5150 Campaign – S4d – Convoy Run

Darkest Star realises the danger that Vampifan is in. He barrel rolls forward one cycle and releases a Fire and Forget missile at the X Wing which closing in on his defenceless team mate.

The X Wing dodges the missile but its proximity fuse detonates and as the warhead explodes a piece of shrapnel hits the cockpit, stunning the pilot.

Mardaddy decides to capitalise on the situation and to try to take out the stunned X Wing pilot before he gets a chance to recover. As he barrel rolls forward one cycle he releases a Fire and Forget missile. Without the ability to react, the missile slams into his opponents X Wing irrevocably corrupting its hull integrity and the ship explodes.

The remaining X Wing pilot has no velocity and is out of engagement range of any of his opponents. He stays focused and tries to power up his machine.

Tony cannot must avoid hitting Pessa and so he sideslips one cycle to starboard. He cannot however draw a bead on any of his opponents.

[Hishen movement phase]

The Radar Operator calls out to Jackie, “Sir we’ve got a lock on that possible enemy force. Turns out to be nothing.”

Jackie grunts a sign of acknowledgement. He thinks to himself “Perhaps it would have been better to deal with more of enemy now. But no matter. We’ll get them later.”

The three transport ships move forward one cycle each.

The Emden accelerates to one and two thirds cycles and moves directly forward one cycle.

The Hishen destroyer, now identified as Yorck, accelerates to one and a half cycles and advances directly towards the Star Navy fleet one cycle.

The Corellian Light Freighter in Hishen service, identified as the Millennium Falcon, accelerates to two cycles and advances directly towards the Star Navy fleet two cycles.

The Hishen patrol ship, identified as the Von der Tann accelerates to one and a half cycles and advances directly towards the Star Navy fleet one cycle.

In the continuing dogfight, the damaged X Wing, now identified as the rebel pilot Wedge, is the first to act. He accelerates his X Wing to three cycles and side slips two cycles to starboard. Firing on Mardaddy he releases eight pulse cannon rounds. It’s a deadly salvo with four rounds on target and all four punching through Mardaddy’s shields. Miraculously Mardaddy’s machine holds together as it takes hits to the Engine, Hull, Guns (which includes the fire control system for the Fire and Forget Missile) and the Comms Link.

The remaining X Wing is the next to act. He decides that Darkest Star is the more dangerous foe and attempts to pull a Yaw Reversal manoeuvre but he fails and turns to starboard and drifts forward two cycles on a collision course to Vampifan. He attempts and successfully takes an emergency manoeuvre and by passes his foe. He can’t draw a line of sight to any of his enemy and has no opportunity to shoot. He is, however, in arc to fire on Exeter with his torpedo if he isn’t destroyed.

Darkest Star curses his low attack speed. If he has learnt one thing in this engagement it is to keep his attack speed up. He sideslips one cycle to starboard and, being outside gun range, fires his last Fire and Forget missile at the X Wing. The enemy pilot throws his craft around and dodges the deadly missile.

With his ship practically combat in effective, Mardaddy moves one cycle forward as he tries to bypass Wedge.

Tony moves one cycle forward and turns his Raptor two aspects to starboard. Wedge is dead in his sights but out of gun range. He is however within Fire and Forget range and Tony deploys a missile and prays to the gods for the effectiveness of its guidance system. Wedge has faced many a Fire and Forget missile before and he evades the deadly missile.

[Hishen Activation Phase]

The X Wing pilot releases his torpedo at Exeter. Exeter’s anti-aircraft defensive battery lights up but the rounds pass harmlessly by the missile. It strikes true, smashing into her thrusters, limiting her ability to manoeuvre.

Wedge weights up his options for only a moment until he targets Exeter and releases his torpedo. The missile flies at the Star Navy frigate and again her anti-aircraft battery opens up, this time scoring a hit but the round doesn’t destroy the missile. The torpedo strikes home and the Bridge is smashed.

The Capitan of Emden decides that Exeter is relatively combat in effective and whilst Warspite is out of range of his Plasma Cannon, Ajax isn’t. He fires two Beam Cannon and two Plasma Cannon batteries at the Star Navy Destroyer.

One of the Beam Cannon and one of the Plasma cannon rounds misses. The Plasma Cannon round punches through Ajax’s light shields. The big round smashes into the ship damaging her Engine and Thrusters. The other Beam Cannon round impacts near the hull. The shields flicker and are disabled for three cycles.

[Star Navy Activation Phase]

Vampifan murmurs and awakens from his stupor and will be active next cycle.

Darkest Star is out of range.

Mardaddy, Boomer, Zabadak and Pessa have no targets.

Tony decides to chance his hand and to fire his last Fire and Forget missile at Wedge but his crafty opponent avoids the missile again.

As a collective the anti-aircraft batteries of the Star Navy fleet open fire upon the X Wings.

The four anti-aircraft batteries of Warspite are joined by the one from Exeter upon the X Wing. Twenty five high velocity rounds arc out from the Star Navy towards their foe. Eleven hit home and two punch though the X Wings shields. But she holds together with her Engine and Shields damaged.

The two anti-aircraft batteries of Ajax target Wedge. Three rounds are on target and two punch through his shields. One of the rounds sinks into his Comms Link but another strikes the cockpit. It is too much for the fighter and as it rapidly decompresses Wedge is frozen to death.

Crucially the majority of the long range firepower of the Star Navy is still available.

Jackie activates the push to talk button, “To all captains, concentrate all available firepower on Emden.”

And with that both Ajax and Warspite launch a total of three torpedoes at Emden. Whilst the range isn’t close enough for them to impact in this cycle, they most likely will next cycle.

Exeter fires her Projectile battery at her opponent. Even with her bridge smashed she is able to generate an impact near the hull of the big cruiser but the Emden’s shields hold.

Ajax fires her Beam and her Plasma batteries at Emden. The Beam battery is off target however the big Plasma round is on but it bounces off Emden’s shields.

Warspite fires her four Beam batteries at Emden. Three rounds impact near the hull, collapsing her shields for six cycles. One round is dead on target and smashes her Thrusters.