The two veritechs move into position for the combat air patrol, and remain at the velocity of 0.25G’s while using veriner thrusters to make course corrections and adjust direction.

In reply to Darkside Trooper (msg # 1):

The launch itself was fairly uneventful, though he always marveled more at acceleration in zero-g. Along the ingress, he busied himself, establishing data links to the Cat's Eye, Rabbit, Skipper and with Sunshine. He would never use them all at once, though could use them in a composite, or cycle between data sources. Deep space networking, if you will.

[Private to GM: Skill Check:
Computer Use: 16:23, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 32 using 1d100 ((32))/78: PASS]

Satisfied, he selected the "Kitty" as his primary source, and his wingman his second. Skipper third, then "Bunny." The final data stream came from SDF-1. Then, he called "Buddy Spike on Reindeer 17!" over the tacnet, using a radar beam to tag Skipper. He used that data to calibrate his search and weapons radar and IRST, along with Targeting Systems. Then he checked the nav computer against celestial navigation vs. the SDF-1's relative position and his own just to make sure his presets were correct and accounted for any conditions needed to be seen. He engaged all radar and missile warnings. Finally, he checked fuel capacity.

[Private to GM: Skill Check:
Weapon Systems 16:34, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 45 using 1d100 ((45)/60): PASS.
Read Sensors: 16:36, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 8 using 1d100 ((8)/55: Pass).
Navigation/Space: 16:43, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 26 using 1d100 ((26))/60: Pass.
General piloting/fuel calculation basic maneuvering and gauge watching: 16:44, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 43 using 1d100 ((43))/75: Pass.
ECM: 16:52, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 93 using 1d100 ((93))/50: Fail.
ECM: Fail
ECM: Fail]

When ordered to break and proceed to the patrol waypoint, he turned toward it, keeping his radar and IRST in search/nav. He fired the main engines to accelerate to a cruising velocity, then coasted on. Scanning and listening, nearly silently in the black and silence of the night. of endless night.

As he rolled away, he keyed his mic in response.



"Reindeer Four reading five by five. Ingressing to station, nose hot. Having a hard time calibrating RWR but functioning within spec... Will run diagnostic. Happy hunting. Reindeer 4 out."

He cycled the power on the RWR again and re-engaged, crossing his fingers. It still showed an error, but was better than it was. He'd run a diagnostic along the way and try to recalibrate. It was functioning well, but he was a bit of a perfectionist. Fucking papa oscar sierra...

[Private to GM: Skill roll ECM, fail, but only by 6]

Then he keyed to Sunshine. "Reindeer 4 to Reindeer Niner," he said switching to VHF. "You doing alright back there, Matlock? I can't fine tune my RWR, but it's reading green. What say we go in line abreast to waypoint one, doing a 360 sweep about every 5 mikes? Sound off if you need a pit-stop..." Speaking of that, he was glad he wore adult diapers, thinking of the American aviator with the "Kidnapping thing a few years back." What was her name, Novak?

Launching into space for patrol is little different from when he first arrived and was sent out to so search-and-rescue.  The acceleration, the shift from 1 gravity to no gravity, the vastness surrounding his view from the cockpit.
He maneuvers the plane into his proper position using telemetry readings from the ship and the surveillance planes.  Watching his instruments, he still scans out the cockpit bubble.  Never in his life had he ever expected to go into space.
It dawns on him that he is not just a fighter pilot any more.  He has joined that illustrious corps of astronauts. He thinks back on history, reminded of the crazy West Virginia mountain man with exceptional eyesight who flew planes in combat in three wars, was the first to break the sound barrier (not just the first time, but multiple), and was even the man to train the first astronauts, despite never becoming one himself.  General Chuck Yeager, the only Air Force general to insist flying the plane himself when he travelled by military aircraft.  He wondered what he was up to now.  Last he had read, the general had retired from the military to work as an aircraft engineering consultant.  Douglas had been surprised not to see the Legendary pilot on Macross Island for the ceremony.  After the attack, was he even still alive?
The young pilot breaks off that line of thinking before he starts wondering about his parents, and friends and other family members.  He goes back to watching his instruments and listening for radio chatter.
19:51, Today: Douglas Jennsen rolled 26 using 1d100 with rolls of 26.  Sensory Equipment @ 45%.

In reply to Douglas Jennsen (msg # 3):

Gangnam switched Using the data-feed to Jennsen, Gun Ho sent a transmission about halfway to the starting waypoint. "Sunshine? Gangham. Let's try a little maneuver. We're just coasting now, so why not let's try a scanning sweep? I'll go counter-clockwise in X, Y and Z, using verniers, and you go clockwise, opposite me. We'll continue our ingress along this heading, just gyroscope our craft to scan through 360 degrees in 3-d? This will give us a good look all around us, and switch it up to air search mode. This will be sort of a practice, and will allow us to scan all around us. We'll repeat in five minutes along the ingress and again at an irregular interval. Pull a 360 sweep anytime you like, just keep your velocity constant. I say again, hold heading and current velocity, just rotate 360 through every access. We'll scan in a ball. In space, it's sort of like playing gyroscope to create a rotodome. It's almost as good as a cat's eye out here."

He demonstrated, gyrating his plane in all 360 degrees in the X, Y and Z around his craft, keeping the fighter on the way to the waypoint. It was simple, but lamped a lot of space in the process. Any contact would get a look-see with the EuroFIRST PIRATE, most likely an astroid, but who knew... Maybe I can find Pioneer 10 out here...

He tried re-calibrating the RWR again, just trying to optimize performance or fine tune it as needed.

[Private to GM: Skill check ECM 21:45, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 69 using 1d100 ((69)). Another fail... Wah!
Skill check: Read sensors, 3D/360 air sweep:
21:48, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 99 using 1d100 ((99)).Fail ]

"Showing clear skies, and sunshine, Sunshine, recheck in five mikes, if you confirm. Starting at... Mark."

He checked the Cat's Eye's feed to see if it was seeing the element, and if his scope was clear, too. A contact could break up monotony, but it could be fatal. He remained buried on the scopes, breaking irregularly for visual scanning.

In reply to Gun Ho Pak (msg # 4):

A fair minute had gone by since Gangnam transmitted to Jennsen, going un-copied. Weird things could happen in space. Sour air, the bends, nitrogen narcosis. Pretty much everything a scuba diver could see times ten..
.
"Gangnam to Reindeer Niner? You holding up back there? Everything a-o-k? Just a quick soundoff, if you would, please."

He sipped his own water, to remain hydrated. "Hey you need water or a few calories?"

Busy trying the maneuver you suggested, he responds.  Hopefully without over-compensating and having regain my position.  They also changed out my RADAR from ground attack
Unfortunately, his voice is strained as he has lost control and struggles to regain it.  Happily, he pulls it out of a spin that had somehow gotren too fast.  He even somehow manages to pay attention to his sensors.
08:21, Today: Douglas Jennsen rolled 21 using 1d100 with rolls of 21.  Sensory Equipment @ 45%.
08:21, Today: Douglas Jennsen rolled 41 using 1d100 with rolls of 41.  Regain control.
08:21, Today: Douglas Jennsen rolled 68 using 1d100 with rolls of 68.  Veritech @ 55%.

This message was last edited by the player at 18:14, Mon 25 Mar 2019.

In reply to Douglas Jennsen (msg # 6):

"Alright, don't fight her. You've got it with a little finesse. There ya go... Remember, no air resistance, no lift or aerodynamic forces. Valkyrie is about twice as electric as a Viper and 5 times more maneuverable. Let her do the work with gentle encouragement." He smile and conducted his own 360 degree sweep in a leisurely rotation on all axises. "This your first combat hop?"

Why not? It's only my second combat hop...

[Private to GM: Skill Checks:
Read Sensors: 84/60 fail
ECM 55/50 fail
Piloting 39/75 pass]

For now, he flew on and listened for chatter or instructions, watching scopes and added a little visual scanning for maximum situational awareness. He used his radio to scan for "other" transmissions.

[Private to GM: Skill check:
Radio basic to scan all frequencies 55/70, pass...]

Pak, almost immediately after tagging Reindeer 17 with a 'Buddy Spike' there is a spike in return from Reindeer 17 followed by an indication that your bird has just been locked up and is being tracked. (Continuous tone). Given the level of reply, it would be akin to having poked a bear, and now that bear has stood up and is growling at you.

Kiroileva Siili, the 'Swearing Hedgehog', is 'swearing' at you.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:54, Wed 27 Mar 2019.

Yes, Douglas responds as he regains control, but not my first time in the Black.  I don't think I'll do that again.
He goes back to scanning, starting to wonder if there is a way he could set the autopilot for the CAP.  Probably another bad idea.

Reindeer Four receives a return radar spike and then a subsequent continuous tone lasting ten seconds indicating a radar lock.

[Private to Gun Ho Pak: At this point your get a notification that the European designed/built electronic warfare jammer on your veritech has suddenly stopped working. A quick assessment indicates that there is something wrong and it is no longer operable.]

---

The first Combat Air Patrol comes and goes with nothing out of the ordinary occurring other then Reindeer 4’s ECM breaking down. The decision is made to keep Reindeer 4 on station.

---

For the second Combat Air Patrol, Reindeer 4’s ECM is back up and running.

---

At three hours and thirty-nine minutes and twenty-seven seconds into the third Combat Air Patrol what would later be known as ‘The Battle of Pluto’ begins.

The four wing pairs from Hävittäjälentolaivue 11 are at the UES Macross’ Ten O’clock (relative to the vessels bow) when (what must be) several hundred thousand kilometers away from the UES Macross’ Ten O’clock (again relative to the vessels bow) five large neon green balls of bright light appear. One ball is significantly larger than the other four. The attached RC-4C (Callsign Golpher Nine) vectors towards the nearest wingpair (Vermillion 7 & Akula 6).

OOC: You’re in ‘combat’ now. Please make one post. Please DO NOT wait for the other character in your wing pair to post. One of my pet peeves is a player stating “I’m waiting for so and so to post” in a situation where I have not noted a posting order.

In reply to Douglas Jennsen (msg # 9):

On the 3rd CAP:

Hearing Jennsen sound off he smiled... The kid was alright. "Hey, so how do you think March Madness is going?" he said on the VHF. "You're doing fine, Matlock. You pulling for Wildcats? Think Gillespie will keep the job? I got into basketball when I was posted to Nellis. UNLV! Basketball isn't so big in Korea... It's like we're a country of short people or something. Everything still showing green on your monitors? Nothing to report here."

He executed another 360 degree sweep on three axises looking for anything and everything that wouldn't squawk on his IFF, figuring astroids or anything else would stand out like sore thumbs in the void of space. Anything pinged, he'd check the IFF, then the PIRATE for a visual ID. Unless the Jolly Green Giants found them in this back of beyond corner of the solar system, it would be a long, quiet ride home. And that was okay by Pak.

Then the call from 17 with possible bogeys on screen. <b>Maybe it won't be so quiet afterall...</b> Then looked about for any "green flashes." He keyed the mic again to Jennsen, "Tally ho! Go nose cold and stay frosty back there, Matlock... " He switched his own radar to passive reception, going naked now, but not yet getting a spike. Then he throttled back from the advised patrol velocity by 10% to stand out less as a "moving target," and conserve mass for use in ACM


[Private to GM: Skill Checks:
Pilot: Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 67 using 1d100 ((67)) PASS.
ECM (passive detection, RWR):12:27, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 30 using 1d100 ((30)) PASS.
Read Sensors (IRST):
12:28, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 40 using 1d100 ((40)): PASS.

Dodge Rolls:
12:39, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 47 using 5d20 ((19,5,9,2,12)). Add +12 to all rollie pollies.]

In reply to Gun Ho Pak (msg # 11):

"Jennsen? Clear to arm, but status is weapons hold. I say again, arm but hold." With that, he turned his master armament switch to the "Live" setting, selecting missiles, and setting his radar and HUD, still in passive mode, to air combat, doing a brief "wiggle" yawing from left to right to make sure the gunsight tracked carefully and remained on heading.

"When we have a solid contact and confirm bogeys are bandits, I have a trick I want us to try. When we ingress on their position, pitch over 180 degrees, pop two chaffs apply deceleration thrust for five seconds, then pitch down to keep nose on heading and return to former velocity. It's an old ICBM trick to fool ABM's. When the warhead bus separates from the upper chaff, it would spit chaff in front to draw fire... Same when the mirvs split from the bus, sometimes even using dummy MIRVS to draw fire. When we get a bandit spike and lock, we'll ask about going hot on sensors and some active radar jamming. Penetration aids. You tracking?"

[Private to GM: Skill Check, Weapon Systems:
15:00, Today: Gun Ho Pak rolled 20 using 1d20 ((20)) PASS.]
This message was last edited by the player at 01:40, Fri 29 Mar 2019.

Shit, Douglas mutters as he sees the bogies materialize.  Reindeer 9 tracking bogies passive, he confirms to Gangnam.
He settles himself into that Zen state he goes into on the range.  He had not had much oppurtunity to use the combat simulators back at the air base, but he had made it through the SERE portion of flight school, and he knew that Zen meditational state helps keep emotion under control when anger or fear could cost him his, or someone else their, life.  Without thinking, he flips switches to arm his weapon systems and prep them all to fire.
This message was undeleted by the player at 20:14, Fri 29 Mar 2019.