A Pilot's Account of the Battle of HIP 22460
19 Jul 2022Titus A. Cromwell
7-17-3308 Thargoids killed - 177
New to this xeno defense work. I'm getting to that age where I recognize humanity has more in common than we have differences. Don't get me wrong. I still despise those heretical Marlinists and their NMLA terrorist friends. Well, that, and my persecution under the Federation's "freedom". That almost had me killed at eight years old in the name of "social justice and intersectional harmony". What ever that means these days. Still though, humanity, with all its flaws, is more important to defend than accepting a bunch of bugs and their dominion over humans.
Despite the treasonous action of a few and the loss of several ships (thank you Rescue Services) I've answered the call to defend the Proteus Wave Project. This is my first time xeno defending and I've learned a lot. I hear from my old contacts in the Imperial Intelligence that it looks like we may be winning in HIP 22460. From my foxhole its simply just one day after the next. Grinding away one dogfight, one victory at a time against enemy scout ships.
Once I volunteered I got some pretty basic training on anti-xeno dog fight theory. Then I was equipped with an anti scout ship and sent off into combat. The ship is pretty decent against scouts but useless against the enemy's interceptors. All I can do against xeno interceptors is pitch in where I can and get out of the way of the better trained and equipped pilots. It's too far along in this fight for me to pull back and regroup. I'll fight with what I've got. But once this fight is over I'll get a better ship so I can contribute more in the next battle. Which is sure to come.
I've seen some long combat defending the Majestic-Class Interdictor INV Impossible Dream. Saw a bunch of pilots I just met get wiped out by bugs and human traitors. I sense something big on the horizon as the Proteus Wave Project gets closer to operational capacity. I think its a 50/50 that we'll either see some new xeno ship we've never seen before, the bugs will take their loss and regroup or most unlikely we'll be driven back by a massive xeno counter-attack we haven't experienced yet.
The next two weeks will tell. All I can do to pitch in is eat, sleep, fight, repeat until its over.