Tables Turned
Tables Turned
Arc: None
Summary: A simulator exercise goes horribly wrong.
Date: 2657.316
Related Logs: Say None if there aren't any; don't leave blank
Participants: Xiang Markovic Aquilina

Simulators

Setting up the combat outside, the Captain settles into position in the cockpit. She wrinkles her nose at the smell in the communal helmet. Augh! When they start out, the screens flicker them into the middle of space. Markovic has the lead with Aquilina in the second slot and Xiang in the 3rd. "Alright. Banger Flight, Banger Lead. Prep for incoming." She tilts her head, cracking her neck as she toggles up the scan mode on the radar while her thumb slides across the castle switch, selecting missiles. "Banger Two, you take Pursuit Lead in this engagement. I will run high cover and assist Banger Three in killing your friends. Copy?"

"Banger?" Aquilina's clipped accent ends the second syllable with a vowel. "Do they give you a black book of horrid names for flights in Captain school, sir?" He smirks, heading for a sim cockpit in the semicircle, tugging a helmet off the rack on his way. "Copy loud and clear."

Xiang is loaded up in one of the sim cockpits as well. Helmet on, no particular reaction to the smell of it. At least it's not sweaty. No jokes from her, though a faint snort *might* be audible at Aquilina's comment. "Copy loud and clear, sir."

"They sure did, Torch. 'Alejandro' was listed at the top but I did not want to punish." Always with a comment and her damned snickering. She smiles behind her mask as she looks around the screens surrounding the cockpits. Nothing visual yet. Her eyes drop to the radar. "Call tally as soon as you spot them." Her accent makes her pronounce 'call' as something like 'cull.'

"That name means 'defender of man', I'll have you know. It'd be grand," Alex is undaunted by this, plunking down into the cockpit and pulling the plexiglass shut. Click. His voice then comes over the mic. "/Banger/ Two green and glowing. Ready on mark."

Xiang has her eyes sharp on her sensor read-out, apparently, as she relays promptly, "Banger Three here. I've got something. Reading five hostiles. Three Jalthis, two Dralthis. Incoming. They've spotted us."

"Copy, Three. Peel off with me and I'll hug your four o'clock. Two, shove it up and lead our friends around by the nose. Banger Flight, you are cleared hot." She reaches forward in her cockpit and flicks the Master Arm. The throttles get a nudge and she peels off to pop away and follow Xiang through her turns.

<COMBAT> Kitty-1 will attack Aquilina this turn.
<COMBAT> Kitty-2 will attack Aquilina this turn.
<COMBAT> Kitty-3 will attack Xiang this turn.
<COMBAT> Kitty-4 will attack Xiang this turn.
<COMBAT> Kitty-5 will attack Markovic this turn.

<COMBAT> Markovic has changed weapons to Heat_Seeker.
<COMBAT> Markovic has changed stance to Banzai.
<COMBAT> Xiang has changed stance to Evade.
<COMBAT> Markovic will attack Kitty-1 this turn.

<COMBAT> Aquilina has changed weapons to heat_seeker.
<COMBAT> Aquilina has changed stance to evade.

And they're off. Alex checks his nav screen, watching the dot get closer until their attack formation becomes glaringly obvious. "Flight, Lead. Two on your tail, Banger Three. Watch your arse, I'm going to try to pull them off you."

<COMBAT> Aquilina will attack Kitty-1 this turn.
<COMBAT> Xiang will attack Kitty-1 this turn.

"Flight, Three. Copy. I'm with you, Needles," Xiang says, her ship 'forming up' with Markovic's in the read-outs. Her tactics are text-book, for better or worse, but she seems to have a good feel for formation flight patterns. "Ass watched." Dead-pan. Was that humor or just a confirmation that she's following her captain's orders? It's hard to tell. In any case, she engages.

"Copy, Torch. We have you lead bandit in sight." The missile's seeker head can be heard warbling in the background of her radio call. She rakes the Stil through a hard turn, shoving her throttles all the way up and going high over top of Xiang. The head finds a nice hot source and she squeezes the trigger. "Banger Lead, Fox Two." There's a flash and one of the missiles leaps off the rail towards Kitty-1.

<COMBAT> Xiang attacks Kitty-1 with Mass Driver and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-1 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns but MISSES!
<COMBAT> Markovic attacks Kitty-1 with Heat Seeker - Critical wound to Body (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Kitty-3 attacks Xiang with Full Guns - Moderate wound to Nose (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Kitty-2 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns but MISSES!
<COMBAT> Aquilina attacks Kitty-1 with Heat Seeker and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-5 attacks Markovic with Mass Driver - Serious wound to Controls (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Kitty-4 attacks Xiang with Mass Driver but MISSES!

<COMBAT> Jalthi-1 has been KO'd!
<COMBAT> Kitty-1 has been KO'd!

<COMBAT> Kitty-5 will attack Aquilina this turn.
<COMBAT> Kitty-3 will attack Aquilina this turn.

Aquilina misses. Bugger. But as lead he pulls ahead of the other two as they shoot, skimming past Xiang's wing and through the field of fire after the last shot's gone off, Kitty-1's dust spraying out into 'space'. Two of the beastly ships turn their guns on the most obvious target instead, one doggedly staying after Xiang. "Banger One, I saw that hit. Status."

<COMBAT> Xiang has changed stance to Normal.
<COMBAT> Markovic has changed stance to evade.

Xiang's simulated guns miss as well, and she takes a ping on the nose for her trouble. Her eyes flit down to her sensors, wincing as she groks something of the hit Markovic took. "Banger One, Verdict. We've got you covered. Watch your ass, now."

<COMBAT> Markovic will attack Kitty-5 this turn.
<COMBAT> Xiang has changed weapons to Heat_Seeker.

The missile from Markovic arcs across space and punches right through the center of Kitty-1, exploding the fuel tanks in a shower of sparks. "Banger Lead, splash my bandit." No sooner than she finishes and gunfire rattles her whole frame. "Whoa shit! Taking fire! Got a shimmy on the port side. Hold you position on Pursuit." She firewalls her throttles and puts the Stil through some heavy jinking, attempting to shake the bandit. One of Torch's bandits flashes in front of her canopy and she tries for a snapshot. "Lead, fox two!"

<COMBAT> Xiang will attack Kitty-5 this turn.
<COMBAT> Aquilina will attack Kitty-5 this turn.

<OOC> Markovic says, "Practice practice practice. hehehe ;)"

<COMBAT> Kitty-4 attacks Xiang with Mass Driver - Moderate wound to Body (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Aquilina attacks Kitty-5 with Heat Seeker but MISSES!
<COMBAT> Xiang attacks Kitty-5 with Heat Seeker - Critical wound to Cockpit.
<COMBAT> Markovic attacks Kitty-5 with Heat Seeker and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-5 attacks Aquilina with Mass Driver and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-3 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns - Light wound to Nose (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Kitty-2 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns but MISSES!

<COMBAT> Dralthi-2 has been KO'd!
<COMBAT> Kitty-5 has been KO'd!

Aquilina had guns on Kitty-2, but since Markovic for some reason goes for a completely different, he turns his own that way. Missing, of course, but he's concentrating less on shooting that on keeping their attention off the other two. Two Jalthis are still chasing him, and he swerves hard on an arc to race in front of the remaining Dralthi. And that Dralthi, seeing its packmate blown TO SMITHEREENS by Xiang wisely gives up its pursuit of the AZN wildwoman, taking the lead bait.

<COMBAT> Kitty-4 will attack Aquilina this turn.
<COMBAT> Aquilina will attack Kitty-4 this turn.

<COMBAT> Markovic has changed stance to banzai.
<COMBAT> Markovic will attack Kitty-4 this turn.

"Lead, Verdict. Splash one Dralthi," Xiang's tone has a certain amount of satisfaction to it. She still sticks her flight pattern with Markovic. "Barely scratched my nose. Coming about for another pass."

<COMBAT> Xiang will attack Kitty-4 this turn.

"Nice kill, Three!" Markovic congratulates, the explosion blasting by her cockpit. She dumps her throttles and pulls high again. The Captain rolls in beside Xiang and watches the maneuvering from Aquilina and takes his targeting. She locks up the Dril on her radar and squeezes the trigger. "Lead's got tone. Fox Two." Her last missile doesn't waste an instant shooting off the rail.

<COMBAT> Xiang attacks Kitty-4 with Heat Seeker but MISSES!
<COMBAT> Aquilina attacks Kitty-4 with Heat Seeker and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Aquilina's weapon clicks empty.

<COMBAT> Kitty-4 attacks Aquilina with Mass Driver but MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-3 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns but MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-2 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns - Light wound to Body (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Markovic attacks Kitty-4 with Heat Seeker - Moderate wound to Left Wing (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Markovic's weapon clicks empty.

<COMBAT> Markovic has changed weapons to mass_driver.

"Fuck it, right in the tits," Aquilina's voice announces the hit, gruffly. "Nice shot back there, Three. Not meeting you in any dark alleys, that's for damn sure. Taking the kitties back around for another pass, take it home ladies."

<COMBAT> Xiang has changed weapons to Mass_Driver.
<COMBAT> Aquilina has changed weapons to mass driver.
<COMBAT> Aquilina will attack Kitty-4 this turn.
<COMBAT> Xiang has changed weapons to Mass Driver.
<COMBAT> Markovic will attack Kitty-4 this turn.

"Don't worry, Torch. In dark alleys I only carry pepper spray. And the occasional pistol," Xiang banters with Aquilina over the comm. She doesn't lose her underlying seriousness, however. And even the bantering fades over her last hit. Or lack thereof. "Missles spent. Targeting with mass drive."

<COMBAT> Xiang will attack Kitty-4 this turn.

The missile streaks across the sky and explodes over the D's left wing, poking a few holes in it. She shakes her head and nudges her throttles back up, closing to guns range by cutting the distance a little too aggressively, nearly cutting off one of the Jalthis. "Going to guns!" Tracers thunder away from her airframe.

<COMBAT> Markovic will attack Kitty-4 this turn.

<COMBAT> Aquilina attacks Kitty-4 with Mass Driver and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Xiang attacks Kitty-4 with Mass Driver but MISSES!
<COMBAT> Markovic attacks Kitty-4 with Mass Driver but MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-4 attacks Aquilina with Mass Driver and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-3 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns but MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-2 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns but MISSES!

<COMBAT> Xiang will attack Kitty-4 this turn.
<COMBAT> Markovic will attack Kitty-4 this turn.

Aquilina swerves up at the last second, three Kittyshots going past the underside of his Stiletto without grazing paint. He checks his screens for hit readouts and smirks. "Well, that was exciting." The Stiletto keeps going up, up, and then takes a sharp turn port, scissoring past the noses of the two Jalthis and back towards the Terran fighter collection. "Torch's comet, coming back in!"

<COMBAT> Aquilina will attack Kitty-4 this turn.

Xiang's guns fly wide of their mark, adding to the general rainfall of relatively harmless gunfire. "I'll never complain about my opponent missing, Torch. Copy. Verdict over, taking another pass."
Markovic says something obscene in Russian. It sounds awful. The tracers missed their target and she rolls away from the position, attempting to come back in on the same target from a higher aspect angle as they all cross paths. Once more, she squeezes the trigger. "How're you doing there, Torch?" she calls calmly, an odd turn after the ugly words a few moments earlier.

<COMBAT> Aquilina attacks Kitty-4 with Mass Driver and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Xiang attacks Kitty-4 with Mass Driver - Light wound to Nose (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Markovic attacks Kitty-4 with Mass Driver - Moderate wound to Nose (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Kitty-4 attacks Aquilina with Mass Driver and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-3 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns but MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-2 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns but MISSES!

<COMBAT> Xiang has changed stance to Banzai.

"Quite a bit better now, thank you," Aquilina's voice transmits across the mics after two blasts rock one of his pursuers. The thing's still flying though, but so is he. "No trouble here just yet, though I'd love to make it out of here by teatime, if you'd kindly oblige."

"Verdict. Copy, Torch. Tally-ho, to borrower a phrase from the good Lieutenant Jenthson," Xiang employs a Britishism at mention of teatime. Jenthson is quoted with due respect. "Let's see if we can put this away."

"Good hits," the Captain calls over comms. She blasts right by the Dral, nearly going cockpit to cockpit as the chunks of airframe as still scattering. "Glad to hear your concern for tea. Maybe we can have some biscuits ordered for you, too," she chuckles, raking the Stil through another set of turns. She exits a hi yo-yo and dives back Kitty-4 with her guns blazing. "I'll see if I cannot chew on him a bit for you, Lieutenant Xiang."

<COMBAT> Kitty-3 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns - Serious wound to Body (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Aquilina attacks Kitty-4 with Mass Driver and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Xiang attacks Kitty-4 with Mass Driver - Serious wound to Cockpit.
<COMBAT> Markovic attacks Kitty-4 with Mass Driver - Moderate wound to Controls (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Kitty-4 attacks Aquilina with Mass Driver and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-2 attacks Aquilina with Full Guns but MISSES!

<COMBAT> Aquaman has been KO'd!
<COMBAT> Aquilina has been KO'd!

<COMBAT> Dralthi-1 has been KO'd!
<COMBAT> Kitty-4 has been KO'd!

<COMBAT> Kitty-2 will attack Xiang this turn. (Aquilina)
<COMBAT> Kitty-3 will attack Markovic this turn. (Aquilina)

"If you could chew just a little harder to the ri-" *BOOM* The simulator's hydraulics lift and slam the little cockpit forward, jarring Alex straight into the panel. "…fuck /me/. Shit…shit, I'm down for the count. They're all yours, my friends."

Markovic ducks away from the flash of Torch's exploding Stil. "Son of a.." she growls. She slams her helmet agaisnt the plexiglass as she watches the bandits circle around, one heading for each of them. "I am on your bandit, three. You ignore mine and let us get some lovely revenge." The Captain sounds rather upset. Rutroh.

<COMBAT> Markovic will attack Kitty-2 this turn.
<COMBAT> Markovic has changed stance to normal.

"Rough go, Torch. We'll take care of them for you," Xiang says, grimacing a touch at the jarring and slamming going on from Aquilina's machine. "Needles, Verdict. Dralthi splashed down. Guns back on the Jalthis. On your mark. Revenge does sound good right about now."

<COMBAT> Xiang will attack Kitty-2 this turn.

<COMBAT> Xiang attacks Kitty-2 with Mass Driver - Light wound to Body (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Kitty-3 attacks Markovic with Full Guns - Moderate wound to Left Wing (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Markovic attacks Kitty-2 with Mass Driver and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-2 attacks Xiang with Full Guns - Serious wound to Controls (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Aquilina has started a new turn. Pose and choose your action.

<COMBAT> Wangchung has been KO'd!
<COMBAT> Xiang has been KO'd!

Aquilina can do nothing but settle back and watch at this point. Better than he would be if this were real, since if it were he'd be a flaming ball of dead. He scratches the five o clock shadow on his chin and winces as Xiang's then busted to hell. "Fucking hell. Who ran program: Fiery revenge?"

<COMBAT> Kitty-2 will attack Markovic this turn.
<COMBAT> Kitty-3 will attack Markovic this turn.

Markovic shakes her head as the guns miss. "Just wonder-Whoa!" She rakes the Stil through would would-be a gruelling bank to starboard, yanking her stick into her lap. Her throttles firewall. Her head leans back, neck craning to look at the pair of bandits suddenly on her six. "Ohhhhhhscrewit." The Stil rolls violently back to port and she reverses her turn. Then once more. Then again. She jinks madly, finger mashing the trigger spraying the whole area in front of her with lead as her closure rate moves past 'Insaine' and the 'Ludicrous' light comes on.

<COMBAT> Markovic has changed stance to banzai.
<COMBAT> Markovic will attack Kitty-3 this turn.

"Nicked him, Needles. Flanking to eight o'clock for another…" BAM. Jar. Shake. Her sim promptly starts shuddering as the computer gives it a direct hit to its controls. She manages not to swear, but her ton is clipped as she says, "I'm out of it, Needles. Watch your ass. Better than I watched mine, at least."

<COMBAT> Kitty-2 attacks Markovic with Full Guns - Light wound to Body (Reduced by Armor).
<COMBAT> Markovic attacks Kitty-3 with Mass Driver and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Kitty-3 attacks Markovic with Full Guns - ARMOR on Body stops the attack!

<COMBAT> Markymark has been KO'd!
<COMBAT> Markovic has been KO'd!

Aquilina folds his arms, propping a foot up on the darkened control panel. "Well. That was /almost/ a victory. Tables do turn on a dime, don't they." Lightly mixing metaphors, but his tone's anything but happy.

Round clink off her wings and her caution panel lights up like a Christmas tree. Then her whole cockpit slams forward. "Greeaaaaat. Eject. Eject." Pause. "Eject." She sighs and unstraps the mask, opening the cockpit. "Well that was fun," she offers as she looks to Aquilina. "Yeah. Lucky shot that Dral got on you, Torch?" comes the tired question as she swings her legs out.

"My angle of approach was too high on that last pass, I think it was," Xiang says, as much to herself as the other pilots, as she hops out of her machine. "Left my controls exposed. I should review Tarlington's essay on combat engagement. I *think* that gets to the heart of it…" She will review her library to find out what killed her.

"Must have been. Came right up on my seven when I wasn't looking, the cheeky bastard," Aquilina leans his head back, pulling his helmet off and rubbing at the back of a tense neck. "Might've won this one if it hadn't got up on me like that. Next time, though, they won't have it so easy."

Markovic nods a few times to Xiang. "Maybe. Maybe not. That was still some very good flying. That missile shot was just pretty as could be. I am a little jealous." Her inflection even carries the smile thats on her face as she peels off the helmet. "But you-" Needles lifts her helmet and taps it to Torch's chest. "That was just as good as I have ever seen out of a Lead Pursuit pilot. Whatever got you killed was what you stopped doing. I think I need to work on my guns skills more, though. I like my heaters a little too much, da?" she offers with an easy chuckle.

"My second one wasn't so well-targeted," Xiang replies to Markovic. Though she does look rather pleased with her fist simulated explosion. "The heaters do give off some impressive fireworks, it must be said. Hard not to be partial."

"If these things had room to pack ten of those bloody missiles, we'd be golden," Aquilina finally stands up, unfolding himself out of the rocked-back cockpit seat and pulling a leg over the side of the capsule.

Dejana shrugs. "My shots are not perfect, either. That first one was just lovely. But my other two were distinctly lacking." Understatement FTW! "But yes, I love heaters. My last five kills have come from them. I developed by current love affair during my second tour." She steps back, allowing Aquilina out of the mock cockpit. "Oh, I know-" she sighs, stretching the word. "I used to advocate back at Saint Johns for a missile rack on something. Fly it out ahead of the squadron and have it soften the target before the Stils mix it up?" She nods a few times, smile curling across her face. "I like the idea, anyway."

"I got a kill off a missile my last patrol out," Xiang admits. "Difficult not to develop an affinity for them, though the guns are the workhorses of a Stiletto." She does some nodding at the prospect of lots and lots of missiles.

Aquilina rolls his shoulders, stretching his back out and then stepping down off the cockpit platform. "Well there's something to do with a chunk of Stiletto parts that they can't make workable again. Stuff them with remote-detonate missiles and launch them gloriously into battle." He's not serious. Maybe. Who knows. He is smirking a little.

"Yes. It was all the old salts at the school who shot me down. I think it was some obsession with big cannons." Markovic shrugs. "But I cannot claim guns are a thing of the past. You are -so- correct about them, Lieutenant." She winks at Jia. Her eyes nearly light up at the idea from quilina, though. "Oh Alex. That just sounds like -fun!-" She grins and motions for the hatch. "C'mon. Let us get out of here. Maybe get some food or beverage, yes?"

Xiang seems to consider Aquilina's idea seriously, turning it over in her head for possible implementation. "I suspect that'd be rather difficult to assemble, but it might have some punch if you were able to actually get it off the ground." A smile and nod to Markovic. "Food. Yes. That does sound excellent. Computerized ejection gives one an appetite."

"Mess? First and Last? Couple stolen trays to the observation deck?" Aquilina tosses things out there as he shucks off the top half of his flight suit, leaving the arms to flap at the sides of his legs. "Whatever it is, I've got to run by the showers first."

Markovic grins. "Attagirl, Jia. C'mon. Alex, I'll buy you a -decent- beer for flying like that." She asides to Xiang: "You have to keep their egos up or they turn to jello, you know?" She snickers and moves for the hatch. "Alright. Obs it is. I will grab a couple beers and sandwiches and meet you all up there." And she's off, thunking down the hallway towards the mess.