>>6055883Assessing the rapidly approaching danger of the minefields and flanking opponents, you quickly come up with a plan.
>>6056250“Alright people, listen up!” You bark over the comms, “We’re going to clear out the Centre and Bottom sectors of mines and leave the Top ones alone. Kiro, you lock up the lead enemy fighter and I’ll punch their ticket with a seeker after those mines soften them up. Coen and Cleo, get us down to Sector B and stay frosty. We might not get all the mines down there.”
“Yepyep! Wilco, Dal!”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Ha, I could dodge mines with my eyes closed!”
The chorus of responses fills you with confidence and you leave the plan in your crew’s capable hands while you focus on your own duties. You arm the missile in ordnance rack #1, configuring its variable yield warhead to produce a blast instead of an electromagnetic pulse — you’re counting on those mines dealing with the enemy's shields for you. As your fire control board indicates the master arm is active, you wait with hands hovering over the targeting computer anticipating the lock. The scanner indicates your foes creeping further out to your flank, no doubt setting up a strafing run to coincide with you entering the minefields.
“C’mon Kiro, where's my tone?” You comm.
“Almost got a fix, bro. Cool your thrusters… annnnddd… Got it! Solid lock, it's Matt and Sophia so I’m designating the target ‘MS-03’, which will make the other ‘RN-04’.” Kiro crows excitedly, his earlier protests over your straightforward naming conventions forgotten in the moment.
“Uh, looks like they have the same idea guys! They’re spiking you! Blast those mines, Cleo, and then go evasive, I’ll clear you some space down below.”
“Guess it's time for some fancy flying after all.” Cleo hums contentedly, “You know how to work the autopilot, right?”
>>6056522>>6056563>Kiro uses [LOCK] and locks target designated ‘MS-03’ (orange chevron).>Coen uses [EVADE] and [AUTOPILOT] moving to sector B.>Cleo uses {EVADE] and [LASER: AUTO] and destroys 4 out of 5 mines in sector C.>Foe ‘NB-04’ uses [LOCK] and targets your fighter, ‘CD-01’.>Dallas uses [AUTOPILOT] moving to sector B.>Kiro uses {LASER: AUTO] and destroys 4 out of 5 mines in sector B.Your targeting computer buzzes as your missile accepts the locked target and you watch through the viewport as your wingmate peels off — Coen executing a precise evasive roll and dive. Cleo jukes and jinks your own fighter as she walks the automatic LASER fire over the minefield, nailing most of them. Unfortunately, you’ve been left as the prime target for the enemy and the telltale wail of a sensor lock makes you break out into a cold sweat despite this being only a simulation.
You quickly direct your fighter to follow Coen’s dive, glad that the autopilot could handle the smooth descent even as the viewport darkens to prevent the blinding flashes of Kiro’s LASER fire from blinding you.
