Star Wars: Storm Squadron (IC)

[Theyra]

Pilot Officer Lokk Vustrelk
Kuat Shipyards
Storm Nine

Thanks to Storm Fourteen, Lokk was safely aboard the Sundered Heart. He was dismayed that he was out of the fight but, hoped that the others could finished the mission. He went to help out the crew of the Heart to make up for the fact that he was out of the fight. That is when he heard what Captain Antilles said over the ship's intercom. So the Tyranny is here...., he thought to himself and smiled. The mission was to bring the Tyranny to the shipyard, so that means the mission was a success. He then went to help out the crew of the Sundered Heart with a smile on his face.

[Occupied Deutschland]

Pilot Officer Keth’serali’nuruodo
Kuat System

Amazingly enough, the Rebels had managed a modest victory against the picket-forces stationed at Kuat. With the benefit of complete surprise, an unprecedented concentration of firepower, not one but two complete snubfighter squadrons, and previously acquired intel as to the operation and depth of Kuat's defenses, Antilles had managed to avoid complete disaster and achieve what could, technically, be called a victory. He'd set out to raid the system and cause damage until the Tyranny was called in.

The devastating firepower of an Imperial Star Destroyer arrived in full splendor.

Vagabond disintegrated in moments, and Keth'serali'nuruodo delayed her own evasive maneuvers a moment to keep the image in her cockpit's view. It was a suitable metaphor for what was most likely to occur to the Rebellion as a whole. Swept aside by a larger, more heavily-armed, and better-organized enemy. The 'tenacity' of the rebels did not strengthen their shields, and the 'cooperation' they insisted existed between various species only rendered them unorganized and even less effective. Their failure was in being idealists rather than realists.

Serali turned to follow the other Rebel ships out of the system. Dumping power into the engines, she waited for the Z-95s weak computer to finally finish the adjustments necessary to make the jump to lightspeed. As she waited, she withdrew a tiny metal cylinder from her flight-suit and attached it next to the ship's display.

The computer let out a soft twitter with the completion of its calculation. It was a sound she'd never heard in TIE fighters. But in the craft she'd flown prior to those, it had been the typical confirmation noise.

<<Storm Four is making the jump.>> Serali transmitted. She pushed the throttle forward, watching other ships blink into hyperspace...

Keth'serali'nuruodo listened with pleasure as her own engines whined in failure to make the transition. She pulled back the throttle, waited to the count of three, and reattempted the jump. Her engines whined once again, straining to try and obey their pilot's wishes even as the power they required to function was sucked into the disposable hypercomm she'd attached moments before.

Confident the precanned message had gone through, Serali detached the cylinder. Her third attempt at jumping to lightspeed was successful, much to the disappointment of a TIE interceptor pilot excited at the prospect of his first kill.

Slumping back into her seat, Serali drew a long breath. Imperial Intelligence or the ISB would almost certainly intercept and decrypt the transmission in due time. She'd recorded it with that in mind. When she came out of hyperspace, all she'd have to do was dump the now-defunct hypercomm.

Red eyes staring at the blue streaks of hyperspace-distorted stars, Keth'serali'nuruodo keyed her computer to play a sampling of Core Drive music. The genre seemed to be oddly popular among the smugglers and castaways of the Rebellion, especially those bands which originated from Correllia. It seemed an appropriate background music to use as she thought back and pinpointed where failures of command, control and operation had contributed to Rebel losses in Kuat.

[SaintB]

Lt. Commander Redge Fiver
Abandoned Droid Factory, Planetoid Annamar

Annamar was a hunk of rock in the Expansion Rim large enough to have an atmosphere but not large enough to really be a planet. It floated along as the largest hunk of rock in an asteroid belt orbiting a red giant that was near its death (by the reckoning of stars of course) which was still millions of years away. The atmosphere was breathable, with enough nitrogen and oxygen that a human could breathe unassisted for a few hours time but eventually one would find themselves becoming hypoxic much like in the high elevations of the mountains on Alderaan where he once called home. The whole 'world' was one of barren rock, there was no native life or any sort here nor any water. Daytime temperatures averaged about 4 Degrees Standard and could fall to -20 during the night, its day/night cycle was less than six hours. About 23 years ago the Separatists had built a factory to produce droids for their army but the war ended and it was abandoned before it came fully online, but the life support and power supplies were fully functional - the Rebels had stumbled onto the base some months ago and set up shop here to keep tabs on the Corellian Trade Spine.

All that came from some kind of protocol droid who blathered on about all this like it was the most important detail in the galaxy shortly after welcoming everyone to 'my facility'. Its very probable this was the only place the droid had ever known depending on how long ago its most recent memory wipe had been so he didn't blame it for being so excited about all the minor details that most sapients could not care less about and besides protocol droids were programmed to be excited about boring details; it was their entire purpose. At any rate Annamar would be their home for the next undisclosed period of time while the high command decided what the fate of the Squadron was to be...

He turned to the survivors of the last mission, there were so few faces left compared to when they were first assembled for Antille's suicide mission but more honestly than he had expected to see afterward... his own being among them; he had departed for the mission fully expecting to die alone in his headhunter. he felt he should say something to them, but wasn't sure what. Now that he had turned to look at them though it seemed like they all were expecting it now, their eyes all performing silent interrogations of the unit's CO. "Uhmm... this mission. The odds were stacked against our favor so highly that the probability of success was near zero... but yet here we are." he offered a very insecure smile before clearing his throat and speaking again with more conviction, "You all did an outstanding job and by simply surviving we have each and every once of us done the impossible. The chances that our Squadron will remain together are nearly the same as the ones we had to survive... so... I want you to know that it was an honor to serve with you all and lead you into battle. I would follow any one of you into the jaws of Empire again if I had the chance. I mean it. I am proud to know you all."

[Arengin Union]

Ensign Erdric Tershin
Annamar

Erdric sat on top of an old turbine. He rested his back on the wall and smoking a cigara. This was his last one and heade sure to enjoy it after the streets he'd been through. He stuffed his beard and vhecles his head wound. The TIE fighters had gotten him good. His fighter was not functional any more and he had endured a head wound during his crash landing after hyper drive.

Erdric looked around the room. He notixed it was emptier than when then when they had been briefed on the mission. He was quickly saddened at seing the empty chairs as well as the faces of many who had lost friends.

Even though he was new to the rebellion and he hadn't made friends yet he could empathize with his fellow pilots. His blue jumpsuit had a few blood stains and his white gloves were also stained with blood, he took them off. Erdric's hands were shaking as he put the cigara on his mouth and inhaled.

He heard the words of the Commander. He simply shrugged indifferently.

[Occupied Deutschland]

There was a certain irony in the Rebellion, champions of individuality and nonconformity, adapting a droid production facility to serve as a base. They likely hadn’t thought of it that way, at all. They had undoubtedly consciously chosen the facility for its seclusion. But unconsciously was another matter…

Serali still did not quite understand the dual-natured characteristics of the Rebellion’s messaging. On the one hand they pined for the days of the Old Republic, nostalgic for a period when each system had more autonomy and freedom from the Galactic whole. On the other, they championed the need for cooperation and mutual struggle against the Empire as a primary uniting force for members. It was a mystifying double standard that could only be accepted so long as little real political power was attached to the Rebels themselves.

Standing alone near the edge of the room, Serali held blue hands folded over one another at her waist. Her flight helmet hung from one wrist, dangling further below. While many of the other pilots sat or leaned against whatever was near them, she stood almost ramrod-straight, staring at Redge. Her face betrayed nothing, but the way one finger twitched slightly at every stumble and hesitation made it obvious enough she was annoyed.

But he was her superior officer.

“Thank you, sir.” Serali barked simply, somehow standing even straighter and clicking her heels together in the Imperial-approved fashion. She seemed to experience a moment of almost physical discomfort as nobody else in the room copied the act.

Inclining her head slightly towards the rest of the squadron, Serali visibly forced herself to stand slightly less rigid. Even with her best efforts, she looked like something off of a recruitment poster—had any recruitment posters used aliens.

“Apologies.”

[Arengin Union]

Erdric heard the chiss female from across the room. She had thanked Fiver for his words of "motivation", which mildly surprised Erdric. He believed the rebellion was a fight worth the sacrifice, but at this point, after so many loses, he felt as if they were mere cannon fodder. Using outdated star fighters and equipment used back when the clone wars were still a thing. He continued smoking his cigara for a few seconds.

The chiss seemed quite awkward at the fact that no one else followed her discipline. Erdric couldn't blame her for trying to at least bring a sense of unity, even if it was a small one. But he couldn't blame his comrades either. One thing he had learned throughout his past criminal years was that you had only one chance of impression. Either your colleague's respected you or you were assured to be the scapegoat in the next stormtrooper raid. And after the fuck fest that was that battle, even if they had theoretically won, most pilots showed a lack of confidence and even anger at the commander.

Erdric simply saw as the chiss, whose name he didn't know, simply stayed quiet after saying the words. "Apologies."

Erdric shooked his head and in a faint voice said. "For what..."

[Hetland 2]

Cypress sat a mid range away, typing something on her datapad. For someone supposed to be in a peaceful area, she was still armed to the teeth, wearing her full Mandalorian combat armor and a large array of weapons, notably a large axe resembling an executioner's axe and several blasters of various types. She had the axe resting on her lap, slowly and meticulously running a damp cloth against it. It was probably the first time that quite a few of the pilots had seen her in person, as she generally avoided larger meetings, or stood in the back unarmored, unknown to all but a select few of the group. Her prosthetic arm clenched its three fingered fist. Ir was after all the arm cut off of a super battle droid. The blaster still worked and everything.

She watched the others as Fiver spoke. Morale was low, the Chiss had attempted to boost morale, and she couldn't blame her. Coming from a Military background herself, she knew damn well the importance of having good morale. She placed her hands on her knees and helped herself stand up, leaning the therm-axe against the crate as she adressed Fiver, "And I you, Lt. Commander. I'd follow you into the spice mines of Kessel. We did what entire planets could only dream of! We punched a rancor in the mouth! We may have broken our hand, but we chipped a tooth, and maybe that chipped tooth will give us the opportunity to save more lives! To bring freedom back to this galaxy. You may be no Manda'o, Lt. Commander, but you're my commander, and it'll be an honor to fly by your side."

[Relikai]

Flight Lieutanent (Flying Officer) Zek Yerevon, Storm Two, Z-95 Headhunter.
Battle of Kuat

Stepping back onto solid ground was something Zek was grateful for, his hand shaking as he rested. The losses the Squadron suffered reflected in his head, Zek thinking back on those in his squadron. His. Zek was not an official Second-in-Command, and it reflected in his decisions and command instruction. The fighter pilot in him took over, his leadership instincts weak as he called for a disabled Headhunter to be ignored, his squadron to focus on the mission. It was fortunate that they did not target him, as Zek followed the others into the briefing room.

The debrief was short and quick, Zek standing in front as he faced Redge. The commander seemed nervous, apparently the stress of the mission and his possible inexperience affecting his confidence. Hearing the responses of the others, Zek smiled a little, before turning to the most experienced pilot in his group. The Chiss was acknowledged, Zek would ask her for a debrief in a while, as well as the other pilots.

"It's alright, it's good. As the commander says, we did a gamble, we got out alive." Zek said. "No need to apologise for everything or anything, we did our jobs, and the fallen did theirs. If there's anything we need to do, continue with their sacrifices in mind.

[Tayner]

Ensign Geordi McAnders
Kuat Drive Yards
Storm 13

It was a marvelous sight, the superstructure of the drive yard being ripped into and torn apart by the Rebel's capital ships. It was almost surreal, the rebels striking deep into Imperial space on a daring mission, names of the brave pilots to be recorded in the Rebel Alliance's databanks. It certainly gave him a better feeling than simply running blasters and explosives to small rebel cells, it gave him a sense of pride. In his first combat mission, he scored multiple kills and the mission turned out to be a success.

Well, mostly a success.

The Tyranny materialized out of nowhere, the vast ship making Geordi crane his head over his shoulder to watch in awe and fear as it hacked apart the Vagabond with little effort. The commander had started giving out orders for a tactical withdrawal, and Geordi watched as multiple squadrons of fighters showed up on his tracking screen. It didn't take long for Geordi to punch in the coordinates for the hyperspace jump.

<< Storm 13 getting ready for hyperspace jump. >>

The craft didn't respond to the command, only shuddering.

"Fuck you!" Geordi yelled at the controls in front of him before slamming his fist into the nearest control panel and hitting the throttle again to retry the proces. Just as a missile lock was heard, the Headhunter made it's final adjustments and completed the jump. Geordi could only slump back in his seat and let out an exhale.

He made it.

---

Ensign Geordi McAnders
Abandoned Droid Factory, Annamar
Storm 13

The debrief was short, and the commander gave them his thanks for participating it what was likely the squadron's last mission. One of the pilots snapped to attention and apologized, only to be consoled. Geordi however wasn't feeling the negative effects of a bad morale, his spirits were up. It wasn't every day you got to take the fight to the empire, to get reprisal for what they have put you through.

But it still wasn't enough.

Geordi wouldn't stop until he or the Empire was destroyed, the hate he had for them was still strong. However he didn't want to think about that, for now he would revel the victory, and feel sorrow for those that were lost. He didn't know anyone in the squadron well, but they were still brothers in arms, and the best bonds were forged in the fires of war.

[Beiarusia]

GALACTIC EMPIRE
Tyranny, Kuat Drive Yards

The bridge of the Star Destroyer was in disarray as the crew rushed about trying to bring major systems back online. The anti-matter warhead had punched clean through the starboard hull just under the control deck, and though the breach was minor and had quickly been sealed it had left the massive ship without primary engine control, leaving the Tyranny to drift aimlessly in the debris field of the shipyards. By chance the ship had avoided a collision.

Captain Phockel had returned to his station the moment the Tyranny had been hit and was quick to berate the underling left in command for both allowing the ship to be damaged as it had and for allowing the Rebels to escape. The adjunct could do nothing but tolerate the captain’s harsh words as he too assisted in bringing the ship back online. The commander of Sector E-31 was also verbally reprimanded and promised a swift investigation into the matter. Everyone was at fault save for the captain himself. Soon enough some control had been established and the Star Destroyer was moved away from the shipyards and into clear space for damage assessment. Several hours had passed before the Tyranny was again functioning as normal.

“Engines are back online,” the operations officer informed as his console showed green across the board. The ensign adjusted some values. “Running at 75% efficiency and rising.”

The communications officer chimed in next. “We have an urgent transmission coming through!”

“If it’s that boneheaded commander then don’t bother. I don’t want to hear from that fool unless it’s to turn in his resignation,” Captain Phockel said with a sneer, his already sour mood made all the more so by this debacle. It was embarrassing enough that an elite Imperial force should fall to such a low against Rebel scum but to listen to the commander’s excuses did little but to make the captain’s blood boil. He’d have none of it.

The communications officer became visibly agitated. “It… it’s from the Devastator.”

Captain Phockel paled but, reluctantly, ordered the transmission to be put through. The captain stood in his place as the main video screen came online, back straight, heels together, arms crossed behind his back. A perfect if not wary stance. A deep, mechanical breathing could be heard, loud and intimidating as a figure clad in all black looked into the bridge of the Tyranny from through the transmission. The ensigns dared a quick glance. Others dared not even that. The captain stood firm if not shaken.

His voice was a mere crack of its earlier abuse. “Lord Vader.”

The Dark Lord of the Sith cut to the point. “Captain. You abandoned your post.” Vader’s voice was human but not quite. Broken. Mechanical. Deep and with a hard edge just beneath the surface that was enough to send a chill down any man’s spine.

“There was a situation, Lord Vader. Emergency Code Zero. Imperial doctrine gave me no choice but to respond,” the captain stammered in his defense.

“My orders are above Imperial doctrine,” Vader said with little amusement.

Captain Phockel steeled himself. “Rebels were assaulting the Kuat dockyards. The incompetent commander of Sector E-31 failed to contain them and issued the emergency order after the structure had sustained significant damage. Surely you understand-”

“I understand that you disobeyed my orders, captain.” The captain swallowed hard and was trying hard to contain his shaking. The form of Darth Vader looked off screen for a brief moment, as if reading a report, before again boring into the commanding officer of the Tyranny. “The attack on Kuat was a diversion. While you were away these same rebels abducted the scientist building the prototype starfighter on Fresia, the very same you were to guard. The very same I personally ordered you to guard. You disappoint me with your failure, captain, and I expect this to be the last time.”

The captain was near faint now. “Y… yes, Lord Vader.”

A few moments passed with the only sound being the mechanical breaths of the Sith lord. “Return to Fresia. That is an order I hope you can follow.”

The operations officer glanced over to the captain and shook his head. The hyperdrive wasn’t yet operational and would be down until engines were again at 100% efficiency. The Tyranny wasn’t leaving Kuat for some time.

Vader sensed the hesitation from the captain.

The captain couldn’t help but to shake now. “Lord Vader, the hyperdrive was damaged during the-”

Captain Phockel could almost feel the invisible hands clenching around his throat as Vader looked on. The captain had heard the stories, of those who disappointed the Sith lord, and now he too was certain that this very fate awaited him even though Vader was currently many star systems away. He was choking not because of Vader but because of fear. The force projected by the black enigma was simply that great. And then it was over. The transmission ended and Lord Vader was gone. Captain Phockel collapsed into his chair, grasping at his throat and breathing heavily, sweating despite having stood stone still.

He weakly ordered the ship to make way for Fresia as soon as it could and left the bridge to collect himself.

[Theyra]

Pilot Officer Lokk Vustrelk
Annamar

Lokk was walking to the others after he was dropped off by the Sundered Heart. He have arrived in time to hear the commander's debrief. Lokk reaction to the debrief was mixed, while he was happy that mission was a success. Storm Squadron had lost several pilots and he wished he at least knew them. This feeling of regret and sorrow was new to him and he did not show it. Lokk look around the pilots that were there and he thinks he found the one that saved him. He walked to the human named Erdric and said. "Hey, I do not know if you know my name but my name is Lokk Vustrelk and you saved my life out there". "I wanted to thank you for that and if you ever need anything, just ask".

[Arengin Union]

Pilot Officer Lokk Vustrelk
Annamar

Lokk was walking to the others after he was dropped off by the Sundered Heart. He have arrived in time to hear the commander's debrief. Lokk reaction to the debrief was mixed, while he was happy that mission was a success. Storm Squadron had lost several pilots and he wished he at least knew them. This feeling of regret and sorrow was new to him and he did not show it. Lokk look around the pilots that were there and he thinks he found the one that saved him. He walked to the human named Erdric and said. "Hey, I do not know if you know my name but my name is Lokk Vustrelk and you saved my life out there". "I wanted to thank you for that and if you ever need anything, just ask".

Erdric was interrupted from his thoughts by a sudden voice. It was a rough voice as he opened his eyes and shoved the already dying cigara onto the wall. He turned his head slowly, his head wound was still hurting. A Weequay, with the rank of Pilot Officer, and the insignia of "9".

"Hey, I do not know if you know my name but my name is Lokk Vustrelk and you saved my life out there. I wanted to thank you for that and if you ever need anything, just ask". Lokk finished, still standing close to the broken turbine where Erdric was resting.

Erdric jumped down to face the Weequay. He had worked with them in the past, many of the dealers he had were from Tattoine and served to Jabba himself. He extend his hand to Lokk and gave a small smile.

"Erdric... Erdric Tershin. Glad to see you made it Lokk. Don't worry about it... We're brothers in arms here. All of us." Erdric's wound was still bleeding but he didn't let it affect him as he shook Lokk's hand.

"Listen, I got this wound in my head right now... I'm going to the infirmary, if you wan't to come along we can eat something afterwards. I'm glad this debrief is over to be honest with you."

[Lunas Legion]

Flying Officer Tasek
Storm 7

Tasek whistled, breaking the silence of his cockpit as the drive yard's superstructure. It was always impressive, watching vast structures be torn apart. Worthy prey, considering the Imperials always fought so hard to keep it from them. Then it appeared. A Star Destroyer materialised out of hyperspace. Well, time to get out of here. He turned his fighter around, quickly entering Navpoint Delta into the computer before offering a simple <<Storm Seven, jumping.>> as he slammed the hyperspace throttle forwards and the world became blue.

---

Annamar was a welcome sight. He could almost call it home, given that it was a former Seperatist facility, and despite all the time he still considered himself to be a Separatist first, and a member of the Rebellion second. He'd landed his Headhunter, discovered that the shields had overloaded due to extended use, offered a silent prayer that he'd get a new fighter in the near future and sauntered over to where the rest of the Squadron was gathering around their CO. He listened to the debriefing, but wasn't really paying attention; he'd never been one for empty speeches. After the speech, he simply left without a word, walking back in the direction of his Headhunter. He knew enough about fighters to maintain them from his days as a pirate, and had been quite insistent that he maintained his ship himself. Couldn't trust anyone else to do it properly, after all.

[SaintB]

Lt. Commander Redge Fiver
Abandoned Droid Factory, Planetoid Annamar

It was certainly a mixed bag of responses. The Chiss pilot Serali clicked her heels and gave a perfect salute that he couldn't rival on his best day at the academy back home. Even his sharpest reciprocation looked sloppy and half-assed in comparison; she even thanked him which left him uncertain. Then apologized...

"No need for any apology Serali."

The Cypruss the Mandalorian was even more enthusiastic than Serali and half seemed like she would break out into some kind of war cant or something for a moment but settled for returning the sentiment that she would happily accompany him to any battle on any front. Everyone else seemed ambivalent though. Some didn't even acknowledge that he had even spoken any words to them and went about their business. "Well, chances are we may be here awhile while they determine if this Squad will only be a temporary thing, you are dismissed to do what you please."

After a battle that intense he was looking forward to just kind of peacefully existing even if it meant he ad to file a report about every casualty sustained and account for every minute the fighting lasted. He didn't know that in only a few hours Storm Squadron would be called on once more to go into battle in the heart of Imperial Power.

[Kyraina]

Pilot Officer Jax Brightstar, Storm 16
Annamar, Abandoned Droid Factory
Jax had been one the last to Jump out of the Kuat System. He had seen The Star Destroyers in Action before was surprised when the Sundered Heart shot off Anti-matte Warheads, and did considerable damage to the Tyranny. He had shook his head at that fact, but he was even more surprised that he was now in a old Droid Factory that the CIS had been building. For the first part of his Military Career, the CIS and it's droids had been the enemy, then anyone breaking Imperial Law (Including helping hunt down Jedi in Exile,) and now the Empire. To him standing in a factory that had been made to produce some of the droid units he had fought against in the Battle of Coruscant was just weird and also felt Ironic to him.

Jax was no longer in his charcoal grey flight suit, but in black Cargo Pants, A grey shirt, with his Brown Jacket. He was at the back of the group, leaning against the wall, and shook his head at the Commander trying to speak, the Chiss being to formal, and the Mando trying to living things up. Not long after that Fiver dismissed them.

He left the room before the others and started to roam around the factory.

[Theyra]

Erdric was interrupted from his thoughts by a sudden voice. It was a rough voice as he opened his eyes and shoved the already dying cigara onto the wall. He turned his head slowly, his head wound was still hurting. A Weequay, with the rank of Pilot Officer, and the insignia of "9".

"Hey, I do not know if you know my name but my name is Lokk Vustrelk and you saved my life out there. I wanted to thank you for that and if you ever need anything, just ask". Lokk finished, still standing close to the broken turbine where Erdric was resting.

Erdric jumped down to face the Weequay. He had worked with them in the past, many of the dealers he had were from Tattoine and served to Jabba himself. He extend his hand to Lokk and gave a small smile.

"Erdric... Erdric Tershin. Glad to see you made it Lokk. Don't worry about it... We're brothers in arms here. All of us." Erdric's wound was still bleeding but he didn't let it affect him as he shook Lokk's hand.

"Listen, I got this wound in my head right now... I'm going to the infirmary, if you wan't to come along we can eat something afterwards. I'm glad this debrief is over to be honest with you."

"Nice to meet you Erdric Tershin" and Lokk shook his hand quickly after seeing the head wound. "I can help you to the infirmary if you need me to with that head wound still bleeding". "Yeah I am glad the debrief is over too". "This was the squadron first mission and it went..... well mixed". "Though we are still here and you should really get that head wound right now". Lokk sees that that his head wound is still bleeding. "I should come along just in case and how did you get that wound anyway? Did you get shoot during the fight and had to flight with that or after the fight? Lokk was ready to leave with Erdric and his body language indicted that.

[Zeinbrad]

Juliet Fisher
Hoping out of her Z-95, Emil watched the the other's ships dock for a moment, before sliding down the wing of the craft down to the surface. Stretching a bit, she bit her lip as she decided were to go. Ground crew's began to waltz to her ship, checking it over and rearming it. It had no real damage to it, so she doubted they would be there for long. She took a few moments to look over her ship herself, getting a feel for it. The Z-95 felt good in her hands, and it's controls were similar enough to the Skyhopper that she felt confident while flying it. But....it was old, and even a TIE could outclass it easily. The only thing it had going for it was cost and very modifiable.

After....sizing up a female mechanic, Juliet turned on her heel and began walking through the hanger, getting a feel for the base. Her helmet was tucked into her armpit, her eyes scanning the various craft in the hanger bay. The Rebel Alliance seemed to have a varied collection of old and new fighters, most in disrepair and in desperate needs of parts.

[Arengin Union]

Erdric was interrupted from his thoughts by a sudden voice. It was a rough voice as he opened his eyes and shoved the already dying cigara onto the wall. He turned his head slowly, his head wound was still hurting. A Weequay, with the rank of Pilot Officer, and the insignia of "9".

"Hey, I do not know if you know my name but my name is Lokk Vustrelk and you saved my life out there. I wanted to thank you for that and if you ever need anything, just ask". Lokk finished, still standing close to the broken turbine where Erdric was resting.

Erdric jumped down to face the Weequay. He had worked with them in the past, many of the dealers he had were from Tattoine and served to Jabba himself. He extend his hand to Lokk and gave a small smile.

"Erdric... Erdric Tershin. Glad to see you made it Lokk. Don't worry about it... We're brothers in arms here. All of us." Erdric's wound was still bleeding but he didn't let it affect him as he shook Lokk's hand.

"Listen, I got this wound in my head right now... I'm going to the infirmary, if you wan't to come along we can eat something afterwards. I'm glad this debrief is over to be honest with you."

"Nice to meet you Erdric Tershin" and Lokk shook his hand quickly after seeing the head wound. "I can help you to the infirmary if you need me to with that head wound still bleeding". "Yeah I am glad the debrief is over too". "This was the squadron first mission and it went..... well mixed". "Though we are still here and you should really get that head wound right now". Lokk sees that that his head wound is still bleeding. "I should come along just in case and how did you get that wound anyway? Did you get shoot during the fight and had to flight with that or after the fight? Lokk was ready to leave with Erdric and his body language indicted that.

Erdric and Lokk began walking along the halls of the installation, "So, how did you join the rebellion Lokk?"

[SaintB]

Lt. Commander Redge Fiver
Abandoned Droid Factory, Planetoid Annamar
Messdeck

The mess served as both the cafeteria and social gathering space for the droid factory base, and for now it also served as Redge's office. For the last two hours or so he had picked at some kind of synthefood meatlumps and blue milk as he tapped away on his datapad. His thoughts kept being interrupted by how he would probably prefer veg-meat or a nutrition bar over the greasy substance he was slowly forcing into his gullet as he worked on the after action report and tried to recall the details from the mission that had taken place a little over 24 hours ago. He had heard one of the soldiers from the base complain about the food too only for the surly looking Dug that served as the chef tell him to put more gravy on it and stop complaining. Granted all dugs looked surly but this one looked extra surly even for a dug.

Wiping his hand over his eyes Redge forced another bite of the meatlump into is mouth and swallowed it unchewed so that he didn't need to taste it for any longer than necessary and then washed it down his throat with a sip of the milk which was becoming a precious commodity, once the glass was empty he wouldn't be getting any more of it, so he used barely enough of the stuff to wash over his tongue and gratefully let the sweet liquid linger before sucking it down into his throat. Then with a sigh the Lt. Commander went back to work.

Storm had lost seven of its sixteen fighters with three of the pilots confirmed dead and another two were unaccounted for meaning the best case scenario was they were also probably dead at the hands of the Empire by now, 43% of its fighters lost and 38% of its personnel were lost in a single mission. That's not to say Storm didn't fair better than the pilots from Griffin Attack Wing who lost closer to two whole thirds of their ships and over half their pilots. With the destruction of Vagabond and the number of people lost aboard Trailblazer before it was scuttled he was sure that by the numbers High Command would determine this mission as a success and sanction even more covert suicide missions into the Empire's Teeth. He felt bad for the poor bastards that were saddled with the next big daring raid...

"Lt. Commander Redge Fiver?" a voice interrupted his musing over the datapad and made him look up.

He recognized the face of Captain Raymus Antilles and jumped too his feet as fast as possible to salute but was cut off, "Walk with me."

---

They had barely left the messdeck when Antilles took a quick look around and began talking to the pilot as they walked at a near jog down the hall. "Your squadron got close enough to the Empire yesterday to peak down its nose and came back in more or less one piece."

Redge nodded and answered, "Not entirely sir, we lost seven fighters and...."

"Five of your pilots I know, but trust me when I say the projections were much much worse. Most of them didn't have any of us coming back but you're makeshift squadron held together when it needed too and gave far better than it took. That's why I need to talk to you." Antilles interrupted him with his reply but then stopped and stared expectantly at Redge.

"Alright well..."

"There is a situation, and while high command wastes time we could still lose everything we gained in the last 24 hours. How much were you briefed on about the previous mission?"

"Well Captain," Redge licked his lips and thought for a moment, "I know that there was some kind of Prototype fighter on Fresia that was called an X-Wing and that we needed to draw The Tyranny away so that a special operations team could steal them."

"That isn't all though Commander. The objectives also included a VIP and several POIs that could help us build this new fighter and turn the tide of the war in our favor."

It seemed like an awful lot of hope to put into a single snub-fighter design but it wasn't his place to comment to a superior officer on that. The word included tipped him off that something was wrong, "Let me guess, the commandos couldn't liberate them all."

Antilles confirmed "No they couldn't."

"And so?"

"And so we have one last chance to get them before they are out of our reach forever. An intelligence unit named Eclipse Team discovered data that suggests the Emperor is moving them to a detention center in The Maw; if they get there they will never see daylight and we will not be able to build the fighters. I want your squadron to help me stop that from happening."

Redge sighed, "Captain, Sir, I've lost a third of my pilots and almost half my fighters, I have two or three pilots without a ship..."

"I can get you fighters, there are several types on this base. Whatever fighter in the arsenal your pilots want I can get provided! You just have to agree!"

"But I'm short on personnel..."

"The only other fighter squadron available right now is Griffin Wing and they are far worse off than your's Redge. I need your team, the rebels need your team. If you don't agree it could cost this whole war! We have a chance to get the newest and most advanced fighter that Incom has ever devised and mass produce it for the war effort! Do you see what this could mean?"

"Captain I appreciate the gravity of this situation but my squadron is less than fully capable right now, we haven't slept and some of us haven't even eaten either." and given the food situation those who had eaten would likely be incapacitated within the next standard hour, "But... I will call them together. They'll decide whether or not to take the mission sir. That's the best I can promise."

---

Within 30 minutes the call for Storm Squadron came over the intercom.

All members Storm Squadron report to the Command Center.

Repeat: All members of Storm Squadron Report to the Command Center immediately!

The command center was a large room where all the major operations of the base were planned and executed, it was also were the primary arrays and weapons were operated from and there were dozens of enlisted men and their officers busying themselves with the tasks required to keep the base secure and running. So busy they ignored the gathering of pilots and Captain Antilles as they crowded around the circular holo array in the center of the room. Redge started first, "Storm... we have barely arrived on base. I don't think any of us has slept beyond catching a few winks while in hyperspace, and many of us haven't even had time to eat yet but we are being called up once more to fight. I'm sure you all remember Captain Raymus Antilles who lead and planned our last operation... he has one more to ask from us."

The Captain stood tall in front of most of the squadron, nearly 1.9 meters tall, which gave him a commanding presence as he spoke to them. "The mission we completed yesterday was part of a larger operation, that much you already knew. What only your commander was told was that the Incom Corporation has developed a new prototype starfighter that is more capable than anything the Empire fields right now and that the designers had defected to the alliance. Once Tyranny was clear of the Freij system a covert fleet landed at the Incom corporate headquarters and began a raid to capture the prototypes and liberate the Incom scientists responsible for the fighter's development. They were largely successful but the Empire caught many of the defectors before they could meet with our commandos and whisked them away from our grip."

He looked to everyone's faces to make sure they were listening and then cleared is throat, "A group of intelligence operatives called Eclipse Team has discovered that the local Moff sentenced them for treason without a trial and is sending them to a prison located deep within the nebula and asteroid field known as The Maw. If they arrive there then they will be out of our hands and the knowledge they have about the star fighter will be gone with them. They will be arriving by hyperspace in as little as six hours so we don't have a lot of time to waste - your's is the only squadron available for this mission, but your leader wisely chose to leave the decision as to whether or not this mission happens up to you; I know you are tired and hungry, I know you have already lost many ships and squad members... but if this mission isn't carried out it could be years to reverse engineer the new fighters and begin production. I can get you any fighter in this base for your use if you agree to fly one more dangerous mission for me."

He took a moment, "Lt. Commander Fiver has made me agree to give you a choice. Will you fly this mission and risk your lives again today or do you sit this out and hope for a good result in the future?"

[Arengin Union]

Ensign Erdric Tershin
Abandoned Droid Factory, Planetoid Annamar
Briefing room


Erdric had his wound cleaned and bandaged, his stubble still grown as he didn't have any razor's left and decided to let it grow, he heard the commanders words. HE struggle to stay somewhat awake, he felt exhausted Lokk at his side didn't look too good either. When Fiver finished his speech Erdric couldn't hold but laugh, he laugh loud and everyone looked at him like a mad man. He composed himself, only this time he was no longer in no happy mood.

"Commander... is he serious... Is he bloody serious. We just got out of a fucking hell and barely managed to survive... One job did those commandos have! ONE JOB AND THEY COULDN'T DO IT RIGHT! Why do we have to risk our lives and friends, for this. I didn't know the guys that die, but I know some here did. Now you're asking them to go out there and do what our so called 'Commandos' couldn't do. We acted as the cannon fodder! And don't bullshit me that you expected us to come back alive Antilles! Now you want us to risk our lives in another suicide mission because you think we are expendable. I join this rebellion in hopes that the people in charge would be better than this. But you're no better than the imperials!"

[Occupied Deutschland]

Serali's head was cocked slightly downwards rather than straight, and her hair wasn't perfectly-parted as it usually was, but those were the only concessions to fatigue she allowed herself. She'd spent most of the hyper-flight from Kuat writing her own report for the lieutenant-commander instead of sleeping, and had to literally drag herself out of her bunk when the call came for the squadron to assemble. She hadn't even had time to hop in the 'fresher first. But drag herself out she had. She felt functional.

That was more than might be said for some of the others. At least she wasn't in the process of recovering from a wound. Or laughing-mad at the prospect of undertaking another mission.

Serali stared at Erdric as he spoke, her only reaction a slight cocking of her head.

"That is an overly emotional assessment of the situation, Ensign Tershin." Serali said, her measured and almost conversational voice conflicting with the yells of the other pilot. "It also suffers from being inaccurate."

Serali shifted her weight slightly, focus shifting to Antilles for a moment. She couldn't help but think that it was his overly-magnanimous phrasing that had led to the outburst. If the Rebellion expected to succeed, they were going to have to learn to accord some discipline on their members. What use was a military that could choose its missions? That was not the point of a military. These half-measures were only going to inflame the smugglers and other rabble that disliked orders into abandoning the cause entirely while also making the ones that stayed less effective in accomplishing the task.

"We have had a full day of rest and recuperation. The Academy-approved rest-period for a pilot who engages in deadly combat is eight to twelve hours, depending on severity of the action."

Serali deliberately focused her eyes back on Erdric. Many humans found them unsettling. Hopefully she could use that to make sure her point got across. "Those solitary survivors in the TIE squadrons we faced in Kuat? They have most likely been pushed into active flight-duty two or even three times by now. Because TIE pilots are expendable and Imperial commanders don't like to admit how severe the combats they engage in are. It makes the credit-pinching bureaucrats angry." Serali's lip turned up a minute fraction, almost as if she had told a joke.

"Considering the Captain is offering us a choice in even accepting this mission, we can probably rule out any similarities to Imperial doctrine in his behavior." Serali concluded, eyes coming back to Antilles.

Even if he could stand to operate closer to Imperial doctrine in some respects.

Serali's eyes shifted to Redge, and it was obvious she'd already accepted Antilles 'offer' as the next mission. "The only concern I have is that we have no knowledge of who this 'Eclipse Team' is, sir."

[Lunas Legion]

Tasek had finally given up on trying to fix his Headhunter's shields, having tried every trick he knew to try and coax the overloaded generator back into life again. He'd just punched it, just in case it did the trick, but all he'd gotten for his trouble was a moderately sore fist which he was currently rubbing while sitting on a pallet in the hanger's edge.

Then the call came over the intercomm. <<All members Storm Squadron report to the Command Center. Repeat: All members of Storm Squadron Report to the Command Center immediately!>> Another mission this early? They'd already been debriefed, there was no way this was anything but another mission. Grinning, he stood and set off for the command center at a brisk jog. The Rebellion was living up to it's reputation in the number of and speed at which it provided fights so far at least, and that was what he was there for.

He took a place near the back of the group, relying on his height to see the captain who was even taller than him, and listened in silence. Yes, this was another mission that would be... Interesting. The Rebellion would've been a worthy Gamemaster if it had been a Trandoshan, finding prey of this quality at this rate. The metaphor would've been lost on everyone in the room, however. Knocking his fists together, he spoke up.

"I joined the Rebellion for the thrill of the hunt. I can't refuse when you offer a chance to hunt down more Imperials. I do, however, have once concern. What are the Imperials using to transport our targets, what escorts do they have if we know, and how will we bring said targets down without killing the prisoners?"

[Hetland 2]

Lt. Commander Redge Fiver
Abandoned Droid Factory, Planetoid Annamar
Messdeck

The mess served as both the cafeteria and social gathering space for the droid factory base, and for now it also served as Redge's office. For the last two hours or so he had picked at some kind of synthefood meatlumps and blue milk as he tapped away on his datapad. His thoughts kept being interrupted by how he would probably prefer veg-meat or a nutrition bar over the greasy substance he was slowly forcing into his gullet as he worked on the after action report and tried to recall the details from the mission that had taken place a little over 24 hours ago. He had heard one of the soldiers from the base complain about the food too only for the surly looking Dug that served as the chef tell him to put more gravy on it and stop complaining. Granted all dugs looked surly but this one looked extra surly even for a dug.

Wiping his hand over his eyes Redge forced another bite of the meatlump into is mouth and swallowed it unchewed so that he didn't need to taste it for any longer than necessary and then washed it down his throat with a sip of the milk which was becoming a precious commodity, once the glass was empty he wouldn't be getting any more of it, so he used barely enough of the stuff to wash over his tongue and gratefully let the sweet liquid linger before sucking it down into his throat. Then with a sigh the Lt. Commander went back to work.

Storm had lost seven of its sixteen fighters with three of the pilots confirmed dead and another two were unaccounted for meaning the best case scenario was they were also probably dead at the hands of the Empire by now, 43% of its fighters lost and 38% of its personnel were lost in a single mission. That's not to say Storm didn't fair better than the pilots from Griffin Attack Wing who lost closer to two whole thirds of their ships and over half their pilots. With the destruction of Vagabond and the number of people lost aboard Trailblazer before it was scuttled he was sure that by the numbers High Command would determine this mission as a success and sanction even more covert suicide missions into the Empire's Teeth. He felt bad for the poor bastards that were saddled with the next big daring raid...

"Lt. Commander Redge Fiver?" a voice interrupted his musing over the datapad and made him look up.

He recognized the face of Captain Raymus Antilles and jumped too his feet as fast as possible to salute but was cut off, "Walk with me."

---

They had barely left the messdeck when Antilles took a quick look around and began talking to the pilot as they walked at a near jog down the hall. "Your squadron got close enough to the Empire yesterday to peak down its nose and came back in more or less one piece."

Redge nodded and answered, "Not entirely sir, we lost seven fighters and...."

"Five of your pilots I know, but trust me when I say the projections were much much worse. Most of them didn't have any of us coming back but you're makeshift squadron held together when it needed too and gave far better than it took. That's why I need to talk to you." Antilles interrupted him with his reply but then stopped and stared expectantly at Redge.

"Alright well..."

"There is a situation, and while high command wastes time we could still lose everything we gained in the last 24 hours. How much were you briefed on about the previous mission?"

"Well Captain," Redge licked his lips and thought for a moment, "I know that there was some kind of Prototype fighter on Fresia that was called an X-Wing and that we needed to draw The Tyranny away so that a special operations team could steal them."

"That isn't all though Commander. The objectives also included a VIP and several POIs that could help us build this new fighter and turn the tide of the war in our favor."

It seemed like an awful lot of hope to put into a single snub-fighter design but it wasn't his place to comment to a superior officer on that. The word included tipped him off that something was wrong, "Let me guess, the commandos couldn't liberate them all."

Antilles confirmed "No they couldn't."

"And so?"

"And so we have one last chance to get them before they are out of our reach forever. An intelligence unit named Eclipse Team discovered data that suggests the Emperor is moving them to a detention center in The Maw; if they get there they will never see daylight and we will not be able to build the fighters. I want your squadron to help me stop that from happening."

Redge sighed, "Captain, Sir, I've lost a third of my pilots and almost half my fighters, I have two or three pilots without a ship..."

"I can get you fighters, there are several types on this base. Whatever fighter in the arsenal your pilots want I can get provided! You just have to agree!"

"But I'm short on personnel..."

"The only other fighter squadron available right now is Griffin Wing and they are far worse off than your's Redge. I need your team, the rebels need your team. If you don't agree it could cost this whole war! We have a chance to get the newest and most advanced fighter that Incom has ever devised and mass produce it for the war effort! Do you see what this could mean?"

"Captain I appreciate the gravity of this situation but my squadron is less than fully capable right now, we haven't slept and some of us haven't even eaten either." and given the food situation those who had eaten would likely be incapacitated within the next standard hour, "But... I will call them together. They'll decide whether or not to take the mission sir. That's the best I can promise."

---

Within 30 minutes the call for Storm Squadron came over the intercom.

All members Storm Squadron report to the Command Center.

Repeat: All members of Storm Squadron Report to the Command Center immediately!

The command center was a large room where all the major operations of the base were planned and executed, it was also were the primary arrays and weapons were operated from and there were dozens of enlisted men and their officers busying themselves with the tasks required to keep the base secure and running. So busy they ignored the gathering of pilots and Captain Antilles as they crowded around the circular holo array in the center of the room. Redge started first, "Storm... we have barely arrived on base. I don't think any of us has slept beyond catching a few winks while in hyperspace, and many of us haven't even had time to eat yet but we are being called up once more to fight. I'm sure you all remember Captain Raymus Antilles who lead and planned our last operation... he has one more to ask from us."

The Captain stood tall in front of most of the squadron, nearly 1.9 meters tall, which gave him a commanding presence as he spoke to them. "The mission we completed yesterday was part of a larger operation, that much you already knew. What only your commander was told was that the Incom Corporation has developed a new prototype starfighter that is more capable than anything the Empire fields right now and that the designers had defected to the alliance. Once Tyranny was clear of the Freij system a covert fleet landed at the Incom corporate headquarters and began a raid to capture the prototypes and liberate the Incom scientists responsible for the fighter's development. They were largely successful but the Empire caught many of the defectors before they could meet with our commandos and whisked them away from our grip."

He looked to everyone's faces to make sure they were listening and then cleared is throat, "A group of intelligence operatives called Eclipse Team has discovered that the local Moff sentenced them for treason without a trial and is sending them to a prison located deep within the nebula and asteroid field known as The Maw. If they arrive there then they will be out of our hands and the knowledge they have about the star fighter will be gone with them. They will be arriving by hyperspace in as little as six hours so we don't have a lot of time to waste - your's is the only squadron available for this mission, but your leader wisely chose to leave the decision as to whether or not this mission happens up to you; I know you are tired and hungry, I know you have already lost many ships and squad members... but if this mission isn't carried out it could be years to reverse engineer the new fighters and begin production. I can get you any fighter in this base for your use if you agree to fly one more dangerous mission for me."

He took a moment, "Lt. Commander Fiver has made me agree to give you a choice. Will you fly this mission and risk your lives again today or do you sit this out and hope for a good result in the future?"

The Mandolorian covered her face and nearly doubling over laughing, something that looked bizarre for the fully armored woman. "Lt. Commander, why does command want us dead?" She managed to prop herself up with her thermaxe. She tried calming down, "Sorry Lt commander, You have my support. I appreciate the new fighter and letting me use R3 again. If only you'd release the Stranger back to me I'd be able to get us a lot better supplies." She was still grumpy about having her beloved freighter impounded but she figured she might as well support them as best she could.
R3-X1 whistled angrily at her, "Shut up, R3." The Astromech was considerably modified, the normally colorful frame was matte black, and had a beautifully painted Mythosaurus skull on his formerly transparent dome. He was obviously displeased with his first assignment back with Cypress.
She nodded and saluted before walking over to the Chiss, patting her on the shoulder.

[Theyra]

Erdric and Lokk began walking along the halls of the installation, "So, how did you join the rebellion Lokk?"

"It was well.... kinda had to". "I was moving cargo for a trade company in the outer rim and found that runaway slaves had hidden themselves on my ship". "The imperials had track the slaves down to my ship and I had a choice, either hand them over or run". "I choose to run and apparently, one of the slaves was a rebel member". "So after I dropped them off, I was considering what to do with my life since I would be wanted by the Empire". "A friend of the rebel that I rescued contacted me and made me the offer". "I accepted since I did not really have a choice and I have been here ever since". Lokk turned his head to Erdric was they were walking to the infirmary. "Why did you join the rebellion?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Minutes later

Lokk was standing with Erdric as he made his speech about the new mission. Lokk wondered to why send them out so soon and with half a squadron. "So are we at least getting reinforcements from our losses or are we going in with half a squadron? "Either you want to go in undermanned and get us killed... or this mission is really important". Lokk turned to Serali, "you somehow implying that we are expendable and if that the case then maybe I should have become a smuggler then". He turned backed to Antilles, though if the mission is that importnat that we are going in undermanned...... are we getting special equipment or something since we have to disable the transports? "Or backup at least?

[Relikai]

Zek returned to the briefing room, slightly worn from maintaining his Headhunter and refreshing himself with a cool syrup. Not much of a drinker, the pilot knew that Storm was on active standby, and could be called up any moment to fight off Imperial attackers. This planted a mindset of no alcohol in the Correlian, as he came upon the briefing by Commander Redge. Apparently they were to sortie soon.

Such was the life of a Rebel, always going against authority, always needing to keep up the momentum.

The concerns of a few members were heard, and Zek, who heard about Incom's plans for a new fighter from his contacts in Correlia and beyond, knew that this fighter would be key to victory. A snub fighter with nearly twice the firepower of the Headhunter, and possibly a stronger airframe. It was still a prototype tho, Zek knew that it might turn out to be a massive failure, but this was one thing he was willing to bet his life on.

After all, Storm Squadron needed a convincing victory. They needed to win.

"It is, worth it." Zek said, his voice clear and stable. "I heard that this machine bears double the firepower of the Headhunter. The engineers did claim its capabilities, and it's up to us to believe and in them. Forget about taking the fight to them in our Z-95s, this new prototype I heard about, it's worth it."

Looking around at the faces, Zek simply gave a shrug. "Trust me, I'm an engineer."