Danger Zone

[Hugo Ion]

​

A flight of six phage starbombers flew toward the Smuggler’s Moon. Their purpose to rain down punishment upon the revolting populace. Escorting them a trio of Reflex starfighters on each side. If left uninterrupted they will commence a bombardment upon one district. However, their sensors soon picked up incoming starcraft coming from both flanks!

Out of hyperspace came twelve rebel fighters divided in two units of six shaped in arrow formation. Leading at the head of the left team, Commander Hugo Ion grinned, thinking. Good thing our agents found when this group were to arrive. Turning on the alliance comm channel he said.

“Green squadron began attack run. Remember our primary objective is the bombers. We must not let them reach their destination. Now let’s them give hell.”

Acknowledging the order in unison the rebels swarm for their enemy counterparts.

@Axym

 

[Parker Tam]

Parker "Maverick" Tam was in his element. He wasn't on the ground trying to be a soldier, he was in the cockpit of his JP-X Lightening Starfighter.. he was right where he belonged.

He had been recruited to help take out some bombers by a Commander Hugo Ion, a Duro with the Galactic Alliance, and Tam was more than willing to help out.

As they flew closer to Nar Shaddaa, his screen lit up with the six starbombers and their respective escorts. Tam smiled.
The Commander gave the "green light" to attack and Tam responded. "Green Three starting attack run. I'll go for the fighters on the left side. Try to draw their attention away from the bombers."
He hit the throttle and his fighter responded as he broke away from the main group... The first fighter on his screen erupted in flames as his main gun found its mark. That would probably be the easiest shot of the battle since now the other fighters knew they were being attacked and began to form up in a defensive formation around the bombers.

"We've got one down... Let's take out the rest shall we?"

@Minuteman75

 

[Hugo Ion]

Thrusters at full speed Hugo joined his squadron in the attack coming both sides. The enemy fighters in their defense formation engaged their new foes. “Nice shot Green Three. Keep it up.” The commander noted through the comms, watching how Parker took out the first hostile.

Soon Imperials and Rebels danced one another in a duel of death. Ion made a hard bank to the left, aiming for a Relfex fighter from the side. He squeezed down in the trigger, three shot burst. The Imp took evasive action, avoiding being hit in the process. A moment later Hugo grimaced spiked when his shields went being attacked from behind.

“Stang!” He exclaimed swerving away to avoid being blasted into pieces.

@Axym

 

[Parker Tam]

Parker was quite pleased with himself that he had successfully taken out a fighter that easily.
His arrogance almost cost him his life. He was so proud of himself, that he forgot to check his proximity gauge and barely had time to barrel roll light of the way of two incoming fighters.
They got really close and fired their guns, but only by the skin of his teeth he managed to escape certain death.

His fighter however wasn’t so “lucky”. A blaster bolt hit the right wing sending one of the protective panels off into space.
In doing so, he would have to watch the temperature on the right wing so that it wouldn’t freeze up and cause the right controls to go offline.

It was one more thing to worry about in a dogfight that really didn’t have to be.
Swearing he headed back to provide cover for the Commander... he would play “wingman” for now... no more being stupid and going off on his own.

He should’ve known better.

@Minuteman75

 

[Hugo Ion]

Each second the space duel became more intense. Hugo lifted his ship high to the left, engines blasting forth while still being pursued by the Imperial fighter from earlier. A hostile bombardment struck him in the right wing tearing the shields that were restored only moments before. Grimacing Hugo made a sudden turn around, locking onto his pursuer.

“Got ya bastard.” He shouted, firing away several shots straight in the nose section for Imp Fighter. Seconds later it was nothing but space dust. Then Parker came up alongside him, causing Hugo to say through the comms.

“Alright Green Three lets go after the bombers.”

Saying so the rebel leader made a run for the flight of star bombers reorganizing their formation. Before he can fire again however, they opened up on their turrets, several shots cutting into his fighter’s underbelly. The cockpit shook violently causing Hugo to abandon his attack run, thinking. These fly boys play for keeps.

@Axym

 

[Parker Tam]

As they came around for another attack run, Tam set his sights on the lead fighter.
If he could take that one out, then it would cause the other fighters to have to regroup. Which might give the Green Squadron some extra and much valuable time to pick them apart.

Coming close to the leader, he took aim and fired.
The blasters hit their mark, but Tam didn’t have time to pull up and away from the explosion. So he went right though it.
His right wing was already damaged from the last hit, and some of the current debris from the leader’s now blown apart ship hit Tam’s... again on his right wing.

Luckily it just scraped the paint job, and didn’t do any permanent or detrimental damage.

As the fire around him was sniffed out by the vacuum of space, he noticed that he was perfectly lined up with the lead bomber as well.
Thinking it was as good a shot that he would get, he took it.

As his fighter’s guns leveled and fired, he pushed down on the joystick and went toward the underbelly of the bomber.
His guns cut a line down the front, from the cockpit, and into the payload bay. Literally cutting the ship in two while igniting the bombs inside.

The explosion was massive... As Tam raced away to regroup and reset for another attack run, the bombers and escort fighters all had to slow down and take evasive maneuvers as to not get caught up in the blast.

“Your turn boss!” Tam said over the com. “I’ll cover you.”

@Minuteman75

 

[Hugo Ion]

“Copy that Green Three.” The Commander answered swinging his starfighter for a second pass. Parker has slowed them down its best they take full advantage. As he tried to aim for a bomber it’s turrets forced him to dodge out of the way but sustained minor on the left wing.

Pushing his fighter upward Ion then brought it down this time locking on a missile to a bomber leading at the front. Once the targeting computer marked the target, the Duros pressed down on the trigger. The missile flew out straight toward the Imperial craft, hitting it before the pilot could take evasive maneuvers. ”Let’s keep it up rebels!” Hugo proclaimed through the inercom.

@Axym

 

[Parker Tam]

Realizing the escorts wouldn’t go very far away from the bombers as they had to protect their charges... Tam got an idea.
“Forget the fighters! They are not engaging unless provoked.”

Hitting the throttle, his fighter responded and sped up for an attack run on the middle bomber. He had already taken out the lead ship, and the Commander hit the second one... now for causing more chaos, taking out the middle bomber would do just that.
Relying totally on his skill and reflexes, not even over thinking it, Tam went directly at the bomber itself. Ignoring the escorts, who broke to defend, but it was soon realized they were too late.
A missile from Tam’s fighter was already on its way.
He did a quick barrel roll and jerked the throttle to the right to avoid the incoming blaster fire, easily escaping for another run.
Behind him the bomber erupted in flames as the missile hit its mark. The explosion also took out a nearby escort fighter... freeing up more space for the Green Squadron to work.

@Minuteman75

 

[Hugo Ion]

The rest of Green Squadron joined in the attack but the Imperial escorts fought back with a vengeance. Hugo watched with surprised horror as two rebel fighters were destoryed a few seconds from one another. Another followed moment later in front of him. “Pull back and regroup!” The Commander messaged the squadron and it was carried out.

Meanwhile the remaining three enemy bombers flew closer toward the moon with their fighter cover. We must stop them! Ion thought to himself turning his starcraft around behind the hostiles. Lives depended on them.

@Axym

 

[Parker Tam]

Regroup?
Tam knew following orders was expected. But as the Bombers flew even closer to the moon, he had to make a split decision... it could cost him his place in the squadron, but the weight of innocent lives being sniffed out by these things greatly outweighed the thought of being busted by the Commander.

“We’ve only got a few good open shots on these babies left Commander. I suggest we take them.”

Pushing the throttle down and aligning the ship with a direct path to the rear bomber, Tam sped off in attack mode.

The escort fighters couldn’t match Tam’s fighter for speed or agility, so it seemed they were stuck in molasses as they tried to respond and protect the targeted bomber.
As he got closer, Tam switched from missiles to guns and opened fire. His guns did their job... hitting the cockpit.

The bomber listed to one side as it was hit and as the pilots died.
As it moved it crashed into another escort who couldn’t move out of the way in time and they both exploded upon impact with each other.

Tam gritted his teeth and he made a tight turn, and readied himself to attack again and finish this.

“Two left Sir. Let’s get em.”

@Minuteman75

 

[Hugo Ion]

Contrary to Paker’s belief, his commander wasn’t abandoning the mission nor panicking. No the regroup order was to prepare organized attack to maximize their chance of success. We talk about it later once this is over. Hugo reminded himself as he prepared to fire on the two bombers in his sight. All the same the human took out one of the last targets.

An enemy fighter fired on him to the side, causing the Duros to twist away but only for the hostile to be wiped out by another Rebel fighter. “Nice shoot Green seven.” Hugo called to unexpected ally. Subsequently he flew up and back down firing three shot burst into the leading bomber. The first bolt missed its target by an inch but the other two cut through into the cockpit exploding it on impact.

Ion spin his fighter around on the left side just Parker went after the last one.

@Axym

 

[Parker Tam]

Realizing what the Commander meant about regrouping, Tam regretted saying anything over the com... for at least a split second...

I’m probably going to get a good talking to when all this is done...He thought.

There was now only one bomber left and since he was the closest to it, he figured that he could take it out and finally end this whole thing.

The two remaining escorts were now in chaos trying to protect their last bomber, and with the lead fighters gone... there seemed to be no one to get them to coordinate their defenses very well. So Tam took advantage of the situation and flew directly at the bomber.
His skill in dodging the fighters and their blasters seemed to be at its best right then. And he maneuvered easily toward the bomber itself.

Letting loose a missile as the targeting computer locked put a wry smile on his face. The missile was a dead on hit, exploding on impact and eliminating the bomber once and for all.

He sped away from the escorts and to join up with his fellow Squadron.

“Do we take out the remaining fighters Commander, or do we leave them be?”

@Minuteman75

 

[Hugo Ion]

Commander watched with satisfaction as Parker Tam took out the last of the bombers just before it reached the moon’s atmosphere. Once the young pilot rejoined them and asked about the now fleeing enemy fighters Ion shook his head. “Let them go. They failed their mission and will pay the price for it.” The surviving rebel starcraft turned around away from Nar Shaddaa preparing to head for lightspeed.

Before they did, Hugo message Parker again. “Once we get back home Green Three we’re going to have a little chat about following orders.” Letting it sink in the Duros subsequently smiled and added. “Aside from that great job in taking out the bombers.”

With that Green Squadron flew into lightspeed.

//The End

@Axym