HTL CAMPAIGN, PHASE IV : LOKI ARC ( 66 of 66 chapters total )

: “ Puppeteer, ” Part 1 of 2 : The Quest / Falling Deeper Written by Andrew “Neo” Modeen & Dan “Bugfix” Klette During the final operation of the TCS Valley Forge battle group (Battle Group Auriga) in Nephele, two pilots and a Marine woman find themselves stranded on Nephele II. Meanwhile, some light is shed on the truth about Captain Vandermann's dark past.

: “ Puppeteer, ” Part 2 of 2 : The Encounter / Into the Maelstrom Written by Andrew “Neo” Modeen & Dan “Bugfix” Klette One of the trio trapped on Nephele II is killed by the Nephilim, and one returns safely to the Forge. The third and last vanishes, but manages to learn the truth about what is driving the Nephilim, all the way back to their origins. Meanwhile, tensions aboard the Forge continue to mount. Is a boiling point soon to follow?

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 7 of 15 : Situation Normal - All Fouled Up ( 1 / 2 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane After much strife the Confed and Border Worlds reserve groups both jump into the Nifelheim System, but their first encounter is far from ideal. Confed Excaliburs open fire on UBW fighters, while UBW fighter-bombers ambush the Confed carriers.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 7 of 15 : Situation Normal - All Fouled Up ( 2 / 2 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane The misunderstanding is sorted out without any fatalities, but one of the Scrappers is injured. Relations between the two reserve groups definitely start off on the wrong foot.

: “ Toeing the Line, ” Part 1 of 6 : Killing Time Written by James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow The "friendly fire" incident as seen from the Confed point of view. The reserves had not been informed by HQ that the Union reserves would be in the system, causing them to mistake the Border Worlders for Nephilim.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 8 of 15 : Shades of Grey ( 1 / 2 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane The Confeds and Border Worlders start taking the first steps towards working together. The Confeds help the Border Worlders to convert to the new fighters they obtained from the convoy, while the Border Worlders begin setting up defenses and training new volunteers.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 8 of 15 : Shades of Grey ( 2 / 2 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane More light is shed about one of Scrappers' past with the Tanfen Corporation. A "free and frank" exchange of views with one of the Tanfenners makes him re-examine his attitude.

: “ Toeing the Line, ” Part 2 of 6 : Layman's Terms Written by James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow The Confed pilots also try to put the mix-up behind them and work with the Border Worlders, though things are still far from smooth. However, their commanders realize that none of them will survive the coming battle if they don't pull together.

: “ Fate's Edge, ” Part 1 of 3 Written by Kevin "Leeloo" Tan The Tanfen merchant fleet in Masa buries Lord John Tan in accordance with their customs, and looks forward to a more peaceful time now that the Tyr refugees have been off loaded. Unfortunately, the Nephilim raiders that took out a Tanfen sector base earlier are coming for the refugees. Lord Maximillian Gan makes the fateful decision to stand and fight rather than abandon the refugees.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 1 of 18 : Baiting the Trap Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy As the Loki battle kicks off, Admiral Hanton lays a daring trap for the Nephilim. The Border Worlds carriers and their escorts head into the ruins of Loki VI, leaving a clear trail behind them to draw in the Nephilim. Meanwhile, the other units of the Combined Fleet break off and circle back to smash the Nephilim fleet when it takes the bait.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 2 of 18 : Down Payment Written by Yu Fei "Phalanx" Leung As the Border Worlders head into the Loki VI debris field, the Harbingers and Reapers team up to ambush and destroy a large Nephilim scouting force. The ambush allows them to kill 46 enemy fighters, but five of their own pilots are lost in the battle.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 9 of 15 : Aces up their Sleeves ( 1 / 2 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane The Scrappers continue training the volunteer pilots who will be flying alongside them in the final battle, and keep practicing their own tactics against the Nephilim. Meanwhile, the Necromancer Squadron runs into something very strange while on patrol...

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 9 of 15 : Aces up their Sleeves ( 2 / 2 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane The Necromancer pilots uncover a secret fighter testing base inside the asteroid belt. The prototypes and defense fighters could make a valuable addition to Taskforce Jasmine, but the need for secrecy has the potential to drive a wedge between the Confed and Border Worlds components of the group.

: “ Toeing the Line, ” Part 3 of 6 : Strange Bedfellows Written by James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Nick “Chaeronea” Deane, & Kevin "Leeloo" Tan The Confed pilots continue training and preparing for the battle to come. While off duty, a few Confed and UBW pilots do their bit for international relations. Or should that be international affairs?

: “ Fate's Edge, ” Part 2 of 3 Written by Kevin "Leeloo" Tan The Nephilim raiding group jumps in after the refugees. The Tanfenners booby-trap one of their command ships, and use it to wipe out a good portion of the attacking group. but the battle is far from over.

: “ Fate's Edge, ” Part 3 of 3 Written by Kevin "Leeloo" Tan The Tanfen force is driven to the brink of defeat, but are saved by the arrival of more Corp forces headed by Max's uncle. In an effort to find a safe haven for the refugees, Max decides to head for Nifelheim and the secret base there.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 3 of 18 : The Death of Hope Written by Yu Fei "Phalanx" Leung Despite their victory, the Harbingers are haunted by the losses they took. The pilots doubt Phalanx's ability to lead, and Phalanx himself decides to step down as CO of the unit.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 4 of 18 : Eyes of the Fleet Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy The Ghost Warrior recon squadron tries to track down a group of Nephilim warships that have been sent into the debris field to catch the Border Worlders. The Border Worlds pilots find their target, but their leader, Lt. Colonel Ruth Lofton, is killed in action.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 5 of 18 : Hammer & Anvil Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy A combined strike from all three of the Border Worlds carriers eradicates the Nephilim scout force. The strike is aimed at stinging the Nephilim into coming after the Border Worlders with all guns blazing.

: “ Further Down the Spiral, ” Part 1 of 3 : Soldiers of Fear ( 1 / 3 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Daniel "Bugfix" Klette, Nathan "Monolith" Johnson, & Jeremy "Echo/Hollywood" Johnson Meanwhile, the crew of the TCS Valley Forge along with the rest of CVBG-A are searching for the Tiamat-class dreadnought they were sent after. A patrol yields a skirmish with a group of Nephilim fighters, but no trace of the mothership.

: “ Further Down the Spiral, ” Part 1 of 3 : Soldiers of Fear ( 2 / 3 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Daniel "Bugfix" Klette, Nathan "Monolith" Johnson, & Jeremy "Echo/Hollywood" Johnson The Valley Forge crew try to deal with problems and conflicts among themselves, as the losses and strains of the past few weeks take their toll.

: “ Further Down the Spiral, ” Part 1 of 3 : Soldiers of Fear ( 3 / 3 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Daniel "Bugfix" Klette, Nathan "Monolith" Johnson, & Jeremy "Echo/Hollywood" Johnson The Valley Forge crew abandon any further attempts to find the dreadnought on the 13th, planning instead to resume the search the following day. Meanwhile, a murder is committed on board the carrier.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 10 of 15 : Tempering the Mettle ( 1 / 2 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane The reserves are doing their best to get ready for the final battle in Nifelheim. The Border Worlds pilots react to the news of a joint "getting to know ya" Valentines Day party with interest, if not enthusiasm. First though, a fleet battle exercise has the Border Worlders carrying out a mock attack on a Confed carrier.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 10 of 15 : Tempering the Mettle ( 2 / 2 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane The Border Worlders give their Confed counterparts a rather pointed lesson in just what "second line" pilots can do by "destroying" the carrier group they were going after. However, both sides are sobered the thought of the losses they would take in a real fleet battle.

: “ Toeing the Line, ” Part 4 of 6 : Scrap Mettle Written by James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow The fleet defense exercise as seen from the Confed pilots' point of view, both those flying with the strike force and those trying to the stop the Border Worlders. Ambushes and counter-ambushes keep the pilots on their toes as they fight for survival and pride. Meanwhile, the TCS Hades flouts orders and heads for the fighting.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 6 of 18 : A Den of Death Written by Yu Fei "Phalanx" Leung Battle Group Valkyrie's Harbinger Squadron puts the past behind them, as Phalanx retakes command of the unit. The Bearcats help prepare a deadly surprise for the Nephilim in the battles ahead.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 7 of 18 : Throwing the Dice Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy Admiral Hanton decides to risk it all on one throw of the dice, deliberately revealing the position of the Border Worlds carriers to the Nephilim. She hopes the resulting attack will leave the way open for the rest of the Combined Fleet to wipe out their targets.

: “ Walking Wounded ” Written by Shaun "Iceman" Rashid The TCS Endeavour and CVEBG-A return to action... and not a second too soon. The crew tries hard to stay optimistic about their mission,. despite the fact they have been denied any help from the Inner Fleets. Early in the morning, they find their target

: “ Further Down the Spiral, ” Part 2 of 3 : Into the Void ( 1 / 3 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, & Daniel "Bugfix" Klette The Valley Forge and CVBG-A crews gird themselves for what is likely to be toughest battle of their careers. Early on the morning of the 14th, a TARCAP patrol from the Forge finds the enemy, setting up the main battle.

: “ Further Down the Spiral, ” Part 2 of 3 : Into the Void ( 2 / 3 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, & Daniel "Bugfix" Klette The initial goal for the Forge's pilots and escorts is to knock out the smaller ships that are accompanying and protecting the Tiamat dreadnought. The pilots launch and engage the enemy.

: “ Further Down the Spiral, ” Part 2 of 3 : Into the Void ( 3 / 3 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, & Daniel "Bugfix" Klette The Forge crew achieve their first objective and destroy the dreadnought's escorts, as the Confed, Border Worlds, and Kilrathi pilots in CVBG-A focus their anger on the common enemy in the midst of startling revelations about the Captain and a subsequent change of command. However, the true test is still to come.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 8 of 18 : On Deadly Ground Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy The Border Worlders prepare to take on the massive enemy strike force headed for their carriers. They have to both keep the enemy fighters busy while the rest of the Combined Fleet attacks, and try to survive the onslaught in the meantime. Two unconventional strikes rock the attacking Nephilim back on their heels.

: “ Further Down the Spiral, ” Part 3 of 3 : Drawing the Line ( 1 / 4 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, & Daniel "Bugfix" Klette Having weakened the dreadnought's escorts, the Forge pilots prepare for a strike against the mother ship itself. Meanwhile, Captain Vandermann, now cooling his heels in the brig after a murder charge, resolves that he and his crew won't end up being sacrificed for the Movement as Commander Schaefer has planned.

: “ Further Down the Spiral, ” Part 3 of 3 : Drawing the Line ( 2 / 4 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, & Daniel "Bugfix" Klette The Valley Forge pilots throw themselves into the battle against the enemy ship. A massive fighter battle develops as the Confeds, backed by their Border Worlds and Kilrathi allies, try to crack the dreadnought's fighter cover.

: “ Further Down the Spiral, ” Part 3 of 3 : Drawing the Line ( 3 / 4 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, & Daniel "Bugfix" Klette The Valley Forge is now in deep trouble, thanks to the treachery of Commander Schaefer. In the name of the mysterious "Movement," he plans to destroy the Forge and everyone aboard as a political statement. He is stopped and killed by Captain Vandermann, but during the confrontation it is revealed to the crew that both are part of the Movement, a surviving and still active offshoot of the Black Lance. Vandermann gives the order to evacuate the Forge.

: “ Further Down the Spiral, ” Part 3 of 3 : Drawing the Line ( 4 / 4 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, & Daniel "Bugfix" Klette Vandermann uses the Forge herself as a weapon, moving her alongside the enemy ship and overloading the reactors. Both the TCS Valley Forge and the Nephilim Tiamat dreadnought are consumed in the ensuing explosion, and the remains of the enemy group are wiped out by CVBG-A's fighters and escorts.

: “ Wins and Losses ” Written by Shaun "Iceman" Rashid The TCS Endeavour and teams up with the 8th Cruiser Squadron to attack and wipe out one of the enemy carrier battle groups. A dozen pilots are lost in the battle, along with one of the Endeavour's escorting frigates and a destroyer from the 8th.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 9 of 18 : Cloak and Dagger Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy The Border Worlders are fighting off the huge attack force that has been sent in after them, mainly relying on hit and run attacks and ambushes to whittle Nephilim numbers down. They destroy a lot of enemy craft, but then learn of another force of fighters and warships coming after them.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 10 of 18 : The Art of War Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy The Border Worlders split their forces in two to try and hold off both attack groups at once. The fifty or so pilots tasked with delaying the first attack group continue delaying the enemy with sneak attacks and by leading the Nephilim into traps, but keep being forced back.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 11 of 18 : Classics Never Die Written by Yu Fei "Phalanx" Leung A group of Border Worlds fighters, bombers and EW craft, under the leadership of the BWS Freedom's Wing Commander, ambush the second Nephilim strike group, wiping out the capital ships and destroying a large number of Nephilim fighters. They lose several fighters and other craft in the battle.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 12 of 18 : The Thin Blue Line Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy Meanwhile, some of the pilots tasked with delaying the first attack group spring an ambush using Maces and Coneburst/Starburst missiles. However, the attack fails to destroy the enemy bombers as the Border Worlds had hoped.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 13 of 18 : Dulce Et Decorum Est Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy The Border Worlders continue fighting to keep the massive enemy strike group away from their carriers.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 14 of 18 : Even Angels Fall Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy A massive battle develops over the fleet carriers themselves. The Border Worlders manage to hold and then drive off the attacking force, but the carrier Littenia and a destroyer are lost. The bulk of the Littenia's crew is saved, but casualties are still heavy.

: “ A Gathering of Forces ” Written by Greg “Sandman” Sands, Dan “Death” Poore, & Alex "Ninja" Crisologo The Combined Fleet's light warships catch an enemy carrier group without enough fighter cover. The force of Confed and Border Worlds corvettes, destroyers and torpedo boats wipes out the enemy battle group, though not without losses.

: “ No Rest for the Weary ” Written by Shaun "Iceman" Rashid The Endeavour crew have carried out their mission and taken down the enemy carrier they were sent after. Rather than having a chance to rest up from their battles and mourn their dead though, they're hurled straight back into the fray.

: “ Maluk Tawus ” Written by Brandon "Avatarr" Alspaugh The Endeavour crew have carried out their mission and taken down the enemy carrier they were sent after. Rather than having a chance to rest up from their battles and mourn their dead though, they're hurled straight back into the fray.

: “ Toeing the Line, ” Part 5 of 6 : The Devil Comes A Calling Written by James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow The Confed reserve pilots in the Nifelheim System run into a very strange ship while on patrol.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 11 of 15 : Till Death Do Us Party ( 1 / 3 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane The Scrappers get together with with other Confed and Border Worlds reserve pilots and crews for a Valentine’s Day ball.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 11 of 15 : Till Death Do Us Party ( 2 / 3 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane The reserves realize that hearts aren’t the only things that’ll get broken at the party.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 11 of 15 : Till Death Do Us Party ( 3 / 3 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane With the situation more or less under control, the pilots clean up and try to get back into the spirit of Valentine’s Day.

: “ Harvest ” Written by Brandon "Avatarr" Alspaugh Troy “Catscratch” Carter discovers that the invading Nephilim are engaged in a bizarre harvesting ritual.

: “ War in Heaven ” Written by Kevin "Leeloo" Tan A bloody firefight breaks out in a supposed safe haven. Meanwhile, something strange is happening on an isolated base.

: “ Toeing the Line, ” Part 6 of 6 : Having a Ball Written by James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow The lead up to the Valentine’s Day party, the brawl and its aftermath as seen by a Confed pilot.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 15 of 18 : A Good Day to Die Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy The battle in the Loki System continues, as Battle Group Valkyrie fights off continuing attacks.

: “ End of the Spiral, ” Part 1 of 3 : Full Circle ( 1 / 3 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, Kevin "Leeloo" Tan, & Daniel "Bugfix" Klette The survivors of the TCS Valley Forge amongst CVBG-A try to regroup and recover after the loss of their flagship.

: “ End of the Spiral, ” Part 1 of 3 : Full Circle ( 2 / 3 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, Kevin "Leeloo" Tan, & Daniel "Bugfix" Klette The pilots hold a wake for their dead crew mates, and the Kilrathi leader swears vengeance for his dead friend. Meanwhile, someone is trying to cover up the existence of the enigmatic "Movement."

: “ End of the Spiral, ” Part 1 of 3 : Full Circle ( 3 / 3 ) Written by Andrew "Neo" Modeen, James Andrew “JAG” Greenhow, Jason "Dundradal" McHale, Kevin "Leeloo" Tan, & Daniel "Bugfix" Klette The enquiry into the loss of the Forge gets under way, but the search for the truth may not be on the agenda.

: “ Calculated Risk, ” Part 1 of 2 Written by Joseph "Wraith" Giuda The TCS Yorktown and Carrier Battle Group Rapier go head to head with the second Nephilim dreadnaught in the Loki System.

: “ Calculated Risk, ” Part 2 of 2 : Reflections Written by Joseph "Wraith" Giuda The Yorktown’s pilots fight off a Nephilim ambush, and conclude their battle against the enemy group.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 16 of 18 : Breaking Loose Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy The Valkyries break loose from the debris field, but take the time to kick the Nephilim one more time on the way out.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 17 of 18 : The Long Vigil Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy The recon pilots from Battle Group Valkyrie's Ghost Warrior Squadron track down the remnants of the Nephilim fleet in Loki, now reduced to a shadow of its former self.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 12 of 15 : Pride Goes Before a Fall ( 1 / 4 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane The Scrappers recover from the aftereffects of the Valentine's Day party. One of the pilots pushes his friends too far, while another confronts an old enemy.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 12 of 15 : Pride Goes Before a Fall ( 2 / 4 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane The Scrappers are assigned to cover the Loki-Nifelheim jump point while the Combined fleet arrives. The pilots make the acquaintance of some Kilrathi, and learn more about their CO's past.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 12 of 15 : Pride Goes Before a Fall ( 3 / 4 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane Pikachu returns, and not everyone is happy about it. Meanwhile, Colonel Onslow and his XO take on some cocky cadets in a simulated duel.

: “ Scraps of Honour, ” Part 12 of 15 : Pride Goes Before a Fall ( 4 / 4 ) Written by Nick “Chaeronea” Deane The simulated duel is over, and there are lessons to be learned from it. Those lessons will have to be applied very soon, as the Nephilim are expected to be right on the heels of the Combined Fleet.

: “ The Tiger Hunt, ” Part 18 of 18 : The Last Retreat Written by Rajan "Raptor" Ragupathy The Combined Fleet jumps from Loki to Nifelheim in what everyone hopes will be the last retreat. Plans are finalized to end the battle once and for all.

NOTE  :  All chapters have likely been minorly corrected regarding punctuation, spelling, continuity, & comprehension. If the writer(s) or reader of these chapters have any problem(s) with these pages, please E-mail Andrew "Neo" Modeen and/or Brandon "Darksabre" McKown.