I Want a T-Wing!
The Challenge entered the outer markers of the Minos Cluster, the boarder of the Emperor's Hammer. The Imperial Star Destroyer pointed its dagger shape at the first Rebel systems. A recent inter ship competition between the members of the Battle Group had fought it out with Battle Creation, Combat Chamber flying. EH related fiction and other sections. The Challenge had won, becoming the new BG Flagship. Typhoon Squadron of the Imperial Star Destroyer Challenge had become the Battle Group Commander's escort Squadron in charge of keeping close when ever the BG Commander left the Challenge. They were little known to the BG Commander, he had never served alongside the Challenge crew and therefore knew little of Typhoon's ability.
Vice Admiral Ricaurd, Battle Group Commander sat at his desk, opposite of the Challenge's Commodore Vice Admiral Torres' office was Val's. It was littered with trophies of war. A piece of debris from an X-Wing cockpit, a Rebel pilot's helmet. And several other artefacts. Val Ricaurd yawned, three hours of paperwork was getting to him. The new Flight Officer, Admiral Kessler was the previous BGCOM, he had left a fair bit of paperwork and Val was still inundated.
VA Torres walked in smiling. "Ouch, you look knackered!" Torres said smiling.
Val pushed his hair from off his eyes and made the sign of a blaster with his hand and pretended to shoot Torres.
"Ready for the conference?" Torres asked.
"Nope, I'm buried neck deep in reports, requests, and bloody congratulations letters!" Val said typing on his console.
"Well Typhoon are ready when you are." Torres said.
"About Typhoon, I think I need to prove their worth in battle, Combat Chamber missions are very well, how do they crack in battle?" Asked Val.
"Well in the past two years they've lost one Commander to promotion as well as several other officers who have moved on. They have also lost some Sub-Lieutenants and Lieutenants in the war but so have most squadrons in the TIE Corps, we have a higher survival rate than when Palpatine was in command." Torres said hand on hips.
"Yes, yes." Val said. "Well perhaps we should test them." Val said smirking.
"I don't want to put them in unnecessary danger." Torres said sounding concerned.
"I won't, besides it is war!" Val said. "I'll think about it, okay, don't let on!" Val said yawning. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd better get this done." Val said typing something in again.
In the hanger of the Challenge things were quiet, all Squadrons were asleep except for those on the night shift, and most of them were on long range reconnaissance. A few droids scuttled about, on repair or cleaning duty. A number of technicians lay fixing or modifying their ships.
"Okay people, this is the score, we have to capture at least one T-Wing fighter." Lieutenant Colonel Callista said talking to her entire squadron. They were all there, Lieutenant Commander Brandon, Commander Blackbird and Nightwolf. Commander Vexan, Colonel Domi, Lieutenant FireEyes and Lieutenant Commander Andronicus. Captain Vader and lieutenant Commander Darklord, Ehart and Talon Drear. They stood as Callista stood atop her TIE Defender.
"Now, I'll tell it to you straight, this is a test from our new BGCOM. To prove us if you will, so I intend to do this by the book. No stunts but make sure we complete our mission." Callista said smiling.
"Why?" Captain Vader asked shrugging.
"Val doesn't know us, he's never had the great pleasure of working beside us!" Callista said smiling. The members of Typhoon laughed. "Right, get ready we leave in two hours."
The fighters were refuelled, armed with missiles and re-supplied for a long-range mission. The Imperial fighters lay there ready for their upcoming mission. The TIE Defenders of Flight I exited the bay, rushing away from the Challenge at top sublight speed. Following them were the Missile boats of Flight II. Next the TIE Advanced of Flight III. As they entered the outer marker of the system the ships entered hyperspace entering the Rebel's territory.
Battle 1:
The Typhoon starfighters entered orbit of the Planet Taloraan; this gas giant was a home of old Imperial Tibbana gas mines. The planet loomed around a decaying star clutching to life.
The TIE Advanced of Flight III left the formation of the squadron and began a short trip to the Navigation buoy. This piece of equipment meant that many ships such as TIEs didn't have to carry around bulky equipment like Nav computers.
"Okay this is simply reconnaissance, only fight if you have to, CPT Vader keep a distance to any enemy ships. Keep the LCMs underline, keep an eye on any trigger fingers. Don't get discovered. Be back in three hours, if you're even 10 minutes late we'll send Flight II after you. Then if they go missing Flight I will come after you, and if any of the search Flights don't find you guys we leave within 24 hours of you're disappearance." Callista described…
The Imperial TIE Advanced of Flight III left hyperspace in a well know ship lane area, any Rebel convoy may have be protected by T-Wings. No civilian T-Wing were to be captured, Rebel only, making the job even more difficult, Rebel T-Wings were hard to come by. Especially after their manufacturers had 'gone out of business' when Palpatine discovered that the manufacturers were supplying the Alliance. But here was Val Ricaurd testing them on a seemingly impossible task.
T-Wings were rare, and would likely be with a large target.
A convoy at the opposite side of the system was travelling at low impulse; LCM Darklord activated his long-range sensors.
"LCM FireEyes activate you're long range sensor system." Captain Vader ordered.
"Already done sir!" Darklord said smiling through his mask.
"Cocky little…" LCM Ehart said smiling.
"Well what d'ya see?" Asked Vader.
"I see… 3 Escort Carriers, 2 Modular Transports, 5 Cargo Ferries and 1 Nubian-B-Frigate. Fighter wings include, Z-95 and A-Wings" Darklord recited.
"Okay prepare to leave for the next sector." Vader ordered powering his Hyperdrive. Almost in a flash of light several Civilian Cargo Ferries and Corellian Y-1200 transports entered the system.
Hyperspace travel aborted, Object detected in path! The computer screamed at him.
"Abort, Abort!" Vader shouted.
"Oh shit!" Talon Drear swore as the civilian freighters swerved. Ehart's fighter's port wing scraped against the side of a Cargo Ferry.
"Talon, block their communications!" Vader shouted to his wingman.
"Done!" Talon shouted in advance of Vader.
"This is the Civilian cargo ship Darta…" One of the freighters began until Talon Dread's jamming field was created.
"LCM!" Shouted Vader angrily.
"The field was up!" Talon argued.
"This just keeps just getting better and better!" Ehart shouted. The TIE Advanced suddenly came under fire, as the civilians became worried. The Corellian transports pulled behind Ehart and fired at him. He turned and went alongside the other fighters in his group.
"Okay, don't kill em'!" Vader said grinning as the moment passed. "I don't believe that. Use Ions only, take them out."
Ehart flew behind tow of the 3 Corellian Transports and fired Relentlessly into its back quarter. One of the Transports' laser turret did a 360 degree turn and fired into Ehart's cockpit. Luckily his shields reflected the beam and he swerved his TIE away. Next Darklord and Talon Dread pulled down onto the three Corellian Transports and took out two with Ion cannon fire. The third tried to pull back to its freighter mother ship. But Captain Vader fired into its bridge and the Ionised radiation filtered through the power system and shut him down. With the Corellians out of action Vader decided to leave. He and his Flight group flew away from the Freighters.
"This is the Freighter Darta, we have been attacked by four Imperial TIE Advanced, they have disabled out protection, this may be a way of attacking us later, help!" Shouted the Captain of the Darts.
Vader rolled his eyes, if this was an attack on them, why would they not destroy the Corellian Transports, or destroy them then or now? These civilian companies let anyone be CPT these days! Vader thought as he entered hyperspace.
Battle 2:
Second time lucky, Vader thought as he pushed the throttle forward. Up ahead the T-Wing Squadron Runner stuck close to their capital ship, the Light Calamari Cruiser Tomlek. Around her were several X-Wings and A-Wings. They began to move through the sector.
"We came out of Hyperspace too close, they're coming at us!" Vader said arming his weapons. "Take out all fighters but spare the T-Wings!" Vader ordered.
Soon Ehart, Darklord and FireEyes were upon the fighters as they pulled forward to combat them. A T-Wing pulled behind Ehart but Darklord pulled a couple of shots into its side quarter and another couple purposefully off its bow and it pulled off.
"Good work Darklord." FireEyes cried smiling as his targeted X-Wing exploded. Soon the X-Wings were gone and the T-Wings in retreat after Vader destroyed two of them. The Imperial Fighters were beginning to leave, it appeared the Light Calamari was flying toward a small debris field at the outer edge of the system, probably on a search and rescue mission.
Ehart went suddenly cold and checked his systems.
"Damn!" He shouted as he slowed to a few klicks.
"LCM Ehart, what's wrong?" Captain Vader asked becoming concerned.
As soon as Vader finished his sentence a small squad of Y-Wings appeared from hyperspace and disabled the failing craft.
"Darklord, FireEyes get those Y-Wings!" Vader shouted as he turned his ship around, the small Mon Calamari came into view as did Ehart with his small fighter grew larger on Vader's scopes.
"Right, Darklord, you and I will protect Ehart from the Y-Wings, FireEyes, go back to Taloraan and get help!" Vader ordered.
"But sir, I can't leave you here, the Rebels will launch ship after ship, you can't last forever!" FireEyes argued.
"Go! The faster you proceed the quicker you can be back!" Vader shouted.
And with that FireEyes entered Hyperspace for Taloraan.
"Common, lets destroy the Y-Wings!" Vader said looking at the point at which FireEyes entered Light Speed.
Battle 3: On his way back to the rest of Typhoon LCM FireEyes caught on his long-range scanners a squadron of Assault Transports on the way back from a planetary mission, dropping from light year quickly he signalled them for assistance.
A massive explosion was created as the X-Wings exploded Vader had used the last of his conclusion Missiles on an entire squadron, he had fired them at the central point and before the ships had time to react the explosion had engulfed the entire X-Wing Squadron and they all burst into flames.
"Yahoo!" He shouted. "Darklord, there's an A-Wing on you're tail, I've got it!"
Vader blasted the A-Wing off Darklord's tail. "Thanks sir!"
Suddenly as if fate had dealt them a hand FireEyes appeared only twelve minutes after leaving and with him were the an entire Squadron of Assault Transports. Vader smiled.
"Keep the Transports off fire until they can give Ehart his power back." Vader ordered.
Darklord pulled down onto a couple of X-Wings making a run onto the Transports, one pulled into dock whilst the other two fired at any fighter coming at them.
"Ehart jolted suddenly as two technicians entered his cockpit.
"Look out kid, we're her to help!" He argued as Ehart pulled his blaster.
"Okay, get me juiced up!"
Within seconds power returned to Ehart and he whizzed off in pursuit of a Rebel Y-Wing.
"We're all okay ATR Jerra you have authorisation to leave!" Vader said.
The Assault Transports began to move away. With a flash they entered Hyperspace and left Flight III in their element, blasting X-Wings, A-Wings and Y-Wings.
"Okay Typhoon III, lets get back to Taloraan!" Vader said as he pulled away leaving the Calamari Cruiser to continue its mission.
Battle 4: The rest of Typhoon joined Flight III at the sector where they left the Mon Calamari Cruiser Tomlek to continue its search and rescue mission. The Imperial fighters rushed in all at once creating a small blockade of the Cruiser's fighter bay.
"Flight II and III, give us some cover, we're going in!" Callista said smiling. The Rebel T-Wings lay ahead. They all scattered as Callista flew in. She pulled behind one T-Wing and destroyed it, and as three X-Wings launched she and the rest of Flight I followed her.
"They took the bait, they're following us, wait until we get to thirty klicks away and then turn on them." Callista said smiling at the stupid rebels.
"Flight II and III attack non T-Wing craft and prepare to be engaged by multiple targets." Vader said smiling at the enemy fighters, they were all going to die!
As they passed the thirty Klick marks the fighters veered up sharply and the Rebel A and X-Wings flew by, the T-Wings sensing the danger turned toward their mother cruiser. Flight II and III pulled behind the Rebel Fighters and green lasers ripped into the back of the fighters, massive explosions flew as several exploded. The remaining fighters split and Typhoon fighter picked their targets and flew after them.
The T-Wing squadron Runner had already turned toward the Rebel Mon Calamari Cruiser but Typhoon was faster. Ion cannons finally struck their intended target and the first to fell to the ionised radiation.
"Callista to Brandon, hail the ATRs, lets get our captives out of here!" She ordered.
And soon enough the ATRs came and as the last of the fighters finished off the opposition the T-Wings were ferried into light speeds.
"Congratulations Typhoon, we did it, prepare for light speed to the Challenge!" Callista said laughing with relief.
"Lieutenant Colonel Callista, please sit down." Val Ricaurd said smiling and gesturing to a nearby chair. She sat, nervous.
"You're report?" The Battle Group Commander asked raising his eyebrows.
"The mission was not a complete success. We only captured two T-Wings and LCM Ehart's fighter was disabled." Callista said feeling better.
"I disagree, your mission was a complete success, A- You completed your objective, B- You rescued LCM Ehart from death, interrogation or imprisonment, C- You go t out of a tight spot, which I'm sure my shuttle will get into every now and again, after all I am important, and D- You are all alive, which means you pass my test, you and your pilots are completely able to protect me from the dangers of the world!" He said. Callista smiled.
"I told Wing IX, before I left, as a joke of course, that I didn't trust you to protect me, well now I do, so very much that I, from now on will drink Corellian Brandy within my Shuttle whilst Rebel B-Wings pound me with Ion cannons because I have so much faith in you." He said standing up.
"Now get you're fighter ready, I have a conference to get to and you're 'important' mission has bought me time to get all my paperwork done, so now whilst the diplomats speak and force us to look over law reform textbooks I can sleep soundly without worrying over the paperwork!" He said laughing.
And with that, Callista left the bridge of the ISD Challenge to return to her beloved Typhoon Squadron.