Faction Reconditioning

[Masayu Kimura]

FIV Redoubtable, First Order Space over Dosuun
0300 hrs Local Time
. . .​

"Time!" Commander Kimura's voice rose over the sound of alerts and alarms sounding across several of the consoles on the bridge of the FIV Redoubtable. Maz glanced at her wrist chrono and frowned. "XO, log the results. Reset and stow all gear." An echo of her command was repeated by the XO as he stepped over to a comm panel, announcing the end of the drill. :: Reset. Stow all Gear. :: They hadn't even gotten the fighters out of the hangars before Masayu had called the drill. With a final quick glance across the bridge she took steps towards the small Captain's room off to the side. "XO, you have the bridge. I want all senior staff in my ready room - now."

"Aye Sir." the XO acknowledged. The steady sound of the Commander's boots across the polished deck sounded against the now hushed silence of the bridge. She hadn't been pleased with the response, that much was evident. Even some of the junior officers were perceptive enough to know that the ship's performance had been sub par. The next time would be better. It had to be. The crew of the Redoubtable was made up of few veterans, most newly conscripted and or graduated from their respective schools. It wasn't ideal but the First Order was hardly swimming in manpower these days. Maz understood that, accepted that even but their response time had been sub par - circumstances accounted for. She expected kinks, learning curves, growing pains, but it brought her genuine concern that the ship's first battle drill had gone so poorly. Under ideal conditions no less. An enemy wouldn't give them the benefit of expectation, time to work through their operational hiccups - mercy, should it come to that. She had to remember this wasn't the Academy and this wasn't the old First Order. Stepping into her ready room she let her shoulders relax with a sigh, doors closing behind her. "KD-3, run an analysis of our response. Compare to records recorded at Bespin and Hex Grid L-39. Display results on my viewscreen." A rather diminutive looking droid in the corner of the ready room whirred and clicked in response, lights blinking in various patterns as it carried out her command. Commander Kimura stepped behind the small desk in the room and took a seat in the narrow leather chair, eyes landing on the console in front of her as she awaited the arrival of the ship's division heads.

The discussion wasn't going to be a harsh one but it would be data driven. The Commander liked to have data to back up her recommendations or observations. It was one thing to tell someone they needed to improve but it was another entirely to show them where they could improve and provide suggestions on how. All responsibilities and skills that were somewhat familiar, if not locked away in her distant memory. It has been a while, hasn't it? she mused. A chime sounded from her console, data splayed across the screen ready for her consumption. Tactical data computer had been able to collate the results in a way humans could understand - the tech personnel had tried explaining to her how everything at its core was merely numbers. It was about that time her mind had wandered off. Thankfully it had been displayed with graphs and even a moderate measure of AI recommendations added on the footnote. With this level of data at her fingertips, Maz felt confident she could whip this vessel into fighting shape. With their help. she reminded herself.

A quiet chirp at the door indicated at least one of the division heads had arrived. "Enter." she spoke. Hopefully they were all receptive to their new Commanding Officer and what she had to say in wake of their first combat drill. If not... well, Commander Kimura would cross that bridge when she got there.

-
Some time later...
-​

Klaxons blared across the decks of the FIV Redoubtable, corridors bustling with crewmen, pilots, and officers as they rushed to their posts. Another battle drill. Commander Kimura had resumed her post on the bridge, a large projected readout of time elapsed ticking above the holographic battle space table. Amber lights went green as divisions checked in. Weapons, Engineering, Security, but Maz watched with interest as she awaited the report from the Redoubtable's hangars. It was all well and good if their ship's systems could be brought online and their weapons to bear but without her small fighter complement the Marauder-Class vessel was missing a crucial component of her warfighting capability. "XO, you have the bridge. I'm headed down to the hangar. Notify me as department heads check in." A quick "Aye Sir." followed as Maz made her way towards the turbolifts at the rear of the bridge. Stepping inside, she punched in her destination - she wanted to ensure her fighter complement was in tip top shape. The Commander firmly believed in making her presence known among her crew, especially the fighter jockeys. They tended to run a rebellious streak no matter where in the Order they served. You almost had to in order to willingly pilot a TIE, but reckless could be turned into razor sharp. Maz had seen it herself before and if she had anything to say about it, her pilots would be the best in the Order.

Resurgent Narrative

@First Order Navy | @First Order Pilots | @First Order Stormtroopers | @First Order Security Bureau​

 

[Tycho Desyk]

The klaxons had awaken the TIE pilot from his slumber. A lazy hand had first reached up and slapped the wall panel but when the alarm didn't cease two tired eyes snapped open. That's not my alarm. The realization of what was happening took a moment to settle in through the fog of sleep but as it did, Tycho's heart began to pound. What happened next had been drilled into his brain whether this was just another combat readiness drill or not. Groaning as his legs flipped over the edge of his bunk and into his pre-staged flight suit and boots he grumbled internally. Since being assigned to the Redoubtable they'd been running drills frequently for the past week. They were far from a breaking point but the tension among the crew had noticeably risen - and their frustration. Whatever they did it never seemed good enough. If it had been, they wouldn't still be doing drills at this hectic pace would they? The pilot took a glance around the shared quarters, other pilots doing the same as he but in varying states of dress. "Last one into their pit buys a round!" he shouted before flashing a grin and continuing with his own uniform.

It took less than a minute for Tycho to get into his flight suit and tighten his straps and boots, klaxons sounding every few seconds. In a rush, he stepped over to a locker on the wall and retrieved his helmet in one hand, a datapad in the other. Now came the short jog to the hangar. Stepping into the chaos of one of the Redoubtable's main corridors he picked up his feet and headed towards the hangar where his TIE was housed. "Coming through - lookout!" he shouted, using one hand to help him part the masses while he navigated his way closer and closer. If he was last, it was going to be because the corridors were such a mess. He'd been one of the first to depart the crew quarters but only time would tell if he would be the last to his fighter.

Masayu Kimura | Kim Dae-Hyun​

 

[Kim Dae-Hyun]

Some creative swearing in Seoularian greeted the klaxons, and Deek sat up in his bunk, frowning groggily. He rubbed his eyes and bit out a curse -- again in Seoularian -- portraying the woman who had conceived of the constant drilling in a less than flattering sentiment. He stood and pulled his flightsuit legs on and jammed his feet into his boots, leaning down to fasten the fasteners before he stood and pulled the flightsuit sleeves on, then zipped it closed around his trim, toned figure.

Somehow, Too Tall -- Desyk, who was just this side of height regulations for the fighter class they shared -- was awake and alert. No, he thought with a mild tinge of annoyance. He was chipper. Annoying, Dae thought, but only for a moment. He stopped to hydrate at the drinking fountain then followed after Desyk, quickening his pace to catch up with him. The man had three inches on Dae, which must have all been in his legs, because the Seoularian prince had to hustle to stay apace.

"What do you think it is this time?" he asked as they rounded a corner into the hangar approach corridor. "Somebody left a galley locker ajar? Pair of socks came back mismatched from the laundry?"

Masayu Kimura | Tycho Desyk​

 

[Tycho Desyk]

Nimbly stepping over a speeding mouse droid, Tycho regained his balance and continued down the corridor. Looking back over his shoulder and narrowly running over a particularly short maintenance technician, he offered a guess in response to his fellow pilot's inquiry. "Who knows - someone probably didn't refill the caf pot on the bridge." He rolled his eyes. The repetitive drilling had everyone developing an edge, and not the one you wanted. "I doubt we'll even get out of the hangar before they cancel the drill. I heard maintenance has been running ragged, I thought this was a new ship?" he quipped, referring to the Redoubtable.

Just ahead lay the open doors of the hangar, TIE's suspended from the catwalk above. "We're gonna have a hell of a time getting through that." Tycho pointed at the mess ahead. If the pair of pilots had thought the corridors had been hectic it was only because they hadn't seen the state of the hangar when the alarms had been sounded. Hoses, carts, personnel were everywhere. It looked like someone had even managed to tip over a stack of canisters farther in. What a mess. With a determined grin the pilot surged forward again, fighting against the bodies in his way and making a beeline for the metal stairs that would take them to the catwalk above. "Better keep up." he joked, taking the steps two at a time. A mad dash for the line of TIE's ensued, his eyes locking on to the fighter ahead - his assigned TIE. It was going to be close, the Seoulian's TIE was a full two bays closer than Tycho's. With luck, his longer legs would allow him to get to his fighter before the man caught up - time would tell. Looking back would only slow him down - instead he ducked low, placing his hands on the railing just above his cockpit and dove in feet first. He had to have made it first, right?

Kim Dae-Hyun | Masayu Kimura​

 

[Kim Dae-Hyun]

Deek rolled his eyes and leaped over the MSE droid as well; they entered the hangar in a state of controlled frenzy. "She did it on purpose," he bit back at Tycho Desyk, his eyes narrowing slightly. Dae was happy to let Too Tall take the lead, and to favor the people he pushed out of the way with apologetic looks as he followed in Desyk's reasonably unobstructed wake. Let them fill Desyk's flight locker with machine shop shavings. He hauled himself up the steps after Desky and sprinted down the line towards the TIE fighters.

It was nothing to drop into his TIE; he quickly strapped in and began running through his pre-flight checklist. When he settled his helmet on his head, he patched into their fighter group communications. "Nice of you to finally join us, Desyk," he said, counting on the fact that his colleague would have been patching in around the same time. "I wonder what happened down there?" he said, referring to the chaos that had greeted them in the hangar below. "I don't remember the last time I saw such a mess."

Masayu Kimura | Tycho Desyk​

 

[Tycho Desyk]

He had one strap fastened, another hung loose at his side. The rapid click and whir of switches and dials being flipped and turned echoing in the small compartment until they were drowned out by the steady hum of the engines coming online. Almost as an afterthought, Tycho reached for his previously discarded helmet, slamming it down on his head to get to his comms. He could already hear a voice coming through, static distorting much of it. Slapping the side of his helmet with an open hand, the static flaring before dropping off and he could again hear clearly. Damn.

"I wonder what happened down there? I don't remember the last time I saw such a mess."
​

The Seoulian had one thing right - the hangar below was a helluva mess. "I couldn't tell ya, someone is gonna pay for that though." Scanning his instruments and running a final diagnostic, his screens lit up green across the board. As the final indicator was illuminated the TIE pilot keyed up again on the flight comm. "Oscar One Delta, Green across the board." Once the remainder of their flight had checked in, the Flight Lead would give the order - if they made it that far. Fixing the rest of his straps, Tycho began double checking all his equipment.

Masayu Kimura | Kim Dae-Hyun​

 

[Masayu Kimura]

The absolute state of chaos in the corridors of the Redoubtable was jarring. It was exactly why when the Commander entered the mess of the hangar, a scowl of disbelief had painted itself across her features. A hurried technician passed, a quick "Sir." before proceeding. Maz scanned the hangar. Aside from what appeared to have been an overturned cart the hangar looked how you might expect. People moving, droids rapidly stowing gear, technicians hastily removing fuel lines and stashing toolboxes. Certainly not the orderly and efficient manner in which the Commander expected but it was improving. Especially since last week. she mused. The klaxons sounding general quarters had died down but combat lighting remained, now the sound of TIE engines and other machinery taking its place.

The Commander had arrived just in time to see a pair of pilots rushing up the metal catwalk above and dive into their fighters. At least they seem to be on top of things she thought to herself, following slowly in their wake. Looking down into their open hatches she could see each pilot clearly, their systems coming online, even as she walked past a few of them she could feel the wash of the twin ion engines engage below her. It was good to see their pilot corps hadn't been slacking. Farther on she peered down, into one of the fighters. A quick glance at the datapad mounted on the catwalk revealed the pilot below to be an O-2, "Dae-Hyun". Ah, the royalty. she noted. A member of the royal family, volunteered to service as Seoul had come under the expanding wings of the newly rebirthed Order. His service was somewhat high profile - Maz had recalled seeing it in her security briefings. It was a surprise they were even letting him be a pilot. His skill was reported as above average but a position where he could directly be exposed to combat? She couldn't say there was a lack of chutzpah.

Moving onward, her footsteps took her past the next few stalls, pilots below actively engaged in prepping their fighters. The next datapad identified an O-1. Desyk. A wry smirk tugged at the corner of the Commander's lips. One of my troublemakers. she silently thought. Less than perfect record but high marks when it came to piloting. The flight was a strange bunch, thrown together out of necessity rather than a logical collection. She'd be curious to see how her pilots worked together when they finally did begin their training maneuvers.

Tycho Desyk | Kim Dae-Hyun​

 

[Kim Dae-Hyun]

"Oscar Two Delta, I am green on all systems," Dae echoed as he checked off his final item and stowed his datapad. He reached up to pull his cockpit hatch closed, only to see Commander Masayu Kimura looking down -- either at him or the datapad on the catwalk. His blood immediately ran cold; had she heard the jokes he and Too Tall had been cracking about her, uh, stern nature? He quickly pulled the hatch to and locked the latch before he could find out why she was there.

It was a few moments later when the signal to launch came. Dae piloted his TIE Fighter out of the hangar, rocketing into space at rapid speed in formation with his brethren. He wondered what the next steps were, keeping one eye on the radar and the other on the viewport. "Oscar Two Delta, standing by."

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

Niance Kinniak, a spacer from the Core gave her family quite the surprise when she left their cozy corner of the galaxy for the Unknown Regions, her older brothers Oly and Ben would help her when and where they could. Big sister Frielle? Wouldn't even look at her. Mom? Much the same, neither of them could understand her decision. They were so eager to keep fighting anything that came in the form of an Imperial. Which made her laugh, especially since half of their family line were Imperials. She had graduated from Carida but put in a transfer to the First Order as soon as she was able, it wasn't until after she was in a pilot training program in Victoria that her grandmother Fiolette was even aware that she was on Dosuun.

She liked to keep it a secret as to who she was - but rumors and scuttle quickly flew the moment she started her training. Then somehow, someone, figured out who she was related to and it made life even harder. But what was life without some adversity? "Oscar Three Delta, I am green on all systems." Running readiness drills had been part of the week and every time they reset Niance had to wonder what would go wrong next. The overturned cart was one thing, and it made her wonder what the deck chief was going to do with the maintenance crew. Deck chiefs weren't ones to toy with at last, in her experience anyway.

Tycho Desyk | Kim Dae-Hyun | Masayu Kimura​