Very interesting, indeed. My first five minutes back on duty after extended leave led me to the destruction of a Hessian gunship, the "Red Honor", in Neu Berlin.
In any case, I launched from the RNC Moselle in the evening just to stretch my legs a little; hadn't flown my Wraith for quite some time. Everything was right where I left it, so all was well.
After making the jump to Neu Berlin, I found that only a single fellow pilot was on duty and in-system. I assumed this was nothing new or exciting; even bustling Berlin has been quiet from time to time. I included him, a Hauptgefreiter Steiger of whom I am not familiar with, into the common Military channel, and simply asked how the day was.
I got a distress call in reply.
Kicking in the afterburner, I set off for the tradelane between Bonn Station and the Stuttgart Jump Gate where my computer was indicating Steiger's ship was located. It didn't take long to figure out why he needed help when I caught sight of twin Battle Razors soaring off into space above me. Herr Steiger was flying a Bergelmir against a Heimdall-class Red Hessian gunship by the name of "Red Honor". The ship appeared mostly outfitted for anti-capital ship warfare, but nevertheless was scoring hits.
I notified Steiger that I was on-station and proceeded to engage the bandit. While Steiger's bomber took pot-shots with its Anti-matter cannon, I insisted on draining its shields from close range, including a few nuclear mines when appropriate to help take its armor plating out. We had beaten it severely by the time Gefreiter Sven Wolf arrived on the scene, also in a bomber, who offered Cruise Distruptor support from long range.
The Red Honor cut its engines, and its weapons, asserting that it had been unjustly attacked. A quick ceasefire and investigation into both Steiger's and the Hessians' actions revealed that the Red Honor had, in fact, denied an order to cut power to its engines. The resulting pursuit devolved into a firefight, one which apparently lasted for the better part of ten or twenty minutes as an unknown trader arrived to provide the gunship with nanobots and shield charges before I had arrived.
Now that it was stationary and no longer engaged, I took the opportunity to relay a proper demand of their surrender. Steiger insisted on a countdown from ten, which I allowed him, and the Hessian commander gave up at the count of "Einz". We were then, of course, tasked to escort him to Vierlande.
What happened next is where this story becomes a bit... dicey. Steiger's ship was rather beaten so he RTB'd to the Strausberg for repairs, leaving the escort duty to myself and Herr Wolf.
I had ordered Wolf to guard the rear of the gunship as to prevent his escape and encourage cooperation while I took the lead, under the impression that my smaller profile and more agile craft could hopefully dodge any attempted backstabs. But Wolf mistook my order and flew behind 'me', leaving the Red Honor to break off of a tradelane half way to Dortmund and make a run for the Ruhrfeld. I ordered Wolf not to pursue, but youth has a tendency of overriding sense, as I am well aware of myself. I had no choice but to enter the field behind him in an attempt to offer support.
The gunship ran in circles for a while before engaging Wolf while he was by himself; I had moved to guard the Jump Hole to Hamburg, expecting the Hessian to run, but instead he chose to pick on my wingman, who was unfortunately at the other side of the field relaying the target's position until it was right on top of him. I managed to rejoin him before it was too late and we dealt with the Red Honor.
I've informed Gefreiter Wolf of his errors and cases of misjudgment, but with my own experience in mind I cannot advise much punitive action and actually would like to petition Command to give Herr Wolf another chance. He needs time to learn, as we all did.
![[Image: rmreportimage.png]](http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/8689/rmreportimage.png)