Delta Wing (Gateway System)
| Delta Wing | |
|---|---|
| Fighter | Hornet |
| Wingmen | Paladin |
| Objectives | Proceed to Nav Point 1 Proceed to Nav Point 2 |
| Notes | Proceed to Nav Point 1 Proceed to Nav Point 2 |
| Previous | Epsilon Wing (Enyo System) |
| Next | Kappa Wing (Gateway System) |
Mission Layout
The Memoirs of Lieutenant Colonel Carl T. LaFong
I didn't fly the missions in the Gateway System, but due to that great 20th-century legislation, the Freedom of Information Act, I was able to obtain transcripts of the debriefing sessions as recorded automatically on the Tiger's Claw.
Halcyon: "All right, Major, let's hear your report."
Iceman: "Paladin and I patrolled all three Nav points, Colonel, and I'm happy to report they're clear now. The debris near the Claw was an asteroid belt, not the minefield you were worried about. We circled Nav 1 and couldn't find any bogies. Negative electronic scans confirmed our visuals."
Halcyon: "Intel wants to know where you encountered resistance - it will help in mapping our strategy for Gateway. Any surprises?"
Iceman: "Nothing we couldn't handle, sir. Four Salthi hit us about 10,000 kilometers from Nav 2, but the standard strategy of keeping them on the defensive seemed to work. We burned a lot of fuel using our afterburners to crowed them, but the laser cannons on our Hornets are dynamite against their thin side and rear armor. I don't think we've met their best pilots, though. They didn't use their better speed and turning radius very effectively."
Halcyon: "According to the flight recorder data, you ran into some Gratha out there. This is our first encounter with them. What's the scoop?"
Iceman: "They're as tough an opponent as I've faced, colonel. They carry lasers, mass drivers, image-recognition and heat-seeking missiles, and some Porcupines. I'm glad there were only two of them near Nav 3 or you might be listening to our flight recorders instead of holding a personal debriefing. A frontal attack is foolhardy. It's obvious that their shields and armor are heaviest there. We had the best sucess when both of us would concentrate our fire on the side panels of one ship as it turned away."
Halcyon: "That's a solid report, Major. Those observations could make a big difference. I'll pass it along to Command Intel. Great flying out there ... you too, Paladin. Dismissed."
