Defense of Scout Three

Defense of Scout Three
An ill Regis Saroyan falls behind, becoming a target for pirates in an action that leads to the Defense of Scout Three (BR25: "Planet of the Slave Girls").
An ill Regis Saroyan falls behind, becoming a target for pirates in an action that leads to the Defense of Scout Three (BR25: "Planet of the Slave Girls").
Summary
Conflict:
Date:	2491 CE
Related Episode(s):
Place:	Sol System, Near Sol's Stargate
Result:	Successful Earth defense.
Combatants Earth Defense Directorate Pirates Commanders Col. Wilma Deering Unknown Strength Less than 10 Thunderfighters 2 Hatchet fighters Materiel Losses None All Hatchet fighters Casualties None At least 3 pirates
Battle Chronology
Previous Next Draconia's Attack on Earth Defense of Scout Three Battle of Vistula

Scout Three to Leader, I'm under attack by pirates. Request assistance. Help me, please!
You should've kept your butt up with the rest of us, Three. Pull yourself together and take evasive action while we circle back for you.

 — Cadet Regis Saroyan (Scout Three) and Major Duke Danton (Scout Leader), (BR25: "Planet of the Slave Girls")

After returning to Sol System following William "Buck" Rogers's acquaintance with the stargate system, Col. Wilma Deering and Rogers detect a distress signal from Scout Three (Regis Saroyan), who is besieged by pirates while under a training flight lead by his instructor, Maj. Duke Danton.

Background

In light of the ongoing threats against Earth in the 25th century, including those of the Draconian Realm, the Defense Directorate continually grows its pilots corps.

Unbeknownst to Dr. Elias Huer or any of his personnel, a poison has been added to their food discs by the Vistulan people under heel of the sorcerer slave-trader Kaleel, a process that ramped up three days prior. As a result, a majority of the Defense Directorate pilots, including cadets, become ill -- Regis Saroyan not being an exception.

In the meantime, Wilma Deering and William "Buck" Rogers return from Stargate 4 in Earth Recon One, just in time to intercept transmissions from the panicked and poison-stricken Saroyan (Scout Three). Three is under attack by a small contingent of Hatchet fighters (BR25: "Planet of the Slave Girls").

Battle

If you call that interference, there's something wrong with your Funk & Wagnalls.
I don't know what you mean by that, but how'd you like to repeat that in the flight hangar?
I'd love to.

 — Captain William Rogers and Major Duke Danton, (BR25: "Planet of the Slave Girls")

Scout Leader (Maj. Duke Danton) receives Saroyan's distress call on the distress channel, and admonishes the cadet for lagging behind. Danton informs him that he and the rest of Scout squadron will loop back.

In Rogers voices his belief that the pirates would have picked off the cadet by that point in time, and Deering agrees. Rogers intercepts the attacker and Deering opens fire from the back-seat position, destroying one of Saroyan's would be attackers and forcing the others to scatter before Scout Leader's arrival.

Scout Leader admonishes Earth Recon One for interfering in a Directorate training mission, unawares that Col. Deering is aboard. She does not make her presence known until after they return to New Chicago (BR25: "Planet of the Slave Girls").

Aftermath

• Scout Three sustains a hit on its starboard side, per Rogers' visual survey.
• William "Buck" Rogers and Duke Danton are formally introduced, leading Danton being ordered to present Rogers to his cadets for a lecture in 20th century battle strategy. These strategies would later be used at the Battle of Vistula.
• Regis Saroyan would be treated and recover, and he would be the "Trojan horse" that allows a quartet of Defense Directorate personnel to investigate the source of the poisoning, as well as uncover why it transpired in the first place.

Notes

• The Hatchet fighters remain in active service as pirate attack craft, presumably to continue their harassment of Earth's space lanes.