2673.342.0700
[Axius Station, Axius System]
Eagle's Claw Wing accompanies the Project's marine battalion to the front lines.
[WC4N]
[Control Bay, BWS Intrepid, Callimachus System]
Col. Blair and Lt. Col. Dekker review Dr. Brody's data on the Project's weapons. Chief Tech Sykes informs Blair that he has figured out how to use the flash-pak.
[Detailed: WC4, Scene 3220A]
[CIC, BWS Intrepid, Callimachus System]
Col. Blair, Col. Manley and Lt. Col. Farnsworth discuss the TCS Vesuvius, planning a detour through the Ella System in an attempt to reach Earth quicker. Blair agrees to bypass the Ella superbase.
[Detailed: WC4, Scenes 3230A & 3230B]
[CIC, BWS Intrepid, Callimachus System]
Col. Blair briefs Vice Admiral Wilford and the Intrepid's senior staff on his mission to Axius. Wilford orders the ship to head for Earth, by way of the Orestes System.
[Detailed: WC4N pp.311-313]
[Callimachus System]
The TCS Vesuvius jumps from the Axius System. The Intrepid launches thirty-eight fighters, lead by Colonel Christopher Blair and Lt. Col. Todd Marshall, with orders to keep off their IFF transmitters and ambush the Vesuvius' escort of fifty fighters. The Intrepid, meanwhile, moves at maximum speed to escape the Vesuvius and jump to the Ella System. The Union of Border Worlds forces unmask themselves, jumping into the battle against Terran Confederation Hellcats and Lances. Blair immediately destroys a Hellcat with an IFF missile and then a second with his tachyon cannon. Border Worlds Longbow's head towards the Vesuvius, and are intercepted by a pair of Terran Confederation Hellcats. Blair decloaks and destroys the first Hellcat with his guns, the second with another IFF missile. Turret fire from the Vesuvius destroys one of the Border Worlds Longbows. A second is able to fire two torpedoes, which cause minimal damage. A Border Worlds Broadsword, crippled by a pair of Terran Confederation Hellcats, rams the Vesuvius' side, detonating its torpedoes. Lt. Col. Marshall orders a retreat. Twenty-two Border Worlds fighters survive the action. Another pair of Terran Confederation Hellcats attack a damaged Border Worlds Ferret. Blair destroys both Hellcats, but the Ferret explodes from damage. The pilot ejects. Hoping to delay the Vesuvius long enough for Intrepid to escape, the four Border Worlds escort frigates move to launch torpedo runs. One is immediately hit by an anti-matter gun blast and destroyed. The Vesuvius ends its pursuit of Intrepid to engage the remaining three frigates. Preparing to jump, the Intrepid recalls all her fighters. A second frigate is hit crippled by an anti-matter blast and then destroyed by a mass driver battery. The final pair of frigates fire their torpedoes and begin to retreat. A Terran Confederation Lance de-cloaks and destroys both with flashpaks. The Intrepid jumps to Ella along with her surviving escorts. Two Border Worlds corvettes are destroying during jump. Blair follows the surviving forces through to Ella in his Lance, landing on the Intrepid.
[Detailed: WC4N, p.313-319]
[Flight Deck, BWS Intrepid, Ella System]
Colonel Christopher Blair arrives on the carrier's flight deck. Obsolete Scimitars, Sabers, Rapiers and home-built fighters are brought up from below to replace those crippled or lost during the previous battle.
[Detailed: WC4N, pp.319]
[Bridge, BWS Intrepid, Ella System]
Vice Admiral Wilford orders Col. Blair to the bridge, claiming that he is to valuable to risk in another battle.
[Detailed: WC4N, pp.319]
[CIC, BWS Intrepid, Callimachus System]
Col. Blair briefs the senior officers, ordering them to escort the carrier through the Ella System.
[Detailed: WC4, Scene 3240A]
[Ella System]
Col. Blair and a wingman, flying Lances, escort the BWS Intrepid through the Ella System. They engage three groups of Terran Confederation forces: a Caernaven-class frigate escorted by eight HellcatVs, a Tallahassee-class cruiser escorted by four Hellcat Vs and four Longbows and a Sheffield-type destroyer escorted by eight Bearcats.
[Detailed: WC4, Mission Ella 1]
[Ella System]
With a seven minute lead on the TCS Vesuvius, the BWS Intrepid heads towards Jump Point Aleph 3 then switches course towards Jump Point Aleph 6, through the Ella System's asteroid field. Vice Admiral Wilford orders the remaining Border Worlds escort ships to pull off and return to Callimachus to pick up any surviving pilots. Lt. Col. Marshall leads a force of eighteen Border Worlds fighters against the Vesuvius. Only six return to the Intrepid before it enters the asteroid field and jumps to Orestes. The Vesuvius takes damage trying to pursue the Intrepid through the system's asteroid field.
[Detailed: WC4N, pp.319-322]
[Orestes System]
The Intrepid jumps into the system, closely pursued by the Vesuvius.
[Detailed: WC4, Scene 3300A]
[Bridge, TCS Vesuvius, Orestes System]
Rear Admiral Tolwyn is informed that the BWS Intrepid is closing on their position. Tolwyn orders that the Vesuvius come about and engage the Border Worlds ship.
[Detailed: WC4, Scene 3330A]
[CIC, BWS Intrepid, Orestes System]
Seeing the Vesuvius come about, Col. Blair orders a scramble.
[Detailed: WC4, Scene 3330A]
[Orestes System]
Col. Blair and a wingman, flying Lances, engage the TCS Vesuvius' escorts, which consist of two wings of four Hellcat Vs each.
[Detailed: WC4, Mission Orestes 4]
[Orestes System]
The BWS Mt. St. Helens jumps in and engages the TCS Vesuvius.
[Detailed: WC4, Scene 3370A]
[CIC, BWS Intrepid, Orestes System]
Captain Eisen contacts the carrier, informing the senior officers of the TCS Vesuvius' weak points. Eisen orders Col. Blair to disable the Vesuvius' turrets.
[Detailed: WC4, Scene 3370A]
[Orestes System]
Col. Blair and a wingman, flying Lances, engage the TCS Vesuvius' escorts, which consist of three wings of four Hellcat Vs each.
[Detailed: WC4, Mission Orestes 5]
[Orestes System]
Vice Admiral Wilford orders that Orestes' sector command be informed of the situation. The BWS Princeton contacts the Intrepid, reporting its status. The Intrepid continues at flank speed to Orestes orbit, where it launches a shuttle carrying 34 additional pilots for the Princeton. Intrepid slingshots out towards the Vesuvius, planning to launch a final combined strike using her torpedoes, her fighter wing and the 64 fighters from the Princeton.The TCS Vesuvius jumps to the Sol System. Captain Eisen orders that the BWS Mt. St. Helens and the BWS Intrepid follow it.
[Detailed: WC4, Scene 3410A]
[Detailed: WC4N, p.322-325]
[Launch Deck, Sol System]
Chief Tech Sykes offers to equip Col. Blair's fighter with the captured flash-pak. Blair agrees.
[Detailed: WC4, Scene 3410B & 3410D]
[Bridge, TCS Vesuvius, Sol System]
Rear Admiral Tolwyn contacts Col. Blair on the Intrepid to gloat, pointing out that the Mt. St. Helens is too damaged to stay in the fight. Tolwyn orders Seether to kill Blair.
[Detailed: WC4, Scene 3440A]
[CIC, BWS Intrepid, Sol System]
Captain Eisen informs Blair that the Mt. St. Helens has taken too much damage to continue fighting. Col. Blair tells Eisen that he plans to use the flash-pak to destroy the Vesuvius.
[Detailed: WC4, Scenes 3460A & 3460B]
[Sol System]
Commander Toliver convinces Wilford to allow Blair to lead the strike. Lt. Col. Marshall commands the Intrepid's fighter compliment. The Vesuvius launches fighters from both of her bays. Sections of Border Worlds Hellcat Vs off the Princeton mass-fire their entire missile load outs at the Terran Confederation forces forming up. Five surviving Terran Confederation Hellcat's return fire in the same manner. Suddenly, the TCS Mt. St. Helens jumps in. Captain Eisen contacts the Intrepid, offering Vice Admiral Wilford assistance and providing IFF codes and specifications for the Vesuvius class ships. The Vesuvius turns to engage the Mt. St. Helens. A fierce close-range engagement between the two carriers ensues, leaving the Vesuvius severely damaged and the Mt. St. Helens crippled. Col. Blair and a wingman, flying Lances, engage wings of four Hellcat Vs each. Col. Blair makes us of his cloak to destroy two Terran Confederation Lances. Lt. Col. Marshall joins him in destroying a third. Col. Seether identifies Blair and contacts him, offering him a chance for a dogfight. The two dogfight alongside the Vesuvius, almost destroying Blair's fighter. Marshall jumps into the fight, distracting Seether but taking a crippling blow himself. As Seether turns to finish Marshall, Blair hurls himself forward using the mine trick, firing his guns and then destroying Seether's fighter with a dumb-fire missile. Blair moves in on the Vesuvius' flight deck and drops his flashpak, destroying the ship.
[Detailed: WC4N, p.325-332]
[Detailed: WC4, Mission Sol 1]