RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 11.1] The Torchbearers

[Nashoba]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Bridge

Sune turned to face Hanako, the order did not sound right to him. "Chase them away Taisa? Would it not be more prudent to have the escort vessels engage and destroy. Allowing it to leave is a tactical liability. If it gets away it can report the task force to its superiors and they will be looking for us."

 

[Ben]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Kiko frowned slightly at the reports and orders coming over her radio. She obeyed Mikael's implied order to stay in reserve, ready to assist Michael if he needed it or engage the NMX if they got past the escorts. Her heart started beating a bit faster, her ears perked up, and her eyes focused a bit harder, but those could easily be mistaken for pure combat alertness instead of that combined with nerves.

 

[Firebrand]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Michael did as he was ordered, his Hikael's powerful thrusters easily allowing him to pull it over to the front of the probe, both hands keeping the cable steady.

"Couldn't we just use Seraphs for this?"

 

[Kyle]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Engineering

"I guess they must be doing ok," Assumed Takeyu as he kept his eyes on the display statuses while still running his own simulations on his invention. He had a few additional screens open, including to the shield generator, the engines, and even one open to life support, he was being paranoid right now as he was worried and rubbing the back of his neck was making that a bit to obvious.

He knew that his invention would prove useful, either as a backup for the Aetheric Generator or as a form of stealth measures, though he knew the heat buildup would become a problem - it was something he would tackle down the line when there wasn't a worry of being shot at.

 

[demibear]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Bizankro System

Mikael grabbed the first D ring within his reach and begun to quickly but carefully attach. One after the other he moved carefully to avoid touching the probe as he attached them. Once he attached the last D ring to the probe, he inspected each D ring connected again. "You are not enjoying this jaunt in the ether?" Mikael said to the Elysian as he looked at the last D ring he was inspecting.

Once he was satisfied, he moved up and away from the probe so he would not get whipped by it once the fighter took off.

"Hammer Two this is Armor team leader, the cable is securely attached to the probe. Ready to move out." Mikael transmitted to the fighter.

"I will cover the port side, Papadopoulos-Hei cover starboard side, and Inoue-Hei you have the rear once Hammer Two moves out." Mikael said to his team as he moved himself into position.

 

[Toshiro]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Engineering

"Yeah..." Yaichiro said in reply to Takeyu, monitoring the sensors and communications. He agreed with Sune's recommendation of blasting the enemy ship to bits in all honesty. He also wondered why the scout was even there. The depot here had been destroyed and there wasn't that much of interest left in the area aside from the 4th XF to the north...he found this odd and decided to check the probe's records later if possible.

He suspected that the Mishhu again had some forewarning of their actions to react this swiftly, but there were dozens of ships -- and he again had no evidence. Perhaps they were probing the 4th Fleet's southern line, since their command had been severed and their advance halted. He elected to send a communication to Hanako. He labeled it as lower priority, so she needn't stop whatever she was doing to read it.

The scout arriving this quickly concerns me, but it could also be a sign that the enemy has an interest in re-establishing the Bizankro depot or are probing the 4th Fleet's defenses from here -- both possible due to the loss of the 4th Fleet's forward momentum due to the loss of their Taisho.

Recommending that analysis of probe be expanded to include seeing if enemy movements lend credence to these possibilities, upon conclusion of mission.

 

[Ben]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Bizankro system
"Yes, Harris-hei." Kiko maneuvered herself into a relative position where she was a bit farther away from the destination than the probe, but matched its speed and vector. As it moved, she mimicked its acceleration until either the NMX ship arrived or the probe was onboard the science vessel.

 

[Aendri]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Kumiko smiled darkly. "You have no idea how strange it is to actually spend time down here when there's an infantry operation going down. We've been so light on infantry for so long, I was doing more fighting than engineering when it came to combat situations."

Noting that the others had most of the systems covered, she poked in a command or two, and checked on their weapons systems, making sure that they were ready to go, if not prepared to fire. Maybe the scout was a random chance, but if it wasn't, they might need every ship in the squadron, and it wouldn't do to have the lead ship unprepared.

 

[Wes]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

As Hanako had guessed, the scout left the system before the escorts got in weapons range. Still, Hanako brought the task for to condition two in case it was the precursor to an enemy fleet. She also called down to engineering and told them to be ready for an immediate space fold.

Outside the Eucharis, the pair of starfighters began to move, slowly at first, toward the science vessel, towing the probe without any problems so far.

 

[Nashoba]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Bridge

In response to Hanako's ordering the fleet to Condition 2 Sune brought up the Eucharis' weapon systems. Specifically bringing the anti-armor cannons. Just in case the NMX decided to use any of their battlepods with the burst FTL. He lloked at the gunship's status and across the ship the various weapon systems were powering up and showing ready.

He also picked up the intercom and dialed ship wide. "All Hands, this is the Bridge, we are now at Condition 2. Don protective gear, and prepare for possible combat. All Stations report status. This is not a drill."

Sune quickly crossed over to one of the damage control lockers, and pulled out two AMES for himself and Hanako. He brought one to her and then returned to his station where he removed his gunbelt and donned the suit over his uniform. He put the belt back on and took his seat, placing the helmet and gloves next to him.

"Weaon systems powered and ready for your command Taisa."

 

[Firebrand]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Michael fell into his position, the sensors of his Hikael set to Long range, his transphasic pulse rifle ready. If any squiddie got within range of him, they'd be in for a rude awakening.

"You're damned right that I don't like this. We're infantry, not workers."

 

[Wes]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

With a bright flash, a single battlepod appeared a short distance away from the towed probe and began firing missiles at it. The NMX might not have known what value it held, but they knew that if the Star Army wanted to keep it, the NMX wanted it destroyed!

 

[Nashoba]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Bridge

"Enemy craft has fired missiles. Directing our anti-armor turrets to try and take the missiles out." Sune called out as he sent the commands to the heavy-quad cannons, including a safety margin so that the people out in power armor would not be in the path of the cannons.

He then picked up the intercom. Sune dialed the channel for the away team, "Power Armor team, we have hostile firing missiles at the probe. Attempting to destroy missiles, take care of any that get past us. The defense of probe is priority, Jalen-Heisho out."

He placed the handset on his console, and fed the coordinates for the battlepod into the fire control for the Heavy Dual turrets. "Bringing the Heavy Dual turrets to bear on the hostile."

 

[demibear]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Bizankro system

Mikael pulled his rifle to the ready once he had moved himself into his position. He matched speed with the fighter and was about to open his mouth to respond to Michael when his peripheral vision noted the flash of light.

"Contact port side!!" Mikael screamed out over the radio when his sensors and eyes identify the NMX battlepod's missiles. Years of his grandfather drilling him on infantry battle drills over rode his common sense that people could hear him just fine at a normal volume. "Engaging missiles! Watch your sectors of fire team." Mikael said as he brought himself and rifle in front of the path of the missiles. Inoue-Hei, assist me in destroying an missiles I might have missed."

"Power Armor team, we have hostile firing missiles at the probe. Attempting to destroy missiles, take care of any that get past us. The defense of probe is priority, Jalen-Heisho out."

Mikael begun to shoot rapid, but precise as possible controlled pairs at any of the missiles that the Eucharis was not able to destroy. If he had to, he was perfectly prepared to use himself as a human shield for the probe.

 

[Firebrand]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Michael grunted, shutting down his com's connection to Mikael's daisy as his Hikael instantly responded to his thoughts. The countermeasure pulse weapons began firing, leading the missile's flight paths and hopefully scoring hits while the Generator missiles streaked out from Michael's hips, screaming through the void towards the NMX missiles and their launch platform.

 

[Wes]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

The missile swarm took several hits from the Eucharis' AA guns and the armor team's aimed shots. Only one got through and Mikael was able to bodyblock it, leaving his armor charred and tumbling and his body aching. Luckily the damage was mostly superficial. The battlepod began firing its guns at the probe, but before it could hit, a blast from the Eucharis hit it and it exploded in a violent spin.

The fighter towing the probe banked hard to port, getting it out of the way just as two more pods appeared from the opposite side, hoping to get the jump on the armor team from behind. While the first fighter raced off, the escorting starfighter spun around and opened up with its turrets and heavy guns on the nearer battlepod, taking it out quickly. This left the remaining pod for the armor team.

 

[demibear]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Mikael clinched his teeth as the battlepod's missile smacked into him. He tumbled in space as the impact threw his suit off balance. He managed to finally gain control of his suit after a few seconds, loud beeps and sirens in his helmet angry at him for taking the hit.

"Damn it Elysian, I said watch your sectors of fire!" Mikael radioed Michael when he noticed the two new battlepods fold in behind them. If he had watched that side like I wanted him to, he could have had the drop on those battlepods..grr... He thought to himself as he maneuvered his suit to bear on the remaining battlepod as one of the fighters made their jobs easier.

"Gank this NMX SoB!" he radioed his team, as he kept a stand offish range from the battlepod and flew on a trajectory that would bring him over the battlepod. He fired at the max rate of fire in controlled pairs, doing his best to ensure his shots hit their marks.

 

[Ben]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Kiko interposed her Mindy between the remaining battlepod and the probe and brought her left arm's barrier shield online and into position to soften any shots it managed to make before it was destroyed. She extended her armor's right arm and fired a burst of energy pulses from it. "Acknowledged, Harris-hei," she said mildly once she was in the right position and just needed to keep her stream of fire aimed at the battlepod.

 

[Kyle]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Engineering

Takeyu bolted from his seat and over to the damage control station, he grabbed the AMES suits inside and handed one to Kumiko and another to Yaichiro, before putting his on.

Once in the suit, he double checked to make sure it was on properly before going back to his seat. "Sounds like the NMX want to have a party," said Takeyu.

 

[Firebrand]

Re: [Mission 11] The Torchbearers

Benefiting from longer ranged weapons, higher acceleration, peak human reaction times, and pure experience, Michael had already switched targets, the NMX Battlepod was already within his scope.

The Transphasic pulse rifle began firing first, high energy bolts phasing out of existence- and through the battlepod's shields. More of the Generator missiles were launched, homing in on the battlepod, their aetheric generators preparing to spin up on impact.