There and Back Again

There I were minding my own business. I was sitting at a table doing an interview with a new possible recruit when the call came in for more pilots needed to finish the job we started on 2 days earlier. I politely concluded the interview with Murdah and headed for the POD bays. The fleet had already disembarked and were making slow progress towards Paye.

Being slowly lowered into the ship I smiled. It had been a while since I joined the Ushra’Khan that Ive had time for real Battleship work. Obligations have kept most of my activities to running Kari pipe interdiction.

The crew was exhalted too and some even were singing as the ship raced to catch up with the main fleet. I used the well laid out AAA Jumpbridge system and managed to get in touch with the main fleet just as they jumped into Keberz.

12:37 Catching up with Fleet.

As we moved trough the CONCORD partolled space I noticed I had two wingmen I seemed to warp in unison with every time. Eleniel Octere in her Apocalypse and Pete X in his Tempest. Only one of us would be in our original ship at the end of the day. Once again we made a quick stop in Agil for supplies before we moved off again. Ugleb was in his Phoon next to me and leading the fleet was Sapphrine in a Rokh.

Witout any events we eventualy reached our destination and opened fire on the declawed Starbase, which Sylph once again did not feel like defending.

At one point a manticore started to move toward the edge of the shield. “SPIKE AND RESOLUTION” I called over the intercom. “Loading” came the swift reply from the munitions master shortly followed by the electronic engineer that informed that the sensor boosters were re-calibrated for fast locking.

The manticore slip out from the shield and started a slow turn. “KAZUNG” sounded the 425mm guns as the recoil was absorbed by the hydraulic and the manticore took a single shell that simply went right through shield, armor and hull. I don’t know why he opted to slow boat out instead of warping off and cloaking. Considering the ammunition he has loaded I can only guess he was newly trained as the manticore has a perfectly good missile subsystem that support kinetic damage dealing weapons.

I resumed shooting the Starbase and watched as Akikio’s Raven painted trails of fire with his cruisemissiles.

Not long after the Starbase exploed and the plillaging began with low life and scavengers warping in under the protection of CONCORD.

We lifted some  modules and left while blowing up some of the modules so the scavengers did not get them.

When we were satisfied we formed up and prepared for the return home. Rumor was that AAA were engaging CVA forces in the system of 2J. Although heavily outnumbered the 90 ship strong AAA fleet had already traded shots with the more than double size hostile fleet but had to pull out eventualy as numbers in these kinds of battles are a quality in their own respect.

Sapphrines voice sounded over the fleet channel: “Pilots, AAA is engaged in 2J and have tried to take down the cyno jammer. They number 90 ships and are facing a 200+ Providence fleet. Ushra’Khan will hook up with AAA and even the numbers.”

A quick look at our fleet of 75 ships meant that roughly 165 of ours would be facing around 210 of theirs. Acceptable odds.

Our fleet started to make best speed towards Agil and HED-. It became apparent that we were unable to hook up with AAA in 2J- so AAA bridged in a Titan for us to use, meaning we would land in F4R and get into propper sniper ships.

We got ready in ZXIC-7 while AAA got in position on the ZXIC gate in 2J.

At 15:15 the AAA fleet warped in on the ZXIC gate and Ushra’Khan jumped in as CVA landed.

We waited with backheld breath, waiting for the sensors to recalibrate. Overview cleared and the hostiles ships loaded on the screen. An unluckyship made a wrong turn and lost the jump-in cloak.

Bubbles went up, alignment commands were called and the space were filled with death a destruction. Ugleb had changed from his Phoon into a sniper tempest that lasted 10 second under the immense fire laid upon it. My ship took a full 45 seconds to calibrate before I got in on the target calling and took down the first ship to fall victim to my 425mm guns.

The fleet commander was frantic screaming for interdictors to bubble the hostile fleet as they warped out as soon as they took damage where as the Ushra’Khan fleet only could stick it out as we were bubbled and being picked off.

I got tackled by a rifter and feared I would be called primary but as luck would have it the combination of my Warrior II drones and Harlequin D’Earth in his Hurricane made short work of it. With nothing better to do I send my drones after a Stealth Bomber.

“CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE” Amith Silvermoon yelled proclaiming the arrival of the Ushra’Khan light skirmish fleet that charged at the enemy !

For 15 minutes the fight swayed back and forth as the fleets fought for supremacy. I saw hostile Brutix micro warp driving towards a sniper ship and desided that it was time for Taarn Torayson of the Paxton federation to return to his clone vat bay. It was a disregard of fleet orders as battleships are not to engage smaller ships unles specificly told to do so but if he was blaster fited he posed a treath to my fellow fleet pilots.

The result was a victory for our slightly outnumbered fleet as we held the field and took in the screnery.

Our  fleet formed up slowly. Exhaust and steam vented into space from the ships that had taken damage.

15:35 We formed up on the local AAA Starbase and regrouped. Preparing to take down the Cyno jammer located near planet 3.

We had made several warp ins on the Starbase but only managed to do insignificant damage and picking of a stragler here and there. I noticed Pete X next to my ship once again. We saluted by turning on and off the external lights on the ships.

One and a half hour later it became clear that we would not be able to take on the Providence fleet with what we got. Ushra’Khan had taken heavy losses at the ZXIC gate and Providence on the other hand had recieved reinforcements.

Last shot was fired at 16:36 at an Eos that by mistake had seperated off the main Providence fleet. I smiled as my Caldari Navy Antimatter slugs helped transform his ship into a wreck of twisted metal.

We are at a stalemate. Status is being reviewed as we currently are down to 140 ships in various degrees of working condition.

2009.08.15 13:14 – 2009.08.15 16:41
Kills: 152     Battleship: 47   Support Cruiser: 1   Cruiser: 8   Frigate: 37   Interceptor: 24   Assault Ship: 1   Stealth Bomber: 9   Interdictor: 15   Battlecruiser: 5   Heavy Interdictor: 4   Force Recon Ship: 1

Losses: 60     Interdictor: 12   Interceptor: 3   Battleship: 34   Force Recon Ship: 3   Stealth Bomber: 1   Heavy Interdictor: 1   Heavy Assault Ship: 3   Fleet Command Ship: 1   Electronic Attack Ship: 1   Battlecruiser: 1

Alliances: Against ALL Authorities and  Ushra’Khan

Corporations: Body Count Inc., CORE Elements, Dark Knights of Deneb, H A V O C, Masuat’aa Matari, Militaris Industries, Minmatar Ship Construction Services, Mirkur Draug’Tyr, Neh’bu Kau Beh’Hude, PPN United, Phaze-9, REUNI0N, Rage and Terror, Rionnag Alba, Russian Thunder Squad, Sarz’na Khumatari, The Collective, The Littlest Hobos, Trust Doesn’t Rust, Universal Army, VVS Corporition, Valklear Guard, Warhamsters

18:48 and 6 Hours of duty… This reminds me of my younger days in KIA.

The fleet commander calls a regroup at 20:00. Our fleet warps to the ZXIC gate and jumps out just as the Providence fleet bubbles us and tries to warp in on us.

They did not feel keen on entering ZXIC as no cyno jammer meant no protection from the Titans. I told my crew to get some food, rest or whatever when we were at teh Starbase.

We regroup already at 19:38 and meet up with AAA at the 2J gate. Our leet is at 200 and we are facing a Providence fleet of 350. We are ready to jump in when all of a sudden the sensors register a spike in ships.

In warps the cavalry in the shape of 100 Atlas ships making the two fleets almost equal.

19:40 The fleet jump in and hold cloak. Buggs is unlucky and gets decloaked and that sparks for the rest of the fleet to decloak so we can get reps on him. Whatever few hostiles there is not interested in engaging. I wonder why they set up all these bubbles and then utter fail to use the oppertunity of having us all unable to warp out where as they could do so and make repping runs on us.

We proceed to the Starbase we used previously. Tension is so thick you can cut in it.

We align for the hostile Starbase at Planet 3. I run diagnostics to check everything is ready. I get some misreadings. The ship is in working condition but the fihgting has taken it toll and more than once have I needed repairs from the Guardians at the friendly Starbase. You will hold, I tell it mentally.

19:49 I yell “CHARGE !!!!” and the hostile Starbase is engaged as our fleet open fire. My mind plays a tune of it own.

19:50 The fleet is in perfect order asw e start working on the Cyno jammer that has been repaired since our former battle. I take some minor damage from the defencive structures but nothing serious.

19:52 The hostile fleet warp in on us.

The battle of 2J starts and I run the procedure of locking the primary as well as reloading guns. I know that with so many ships it will take time before we are able to lock and fire and I might as well have full guns. We are a bit too spread out for my taste. things start to pace up.

(Large)

19:53 The first shots are fired as Atlas warp in at distance. Gunners are working as fast as they can.  Target calling is loud and clear as we are working our way through the hostile fleet in alphabetic order of pilot names.

(Large)

19:55 Atlas warp in and we get Providence fleet into a crossfire, bubbles go up all over the place. A ship explode next to me and I can hear the debris hitting my structure and bouncing off.

19:56 Dog fights break out as the support ships of Ushra’Khan try to clear a path for our interdictors. Many a brave crew die in the process of holding down the hostile fleet. I don’t think about the terrified crew aboard the vessels I send to the eternal scrap heaven.

19:58 I have fallen behind and must use my microwarpdrive to catch up with the main fleet and the security of remote repairing.

19:59 Providence ships have spotted my mistake of not flying formation and two tacklers engage as I release drones. I can feel the crew is anxious as the warp core reports its functionality has stopped. To my rescue comes Tizian Enel in her Hurricane and chase off the tacklers closely followed by Neridah Tanz also in a Hurricane. The gruesome pair are on microwarpdrive and spew death at the smaller ships that are hindering the battleship fleets movement. I send them a silent thank you as I catch up with the fleet.

20:05 Providence fleet start to break and our fleetcommander is screaming for interdictors. There are plenty on the field just not in a condition to bubble anything. The Providence fleet is shattered all over and are being chased down as fleet coercion is lost.

20:08 Providence fleet is chased of the field and we hold it.

20:11 Starbase cyno jammer reengaged and we consider the battle won. Little do we know that Pandemic Legion has decided to come out and play making up for the providence losses. Ushra’Khan support ships are redirected to meet this new threat as the main fleet continue to engage the cyno jammer.

20:18 Providence fleet warp back in again when they see our support has left and round two kicks off.

20:27 The fight lasts full 10 minutes as Providence fleet is chased off again. Primaries are being called and Providence takes one in the face. 10 hostile ships get caught in a bubble that is superbly placed. I have to buy a Rum to that interdictor pilot.

20:30 Back to the cyno jammer and more slugs leave my 425mm which by now are routinely feed by the gunners.

20:41 View of the field of battle as we take down the Cyno jammer

20:44 Cyno jammer goes down. War cries erupt over the internal Ushra’Khan channels.

20:57 We continue on to declawing the Starbase and shortly after we head home. I’m to tired to hit the bar though I can see some heading there.

USHRA’KHAN LEAVE THE FIELD