The Republic - Great Air Battles

April 23, 1515, the LRS New Derby and LRS Drakee have been patrolling the Frozen Sea. Their mission: blockade the Crystal Empire from sending or receiving supplies. Two weeks prior, the New Derby and Drakee relieve three other ships, but their has been no action since then, and he new crew aboard the Derby is itching for some.

The LRS New Derby is the newest and most advanced ship in the Republic Navy. She is a nuclear-powered battleship-aircraft carrier, meaning, along with her enormous guns, she can also launch fighter and attack aircraft from her deck. With her being nuclear powered, her range is unlimited. Launched on March 7th, she was rushed to be built and fitted with systems. On April 7th, a month later, she was commissioned. She is commanded by a veteran naval officer and seapony, Admiral Iroh Dragon.

Everything was quite until a blip popped up on the ship's RADAR screen. This was what the crew has been waiting for. Two F-14 Tomcats are patrolling the skies east of the ship, where the blip is coming from. Voodoo 1 and 2 are two hundred miles from the unknown object and close in at 500 knots. The pilots use call signs to prevent the enemy knowing their real name. Ice and his back-seater, Slider are in Voodoo 1; Applewood and Timberwolf are in Voodoo 2.

As the two Tomcats get closer, the one blip turns to two. As the get even closer, the two turn to four. Surprised at the revelation, Wood hears the ominous sound of a RADAR lock on his plane in his earphones. A fifth plane is now on Wood's six o'clock with a RADAR lock. Slider then identifies the plane as Solar MiG-29's. Wood tries to maneuver, backing left and climbing, but the MiG stays put. The MiG launches a missile, Wood breaks left, but the missile flies straight into the Tomcat's right engine, blowing it up. As they tumble out of the sky, Applewood and Timberwolf safely eject. Voodoo 1 is completely alone against five enemy planes.

Three hundred miles west, Voodoo 3 streaks eastward to aid Voodoo 1, and becoming supersonic. In Voodoo 3 is ace pilot and air maverick Maverick, and back-seater Goose. A MiG comes around on Voodoo 1's seven o'clock, three of them pass on his left side. Ice banks left, but now has four on his tail.  One pulls into gun range on Ice's six. The MIG's 30 mm cannon opens up. Silder calls for a right break. Ice breaks right and rolls his plane. Voodoo 1 is now totally defensive.

Maverick is now thirty seconds away; Ice yells at him got help him out. Ice makes a wide left roll, but the MiG's stay right behind. One MiG comes over on Ice's twelve o'clock high. The MiG gets a lock and fires. Ice breaks right and barely dodges the missile. Maverick now enters the fight. He sees Voodoo 1, and his unshaken five MiG-29 pursuers. A sixth MiG slides in on Maverick's tail from the left. The MiG then overshoots and the Tomcat then flies right through the MiG's jet wash. The lack of oxygen from the MiG's exhaust causes the Tomcat to lose control; Maverick struggles to gain it back. Rolling, Maverick is able to get control.

Maverick breaks right, disengaging. The MiG is still on Ice's tail. He plans on going while and reengage on the MiG's tail. The plan works, Maverick comes back a round, now on the MiG's six o'clock. He gets good tone and fires. The missile flies off the Tomcat and explodes, taking off the MiG's right wing. One MiG down, five to go.

Two MiG's now come in on Maverick's twelve for a head on pass. Maverick slides, taking them passed his left side. Turning left, Goose, Maverick's back-seat, sees Voodoo 1 blow them with another MiG on his tail. The MiG fires it gun again and Ice breaks right, dodging, and the MiG overshoots. Maverick rolls and pitches down. The MiG is now seated on Ice's two o'clock. Two other MiG's streak in from Voodoo 1's twelve, one passing between Ice and the MiG next to him. A fourth MiG comes streaks in on Ice's three o'clock, gets tone, and fires. The deadly 30mm stream streaks over the Tomcat's canopy, missing. Voodoo 3 banks left after the two MiG's that went head on with Voodoo 1.

One MiG turns around too wide and is below and in front of Ice. Ice rolls downs after him, with Maverick following. Goose then spots a MiG getting on their tail; Maverick holds fast, not leaving his wingpony's side. Ice starts tracking his MiG. The MiG rolls and starts to climb, a perfect shot for Ice. Ice launches a missile. The MiG explodes in a large fire ball. Maverick then notices a MiG zeroing on Voodoo 1's right. But its too late, the MiG fires; bullets rips into Voodoo 1's right engine. Ice shuts it down, and is now working on his left engine. Maverick rolls around, now on the MiG's tail. Maverick tries to get a lock, but the MiG is too close to Voodoo 1 to do so safely. The MiG fires it gun again, landing hits on the fuselage. Maverick tells Ice to break right, the left turning MiG is now open. Maverick fires without getting lock; the missile flies straight; but Maverick stays on the MiG's tail. Now with tone, Maverick fires. The missile hits its mark. Strike three for the MiG's.

Ice now above Maverick in a left turn warns Maverick of a MiG on his tail. Maverick now tells that he only has one missile left. The MiG fires its gun, Maverick maneuvers and rolls, dodging the deadly 30mm shells. He then slows the Tomcat, bringing the MiG closer. One the MiG gets tone on the Tomcat, Maverick throws the throttle back, opens the air brakes and pitches up; the MiG over shoots. Maverick brings the plane back down and begins tracking the MiG. Getting tone almost immediately, Maverick fires his last missile. The missile follows the MiG, and flies right up the MiG's tail pipe. It's Maverick's third kill of the day.

The remaining two MiG-29's flee. The two Tomcats make course for home. It is the first action for the crew of the New Derby. But this is only a taste of the actions to come. In the following weeks, The New Derby and Drakee will be locked in combat with the Solar Empire's finest naval ships and crews.