Log:Resistance: A Perimeter Create

Resistance: A Perimeter Create

OOC Date: May 16, 2020
Location: High Orbit Geonosis
Participants: The Resistance, Lando Calrissian, Ektor, Tallissan Lintra, Karas Darkwing, Elrych Cometburn, Lofty, Poe Dameron

The arrival of the Resistance fleet in the Geonosis System was an unusual deployment, from the beginning. The Republic was sending a diplomatic mission to the Archduke of Geonosis, one of the central figures in the recent re-emergence of an old menace. The Resistance battle fleet counted the most experience and battle-hardened pilots and crews under the New Republic's banner, and command had deemed them the most reliable forces to send into an uncertain and unstable situation where ambush was feared, but a hasty mistake could plunge the nascent New Republic into a two-front war.

The quartet of Resistance capital ships had arrived in the void above the Geonosian homeworld, and been directed to wait. Massive rings of rocks, ice, and dust circled the world, as did four large moons, and a scattering of smaller ones. To initial scans, the Geonosians seemed to have no capital ships- or any fighting craft- of their own, though after several hours and calibrating their sensors to detect the subtle emissions of Geonosian spacecraft, the truth became known: one of the organic-looking minor moons spouting with multiple insectoid spires was some new variety of space station. A Geonosian Void Hive, designation *Erminaz-tlikzin*. Furthermore, the rings and asteroid fields shrouding the planet were crawling with Nantex Mark II fighters, flown by Geonosian pilots who seemed never to either land or sleep. Freighter traffic in the system was sparse, with no more than a handful of civilian vessels coming and going since the fleet's arrival.

Republic patrols to secure their own ships were permitted, but whenever the Resistance squadrons ventured too close to the Void Hive, or parts of the planet, a swarm of fighters would emerge to dissuade them, communicating in the clicks and chirps that translating computers needed several crucial seconds to decipher. No shots had been fired, yet, but the natives were clearly very defensive. Steady nerves, killer instincts, and cool heads were needed.

<<Why am I here, again?>> Ektor had loudly wondered from his Y-wing.

"I know, Artoo, it /has/ been a long time. Let's just hope we're not as rusty as we think we are," Lando offers back to his buddy stationed in the astromech slot of his X-wing.

<<You're here because you're a crack pilot, Ektor!>> comms Lando back to the young man, still settling in a little to the tight confines of the X-Wing. Artoo whistles and beeps through Lando's cockpit, causing the man to turn his eyes to the sensors which had been turned off here-to-fore. "Oh, right. We might need those," the General answers, reaching out to click the readout on.

<<"The Republic wanted a presence above the planet. When Wedge asks for something; he gets it. So we're here to have a presence.">> Poe said, having ventured out to join the patrolling pilots to give others a much needed break. Behind him, in the socket, sat a comical BB-8, whose head moved from side to side as Poe flew toward the asteroid ring; a bit too close for droid comfort. "Relax, buddy. We'll be fine." Poe says, smiling. Another day in the office.

Captain Lintra's very question, silently to herself, then asked to Fiver aloud, "Why was she here again?" Gloved hands tightening on the control, she settles deeper into her seat.

"This is a dirty system to be flying in Fiver, and we have a lot of nervous pilots out there from the looks of it."

Over general coms, <<Don't say things like that to him, General, true or not. It goes to his head.">>

Elrych was here, slowly flying in formation inside black 12. A slow ballad played as he listened to the comm chatter. <<"Its weird. Gonto the first order. Piss em off now ask us for help. Diplomacy is shady stuff.">>

Lofty was flying the HOTH HOG, an old Sienar gunboat, on a scouting mission for the depleted Resistance forces to the nearby Andoweel system in the Arkanis Sector. He has to drop out of hyperspace far away due to the excessive asteroids around Geonosis. "Lofty hear they have brain worm on Geonosis, very dangerous," he can be heard warbling over the comms to his navigator. "Murimu uyu ni muru" replies the Sullustan navigator Haoziiplirs Stebbs, loosely translating as 'this disease sounds bad.' Lofty begins to carefully fly through the jumble of stellar debris toward the Resistance base ships.

A crack pilot? <<Well.. I mean, *yeah*, but I don't usually get outta bed unless something needs blowing up, yeah?>> Ektor cracks with an audible grin. He doesn't even bother denying Tallie's quip, answering Elrych, "Nah, see: if diplomacy were shady, it'd make more SENSE to me, yeah?>> Poe's explanation of a presence earns the lazy drawl, <<Check me out: all present and drek.>>

Despite the high tensions, all seemed to be going.. About as well as could be hoped for. But the arrival of a familiar civilian transponder might just change everything: an old CEC Action V model heavy transport, the *Long Wampa* had emerged from hyperspace, and sets a course for the planet, below.

Falling into formation with everyone else, Lando kicks back a little bit, a single hand resting on his tummy as the other controls the ship. << So Dameron, you never did tell me the whole story behind you and Zorii running into those soldiers on the grav-train,>> Lando wonders, trying to find anyway to kill the time, and doing a bad job of following any sort of codified rules regarding comm channels.

His eyes do note the newly arrived blip, and it's course. "Oh, that could be trouble, Artoo."

<<"Everyone picking up that new signature?">> Poe asks, flicking a pair of switches on his targeting computer to get a deep scan. <<"I feel like.. that name is one we've seen before...">> Poe's memory is coming up short, straddling a line of YEAH, YEAH I'VE SEEN THEM--to I'm not so sure. He stares at the read out of the vessel, thinking back for as far back as he can to determine if he'd seen them before.

<<"Black Four copies that, Black Leader.">> Lintra's voice crackles over the coms. One finger touches the white scarf snugged into the throat of her regulation flight uniform, an unconscious thought for her father. She grimaces slightly, "Fiver, we need a sweep on that ship for heading and for what it is carrying." Data pours back onto her screen.

<<The ship is on a strange heading. They are not carrying cargo either. Your suspicions are right, Black Leader. It's the Long Wompa being...well, suspicious.">>

<<"Of course it's on a suspicious heading, that's the Damn Long Wampa." Elrych said over comms, not paying to much to the fighter swarm that was being picked up by lofty and others. <<"And I can tell you right now, they're up to no good... per usual.">> The Jedi had been with Black Squadron long enough to have tussled a few rounds with the Long Wampa and other Pirate ships like it. He opened his S-foiles and reached out with the force, preparing. <<"I say we ask them what's up.">>

"Tuingi!" Stebbs says over the comms, indicating that there are many sensor contacts. But Lofty isn't too perturbed. "Bug bois hide in asteroids, no worry to us." The asteroids become more sparse as he guides the skipray blastboat toward Geonosis. <<"HOTH HOG return to base.">> he announces over the secure channel.

Black 5 jumps out of hyperspace along with the rest of the fleet, moving up and into position with the rest of Black Squadron, <<Alright, hopefully this will be a nice Milk Run for a change.>> he says into his comms. Karas stretches out a bit in his seat and he glances back out the window to look at Spark, "Yeah buddy, I doubt it but one can always hope" he chuckles a little bit as he hears the chatter and sees Black 12 prepping for a fight. << Scanning for possible threats.>> he says and he flips the switch as well as the wings to his T-80 X-Wing open.

"Long Wampa?" Ektor mutters. <<Oh, THESE Hutt-suckers, again? They were there doing the thing. When Spooky-cloak got blowed up. ... Drek, I gotta be more specific. It was Naboom, yeah?>> Was it? "Hey Genius, not for nothing: it was Naboom?" His droid both confirms the suspicion and makes an impolite observation about Ektor's powers of recollection. <<ANYWAYS, yeah: bad pirates.>>

<< I guess I'm out of the loop. What's a Long Wampa and why's everybody so worked up about it?>> Lando asks, brows knitting together as he watches his scanners.

Pushing the throttle up a little bit to keep gait with the rest of the fighters, Lando will rest both hands on the yoke, ready for what's apparently going to be a to-do.

<<"Roger that, Tallie. Everyone look lively. This will get ugly, I'm sure of it.">> Poe KNEW he remembered the name, and he was thankful the others did too! It meant he wasn't losing his mind. Ha!

To Lando: <<"It's a repeat offender we kept seeing outside Naboo. Pirates. The /bad/ kind, and normally they like to shoot. I'm going to try to talk to them. We'll see how it goes.">>

<<"Frieghter Long Wampa, this is Commander Poe Dameron of the New Republic. Your signature is one we've tagged as a point of interest as being affiliated with known pirates. I ask that you halt your present course and submit to questioning. We know your destination is not to the main starport. We'll only ask once.">> Poe says firmly, flipping his eye visor down to protect his eyes from the glare.

<<"Copy that, Black Leader. We can do ugly, just fine.">>

One finger up in the air, gesturing to the droid behind her, "Sweep them again. See who they are talking to, they can't have come into the system by themselves."

<<"There are encrypted transmissions to a point on the surface. They are not alone," Lintra reports over general coms.

Elrych comes about, pushing the throttle forwards as they turn and move in on the Long Wampa. The call of the comms from Poe is reguarded with curiosity, his eys firmly looking over the sensor readouts for the Action IV. His snub fighter grows closer and closer by the second.

Lofty notes some interference on his end as the Action VI starts jamming. <<"What you do, Stebbs? My comm is down!">> Stebbs replies in Sullustese, <<"Kira ki! Njogoo imwe nene niakuina.">> 'Shut up! The big rooster is singing.' In this instance the 'big rooster' is the Action VI bulk hauler heading for Geonosis. Lofty steers the ponderous gunboat toward the planet, moving to approach Black Squadron as they fly security.

Karas is looking around and keeping his sensors sweeping, << I will keep an eye on things as you try to talk to them Black Lead.>> knoiwng this could be bad if the pirates want to start a fight. A sigh escapes him as he sits in his seat, he uses his sensors to sweep the area for the time being.

As the *Long Wampa* continues its unorthodox course toward Geonosis, a number of Nantex Mark II fighters are stirred to action, eleven of the small, sleek craft quickly forming a swarm that is placed to angle the freighter toward the main shipping lanes. Each vessel resembling a pair of bronzium teardrops sandwiching a heavy laser turret. The jarring transmission of angry clicks and gutteral vibrations from the Geonosian craft cut out into static, in the same instant that all other comm and sensors are blocked out: the *Long Wampa* had engaged a jammer, and as it tries to ponderously batha-rush through the barrier of Geonosian fighters, launching a half dozen fighters of its own: three Cutlasses, a Preybird, a Belbullab, with a Closkshape flying lead, all six angle to fight clear of the gravity well. It's the only answer Poe's transmission gets.

"Oh, that's not good," Lando says, his earlier suspicion confirmed. <<Dameron, waiting on your order,>> the General comms, scootching back just a touch in his chair so that his back is flush against it. Despite what he said, however, Lando is a man of action, and his throttle is pressed forward, leading the charge as it were towards the fracas.

"Damn it, they've jammed us. I /hate/ jammers.. except.. when we use them." He clarifies more for himself than to BB-8 who reminded him that he used them too! Angling away from the formation of Resistance, Poe engages his after-burners and projects his craft ahead in a crazy assault of the Long Wampa. He penetrates the shields in a smooth transition and opens his S-foils /just/ in time to slow, acquire his intended target, and BLAST it to oblivion! The feedback this creates makes Poe grimace, but he bears a neutral face while closing his S-Foils and diving backward to sail away from the ship.

<<"While we have someone on the inside, let's...">> Static feedback screams over Lintra's headset earning an expletive that singes Fiver's ears from the scolding she receives. Toggling S-foils open she slips the T-85 to port and opens the throttle up to engage the Cloakshape.

All four of Black Four's lasers light the Cloakshape up in a barrage of red laser. It blooms into a red sphere with pieces trailing in the line of its last trajectory.

"Bring up the next target, Fiver."

Elrych had the mimd to try sething as he got closet and the comms went out. He was still studying it, but with all the electronic signatures about ut was hard for a novice at the force skill to read. So he went about the same old and turned to chase ipon one of the cutlasses that had launched from tye freighter. He missed firing shirt of a breif tone and green retical. "Eggsy, find my jam... thus isnt doing it for me."

As the enemy fighters begin launching from the Wampa, and Poe going to take out the Jamming on that ship. Karas hears the orders to go after the enemy fighters and thats what he is doing. Pushing power into the engines and the T-85 rockets towards the enemy as he finds the Preybird within the group and weaves through laser fire and takes his aim. Once his HUD lights up with a lock, he fires scoring two heavy hits on the fighter dropping it's shield rapidly, thogh in return, Karas twiches his flight stick up and to the right the X-Wing banks and rolls evading the enemy fire.

Lofty flips a switch and locks the Senko Systems 5000 x2 "Tru-Lok laser turret in a forward-firing arc. <<"Lock torpedo on big ship,">> he tells Haoziiplirs Stebbs, and the Sullustan in the rear cabin begins the process of attaining a torpedo lock. Lofty fires a stream of orange laser fire at one of the Cutlass fighters, impacting its shields. <<"Kuhariria ringa,">> Stebbs says, loosely translated into 'preparing to strike it' as the missile lock beeps. A laser blast from a Cutlass fighter glances off the shields.

Ektor complains wordlessly at the feedback resulting from Poe's precision strafing run on the (bad) pirate homeship, <<Hey, we're back! Switching to torpedoes, and- uh oh..>> The source of his 'uh oh' is the effect that disrupting communications has on the insectoid pilots of Geonosis. Cut off from their collective communications, hundreds of the teardrop shaped fighters emerge from the asteroid belt in every direction. In one of the kind whims of chance, the eleven Nantex mk II craft that had deployed to intercept the *Long Wampa* elect to fire on the freighter, in a crippling cannonade of vibrant purple bolts, which carve through the heavy shields and deep into the forward hull, dealing disastrous damage to the Action V. The Geonosian fighters don't even attempt to maneuver out of the freighter's path, at first, standing their ground and blasting away, only seeming to realize the imminent collision and maneuver for distance once the comm jammer fails.

In the meantime, Ektor has veered to avoid the Geonosian cannon fire and flown squarely into the blast of a quad turret. "I know, I know, it snuck up on me. YES, the giant immobile ship snuck up on me, shut up!"

Oh! Everyone's shooting now! Due to the comms situation, the old General wasn't sure what to do, other than stay out of the way and try to get an appraisal of what's going on.

Pulling his fighter into a tight turn, he'll end up on the aft of the piratey Belbullab, his cannons sparking to life and letting loose myriad bolts into the craft, blowing it up. "I /told/ you we still got it, buddy!" he calls back to Artoo who WOOOOOOOOOOOs in response.

Poe takes a jarring hit from the freighter just before it's swarmed by the Geonosian fighters. "Wow! Look at them go!" He says to BB-8, twisting away in time to watch the ship lose its shields and sustain catostrophic damage. Poe gives the display an approving nod but realizes the inherent danger of such a fighting force. It's enough to unnerve him and keep him away for now, giving the natives their space to conduct business as they saw fit.

That said, Poe watches the fleeing fighters with a distant stare, and shakes his head. "No, not today, buddy. As much as /bad/ pirates deserve it, I imagine they're experiencing real fear. Real terror. That's enough to scare anyone back to a humble path. Let them learn today." Poe keeps the S-foils closed as BB-8 restores the shields on the snubfighter. <<"Everyone good?">>

The sudden turn of the Geonosian fleet on the Long Wampa leaves it limping, trailing debris. The pirate fighters, what are left of them, Lintra counts four after General Calrissian takes out the Belbullab, will most likely not have a base to return to in this system. The Geonosian fleet looks as angry as any hive mind she has ever been around. "Wonder if we will have to fire another shot, Fiver. They seem to have it in hand."

<<"Short, ugly and sweet, Black Leader. All green here.">>

Lofty urges his less maneuverable gunboat away from the LONG WAMPA as it is peppered by Nantex-class fighters and their purple laser blasts. He fires his forward-locked turret at a fleeing Cutlass fighter but the shot goes wide. <<"HOTH HOG disengage,">> he says over the military comm frequency. <<"Aici aaganu kuura">> Haoziiplirs Stebbs says in Sullustese. The gist of it is 'naughty thieves are running away.'

Not chasing after the enemy fighters, Black 5 begins circling the area, <<Going into combat patrol.>> he says as he looks around for a moment keeping a watch on the enemy forces to see whats going on. <<All green here.>> he copies Tallie at this poing.

The *Long Wampa* makes use of the loss of its comm jammer to broadcast an immediate and desperate surrender, even as the purple cannons of the swarming Nantex fighters tear the dying ship apart. Panicked transmissions between the surviving Wampa squadron craft precede the systematic destruction of all those seeking escape, the cries of distress cutting off one by one. One Cutlass pilot panics and ejects, finding himself- together with every escape pod launched from the Action V- ensnares in the tractor beams fitted to the points of the teardrop shaped Geonosian craft, and being carried off toward the looming spires of the Void Give orbiting the Geonosian homeworld.

The angry chittering of the insectoid pilots is ominously slow to translate, before the Resistance pilots can read: <<Return to your approved airspace. Immediately.>>