Mission: Destroy Voinian Supply Convoy.

The system Centauri is engulfed in light as the majestic cruiser exits hyperspace into orbit around the lone planet. The Captain is giving orders to the fighter fleet.

"Fighter fleet Crimson, I have a mission for you. We have gotten word from a Voinian defector that a freighter convoy should be passing through the Vorik system soon. This convoy is carrying military backup, both as neutron rifles and armor plates. Destroying this convoy will give our main front the advantage it needs. We have outfitted all of your ships with Ramscoops for the trip there, and they are armed and waiting in the bay. You are to leave at 0600 hours."

The captain of the fleet, a young female pilot named Crimson, speaks for the fleet "Yes, sir. We'll destroy the fleet easily- no problem."

The captain mutters "I hope so..."

A few hours later the fighter fleet's engines power up. "This is Crimson to docking computer, we're on our way". A second later 10 United Earth fighters leave the bay, lead by the graceful Chaos Star. "Crimson to fleet. Ready to kick some Voinian butt?"

The fighters give their war yell in reply.

The fighter fleet jumps from system to system, being careful to stay away from Voinian ships until they hit Vorik. They warp in, and are out of fuel. Their ramscoops are slowly refilling their fuel, and they scan the system..... empty. Not even a supply ship. Something doesn't feel right...

All of a sudden the sensors screech. A fleet is entering the system. Crimson's wingman says "Its about time! We need to teach the Voinians not to be late!" The lone fighter shoots forward, and is blown up immediately by rockets and neutron turrets.

"It's a damn battle group! It's a trap! Crimson to fighters, warm up the Blaze cannons, we're in for a fight!"

The fighter fleet sours gracefully toward the Voinian scum, but has to turn back as a veritable wall of rockets come at them. Crimson scans the vessels, 5 frigates and a cruiser. "Well, this is Crimson, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that it's not a very big fleet. I've seen much bigger fleets take on the UES Earth and get annihalated. The bad news, is that the UES Earth is way out of range to give us backup. We're on our own."

The nine fighters fall into attack pattern 'wolf' and attempt another pass toward the battlegroup. The fighters take turns passing the lead frigate, searing its hull with blaze blasts, and the cruiser starts to release it's compliment of fighters. Several rockets sear toward the frigate, with the words "From Crimson, with love", and hit their target, and disable the frigate.

The slower Voinian fighters are released, and speed toward the Crimson fleet, but are easily knocked back by rockets and blaze. The Voinian fighters launch their rockets at a larger distance, but most are evaded by Crimson and her wingmen. One of the younger pilots is too slow however, and hits a rocket, the impact shooting him back into another, and his fighter is engulfed in flames. The two fighter fleets meet head on- blaze and neutron cannons firing randomly, rockets straying from their targets, and heading off blindly into space. The Voinian fighters are destroyed, but the Crimson fleet loses 3 more fighters. Now it's five fighters, against 3 frigates and a cruiser.

"Crimson to fleet, Firing line formation, report shield status.

"Alpha at 98%"

"Beta. 100%"

"Gamma. 50%"

"Delta. 8%"

Zeta. 80%"

"Damn Delta, you're just barely hangin in there, hold off until you're shields are back up, man. You too Gamma."

Two fighters pull out of formation, and go to the fringe of the system. The remaining three storm the Frigates, launching their rockets in unison, and watching the rockets hit the frigate three by three. "Crimson to fleet, get out of blast range. I'm gonna do somethin. Oh, and you didn't see this." the fighters go beside Gamma and Delta, and the Chaos Star defies the Voinian fleet. It speeds toward them, and rotates the ship so it's moving backwards, ignores the neutron fire hitting her fighter, lets out a space mine, and speeds away. The momentum of the fighter tranfers to the mine, and it speeds toward the cruiser, and impacts. The Cruiser takes massive damage, and the jolt his a damaged Frigate, and disables it.

"Delta to Crimson, my shields are at 60%, I'm goin" The fleet follows, only two fighters have rockets, so they launch, and the others use their blaze cannons, but the frigates and cruiser have the upper hand. All of a sudden several explosions knock the fighters from formation, and into fire of the Voinian weoponry.

"Holy sh*t! What was that?!"

"It was a couple Voinian intercepters, they came out of nowhere."

"Damnit. Fighters, check in, Alpha at 60%"

"Beta at 45%"

"Delta at 12%"

"Zeta at 29%"

"Delta, Where's Gamma?"

"We lost him.... "

Chaos Star doesn't respond, but the lone fighter hits the afterburner and jumps ahead. The Blaze cannon fries the shields of the cruiser, taking it down to its bare bronev. The other fighters move in, blazes blaring, but by then the massive cruiser had turned itself, and fires its rocket turrets, and Delta goes does in glory as he's disabled, and rams into the cruiser, causing a chain reaction and it blows. Crimson scans the remaining frigates.. One has has armor damage, about 40% left from all estimates, but the other one still has 90% shields. The three UE fighters storm the damaged frigate, and fire their blazes as soon as they are within range. The fighters are able to avoid the neutron turrets, and eventually the fuel tanks on the frigate blow, the impact hitting the two rear UE fighters, disabling one, and taking the other to 5% shields, and one frigate is still left. The Frigate opens a hail.

"This is the VES Hellfire. Prepare to die foolish Humans..." and 3 interceptors launch from the frigate. The intercepters shoot their rockets as aoon as they're in range, and the Chaos Star is knocked back as the intercepters explode, taking a UE fighter with them. Crimson curses to herself. Its her UE fighter against the most powerful frigate in the Voinian navy... Crimson's shields are at 90% so she rushes it. The Blaze cannons barely scratch the Hellfire's defences, and the neutron cells gradually lower the Chaos Star's shields. She passes, and the Hellfire launches several rockets, but they miss.

She flips on a modified Adzgari generator, and burns fuel to recharge the shields. She finishes off the rockets at a distance, and the frigate can't avoid them. She steals rockets from the disabled Voinian fighters in the system, and launch them, but there aren't many. The Hellfire's shields are still at 62%, not to mention the loads of armor under that. The Chaos Star makes several quick passes, firing blaze, but its not doing too much. The Hellfire's shields are dropping, but not fast enough, the Hellfire's neutron turrets are hitting too often. The Chaos Star searches for the Hellfire's weakness, but doesn't see one. The Chaos Star uses her blaze to steer an intercepter into the hull, and it collides and explodes, but the Hellfire takes very little damage, it's armor is at 98%, and Crimson curses as her shield regenerator fails from the overload. She decides to go out in glory, and goes toward the frigate. Crimson is about to initiate the self destruct sequence when her sensors notice something. One of the Voinian frigates is firing it's systems back up. The Hellfire doesn't notice, and concentrates on the lone fighter, and doesn't notice the frigate inching toward both of them. The Chaos Star makes more passes with blaze, taking it's armor down a few more points, and the Chaos Star taking more damage, but all of a sudden the Frigate fires it's hyperspace engines, and speeds ahead, The Hellfire captain turns and says "What the..." but he's cut off as the Frigate smashes through the Hellfire's armor, completely destroying it. Crimson stops, gives her respect to her fallen wingmen, and opens a hail.

(This message has been edited by moderator (edited 12-17-2001).)