Epsilon Wing (Border Zone System) (SM1)

Epsilon Wing
Fighter	Scimitar
Wingmen	Jeannette Devereaux
Previous	Kappa Wing (Goddard System)
Next	Mission Success Epsilon Wing 2 (Border Zone System) (SM1) Mission Failure Iota Wing (Retreating from Kilrathi Territory)

Mission Layout

• Tiger's Claw
  • 4 Krant
• Between Tiger's Claw and Nav 1
  • Asteroid Field
• Just Before Nav 1
  • 4 Gratha
• Nav 1
  • 1 Fralthi-Class Cruiser
  • 3 Krant
• Tiger's Claw
  • 4 Dralthi

The Memoirs of Lieutenant Colonel Carl T. LaFong

Now we knew that the Goddard colony had been completely destroyed by the Kilrathi weapon. A quarter-million civilians had lost their lives. We would chase the departing Kilrathi fleet and attempt to destroy the vessel carrying the new weapon.

Mission Profile:

Angel and I would fly Scimitars on this mission as part of the Blue Devil Squadron. Our goal was to fly to Nav 1 and engage and destroy the bogies found there.

Mission Chronology:

1. Four Krant attack the Claw immediately following launch.
2. Kilrathi mines encountered 41,280 kilometers from Nav 1.
3. Four Gratha attack 12,712 kilometers from Nav 1.
4. Fralthi and 3-Kraut fighter escort at Nav 1.
5. Kilrathi mines encountered 42,000 kilometers from the carrier.
6. Three Dralthi are attacking carrier on return trip.

Post-Mission Analysis:

The key to this mission was our battle against the Gratha and Krant near Nav 1. I never find that capital ships, like the Fralthi, present much of a problem when the fighter escorts have first been destroyed. Seven medium and heavy fighters, however, in quick succession, test any pilot - especially from a Scimitar's cockpit. Constant sliding maneuvers using full afterburners and quick, hard turns protect against damage while providing great offensive positioning against enemies with stronger armor and shields. Against the Gratha, the 40-KPS speed advantage helped us gain a rear position and allowed us to lock onto the engine's heat with our Javelin missiles. We weakened the rear shield with guns, hit the afterburners to close, and launched heat-seekers.

Preflight Conversations

Talk to SHOTGLASS

Maverick, I've been hearin' some bad rumors.

The Search and Rescue teams are back from planetside.

They were only on the ground for a few hours, and now they're not talkin'.

I can't get any answers from the bridge...

... nothing except Pipe down and do your job.'

And Colonel Halcyon looks like he wants to bite somebody's head off.

So if you get any news on what's going on, pass it my way.

See you later, Maverick.

Talk to ANGEL

Hello, Blair. It was very active this morning, non?

The other wings ran into a horde of Krants and Salthi.

''Mon Dieu, what a dogfight!

Todd Marshall

I did so many snap-rolls, I'm still dizzy.

Jeannette Devereaux

Maverick, I understand that we will be wingmates today.

I shall see you later at the flight deck, Maverick. We will give the cats a run for their money, oui?

Talk to MANIAC

Maverick, it sure has been tense around here lately.

All the higher-ups have got their shoulders and teeth clenched.

More than usual, I mean.

I've been a little tense, too. Having some trouble sleeping at night.

I keep having this dream, over and over again. We're in action against the furbags...

And up ahead is the biggest Kilrathi ship I've ever seen.

All my guns are gone, my missiles blown, shields at null...

And my hands are shaking, shaking as I pull the throttle...

...'cause all I've got left is a mine in my belly.

So I go into a dive, straight at her side...the missiles are exploding like stars around me...

I hit the Kilrathi ship straight on---

---And then I wake up.

I know it's weird, but I can't stop thinking about that dream...

Jeannette Devereaux

I think all of us are under a lot of stress right now, non? But we will survive this, mon ami.

Mission Briefing

The Commander is uncharacteristically silent. He studies the papers before him, then speaks quietly.

Peter Halcyon

I'm sorry to have to report bad news.

The Tiger's Claw arrived too late. The Goddard colony has been completely destroyed.

A quarter of a million Terran colonists have been killed.

The briefing room is completely silent.

Peter Halcyon

We're still hunting for survivors, but things don't look good.

My condolences to any of you with relatives on Goddard.

We've tried to reconstruct what happened there. This is what we know...

According to black-box recordings of radio chatter and comm-sat data...

... the Kilrathi arrived at the colony five hours ago.

They brought only a small fleet... but they had some kind of new weapon.

Our best guess is that this was the first use of a Kilrathi technology.

Some kind of energy weapon, something that Goddard's orbital emplacements couldn't deflect.

The Kilrathi weapon wiped out the entire colony. Nothing was left.

According to Goddard's comm-sats, a single energy weapon blast registered on their screens.

That one blast destroyed the colony. And our current defense systems can't counter it.

We don't know whether or not this weapon will be usable against starships, but So we've been in jump-space communication with our High Command.

And our orders have just come in. Listen closely.

We are to proceed at all speed after the departed Kilrathi fleet.

And we are to destroy their vessels and this new weapon.

This means we'll have to FOLLOW their fleet into Kilrathi space...

...keeping a low profile for as long as we can. Then we'll attack their fleet...

...and wipe it out completely. And then get the hell out of there.

Furthermore, you may encounter some technical problems as we enter Kilrathi space.

Our lack of accurate star charts will play havoc with your on-board Nav systems.

So don't be surprised if Nav points, asteroids, or minefield information is not accurate on your Nav screen.

You must fly your assignments diligently. Follow your flight paths to the letter.

All right, these are the mission assignments.

All wings will launch to escort Tiger's Claw.

Then you'll fan out to clean enemy ships ahead of us.

Individual wing assignments...

The Colonel gives specific orders to each wing, and then...

Peter Halcyon

Epsilon Wing will be Maverick and Angel. Maverick is wingleader.

Colonel: These are your orders, Major...

Once the area around Tiger's Claw is clear, cruise to Nav One.

And when that region is clean, return to the Tiger's Claw.

Good luck, pilots. Dismissed.