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.
