Posted by Commander Richard “Ricochet” O’Shea (Cmd Air Group (CAG)) in Fighters and Runabout, Entering the Antioch System

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Ael Khev (Pilot, Grn Squad) in Fighters and Runabout, Entering the Antioch System

Posted by Gamemaster Kenson Koh (Gamemaster) in Fighters and Runabout, Entering the Antioch System
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

<snip>

=^=Mirri, this is Ricochet. We’ll keep relaying information to you, but Green Squads going in for a closer look. I want to figure out what’s giving off that microwave radiation. Sehlat, Apex, lead us in. Let’s try to pinpoint the source of that radiation. Maybe the fighters will be small enough to avoid detection.=^=

Ricochet (CAG)

As the fighters went closer, they became aware of a ‘hum’ that they could perceive. They did not actually hear it, rather that they felt it and it was annoying …

The crew on board the shuttle also felt the ‘hum’. It was an annoying and persistent ‘hum’.

• GM

“What the hell?” Apex whispered. =/\=Is everyone feeling this or is something wrong with my bird?=/\= God how he hoped something was wrong with his fighter.

-Lt.(j.g.) Ael Khev, Apex

=^=Roger that, Apex,=^= came Ricochet’s reply. He could feel the hum as well. It almost seemed like the hum of a starship. But that, you got used to the longer you spent on a ship until you barele noticed it. This was more. . . intense. Ric decided by the time you could get used to this hum, it would either shake your teeth loose, or drive you insa. Neither option sounded pleasant.

=^=I’ve got it as well,=^= the response came from Xandra. The tension in her voice making it obvious that she wasn’t crazy about it, either.

Adjusting his sensors, he attemped to find a correlation between the hum and the microwave emissions coming from the planet.

=^=Green squad, pull back to the range we first picked up the microwave signals. Let’s see if this “hum” and microwaves are uni- or omni-directional. Maybe we can approach the planet from another direction. That goes for you too, Mirri.=^=

Ricochet (CAG)

As they moved away the hum’s effect was reduced. They found that there was a circular region of a radius of about 4000 km emanating from the planet surface and the circle expands as the microwave leaves the planet’s atmosphere. The microwave’s strength seems to dissipate the moment they are about 10,000 kilometres from the planet surface. The Dragoon is actually about 1,200 kilometres from the planet surface and within the circle of influence.

-GM

Mirri maintained her trajectory and flight path. She waited for additional orders.

Helm

Now that they had a clearer image of the radiation coming from the planet, Ric decided it was time to pinpoint what was causing the emissions from the surface.

=^=Mirri, contact the Olinski and let them knew the situation and dimensions of that wave. I’m taking Green Squad in for a closer look. Copy?=^=

=^=Sehlat, you and Apex take a position on the starboard side of that wave. Papa Bear and I will be on the port. Maintain a position 180 degrees adjacent to us. We’re going to spiral down to the planets surface. Start at a distance of 4500 km from the center point and 10,000 km from the surface. Proceed in a clockwise direction, narrowing the radius while lowering the altitude. Maintain a distance of 100 km from the center, if we can. I want to get a visual on that oven on the surface. Copy, team?=^=

Ricochet (CAG)

As the fighters were moving closer and closer, the hum came back again. Then Sehlat’s ship seems to stop moving in the spiral and moves straight to the centre.

On the surface, they were able to locate several emitters of the microwaves.

-GM

Xandra tried over and over to correct. =^=Ric, I’ve got a problem. I’ve been locked out of my systems, or locked on to, or… something,=^= he would be able to hear the controlled strain as she fought the controls and the problem. =^= You guys should back off..=^= the panic rising slightly despite trying to calm herself, =^=don’t get caught…=^= She hoped they would catch her warning before getting caught in the… whatever it was.

As she headed for the surface, not of her own will, she tried to take as many readings externally as she could.

Xandra
“Sehlat”

Xandra’s head was also spinning because of the hum. At first, she thought that the systems were not responding. Then to her horror, she realised that her body seemed to be acting on its own. When she decided to change course, her hand went to the right controls at first, then instead of pushing the co-ordinates her head was telling her to do, her hands pushed a different set of co-ordinates. As the hum became even more unbearable, she found that she was not able to utter what her mind wanted to say. Her voicebox did not obey her mental commands.
-GM

=/\=Sehlat?=/\= … =/\=Do you copy? Please respond.=/\= Ael didn’t like it. His wingman was descending solo towards the planet, unresponsive to comms. =/\=CAG, what’s the plan?=/\= He had to respect the chain of command. He couldn’t just do whatever he wanted.

-Lt.(j.g.) Ael Khev, Apex

How the hell did she get close enough to get sucked into that wave, Ric Thought. Chances are that’s what happened to the Dragoon as well, but right now, getting Xandra out of there was his main concern.

=^=Mirri, can you get a transporter lock or tractor lock on Green Leader. We’ve lost contact with her. Apex, Papa bear, keep your distance, but follow her down to the surface (if that’s where she’s headed). Keep sensors as well as visual locked on Sehlat.=^=

Ric kept his own fighter at a safe distance and joined the other two pilots, with both sensors, and visual.

=^=Olinski, this is Ricochet. Green Leader has been caught in a microwave field being generated from the planet. We were trying to follow it to its source when she got plucked. We’ve lost all contact with her. Chances are, that’s the same thing that has happened to the Dragoon. Scanning for life signs on Green Leaders bird.=^=

Ricochet (CAG)

=^=Ric if you can hear us we have a microwave enabled torpedo ready to fire on the coordinates of that beam. I need something from you guys.=^=

Parker CO