"Hey!" A young-sounding voice rang out from the other end of the hangar. "Hey there!"

Lieutenant Commander Talin Andronicus turned to face the young Lieutenant running towards him. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

The young stopped and snapped of a salute. "Lieutenant Aries Redwing reporting for duty, sir."

Talin smiled. "That’s great, but I’m not the squadron Commander. You want to speak to Lieutenant Colonel Callista."

"Ah, of course, sir, it’s just that I was so excited about getting this position and all…"

"Forgiven," Talin waved away the Lieutenant’s apology with a wave of his hand. "I’m Lieutenant Commander Talin Andronicus."

"Yes, sir, I know all about you. Been serving with Typhoon for the past six months, earned two Bronze Stars, three Palpatine Crescents and an Imperial Security Medal. Serves as the Challenge’s Chief Medical Officer. Some even say that you’re friends with some real top-brass, sir."

"First of all, don’t call me sir. Talin, Andron, Scotty, Doc or Scotch will do. Secondly, I just realised why you’re so familiar. You’re Blackbird’s cousin, aren’t you?"

Redwing nodded. "That’s right. I joined the Corps because of my cousin."

"And you’re getting his old spot in One Flight. I wonder who arranged that?" Talin asked, smiling.

Obviously, the connotation of his cousin’s interference was lost on Lieutenant Redwing. "I don’t know, sir, but I’m glad of it!"

"Thirdly," Talin continued. "I guess I’d better fill you in on the Typhoon traditions. First of all, drinks are on you for the next week. We’ve all been through it, it’s been a tradition in the squad for as long as I can remember."

Redwing swallowed. "Okay, I’ll try to manage that."

Talin smiled. "Don’t worry, Lieutenant. The drinks in the Challenge’s cantina are cheap and potent. Tasty comes extra."

Redwing smiled. "All right, anything else?"

"Don’t be a hero. Just do what you have to do. We watch each other’s backs in this squad, and we’re a team, so get any gung-ho blaze-of-glory visions out of your head right now."

Again, Redwing swallowed. "Sir."

Talin frowned. "Remember my first point."

"Okay, Doc."

"Much better," Talin smiled. "You’ll find Callista in One Flight’s quarters with Brandon and Kircheis. Maybe Estie and Talon as well." the Challenge’s CMO looked at his watch. "Eight-thirty. If you hurry, they might still be sober when you get there."

"Doc?"

Talin sighed. "Go on, you’ll find out."

Callista was just reaching for the bottle-opener when the door-buzzer went. "Come in!" Calli yelled.

The door slid open to reveal a fresh-faced Lieutenant clad in a TIE Corps duty uniform. "Lieutenant Aries Redwing reporting for duty, Lieutenant Colonel Callista, ma’am!"

Callista looked at Brandon, who just shrugged. "He’s new."

Callista extricated herself from her beanbag chair and put an arm around Redwing’s shoulder. "Welcome to Typhoon, Aries. I’m your Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Callista D’Omah." She pulled a bottle of Commenorian beer from the icebox. "Drink?"

Redwing looked confused. "Ma’am?"

Callista sighed. "Aries, don’t call me Ma’am. Nobody calls me Ma’am. Most people just call me Calli. People only tend to use my rank if it’s really important, like my induction into the Grand Order of the Emperor, or when Grand Admiral Ronin awarded me the Imperial Cross. Stuff like that."

"You’ve met Grand Admiral Ronin?"

"Of course." Callista replied, smiling. "Being married to High Admiral Kawolski means that I rub shoulders with Ronin, Compton and the rest of the top brass all the time. Not to mention the fact that Fleet Admiral Kessler was once a member of this very Wing."

"He was?" Aries said, looking more incredulous.

"He was Tornado Commander twice, Wing Commander once and served on this ship as Battlegroup Commander. The Challenge is his second home."

Redwing looked somewhat stunned.

"And Kircheis Tyschen here," Callista continued, gesturing to the blonde-haired pilot in the corner, clutching a lomin-ale tankard, "used to be the Command Attaché to the Training Officer, High Admiral Astatine." Callista spread her arms. "The Sovereign might be the Fleet flagship, but the Challenge ain’t no slouch either."

"I’m aware of what the Challenge has achieved, ma- uh, Callista," Aries said picking up a bottle and opening it. This is a bit different to my last assignment, but I’ll get used to it."

"Where were you assigned before joining the TIE Corps anyways?" Vader asked.

"The Victory-class Star Destroyer Rapier. I was flight leader in a Navy TIE Interceptor squad."

"Nice," Talon Drear said. "So Boidy managed to get you a spot in the Corps?"

Aries shrugged. "He encouraged me to apply, so I did. Are you suggesting that he had a hand in it?"

Callista smiled. "Knowing Blackbird, probably." Callista raised her hand to stop Aries from saying anything. "He must rate you as a pilot to want you in the Corps in the first place. I don’t think nepotism comes into it. He probably just asked Kessler to place you in Typhoon, so he could be kept up-to-date as to what’s happening with his old squad."

"So, you’re basically saying that Avian used me?"

"No, I just think he wanted his cousin to be flying with people that he can trust with your safety, rather than some squad on the Sovereign with a rookie Commander and a blank Citation board."

"I see," Aries said, taking a swig from his bottle.

Callista placed a hand on the Lieutenant’s shoulder. "It won’t be easy, Aries," she said comfortingly. "But if you’re half as good a pilot as BB, you’ll do fine."

"And if you’re better than BB," Brandon said, smiling, "Then the Rebels have got even more to worry about."

Challenge infirmary, several hours later…

"Doctor?"

Talin turned to face Flight Nurse Amadeo. "Uhuh?"

"We’ve got another Friday Night Special. Ward Six."

The two medical experts paced down the hallway towards Ward Six, the Toxin Treatment Ward, colloquially referred to as the Pump Station, due to the fact that people tended to get their stomachs pumped frequently in that ward.

Entering the ward, Talin sighed. Not out of anger or, frustration, but more out of contentment.

Lying on the beds in the ward, all looking the worse for wear, were Callista, Brandon, Kircheis, Vader, Talon Drear…

…And Aries Redwing.

"Welcome to the squadron, Redwing," said Talin as he injected the detoxification serum into the young Lieutenant…

FIN

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