Episode One - One Way Trip

[Deleted]

Waypoint Alpha
Meropis
1235 Zulu

-"Wolf two jus' touched down, we're on th' way!"- Cira called back on the radio just as she and Sadie nimbly hopped out of the spacecraft as they taxiied it across the semi-level ground.

From Mutt's right, Sadie moved in while Cira and Dimitri covered the side near Hammer. "Maybe if we make some noise it'll go away?" Their arrival caused the beast to romp back out, growling lowly.

Cira climbed into a tree with a SMG in hand and made monkey noises, hanging upside down as the beast charged out. She swung just out of reach as it leaped upwards and tried to snap at her. "Nyahaha can't get meh foo!" As Sadie ran in during this time, the bear-like creature had taken only a few long steps towards its attempt to trampling the group. Skidding a yard or so from Mutt, she took out two Kunai blades (rather rare for one to possess), and with deadly accuracy tossed two blades straight for the eyes of the creature. Just as Cira righted herself in the tree and began firing at the creature, it began to stumble-she had seen the glint of the Kunai's strike the creatures face from her view. "Not bad." she muttered with a surprised look on her face.

She pulled out a grenade from one of her vest pockets, taking out the key with her teeth. As the beast began to stumble, she let it sit in her right hand for two seconds as her left clutched a tree branch above her. "Incoming, hot potatoe!" Cira called, tossing it for the grenade to land hopefully a bit behind the creature so the majority of the explosion didn't catch the other men and her RIO.

<Tag: Mutt and Dragon>

[Paul Riley]

Bridge
BC-304 Sun Tzu
Meropis Orbit
1239 Zulu

Commander of the Sun Tzu, Colonel Paul Riley sat monitoring the screens at head height around the bridge, he watched as several life signs disappeared at one point. They had been notified that Conway's team had indeed found something cloaked which appeared to be the city and were proceeding inside. The pilots had come across a problem with some of the wildlife at waypoint Alpha, but that was to be expected on a planet this size in an alien galaxy. What was worrying Riley was the small scout ship that had approached them before dashing off into hyperspace.

Of course, now that we are observing Riley, it is due time for his fears to become reality as the first pilot spoke,
"Sir. I'm detecting a hyperspace window opening again..." Paul held his breath, the same reddish hue of their alien hyperspace engines flared up in front of them and out-shot a very, very large ship. Certainly a lot larger than the Sun Tzu.
"Shields up!" Commanded Riley almost immediately.



"Sir, they've locked weapons on us..." The bridge held its breath, a minute passed... Two minutes. The ship was just sitting there with weapons locked on them.
"Well is it firing or what!?"
"It wouldn't appear so Sir..." With that Riley pressed the button on his command chair, opening up a channel to the F-302 pilots.
"Wolves this is Sun Tzu Actual, return to base, repeat, return to base we have a situation."
For now everyone would have to sit tight, the pilots would be already on their way up, Riley knew it. He examined the ship with his eyes while the crew examined the ship with their scanners. Who are these people, what do they want?

<Tag Pilots>

[Deleted]

Waypoint Alpha
Meropis Orbit
1239 Zulu

"Wolves this is Sun Tzu Actual, return to base, repeat, return to base we have a situation."

Corran heard it come over the radio, He then said, "Wolf One, Wolf Seven did you copy. Do you need me to remain as close air support or take Wolf Eight and return to base over". Corran banked the 302 to the left to circle back around to where the others had landed.

<Tag Wolf One>

[Deleted]

Waypoint Alpha
1240 zulu

"Aww just when I was havin' fun." Cira complained as she began to walk back towards her semi-damaged F-302. It might be damaged, but it was basically controllable.

Tom, Dee and the others had a mix of confusion and worry on their faces. Tom took the lead, ordering them to stay in a Delta formation as soon as they took off, with Dee and Dragon behind Tom/Hammer, and Tex and Rev behind them. The group just figured they'd catch up to Rev once they left the atmosphere, and he would probably beat them there.

Outside the atmosphere
1245 zulu

Soon enough, the F302's all emerged from the atmosphere as quickly as possible Cira's F302 was a bit wobbly in straight and level flight, which made her grumble. "Wolf Two to actual, I may needa switch F302's before we move out again, suffered some wing damage."

<Tag: Riley, Corran>
<*grumbles* i wish the others would post, I'm gonna just NPC them on and off for the sake of keeping them with the group*>

[Laran]

Mysterious Ship
Meropis Orbit
1246 Zulu
<Joint Post Between Riley & Laran>

The strange ship just sat there, waiting. Commander Riley paced up and down the Sun Tzu bridge, studying the strange vessel which had so far ignored their attempts to hail. He checked the scanners, the 302's were in formation and had left the planet's atmosphere en route to the ship. Then there it was, the screen flashed to life as the ship answered their transmission.

There stood a figure, a tall figure in a long leather looking brown cloak. His hair slicked backed, Shakespearean esque apparel underneath. He held an exquisitely designed challis and sipped a velvet red liquid, licking his lips to taste before he contemplated addressing the strange ship. Around him the bridge certainly looked strange indeed. Bottles of strange liquid adorned resting places, behind him a large throne sat, bestowed upon it were many and sundry jewels and gems. The figure approached the screen, nodding and toasting with his challis as he did so.



When he spoke it was as many voices speaking at once, two or three bass voices speaking in unison.
"Behold! The might of the Etruscan fleet of I, Laran." He paused only to sip from the challis before staring smugly into the screen,
"You will surrender your vessel and submit yourselves, none of you will be harmed... at least not mortally. You will then tell me who you are, where you are from and what you are doing orbiting an uninhabited planet at the edge of a star system..." Laran smiled.

The words echoed around in Riley's head. He came back with a reply that might perhaps live in people's minds for some time to come,
"Colonel Paul Riley, Commander of the U.S.S Sun Tzu, Deep Space Carrier, Earth. I am afraid I cannot oblige that command to surrender, please trust us when we say we are here in peace and bear you no ill intentions."

Laran was taken aback by this, and sat in deep thought. Earth, he had not heard of this before. He was taken aback more so by the fact that the strange vessel would not willingly surrender, how dare they question the might of the Etruscans. Had they not heard of the God of War's controlled yet fiery wrath!?
"Very well, then you leave me no choice. Your destruction is imminent." And with that he closed the transmission channel and turned back to his throne with a smile on his face. For Laran war was an art form, a thing of joy, a pass time in his family. He resumed his place on the throne and gave the commands,
"Launch Weapons and Gal-Klivs."

Riley stood as the first pilot declared they had lost the signal to the enemy ship. He thought fast and his expression turned to anger as the same pilot declared the now enemy vessel had launched fighters and opened fire against them.
"Shields up! Return fire, all forward batteries." The pilots obliged, opening fire with the rail guns and missile's which in turn impacted the enemy ship's shields and took out a few of the steady stream of fighters now swarming out of the enemy ship's holds. The message was relayed to the 302's, warning them of the impending battle. Looks like they had one last obstacle to clear before they returned to base. Riley glanced over as one of the enemy ships was scanned and brought up on a secondary console, to be analyzed in the heat of battle. It looked like a ship based on some sort of insect.


<Tag F-302 Wing>

[Deleted]

Near Meropis ship
1247 zulu

Hammer and Dee acknowledged Riley's orders, and so did Cira and the other pilots. "Incoming missiles almost dead ahead." Sadie warned just as she saw the hard-to-see rockets moving towards their side of the group.

"Fff--" Cira banked sharply to the left and fired a set of her own to block them just barely being given enough grace time to lock on.

Hammer's voice interrupted the noise ringing in Cira's conscience. "All right everyone, we stay close to the ship for now, and split up half and half in a Delta formation last second, keeps them busy. Stay as a group as long as possible until we are close enough to the ship to break up. One through three, take the front and duck under. Four through seven, take the aft by going over. We'll improv from there. Second group stay near the dock, first group make sweeps around the hull. Let them come to us so we can pick them off one by one."

"Tex copy." Cira replied promptly and remained where she was.

"Move out." Hammer replied after all of them acknowledged the orders.

Cira moved towards the top of the F304 first, since she was in the first group. "Keep it steady." Hammer reminded them, not wanting them to reveal their current tactics. Soon enough, they saw a couple targets swoop in towards them. Looking at them directly, the craft were kind of harder to see than their own slightly bulkier craft because the leading half the fuselage was so pointy, and pronged like a pronged sword.

<Tag: anyone. We need our pilots!!>

[Deleted]

Near Meropis Ship
1247 Zulu

"Copy one" Corran replied while banking slightly left.

Rev checked his fire control screen and crossed himself while silently saying Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins,as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and for ever. Amen.

Just as he looked up the flight of enemy craft broke formation, Corran dove down following the 302 in front of him trailing a couple of the fighters

<tag: open>

[Paul Riley]

Bridge
BC-304 Sun Tzu
Meropis Orbit
1251 Zulu

Commander Riley sat in the chair, grim faced as the battle raged on silently outside. His fighters were doing their best but were heavily outnumbered. He had considered calling them back but knew the enemy fighters would swarm The Sun Tzu if given half the chance. He watched as more missiles screamed through space, some of them impacting the enemy vessel, which fired back with red energy shots the zipped through space and crashed into the quickly fading shield of the BC-304.

He closed his eyes. The enemies message had been pretty clear. Riley couldn't hail Meropis, even if the systems worked down there it would be foolish to reveal the city's existence by firing drones. Who knew how many other ships this 'Laran' guy had? He thought back to the birth of this ship, memories crossed his mind. The moment Colonel Carter and Riley smashed the bottle of champagne over the side of the ship, the paperwork plans, how they had rushed this one forward ahead of the Apollo and plans for the General Hammond and the Phoenix. He recalled how they had rushed off and when they entered hyperspace half the systems were not fully online, they had only just dropped out with a full ship online and now the encountered this! No. Riley was not going to let this ship die such an early death, no way would he let his crew down, not on his watch as the saying goes. He made a decision and rose to his feet.

He turned pressed the button on the right arm of his control chair and spoke to the engineers working hard in the beaming section to recover damaged systems.
"This is Riley. Is there any way we can Beam a mark 9 tactical warhead over into their ship?" He waited while the crew worked out the specifics, the battle kept on exploding forth in front of him. A voice came back, it was Russian.
"Negative sir. Their shields are too strong, they scramble our beaming signal."
Riley cursed himself and kicked the edge of a control panel, much to it's operator's surprise. Damn, he would have to think of something else. The F-302s carried on fighting valiantly outside, and worst of all he had no idea what was going on down on the planet surface below.

<Tag Pilots>

[Deleted]

Near Meropis ship
1252 zulu

Cira growled, pacing along the front underside of the ship. She made patterns above and below it, keeping enemies away from the area, covering Hammer and the third fighter. Luckily she wasn't too low on ammo, she was more worried about keeping her aim true to the enemy.

"Damn, this ain't no harrier, I miss bein' able to hover." Cira whined to Sadie, who winced when she realized what advantages they could have if the F302's could hover at various points in space. "We could do so much more instead of making frequent patterns like this!" Cira growled as she fired the rail gun yet again at an incoming fighter who managed to return fire.

"Get back here ya SOB!" Cira saw it duck under the belly-side of the front part of the F304 and managed to lock onto it again as she moved in the blind spot, locking on at the closest range she could possibly manage. "Playin' keep away ain't always fun..." she muttered with a sigh.

[Paul Riley]

Bridge
BC-304 Sun Tzu
Meropis Orbit
1255 Zulu

The battle raged on outside, and they still had no idea what was going on planetside. They had been here nearly two hours now and thinks were getting gradually worse. It was then that Riley's ear piece crackled to life. A scientist down in the beaming section, permanently assigned to ship had voiced his thoughts, a strong British accent came through.
"Sir, I believe I might just have found us a way out of this..." Riley turned and pressed a hand against his ear piece.
"I'm all ears"
"Well Sir, we aren't able to beam a warhead straight into the ship due to their unique shields blocking our signal, but looking at this we might be able to disrupt their shields long enough for one of our F-302s to get a shot in and, with any luck, take out their main weapons!"
More energy blasts rocked the shields, the ship shook and sparks flew from a nearby damaged console.

Alarms began sounding, the first pilot spoke,
"Shields down to 50% Sir..."
"Scientist, whats your plan?"
"Well, if we beam a nuke directly next to their shields, the ensuing blast should create a weak point in the field, weak enough to let at least a few missiles in. Give me a few moments to calibrate the settings and grab the co-ordinates directly in front of the main e at the ready, the blast should be coming at any moment."[/b]weapons"[/i]
"Excellent. What was your name son?"
"Black Sir. Doctor Micheal Black."
"Well Doctor Black, you might have just saved us all..." He tapped the ear piece to hail the pilots, immediately he was hit with a blast of screaming commands as they struggled for their lives out there, he knew that one of them had already been lost, "Sun Tzu Actual to Wolves. We're going to beam a nuke next to their main weapons, it should weaken their shields enough to allow a few of you to get some shots in and disable them."

Riley and the rest of the crew on the bridge shielded their eyes as the warhead was beamed into space. There was an intense bright light as it went off. Now they just had to hope that the pilots got a lucky shot in.

<Tag F-302 Pilots>

[Deleted]

Meropis Orbit
1255 Zulu

"Roger Actual Wolf seven and eight are the closet wolves near your beaming point we'll try and get one through".

Corran banked a little more to the left as the blinding light from explosion filled his canopy. The targeting computer had already locked on to the weapons torrent. Corran said as he pushed the release button on the control yoke "Wolf Seven Fox Three". Corran didn't see the impact from his missile because he had to bank to the right and bring the pitch down to avoid two enemy fighters that had appeared from no where.

<tag:open>

[Paul Riley]

Meropis Orbit
1256 Zulu

Commander Riley watched anxiously from the bridge. His fingers gripping the edge of a console as he stood and leaned on it, intensly watching the battle. His gaze flicking from the main window to the small screens showing the radar locations of the fighters. The nuke had gone off, a 302 was firing. The missile had gone in through the shield and impacted... There was a tense pause.

"Sir. They still have active weapons, that wasn't enough"
Sure enough this was confirmed as another energy weapon blast slammed into them, sparks flew behind Riley on the bridge, crew members rushed to patch up leaking coolant pipes and consoles beeped furiously alerting the crew that the shields were failing. Riley paced back and hit the chair's communication button,
"Sun Tzu to 302s. We need one more! Their shields are still faltering from the nuke, SOMEBODY GET A DAMN MISSILE IN!!" He screamed at the fighters as another of the enemy fighters banked sharply across the bridge's window. They had managed to get the remaining two 302s fighters in the battle, but it didn't seem to be making much difference. Riley begged for one shot, just one, to get through, it might buy them some time at least. He had never seen an enemy like this, they were ill prepared in comparison.

<Tag Pilots>

[Deleted]

Meropis Orbit - 1256

"A'right, ya need more, let's give it to em!" Cira snickered.

-"Wolf two on th' way!!"- Cira called out as she zipped past Corran's 7 o'clock position headed closer to the target, dodging some enemy fire as they moved a little bit aways from the ship. Luckily the numbers were reduced now.

Targeting what was more intact, Cira activated the rail gun and two missiles from the right and left pods, having plenty of time to engage as she twisted away in a precise series of barrel rolls angled upwards and away from the enemies. "Whee!"

Cira could hear Sadie laugh in amusement as Cira initiated the rest of the attack sequence, letting loose more ammunition than she had before, the explosions erupting nanoseconds after the initial explosion that had occurred shortly after Corran's aid. "DESTROY!" she said in a low growl, mocking the robot from Lost In Space remake. Ducking low as she nearly grazed another hit from an enemy, she swooped low just above the fire and dropped another missile from the right hard point. Did this chick have fun with everything or what?

The other F302's moved out around the same time, taking out more fighters while the explosion occurred upon Hammer's command. They were doing just better now, at least.

<Tags!>

[Deleted]

Meropis Orbit-1256

Corran pulled the control yoke and the throttle controls directly back causing the 302 to go into an artificial controlled stall. Corran new that this flight maneuver was amateuristic at best but hoped that the two enemy pilots behind him weren't as good as him or any other of the wolves. Corran saw at least one of the enemy crafts shoot pass as he brought the nose of the 302 back down into a straight level flight path. Lt. Reeder Corran's RIO said "Rev we still got one on our tail". Corran laughed as he pulled the trigger for the internally mounted cannon and said "this is where the fun begins".

The enemy craft exploded from Corran's cannon fire. Corran punched the throttle forward soaring through the exploding craft the moment Corran cleared the fireball Corran pulled hard on the yoke causing the 302 to go into an inverted loop. By the time the enemy craft cleared the fireball of his destroyed wingman Corran had come back around and locked on him with one of his remaining missiles Corran said "wolf seven fox three" just before the impact of the missile Corran said illumi patra ic fealle di spirit sainti". The final enemy craft exploded and Corran said "hay skidmark tell me if there are anymore enemy fighters". Lt Reeder said "sir it appears that all the launched Enemy fighters have been neutralized". Corran said "wolf seven to wolf one and Sun Tzu Actual it appears that all enemy fighters from there first wave have been neutralized".

<tag wolf one and Paul Riley>

[Laran]

Meropis Orbit
Etruscan Cruiser
1257

There was silence. Then it hit them, the explosion shook the entire ship, fear gripped some of the Etruscan soldiers. The first in command took a gulp and spoke,
"Your holyness... We've lost main weapons" His voice faltering under the ruthless commander's stare. Laran closed his eyes and very carefully put down his wine glass as the ship shook once again.
"Almost all of the first wave his been eliminated My Lord." Came another voice across the bridge. The Etruscan stood, and paced forward twice taking a deep breath. He eyed his enemy. A few small ships till buzzing around like bees to a hive. His eyes narrowed.

"They have not seen the last of me. I shall return in far greater numbers. I shall exact vengeance. They will suffer." He punched a console and the ship shuddered as it opened a red hue hyperspace window above the Earth ship. The Etruscan vessel shot forward and vanished into subspace. Laran believed not only living to fight another day, but living to return and exact slow and very painful deaths upon those that might defy him. It has been a while since he had faced technology able to counter the might of an Etruscan vessel.


Meropis Orbit
BC-304 Sun Tzu
Bridge
1301

The crew had held their breath long enough, the enemy ship had fled. Riley had just finished attaching a bandage to a rather nasty burn he had suffered on his leg from a malfunctioning console in the heat of the battle. He looked around what he could see of the ship, both on the bridge and the information the statistic gave him. She was pretty beat up and would certainly need some fixing up. The commander became aware that somebody was trying to hail him,
"F-302 Wing this is Sun Tzu Actual. Good job, return to base" Closing the channel he slumped down into his command chair. Looking over to his left he spied the remnants of that coffee he had ordered just before they arrived at Meropis. Now spilt all over the floor, the foam cup crushed underfoot. He sighed, it would be time to check in with the crew planetside and see about landing this big bird. Back to business as usual then!

<Tag Pilots>
Time to round this one up, do a final post each then the pilots episode one is done!