hypothetical
Ensign
Karis, Ensign, Black Squadron.
Posts: 21
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Post by hypothetical on Nov 11, 2006 10:27:32 GMT -6
Cadet Darin Karis stood outside the Simulator's hatch.
"Well, old girl. Today's the day. All of the training, all of this time, comes down to the next hour. We've been good together so far, help me through this one so I can get a Plane of my own..."
Running one hand over the entrance, he looked again at the Orders he had been handed.
Cadet Karis, Darin, will report at 0900 hours to Simulator A. Upon arrivial, the Cadet will enter the Simulator, and perform standard non-emergency Pre-Flight Checklist. Once complete, Cadet will call instructor via standard comm frequency for further instructions.
{if the rest of the test is this easy, this is going to be a breeze} he thought to himself. He opened the hatch, and climbed into the familar, almost cramped, cockpit. He put on his helmet, and then his safety harness. He began running through the Checklist, toggling the appropriate buttons...
Primary Generator, on. Secondary Generator, enabled. Fuel feed system active. Fuel Tanks, full. Manuvering Thrusters, Green. Primary Thursters Preheat, running. Thrusters Preheated, ignite at 0% throttle. Ignited. Weapons systems, enabled and safed. Initialize Navigation system. Boot Computer systems.....Booted. Activate Targetting systems. Initialize IFF Transponder, set modes and codes to Training. Airframe Sensors check...Airframe secure. Iniatialize Communication array....
{So far, so good. One last item.}
Darin reached over, and pressed the button to lower the hatch. Slow and majestic the Hatch came down, and sealed itself to the cockpit frame.As it sealed, the panels that would be real windshields on a Viper came to life, and his view switched form that of a training room, to a life-like generated image of a launch Bay.
Final Check... Life support system...sealed..atmospheric recyclers working at 100%.
Darin grinned to himself. { Good, they didn't throw any wrenches into the start-up routine...must mean they're planning to really work me over once I launch.}
He spoke into his helmet Mike.
"Cadet Karis in Viper Trainer 3, all systems are go for launch. Requesting orders."
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Post by Captain Hawke on Nov 11, 2006 20:06:26 GMT -6
I happened to be in the simulator room checking on some paperwork for Major Brie when a new recruit came in and began a run in Simulator 3. It brought me back to thinking about my past. Since my strokes two yarhens ago, I was put into the position of acting third officer of Gold Squadron by Major Brie. I was flying for Gold Squadron. On one of the countless missions I went on,.I was shot down and captured by the Cylons about three yarhen ago. I was a "guest" aboard their basestar for several sectars. They performed horrible experiments on me and unbeknownst to me implanted a chip into my brain. I was returned to my ship and sent back to the Callisto. The Callisto picked me up and I was severely malnourished and dehydrated. When I was returned to duty the great Count Iblis took control of my body,or so I thought. He/they wanted me to assassinate Comanders Apollo and Sheba. "Iblis" told me (in my mind) that he wanted to exact revenge against them for what they did to him. I very nearly killed Commander Sheba. She had set me up and captured me after a two secton chase. The medical staff kept me severely sedated, under Commander Sheba's orders... After a brain scan they found the chip that was controlling me. They tried to remove it and succeded. But not before nearly killing me. I had three strokes while they were removing it. It had forever caused me to lose a majority of my motor skills, my speech had become impared and I had to walk with a cane for the rest of my life. My doctor grounded me. I thought my life was over. I became a depressed drunk for awhile, getting into fights,becoming beligerant to other officers...After a while of that,I went to Major Brie to tender my resignation. she wouldn't have it. She put me in the position of being the acting Third Officer for Gold Squadron. I basically was Major Brie's aide. I filled out paperwork, did the menial chores that she hadn't had the time to do.
"Cadet Karis in Viper Trainer 3, all systems are go for launch. Requesting orders."
I hobbled over to the control panel of the sim where Karis was and looked at the sim program he was in. I "bumped" a button or two and the sim started bucking wildly. 'Woa!!" I heard over the intercom. What I had done was forego the actual launch and went right into space into a Cylon battle. I laughed to myself and said "Welcome....to the..Callisto....kid..." and I hobbled away as the controller giggled and shook his head.
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Post by JustinB on Nov 15, 2006 1:52:19 GMT -6
After finishing debriefing the squadron members I returned to my office. On my desk I saw a new file which I picked up. On it was a cover note from Colonel Charybdis.
Major JustinB,
Here is the Personnel File of your new Black Squadron Member.
Colonel Charybdis.
Opening it up it belonged to Darin Karis. In it was orders for him to report to Simulator A. With that I put the file down and made my way down to the Simulator Room. By the time I got down there he was just starting his pre-flight check. I walked into the control room and took a seat next to the simulator operator. So far so good, lets see how he goes I thought to myself.
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hypothetical
Ensign
Karis, Ensign, Black Squadron.
Posts: 21
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Post by hypothetical on Nov 17, 2006 12:46:36 GMT -6
As Darin sat in the cockpit awaiting instructions, the impossible occured.
Without warning, the panels showing the launch bay scene fuzzed briefly, and resolved into a starfield. Before he could get his bearings, his simulated Viper was rocked by a near miss of laser fire.
Instinctually, Darin mashed his thumb down on the Turbo Button, and shoved his Nav-Hilt full forward, throwing the Viper into a steep dive to escape the fire.
WHat the Frak! his mind screamed. As he pulled out of the dive and swung hard left he quickly scanned his readouts. IFF showed he was alone, and DRADIS indicated four CYlon Radiers, of the older type, in a standard Pinwheel attack formation now behind and to his left just barely outside weapons range. No other ships were in range.
They must have simmed me out on a Recon Patrol. Well, at least they're not the newer Black Raiders. he thought to himself.
As the Raiders began a turn to bring themselves in line with his fighter, Darin began a gentle turn of his own. He brought the nose of his Viper in line with the upper right Raider, and fired off a salvo at extreme range. The brilliant red blasts stitched a line of black along the Raiders wing, and must have hit the Laser Generator for the Raiders right hand guns, as the explosion ripped the wing clean off of the Raider, and sent it spinning into the Dark.
One down, three to go. OK, Karis, you can do this. He pulled his Viper back around to the right, barely evading the return fire from the remaining Raiders.....
( TBC)
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hypothetical
Ensign
Karis, Ensign, Black Squadron.
Posts: 21
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Post by hypothetical on Nov 19, 2006 10:23:09 GMT -6
Thinking quickly, Darin yanked his throttle back to Idle. As soon as the thrust reached Zero, he pulled strait back on his Navi-Hilt. In less than a second, the nose and tail of his Viper switched places, aiming him directly at the heart of the formation of remaining Raiders. As the Nosecone lined up with the formation, he centered his Navi-Hilt, shoved his throttle full forward again, and once again hit the Turbo Stud.
Technically decelerating, he rocketed towards the Raiders. A "Starbuck Turn", and he had executed it perfectly. He lined his weapons on the Topmost Raider. Within the blink of an eye, his Targetting computer indicated a lock. He pressed down on the Turbo-Laser button, and held it there. Even as the first bolts left his cannons, he shoved the Navi-Hilt forward and slightly to his left "Walking" his stream of fire downwards.
The first half a dozen Crimson lines slammed into the cockpit of the Topmost Raider, the first two shorted out the shields, the third took out the Canopy, and the last three all landed home, right in the laps of the three Cylons piloting the Raider.
All of the control systems of the Raider, the consoles activating them turned to so much slag, went wild. What had been a piloted Spaceship, became a Comet, engines blazing at full thrust, Turbolasers firing blindly, and every cluster of Manuvering Thrusters all firing at once, each adding it's own small vectors to the flight.
Seeing the destruction, both of the Raiders below attepted to jink out of the way of the incomming Viper. The bottom right Raider tried to pull to the right to avoid it's remaing companion, and pulled itself right into the continuos stream of Laser Bolts passing in front of it. THe anterior section of the Raider took the brunt of the Beams heading it's way, shredding nearly every major fuel line and engine on the Fighter. Faster than the eye could follow, the Raider was transformed into a glowing ball of Super-Heated Plasma, that lit up the darkness of space for a mere couple of hundred Milli-Centaris, before the absolute cold of Space itself extinguished the fire.
"Yee-Haa" Darin screamed into his Helmet, knowing that only he, and his Test Master, could hear. " THat's what I call a two for one Sale, you Frakking Toasters!"
Darin released the Turbo Stud on his Navi-Hilt, and pulled it back hard and to his right. Re-Orienting himself, he scanned the skies for his last Opponent.
THere you are...right in front of me, and nowhere to run...time to die....
(TBC)
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hypothetical
Ensign
Karis, Ensign, Black Squadron.
Posts: 21
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Post by hypothetical on Nov 19, 2006 10:39:25 GMT -6
( Time jump...3 minutes later....)
Lords of Kobol, these guys are good. THose first three were easy, but
For the fifth time, Darin's Targetting Array indicated a Lock. Not wanting to miss the chance, he once again mashed down on the Firing Stud....Once again, the Raider he was firing at barely managed to avoid the incomming Turbo Laser bolts....
Pogees! What kind of Feldercarb is this? Ok, Ok, it's my Final Test...I guess it makes sense that they would throw some kind of Super Cylon pilot at me....but this is getting rediculous.
As the Hunter became the Hunted yet again, Darin began mentally running through every trick he had been taught, and some he had only heard legends of. SOmething would have to work, or else he was going to fail.....
(TBC)
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hypothetical
Ensign
Karis, Ensign, Black Squadron.
Posts: 21
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Post by hypothetical on Nov 21, 2006 1:56:51 GMT -6
( Time jump, 5 minutes later.)
Everything he had tried, had failed. His attempt at a second "Starbuck's Turn" didn't even seem to phase this trio. EVen the vaunted "Cain's Loop" had failed to shake the pilots of this last Raider.
I'm running out of Tricks here Darin thought. I don't know who the Frak programed this last Raider, but they've made him out to be as good as Apollo was in his Prime. I'm running out of fuel here. Time to get desperate.
The final Raider was closing on Cadet Karis's Viper for what seemed like the hundreth time. THe battle had been back and forth for far longer than any real one on one Dogfight had ever lasted, according to the history texts.
As the Raider entered posistion for a Kill Run, Darin did the unthinkable. He shoved his thrusters into full reverse, but didn't change his heading at all.
The Raider, nearly at full thrust, closed the distance between the two fighters in a heartbeat. And...overshot. Still in full reverse, Darin pulled up slightly on his Navi-Hilt, aligning his Turbo-Lasers on the Raiders Engines, less than five fighter lengths in front of him. Before the Raider's pilots could react, the Turbo Laser fire from Darin's Viper was already on it's way, a point blank shot, at a huge target.
The bolts went strait down the exhaust assembly of the Raider, pre-igniting the Tyliium fuel being fed into the combustion chamber of the Raiders rightmost engine. The chain reaction explosion worked it's way up the Fuel Lines, and into the fuel tank of the Raider...
The shockwave from the explosion slammed into Darin's Viper, shoving it violently backwards. Only the fact that he was already thrusting at full reverse allowed him to maintain even a modicum of control. By the time he had regained full control, there were more of his status lights blinking in red and amber than were showing a steady green.
A quick rundown told him the tale..
COmmunications out. Shields gone for good. Left Turbo Laser shot. Airframe damage. But..The engines of his Viper were in perfect working order, and the Life Support systems were as well. Had it been a real Viper, it would probably be scrapped, but, it would get him home....
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Post by JustinB on Nov 22, 2006 20:05:11 GMT -6
Watching Ensigns Karis's performance was entertaining. He seemed to be a good stick in a viper. I asked the sim controller to turn it up a notch or two. But to my surprise he managed it well. He would make a fine addition to the squadron. When we had the sim at nearly the highest level thats when Karis was forced to earn his patch.
He pulled some marvelous maneuvers and in the end he finished the scenario more or less intact.
Turning the the Sim Control Officer I said, "He is just about done for this session. Put him through landing procedures with some malfunctions. After that have him report to my office straight away."
With that I made my way out of the simulator room. As I exited I bumped into a young female Ensign.
"Sorry Ensign," I said and with that I headed off to my office to prepare my induction of Ensign Darin Karis.
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hypothetical
Ensign
Karis, Ensign, Black Squadron.
Posts: 21
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Post by hypothetical on Nov 22, 2006 23:51:55 GMT -6
(Enter, Real Time...)
I can think of no more wonderful sight than that landing bay right now I thought to myself.
Approaching the Fleet with communications out had been no easy task. I took the only course I could think of. Turning my starboard Turbo Laser down to absolute minimun intensity and width, I had approached the C.A.P. and come to a relitive rest. Sweating every second, I dredged up my knowledge of Universal Code, and used my Turbo Laser to signal to the C.A.P. leader my problem. Luckily, the Sim programmer had thought to include the Universal Code in the pilot of the C.A.P.. It took quite some time, firing short and long bursts from my Laser, to get my situation across.
The pilot on duty eased up along side my Viper, and using hand signals informed me that a Landing Signal Officer had been notified, and that I was cleared to land on the Callisto. I bled off nearly all my speed as I neared the Callisto so that I would be able to see the LSOs orders, and now, here I was, on final approach....
It was not easy. Between the slight haze of smoke in my Cockpit, and the occaisional spark still being thrown off by my damaged electronics, my vision was not at it's best. And, then, as if it couldn't get any worse....
A sudden bang came from behind me. I didn't even have to look at my status lights. The sudden sluggishness of my Navi-Hilt told me everything I needed to know. All three of my Pulsars were out. I was going to be making this landing on manuvering Thrusters alone, and The Lords of Kobol help me if I frak it up....
The LSO..what? Frak, my nose is high....no way I can wave off and come back around, I'll just have to compensate....Crossing the Threshhold I shove my Navi-Hilt strait forward. Without my Pulsars acting to make the manuver a curve, my Viper shoved itself vilolently strait down...
Slam. First my rear two landing skids, and then a millicenton later my forward landing skid are driven into the decking of the Landing Bay. Every bone in my body is rattled, as an unholy shrieking rages through my cockpit, the sound of my landing skids scrapping along the Deck.
With no Pulsars available for reverse thrust, I only have one choice. I keep my Navi-Hilt jammed as far forward as I can, using my manuvering thrusters to shove me hard against the Deck, to use the Skids as if they were a Brake.
My simulated Viper skids along the Deck, slewing slowly to the right. THere must be some minor damage to the Thrusters, as the down-force is not even....Even at dead slow speed, it takes some time to bring 6 Tons of Viper to a stop....by the time my Viper ends it headlong flight, landing skids smoking form the Friction heat build-up, the rear wall of the landing bay is less than 3 metrons outside my left hand screen.
Reaching up, I yank the two emergency eject handles. There is the sound of a trio of small explosions, but, instead of blasting off, as the real Canopy would have, the Simualtors canopy only begins to open as it had closed, slowly.
I quickly unhook my Safety Harness, pull off my helmet, and begin to climb out of the Simulator. As I do, I hear several short, sharp raps, comming form the Simmulator control area. It takes me a second to identify the sound as clapping. As I begin to look around, I hear an unfamilar voice say " Nicely Done Cadet."....
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hypothetical
Ensign
Karis, Ensign, Black Squadron.
Posts: 21
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Post by hypothetical on Nov 29, 2006 4:05:15 GMT -6
A door. It's just a door, like any other of the hundreds throughout this Battlestar. And yet, this one is different. This one leads into the Bunkroom of Black Squadron. My Squadron.
My orders are simple, for a change. Claim a bunk, drop off my gear, and then report to the Squadron C.O.
I look down and left, at my collar. For the first time in longer than I can remember, the simple little insignia of a Cadet is missing. Replaced by the gleaming new tab of an Ensign. A full Colonial Warrior. ANd not just any Colonial Warrior, a Viper Pilot. The Elite. All of my life, everything I have ever wanted, is now mine. THe most junior member of the group, to be sure, but still, a Viper Pilot...
Opening the door, I step through, prepared to justify my reason for being here..into an empty space. Bunks line the walls, but not a single person other than myself is present. The anti-climax brings relief to my nerves.
Scanning the room, I chose a bunk half-way to the back. A top bunk, as befits my ego.
I may be the newest pilot here, but by the Lords of Kobol, I will prove that I am one of the best, or die trying....
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