The Hydora Campaign

"Shogun to Command, Rhabwar has engaged, repeat, Rhabwar has engaged!! Hydra squad is taking fire, we are evading and engaging! Request additional support!", Shogun snaps into the fleet comms, even as he fired the afterburners and brought up the weapon systems. Beam cannons, lasers, plasma spear and the missiles remaining on the hardpoints and body launchers, he set the targeting systems to disregard the IFF from the Rhabwar and her supporting fighters.


"Hydra squad, prioritise her engines! If that doesn't stop them, we might need to take down main power. The Alphas are no match for the FPA and Valkyries, ignore them as long as it's safe, but if you have to, shoot to cripple. They're still our people."
 
"Acknowledged, targeting engines." I want the throats of those Alpha and Beta pilots beneath a sword! Ghost swallows his heart back into his chest, forcing the calm of the soldier over the fear and anger of the husband. Zairine can handle it, and Wolf has her six. He focuses tightly, knowing what he's about to do is at least as dangerous as what Zairine has done. Once in missile range of the Rhabwar Ghost flips into battloid mode, clearing his shoulder, chest and hip missiles for launch. As soon as the caret goes green, targeting the engines, he clears his racks in one rippling wave of missiles.
 
What happens next sends a chill up your spine. The missiles all arm prior to launch, which is not supposed to happen, then they don't leave the launchers, and they just sit there, ready to blow. Red lights flash on your cockpit display, showing the alert status of the unexploded ordinance in the racks. If you can't eject the armed missiles, they may explode if you take a hit.
 
"Oh, fu-" Ghost scrambles to eject the armed missiles, swearing openly and over the squad frequency. He sends his Valkerie into auto-defense mode while he tries to get the missiles out of the ship.
 
Make a Computer Operations skill roll at a -20% to eject your payload.
 
Hiro's frantically running through the eject sequence on the screens in front of him, fingers typing frantically. He knows something else is wrong when more red lights join those already flashing.

Well that just sucks. Hiro's gonna die, or be in the hospital after this one. :)


Roll of 94, computer operations-20=78. Fails


Yikes!
 
At this point, I think Hiro should be checking the launch system for the escape capsule....
 
Alarms go off as you desperately try to eject the armed missiles, but something goes wrong. Normally, the ejected ordinance does self destruct, but only after several seconds to give the pilot time to get to a safe distance. This time, they explode as they leave the launch racks, causing a massive 250 points of damage to your main body MDC, and your missile launchers are all damaged. Several of the missiles still in the racks are showing as green lit, but many are showing that they are damaged and are yellow, with a few red lit. Of your existing missile payload, you now have 15 showing in good shape, 10 that are damaged but might be able to fire, and the rest are all down.
 
"Kuso, kuso, KUSO!!" Hiro swears violently as sparks and fire rip through the cockpit. He's not seriously hurt, but the damage is severe. He flips a repeater to Cypher so the squad knows what's going on with his ship. Thankfully his engines still work. He puts them to good use, swooping away in jet mode.


"Ghost to Hydra, I now have 25 missiles that might fire. Main body severely damaged, but I'm alright. I'll be back in the fight as soon as the fires are out. ZAIRINE, stay PUT. I'm FINE. Hydra needs you helping take out those engines on the Rhabwar!!"


The wounded Valkerie swoops out of the fray, trailing bits and smoking pieces.
 
Shogun watches as Ghost lines up for an attack run and.... nothing.


Then a huge flash of light as Ghost's ordinance cooks off in the launchers, spraying armor plating in a wide area around his Valkyrie.


"Good God!", Shogun exclaimed, breaking radio discipline, "Ghost! Hiro, respond! What is your status? Are you still able to control your bird? Come in, Hydra Three!"


Shogun let his breath out explosively as he heard Ghost's voice over the comm. He watched as the crippled fighter wheeled around, trailing wreckage and smoke and started to haul itself back to the safety of the Foxhound.


"Alright Hydra, we're down a bird. Let's give these bastards hell and clear Ghost's six til he's clear then we'll hammer that Garfish's engines into scrap metal. Foxhound Command from Hydra Two, Hydra Three is inbound and critically damaged, fire control and medical teams stand by!"


With that, he aborted his attack run on the Rhabwar and flipped over to confront the intercepting Alphas that were, even now, vectoring in on the visibly ailing Valkyrie. He sighted up on the lead fighter of one of the attack wings and pushed his throttles forward to the stops.


"BANZAI!"
 
Still waiting for Smurfette's dodge action, and if she can shoot down the incoming missiles.
Cypher calls out, "Ghost, you're being targeted! Good God, their firing long range missiles at you! Get the hell out of there! If you get hit, you're toast!"


Just as Cypher says, the Garfish launches a salvo of six long range missiles at Ghost.
 
Strangely, Ghost's mind clears. The alarms, the flashing lights, the red vampires coming closer on his screen....all fade into the background. He seems to have an eternity to think about his choices. He can dodge and run for Foxhound. That leaves his squadron down one bird. He can dodge the missiles and see how his bird handles.


Or...he can do a third thing, and that's what he choses. Flipping the Valkerie end for end he vectors back in on the Rhabwar, jinking his wounded bird for all she's worth. He's trying to dodge the missiles by flying back toward their launch point, already trying to lock-on to the engines of the fleeing Garfish-class ship.


Zairine will forgive me this...someday.

Roll of 16 + 6 personal dodge + 6 MECT Valkerie training = 28


I think this worked....
 
The bulk of the ship grows in your windshield as you accelerate towards the Rhabwar, the six missiles in hot pursuit. At the last second, you pull off to the side under heavy g-forces, and you are rewarded by the bright flare of light as the missiles slam into the center engine housing, blasting it apart. The ship shudders, and its speed drops for a moment, then picks back up. Looking back, you can see that the other two engines are damaged, and it won't take much to disable them, too.
 
"Hydra squad this is Hydra Three. Shouldn't take too much after that blast to cripple her good." Hiro grins behind his oxygen mask. This would be a story worth a drink or five in the lounge, for sure. It might, might, be worth what Zairine would have say when (never think if) they got back to the Foxhound.


Now to get his wounded bird home among the carnage of the space battle. "Foxhound FlightCon from Hydra Three. Ship is damage, multiple systems damaged. Request permission to return to base for repair, over."
 
"Rodger, Hydra Three. Bring her home. Do you require medical assistance?"
 
Parino Zairine


Mutiny


She had just a second to read those words before her world exploded about her. She knew she'd be able to dodge some of those ordinances, but the others, the others would require fire of her own. She dropped back, then shot up, out of the way of the missiles even as she unloaded a volley of her own to intercept those she could not evade.


She didn't have the time to even notice what was going on around her. "Cypher, I got a read. Mutiny. Someone sent me a text letting me know there was mutiny on board."


Only then did she turn to see what had become of the others and that's when she saw Ghost. <<Hiro, if you kill yourself I'll make you sorry,>> she murmured more to herself than to anyone else, though she was aware that the link was live and if his systems were operating properly then he'd be able to hear her.
 
Spooky


"Does this mean we will be entertaining the idea of possible boarding action?" A brief flash of heat crossed through her body at the prospect of another fire fight not aboard a Veritech. One not experienced after a forced march through surprisingly difficult terrain at least.


Though the idea of using her axes in a manner befitting the ancient weaponry excited her, she raises a curious brow at the status of Ghost. He had been broadcasting equipment failure and was still able to perform rather difficult maneuvers with above average success. A good showing of talent and skill but imagine the capabilities of such a pilot with advanced augmentation. The sky was the limit, especially with a treasure trove of Haydonite technology being reverse engineered back in her labs.


His vital statistics would be on her desk when Crowley returned to home base. Several radical tests already formed in her nanite filled mind.


As a side goal, Crowley keeps Ghost's location locked in the forefront of her thoughts. If such action was taken again by the rouge ship, her armor would hold for the line for Ghost's.
 
"Negative, Foxhound, I'm fine. Major malfunctions in the weapons systems, however. I'm coming in. Is there a replacement bird I can take out?" Hiro flew as fast as he could back to the Foxhound, keeping his head moving around for enemies and checking his scanners. He wanted to be back out there, but with this bird he'd be more hinderance than help.


I'm coming back guys, just take out those engines. I got the bad guys to do a lot of the work for you already.
 
With Ghost's successful run on the engines complete and his successful break fro the general dogfight that had erupted around the Rhabwar's engines, Shogun spoke into the comms, "Cypher highlight and transmit optimal weak spots in the Rhabwar's engines. Hydra squad, disengage from fighter cover and commence attack runs on those highlighted areas. Let's end this quickly to get back to fighting who we came here to fight!"
 
A signal from Command cuts through the static. "You are heading into the heart of the system, right towards the military base on the nearby planet. Multiple targets are coming up to intercept you, and even if you do manage to disable the engines of the ship, there is no way for you to recover the ship back to friendly space. Break off and return to base for repair and rearming. The Rhabwar will have to wait. Plase acknowledge."
 
Parino Zairine


"Command, Smurfette, I acknowledge and return to base."


She eased off and backed away from the ship, wondering what was going on inside there. Were they firing at her because she was Zetraedi or because of her allegiances? Either way it meant something and she was sure it had to do with one or both of those. Once she was clear she gunned it and sped as quickly as she could to where Hiro's ship was and she got behind him and gently but urgently pushed him back towards base. She wouldn't start to feel better until he was out of that death trap.
 
Shogun punched his console in frustration as he wheeled around and flew away from the rebel ship. This skirmish had nearly cost the squadron a great pilot and they'd nothing to show for it. Yes, Ghost's final attack run had destroyed an engine, but the Rhabwar was not only still operational, she'd slipped away and her crew's motives were still a secret. He caught up to Ghost's stricken Veritech and sat on his four o'clock, quietly seething.
 
"Hydra three to Hydra squad: Thanks for the escort, guys. I always thought I wanted the lead spot, but if this is what it takes I'm happier flying wing." Ghost smiles. Despite everything they are coming home together. And the worst injury is a minor electrical burn across the back of his hand from when the ordinance went off. Had the Valkerie been less durable...


He lets the thought go. Ifs and might-have-beens could haunt you. Better to focus on the now. Zairine was probably going to be upset at his last manuever, and that was fine. He's not real happy with her zeking out in front like that herself...yet that is part of who she is and one of the reasons he loves her. So...they might argue, but he knows they're going to be fine. Making up might be the best part of being married, Hiro my lad...


He grins again as he requests permission to land aboard Foxhound.
 
One by one, you are brought into the hangar bay. The techs have all gathered to see the damage done to the Valkyrie, and ordinance disposal teams are on hand to examine the remaining missiles to see if they are safe to store or must be ejected. Looking about, you can all see that Ghost is not the only one that suffered damage in the fighting; many of the Alphas and Betas are beat up, but none seem to have the same level of pummeling that Hydra Three has taken.


Once on the deck, Sharon goes to talk to the weapon techs about her idea of a missile that can be aimed at the delicate parts of the Invid, hoping for some kind of advanced guidance system can be developed. Once she is done pitching her idea, she heads off to the ships day care to pick up Sakura.
 
Once his Valkerie is motionless Ghost simply sits in the cockpit after giving his crew chief a thumbs-up. He checks himself again, half expecting to find he's bleeding somewhere or that something's broken. When he fails to find anything seriously wrong he slowly eases out of the cockpit and to the flight deck. He gets out of the way of the EOD crew. They have their work cut out for them and he wants to be behind something heavy when they start in on his bird.


Once Zairine's FPA is parked and she clambers out he heads over and latches onto her with a rib-crushing hug, his head buried in her shoulder. "I worried about you out there...", he whispers in her ear.
 
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