A Leaf on the Wind...

[Althea Becket]

Teth​

The Stargazer passed through the cloudy skies of Teth, met by brilliant morning hues of sherbet orange and soft reds. The country girl had never been to this world, but she liked what she saw so far. With her tabby cat curled up in the co-pilot’s seat, Althea reached over and gave his head a gentle scratch.

“Ain’t that just pretty like a picture?” She asked, letting a content sigh follow her words.

Since leaving home, she’d seen more of the galaxy than she’d ever dreamed… and it was still quite a small slice, compared to most. Most notably, she had seen the watery world of Manaan, and she had witnessed some of the strange wonders that lived below the surface. Althea had also made a friend there, a fellow pilot by the name of [member="Cassius Droma"].

And now, she traveled to meet him here. From what she’d been told, he had been working on a bit of a project and might have a use for her. It was an interesting notion, though the details were left vague. Althea had a ship, and she had an eager sense of curiosity – she wanted to see what this galaxy had to offer. This stop on Teth would surely provide her with a bit of direction, she thought. She’d made a bit of credits by working small jobs here and there, but she’d yet to find a true purpose.

There was just something about this journey that felt… right.

Glancing down at her nav screen, a small dot lit up – her beacon. According to the coordinates provided to her, she was getting close. Scratching her head, Athea peered out the viewport. Exactly where was this meeting place? From what she could tell, by way of her sensors, the main landmass was far below her current position. But then, the clouds seemed to part, revealing a tall mesa that rose into the sky.

“Well, now!” Thea exclaimed, grinning. “That’s just a clever thing, don’t ya think?”

She turned to her only passenger, the ginger cat, but he carried on sleeping. Down below, there was also a structure… perhaps some kind of monastery, but the looks of it. Althea would soon have a chance for a better look, but first, she had to get there. Bringing the Stargazer down, she lowered the landing gear and set the ship down on an empty stretch of flat rock. It took her only a moment to power down, gather her things, and bid her feline friend a quick goodbye.

With that, the ramp lowered and she was out in a flash.

 

[Cassius Droma]

Cassius still couldn’t believe that it was actually starting to come together. For some time, he had been contemplating on bringing his old squadron, Jade Squadron, back up and running. This time, he figured, it could be an independent outfit and patrol some of the more untamed parts of the galaxy. Just a group of A-wings, flying around and trying to make the galaxy a safer place… there was of course a romantic notion to all of it.

In order to do this, however, he would need credits and resources. He’d been saving up a little bit here and there from his archaeological expeditions, so he had a good bit to start with. After successfully robbing a criminal on Lithios, however, things could really get rolling. They still wouldn’t have the best equipment or nicest facilities at first, that was for sure, but it would be something, at least.

The temporary base on Teth had been one of the first things he’d been able to set up. Being so close to his home planet of Rinn, Cassius knew how smugglers and slave traders would outfit the old abandoned monasteries as hideaways. He’d chased a lot of criminals out of these holes before, so he knew the best spots, including the ones that hadn’t been used for hundreds of years.

A mesa towering into a light purple sky, the monastery sat on top, which is where a lot of the living quarters were. Below, embedded in the rock, were a few hangar bays and jutted out rock formations that were big and sturdy enough to act as landing pads. The Stardust Melody safely sat on one of these, a few cargo containers laying at the feet of her landing gears.

The main hub of activity right now was a hangar bay on a lower level. Sparking welders, beeping droids… it was a mechanic’s paradise. Cassius stood in the middle of it all, datapad in hand, checking off the various repairs and modifications that needed to be made. There were roughly half a dozen RZ-2 A-wing starfighters in the bay – their squadron at the moment. What they had gotten so far were mostly the personal vessels of those that had volunteered so far – friends that Cassius knew, either from back in Jade Squadron or even back during his patrolling days.

The most valuable resource Cassius needed was pilots, and not just any pilots, but good pilots, people he could trust. Recently, he had come across just that type – Althea Beckett. On an ultimately failed archaeological expedition to Manaan, he had seen some piloting in a shuttle that had impressed him. Not to mention that he had gotten a good vibe about her, one that he trusted came from the Force.

So, he asked her to come to Teth, to see if he could recruit her into his little rag tag team of do-gooders. A notification popping up on the screen of his datapad informed him of her approach. Smiling to himself, he realized that she had decided to come after all. Walking out towards the landing area where she was setting down, Cassius casually crossed his arms and leaned against the large metal frame where the hangar bay opened up into the landing area.

“Welcome to Teth,” he said when she finally came down the ramp. “Don’t look down, and you’ll do just fine.”

“Glad you could make it, Thea.”


[member="Althea Becket"]t

 

[Althea Becket]

Althea stepped out to find the form of [member="Cassius Droma"] leaning against a doorway, a sight that she met with a wide grin. Approaching with a spring in her steps, she came to stand before the blonde man. Already, memories of their trip below the watery surface of Manaan were returning. It was unfortunate that he hadn’t found the ruins he was looking for, but it had turned out to be quite an adventure. For her own part, she was feeling thankful that there would not be any sea monsters to contend with today.

“Thanks for the invite,” Thea called.

Instead of greeting him with a handshake like before, she stepped over to give him a bit of an awkward half-hug-pat-on-the-back that friends give.

“I’m glad to be here. And it’s good to see you again! Gotta say, I was surprised to get your call.”

She breathed out small, content sigh. This was quite a place, she had to admit. On her way down, she’d noticed a large, ornately made structure – perhaps like a temple of some sort. The mesa also seemed much bigger now that she was there; the space even had some rather nice hidey-holes, by the looks of it. Her eyes roamed for a moment and her hand rose to give her head a scratch. There was a small flurry of activity here, that much was clear. But, the true purpose for being brought to Teth still eluded her.

“So, uh,” She started, placing her hands on her hips. “What exactly is this place? It’s mighty nice here; the sky reminds me of the lavender fields back home! It’s the very same color, and the hills just roll on and on.” Thea’s hand rose to give a vague wave off into the distance, and her thoughts were all but lost for a second or two.

Blinking, she returned her focus back to Cassius. Her cheeks colored for a moment, embarrassed to be caught getting so homesick. But her smile returned, widened even.

“And what am I doing here?” She asked, canting her head to the side. “Got another archaeological thing going?”

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

He wasn’t expecting the embrace, but welcomed it nonetheless, giving his new friend a solid pat on the back. It was something he was going to have to get used to again – comradery. So many times over the past few weeks he had repeated the phrase just like old times in his head, but somehow, it didn’t fit. So much was different… he was different. The mission would be different… it felt all parts new and old at the same time.

“Well, I need good people for my project, and you’re one of the good ones,” he smiled, trying to butter her up, in a sense.

She seemed somewhat nostalgic, mentioning her homeworld. He was glad that it appeared to bring back good memories. To answer her question though, Cassius explained, “Since we’re so far out, Teth is a sparsely populated world. It was mainly home to the B’omarr monks – a religious order that, long story short, put their brains in vats carried around by mechanical spiders in order to attain enlightenment. Weird stuff. Anyways, they were eventually chased off by smugglers and the like over the years, who realized that these monasteries made for nice retreats and hideouts. This particular spot looks like it had been abandoned for a couple hundred years before we showed up.”

When she asked what exactly was she called here for, Cassius smiled a little. “Follow me,” he said, motioning as he turned and walked in towards the hangar bay. Immediately to their right, there were some mechanics working on a U-wing transport, having already removed its S-foils and were modifying the placement of its engines. Another U-wing was being modified in the same way behind it, and already had some dark green paint on its chassis. Further on, the A-wings were being worked on, mostly just cleaned up, fueled up, and stocked with missiles and survival supplies.

“So, before I was a Jedi, I was a patrol pilot for my homeworld, Rinn. It’s pretty close by.” He side-stepped a missile rack. “Mostly, our mission was to provide escort for local freighter runs, as well as disrupt pirate activities when we could. Recently, I’ve felt the Outer Rim and Wild Space could do with something like that – people who can help and fight against slavers and criminal organizations that flourish out here.”

Finally, they came to the back of the hangar bay, where Cassius’s A-wing sat in prime shape. He leaned on the hull, stretching out his arms as if this were some sort of grand display. “This is Jade Squadron, or, what’s looking to be Jade Squadron, given time. I need good people, and I really need good pilots. I know you’ve been looking for work, and you fit my criteria.”

“It’s a big commitment, I know, but the offer’s open to you. Pay isn’t great, and we don’t have the nicest toys right now… but if you believe in the cause, as it were, then it’s worth it.”

[member="Althea Becket"]t

 

[Althea Becket]

Althea listened as Cassius provided a bit of background about Teth. Her hand came up to cradle her chin as he painted quite an interesting picture of the B’omarr monks, her mind momentarily drifted as she imagined brains sitting in jars, carried by spiders. She shook this thought away as Cassius bid her to follow, and a she went along after him into the hangar bay.

“Oh, wow…” She whispered quietly, looking at the array of ships that sat inside.

Thea’s eyes roamed, stopping momentarily on the missile rack. But her gaze was drawn back to Cassius as he spoke of his home world. While she was certainly content to fly, she couldn’t imagine having to do so while on patrol. Her notion of flying was simply a means to get from point A to point B, but now she was curious. As the pair came to a stop by a star fighter, she watched as Cassius seemed to almost beam with pride. This ship was his, Thea figured with a smile.

It took a moment for his words to truly sink in, and Thea’s eyes grew wide with the sudden realization that he wanted her to fly a fighter just like this. Blinking, she took a step towards the A-wing and gave the hull an affectionate pat, almost like it was an intimidating but surprisingly gentle beast.

“Goodness,” She started, turning back to face Cassius. “You know, I’ve never even touched a ship like this before now.” Thea reached up to scratch her head, ruffling up her Auburn hair in the process. “Are you sure you really want me to do this?”

A sudden crisis of confidence made Thea’s cheerful demeanor melt away, revealing her as what she truly was – an inexperienced country girl. The onslaught of nerves made her fidget, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Her hands tugged at the hem of her shirt, just for something to keep them occupied as she thought.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to the idea.” She said, trying to work her way through the thought process. “In fact, I like this idea quite a lot.” Althea’s smile slowly returned, “I could try, I suppose. Ain’t no harm in that, right? What’s it like to fly in one of these here ships?”

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Thea didn’t seem so confident in herself when he finally told her he wanted her on the team. Cassius had expected this. She was a pilot, sure, but being a freighter pilot and a fighter pilot were two very different animals. Her skill level wasn’t a concern to him – he could teach her how to fly. It was her instincts that he valued, as well as her heart.

She asked him if he was sure, and Cassius nodded, arms crossed. “Absolutely,” he said in a firm tone. “Like I said, I need good people.” He didn’t have to be a Jedi to sense her insecurity, but he could through the Force all the same. She seemed to talk herself through it, and Cassius smiled at that. Not many people could do that on their own.

“I’ll show you,” he said. Standing back up to full height, he shouted over to a short Utai mechanic that was underneath the next A-wing over. “Hey! Is the trainer model up and running yet?” The Utai gave a thumbs up from his supine position. “Thanks,” he called back to him, and motioned for Thea to follow him. He led her back a little bit towards the front, where they eventually stopped next to an A-wing that looked a different than the others.

The first thing one might notice was that the cockpit was more elongated than the rest, by almost a meter and a half. Through the transpirasteel, one could see that this model actually had two seats, rather than just one. This was a trainer model that Cassius had managed to pick up recently. A lot of instructors nowadays liked to use simulations to train new pilots, but Cassius preferred the old fashioned way. Because of the need for more space for a second seat, this model didn’t have concussion missiles or as glamorous of a sensor and jamming suite, but it was still just as fast, and that was what mattered.

“I’ll take you up, maybe even let you take the sticks for a little bit so you get a feel for it,” Cassius said.

Stepping over to a nearby rack, he picked up two helmets with built-in comm systems. He tucked one under his arm and walked back over to Thea with the other one, handing it out to her.

“I’ll warn you,” he said, with a hint of a smile on his face, the helmet still in his hand, “once you fly in one of these, you’ll never want to touch the ground again.”

[member="Althea Becket"]

 

[Althea Becket]

Thea’s brows arched even higher when Cassius said he’d show her how to fly. Her attention was drawn to the Utai mechanic that emerged from under an A-wing. Following after Cassius, she gave the training model a bit of a look-over. There were some noticeable differences, even to the novice. Hazel eyes honed in on the two seats, and then shifted back up to Cassius.

“Thanks!” She chirped when Cassius handed her a helmet.

She cradled the helmet in her arms for a moment, and stepped over to the side of the A-wing. Thea canted her head to the side as Cassius gave her a light-hearted warning about flying in one of these fighters. A grin tugged at her mouth, visible until she slipped the helmet on. Reaching up, she gave the helmet a hard pat to make sure it was on securely.

Stepping up onto the ladder, she climbed into the cockpit and settled into her seat. It was an odd sensation, sitting in a Starfighter. It wasn’t roomy like her bridge on the Stargazer, she could already imagine that the controls would be vastly different to handle. Thea never dreamed of flying something like this before.

Turning her gaze forward, her mind took the sky, imagining some of the great battles that had taken place in the galaxy’s past. Brave pilots were on the frontlines of those space battles. The thought of dying in such a way didn’t frighten her; she felt a sudden sense of solace in the fact that they gave their lives for a cause. Returning to the present, she leaned forward slightly and folded her hands.

“So, just what is it that makes this fighter so special?” She asked, interested to hear exactly why Cassius seemed so fond of them. “What do you like best about them?” Thea fastened herself in, ready for take off.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Thea seemed eager now, and as she slipped on the helmet, Cassius gave her an once-over. It was a good look for her. Hopefully, it was something she’d wear often.

Clambering onto the hull of the starfighter, Cassius sat in the instructor seat in the back, allowing Thea to have a clear view in front of her. Since his view would be blocked a little by Thea’s head in front of him, he’d do a lot of flying from instruments and feeling. That wouldn’t be a problem – Cassius felt natural in the cockpit of an A-wing.

As he did some pre-flight checks to make sure she was air-worthy, Thea asked what made A-wings so special. Cassius flicked a couple switches as he thought about it for a second. “Well, if you ask me, they’re almost the perfect fighter,” he began. “Their sleek and aerodynamic profile aren’t just nice to look at, but they make it so cutting through space and atmosphere are incredibly easy. They’re fast, which always helps in a dogfight – can’t hit what you can’t keep up with. The laser cannons have good servos that can lock onto targets so I can make pin-point accurate hits on targets. In a good A-wing, I can fly circles around X-wings, TIEs, droid fighters, almost anything you can throw at me.”

Slowly, the A-wing touched off the ground, the repulsors doing their work to lift off. Steadily, Cassius angled them towards the edge of the hangar bay and pushed the thrust forward, skimming them past Thea’s Stargazer on the landing platform outside. He took it slow and steady at first – he had no idea what kind of experience Thea had with advanced maneuvers.

“Alright,” Cassius spoke, his voice carrying over comms, “since you already know how to fly, you’ve got the basics down. Pitch, yaw, roll… all the same. Watch the yoke in front of you,” he said, as he flicked a switch to have the control yoke in front of Thea turn the same way his was. “Not so different from your Stargazer.”

“Now, I gave you a pretty technical answer before as to why I like A-wings so much,” Cassius put his hand on the throttle and lowered their altitude to where they were just above the purple mists. “This is the real reason.” He eased the throttle, and they blasted forward, G-forces pushing them back in their seats. Mists and the very tops of the tallest trees zipped by, giving a real sense of the A-wing’s speed.

[member="Althea Becket"]

 

[Althea Becket]

As Cassius gave her an overview of the A-wing and what made it so great, Thea listened closely and watched as the cockpit came alive around her. From the seat behind, Cassius was working the controls. These A-wing fighters sure did sound fast. But, so far, the business of flying one of these didn't seem all that different from her own ship.

A lopsided grin stretched across Althea's face as the ship lifted off. As they emerged from the hangar space, the sky of Teth opened up before them. Her ship was waiting on the platform down below, right where she'd left it. Glancing fondly at the Stargazer as they went past, she suppressed the urge to wave goodbye.

“Alright, now...” She said, turning her attention to the yoke.

Thea studied the movements made by the yoke in front of her, mirroring the turns that Cassius made. Her hands hovered nearby, fingers already twitching with anticipation. Beneath her helmet, brows lofted as they blasted forward.

“H-whoaa!” Was her response, feeling her helmet and back press firmly against her seat.

Blinking, hazel eyes turned forward. Outside the cockpit, the misty purple sky of Teth swirled around them. The treetops and peaks below became a blur, they were really flying. It was almost a magical experience, much like the first time she'd flown in the Stargazer. Her stomach fluttered, but in a very good way – just like falling in love.

“Hoooo doggies,” She started, “You know, I don't think I've ever gone so fast ever!” It was very true, but there was an addictive quality to this, she had to admit. “I could get used to this!” Thea added with a small chuckle.

“Now, will I need to worry about the weapons and all that?” Thea asked, “My ship has got a small armament, not that I've ever touched it.” Or even glanced at them, for that matter. Quite a softy at heart, the idea of actually firing on something did come with some difficulty.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

A wide grin spread across Cassius’s face as he heard Thea’s response to him turning up the thrust. It was a yelp of surprise he had heard many times, and it never got old. Cassius did a few maneuvers to supplement, rocking back and forth, and then finishing it off with a complete roll. He didn’t want his passenger/trainee to get sick, but he also wanted to make sure that she could handle these sorts of things. With Jade Squadron, she’d probably have to do a lot more dangerous stunts.

As he slowed back down to cruising speed, Thea expressed how she could get used to this. “See? I told you – you’ll never want to touch the ground again.” Cassius was already thinking of where her quarters on base would be, as well as which A-wing he could assign her. They still didn’t have a full squadron’s worth, but there was one that was being worked on that she could probably call hers.

Then she inquired about the weapons systems on the ship, Cassius flicking a few switches so the targeting system could come up in front of her. “Well, with a fighter squadron, chances are you’re going to run into a combat situation.” Cassius banked to the right, aiming them towards a small canyon that just barely peaked up above the mists. “Don’t worry though – I would make sure you’re ready before you even get close to something like that.”

He slowed to a crawl as they approached the canyon. “The weapons are pretty easy, though. You’ve got triggers on the yoke that are for the laser cannons. Like this,” Cassius pulled the triggers on his controls, spraying out a volley of red plasma into one of the canyon walls. “You’ve also got homing concussion missiles on the non-trainer models, those will be fired by buttons on tops of the yoke.”

“Wanna try?”

[member="Althea Becket"]

 

[Althea Becket]

Thea watched as the screens lit up, weapons systems. She swallowed hard when [member="Cassius Droma"] mentioned that combat situations were common for fighter squadrons. Leaning slightly as their craft banked to the right, she turned her gaze to the small peaks that rose above the mist.

“Alright, that's good to know.” She said with a relieved nod. Still, she had to wonder if she'd ever be ready for combat.

Squinting slightly, she listened as Cassius walked her through the basics of her weapons. Inspecting the yoke in front of her, she noted the triggers for the laser cannons. And then her eyes went wide as Cassius fired off a volley into the walls of the canyon. She was also sure to make a mental note about the concussion missiles for later on.

Did she want to try? Well, Thea had to admit that the triggers did look a bit tempting.

“Worth a shot, I suppose.” She responded, hands hesitantly getting into position to fire. Her finger began to squeeze the trigger gingerly, almost as though she worried about hurting it. And then, the laser cannon fired, a red streak was sent through the air towards the canyon.

“I hit it!” She called, though the targeting had already been set up by Cassius. It would certainly take some getting used to. “I guess a moving target would be a mite trickier...” She admitted, smiling sheepishly beneath her helmet. “Let's try this again.”

Without even thinking, she took the controls and started to guide the fighter past the canyon. Thea brought the A-wing swiftly around for another pass at the canyon, and she fired again with a bit more confidence than before.

“Woo!”

 

[Cassius Droma]

He smiled at her excitement – he was going to get her hooked in no time. A lot of trainees were like that when it came to combat. Flying was no issue, but when it came to actually firing weapons… some hesitated. The romantic notion of a dashing fighter pilot zipping through the air and saving the day seemed a little less romantic with the realization that in most scenarios, you were killing people. As soon as they pulled the trigger though, felt the power blast out from the laser cannons… it was a rush that was hard to shake.

“It certainly would be,” Cassius said over the comm in response to her comment about clipping a moving target. “That’s the game of dogfights, though – outmaneuvering your opponent while trying to get them in your sights.”

He braced himself ever so slightly when she completely took over and began to move the ship around. No matter how many times he’d done this, it was still being inside of an A-wing and not being in control of it. Regardless, Thea seemed to take to the controls naturally, and before he knew it, they were zooming past the canyon again, blasting another hole into it.

“Hey! See? Now you’re getting a handle on it!” Cassius peered out the viewport to the ground below, where there was a smoldering hole in the rock. Turning back, he tapped out a few commands on a console to his right.

“Let’s try some maneuvering and navigating,” he said, jabbing at a key with his finger. In front of Thea, a black-and-white top-down view came up. What appeared to be rocks were on the screen, and a white line that zig-zagged between them. “Up ahead are some smaller spires – I want you to try and weave through them as best you can. Go as fast or as slow as you like, but keep in mind that I can control the thrust from back here too.”

There was a good bit of distance between the spires, so there shouldn’t be any danger of actually smacking into any of them, but he wanted her to get a good feel for just how nimble the A-wing actually was.

[member="Althea Becket"]

 

[Althea Becket]

Dogfights. Thea was already worried that her short attention span would be her end. All it would take was a moment's inattention and she could be toast. A grimace formed on her face at the thought. But, she was pleased that she seemed to get getting the hang of things inside the cockpit of the A-wing.

Cassius' encouragement meant more than he knew.

Shifting in her seat, she watched as the screen before her lit up with a map. She squinted down at the shapes and the white line that separated them. She listened to the instructions given, and felt her jaw grow a touch tense. It was one thing to take the Stargazer up into the black, it was fairly simple and straight forward. But this, this required some quick thinking and nimble fingers.

“Let's see here...” She gave the map another glance, “Alright, here we go.”

It was reassuring to know that the more expirienced pilot in the backseat could correct her movements, should they go awry. She really didn't want to crash and kill them both.

“Easy does it, now, Thea...” She mumbled to herself.

As they approached, she kept her speed even as she could – but not too fast or slow. Drawing a breath, she let the map (and maybe the force) be her guide. She angled the craft, the left wing dipped slightly as they passed the first peak and straightened out. And next, the other way, to the right. With the first two in the rearview, she took the upcoming peaks just a tad faster.

“Say, how many dogfights you been in so far?” Thea asked, then pressed her lips back together as she concentrated on navigating her way out of the peaks.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Cassius’s hands stayed on the controls, but his grip was relaxed so he could follow Thea’s movements and let his hands be moved by the yoke rather than the other way around. He also did this so that if he needed to take back control, he could do it within a millisecond. She was doing well, considering this was her first time in the cockpit of a fighter, as far as he knew. The speed was nice and steady, but Cassius knew that he’d have her absolutely tearing it up through these courses in no time.

When you were an A-wing pilot, the only thing you wanted to do was go fast.

“How many? Wow, uh…” Cassius looked off for a moment, towards the deep purple horizon. “I couldn’t tell you. I was in plenty before I was even a Jedi, up against pirates and such. It was mostly just escort duty to keep cargo runners safe, but way out in Wild Space, those guys will really come for ya. I wasn’t in as many once I started to study the Force, just a few scrapes here and there. I’d volunteered for a tour with the Silver Jedi as a patrol pilot, which was how I got involved with them. Even then, though, I didn’t fly as much. I was actually in one recently… there had to be a dozen tangos against just two of us…”

That had certainly been interesting, flying high above the lake on Corulag, gunning down targets with someone he’d only met just minutes prior.

“That’s why combat training is important,” he said, “you never know when you’re going to find yourself in the middle of a fight.”

Without saying anything, Cassius nudged the thrust forward, boosting them a little bit. “Let’s see if you can handle some faster speeds,” he said, knowing full well that he could steer them out of danger at any moment.

[member="Althea Becket"]

 

[Althea Becket]

Thea listened as [member="Cassius Droma"] gave her a small run down of his fighting days. Pirates. Now that word made her shiver. Growing up, she'd heard stories about ruthless men and women that seemed to stop at nothing in order to get their prize – whatever it might have been. The thought alone was enough to make her hand twitch upon the yoke, making the A-wing respond in kind.

Eyes open wide, she would take in all of the combat training and soak it up like a big sponge.

“Faster?” She echoed. “Alright, here goes...”

She felt the craft speed up and intuition took over. Thea nudged the yoke to the left, angling the fighter swiftly in order to pass by another peak. And the next was coming up a mite fast, but Thea was ready as she took them breezing by the peak's side. Then, just because it seemed like it would be fun, she rolled once to the right. She might have even said “weeeee!”

But once the A-wing evened out again and was right side up, she was bursting with questions again.

“So, what'chu have planned for Jade Squadron, huh?” She asked, conversation seemed to ease her nerves. “Has anyone else joined up so far, am I the first?”

 

[Cassius Droma]

She executed her maneuvers well, as Cassius expected. Some people were just natural at piloting, and going from freighters to starfighters and vice versa was easier than they usually expect. He’d say that she was already at a higher-academy level, if he had to give her an official ranking. Just knowing what all of the instruments are and what they mean are half the battle, really.

He could sense her nervousness at the notion of combat. It was something that, for the time being, she wouldn’t have to worry about. Mastering the flight controls and maneuvering were the first priority – dogfighting and tactics would come later. At the rate she was learning though, he’d have her in scrimmages with the other team members in no time…

As they pulled out of a roll, Thea continued to ask questions, which Cassius was always happy to answer. “Eventually? I’d like to see it be just a small outfit that roams the Outer Rim and Wild Space, trying to keep independent systems safe. As of now, we’ve had a decent start – we’ve got about six combat-ready A-wings, including this one. There are a few other pilots, mostly people from when we were part of the Silver Jedi Order. I’m hoping to reach out to my old squadron on Rinn and see if any of them are joining up. There are some great pilots there.”

An important asset that he needed was a captain, someone to command things from the big picture perspective. Cassius was a decent enough flight leader, but on the ground? He had trouble keeping up with it all. Who that would be, he wasn’t sure yet.

“It’s slow going, but I don’t want to rush it. Putting together a good, cohesive team shouldn’t be an overnight thing.”

Tapping in some coordinates on the map, Cassius said. “Alright, I’ve laid in a new course – it’ll take you back to base. Try and run through it as fast as you can, while still making sure we won’t slam into a plateau on the way back.”

[member="Althea Becket"]

 

[Althea Becket]

“I hear ya,” She said, giving a slow nod. “I know a good crew is hard to come by. Doesn't matter much if it's flying a freighter or a squad of A-wings, I suppose – it's all the same. Everyone's got to mesh.”

Thea spoke casually, and then blinked, making note of the new coordinates that Cassius entered. With the new course plotted, Thea made a wide u-turn and started back towards the base. Of course, the tall peaks still poked up into the path of their craft – but she had a pretty good feel for it. Her hands worked silently for a moment, gentle adjustments here and there.

Hazel eyes focused, watching the purple-hued sky outside her cockpit, and taking momentary glances down at her consoles. While they were already going fairly fast, Cassius had said that he wanted her to go as fast as she could. Her gaze darted towards the trust, and her knuckles inched it forward.

The sky streaked by even faster now. The pilot's face lit up, now this was pretty fun. The A-wing continued to weave through the peaks, back and forth, taking each quickly but carefully. And when the base was in sight, she slowed them down to an even cruising speed. After all, it'd do them no favors to come in too fast and crash and kill them.

“Say,” She started, a thought suddenly striking. “Ya know, I might just know someone that could join up. He's like me – he's not formally trained, and I don't know what all he's up to fly... but he's good people, that's for sure. He's into flyin' transports at the current, least last I talked to him. Worked with him briefly back in the day, before I had the Stargazer.”

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

As she brought up the possibility of a new pilot, Cassius quirked an eyebrow. Even if they were a transport pilot, that was still a skill that they greatly needed. Whether it be evacuations from a slave colony, or dropping off people into a hot zone, there was a need for someone who had a level head and a steady hand. Those U-wings weren’t going to fly themselves.

“The more there merrier, I’d say,” Cassius said as they breezed by the various plateaus and spires that dotted the foggy landscape. “As long as he’s good people. You know where he operates out of, mostly?” Cassius certainly wasn’t above taking a little trip out to see this pilot friend of hers; it would certainly make the proposition look more serious. If he was a transport pilot out in the Outer Rim, he would undoubtedly understand the mission of Jade Squadron.

When they neared home base, Cassius asked, “You think you can land her, or do you want me to take over?” Most of the accidents and crashes he had seen over his years happened during take-off and landing. Only times he ever saw damage up in the air was when they were being shot at.

[member="Althea Becket"]

 

[Althea Becket]

Thea's grin remained as she listened to Cassius' response. The idea of Jade Squadron was growing brighter in her mind, this whole thing was bound to be a good time, she mused. “Hmm,” She blinked, searching her memories.

“Well, he was working the Corellian Run last I heard...” She squinted. “But, that was near a year ago now. Wow, time really does fly.” It was a bad joke, but that didn't stop her from giggle-snorting. “Anyway, he could be anywhere by now.”

The realization set in. Her friend really could be half-way across the 'verse, he seemed to travel wherever the wind – and the work – took him.

She gave a sure nod, and then pushed out a small sigh.

“I'll give the controls back to you, Cass.” She said, lifting her hand from the yoke. Her heart was still racing, and her hands were just a mite shaky. The jitters were always there, but she suspected that they would be less of an issue next time. Practice did make perfect, or nearly perfect, at least.

“My buddy's name's Leif, uh, Somethin-or-other...” The surname elluded her, but for good measure, she added: “Don't worry, we'll find him."

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

“I’m sure we can find him,” Cassius assured her as they cruised along. As big as the galaxy was, there was always a way to find people, unless they went underground. A transport pilot, though? He’d have to either be employed by a company that has records, or if he was freelance, available to look up on the HoloNet.

His hands went to the controls as he flicked the switch to give him the reigns again. They swooped in towards the old monastery, and Cassius sent a brief transmission to make sure he was cleared to land. He was given the green light – no one else was landing or taking off, so there was no risk of crashing into anyone.

As he eased her into the hangar bay and trafficked towards the specific landing spot, Thea mentioned her friend’s name, and he committed it to memory. “Should be easy enough to look him up. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was in the Core right now, helping ferry refugees after the Sith attack on Coruscant.” It was still a mess of a place, but there was certainly business to be had.

Finally, the landing gear extended, and they touched down on solid ground again. As the cockpit canopy slid forward, Cassius put his arms on either side of the cockpit and pushed up so he could sit on the hull. Slipping off his helmet, he let it sit in his lap. “So? What do you think? Think you’d want to fly in these more often?”

[member="Althea Becket"]