Part 97: Caliban System, Vega Sector, Mission 2 (Story)

Caliban System, Vega Sector (Mission 2)

After eliminating its closest pursuers, the Victory continues through the Caliban nebula towards a jump point that will take her back into Confederation space, while Kilrathi forces attempt to restablish contact.

Flight Control, TCS Victory

Having been told to lay off the cocktails, Flint's memories of her father are slightly more coherent this time, though admittedly they would make more sense if flying in a nebula actually changed anything substantive about the game. Also, I'm sure Jennifer MacDonald is wearing far too much clothing for this pose:



: You know, my father holds very definite ideas about flying under these conditions. He feels you can always find a way to fling the obstacles back in the enemy's face. I got a holo-mail trans from him after Rollins got communications back up.
: What's your father flying these days?
: Oh, only a desk, unfortunately.

Well, it's a better fate than the one which awaits most Confederation pilots, I guess, and one the Blair himself will be facing before too long (in the novel, he actually debates giving up flying after failing to save Locanda IV, I believe). So the question is, is Blair reluctant to admit that old pilots eventually have to give the game up, or accepting of this fact?

Either way, ruminating on this fact makes Blair rather withdrawn for a while, something that not even a good stare at the killboard can cure.



Therefore, there's no other conversations prior to the briefing. I'm pretty certain that this breifing FMV is identical to a previous one except for the display on the Victory's tactical table and the narration. For comparison to the one below, here's a screenshot from the briefing for Blackmane System, Mission 2:


Mission Briefing
Briefing Room

It seems that the nebula interferes with communications, so Kilrathi recon groups which have located the Victory and worked out where she's going need to leave it in order to send a message to sector command - thereby allowing our fighters the time to overhaul and destroy them.



: Listen up, Colonel. As usual, we have our work cut out for us.
: No doubt, sir.
: You see these Kilrathi fighters that have suddenly left the main flock? I think they worked out where the jump point is, and they plan on getting out of the nebula radio shroud to sound off about it to their main fleet command. You are to stop every last one of them from getting out and being able to send a clear trans. Good luck, Colonel!

Choose your own Blair!
We've got the one conversation choice - is Blair reluctant or accepting of the fact that it's eventually time to retire for any pilot, no matter how good? Then there's the fighter/wingman pick. We've got the same four ships as usual available, though this is the first of the scraps where I am introducing the "Arrow difficulty clause" which says that for the hardest missions I will attempt the mission in whatever the thread picks, but that if I get fed up with trying to beat the mission in that ship I reserve the right to just fly the Arrow instead. 6 Dralthi and 4 Vaktoth at the same time is like 30 incoming missiles. Speed will be useful. Wingman choice is free, though - that is, everyone except last time's choice, which was Vagabond.