward and shove the throttle, planting him firmly against his seat. <<"Yeah, it wouldn't hurt, pal!">>
The Z-95's break their pursuit to answer the threat. They swarm Black Squad, picking key moments to fire though some prove harder to hit than others in that trade off. Poe's voice cuts back over the chaos, <<"Keep an eye on the Rook! This is bad.. this is real bad!">>
"Of course he's wishing for them to shoot us more!" Jessika says it with a slight air of annoyance, both because it's so obvious and because Ailee has deigned to bother her with it in the middle of the violent display of ionized, superheated gas that desperately wants to take her fighter apart and leave her little to nothing but floating in space. Ektor's sentiment doesn't explicitly say that he wants that, but it does not take great leaps of logic to arrive at the Tionese pilot's intentions, very easily read between giantly open lines. Missing her target, Jessika knows better than to sit in one spot, and tends to the business of getting the drek out of the way of return fire by way of rudder and stick work. An errant shot pings off her shields in the process.
Refusing to be distracted by the oscillation that shimmers across the transparisteel viewport, Jessika cranes around in her chair, harness keeping her from leaning too far in one direction, but the pulled down yellow visor on her helmet allowing her to keep her heads up display superimposed across the battlefield as she tracks the fighter she engaged in the first place. The second of the enemy craft is attempting to get away, but the predecessor to her craft is out-matched by its ancestor, and she's able to maneuver, by virtue of the X-Wing's specifications and her own experience, into an angle for a shot. She waits for that special moment when the lead reticle is hovering over the enemy craft, and when it is, her finger squeezes the trigger.
The inside of her cockpit lights up red as the four tips of her laser cannons bristle with energy, and the Z-95 she's hunting both loses its shields and suffers hull punctures that flare brightly enough she thinks she's hit something important.
Magni shakes and rocks as his fighter is hit twice. "Kriff. Dive start repairs now hurry." He says as he switches to his targeting system. <"I'm hit hard."> Magni radios to the others his own voice still staying as calm as possible. He takes his shots and keeps flying.
The NR-2 Y-wing is classified as a light bomber. Ektor doesn't fly it like a bomber. The sturdy craft wheels and weaves between lances of cannon fire with ease. Poe's call to watch the rook turns Ektor's good eye toward Black 6 before widening. "Ho, drek!" he exclaims, firing a salvo that finishes off his first dance partner, and veering into a reckless charge after Magni and his twin tails. <<Hey, Magnet, coming in hot on your nine- Don't mind the fireworks, yeah?>> His cannonade is precise and destructive. Of the Z95s trailing Black 6, one is crippled, and the other annihilated outright.
Ektor goes out of his way to fly through the brief fireball, because of course he does. <<Hahaha- BOOM, baby!>>
<<"Splash two more,">> Poe calls out after Xer's 'Boom, baby'. The pair of fighters, Black 3 and Black Leader, crisscross, or more to the fact, Poe engages Xer's tail as Xer helps the Rookie. Twisting his fighter about, Poe swings wide in the skirmish and comes roaring back for more with a determined look on his face. <<"Rook, how you holding up, buddy?">>
The squadron that had dropped out of hyperspace was not looking so hot. One was fleeing now, pushing everything to engines to get away from Xer while the one Jess battered stubbornly fought on. The Headhunters seem to regroup for a second, clustering the space with a lightshow of laser volleys that do not seem to find their marks this time. All four of Black Squadron slide through unscathed, an unnerving sight to even the more experienced pilots.
<"Black Two, splash one."> She's relentless, if nothing else, hounding after the target until it makes a mistake. This one did. Arguably, the mistake was jumping into the system to run an attack on a convoy. Other pilots in the hostile squadron are discovering that with haste, because the numbers are quickly balancing out, and all the enemy party has to show for it is some badly damaged shields on the part of Black Squadron's rookie. Poe asks the question she's thinking, which is a natural evolution given she's just punctured through one of the Headhunters and obliterated it. Swinging back around into the engagement, Jessika looks to mix it up with another. <"Is it just me, or is anyone else feeling paranoid about this whole thing?">
Magni grins a bit. "Dive how're those repairs coming pal. I need her in proper shape." Than there's Ektor and Poe speaking to him. <"Copy that Black 3."> He responds before reporting back to Poe. <"I'm fine Black Leader Dive is repairing my shield systems as we speak."> Than he takes another shot seeing it glance off the hull of his enemy. <"Sorry Guys this is a lot different than being in the simulator not trying to let you all down.">
The nose cannons of Ektor's Y-wing hammer through the shields of one among the rapidly dwindling number of Headhunters, scoring the hull and sending up a spray of sparks from a detonated hyperdrive motivator. In the process, he weaves under another salvo. <<Thanks, Pretty Boy,>> Xer notes as Poe sweeps his own tail with deadly effect. <<Paranoid?>> Ektor echoes. <<What, you mean like the galaxy might look at us and go 'Aw, rekk me: that Black Squad is too badass for me, I gotta invent a ship that shoots laser swords to try and slow them down, yeah?' ...You mean paranoid like that? Cause yeah, I think that a lot.>> R2-G13 squawks at him not to clutter the comms with idle chatter, in the middle of a battle. Ektor mutes the droid in retaliation.
<<"Happy to help, Tion..">> Intones Poe's robotic voice over comms. The ace pilot doubles back to smash another through another fighter's shields, damaging its hull very badly and also removing its ability to jump to safety. "Yeah, he should've stayed home, haha." Poe says in the safety of his cockpit, prompting BB-8 to warble something in return. <<"Let's clean the rest of these Headhunters up and call it a day, Black squad. Someone clear Magnet's tail. Everyone is shooting at him tonight.">> They must have sensed he was the new guy too! Stupid headhunters!
<<"What are we worried about, Testor?">> Her paranoia was cause for concern, because Jessika was very logical about things and could forecast most events before they happened. If she had a bad feeling about something, one had better listen!
<"All the ships have the same engine problem? A squadron of out-dated, underpowered fighters jumping in and immediately attacking with no message whatsoever? It's all just.. strange. I can't explain why."> It'll continue to nag at the back of her mind until she figures it out. It's something stewing on the back burner while Jessika's main focus remains where it should be: on the battle currently taking place so that Black Squadron can fulfill its directive and protect these ships. Noting the one on the new guy's tail, Jessika sweeps in to rectify the situation, nose of her snubfighter lined up and cannons ready to fire. She doesn't take the immediate shot but closes the gap, trying to find the better angle so that when she does fire, it counts.
It counts. The salvo of laser fire chews the Headhunter apart, leaving it scrap and dead in space.
Magni gets jostled and bounced. "Dive keep on those repairs please buddy." He calls back before firing again and missing. <"Kriff what am I a magnet for blaster fire? I'm doin what I can here Dives repairing my shields I'm still in the fight guys.">
<< I try not to think too hard about that Drek, Jess,>> Ektor 'philosophizes' aloud, while blithely running down and finishing off another Headhunter. << It's the burden of your name, Magnet. But stick with it, you'll be fine.>> A dumb chuckle. <<Hey Jess, see what I did there? 'Stick with it, Magnet', yeah? Yeah?>>
Poe is doing his best to try to bring down one of the remaining two, but the pilot is a bit more evasive than he anticipated. Following the craft as it takes a shot at Magnet in passing, Poe grimaces, but is thankful all the same that the shot goes wide and misses. <<"You're a lucky man, Magnet.">> Meanwhile, Poe is also being shot at, the red bolts flashing by his dark craft while he spins.
The convoy, which had been shooting to no real effect, manages to hit the fleeing Headhunter claiming it as a kill for their own. Shortly after, they begin to jump into hyperspace, leaving one who is still communicating that they have problems with the motivator that appear to be sabotage.
Magni grins as the pilot trying to blast him misses. "Dive good job getting the shields back up buddy." He switches to his targeting system takes a deep breath and fires. Watching the blaster bolts go through the cockpit and the satisfying destruction of the enemy he laughs and fist pumps a bit. <"Woo-hoo splash 1 Guys!!! Yea!"> He calls over the comes.
<<Jess?>> Ektor repeats when his great (terrible) joke goes uncommented on. "Drek, she's giving me the silent treatment, Genius. ...Genius? Ah hell, I switched you off, forgot." He unmutes the droid, who promptly starts reciting the regulations against muting an on board astromech. Ektor grimaces, and mutes her, again. Nose cannons spit one last time, and the last of the outmatched pirates is blasted. <<Arright, Magnet! Wrapping up your first flight in style, kid.>> He assumes Magni is a kid.
<<"Nice shot, kid.">> Poe congratulates the Rookie, and confirms to Xer he IS a kid, while pivoting his craft to fly on Magni's wing. A glance over toward the other's X-Wing, and Poe observes the damage. It's not terrible, but maintenance wasn't going to be too happy. Oh well, they could use the experience, right?! The last of the civilian crafts leaps into hyperspace leaving Black Squadron to map a course back to the fleet. Poe breaths easy, chuckling about their newest selection. They were in a three to one fight and the kid survived. That's another day in the office!
