RP: 21st Fighter Sq [Mission 4.0] - Breaking the Dam

Yaeko quickly joined up towards the front of the Diamond squadron. Getting into position, she began moving towards the primary target. "On target! You good back there?" When she heard the news about the anomaly she did the only thing she could think of. She pulled up the data that Elisto had gotten from his sensors and pointed towards the location that the ion trail were concentrating in. Hoping for some luck, she fired her main cannons into the open space. "The enemy craft may be in stealth, let's hope we can hit something by praying and spraying."

Anne carefully studied her readings and wished she did not have to concentrate on piloting. Sadly this Teisatsu was one-seater. "Ion trails means that something flew through there." She responded to Elisto. "Enemy might have depowered, there is not large chance for us to notice small battlepods just visually." She added then and started coordinating her sensor array. She wanted to see what was on the end of those trails and set sensors to look mainly for ionic particles. "Let's see what is on the end of those trails." She said. Making sure they are not from battlepods and bombers they engaged earlier was also needed.

The myriad ion trails were all very short, and they did not conform to the standard energy signature of the Mishhu battlepods or fighters. Whatever they were it was not something the systems had encountered before.

The sensors started picking up a new group of signals coming from behind. Several hundred objects that the IFF identified as friendly were following and closing.

"Honcho, XO, whatever this unknown contact is it certainly are not battlepods or fighters, the ion signatures are to short, to small... something else-" Elisto stopped and glanced suspiciously at the display, then partly off to his side as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "Where'd those contacts come from?" he asked himself.

He repurposed some part of his sensor systems, something didn't seem right to him. Either the Heitan launched it's Hayabusa squadrons.. but wait wouldn't we be informed if that was the case?

"Anne-hei, keep on those ion trails ahead of us and continue scanning, put as much of your power into the sensor suite as you can to try and pick out what those things are." he then turned his attention back to the contact behind them.

"A hundred or so new objects all showing up as friendly, even if the Heitan was to launch its remaining squadrons that would put us just under two hundred fighters in space... yet it's picking up several hundred ships..."

He continued to rub his chin, then a thought came to him. "... wait... they appear out of no where..." he then started running a scan on the same signatures he found for the unknown ships near the station. "I hope I'm just being a paranoid intelligence officer..." Some pirates I ran into as an officer often used spoofed IFF's transponers in order to sneak up on police supply ships... then again it might just be the gunships and its escorts.... I hope...

Anne frowned at her HUD as IFF identified little dots on her sensors are friendlies. Also fact that her systems could not recognize the ion trails was something to dislike utterly. "Roger that Spook, I am on it." She responded to Elisto with name Ramirez used earlier because Anne though it would make for a nice callsign. "We might want to try and get visual on those 'friendlies' that just showed up. IFF signal is likely to be faked, but they really might be friendlies and not boogeys.. Also try looking at their ion trails Spook." She added and went back to work.

She kept focusing on ion trailes they found earlier. IF it is not battle pod what could it be? Ripper? Anne rerouted power from her Wavefront module and weapons system into sensort. She won't need them right now, but to make sure she prepared command to reroute power back should she need it. She then picked one ion trail and focused all her sensoric power on it. She might learn something new.

The ion trails ahead of the group were all 'low energy' the closest match was perhaps ion thrusters used on the VOID pack or some satellites for station keeping.

As for the objects that were following the squadrons the IFF started providing some telemetry.

The vehicles were identified as the following weapon systems:

• OI-M1-1b Advanced Ashigaru “Asura”
• OI-M1-2A Enhanced Ashigaru “Kirin”

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When Errowyn arrived on the bridge of the Lucky Hand the Captain turned towards her.

"You are one of those fighter pilots. Well our helmsman was injured in the last barrage. So I need someone who can handle the Lucky Hand properly. Since she's built for speed and agility. You are it. What is your name pilot?"

Ira said calmly back to Elisto. "Aye." was all Ira back to Elisto. "We were expecting reinforcements from the 2XF..and there is no active jamming being detected."

"Elisto...new marks are legit, those are friendly reinforcements, keep pressing the enemy, keep pressing the enemy." Ira said as he glanced over his computer's instruments and verified if the new incoming marks were indeed friendly forces.

Elisto let out a sigh and said. "Yea, I'm being a paranoid spook," he said matter of factly and turned his attention right back to the ion trails ahead. He brought all of the data together on the NMX picket line, the communications and FTL jamming systems, and sent it all to his squadmates a second time with updated information.

"Won't be able to get a better idea on those unknowns until we get closer for a visual. Sensors can only tell so much," he spoke to the Honcho. "Otherwise, data collection on the station is nearly completed and I have positive ID's on all of the NMX ships in the area," Elisto spoke with a professional tone despite him actually being nervous but he was hiding that through his use of a calm demenor.

He tapped the console for a moment in curiousity, then reaffirmed his torpedo lock on the communications array as well as locking on to a few smaller targets for him to go after.

Still, the main part of Elisto's worry were the ion trails. Satallites... NMX in EVA suits... what else could it be?

::Lucky Hand ::

Errowyn nodded, "I'm Yumeoibito, Errowyn. sir." giving him a polite quick bow of respect. "I will do my best." Speaking softly with determination. She settled in the vacant pilot's seat that's been vacated for her. She quickly familiarized herself with the control, glancing at the Commanding Officer. "May I have helm control to assist you in your mission?"

"Nice to see the Cavalry's finally arrived." Kenshin said with a smile. He shifted his attention towards his scanners, trying to get a target lock on one of the small sensor ghosts between the Diamond's and the station. Though he knew the chances of him getting a positive ID on the unknowns when the Teisatsu's could not was infinitesimally remote -- hopefully he'd at least get a general idea of their location relative to himself.

"If the unknowns aren't defensive satellites there's also the possibility that the NMX have laid down some kind of minefield -- either way, it might be a good idea to get a closer look at those sensor echoes before the gunboats are exposed to another possible danger."

Lucky Hand

"Dealer, this is Taii Somers, I hereby authorize Yumeoibito-Santo Hei access to bridge systems." the captain said to the AI.

"Command Accepted, the Santo Hei, now has full access to helm station." Dealer's baritone voice replied from the bridge speakers. "Does the Santo Hei wish to utilize SPINE access?"

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Attack Group

The formations of fighters and gunboats continued towards the objective. A group of Star Army Warships appeared on the other side of the enemy lines and started engaging the enemies rear flank.

"Gunboat Leader to all Gunboats, assume attack formation. Gunboat Leader to Fighting Diamonds, requesting tactical target update for torpedo targeting.

We are two minutes from the point of turn around for you folks and three minutes from our firing point.
"

::Lucky Hand::

Errowyn seeing the helm come alive, and hearing the request for SPINE interface, "Affirmitive," she speaks softly feeling the connection being being made.

She closes her eyes to get the feel of the new sensations of the Gunboat. It soon passes once the interface is complete. She straps herself into the seat with the safety straps provided and relaxes in the unfamilair seat.

Hearing the last transmission, she brought up the battle plan and the Lucky Hand's place in the formation. She gave a quick increase of thrust and hit the manuever jets to get in place quicky. "Lucky Hand is in position, Taii Somers," speaking in her soft manner, purring softly. Looking over the ship stats and systems conditions, fuel comsumsuption rate as she matched speeds of the Gunboat Formation's speed.

Yaeko continued on target, listening to the radio chatter. "Well guys, it seems like this one's gonna be ours. The reinforcements have arrived and we're going in strong." Once the radio call came in from the gunboats she radioed back in. "Tessies, can you guys get some scans and send them over to the gunboats? I'm sure that would make this go a lot easier. The rest of you, keep and eye out for hostiles and be ready for the turnaround."

Elisto gave a slight nod as he began transmitting the scanning data to the gunboats. "Data is available to them right now," he commented as he zerod his sensors back onto the ion trails.

"Anne-hei, make sure you send them your data as well please," suggested Elisto. He was working feverishly to try and figure out just what those ion trails were, though he somewhat expected them to just come right out be and see EVA thruster packs, it was the unknown factor and his own paranoia that was causing him to move. Though the suggestion of it being a 'mine' made him worry even more, since if they were mines their ships wouldn't stand much of a chance if they hit one.

Anne was still looking at her readings when Yaeko called at them. Anne lifted her head as she was taken out of concentration. Her finges started dancing on screens once again as she began sending her data to gunboats and other members of squadron. Then Elisto called to her. "Hai, I am sending them over at the moment. I also sent them to you and rest of the squadron. Also you can compare my readings with yours. I am not sure what those ion trails are but they are small. We might deal with small Power Armour or maybe remotely controlled explosive device. Could be anything with small propelling unit. Definetly not fighter though." She commed back and returned to her screens again.

One thing was still bugging her. How did those friendlies appeared so suddenly? And how so they did not call in yet? That was little suspicious, but her sensors said that IFF is true. Well you can mask signal, but you can hardly mask how you look in space. Anne took her joystic and careful rotated her ship to look behind. That was she won't loose any acceleration but can look behind. Something that can be done only in space. She then set nose of her ship on closes 'friendly' and used her telescope to looks what are they really dealing with. And she really hoped her paranoia will prove wrong.

Anne's visual showed clusters of the Origin Manufactured Mecha painted in standard star army blue, and sporting the Hinomaru. The clusters trajectory was intended to bring them along the same flight path as the various fighter squadrons.

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On the RADAR as series of blips were now being tracked. They had no energy signature. The Teisatsu when they visually looked at the objects would make them out as small asteroids, not much of a threat. But then multiple energy signatures started to appear on the asteroids. NMX power signatures, RIPPERS were using the asteroids to get close and were now launching to intercept the fighters and the gunboats.

Elisto's eyes flashed across his sensor screen. "Contacts!" he called out as he fired up the jamming system and began to jam the Ripper contacts.

He banked his fighter and targetted one of the Rippers and opened up with a blaze of Aetheric fire.

"Blast it! Head's up Tamahagane-Hei, we've got company." Kenshin locked his targeting sensors upon the closest Ripper no longer utilizing asteroid debris to lie in wait for Star Army task-force's approach. In response to his movements across the cockpit console and control stick, his fighter's maneuvering thrusters flared to life and released tiny teal flares of aetheric plasma that reoriented the ships nose and armaments towards the diminutive figure of the NMX power armor.

Once the Ripper lay beneath his targeting reticule, the young Yamataian pilot pulled the trigger and his Kawarime let loose a storm of bluish field-jacketed aether bolts rushing through the depths of the void in the direction of the enemy. He mentally prepared himself to duck his ship out of the path of returning fire.

Ira once again forced his fighter to accelerate to attack speeds. He kept formation with the rest of the squad but took the time to tell them to ease up. "Calm down! Stick to formation, isolate and destroy targets, avoid dog fighting them!" He called out

"Elisto whats going on what that station!" Ira called shouted with growing frustration with the fact that the enemy just kept on coming.

Anne looked at large heavily armed humanoid robots and could not but breath out of relief. She was really glad here paranoic thougts were proven wrong. Now back to those Ion trail. Anne faced her fighter back to the way whole squadron was facing. She was just preparing to study trails even more when scanner gave her first blip. She quickly looked at and saw that more blips were showing up.

She quickly initiated pre-programmed sequence that rerouted power back to her defensive and offensive systems. There was still enough power in scanners to see that enemy who showed up were Rippers. "Contacts are PA, they are not battlepods. I repeat contacta are enemy heavy power armour!" She reported what her scanners told her. She quickly turned on her Wavefront again and quickly prepared it for jamming enemy weaponry. "Spook! If I am not mistaken those Rippers are armed with minimissiles. I think we should both jamm their targeting systems!" She said. She made sure to stay in formation.

When Ramirez gave everyone his orders she made sure that there were enough juice in her shields and cannons. She could always depower one of both cannons if she would need more energy for her scanners. When Ramirez called on Elisto for information about station Anne initated scans too. It never hurts to have more info.