Log:For Kijimi: Space
For Kijimi: Space
OOC Date: November 6, 2015 (Optional)
Location: Deep Space
Participants: Zorii Bliss, Elrych Cometburn, Tallie Lintra, Nova Korell, Vena, Kaelyn, Ektor, Evie Leven, Tovana, Borias Temerian, Nesys Bik, Poe Dameron
The sheer amount of ships in the Flotilla would usually ward off any attempts to attack them if it weren't for the fact that they're largely unarmed vessels, transports, and a single Capital Ship whose weapons were immediately targetted by the full weight of the Pirates laying in wait. The Preseverance has been boarded and there's already a rescue party under way, but there's a battle to be won and other pirate vessels attempting to disable some of the smaller ships in the flotilla to get at those juicy juicy slaves inside.
A distress signal was put out as soon as the Flotilla was beset upon.
A half dozen HLAF fighters are running screen on Hurricane fighters firing Ionized weapons at fleeing freighters and small, unarmed corvettes while a battle tagged Gozanti Light Cruiser is being escorted by eight headhunters and a single Broadstar transport ship. Smaller transports are moving too and from the Cruiser like ants bringing food back to the nest.. With little to no oposition aside from the meager defense fleet, which was dealt with in quick order, it falls upon those who respond to the distress signal to deal with this Enterprising pirate company.
A black and orange T-85 X-Wing blinks into real space with a flash of blue and glare of red engine contrails. The pilot, Poe Dameron, pushes the lever to accelerate while flicking his amber helmet visor down. Reaching forward, the pilot triggers the open comms.
<<"This is Commander Poe Dameron of the New Republic. I'm giving all hostile parties one chance to cease combat operations at once, or we'll be forced to engage.">>
Switching back to his encrypted comms, Poe calls for his squadron. <<"Form up on me, and check in, Black Squadron.">>
<<"Black Tweleve with you, Lead...">> Elrych says over the Black Squadron FRQ, his music slipping through just under his voice as it plays in his T-85's cockpit. The Snub Fighter appears in real space not long after Dameron's. THe engines flare to life, moving in at top speed. The music is a nice Jizzy tune, calming and instramental by the sounds of it. The Jedi takes a breath and concentrates, letting the force flow through him.
<<Black 5, on your six, Black Leader.">> Captain Lintra's T-85 flashes into the system within a second of Black Leader and Black Five.
<<"Tion, where are you, you lazy pirate?">> She adjusts the white scarf knotted at her throat, opens the s-foils and comes in full speed in formation with the rest of Black Squadron. <"Oh, El-rock, what's the music for this run?">>
Barely a second later, another T-85 swoops into Realspace, her hand hovering over the S-Foil switch. <Black Eleven, forming up,> FO3 Korell calls, anticipating the pirates' likely reply. < If they surrender on the first call, they'll be the smartest bunch of pirates we've ever flown against.>
Vena had been heading back from a run when she heard the distress signal come over the system. The Chiss had set the Y-Wing on a course for the signal and dropped out of hyperspace just a bit behind Commander Dameron and Black Squadron. Well, that's neat. <<This is Commander Vena'nratha, not of the New Republic, but here to assist should they not take polite warnings.>> the Chiss states as she pushes the throttle forward to take Nightfall's Herald closer.
Beeps go off in the cockpit of the Mark II wyvern as Kae's BB unit beeps at her.. "Yus yus, Got it." She says to her droid as Kae disengages the hyperdrive. The small custom-built fighter snapping into existance, behind and on the let flank of black squad just in time to hear Poe's communique...
"Patch me through Sarge!" Kae calls out, and then says over on coms system.. << Black Squadron, this is Wyvern, here on your wing and ready to give support.>> She says as she turns on the weapons systems of the small fighter... The covers housing the cannon systems slide open, as do the covers over the torpedo launchers and some small maneuvering fins, each one having an auxilary thruster at the end to help the fighter maneuver even better... "Sarge! Start looking for a place for me to park all these torpedos!"
There's lots of beeping from her droid and she sighs "Nooo I'm soo not jumping us back to the hangar and parking the ship there.." More beeping.. "Yes I know Exogol was scary." She sighs and she's beeped at some more in Binary "Zomg! Distress signal, we're responding, pay attention the Wyvern's systems and look for an opportunity to get us a lock on their big ship's engines, they can't jump out of there..." She says to her droid... And now a pouty set o beeps "NOw you're pouting??!?!"
<<Can we stop calling these Hutt-suckers 'pirates'?>> Ektor complains with a grimace. <<There's good pirates. These are *slavers* and there ain't no good slavers. ..Except dead ones I guess?>> His astromech honks at him. <<Oh, right: uh.. I'm here, too.>>
It felt... weird... to be behind the controls of anything that wasn't a Sienar Fleet Systems product, but with her beloved Ziro 1 having been confiscated by the Republic, and no back up ship laying in wait, she had to start from scratch. Reclaiming her reputation, regaining her confidence, and perhaps most importantly... repaying old debts.
Like Vena, Evie's an outsider looking in, but the ship she's flying might not be a stranger to some. No, she's behind the controls of the Blissful Flyer tonight. << Captain Leven reporting, uh... not New Republic either, just... an old friend. At your service tonight, Dameron. >> No First Order rank given, just the more 'generic' term afforded to the head of any ship. As the Empress of the Void, she figures she's earned that much!
Well. More like an old enemy, but that's beside the point. She /does/ move to take the 'Flyer into position, though, swaying /just/ slightly as she flies. It's a trademark of any flight pattern she's in.
Another Y-Wing drops out of hyperspace, designated Pink 1. Tovana quickly goes over scanners to see what they're up against. "Lots of fighters here by the look of things... well isn't this just a mess." She furrows her brow and tries to pick out a target from among the pirates. Adjusting her course, her fighter moves forward toward the Cruiser and its headhunter escorts. <This is Tovana in Pink 1. Just looking to help out.> she calls out over open comms. <These people just lost everything they had, leave it to pirates to take advantage of that...>
Behind the wave of X-wings, a larger ship drops out of hyperspace, the Pacifier-class scout following them in. <<Black Squadron, this is Silver Star 1. Beginning scan of opposition.>> Borias rumbles as he reaches over to tap the head of the R3 droid in the cockpit with him as he chirps back. << I am designating friendly civies as they sound off on your IFF. Anyone not on the list, well, let's help them have a bad, bad day.>>
The big man flicks off the coms as he toggles his intercom. "Okay boys and girls, we're playing support for the snubfighters. I'm taking us in to cover the refugees as best we can with our turrets. R3, stay on the sensors and keep any fire from getting a mite too friendly." The dark blue ship accelerates forward towards the refugee ships.
The reply, as expected by most everyone in Black Squadron, if not the whole response force, is in the negative. <"Poe Dameron.. I know this name.. I am Captain Krik of the Red Gallow.. We give /you/ one chance to stand down."> Brazen, these pirates. At leas their leader. Enough so that he doesn't even bother dropping open comms when issuing orders, <"Double pay for anyone who shoots down a member of Black Squadron..">
It's the smaller HLAF fighters that sweep out of their screening pattern on the Scyks (formally Hurricanes but reasons) attack runs that come in first, but the Headhunters are breaking ranks from around the Red Gallow as well. Stuttering back enough to present opposition to anyone who would rush in against the lighter, but dangerously armed, glass cannon Scyks disabling transports.
The Red Gallow itself angles the massive bulk of its hull towards the incoming Squadron and her allies. Like the heavily armed Broadstar buzzing around the forward facing bridge of the Light Cruiser like a Hornet.
<<"Just remember, you asked for this, pal.">>
Poe chuckles as he listens to all the pilots joining, check in. <<"Black Leader copies all. We've got a lot to deal with here. Let's punch through this fighter screen and get torp locks on that Red Gallow. A bottle of Port in the Storm to whoever rekks that ship.">>
<<"S-foils to attack position. Let's do this.">> Black Leader's wings spread and almost immediately engages one of the Corellian HLAFs, tagging its shield as he passes.
"Alright, buddy. Prep the targetting computer!" Poe says to BB-8.
<<"A little Sozzenels, Sunshine. Not to be confused with Hova Mensk and the Blurtones. Though Master Yoda prefers their renditions, I however am more refined.">> Elrych informs Tallie over the Black Squadron FRQ. <<"There he is, Sunshine... just a wafting of smells away.">> The Jedi comments as Ektor announces his presence. Having a chuckle, the Jedi sobers up a bit losing his concentration and focus on the Force for a spell, not realizing it. Though, that doesn't stop him from getting his head in the game otherwise. "Alright, Eggsy... let's get us a target." The Astromech in the socket behind him whistles an affirmation and his screen starts to move through the different targets. "And see if I can actually hit anything." The Astromech takes advantage of the self deprecating comment. "Yeah, stick it in the side why don't ya. You have no chill, Eggsy." The Ace Pilot reaches forwards and brings his S-foils into attack position, the whining servos echoing through the fighter. Switching shields to double front he slams into the fighter screen of HLAF's like a Mynock out of hell, firing on one and stripping him of shields and giving the pilot something to think about with a nice scorch mark on the hull. "Call it a souvenir.." He chuckles.
"Fiver, let's spread the love. Poe gave them a chance to stand down, now we'll give them a chance to get out."<"Black Five copies that.>"
The orange brackets of the targeting computer paint abstract designs over her helmet shield as it ratchets into center and the targeting tone sounds in her ears. Lintra lays on the port rudder and comes in perpendicular to her first target streaks of red laser joining her to the target; for an infinitesimal moment, they are one. Wily, the HLAF just manages to dodge her fire.
As she comes around, <"I wondered why that smell was, Elrych. I like the music well enough, let's get us some HLAFs to make it better.">>
<The hard way it is, then,> Nova mutters, tapping the S-Foil switch and circling out to hit one of those buzzing gnats that's guarding the pirates' transport. <Watch our tail, Jammer. Plenty of trouble to go around!>
HLAFs are made out of tinfoil in simulators. It seems these real ones favor the Heavy part of Heavy Light Attack Fighter, at least in shielding; a direct hit with the X-Wing's lasers doesn't do more than give the enemy pilot something to think about. <These might take a little dealing with, Black.>
Vena listens to the pirate reply back to Poe and there's an almost feral grin that crosses the Chiss' face. "Hold on, Pally. We're going in." she tells the droid on board. Then there's moment of looking before the Herald zooms forward, cannons firing as she does. The woman goes silent on comms though for the moment. Because she didn't want to distract.
"Wow that's coming up... hang on." Kae rolls her fighter, and tumbles the agile vehicle, before cutting loose with a flurry of laser fire...
The guns hum now, making a dull BRRRRRT noise as she unleashes a hail of weapons fire at her target.. Her droid beeps at her.. "I know I wa short with that!" She calls out,
Suddenly she snaps her fighter back the other way, looking to engage a different pirate fighter.
Ektor grins into the comms, aboard his own Resistance-marked Y-wing, <<Hel-lo, 'Captain Leven'. That's a nice pair of legs you got on that Wishbone, anybody ever told you that?>> The Black Squadron Y-wing waggles its nacelles with the comment. Elrych and Tallie are answered in turn, <<Yanno, I would complain about how you two talk about me but.. no lie? You ain't wrong.>> The threats of Red allows and the heavy presence of enemy fighters don't dissuade lazy banter, or an attack run that is bold to the point of recklessness. <<Torpedoes live, getting a lock on the big mark. Which- I repeat- is NOT a pirate, yeah?>> The light bomber is outside of effective torpedo range, but the idiot pilot fires anyway and manages to detonate a first pair of torpedos on the big Gozanti's shields. <<Knock, knock boys: no lie? You better have like.. ALL your fighters come at me, cause I am gonna rekk you up real bad, Red Gallows.>>
<< "Is that a challenge, Black Leader? You're lucky that I'm borrowing this ship, or I'd show you how I /really/ punch through a screen." >> Evie replies, grinning to herself. The Y-Wing isn't as manuverable as her precious TIEs, but what it lacks in natural dancing ability, it makes up for in power. Delicious, utterly /intoxicating/ power. Maybe she should've tried this earlier.
While the temptation is there to /charge/ the HLAF screen and try to dance through it... the truth is that she's still a little unfamiliar with where all the right buttons are to do her usual tricks. The more she flies it, though... the more she'll dare. Although, of course, the goal is to bring it back in one piece so there /are/ more chances to fly it.
<< "One hole, coming right up." >> Evie offers, breaking off to hunt down one of the HLAFs that looks like it's seen better days... lining up the shot.... and with a quick press of a trigger (and then the /right/ trigger!) she fires and delivers as promised; one used-to-be-ship, now-glorious-debris.
Ektor's familiar voice calling her out brings another grin to her lips. << "These legs ain't just for looks, darlin', but you're welcome to keep lookin'." >> ...it does, admittedly, feel strange not to be /taunting/ him from the opposing side...
...but it doesn't feel /wrong,/ either.
Tovana checks over her targeting computer, getting a lock on one of the Z-95's ahead of them. "Alright, got one in my sights!" She squeezes the trigger and her Y-Wing's dual lasers fire off at the Z-95, but the pilot was quick on their reflexes and saw the bolts coming with enough time to zip out of the way. "I was sure I had him too..." the twi'lek grumbles under her breath. Sizing up that Z-95, she starts to maneuver toward it. <Okay, you, it's on now!> she growls over comms. "R3 keep an eye on the other fighters incase any of them come on my tail." The R3 astromech droid beeps affirmatively in response.
Seeing the opening, the Peacemaker rolls, starting to make for the hole in the pirate screen as it heads towards the transports, its quad turret blazing away at one of the nearby HLAFs as a pair of blue protons streak from its wings, heading for the Headhunters its charging headlong at. Not that they're feeling threatened as they twitch out of the way of the oncoming scout ship as Borias curses under his breath. "Keep going, we have to get to those transports before they take more of them out!"
The quad beams cut across the HLAF, two punching neatly into the enging cowlign ont eh craft to leave a trail of venting gasses and flames through the whole, though the Headhunter twitches to the side, rolling clear of the protons as they harmlessly explode in a vain attempt to catch it with a proximity explosion.
Like a wave of locusts, the HLAF flash out across the black towards the incoming Black Squadron and assorted allies. The initial volley sees one of them completely atomized, parts of the hull drifting outward after the internal systems combusts beneath combined fire, the rest circle around two to one side, three on the other, but Borias' Quad lasers descimate another leaving it drifting harmlessly in space.
Hope the life support holds.
The lone torpedo fired out towards the Red Gallow errupts on the shields, which brings the Headhunters streaking forward, breaking up into pairs with the circling HLAF to go hunting heads for that double pay for Black Squadron. There's suspiciously little shit being talked now though. Ektor's missiles certainly set a tone... The Red Gallow is turning to broadside, not to run, but to bring the massive turbolasers to bare.
Meanwhile, slavers gonna slave.
<<"You make the hole big enough, we'll slide through and punch that cruiser in the face. Until then--">> "HOLD ON, BUDDY.." Poe says, abruptly cutting off the chatter to spin and angle low, increasing the speed of his craft. Red blasts from a pair of pursuing Z-95 Headhunters streak by, shading Poe in a hue of red several times. "I see em, I SEE EM!" Adjusting his range, one Headhunter foolishly pulls ahead of Black Leader and Poe tags them pretty hard. <<"...we GOTTA GET RID of these HEADHUNTERS!">> Poe says, his voice a little more intense as he visually tracks the two he's dealing with. Black Leader, the T-85 X Wing, flies by one of the flotilla ships, still being pursued by the pair of slavers!
Elrych gets rocked by a solid hit from the better trained and likely paid Headhunter pilots, the sound of laser bolts ripping away at the protective energy field around his snubfighter louder than the music he's playing. "Kriff, shields are stripped under half. Eggsy, get on it I'm going to... negotiate." He hits the air thrust break and TURNS the entire ship in an about face while still moving in the same direction he was. His four Taim & Bak KX14 laser cannons rip into the shields of the Headhunter in a surprise maneuver. Then, he accelerates once more to give chase. Eggsy give a negative report. "Keep working on it..." <<"I agree, they're nasty. Bad vibes, all around!">>
"Let's play tag, Fiver." Fiver blats flat resentment at Lintra's teasing.
The G-pull makes Lintra grin fiercely as she pulls back hard on the rudder and does an Immelman taking them into direct confrontation with the Headhunter trying to make friends with her the hard way.
Scolding angrily because of the strain on the fusial ion engines, Fiver shrills louder as they do a direct pass at one another exchanging shots. Green lasers disappear into infinity as red lasers weaken the Headhunters shield. <"Black 12, turn the music up!">
Suddenly gaining two new mismatched friends on her six, Nova leads them into a complicated scissoring weave, forcing the two fighters to crowd each other so much that their attempted shots are hasty and ill-aimed. But that first HLAF is still very much in the fight. With a couple seconds to herself while the pursuing Headhunter and HLAF sort themselves out, she quad-links her four laser cannons and unleashes Hell at her dancing partner! The resulting explosion clears in moments, leaving no debris larger than a wing panel or two. <Eleven, scratch one HLAF... Evie! The fighters are busy with us! I'd suggest going after that Gozanti, or ionizing one of the boarding transports!>
Vena was off to a good start, missed getting hit so far, "Hey, I just got this painted!" she grumps. But, the Chiss gives a bit of a frown when there's debris that drifts into their path and she has to take the Y-Wing up suddenly as she fires, which means she doesn't hit the broad side of a barn with the shot she just fired. Wompwompwomp. She growls and moves to whip the ship around to get another shot lined up.
Kae blinks, sees one of the Y wings, ok most of the y-wings drawing heavy fire << Wyvern here, moving to cover the strike craft>> She says simply.. Her droid it can be heard going <Waaaaoooooh!> as Kae suddenly snap rolls her fighter and pulls the nimble ship hard over, bringing its nose around and in the direction of the bombers...
Kae firewalls the throttle and the red exhaust cones are quite visible as her ship shoots off after the Y-wings...
<< Oki gues, here goes nothing>> She calls out, coming up fast on one of the Z-95's... She looks at her reticle, aims and cuts loose with a double solid streamer of laser fire 'bbrrrrrrrt' can be heard as the nimble fighter craft zips by the z95 and probably Ektor's Y-wing... Of course the Z95 rolls out of the way, but Kae's trying!!!
Her droid beeps at her again... "I know I missed!" She calls out and yes her hands come off the controls long enough for her to flail, before she grabs the flight stick and throttle, whilst grumbling about silly droids.. " You knooow, this is hard enough to do without you screaming and saying eeeevery time I miss.." She says, the droid gives a tell tail astromech giggle, followed by a pair of raspberries...
Kae rolls her eyes.
Ektor is grinning fiercely in the armored cockpit of his Y-wing, so focused on keeping his torpedo lock on the Gozanti that his efforts at evasion are minimal at best, and a pair of faster fighters land hits on the light bomber's stout shields, drawing an alert claxon as the deflectors begin to fail. "Genius, make yourself useful and keep those up a bit longer," he drawls to the astromech, "Oh, and disable the safety reload timer, yeah? Just kidding, I'll do that myself." He clicks the comms live again, to banter at Evie, mid-bombing run, <<Oh, I'm enjoying the show, alright.. That bird's got nice legs and nice guns. Lemme show you a little something back, yeah?>> The rapid cascade of torpedoes that sizzle out of the light bomber defy every conceivable safety regulation, any must have fried the fighter's proton triggers, but the effects are devestating as the Y-wing empties its ordnance at the Red Gallows. Shields collapse, armored hull plating buckles, and the big warship is severely damaged, atmophere ventingg briefly from several breaches.
Evennia Leven. Empress of the Void. Ready to reclaim her title indeed.
<< "Roger that, pretty lady. Just make sure you stay alive out there, got that?" >> is offered back to Nova with a wide grin under her helmet. That's another voice it's /very/ good to hear.
Sensing the moment as much as she was told it, Evie decides to test the Blissful Flyer's manuverability with the best /defensive/ pilot that the Order had ever seen at the helm.
A spin of those 'nice legs' that takes her flying past the screen of fighters later, and she's in a perfect position to follow up the torpedo spread that Ektor unleashed.
<< "Revvin' up my engine, hot stuff. Let's see how you like /this./" >> is offered back towards Ektor, before the Kuati punches a few extra buttons on the targeting computer. Going for precision rather than aiming for the broad side. Targetting the engines of the Gallows with a photon bomb. One press, and Evie shows her finesse. With a -- relatively contained -- explosion, those engines are /gone/ and the weapons? Forget about 'em. The Red Gallow will not be hanging anyone high tonight. But it's /also/ not breaking apart.
<< "Pretty sure this counts, Black Leader. I'll leave my number with a friend and you can send me that sweet, sweet booze." >>
Well. All the other fighters were ignoring her for now, including the Z-95 she just tried to shoot at! <You Resistance pilots sure are popular,> Tovana muses over open comms. Of course, while all the Z-95's were busy with the Res pilots, the cruiser and Scyk fighters they were protecting before were now vulnerable. The cruiser... was pretty much dead in the water at this point, so Tovana picks out one of the Scyk fighters and manages to maneuver in on its tail, firing her dual cannons and pegging it from behind, though the light fighter's shields hold.
Borias can feel his teeth rattle as the proton torpedo from the Headhunter slams into the Peacemaker's shield, rocking the ship as the dome of shield energy around it flares into view from the impact. "Welp, they don't like...let's see if we can make a few more slavers not like us more than those refugees!" It's a negative popularity contest at this point for who can draw more fire. Though he's really not liking how those turbolasers seem to be edging more his direction. "Treads! Get the shields back to full, we're about to be dodging turbolasers! R3, find me which of those pirate ships have refugees aboard already" The R3 warb warbles, its jack twisting and spinning in its socket as it whistles then blats negatively. "Kriff. Keep trying!"
The menacing ship spins on its axe to make it harder to hit as another pair of protons streak out of it, this time arcing towards the Gallos as its forward lasers and quad turret blaze away at the nearest Scyk, trying to drive it away from the vulnerable transports, the torps missing clean and detonating harmlessly as the nearest Scyk jukes hard, but the smaller snubfightger can't evade the quad bolts that track it through its turn, smacking solidly into its shields.
An A-Wing drops out into the battle, sweeping around and right off the bat fires a concussion missile right into what was a fairly unexpecting Headhunter. ... .. Which connects gloriously.... but does not get past the shields.
"Awwww son of a Kark!" Nesys exclaims as it doesn't just .. go down in flames. Still she has to stay focused because A-wings are tempermental, no astromech for one thing, and this one in particular looks about half painted like someone was repainting worn red standard a deep purple with red highlights when the distress call went out.
Nesys is going to have to start all over damnit.
The Gallow is dead in the water, the void of space sucking the fire from multiple hull breaches leaving the wreckage teetering on the vurge of structural collapse. The lights along the front of the Light Cruiser flicker as power fluctuates to life support. The remaining Slaver fighters are scrambling now, pushed against the ropes, they double down their efforts to drive back the rescue Squadron with limited successes. Several Headhunters trail after Poe in a constant dance, but they're barely a match for the X-Wing and not at all in the Ace pilots ballpark... Nor any of Black Squadron for that matter. They score some hits, but it's nothing to send home about, except it keeps them busy long enough for Borias massive ship to wade into the midst of blue beam firing Hornets that descend upon him almost as a hive mind. Peppering him with blaster bolts that disrupt the power flow of his ship and leave him drifting without a rutter in the dead of space.
The Massive Flag ship of the Flotilla, however, has other plans.
From the broadside of the Capital Ship of the Flotilla, there comes an WOOOMP and a barreling red bolt errupts from the duel Turbo Laser batteries into the direction of the swarming Scyk fighters.
<<"This is Zorii Bliss on open comms from aboard the Perseverance. We've taken command of the bridge. All Kijimi captives not yet rescued... Fight.">>
Poe is sick of being pursued, and it shows when he narrows his eyes. Taking a moment, he unexpected yanks back his lever controlling his speed and props his arm against the canopy while his other hand, still holding the yoke, forces his craft into a terribly painful pivot. "AhhHHHHhhHhHHHH!" Poe cries out against the G's as the craft swings its ass end about, engines sputtering until he's passed by both Headhunter pilots in the blink of an eye.
He growls and slams the lever forward, turning his body one way to fight the G forces to see that task down, and the engines kick in full tilt, planting him back against his seat. The moment his S-foils have opened again, Poe is hitting both Headhunters relentlessly. <<"Hahaha! You guys should've stayed home!">>
Another loud rumble as alarms are going off in Elrych's cockpit. He saw the shot coming but it was just a moment too late. "Stang..." He continues the pursuit of the Headhunter he had damaged, crimson bolts zipping past harmlessly towards the side. <<"You know... this drek streak I'm on really really needs to end because I'm losing my patients and Rey would be very, very terse with me for that.">> At least there's some good news as Eggsy announces he's got the shields up to a more reasonable level. A bit of relief on the pilot's face, "About time... Keep it going. We're still in a kriffin' dog fight." The alarms were quiet now and all there was was his music. As requested, he turns it up. <<"There ya go sunshine... maybe it'll help.">>
Unphased by the numbers swarming, Lintra piles into the dogfight trying to untangle the web of fire lacing space around the slavers.
She groans when Borias is left drifting in space and tries to raise him over coms, <"Peacemaker, this is Black Five, your status?">
Engaging all of Black 5s lasers, Lintra downs a wounded Headhunter in the wake of Poe wreaking havoc on them. <"I like that music, El-rock. Keep it up"> She taps the time out on the throttle as she takes them into another turn to loop back into the fight.
<Geez, Elrych... usually they don't stick to you this tight,> Nova comments, dropping smoothly onto that stubborn Headhunter's tail. < If you'll just break high on my mark...>
That's when the antiquated fighter drifts up, relatively speaking, and the blonde soldier just can't hold back old reflexes: She pulls the trigger as the Z-95 crosses her gunsights, stitching it full of hot laser!
The pilot panics, weaves the wrong way, and gets a tailful of more red annihilation, bursting into a million glowing fragments. <Must've gotten the fuel tank. Never mind, Elrych! You're clear!> she calls, diving away and angling for the cloud of slaver transports. Business yet to be taken care of…
Jammer sounds a warning tone. <Black, I'm going to be a minute catching up with those transports! Fighter screen's been too heavy. If anybody else out there has a bead on one, I am totally /not/ going to be mad if you snooze them! Promise!>
Vena's a Naval Officer, she's not a fighter pilot, though she's moonlighting as one obviously! The Chiss gives a look over the situation, the friendlies and their targets. <<Guys, try to pair up on some of the enemy ships, I know that we've got enough of us and we have one sitting out for the moment due to damage. If you can take one out by yourself and move on then that's fantastic, but don't let people get caught stalled.>> she states calmly over the comms. She also gives some other advice, but, it's up to others to take the tactics that are suggested.
Kae blinks and umms << Yeah Yeah, I has two on me right now!>> she calls out as she darts and weaves between laser blasts..
Suddenly she's barrelrolling and at the top of the roll suddenly inverts, flipping the fighter over and now flying backward in the middle of the roll..
It's at this point she cuts loose at the nearest Z95, this time scoring hits!
Kae doesn't wait though,s he kills her retros and goes full throttle forward, now darting between the two attacking fighters with the sudden change of direction, over the coms one might even hear the Sephi grunt a little bit with the sudden hard change and the g-forces she throws on her self..
One can definately hear her droid yell out... "Jeeeze sarge, yer whiny today!" She says, there's beeps and Kae blinks "Yup I sure did hit one this time..." More beeps "Who cares if it didn't do much I hit it!"
Ektor crows aloud as Captain Leven's Y-wing follows him in and finishes off the Gozanti, <<BOOM, baby!>> With a cackle, he quips back at Evie, <<You can just leave that number with me, yeah? I'll make sure you get the booze.>> Banking hard away from the stricken warship, he lines up an attack run on the fleeing slave transports. << Switching to ions. Let's flash them nice blue eyes, yeah? Gonna freeze up those transports, before they get clear. Any Wishbones out there, follow me in.>> Lazily guiding his Y-wing into a deft roll that avoids the fusilade of a slaver's Broadstar. The light bomber's ion cannons strafe the length of a transport too sluggish to dodge, and one slave ship is stranded.
The Peacemaker bulls straight into the mass of Scyks, trying to draw their fire away from the refugee ships still trying to frantically clear the battlezone. Predictably, this works...a little too well, as the larger ship trys to bob and weave, avoiding some of the return ion fire, but still take four shots...more than enough to bring down the shields and hit the hull, sending snakes of electricity running over the ship as its engines and lights flicker off. It starts a slow uncontrolled spin beginning to flip over.
Inside, Borias curses as his stick goes dead, the lights around him flickering off as there's similar cursing from the turret gunners. "TREAD!" he bellows, as the little Treadwell extends its arms, maniplating several bare consuits as it snips and slices, slapping two of them together as it wraps spacetap around the cracking exposed wires and beeps loudly.
Lights in the cockpit flicker on fitfully as Borias catches part of Vena's tactical plan. "Right, Jace, I'm bringing the turret up...snag us a Scyk!"
Outside, the running lights flicker on as the engines start to power on slowly...but the turret whips around to an unwary Scyk turning to fly back away from the stricken ship, sending a series of laser bolts into its shield. Borias grins fiercly and transmits. <<We're here Black Five, but it'll take a moment to shake off the ion...we're still in the fight.>>
The sturdy little A-wing takes a hit as the head hunter it is dog fighting with manages to veer and turn things around and get a shot off at Nesys. << Skrogging slaver!>> is cursed, oh right, comms.
<<Uuuh... Ravager 1 .. I can't go help with the transports no ion cannons just fiery death on this thing...>> suddenly Nesys is wishing she had actually grabbed one of their headhunters, on one hand, of course she hasn't gotten to paint them yet so she might have been shot by an ally in this scrum. So maybe the A-wing is best.
Working a whole lot of controls at once Nesys manages to tilt the A-wing around towards the Headhunter that zinged her shields and fire some of that fiery death lancing it with a laser cannon and punching a whole through it's shields. <<Eat it!>>
<< "Good tips, Commander. I'll keep 'em in mind!" >> Evie offers up to Vena as she fills the comms with... really, sound strategic advice. Of course, then she's got Nova and Ektor both giving new orders, and, well...
...she's not the one in charge, not anymore. This will take getting used to. << "Trust me, those transports ain't going anywhere before I punch their dance cards." >> the Kuati replies -- and yes, she /will/ leave her information with Ektor. Booze is a happy thing for her, especially when she's not embraced by the comforting surroundings of a war machine like this one. She sets her sights on a new target, one of the Transports that's still reading as mobile... lines herself up /just/ right, and pulls the trigger...
...nothing happens. There's a moment of panic before she has to remind herself, Y-Wing, /not/ TIE. A squeeze of the /proper/ trigger later, and a burst of laser soars through the void, hitting her target... but not nearly as hard as she might have if she /had/ that familiarity with the bigger ship. Dark brows knit together under her black helmet. "I'll get you next time. You're not running away /that/ easily!"
Tovana's Y-Wing is rocked by laserfire from a pirate Z-95 and an HLAF. Her fighter's shields flash and fall and some of the paint is scratched from her hull. <"That wasn't an invitation!"> she calls out over comms. She hears Ektor's call to fire on those transports. <"Bit busy here right now..."> she mumbles in response. "R3, see if you can get our shields back online, I'm going to try to shake these guys!" Tovana pulls back hard on the throttle and flips her fighter straight up, pulling a split-S to try to lose her pursuers and putting her focus entirely on maneuvering to give her droid time to work on those shields.
The Slavers are fighting like there lives depend on it because quite frankly they do.. The Scyk have no hyperdrives, so they can't go anywhere, and the Headhunters are keeping Black Squadron off the Transports.. literally the life line for this whole operation depends on those slaves. Don't feel bad for them, they don't deserve your sympathies. Ektor's ionization light up the hull of one of those transports and leave it drifting without a rutter, while the other five move in a direction that is clearly intent on escape.
Except for four of them list off to the side as the captives onboard do precisely what Zorii told them and start fighting! Assuming control and sounding off as they assault their captives and take the cockpit. <"FIGHT!"> <"We're with you!"> <"Wounded onboard, but we're here!"> <"Need medics..."> Injuries were a given, but that only leaves one transport with any hope of getting away with any kind of a prize.
The Perseverance's turbo lasers turn towards the Broadstar chasing Ektor's damn near punching a hole straight through the front of the hull with the massive cap-ship weapon. <<"Get that god damned Transport, Black eight.">>
Poe is still chasing a Headhunter, its shields potent despite all four cannons smacking the agile craft. "Yeah yeah.. I know, buddy. If we're going to attack the fighters, we need to follow through. Headhunters are crafty. The moment you doubt them is the moment you regret it." Black Leader is seen angling high above the conflict only to dive back into the dog fight. <<"Everyone report in. How are we doing out there?">>
<<"Yeah, no kidding, Moonbeam. You're out there doing all the hardwork for me. Thanks.">> Elrych thanks his squadron mate and wingman. "Alright, let's try this again." He matches speeds with the Headhunter who's shields he had taken out long ago and had been chasing around for a time now. Even the other Headhunter that takes up the postion of the one that Nova took care of is dodged without much forethought, likely aided by the force. The retical goes green and the tone is solid on his targeting computer. Depressing the trigger, at least one canon seers through the engine block in the back, rupturing a necelle... and boom, the Z-95 explodes. <<"Splash One, Lead.">> Eggsy gives him a negative report on shielding though, still holding at under half power. "Are you serious?" HE responds to Poe, <<"Twelve is still here... trying my best.">>
"Fiver, we have got to stop meeting these Headhunters like this." Tallie complains as she comes around in a port turn, zig zagging as the canopy of the T-85 is splashed with the brilliant green of her adversary. Shields are minimally down.
<"Black Five, copy that Poe. Not bad, not good. Hanging in there.">
<Don't mention it,> Nova coms to Elrych. < Still got some transports out there, Lead. I'll see if I can help out. One's almost in range now...> Jammer, watching the fight from his socket, switches the main display over to a long-range targeting bracket. "Thanks, Jam," Nova murmurs, quad-linking her lasers again. "Can't miss this one, or they'll go evasive. Just a little more... little more... now!" The quad-burst of lasers smashes through the transport's weak deflectors and makes durasteel spaghetti out of the ion drive tubes. The ship's trajectory flattens out, and Black Eleven soars up over it. < That's the last hostile transport down, Lead. Maybe we should tell their fighter friends that if they don't surrender, you'll come after them and Ektor, Evie, and I'll back you up!>
Kae rolls, dodges, and flips her fighter over the fire from the Z-95... She blinks as she spots a Scyk.. "Ooh.." She mutters, and then re-angles her fighter before blasting forward.. Soon enoughs he slips onto the scyk's tail and rolls as she cuts loose with a long burst from her cannons. Instantly the scyk is blown to bits as Kae rolls over the top of the explosion, and darts off in another direction, hunting for more targets... "Ahah! I got that one!" she says to her droid.. Beeps, and Kae frowns "Uhhuh, yeah yeah, bout time... I don't see you doing any better!"
A crooked grin twists Ektor's lip at an incoming transmission, and he sees the majority of transports break off their hyperspace vector and his eye fixes on the last transport. << I see it. Ions live, going in.>> His ship is rocked by a heavy hit from the pursuing Broadstar, but he doesn't break off his course, even as his shields buckle, his astromech screams and the tough fighter's fuselage is scored by cannons. He smells burnt circuitry in the instant the slavers pursuing him are blasted to scrap by friendly turbolasers. Nova's ship is faster and Ektor cackles at the other pilot's gunnery. << Nice work, Moonbeam. That's all the transports, yeah? Black.. uh. Seven? I think I'm still Seven. A bit shot up, but you know how it is: they party ain't really started til you can taste blood, yeah? And this party is ON.>> At least he sounds happy. One of the Scyk Interceptors passes within his front arc, and Ektor clicks lasers live, anticipates their next move, and obliterates the slaver with a pair of bolts to the cockpit. << See, that's how you can tell these are slavers, not pirates: they blow up too easy.>>
<< "You go girl, show them your moves!" >> Evie chirps over the comms as Nova knocks out the final transport. Truth be told, she expected this to be the point where the bad guys start running away and her instincts tell her to start chasing. It seems, though, that this group is made of sterner stuff and they're still in the fight. << "Slavers, pirates, doesn't make much of a difference to me. Both make the galaxy worse for everyone else, so the more I blow up..." >> The safer the galaxy becomes.
Finding herself a new target, she settles on one of the Headhunters and tries to give chase, doing her best to keep pace with the other bird -- but the Flyer's made for power, not speed, and when she gets her shot off? It harmlessly soars into the distance, instead. There's a mutter under her breath, and an additional chip to Ektor. << "Think this one's one of your 'pirates', doesn't wanna blow up at all." >>
Vena thinking this tactics shouting out might be the better idea for her as she zigs in and out of the fire. She was trying cover ground and keep everyone updated on how many ships there were and where they should be hitting for the best shots. She was doing what she used to doing, just not in an official way.
<<Ravager-1 ... hold ..>> the A-Wing manages to flip into a roll and not be shot by the Headhunter they are dog fighting over yonder with. <<On...>>
Which is followed up by Nesys trying to laser canon the Headhunter one more time, the shields were punched through before .. maybe one more good shot... and then tha bantha poo flinging nerf herder rolls and dodges her canon fire. <<Dwang!>> her vocabulary is broad. << I'm find I just can't put this one out it seems yet.. working on it.>>
There's a triumphant yell from the quad turret gunner as he again slams a few shots into the Scyk....but then two of them turn back and before the Peacemaker can even get underway quickly enough to dodge, more ion bolts slam into it, fresh sparks shooting over the ship as its power dies. Again. In the engineering room the Treadwell lets out an alarmed warble, four of its arms flailing a bit as not only the conduit it just patched explodes, but a series of them explode across the room. Smelling smoke, the R3 quickly rolls back, starting to spray the fires down as the two droids try to just bring the fires under control before they can even try to bring the ship power back up. Borias curses under his breath, falling back into his chair as the Peacemaker continues its stately uncontrolled spin away from the battle. "Welp..." he rumbles, "Here we are." He sighs as he leans back in his chair, nose wrinkling at the acrid smoking coming from the engine room as he watches the increasingly distant fight, as the cockpit slowly swings around back towards the battle. Not much use panicking, and at least he was able to distract the Scyks long enough for the rest of the relief for to engage them. He'll take being downed in return for no more refugee ships being ionized and/or boarded. Ionized is a heck of a lot better than taking more proton torpedoes to the hull.
Tovana's quick maneuvering seemed to throw off her attackers, or else they otherwise found a more interesting target to go after. "How are those shields coming along, R3?" Tovana asks. The droid whirrs and beeps in response. "Better... looks like those transports are all offline now too. Let's help mop up the rest of these fighters now." She sets her sights on one of the Scyk fighters and goes in guns blazing while R3 continues working on restoring shield strength. As Tovana's shields go up, the enemy Scyk's shields go down. <"Hey, pirates? News flash: you've lost this one. Why don't you take the hint and either run away or surrender already?">
This fight isn't going well for the Slavers.
They've gotten their eyes blackened and the Transports aren't going anywhere despite the screen the Headhunters are laying down to keep the Black Squadron X-Wings away, but as more of them are blasted. There's just not enough durosteel to put between the X-Wings and the prize they'd come to take... So they /do/ take the hint.
The headhunters break away with the pair of HLAF fighters, each of the seven ships plotting a course to a fallback position for their company of raiders. They Scyk? Those poor Scyk, they're left to their devices. They can't be towed out with a busted Red Gallow... and all the guns in the system are about to be turned on them.
So their will to keep fighting is drained. Better to serve in a prison than to be blasted into the void right?
Besides, there's no centralized government to procecute them.. at least they don't think there is. The Kijimi refugees might have some specific notions on how to handle these bastards, though.
<<"Black Squadron, this is Captain Hekklor of the Perseverance.. we cannot possibly express enough thanks for your assistance.">> There's still the act of recovering the damaged transports and bringing them back into the hanger to release the captives and processing the Slaver crews captured, but the fighting is, for the most part, finished.
<<"It wasn't just Black Squadron. Be sure to thank all the good samaritans! Black Leader out.">>
