ABS FIESTA REDUX

[Qwepir]

The lull in conversation is broken by a shipwide announcement summoning all pilots to the ready room. Once there, you are briefed for what will be your third combat mission in less than 48 hours.
Thread music
: I know we're all still recovering from the damage, physical and otherwise, we suffered yesterday. But it's the unfortunate truth that every moment we spend making repairs, Imperial reinforcements draw significantly closer to Kronovostok. If additional warships from South Aesthia reach the fleet out there, it won't matter how many of your planes we've fixed up, or how ready you are to take the fight to them. I've pulled two additional cruisers from previous engagements to make this offensive possible, they will be arriving in a few hours. We attack as soon as they get here.

The digital display shows what Imperial aerial forces remain after the Vaktare's strike force made sure the Ferox was gone for good:
1x Dictator-Class Carrier
3x Malanta-Class Cruisers
3x Vigilant-Class Destroyers
1x Drone Tender
: Cruisers Vandrare, Obetvinglig, Zemsta, Vilde, Molotok, and Golovorez will be assaulting the enemy fleet, while The Otmulig and the Grym will stay behind and protect the carriers from any surprise attacks. All of you will be joining the attack while the Vaktare's planes defend the carriers. Your primary objective will be to keep enemy airplanes off the cruisers, but if you see an opening to do some damage to the airships, take it. I don't want a single Imperial ship left to limp back to Austerra.

[Ad Bot]

[Deoxys And One Noob]

Graf listens in silence as he realizes he has to take a Fulcrum if no better plane is available. He looks over at his squadmates, knowing that the battle ahead will be a long, and ardious one, and that some may not return. He mentally says goodbye to each and everyone of them... including himself.

[Tayasaurus]

Tippy scratches her lower jaw with her nail while looking at the display. Her mind goes to what she's gonna ditch the Wyvern for and what's for lunch.

[Mr. Hurricane]

"What types of hostiles are we defending against. Drones or manned aircraft? And are we going to see a threat from cruiser-launched burst missiles again?" Jaakko asks.

[Qwepir]

"What types of hostiles are we defending against. Drones or manned aircraft? And are we going to see a threat from cruiser-launched burst missiles again?" Jaakko asks.

: With all the drones we destroyed yesterday, I'd be surprised if they have too many left, but I'm reasonably certain they'll be throwing everything they have at us.

[CypherX]

"And burst missiles?"

[Qwepir]

"And burst missiles?"

: I can't imagine they've already run out of ammunition, so you'll just have to make sure they never have an opening to use them. Stay close to our cruisers on their approach to benefit from their point defense screens, and once you make contact with enemy fighters engage them at point-blank range. They aren't going to shoot a burst missile at you if it means catching their own men in the blast.

[CypherX]

"Understood, sir."

[Qwepir]

Thread Theme
With the briefing over, the carrier's crew begins scrambling to get everybody's fighters prepared for combat. Weapons are installed, pre-flight checks made, and the repair crew does what last minute fixes they can to ensure the Fenrir doesn't fall apart mid-flight. By the time the Molotok and Golovorez arrive, all the planes have been brought up to the flight deck and can be launched, though the Fenrir is still suffering from damage taken in its previous engagement. One after the other, the Aesthian planes take to the sky and begin escorting the cruisers towards the waiting Imperial fleet.

[Operator¹]

: Look out for that Nosferatu from the other day, it was banged up from the last time you guys engaged it, but they'll probably have the bastard in the air.

[Qwepir]

Mission Theme
The Aesthian warplanes take refuge beneath the wings of the cruisers, allowing the larger aircraft's point-defense systems to dispatch the burst munitions long before they become a threat while staying out of the line of fire of the anti-ship silos on their dorsal side. The barrage of anti-ship and anti-swarm missiles only intensifies the nearer you get to the city center, until it is too much for the point defense guns and SAMs to keep up with. The cruisers Zemsta and Molotok are both struck once by Imperial cruise missiles, sustaining moderate damage.

Several miles out, and matching altitude, you get your first glimpse of the Imperial planes sent to intercept the attack force.

[Mr. Hurricane]

"Weapons free. There's that Nostferatu you were talking about, Boss. Snowman, Scorch, put some pressure on him. The rest of you, fire at your own discretion,"

[Deoxys And One Noob]

"Stay safe, everyone. Firing on enemy ace."

He launches an RGM at Hetzer and another on Tukreb-1.

[Gojira]

"Affirmative, putting on the pressure."
Markus fires a HARM and an RGM at Hetzer.

[NoZoner]

"Roger that. Snowman, sending fox-1 to the Nosferatu," Lorens warms up the Raven's multi-million dollar microwave, illuminates the bandit in the distance and lets loose a radar guided missile.