Recon Mission - Incoming!

Posted on Sat Sep 27th, 2014 @ 1:42pm by Commodore Kathleen O'Shea & Lieutenant Commander Adria "Tempest" Desoro & Captain Pete Samson

Mission: Bloodpath
Location: Taranok IV and Orbit

[ON]
I
[Overhead - Prepheradus]

As the Runabout and Polaris, accompanied by their Starfighter escorts passed over the capital city it was clear from the smoking crater over what used to be the Council of Order Plaza that some kind of massively destructive weapon had been used to take out seat of the planetary government.

The electromagnetic pulse from the explosion began to effect the communications and scanning systems on the craft. Even flying close together transmissions were filled with static and distortions.

"Looks to be a real mess down there" Buren commented "We'll swing out a little more, drop down and come back in a low level, try and get a better look at the Consulate compound"

"Yes a big mess. This is a real war, not just a planet. I need onto the planet Lieutenant, I need to get to the consulate and I needed to be there yesterday."

"Ok Captain, we can do that but we need to recon first"

Buren informed the flight of his plan =^=Iron One to recon flight. We'll continue on another ten miles, drop down to three hundred feet and come back in over the Consulate =^=

There was a choppy acknowledgement from the Polaris crew.

=^= Roger thatIron One =^= The situation was getting hairy quickly. Maguire really didn't like the way this was headed. Keeping a close eye on things. Safeties had been removed from their weapons.

Once they had passed over the city Buren cranked the controls over and put the Runabout into a steep circular dive. He spiraled the craft down fast and leveled out just under three hundred feet over a suburban area of houses and woodland.

Setting a course back towards the tall pillar of smoke that still rose from the explosion site Buren pushed up the speed. As they close in on the city center there was a garbled call from the Polaris

=^= Iron-Si..... Targ..... king... dar! I s... again we're ...icking up target tracki....... tch for ..face to air missl...=^=

Buren glanced at his own sensors, the screens were a hash of white noise due to the explosion. Clearly the Recon Module was picking up some kind of threat, but until they could isolate it's location there was no knowing where it was coming from.

Looking back forward through the windscreen he spotted the Federation Consulate coming up.

"Down there on the starboard bow Captain" he told Samson "I'll put her into a quick circle and you can get a good look for a landing site"

"Acknowledged." Pete started to review he area on the screen in front of them looking for a appropriate landing site. "Nice and slow, let's get a good look the first time."

"What do you see?" Buren asked

"I can see a landing site about 100 meters from the Consulate but it to obvious, to obvious and a possible trap. We have a small open park 1 km from the Consulate. I can get to Consulate by foot and in vehicles." Pete handed Buren a picture of the park on his padd.

"Looks big enough to get four or five shops down. We'll give it a try Captain" Buren agreed

Just as they completed the third circle the Polaris crew came through again =^= L... on! ...'ve got a target trac...g radar locked on to us! ...sle launch! Missle l...ch!! Multiple Missle Inco...ng! =^=

"Hold on Captain, this could get rocky!" Buren called and pushed the speed up, then jinked the Runabout down lower still

Buren began scanning for a vector to whoever was shooting at them so he could take avoiding action, without running them straight into the oncoming missiles.

Three miles away a battery of six surface-to-air missiles tore out of their launch vehicle and after accelerating up to speed, began hunting for the radar guidance beam that was illuminating their target - the Federation Runabout, Polaris and accompanying fighters.

A couple of second later they had acquired the beam and began following it, accelerating again up to their terminal attack speed.

=^= Get out of here =^= Maguire ordered as she maneuvered her fighter to get a lock on the missle launcher. "Protect the transports I'm on the SAM site." She fired a barrage back at the while pulling away at attack speed. "Stay sharp everyone."


[Government Military Spaceport]

A thousand miles away from the capital, a squadron of twenty six star fighters lifted off from what had once been a government military spaceport, but was now in the hands of the insurgents.

The base commander was a sympathizer in the cause and had brought his facility, twelve thousand troops, four hundred atmospheric attack ships and two hundred short range star fighters to the coup.

Surprisingly he'd had to shoot about a quarter of his troops and pilots after they refused to join in the revolution. Still, the road to freedom was always awash with blood he reasoned.

Speaking to those crews loyal to him "There is a group of Federation vessels in orbit. Drive them off or destroy them!" He ordered

The squadron lifted off, rapidly climbed up through the atmosphere, crossed into orbital space and began closing on the Tin Flight Polaris craft.

[Orbit]

The crew running the Long Range Recon Module on Tin Six-Three spotted the fighters lifting up into orbit and altered the rest of the Flight.

=Incoming craft, this is Starfleet Tin Squadron =^= The pilot on Tin Six - One called =^= We are on a Federation aide mission, we're trying to discover what happened here=^=

**#**Federation ships, leave orbit now! You are not wanted here! Leave now or you will be destroyed! **#**

=^= Tin Six - Three They're arming weapons, moving to an attack formation! =^=

=^= Tin Six - One I say again, we area Federation aide mission! Break off your attack! =^=

**#** Last warning Federation! Leave orbit now! **#**

=^= Tin Six - One to Two-Twenty Squadron - over to you! Tin Flight, Six - One has the lead, evasive pattern Delta Three! =^=

The Polaris Transport began their maneuvers moving away from the incoming aggressors and leaving the space clear for their Star fighter escorts.

=^= We're engaged hot. =^= Maguire reported. Checking her HUD as she lined up on her next target. They'd be taking on the fighters to protect Tin Flight and clear the way to complete their objectives.

=^=Iron One copys. All yours =^=

[Protectorate Forward Base]

"Pathetic. I told you this 'Federation' was nothing more than a mild annoyance to be brushed aside. If this is the best they can offer up, we needn't even have bothered with the initial attack."

Gyterwque studied the readouts on the craft that had been dispatched to the planet. "Perhaps...but don't dismiss them quite yet. It's much to easy to underestimate an enemy never joined in the field. Let us see what the next few days bring. As for now...the lesson is taught. Recall the fighters back to close cover action. Soon the rest shall arrive. Then we can get to the business at hand."


[OFF]

Lt Buren Zel
405th CTAG

The Unknown Enemy :-)
Protecturate Forward Base

Marine Captain Pete Samson
Commanding Officer Marine Corps
Starbase 80