Rho , Deep Assault Squadron
by LC Arcol Delplancq

First, I must warn you : the Rho squadron roster I use to write this story is purely fictionnal. So don't try a Personnel Search on Lt. Tya Dolbar :)

Tya Dolbar watched herself in the mirror. She liked her new flight suit. It was so black and shiny that it looked like being a piece of space with its stary background. On the arm, the banner of the squadron she was assigned to, Rho squadron. She was now a fully active TIE Corps pilot... Her dream had come true. She had worked all her life to arrive here, but she almost couldn't believe she did it. She was neither a simple TIE pilot, nor a trainee, she was a member of a group of the finest pilots in the galaxy. Only a year ago, she was leaving Phare, her homeworld, for the platform Daedalus. There she had proved herself to be a excellent pilot. Because of her knowledge in the infiltration art and her ground fighting abilities, she was assigned to a deep space assault squadron. But she didn't mind the squadron... Being in the Tie Corps was everything that matter. The doorbell rang, tiring her away from her thought.

She opened. A tall man was standing behind the door, wearing the official Tie Corps uniform. On his chest, a dozen of shiny Bronze and Silver stars, a colonel galoon and a squadron commander five-sectioned star. The whole uniform was fitting him perfectly.

-Colonel, she said saluting the officer.

-Rest, sub-lieutenant Dolbar, the colonel answered. I am colonel Freelancer, and I'm the commander of the squadron you've been assigned to.

Tya didn't move but felt herself going smaller. This veteran over-medaled was her direct superior ?

-It's an honor, sir. I'm at your order.

-You don't need to be so official, he said with a fun smile. We'll be teammates for a long time, so you can forget the protocole. I just wanted to welcome you. Rho squadron is one of the best squadron in the fleet, and its members are probably the less serious ones. There will be a squadron briefing tomorrow at 13:00, in the meeting room #16. Until then, I suggest you try to meet with your eleven squadmates. The sooner you do this, the sooner you'll integrate the team! You will find most of them in the cantina.

-Yes sir. But I intended to train in the simulator...

-Don't worry for that. You won't greatly increase your skills in two days. What is important is you to ba able to put a name on each face tomorrow. I swear you you will have enough time to train after the briefing. I now have another newbie to see... See you tomorrow!

-Yes sir.

The day after, Tya arrived at the meeting room 16. Following Freelancer's advice, she had tried to meet most of the members of Rho squadron, she now knew the name and function of most of them. The middle-aged man before her, with almost as many medals than Freelancer, and with the Legionnaire insignia on his arm, making him the most experienced of the wing, was lieutenant-colonel Calias. He was Freelancer's tactical advisor. Two younger pilots were chatting behind her. The taller was lieutenant-commander Sauron Tarrke, the medic of the group, while the other was Uriel K'rrden, a computer hacker. On a seat near them, another young pilot awaited the briefing to begin. He was wearing strange flightsuit and helmet, and had a Gallant insignia on his arm, thus making him a veteran; his name was Delplancq, she remembered, and he was the close combat specialist. Near her, a lieutenant sat without saying a word. Probably lieutenant Akira Vorsahyer. Although she hadn't met him yet, she knew he was the weaponry specialist. Then another pilot entered the room. This one was lieutenant Jaster Jadista, the first she had met outside the cantina. He was familiar with everything the Empire couldn't officially have contact with, thus including smugglers and pirates. The last four were four cadets : Snarrg, a Togorian male (which was quite unusual, even if the Empire wasn't as xenophobic as it used to be under Palpatine's rule), Sul Cisco, an ex-Corsec member, and a auroran boy named Stin Wipert.

-Ok, Freelancer said, facing his men, I think everybody's here, so let's begin. Don't worry, it will be short. The High Command is actually preparing something big. We little squadron commanders don't know what it is. Not yet. But what we can say is that we're gonna see some action in the coming days. We received some new directive yesterday. From now, until new order, the squadrons will be divided in six flight elements of two fighters each. Don't ask me why. But I also received the order to reorganize the roster, to have the best team possible.

A list appeared on the main screen.

RHO SQUADRON

FLIGHT I ---- TIE DEFENDER

1)Rho 1-1 : COL Freelancer

Rho 1-2 : SL Snarrg

2)Rho 1-3 : LT Jadista

Rho 1-4 : LT Vorsahyer

FLIGHT II --- MISSILE BOAT

3)Rho 2-1 : COL Dave

Rho 2-2 : LCM Tarrke

4)Rho 2-3 : LC Delplancq

Rho 2-4 : SL Dolbar

FLIGHT III -- MISSILE BOAT

5)Rho 3-1 : LC Calias

Rho 3-2 : SL Sul Cisco

6)Rho 3-3 : LCM Uriel K'rrden

Rho 3-4 : SL Wipert

- Ok, said Freelancer. Any question ?

-Yes, sir, LCM Tarrke said. I'm used to fly with LCM K'rrden or LC Delplancq. I would probably work better with one of them.

Colonel Dave turned back and stared at him.

-Sauron, am I so scary that you'd rather be with Del or Uriel ? he said, with simulated anger.

-Dave, please, Sauron answered with a deadly smile, don't convince me to find a good reason to amputate you of your leg ! I would find one, that's my job. I have received special training to make the people who bother me suffer. The fact is that we haven't been training together very often.

Freelancer decided it was the good time to answer the question.

-Yes, Sauron, you would probably do a better job with Del or Uriel. But then we would have to put two newbies in the same team, which would be a very bad idea, if not a direct sent to death. We don't need few excellent teams, we need many fairly good teams. In addition, this will make an excellent training for everybody. Understood ?

-Understood.

-Good. You have four days to train as much as you can. Dismissed.

About half an hour after Tya made it back to her room, someone knocked at the door. She opened and found a lieutenant-colonel before her.

-Sub-lieutenant Tya Dolbar ? I'm LC Delplancq.

Tya recognized the leader of her flight element.

-Good afternoon, lieutenant-colonel. It's an honor to be your teammate, she said with a smile.

-The honor is for me. But as we're now teammate, you don't have to say "lieutenant-colonel". "Arcol" or " Del" will do it.

-As you wish, Del. You can forget the sub-lieutenant thing too and call me Tya.

Delplancq smiled.

-Alright, Tya. Anyway, I don't think you will stay a SL for long. I was coming to tell you to put on your flight suit and to meet me at the hangar bay #23, where Rho fighters are awaiting.

-Flying time, already ? asked Tya.

-No, sub-lieutenant, he said with a curious smile. It's training time !

Tya and Delplancq were walking through the numerous corridors which leaded to the hangar. She was watching around her, and felt amazed when she realized the activity rate was getting higher and higher as they were nearing the hangar. Technicians, mechanics, briefing officers, maintenance droids were all over the place. Sometimes, she could see two or three TIE Corps pilots chatting before getting to their craft. One of them was wearing the insignia of Nun squadron ; Delplancq gave him a friendly salute before continuing his speech :

- We are a deep assault squadron. It means that when we're in mission, we have no reinforcements, and no emergency base. We're all alone. That's why we're trained into accomplishing missions in totally hostile environment. We must be able to evade from a prison, to infiltrate an enemy base... Things like that.

- Do they often give us such missions ? she asked.

-No, most of the time, it's a classic and formal destroy or capture mission. But complications have sometimes happened. I hearded that you were an infiltration specialist ?

- Specialist is a too good word. I'm only a good actress, with a little close combat knowledge. I also speak many different languages, but...

Delplancq smiled.

- That's what I call an infiltration specialist ! You don't have time to be modest, Tya. Tell me what you really think of you're skills !

- Ok, she smiled back. I'm the best.

- That's very good ! This is one more chance to survive. The hangar is over there. Three doors left.

Tya looked at her teammate while walking, with the strange feeling that something was odd about him. Suddenly, she founds out that he wasn't wearing a classical TIE pilot gear. In his back was the survival pack, but behind each shoulder was what looked like a small spear. A curious device was around his left forearm. Behind the right one was fixed a twenty-centimeters cylinder like Tya had never seen before. She recognized a climbing device on his boots. His helmet had been modified too : on the usual TIE pilot form was installed a large vizor that probably came on a rebel helmet.

This guy wear more illegal stuff than a mandalorian warrior...

The arrival to the hangar tired her away from her thoughts.

- Here we are, Delplancq said, showing the wild bay.

Tya looked at the place. Everywhere where there was enough place for a ship, there was a ship. The air was filled with landing and taking off sounds, with the familiar yelling of the Twin Ion Engines, with the oil and fuel smell... At this time she fully realized what she really was, now. A part of this world where the most important thing in life is to make pieces of metal fly.

- Now tell me about your experience. Do you have ever flown a XM-1 Missile Boat ?

Tya took some seconds to remember.

- No. But I have some experience with the Assault Gunboat. I suppose the commands are quite similar.

- You suppose well. But the commands are the only common point. When you'll be used to the MIS, you will never want to fly a Gunboat ever again ! The Missile Boat is almost as fast as an Avenger and at least as manoeuverable. But combining such speed with the huge amount of firepower a MIS can carry is not without a price. First, you have only one laser ; which mean that when you've fired all your warheads, you're as useful as a moving mine. Secondly, if your ship is destroyed, even if you eject in time, the amount of explosive carried will result in an explosion which will give you sixty percent chance to end your career in a fireball.

The young pilot felt a light coldness going through her body. She had never really thought about the death probability...

- And this will be your ship.

These magic word made her forget about everything. Before her was a brand new Missile Boat. On his fuselage was painted the Rho Squadron banner and motto. Under the cockpit, an inscription :

Sub. Lt. Tya "SnakeEyes" DOLBAR

RHO SQUADRON, 2-4

She looked at her teammate, who was almost laughing.

- SnakeEyes ? What does it means?

- It means that the squadron has given you a name ! You shouldn't have been so inquisitive about everybody, the first day...

- Ok. I warn you : I will get my revenge...

- I'm sure you will. My callsign is Squirrel. This will be our ID when we'll be flying alone. When flying with a flight group or with the whole squadron, yours will be Rho twenty-four. As we have four days, I'd suggest we take off as soon as possible. And welcome into the maddest group of the most dangerous job in the galaxy!

Delplancq was training with Shabal in the Wing II sport room. Three days had past since the arrival of the new pilots, and Tya had already learned every little piloting tips she didn't learn on Daedalus : not to hesitate to collide with an enemy fighter if you have shields, not to wait to have a solid lock if you think you don't need it... She was the best newbie he had seen since he left Nun squadron, which meant she had a great career before her. If she didn't die before, during the next campaign.

Shabal the noghri quickly noticed the lack of concentration of his apprentice.

- How is the new pilots doing so far ? he asked.

- Very well. I know that Tya is twice as good as I was when I joined the EH. I also heard that Wipert took off five X-wing and one A-wing on his first simulation. If he does the same thing tomorrow that will make him an ace. And Snaarg beat Freelancer one time in the last OuterRim night.

- So you don't have any reason to be afraid for them, tomorrow. Why are you ?

Delplancq grimaça.

- You know, you're not stopping reading my mind through the Force can be very annoying!

- You're not answering my question, Shabal said with a discrete smile.

- I don't... Well, I feel this campaign will be different from the others. More dangerous. I don't know, I may be wrong... I may just be worried about the life of a pilot I'm teaching to.

- Yes. It may also be a Force warning. Be careful.

- I don't know... I almost never have such a warning. I don't use the Force often enough.

Shabal moved into the leopard position, putting an end to the two-minute break. Delplancq raised his hands, ready to block the upcoming attack.

- Forget all that and concentrate on your training, Arcol. If you're right, it may not only save your life but also your comrade's.

- Rho squadron, stand up ! Freelancer said. You've been training as flight element for four days now. Remember when I told you about some big action we were about to see ? Well, here it comes. The Sovereign Task Force, covered by the Aggressor Strike Force in the Minos Cluster, is about to begin a large-scale cleaning operation. The rebels have set up a large number of outpost and other space stations deep inside the sector. Our first move will be the total obliteration of those. All our assault wings have been divided into multiple two-fighters flight element. Every element will leave the Sovereign, each one toward a particular target. It is very serious, this time. If we can destroy most of their bases in the sector, their will be no other backup plan for the Rebel Fleet than to withdraw out of the Cluster. The outposts are brand new, you won't have to blow up entire fleets and hundreds of starfighters as usual. That's why failure won't be accepted. Understood ?

- Yes, sir ! Sauron yelled.

Some pilots in the room giggled, but they all knew it was a false, nervous laugh. To try to forget about their chance of dying in mission.

- Good, the squadron commander said. I will now give you your assignment. Good luck.

Once the briefing was over, Tya came near Delplancq. She immediately noticed the worried expression on his face. Freelancer had just given him the datacard where were written their primary objectives. Was it one of these objectives which was frightening her element leader ? She hoped not. Something scary for a veteran was probably horrible for a novice like her.

- Are we attacking Coruscant or Calamari ? she asked with a smile.

The worried expression on his face immediately vanished, as the young and mocker Rho pilot was coming back.

- Not yet. But I'm thinking about talking Free about that. We just have one D-1 class platform to blow up. No big deal.

- When do we take off ?

- In half an hour. Seeya in the hangar bay!

All around her, the pilots were leaving the briefing room. She thought about asking Delplancq what was bothering him. But she decided it was none of her busyness. She quickly left the room to prepare herself to accomplish her first mission in service of the Empire. 

- Squirrel to SnakeEyes, the voice said in the radio. Check in.

- SnakeEyes, standing by. All systems operational. Shields at full strength. Hyperspace coordinates programmed.

- Good ! Me too. Sovereign, this is Squirrel : about to jump in 15 seconds.

- Received, Squirrel, answered a monochord voice. Good hunting.

With the curious feeling you have when you’re doing something you have been preparing to do for countless years, Tya activated her hyperdrive. The MIS roared, like some legendary predator would do before springing at its prey, and entered into the blue and mysterious universe called hyperspace.

The flight element came out of hyperspace in front of a small telluric world, entirely covered with oceans. 7 kms ahead, a small platform was orbiting around the planet. No other ship or station were in sight.

- Yridia prime, said Delplancq.

- How do you know it ? They didn’t gave us the name of the system, ask Tya.

- They already tried to colonize it in the past. Unfortunately for them, wiping out what they had here was one of my first missions in Rho squadron.

-Yes, well, let’s do that again.

The two fighters formed up in a line formation., heading toward the D-1 platform identified as the Yridian Cloud. Before they could fire a single rocket, four green dots appeared on their screens.

- An X-wing flight group has just appeared, Squirrel, Tya announced. ETA... 2 minutes.

- Stay on target. First we take the Cloud’s shields down. Then we go for the fighters. They’re too far to do anything.

-Copy.

The two XM-1 fired four rockets each. Eight golden missiles left the imperial fighters, heading for the small outpost. The automatic defenses activated, trying to intercept the rockets before they could crush on the station ; two missiles exploded too far to do anything to it. It wasn’t the case of the six others which annihilated the shields.

- Good, Squirrel said. Prepare for another run. It should be a piece of...

He couldn’t end up his sentence. Multiple laser bolts hit his rear shield. The reflex of transferring the laser cannon energy to shields saved him from ending his life as a space debris.

- SnakeEyes to Squirrel ! Are you alright ?

Delplancq checked his sensors. The X-wings were still too far to attack them...

- Wait a minute...

He ordered his flight computer to target nearest enemy. The CMD immediately displayed a unusual rebel fighter with three cannons and its engines mounted at the end of each wings.

- Oh, crap... E-wings...

- Two of them. I didn’t noticed their arrival, Squirrel. I think they’ve taken off from the planet.

Delplancq agreed. It was the only explanation the computer didn’t announced any launch from the platform.

- SnakeEyes, pull out and finish off the platform. I’ll keep them busy.

- Are you sure ?

- Yes, I’m sure ! Now go on before those X-wing can get in range !

- Understood.

I hope you enjoyed flying those E-wing. They won’t stay E-wings for long, now!

One of the rebel pilot saw SnakeEyes beginning a new firing run and tried to go after her. The first missiles he received from Delplancq wiped out his shields and a part of its hull. The E-wing could have made it out if the second missile he received hadn’t reduced him into space dust. This first threat eliminated, Delplancq turned back toward the second E-wing. But he was obviously more experimented than his unfortunate teammate. And seeking for revenge. The E-wing engaged a furious dogfight with the Missile Boat. But the rebel had no chance against a TIE Corps pilot. A second later, it was over.

- SnakeEyes, is the station still in one piece ? Delplancq asked.

- Wait a sec...

An enormous fireball appeared on his left. A second later, the flight computer announced the destruction of the D-1-class platform Yridian Cloud.

- Not anymore, sir ! She answered, giggling.

- Well done ! Tomorrow, you’ll be Lieutenant Dolbar. Now let’s head back to the Sovereign before having to spend other missiles on those X-wings. Welcome amongst the star soldiers, Tya !

The hangar bay was still the same, except that some craft were damaged. The mechanics were hard-working on the vessels, sometime yelling at the pilots who had brought the fighter back as a burnt piece of junk. As soon as he landed, Delplancq opened the cockpit and jumped on the floor. So did she. Her first mission was a success and she was still alive ! She had two very good news to celebrate.

A few second later, she saw Freelancer walking toward them.

- The mission’s a success, commander, Delplancq said. One platform and two E-wings are now burning into the planet’s atmosphere.

-They had E-wings ?

-Yep. Two of them. And also a flight group of X-wing which would have made perfectly good bonus goals. But I didn’t want to take too much risks on her first time.

-You’ve done well.

Tya looked at her superior officer. He should have been at least satisfied with this report. But his face was more showing sadness than anything else. Delplancq saw it too, and was the first to speak.

- Who died ? He asked, apparently joking.

Freelancer looked at him. Some angriness had suddenly appeared in his eyes. Delplancq immediately understood.

- Oh dear... Say, who died ? He asked again, this time as serious as he could be.

- Wipert did, Freelancer answered with a monochord voice. He was shot by an B-wing two minutes after he entered in is action area.

- How is Uriel ?

- He made it back. He’s ok, at least physically, but...

- But what ? Delplancq said louder than he wanted.

- His teammate died. He may never be the same after that.

Tya was thinking silently. Her happiness and proudness were gone as soon as Freelancer announced the terrible new. One pilot was dead... A newbie... The other pilot may never be the same...

Slowly, a dark and terrible word appeared in her head. War. She had forgotten that all this, this place, this ships, this soldiers, this job, at the end, was about war. People die. People go mad. People lose their family. People who hadn’t asked anything to anybody pay the price of political struggles.

The three pilots left the room without any more words. 

-Uriel, Can I talk to you for a second ?

Delplancq awaited a few seconds for an answer, then opened the unlocked door. Uriel was sitting at his desk, prostrated. Delplancq wondered if the pilot had even noticed his presence...

-Are you gonna stay in that position for long ? he asked.

-Delplancq, do you need something from me ? suddenly said Uriel, still not moving. No? So be nice and get out of my room.

Delplancq wasn't expecting a such violent reaction.

-Uriel, I saw the flight records. He hypered out of hyperspace right in front of the B-wing. It was bad luck. Only bad luck.

-And 'tis not my fault and I should not complain about having let my apprentice die, right? Sauron already told me that. Get out.

-Well ,Sauron's right! Delplancq said, his voice just as cold as was Uriel's. It's war and there are deaths we can't prevent! Each soldier on this ship has decided to spend his life in risking it to protect the peoples of our planets from the war. Wipert was probably conscious of that, and he died as he wanted to.

Uriel slowly turned his head toward Delplancq. His eyes were tired. Had he cried? Maybe...

-Delplancq, what did you feel when Yomi Stardancer died?

The lieutenant-colonel stared at Uriel. Suddenly, the words and answers he was preparing were forgotten, leaving the place to the chaos of an astonished mind. How the hell did Uriel know about that?

-Some veterans told me about it. Yomi Stardancer, the woman from Tatooïne, your protector since you were on the Sovereign, the one who taught you everything you know, the one who gave you your lightsaber! Tell me, how did you feel when she died?

-I was... Delplancq hardly answered. I was eaging for revenge.

-So you know what I'm thinking know. And you know I don't want to speak with anyone.

-I was eaging for revenge. But I never stayed prostrated on a chair like you do! Today, the man who had killed her is dust! I got my revenge.

-At least you had someone against whom you could turn your anger.

-Uriel...

-Fuck off, Delplancq.

-I'm leaving, Delplancq answered. And, Uriel... Do never compare Yomi's death to Wipert's or anyone's again. Never!

Delplancq got out of the room, wondering what he expected to do by coming there.

To be followed....

CMDR/LC Arcol "Squirrel" Delplancq/Rho 1-1/Wing II/SSSD Sov