Session 209 – Starfighter Academy Part 7

- GM’s note: Sessions are now twice a week thanks to Covid-19. We are still having fun with Tachyon Squadron so we are sticking with it for the moment….. There is Lord of Gossamer stuff in here but Grant and Ethan are ‘blending in’, to a degree. There are no other opponents ‘of Power’ in this realm….. yet.

- That evening the Captain of the freight Harmony tracks down the cadets who protected his vessel. He wants to thank them personally – this makes “Deadeye”, “Chance” and “Woody” feel good about what they are doing.

- The next day the cadets are advised that some of them will be getting an opportunity to fly real Blackfish starfighters – those among them who have not had a chance yet. Hence “Deadeye”, “Change” and “Woody” are relegated to the hangar bar to work with Instructor Marlin and the technicians. “Deadeye” notes that “Oh What A Feeling” (from Flashdance) by Irene Cara is playing in the background. He raises an eyebrow given that this music shouldn’t exist here. He eyes Ethan but Ethan says nothing.

- After a few hours on the tools, they spend the rest of the time until lunch working on the simulators. Over lunch, “Woody” notes that access to one of the hangar bays has been recently restricted. She heard from “Loser” that Axiom Squadron has been escorting ‘Pugs’ (‘Pug’ is slang for the stubby-nosed Phoenix-Class strikeboat which is used in a variety of roles). When “Woody” leaves the table, Grant asks Ethan about the music in the hangar and Ethan shrugs it off, admitting that he had asked for help to see if the music could be copied.

- After lunch, they return to individual simulation drills. “Deadeye” aces the simulation and crashes the computer into the bargain. While “Woody” and “Chance” continue, Grant takes the afternoon off while the simulator is being repaired. He explores Draconis Station on his own, buying some data crystals to encode some music. He ends up in the Fringes, where the dispossessed and lowlifes congregate because they have nowhere else to go. Deciding he is unwelcome there, he wanders back and passes a ventilation duct that smells like something died down there. He makes a mental note to report it to maintenance.

- Back in the heart of the station, Grant spots Zoom, a coffee shop that the other cadets rave about. He buys some yakitori sticks from a street vendor and spots a jobs board. Lots of opportunities are listed for starship crews, or entrepreneurial roles (a career in sales!)

- Meanwhile, “Woody” and “Chance” have finished their work for the day and Ethan suggests going for a walk. However “Woody” isn’t at all interested and says she has other plans. Ethan can tell that she definitely doesn’t want to include him but it also gives Ethan the impression that she is hiding something. (GM’s note – Dominant Rank Psyche)

- Ethan decides not to follow her and instead he decides to go for a run. On the way to his normal starting point, he meets “Cobra” who appears to have been waiting for him. They run together, and they make small talk as they go. Ethan gets the strong impression that she is interested in him but she isn’t sure. 

- After some distance, “Cobra” is exhausted but Ethan is still feeling fine (GM’s note – huge difference in ranks of Endurance). He asks if she wants to take a break and she staggers off to get changed. Confused, Ethan continues running to clear his head. 

- After a few more laps of the station, Ethan decides to change and go looking for “Woody”. Thanks to wayfinding, he finds her in an out-of-the-way bar chatting with a man that he doesn’t recognise. She seems okay so he leaves, but “Woody” spots him and runs after him. She catches him easily. “Woody” seems genuinely distressed and makes Ethan promise not to say a word of her companion. Ethan is suspicious of her need for secrecy but “Woody” breaks down and confesses that the man in the bar is her husband. Her family doesn’t know. She couldn’t declare it when she applied for the Starfighter Academy. She begs Ethan to keep it a secret and Ethan promises to do so. Feeling a little embarrassed, Ethan heads back to the Spacers’ Bar for a drink.

- Meanwhile, “Mayhem” has told “Deadeye” about a mind-bending cuisine that he is sure that “Deadeye” has never tried before – he takes “Deadeye” out for ….. PIZZA! The pizza is good but not what Grant expected. The pizzas are small and topping selection is often random to find combinations that work, or don’t work. “Deadeye” has a marvellous time.

- In the Spacers’ Bar, “Chance” has a drink with Baker and “Ajax”. “Deadeye” arrives later on and asks after “Woody”. “Chance” shrugs and doesn’t tell him where “Woody” is.

- The next morning “Deadeye”, “Chance” and “Woody” are assigned to a ‘Pug’ and introduced to “Thermic”, one of the Tachyon Squadron fighter pilots who will be leading them on a series of cargo inspections. She is a by-the-book operator and seems to enjoy being in charge. She confirms that they know how to board vessels and what they should be looking for. Contraband consists of drugs, weapons and radioactives. They also need to keep an eye on undeclared cargo, which includes passengers. They prep weapons and head out with “Fuzz”, “Proton” and “Cobalt” flying escort for them. “Cobalt” is a Tachyon Squadron fighter pilot like “Thermic”.

- After nine hours patrol, the cadets realise that “Thermic” is more than just by-the-book, she’s a stiff and boring as anything to be around. She doesn’t stop the chatter between the cadets but she seems to disapprove of it. Finally, they detect the signature of a large inbound freighter heading for Draconis Station.

- The Old Timer is a large freighter from the Dominion-controlled world of Beta Atria which is carrying refinery equipment for Asami. It takes a further two hours to reach the Old Timer. The three cadets board the freighter. The Asian captain is dressed in a corporate uniform and seems relaxed with being boarded and inspected. “Deadeye” searches the cargo pods whilst “Chance” and “Woody” go through the records and crew manifest. Finding nothing, they leave the Old Timer in peace and return to base.

- They arrive back at Draconis Station too late to do anything but go to the Spacers’ Bar for a drink. Upon hearing what they have spent the day doing, “Neutron” makes disparaging comments about starfighter pilots doing customs inspections. It’s not what he signed up for.

- “Deadeye” watches “Woody” slip away. He asks “Chance” whether he knows where she is going and “Chance” tells him not to worry about it. “Chance” goes to play pool with “Nails”. “Deadeye” watches the game but he doesn’t stay to the end. Noting that “Chance” seems to be losing to “Nails”, “Deadeye” decides to go and find “Woody”.

- Using Wayfinding, he follows “Woody” to the restaurant district and he decides not to pursue further, figuring that she must be okay and her business is her own. “Deadeye” decides to try some Korean-Polish fusion food and finds that it isn’t bad.

- The next morning, the team is back on ‘Pug’ duty. Three hours out, they inspect the freighter Delilah which is travelling from Beta Atria (a Dominion controlled world) and carrying computer and technical components. “Cobalt”, “Shotgun” and “Mambo” from Tachyon Squadron are flying escort for the ‘Pug’.

- Again the cadets board the vessel. “Deadeye” goes to inspect the cargo and he finds minor discrepancies in the cargo manifest but nothing that would land the crew in serious trouble. “Chance” notes that the freighter Delilah appears to be an independent freighter. Captain Rachel Gells appears to be a ‘self-made woman’ and this ship is her livelihood.

- Arriving back in the early afternoon, the cadets spend time with “Nok”, the top starfighter pilot with the most confirmed kills on the board. (eighteen). She spends time teaching them how to use and tune their onboard sensors.

- After training, “Deadeye” heads to the gym to relax. Baker is also there, lifting a completely different level of weights to “Deadeye”.

- Meanwhile, Ethan goes for a run. He’s getting cranky with spending time doing cargo inspections but running helps him relax. He is fast. Very fast. Far too fast for a normal human. On one of his loops, he comes across “Nok” who is also going for her normal run and he slows down to match her. She observes that his head is ‘not in the right place’ – it was obvious to her during the training earlier today. Ethan agrees and says that running always straightens him out. “Nok” agrees and says that she runs to find her ‘centre’. 

- They run together, and Ethan calms down. When he has had enough, he thanks her and departs. “Chance” goes to find “Cobra”. She is pleased to see him and they talk some more.

- That evening Grant finds another place to eat dinner. The fish is incredible, as if it has been freshly caught. After a fine meal, he goes to the Spacers’ Bar and finds it mostly deserted. Where is everyone? There is only “Gunner”, the red-haired Tachyon Squadron fighter pilot and “Hustler”. “Gunner” is nursing a drink. “Hustler” welcomes “Deadeye” and they play a game of pool. “Hustler” wins.

- “Deadeye” asks where everyone is and “Hustler” tells about a new bar which “Iceman” mentioned the previous night. It’s a girlie bar called the “Hot Spot” (which the cadets are already calling the G-Spot). “Hustler” laughs and says that the girls from Callisto 2119 (which is a proximate Dominion system) are very good looking. But “Hustler” is tired after the previous night and didn’t feel like going back again.

- Noting that neither “Chance” nor “Woody” are present, “Deadeye” decides to leave the bar and go looking for them. He passes another ventilation duct which smells just as bad as the other one on the Fringe. He makes another mental note to follow up with maintenance.

- The “Hot Spot” is a shiny new bar with flashing lights and a bouncer at the door. It is a ‘bar for discerning adults’. Grant pays the entry fee and goes looking for his friends. Inside there are a lot of girls, different areas with different music, and lots of his fellow cadets. The cost of drinks is very cheap and the girls here seem very ‘available’. He notes that there are boys as well as girls and wonders whether some of the female cadets would actually come here. Grant spots “Fuzz” enjoying herself and decides that this observation answers the question. He doesn’t sense either “Chance” or “Woody” here so decides not to linger. The girls are attractive but he doesn’t feel in the mood.

- Instead, Grant decides to hunt down the source of the smell that he has detected at two separate vents. His quest takes him down into the bowels of the station and he finds a dead body in one of the processing stations. A very dead body. Definitely a murder, probably weeks ago.

- Back to Ethan. Ethan has been enjoying his conversation with “Cobra” and he makes it clear that he is interested in her. However, what follows does not go well for him. In the space of a little over an hour, they go from a first kiss to ‘relationship over’. Ethan’s head is hurting over the train smash that has seemingly come from nowhere and it is only in hindsight that he is able to pick up the little comments from “Cobra” about nobility, class and her place in society as being the real reasons why he has been rejected so thoroughly. She is clearly confused herself and he got punched in the guts by mis-reading the situation completely.

- Feeling a bit out-of-sorts, he heads to the Spacers’ Bar to try to find a friendly face. Somehow he walks into a mass exodus from the Bar that “Mayhem” is leading and he joins “Proton” and “Fuzz” who are heading in the direction of the “Hot Spot”. The booze and girls at the “Hot Spot” are blinding for Ethan, and he ends up saying ‘F- it’ and picking out a companion for some quality time, much to the cheers (and jeers) of some of his fellow cadets. Two hours later, Ethan walks out of the “Hot Spot” feeling rather good about himself.

- Returning to his bunk, Ethan finds an e-message waiting for him on his personal datapad. It is a letter from Nicole. He had left a message for the hotel where she worked but he had pretty much given up any hope that she would reply. In her reply, she wants to know if he would spend some time with her if she came to Draconis Station for a visit. Thunderstruck, Ethan can’t believe the timing. Whatever good feeling he had is gone.

- Grant returns to the dormitory and spots Ethan. No one else is back so he asks Ethan if he’s okay. To Grant’s surprise, Ethan vents about the class system of Draconis. He points out that Grant is mixing with people that it doesn’t appear to matter but that hasn’t been Ethan’s experience. It seems to colour everything here. Ethan says that there seem to be very few genuine people. He cites the girls at the “Hot Spot” as being some of the few genuine people here because they don’t pretend to be anything that they aren’t. Ethan mentions that he has just received a letter from Nicole. Grant is surprised by this but he holds his tongue when Ethan cites Nicole as being another ‘genuine human being’. Grant considers the possibility that Nicole is only chasing Ethan as it’s a way of improving her own social standing. 

- They talk a little bit further. Ethan points out that these cadets almost all come from noble families and they are going to get a ‘wake up’ when they graduate and actually have to fight. The Draconis Volunteer Group (DVG) consists of professional combat pilots, and they don’t care about background as long as they perform. Ethan points out that he and Grant have more in common with the DVG than these ‘public school prats’. Grant acknowledges that what Ethan is saying is probably true but he reminds Ethan that they never intended to stay in this realm forever. He encourages Ethan to lighten up and not take things too seriously. He advises Ethan that he is probably overthinking matters and suggests that he takes a shorter term point of view.

Session 208 – Starfighter Academy Part 6

- GM’s note: Coronavirus hasn’t stopped us yet….. 

- The C.O. (callsign “Skipper”) lands on Vega-19 and joins “Deadeye”, “Chance” and “Woody”. Ordering them to step outside and secure the perimeter, “Skipper” talks directly with Flight Lieutenant Danika Arlen.

- The trio don’t hear exactly what is said to her but “Skipper” orders a lockdown of information and orders them not to speak of the defector. The defector is taken into custody and taken away. “Deadeye”, “Chance” and “Woody” return to Draconis Station.

- In the wash-up, “Birdie” is confirmed as dead. “Panic” is hospitalised in the medical bay. Classes return to normal, but something has changed. They are training as if the Dominion are active in the 26 Draconis system and that war may come at any time.

- Grant keeps himself busy by spending time with the maintenance technicians in the repair bays working on damaged Blackfish starfighters. There is plenty to do but the techs do seem to be worried about dwindling spare parts supplies. A quantity of spare parts were acquired when Draconis acquired the Blackfish starfighters but they don’t currently have the manufacturing facilities to manufacture all of the spare parts. They are still dependent upon the Republic for those, and shipping has been affected of late by raiders.

- Grant works with an older, heavy-set fellow called G.G. who is willing to teach the ‘flyboy’ a thing or two about what it takes to keep these ‘crates’ flying.

- That evening, “Deadeye” is at the Spacers’ Bar and Floyd is playing pool and complaining loudly about his failure to get a callsign. He unloads his woes on “Iceman” who is as unflappable as always. Floyd’s buddies from his training flight – “Mayhem” and Baker – are with him. “Iceman's" buddies – “Loser” and “Blazer” are also present. “Loser” urges Floyd not to rush things lest he end up with one he hates. “Loser” is obviously not fond of her own callsign. He makes a clumsy pass at “Loser” which she brushes off.

- “Deadeye” ends up talking to “Mayhem”. “Mayhem” asks after “Deadeye's" shore leave and he wants ‘details’. 

- “Deadeye's" attention is diverted when “Loser” suggests that Floyd should earn his callsign based on the very next pool game. She challenges the other cadets to knock him off as ‘King of the Table’, preferably to make him run around the table with his pants down (a tradition if the loser is unable to sink a single ball). Floyd is embarrassed but he still manages to beat “Iceman” and keep his position as ‘King of the Table’.

- A number of cadets want a crack at Floyd to embarrass him but “Deadeye” steps in and challenges him. Floyd gives it his best. “Deadeye” knows how good he is at pool. He and Ethan have played many games in many different pool-halls. The cadets expect “Deadeye” to crush Floyd but “Deadeye” choses to lose by a small margin, suggesting that he is a “Hustler” at heart. “Loser” is disappointed but Floyd has a new Callsign (which he doesn’t hate).

- Over the next few days, patrols continue. There are intermittent reports of shipping being attacked. 

- One evening Grant decides that he needs to get away for a bit. He finds a quiet part of the station to play his harmonica in solitude.

- Ethan on the other hand has a problem. The Double-A batteries which power his Walkman are finally dead and no one sells chemical batteries that look anything like these ones. He can’t play his favourite 80s tunes anymore until he can get back to Earth to acquire some more batteries. He asks for advice from a maintenance technician called “Sparks” whom he has been working with in the hangar, and “Sparks” promises to see if he can find some way to copy the audio tape onto another media. 

- That same evening, Ethan gets chatting to an Asian starfighter cadet with the callsign “Cobra”. They share a drink in the Spacers’ Bar and have a pleasant conversation. “Cobra” isn’t a noble like most of the other cadets. Her parents are merchants and her family is very wealthy – but she is here doing her civic duty to Draconis. She is clearly devoted to her homeworld. She seems curious about Ethan’s background as he is not a noble himself, and she seems both disappointed and intrigued when Ethan tells her that he has come from the Republic to start a new life here on Draconis.

- The next day they run into trouble whilst escorting the freighter Harmony to Draconis Station. They come under attack by two Gorgon strike ships and four Goblins. The battle is hard fought and both “Woody” and “Deadeye” sustain minor damage, but each of the three cadets scores two kills, wiping out the attacking force.

- Hence this brings the kill totals to: “Deadeye” – 9; “Chance” – 6; “Woody” – 5.

Session 207 – Starfighter Academy Part 5

- GM’s note: Things get a bit darker in this session as we start to see layers of society. 26 Draconis recently declared independence - it was previously part of the Dominion of Unity. There are loyalists who would prefer that things were back the way that it once was. 

I’m expanding upon the original adventures produced by Evil Hat. New stuff is being added, and I’m also adding some content from the Cyberpunk universe too. We are seeing the introduction of Mobile Frames (ie: small mecha) and full conversion borgs. 

In this session I also wanted to run to ground the open matter of Ethan’s and Grant’s mission background. They got into Starfighter Academy despite having no verifiable history. This had to come back to bite them, especially given that Grant has recovered from injuries so quickly, and both Grant and Ethan have been so lethal in both starfighter and hand-to-hand combat. There is no way that this wouldn’t be noticed.

Given this session was set up as Shore Leave, I also wanted to put in some romantic ‘opportunities’ for them but I didn’t quite expect it to play out as it did. Well, they are 19-year olds and rather silly kids at this point in their development. This is well before Lady Sophia, Isabelle and Abbie are on the scene. 

Of course David (who plays Grant) is worried about how we tie all of this back into the main plot. For the time being, I don’t really care….. we’re just having fun. We’ll make it fit later.

Part 1 - Shore Leave

- “Deadeye” (aka Grant), Ethan and “Woody” consider their options for shore leave. The shuttle leaves the next morning. They entertain the idea of heading to Prime Landing (the major city on Draconis) early but “Deadeye” suggests that he needs a good night’s sleep. (he is still recovering from injuries)

- That evening, “Deadeye” strikes up a conversation with “Mayhem”. (the two of them get along) “Mayhem” has heard that they’ve been given a leave pass and he is curious what “Deadeye” plans to do with his shore leave. They talk a little. “Deadeye” knows that the nightlife and bars are pretty good but it seems to be the wrong season to go into the mountains to go skiing (the nearby ski slopes are known to be good). “Mayhem” suggests scuba diving and mentions that there are wrecks. (he does not say what the wrecks are of). “Deadeye” asks about nightlife and “Mayhem” advises him that there are a range of places. Some are more elite than others. He suggests that “Deadeye” should dress well and ‘mind your manners’ to enter the better establishments. “Deadeye” thinks on this as he doesn’t have any good quality clothes. He only has casual wear for when he is off-duty.

- Bright and early the next morning a small shuttle departs from Draconis Station with only three passengers on board – Grant (aka “Deadeye”), Ethan and Allie (aka “Woody”). The pilot is a short Asian lady who is highly unconventional – she offers frequent additions to the safety brief which are a source of amusement to the cadets. Nevertheless the pilot guides the shuttle towards Draconis with a steady hand. The shuttle passes within sight of the Draconis Hull Yards where the old destroyer DCS Lion is being retrofitted. 

- The cadets know that Draconis’ naval forces are very weak. There is only the destroyer class DCS Lion and two aging Frigates, the DCS Leopard and DCS Cougar, which were left over from Draconis’ time when it was part of the Dominion of Unity. Given the lack of capital ships, Draconis is very dependent upon the three Starfighter squadrons that have been acquired by means unknown (the Blackfish used by Draconis forces came originally from the Stellar Republic. Everyone knows this but no one really knows how). 

- The shuttle lands at the city of Prime Landing, and the plucky pilot wishes them well, telling them that she’ll see them ‘next time’. 

- It is early in the morning. Allie catches a taxi and goes home, whilst Grant and Ethan head for the hotel. There is litter and debris on the streets. It looks like the remains of some sort of public demonstration from the previous day. Arriving at their hotel, they go to check in. The hotel seems pleasant enough, nothing too upmarket but comfortable and only a few blocks from the lake front. 

- Putting away their things, Grant and Ethan relax and have breakfast. It is relatively quiet at this time of the morning. Grant reads the paper – apparently there has been another Loyalist protest (those who would prefer that Draconis was not independent and was reunited with the Dominion). Grant shares what he reads but Ethan is hardly listening. The young lady serving them has caught Ethan’s eye and he finds himself quite distracted.

- They talk about wreck diving. Ethan orders more tea so that he has another excuse to interact with the young lady. Grant is oblivious to this as he has gone off to talk to the concierge about different options for wreck diving. He finds out quickly that the main attraction here is the wreck of the Thetis, a Republic warship that crashed in the lake during the great war. What is left of it has become a tourist attraction.

- With Grant out of the way, Ethan approaches the young lady who is working as a barista and asks her if she’d be available later in the day to go out together. This takes her completely by surprise. She fumbles her response but she nods. Ethan introduces himself and she gives her name as Nicole. Ethan then says that he’s travelling with a friend (referring to Grant) so she’d be most welcome to bring a friend if she would like. Blinking with astonishment, Nicole agrees and tells Ethan when she will be finished on her shift.

- Ethan returns to the table to find the wacky Asian pilot sitting there already. The lady irreverently comments that she hopes her presence hasn’t screwed up his plans for the evening, thumbing towards Nicole. She tells him that he has an appointment today. Flashing her business card which refers to her as Maki Namura, Department of Homeland Security, she then takes the card back and smiles. 

 

* Image from Mirror’s Edge, but I think it suits Maki

- Grant arrives back and Maki introduces herself. She bluntly tells Grant that his plans will have to change as Ethan won’t be available. Sending Ethan away with two men in fine suits, Maki calls the dive company and switches Ethan’s booking to allow her to go with Grant instead. 

- Nicole seems disappointed when she delivers tea to the table and finds Ethan gone. Maki takes the tea and practically spits it out – she was expecting coffee. (GM’s note – everyone here seems to drink coffee rather than tea)

- Grant and Maki head down to the lake-side docks and find the vessel that will take them to the dive site. The vessel has a small crew. The divemaster is an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous woman with short blonde hair. Grant finds her very alluring.

- Heading out to the dive site, the divemaster (Daphne) runs through a safety brief about ‘nuscuba’. Grant picks it up quickly. Maki seems to know what she’s doing and she becomes quite professional when required. When they arrive at the dive site, they do some test dives from the boat to practice before descending to the wreck of the Thetis itself. Daphne tells Grant that most of the Republic vessel burnt up on re-entry but it was carrying mobile frames (ie: mecha) and if they are lucky, they’ll be able to get into the drop bays to see them. 

- The morning dive goes well. Grant and Maki follow Daphne down into the wreck and they explore as much as they planned to. Grant finds it hard not to be distracted by Daphne – she is gorgeous. They have lunch on the boat and Daphne makes small-talk with Grant. Grant gets the distinct impression that Daphne is curious about him. She tells him that he’s done well for his first dive and they’ll try to reach parts of the wreck that novices typically don’t go. The small talk continues. Grant surmises that Daphne is ex-military. She claims to dive in the summer months and ski in the winter. Grant asks about the slopes and Daphne responds in a way that makes him think that she is definitely interested in him.

* Image from Cyberpunk 2020 Stormfront Sourcebook

- They descend again in the afternoon and get deep within the wreck. Grant sees racks of mobile suits in varying states of decay. After exploring for some time, the dive is over and the boat starts to make its way back to shore.

- Grant and Daphne continue to flirt while Maki sits nearby, lost in thought. When the shore is visible in the distance, she receives a phone call. At the end of the call, she asks Daphne to leave so that she can talk to Grant. The boat’s engine is stopped and the boat drifts with land visible in the far distance.

- With a short apology, Maki starts asking questions of Grant. She wants to know where he really comes from. He was lucky to get selected into the Academy but it was partly a consequence of no history and hence no red flags. So she wants to know where he really comes from, because he is ‘too good a killer’ to be what he says. She grills Grant in a pleasant sort of way, wanting to know where he came from, where he grew up, why he came to Draconis and so forth. She tries to pick apart his background story.

- Grant spins a story based on what he has been able to fabricate since coming to Draconis – and it is a good one, although a little vague. Maki seems convinced, or at least convinced enough to look the other way given that he’s very skilled and it’s not wise to ‘pry too far’. But then she throws a curve-ball, asking if he is David Graves – a supposedly famous fighter pilot (and ace pilot) from the Dominion.

- Grant is astonished as Maki produces a sheaf of e-papers which contains Squadron Leader David Graves’ military file (or at least what Draconis knows of him). She shows him a picture of himself and it is an almost identical match. She explains that he is a Dominion War Hero, so she wonders if he became a member of the Red Fist (ie: part of the rebellion against the Dominion) or perhaps he wished to defect. She even starts to speculate as to why he would want to come to Draconis.

- Grant is left stunned by this revelation. He had never considered the possibility that there might be a Grant in this realm. But he doesn’t know if Maki is bluffing or whether it is even a good idea to pretend to be this person. She certainly suggests that a Dominion war hero would be valuable to Draconis, implying that if he is David Graves that he should come clean.

- At last Grant says that this isn’t him and he sticks to his original story. Maki baits him further with the suggestion that his current story isn’t very plausible but Grant refuses to say that he is Squadron Leader David Graves.

- Maki shrugs and puts away the e-papers, admitting that she fabricated the dossier. Squadron Leader David Graves isn’t real. 

- Gobsmacked and thanking his lucky stars that he didn’t change his story, Grant asks why Maki won’t believe him. Maki bluntly tells him that the other cadets have backgrounds with verifiable details. Neither he nor Ethan have any of those details which can be confirmed. That makes both of them suspicious. She even mentions Ethan’s strange music device (his Walkman) as an anachronism.

- Maki finishes up her interview and tells Grant that she’ll have to check out the new information that he’s given her. Maki goes to tell Daphne to continue the journey. Daphne rejoins Grant and they talk some more. Daphne surmises that Grant is a pilot, and Grant figures out that Daphne has seen action in the war – he wonders if Daphne and Maki know one another. Grant decides to see if Daphne will join him for the evening. She coolly answers that she will consider it but Grant can see that she is very tempted. Grant tells Daphne where he is staying as he and Maki leave the boat. 

- Back on the docks, Maki tells Grant not to go ‘too far’ and once again tells him that she’ll see him ‘next time’. Grant returns to the hotel to find Ethan relaxing in the bar area with a drink. He’s dressed in smart casual clothes. Grant realises that he needs something better if he is going out with Daphne and he talks with the concierge about where he can get some clothes from. He also books a table at a fine restaurant and a ticket to Jewel, one of the better nightclubs – all in the hope that she will turn up.

- Grant and Ethan sit down in a quiet booth to swap stories. Grant tells Ethan that he had a good day and met a beautiful divemaster called Daphne but he got grilled on his background and mistaken for a fictitious Dominion war hero. Grant explains that he had to spin a new, revised story as to how he came to Draconis.

- Then it is Ethan’s turn. Ethan explains that he was taken to a military complex and introduced to a room-full of uniformed people but he didn’t recognise the insignia. They wanted a detailed debrief of exactly how he and Grant had assaulted the pirates’ base on Asami. They had detailed information on the base and the surrounding area and just wanted Ethan to talk it through. 

- Ethan explains that he thinks that the people in the room were Special Forces. He also admitted that he has a talent for opening doors, without any kind of special tools – he had to admit that because he was challenged as to how he opened the utility door to gain access to the complex with no tools. 

- After spending hours and hours being grilled over exactly how they had taken the complex, they seemed to relax a little, especially when bringing him back to the hotel. Ethan even picked up that Maki seems to have a nickname of “Rocket”, shortened from “Pocket Rocket” – which could be a slur against her height, her excitable demeanour or it could have a sexual side (in which case it would be very demeaning). Ethan has been asked to head to Kalida Island tomorrow to show them ‘what he can do’. Ethan doesn’t feel threatened by their interest so he’s going along with it.

- They are still chatting when Nicole turns up with her girlfriend. Ethan is very pleased to see her. Nicole’s friend Rachel is introduced and Ethan introduces Grant. Grant excuses himself, saying that he has made other plans (because Ethan forgot to tell Grant that he asked Nicole to bring a friend). Ethan decides to salvage the situation and offers to take both Nicole and Rachel out if they are willing. He handles it deftly and they agree. 

- Ethan has a lovely evening with Nicole and Rachel. Both are university students with part-time jobs. They talk away over dinner and drinks and the three of them get along very well. They eventually move onto a place to dance - Nicole says that she has to leave in order to get some sleep before she needs to work (on the breakfast shift next morning). Ethan walks both Nicole and Rachel home, even though it is raining.

- Meanwhile, Grant dresses well and waits in the bar area in the hope that Daphne will join him. He waits awhile but she does turn up in a stunning sheer black dress. They go out together, make small talk over dinner and eventually head out to Jewel for a fine evening. Fade to black.

Part 2 – Kalida Island

- The next morning Grant finds Ethan downstairs talking to Maki. Maki doesn’t bat an eyelid when she sees Daphne with Grant. They share a quick breakfast before Daphne decides to leave. Then they are off in a ground car to Kalida Island. Maki describes the island as a training facility for ‘2 Commando Company’. 

- The island itself has a number of fortifications on it used as a sort of wargaming practice area. Grant and Ethan are introduced to a handful of exercises to show what they can do. A handful of special forces personnel keep an eye on their progress, including a man called Kardan who appears to be in charge, and a full-conversion borg named Hercules. There is also an observer from Tachyon Squadron – one of the Instructors named “Marlin” who is also on shore leave after sustaining minor injuries in the battle above Asami – but neither Grant nor Ethan are aware of this.

- Neither Grant nor Ethan hold back. They absolutely rip through the simulations, cutting down drones and even taking down their commando handlers. It doesn’t matter whether the combat is ranged or hand-to-hand. Grant and Ethan are just simply better – much, much better. [i](GM’s note – Ranked Warfare, Strength and Endurance)[/i] Even Hercules is no match for Ethan in a hand-to-hand fight, much to the borg’s disappointment. The commandoes seem to take this all in good humour – everyone is holding back and no one is actually trying to do permanent damage. Maki seems to remain positive and accepting of this unconventional situation. They’re on our side – who cares where they came from – we’re just fortunate that they *are* on our side.

- It is during these exercises that Ethan finally earns his Callsign. Ethan is told that Route Bravo is the toughest of the obstacle courses on the island, particularly because it contains obstacles, traps and live opponents designed to impede progress. Normally Route Bravo is used to train teams but occasionally the commandos use it as an individual challenge. When asked if he wants to try it, Ethan laughs and agrees to try, saying cheekily that he ‘might have a chance’. What he doesn’t realise is that Route Bravo starts by being dropped two miles away from the island in the lake water and having to start the approach from there whilst hauling fifteen kilograms of additional weighed ‘gear’. An hour and a half later, Ethan has crushed the record time by more than twenty minutes. His body is battered and bloodied but he made the most of his ‘chance’.

- After literally having the mud and blood hosed off him, Ethan (“Chance”) settles down to eat some lunch while “Deadeye” talks about what he’s seen and done. 

- Unfortunately the second exercise of the afternoon is abruptly cancelled less than an hour after lunch. Kardan tells him that there has been an ‘incident’ and shore leave is cancelled. They are to return to Draconis Station immediately. Grant, Ethan and Maki head straight back to the Prime Landing spaceport. A shuttle is waiting to leave. Woody has already been recalled. Maki flies the shuttle back to Draconis Station.

- Grant asks if she knows what is going on. Maki says that it sounds like some of their fellow cadets have been shot up. She doesn’t know the details but it sounds like there is some sort of mobilisation underway.

- Ethan wistfully wonders about Nicole and Rachel. He didn’t have a chance to say goodbye and he was quite hoping to see them again that evening.

Part 3 – The Incident at Vega-19

- Returning to Draconis Station, “Deadeye”, “Chance” and “Woody” are quickly ushered into the briefing room along with all available Tachyon Squadron pilots. The three of them are the only Starfighter Academy students present. “Skipper” conducts the briefing and instructs them that what he is about to tell them is highly classified. Three of the Academy pilots: “Birdie”, “Proton” and “Fuzz” along with Instructor “Panic” have run into trouble in the Kripka Cluster (the asteroid belt) whilst following up on two missing doctors. There had been a medical emergency reported on Vega-19, a small mining asteroid, and two doctors were dispatched from Draconis Station to assist. They didn’t return and so a Flight was sent to investigate. That Flight ran into an Enemy Squadron of Goblin Starfighters marked as Death Riders.

- That means that the Dominion has a fleet in the Draconis system. The Goblins must have come from a carrier, and carriers do not travel alone. It’s the first time that there has been Dominion military presence in the 26 Draconis system since independence.

- Skipper then goes on to tell them that “Proton” and “Fuzz” managed to escape but their badly damaged ships are still on their way back. There is no word from “Birdie” or “Panic”, suggesting that they have been killed. 

- Hence Tachyon Squadron is going out in force – they are expecting trouble. Backing them up is the DCS Leopard, one of the old frigates, and also a smaller fighter tender to extend Tachyon Squadron’s range. The DCS Leopard will be seriously outgunned in any fight with the Dominion but it’s the only available ship that Draconis has.

- The mood is tense and sombre as Tachyon Squadron and the cadets head out on the 20 hour flight to the Kripka Cluster.

- It takes a very long time to get to their destination. When they arrive there is no sign of the enemy, and the doctors’ shuttle is still docked with Vega-19. However there is some good news – “Panic” is alive. Her ship is almost totally destroyed but the Dominion clearly thought that she was gone and she got lucky. However, “Birdie” was not so lucky. He and “Panic” tried to protect the others to give them time to escape as they were heavily outnumbered, but “Birdie”’s ship was blown apart. He’s dead.

- A boarding party is organised, consisting of “Deadeye”, “Chance” and “Woody”. All three of them are more heavily armed than usual. They land in the docking bay of Vega-19 where ore vessels would typically be loaded from and begin sweeping the complex. Everything is quiet but the base’s systems seem to be operational. It seems deserted but both “Deadeye” and “Chance” can sense via Wayfinding that there is someone here.

- They find her in the cafeteria. She is dressed in a Dominion uniform. A blonde woman with her hair tied back in a high pony-tail. They easily get the drop on her and she puts her hands in the air.

 

* Image from Google Images but I believe this one is of Cassandra Savage from the Arrowverse (Vandal Savage’s daughter). I hate using pictures of real people (even actors) but knew immediately who I wanted as this Dominion Fighter Pilot

- The words do not come immediately but with effort she gives her name as Flight Lieutenant Danika Arlen, callsign “Dagger”. She gives her Serial Number and requests asylum on behalf of herself and her crew.

- There is a moment of astonishment. “Deadeye” gathers his wits and asks if she knows anything about a recent battle in the vicinity. She calmly shakes her head and says that she was waiting for the doctors to be declared overdue and someone to come and investigate. She does know that other Dominion Forces are hunting for her ship.

- “Deadeye” is about to radio in the situation when “Woody” stops him. She says that it is not safe to send a message ‘in clear’. She implies that the loyalties of the Tachyon Squadron pilots may be tested if they find out that a nearby Dominion ship wishes to defect. It could even create a flashpoint for a war against the Dominion who would be eager to seize the defectors. They need to tread extremely carefully.

- Thinking carefully, Grant calls in that they have a ‘situation’ and he requests that the C.O join them. He refuses to give further information.

Session 206 – Starfighter Academy Part 4

- GM’s note: Continuing the adventures of Grant and Ethan as part of a flashback to their early days on the Stair. This session follows up in the aftermath of the battles on and around Asami and then the subsequent Hop.

- Grant has nightmares. Really bad ones. He dreams that his ship is coming apart and then he wakes up. (GM’s note – a result of Unhealthy Decompression given the amount of damage that Grant sustained in last session’s combat). He is in Medbay. The doctors have seen to his injuries and given him sedatives to help him sleep, but the sedatives don’t work that well and he still has bad nightmares. Grant notes that there are a number of injured pilots in Medbay.

- “Books” remains in an induced coma. Her wounds are serious but the doctors are hopeful that she will recover in time.

- This time there is no heroic welcome for Ethan and “Woody” when they return to Draconis Station. Everyone – the cadets and the pilots of Tachyon Squadron are sombre. A number of pilots have been injured when the main body of Tachyon Squadron engaged the raiders. 

- The raiders were not dumb mooks – they were trained pilots with serious military-grade hardware. The Gators are an older make of fighter but they were in good condition and there were a lot of them. Three Tachyon Squadron pilots are dead and another five have ended up in Medbay. Tachyon Squadron’s strength has been depleted by a third and the support crews are working hard to get the damaged fighters back into action. Meanwhile, Axion and Graviton Squadrons are doing their best to pick up the slack.

- Ethan does what he normally does to cope. He goes for a long run, doing circuits inside the station. Another pilot, “NOK” (aka ‘Next Of Kin’) joins him for part of his run though he doesn’t feel much like company.

- Ethan and “Woody” continue with the Academy lessons without “Deadeye” (ie: Grant). The other cadets seem interested in talking about what happened around Asami but neither Ethan nor “Woody” want to talk about it. “Birdie” seems particularly disappointed and hopes “Deadeye” will be back soon so he can knock him off the ‘top spot’ for the Kalkidan Trophy. 

- Captain Tran (aka “Rabbit”) pays Grant a visit and tells him that the other cadets will be doing their second Hop (their official second test) today but they’ll make an exception in his case and wait for him to recover so that he does not miss out. She wishes him a speedy recovery.

- The rest of the cadets go for their Hop 2 tests. The engagement is relatively simple. They get points for successfully bugging out and killing off the drone swarms but the engagement gets harder as the simulation goes on. The cadets’ opposition starts with a single enemy pilot (one of the Instructors) and two drone swarms but every ninety seconds there another enemy pilot and two additional drone swarms enter the fray. No points are awarded for shooting down an instructor so it is not in the cadets’ interest to target them except to buy themselves more time to shoot down the drones before bugging out. Immediately bugging out is possible but it won’t get them a higher slot on the leaderboard. They need to stick around long enough to kill swarms to get their points up. And, the instructors have missiles whereas the cadets do not.

- Ethan and “Woody” keep busy whilst the rest of the cadets go through their Hop. “Woody” asks more about Ethan and where he came from. She shows interest in his ‘antiquated’ Walkman and the music on it (80s hits). Ethan learns more about “Woody” – Alison (Allie, to her friends) comes from a family where most of the adults have been in military service. She is the second youngest and she reveals that her father always seemed to be disappointed in her – but she’s determined to do her bit. Ethan asks her a lot of questions about the war and what 26 Draconis used to be like. 

- The next day, Grant is feeling strong enough to return to the cockpit and ‘Hop 2’. He has recovered much faster than the doctors expected. Even “Birdie” seems to be pleased to see Grant looking much better. “Birdie” knows he has done well in Hop 2 but he encourages Grant to catch him if he can. It’s the first time that Grant has seen “Birdie” as being anything but an insufferable prat.

- Hop 2 is known as “Know When to Fold ‘Em’ as it is a lesson in how far one can push their luck before making a run for it. It is also a lesson in teamwork because some of the cadets will need to kill swarms to get points whilst others keep the instructor off their backs. “Deadeye” already understands this and hence he develops a plan to take turns holding off the instructors, giving the others a chance to kill the drone swarms. He knows he only has five ‘turns’ (seven and a half minutes) before Bingo and the simulation ends. They decide that they will try to hold out until the end to get their maximum score.

- In the first turn “Deadeye” and “Woody” go after the Instructor (“Panic”) whilst Ethan thins out the drone swarms. “Deadeye” successfully eliminates “Panic” in the first ninety seconds.

- In the second turn Ethan and “Woody” go after the new Instructor (“Red”) whilst “Deadeye” kills swarms. “Red” holds them off although his ship is heavily damaged by “Woody”.

- In the third turn “Red” is joined by another Instructor “Bogo” and the cadets find themselves hard pressed as “Woody” is tailed and hard pressed. Nevertheless, Ethan kills “Bogo” and “Deadeye” lays down enough fire to enable “Woody” to break her tail.

- In the fourth turn, “Red” is joined by “Jasper”. The cadets go on the offensive and eliminate “Red” and a number of the enemy swarms.

- On the fifth and final turn, “Blank” enters the fray. “Blank” is the lead instructor and supposed to be the best pilot amongst the instructors. The cadets make a break for it with “Blank” and “Jasper” in pursuit. They are successful in evading their pursuit, including “Blank” and the simulation ends.

- “Deadeye” has killed five drone swarms and successfully bugged out, giving him 20 points. His score beats “Birdie”’s with 17 points. Both Ethan and “Woody” only managed to kill three drone swarms and hence they only have 14 points. It is still enough and all three of them successfully pass the Hop.

- That afternoon, the XO, Captain Tran comes to see “Deadeye”, Ethan and “Woody” and tells them that they’ve been granted two days of shore leave. She speaks kindly to them and says that they’ve just been through a major engagement (in orbit and on the ground of Asami) and they need to rest. She tells them to talk to the squadron ‘Psych’ (psychologist) before they depart and then she dismisses them.