RP: 21st Fighter Sq [Mission 2.0] Rescue with a side order of Calamari

"The Youkai's distress beacon has activated!" Lynn declared excitedly.

She began re-checking the combat systems and engines, anticipating a fight. "Should I target the enemy vessel for you, Ma'am?"

Hell of a way to come into a first contact situation. Whoever they are, they might just be trying to do a show of force. This is why I hate first contacts. Atsui thought. "Hoshi, I would really rather not start a shooting battle with an unknown. But damn it, I don't see an alternative. Go ahead and get a targeting solution." she said to her EWO.

She then switched to the squadron's secure communication channel, "Attention Diamonds, no one is it fire unless fired on or by my order. Is that clear. If they want to start a fight, so be it, but we are not going to be the ones to shoot first. Yamamoto-Heisho, see if you can tell where those other ion trails went. I need to know how many hostiles are in space and how many on the surface."

Yaeko waited, locked onto the enemy, before setting her torpedoes into standby and locking them in with a targeting solution. "0041, locked on and ready for some action!" She readied herself to fire, her mind wandering back and forth over the trigger to her weapons. I hate this, we all know it will probably go hostile and if it doesn't all it will do is give away our position so that a battalion of NMX are waiting for us.

Nobutora had locked down his active sensors and brought all of his stealth systems online as soon as the target had started radiating. As far as he could tell, he hadn't been locked up by targeting systems but it was hard to be sure, especially since he had no idea who the target was or what their capabilities were. He had been scouring the incoming emissions with his passives, but he was consistently coming up with nothing. Briefly, upon hearing Eika's recorded message, he had considered going active with his own targeting systems and finally getting some clear answers but he beat that thought down quickly enough.

Now, though, he slowly brought a few of his scan systems online, restricting them to look for the ion trails rather than radiating across all spectrums. “Flight lead, 0101. My scans are showing the trails for contacts Bravo-Two through -Five continuing on past Bravo-One's orbital position on an atmospheric reentry profile. It looks like...” His voice trailed off on the comm as something odd caught his eye. “Wait one, flight lead.”

He stared at his scan plot, peering at a what appeared to be a small ion plume coming away from the stationary Bravo-One. Configuring the scan types and search area, he steeled himself and then activated a pulse of his full sensor suite. His eyes widened as the scan data resolved and he slammed his hand down on the comm key even as he threw the new data up on the squadron net. “All units, contact, contact! Three contacts separating from Bravo-One, assigning designations Bravo-One-One through -One-Three on my plot. Tonnage appears to be similar to the V8. Possibly hostile fighter-craft, over.”

"Okay Diamonds, we're calling their bluff. They want a fight we'll give them one." Atsui said, kicking her V8 forward accelerating. "Moving to join up with Ramirez, and Yamamoto. If things go hot, keep an eye on the shuttle without it, there is no rescue." she sent over the comm, then looked over her should. "Yagami-Hei, get me a targetting solution on the lead small craft. I want to be ready to fire as soon as they think about pulling the trigger."

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Meanwhile the new targets identified by Nobutora began to move away from the larger ship, on an intercept course towards the lead fighter.

"Hai!" Lynn said, already working on it.

After moment, she forwarded the information to Atsui's display. "It's done! We have a targeting lock on the lead craft. Upping power to weapons and shields as well."

Tai flew along with her wing, keeping her eyes and sensors peeled for anything horrible. "I personally think it's too quiet." she said to herself, keeping off the radio, but listening in as they flew.

Ira had his misgivings about opening fire on unknowns, especially when they had not fired first. But he was with Yamatai now, and he had to operate the way Yamatai wished to operate, and if the commander said lets fight, then by all means there would be one.

"Copy that Solitaire, holding speed until you form up, if they get too close we are going to light them up" Ira responded.

As Solitaire brought the rest of the squadron up to Ramirez's position. The unknown fighters had moved to a position in front of them. Behind them the unknown starship continued to hold position. Effectively drawing a line and daring the Yamataians to cross it. Three additional fighters had emerged from the starship and were pairing up with the original three.

Once the Diamonds were reformed, the opposing fighters began rapidly accelerating towards them. The sensors on the Kawarime showing that the enemy fighters weapon systems were hot. They began firing short bursts at the lead Kawarime.

"Diamonds engage the fighters, target weapons and propulsion. Angel cover my Six." Solitaire said and she began evasive maneuvers. To get into a optimal firing position.

"Fixed the lock on what I think are weapons' ports." Lynn said.

Once that was done, she began working on other potential locks on other fighters.

I hope everyone will do alright... We can't afford someone being shot down again in space.

As soon as the engagement order came over the net, Nobutora's hand came down over the electronic attack key on his console as he opened up his comms again. “All units, going active with buzzers and music.” Immediately, the ECM Wavefront Module attached to his port wing mount began spitting out a furious amount of pre-programmed electronic noise across all spectrums and frequencies. Only those channels pre-registered for friendly communication and sensor use were left open; he had no idea what systems the hostiles were using for comms and scans, but if it was anything in the electromagnetic, electrogravitic, subspace, or hyperspace spectrums he knew it was being thoroughly jammed.

However, he could only hope the enemy ECCM wasn’t particularly good or that they were at least being kept busy by the jamming. If they weren’t, he might be eating a missile any moment now. After all, while his stealth system kept him invisible to sensor sweeps, they also meant that he was a black hole in the middle of a field of white noise, detectable if the equipment was good enough and the operators skilled enough.

With little else he could on that front for the moment, he turned his own targeting systems toward the nearest bandit. He had only to wait a moment before the resonant tone signaling a lock came through his helmet speakers as his sensors achieved a solid acquisition of the target. Considering for a moment, he set his weapons systems to infrared/passive guidance and then hit the firing stud.

“Fox-two, fox-two. Four away,” he announced over the squadron net as the missile separated from his fighter. “Pressing to guns.” Even as he throttled his Teisatsu up and maneuvered to get into cannon range, he kept his eyes peeled on his targeting plot. In infrared guidance mode, the four-missile volley from his Ke-T8-3101 launcher would home in on the hostile fighter’s maneuvering thrusters, hopefully resulting in a mobility kill.

"Angel to lead, on your six." Saori said, dropping back into position before gunning the throttle to keep up with her lead's maneuvers. Verifying the master arm on her console to on, she quick-checked the status of her weapons as the fighting began in earnest.

"YEEEEEHAAA!!!!!" Yaeko screamed as she accelerated the fighter forward towards the enemies. "Tin Man, ready the weapons, full power!" She continued to speed at the enemies, "It's just like a game of chicken..." Once the enemies started firing she evaded to the right and began firing. "And they chickened first!"

Silic looked up from where he'd been staring tensely at his console before his gaze shot back down, he pressed a few buttons “You're all set.” he replied, trying hard not to look up again. “C-counter measures ready.”

"This is Saber, engaging the enemy." Tai sent over the airwaves as she pulled up with her group, not wanting to get too spread out should she, or one of her formation needed help. Rushing past the enemy fighters, she pulled a hard break turn, doing her best to bring herself to bear on one of their propulsion systems, looking for something recognizable as such, taking her time to rake their wings with cannon fire, trying to save her missiles until she had a few clear targets.

Solitaire executed several abrupt maneuvers in her attempt to dodge the incoming fire. Damn it, they aren't firing energy weapons, so it makes it tricky to try and avoid being hit, Just have to settle for not being an easy target. she thought. From the new vantage point she spotted a purple glow coming from the rear of the fighter. "Hoshi, did you see that purple flare from the enemy. I think it might be their propulsion, try to get a read on it and a targeting solution." she said as she fired her aether cannons at the enemy ship.

Ira was good for working with his team mates when things started getting intense. This time was no exception and he stayed in metaphorical “arms reach” of his wing man. When Nobutora fired his missile and immobilized the target. Ira was right behind him and fired his aether cannons into the disabled target finishing it off.

It was not glorious or glamorized; it was about finishing the job, and frightening the enemy into retreating. ‘Good shot.” Ira said calmly over the private channel to Nobutroa. The rest of the squadron had met with the enemy, and the dance party was commencing. Ira then spouted off on the squadron channel “Watch your hind parts, and stick with your wing man, a lone fighter does not last long.”

The two groups of fighters were now locked in a deadly dance in space. With each craft jockeying for a favorable position from which to fire, and yet minimize its exposure to return fire.

The first volley between the Kawarime and the unknown fighters, resulted in nothing spectacular. Shields protected the Kawarime, and shots upon the unknowns resulted in portions of their ablative armor to vaporize thus dissipating the destructive force.

"Already working on a lock on it for you, Solitaire!" Lynn called from her rear seat.

It feels odd, flying without Hayachi-Shoi. She thought. It feels so awkward to me."

"Got it! Your targeting solution is changed to try and get a good angle on what should be the engine!"

Lynn began working on other things, then. Running another quick diagnostic to check on all of the systems and armor for the Fighter. When they came back clear, she set up new solutions and queued them up in order by distance. It all took her only a few seconds, and as soon as the queue was finished...

"Ma'am, if we're faster than them, maybe we can make it to the Planet first and get the Shuttle down to pick up the crew while we hold them off just outside of orbit?"

Loosing a few missiles locked onto what she could tell, even if she might be wrong, to be weapons and the engine of the enemy fighter, Saber kept on it long enough to confirm hit and kill, or at least a stopping of the fighter before pulling away to find another target.