Somewhat caught up with week 4 action up to Telamon. Still have the two optional missions to post and all six from the Circe side.
Speradon 1
I see Maniac outside the CIC, and he looks like he has seen a ghost. I ask him what’s going on, and he tells me that Dekker has placed somebody in the hold. He won’t say who we have captured, so I go to the hold to find out. I get an unusual surprise at seeing Admiral Tolwyn in the hold. The Admiral is very disappointed over my defection to the Border Worlds, and I tell him that a war has not been officially declared and to consider my defection a re-enlistment. Tolwyn points out that we weren’t officially at war with the Kilrathi either, but there were only two sides with defection as the only way to change sides. The Admiral says that I was a symbol for what Confed stands for, and that he can’t understand why I went to the Border Worlds. He wonders if my loyalty is as weightless as space, and I state my belief that Confed has forgotten about loyalty. I explain that there are Confed forces behind efforts to start a war with the Border Worlds. The Admiral believes that I’m correct in my perceptions, and that he was here to investigate the ‘dog soldiers’ behind the acts of aggression versus the Border Worlds. I point out that one of them is using the callsign Seether, and the Admiral admits a run-in with him. He says that he’s had to resort to stealthy techniques to continue his investigations. He admits that finding people to trust has not been easy, and that there were many secret ‘Black Operations’ during the Kilrathi war to finish off the cats. Only now and after so many years is Tolwyn learning about these ‘Black Operations’, which included a Genetic Enhancement program in an attempt to create a perfect warrior. I ask if Seether was a product of this program, and Tolwyn does not know. That particular operation was shut down before the Admiral heard of it. He believed that the cloaked installation would be a good method to track down Seether. He had received the same reports of jamming in the Peleus system, and assures me that Confed headquarters did not authorize it. He asks if I know of Seether’s whereabouts, and I admit my lack of knowledge. Tolwyn points out that time is running out for both of us to prevent war between Confed and the Border Worlds. The Admiral says that there is a still a place for me in Confed, and that we’re both on the same side. I express my doubts, especially in regards to the values of Confed. I tell Tolwyn that I’ve known Captain Eisen too long to have doubts about trusting him. I’ve made my choice and will stick with this side. Tolwyn wonders if he is to be the first prisoner of war. I again emphasize that we’re not officially at war, and that he’ll be released. I express my hopes that both of us are on the side of peace. I head down to the hangar bay and watch as the Admiral boards a shuttle. Before entering, he gives me a salute that I return. I head back up, and see Dekker stewing in frustration. He expresses his surprise in me letting the Admiral go free. I say that we’re not at war with Confed yet, and he wonders why he’s taken so many risks with his group of Marines if we’re not committed to winning. He thinks anybody on the Confed side is an enemy, and I tell him that he had no orders to go out after Tolwyn and that it’s my decision on who is to be a prisoner. Dekker points out that it seemed very suspicious that Tolwyn was trying to run away once the installation was discovered. I explain that Confed would have brought a lot of their resources on us once they found out we had the Admiral imprisoned. Dekker thinks that I may be right, but believes that I’ll be second-guessing my decision later on. I ask if that’s a prediction or a threat, and he says it’s just an observation although he does admit that he may have suffered too many hits to the head for his observations to be reliable. I head into the CIC, and Admiral Wilford explains that the Border Worlds is undertaking fleet actions in two systems. At Circe, we’d be assisting a legitimate Border Worlds government in a fierce civil war against mercenaries. Wilford has reason to believe that the rogue faction of Confed is backing the mercenaries, and says that thousands of civilians are being killed. The other operation is at Speradon where a Confed shipyard is gearing up in anticipation of war. The shipyard seems vulnerable, and it would be an opportunity to get more equipment. Panther points out that innocent people are being killed in Circe and that should be the clear choice. Hawk points out that we won’t win any battles if we don’t have the weapons to achieve victory. I decide that stopping the shipyard is more important to prevent its resources from being used against the Border Worlds. I can’t send forces into battle unless I’ve done my best to give them optimal fighting chances to succeed.
At the Speradon shipyard, new Confed fighters called Bearcats are being built in assembly line fashion. One of the Bearcats takes off for a test run in a dense field of asteroids.
Pliers wants to see me outside the CIC, and he has good news. The Kilrathi were able to help him with his cloaking device, and showed him how to get extra charges from the crystal that runs the device. There is only one crystal left, so there would be no way to have a wingman along to help out. The crystal will still burn out eventually, and we can’t go on a mission to round up more crystals since they are deep in Confed territory. Despite the drawbacks this sounds like just the thing that would be very valuable on my next mission. I tell Pliers to get it ready, and head into the galley. Dekker and Maniac are arguing over whether Marines or pilots are tougher. Maniac makes an insult about Marines by saying they are Space Academy rejects. Dekker thinks pilots like Maniac and me go for the cockpit since we can’t hold our own in hand-to-hand combat. The argument gets more heated, and I’m forced to step in before Dekker can personally show how he’s superior to Maniac in a fist fight. I tell Dekker that a first punch will buy him a ticket to the brig, and Dekker says that Maniac needs to stop shooting off his mouth. Maniac mocks Dekker, and he shoves Maniac back. I ask Dekker how he can keep his cool in the field if it’s so easy for insults to make him mad enough to fight. Dekker thinks that pilots as a group stick together, and he threatens to remember my choice to defend Maniac on a future operation. Maniac thinks he could have stood his ground against Dekker, and attempts to goad another fight. I successfully stop him this time, but this looks like a situation that won’t be easily remedied soon. I go into the CIC to get the briefings for the Speradon missions available, and find that there are three choices of targets. The first is a testing site in an asteroid belt used to shake down newly built fighters and Wilford would like us to capture those fighters. The second target is a weapons plant, and the third target is a Concordia class carrier that is poorly guarded. I choose the mission to capture those new Confed fighters. The challenge is to take out the radar buoy keeping a watch around the area, and this will be an opportunity to use the cloaking capability from Pliers. Once the Confed fighters are disabled, a Border Worlds capital ship will pick them up. Hawk points out that if the Confed forces see us coming on the radar, they will have reinforcements to try to stop us. Leech guns and missiles will disable the fighters, so I go with a split loadout mix of ImRec and Leech missiles in an Avenger.
I engage Pliers’ cloaking device before using autopilot to the first nav point. I select the special Stormfire weapon for my attack run on the radar buoy. Once I get within the Stormfire’s range, I uncloak and let the buoy eat the shells from Stormfire. The buoy is quickly riddled with holes and destroyed. I’m forced to use multiple decoys to get incoming Hellcat missiles off my tail. I then destroy one Hellcat with a returning missile shot, and follow up with another missile on the other Hellcat. I eliminate all of the turret mines in the area with the Stormfire. I head to the next nav point where the fighter testing ground is. I see a new fighter type I’ve not encountered before called Bearcat. It’s obviously a heavy fighter since the opponents are shooting at me with tachyon guns. Fortunately, they can’t get beyond my shields and I shoot at one with a Leech missile. I pull out of my attack before I see if the missile hits and turn my attention to the other Bearcats. I try using leech guns against one of the Bearcats, but his buddies force me to use another Leech missile on the Bearcat I’m pursuing. I launch another Leech missile against a Bearcat, and it hits. There are still two Bearcats left and no more Leech missiles, so I have to use the leech guns. I leech a Bearcat enough that he’s seriously impaired. I can’t finish him off since his friend is all over my rear. I evade the fire, and accidentally run into the Bearcat I was leeching. Fortunately, it was a glancing blow and both my Avenger and the Bearcat survived. I pursue the other Bearcat, but he’s too evasive to get any successful hits. I switch back to my first target and completely leech the Bearcat. Unfortunately, I’m out of afterburner fuel so I can’t keep close to the other Bearcat. I’ll have to make my shots count, and the Bearcat makes a direct pass. He has ample opportunity to hit me with his tachyons, but the shots all miss. I return fire and score a few hits. It takes me many minutes to hit him enough to completely leech the last Bearcat. I wonder how those new fighters will perform for our pilots. The BWS Tango comes to collect the Bearcats, and Sosa tells me that Pliers is doing cartwheels in the hangar due to my success. I guess he wanted his hands on the newest Confed fighters too.
Speradon 2
Our next mission is to go after a Concordia class carrier that has not offloaded its fighters, weapons and spare parts. This could be a very good target to get more materials for the Border Worlds. I’m to take out any fighter cover as well as the turrets and engines of the carrier.
I choose Catscratch and the Bearcat for this mission. I can see that it’s faster than any fighter I’ve been in including the Arrow. That’s very impressive for a heavy fighter, and our first enemy encounter are Arrows. It’s speedy versus speedier, and my guns have the Arrows outmatched since they autotrack just like the ones on the Excalibur. I quickly take down an Arrow with a missile, and I give the same missile treatment to a second Arrow. I then get another Arrow in my sights, and the tachyon guns chew that fighter up. I make another pass to finish off that Arrow, and Catscratch and I combine for the last Arrow kill. We head to where the carrier is, and there are multiple Hellcats defending it. I quickly eliminate one with a missile, and follow up quite soon with a second Hellcat. Catscratch takes down a Hellcat, and another of my missiles gets a fourth one. Catscratch gets two more Hellcat kills, and I blast apart a fighter with my Bearcat. There are no more Hellcats to harass us, so I’m expecting to take down those turrets with the tachyons of the Bearcat. I switch off autotracking since I’ll be making direct runs, and I need to make those shots count against the carrier. My first pass fails on eliminating any turrets, but the second pass is successful. Two more passes fall flat, although the carrier has taken some collateral damage from my missed shots. My next three passes get another turret, and the fourth one fails. The next two passes take down a turret, so there is not much firepower left to defend the carrier. Catscratch is oddly sticking on my wing and taking hits from the carrier that he should be better at avoiding. Another pass trashes another turret, but I miss on another strafing run. It takes two more passes to destroy another turret, and I finally finish off the last remaining turret. I make sure I’m lined up for the rear to disable the engines of the carrier. I let loose with the tachyons and damage the engines up to 50%. The BWS Hopkins comes in to find what is on the carrier, and the carrier itself could be handy to the Border Worlds despite its age. On my approach, Sosa again tells me that Pliers is doing cartwheels so he must be overjoyed at what was on the carrier.
Speradon 3
I see Hawk in the hold, and he’s getting quite angry with Maniac. Hawk feels that Maniac has not yet proven his capabilities by learning how to support his fellow pilots instead of going off solo and doing his own thing. I ask Hawk if he feels I should talk to Maniac, and Hawk says the alternative is to figuratively haul him over hot coals. While that would get Maniac’s attention, I tell Hawk that I’ll see what I can do to avoid this. I then see Maniac in the galley trying to convince Catscratch to fly the same way he does. Maniac says that Catscratch is simply trying to make a name for himself. Catscratch’s choices are to fly by-the-book like I do for the most part or push the envelope like Maniac does. I retort that the only envelope Maniac has ever pushed is the one addressed to common sense. Catscratch comments that Maniac has a kill score to back up his claims, but I tell Catscratch that pilots who rely on luck like Maniac rarely reach old age. There can only be one lucky pilot on each ship, and Maniac thinks there is nothing wrong with some style and attitude to make a name for himself. Flash was the same way when he arrived on the Victory, and I hope I don’t have to make the same showdown to teach Catscratch a lesson. I try one last time to persuade Catscratch that Maniac’s path is a sure way to end up in a coffin. I enter the CIC, and the Vice Admiral is taking me off the remaining weapons factory mission for us to go after a Confed convoy of supplies. I’m to use the Marines to take control of the largest capital ship. Dekker mumbles that he should be getting hazard pay for this type of action, and Wilford says that Dekker is on the wrong side if bonuses are what he wants. I’ll use the insertion pods for delivery of Dekker and his men, so that means either the Avenger or Vindicator for this mission. Other ships from the Border World fleet will come in to complete this raid on the supply line, and I have the final say on green-lighting the attack against the supply ships. There are also unusual red shift signals coming from a satellite orbiting the fourth planet. Wilford wants a retrieval of the satellite for a closer look. Catscratch volunteers himself for that assignment, and I launch in an Avenger with Blade on my wing.
At the first nav point, Lieutenant Sosa comes on the communication line that Catscratch has gotten into trouble. Enemy forces have leeched his ship, and he’s a sitting duck. I can’t let Catscratch die, so I abort our current mission to rescue him. There are multiple Confed fighters here to finish off Catscratch, and my wingman points out that destroying Catscratch’s ship will keep Confed from regaining the satellite. I target a Longbow bomber approaching Catscratch and take him down with a missile. The pilot must have been seriously distracted to let a missile coming directly at them to hit without using any decoys. I see a Hellcat fighter and use another missile to blow his fighter to bits. Catscratch ejects, and I get in range to use the Stormfire cannon on it. The empty Avenger shatters in two explosions, with the secondary one coming from the satellite. I then get within tractor beam range and retrieve Catscratch. As I approach the Intrepid, Sosa thanks me for saving Catscratch from an early end to his life. I hope he can explain what happened to make him fail such an easy assignment. I see Maniac trying to find out what happened as well, but he notices that I’m looking for direct answers as well. I find out to my dismay that Catscratch actually followed Maniac’s advice to fire off some missiles as decoys but his remaining missiles missed enemy fighters. I tell Maniac that if I ever hear him giving advice to other pilots, I’ll let them all take a crack at shooting him down in retribution. I also tell him that Hawk’s about to have a fight with Maniac unless he drops his attitude. I tell him that there is a lower tolerance for bad behavior, and he better shape up quickly. I tell Catscratch that this failure cost the Border Worlds a lot, especially since the Confed supply line is still in operation. I tell Catscratch I’d ground him if we could spare the pilots, but I’ll have to settle for a probationary period for the rest of the decade.
Speradon 4
Outside the CIC, Pliers tells me that it feels that we’re on a winning track. Pliers proposes more offensive capability for my next mission. By getting more space on all of the fighters and bombers, he may be able to add some more missiles. There’s a small risk of a speed hit, but I decide it’s worth it. An extra surprise or two could come in handy for future missions. I see Panther and Hawk in the CIC, and point out that it’s been 46 hours. Hawk mistakes my comment for how long since I slept, but I correct myself and say that I meant the time since Captain Eisen’s departure. There has been no word on how he has been faring, and I express my doubts that the data alone will help to convince other people in Confed to help him against the rogue element. Panther feels that he can convince the Confed personnel, but I point out that everything depends on which faction Eisen initially contacts. Due to the size of Confed, there are no guarantees that the rogue faction is not the majority of the Confed forces in operation. The capabilities of the rogue portion in providing mercenaries, unmarked ships, Confed craft, and Border Worlds craft to confuse everybody indicates some sort of large scale operation. The operations are so sleek that the rest of Confed has no clue about this rogue faction. Any actions of defense on our part play into the hands of this rogue faction to make us look like we are provoking a war. Hawk thinks we should push back, but this would only legitimize increased efforts for more shipyards like the Bearcat assembly line. The vote on the Declaration of War is coming up in five days, and I point out that the Assembly is not aware of what is really happening. Panther wonders what our part is, and I express my hopes that Eisen reaches the right people. Lieutenant Sosa tells me that Vice Admiral Wilford has found another convoy going thru the Confed supply line. I’m given an option to try the same mission that was aborted or to assist more Confed pilots in defecting. Maniac points out that it could be easy to have friendly fire casualties since the defectors are in the same ships as enemies trying to prevent the defection. Hawk says that we could use the additional fighters for backup, and I agree.
I take off in a Vindicator with Maniac on my wing. At the first nav point are friendly and enemy Bearcats. I quickly take down a Bearcat with a missile and let Maniac make his moves. One of the friendly Bearcats assists in the destruction of an enemy Bearcat. Maniac makes a kill, and another wave is coming in. I line up behind a Bearcat and let it have a missile. I see another Bearcat get destroyed before I can get in range, so it looks like the friendly fighters helped out. All that’s left are the dry docks and shipyard. I use the lasers of the Vindicator to get thru the shipyard shields, and then use the Stormfire cannon to quickly obliterate the shipyard. I use lasers on the dry docks, and they all are eventually destroyed. As Maniac and I head away from the wreckage of the shipyard and dry docks, Wilford comes on the communication line to tell us that a very important Confed transport ship is in our area. The transport has top-secret cargo that is very critical for us to capture. I’ll have to use the leech guns to disable the transport. Sosa relays the coordinates of this ship, and tells me that Dekker and his men are coming along in a shuttle to help capture the ship. Maniac and I head for the transport, and I see some very sophisticated fighters. They look quite dangerous, so I try a little surprise from that Confed carrier called the Mace. Unfortunately, I overshoot my target and see the blast wave from it explode without damaging those fighters. I use my Stormfire cannon to slightly damage one of the enemy fighters, and use a missile to destroy another as it attempts to cloak. Maniac gets the other fighter for a kill, and I arm the leech guns to disable the transport. Dekker and the Marines land, and another wave of those high-tech fighters come to attack us. I get one in the rear with a missile, and then open up on the other with the Stormfire. The cannon quickly tears that fighter apart, and Dekker says that there is something special on this transport. On my approach to the Intrepid, Sosa says that more personnel have been dispatched to help bring back what is on the transport. In the hangar bay, Pliers pulls out a large disk device from one of the new fighters we got from the transport. He shakes the disk vigorously, and then drops it on the deck. The small crowd that was gathering around runs away in a hurry, but the disk did not explode.
P.S. - The included screen shots are five from the Circe missions that Lorien describes from his journal and Telamon, even though the above journal is for Speradon. I'll look thru the Circe missions to see if there any other special things to capture.