Niven System - Series 2 - Mission 1
| Niven System - Series 2 - Mission 1 | |
|---|---|
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| Fighter | A-17 Broadsword |
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The Memoirs of Lieutenant Colonel Carl T. LaFong
Still on the carrier, Colonel Devereaux assigned me to run a solo reconnaissance patrol in a Broadsword equipped with a trace analyzer. We were looking for information on Kilrathi capital ships in the area.
Nav 1 was clear, but three Jalkehi attacked when I was 14,944 kilometers from Nav 2. In the slow-moving Broadsword, without afterburners, it's really difficult to call our battle a dogfight. Maneuverability isn't the ship's strong point, but its three mass drivers and three Pilum missiles provide lots of firepower.
The first Jalkehi came straight in, and I took him out with three shots from the mass driver at close range. The other two had circled to the rear, and the tail gunner took out one with the two neutron guns mounted on the back turret. The last Jalkehi must have figured that a rear attack wasn't prudent. I hit him with one shot as he passed in front of the Broadsword, but he ran away to regenerate his shields before turning to attack again. These Jalkehi pilots weren't too bright, because his final move was to come in close again and attack with his single particle cannon. I wasn't sure whether the second or third shot caused the explosion, but the wing was decimated.
I congratulated the rear gunner on some great shooting, then proceeded to Nav 2. It was clear.
I was about 15,000 kilometers from Nav 3 when two blips appeared on the radar. The right VDU showed they were Grikath, the Kilrathi's heaviest new fighter. Its shields, armor, and speed almost matched the Broadsword's. I launched a Pilum as they headed straight in, and followed up with a mass-driver volley for the quick kill. I just waited for the second Grikath to turn and attack, dropped a chaff pod when I saw his missile launch, and hit him with the mass drivers when he passed by. If these were the best pilots in the Kilrathi fleet, our success in the Enigma Sector was a foregone conclusion.
