Pascal was in the virt-sim looking at the terrain aware that Willem would appear soon enough and begin the test. After years of Willem’s training, Pascal had a good idea of Willem’s strengths and weaknesses. Knowing Willem’s weaknesses were no advantage since, as Pascal remembered, Willem’s speed, even when a weakness was exploited, was sufficient to parry any blow that Pascal could attempt.
For his part, Willem knew Pascal’s qualities. Although he was not particularly quick, he was a natural positional fighter and was extremely strong given his smaller stature. In combat, Pascal would rely on his ability to position himself to achieve the maximum strength he could muster for defense or for landing a blow. Willem had once or twice misjudged this strength while training his young friend and paid for it as dearly as any teacher had ever paid for misjudging a student.
Pascal had one other quality that Willem respected and had not seen in most of the other acolytes he had trained. No matter what the situation, no matter how dire, he never ever lost his head. Those around him could always rely on him to be constantly assessing the situation and to be able to give sensible advice. He wasn’t the type to choose a suicidal charge when faced with overwhelming odds. Back off, find a better position, then come at the opponent again.
In the first scenario Pascal found himself on a Raslavon Corsair fighter. Their odd pointed shape with the long laser cannon on the tip and 6 wings led them to be called “Skeeters” short for “Mosquitoes." These were small two man crafts used for short range attacks or close support of large transport vessels. They tended to fight in swarms and had relied on guidance systems that could see the waste and emissions from an enemy craft even when cloaked.
Pascal had fighter training and was a good shot no matter whether the weapon was buckshot or a laser cannon. Pascal’s virtual pilot led him near an enemy dreadnought class vessel. Immediately they encountered a hail of fire from the vessel. Suddenly from above he could see a squadron of Barsifi Telk fighters. As his virt-pilot avoided the transport’s fire he began to focus his attention on the Telk fighters looking for the control vessel.
The Barsifi Telk was a snub-nosed fighter mounted with twin cannons on each winglet. The Barsifi fleet was deployed in such a way that the control Telk, known as the “Queen” would readjust the flight path of all the drone vessels as the situation in the battle changed. Pilots on these fighters had some level of tactical control, but overall direction and deployment was done from the rear in the control vessel. If Pascal could discern the Queen, he could disable the strategic control of the drones and make a run for the Barsifi Transport.
The tell tale sign of the Queen was that it moved behind the main battle formation from squadron to squadron. This allowed the commander to assess the situation from any point. In order to figure out where the Queen was, the normal procedure was to deploy certain fighters to seek it out without getting enmeshed in the main battle. This was usually done by flanking the main battle from any direction - up, down, left or right - and using both visual and sensor path assessments.
Of course the Barsifi knew this and created decoys for the Queen. Shoot a decoy and that seeker fighter was now vulnerable as a target since the Queen would sense the disruption of its own protection. It was a very effective offense and defense.
Pascal concentrated on the movement of several of the rear vessels and he saw his quarry. In his sensor he noticed the movement of each squadron when a certain vessel was behind them. He continued to track that vessel and compare the movements of the squadrons when that Queen was not in the area. A sudden shift of a squadron near the lower right center of the battle formation tipped him off that the Queen was near them. He tracked a vessel leaving that formation and began to stalk it.
Suddenly his own virt-pilot had trouble. Their recon mission was detected and they were under attack. After several maneuvers to avoid being hit, a bright light lit up the forward cabin of Pascal’s skeeter. Pascal checked his sensors and noted that his pilot was hit and control was being rerouted to his panel.
Trying to keep his cool he put the vessel into a quick reverse, a maneuver unique to the skeeter. It could reverse its thrusters without changing its attitude. The engineers of the Barsifi and Darjiki fleets had some very sophisticated equipment in the fleet of fighters, but the Raslavon Corsair was unique in its maneuverability in close combat. These quick moves required pilots and gunners that had the greatest ability to withstand the g-forces that were generated by the vessel’s ability.
Willem, controlling the Barsifi fleet through the Queen, noticed Pascal’s movement and smiled. “Well, my young friend, you have detected me, taken your hit, kept control of the vessel and now are in the enviable position of destroying the attack squadron I sent after you and exposing the Queen. I consider this test a success. I know few people who would have made that move successfully from the gunner position of a Skeeter.”
Pascal was in the virt-sim looking at the terrain aware that Willem would appear soon enough and begin the test. After years of Willem’s training, Pascal had a good idea of Willem’s strengths and weaknesses. Knowing Willem’s weaknesses were no advantage since, as Pascal remembered, Willem’s speed, even when a weakness was exploited, was sufficient to parry any blow that Pascal could attempt.
For his part, Willem knew Pascal’s qualities. Although he was not particularly quick, he was a natural positional fighter and was extremely strong given his smaller stature. In combat, Pascal would rely on his ability to position himself to achieve the maximum strength he could muster for defense or for landing a blow. Willem had once or twice misjudged this strength while training his young friend and paid for it as dearly as any teacher had ever paid for misjudging a student.
Pascal had one other quality that Willem respected and had not seen in most of the other acolytes he had trained. No matter what the situation, no matter how dire, he never ever lost his head. Those around him could always rely on him to be constantly assessing the situation and to be able to give sensible advice. He wasn’t the type to choose a suicidal charge when faced with overwhelming odds. Back off, find a better position, then come at the opponent again.
In the first scenario Pascal found himself on a Raslavon Corsair fighter. Their odd pointed shape with the long laser cannon on the tip and 6 wings led them to be called “Skeeters” short for “Mosquitoes." These were small two man crafts used for short range attacks or close support of large transport vessels. They tended to fight in swarms and had relied on guidance systems that could see the waste and emissions from an enemy craft even when cloaked.
Pascal had fighter training and was a good shot no matter whether the weapon was buckshot or a laser cannon. Pascal’s virtual pilot led him near an enemy dreadnought class vessel. Immediately they encountered a hail of fire from the vessel. Suddenly from above he could see a squadron of Barsifi Telk fighters. As his virt-pilot avoided the transport’s fire he began to focus his attention on the Telk fighters looking for the control vessel.
The Barsifi Telk was a snub-nosed fighter mounted with twin cannons on each winglet. The Barsifi fleet was deployed in such a way that the control Telk, known as the “Queen” would readjust the flight path of all the drone vessels as the situation in the battle changed. Pilots on these fighters had some level of tactical control, but overall direction and deployment was done from the rear in the control vessel. If Pascal could discern the Queen, he could disable the strategic control of the drones and make a run for the Barsifi Transport.
The tell tale sign of the Queen was that it moved behind the main battle formation from squadron to squadron. This allowed the commander to assess the situation from any point. In order to figure out where the Queen was, the normal procedure was to deploy certain fighters to seek it out without getting enmeshed in the main battle. This was usually done by flanking the main battle from any direction - up, down, left or right - and using both visual and sensor path assessments.
Of course the Barsifi knew this and created decoys for the Queen. Shoot a decoy and that seeker fighter was now vulnerable as a target since the Queen would sense the disruption of its own protection. It was a very effective offense and defense.
Pascal concentrated on the movement of several of the rear vessels and he saw his quarry. In his sensor he noticed the movement of each squadron when a certain vessel was behind them. He continued to track that vessel and compare the movements of the squadrons when that Queen was not in the area. A sudden shift of a squadron near the lower right center of the battle formation tipped him off that the Queen was near them. He tracked a vessel leaving that formation and began to stalk it.
Suddenly his own virt-pilot had trouble. Their recon mission was detected and they were under attack. After several maneuvers to avoid being hit, a bright light lit up the forward cabin of Pascal’s skeeter. Pascal checked his sensors and noted that his pilot was hit and control was being rerouted to his panel.
Trying to keep his cool he put the vessel into a quick reverse, a maneuver unique to the skeeter. It could reverse its thrusters without changing its attitude. The engineers of the Barsifi and Darjiki fleets had some very sophisticated equipment in the fleet of fighters, but the Raslavon Corsair was unique in its maneuverability in close combat. These quick moves required pilots and gunners that had the greatest ability to withstand the g-forces that were generated by the vessel’s ability.
Willem, controlling the Barsifi fleet through the Queen, noticed Pascal’s movement and smiled. “Well, my young friend, you have detected me, taken your hit, kept control of the vessel and now are in the enviable position of destroying the attack squadron I sent after you and exposing the Queen. I consider this test a success. I know few people who would have made that move successfully from the gunner position of a Skeeter.”
“So I passed?”
“This round, yes.”