Action Packed Weekend? Hell yeah

Did we have fun? yes we did - here's a recount of the weekend.....

Evati and the chase.
VB Sarge lost his rupture to a well-executed trap by Ugly Angel, Texman and Serroco and despite our best efforts, a small gang of us (made up of BLACK-FLAG and The Bastards) failed to get these guys to engage. No problem, we had time and vowed to come back and finish the job.

Renato Pace and his Proph.
Later on in the day, Renato Pace from Jovian Enterprises was seen in and around Eifer and Gusandall, in his prophecy, he decided to engage my plated ruppie. With him aggressed, he was pummelled into sputttering scrap by Nozarro and Viper Sam. Unfortunately, when Renato came back in an Armageddon, we had it pointed and jammed and it was going down (albeit slowly due to a very impressive buffer) when we lost our tackler and the 'geddon escaped.

We went for a roam down to Bosena.
An eight-ship gang of BLACK-FLAG went for a roam but we eventually killed only a Phobos, due to the opposing gangs well spread out formation.

A funny moment was Prediction Pain who, for some reason or another, suffered a mental breakdown and was unable to locate the rest of the fleet for well over 30minutes. I remained docked up and got some sleep.

Sit tight - let's spring da trap!
The highligh was to follow in the next day.....

"Patience is the key. Patience." I said to the assembled fleet. I was back in Evati again and found myself in charge of another mixed pirate gang. We had intelligence that Ugly Angel, Texman and Serrocco were, once again, out and about in Evati and we still wanted revenge for VB Sarge's loss from the other day. These guys were smart hunters however and they could sniff out bait quite easily, since they were used to doing the same thing! We were going to spring their trap - they knew it and we knew it.

The key this time was to have something in reserve. Always.

The fleet was as follows:

Kerjin, Vagabond
Prediction Pain, Falcon
Cpt Nessaja, Drake
Ard UnjiiGo, Hurricane
Jarek Switchblade, Hurricane
Flashfresh, Hurricane (FC)
Commando Jaxx, Blackbird
z0de, Vexor (2nd FC)

Now, for those who know Evati and Todifrauan, the place is chocka full of ships most of the time, mission runners, plex runners and gankers. It was difficult to tease out who was with whom.

We knew that our marks were the trio from yesterday:

Texman, Falcon
Ugly Angel, Hurricane
Serroco, Zealot / Harbringer

There were also three more ships that interested us:

Drake
Dominix
Megathron
Hurricane

The latter three were unknowns. We had no idea if they were with the target three ships. A plan had formed however and I gathered the ships' Captains together in my bar in the station. There were strong shots of liquor served up. It was going to be one of those meetings.

"Listen up." The noise in the Black-Flag planning room went quiet, quickly as the pirates stop their smacking and squabbling and listened in on the instructions.

"Okay, am going to split the fleet into smaller groups, doesn't tip any one off. No point in appearing as a big gang; it will scare people away." There were some grumbles in agreement to this and I continued.

"The Independent Nation pilots and friends are our targets, we want some payback for their kill on VB Sarge last night."

I glanced over at Aard, jarek and z0de at this last point, VB Sarge was their corp mate and they grinned back fiercely.

"Latest intelligence, thanks to Aard, tells us that they have a falcon, hurricane and zealot operating in the belts. The falcon is, of course, cloaked and they will probably have more and different ships. However, since yesterday's kill - we're confident that the ship types have not changed."

I flipped open a holographic star-map, the three-dimensional image bathing the inside of the room in a baleful green. The star-map twisted and reformed under my command as I explained the tactical layout. I zoomed into one portion of the map.

"The plan is to have three groups: a bait and point gang to make the initial tackle and spring their trap and then two damage gangs, coming in separately as required to close the kill. Bait gang will be designated as green squad. First damage gang is blue squad and the second damage gang is red squad." The map swivelled and zoomed back out, it faded as names and ship designations appeared in it's place.

"Squad placement is as follows: Kerjin, Prediction and Nessaja; you're in green squad. Ard and Jaxx, blue squad. Z0de, Jarek and me, red squad." A hand went up. It was Kerjin.

"I don't like green. Can't we be something cool, like, purple?"

"No."

"Orange?"

"No and no more requests. This isn't a democracy."

Kerjin shrugged and slurpped noisely from his drink.

"Green squad will go in and tackle their bait or any other ship. Kerjin and Prediction will be cloaked but will be close to Nessaja who is the primary tackler."

"Will get points on the drake, Flash." Added Nessaja.

"Once the target has been tackled, proceed to kill it. If this doesn't get the other guys in, fair enough and good kill. If they do, Kerjin and Prediction will decloak and get those coming in to trap. No doubt, it will include Texman in his falcon. Once we bring in extra, they'll probably do the same - blue squad is then our response. If they bring more in, then red squad is our response."

I glanced around the faces of these pirate captains. All capable and from all the races of New Eden. Despite the looming factional genocide between the four Empires, here was an example to all of how our races were cooperating together. Pity it took pirates to show others that we could, indeed, get along.

Shaking myself out of this self-indulgent thinking, we got ready.

"Captains, good hunting and to your ships!" With a roar, the Captains downed their drinks and went to their ships.

It took fifteen minutes to get the ships set up. Green squad out in space, actively hunting. Blue squad docked up and ready and red squad in a neighbouring system and in a safe spot.

"Pilots, status please."

"Green squad, ready and en route to the top belt."

"Blue squad docked. Ugly Angel is here in the station too. No sign of Texman in his falcon."

"Red squad ready."

Capt Nessaja went in as bait in a passively shield tanked drake. The top belt was empty Nessaja proceeded to move through the belts, as if he was hunting for Angels. On the scanner appeared a dominix and a second hurricane. Wasn't too sure if they were there or not.

"Nessja, shout if you get company."

"Roger that Flash."

"Kerjin and Prediction. Move away from the belt and scan out the neighbouring clusters."

"This is Kerjin - on my way to cluster X."

"Prediction here. On my way to cluster VII."

My ship, hung silent in space along with Z0de and Jarek. Waiting and waiting. The other's kept good communication discipline, reducing any confusion.

"Kerjin here. I have a hurricane on scan. It's at a belt."

"Flash here. Identify pilot."

"I think, it is, hold on-" Kerjin broke off and I waited for his reply." Vediovis. Vediovis from 'Echo of War' corporation, in hurricane. Am 55km and closing."

"Bastard. He podded Jubes the other day. Am sure he would want him dead." Hissed Prediction Pain. Someone who could take our Jubes, our most prolific pirate at Black-Flag, deserved respect.

"Blue squad stand-by. Jaxx - get some racial jammers on."

"Roger that sir!"

"Nessaja here. Flash, am still moving down the belts. Want me to move in for the tackle?"

"Not yet. Hold your position. Not too sure if Vediovis is with Ugly Angel and friends." There was a curse from Kerjin. I feared the worst.

"Kerjin here, Vediovis warped out. Am working on his trajectory."

"Come on Ker. Hurry." It sounded like Jaxx, docked up and feeling caged in.

"Planet X. Planet X. Warping there now."

"Flash here. Prediction, warp to Planet X. Keep your cloak on."

"Am on my way already." Chuckled Prediction Pain.

I glanced at the tactical and made sure that Jarek and z0de were keeping an eye on the traffic coming in and heading to Evati.

"There he is. Vediovis is at a geo-stationary orbit at position 332 by 212 by 64." Said Kerjin, his intent clear in his voice. Prediction Pain joined in.

"Confirmed. Vediovis needs to be killed. Podded." Prediction Pain's intent was also very clear. However, I had to slow things down - no need to drop everyone on him. No need.

"Nessaja. Break off from the belts and warp to planet X. Prepare to tackle Vediovis in his hurricane."

"Understood. Am now in warp."

"Kerjin and Prediction Pain, do not de-cloak until ordered to." This was a test of discipline here as I imagined the slab-shaped drake bursting out of warp and snapping on the warp disruptor and engaging the hurricane. How it would light up the surrounding space with the explosions from the missiles and munitions exchanged. I love combat - pity it could get you killed.

"Hurricane pointed. Hurricane pointed." Reported Nessaja. Over the communications, I could hear the tell-tale 'kabooms' of his missiles impacting on the vessel. "Taking damage, shields at 80% but holding."

"Prediction, can you see on the scanner any incoming?"

"Checking now boss."

"Come on Flash, let us de-cloak!"

"I want in on the fight, am still docked!"

"Silence damnit!!" I roared. Pirates, like herding Goddamn cats.

"This is Prediction, we have a zealot here. Zealot."

My heart was starting to beat faster. The trap was being sprung.

"Kerjin and Prediction - decloak and tackle that Zealot. Blue squad, stand-by."

"Ugly Angel just undocked!" Said Jaxx. Okay, show-time.

"Blue squad. Hold. Do not undock. Hold."

"Green squad:report!" There was a shriek of static as the sub-space communication link was disrupted. "Green squad: report!"

"Falcon decloaked.Texman is here. He's trying to jam me." Shouted Prediction Pain. Time for the me to spring the trap on the trap.

"Kerjin and Prediction - go for the falcon. NOW. Leave the Zealot."

"Zealot's warpped off now."

Shit.

"Blue squad undock and warp to Nessaja."

"This is Nessaja. Two cane's on me - shields down to 35%."

"Hold on Nessaja. Hold position." Did he say two canes? "Say again, say again - two canes?" Nessaja didn't reply but it was Ard, having arrived with Jaxx who updated me.

"We have Vediovis and Ugly Angel here. Who's primary?" There was a shout and another curse. "Zealot is back! Zealot is back! Primary. I need Primary."

"This is Flash. Primary for blue squad is Vediovis. Secondary is Ugly Angel. Primary for green squad is Texman."

"What about the zealot?" Asked Jaxx, though I had my answer.

"Red squad. Jump to Evati and warp to Ard. Primary is Vediovis. Secondary is Angel but I want Jarek to point the zealot."

Gate activation was quick, as we had been prepped to go for over 15 minutes.


The result was inevitable due to our superior numbers though the zealot got away, it was at 50KM+ range by the time we arrived and we couldn't get a point on it before it warped away.

Still, a good result and well done to Ugly, Tex and Serocco for being good sports and excellent pilots. This was not a dual, it was a case of bringing in more than the opposition and pwning them. Simply and effective.



Kane's 1 v 1

Here's a cross post - Kane's epic 1 v 1....read it here.