Ask Crossed Blades

[Shaw Amaris]

Countless controls, switches, and buttons stared back at Shaw. He didn't know what any of them did. Slipping on the white headset, he readjusted the mic and listened to Caul's explanation of the controls. Shaw would have liked much more detailed instructions, but they didn't have time for details. What helped the most was the padawan comparing the gunnery station's controls to a video game. Shaw might have never fire a quad laser cannon before, but he had played a lot of video games. Video games he did know.

"So they're like analog sticks," he muttered to himself, leaning back and getting a feel for the controls like Caul suggested. Three starfigthers flew past the viewport, but Shaw tried to keep his eyes on the viewfinder. He fired a single shot as soon as one of the starfighters flew close, quad lasers striking the rear of the fighter. It was a lucky shot, but it did little damage other than draw some smoke from the racing starfighter.

A series of laser fire pelted and rocked the transport, and the lights flickered off and then on again. If it wasn't obvious before, "Guess I need to play Rogue Squadron some more!" Shaw swallowed.

"You young pups better save my ship!" they would hear the pilot bellow from the cockpit of the ship. "They're circling back around—starboard side!" @Zay

8/20

 

[Caul]

Da-Doom!

The klaxon wail of warning sirens blared to life as Caul frantically adjusted his aim. He caught just a glimpse of a smoking starfighter lagging behind the other two. Everything felt like it was happening all at once. The smell of charred duraplast made his stomach sink. If he didn’t catch them on their next pass this transport was done, or at least immobilized. So, he swallowed and clinched his jaw.

Caul was doing his best to tune out the pilot, but the guy had the voice of a holo announcer. Luckily, he wasn’t just complaining. As the starfighters entered their formation for an attack pass Caul found them. Without thinking he barked into the comm, “Starboard is right! Aim for the right side Shaw!”

The Padawan didn’t wait for the ships to close in, he opened fire. The quad cannon he was operating spit red superheated plasma into the void and it collided with the front running ship. The explosion was a spectacular display of twisted metal slag and gouts of flame. Shrapnel from the front ship caught the wounded fighter and sent it spiraling out of control before it gave up the ghost. The final ship managed to just narrowly avoid being taken. It would be up to Shaw to finish the last one.

“Wooo! Two down, last one’s all yours Shaw!”

In the back of his mind he did his best not to think about the lives he’d just taken, there would be a time to mourn and feel guilty, right now… he just needed to survive.

Dice: 17/20

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Watching two starfighters combust and explode into a million little pieces through the viewport was like watching a fireworks show right outside your window. "BROOOOO!" Shaw's excited whoop would echo through the gunnery well. "YOU'RE LIKE A REGULAR ASTEROID FOX!" Why hadn't Caul told him he was a natural gunner? Bro was really holding out on him!

Riding off the success of his friend, Shaw licked his lips and locked in on the starfighter he had nicked earlier with a lucky shot. He knew it was luck because when it came right down to it, video game analogy or no video game analogy, he had no idea what he was doing. He was just a kid from Coruscant that had gotten mixed up in something a lot bigger than him.

Starboard is right... starboard is right... repeated over and over in his head as he swiveled to the right, waited with baited breath for the shot to line up on his viewport, and fired. Last chance. Aim be true! It was—well, kind of. It was just another nick and, by itself would have given the same result. Little damage but a steady stream of smoke. Paired with the shot from earlier, it was just enough to make the pilot lose control and crash into a passing asteroid.

Had they really done it? Shaw threw the headset off and climbed. When both boys emerged from the gunnery well they would be pulled into the pilot's hug against their will. He was practically bouncing from foot to foot, tugging them along with him, slowly squeezing them to death. "YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT!"

Bro must really love his ship.

Releasing them, he cast Caul an appraising look, gesturing toward the cockpit. "Could always use a co-pilot if you're interested..." @Zay

7/20...do two partial successes one success make? lol

 

[Caul]

Too this day, Caul has no idea why he said what he said when Shaw blew the final ship out of the void of space, but the conflagration of the ship made him loose his mind, “YIPPEE KI YAY, MOTHER FUCKER!! That was awesome!”

Caul scrambled out of his turret nest, getting caught on the wired headset and nearly snapping his own neck as he was yanked to the floor, before jumping back up and making for the ladder. He met Shaw on the main floor and the two immediately started hyping each other up before they were wrapped up in the most powerful hug Caul had ever felt in his life.

“Herk!” was all he managed as the Pilot lifted them off the ground and joyfully swung them back and forth.

The job proposition offered by the pilot wasn’t something Caul would have considered in a million lightyears, but for just a moment the idea of no longer being a member of the Order tempted him. Then he looked at Shaw, and the lightsaber he carried, and just like that, the idea turned to dust. He had a promise to keep and people to protect.

“Thanks, Uh, if you’ve got like a business card or–” the hiss of the blast door behind them nearly made Caul jump out of his skin, but he managed to turn, hand landing on the butt of his saber, to see none other but the killer of all fun, Jedi Kyle.

“Huh, figured you dweebs would’ve botched this, good job,” there was an air of surprise in Kyle’s expression that Caul hated, why in hell had the guy kept them here in the first place if he thought they were gonna screw everything up?

“Passengers are secured Captain, the pirates have been pushed back, and it appears my Padawan’s took care of the assault. Could you remind me again exactly how useless you thought the Jedi to be again?” asked Kyle with more than a little salt in his tone.

“Well-I-it’s just that– you see,”
“I do see, you thought we’d be useless. We weren’t. Remember that. The Jedi aren’t to be underestimated and the forces they combat are far more fearsome than the rabble you run through on occasion. The next time I hear you talking shit,” he stepped uncomfortably close, “Might just be your last, understand?”

Caul subconsciously took a step away from the pilot while pocketing his card. He’d gotten the impression Kyle was just a dick, but was… was he actually cool? Caul decided to not dwell on the thought.

“Padawans, I believe you were training before the attack started. It’s come to my attention that you both are worth my time,” oh, he was both a dick and cool, “For the remainder of the trip I’m going to train you.”

Caul looked to Shaw, his expression a mixture of excitement and terror. Kyle made it clear they were no longer needed and when the door to the cockpit closed behind them Caul turned to Shaw and said, “Okay, how cool was all of that?!”

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Knight Kyle stormed into the cockpit and began berating the pilot in front of the two boys. Shaw just stood there gaping. He leaned over toward Caul and whispered, "Is Kyle actually... lowkey the OG or is it just me?" Maybe it was the excitement of defeating the pirates, saving the passengers, and living to tell the tale or maybe the teenagers had misjudged the commanding Jedi Knight. The more Kyle opened his mouth the more Shaw would realize that it was a combination of the two.

"Come with me," Kyle would say, robes somehow billowing in his wake in a windless corridor as he disappeared around the corner. Looked like the rest of the trip was spoken for. To the training room they were bound. Shaw shrugged at Caul and fell into step.

Before the cockpit door closed with a hiss, the pilot would reach out and grab Caul by the sleeve of his shirt, slipping the teenager a handwritten business card. "Just in case you change your mind," he grinned, "Or get tired of cleaning up after the rest of the galaxy and want to fleece it for a change." He shrugged, less enthused by the offer but adding anyway, "Or if you ever need a favor. Don't ever say Grib Grizzla doesn't pay his debts." He actually didn't, but that was another story.

Outside in the ship corridor, Shaw would grin back at Caul. "Dude that was insane. Not gonna lie I thought we were toast for a minute or two there." He gave Caul a friendly shove. "But you came in clutch. You're gonna have to show me a thing or two in Rogue Squadron sometime." Shaw had a feeling he was gonna get his butt handed to him match after match, but he didn't mind. He cast his friend a genuine smile. He couldn't thank Caul enough, for the training lightsaber that now hung at his side or for saving his life. What could you possibly say to a buddy that had done all of that for you?

Shaw settled for, "You did good today, bro." @Zay

/ end thread
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