abstract
| - <SPACE - Set by Tyler> Nar Shaddaa and Nal Hutta have seen better days. The moon orbits the Hutt world in silence. Hanging over the moon was an impressive array of ships, in the center the dominating, wedge shape of the I2SD Predator and her escorts a pair of Nebulan-B Frigates. These vessels of traditional Imperial markings rest in a defensive position over a small array of Skipray Blastboats, the Interdictor Noquella's Embrace, and the Interdictor Corvette Purple Haze. Dozens of fighters buzz around the ships and anyone listening in to the comm. chatter could easily be overwhelmed by the level of cross ship communication and traffic control. Between the planet and moon was an area of space that was completely free of any vessels, a no man's land separating an impressive array of tramp freighters and older, but modified capital class vessels that made up a hired mercenary fleet that was designed to aid the Hutt's in taking control of their system back. The two fleets seem poised on the edge of combat as occasionally a ship would attempt to break formation and run for the moon, and in the process the Sith's forces would swarm and destroy the vessel in seconds. Tension slowly over the last several days had been on the edge of breaking... Suddenly the Predator's weapons charge to full and it begins launching dozens of craft as they begin to break into the atmosphere of the moon escorted by fighters, no doubt troop ships. Without any additional warning the Sith's ships and his allies turn their guns onto the Hutt forces and begin opening fire. The battle goes from cold war to hot. Dozens of squadrons of TIE craft begin to launch out of fighter bays against the mercenaries Z-95s and R-41 starchasers. Smaller craft in the mercenary fleet disappear in an instance, the battle had begun. One of the squadrons that launched is lead by a single X-wing starfighter, the Sith, Darth Malign had joined the fight personally with a squadron of TIE Interceptors behind him all painted black with a light red trim, "Form up." He orders, "Charge weapons and stand by. Captain, our objective is to devastate the Hutt fleet, I do not want it obscuring our vision any longer." The battle hand begun. <Privateer - Juran> Aboard the Privateer, a Pirate Captain with a obvious limp is busy barking orders to his crewmates, who are running this way and that. "SHIELDS UP LADS! QUIT LAZIN' ABOUT OR I'LL SHOOT YOU ON THE SPOT!" He limps his way across the bridge, before pausing as he turns, then carefully sits himself down in his chair. "Forget launchin' the Z's. Prepare to begin the shooting." He spins himself in that chair for a moment, and then comes to face the front of the bridge once more, staring out. The Pirate - Juran, takes a deep breath as he lowers a hand, pressing a button as his voice moves over the entire ship. "Right.. This ain't nothin' that we've done before. We've always done raids.. Quick ones.. This one, ain't no quick' un. This is a long, drawn out battle.. I trust every single one of you under me.. So don't make me look like a bloody pile of Bantha Poodoo." His finger lifts up from the button, and he wipes his nose. "Move into position, charge turbolasers.. We're in it fer the long 'aul." <Ravager - Keline> The Ravager, under it's new captain Keline Nhlern, also begins to join in the assault with the Predator and its support vessels. Its launch bays deploy its force of bombers which join the stream of those coming from the other ships. In addition to this the Strike Cruiser's guns turn their turrets toward the enemy fleet and begin firing as well. Keline is sitting in her command chair, eyes focused on the sensor data being projected in front of her, as she issues a command. "Support the Star Destroyer and the frigates as much as possible. Restore shields to the hanger bay as soon as all bombers are away. <Predator - Dareus> While the space battle had begun, the simple defensive posture was slowly beginning to change, the closer knit battle group of Imperial ships begins to split slightly apart to spread their firepower without any restrictions. Following the lead of the Sith's Squadron, the rest of the fighter bays of the Predator and remaining support craft leave at high speed to converge on their assigned targets. Opening like a large net, the frigates and Star Destroyer quickly bring their weapons to bear and await the orders of their commanders, while the frequency opens up again, "This is Captain Dareus, Lightning Squadron is en route as well to back you up Lord Malign and the fleet is being deployed as we speak. The frigates will take flanking positions around the Independent fleet and engage. All ships raise shields and activate all turbolasers and ion cannons. TIE Squadrons, good hunting. Dareus out." As the Capital Vessels reach their positions, calculated turbolaser shots begin to streak through the swarms of fighters, towards the larger freighters and Capital Ships. <Authority - Delede> Klaxons begin to scream on the CSAV Authority, which rouses it's Captain, and the commander of the small CSSD task force, Colonel Gren Delede. The one-eyed ESPO jogs from his ready room, a burning deathstick in one hand. The reports of the fleets' actions and deployments begin to come his way, and as he sorts them out, he slides into the command chair aboard the heavily upgraded Strike Cruiser. "Launch all fighters, and raise shields..." A draw on the smoke, and he hits a button on his chair, opening a channel to the Marauder- CSAV Emendation, and single Guardian class light cruiser that happened to be aboard the Emendation. "Captain Virda. Corporate Sentinel is on your wing. I want those IRDs off your hangar deck, and forming a fighter screen. We are hitting the Noquella's Embrace with everyone we've got. Only fire on the other ships in defense." A sigh, and he adds, to his new wife.."And take care of yourself, love." The pressure on the button is lifted, and he begins to snap orders once again. "Comms. Send a message to Captain Allure. It's time for her to get her ass off of that moon. Tell her that we will knock down the gravity wells, and then we're all getting out of here." A smile..."Helm. Take us in. That interdictor must be disabled, if our people are going to be safe. Guns...fire as soon as we have range. Only target starfighters that pose a direct threat." He's on a very direct mission, and doesn't want to cause too much collateral damage. A squadron of Z-100 Centurions begins to boil out of the Authority's hangar bay, followed by another of IRD-A's, and the all begin to form into a fighter screen around the CSSD's larger vessels. <Sigma 1 - Wolf> Seifer Wolf, back in the cockpit after a long drawn out assignment elsewhere, his adrenalin was rushing and was raring to go. "Ugh.. Scimitars.." He said quietly to himself, "Alright, Sigma squadron FORM UP!" He said through the commsystem as the bombers were dropping from the Ravager. His fingers worked as he powered his bomber up and charged his lasers. "Arm all weapons, drop your payloads when you're on target. I'll give the order." He said, the TIE Scimitars spinning and weaving into position, giving Wolf the 'Ready' look. The bombers took position just off the port side of the Ravager, glistening with reflections from the planet. TIEs were always a beauty to behold, or was it only something that Wolf thought? Though these beauties would show their ugly side soon enough. <Emendation - Twila> Aboard the Emendation, the crew is hustling about while trying to make sure the last preparations for battle. Readings are taken, communications listened to, weapons and shields being brought fully on line, all at Lt. Virda's order. The Twi'lek's pouring over the same holomaps she's been looking at over the last week or so, trying to find a kink in the opposition's armor. "Aye, sir." she says out loud in reply to the Colonel's orders before turning her ship's PA system on so that her voice can be heard throughout the entire ship. "This is Lt. Virda. We are targeting the Embrace upon the Colonel's orders. Get the hell out there and show them what we're made of." Shipwide comms is then shut off and the Twi'lek takes up post before the main viewport, watching the fighters as they begin to stream out into space. <Audacity - Rasi> Oh great, just freaking great. One of his first shifts as the ship's, that would be the Audacity, new XO, and already he's saddled with a combat situation. And a quite severe one at that. If only they could put this on hold until his shift finished, and the much-more experienced CO was on cal...no, no takers? A sigh being concealed from the rest of the bridge group, Rasi hops onto the command chair that has been vacant for some minutes now. "Sound the alarms, prep the fighters for liftoff. They've launch permission." The Audacity granted the advantage of being a bit away from the bulk of the battle zone, and as such, they're afforded just a few more minutes to prepare before heading in. "Connect me to all our fighters as soon as they've launched." <Sigma 2 - Odion> As the bombers began to form up, Odion Cobb, in Sigma 2, formed up just behind and left of the squadron leader. "One this is Two, weapons are armed and ready. We're formed up and waiting for your orders." He looks ahead at the large ships they're heading for and takes a deep breath. The screaming of the TIEs had faded into the background a long time ago, he no longer noticed but he heard a few still whining a bit. He shook his head and opened up a com channel to Sigma 1 only. "Good to be flying with you again sir, happy hunting." <Ghost One - Kyrin> As soon as Ghost Squadron received the order, Kyrin Sh'vani ordered her people to their ships and away. "Krayt, this is Ghost Leader, we are online and awaiting orders. Our ears are open." Her own pointed ears are nestled within her helmet, and she frowns when her systems tag an X-Wing as hostile. "All Ghosts report in..." With a flick of her fingers, she notifies her pilots with a message that the hostile X-Wing is genuinely tagged. She's seen it before. <Ghost Six - Lance> Swift is Lance to his X-Wing, and soon, Ghost Six is powered up and following Ghost Leader. Fingers tap along the controls, comms are switched, weapons charged, and Lance Corbet is ready to go. "Ghost Six reporting a go, Ghost Leader." comes the young man's words, his X-Wing falling into formation. "Let's get this party started." <Ember Sword - Malif> A brief hyperspace flash announces the arrival of another small craft this being a Firespray patrol craft and no sooner does it power in system then is powers down after stopping its forward momentum.
|