Shooting Stars

[Eisa Swan]

The landing pad hidden among the forest moon Endor was a hive of activity; droids, hover carts, maintenance crews and it seemed everything else in between. All of them were frantically darting back and forth carrying out last minute checks, some priming the systems onboard the array of fighters that were all lined up waiting for their pilots. One of whom appeared from out of the hanger, carrying an flight helmet, emblazoned with a mixture of greys, whites and vibrant orange colours, detailed into a multitude of shapes, but more prominent was a grey Swan and a cluster of three yellow stars. The Fiery haired female carrying it, made her way towards a predominantly white fighter, detailed with the same colour scheme.

A bright grin crossing her features as she ran her freehand along the fuselage of her personal C55B M-wing starfighter, before her attention was pulled towards the droid socket being the cockpit as a series of chirps rang out. "I'm making no promises Ditto, gotta put them to the test" Eisa commented to the droids vocal protest of the Jedi pilots tendency to turn off certain flight control systems to pull off high g maneuvers. Shaking her head as the droid continued to protest the woman climbed up the stepladder to her cockpit and placed her flight helmet onto her seat.

Once her helmet had been stowed for the time being, the Knight turned her gaze over the assembled fighters, there was quite the mixture of fighters, many of them were the standard Malla-class starfighters, the stock and general issue varient that the more advanced C55B was derived from,. But like Eisas own personal fighter there were a couple of the more advanced versions dotted about the landing pad, belonging to the more seasoned of the squadrons members.

Perching herself up on the fuselage, Eisa quietly observed the various antics of the Star Squadrons ground crew and the odd pilot who were milling around their fighters. Her lips pursing in thought, the squadron was starting to return back to its original strength. Certainly a good thing, but the last mission she lead over Vrogas Vas did highlight one thing, some of the new members were green. Something that the Squadron's lieutenant felt was something that could be changed with a few war games.

Coming out of her musings and observations as a voice called out to her from the decking of the landing pad, one of the deck hands enquiring what the sudden rush to scramble was for. A broad grin crossing Eisa's features. "Drills and Skills" she responded with a chuckle. "Drills and Skills, its not just the new pilots that need to put through their paces, we need the ground crew always at the top of their game" the Fiery haired Jedi explained with a grin, giving an insight into the reasoning for sounding the alert klaxons without notice. The only ones she had briefed in advance were the weapons crews whom had been instructed to keep the kill keys to the fighters weapon systems fitted, to prevent any accidental friendly fire. Once the squadron had assembled, Eisa would brief those who made it in time what was going to take place.

OOC: Gonna drop a squad training thread on you all, weapons systems are off only target locking. Gonna keep the opening round up for 72 hours and we'll get going.

@Larry Kenobi @Rom @Darasuum @vamp @Ecclessey @Cinderella @Wit

 

[Vash Tembra]

Vash's eyes jerked wide open when he heard the sounds of the alarm ringing through his head, and quickly rose up from his peaceful meditative position, hitting his head on the desk with a loud thud.

Kriffing hell, he thought, we barely even started getting attacked and I'm already injured! It didn't matter, though, for the Echani was already out of his modest quarters, the only thing of note there being a beautiful brown and white hawk in a cage, who didn't seem all too pleased at the alarm sounds. Well, that, and a lightsaber, but the Padawan was taking that with him, as well as his trusty blaster.

His rush seemed to have been well founded, for many others were heading to get in position, the hangar being all abuzz when he got there, breathing heavily. What could it be? Pirates? The Empire? A criminal organization with a chip on its shoulder? Certainly not the Ewoks, they seemed to be good only for promotional children's toys, and maybe a holiday special holovid. What were they going to do with trained soldiers anyway, throw rocks and spears at them? Make elaborate traps using tree trunks? Sounded really unlikely that'd be a thing, but one couldn't throw any possibilities out the window... and yet, there was... nothing? No enemy fighters, apparently, just Eisa, standing there with what seemed to be a smug grin on her face.

Well, that's good, and bad. On the one hand, Vash wasn't too keen on going on another deady mission so soon. He'd barely had time to have his Malla-class starfighter fully operational again, after all. The Echani had also done a little more to get it distinguished from other fighters of the same category, by panting the whole ship black, and adding in a few silver stripes. That way, in the inevitable future where he'd get hit again, at least the blackness of his craft would hide some of the damage he'd sustained. Yeah, he really had to get some shields in there as quickly as possible.

"Eisa?", he asked, as he got closer to the red haired woman, adding in a playful tone. "Please tell me I didn't bump my head on the way here for nothing!"

To be fair, though, he was a little worried. Maybe she was just grinning smugly to keep everyone calm? That's definitely something the Echani would do. Whatever it was, he'd find out soon, as would the others who'd no doubt be awnsering the summons. Hopefully.

 

[Levi Solus]

Though not the best of pilots, Levi was skillful enough behind the controls to be considered for the rebellion's new squadron, and he was all too happy to join. Mandalorian and Sith training had taught him all he needed to know about flying, each trying to brand him with its own flair—resulting in a pilot that was a blend of both styles, erratic, yet somehow calculating. He flew recklessly—and his mates would learn that soon enough—but the results were impressive enough to make it worth letting him keep up the good work.

The first meeting of the freshly-pieced-together Star Squadron happened by surprise to everyone beside their leader. Levi was in the middle of lunch when he was called, and dropped his fork to half-walk, half-run to the hangar. The Jedi—and now he was truly a Jedi, having been accepted to the Order—arrived at the same time as an Echani who looked as confused as he was. His eyes scanning the hangar, they fell on their leader, and Levi walked beside Vash as the two neared her.

He was quiet, instead greeting her with a respectful nod. There was really nothing else for him to add, and Levi was more eager to find out why they had been called. Considering Eisa was the only other pilot in the hangar when they arrived, and didn't seem to be in any hurry, he supposed it was probably just a surprise training exercise. Why she didn't let them know in advance, he had no idea. Maybe that's just the way the Star Squadron did things.

Because he had not yet gotten a ship of his own, he had claimed a generic one—an FS-97 Linecutter, fairly common among rebels. He could see it out of the corner of his eye a few dozen meters away, shining because he was yet to actually fly it. From the looks of it, that would change today.

@Plebometer @Larry Kenobi

 

[Kazzatobhk]

Muttering under his breath with a series of short growls and groans, Kazzatobhk slid out from beneath the dark green Malla-class fighter he'd been directed toward following his reassignment to Star Squadron. She was a good craft, stable and certainly more well-put-together than the Dresch he had been flying previously; still, the Wookiee had known every part of that ship like the back of his own hand and that kind of familiarity isn't easily replaced. Wiping off his hands on a nearby rag, he replaced the goggles perched on his brow only to jerk with a startled howl as the alert klaxon echoed across the pad, slamming his head into the landing strut in the process.

The Cosmowrench in his hand was halfway across the pad before it froze and drifted back to him, a look of consternation visible on his shaggy features.

He howled again, a short series of undulating barks with his head cocked to the side. Even those not fluent in the Wookiee tongue could decipher his meaning; "What was that for and what're we doing?"

 

[Eisa Swan]

Sitting upon the fuselage of her fighter, the Jedi watched as the squadron members assembled on the landing pad. One emerging from the underside of his fighter, whilst two others emerged from the living quarters of the base. Her bright emerald hued eyes scanning over the various Padawans, the Wookiee, Mandalorian and the Echanni, before looking down to a small device that was sat on the hull beside her. Her head shaking slightly as she regarded the device before looking around the landing pad and directing her gaze back towards the hanger to see if there were any other pilots emerging. A sigh escaping her lips as she picked up the device and tapped it, stopping the timer.

"Two minutes and eight seconds" Eisa spoke out as she read the display of her chronometer, her Emerald hued gaze scanning over the assembled pilots and the loitering ground crew. "And only half of the Squad's compliment show up" she continued before sighing in frustration. It was hard to miss the disappointment being displayed on the Knight's features, the squadron had a record of being one of the best that the Galactic Alliance had to offer, and having been one of the original members of Star Squadron it was discerning to see such a poor response. Something that unfortunately she would then have to report to the Rebel General, Tycho, whom had voiced his concerns following the campaign to bring Vrogas Vas into the Galactic Alliance's folds. Even though the mission had been successful, with no losses, baring a few dented ships and egos, it was the green nature of the squadron that had brought about the summons to meet the commander on his personal ship.

Standing upright on the hull of her fighter, the Jedi tucked the chronometer into her pocket before folding her arms across her chest. "The obvious question first..." Eisa spoke out as she looked over the other pilots "Why sound the scramble klaxon? Well the reasoning is simple, we as a squadron need to be combat ready at the drop of a hat, for all you knew today, the Empire's armada had just dropped out of hyperspace three minutes ago. Fortunately you three would have had a chance at survival as you would have made it out to your fighters in time" the knight continued, before pursing her lips in thought. Reflecting back on the Empire's assault on Hoth, there was no warning, no intel nothing, just the klaxons going off as soon as one of the station's rebels had picked up presence of the Imperial fleet on the scanners, triggering a full evacuation of the base.

"Now, why do all this?" the fiery haired figure continued after a moment of reflection. "Simple, Drills and Skills" Eisa itterated to the gathered Pilots. "Star Squadron has a reputation for being the best, now that standard has slipped with some of our numbers being lost" she continued with a slight bit of a shrug, she wasn't afraid to admit that the squadron had suffered over the years, but she knew and had faith that those old and new to the squadron could restore it back to it's former glory. "Starting from today, at the request of General Draykon, we will be conducting a series of spot drills and evaluations" the Jedi continued, before reaching a hand out towards her cockpit and summoning her flight helmet to her hand.

"Today, I will be evaluating you all on your dog fighting abilities" Eisa spoke out as she tucked her helmet under her arm. "There are stock Malla class fighters set aside for you, be they your already signed for fighter or you are yet to be assigned one. You have three minutes to get to your fighter, take off, get into orbit at the pre-programmed co-ordinates and form an element" she continued, given the assembled pilots their flight orders. Before a light grin crossed her features as her bright emerald eyes playfully lit up. "Cover each other's backs and stay alert" The Jedi Added before slipping her personal flight helmet over her head and reaching back into the pocket for her chronometer. "Because in three minutes. I start hunting" Eisa concluded before activating the timer, her gaze falling onto the two pilots she had flown with before, who had witnessed for themselves the Knight's prowess in her fighter. To show that she was not kidding, Eisa climbed into her cockpit and fired up the engines to her ship.

 

[Vash Tembra]

Welp, things had gotten a lot easier, and a lot more complicated, all at the same time.

On the one hand, it wasn't the Empire they'd be facing, or any other group who'd want the Alliance dead; it was just a drill. On the other hand, Star Squadron would be going up against Star Three herself... that alone was cause for concern: even if she didn't want them dead, Vash had no doubt who was the alpha dog here, and Eisa could probably fry them all without a moment's notice if this were for real.

The task by itself was daunting, but what really worried the Echani had been her comments before laying out the instructions. The GA was apparently disappointed with the squad's performance so far, that much was clear to see. Under normal circumstances, Vash might have tried to weasel in a cocky remark, but he was seriously worried about the prospects for the future if they were all so underperformed, so he simply remained quietly facing the floor as he heard the reprimands.

Can't believe I was worried about a bump to the head just a while ago, when this could have been a life or death situation, the Padawan thought as he hurried away to his fighter after witnessing Eisa start the engines. Their advantage were bigger numbers, and maybe the fact that Eisa could let herself get vulnerable when she went after targets. The Echani had seen it happen before, and they might manage to overwhelm her like that, but it was a long shot.

One thing at a time, he thought, as he made some last minute scans on his fighter. He knew everything was ok, as he checked his fighter everyday, and today had been no different, but it paid to be thorough. Once all systems flashed green, Vash gave the Knight a little wave and took off, scrambling to gain altitude.

If this were a leisure run, he might have noticed how beautiful the scenery on Endor was, with its huge trees and clear sky as far as the eye could see. A perfect spot to hide a Rebel base, no doubts there. But this was not a leisure run, this was an important assignment that might mean the difference between life and death someday, and as such, all Vash had eyes for were his coordinates; nothing else mattered.

He focused on the Force, letting it flow through him as a means of sharpening his senses and increasing his reflexes as he took his craft to his designated coordinates. Just a few days ago, he might have tried to reach out to his fellow pilots with the Force, but now he knew it wasn't such a great idea to overextent oneself, and should only do something like that if the need was great, so he simply opened the comms instead.

"This is Star Seven. I'm in position," he began, addressing his two squadmates in a low, calm tone. "You guys can form up beside me or whatever. Guess we'll be disengaging soon enough anyway. Oh, and I'm buying the first round if we do well here," the Echani added in a more relaxed tone, trying to dispell some of the tension. Being too worried was just as bad as not being worried enough in his books, after all.

 

[Kazzatobhk]

The gimlet eyes of the young Lieutenant as she spoke about the request from the General let Kazzatobhk know that she was devoted to getting Star Squadron back to the level of skill and prestige it had held in the recent past and the undercurrent of a hunters thrill in the Force was a familiar - if not slightly unsettling - motivator to rush through the gathered crowd like a katarn amongst the banthas and get to his ship. Leaping into the cockpit with a curt growl at the technician to unhook the fuel line, the Wookiee flipped a few switches to make sure the systems were green and then launched himself near vertically off the pad, the Malla-class Starfighter looping out of the canopy under his guidance and screaming toward the stars above.

The Malla-class, having been repurposed from a Wookiee design, contained a Shyrrrwook translator and Kazza gratefully flipped it on as he opened a comm channel to his squadmates with a muted roar.

"Star Seven this is Star Five, reading you loud and clear on that drink offer. I believe our best bet is to form a loose perimeter and edge out one to serve as bait. Over Vrogas Vas the Lt got focused on her target and left herself open for a counterattack. Whoever she tracks first, the other two must strike. It's our only chance."

@Plebometer @Larry Kenobi @vamp

 

[Eisa Swan]

Looking down at the chronometer, as the time counted down the seconds, her gaze moving over towards the landing pad, two of the three ships had departed, the third well the pilot had retreated to his ship. But there was no sign of movement, sighing as the chronometer chimed out the conclusion of the countdown. Eisa turned off chronometer and stowed it away in a pocket, before reaching over and pulling down on the canopy control leaver. As the canopy slowly lowered, the fiery haired Jedi drew down the visor of her helmet, watching as the the Hud booted up and cycled through the eye tracking protocols. Her eyes following the prompts, panning from left to right and back to calibrate the sensors. Once completed, the Jedi Knight directed her attention down to the the read outs on her screen, confirming that the canopy had now locked and the atmospheric seal was engaged.

Taking a firm hold of the control yoke with one hand whilst the other powered up the throttle, lifting the fighter off of the ground. Carefully it spun about as it manoeuvred itself clear of any obstructions and away from the landing platform, keeping a careful eye on the altitude, the fiery haired knight retracted the landing gear and pulling down on the throttle, pulling away from the pad a greater pace. However as soon as she was cleared from the pad and at a safe distance, so not to harm the ground crew, Eisa pulled fully back on the throttle, opening the engines to their fullest duty before suddenly arching up in a tight climb and disappearing into the blue sky above.

The assent through the upper atmosphere was swift and focused, the light blue sky phased into a deep rich blue before fading into the empty black void of space. As she breached through the atmosphere and into the outer orbit of space, the Jedi Narrowed her gaze as she regarded the radar screen, her eyes focusing on the two blips of the two padawans who had taken off. Pulling her craft into a banked turn, Eisa manoeuvred the cygnet into a wide intercept course, her gaze moving away from the radar as her eyes caught sight of the bright blue flares of the two Malla Class fighter's engine exhausts.

With the two fighters in her visual, Eisa watched as the formation spread out into a loose perimeter, a light grin spread beneath her flight helmet's mask. It looked like they had taken on board the particulars of Vrogas Vas debriefing, and had positioned themselves to allow to counter the Jedi Knight's attack, giving the other plenty of space to manoeuvre into a position where they can protect the other. How effective it would be though, would be a matter for time to tell. Keeping the sight of two fighters onto her left, as she drew in on their right hand flank.

With a sudden movement, the Cygnet broke from it's wide intercept course, rolling round onto its side and swiftly pulling into a sharp pitching movement to bank into a tight 90 degree turn, before rolling her craft round so that she could maintain visual as she coursed diagonally along their flank. Her eyes intently watching for the movements of the two fighters, looking to see what they would do, for the moment they appeared to maintain their element, Eisa figured it would be time to see how they would react to her approach. Her gaze focusing in on the closest fighter, as she adjusted her heading to bring her targeting reticule down on Jaruut's ship, the initial tone of a the weapons tracking ringing out within both hers and the Wookiee's cockpit, the beeping tone would continue to ring out until it went solid to signify that there was a clean weapons lock on the fighter.

Now it was time to see how the two would function as a team to evade and counter.

 

[Vash Tembra]

Great, Vash thought as he manuvered his black and silver fighter to fly on his fellow Padawan's port side, but far, far away, to give him all the space he'd need to be evasive should Eisa come after him. They hadn't even started and were one down already - just wonderful odds all over.

It could be a lot worse, though: at least his craft was whole, with all systems operational, which made this a step up from the events on Vrogas Vas. Back then, Vash had made the mistake to lose focus and try some really unhelpful tactics: somehing that had almost cost him his life. He wouldn't make the same mistakes again.

"Seems it's just you and me for now, Star Five... and I think our good Lieutenant's coming after you," Vash commented. "Just try and keep her busy - we'll get out of this yet"

As usual, the Echani's tone was calm and somewhat confident. And, truth be told, he really was somewhat confident of their chances. It was still two against one, after all. The Padawans couldn't best their Lieutenant in a fair fight, but outmanuvering her? Not outside the realm of possibility.

Timing was of the essence if they were going to beat her, though: drawing out the confrontation would increase the chances that Eisa would pull a sneaky on them, but acting too quickly or too recklessly would simply serve to telegraph to the more experienced Jedi what they were about to do, so Vash made sure to prepare himself for what was to come by focusing closely on the readings of his craft: Eisa was close to Jaruut, and it wouldn't be long till she had him locked on her targeting system. Just a few more seconds, the Echani told himself, as he observed the two fighters dance together. And then it was time for action.

Vash quickly changed the course of his ship from accompanying Jaruut a long distance away to making an 180 at full speed, twisting his craft so it'd now be coming towards Eisa's at an obtuse angle, hot and fast, as he began to lock onto her. He'd been banking that the Knight (or was it Master now?) would be too focused on his fellow Padawan to reliably counter Vash's move, or, failing that, that she'd at least have to disengage the lock on the Wookie. Hopefully it'd pay off. Or they'd be really kriffed.