Wing Commander: A Fool's Trip to Hell

Sylvester

Vice Admiral
They were one of the most elite fighter squadrons in the entire Confederation Navy.

Their combined decorations were more than those of some carriers entire complements.

They would take on assignments deemed suicidal and pull them off without a single casualty.

......and then one day they dissapeared without a trace.

The year is 2645, and Valkyrie squadron, flying from the TCS Ark Royal has gone missing, without a hint of foul play or enemy action. Confederation high command wants answers, so they send a carrier in to investigate what had occured. Freshly repaired from her stunning delaying action, the TCS Tiger's Claw now undertakes her most difficult assignment yet.
 
The Characters:

Captain Joe "Shotglass" O'Riley
Captain James "Paladin" Taggart
1st Lieutenant Micheal "Iceman" Casey
1st Lieutenant Kien "Bossman" Chen
Major Peter "Coyote" Halcyon
2nd Lieutenant Pierce "Mayhem" Taylor
2nd Lieutenant Karen "Splits" McDaniels
Colonel Harry "Sled" Mitchell
Captain (TCN) Warren Harris
 
Nice. It sounds like a really interesting series. My only comment is that you might want to refer to the Admiralty as "Confederation Brass" (informally "the higher ups" or "the powers that be") as opposed to the "Confederation high command". The only modern usage of the term "high command" that I'm aware of is on a rather kicking nobody's ass (read: REALLY, REALLY, REALLY STUPID SHOW WITH BAD ACTING) Star Trek show. Otherwise the term tends to go unused. (Just a theory, but it may have been dropped because it sounded "elitist".)

Of course, I could be wrong, but "brass" still sounds more natural. :)
 
confedhighcommand.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Chapter 1, Part1, The Fool

Flight Deck - TCS Tiger's Claw (CV-07)
Dakota System - 2645.155 (June 4th, 2645)
0455 Hours

Loud noises of varying type echoed through the vast flight deck of the TCS Tiger's Claw. The fighters of the strike carrier were lined up neatly in a row for the morning sorties that soon would be leaving her. Multitudes of Scimitars, Hornets, Raptors and the soon to be retired Wildcats sat quietly, waiting for their pilots. Some of the craft looked abused, metal plates covering laser hits, and miscolored parts taken off a fighter that wasn't so lucky on the last mission it went out on.

This was the scene that Colonel Harry Mitchell overlooked as he stood on one of the many catwalks that criscrossed over the deck, some twenty meters in the air. He checked his ancient wristwatch, which read five minutes to five. Almost time for the briefing, he thought. Sled, as Mitchell was known, due to the fact he once used his Scimitar to push several disabled fighters off the flight deck, was all ready for a nice, quiet dawn patrol. That is when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he gazed upon his good friend and squadron commander, Major Peter "Coyote" Halcyon.

"Morning Pete, what brings you up here at this ungodly hour?" Mitchell asked. He didn't like the sour look on Coyote's face.

"Somethings up, and Captain Harris is really pissed. He wants us in his office for an emergency briefing, right now." Halcyon responded.

"Who's going to brief the guys for morning patrols?"

"Shotglass is going to do it. I just hope he isn't too plastered from Paladin's birthday celebration last night. How is Paladin anyway?" Peter asked.

"Doc Peters still has him off the flight roster, he took a pretty bad tumble when he tripped over that barstool and flew into the simulator. His arm is pretty banged up, and he has a broken rib. He's pretty mad about it. Should be able to take duty tommorow." Sled said as he began to walk with Halcyon towards the end of the catwalk. They entered the lift right inside the doorway and took it up to Deck 9, located in the middle of the bridge tower.

"I really hope old War didn't volunteer us for another damned suicide mission. This ship is barely a year old and has already taken enough battle damage to warrent a refit." Sled quipped as the two pilots walked into the Captain's office. Sitting across the deck from them was a greying man with glasses. Captain Warren Harris looked up from his deck at the two men.

"Ah, Colonel, Major. Good to see you. We have some bussiness to attend to."

"Yes sir, lets get to it." Sled responded.

The Captain rose from his chair and locked the door. He then activated a small projector in the middle of the room, which displayed a listing of pilots in a fighter squadron that Harry was unfamiliar with.

"Two days ago, Valkyrie squadron, one of the most elite covert ops squadrons in the fleet disappeared without a trace on routine manuevers in this system. There were no signs of enemy action or debris."

Sled was about to speak but Halcyon cut him off. "How does an entire squadron of twelve ships disappear without a trace?" he asked impatiently.

"We don't know for now, but that is why the Tiger's Claw is in the system. The morning patrols will be altered so that our ships can scan for traces of the squadron. No one besides ourselves and Commander Harris will know about this. He'll download the changes to your navigation discs for the patrols. For now, run everything as normal, I'll brief you if anything changes. Dismissed."

Halcyon and Mitchell saluted the Captain and left his quarters. As they walked back towards the lift, Halcyon grinned.

"This should be fun."

"Don't remind me. What fool in me volunteered for this damned job." Harry wondered.

TBC
 
-- 5 Minutes Later

As the Colonel and Halcyon reached the briefing room, they could hear an argument taking place on the otherside of the plasteel doors. When he opened the door, Harry was greeted to the sight of Shotglass and Paladin arguing over what control activated the vidscreen.

"Damn it Sam! Canne ye not tell that the button is this one. Down'n there on the podium." Paladin argued.

"James, for the last time, it should be this yellow one here, the vidscreen is just broken." The other one hundred pilots, with the exception of 1st Lieutenant Casey, were laughing their heads off at the affair. Sled wasted no time in including himself in the conversation.

"Actually," he began, "If you had read my email, you would of seen that its the green one right here." He said as he pointed to the small button by the screen, as the two Captains started quietly. As if their seats were on fire, the pilots rose in a flash and saluted their commanding officer.

Sled grinned and motioned with his hand for them to sit. As they did, the lights in the breifing room dimmed. Halcyon stood beside him as he turned towards the large screen.

"Listen up people. The morning patrol routes have been altered slightly by intel so we can get a better sweep of the surrounding area. Flight patrols are as follows. Alpha Flight will be myself, Rayne, Shotglass and Dervish. Bravo Flight will be led by Major Halcyon, with Ghost, Iceman and Splits. Lieutenant Chen, you look like a man who wants some command so you'll lead Charlie Flight with Mayhem, Homer and Glitter." He saw Taggart begin to raise his hand. "I'm sorry James, but the Doc says you'll have to sit this one out. Everyone else is on either rotating CAP duty or standby, check the computer to see who is where. Dismissed."

The pilots filed out of the briefing room and Sled followed them with Major Halcyon at his side. They entered the locker room and each pilot began to put on their gear, and Mitchell was pleased to hear some conversation, it meant his pillots were awake. He zipped up his flight suit and walked to the flight deck where his Scimitar awaited him. He gave a curt nod to his crew chief, Petty Officer McCollough. "Heya Dave, how is your little girl?" he asked.

"Janet is just fine, she just graduated from the fourth grade last week. I just got the pictures from my wife."

"Glad to hear it. How is my bird?" He asked, glancing quietly at the 105 kills displayed on the side of the Scimitar.

"Just spiffy sir, nothing wrong whatsover. I've got you loaded standard, three Javs and a couple of darts. So please try not to break anything this time, okay?" the chief asked.

"No promises Dave." Sled grinned as he climbed into the cockpit and closed it. He started the fighters trio of ion engines and slowly lifted the ship off the deck and slightly forward into the side bay which contained the wing launch tubes of the carrier. A deck hand waved him into the innermost port tube and he felt his fighter be grabbed by the magnetic accelerators as the doors closed behind him. Harry was shoved back into his seat as the fighter was flung out of the tube and into space.

~~~~~~Fin Part 2 of Chapter 1
 
Back
Top