Appigan comms back, ["Transferring delivery now. Take off to follow new loading."]

  He nods  as he Looks around,..Dragon flight?.. take yer last bit of  circles around the hulk.. I'll COM ya when the Vipers  come out....

 ..Hydras?.. Go have  Fun.. I'll  'ang on 'ere when the beaver comes out..and turn them over ta ya

 he makes   a smaller pattern, over the distance  between the two  arks as he lets the others  enjoy their   flight time.

"Hydra Two, copy that, Dragon Leader." Mariko says, a little excitement creeping into her voice.

"Hydra Two to Hydra One - ready to let these birds fly after a century of sitting?" She asks and gives her Hellcat her head, ecstatic as the acceleration slams her back against the seat.

  there is a bit of a chuckle,..you Hydra  Folks?.. keep gun cams  on and COMs open... never know what  the Cams will 'ear  or see , that we don't... but the Bridge folks will...

"Copy that, Dragon Leader. We have our heads on a swivel too and are checking DRADIS." Mariko replies as she flips her Hellcat into a roll. Being out in the Black in the Hellcat felt incredible; all the power that was at her fingertips.

   As his  circuit takes him around he watches his  people, who have  opened up their  range, knowing they were getting pulled back in soon.

  he'll watch the  two Hydras  as  well.  waiting for the shuttle  to break from the  hanger doors.

"Viper leader to Dragon leader. Switch to channel seven," Timochev's voice comes over the comm. A simple order, a mundane task, and yet the implications were severe. Channel seven, the one channel the bridge could not monitor.
Giving Kray a moment to switch over Timochev continues.
"Lieutenant, what, in your opinion, do we have here? An accident, or a deliberate destruction of a colony ship? Is there a chance we are walking into a trap? Speak freely."

 flicking over and hearing  Yuri's  question.,..too right, I'll speak bloody freely!.... when  I woke up with a  small hand full o'blokes, we  ended up havin' to  break inta the  Recators... THat LT SEC lady, guided us.. Marco helped us a bit..but he was, bloody compromised...if i didn't know better? I'd say  he woke us up to save us..an'  'course  'imself...

 Now that patterson Bloke, bloody good  fella.. but  got real sick....

 ..now?.. all that made be real easy?..  I checked your Pod, when i found out a bloody Rhino was missin'... an' I managed to figure out there was that extra  space on Marco...

 ..so?.. someone didn't want us to bloody succeed... I'm no bloody  engineer, but i'll tell you what?.. that damage on the back end ? I'm bettin' those poor bastards  didn't get to thier  rector in time....So?  someone didn't want  Earth folks to survive...or?... only wanted a certain ship ta survive....Now?.. I don't  know  all what's goin' on... on Marco right now?... But  you can bet, there isn't anythin' nice on the Da Gamma..be nice if we could salvage it...may be tow it along...maybe theremight even be folks  still alive?.. I dunno... But i would go in there expectin' bad  stuff.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:55, Sat 18 Nov 2017.

"Agreed there," Timochev replied, his voice stern. "I hear they had the same destination we had, Alpha Centauri, and according to all the news Marco has filtered out, there is no GNA colony ever established there."
A moment of silence...

"However, there does seem to suddenly have been an american colony established there. I wonder how, as they launched their first colony ship way later than we did, and it seems to have travelled those six lightyears in only one, establishing the colony too in that same time. No I too am not a rocket scientist, but unless they have a means of faster than light travel... they didn get there on their own..."

Shadow noticed the four Hellcats of Viper flight being launched, circling around the exits of the hangar bays.

"So who can we trust Shadow? Are the americans on board okay? Like Wallace for instance? Or are they all possible traitors? Or am I just seeing things that aren't there?"

  Shadow is   silent  for a moment... YOu vetted all yer  pilots  but me?  right? they all served, trained together?.. You pulled me from the rack.. I don't have any conncetions..least ways ..none that are alive... I had some....extra  train' an' all.. but i don't have  any one  ta report to? 'cept you and the MAjor?

 he  frowns  as he adds,..piltos are a wee bit differant then normal Folks?  Kelly didn't seem ta mind me too much, not only was i a bleedin' 'new guy'..but i was also  a flight leader over  the others?.. so?.. if they accept  me?  they should be good.. pilots  tend to stick together....'less there is somethin' they are worried about.

 a bit of  quiet again,..an'  if there is a pilot that's gone  bad... I'm bettin' i'm the first one they talk to..since they know I don't have  any links to anyone else here?

 A soft chuckle is added as he says,..right now?.. we gotta  look for thigns that aren't there... that's how  we found the Bloody De Gamma... and how Wild Bill found that Pod?....One thin' for sure? we get someone  who we can question... we need ta be as nasty as we need to..ta  find out ...'casue?  this is  it?.. we don't have  no more   mates out there to send help...

Hanger--->

<Bucky Beaver to space control we are enroute with marine search detail.>

Appigan looks over his shoulder to call to the marines.

"So where do you want to go in? Airlock? Hanger bay? Cut your own?"

As the Beaver departs, the second shuttle is launched right after, falling in line with Appigan's crew.
"Bucky Beaver this is Sergeant LaPlage, shuttle two. The marine sergeant here would like a first hand look of the hulk before deciding upon a spot. Personally I think we should see if we can get into one of the hangars, so we don't have to use the tethers. This shuttle has been sleeping for a hundred odd years, I'm not sure she is up for it yet."
With the comms of shuttle two not quite off yet Apple hears LaPlage tell his crew he wants a cool callsign too. The section leader of the marines he is transporting meanwhile sticks his head into the cockpit so he can have a first hand look of his own, letting out a soft whistle as the remains of the DaGama come into view.
To Geoffry's left and right Hellcats fall into formation, escorting the two shuttles.

Appigan ponders briefly.

<Copy that Double Down.>

He smirks giving Shuttle Two an interm callsign. Back to his professional tone Appigan speaks with confidence.

<Bucky Beaver to Double Down. Run hazard approach procedures. Pilot slow on the stick and forward visuals. Copilot on DRADIS running for debris and lifepods. Engineer on visual side and rear.

Bucky Beaver will approach on Z normal to De Gamma. Double Down invert to watch the other half of the sphere. Mutual approach toward De Gamma's hanger.>

In space craft can be near each other but flipped relative to each other. This points their turrets and windows in different directions for good spherical awareness.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:19, Sat 18 Nov 2017.

  Shadow watches the shuttles leave the hanger and two   Hellcats   fly out. He lets his flight, MAriko and her  wingman shake down thier   aircraft, while he  flies over watch.


 As the shuttles cruise   the De Gamma,  Shadow says to  Yuri,.. Ya know, Yuri?  them shuttles  could unload , pretty easy where the reactors Blew?..an' there's a Damn good bet there isn't any booby traps back there.. After what happened top us?... we gott figure  it happened  'ere too?

"Good point Dragon One."
As the two shuttles approached the hulk, the lead Hellcat of Viper squad, Commander Yuri timochev, banked left, away from the shuttles, to allow himself a clear visual of the aft section of the DaGama. Once he was confident a team could board there he opened his comms, hailing the shuttles.
"Shuttles One and Two, viable point of entry aft, deck 15, between the two main engines. At least, what remains of them. Tethers will be required as you cannot land there. I hope you boys checked your gear."

"Hydra One and Two, fly overwatch as the shuttles unload, then start circling the Polo and DaGama, each fly by ten clicks bigger. At a 50 click radius, return to base. Keep recording, and let me know if you encounter anything."

"Shadow, get your flight something to eat, we might need you lot back up here again depending on what we find in the hulk."

  Shadow checks his  people One more Time  and says into  all COMs,..Alright , Mates? Time for  Us ta take our ladies  'ome.. Dragon Flight  ta the HAngers... file your reports, I'll meet  and  an' eat..and Debrief ourslves...

    he  keeps circling   until his flight  forms  up  then sends  them in With Kelly first..and him last..


Shadow to Hanger>>>>>>>>>

"Hydra Two to Viper Actual, copy fly overwatch on shuttles then perimeter flights in 10 klick intervals out to 50 klicks then return to base. Gun cams on, comms open. Over."

Mariko lights up and changes course to intercept the shuttle. "Hydra Two to Hydra One - here we go."

<Bucky Beaver copies change of entry point to by the engines. Double Down same formation while we close. Much more debris risk in that area. Bucky Beaver will tether down first then the Double Down.>

With an eye to the other formation keeping Appigan guides the shuttle on graceful turns to the newly designated point. Once there he moves the shuttle into close range for tethering.

(OOC: Im not sure how the tethers work. Do we fire them off or to people tie them off? Do our spacesuits have mag-boots or something for walking on the exterior hulls? If so we probably would have the same tech on the shuttle tethers. They could fire, mag-lock then winch the shuttle in slowly like how helicopters land on ships in rough seas.)

"Hydra Two to Bucky Beaver, we're on overwatch again until you unload, headed to your position now."

She slows down her main thrusters and goes to vectored thrust to manoeuver into position.

The Bucky Beaver reaches the aft of the hulk that was once the DaGama, where massive holes have blown out three of the four engines, and burned the one that remained to a blackened crisp. From outside they can all clearly see several decks have ruptured and been opened to the vacuum of space, anything that had not been bolted down long gone.
There are ample places for the magnetic tethers to hook up, but for that to work Appigan has to match the exact speed of the drifting hulk. One error, and the shuttle becomes another towed coffin in its wake, or it will snap the tethers and anyone attached to them.

Meanwhile Mariko circles the area, looking for any signs of trouble. Her Hellcat responds perfectly to her commands, operating well within its optimal limits. To her right Hydra One seems to be leaking some kind of fluid from its left engine however, sending tiny droplets out into the vast expanse of space.

Mariko’s comms are open so the squadrons and flight ops can hear her. “Hydra Two to Hydra One, you have a fluid leak from your left engine. Repeat- fluid leak left engine. Hydra Two to CAG- recommend Hydra One return to the Marco for evaluation. I can continue CAP until another squad launches.”

In reply to Space (msg # 122):

Appigan looks the Da Gamma's damaged areas over. He takes a nervous breath in. In true veteran fashion making a quiet expression regarding the officers.

"Couldn't just go to the nice smooth hanger deck. Hotshot fighter pilot officer wants our big ass shuttles to slide around like we're teeny girls in dance shoes."

He gives a glance to co-pilot Bartocz then back to his screen.

...Course the risk to the shuttle is offset by less risk to the marines walking into booby traps, if they even bothered laying explosives other than at their primary target...

He starts to softly sing tune from Mary Poppins:

"It's a wonderful day with Mary"

He taps the controls as gently as he can.

Apple quickly discovers that tapping the controls gently simply will not do in the gravitational pull of the drifting hulk. His efforts to keep the shuttle steady in a parallel hover alongside the engines is met with heavy turbulence. There is no way he will be able to keep the Bucky safe and steady for the marines to use the tetherline. At best they might be able to jump over, but using the hangar would be by far the safer bet.
"Bucky Beaver this is Two. I don't know about you, but I'm not risking my shuttle here in this wake. Better check the hangar entry right?"

***

Hydra One immediately breaks formation as Mariko warns Lieutenant Mpinkele of the leak, setting a direct course to the Polo's hangar bays.
"Thank you for the heads-up Hydra Two. All systems here show green, so I have no idea what I am leaking. Control, Hydra One returning to bay with a leakage. Viper squadron, be advised, Hydra Two is on her own."

<"Oh lovely suggestion sir!">

Appigan was eager to fire a pulse of thrusters away from the wake toward clear space. The shuttle 'bucks' in the maneuver. Passengers and crew a like jolted by the experience. He steers back to outside the Da Gamma's hanger bay.

"Hey, Bartosz. Try to get a data link to the Da Gamma's ILS*. Maybe we are lucky. It can give us a flight path indicator. We won't go to automatic control. We'll verify visually our manual approach."

Appigan steers the Bucky Beaver for a hanger landing on Da Gamma.


* : ILS = Instrument Landing System. An airport or carrier can transmit data to landing vehicles. The vehicle compares the ILS signal and the planes motion to display a suggested flight path.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:20, Mon 20 Nov 2017.

Mariko uses her attitude thrusters to keep an eye on the two shuttles until they touch down, having matched the rotation of the wreckage.

"Hydra Two to Bucky Beaver and Shuttle Two: I have your six whilst you get inside the wreckage. Sound off if you need something."

She speaks with a thick Japanese accident but is obviously well conversant with English.

"Hydra Two to CAG, be advised I'm on station with the shuttles. Everything is five by five."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:21, Sun 26 Nov 2017.