Combat Patrol (Thaila Kaia)

[Poy Luroon]

Location: Ready-room of the Galactic-class battle carrier "Illustrious"
Objective: Combat patrol in the Outer Rim Territories
Allies: [member="Thaila Kaia"]

~

The famous Galactic-class battle carrier "Illustrious", a part of the Galactic Alliance, moved through the Outer Rim Territories while on its tenth combat patrol in five months. The pilots were mostly all combat veterans. In most places, the "Illustrious" was a feared weapon of war. As of late, the squadron of X-Wing starfighters had been scrambled on interception missions against false readings from the radar, which was wearing thin on all concerned. Hopefully today's patrol would bear fruit and also give them something physical to shoot down.

The general alarm sounded in the ready-room; the Galactic Alliance was sending out another combat patrol in search of any enemy fighters or First Order vessels. Flight Lieutenant Poy Luroon awoke with a start and took the magazine off her face, grabbed her flight helmet and patted fellow pilot Thaila Kaia on the knee. She had flown with Thaila several times and was very impressed with the girl's perfomance in combat and in training.

"Let's go buttercup, we've got a combat patrol," Poy lead the way to the hangar, breaking into a run down the corridor, jumping through the bulkhead doors with ease. She was first to the hangar and ran to her starfighter.

"Hello baby. Momma has to go and hunt down some more of the First Order today," she said to her T-65XJ as she patted it on the nose and climbed in the cockpit, strapping herself in the seat and putting on her helmet.

"Latest contacts came from about eight miles northwest of our present position Flight Lieutenant..." said the Radar Interception Officer, over the low roar of engines, handing Poy a pad which she strapped to her leg.

"Good luck and godspeed Luroon," he said, giving her a salute and then returning to the bridge to monitor the ship radars and give the pilots' a heads-up on any approaching enemy fighters and other vessels in the area.

"Stick to me like glue Thaila. I've got a weird feeling that today is going to be one of the toughest for us," she said on the comlink in the cockpit. She gave Thalia the OK sign the canopy came down and locked in place.

Engaging the engines, the Starfighter hovered in the hangar and then Poy manoeuvred the fighter to the main catapault under the direction of one of the Spacecraft Directors and she watched as it was hooked up by the arresting gear crews. The Catapult Officer signalled her, and Poy slowly eased the power right up, until the X-Wing was straining to get airborne. He looked at Poy and saluted. She returned the salute and a few seconds later, her X-Wing was barrelling down the runway and lifted off into space. She looked behind her and saw the crews getting Thalia's craft ready for take off. Poy orbited the battle carrier to wait for Thalia to get airborne.

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Thalia jumped into the cockpit of her X-wing and thought it sure has been a long time.

"Rodger that I got you. This sure is different from the destroyers I'm usually on being a commander.

She stared out the window watching the other pilots take their place along with Poy and then Poy take off down the corridor and that meant she was next. She slowly brought her engine up to power and then watched as the catapult then launches her down the corridor and she pilots into the far reaches of space

"Right here."

@Poy Luroon

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Thalia Kaia"]

Poy lead her squadron to nearby Bestine, where they were to conduct reconnassance on the naval shipyards of the Galactic Empire. They had received word from a mole in the Empire that a brand new ship was being constructed there, one that could change the galaxy for the worst. It was imperative, Poy's Commanding Officer told her, they photograph the ship under construction, and that they all had express permission to engage if they came across any enemy spacecraft in the vicinity of the shipyards. "Stick to me like glue Thalia. They might try and disuade us from taking photographs," the X-Wings approached Bestine and were soon entering its atmosphere. There were thousands of islands dotted all over its oceans, but it wouldn't be that hard to find a naval shipyard; it would stick out like a sore thumb, especially with a ship that big.

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Thalia had never been this far out in the galaxy but it was beautiful. "Got it boss." She says as she stays to the right of @Poy Luroon

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Thalia Kaia"]

"Stay close Thalia," Poy said over the comlink as the four X-Wing starfighters' entered Bestine IV's atmosphere. The targeting computer searched the surrounding terrain for the shipyard and plotted their current course. "If we stay on our current heading, we should be seeing it any time now..." the Twi'lek pushed the booster and throttles right up and she was pushed right back into her seat from the power, wanting to get through all of the defences without being tangled up and losing precious time over the target area. "The computer says that we should be approaching that shipyard in about thirty minutes," Poy said a silent prayer that they would come through their mission without suffering injuries or death.

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Thalia jams the accelerator forward and then does a flip and come right back to where she was off the portside of Poy.

@Poy Luroon

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

@Poy Luroon

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Thalia Kaia"]

The thirty minutes were now up. "There it is, dead ahead!" Poy said over the comlink as the naval shipyard loomed into view. Enemy vessels were docked and being repaired. "Arm torpedoes and unlock quad cannons Thalia, we're going in," Poy took her X-Wing in as low as it was possible and slowed right down, to get the perfect angle on the torpedo run. "Proton torpedoes armed and live," the targeting computer, and R2-Q2, picked her first target to take down; it was a CC-7700 frigate undergoing annual maintenance. Firing two torpedoes, they impacted at the precise middle point of the ship and it exploded in a massive fireball, before breaking in half and sinking. The next ship in her sight was an old Goaznti-class cruiser; that ship too split in half and Poy watched as sailors jumped overboard and began thrashing around in the sea, and trying to make it back to the docks to rejoin the fight, but Poy then put a halt to their escape plans with well-aimed bursts of cannon fire.

"Thalia, keep an eye out for any fighters that might try and tangle with us," the next dock was lined up; this time, it was a CR-90 corvette that was being modified, as a heavy naval gunship. One gunnery crew managed to get off a few rounds, but the corvette was blown up by two of Poy's torpedoes. Another Goaznti-class cruiser was selected by R2-Q2 and Poy got ready with her torpedoes and as soon as she fired them, a wall of flak hit her X-Wing from an anti-starfighter gunnery crew on the ground. The second Goaznti exploded and destroyed its dock and it blew a giant hole in the wall, allowing sea water to rush into the repair facilities inside its dock. Men were swept out into the dock and became entangled with the wreckage, most of them being dragged underwater and drowning. R2-Q2 fixed the X-Wing as best he could, but it was on a slow downward path. The Twi'lek would have to rely on all of her piloting skills to keep her starfighter in the air and still in the fight.