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541

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 31, 2017, 11:48:58 PM »

"GAH, stuff! Losing oil pressure, I need to disengage!"
Markus proceeds to make himself a more difficult target to hit, while simultaneously trying to get away.

The Fulcrum skips trying to draw a bead on you and just fires another All-Aspect.

: Scorch, Blackeye, head back towards Walt. Rocket, Gladiator, provide cover for Djuriskas.

: Yes ma'am.

"Got it Scorch, moving to cover you guys now."
Ellie breaks off from Fishbed-7 and re-aims on Fulcrum-1, letting loose a burst of cannon fire on the plane.

AC5 accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 4
Aim provides bonus of 10
Small target provides penalty of 5
Test taken at 59
Roll: 41 - success by 2 degrees
Result: 2 hits to left rear quarter
The Fulcrum's port elevator and engine get peppered with cannonfire, suffering some substantial damage.

Lorens levels out his plane and finds that the missile went wide. "Fox defeated! Crash, I see the guy after you, I'm going vertical to try to lose the guy behind me!" Making use of his thrust-to-weight advantage over the MiG, Lorens pulls back on the stick and ignites the burners to enter a vertical climb. He hopes the Fishbed on his tail will either give up the chase or stall trying.

The Fishbed keeps speeding towards you and starts climbing to follow.

Jaakko is alerted to the missiles and drops his last countermeasures, spending his turn defending against the missile and throwing off the guns of the MiG.

Fulcrum base EV 77
HSM 1 provides penalty of 25
HSM 2 provides penalty of 25
Flares provide bonus of 40
Test taken at 67
Roll: 14 - success
Test passed
The heatseekers take the bait.
Pansar keeps firing on Fishbed-6.
AC5 Accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 4
Small target provides penalty of 5
Test taken at 49
Roll: 26
Result: 2 hits to fuselage
He lands a few hits on the plane pursuing Crash.

Frisk returns fire on Fishbed-13
AC5 Accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 4
Small target provides penalty of 5
Test taken at 49
Roll: 84
Result: miss
Not that it does anything.

Tigershark base EV 77
AAM 1 provides penalty of 35
AAM 2 provides penalty of 35
Flares provide bonus of 40
Test taken at 47
Roll: 18 - success
Test passed
: This guy really won't leave me alone. Can anyone give me a hand?
: I see 'im! Just don't die for a few more seconds!

Fishbed-6 is forced to abandon its shot on Crash due to Pansar's intervention.
Fishbed-8 takes aim at Snowman.
Fulcrum-1 changes its focus towards Skytracer and begins drawing a bead on her.
Fulcrum-2 attacks Coma with guns again.
AC5 Accuracy 50
Aim provides bonus of 10
Tiny target provides penalty of 10
Test taken at 50
Roll: 67
Result: miss
It misses.
Fishbed-13 launches another two heatseekers at Frisk
Fishbed-14 fires a pair at Fang

Over half of the AGMs from the attackers are shot down by the cruisers' defensive screen. The ones that get through don't hit the Tordenskjold in anywhere vital. SAMs from the aerial fleet streak out towards the offending planes.

Enemy AWACS and Starling-1 have drifted into Missile range a few thousand meters above the furball but are maintaining their distance.

542

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 31, 2017, 01:49:15 PM »

: The ones going after our guys, cover Snowman and Crash.

: Got it, engaging.

Ellie takes aim on Fishbed-7 again and fires her cannon.

AC5 accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 4
Aim provides bonus of 10
Small target provides penalty of 5
Evasion provides penalty of 20
Test taken at 39
Roll: 7 - success by 4 degrees
Result: 2 hits to fuselage
The Fishbed takes another pounding and begins maneuvering to disengage.

The MAW tone signals to Lorens he's lost the heatseeker roulette. "Crash, kill him! I've got a heater inbound on me, I'm breaking hard left!" He pulls back the power lever, steeply banks the Tigershark, and pitches into a gut-busting downward spiral.

Tigershark base EV 77
Experience provides bonus of 2
HSM provides penalty of 25
Test taken at 54
Roll: 35 - success
Test passed
Lorens successfully breaks the IR lock.

"I've got him!"

Jaakko aims and fires a burst into the Fishbed.

AC5 accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 2
Aim provides bonus of 10
Point Blank provides bonus of 20
Small target provides penalty of 5
Test taken at 77
Roll: 68 - success by 1 degree
Result: 1 hit to right wing
You shred the already damaged right wing and send the Fishbed into a death spiral.

Markus fires his cannon at the Fishbed again, prays that his luck continues to hold out until support can launch, and goes evasive again.

AC5 accuracy 50
Small target provides penalty of 5
Test taken at 45
Roll: 95 - failure
Result: miss

Fulcrum base EV 77
AAM provides penalty of 35
Test taken at 42
Roll: 7 - success
You don't land a hit, but you do evade the missile (which some would say is more important).

AC5 accuracy 50
Aim provides bonus of 20
Small target provides penalty of 5
Test taken at 65
Roll: 26 - success by 4 degrees
Result: 4 hits to fuselage
Tippy fries a fish (Fishbed 8).
: We've lost another! What the hell is going on here?
: What's going on is that you are disgracing your nation with this poor showing!

AC5 accuracy 50
Aim provides bonus of 10
Small target provides penalty of 5
Test taken at 55
Roll: 65, 100 - failure, critical failure!
Result: Miss
Gaffe misses Fishbed-6, and Letterman's gun suffers a jam.
Pansar lines up and fires on Fishbed-6.
AC5 Accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 4
Small target provides penalty of 5
Test taken at 49
Roll: 84
Result: Miss
He fails.

Frisk stops aiming and goes to evade the two heatseekers.
Fulcrum base EV 77
Experience provides bonus of 4
HSM 1 provides penalty of 25
HSM 2 provides penalty of 25
Flares provide bonus of 40
Test taken at 71
Roll: 12 - success
Test passed

Coma keeps attempting to evade the gunfire from Fulcrum-2, while Fang pops a flare to trash the one missile headed for him.
Fulcrum base EV 77
HSM provides penalty of 25
Flares provide bonus of 40
Test taken at 92
Roll: 31 - success
Test passed
AC5 Accuracy 50
Test taken at 50
Roll: 26 - success by 3 degrees
Result: 2 hits to fuselage
Fishbed-6 lays into Crash with its gun and fires two more heatseekers.

AC5 Accuracy 50
Aim provides bonus of 10
Test taken at 50
Roll: 7 - success by 3 degrees
Result: 2 hits to fuselage
Fulcrum-1 riddles Scorch's fuselage full of holes, and he is notified of a loss of oil pressure.

Fulcrum-2 launches two All-Aspects at Coma
Fishbeds 13 and 14 attack Frisk and Fang with guns again.
AC5 Accuracy 50
Aim provides bonus of 10
Test taken at 50
Rolls: 33, 87 - success success by 2 degrees, failure
Result: 2 hits to Frisk's fuselage

Lastly, the second group has entered missile range and opens fire on the fleet.

Fishbeds 6 and 8 will all be at point blank next turn.
Fulcrums 1 and 2, and Fishbeds 13 and 14 will be at point blank in two turns.

543

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 30, 2017, 05:50:50 PM »

Ellie opens fire on Fishbed-7 and evades.

AC5 Accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 4
Small target provides penalty of 5
Test taken at 49
Roll: 18
Result: 2 hits to left wing
The cannon barrage disables the Fishbed's port aileron.

: Gaffe, Letterman, get in there and assist, start hitting those Fishbeds.

: Which ones, the ones coming after our guys or the fleet?

Ash sucks in air though his mouth as he closes in on Pansar. Wide-eyed and numbed in a fit of tachypsychia, he throws the power lever back down to idle and pounds the countermeasures release button. Ash focuses on the Fulcrum heading straight towards him and strangles the flight stick in his clutches, bracing himself for the merge.

Fulcrum base EV 75
Roll: 74 - success

Tigershark base EV 77
Experience provides bonus of 2
HSM 1 provides penalty of 25
HSM 2 provides penalty of 25
Flares provide bonus of 80
Test taken at 109
Roll: 78 - success
Pansar's Fulcrum thunders overhead with less than thirty meters to spare, dropping his own set of flares in your wake and disposing of the missile.

Further South, Lorens sees the Fishbed fall behind him. "Crash, Snowman, I'm engaged defensive! Can you thatch-weave?" He starts maneuvering to keep away from the bandit's sights.

"Affirmative Snowman!"

Jaakko takes his Fulcrum to Snowman and begins the maneuver.

The two of you perform a Thatch Weave and the Fishbed takes the bait. Jaakko now gets a free point-blank attack against it and a bonus to entering a pursuit should it survive.

"...forget."
Markus brings the Fulcrum around to fire the cannon at Fishbed 8 before going evasive, praying for some modicum of luck.

AC5 accuracy 50
Small target provides penalty of 5
Roll: 36 - success by 1 degree
Result: 1 hit to fuselage

Fulcrum base EV 75
HSM provides penalty of 25
Test taken at 50
Roll: 49 - success
Test passed
You land a hit on the enemy plane and dodge the incoming missile.

Coma pops a set of flares to avoid the incoming missiles.
Tigershark base EV 77
Experience provides bonus of 2
HSM 1 provides penalty of 25
HSM 2 provides penalty of 25
Flares provide bonus of 40
Test taken at 69
Roll: 50 - success

Fang aims at Fulcrum-2
Frisk aims at Fishbed-14
Fishbed-3 continues to pursue Snowman
Fishbed-6 regains its bearings and takes aim at Crash once again.
Fishbed-7 goes evasive in an attempt to not get destroyed by Skytracer.
Fishbed-8 fires on Snowman with guns and follows up with a missile.
Fulcrum-1 keeps the pressure on Scorch and fires an All-Aspect missile.
Fulcrum-2 tries to shoot Coma down with guns instead.
AC5 accuracy 50
Tiny target provides penalty of 10
Missile range provides penalty of 20
Test taken at 20
Roll: 93 - failure
Result: Miss
Fishbed-13 launches two missiles at Frisk
Fishbed-14 launches one missile at Fang

544

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 29, 2017, 11:00:41 PM »

Markus opens fire on Fishbed 5 before going evasive, hoping to break the lock without CM.

AC5 accuracy 50
Small target provides penalty of 5
Missile range provides penalty of 20
Test taken at 25
Roll: 77 - failure
Result: Miss

Fulcrum base EV 77
HSM provides penalty of 25
Test taken at 52
Roll: 44 - success
Test passed
Though your shot whiffs, so does the enemy missile.

Ellie groans and shifts her aim to Fishbed-7.

This happens.

Jaakko, mindful of his countermeasure count holds his last flares. He evades and fires on Fishbed 6.

"CIC, are we too far out for the battlegroup's missiles to help us?"

Fulcrum base EV 77
Experience provides bonus of 2
HSM provides penalty of 25
Test taken at 54
Roll: 10 - success
Test passed
Enemy missile trashed.
AC5 accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 2
Small target provides penalty of 5
Missile range provides penalty of 20
Test taken at 27
Roll: 93 - failure
Result: Miss

"CIC, are we too far out for the battlegroup's missiles to help us?"

: We've got ten incoming attackers to worry about. Sorry Crash, we can't help right now.

Ash's heart sinks at the wail of the MAW tone. "... That's two more missiles! I don't know if this thing can take any more hard Gs!"

Lorens merges with the third Fishbed. He pounds the dashboard in frustration as it shoots past his canopy. "Blackeye, defend!"

"I'll try!" Grasping for a way to lose the missiles, he turns his fighter towards Djuriskas flight and thumbs the comms frequency dial. "Djuriskas actual- Pansar! Someone! This is Mjolnir-5, could one of you throw out some flares!? I've got two missiles tracking me and I don't know if I can trash them!"

: I see you, kill engine and deploy flares, now!

Pansar is flying directly at you and will either pass or collide with you in mere seconds, too short for any verbal reply to be given.

Meanwhile, Lorens slams the power lever forward and races to the fifth Fishbed. He puts the solution marker over the bandit and squeezes the trigger.

AC5 accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 2
Small target provides penalty of 5
Missile range provides penalty of 20
Test taken at 27
Roll: 1 - critical success!
Result: 2 hits to roosterpit, 2 hits to fuselage
Though it's difficult to see the plane itself due to the distance, you definitely see the flash as it explodes from the cannon impact a few seconds later.

Fishbed-3 begins turning around to get on Snowman's tail.
Fishbed base EV 69
Test taken at 69
Roll: 47 - success by 3 degrees
Tigershark base EV 77
Experience provides bonus of 2
Test taken at 79
Roll: 77 - success by 1 degree
Result: Fishbed is now behind Snowman
: I recognize that insignia! These are the guys that napalmed the barracks at Concord base!
: Mjolnir is here? Flying those? This is too perfect! A medal for anyone who shoots one of them down!

Fulcrum-1 fires a second missile at Scorch
Fulcrum-6 goes evasive
Fishbed-7 locks and fires on Skytracer
Fulcrum-2, Fishbed-9, and Fishbed- notice Djuriskas and Tippy approaching and shift their focus to them instead.

Fishbeds 5-8 are now in gun range.
Fulcrums 1 and 2 and Fishbeds 13 and 14 will be in gun range next turn.

545

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 29, 2017, 12:50:40 AM »

Ash breaks away from the formation and tries to get away from the fight. He checks to see if the Tigershark sprung any leaks.

Nothing is leaking fast enough that you won't make it back to the base if you make a beeline for it now, so relatively speaking everything is fine. Except for the two heatseekers coming at you fired by Fishbed 5.

Lorens gets a bead on the third Fishbed and fires his guns.

AC5 accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 2
Aim provides bonus of 10
Small target provides penalty of 5
Point blank provides bonus of 20
Evasive maneuvers provide penalty of 20
Test taken at 57
Roll: 81 - failure
Result: miss
A last minute jink from the Fishbed takes it out of your crosshair right as you squeeze the trigger. It blows right past you.

Jaakko fires on Fishbed 6 and jinks.

You whiff, and the target launches a single heatseeker at you.

Fulcrum 1 launches a single heatseeker at Scorch.

546

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 28, 2017, 11:58:32 AM »

"The bulk of them are still moving towards the fleet, maybe we should have Tippy take the rest of the flight to hit those guys while we're tied up here."

Ellie takes a little time to aim at Fishbed-2 before opening up.

AC5 accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 4
Aim provides bonus of 10
Small target provides penalty of 5
Test taken at 59
Roll: 25 - success
Result: 2 hits to fuselage

Markus continues aiming at Fishbed-2 and fires his cannon again.

AC5 accuracy 50
Aim provides bonus of 10
Small target provides penalty of 5
Test taken at 55
Roll: 25
Result: 2 hits to fuselage

Scorch and Skytracer put down a MiG.

Jaakko keeps his energy up and begins tracking Fishbed-5.

It's just flying directly at you, along with the other members of its flight.

Fishbed-3 goes all in on the evasive action in a bid to not get murdered by Blackeye and/or Snowman.
: Gah! I still haven't seen them fire a single missile, what gives? Did they not bring any?
: You'd have to be crazy or stupid to fly into battle with no guided munitions! They must be up to something.
: Forget their weapons! All you need to worry about is stalling them for long enough that the attackers can take down their carriers.

Another flight of enemy planes emerges from the radar disruption.

Crash, Skytracer, and Scorch are at gun range of Fishbed-3, 2 turns to gun range from Fishbeds 5-8.
Blackeye and Snowman are at point blank of Fishbed-3, 2 turns to gun range from Fishbeds 5-8.
Fulcrums 1 and 2 and Fishbeds 13 and 14 are now entering missile range.

 

"Just give me the go-ahead and we'll bust some chops."

not to speak for crash but i think you have an implicit, standing "go-ahead" order

547

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 28, 2017, 12:26:38 AM »

Ellie opens up on Fishbed-1 with her cannon.

AC5 accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 4
Test taken at 54
Roll: 44
Result: 1 hit to fuselage
The burst of gunfire leaves the enemy plane with only minor damage.

Markus takes aim at Fishbed 2 and fires his cannon.

AC5 accuracy 50
Aim provides bonus of 10
Test taken at 60
Roll: 63
Result: Miss
No joy.

Crash rolls his Fulcrum and gets a solution on Fishbed 1. He fires, and pulls back up to keep his altitude.

AC5 accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 2
Aim provides bonus of 10
Test taken at 60
Roll: 17
Result: 2 hits to left wing
You punch a number of fist-sized holes in the enemy's wing and they begin plummeting out of the sky.

"Wooo! That's first blood! Poor sods don't know what they're dealing with!," Ash revels in triumph.

"Blackeye, I've merged on you, I'm turning around again!"

"Snowman, stay high above me! I'll engage the third guy!"

Ash finds the third Fishbed, lines up the gun funnel over the target and pulls the trigger. "Guns!"

AC5 accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 2
Aim provides bonus of 10
Test taken at 60
Roll: 28
Result: 2 hits to right wing
The Fishbed's wing gets torn up, but it stays in the fight.

AC5 accuracy 50
Aim provides bonus of 10
Test taken at 60
Roll: 93 - failure
Result: Missed Scorch

AC5 accuracy 50
Aim provides bonus of 10
Tiny target provides penalty of 10
Test taken at 50
Roll: 5 - success
Result: 2 hits to Blackeye's fuselage
Blackeye's plane is nicked by a few passing 30mm shells and multiple structural warnings go off within the roosterpit.

Seeing their allies in trouble, another fistful of fish turn to engage Mjolnir. Djuriskas is now entering missile range against the enemies already engaging you.

Point Blank in 1 turn.

548

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 27, 2017, 09:52:54 PM »

"Snowman! Missile launch! Jink right! Hard right! Flares out! The fourth guy is climbing and has you on his nose!"

"... Rgh, forget! Defending fox-2!"

Lorens grunts as he banks and jams the stick into his gut. The increased G-force darkens the edges of his vision. He drops a string of flares and prays the missiles go for the countermeasures.

Tigershark base EV 77
Experience provides bonus of 2
HSM 1 provides penalty of 25
HSM 2 provides penalty of 25
Flares provide bonus of 40
Test taken at 69
Roll: 55 - success
Test passed
Your prayers are answered as your tiny plane deftly maneuvers out of the way of the incoming missiles.

"Snowman, drive back Northeast! I'm gonna gun this forgeter down!"

Ash turns to the fourth Fishbed and acquires it on radar. The gun funnel appears on the HUD, and he drags the solution marker over the bandit.

AC5 accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of 2
Aim provides bonus of 10
Missile range provides penalty of 20
Test taken at 42
Roll: 20
Result: 1 hit to roosterpit, 2 hits to fuselage
The Fishbed pitches down, trailing black smoke.

The other three Fishbeds make their attacks on their targets.
AC5 accuracy 50
Aim provides bonus of 10
Missile range provides penalty of 20
Test taken at 40
Rolls: 86, 98, 90
Result: miss, miss, miss
Crash, Scorch, and Blackeye are subjected to a barrage of gunfire, but are unharmed.

Now in gun range of Fishbeds 1 through 3.

549

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 26, 2017, 11:09:17 PM »

"[...forget!] Two inbound, Scorch evading!"
Markus drops a string of flares and breaks away from formation.

Fulcrum base EV 77
HSM 1 provides penalty of 25
HSM 2 provides penalty of 25
Flare provides bonus of 40
Test taken at 67
Roll: 70 - failure by 1 degree
Result: 1 missile hit.
One of the incoming missiles strikes your plane, dealing moderate damage.

"Gods damnit," Jaakko grits his teeth.
The MAWS starts making a racket as one of the Fishbeds fires on him.
"Gods damnit!" Jaakko yells, "Ellie, let's split it,"
He drops a string of countermeasures and evades.

Ellie drops a string of flares for Jaakko and stays on course, starting to aim for Fishbed-1.

Fulcrum base EV 77
Experience provides bonus of 2
HSM 1 provides penalty of 25
HSM 2 provides penalty of 25
Flare provides bonus of 80
Test taken at 109
Roll: 99 - success
Test passed

"Blackeye, you've got ripple Fox-2 inbound on you-"
"I see it! I'm defending! Scorch, Blackeye, I'm shackling on you for countermeasures release! Watch your four o'clock!"
Ash veers from his position in the flight, cuts through Markus' flare string and drops his own string of flares in the process.

Tigershark base EV 77
Experience provides bonus of 2
HSM 1 provides penalty of 25
HSM 2 provides penalty of 25
Flare provides bonus of 80
Test taken at 109
Roll: 93 - success
Test passed

Despite the clumsy maneuvering, neither of you are hit by the missiles.

: Well I'm not about to let them have all the fun! Sky Marshal, permission to engage?
: You have not only my permission, Captain, but my recommendation that you engage those fighters.

Djuriskas breaks away from the bomber and begins moving to engage the enemy formation.

Fishbed-4 fires on Snowman.
1 turn to gun range.

550

Forum Games / Re: INHUMAN Rebooted — Chapter 1: A Common Cause

« on: July 26, 2017, 07:40:27 PM »

Rog jolts awake wherever he went after smashing up the store and looks around for a clock.

551

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 26, 2017, 09:11:09 AM »

"CIC how soon until the rest of the Djuriskas are out here with us?"

Jaakko continues accelerating and gaining altitude.

: Well we won't be fixing deck B in the immediate future, so we'll have to get those two up to deck A, prepare the catapult there-
: Give us a time.
: Five, maybe ten minutes?

Tarkirov glares at the poor sod delivering the news.
: Mjolnir, Djuriskas, you're on your own for this engagement.

Three of the Fishbeds open fire on the incoming planes.
2 turns until gun range.

552

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 25, 2017, 10:19:44 PM »

"Bell, are they launching the alert fighters on the second carrier?"

: I'm afraid the second carrier didn't have room for both a fighter escort and the craft it will be delivering to us. You can see why we have since stopped using those models.

553

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 25, 2017, 09:39:04 PM »

Ellie starts gunning for one of the Fishbeds.

"...just a thought."
Markus begins pointing his plane towards the enemy squad.

Jaakko punches the afterburner and enters a steep climb, changing his heading so as to face the aggressors.

Lorens turns to face the hostile group and pulls back on the stick to ascend. Ash follows suit.

: Several fighters have broken off from the main group, should we move to intercept?
: No, you stay here. It's just a handful of Fulcrums and Tigersharks. The others should be able to handle them if they're any good.

Crash, Skytracer, Scorch, Snowman, and Blackeye reach missile range without getting any response from the South Aesthian planes. Once there, however, a few of them turn around to engage you.

3 turns to gun range.

Walter grimaces at the scraping sound as the condotterio flings out and picks up speed out of the carrier.
"Pisser" he turns to the copilot (or anyone who happens to be assisting him) "Did we lose anything on us or was it just the catapult? I don't want to have to slide this whale in on an airstrip with only half the landing gear."

: I, ah, I don't think so. Sir. ...I mean, if we did, it's not telling me, so... landing should be fun.

554

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 25, 2017, 05:26:51 PM »

"1-1, this is 1-3, I suspect we got an enemy informant or something aboard the carrier. There's little other possible explanation for the surprise attack."

"Well, then it would need to be someone with knowledge of our flight plan, but I'm surprised that something like that would slip out."

: Or, they looked up. Flying aircraft carriers are hardly the stealthiest things around.

"I have no idea where you conjured up that belief," Jaakko replies.

He checks the position and heading of the other squadron in relation to his own.

Loose representation:

555

Forum Games / Re: ABS FIESTA REDUX

« on: July 25, 2017, 04:24:19 PM »

Ellie tapped her radar screen a few times before realizing that it wasn't malfunctioning.

"Control, are you picking this up? They look like they're going to attack the fleet, should we intercept?"

Tarkirov, overhearing the transmission, turns to Bell and nods.