ABS FIESTA REDUX

[Operator¹]

: Well well well, looks like Kaz wasn't kidding when he said he wanted everyone in the air, huh? How's it going, Bell?
: You know these guys, boss?
: Yup. Used to fly with them way back. 'Course, there were a lot more of them then. Judging by how they look now, their turnover rate must be almost as bad as ours!

: When was the last time we flew together anyway?

[Ad Bot]

[Qwepir]

: When was the last time we flew together anyway?

: Koronovostok, ma'am, when we bombed the stuff out of that beached carrier. Say, what happened to everyone else, anyway?

[Operator¹]

: Well, I have a pilot that's in the water right now, and another that took an early retirement. The rest of them are either dead or shooting down our bombers.

[Gojira]

Markus waits, deciding to use the veil of stealth as his cover.
: ...I do not like the look of this. Crash, what's our plan?

[NoZoner]

Lorens roosters his eyebrow and raises his visor.

"... Tempest? That you, man?"

Still some dozens of miles away, Ash's warning receiver goes haywire at the abundance of BVR radar pings. He opts to keep his own radar off for the time being.

"There's so much stuff on RWR, I can't tell anything apart," he complains in distress.

[Mr. Hurricane]

Markus waits, deciding to use the veil of stealth as his cover.
: ...I do not like the look of this. Crash, what's our plan?

"The plan is we help handle the bigger stuff. If you're worried for those cadets then you'd ought to do your best and keep them alive,"

Still some dozens of miles away, Ash's warning receiver goes haywire at the abundance of BVR radar pings. He opts to keep his own radar off for the time being.

"There's so much stuff on RWR, I can't tell anything apart," he complains in distress.

"And its only half the force that we were told that would be here. The rest are probably stealth. Stay vigilant,"

[Gojira]

: Understood.
Markus switches the weapons selector to his all-aspects, and watches the horizon in anticipation.

[Operator¹]

: Let's take out a few of those Vespids first before they become too much of a problem.


Ellie fires a pair of RGMs at Vespid-1.

[Mr. Hurricane]

"Mjolnir, weapons free. Thin out some of the Flankers. I wish we had more HARMs,"

[Tayasaurus]

Tippy matches course with Jaakko and opens up with two RGM's on Bravo-3

[Qwepir]

Lorens roosters his eyebrow and raises his visor.

"... Tempest? That you, man?"

: Sure is.
: Catch up later, guys! The enemy's right there!
: Alright, alright, let's see here... Amp-roostertail levels look good- you idiots remembered to pick up the replacement injectors, right?
: No stuff, boss, we aren't forgetin stup-
: Aw man, I knew I was forgetting something.
: forgetin' A, Redeye, I hope you're up to date on your Tetstar fish shots. You do this every goddamn time.
Mission Theme
: [This doesn't look right. They said there were at least thirty planes, but I only count half that.]
: [Think they could be hiding their strike craft?]
: [If they are, I don't know how- unless there's some new design, their anti-airship planes are not stealthy in the slightest.]

Tippy matches course with Jaakko and opens up with two RGM's on Bravo-3

The enemy plane makes no effort to evade just yet.

: Let's take out a few of those Vespids first before they become too much of a problem.

Ellie fires a pair of RGMs at Vespid-1.

Ellie's missiles streak towards the enemy formation, joined by almost a dozen more from the other planes. Callouts from friendly pilots indicate some of them have received return fire, but you and your comrades remain in the clear.

Formations are two turns from missile range.

[Mr. Hurricane]

"A couple new hits on the RWR. I think we will find our second 15. Walt, we'll be in missile range soon. You could probably start aiming with that thing,"

[Gojira]

: [Unless their force isn't an anti-airship force.]
Markus continues scanning the horizon.

[Tayasaurus]

Tippy keeps aiming at Bravo-3

[NoZoner]

"I'll try hitting that sixth Vespid," Lorens calls out. Though the drone is well past his weapons envelope, he turns his radar on and slaves it to the target for laser stabilization. The gimballed lens gyrates to face the drone and extends to maximum focus distance.

"Guns!" Lorens pulls the trigger and fires the laser cannon.