Guardian Tech Expedition - Day 1
14 Apr 2021michalpta
Commander Log Entry (Star-time: 19:50 Galactic Mean Time, Location: Ross 780, Emerald Charity Infirmary)
We meet in Ross 780, next to the Emerald Charity Infirmary, in close orbit of the main star.
We are about to start the squadron mission - the Guardian Tech Expedition. Everything goes according to the plan. We run some last diagnostic checklists before plotting the route. We chit-chat on the squadron comms. Some are checking the supplies in the back of their ships, others admire the gas giant orbiting nearby.
And then not that far from us, there's some dog-fight happening, we hear those pilots in our voice comms, we see their laser blasts. But it's not our fight. We just watch, from the safe distance. We have other things to do...
But, you know, it wouldn't be us. There is some Anaconda (Deadly) engaging in the conflict. I don't even know what they did wrong. Some inappropriate comment towards cmdr Ifeanon, or flying too close to his ship... and that is enough. We just hear: "I had to show'em", and see the conda's weakened shield and her nose slowly moving into the direction of the boosting DBX of cmdr Ifeanon, trying to avoid the frontal attack.
It's just us, no matter how much we try, we always end up in the hassle like this... The Wild Hunt squadron at its best.
Alarmed by what happened, we focus our sensors on the chasing Conda. There is no time, I boost to shorten the distance and cover the escaping maneuver of the DBX. I deploy the hardpoints, but don't want to shoot, there's no need to escalate the conflict. The DBX keeps the safe distance, while charging the FSD. Luckily he's faster than Conda - cmdr Ifeanon might have a temper, but he also has strong thrusters. Seconds seem like minutes, but finally the DBX jumps to supercruise. The Conda could not do anything this time...
"But they noticed we are in wing!" I realize, while the angry Conda starts the turn toward me...
Now everything happens blazing fast, a short message over comms: "Guys, I need your help here...", pips to shields and weapons with a full blast from the burst lasers responding to the Conda attack, then all pips to engines and a dodging maneuver not to harm the fragile exploration build too much. I don't know how long I can stand in this confrontation. But then there's hope - 2 other squadron ships are already by my side - cmdr Panditt, cmdr KNG_PUD, I see them through the window, while quickly transferring power back to the weapons. Their AspX and Phantom are not combat-ready vessels, but their pilots definitely are! Conda will learn that soon. No! It's 3 ships now! The DBX is back. You don't mess with the Wild Hunt, especially when outnumbered. The Conda's defenses slowly break, she has strong shields, but we're a tough team. There's a bounty on her - 270 k credits. She cannot escape, her crew knows it already, they're ensuring their escape-pod system is up and running, they stopped shooting already. Few more hits and her hull breaks.
This day couldn't start better. And it was just the beginning...