WCGW Chpt 117

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==Chapter 117 - What Could Go Wrong==
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5 May 3043
Ddraig (Former Outworlds System)
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Rear Admiral Robert Vickery stood before the assembled officers aboard the Invader Class Jumpship, the SaRI Express, for the final mission briefing. "The next jump brings us to our destination. Instead of a phased arrival, we will be conducting a mass jump into the system. FSS Batavia will escort the main force into the Nadir Jump Point while FSS Smolensk will take the Zenith Jump Point along with one of SaRI's Merchant Jumpships transporting our Avenger Assault Dropship and one Seeker troop carriers carrying SaRI's two Marine Platoons. They will assist in securing any shipping discovered at the Zenith Jump Point."
"Our primary objective is to secure the Olympus Station intact along with any shipping located at the Nadir Jump Point. Colonel Mitchell is letting us use his two companies of Zero G trained Infantry to help speed this part of the operation along. They will secure any captured shipping while Major Evans leads the AFFC Marines in boarding the Olympus. The 183rd Independent Aerowing will provide CAP for the Nadir Jump Point and Olympus Station. Colonel Andrews and Colonel Mitchell agree that securing the Jump Points is vital and are delaying their move to the planet until that happens."
"Once both Jump Points are secure, CAP of the Nadir Jump Point will be provided by SaRI's Union CV Fighter Carrier and two squadrons of Aerospace. The 183rd and SaRI's Aerowings will then escort the ground forces to the planet itself. Once the ground forces are on the ground, both Aerowings will provide support as needed by the ground forces. We have two days of recharging left, so everyone make sure their equipment is ready to go."
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6 May 3043
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First Lieutenant Nathan Davis looked at the orderly book shelf that contained large ring binders, several rows of them, each containing information gleaned from the SLDF data drives. He could pull a ring binder from a unit designation or by system, each would contain the information he desired. Red binders denoted what he considered priority targets with known locations to search, blue binders denoted secondary targets where he suspected to find something, green binders denoted anything else they had gleaned from the drives, but was not considered a target, mainly system information.
For this operation, he had managed to pull surface maps of the Wokha system, while dated, it would provide locations of cities, towns, and named mountain ranges. He expected this information to be dated, but it was better than nothing. They would gather up to date information during the planned orbits of the planet. Once they secured the system, they could really get to work locating the SLDF base and he planned to suggest that the unit's Intruder Assault Dropship Intrusive, be used to perform orbits of every planet and moon in the system including the two asteroid belts. Maybe they could find something not listed. But not before he got inside that SLDF base, no telling what he might be able to dredge up in their computer system.
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8 May 3043
Wokha (Former Outworlds System)
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As the fleet's Vigilant Corvette, FSS Smolensk and the SaRI Dark Flyer, the Merchant Jumpship materialized at the Zenith Jump Point. Sensors detected nothing when they came back on from the jump interference. Under thrust, FSS Batavia began widening the search area with active radar to make sure.
There was no hiding the incoming emergence signature of such a large fleet, and it set off alarms all over the Olympus Recharge Station and Nadir Jump Point, where two Merchant Jumpships began to bring in their sails for an emergency jump from the system. The Olympus launched the six Aerospace fighters it had onboard and called for help from the surface. The arrival of FSS Batavia, the Vigilant Corvette only 4,500Km away and then when it began moving under thrust caused panic onboard both Merchant Class Jumpships.
<<"This is the FSS Batavia on open frequency. Surrender and prepare to be boarded. Any attempt to jump and you will be fired upon without further warning.">>
As FSS Batavia closed on both Merchant Jumpships, one cut away it's sail and began to activate it's jump procedures, which was quickly detected by the sensors on Batavia. "Weps, target that, Merchant. Just like we have trained, I would prefer a non-killing shot if possible." Rear Admiral Vickery ordered
"Targeting nose White Shark on Merchant Jumpship. Almost there.......firing, White Shark away." The weapons officer announced
The White Shark capital missile reached the Merchant Jumpship before the crew could even get ready for it. The White Shark slammed into the Merchant Jumpships midships and detonated, removing almost all the thin armor in that section. It was the shock damage that rippled thru the ship that did most of the damage. The Jump Core went into an emergency shut down from the shock effects, the ships reactor scrammed which caused the Merchant to lose power. Two shuttles launched from FSS Batavia carrying a boarding party of AFFC Marines.
>>"We surrender, holy crap, we surrender."<< Came across the open frequency from the second Merchant Jumpship. Two more shuttles launched from FSS Smolensk to board her.
Aerospace fighters from the 183rd Independent Aerowing and SaRI Aerowing had launched from their respective carriers and in a fierce but short fight destroyed the six pirate Aerospace fighters launched by the Olympus Recharge Station. The 183rd Aerowing then proceeded to escort both AFFC Intruder Dropships carrying the Marine boarding parties to the Olympus Station. Performing a forced entry, the AFFC Marines stormed the Olympus Station and secured it after a 4 hour operation with minimal casualties. Major Evans came over the secure radio frequency <<"Station is secured. We have bonus Admiral; all the dry docks are occupied. You have a Merchant Jumpship in the big one and an Overlord in one and old Jumbo Cargo Dropship in the other.">>
With both Jump Points secure, the ground invasion force formed up their Dropships and began the almost 3 day trip to the habitable planet.
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