Session Start: Thu Apr 09 02:03:26 1998
<LSS-Freedom_Computer> Computer on-line
<Waitstate> :)
* Stardrive has been sitting at the science console
<Stardrive> What the...
<Stardrive> Some strange... distortion in space...  very localized.
<Waitstate> On screen
<Stardrive> Not much to see, it's just a kind of... wavering... 
<Stardrive> On screen.
* Waitstate sits down into the command chair and looks at the viewer
<Stardrive> I can see through it, mostly.
<Waitstate> hmm... analysis?
<Stardrive> Sensors show very little...  
* Admiral-Lilwall to Freedom
<Stardrive> Almost as if it's a... cloaking field.
<Waitstate> Freedom here... go ahead
<Admiral-Lilwall> I'm flying outside the ship, I'm picking a distortion ahead, do you see it?
<Waitstate> We see it Lil
<Waitstate> What can you tell us?
<Admiral-Lilwall> It's hard to tell from my distance
<Admiral-Lilwall> If it's not an anomaly, it's a cloaked ship
<Waitstate> *to SD* suggestions?
<Admiral-Lilwall> Shall I investigate?
<Stardrive> Well, I'd advise caution... but if Lil thinks it'll help...
<Waitstate> Lil, do you have a remote probe with you?
<Admiral-Lilwall> negative, however, if you want more than just me to take a look someone could bring one out
<Stardrive> Wait a minute, we can launch a probe from here, can't we?  I really have to get more familiar with these systems.
<Waitstate> yeah... but if Lil had one, it would be quicker
* Waitstate keys a probe launch from his chair
<Waitstate> Launching now
<Stardrive> Ok.
<Stardrive> The probe is heading straight for the distortion.
<Stardrive> Wait... the distortion is moving.
<Waitstate> hmm... yellow alert
<Admiral-Lilwall> Freedom, I have a camera missile if you want a clser look
<Stardrive> It's got to be a ship.
* indicators flash and defensive fields come up
<Waitstate> Lil, go for it... don't arm the warhead though
<Stardrive> It's moving away at .05c
<Admiral-Lilwall> Just a camera missile Freedom, they don't have warheads....launching
<Admiral-Lilwall> visual will be patched through to you
<Stardrive> It's evading... .25c
<Waitstate> Try hailing the distortion
* Lightning enters the bridge 
<Lightning> Is there trouble?
<Stardrive> It's up to 3/4 sublight... it's a fluke I saw them... looks like they didn't want to be seen.
<Lightning> hmmm
<Lightning> a number of years ago...
<Stardrive> Wait... it's solidifying... a ship... metallic greyish...
<Waitstate> hmm... I'll ready the IST and cue it to follow them if need be
<Lightning> the decepticons tried to cloak their ships
<Lightning> but were unsuccessful
<Stardrive> Kind of a pasta-noodle shape...
<Waitstate> computer, run ID match on the ship we're scanning
<LSS-Freedom_Computer> Identified as: Unknown Quintesson vessel
<Waitstate> I thought the Quints were gone from this sector...
<Stardrive> A what?
<Stardrive> Who?
* Admiral-Lilwall to Freedom, is that a quintesson ship?!?
<Waitstate> The Quintessons were once the rulers of Cybertron... it's a long story, but the computer has the info in the database
<Waitstate> Lil, Computer match confirms it, I'm afraid it is
<Lightning> quintessons, hmm
<Stardrive> I'll look it up later.
<Stardrive> Shall I scan them?
<Waitstate> Yeah
<Stardrive> Scanning...
<Stardrive> Yow... that's a well armed ship...
<Stardrive> Weapons are hot, too.
* Lightning sits by a console and watches the ship on screen 
<Waitstate> damn...
<Waitstate> Red alert!
<Stardrive> Their shields are up.
*more indicators flash, a short klaxon blares, various other effects
<Admiral-Lilwall> Freedom...your orders?
<Waitstate> Hail the Quint ship
<Waitstate> Open a channel
<Waitstate> Lil, hold back... and be on defense ready
<Admiral-Lilwall> Affirmative
<Stardrive> Perhaps Lightning should man tactical... or I could transfer control to my console...
<Waitstate> Lightning, can you handle tac?
<Lightning> It would be unwise to leave the Admiral outside alone
<Stardrive> As it is, it's unmanned.
<Admiral-Lilwall> Attention Freedom, they're moving position
<Waitstate> Lil, get inside, quick
<Stardrive> Message coming in... text only.
<Admiral-Lilwall> you got it
<Waitstate> damn this ship is under-manned...
<Stardrive> Move it, Lil, this doesn't look good.
<Waitstate> what is the message?
* Admiral-Lilwall flies into the shuttle bay and transforms
<Stardrive> The message was one word only... "Innocent"
* Admiral-Lilwall heads to the bridge
<Waitstate> damn!
<Stardrive> They're firing!
<Waitstate> fire interceptors
* Lightning, upon hearing innocent, flies to the tactical console
<Waitstate> and return fire!
* Lightning fires in return
<Stardrive> No good.  Their shields are holding.
* Lightning fires torpedos
* Admiral-Lilwall enters the bridge and takes the helm
<Waitstate> Charge main weapons array... let's hit them with a full partical stream blast
<Stardrive> Direct hit, but...
<Stardrive> They keep rotating...
<Lightning> Charging.....
<Stardrive> So we never hit the same part of the shields.
<Waitstate> launch attach drones
<Waitstate> set them to concentrate on a single area and match rotation with the Quint ship
<Admiral-Lilwall> Great, a cloaking, rotating shielded quint ship
<Lightning> launching drones
<Lightning> torpedoes incoming
<Stardrive> Doubling forward shields
<Waitstate> light: fire interceptors!
<Lightning> Interceptors launched,
<Lightning> two of 3 torps destroyed, we're gonna take the remaining
<Waitstate> transfering autocanon one to my direct control
<Lightning> transferred
* holo display surrounds command chair as Wait begins blasting away
<Stardrive> Oh, great... They've let out a fleet of StarSharks
* Lightning continues to fire ships guns on the enemy
* Admiral-Lilwall to Maximus Prime, Recoil, and Bit, report to bridge stations
<Admiral-Lilwall> Vanadis report to shuttle bay
<Admiral-Lilwall> *turns to SD and Light*
<Admiral-Lilwall> come on guys, we'll have a better chance of taking them flying sharkies out there
* Stardrive nods
<Waitstate> You two are armed well enough... I can take the ships controls
* Lightning leaves tactical as Recoil takes his place
* Admiral-Lilwall also leaves to the shuttle bay when Bit takes his spot
* Stardrive relinquishes his station to Maximus
<Waitstate> Bit, switch with Maximus
* Admiral-Lilwall and the others exit the lift and are at the shuttle bay where they meet Vanadis
* Stardrive runs to the shuttlebay.
<Admiral-Lilwall> ok guys, transform and attack!
<Stardrive> 50 to 4... what a day...
* Admiral-Lilwall transforms and zooms out of the bay
<Waitstate> Recoil, blow up anything that isn't ours, got it?
<Recoil> Yes Sir!
<Lightning> Shut up and fight SD
* Lightning transforms and departs
* Stardrive transforms into Starfighter mode and engages impulse engines.
* Lightning tails a sharker and fires on it
<Waitstate> Ok Maximus... take us in for a better shot
* Stardrive fires randomly into a group of Starsharks
<Waitstate> Shuttlebay team, launch!
* Admiral-Lilwall and the other arrive in the shuttle bay and neet Vanadis
<Admiral-Lilwall> Ok guys...transform and attack!!
* Admiral-Lilwall transforms and launches
<Waitstate> Maximus, as soon as they're away, start taking evasive action
<Maximus_Prime> Yes commander.
<Stardrive> 50 to 4... great odds...
* Stardrive Transforms and engages impulse power
* Maximus_Prime monitors the shuttlebay team
* Admiral-Lilwall zooms out of the bay and tails a sharkticon fighter
* Admiral-Lilwall opens fire
* Stardrive fires randomly at a swarm of StarSharks
* Admiral-Lilwall dodges and evades fire from other targets
<Waitstate> Recoil, fire at will... rather, fire at the bad guys!
* Maximus_Prime take evasive action from the battle.
<Recoil> Aye!
* Lightning launches missiles into a group of the enemy
* Stardrive destroys several sharks
<Waitstate> Charge primary weapons array....
* Lightning's missiles connect on his targets
<Waitstate> Fire!
<Maximus_Prime> weapons array charaged!
* Stardrive fires at more sharks
* Lightning barrel rolls and avoids missles
<Recoil> I hit 'em!
* Admiral-Lilwall kickstops and watches a sharkie zoom over head
<Waitstate> Good! keep it up!
* Admiral-Lilwall powerups up and blows the shark's tail pipe away
* Stardrive fires photon torpedos at another group of sharks
<Maximus_Prime> Maximus to shuttlebay team, there are more behind you!
* Stardrive notices the Quint launch bay opening up again...
<Recoil> Captain! The Quint ship is launching more fighters!
* Stardrive flies straight toward the bay at high speed
* Lightning takes hits to his left wing
* Stardrive fires into the bay
<LSS-Freedom_Computer> Warning, hull integrity at 78%
* Stardrive peels off
<Waitstate> Damn!
<Maximus_Prime> Waitstate, I suggest we attack the ship directly before they send any more at us.
* Admiral-Lilwall dodges a fighter causing the one behind him to crash into the one ahead
* Stardrive watchs random explosions going off inside the bay
<Waitstate> Boost structual integrity field!
* Admiral-Lilwall to Freedom
* Admiral-Lilwall rolls right
<Waitstate> Freedom here, go ahead
<Admiral-Lilwall> If there's any more automated drones onboard the freedom I suggest you launch them all!
<Waitstate> Recoil! Do it!
* Lightning takes a hit to his engines
<Lightning> yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
<Recoil> uhh... launching!
* Waitstate takes control of one of the drones
* Lightning spins out of control breifly before regaining himself
* Stardrive transforms into robot mode and just starts firing from a distance
* Maximus_Prime thinks: "And Lighting calls himself a warrior."
* Waitstate flies in to assist Lightning
* Admiral-Lilwall convers Vanadis' back as he aces more sharks
* Stardrive watches as several StarSharks collide.
<Waitstate> Lightning: All clear!
<Waitstate> for you anyway!
* Waitstate reverts the autopilot
* Stardrive makes another run for the unprotected and now slightly singed launch bay.
<Recoil> Targetting the bay...
<Recoil> away!
<Maximus_Prime> Waitstate, can we concentrate all firepower at that launch bay?
* Stardrive to Waitstate How's it going?
<Waitstate> we're trying to hit as much of the Quint launch bay as we can, but we have to maintain evasive action
* Stardrive narrowly avoids the ship's compression beam
<Waitstate> It isn't letting us maintain target lock
<Stardrive> Hold on...  No one fire...
* Stardrive flies into the launch bay.
<Maximus_Prime> forget target lock!
* Maximus_Prime tries to do it manually
<Recoil> should I stop shooting?
<Waitstate> yes, you should
<Recoil> ok
* Stardrive flies out of the bay.
<Waitstate> Stardrive, report!
<Stardrive> I set a detonator..
<Stardrive> Ten seconds...
<Stardrive> 9...
<Stardrive> 8...
<Stardrive> 7...
<Maximus_Prime> move the ship away!
<Stardrive> 6...
<Stardrive> 5...
<Stardrive> 4...
<Stardrive> 3...
<Waitstate> Move it Maximus!
<Stardrive> 2...
* Stardrive enters warp with the others in tow
<Stardrive> 1...
<Waitstate> Status report
<Stardrive> 1/4 of the quint ship is destroyed.
<Waitstate> is it enough?
<Stardrive> I set a detonator in the armory...
<Maximus_Prime> Waitstate, Stardrive should't have done that!
<Maximus_Prime> He should have gave us noticed of his intentions!
<Stardrive> They were opening the second bay...
<Waitstate> Yes he should have, but we can't argue that now!
<Maximus_Prime> agreed.
<Stardrive> Another squadron of StarSharks would have been launced by then
<LSS-Freedom_Computer> warning, collision imminent
<Recoil> Slag!
<Recoil> Firing interceptors!
<Recoil> I think that got it
<Stardrive> I'm making a visual run...
* Maximus_Prime runs a probe to scan the structure of the quints ship
<Stardrive> All 4 launchbays are damaged beyound use.
<Stardrive> Shall we return to the ship?
<Waitstate> yeah...
<Stardrive> Ok... 
<Waitstate> Computer, launch a Salvage drone
* Stardrive Vanadis, Lilwall, and Lightning return to the ship
<LSS-Freedom_Computer> Acknoledged... launching
<Maximus_Prime> Commander Wait, I must say we need to work on the structure of our troop, they need to learn how to work as a team.
<Recoil> Sir! They just blew up the drone!
<Waitstate> I guess that was a bit premature...
<Stardrive> Shall I return to the bridge?
<Waitstate> Maximus: we arent exactly a seasoned team of veterens here
<Waitstate> SD: your call... you think you can be of more use outside?
<Stardrive> No more StarSharks...  We're already back inside, but do you need me back at the science console?
<Waitstate> Yeah
<Bit> Stepping down
* Stardrive enters the bridge
* Stardrive releaves bit at the science station
<Maximus_Prime> Stardrive that stunt you pulled could of cost us this ship and your fellow soldiers
<Stardrive> Scanning... they've still got weapons... and partial shields...
<Waitstate> Excuse me, but I believe -I- am in charge here, not you Maximus.
<Stardrive> If the next squad of StarSharks were launched, we'd probably have had ths same problem.
<Maximus_Prime> just point out the facts Wait.
<Waitstate> Max: at an inappropriate time
<Stardrive> I ran into a similar situation back in the Verellian Empire...
<Waitstate> SD: did Lil and Lightning make it to med bay OK?
<Stardrive> Only that time I DIDN'T do that.
<Maximus_Prime> What did you do hotshot?
<Stardrive> And our capitol ship was destroyed
<Waitstate> SD: good work... a little warning next time though?
<Stardrive> I figured this time I should try what I didn't try last time
<Stardrive> If there was more time, I would have.
* Maximus_Prime grumbles silently
<Waitstate> You had enough time to tell us to move back at least
<Maximus_Prime> at least...
<Stardrive> I grabbed the others in a tractor beam and warped away from the explosion... they're fine
<Waitstate> That isn't the point... we don't have time for a discipline lesson now, but we need to talk later
<Stardrive> I didn't realize the Quint ship was so close.
<Stardrive> Split second timing...  I almost got killed by the internal defences to boot.  Singed a wing....
<Stardrive> But I'll get repairs later.
<Recoil> uhh... Sorry to interupt sir, but the Quint ship is coming about
<Stardrive> They're powering up a tractor beam.
<Waitstate> Stardrive, do they still pose a threat?
<Waitstate> Recoil! Take out that tractor!
<Stardrive> A small escape pod just left the ship.
<Recoil> Targeting...
<Stardrive> I'm reading an energy build-up
<Recoil> Got it!
<Stardrive> They're building up to self destruct!
<Waitstate> Computer! send a drone after that pod!
<LSS-Freedom_Computer> Acknowledged... launching
<Stardrive> It's following us... but at reduced speed.  Engines damaged.
<Waitstate> Engage IST Drives!
<Maximus_Prime> Drives engaged!
<Waitstate> Bit, begin calcs for space fold to the nearest non-hostile system system
<Stardrive> Detonation in 5... 4...
<Stardrive> 3...
<Stardrive> 2...
<Bit> Aknowledeged
<Stardrive> 1 1/2...
<Waitstate> damn it Maximus!
<Stardrive> 1 1/4...
<Waitstate> Computer! Get us outta here!
<Stardrive> 1...
<LSS-Freedom_Computer> Engaging
<Stardrive> 1/2...
<Stardrive> Detonation!
*with mucho special effects, the Freedom zips away, just in time
<Recoil> Interphase shockwave front incoming!
<Waitstate> Brace for impact!
* the ship is rocked, the energy wave knocking it back into normal space
<Waitstate> Is everyone OK? 
<Recoil> Ug... I am.
<Stardrive> Sir, we got an auto-send message. Just before the ship exploded.  It said:  "Innocent.  You will be executed.  Justice will be served... next time"
<Waitstate> Damn... I wonder what the Quints have against US personally...
*** Waitstate changes topic to '"Innocent.  You will be executed.  Justice will be served... next time"'
Session Close: Thu Apr 09 05:34:39 1998