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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">Mission: Prelude</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">Day: 1</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">Stardate: 2446.03.23</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">(Void Sphynx MK III Knight 3 – Cockpit - Pilot- Lt. Arthur ‘Snoopy’ Corday – 0952)</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">Arthur listened to Dyson’s little speech and groaned. If his hands weren’t already occupied he would have slapped himself in the head.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">“Can that crap Knight 2,” he admonished. “What have you been reading? That taunting garbage has never been an effective weapon. These guys are professionals and you just
painted a target on your back. They all know who the new guy is, and they’re coming for you.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">~Damn the boys arrogance. ~</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">Then the sound that he was expecting came over the comms. The sound of Tempest angry. He shuddered. There was going to be hell to pay when they got back. Especially if
they lose.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)"> =^=Knights keep your eyes open for those two, they are going to wipe the field if you let them.=^=</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">“I see them command,” Arthur replied. “Time to stop babysitting, command.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">=^=They were sitting back waiting for an opening while our guys were engaged. They are the ultimate monkey wrench for us in this battle, they aren't part of any neat, orderly
engagement and they will grind you to mincemeat if you don't account for them. They are the f.....g winds of chaos on a battlefield!=^=</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">The decision had already been made in Arthur’s mind. “Roger that. Taking care of it.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">He changed frequencies to Dyson’s fighter. “Okay kid, you wanna play fighter, then play. You’re on your own. Watch your six.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">(reply Dyson)</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">With that he he dropped away from Knight 2 flipped his ship and flew, inverted towards his prey. ~Time to show these guys what my babies can do.~</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">He flew a pattern that appeared to follow a pair of Makos. Then he activated his sensor cloak. It would appear to everyone that his ship just disappeared from their sensors.
The bad news was that it affected his own sensors, so he was flying blind as well. They would think one of two things, he’d been destroyed or he’d done just what he’d done, and they would have to rely on visual confirmation. Hopefully Dyson’s sitting duck
and Raids fancy maneuvers would engage Bravo long enough before his rouse to be effective.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">He dropped towards Mars then angled back directly under the two waiting fighters. He may have been able to fool their onboard sensors, but he knew that their proximity
detectors would go off. The ships jumped slightly as he changed his angle again. He came up behind the ships and fired, near point blank at the first ship. He switched off the cloak, and moved the power to his shields in time to see a dazzling light display
one of the ships disappeared from his game board. </span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">The second ship took a glancing blow from the shot. It’s shields dropped to 20% and it had multiple systems errors. But it still pulled away and turned to fight. Snoopy’s
Sphynx moved under the ship and he fired with his phased cannons, finishing it off.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">He got away with that strategy once, he knew he wouldn’t get away with it again. And it looked like the best fighters were still in the game. He already recognized the
flying pattern of Spuds and Bloondie.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">“Spash two,” he called out. That evens the odds a little. [Your partner appears to be in a little trouble.]</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">The HUD showed two ships flying circles around Dyson’s ship. He was doing a good job of evasive actions, but he hadn’t been able to take any offensive postiors. </span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">“Hold tight Knight 2, help is on the way.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">(reply Dyson, Montero, Grey Wolf)</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 31, 30)">(posted by Al Muir)</span></p>
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