Dropping out of hyperspace there were three ISDs right in front of us, but fortunately spaced enough apart that we wouldn't have to worry about fighting more than one at a time. We had a full flight of A-Wings with plenty of backup so I ordered my wing to close formation.

B2 - "C'mon let's waste some of them on our way!"
B1 (Me) - "Negative, we are bombers, not fighters, the A-wings will take out the TIEs. You can break only when attacked, and as soon as an A-Wing arrives, let him take over and get back in formation. We are taking out the destroyers, save your energy for the shields, I want them fully charged when we get there."
B2, B3, B4 - "Roger, using designated target."

We headed straight for the lead ship, and approximately 3 clicks out. Looking out the top of the canopy, I waited to pull up until I was right in front of the ISD Gargantua.

B1 - "Set all recharge rates to maintenance levels. I hope you are fully charged. Stay close on my wing and watch how this is done."
B3 - "Hey wait a minute, you only joined us last week, when did you become an expert?"
B1 - "Well, while the rest of you were practicing your dogfighting skills, I've been reviewing the training materials on ISDs. I've been training against them all week, and I've got a system worked out. Just stay close, cover me, and watch."
B2, B3, B4 - "Roger, I'm on it"

Coming over the bow of the Gargantua, we headed straight for the shield generators. I left my lasers cross-linked cut to 2/3 power, and aimed for the starboard shield-gen. Just before reaching the bridge, I changed to torpedoes and launched one straight into the shield-gen. I was ready to fire again just as I reached it. The torpedo had barely left the launcher when I pulled up and over, narrowly missing the exploding generator. I switched the shields to full-astern, laser recharge to max, and headed straight away from the destroyer at full speed. It only took a click and a half to get everything charged back up, and I made a wide, banking turn to come around for the second run. Taking aim at the port shield-gen, I opened up the lasers just like the first run, launching my two torpedoes as I flew over their bridge. This time the generator let go while I was far enough out to allow me to continue my path and fly right through the spot where the generator used to be. I switched to ion cannons over the bridge, cut engines to 2/3, and headed straight for the deck. The ISD was disabled in short order, and I switched back to lasers. Three low-speed strafing passes and the Gargantua began listing to starboard.

B1 - "See, it's easy. Now let's take out the other outside destroyer, it's too close to the Odin, we'll come back for the center one last. Again, just stay in formation, and cover each other only until an A-Wing takes over the job. Recharge everything, and then set rates to maintenance level."
B2, B3, B4 - "Roger"

The second ISD came up Gozaimas on the display. This time, we didn't come up over the nose, but instead, I led the wing directly starboard of the bridge, until the shield-generators were directly in line with each other. I released the rest of the wing to begin their attack runs, and began my own. Fixing on the starboard generator, I unlinked the lasers and fired until I came close enough to launch two torpedoes at the generator manually, and again pulled up as it exploded beneath me.

B4 - "You're gonna get yourself killed doing that."
B1 - "Not a chance, shield-gens don't throw any shrapnel when they go. Now watch this"

I pulled straight up until the destroyer was behind me, and again shifted the shields astern. I pushed the laser recharge to max, and flew about a click out. I cut the engines to 1/3 and pulled over to aim straight down onto the port generator. I switched the shields forward, brought the engines to 2/3 and dove down on the Gozaimas, firing into the generator the whole way. I fired my two torpedoes, pulling up as before, but there was no explosion this time, the generator remained. My run had not been long enough. I opened up the throttle all the way, and made an erratic banking turn to avoid the fire from the turbo lasers. Swinging back around to the generator, I locked on and opened up the lasers. The generator went up after only a few volleys, giving me the chance to switch to ion cannons, and fire straight into the bridge until it was disabled.

B1 - "Okay, you guys get all that?"
B3 - "Got it"
B1 - "Great, why don't you guys give it a try while I finish this one off."
B2, B3, B4 - "Roger, using designated target."

The rest of the wing headed for the remaining star destroyer while I parked myself amidships of the Gozaimas and proceeded to fire my lasers into the bridge for a couple of minutes. I powered up and headed for the remaining destroyer as the Gozaimas went Goodbye-mas behind me. I set everything to recharge, and headed after the rest of my wing.

B1 - "Ok, that one's gone, how are you doing with your ISD?"
B2 - "Uh, just fine sir."
B3 - "Yeah, we're doing great... sir"
...
...
B1 - "Blue four, where are you?"

Then I saw on my display that blue 4 had entered hyperspace.

B1 - "Damnit four, what's wrong with you!"
B3 - "He can't hear you sir."
B1 - "I KNOW THAT! Alright, as long as you guys are... Excuse me, what are you doing?"
B2 - "We're attacking the Buntaro, sir."
B1 - "By firing at the deck? Look, the shield gens are still intact, weren't you guys WATCHING?"
B2 - "There's too much crossfire, I can't...."

Blue 2 exploded over the Buntaro's port side. But I was still too far away to do anything about it.

B1 - "Blue three, get back here. Stop shooting lasers at the destroyer until it's disabled, okay?"

Blue 3 did not answer my order.

B1 - "Blue three, I said form on my wing!"

Blue 3 was destroyed as well, and now I was on my own.

B1 - "Fine, I'll do it myself. Odin, we're going to need some search and rescue out here. Blues two and three popped their tops. I don't know where blue four went."
Odin - "Search and rescue will be on their way as soon as that star destroyer is out of commision, do you need assistance?"
B1 - "No, I took out the other two by myself, I guess I can do this one as well. As long as the A-Wings can keep the TIEs off of me"
G1 - "We'll keep you clear, just take out that destroyer."
B1 - "I'm on it!"

Even before the computer said I was in range, I had centered on the Buntaro's port shield generator. I began firing far enough out to take down the generator with nothing but lasers. I pulled up to aim at the starboard generator, and launched three of my remaining torpedoes into it. It went up in a nice fireball, and I switched to ions, arced down at the deck, and disabled the Buntaro before coming to a halt amidships. I swung around and launched my last torpedo straight at the center of the bridge where I knew it would be seen by the command staff. Switching back to lasers, I fired a constant stream until I felt someone knocking on MY door, and had to power up and pull away. Fortunately an A-wing had already arrived to dispatch the pesky TIE. I pulled over into a loop, and parked myself again in the center of the Buntaro's deck to continue firing at the bridge. It was just about to go up when I was pounded from both sides simultaneously by two more TIE's. I went to full power, recharged and rebalanced my shields, and targeted one of the TIE fighters.

B1 - "Gold wing, I thought you were going to keep these guys busy for me. Do I have to do everything myself?"

Gold wing at least could recognize a rhetorical question when THEY heard one, and there was no reply, although I could see there were still plenty of A-Wings left. I turned into the TIE's path as he was doing the same thing to me, and we both lined up for a game of space-chicken. I flipped my shields forward, cross-linked the lasers, and let him have it. He exploded right in front of me and must have been pretty scared because he tried to join me in MY cockpit. I pulled away and narrowly missed getting clobbered by the major portion of his fighter. I pulled back over and began firing at the Buntaro again. It only took about ten more shots and the Buntaro was history. The remaining TIE must have decided to get out while the getting was good, because he was no longer on my screen, but neither was a message confirming his destruction. I made a quick pass over to the Odin to check her for damage, and called it a day.

I still don't know where Blue 4 went.

Last updated 10/05/01 Site contents Copyright © 1999-2001 Mel Grubb II