/ACEG/ RPG Session 4(2)

14[19:24] <Valetni> It's a raw, windy morning as you assembling on the flight line. Reduced by recent casualties, retirements, and mechanical failures the two flights are only able to muster enough men for a single flight.
14[19:25] <Valetni> Nevertheless, you still have a Job to do. You won't be the stars of this show, but a supporting roll still gets you paid. Following a hurried but uneventful takeoff, you're soon in the skies.

[19:37] <BabaYaga_2-1> Sascha glances around her new plane. Despite the previous hiccup, it flies like a dream. But the warmth and pride of flying a new plane is tinged with a bit of loneliness. Behind her, not a single original member of her flight is on her wing. The only familiar face is Yuki, but even he might as well be a stranger. It's odd to think she misses Ivan, but even his buffoonish antics were reassuring in a strange way. She shakes these thoughts from her head as she calls out over the radio. "We're nearing the area of operation. Everyone flying steady?"
06[19:38] * Cavalier_2-3 pipes up onto his radio, having tuned back to a fairly cheerful tone of voice - for now, at the very least. "This is Basilisk 3 - she's flying like a beauty. Mechanics fixed her up proper - no problems on my end, lead."

14[19:39] <Valetni> Pounding rain impacts on your cockpits as you fly through the dark and stormy skies. The weather only grows worse as you enter into the mountains, making visuals difficult and increasing the chance of simply flying into the side of the mountain if one is unwary and not cognizant of their instrumentation.

[19:39] <AngelEyes_2-4> "Basilisk 4 here, the only problem here is this damnable weather."
[19:40] <Avalanche_1-4_> "Hey, it's better than whiteout."
[19:41] <Cavalier_2-3> "Getting a visual wil lbe tough in this weather. Clover 1, I'm guessing we can count on you on radar?"
[19:47] <Avalanche_1-4_> "She's still hanging in there. I'll try and pick up any threats. My ground threats are all dumb fired, so I might have to hang back if serious anti air armaments show up."
[19:49] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Fair enough. I'll count this one as a win as long as we all make it back to base in one piece. So mind your instruments and try not to hit a mountain before we get to the target zone."
[19:50] <Cavalier_2-3> "Copy that, flight lead."

14[19:52] <Valetni> You carefully pick your way through the mountains, approaching the massive, sprawling defensive lines that is Glatisant. Galm Team was thorough in their work, and the first defenses you encounter are little more than bombed out scrap. With the gate kicked in, you face no resistance as you head north and east towards your own target area, the mountain top airbase.

06[19:53] * Cavalier_2-3 rolls his eyes as he observes the passing scrap for a moment "Jeez. Just send Galm to do everything, why don't you..."
[19:54] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Two planes can't win a war alone, Cav. And after the last few flights I've seen, I don't mind playing the maid for a change."
[19:54] <Cavalier_2-3> "Yeah. You've got a point, I suppose. Still, can't help but feel we're just dragging our feet at this point..."
[19:55] <Avalanche_1-1> "Well, we're moving the war onto the offensive now, so we're doing something right."
[19:56] <AngelEyes_2-4> "Any signs of the nuke inspection teams? Does anyone know if they found anything?"
[19:57] <Avalanche_1-1> "I think we are the nuke inspection team."
[19:58] <Cavalier_2-3> "We will inspect them with high-grade explosive ordnance, yes? If the mountains don't explode and tear in half, they have no nukes!"
06[19:58] * Cavalier_2-3 lets out a brief, throaty chuckle.
[19:58] <AngelEyes_2-4> "Aren't n-nukes you know, delicate?"
[19:59] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Well. At least if that happens we won't have enough time to care..." Baba perks up as she notices a shape ahead through the rain. "Alright boys, eyes up. This looks like the place."
[20:01] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Try to pick out any defenses you can while we're inbound," she says as they near the plateau, "I don't want to fly smack into an AA nest if I can help it."
[20:02] <Cavalier_2-3> "Will attempt, lead. This craft couldn't carry long-range ground ordnance though - so I'm in the danger zone with this."

14[20:03] <Valetni> Already, you can see two aircraft moving along the taxiway towards the runway. The entire airbase is rather small, consisting only of one short runway, with three hangars on either side of it. Another plane emerges from one of the hangars as you watch. From up here, it's hard to get a good look of where the defences are in this pea soup, but it looks like there's two AA guns on either side of teh runway on both ends, and two on either side of it in the middle. The SAM battery is situated on a slightly higher part of the mountain, giving it a radar view and no obstructions. Your RWRs helpfully inform you of its presence as it paints your aircraft with radar energies.

[20:07] <Cavalier_2-3> "Strip them of their defenses first, lead?"
[20:10] <Avalanche_1-1> "Yeah, Clover, any anti radiation ordinance? That SAM's set to pick us off once the interceptors get in the air."
[20:12] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki then realized his entire squadron was unable to get in the air, and just awkwardly sits there, pretending he was addressing his WSO.
06[20:14] * Cavalier_2-3 doesn't initiate his attack just yet, observing the combat zone and allowing the others to make the first move.
[20:15] <BabaYaga_2-1> Sascha quickly picks up without missing a beat, ignoring Avalanche's faux paus. "We target the runway first and foremost. Yuki, you and I can clear out the AA on the sides of the runway, then we let Cav drop his payload on the tarmac. Karmic retribution, right? AngelEyes, you've got the SAM. Make it quick, then form back up so we can sweep this place clean. Sound good? Any objections?"
[20:16] <Cavalier_2-3> "Negative. Let's do this, Lead."
[20:18] <AngelEyes_2-4> "That SAM's as good as dead, flight lead."
06[20:23] * AngelEyes_2-4 approaches the missile site low enough to see it, coming slow and squeezing off a generous burst from the Mirage's twin guns. The bullets go wide as Joe passes over the SAM with no effect.
[20:29] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki rises to medium altitude, picking two AA guns up on radar. "Firing on AA guns one and two!"

14[20:31] <Valetni> Both missiles streak in and target the two AA guns defending the start of the Runway. Flying outside of their range, the two guns are unable to do anything to their attacker.
14[20:35] <Valetni> Tracking the higher Altitude target, the Surface to Air missile battery launches a missile on a plume of white smoke, visible even in the dark shy.

[20:36] <AngelEyes_2-4> "Damn, he's firing on you, Yuki!"
[20:44] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki spots the signal on his RWR, but it's too late to avoid the missile entirely. He manages to maneuver his plane into a tight spiral, while the missile explodes under him, mostly causing superficial damage.
[20:45] <Avalanche_1-1> "That's why we radio in when we don't take out a target."

14[20:45] <Valetni> The two bombs manage to bracket the runway, one falling short and the other long. Fortunately, both of them still manage to destroy their intended AA gun targets, while the runway manages to escape any damage.

[20:45] <BabaYaga_2-1> Sascha pulls back her throttle as she nears the runway - and the two AA turrets stationed there, then looses the two bombs she brought along for this mission. "Dropping ordinance!"

14[20:46] <Valetni> The two bombs manage to bracket the runway, one falling short and the other long. Fortunately, both of them still manage to destroy their intended AA gun targets, while the runway manages to escape any damage.

06[20:49] * Cavalier_2-3 looks over at the burning AA surrounding the runway, finally turning his plane over to the runway "This is Cavalier! I'm going in!"
[20:49] <BabaYaga_2-1> The return fire from the guns manages to scratch the wings of Sascha's F/A-18A, but she flies away little worse for wear. "Make that shot count, Cavalier!"
06[20:52] * Cavalier_2-3 holds his plane steady, actually focusing as he dives down into the gap Basilisk 1 and Clover 1 made for him. He aims carefully, only releasing his massive, Mk.84 UGB at the prime time, before boosting his craft off to the left, letting out a burst from his quad 20's at an enemy hangar on his way out.

14[20:55] <Valetni> The large bomb explodes in the middle of a runway with a blast than manages to shake the dropping plane. When the smoke finally clears, a massive crater larger than the runway is wide appears. The two planes proceeding down the runway are likewise destroyed by the shockwave. The quad guns make short work of the flimsy structure, chewing up the hangar and leaving it to collapse in on itself.

06[20:56] * Cavalier_2-3 grunts as his plane shakes violently as he clears the blast radius "Basilisk 1! How does it look?"
[20:58] <BabaYaga_2-1> Sascha lets out a low whistle, surveying the damage as she pulls her plane around. "Scorched earth, Cav. I think you took out two fighters in the process. Damn. Good call on bringing that along." She sets aside the niggling thought about how this scenario brings back memories of Valais, but she has no plans of bombing any sleeping quarters. "Let's keep up the momentum and make this a clean sweep."
[20:58] <AngelEyes_2-4> "Wish I brought one of those with me..."
06[20:59] * Cavalier_2-3 speaks in a calm, collected tone, supressing his excitement over not mucking up his run "Copy that, lead. We'll do it clean and quick."
06[21:03] * AngelEyes_2-4 turns in for another strike on the SAM site, with the help of his radar his strafe is right on target.
[21:04] <AngelEyes_2-4> "Bullseye, SAM taken care of."
[21:06] <Cavalier_2-3> "I hope these guys are sensible enough to evacuate the hangars after that..."

[21:10] <BabaYaga_2-1> "We'll have to hope so, but we don't have time to wait. Fox two!" Sascha lets another missile go as she pulls around on the opposite row of hangars, only having time to lock onto the one.
06[21:11] * Cavalier_2-3 swings his craft around "Well, I'm opting out of explosive weaponry for now. Going in for a gun run."
06[21:12] * Cavalier_2-3 aims the nose of his XF8 down as he lets out two quick bursts from his cannon - the angle of his guns is, however, completely off on the first hangar, due to the turning still not being complete - the second burst, however, strikes true on the rightmost hangar.

14[21:12] <Valetni> Between Cav and Baba, another two hangars are quickly destroyed.

[21:24] <Avalanche_1-1> Yuki, now free of the SAM, picks up and targets two of the remaining hangars.

14[21:25] <Valetni> Both missiles lock and guide in, destroying the two hangars.

[21:32] <Avalanche_1-1> He then quickly drops lower, showering the remaining AA with snake eyes.

14[21:34] <Valetni> The triple bombs make short work of the AA positions.

[21:35] <Avalanche_1-1> Quickly turning the stick and pulling, Yuki manages to narrowly avoid the last of the AA fire.
06[21:35] * Cavalier_2-3 flies over the last hangar. He hesitates for a brief moment, shaking his head "...Really do hope you evacuated", before lining up his guns, and letting out one final burst on the remaining hangar. He hopes lack of explosive weaponry will prevent any unecessary casualties, but that's just hoping.

14[21:36] <Valetni> As Cavalier pulls off from his attack run, all that's left of the enemy airfield is a series of smoking buildings and craters.

[21:37] <Cavalier_2-3> "...That's the last of them. Basilisk Lead, that should be all enemy aerial capability destroyed."
[21:37] <BabaYaga_2-1> Sascha does a circle around the tarmac, checking the damage. "Confirmed. All targets eliminated. Let's head home."
06[21:38] * Cavalier_2-3 turns his craft to the side, to meet Basilisk 1's F-18A side, returning to formation.
06[21:39] * AngelEyes_2-4 returns to Cavalier's wing "You guys certainly cleaned up today."

14[21:40] <Valetni> Out of the corner of your eyes, you spot a bright flash to the north, temporarily piercing the dark skies before it's gone.

[21:40] <AngelEyes_2-4> "The hell was that? Did you guys see a flash?"
[21:40] <Cavalier_2-3> "...Kind of. That was just thunder, wasn't it? It's cloudy as hell."
[21:40] <BabaYaga_2-1> Sascha's about to respond when she sees the light in the distance. "Yeah. Probably. The weather might be getting worse."
[21:41] <Cavalier_2-3> "Gives me the heebie jeebies. Hope Valais' clear."
[21:42] <AngelEyes_2-4> "Maybe I'm still a little jumpy... let's head home, shall we?"
[21:43] <Cavalier_2-3> "Mm. Good work, by the way, Angel. Gun runs aren't easy."
[21:44] <AngelEyes_2-4> "Yeah, a bit more precision than whatever it was that took out the runway
[21:45] <AngelEyes_2-4> ...but a job well done nonetheless."
[21:46] <BabaYaga_2-1> "Let's just hurry back before we get caught in the thick of it." Sascha pulls up and around, aiming her nose back toward Valais. As she passes over the ruined airbase one more time, she gives a short salute to the pilots left below. Once that's done, she pushes her throttle to full and heads on toward home as lightning breaks in the distance behind them.
06[21:48] * Cavalier_2-3 merely returns the salute, before continuing at cruise speed beside the flight lead.

[21:57] <Avvie> Once again, the landing gear buckles under the plane, sending it skidding across the runway.
[21:58] <BabaYaga_2-1> Flying through the harsh conditions and avoiding any mountainside collisions, the team makes its way back to Valai. After getting lined up, Sascha lines up her Hornet and slides smoothly onto the tarmac. Even as the rain pounds the airstrip, she manages to steer her plane back into the hangar without incident
06[21:58] * Cavalier_2-3 brings down his craft nice and easy - he does cringe a little at Avalanche's rough landing, but nonetheless, continues on his landing path. Weathering through the thunderstorms, he touches smoothly, with practiced expertise. It helps that his craft is intact. A far cry from landing a burning Mig-21, for sure.
06[22:01] * AngelEyes_2-4 touches down without incident, bringing up the rear. Thankful for the successful mission he breaths a sigh of relief as he comes to a stop.