Mayhem

Mayhem

May 28th, 1995
Airspace B7R
Range - Medium
Difficulty - Extreme
Payout - 500,000

"Orders have come in for an emergency sortie. A major air engagement is taking place as we speak between Belka and the Allied Forces near the border, in the B7R airspace, which Belka is committed to defend at all costs. B7R, commonly known as the 'Round Table', has long been a symbol of Belka's political, military and industrial might. However, at noon today, along with its lightning-quick commencement of Operation Battle-Axe, the Allied Forces officially announced the permanent abrogation of its nonaggression treaty at the Assembly of Nations, and simultaneously attacked B7R with a massive fighter squadron. This mission may be our chance to finally end the Belkan War once and for all. I wish you luck."

Enemy Forces:
12x MiG-29
12x Su-27
12x Su-37

Ace Squadrons
Schnee Flight
Hellebarde Flight

Allied Forces:
12x F-16
12x F-15

Ace Squadrons
Galm Team
Crow Team
Basilisk Flight
Wizard Squadron
=======================================================================================================================================


14[19:12] <@Valetni> Following your hurried mission briefing, the emergency sortie order has you running for your planes, scrambling across the tarmac. Under the bright blue skies, with not a cloud in sight, your fellow allied pilots are probably already dying. There's not a moment to lose.

[19:16] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki runs over to the empty clover side of the hangar, almost swinging into his phantom by force of habit. He then hurries over to the new ST-21 sitting in the corner and hops in.
06[19:17] * Cavalier_2-3 groans and sprints towards his Mig-29M, flight helmet in tow. He'd look mildly frustrated as he rushes towards the recently painted craft, with three more of his own aircraft cluttering the background of the hangar, as he swoops on inside his Mig's cockpit. The 29M. Not the 21M.
[19:20] <BabaYaga_2-1> With her new plane freshly painted and fully armed, and with her RIO already prepping the onboard systems, Sascha hooks herself into the pristine Super Tomcat. On the vertical stabilizer, the black witch of her emblem has claimed itself a sword. As her flight loads up, she puts on her helmet and readies the plane for launch. "Everyone strapped in?"
[19:21] <Eagleclaw_2-2> As Ivan hurries to his brand new Su-27S he passes by his old MiG that he sold to help pay for his new aircraft. He glances at the MiG and just remembers he forgot something inside. He deviates his path and runs over to his old MiG running by the crew working on it. To their confusion he jumps into the cockpit and grabs the items he forgot. The photo of his old wingman and the teddy bear Ana gave to him. Ivan slides down the ladder and runs off towards his Sukhoi. "Keep up the good work, comrades" he tells the confused crew as he runs off. He hops into his new jet, tapes up the photo, and secures the teddy bear so he doesn't have another mishap with it falling over midflight. He puts on his helmet and hears his flight lead on the radio. "Don't worry I'm here I'm here, flight lead" he radios back.

14[19:23] <@Valetni> Taxiing down the runway, the four of you easily take off, a far cry from how terrible the take offs and landings you experienced when you first came to this desolate base.

06[19:25] * Cavalier_2-3 pipes up onto the radio, as he easily brings his craft on the air "I hear it's absolute hell out there. We got a specific game plan here?"
[19:26] <Avalanche_1-1> "Go in guns blazing and get out."
[19:26] <Avalanche_1-1> "Preferably alive"
[19:28] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Stick together where you can. It's going to get crazy out there, but try not to lose track of your allies. Do what you can from long range, but eventually we're going to be stuck in the thick of it."
[19:30] <Avalanche_1-1> "As a group, or in wingman pairs?"
[19:31] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Keep it simple. Watch out for your wingman. Avalanche, I'll trust Cavalier to you. Keep him safe, okay?"

14[19:31] <@Valetni> The three plane formation of F-16s, and the two man group of the F-15Cs pull ahead of you, speed being a primarily consideration over fuel efficiency as they race ahead.

[19:32] <Avalanche_1-1> "Hey, I don't have the best track record with a squad, so keep that in mind," Yuki jokes over the radio
[19:33] <Cavalier_2-3> "Ohh boy. Right, I'll form up on your wing then, 1-1."
[19:33] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Well, if Cav decides to leave us when we get back, I'll try real hard not to hold it against you. Just make sure he makes it back."
06[19:34] * Cavalier_2-3 shifts his position over towards Avalanche's side, instead of remaining in Basilisk's own formation "Ah, don't worry. I'm used to being passed from squad to squad at this point."
[19:34] <Avalanche_1-1> "Well, we only have one squad of planes right now, so."
[19:35] <BabaYaga_2-1> "At the end of the day, we're all in this together. Don't forget it."
[19:36] <Eagleclaw_2-2> "Right. Looks like the same old routine Sascha. I'll stay glued to that tail of yours. Just try not to be too distracted by my good looking new plane. I know I know. Beautiful isn't she?"

14[19:40] <@Valetni> "Ah, reinforcements?" A familiar, hesitant, voice breaks over your comm channel as you approach the battlespace. "T-this is AWACS Spriti Guide, we're down to 60% aircraft, w-we could use some help here!"

[19:40] <Avalanche_1-1> "Spirit Guide, this is Avalanche! We're on route to your location!" Yuki blurts over the radio
[19:42] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Spirit Guide! Damn, but that's a sound for sore ears! This is Basilisk flight, we're inbound on your position. Just leave it to us."
[19:42] <Eagleclaw_2-2> Ivan cracks a smile. "Well now. I haven't heard that beautiful voice for sometime. M'lady I'd be happy to be of service."
06[19:43] * Cavalier_2-3 pipes up, rather neutrally "Huh. Glad to hear she made it."

14[19:43] <@Valetni> "T-thanks guys." Spirit Guide says in an embarassed tone. "I-i'll be counting on you."
14[19:46] <@Valetni> "Spirit Guide, we're approaching your position." Says Galm Two. "Say, how about I treat you to dinner tonight to celebrate your return? You can give me your answer when we're on the ground, It's time to dive into the fireworks." The Two F-15Cs engage afterburners and plunge into the furball of planes ahead of you.

[19:47] <BabaYaga_2-1> The lingering guilt from not being there to fight in the mission that ended with their AWACS crashing is eased somewhat by the sound of the familiar voice, and it serves to renew Basilisk lead's resolve. "Never fear," she says with a grin, pointedly ignoring Ivan's comments and resolving to talk to him later about laying it on too thick in a combat zone, "that's why we're here." She gives her RIO a signal and engages her afterburners, pushing her Tomcat forward after the other planes. "Let's go!"
06[19:48] * Cavalier_2-3 peers over towards the ground for a moment, taking in the sights of the round table, afore fixating himself on the actual sky "This "Round Table's" a wasteland. Let's not crash here."
[19:49] <Avalanche_1-1> "Aw, you can practice building a lean to!"

14[19:51] <@Valetni> Those of you with advanced and longest range radars experience your radar screen rapidly filling up with contacts. Quickly getting into the double digits, your count stops at 24. While there's clearly more planes than that, even with filtering out the allied planes based on IFF returns, you've reached the maximum amount of targets your computers can track.

[19:52] <Avalanche_1-1> "Holy shit, I'm gonna try hanging back at extreme and firing in support"
[19:52] <Cavalier_2-3> "What is it? What's up?"
[19:53] <Eagleclaw_2-2> Ivan with nothing on his radar begins to get anxious. "Talk to me, Sascha, are you picking up anything on radar?"
[19:54] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Looks like they sent up a whole air force base to defend the Round Table. They must be getting desperate."
06[19:55] * Cavalier_2-3 shakes his head and rolls his eyes. "Shit...well, this MIG isn't exactly a bastion of long-range combat. I'd have to close in to fire."
[19:56] <Avalanche_1-1> "It's more targets than I can keep track of, and that's just Belkan forces."

14[19:57] <@Valetni> "We have 30 targets on the scope." Spirit Guide relays over the radio. "Try not to hit our guys."

06[19:59] * Cavalier_2-3 briefly counts on his head, before pipping up, flabbergasted "So there's around over *fifty* planes in the air!? Holy mother of..."
[19:59] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Alright men, it's time for a change of plans. Let's trade dance partners. Cavalier, Eagleclaw, you two close in and engage at range. Avalanche and I will try to take out as many as we can from here, then close in to join you. Understood?"
06[20:00] * Cavalier_2-3 sounds a little unnerved, glancing at Sasha's aircraft, before piping up "...Yeah. Understood, flight lead."
[20:00] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Don't worry. We'll keep you covered."
[20:01] <Avalanche_1-1> "We should have plenty of chances to cover, and phoenixes don't fuck around."
[20:20] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki, trying to manage targets from so far out, manages to lock one on and fires a single Phoenix at it.

[20:23] <BabaYaga_2-1> From her position far back from the fight, and with the help of her RIO Kappa, Baba Yaga catches three of the enemy planes with a lock. As the three Phoenixes launch, the jet lurches from the shift in weight. "Fox three, fox three! Damn these things kick!" Not slowing down a bit, Baba Yaga continues burning toward the other planes. "C'mon, Avalanche! No time to waste!"
[20:29] <BabaYaga_2-1> Quickly picking out another target, Baba Yaga releases the last Phoenix, feeling the controls of the plane just a little bit more responsive without the extra weight. Or perhaps it's just a trick of the mind. "Fox three! All phoenixes clear! I'm advancing!"
[20:30] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki manages to squeak out another target
06[20:30] * Cavalier_2-3 lets out a low whistle as he sees the missiles zoom by "Boy, are those things *fast*!"
[20:30] <BabaYaga_2-1> "They're big, too, so be glad you can't catch up with them from here."
[20:31] <Cavalier_2-3> "...Hm. We're not being fired upon yet, it seems. That's good."

14[20:34] <@Valetni> "That's three of them down!" Spirit Guide reports as your first volley of extreme ranges missiles plunges into the furball.

[20:35] <Avalanche_1-4> "Fox three!" Yuki shouts, firing three more Phoenixes.

14[20:38] <@Valetni> Another three enemy aircraft are eliminated as you get within 40km of the furball.

[20:39] <Avalanche_1-4> After firing another missile, yuki shouts as his radar drops several bandits. "Woo, that's a start!"

14[20:40] <@Valetni> "That's a confirmed kill for Galm 1." Spirit Guide reports. Numerous other voices bleed over into your frequency. "I'm blind, I repeat, 2's blind, lost sight of lead." comes a voice with a Belkan accent. "DEFENSIVE, Stroke 3 is defensive again." Reports an Osean voice, grunting with the effort of evasive maneuvers.
14[20:41] <@Valetni> "Still no reinforcements from base. If only they’d get here, we could put an end to this all at once." Gripes a Belkan, as two more Osean aircraft disappear from your radar.
14[20:41] <@Valetni> "Our support’s here? Who did they send us?" Inquires one of the Oseans.
14[20:42] <@Valetni> "IFF has confirmed it’s Galm. The reinforcement team is Galm." Responds another.
14[20:44] <@Valetni> "Shit, is that Basilisk as well?" You hear radio chatter on the Belkan frequency. "There's no shame in ejecting if those guys are on your tail. We need pilots more than planes."

[20:45] <Cavalier_2-3> "...Pffhh. Look at that, we're getting some fame, too."
[20:46] <Avalanche_1-4> "Guess I'm part of basilisk now."

14[20:46] <@Valetni> "Enemy forces at now at 80%, keep it up guys!" Spirit guide cheers you on over the radio. You can almost imagine her punching the air in excitement.

[20:46] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Eyes open, everyone, we're diving into the deep end here," Sascha says over the radio. The Belkan voice complaining about reinforcements stings a bit. These pilots are being thrown to the grinder by their leaders. But there's no time for sympathy, as the allied fighters are in danger too. It's just all the more reason to end this quickly. Cav's jab at their fame brings her back out of her introspection a bit. "Let's make sure we live up to the expectations."
06[20:54] * Cavalier_2-3 looks down at his radar for a moment, trying to essentially guess which area needs assistance. He swings his plane over to a cluster of Mig-29's, and lets loose two of his R-73M's towards the furball "Cavalier, Fox Two!" , before catching himself. "Hey guys, head's up! They may have some jamming craft."
[20:57] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Fox three!" An AIM-120 fires from Sascha's craft as she takes aim at a Su-37 near the fringe of the crowd. "Copy that, Cav, keep a lookout for blind spots."

14[20:57] <@Valetni> "These guys don't have what it takes to fly at the round table, I'll take them down and make a name for myself." A Belkan says over the radio. "Let's put these mercenaries in their place."

[21:04] <Eagleclaw_2-2> "Looks like someone didn't get the memo not to wear the same thing as me." Ivan locks onto the enemy Su-27. "Easy lock. Fox one" An R-27 rockets away from his Su-27.

14[21:08] <@Valetni> The radar warning system's in BabaYaga's ST-21 and Eagleclaw's Su-27 both announce that the once sided combat is at an end.

[21:11] <BabaYaga_2-1> Kappa pipes up and warns his pilot of the incoming missile, redundant as the RWR may make that warning. "I got one on me, evading!"

14[21:17] <@Valetni> "Larry, can you read me?" The voice of Wizard 1 comes over the open channel.
14[21:17] <@Valetni> "Looks like you've still got the touch." Is the response from Galm 2.
14[21:17] <@Valetni> "It's happening just as you thought. It's about time we got out of this dead-end job, isn't it?"
14[21:17] <@Valetni> "Not just yet, buddy."

14[21:19] <@Valetni> "Several enemy planes are withdrawing, keep up the attack!" Spirit Guide encourages the lot of you.

[21:19] <Avalanche_1-4_> "Hold your fire for those still coming at us, gang."

14[21:26] <@Valetni> "I'm hit, going down." An anonymous osean pilot reports.

06[21:28] * Cavalier_2-3 focuses  back on his radar, letting loose a single R-77 from his aircraft towards a potentially unsuspecting SU-27 "2-3, Fox Three."
[21:35] <BabaYaga_2-1> As she turns to dance her plane around in the maelstrom around her, Sascha catches a lock on another Su-27 and releases another AIM-120 at it.
[21:38] <Eagleclaw_2-2> While continuing to hold on target Ivan notices something. "Huh looks like I have a missile incoming. I'll be fine I have time to hold my current lock before needing to evade. Maintaining lock."

14[21:41] <@Valetni> "That's another three down thanks to Galm!" Spirit Guide informs you, the only one with a powerful enough radar to keep track of every missile and plane on the battlescape.

14[21:42] <@Valetni> The Su-27 Eagle was targeting explodes in a fireball as the SARH R-27R homes in and does its deadly work, blowing the large Sukhoi nearly in half. The pilot ejects seconds before the fuel supply erupts in a massive midair fireball.

[21:49] <Eagleclaw_2-2> "Yeah that's a kill! Watch out Sascha I'm catching up to you." Reminded by the warnings Ivan is reminded of the incoming missile. "Now to deal with this. Watch close kids this is how we used to do things in the motherland." Ivan puts his jet into a drastic evasive maneuver causing him to cleanly evade the missile. It appears he pushed his aircraft a little too far and he goes into a brief stall. Keeping calm he regains control quickly almost as if he did it on purpose. "Nice and easy, kids."

14[21:50] <@Valetni> Each of the two aircraft targeted by Avalanche are quickly struck down by his AIM-120C missiles. The MiG-29 is caught in a low energy state, having recently just dodged a missile from an Osean F-16, while the Su-37 pilot apparently never even notices he was being targeted, swooping in on the tail of an Osean F-15 and immediately eating a missile.

[21:53] <Cavalier_2-3> "That didn't look easy or nice, 2-2" , Cavalier pipes up, afore confirming on his radar "One kill, one shot trashed. I'll take it."
[21:54] <Avalanche_1-4_> Yuki holds back as he watches his two missiles trail their targets and ignite with massive explosions. "Two more down!"

14[21:54] <@Valetni> One of the MiG-29s manages to shake the heat seeker, decoying it with a line of flares, but the other target's incoming R-73 doggedly ignores the decoys, blowing off the entire tail assembly of its target.

[21:55] <Avalanche_1-4_> "Hey, don't pick on my friends out there!"

14[22:00] <@Valetni> The Enemy Su-37 lazily rolls out of the way of BabaYaga's AIM-120C, evading it with contemptuous ease. Completing its maneuver, the large fighter lets loose two Heat seeking missiles, each one splashing an Osean fighter.

[22:03] <BabaYaga_2-1> Sascha doesn't have time to swear at the smarmy Belkan bastard, as she's too busy catching the explosion of a missile off her tail. Her attempted evasion isn't enough to prevent catching shrapnel in the side of her plane. Alarm bells scream, but the plane stays airborne and responsive enough to fly well. "Damn it!"
[22:04] <Eagleclaw_2-2> "Hold it together, kid. We don't have far to go so don't die now."
06[22:04] * Cavalier_2-3 turns to glance at 2-1's aircraft, missing his own...well, miss on radar "Flight-Lead! You alright?"

14[22:05] <@Valetni> "Enemy Forces have fallen below 50%! They're starting to pull back!" Spirit Guide Excitedly informs you.

[22:05] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Why the hell does this happen every time I get a new plane," Sascha grumbles to herself. "I'm fine. Damage isn't pretty, but the plane's still in fighting shape. Don't worry over me."

14[22:06] <@Valetni> "Alright! Let's get these bastards while they're running." Numerous cheers and calls ring out over the Osean channels.
14[22:07] <@Valetni> ""Uh, uh oh. Hang on." Spirit Guide says. "Two more formations from the north, Belkan reinforcements to cover their retreat. W-watch yourselves, these guys are probably aces!"
14[22:08] <@Valetni> "Basilisk 1, this is Galm 2." Pixy's laconic voice comes over BabaYaga's radio. "We'll take one set and leave the rest for you, sound fair?"

[22:11] <Avalanche_1-4_> "Clover 1, basilisk 1 is hit, but we should have it covered."
[22:11] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Works for me. I'm still in this fight. Nothing's changed." BabaYaga responds. "Basilisk flight, form up. Let's see if these guys live up to their titles."
[22:12] <Cavalier_2-3> "Roger that. Let's scrape some paint off of them ourselves."
[22:13] <Avalanche_1-4_> "Clover flight hell yeah!"

14[19:33] <~Valetni> "I'm detecting... a dozen aircraft moving towards you at medium speed and altitude." Spirit Guide helpfully informs you, no doubt glued to the display in front of her as she frantically attempts to give you as much information about this new development as possible. "Detec-...heavy...ence." Your communication with Spirit Guide suddenly becomes garbled and washed out in static. Your radar scopes similarly become a sea of interference and distortion while the enemy Aces approach.
14[19:35] <~Valetni> Visually, you see the two F-15Cs of Galm flight raising altitude and lighting afterburners. All around you, the Osean Forces continue to push fowards against the retreating Belkans.

06[19:35] * Cavalier_2-3 sounds almost exasperated, instead of panicked "Not this shit again..."
[19:36] <Avalanche_1-1> "Hey, at least we still have backup!"
[19:37] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Picking up heavy interference. Keep your eyes open, they must be jamming us."
[19:38] <Cavalier_2-3> "Flight lead, I can take care of the jamming craft, once identified. I've...had to do something like this before."

14[19:41] <~Valetni> The radar warning equipment begins beeping like mad, triggered by the intense radio waves that are bombarded your planes. It's impossible to tell if there's actually missiles currently travelling towards you, or if they're merely false positives.

[19:52] <Eagleclaw_2-2> Looking over the equipment of his new aircraft Ivan remembers he has an EOTS pod. "I can try to target one of them but I don't think we are anywhere close to being in range right now. I'll keep at it."
[19:53] <Cavalier_2-3> "So...therein lies the question of how we make our approach, then."
[20:03] <Eagleclaw_2-2> Still attempting to get a target on his EO pod Ivan keeps his eyes peeled for incoming. "Damn still not close enough for-" Ivan is interrupted by the sight of several missile contrails rapidly approaching his flight. "Enemy missiles inbound! Can't tell how many!" he radios to the rest of his flight.
[20:04] <Cavalier_2-3> "Flight lead, I think I have a plan. You copy?"
[20:05] <BabaYaga_2-1> "All planes, scramble and take evasive measures! Cav, make it fast! We're sitting ducks out here!"
[20:05] <Cavalier_2-3> "I've studied geology for a long while. I know that the area around the round table's rich with magnetic minerals. It's why rescues take so long here. It's a long shot, but I believe they can fizzle and interrupt radar if we fly low enough. Give them a taste of their own medicine."
[20:08] <BabaYaga_2-1> "So, we hug the mountains and try to jump them from below?" Sascha's already taking her plane into a dive to get out of the way of any incoming missiles, but as she checks with her RIO, he seems to concur. "Alright. Count me in. Looks like we're going low. Everyone, dive!"
[20:10] <Avalanche_1-1> "I knew I couldn't stay away from them for too long."
06[20:10] * Cavalier_2-3 brings his craft down in synch with BabaYaga's, heading towards the ground as well as he sucks in a breath. "Well, try not to shove yourself into one."
[20:20] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki, with the help of his new plane and ground voodoo, manages to easily dodge all of the incoming missiles.
[20:21] <Eagleclaw_2-2> "Dive! Dive! Missiles!" Ivan brings his jet down to the altitude of the others and manages to get away from the missiles unscathed. "Rocky terrain down here. Keep your eyes open, flight."
06[20:21] * Cavalier_2-3 spots the immensely fast missile heading right to him, breaking hard right. The missile stays the course, for a moment, afore angling down and zooming past his Mig-29M, slamming onto the ground and exploding in a likely spetacular fashion. "Missile defeated."
[20:24] <BabaYaga_2-1> Sascha twists her craft to the side as she dives, missing the incoming projectile by a fair margin, thanks to the interference of the mountainous terrain and its composition. "Cleared. Alright. Let's move in so we can clear the air. Ivan, keep your eyes open. We're going to need you."

14[20:27] <~Valetni> Hurtling forwards, the jamming only gets more intense as you head towards the epicenter.

14[20:38] <~Valetni> A loud piercing squeal erupts into your headsets, before dopplering off to a more tolerable level. "-you hear me?" Spirit Guide asks, her voice retaining a distant, tinny quality. "We're trying to burn through the jamming, there's 6 bandits at medium range, descending towards you."

[20:40] <Cavalier_2-3> "Eagleclaw! You get a visual on their jammers yet?"
[20:45] <Eagleclaw_2-2> "No nothing yet. Need to get closer if we can."
[20:49] <BabaYaga_2-1> "That's fine, just watch out for any more missiles. They may have a harder time seeing us but it sounds like they know what we're doing."

14[20:51] <~Valetni> High above you, two flashes of orange and black stand out against the blue and white sky.
14[20:51] <~Valetni> Suddenly, the intensity of the jamming drops noticeable, while your screens are still fuzzy from interference, you can make out actual returns on the scope now.

[20:52] <Cavalier_2-3> "Hm-? Did Galm get the jammers?"
[20:52] <Eagleclaw_2-2> "Stealing all the glory again I see."
[20:54] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Did the other flight have jammers too? Can anyone make out how many bandits are left ahead of us?"

14[20:57] <~Valetni> Hellebarde seems to have split up into two distinct elements of three planes each. The formations have arced out, as if aiming for a pincer attack on your 4-ship formation. From each of these formations is a weaker jamming, more suited to covering the advancing fighters than washing out your screens.


[21:15] <Cavalier_2-3> "Damnit, they're fast - I'm closing into gun range!"
[21:17] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki easily locks with his IR missiles, firing them.

14[21:17] <~Valetni> The Super Hornet and its Electronic warfare cousin both manage to evade the head on heat seeking missiles cleanly, continuing to bore in towards their attacker.
14[21:26] <~Valetni> From the other side of the pincer, the lead Super Hornet, Hellebarde 3 fires two AIM-9Ms off its wingtip rails to streak towards Avalanche's rear.

[21:31] <Avalanche_1-1> As the thrust vectoring assists, Yuki manages to gracefully roll the plane to the left, sending the enemy sidewinders skittering into the distance.
06[21:34] * Cavalier_2-3 is not as lucky as Avalanche, as the missiles both impact onto the rear of his plane, sending out metal and sharpnel flying across the air, one of the engines on his Mig-29M potentially damaged.  There's a short grunt of pain followed from the radio, followed by a frustrated "God *DAMNIT*! I'm hit!"

06[21:35] * Cavalier_2-3 looks down at his bleeding arm for a moment, stuck with bits of sharpnel on it. He swiftly moves his head away, trying to focus on the fight. He's already trailing smoke.
[21:41] <BabaYaga_2-1> As Cavalier and Avalanche divert toward Hellebarde 1, 2, and 5, Baba Yaga turns to face 3, 4, and 6. As soon as lock is established, two AIM-9M sidewinders shoot out from under the wings of her Super Tomcat. It's at that point that she hears Cav shout, and her RIO confirms the hits on her teammate. "Cav! Damage report!"

14[21:41] <~Valetni> Hellebarde 6, the 2nd EA-18G in the formation, is struck by two Sidewinders missiles. the plane explodes into multiple pieces, neither the pilot nor the backseater managing to eject from the fireball.

[21:42] <Cavalier_2-3> "I think one of my engine's busted! Craft's unsteady!"
[21:43] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Pull out, Basilisk 3! We'll cover you, just get out and return to base!"
[21:44] <Cavalier_2-3> "Negative - I'm about to make my pass, lead! I can take them out!"
[21:46] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Goddamnit, Cavalier, I don't want to lose another pilot!"
06[21:47] * Cavalier_2-3 does not sound as confident as he wishes he did, with a hint of pain at the edge of his voice. "And I'm not about to leave Avalanche alone. I'll bug out upon another hit."
[21:52] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki is unable to dodge the super missile as it rocks his plane. "Fuck this!"
[21:52] <Avalanche_1-1> He then manages to avoiding stalling out, as the smoke clears from his view.
[21:55] <Eagleclaw_2-2> "Dammit hold it together, team. Sascha I'm right behind you. Let's finish these guys off." Ivan locks onto one of the enemies in front of him and sends out two missiles. "Just try and dodge these, comrade."

14[21:56] <~Valetni> Hellebarde 4 rolls out of the way of the first missile, but the second is right there to slam into the nose. The pilot ejects as the plane tumbles towards the ground, impacting into the ground.

[21:58] <Eagleclaw_2-2> "Alright second one today. Let's get this last one before he runs off, Sascha."
[22:00] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Solid hit, Eagleclaw!" She says his callsign with a pointed edge after her wingman uses her real name over the radio.

14[22:04] <~Valetni> "Galm's nearly done with Schnee." Spirit Guide reports to you. "They'll be down to help you shortly, just hang on a little longer!" The anxiety in Spirit Guide's voice is palpable.


06[22:10] * Cavalier_2-3 glances at Avalanche's heavily damaged plane, afore blasting on his afterburners, flying on ahead of him. As he closes on into minimal range, he lets loose hell upon the enemy squadron, firing guns and missiles alike towards them - Two R-73's and his gunpods at the jamming craft, Hellebarde 5, and a R-77 at Hellebarde 1.

14[22:11] <~Valetni> Hellebarde 5 doesn't manage to avoid the twin heatseejers, missiles that are proving to be extremely lethal at these short ranges. The Radar Guided missile, still suffering from the intense jamming at this short range, fails to track as Hellebarde 1 pitches out of the way.

[22:11] <Cavalier_2-3> "Avalanche! *Now*! Fire all you got!"
[22:19] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki looks up, and for the first time, tries locking with 4 missiles. Scrambling over the panel, he says his old mantra to himself. "If you can't depend on yourself, don't bother depending on others." After locking onto the oponents, he launches a set of missiles as he glides through the air.
[22:19] <Avalanche_1-1> "I'm fucking done with this assholes, so you'd better eject now!"

14[22:21] <~Valetni> All four of the missiles, at such close range and on an incoming course, manage to splash the two Super Hornets easily. Hellebarde 1 immediately spirals to the ground, a pyre among the red rocks serving as his resting place. Hellebarde 2 merely explodes in midair, a rain of small pieces of debris acting as an impromptu chaff cloud.

06[22:22] * Cavalier_2-3 lets out a brief, loud cheer as he spots the flying debris - and the enemy wing anihilated in one fell swoop "Hell yes! That's what I call teamwork, Clover 1! Lead, we've cleared up here."
[22:24] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Great, Basilisk 3!" The shocked relief is evident in Sascha's voice. "We've got one last bandit here. You two return to base and let us take him down!"

14[22:24] <~Valetni> Suddenly bereft of his teammates, the remaining F/A-18E drops to the deck. While the slow plane has little chance of outrunning anyone, hiding amonst the natural interference and stone formations is the only real hope it has. The parting gifts, twin AIM-120Cs, fly off the rails unguided, their active radar powering up and seeking the closest targets to dissuade pursuit.


[22:44] <Eagleclaw_2-2> "Come on Sascha let's make another pass at this next guy and go home! Ana's back in the motherland waiting for me to call. I have some news for her." Ivan's attention is brought away from the battle briefly as he thinks of the motherland when suddenly he is brought back by warnings. He curses in Yuktobanian. "MISSILES MISSILES! PERFORMING DRASTIC EVASION!" Ivan drastically attempts to evade.
[22:44] <Eagleclaw_2-2> Ana's bear becomes loose and falls to the floor. "NO GOOD NO GOOD I CAN'T SHAKE-" Ivan's radio turns to static as his new Su-27S is directly hit by both missiles engulfing it in flames. Pulling the ejection handle, the last thing he experiences is his helmet slamming into the cockpit canopy. The photo of his ex-wingman flies out of his cockpit burning up as it slowly falls to the Earth.

14[22:49] <~Valetni> Above, the final member of schnee manages to disengage from the flight. Galm 1 and 2, both out of weapons and with Pixy trailing smoke, don't pursue to finish him off.
14[22:49] <~Valetni> With the reinforcements broken, the retreat of the Belkan forces continues.

[22:54] <BabaYaga_2-1> "IVAN!!!" Sascha's voice cracks over the radio as she sees her wingman's plane light up like a meteor. Her flight falters as she briefly pulls her plane over to look for a chute. "No, no, you bastard, NO!" She scans the skies for a moment, images of her older brother flashing in her mind, memories of the last time they spoke before he disappeared, of the officer on her doorstep holding a folded Yuktobanian flag. Her hands tighten on the controls of her plane, and her RIO says something to her, but she's no longer paying attention. "You stupid bastard," is all she manages, her voice low and sad. When she looks back up, her eyes light upon movement down low, close to the mountains. The light of flames from fighter engines. Her eyes narrow, and her she pushes her plane down in pursuit.
06[22:54] * Cavalier_2-3 begins turning his craft around, to return to Heirlark. However ,as he does so, he manages to watch Eagleclaw's craft explode violently with little to no warning, sans the frantic radio calls. He stares wordlessly at the rather unprecedented casualty of his flight member as his Mig-29M lazily cruises along, taking a couple seconds to actually react.
06[22:54] * Cavalier_2-3 speaks in a halting, lost tone of voice, for a while, ignoring his sharpnel embeded arm. "D-did...was that - Ivan...?"
[22:54] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki, still celebrating in the cockpit, looks over, startled back to Earth my the explosion.
[22:55] <Cavalier_2-3> "Wh - How!?"

14[22:55] <~Valetni> Searching the skies, you manage to spot a cone of white against the red ground and blue sky. The body hangs limply below it, arms slack and head hanging at an angle.

[22:57] <Avalanche_1-1> Scanning, Yuki spots a chute. "I see a chute, I repeat, chute-." He stops himself, noticing his ally's body is limp and his neck appears to be broken, and is brought back to countless times on the mountain finding some kid who launched himself into a tree. He chokes up a little, and remembers how to break the news.
[22:59] <Avalanche_1-1> Unfortunately, in a combat situation, he can't be as nuanced as he would like to. "Basilisk Two is unresponsive, I repeat, Basilisk Two is unresponsive!"
[23:05] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki takes a deep breath before speaking. "Hellebarde 3 has failed to disengage!"
[23:09] <BabaYaga_2-1> Sascha is already pushing the thrust on her plane back up, and her wings are already sweeping back by the time she fires her two standard missiles at the enemy plane. Her hands are moving with a cold, collected motion, like the practiced gestures of a machine. All the usual emotion that accompanies her flight is gone.

14[23:10] <~Valetni> The missile zooms in towards the fleeing plane, drawing ever closer as the Super Hornet attempts to egress the AO at maximum speed. It detonates in its wake, peppering the rear. The Super Hornet goes into a flat spin as one of the engines is lost, along with one of the vertial and one of the horizontal stabilizers. The pilot manages to catch the plane before it plummets to the ground, continuing the attempt flee.
14[23:15] <~Valetni> "That's a good Kill 1-1," Spirit Guide reports. "Looks like there's no combat effective enemies in your immediate area."

[23:16] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki collects himself and turns to his radio. "You can go home now, Hellebarde 3. But if I catch you in the skies again, I'm gonna fucking bury you. Sprit Guide, thanks, this is Clover 1 RTB."
06[23:18] * Cavalier_2-3 remains silent, lowering the thrust of his craft, falling back a bit behind Avalanche, as he watches the brief chase - both from visual range and his radar, unsure on how to proceed.
[23:19] <BabaYaga_2-1> Deaf to the rest of her allies, Sascha's hand continues to hover over the weapons controls of her Super Tomcat. The radar lock tone continues to sing its siren song, and for a long, very long moment, Sascha stares at her crippled target.

14[23:20] <~Valetni> The fire in the engine from the first missile continues to crawl its way up the fuselage of the Super Hornet, until finally, with a gout of black and orange, the target erupts into a shower of metal. The fleeing pilot and plane are scattered over the rust red ground below.

[23:20] <BabaYaga_2-1> "... Basilisk flight. Returning to base." Her hand returns to the flight controls, and she pulls her plane around toward Valais.
06[23:20] * Cavalier_2-3 watches Sascha's retreat for a couple more seconds, before slowly shaking his head, piping up in a dull tone. "Basilisk Three, returning to base."