Log:Rogue Squadron: No Warning

Rogue Squadron: No Warning

OOC Date: April 5, 2021
Location: Corellia
Participants: Jax Greystorm, Callax Dalso, Karas Darkwing, David Ironside, Zandra naMuriel, Zul Gradnk, Ax, Tallie Lintra

Corellia - a seed world for the expansion of humans across the Galaxy. It showcased the best and the worst, extreme poverty next to high-tech wealth beyond most people's imagining. The Empire's blatant disregard for its teeming jungles, verdant highlands, and blue oceans had nearly ruined its ecology during its reign. It needed a lot of care and resources to recover its former beauty. The planet had waned and waxed in richness over the millennia. It had seen terrible wars. Rogue Squadron, representing the New Republic, was bringing it yet another wave of violence. And hope. Or, so the young commander leading Rogue Squadron out of hyper-jump wished. They were tiny against the might of the Final Order. Only surprise and audacity would win this conflict to bring Corellia back into its rightful place in the New Republic.

Four Resurgent class Star Destroyers loomed in orbit, protecting strategic points.

Three squadrons, Blue Squadron B-Wings under the Jedi, Jax Greystorm's lead, Gold Squadron B-Wings under the leader of the Ranger's, Callax Dalso's lead, and X-Wing's under Commander Tallissan Lintra jumped from Chandrila. Precision jumps, that if miscalculated, would destroy their pilots and whatever immovable object they met on reentry.

Their objectives are to stun the RSD guarding the CEC Shipyard with ion torpedoes and paralyze the CEC Shipyard's defenses long enough for Black Squadron's Special Forces to storm it and take it over. Watchers on the edge of the system had charted the RSD's and their TIE Wing's movements. Like any well-oiled military machine, patrols ran like clockwork. The New Republic Squadrons' arrival, calculated to arrive in the system when the TIE patrols changed shifts, would hit both the Shipyard and RSD at the exact moment.

Starlight in the long tunnel blue tunnel of hyperspace turns inside out and resolves to a planet, startling close and the CEC Shipyard.

And so the show begins.

Gold Squadron arrives among the pack, flat blades plying through space, their wings opening to become cruciform manglers. << Ladies and gentlemen, >> Callax calls over interior communications, << The stage is set, the arena stocked. Report your ship status and prepare to follow me after getting a target lock. We will approach the target flying evasive, then hammer its shields with assault missiles while as we get close enough to loose volleys of ion torpedoes. This is going to be rough, so keep cool, trust in yourselves, and follow me to glory. Report now! >>

A chorus of voices, some carrying the cool of veterans, some perhaps not quite as calm, chime in their acknowledgement and nominal status. Callax now switches to overall squadron frequencies. << Rogue Leader, this is Gold Leader. We are ready at your command. >>

A deep breath fills their lungs; engineered eyes scan the field, sighting targets seemingly everywhere. Fighters. Support craft. The looming black castle of the Resurgent that is their target. But they can do this. They can breach the walls. Onward, dear friends. Onward all to victory.

Jax had changed his designation for the mission to Blue Leader. He and his squadron enter the system together at the correct point. Jax takes a deep breath as he looks at his home world. He then looks at the holocapture of his family. Then to the planet. << Alright you blue Corellian Bastards. We're here to reclaim our home. We're going in weapons hot.May the force be with you. >> Then Jax changes channel. <<Rogue Leader, Blue Squadron is ready on your word.>> He says as he opens his b-wing into attack position.

<<"Rogue Twelve, calling in.">> she announces, trying to keep her lekku still. This is larger than anything she was on before... never was she around a planet of that magnitude. Because naturally, Corellia is better defended than Codru <<"May we free the shipyards so we can get more CEC products?">> the fangirl offers, to try to join the leaders in encouragement

David, one of the X-Wing pilots under Tallie's command, is right behind his leader, breaking off within moments of entering real space to meet up with Callax' group. <<"This is Rogue 8, I'm with you Gold Leader.">> If they're going to get TIEs on them, it's the X-Wing escort's job to draw it away from the B-Wing bombers. For all his vocal confidence on the ground, there's barely any of that in space. The pilots are on the clock, after all. With a flick of his hand the X-Wing splits its s-foils open, ready to take on all comers. On a one-by-one basis.

Coming out of hyperspace, the plan having gone over, Rogue 2, Karas knew his position. He was to escort in Jax and his squadron. <<Rogue 2 standing by and weapons hot.>> he says though as he exits out of hyperspace, Karas notices that he's a bit out of range. <<Blue Leader I'm out of position but will be there fairly quickly.>> he calls to Jax as Karas keeps his fighter in cruise mode and he pushes the throttle forward to quickly gain speed and get himself into position, which isn't hard for the T-80 to do.

Taking a breath, he didn't like messing up at a time like this, as he pushes his fighter to catch up, Karas looks at the bright blue planet and then his eyes scan the area they are coming in at, "Alright Spark get ready, this is going to be pretty tight and hectic. Keep our primary targets to the fore front. We will be making sure we keep the TIE's off the B-Wings while they make their attack run." he gets a quick few beeps and he reads the incoming message from Spark on his display. "I know man, I will make sure we all come back if I can." he then puts on some music and prepares.

Zandra is in an x-wing, rather than her usual A wing. It's not quite so zippy, but it's fast enough. Zan is settled in, Ono with her for once, and the two zoom in with a precision jump, sticking with Tallie as the others pull off as per plan. << Rogue 5 here and ready, >> she calls off, letting everyone know. The planet and the enemy ships start to show up on her sensors, as she follows the lead of the others, and her x foils are opened into attack formation. "Alright, Ono. You can do it, my friend," she encourages the little droid

The first obstacle, precision hyper-jumping, had been accomplished. Fiver reported each incoming flash of arrival. <<Copy that, Blue Leader. Welcome home. Say hello to the Shipyard for me.>> Tallie replies tersely over encrypted coms, <<We copy you, Gold Leader. Lock and load.>>

Below them, the giant Shipyard rotates slowly in geo-orbit over the planet. Its central spine nearly 50 stories high, containing its point defense and nervous system. Around it, like so many Corellian pie slices, the construction docks, some of them two kilometers in length. ()

Dominating space on the edge of the atmosphere, Sunstriker, blocks the stars. On board, klaxons sound as the New Republic intruders flash into existence, heading straight for them. On the Sunstriker's bridge, the XO orders the TIE fighters to release with a mixture of disbelief and certainty that the incursion will be wiped out in short order. A squadron, Aurek, joined by the last pilot out on patrol making thirteen TIE/Sfs launch within moments of Rogue's arrival.

As fighters stream out of the belly of the /Suntriker/ and Callax's ship rattles with the lances of their ire, Gold Leader's brow furrows faintly. << Gold Wing, >> they command, << Tear down those fools as we proceed to the target. Laser cannons only. >> Aided by the sophisticated avionics and targeting systems shared by the B-wings, Callax's orders allow a perfectly orchestrated, synchronized wall of laser fire thrown into the incoming fighters; they have no chance, one instantly vaporized and the other's shields collapsed and hull streaming with sparks and flames. << Good work, >> Callax intones, their tone now as stony as their expression. << Proceed on toward the target. >>

A pair of ties attack Blue Leader as Jax rotates the body of his Fighter-Bomber around the cockpit of his B-wing. He smiles, "These things are clunky but it sure is nice to unexectedly dodge things." He hmms to himself. "Still no droid socket though." He engages the targeting computer, << Blue Squadron, I know these things are blocky but we can take a beating. Engage targetting computers and target the station. Arm Torpedos and begin the assault run. Lets Rogue Squadron keep the ties off us. We got work to do before we play. >>

As the TIF/SF begin streaking in towards the multi-squadrons, Karas bobs his head to the music playing in his cockpit. He has the tact-net up and as he glances at the holoprojector HUD of his fighter, he sees the fighters breaking and drawing locks. Karas doesn't engage the S-Foils, he wanted the speed of his fighter and speed he gets. He has been able to gain ground and catch up, though as he does he hears the klaxon going off as he is locked, Spark at the same time squaks at him. "I see them." he says. "Trust me, we've danced this dance a lot already." Spark gives an affirmative.

As green energy lances streak in towards him, Karas falls into his zone and with quick slight movements, the T-80 X-Wing tips from left wing to right wing, maneuvering just slightly as Karas continues moving forward. Once he makes it through unscathed, the Rogue pilot breaks hard to his right coming around at the two fighters, and as he does he sees Rogue 3 and he smiles as he lines up a shot on Aurek 3 double teaming the enemy TIE/SF <<Got a hit on Eyeball 3, it's not down yet.>> he calls into his comm.

Joining in formation with Callax' flight of B-Wings, David makes a double-check of his systems before the fighters come into range of the TIEs. Shields and weapons are hot as the TIEs start shooting, though the Naboo-born pilot manages to dodge the incoming, replying in kind and hitting a target that'd already been whacked by the B-Wings. It immediately turns tail and returns to whence it had come. David's grip on the stick tightens, staying in formation rather than chasing, because that's what the bad guys want.

Ax sat in his assigned X-wing guarding the B-wings from enemy fire, and while he was forcing the enemies to evade, his shots didn't seem to be striking their mark. "Dammit," he mutters, just feeling not on his game tonight, and considering the odds, he needed to be.

Fire! Shots! There is the enemy <<"Rogue 12, engaging the enemy!">> she announces as she presses the trigger... this is what she signed up for! Now, if only she got more used at the guns, she could hit more of those stupidly nimble TIEs! But... the Twi'Lek got a shot in, at least

Zandra promptly teams up with Zul. << Hey !2, at your side, >> she calls out, and she takes off to help Zul. As she's moving, she gets that hint of danger, a flash from the Force that has her jink just a hair that way, and so the shots aimed her way miss. Especially when she jinks back again with a bit of precision piloting. Her shooting is almost as good, as she certainly lets her lasers fly, and the pilot in Aurek 8 can probably see the lasers out his window, as they zoom by his nose.

<<Status update, Blue and Gold!>> The flatness of encrypted coms doesn't hide the tension in Tallie's voice. Only moments have passed since their arrival, and Sunstriker has turned its ominous eyes toward their tiny invasion force.

In the CEC control room, a door opens, and an FO officer strides angrily up to the central control for point defense. "Don't let them get closer! Take them down."

On the Sunstriker, hangar crew signal the first TIE/SF from Besh Squadron to taxi into position. Another Squadron launches into space to join the ten other pilots still flying.

Zul perks up as she hears Zandra's voice <<"Got you, 5! Thanks for your help!">> she calls back as she opens her fire up, her shots definitely better aimed but... still dodged by that dastardly pilot! <<"5, watch this one! He is more flexible than your average lawyer!">>

It doesn't take much with B-wings. Having brushed aside the initial assault, Gold Squadron assaults the castle. << Follow my vector, >> Callax instructs their fellows, << Target the shield subsystem. We aren't destroying this thing, but we need to taser it properly if this is going to work. Onward! >>

Callax's squadron dives toward the great black castle, its guns tracking, its fighters swarming -- only two follow Callax under the ship's heavy fields, the others breaking away at the last minute. That's unfortunate...but it's enough. Massing torpedo fire against the great ship's shield generators, the B-wings hammer it with streaking lances of bright electric blue; lightning plays across its inky surface, causing the ship's shields to drop -- robbing it of much in the way of defenses, but certainly nothing that will endanger it overmuch.

All the same, it is weakened.

<< Rogue Leader, this is Gold Leader, >> Callax calls over comms. << We have disabled /Sunstriker's/ shields. I repeat, we have disabled /Sunstriker's/ shields. Coming around for a massed assault. Keep those fighters off of us! >>

The pilots of Blue Squadron open fire with their ion torpedos, it looks like a meteorite shower streaking across space as the torpedoes begin to impact with the station. The shields begin to crackle as Blue lighting crackles across it with strike after strike. Then finally the shield falls then there power of the station begins to fall dead. There's cheering across Jax's channel. << Good work. Let's verify it's down before we move onto our next target.>> Then flicking to Rogue Squadron channel, << Blue Leader here, Asking for verification of CEC's status. If confirmed need new target. >>

Following Zul's attack run, Zan makes one of her own. She gets Aurek 8 in her sights, and when the reticule goes green, she fires. Somehow that pilot manages to dodge again, which does happen. Zan mumbles under her breath and tries to keep some of the TIE's away from the b-wings and their escorts. << 5 here, still trying to keep company from bothering the popular ones. >> That would be the B wings, who now have a new nickname, if you ask Zan. "Hang on, Ono, this is going to get seriously messy. "

<<"Copy that, Rogue 2.">> David comms, turning to face the defending TIE fighter screen head-on. As the B-Wings make their assault, his X-Wing bursts forth with a hail of lasers that, while not outright destroy any of the TIEs, at least do their intended job of keeping the B-Wings safe in their approach to the Destroyer. <<"Rogue 2, the Destroyer's weaponry are all on you, but the TIEs are too busy to interrupt you right now.">> he comms. Squadron special forces to enter. The Sunstriker is temporarily frozen. Let me see. Callax has three ships outside the shields. So they will be gunning for Jax's group, plus 3 from Callax, plus Zan, Tallie, David, Ax, Karas."

Having not been shot at this time around, Karas checks the Progress of Blue Squadron and grins as he sees that they made their run and hit their target. "Awesome." he smiles as he quickly banks trying to keep up with Aurek 3, Karas quickly breaks to drift his fighter to the left to give him a bit of an edge but as he lines up his shot, he fires before he has a lock and his shots go wide. Shaking his head, <<Good Job Blue Squadron, we got your back.>> he says into the tact net to Blue Squadron. Karas doesn't let up, even as he missed, he keeps on the enemy Eyeball.

Maybe the Echani pilot of Rogue 3 was waking up, it had absolutely nothing to do with the swig he took from the pink sippy cup his daughter gave him. He'd even glued a magnet to it so it didn't fly around the cockpit. Lining up his shots, he nails Aurek 3.

<<"That'll wake him up,">> he says over his comms as he gets ready for his next strafing attack, and likely a defensive action should the enemy turn off their B-wing targets and go after the X-wings.

Busily dodging two TIE's on her tail, Tallie will never admit to the other pilots that she has tears in her eyes as she tracks them attacking the two behemoths. Fiver squeals at the first hits. Three of Callax's Gold Wing bombers wiggle under the shields to deliver their payloads - twelve ion hits freeze significant operations on the enormous destroyer. Only one more squadron makes it out of a hangar before the torpedoes paralyze them. Klaxons blare throughout the ship.

Blue Wing under Jax's command, despite being under attack from the first squadron of TIE/SF, delivers thirteen ion torpedoes to the CEC shield generators. Sections of the brightly lit Shipyard go dark while in central control, the officer in charge of defense grinds his teeth and yells at his subordinates to get them back online.

Black Squadron's special ops has a window into the Shipyard.

<<Much as I would like to stay. Rogue, Gold and Blue pull back. Pull back. Let Black work its magic.>>>

<< Acknowledged, Rogue Leader, >> Callax calls over the comms - their bombers move in sequence with them, the lightning playing across the Star Destroyer's hull lighting up their cruciform shapes as they prepare to make their exit. << We'll hit it again on the way out. >> Then, to their squadron: << Gold Squadron, this is Leader. Synchronize launchers and make another pass on the way out. We can't afford to let that Star Destroyer turn its guns on the shipyard -- on my mark. Four, three, two, one, /mark/! >>

And like that, the B-wings wheel and soar over the unshielded bulk of /Sunstriker/; each one looses a pair of crackling ion warheads, a long chain of crippling missiles descending upon the Resurgent-class as the bombers soar past.

One by one, the torpedoes strike the hull of the black fortress, and a fresh torrent of lightning plays across the ship. This time its effects are more dramatic; lights flash off and on throughout its hull, and its engines sputter and go dark. << Leader, this is Gold, >> Callax calls over the greater comms net, with cheers going up in the background from the bomber crews yet heard. << Target disabled entirely. We are for out. >>

The ships converge, their hyperdrives already spooling in unison thanks to the synchronization of their systems - and then, a wall of streaking stars, they are gone with victory in their clutches.

With their primary mission objective done, Ax banks Rogue 3 away from the station to join with the others as they bug out of system. Then, there's that RSD there that is vulnerable. He didn't have time to acquire a target lock so he just launched a torpedo 'from the hip'. It was a longshot, but it was at least a big damned target.

Ax didn't have time to see if his torpedo connected, as he was too busy trying to get the hell out of Corellian space, closing his S-foils so he could get to maximum speed. Just before going to hyperspace though, he does take a swig from his pink sippy cup.

Zan hears the chatter, so she knows they're about to bug out. Still, she flips as she dodges the lasers shot her way, with an aileron turn followed by a flip and a direct set of shots at Aurek 8. He might have gotten a little bit cocky with all his dodging, because this time Zan's shots slam into his shields, a parting shot. << Rogue 5, pulling back. >>

<<Copy that, getting out of here, will jump after Blue jumps.>> he calls into the tact net so that he makes sure that they get away. As Rogue 2 vectors out he sees the RSD and grins, <<Good job Gold Squadron.>> he calls out and he laughs as he too lines up a torpedo shot without a lock and fires. The proton torpedo misses it's mark but he didn't care, the work has been done.

Jax and the rest of Blue Squadron break off. << You heard Rogue Leader. Lets get out of here. >> He looks up to see Gold Squadron finish off their target. He smiles. << Don't worry Blue 2. You won't be out of here long.>> Then he pulls the S-foils for his B-wing to fold. As they go to their rally point to jump out.

Rogue races for their departure point with a swarm of TIEs following close behind. As they begin to flash out of system, Fiver beeps, showing a flood of ships snapping into existence on the horizon of the blue planet behind them. Over the paralyzed Shipyard, Black Squadron appears.