I did not have quite enough time to get everything I wanted for screen shots, but I'll share some of what I have so far along with this journal.
H’hrass 1
There is nobody in the Rec room to talk to, so I go into the briefing room to find out about my next mission assignment. I’m to head with the Marines to the transmission relay station so that they can secure it and get it online to send a message to Confed. Enemy forces in the area have been distracted from the station by multiple hit-and-run strikes by the Midway’s fighter wings. With the Midway also acting as a decoy for enemy fighters, the enemy resistance is expected to be light. The CAG reminds me that this is a very critical mission, and she’s about to tell me who my wingman is when I hear Blair’s voice that he wants to fly this mission with me. The CAG says to Blair that this might not be a good idea, but he says that he is the best pilot choice due to his experience. The CAG lets Blair go thru with being my wingman, and I congratulate him. Blair says to not thank him yet since it’s been years since he flew a mission. I tell him that he should do fine, and that I’m looking forward to flying with a legend like him. The Commodore says that one problem with being a legend is that people always expect him to win. I reply that he does not have to worry about winning this time, and that he should focus on keeping up with me.
Upon launching, the Midway asks Blair to look after me since I’m still considered a bit green. Blair and I head to the station, and immediately our communication with the Midway is disrupted. They were able to get off a warning, so I’ll have to keep my eyes open for surprises. There are only three Morays at the station, so we go after the fighters together. Blair says that we should be able to re-establish contact with the Midway after the Marines secure the station. I have the first Moray in my sights, and squash that bug easily. Another Moray takes exception to its wingmate dying and launches a missile. A dropped decoy from my Tigershark makes the missile no longer a threat. I attack the Moray that launched the missile, and it follows the first Moray in extermination. I see Blair giving that last Moray a pounding, but he breaks off once he sees me engage the fighter. I’m able to take down the final Moray, and watch as the Marines dock at the station. The Marines ask Blair to land on the station since there is something they want him to see. Maverick complies with the request of the Marines, and warns me to stay alert for more enemy forces. Blair tells me a few moments after landing that the relay station looks like a slaughterhouse with all the dead bodies. The Marines notify me that they have some communications online, and they notify me of a friendly approaching ship. It turns out to be the Redeemer refueling ship, and they say they came to our position to help out. The Redeemer also lets us know that the Midway is on the run, and that we should return to them as soon as possible. I dock with the Redeemer, and the Marines say that the station might get fully online in an hour. I’m warned about another wing of fighters coming to attack the station. This wing consists of Morays and a Skate cluster, and I go after the Morays first. My Tigershark takes a missile hit that almost eliminates the port armor. I’m finishing off the first Moray, and Blair comes over the communication line to ask if Dekker has any men on the landing bay level. I finally finish off the fighter, and Blair says that there is something else on the station before he is cut off. The Marines then tell me the bad news that an alien ship launched with a human life sign on board. I’ve downed another Moray fighter, and the Marines say that even more ships are inbound. My priority is to defend the relay station and not worry about the ship that abducted Blair. I watch helplessly as the alien ship jumps out, and the Marines assure me that we’ll have a chance to recover Blair later. I make my duty to protect the station a top priority. Another Moray is pulverized by the power of the Tigershark’s guns. Three of the small Skate sections are scratched by missiles. There are multiple Mantas attacking the station, and I get in range to distract them. The distraction works too well, and I have to deal with a Manta on my tail while pursuing one in front of me. I see that rear Manta getting to close with gun fire barely avoiding my ship. I launch a Friend-or-Foe missile, but the Manta I’m after has ample opportunity to decoy it away. The Manta on my six tags me with a missile, and I drop multiple decoys to avoid another missile hit. I’m able to get some separation from the Manta on my rear and try another missile on the Manta. He again decoys it away, and then presents a good target for my guns. I make a mess of that Manta, and turn around to face his friend. All his friend does is to let me get on his rear where he has no gun defense. I don’t give that Manta any time to recover from that mistake, and there is just one left Manta to deal with. It also gets gunned down, and Dekker comes on the communication line to say it’s time to take a break on the station.
H’hrass 2
Dekker comes on the internal transmission line of the relay station and says there are more fighters inbound. Dekker tells me that we can’t communicate with the Midway or send a warning transmission to Confed. I’ll have to keep the bugs busy while the Marines do their work.
I launch in Maverick’s Tigershark since mine took a minor beating. More Morays and a Skate cluster to deal with. The Midway comes back on the communication channel, and they tell me that Panthers have been launched to assist me. I attack the Morays first, and my Tigershark takes a direct frontal hit from a missile. I get that Moray with my guns, and a second soon follows. An enemy fighter launches a missile, but I safely decoy it away. I go after a Manta, and a second one gets on my rear and chews up the shields and rear armor. Maniac and his wing of Panthers come in to give me a hand. This arrival is enough to distract my pursuer and let me take down a Manta. Maniac’s wing also immediately destroys a Manta. I bump into a new enemy fighter identified as a Devil Ray, and pursue a second Manta. A torpedo is launched and hits the antenna array of the station. I decoy away a missile coming my way, and do in another Manta. My fighter took some more damage, and I see independent Skate sections. I get two with Javelin heatseeker missiles, but that Devil Ray gets two successful hits on my fighter with its guns. My Tigershark can’t take much more of this punishment, and now it seems like multiple fighters are attacking the Devil Ray. I take out its rear armor with a missile, and then pound on its rear with my guns. That enemy ship is destroyed, although the dying pilot says that its mother will avenge it. Maniac kills the last fighter, and asks where my wingman is. The Marines tell Maniac about Blair’s abduction, but give the good news that the transmitter is online. Time to alert the rest of Confed about the new alien menace. I ask the Midway for landing clearance, and they say that the loss of Blair is a tragic day for Confed.
After landing on the Midway, the CAG tells me that I’ve been recommended for transfer to the Black Widow squadron as well as a promotion to First Lieutenant. I tell the CAG that I don’t feel I deserve this due to what happened to Blair, and she says he knew the risks. The Black Widow squadron takes the same risks every time they fly. The CAG says that there was nothing I could have done to save Blair from abduction. She thanks me for buying the time to get the relay station functional so that a warning could be sent to Confed headquarters. The CAG gives me an order to stow my gear and head to pilot country in the Rec room for a break. She warns me that she could send me to the medical division if I keep acting the way I am. I accept her order and head to the Rec room to celebrate my promotion, but I hear the CAG swearing at Blair as I’m walking away. I enter the Rec room and see Maestro handing out drinks. He congratulates me on my performance since we’ve now been promoted to the Black Widow squadron. We give each other a high five, and I ask if Stiletto has heard this news. Maestro says he does not care since she is no longer in charge of us. Rachel comes over to the bar and also joins in on the celebration. Rachel asks Maestro if she can talk to me for a while, and he gives a thumbs-up as head over to a different part of the bar to talk to her. Maestro sees Maniac looking glum, and Maniac asks why he can never find romance. Maniac wonders if it’s luck or himself that is causing his strikeouts, and Maestro tells him bluntly that it’s himself that is the cause to his woes with women. Maniac spits out his drink after hearing that. Hawk comes over to interrupt Rachel’s conversation with me to say that the CAG needs her analysis of spy data from T’lan Meth. Rachel says that she’ll do so shortly, and I ask her about this spy data. She tells me that probes launched from the Midway have been used as additional eyes and ears to track enemy ship movements. I ask Rachel if I can help, and she says that I should stay with my friends tonight to continue the celebration. Rachel does say that she’s proud of what I’ve done and gives me a kiss. That does take the edge off a little bit with my frequent feelings of competing against my father. Maestro gives up on his attempts to cheer up Maniac, and gives him the bottle of booze. Maniac then proceeds to drink directly from the bottle in an attempt to forget his troubles as quickly as possible.
time in. I tried to get one of the other missions to trigger by letting a torpedo hit the Midway, but apparently it wasn't enough to change the script. I figure I'll just let things go as they fall.