Star Wars CLOSED The Road to Episode IX: Black Squadron

IC Zara Chrischa
Hangar Deck/ground, on her X Wing.

Zara had helped and done her job, she now sat on the wing of her ship going over stats on a data pad when she heard Poe's voice. Looking up she tossed the data pad into the open cockpit before leaning forward to listen, noting the attractive Tiber walking behind him, and the tension seemed to have dissipated. He asked if anyone had last thoughts, she didn't, but someone did. The woman approaching caused Zara to sit up straight. General Leia Organa, her regal step somehow belied her age and the trauma she'd suffered in her life. Everyone went silent as someone to be revered was before them. To her knowledge, neither of her parents had met her back during the first Rebellion, so this was a moment to remember for Zara. The other pilots of Black squadron were moving to circle the woman so Zara slipped forward and dropped off the wing, hitting the ground into a crouch before taking her place. The General eyed each of them before addressing the group, reading them. Zara had seen that look on her mothers face before. She raised an eyebrow as Leia's soft brown eyes regarded her before moving on.

General Organa then addressed them, and her words were genuine and heartfelt. 'Creative' was how she described their Lead, so she knew to stick close there. Zara had known in her heart that this mission was possibly her last, but her mind hadn't accepted that, and still didn't. 'They might not be coming back, but I am' She mused as the General wrapped up. Her attention was called back to Poe as clapped his hands and jumped up on a nearby Y Wing telling them it was time to go. Zara didn't hesitate.

Moments later she was in her cockpit, her comfort zone. "Ok Squirt, let's show them what can do as a team." She spoke to her droid as the canopy closed. Squirt had been her mothers droid back in the day, its purple dome had been a constant during her childhood and as she grew up to find her passion as a fighter pilot. It sat behind her know, still containing the knowledge of her mothers battles and hers added to its memory circuits. She watched as the engines came up and smiled opening the comm. "Black two is ready to rock and roll." They were going to know who she was if they didn't already. Sitting back she placed her hands on the controls with confidence and began to lift her ship off the ground and began to angle it skyward. There was no going back now.


TAG @Kurisan @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @darthbernael, @HanSolo29 @Sinrebirth

 

IC Tiberionel 'Tiber' Ordwgal
The Princess

Tiber attempted to emulate the happy go lucky attitude he’d exhibited when he’d first arrived as he followed Poe back into the clearing. But it was a mask, underneath he felt the weight of the responsibility he had been given. His great uncle had told him of situations he found himself in now, but that did little to reduce the feeling that these people, some that could be friends, may or may not survive solely based on his decisions.

He was still lost in thought as the others filtered in, almost absently noting what may have been a look from Zara. Twi’lek or not she was pretty and he still wanted to talk to her about whether her mother and Feral had ever met. But the darkness that he hoped was hidden in his eyes was a deep distraction. He had to shake himself from it, but was missing a bit of what Poe was saying.

And then She walked into the clearing. He knew the stories, knew ones others may not, from Feral, possibly that weren’t supposed to be known, but he’d never met her, until today. She looked older than the vision that he had of her in his mind, but the life of the face of the New Republic and now the Resistance was not one that wouldn’t age you, and that did not take into account all that had preceded that. Her aides seemed as much caretakers as aides as they hovered around her.

Her gaze settled on his as she swept the clearing and he knew….knew that she knew the responsibility he’d been given. That she’d been in similar circumstances, maybe not as suicidal but still dire. He nodded slightly before her gaze passed on but the knowledge that had passed between them reduced the weight, it felt, of what lay ahead.

He stood quietly, respectfully, as she spoke, drinking in all her words. With his mind still considering what Poe had told them, he knew better than the others what she meant in what she said about their return. He fully intended to get them all home again but….they would end the threat the Kyber represented, whether they could return or not. A whisper from Zara, probably louder than she’d intended, reached his ears and a fraction of a smile crossed his face.

At the release order from Poe, Tiber turned to his T-70, beginning to climb the ladder to the cockpit. Just before he stepped in, Bones chirped at him, a questioning tone to his voice. ”Yeah Bones, we’re finally on our way.” The canopy closed over him and a second query flashed on the display. ”We are flight lead, yes, once Poe is on the other craft and I do hope you didn’t tell the other droids about our extras, Poe said it is a secret.”

The engines lit and the fighter came off the ground, gear retracting. Gaining clearance to launch, he waited and listened as the others made their ready calls. Noting those who were up and ready the fastest, he keyed the comm, ”Black One up, cleared to launch. Awaiting up calls from Black Four and Five.”

He lifted, circling the clearing, waiting for the others to lift and prepare to depart. Bones had the navigation set and all that was needed now was for them all to lift and depart.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @Adalia-Durron, @Kurisan, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @HanSolo29

 

IC: Poe Dameron
Horthav system edge

Their jump brought them to the edge of the Core Worlds, and the Horthav system. It was as nondescript as any world, and not vibrant like the jungle world they had just left. Ajan Kloss abounded with life, with energy, in the Force. Horthav, however, it was simply a way-point, with an industry built around it. There was a decent asteroid belt for them to hide behind, and Poe marked a location for them to regroup when they exited hyperspace.

Their astromechs immediately notified them of quad TIE/FO fighters doing a patrol circuit of the debris, but they had yet to see them. But Poe and BB-8 put together a handful of quiet pings to the others, which were small data bursts rather than full comm messages - which could be picked up if they were too long.

It would be difficult to coordinate, but Poe hadn't expected a TIE escort immediately.

But on the long range scans their target was evident; a corvette escorting freighters to the jump point, and, as they watched, the two cargo ships vanished into hyperspace and the corvette turned back to head to the jump-point. Each end of the trail was marked by a pair of TIEs. They could each extrapolate that the way the various planets and moons worked meant that to get to Kuat a ship had to decant at point A, and then the corvette would escort them to point B so they could jump on. As they were escorted, the corvette scanned the freighters.

The overall system was periodically scanned by the quad of roving TIEs, who headed to the other planets and moons in the Horthav system periodically. Poe leaned back to Dev. "I reckon those TIEs will have to refuel pretty regularly, which means they'll head back to the corvette at some point."

BB tweetled.

"Yeah, before or after they find us?"

He transmitted a route to the other Black Squadron ships; a single micro-jump to the side of the corvette, into it's own sensor shadow.

Poe nodded, and watched as the four TIEs swept the debris field.

There were eight TIEs total, so they had to be careful... they needed to capture the corvette, without alerting Kuat that it had been compromised. Which meant they needed to attack the closest TIEs as a distraction... and some of them had to micro-jump to the corvette.

But Poe couldn't communicate such a complicated idea, and they weren't Force users, nor an experienced team.

He needed them to react to the TIEs, or intuit what BB-8's data meant.

Setting his teeth, he looked to Dev. "Make sure we are one of the fighters who jumps, and the ion cannon is ready..."

The four TIE/FOs swept the asteroid field, and Poe held his breath.

Any moment now the TIEs would see them...

TAG: @Kurisan, @Adalia-Durron, @darthbernael, @Jerjerrod-Lennox (Lennox, please reply last)

@HanSolo29, continue on!

 

IC Tiberionel 'Tiber' Ordwgal
Horthav System

As soon as they had jumped into the Horthav system, Tiber’s eyes and sensors of his ship began sweeping the area. His panel beeped, ”Yes Bones, it doesn’t look good.”

Turning his head, he checked that the rest of the flight was with him, beginning to take up hiding spots inside the asteroid belt. Nodding he looked down once more as the pings from Poe began scrolling minute amounts of data onto his screen. Frowning, he looked out of the viewscreen once more.

The frown deepened as he saw how things stacked up. They needed the corvette but that wouldn’t be possible without dealing with the roving patrol, which was coming up on their position rapidly. ”Bones, ping the flight, Black Two with me, the rest microjump to the corvette. Yes….I know it’ll be two on four but we don’t have a choice.” the last in response to a worried whistle from the astromech.

Taking up position in the shadow of an asteroid that would keep him out of sensor and visual detection of the TIEs as long as possible, he brought up his cannon, leaving his missiles offline, as he felt he’d need them later. He wished they’d had any time to practice or that he could comm Poe and make sure the man knew what he was planning but that would give them all away and they’d have a small capital ship and all eight TIEs on them in seconds with that.

Hoping Zara and the others understood what he was planning, what needed to be done, he waited, a not so patient hunter, waiting for his prey to come into view.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @Adalia-Durron, @Kurisan, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @HanSolo29

 

IC Tiberionel 'Tiber' Ordwgal, Zara Christa
Horthav System - (Thank you to @darthbernael for this fun romp.)


Zara pulled out of hyper and immediately scanned her screens. “Oh, not good.” She muttered as Squirt began to feed information and warn her. “Yeah, I see it.” She added.

”Bones, ping the flight, Black Two with me, the rest microjump to the corvette. Yes….I know it’ll be two on four but we don’t have a choice.”

Zara gave a sage nod. “Copy.” Banking to follow on One’s six, slightly to port she saw what he was doing. “Oh, we’re playing hide and seek, are we?” She allowed a smile as she slipped lower to an asteroid down from his, moving in close to the smoothest surface she opened a private comm to One. “In position.”

"Roger.." Tiber responded. And then the characteristic hexagons of a TIE began to appear in his viewscreen. A quick glance and calculation and he waited for the lock-on tone. As soon as that sweet noise hit his ears he fired, jamming the throttles forward.

He responded just as Sparks was alerting her to something else, she frowned. “What? In the asteroid?” A quick beep response. “Ok, lifting up a bit, don’t want to be eaten by a space slug.” Her senses lit up, TIE’s incoming. Zara was ready and narrowed her eyes slightly as she waited for them to get close enough, second ticked by and out of the corner of her eye she saw Tiber gun his ship forward. A few more seconds and she got the sound she wanted and joined him.

The ion cannon spat fire and hit directly on the mounting arm for the TIE wing, shearing the entire panel off of the ship. He pulled up as he erupted from behind the asteroid, evading the suddenly yawing TIE, and the debris that exploded outward as the other fighter careened into the rock he'd just been behind.

A second glance upward told Zara her wing was already on the job when she sighted the pair of TIE’s coming her way. “Let’s dance” She murmured as she opened fire on them. One of her bolts struck the solar panel, the second blowing the top half of the wing off, causing the craft to be unbalanced. Before the pilot could adjust, she hit him again. The reward was and exploding cockpit.

Incoming fire from the second pair of TIEs caused Tiber to dodge and weave between the bolts. A shriek from Bones told him of a near miss. Flipping his fighter over, he slipped back and forth between the asteroids, checking again to make sure Zara was staying close. Keying the comm, "Got any ideas? We've lost the element of surprise now."

Zara always had ideas. “Sure do,” She opened her comm to an open channel. “I’m hit, I’m hit, get clear, I’m done!!!” She almost yelled into it before going back to private. “Bait.”

Tiber grinned at her open call, pulling into a wide loop, speeding up. His maneuver took him around another asteroid and made him slow to a degree, pulling him behind the two TIEs. Then began their own evasive maneuvers as he tried to get a lock, firing the ion cannon as they flew past his nose. He was rewarded with small flashes of debris splintering off of one and he focused on that craft.

Following it, "Got one that may try to get on my 6, following one that's slowly getting disabled." he sent to Zara. Returning his focus to the TIE before him he began shifting the nose back and forth, firing at the outside of the asteroids they were flying through, making them tumble into the path of his foe. Finally, he was rewarded as one tumbled just right and hit one panel, driving the TIE directly into his gunsight. Holding down the trigger he was finally rewarded when the cockpit blew out and the TIE crashed directly into the next asteroid in their path.

Zara released enough of her secret weapon to give the impression she was disabled. Squirt chortled as the chaff had mini explosives in it, and it was doing its lightshow. She dropped engines to be in an almost drift and waited. A smile spread over her lips as the TIE came directly at her, "Get ready Squirt, I want double front shields and full power on my mark." A quick almost silent burst of her thrusters had the ships nose turning to face the oncoming thread. "Ready...." The TIE got closer, it had accelerated and, in her mind, she was marking till its pilot had tone. "NOW!!" She accelerated at speed pulling her trigger feverishly as she went. Several of the now incoming bolts struck at her shield but it was too little too late as her lasers ripped through what had to be shocked and possibly terrified pilot and its cockpit. It exploded in a fireball and she gunned her engines to fly through the debris much to Squirts howling protests.

Tiber banked around the nearest asteroids, closing back on Zara as she dueled with the last of the patrol. As he emerged behind her, he was greeted with the sight of the last TIE exploding. Closing on her, he pulled up along, nodding to her, "Nice shot." he transmitted.

With the patrol gone, the others would have a clearer path to assaulting the corvette. He sent a burst ping to Poe, so he knew the patrol was gone and then banked to bring the two fighters closer to the edge of the asteroid fleet but still hidden, just on the chance that their two fighters would be needed again.

“We done?” Zara asked with a good deal of attitude.

Tiber chuckled, "I say we've earned our keep for the day, as long as the others do their part, we'll be good to continue." he replied.

"Good, on your six."


TAG @Sinrebirth, @Kurisan @HanSolo29 @Jerjerrod-Lennox

 

IC: Poe Dameron
Aboard the Raider corvette, Horthav

Regardless of the relative humour of his near epic fail in boarding through the chute, Poe shook it off and headed quickly to the nearest terminal. BB-8 plugged in immediately, rushing to deactivate the comms as Dev and Jess headed into the hangar. Yes, it was indeed relatively empty - there was a single TIE/SF present - but it still had crewers, and they eyed the two Resistance fighters and immediately sprung into action.

One slapped the nearest alarm, and in short order Stormtroopers began to spill into the hangar, eight taking up positions behind drums and crates, as a pilot ran from the ready room across the hangar for his stationary TIE -

The eight troopers began firing with blaster rifles, unleashing a storm of fire that would be relatively ineffective against fighters, but covering a group of four techs who were rushing to set up an E-web heavy cannon -

There were two modern First Order AT-ST at the rear of the hangar, and across the upper gangway ran two First Order officers, rushing to try and jump into their walkers before they were noticed -

Poe, for his part, double-clicked that he was in, ignored the alarms, and headed off to the bridge -

TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @Kurisan
---
Outside

With the Raider unable to communicate, the two wingpairs of TIEs at either end of the escort string simply did what initiative demanded. They regrouped into a four-TIE flight, and zoomed towards the debris field where their comrades had fallen - and Tiber and Zara. The TIEs were gunning at full speed, and even without targeting locks, each launched two missiles at them in advance of their arrival, eight rockets soaring out to target their rough positions -

It was a by-the-book response to a Resistance raid, but of course it could mean death for these two pilots if they didn't respond quickly enough.

Ordinarily the Raider would have reported the attack to command, but with it's comms disabled, Black Squadron had a window to take out the TIEs, commandeer the Raider, and head back to Kuat -

As long as all the TIEs died, and they took the Raider, of course.

TAG: @Adalia-Durron, @darthbernael

TAG: @HanSolo29 (continuing)

 

IC Tiber and Zara (Combo with @Adalia-Durron)
Attack Run 2

Tiber hadn’t heard from the other ships as they attempted to infiltrate the Corvette but he wasn’t surprised by that. Nor was he surprised when the other four TIE’s peeled off from their escort duty and headed toward his flight of two. ”Heads up, four more incoming.” he got out just as eight missiles, free flying, launched from the TIEs. They were unguided as there was no possibility, they had seen either of them in the asteroids.

He kept his T-70 hidden behind the asteroids as the missiles flew past, ” Black 2, let them get in the field then, we make our move.”

Sitting in behind the T-70, Zara was reading her screens, behind her the droid let out a mournful sound. "Oh relax, you know we go this." She muttered as she opened comms and double clicked. She'd not done this with this team before, but has learned it fast.

Finally, they went behind a larger rock and when they didn’t emerge, he kept the nose of his fighter pointed toward the middle, which turned out to be a smart move as the TIEs rocketed out from behind the asteroid, one on either side, firing as they did, racing toward him. “Bones, make sure those other two don’t run up our tailpipe, let Zara know.” he said as he jammed the throttle forward, nose swinging to his left, finger closing on the trigger as the TIE filled his viewscreen.

Shards of damage began chipping from the TIE as he spun, trying to avoid their incoming fire. Pouring the fire on, it had become a high-speed game of chicken, neither he nor the TIE breaking off as they sped toward each other, both firing at the other.

Zara allowed a small smile, the other two had circled around an asteroid behind her, they thought they were sneaking up on her. "Ok Squirt, get ready for a hard turn." she said quietly to her droid before counting down "Five, four, three, two..." She gunned her engines and pulled the yoke back hard against her, the back end of her ship accelerated hard but her nose was going upward and the engines pushed it over. Effectively 180 degrees and in her mind upside down but this was space, she was the right way regardless. The two TIE's came around the corner and she was powering toward them, unexpectedly.

Tiber stayed straight on the path toward the two TIE’s headed his way, the ball canopy quickly filling his screen. Just before the impact came the TIE pulled up and as he saw it pass overhead, a smile came, the left strut separating from the damage he’d done to it. It tumbled away from its companion and he lost track as he whipped around the asteroid they’d emerged from. But the tell-tale red flashes passing over his canopy told him the other had tucked in behind him and was trying to take him out as he darted this way and that through the smaller rocks.

They obviously didn't see her pulling this so when she opened fire they reacted slowly. Zara was aiming, specifically. Pulling her trigger, she was trying to be specific as she moved her controls to dodge the incoming wild shots.

She got tone and fired.

The solar panel on the starboard TIE took three hits, and blew off. It had the affect she wanted as it spun toward it's wing mate, clipping it, and ripping the wing off the second ship. Both ships rolled into each other and exploded.

Tiber hugged each asteroid closely, his course bringing he and the TIE trailing him back around toward Zara and the TIE’s he knew she faced. Bursting out from the last he saw that her two were down, the fireballs already dissipating. ”2, I’ve got the last on my 6.” he called over the comm, racing in a weaving pattern in her general direction.

He could see her diving and he looped down then pulled up toward her nose, trying to get the TIE to follow as he flew almost directly toward her.

This was like playing chicken with her brother Ethan-Cassell back home. She was closing fast and she knew this game well, she always won it, and she did again this time. 50 meters, she rolled 180 Degrees and the belly of her craft ran under only centimetres from his and the TIE came into view. "See ya later." She said as she poured her laser fire into the oncoming TIE.

It never saw her coming, or at least it felt that way.

Tiber held steady as he flew directly at Zara. Luckily, she was ready and knew what she was doing. He kept the stick in as neutral a position as possible as she flipped and flew past him, belly to belly. As soon as she was past, he chopped the throttle, whipping the nose around, and reengaging, tucking in behind her as she tore into the last TIE. A minor flick of the stick and he was just to the side, his fire joining hers as they dove on the last of the escorts.

The TIE exploded and with shields set double front she once again flew through the explosion. Zara loved that feeling.

He ceased firing as she had taken it out just as he reengaged. ”Nice shooting, Z. And beautiful flying.” he called, before turning and making his way to the edge of the asteroid field, waiting for the boarding team to make their call that they’d done their part, knowing she’d be tucked in close.

Zara smirk. ‘Z’? she thought, ‘works I guess, better than Princess.’ “Right back at you.” She responded as she slipped in behind him on port.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @Adalia-Durron, @Kurisan, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @HanSolo29

 

IC: Acting Captain Poe Dameron
Aboard the Raider, Horthav system

In short order, it was over. Most of the crew had headed to the hangar to get shot up and down, and Poe and BB-8 took the bridge without much trouble. The crew was killed in the capture, unfortunately, but it became quickly apparent that the pilot that had nearly escaped was alive - and Poe placed him in the brig after sending an update that Resistance raiders had attacked and been repulsed, albeit at the cost of all the TIEs they had in-system.

Honesty, after all, was the heart of a good lie.

He called Tiber and Zara to land, and then them and Dev and Jess to the bridge. "Alright guys, phase one complete, and no casualties," he didn't count the minor damage to Dev's Y-wing as a casualty, "and no torpedoes lost, I think."

He glanced at them for affirmation, updating the map.

"So, it turns out that if we want to infiltrate a ground team we'll have to go via the security checkpoint on the Kuat moon. But with the Raider we should be able to escort a freighter to the edge of the security cordon, and you can use the freighter as a shield, avoiding that need." He indicated the shipyards, and the presupposed location of the Kyber crystal.

"Each of your fighters have had an updated sensor suite installed so that you can track the signature of the crystal, and when you've secured it's location, we can transport it to the Raider by tractor beam." A simple image showed the corvette coming in low to secure the crystal from a dock. It was a projection of what they would encounter, but it was what it was. "Now Tiber will take over command of Black Squadron while BB and I pilot the Raider -"

The comms chimed, and BB screeched.

It was Admiral Vonn of the First Order.

Poe hissed. "I can't take the call I'm too well known - "

BB-8 also howled an update.

"What do you mean the pilot escaped the brig?"

---
The Brig

The aged pilot was, after all, no mere pilot. He'd been flying for the Empire and then First Order for decades now.

Turr Phennir was more cyborg than human by now, and so far beyond the young man who had taken the surname of the Jedi who had sponsored him off the streets. He was no longer a Kya, just a fighter ace, determined to do his part for the Empire restored. Well; Supreme Leader Kylo Ren was no Emperor Palpatine, but he had the Force on his side, and that was more than sufficient for Turr, who knew very well that the Force was that one irritating factor which could not be accounted for in grand military strategy; frustratingly.

But as a cyborg, it didn't take much to bend a door.

He would steal a Resistance fighter if it came to it -

Someone (or someone's) would need to get on it.

TAG: @darthbernael, @Adalia-Durron, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @Kurisan

 

OOC: A fun combo with @Adalia-Durron and @Sinrebirth

IC Tiber and Zara
Escaped Pilot, Aboard the Raider, Horthav system

Tiber and Zara had brought their X-Wings into the hangar without incident. As he climbed from the cockpit, he unlatched the blaster rifle from its mount behind his seat. He wasn’t sure he’d need it since he had his pistols but better safe than sorry. Slinging it across his back, he made his way to the bridge, knowing Zara was coming as well.

Zara made it to the bridge and what she considered a very open briefing and glanced at Tiber when Poe announced he'd be leading. The plan seemed pretty straight forward, but Zara was smarter than that and knew 'first contact' was the unknowns. She worked well with Tiber, she'd proven that already so this was not a surprise at all that he'd be leading. She had no such aspirations.

When Poe mentioned that they hadn’t expended torpedoes he nodded, they’d made sure to use their cannons only, saving the torps for when they’d really need them. He listened to the brief and when Poe mentioned he’d be taking over when at Kuat a tiny downturn of his mouth came as it reminded him of the deeper responsibility he had, just in case. And then the briefing went sideways.

The comm beside Poe opened and an Admiral Vonn of the First Order demanded attention, much to Poe's horror.

"I can't take the call I'm too well known - "

Tiber moved out of the holo pickup field, Poe was very well known but so was his uncle and he was almost a spitting image of that man.

Hesitation was fatal in a situation like this, her father had taught her that, act and ask for forgiveness later, so with that in mind she moved forward and pressed the button to respond. "Lt Christa here Sir, how can we be of service?" she asked using her best attempt at a military sounding voice.

Around her the news of the escaped prisoner was announced, and thankfully she'd closed the comm immediately after speaking.

Tiber wanted to go off after the man but he and Zara were working so well as a team already and he wasn’t going to break that up if it wasn’t necessary so he waited to see if the Imp Admiral was going to respond and need her reply, first.

Admiral Vonn responded swiftly. “Who? I don’t have a record of a commanding officer by that name,” his response was stiff. “Certainly not a woman -“

Poe kept the mute up. “I was about to say, the captain is a man,” he grinned, in spite of himself. “Almost always a man in the First Order,” he sounded wry. “Idiot misogynists.”

“You’re a good team, the core of the new squadron, I reckon; go get the pilot and Dev and I will sort this.” It was more an estimation that Dev couldn’t handle a former cyborg... not with his concerning mental state.

There was an alarm; the cyborg was accessing the escape pods? “Ah kark it; the pods have long range comms...”

”Frack it, Z,” Tiber began, as he turned to head toward the lifts and the deck with the pods. ”let’s let you take out your anger at the misogyny on this escaped prisoner,”

He continued walking, then paused for a moment, turning his head, ”Poe, which deck?” he asked, knowing the man would answer by the time they reached the lifts.

Zara was pissed, she'd forgotten the enemy were pigs and duly snorted before following silently, stewing.

“Second deck,” Poe said, gesturing them a direction from the bridge. “He’s Turr Phennir, former Imp who never managed to go full warlord. Led a confederation of states pissed off for a couple of years before the First Order came along and wrecked it all.”

Tiber nodded, ”Frack it, one of those..” he muttered under his breath. Reaching the lift he punched the second deck, holding it until Zara boarded. ”Lock and load, Z, slight stagger formation, I’ll take point. Stick to the walls and we’ll double check each room as we pass, until we reach the pods. A flashbang and then I’ll breach first, you covering me.”

"And he's important why?" Zara asked in a low tone. She was still annoyed at being told off and the arrogance of men.

She nodded at the order, no need to speak as she drew her weapon.

”A true believer, so to speak. He’s not going to let himself be captured again.” he replied. Drawing his rifle from off his back, he took the safety off and cradled it in his hands, finger off the trigger.

He pressed against the side of the lift as it drew to a stop. The snout of his rifle quivered and he drew it to a cheek weld as it swung from left to right, checking the exit. In a swift movement, he exited and pressed against the wall, ”Hall clear, let’s go.”

"Captured, right" She muttered as she pushed herself flat against the opposite wall to Tiber, her lekku twitching with her annoyance. The doors opened and she remained still, her weapon held up beside her face as she watched him scan the area down the sight of his rifle. He moved off and stated the hall was clear so without hesitation she slipped out and up against the opposite wall to him, her eyes scanning for movements.

Without moving the rifle, ”If he lets us, yes.” As he passed doorways, he waited for her to join him, if it was on his side, then stepped in to clear it. If it was on her side, the opposite would occur. Slowly they made their way down the hall to the room the pods were in. Lifting his comm to his lips, ”Poe, in place, lock it down once we’re inside.” he whispered.

Gazing at Zara, he took in her posture, nodded, ”Ready, Z?” he asked, just as quietly.

Inside the room, Turr’s augmented hearing picked up a scuff from outside the door. He smiled thinly, of course the invaders, those scum, wouldn’t let him just wander the ship. He closed the panel he’d been inside, trying to get the pod on a separate circuit from the bridge. Looking around, he ducked behind the console near the pods, his augmented muscles pulling a pair of long strips of metal off of the back of it. Bending the metal so it doubled up, he now had a pair of sharp sided batons.

A sly smile crossed his face as he knew those outside could have heard the tearing of the metal. Glancing around again, he spotted a couple stacked crates. A quick scuttle and he moved behind the boxes, waiting for these peons to come find him.

When he spoke she didn't turn, her attention on the sounds ahead, 'tearing metal?' she frowned. She gave Tiber a brief 'thumbs up' without moving much, before turning slightly to him and raising her eyebrows at the sound and its origin.

Dropping his hand from the guard of the rifle, he lifted the flashbang from his belt, priming it, then nodded to Zara, waiting for her to open the door before tossing it through. ”Once the grenade is in, close it again, fast so we don’t get blinded or deafened.” he whispered.

Lowering her hand she acted fast, doors open, the flashbang went in and she shut the doors, the explosion was muffled but clear. "What was that metallic ripping sound?" She hissed, she'd never heard it before and it did concern her. Was he even aware of it?

Tiber had closed his eyes and put the hand from the stock over his ear, even still, after tossing the grenade through the swiftly cycling door. "He knows we're here, guess he's preparing for us.”

He didn't bother to whisper this time, the flashbang would drown out the sound of his voice, after all.

Turr heard the hatch cycling. As it closed he heard the metallic sound of something bouncing and rolling on the floor. If they were anything like he...he swiftly covered his eyes and tried to cover his ears. Even behind the crates the light was blinding and he could tell his hearing was affected. Blinking his eyes, trying to get the spots out, he tucked his legs under him, preparing to spring. With his hearing lessened, he’d have to rely on what little he could see from his position, to make his attack.

From the far side of the hatch, Tiber heard the grenade go off. At a nod to Zara, the door opened and he stepped through, ducking low to reduce his silhouette, ”Turr Phennir, surrender, you have nowhere to go…”

Zara slipped in behind him, low to the ground she moved to the left of the door, skulking behind a console. She didn't flinch at Tiber's words, she only smiled slightly. 'That's right, be the target' She thought, 'I'm ready for the ....capture.' Zara was under no illusions, if this man had no intention of being captured, and if that was what he wanted she was happy to deliver.

Turr barely heard his name among the static of his cybernetics recycling to bring his hearing back but he understood the intent. They knew who he was and they were here to take him. A dark smile crossed his face as his hearing finally came back. He could distinguish two sets of footsteps now. One was crossing towards the pods and the other away from them.

Tiber was close to the pods now and could see one that looked as though it had been tinkered with. Eyes tracking back and forth he could see now that the man probably wasn’t behind the main console. As he looked over to warn Zara with his eyes and direct them toward the crates a little further away, chaos exploded, or more directly the crates did.

He had to duck low as one flew directly at him. As he came back up from the crouch he saw the man diving low over the crates and then the console, bounding at a speed that told of his cybernetic ‘improvements’, directly at Zara. He brought the rifle up but the distance was closing fast…

She'd caught Tiber's glance and knew the approximate location of Turr, but when he exploded forth she'd not been ready, at least not to shoot him. In seconds the man was on her, but her training kicked in as she allowed him to push her backward, tucking her legs in as she fell so when he came down on her body her feet were facing toward his stomach. She continued to roll backward extending her feet as she did so to throw him over her body before rolling to her stomach and bringing her blaster to bare.

Turr growled as Zara’s feet caught him and tossed him past her, his baton striking down toward a shoulder as he flew. Not just was it scum but one of them as one of those damnable athletic alien scum. He hit the floor and came back to his feet in a crouch, from the roll. And then was knocked sideways as the first shot from Tiber’s rifle took him in the shoulder, ”Drop it Phennir, don’t make us kill you.” the tone of his voice belying what he said.

Flicking one of the batons in a spin toward the man with the rifle, Turr regained his feet as swiftly as possible and dove toward the alien once again. He second baton snapped forward, in a swing at her ankles.

Tiber twisted, then gasped as the tip of the baton still struck him in the side, almost knocking him off his feet with the strength of the throw. Arm in close, wincing, he lined up a second shot, aiming from one leg. When it hit, it seemed to barely phase the cyborg, merely making him miss a step.

Something struck down at her shoulder, she felt pain but over that was adrenaline. Use it, her mother had taught her, use the pain and keep going. As she rolled to her stomach she saw him rising and coming back at her, a shot fired at his leg, Tiber obviously as he warned Turr. Zara wasn't going to wait till he killed her as he raged in her direction, she pulled the trigger and watched in what felt like slow motion, a blaster bolt hit the oncoming enemy's stomach.

Turr grunted as the bolt hit hit, felt his blood beginning to drip. A smile crossed his face and he staggered, continuing forward, swinging the baton again, this time at her hands and the blaster in it. Tiber fired again, this time at the man’s knee, again and again. He watched several of them strike home but the man continued to close on Zara, striking at her once more.

Zara's blaster was knocked from her hands, but she had no intention of giving up. Scrambling backward on to her knees she prepared for a fight, to the death if necessary.

Turr snarled, seeing his foe scrambling backward and he darted toward her, drawing back for another strike. Tiber raced forward, reversing his grip on the rifle. Jumping onto the man’s back, he bashed the butt of the rifle against the base of the man’s skull, on the neck. As they crashed to the deck he went to strike again and then found himself flying backward, eyes crossing for a moment as the baton him hit square in the face, knocking him off of the cyborg’s back.

He was distracted for a brief moment, and that was all she needed. Pulling out her hold out blaster from her boot she fell back on to her butt she opened fire, aiming at his chest and pulling the trigger till there was nothing left in the small weapon.

Turr roared as the shots began to strike home, staggering to his knees and crawling toward her, intent on destroying this insolent alien who presumed to end him. He reared back, arm swinging as he went to hit and crush her with his improvised weapon. And then a puzzled expression crossed his features.

Tiber swung his head, clearing the cobwebs, seeing Zara firing on the man from the front. He got to his knees, bringing the rifle up. He had to take the shot carefully…

Pulling the trigger once, his shot took Turr directly in the spine, just as the last shot fired from the holdout blaster of Zara’s, piercing the man’s heart. They would debate long and hard which of them killed him, but as the body swayed and fell to the deck, all Tiber could do for the moment was sigh and collapse to a seated position on the deck.

Zara watched the expression change and then the crumbling collapse. She never knew if it had been her or Tiber who'd done it, but she'd claimed it was her. Flopping to lay flat on her back with her knees bent up she let her arms drop splayed out. "Alive huh?" she panted.

Pressing the butt of his rifle to the deck, Tiber used it to help him get to his feet. Leaning against the console, he looked down at the body, then over to Zara, ”I did say I doubted he’d let us do that. Wish I’d been wrong, so we knew what he was up to but that doesn’t matter now.”

Wearily, he lifted the comm to his mouth, ”One to Lead, target dealt with, returning now.” he got out before his arm dropped back to his side.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @Adalia-Durron, @Kurisan, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @HanSolo29

 

IC: Poe Dameron
Aboard the Raider, traveling into the Kuat system

Well, that was that, Poe thought ruefully.

Misogyny was their greatest obstacle today, and seemingly Dev had overcame it... though Phennir was dead... he wasn't happy about that but there wasn't much else to add. Tiber and Zara were a competent pair, brutally so, it seemed. Jess was in the hangar, and Poe called Black Squadron to regroup there with their fighters.

"So, cyborg pilot is dead," Poe glanced at Jess in concern as he said that. "All's well, that ends well. Admiral Vonn of the Kuat defences asked for us to head in-system to pick up new TIEs and a replacement will arrive to take our place in the Horthav system." He acknowledged that would be the problem of Snap and Aryan, but that's why they had a B-wing; maximum firepower.

The Raider leapt into hyperspace he spoke, piloted by BB-8. The astromechs had taken the break to top-off their fuel and blaster gas supplies from the First Order resources, and while Poe personally knew the corvette would be a great addition to the Resistance forces, he also doubted it would survive the mission entirely intact, so.

"So our plan basically stays the same; while the Raider heads in-system, we'll launch fighters to shadow the freighters heading into the Kuat system. We'll have to locate the kyber crystal if it isn't obvious, but we need to remember that our mission is to capture the crystal, so I'll leave it to Tiber to wrangle you." Poe managed to look confident while planning with zero Intel. This was all assumptions.

"But I'll stay here, running this big-old corvette... so, we'll be arriving soon... not much more I can add than May the Force be With You." Poe nodded to the others... and walked off. Tiber could take over here; the sooner Poe stopped micro-managing them, the better. Taking initiative within a squadron was difficult, when they had to both communicate and act with basically no resources.

The astromech's were lifting up into their respective fighters, leaving Dev without one.

Poe's eye caught that of Jess, but he didn't give any orders. It was one of the subtle glances given between two pilots who had worked together for years before now, and knew each other better than the others here.

In less than five minutes, the Raider would arrive, and they'd have to get ready to launch.

TAG: @darthbernael (first response), @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @Adalia-Durron, @Kurisan (combo for Kurisan)

 

IC Tiber
Aboard the Raider, traveling into the Kuat system

Tiber sighed, he had been given a responsibility that he wasn’t entirely sure that he was ready for but that he’d accepted. And Leia, she’d given him hope that he’d be able to do as they needed. But still, at the back of his mind, was the worry that somehow he was going to be the one who didn’t bring them all home. The clock in his head then reminded him that he didn’t have time to be thinking about that, he had to give the orders and make sure they all stuck to the plan as long as possible.

He coughed, ”We don’t have a lot of time so gather round.”

Pulling up the holo of the system from the last download, he let it play and pointed out various vessels. ”We should be jumping in approximately here, as soon as we do, everyone slip out of the hangar and stick to the ‘shadow’ of the Raider.” he touched a couple studs to bring up a simulation of the Raider, and then their fighters, flying in extremely close formation to the corvette.

”Z, ummm, Black 2 and Black 3, you two will have point. Black 5,” he glanced at Dev, ”you’re out bomber so you’ll take up the middle position. And I’ll pull up the rear of the formation. Hopefully 4 will join us soon and give us two fighters at the rear.” His gaze shifted across the other three and then back to the holo.

”Whether Snap gets here in time or not, the plan is that we hug the Raider until it comes close to another ship headed in the general direction of the target. We’ll bounce from ship to ship, trying to stay off the sensors of the control tower or various TIE flights, until we can get as close to the target as possible. Z, Jess, you two will have to take out any strays that sniff too closely at us. Dev, as the heavy, you’ve got the boring job, hopefully, sticking in the middle and letting the rest of us fight until we get there. And I’ll be coordinating from the back, also why I took that slot, so I can see everyone. And I’ll clean up strays that come from that direction.”

He ran his hand through his hair, looking weary for a moment, ”I cannot guarantee all of us will make it through and I truly wish we had the full flight to begin with but remember, the objective is that crystal. If we get distracted by one of the others getting shot we may lose our chance. It’s harsh, but that’s war, I’m sorry.” He looked again at Zara, wondering if he should have taken the time to ask about her mother, but it was too late now.

”Any questions? If not, to your fighters and let's get going.” he glanced down then back up, and almost lamely added, ”And, uhhh, May the Force be with you.”

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @Adalia-Durron, @Kurisan, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @HanSolo29

 

IC Zara, Tiber (thank you to @darthbernael)
On board the Raider, its getting hot in here.


Zara stood listening with her arms folded, Poe had not seemed impressed by the results of their ‘pilot’ hunt despite the fact they had tried to take the man alive. Him not wanting that result made the outcome unavoidable.

Tiber wanted her and Jess in the ships shadow, she could do that, amused her internally that in space no ship really had a shadow unless there was a nearby sun. She knew what it meant, radar shadow, but it always amused her.

Still with the ‘Z’, she’d accepted it but it was starting to annoy her now. He’d not given anyone else a silly short cut to their name, only her. Why was that? She wondered. She watched him as he ran his fingers through his hair, that was a motion she’d seen time and time again from someone who was frustrated or worried, humans mostly. She never understood it, she didn’t have hair. Her lekku twitched at the annoyance of the ‘nickname’, something she’d have to address in private. Then he sounded like he regretted the situation he was putting them all in, and that caught her off guard. They all knew the deal going in, it was stated obviously.

”And, uhhh, May the Force be with you.”

He didn’t believe that one, that much was obvious and she waited till the others had moved away a little before she approached. “We all knew the deal coming in, don’t let it eat you up.” She said quietly before adding. “Oh, and the Force is real, trust me.”

Tiber looked up, a smile briefly appearing on his face, "I believe you Z, I just hope it's on our side, I don't want to lose...any of you."

She pursed her lips. “I trust in the Force, its with me, you won’t lose me…..” Was the time right? She decided if this was the last time she’d see him, she had to say it. “Oh, and its Zara.” She said with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t mind ‘Z’ when it’s just us, but around everyone else?” She left that hanging.

That brought a genuine chuckle to his face, and a true smile, "Z it is, just between us. I'll use Zara among the others. And yes, you, please don't get yourself killed." Glancing around to make sure the others weren't paying attention he reached out a hand for a moment.

She looked down at the hand then back to him with an expression of confusion. Did he want to shake her hand? That was weird. Humans. She unfolded her arms and placed her hand in his. Was this some kind of human ritual she was unaware of? Growing up on Bakura she thought she knew all human customs, but leaving home she’d learned fast, she was wrong.

Tiber chuckled again, taking her hand gently, then exerting a little force to draw her closer. Her scent reached his senses and it made him smile, something to carry with him on this endeavor. "Z, you really think I'm shaking hands? No, I just wanted to feel yours in mine for a moment before we have to go."

She gasped slightly as he pulled her close and she suddenly realised what was going on. The tone of his voice was not the one she’d heard addressing the team. She swallowed as she noted her heartbeat quicken, and that caught her off guard for a split second. Zara trusted the Force and right now it was telling her something, she leaned closer. “Come back, might let you kiss me.” She smirked before pulling away and turning to head toward ship, without looking back.

Tiber chuckled and began his preparations for the departure, even more certain he had to get them all back safely, he had a promise he had to make Z keep.


TAG @Sinrebirth and anyone........

 

IC Zara Chrischa
The Storm is Coming


Zara had the ‘cocky feeling’ coursing through her veins, the feeling you get when someone notices you and expresses, and not in a ‘you’re a twi’lek, do you dance and sing?’ kind of way. Kriff she hated those creeps, they only saw her race, well the females at least, as toys for pleasures. Anyone who tried that crud on with her often lived to regret it.

Climbing the ladder, she reached into her X Wing and pulled out the helmet and gloves off the seat, getting in she began to put them on. “Ok Squirt, let’s do this, shut her up and play ‘Sugaan Essena’, level 5.” Her hands moved over the controls bringing the engines on line as the music beat through her cockpit. Glancing up she noted Tiber getting into his ship and a wry smile touched her lips. His ‘move’, it’s what she’d decided it was, had given her an adrenaline rush and it was just the kind one needed for this kind of mission. Looking back down she flicked the comm. “Black Two is set,” she announced before sitting back to lift her craft lightly off the deck and rotate its nose toward the magfield. The music coarsed through the sound system, feeding her adrenaline. “Shadows of the ships, strike from the shadows, can do.” She muttered, adding with a chuckle, “Just like Black Lightening.” Zara was not Force sensitive, but her mother had taught her to trust her instincts, trust her gut and her soul and today felt really good.

Spoiler: Translated Lyrics - its Huttese

Increase your amus with your herd
The Mogul generation will die
It's sparse and sparse
Fruitful
Mürüleen naagaa is a rare land
Mudugen sagarin shrugs his shoulders
Muluhien's soli gegeen will be destroyed
There are only a lot of flowers in the wind
The black lightning of the eternal sky
The black lightning of the eternal sky
Ussuren said and was relieved
There are more dawns than dawn
will keep the door open for a long time
Tsugari, hegeri, sasari, igeri are awakening
There are a lot of crosswalks
Let's take care of the open milk
The room is whistling and the wind is blowing hard
Mulen is a sacred susalin fork belt
The black lightning of the eternal sky
The black lightning of the eternal sky
Passed my Sikh
The black lightning of the eternal sky
Black lightning, black lightning
Black lightning, black lightning
Black lightning, black lightning
Black lightning, black lightning
The black lightning of the eternal sky
The black lightning of the eternal sky
The black lightning of the eternal sky
The black lightning of the eternal sky
Black lightning, black lightning
Black lightning, black lightning
Huh, huh, huh, huh
Huh, huh, huh, huh
Huh, huh, huh, huh
Huh, huh, huh, huh

TAG @Sinrebirth @darthbernael.

 

IC: Admiral Vonn
Kuat Drive Yards

The Admiral stalked the command centre, snug and hardened in the orbital ring.

He regarded the system one last time before the Raider arrived.

The Kuat moon, connected to the docking port, pumping fuel up a tube that could, in times of evacuation, double as a turbolift. The port was currently docked to a single ship, waiting for the delivery of a single component. That single ship was seventeen kilometers long, the product of a year of work; an Eclipse-class Super Star Destroyer.



The resurrection of a decades old-design, the Eclipse was without numerical designation, though a historian would quibble that it was the fourth such ship of the line. But Vonn didn't care much for such things. When it was done, they would be able to reassert themselves. The Mandator-class dreadnoughts, they were fine, but they weren't terror weapons. They were tactical ones.

Vonn resented that they had argued the Starkiller Base was not gone.

It handed the Resistance a propaganda weapon that increased their problems as the last year went by.

Now, he was responsible for the most important aspect of their plans for the future.

As he watched, the Raider joined the freighter queue, which was heading in and out as it did. The line of cargo ships split in three, peeling off towards the docking port, the Kuat moon, and the orbital ring. With a nod, he stepped towards the hangar of the ring, ready to meet the Raider for a thorough debrief. If the Resistance were making a move on Kuat, then he would need to be prepared.

Which was why a corvette with double the TIE fighters was now heading to the rendezvous point at Horthav.

Best to be prepared...

---
Aboard the Raider, Kuat system

Poe stood on the bridge, and whistled as he saw the Eclipse. BB-8 tweetled, and he opened the channel to the others.

"Alright, I think we can guarantee the crystal has something to do with that big black Super Star Destroyer. BB-8 says it's the Eclipse, an old, bad, mad, design that had a superlaser." He sent a quick external schematic to them each. "There's a big old cavernous hole on the top of it, I reckon that's your way in."

He highlighted a train of freighters. "These guys are heading towards the Eclipse, so that's your route in." He frowned a little. "I'm heading to the orbital ring." A second colour was added to show his direction. "Ignore the Kuat moon, it's not our problem right now."

There were two dozen smaller Star Destroyers in the orbital ring, but Poe wasn't here for them.

"Leapfrog behind the sensor shadows, and -" a detail was added showing a dozen TIE fighters deployed in lazy orbital patrol routes, heading nowhere in particular up and down the freighters - they passed the Raider as he hesitated, sweeping the ships arriving behind them. "May the Force be with you."

With that, he signed off.

TAG: @Adalia-Durron, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @darthbernael, @Kurisan (supercombo?)

 

Jess Pava, Zara, Dev, and Tiber (Thanks for the combo)
In the Raider hangar, just before take off

Jess skipped up the ladder and settled in her x-wing. From his astromech socket, Rolo hooted and the comment was translated on her screen. It was about Poe.

"Oh, shut up," she smiled, her cheeks reddening.

"Black Three standing by," she reported on the main channel. Then she opened a private link to Zara. "Hey, it's me Jess. I'm glad to be flying with you. Umm, I'm left-handed so I tend to break that way if something happens unexpectedly..."

She was not sure why she was saying that. It just seemed good to share something personal with someone with whom you were about to enter a life-or-death mission.

Inspiration came to her. "Oh, and congrats. You and Tiber... he's gorgeous. You make a great couple."

Having her craft off the deck already, Zara turned the nose toward the magfield, she was ready to get this particular show on the road when her private comm opened.

"Hey, it's me Jess. I'm glad to be flying with you. Umm, I'm left-handed so I tend to break that way if something happens unexpectedly..."

Zara gave a nod and was about to acknowledge when the young woman spoke again.

"Oh, and congrats. You and Tiber... he's gorgeous. You make a great couple."

Double take. "What the frack?" Zara muttered, her eyes widening as she bared her teeth slightly. 'Is that what people are thinking, already?' she thought angrily as she responded.

"Left, got it." Zara almost snapped, she needed to squash this thing before it got out of hand. Sure, Jess was right, the man was attractive, but they were at war and the potential for not coming back was high, really high. Zara was not about to get herself tangled up in something that could end in total heartbreak for someone, or her. It was not an option. "You shadow on port, that way you break its away from the cruiser, I'll go starboard, as for the other thing. There's nothing to talk about and I'd like to keep it that way thank you." she tried so hard to sound polite but knew it sounded harsh. 'Loose lips sink ships'

Dev wondered why the ladies were not moving yet. He had maneuvered his Y wing to face the magfield and was ready to take the middle position but the ladies it seemed to be having a chin wag.

"Black Five to Blacks Two and Three. I hate to break up the girly chat but could we move along? I have a date with Admiral Vonn to keep and he arrives aboard here and I'm not here to greet him, the mission is shot. Apparently Poe is too famous to meet him…"

"So could we hurry it up please?".

Zara growled again in her throat, the young woman was delaying them with almost childish talk. "Black Two moving out" she responded in a cold tone as she edged her ship forward through the field and diving hard to starboard.

Tiber clambered into the cockpit of his X-Wing, the canopy closing over his head. Bones chortled and whistled and he replied, ”Yes I know you saw, Bones...It doesn’t guarantee anything, she’s just teasing, and none of us know if we’ll make it back.” Bones whistled again and Tiber chuckled, ”Yes, I know you intend to make it back…”

As he spoke he lifted his fighter from the deck and kept an ear on the information Poe had sent. Glancing it over he agreed and waited for the others to be ready. Finally Zara and Jess’s X-Wings lifted and turned toward the hangar exit, followed by Dev’s Y-Wing. He smiled slightly at the chatter on the comm before flicking the transmit on his controls, ”Black Flight, tighten it up, Poe has given us a way in. Exit the hangar, hug the hull of the corvette until those freighters pass. Once we’re in their sensor shadow, pull in closely alongside and we’ll leapfrog from them to another passing closely, staying out of the sensors of the patrols.”

He took a deep breath, when they left this hangar he knew his decisions could mean that they not all return, or that there would be a bloody great hole in the ring around Kuat. Letting it out, he hit the transmit stud again, ”Launch.”

"Copy one." Zara responded, her voice still cool and in professional mode. Swinging downward and levelling up she brought her craft up and hugged the starboard underbelly of the corvette. "In position." She reported. She was still bugged and needed to get her focus back, she'd deal with that situation later, now, head in the game.

Jess felt Zara's rebuke like a physical slap in the face. She shook her head, terrified she had just said something wrong.

Then Dev followed up with a hurry up order and Jess's discomfort deepened.

Oh no, oh no, I'm letting the squadron down again!

"Copy that, Black 3 launching," she spoke into the squadron channel then thrust forward out of the magfield alongside Black 2.

"Get it together, Jess," she told herself, following the prescribed route and neatly slotting into position behind the corvette.

Rolo groaned and Jess read the readout on her console. The astromech was experiencing fluctuating output from processors on the left side of his conical head. That's where the First Order officer struck him with that metal bar. She had not had time to check him out properly before the mission began.

"Oh no," she said. "Can you bypass it?"

Jess knew starships, very well. Droids were a completely different science. Rolo complained there were no headache pills for droids.

Jess massaged her ribs where the First Order thugs had punched her, feeling the twinge in her shoulder. "Yeah, we're both feeling it today, my friend."

Jess looked across to Zara's x-wing and bit her lip. Not the best start to a flight mission. She was determined to fight harder, concentrate harder, and make up for her mistakes so far...

"Black 3, in position," she reported to Poe.

Dev meanwhile followed the two X wings out, making sure his nose was directly behind the two of them. It should hopefully give him enough cover at the front, he would have to rely on Tiber sweeping his backside to give him the most cover.

With no astromech he would have to keep comm silence unless it was an emergency. Plus with him speaking to Admiral Vonn his voice was now known. If they caught on to one of his transmissions and spotted he was a Resistance pilot…

Don't go there.

He double clicked his comm to say in position.

Tiber gave a single click of acknowledgement that Dev would understand was such. As he formed up behind the Y-Wing he stayed far enough back that he could rapidly swivel and fire at targets without risk of friendly fire.

Passing through the hangar exit he whispered a ”Stay safe Z…” before swiftly having to comment to Bones not to transmit that to her droid as he heard the little guy begin to whistle.

He took up position aft of Dev and kept a slow, steady swivel going, surveying fore and aft, as they watched the approach of the freighters.

The freighters ahead were of varying length, but the first one was a small one - they'd have to leap-frog and break into wing-pairs to cross it without crashing. The one after that was longer, lengthy enough for them to all to crowd, but the one after, it was a small Corellian design, barely enough to hide them one at a time!

This was getting fiddly.

Their astromechs - save for Dev, of course - would warn that the TIEs were circling back. Ahead of the small Corellian ship was a large box-freighter, fully automated. When they reached that, they could basically hide wherever they wanted on it and wouldn't be seen by the crew…

Tiber saw the freighters approaching and heard the warning from Bones. He held back a quiet curse. With the comm silence he had to think quickly. The safest option was that they all make it to the second and then they would have to make the fiddly crossing to the third before they reached the objective.

”Bones, quick squirt to Zara and Jess, to their droids, hope they understand it. Message is 1, 5, 3, 2.” As he spoke he shifted his X-Wing’s position slowly, until he could see Dev in his. Taking a small point light he shone it directly at Dev, until the other would notice.

When Dev did, he mimed a jump with his hands, then the numbers 1, 5, 3, 2 with his fingers. Waiting for an acknowledgement, when he saw it, he glanced at the first freighter, then back at Dev, then moment it came in range and obscured them from the patrol that was circling back he flashed the light at Dev again and then pulled up, taking the shortest arc to reach the cover of the first freighter.

Trusting that Dev was either right beside him or just behind, he couldn’t look while negotiating the close in flying with this medium freighter, he took his spot under the freighter. Another glance at the sensors and he flashed the light in the direction Dev should be, before jumping to the second, letting it slowly make it’s way over him, until he matched velocity, once he was underneath. Hugging it closely he waited and hoped the others had understood his messages.

Sitting silently Zara was focused as she eyed the nearby ships. Squirt let out a series of soft whistles and she read the screen. "Last huh?" She whispered, glancing beside her at Jess. "Wish this thing had rear view, I have a hand signal....." She added.

Dev watched as his sensors indicated that Tiber's X wing was moving up towards him. He began to wonder what was going on, whether something was happening.

A light shone from the X wings cockpit before Tiber started making gestures. It looked like Tiber would lead followed by him, Jess and Zara. Dev responded with a thumbs up, the coverage to protect him seemed pretty good as well.

Dev lifted himself up as Tiber did, making sure his nose was just slightly behind Tiber's but not too close. Of course the Y wing was slower but he managed to keep pace, Rose's tinkering was working a dream.

As they reached the end Dec nodded again at Tiber's instructions and followed on to the next freighter. Again he was just slightly behind Tiber so he could move if needed. Hopefully the ladies would be en route to protect his rear…

Jess watched nervously as Tiber and Dev made the first jumps between freighters. It was like a child's game of leapfrog, played in starfighters.

Tiber was very nimble, and Dev showed again why the Corellians had such a reputation, shuttling the more robust Y-wing with a gentle touch.

With a burst of acceleration they were beyond the smaller ship and into the shadow of the long transporter.

Jess gulped. She was next. She checked Rolo's report on the TIE flight paths and frowned, seeing gaps in the data. "Can you try a self-repair, Rolo?" she said. "It might just be a dent putting pressure on a circuit."

The droid beeped apologetically. Luckily, Jess was good with numbers and starship flight paths. She worked out the rest in her head. She glanced up to the ship whose shadow to which they currently clung, judged the angle to the smaller next "stepping stone", and counted down.

There was a window of time when the TIEs would be blindsided. She remembered the trick she had used to catch Poe's attention when he was breaking into the garbage chute. She pulled up alongside Zara, counted the last three beats, then flashed her starboard landing lights toward the Twi'lek princess. Three to go.

Then she thrust forward, zipping her T-70 into the shadow of the small freighter. She counted five more beats to give the TIEs plenty of time to overfly the next gap, then repeated the flash and zoom.

If she had judged it right, she would be under the shadow of the long transporter with Tiber and Dev with no TIEs ever getting a chance of a visual on her...

TAG!

Zara focused, watched and waited. First two had gone and now she watched as Jess perfectly calculated her move, slipping silently across the void and, like the others, making it look simple. She focused in, slowing her heart rate by relaxing, closing her eyes briefly before sitting up and drawing a long slow breath. "Last, always the worst spot, thanks for that." She added with a touch of bitterness. "You won't like the reward for that one." she added with a wry smile, it was the perfect reason to put distance in there and dispel rumours like Jess was about to start. "Ok Squirt? Where are those TIE's." A soft warble and she didn't need to read, she knew the droid well enough to understand sound. "Good, ok." She spoke in a soft tone as she adjusted her grip on her controls. "Let's do this." Edging up to the nose she calculated the time and space required and holding her breath she lurched out into clear space, she was about to slip into position when Squirt let out a warning sound, she didn't need to read it as it was clear. The TIE's were coming back around. "Kriff it." She snarled attempting to find her spot. Moving swiftly she found it and slipped in, scrapping ever so slightly against the hull of the freighter with her cockpit. "That was too kriffing close!" She spat as she felt the adrenaline rush course through her. "Let Lead know we're in please Squirt."

The TIEs curved around, one, three, seven, eleven, and then they vanished. There was no indication they saw them, not at all. They headed off, sensors telling Black Squadron they were going towards the main dockyard, some thirty Resurgent-class Star Destroyers and double that in Maxima-class heavy cruisers in the final stages of construction.

But they hadn't seen anyone, and nobody had screwed up...

Poe slid the Raider into the dock slowly, so he could watch his sensors until the very last moment.

Tiber spent the several minutes as the freighter lumbered toward the Eclipse deciding the next best course of action. In the end, he decided that the simple approach and attack that seemed the most likely course would have to be the one they used. Reaching down, he patted the blaster rifle now back in its place, just in case he needed it.

”Bones, send to Z and Jess’s droids, ‘Lock S foils in attack position. Enter via gaping opening in upper section Eclipse, 2, 3, 5, 1’.”

Maneuvering slowly alongside Dev, he repeated the flash of light to get his attention. Once he did, he mimed them swooping low over the Eclipse as the freighter passed close, then held up his fingers, 2, 3 5, 1 to show the flight order. Finally, he mimed pulling back the slide on a weapon to tell Dev to go ‘weapons hot’.

When all was done, he slowed and drifted back behind the Y-Wing as well as Zara and Jess’s X-Wings, then waited for the closest approach to the Eclipse to occur, hoping that Z and Jess had gotten the message. Just as it came up, ”Bones, send ‘Now’.” His own weapons were primed and ready and he tried not to think about the extra torpedo he had, just in case.

So far so good. But that is one massive ship there….

Dev watched on his sensors again as Tiber moved backwards this time. More instructions coming?

It was. Dev spotted the light again and watched Tiber's actions, afterwards giving him another thumbs up to say he understood.

As Tiber slid back to protect his rear end again Dev knew the ladies would have to speed up to get past him so he kept his speed the same as Tiber's but not so fast they would overshoot him.

He activated the cannons in front, the ion torpedoes would still be a last resort. He was about to unleash some more of Thunderbolt's lightning by the sounds of it….

Zara glanced at the scratches on her cockpit, and gave an annoyed sigh. Squirt showed her the next jump and sighed loudly again. "Last to first? What game are you playing?" She muttered. She caught him dropping back out of the corner of her eye and adjusted herself in her seat. "First, no problems" She added. Pulling slightly forward she eyed Jess beside her as she checked her weapons, they were set, and her shields were equal front to back. She could change that in a heartbeat. She was ready to go.

Jess watched the oblivious TIEs sailing past, a lump in her throat. But they were not spotted. So far, so good. Rolo relayed the next phase orders and Jess nodded.

"Okay, don't screw up!" she told herself.

She activated her S foils into attack position and they locked into place with a satisfying clunk. She patted the 411 blaster pistol holstered on her thigh; a small but determined puncher.

She checked her surroundings again. More than once, Jess had thought to herself how those First Order fighters looked like big winged eyeballs bobbing through space. Now she hoped no stragglers would unexpectedly come back and look their way. The mission counted on it.

Her moment came. Jess ignited the engines, zipping the x-wing across the open gap in a flash. She stopped abruptly behind the smallest cover-ship, judged the angle carefully, then slid into a smooth vector to descend into the gaping opening of the Eclipse…

Dropping her craft a few feet Zara opened her wings, giving them the signature shape that often meant one of two things: Freedom was on the Horizon or Hell was about to rain down. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and turning to look, she was more than a little surprised to see Jess moving off. "Wait, what?" she asked to no one in particular. "Girl can't kriffin' count!" She stated as she rolled her eyes. It mattered little and in a smooth movement she followed suit. Slipping in behind Jess before pulling up beside her before descending with her. "Sure, you lead the way, not a problem." She said with a good deal of sarcasm.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @Adalia-Durron, @Kurisan, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @HanSolo29

 

IC: Poe Dameron
Raider, arriving

The ship settled on one of the outstretched platforms, protected by a bubble of energy to keep atmosphere in. The Raider wasn't a perfect fit, but it didn't stop Poe making it. He could see, at the edge, Admiral Vonn, standing with two squads of Stormtroopers, four to either side. It wasn't a stellar greeting. BB-8 beeped, concerned.

"Now what?" Poe said, glancing back at the displays.

His gaze took in what the little astromech wanted to show him. "Oh no."

---
Jumping

Communication was key to coordination, but here, and now, it had happened as one would expect of a squadron put together less than twelve hours ago.

Eleven TIEs went by.

Jess preceded Zara, when it should have been reversed, but they were still the two who advanced first, as Tiber directed, with Dev left with him.

The twelfth TIE saw them.

The angle the TIE was coming at around the cargo ship, it only saw Jess and Zara, and not Tiber and Dev - it physically couldn't, by sight or sensor scan. Both of them knew about it; their astromechs screamed at them a moment before the TIE fighter opened fire at them, just before Dev hit the throttle.

That meant Jess and Zara had to get the hell out of dodge -

But Tiber and Dev had to stay put, or risk the entire mission...

Which of course, they could do that...

TAG: @Kurisan, @Adalia-Durron (combo between us three), @darthbernael, @Jerjerrod-Lennox (combo between us three)
---
Back aboard the Raider, Kuat docks

Now at the hangar, Poe looked out and swore as Admiral Vonn was rushed to by an adjunct.

The Stormtroopers looked at each other uncertainly, and Poe took the chance, jumping free of the Raider and taking BB-8 out with him from a side access. The hangar was pointed at the 'troopers, so he used the corvette as bulk to cover him.

Vonn headed off, and pointed at the Raider, shouting.

The soldiers rushed forward as Vonn all but ran to take command of the situation.

TAG: (no-one)