Log:Rogue Squadron: Anomolous Signals

Rogue Squadron: Anomalous Signals

OOC Date: May 26, 2021
Location: Corellia
Participants: Zandra naMuriel, Jax Greystorm, Zul Gradnk, Karas Darkwing, Tallie Lintra

Routine is the enemy of vigilance. There are moments the Rogue Squadron's commander wants it written inside of every fighter in the Squadron. A deep breath helps her shake that idea off. Taking the Shipyard so early in the campaign had been debated hotly among the New Republic strategists because of the resources needed to protect it. After the first assault, which opened the way for Black Squadron winning the CEC shipyard for the New Republic, the FO command tested their resolve in the first weeks, sending in fighters to retake the valuable asset in a series of assaults. Their attempts failed, followed by an uncanny silence. It set Commander Lintra's teeth on edge. It was Rogue Squadron's tour of duty this ten-day to patrol the Shipyard. Banking the X-Wing to port, Tallie checked her progress against the 3-D hologram of their designated sweep, rotating slowly on the right of her console. Over coms to the Shipyard central control and the other pilots patrolling the perimeter,<<"This is Sunshine. All scans are clear, showing no intrusions or approaching craft. Waiting on your check-in.">> Viewed against the vast planet orbiting beneath the Shipyard, the T-85 was a minuscule speck, not visible to the naked eye. The Shipyard lit with work lights is a minor moon, bright in the night sky, rising on the horizon with the larger moons.

Jax had been forced relocated to Nar Shaddaa after an accident grounded his personal ship in Hutt's home system. So he'd been well not with the squadron for most of the patrol It was the problem of having a volunteer force and a busy team member. There was a flash of blue as another transport jumped into system for the war front on Corellia. One of the T-85's in escort with the transport broke off and begun to head towards Rogue Squadron. The IFF sensors identifying the X-wing as Rogue 9. <Rogue 9 checking in. Sorry I'm late to the party. The commute is killing me.>

Zul is up in her ship <<"Here is Rogue 12. Checking in.">> she offers <<"Nothing on the radar yet so... this might be uneventful, I suppose?">>

<< Rogue 5 checking in. My sensors are so far clear as well, Rogue Leader.>> Zan's voice comes in on the comm as well. <<Bite your tongue, 12. Don't jinx us!>> is added, after Zul's comment. Jax's late arrival? She leaves that one to Tallie. Today, Zan's in an X-Wing, rather than her usual A wing, making sure that all goes well. << I don't like it when it's this quiet. >>

<"Roger that, Ten. Good to have you, Deadeye. Long commute?">

Tallie regards the hologram before saying, <"We are looking nominal, here, Deadeye. Put yourself on our six."> Inside the cockpit, the only sounds are the regular beeps of the scan sweep. "Fiver, another boring eight hours. I couldn't ask for more."

A civilian transport jump suddenly appears on long distance scan. It sets off proximity alarm scans that echo across the New Republic ships. From the Shipyard, a voice, professional and flat reports, <<"Rogue patrol, we have an incoming civilian transport reporting engine problems. Calculations put it on course to be in on course for this station within approximately ten minutes at its braking rate.">>

<<"Copy that, Shipyard Control. We are reorienting for intercept. Rogue Squadron, this could be an accident or something else. Be on top of scans.">>

Jax chuckles, << My ship is grounded on Nar Shaddaa and getting repaired. It's leaving me a long commute, Rogue Leader. >> Jax turns the point of his X-wing. It wasn't in attack position yet. Though at Tallie's Orders. He drops in at the back end of the formation. << Aye Aye Rouge Leader. I'm deploying as drag. >>

Zul frowns <<"Well, Beepo... best check in on this. Not sure if the scanner is working properly... it shows some odd things right above me.">> she starts, before biting her tongue, and trying to speak, tongue-in-teeth <<"Thory, thithe! I thill try to bithe my tongue more in the futhure!">> she continues, clearly having some fun. At least, before her Jinx comes into effect

Zan grins a bit, at the banter back and forth. She continues to watch her sensors as she does so, Rogue 5 clearly in position, and keeping with the group with practiced ease. Ono, in the droid spot, is quiet for the moment. Zan checks sensors, and then again. She opens her mouth to say something, closes it, and then sighs. A pause. She makes a brief face, and then opens her comm channel to the rest of Rogue Squadron. << I just got an odd blip on sensors. It vanished, so it might just be nothing. Almost didn't mention it, but it's in line with the incoming civilian transport. only it's between us and them. That's - it might be nothing, but there might be something in front of that transport? >> In the background, one might hear the droid say, "Oh no." or at least that's what it sounds like he's saying.

Karas was late and he knew it, he cursed himself out a bit. When he hears his Captain, he could only facepalm, <<Yeah, sorry about that. It won't happen again.>> he calls into his comm. <> he says adding that last bit in. He was picking them up on his sensors. Upon getting his orders, his T-85 does come up behind the others. The X-Wings strike foils are closed for now. Leaning back in his seat, he hears the beeping of Spark as he makes fun of him. "Oh shut up." he says with a smirk on his lips. Hearing the orders, he keeps his eyes out as he hears Zan. Not thinking much of it for now.

<<"Copy that, Violet. I thought I caught something, too. One second there and then gone. Relay that telemetry to me and Shipyard control, please.">>

The newest addition to the patrol arrives, smiling to herself, Tallie responds, <<"Nar Shaddaa seems to be all the rage recently, Splash.">> Too professional to say what she is thinking, the smile becomes a grin when she quips to Fiver, "Hah, a girlfriend. It's about time we heard about that." In the dark of space an object moves carefully aligned with the transport careening out-of-control toward the Shipyard.

<<"Rogue, break patrol pattern. I want us in position to intercept that transport if it doesn't change course.">>

<< For the record, before it get's back to Mrs. Deadeye. I was not on Nar Shaddaa to help out MY girlfriend or by my choice. It was a mission for that other group. Snakes were involved. Exine crashed my ship.>> Jax looks to Sesti and family picture. Then he scans the stars, "Nothing seems to be out there."

Zul is silent for a second <<"Well.... I see nothing.">> a beat <<"I should go to Nar to check on my business, I imagine. Followed by Tatooine. I wonder how the speeders are selling in the desert.">>

Zan nods, not that anyone can hear it. << Ono is sending the telemetry, Rogue Leader, >> she says. The droid though he's complaining, does send it. Where that little disappearing blip was. Was. Because Zan's not seeing anything further, though she's looking. She is however distracted by Jax's comment about snakes. And Exine crashing his ship. There's a half laugh, as she opens her comms to say, <<I might be able to confirm Deadeye's story. Maybe.>> She takes a deep breath, running through a split second exercise to aid meditation, and then reaches for the Force, stretching out her senses to see if she can pinpoint life out there. Alas, space is large. There's no sign of it that she can find.

<<It seems to be.>> he laughs and when Tallie speaks to Zan about the blip, he now looks forward. When the information is transmitted, "Spark grab that and I will try to see what we can figure out about what they may have seen." he says as the astromech droid. Once he has the information, Karas begins utilizing the X-Wings computer and he is able to place the telemetry, <<I got'em.>> he says into the coms. <<Transmitting info to your astromechs.>> he says as he sends the data to the squadron. <<They are moving between the Shipyard and the closest RSD.>> eh tells them

The medium freighter racing toward the Shipyard is an old Imperial model, probably put together with tape and hope. Most space stations wouldn't let it dock in its condition. Galactic standards have been hard to apply to ships in recent years, letting a lot of junk pass for working ships. <<"Rogue, if this ship does not slow, we will have to shoot it.">> Tallie's dismay at the idea of killing innocents is apparent in her voice. The Shipyard has hundreds of workers, but the kinetic force of a collision would likely kill them all. Kara's information confirms her deeply seated suspicion <<"Copy that, Splash. Keep on those scans. There might be something up, pilots.">>

Jax too busy punching in data with Exine to be looking for other incoming. << Transport's position profile indicates is definitely going for a collision course with the ship yard. >> Jax says as he pulls the lever to engage his S-foils. << Unidentified transport, you are entering restricted space. Change course or we will be required to open fire. I repeat Change Course or we will open fire. >>

Telemetry is exchanged, and Zan is staring at the screen. She opens up her public comm, though, as she flips her S foils into attack position. It's a warning as much as Jax's message is, in case there are innocent folks on that transport. << If that transport is really innocent,>> she adds, sticking to encrypted comms, <<why is it not broadcasting distress on all channels and calling to us to stand down. Oh! Another blip! Sending telemetry. >> Okay, Ono is sending the telemetry, not Zan, but it's still coming from Rogue 5.

Rogue 2's s-foils open into attack position as well, <<We have a TIE with stealth capabilities you guys.>> he says. HIs eyes widening a little bit, <<Oh that's not fair.>> he says as he keeps his fighter behind the rest of his squadron. Keeping his eyes on his sensors so that he doesn't lose the TIE, "Spark, keep transmitting that fighters position to the others. We don't want to lose it, or it's going to give us all kinds of grief." he says to his astromech droid. With Jax reaching out to the transport, there is four of them, they can do this.

Jax Greystorm's warning is echoed by the Shipyard control center. The warning is repeated on all frequencies, echoing from ship to ship.<<"Incoming Freighter, X-19078, if you do not change course, we will need to shoot to destroy.">> The errant freighter looms closer and closer, ominously silent. Scans show Violet anticipating the following order by opening her S-foils, <<"Attack positions. Prepare to shoot that freighter out of space, pilots. Splash, give us the last position of that bogie. Violet, unless that whole crew is dead already, you're right. They should be broadcasting some a distress signal.">>

The information from Darkwing begins to add up. <<"I'm just shooting in the dark here. I think we have a feint going on. Distraction. Concentrate on the last position given by Splash.">>

Jax frowns at this he's got a bad feeling. He keeps it to himself. Kriff it, Exine's got a bad feeling about this too. Jax breaks right, << Going after the tie.>> Trusting more the force and his sensors than his eyes. Jax lines up a shot and pulls the trigger. Moments later the shields and the the stealth of the Tie fighter drop.

That blip is just not right. They've all got a bad feeling about this - for once Ono is right. <<We need a way to light up the area, and I don't mean with regular lights, >> Zan mutters. It's something for the scientists to work on maybe. As Jax goes after the tie, she says, <<I'm going to fire on the transport then, because we still have to stop it from hitting the shipyard. >> She takes her attack run, wishing she could fire at the TIE, but keeping the mission manifest front and center. She lets the incoming transport have it with all four lasers, and hits, each one bringing color to the shields and draining them. << I hit it, and I'm coming around for another run. >>

Rogue 2 grins as he hears everyone and now seeing his squadmates making their attacks, he nods. <<I'm going to assist with the TIE, I want to try and bring it in.>> he says into his comm. The transport was warned and because it didn't adhere to the commands of the New Republic, Karas shakes his head as he breaks and starts to give chase. <<Coming in from 3 O'Clock Rogue 9.>> Karas said as he gets a solid tone, he fires. The angle he is coming in at is rough and it shows in his shot as only one of his lasers hit the TIE, damaging it. <<If we can try a precise shot and stop it from moving that would be great.>> he says.

Minutes tick tensely away as the unknown freighter passes the safety limits. Its existence as a foil to another operation is at an end as the X-Wings of Rogue Squadron begin to target it. Violet nearly destroys the freighter's shields outright. The commander adds more laser fire, damaging the hull without stopping it.

While two of the Squadron concentrate on the freighter, Deadeye, and Splash target the stealthed fighter. Deadeye's uncanny senses spot it. His well-placed shots reveal the TIE's existence to all. Splash follows up, catching it with a hit as it tries to dodge and keep its existence secret.

<<"Keep it up, Rogue. Copy that, Splash. Command would love to get their hands on that TIE. Roger that, Violet. Great shots!">>

Jax rolls to the right in coming up in a talon loop to target the freigher, << Leaving the Tie to you, Splash. In your oh so competent hands.>> He knew Rogue 2 had it. Jax bisects the Transport with a pair of blaser bolts. << Sold hits. They must have added to the armor.>>

True to her word, Zan flips her x-wing around to come back and fire at the freighter again. She doesn't hit as well this time, due to the fancy flying required to dodge laser fire from her compatriots, not to mention other X wing fighters all targeting the same freighter. Okay, space is big, there's enough room, but this is serious bizness. She adds more to the barrage on the freighter's hull, before turning to take another run. Ready to keep going. << I think the hull is glowing after those hits, Deadeye, >> she comments, a little wry. << But the space tape on that thing is strong. >> She scowls at it, as if her sheer will could move something that big. "Come on you big oaf, we just need to nudge you that-away, after all."

<<Copy that Rogue 9.>> Karas says as Jax does a Talon roll to go after the transport. Not letting his query go, Rogue 2's engines blazes as it streaks towards the limping TIE. He had to be careful, Poe issn't the only pilot who is a damn good marksman in a fighter, and clearing his head, the right song comes on and he grins as he fires the blasters of his X-Wing, a solid single shot bisects the TIE setting it adrift, the hit causes a slight explosion within the cockpit killing the pilot but the ship is intact. <<Command, I got a present for us, need someone to help tractor it in before the F/O knows it's gone missing.>>

The ace pilots of Rogue Squadron pour fire on the TIE. The Twin Ion Engine/ph phantom remains barely intact, floating listlessly in the darkness. The pilot, likely dead, unable to trigger its self-destruct, remains silent to the last.

Assured that they have taken out the stealthy threat to the Shipyard, lasers concentrate on the freighter. Violet, Deadeye, and Sunshine center their fire on it, enough to push it off course away from the Shipyard. It remains a shipping hazard. Already, ships scramble from the New Republic fleet to finish the menace. A tug releases from one arm of the enormous Shipyard, course set for recovering the TIE.