abstract
| - <SPACE> From the opening battle, the war over Coruscant had grown rather cold, with the two battle lines being drawn and fighters engaging here and there between forces. The recon of last night provided the Empire with important information on where the fire was coming from that hindered efforts to land more troops, and thus an effort was sent to open the way. With the Broadsword and supporting ships, the Imperials set out to engage a Golan space battle station. Little did the forces on either side know that this would be the one action that would take the war into a battle never yet seen before in the history of the galaxy, or perhaps something no sentient had dreamed of. Though for the forces that set out to engage, their pay grades did not let them know of such things. With all fighter and bomber squadrons deployed, the Imperials move forward, scanning and looking for the NR defenses they needed to defeat. <Broadsword & escort> At her command the Broadsword maneuvers slightly to maintain the battle line while bringing the Golan space battle station within range. With the Pillager and Prowler as her escorts and the fighter squadrons deployed accordingly, the Broadsword holds the middle ground while the Pillager takes the high road and the Prowler the low. Approaching the station from those three angles, Caiton speaks to her tactical officer regarding the sensor display and the available enemy assets in the area. "The objective is simple," Lynae relays to the crew via comm, "that Golan Space platform is a nuisance to our ground forces. Let's do something about that." She signals the Prowler and Pillager to join fire with the Broadsword as soon as they have a good firing solution, "Fire when ready," she orders before addressing the squadrons, "Be prepared for any enemy assets that may get in the way. You are cleared to engage at will." The ship continues to move forward toward the Golan space station, maintaining it's position between it's two picket ships, as she begins preparing the targeting data for the tactical officer to use when making his firing solutions. Once that is done she sends it to his terminal before she speaks without turning around in order to keep her eyes on her screen. "Heading 152 mark 12, Captain. Maintaing course and heading and targeting data is ready. (Keline) <Black-1> Wolf dived into Black 1 and shot into space as the Broadsword closed in on the station. "It's starting.." he said to himself. He opened up a comm link with Beta 2, "Krieg, This is Wolf. Come in." he said, sending his TIE out towards War Shrike. The looming planet below lit up the sky around them, the constant glow from the city planet made it a beautiful one at that. But his attention wasn't on the planet now.. It was on his scanners. "Keep an eye out for any Rebel activity." he called out to both Black Squadron and the Shrikes. Too much was on his mind and he began trying to clear it. <Beta-2> Falling into line with the rest of the squadron, Krieg has the reins for another battle. Taking his fighter to the tip of the spear he wasted no time in starting to scan and pick out targets for them to engage. Their objective was simple, but simple things had a way of changing into something that usually got larger and larger, going fully into a major war. But his was not to question that today, his was to lead his pilots into the fray and accomplish the mission. Calling the squadron he says, "War Shrikes, move in hot and engage all fighters. Keep them off our bombers - do what you need to do to win." Replying to Wolf he says, "Krieg here, we have activity right ahead, moving to engage." Sighting in one that looked like an old nemesis, Krieg moves in and acquires good tone, opening up on his oppenent (Seth). You're mine... he thinks to himself. <Alpha-2> "Yes sir," Alex acknowledges the command accompanied by a nod that no one can actually see. Calling up the scanning information of the target area, Alex examines this station from her position, scrolling through what information is presented while keeping up a continual scan of the area surrounding the station. When War Shrike lead indicates the activity up ahead she brings up the specific area on the tactical display and selects a target from one of the available enemy ships and begins maneuvering for a better firing solution, and with that done she opens fire with her forward laser cannon. <Falcon-2> Aramis comes skimming along in the wake of the larger fighters out around the space station. Where much of the 'air' is full of terse commentary and off-colour chatter, Aramis is humming a pleasant little cantina tune in his cockpit - a new one this time. When his scans go red, he puts on the thrusters and hops out to meet one. It's not his old friend, Shrike 2, but it'll do. He rolls out of the line of fire and over to take aim, then fires his own guns. <Alpha Lead> "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it sh-" Mora Rodriga has not been on patrol in months, and his previous bout in a fighter was solely to save a friend. So of course it stands to reason that the one time he chose to get out, for morale reasons, a lengthy stalemate would come to an end in front of his face. It's time for the "old" man to find out once and for all if flying a tin can is anything like riding a swoop, or if he's about to meet a bad end head-on. He hits the comms. "Alpha Flight, this is Deus, designate self Alpha Lead, I have the conn. Falcon 2 has Alpha Point. Target at will, over." Mora pulls his fighter along Aramis' wing and pulls up her target, taking a couple of potshots just to get things moving. <Broadsword - Prowler - Pillager> With the fighters engaging the enemy elements, Captain Caiton cues the Pillager and Prowler to concentrate their fire power on the Station. Using the same attack pattern as before, the Pillager and Prowler move in unison, advancing on the station from their designated vectors to keep the road clear for the fire they're about to unleash on the station. Opening fire nearly simultaneously on the station while the Broadsword follows a moment later. <Broadsword-Keline> The Broadsword's navigator is apparenly trying to do several things at once. She continues to maneveur the ship toward the Golan station as the picket ships range ahead to open fire on it as she turns the ship so that it is coming at it from a slight angle when not all the weapons would be brought to bear on the strike cruiser's hull. Once in range she keys in the firing data causing the ship's forward batteries to open up on the station shortly after the Pillager and Prowler. <Beta-2> Over the comm channels Krieg hears Seth announce himself. It appears the nemesis he's chosen for today is evading in some new maneuver, and the blaster fire slams into Krieg's shields. He isn't all that hurt, but the challenge has been issued. It was hard now to actually declare one on one fighting, but he made a concerted effort to actually engage the other craft, opening up the targetting and lighting the same green death in the sky. In the same manner he goes into a spiral, then notices his other wingmen requiring assistance. Though he would love to stay and engage here, there were other obligations as a commander in battle, and he breaks off to assist. Calling his squadron he says, "All shrikes keep fast and engage the fighters, watch each other's backs." With that he disappears into thick fighting, to the rescue of other TIEs. <Black-1> Wolf's head loweres slightly as his targetting computer picks up an A-Wing under fire and decides to give whoever is pummeling it a hand. "Black Squadron, Break off and watch the Shrikes. Get rid of these fighters." Wolf said over the comm, and with that he opened fire upon the A-Wing. (SF-8242 - Seth) <Alpha-2> Once Falcon-2 open fires on her in return, Alex rolls towards Falcon-2 in a maneuver designed to roll close enough that the incoming fire would miss her TIE. But alas, that is not the case; instead she takes a heavy hit to her shields and hull which her computer alerts her to in a variety of messages and warnings all in that cool computer voice. She continues the roll while reviewing her options, taking the TIE at an angle that puts her beneath Falcon-2 and trying for another shot. <Falcon-2> Aramis performs his favourite little cartwheel, slipping between the bolts of energy from Alpha 2. He flies under, flips over, and fires again at the other craft, still humming to himself. He's keeping an eye on those around him, but paying most of his attention to his immediate opponent. <Falcon-6> The A-wing pilot notices he scores a hit to the enemy Fighter but he gets shot at the same time by multiple targets, "This is Falcon 6, I need assistance." he says to commlink and starts to recharge his shields. This battle isnt looking good, "We need reinforcements." he says to commlink... <Moralis: emitter> "Falcon, Ghost, and Rogue..." The commlinks crackle open and five shapes merge with real space, sliding out of hyperspace. "This is NRSD Fusillade, with NRCV Crux, NRCV Harrow, NRCV Dragoon, and NRCV Hydra. We ask for corridor clearance to the Golan station." A Star Destroyer and four Corellian gunships come cruising into the region, the gunships immediately honing in on clusters of Imperial fighters. Behind them, the Fusillade takes aim at the Broadsword on her way to support the station. <Broadsword - Pillager - Prowler - etc.> Captain Caiton is speaking calmly with the captains of her escort ships as they continue to concentrate fire on the station. With the fighter units already engaged, this has left the Station relatively under defended and after several rounds of fire the station begins to noticeably take on damage. It's a solid hit from the Prowler that disables it, the follow up volley from the Pillager does more damage and the round from the Broadsword disables it completely. While it doesn't go up in a plume of smoke or the usual kamikaze trademark, the station is damaged beyond immediate repair which amounts to mission accomplished. Even as this happens, several NR ships exit Hyperspace and light up the threat board, one even taking aim on the Broadsword. "That was not on the menu," Caiton calls out as her tactical officer, "Evasive maneuvers!" she calls out as the Pillager and Prowler move to provide cover fire. <Broadsword-Keline> Upon hearing the order for evasive maneuvers Keline reacts promptly, engaging the maneuvering thrusters placed at certain spots on the hull, to assist as the ship is angled to the right and up, trying to veer away from any incoming fire until it can get itself out of range. <Black-1> Seifer watches as the NR ships drop from hyperspace and calls up the Predator and the Broadsword, "Captain, we're going to need our own reinforcements.." he called back as he dodged another fighter.. "Get the predator into it." Wolf looked back at the A-Wing he took a shot at before.. "Damn A-wings.." he said to himself. He lined him up again and fired another blast of hot green bolts. <Alpha-2> Alex is having one of those battles where she can't hit the broadside of a Bantha, and keeps maneuvering to prove that point. The only scrap of luck presents itself when Falcon-2 hits her shields this time instead of the hull. When her second round goes wild, Alex mutters to herself, having wisely muted her end of the comm link to savor the luxury of listening to bad words said loudly in a confined space. The computer repeatedly asks her to repeat her command and it's only after a minute of muttering darkly that she gives the computer the correct command to open fire again, while still rolling away from Falcon-2 and trying for another shot. <Falcon-6> Falcon 6 shakes again as it takes another hit from the Tie Interceptor Fighter. He curses and says, "This is Falcon 6. They are getting scrambled. I suggest Concentrating all firepower on one of the capital ships and get rid of it." he says to the commlink and gets ready to attack to the Tie Interceptor that just shot his ship again... <Falcon-2> Aramis' shields flare wildly with the hit from Alpha-2. He rolls toward the ship again, frowning a little and murmuring the words to some song - in binary no less - that's nothing but purely obscene. If he had a droid, it'd be horrified. He doesn't back off, he fires again. <Moralis: emitter> The gunships, agile and deadly, slice into the battle with all their arrays of weaponry ablaze. They fan out around the crippled space station and cut a swath of light and fire around it. X-Wings and A-Wings dart among them and the comms crackle with life as information is relayed fast and furious to keep all ships out of friendly fire while rallying the staggered fighters to hold the forward line of the New Republic's territory. NRSD Fusillade slides slowly over the entire scene at the New Republic's boundaries and were there a sun, she would cast all the ships below in shadow. Her targets set, the gunners on the bridge await the command to fire. When they have edged past the station, the command comes and her guns blaze. <Broadsword & escort> Bracing one hand on the back of the nearest chair, Captain Caiton listens to the bevy of alert tones and sounds and sensor warnings even as the Tactical Officer calls out the incoming fire warning. The ship itself shudders as the NRSD Fusillade fires, the shields taking the brunt of the hit, weakening the defenses on that side. "All units," Caiton calls via comm, "fall back to the rally point," she keys in the coordinates for the Malevolence, "I repeat: fall back, initial mission accomplished." With that order to fall back, Caiton anxiously watches as the fighter squadrons scramble to obey orders. Wolf escorts Black Squadron into the bay while Inrokana escorts War Shrike as well. With several damaged fighters in both Viper and Basilisk, the Pillager and Prowler hold station long enough to retrieve all deployed assets before maneuvering around to the relative safety of the Malevolence.
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