The Corulag Maneuver

[Cassius Droma]

The white and green painted A-wing entered the atmosphere of Corulag, heading towards the capital city of Curamelle. Cassius Droma had never been to Corulag before, and was glad that he hit it during good weather so he could actually see it. With the attack on Coruscant becoming further and further away in memory, the Core was starting to feel a little calmer. While there was still a refugee crisis, traffic had normalized out, and Cassius didn’t hear what sounded like a constant drone of transport signals whenever he entered a new system.

He’d been contacted by Dammon University in order to consult on an object that had been found at a recent archaeological dig. Some of the markings were foreign to even their top experts, and since it appeared Jedi in origin, they had decided to contact a Jedi archaeologist. While it was something he tried to do more often, Cassius was glad he was being recognized for his work on something he considered a passion project. They were even offering to pay him for his time as well – that was a bonus.

For this little excursion, he’d decided to leave his beloved Stardust Melody behind, opting instead to take his A-wing out for a spin. It had been awhile since he’d flown it, and had found himself yearning to be behind the controls of a starfighter once again.

Easing into a traffic pattern around a Curamelle spaceport that was close to the university, Cassius was very quickly given a docking bay number that was within his size class. He dipped the wedge-shaped fighter into the spaceport and began taxing to his designated docking bay.

As he moved along the route, something caught his eye – another A-wing. This one was a little different than a run-of-the-mill RZ-1 or even RZ-2 like he had. A smile broke across his face: was that a trainer model? As luck would have it, his docking bay was right next to the older-designed ship. The three landing gear popped out from the bottom of Cassius’s A-wing as he set her down, and the maglocks set her in place.

Hopping out of the cockpit, he removed his helmet and sat it in the seat before closing up the canopy and securing it with a magnetic lock. Instead of a flight suit, he was wearing his typical Jedi garb, but it was different and simplistic enough in design to be mistaken for just usual low-class clothing. His boots hitting the ground, Cassius spun on his heel to take another look at the A-wing he had spotted.

Silver and red, classic. It looked relatively well-cared for: this wasn’t just someone’s ship for fighting. No, this was someone’s hotrod. His hand hovered over the sleek curves as he slowly walked around it, a warm smile on his face. Part of him wanted to touch it, but another part feared what would happen if the pilot came back and found him ogling their craft. Cassius imagined himself in the reverse – he certainly wouldn’t want someone drooling over his starfighter.

Oh, the memories that poured back, though. He flashed back to Rinn, his homeworld, where he had been but a lowly patrol pilot before discovering his Force-sensitivity. Their starfighters had been painted blue and white, to signify the frozen wastes they came from. The paint scheme itself was similar… but what really took Cassius back was the fact that it wasn’t just an ordinary A-wing – it was a much rarer trainer model. The hours that Cassius had logged into one of these things, learning how the ship moved, memorizing every instrument… the first time he truly experienced freedom in the skies and in the darkness of space. He’d made his first hyperspace jump in one of these.

With a sigh, Cassius returned to full height, his grin fading into a smile as he headed towards the terminal for the spaceport. Maybe he’d head to the local bar and grab a bite to eat – he’d arrived a little early with the express purpose of exploring the planet a little bit before heading to Dammon University. He tossed a glance back over his shoulder at the trainer model, and briefly wondered who the pilot was, and whether he would be able to spot them like he used to be able to. A-wing pilots were a certain kind of breed, that was for sure.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

The problem with only owning a starfighter was the constant need to pull back from space and return planet side.

While her vessel had a little more room than many fighters, being that she'd acquired a training model, it still wasn't suited for living in. Sure it held all of her worldly possessions, of which there were obviously very few, but it required constant refueling, restocking, and didn't give her much in the way of basic necessities. There was a reason they were deployed for shorter missions and battles, typically working alongside a larger ship. She'd been forced to hit every planet along the route since leaving Coruscant, though there was nothing new there. Once or twice, prior to coming to the Core, she'd managed to hitch a ride on a larger vessel which could accommodate Solitude, it had allowed her to get all the way along the Corellian Trade Spine in record time, but here she wasn't quite so lucky.

And in truth, she was kind of grateful for that fact. It wasn't every day she got to see new planets, and as of late she'd seen more than she cared to count. Still, it was becoming rather costly. Maybe next time she hit a junkyard she'd try and find a sizable upgrade, though then she'd have to worry about where she'd park this old girl. Wasn't as if she had any need for a ship so large it could fit her in its hangar, after all. In fact, she had no need for a ship with a hangar at all.

That would require a crew. The very idea made her shudder.

Kal had been tinkering with a control box behind the pilots seat, crouched out of sight, when the all-too-familiar sound of her ship docking drew her from her work. Perplexed, she peeked her head through the viewing port only to find another had landed at her side. The colours were different, heck the model too, but it was another A-Wing alright. Not something she saw every day... In fact, she couldn't recall the last time she had seen another.

The sound of feet right outside of her vessel had her frowning, though by the time she closed up the console and gathered what few things she'd be needing on Corulag whoever it was had already begun to walk away. With a soft hiss the cockpit opened and Kal jumped out onto the ships sleek exterior, decked out in a bright orange flight suit the likes of which were reminiscent of Rebels long since gone. If any even cared to remember that time in history. All that remained behind was the helmet, but that had been off for some five minutes by this point.

Hopping down from the craft, and landing with slightly bent knees, she ran a hand over the hull of her ship and glanced over the crowd. Most were focused on where they were going, but one... One glanced back her way and seemed to stare directly at her ship. His attire didn't fit with the white-and-green vessel at her side, but there was definitely a familiarity in his gaze during those few snippets of time their gazes clashed.

And then he was gone, off to whatever destination he was after.

Pulling out a rag from within her flight suit, Kal cleaned a little grease from her hands and let out a soft sigh.

"Time to see if Corulag's gonna be a kind mistress," she muttered. No doubt she'd need to finish a job or two here in order to afford to move on down the Lane.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Just as Cassius looked back at the A-wing he had been admiring, he caught glimpse of what he could only assume was the pilot. She was easy to spot with the bright orange flight suit, as if she had jumped straight out of a historical holo about the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War. When their eyes met, he gave her a small nod, one of kinship. She would hopefully be able to deduce that he was the pilot of the other A-wing. As a crowd of people passed by though, blocking his view, he decided to move on, deeper into the spaceport. Something told him that if the woman wanted to speak with him, they’d find each other.

The restaurant complex inside of the spaceport was a good size, with a bar area and places for spacers, pilots, and passengers to sit, eat, and mingle. Maybe it was due to just having seen an A-wing that brought back so many memories, but as Cassius stepped inside, he couldn’t help but think about all the watering holes he and his old squadron used to visit while they were on shore leave. There hadn’t been many – just the space stations and sparsely populated systems that they patrolled near Rinn. Each time, though, Cassius had to be the responsible one, the one to scrape one of his buddies off of the bar and carry them back to their patrol frigate.

He missed those days. The laughs, the stories, the clinking of glasses together… all those sounds echoed in his mind as he chose a seat. It was in a corner with his back to the wall, and he could see all of the entry and exit points in the room. Call him paranoid, but Cassius Droma was not someone who liked to be caught off-guard. He’d had too many fights in the past to not be apprehensive.

Using a built-in datapad at his table, he ordered some Ansionian string pasta with Endorian chicken. After he inserted a few credit chips, he was informed that a server droid would be along soon. Sitting back in his seat, he sighed as he looked around.

It was hard to get those memories out of his head. He’d once been a dashing fighter pilot, but he’d traded a blaster for a lightsaber, and flew a freighter instead of a fighter now. Even Jade Squadron, his little side project, was inactive for the time being. Maybe he’d have to change that soon.

His mind went back to that pilot in the hangar. Who was she? Where was she going? How did she get a hold of a trainer A-wing, and why in the world was she flying it? Part of him wished he had stayed in the hangar to talk about it, but just like before, he just knew that she would come find him, if she really wanted to.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

It always struck her, when first she stepped foot on the ground following a journey through the void, just how hungry she got.

Not the kind of hunger that could be satiated by rations, but a pure, primal sort that ravaged her body and made it to where it was all she could think about. Did others feel similar? Did others bother to travel larger swathes of space in nothing but a starfighter?

As she stepped into what was effectively the spaceport's food court she was reminded again of the man from the white-and-green A-Wing. Had he done similar? Journeyed down from Anaxes or some place equally close by? Somewhere that was just shy of a days travel down the lane? Or was he part of a larger fleet, a rogue fighter pilot who simply had to break away to feel the ground beneath his feet again?

Nothing quite beat that. You could walk around on fancy ships or spacestations all day, but touching real soil? Feeling the pull of genuine gravity, and breathing real air, as opposed to the artificial sort? It made her breathless just thinking about it.

"Red chooss, please," she ordered as she sidled up to the bar and took one of the many spots along it, for once ordering a variant from her usual green. Why not spice it up a little? People did it with alcohol, she could do it with... Well, whatever they put in that drink. All she knew was that, in most places, she liked it.

A lot.

"Oh, and grab me a shili cheese dog. Don't forget the slaw!" The latter was added as the server walked off to make note of her order, awkwardly spoken a little louder than she might have liked.

"Great, now the whole place knows you're into slaw."

At least she'd come to a place that actually served shili cheese dogs. She hadn't had one since Coruscant, and that felt like an eternity ago now. Likely because of how long she'd been forced to spend on Grizmallt after her ship tried to disintegrate. The fact that she was space worthy at all was genuinely mind boggling at this point.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

His order came quickly, in the form of a small black paper box with wooden chopsticks perched on top of it. He nodded to the server droid in thanks, but the red-and-silver automaton was already wheeling away, likely not programmed with too much cordiality in order to keep efficiency up. Cassius opened the box and watched the steam billow out. Taking hold of the chopsticks, he stirred the pasta and chicken, letting the spicy sauce seep in.

Just as he was about to dig in, however, he felt a sudden sense of foreboding. A tremor in the Force. Looking up, the first he spotted through the crowd was a bright orange jumpsuit – the A-wing pilot from before. She wasn’t the source of the tremor, but something told Cassius that she was at the center of it. The young Jedi took a cursory glance around the restaurant complex, but didn’t see anyone that looked overtly suspicious. After all, this was where a lot of people came onto the planet. Suspicious characters were everywhere.

Deciding to not let the feeling pass, Cassius stood and began to walk over to the bar area, taking the box with his food as he was still hungry, after all. He’d gotten in a few bites before he slid into the empty seat on the woman’s right. His body was facing her, with his elbow resting on the bar. He tried to seem as casual as possible.

“Hi there,” he gave her a nod, poking at his food. “I saw your A-wing in the hangar bay – trainer model, very nice. I used to train on them when I was a patrol pilot.” He popped a piece of chicken in his mouth before chewing and swallowing. “I had the RZ-2, if you saw it.” Another pause before asking, “Are you with the local security forces, or are you just passing through?”

That sense of foreboding still hung in the back of his mind, as if someone was watching them. He tried to reach out with the Force to see how many blasters were in the room… too many to count. Any one of them could be assassins, bounty hunters, or hired mercenaries.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

As she sat there, waiting for her order to arrive, Kal was struck by the sensation of being watched.

The tiny hairs on the back of her neck began to stand to attention, and when she turned to glance over her shoulder she saw a few things that seemed out of place. A few stray eyes set her way, down-turned once they realized they'd been spotted, the reflection of a pair of eyes in one corner of the room, trained on the bar, and --

"Here you go, you can pay right there."

As the employee walked off to greet another guest, she turned her attentions away from the uneasy feeling in her stomach and instead glanced over the chit accepter built into the bartop. The interactive screen flashed with the price of her meal, extortionate compared to some other places she'd had similar, and with a huff she paid what was due.

The nagging feeling didn't let up, but another distraction presented itself and soon enough she turned on the spot to see Mr A-Wing himself on the stool next to her, chattering away like they were old friends. She supposed they were kin in a way, not many folks had ships like theirs these days.

Taking a sip from her glass she waited for a break in the conversation, smiling somewhat uneasily though it wasn't actually directed at him.

"Nice to meet a fellow A-Wing appreciator," she offered, tugging down the hem of her sleeves slightly to try and counteract some of the heat in the food court, the top half of her flight suit giving way to her more casual attire beneath. Nothing impressive, just a grey tank top. "Not apart of any fancy group, no, just passing through on my way down the 'lane. Nice ship, by the way, a real beauty. Haven't seen those colours in quite some time."

Not aware that the man was also getting a feel for the room, Kal glanced over her shoulder once more and found the same eyes trained on her. Her jaw seemed to stiffen in that moment, and she pushed the glass away from the edge of the table in anticipation of... Well, what she could not say for sure. But she had her guesses.

"I'm Mara," she casually interjected, turning her sights back to him in an attempt to cease the nagging concern, "The old girl's my Solitude. Glad you stopped by, was kind of hoping you might."

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

He was thankful that she was open to a conversation. Some people weren’t like that these days – always in their datapads or worried about where they were going next. To be quite honest, Cassius was like that a lot of the time, but finding someone else in the galaxy who flew the same ship as you… he couldn’t pass that up.

“Thanks,” he said in response to the compliment on his vessel. “The colors are from the old squadron I used to lead up: Jade Squadron. Haven’t flown her in a while, though.” He doubted she’d ever heard of it. They’d only flown a couple of missions and training exercises before he’d stepped away for a bit to focus more on his archaeological studies and Jedi training.

She had mentioned that she was just passing through… was she mostly living out of her A-wing? That was strikingly similar to how Cassius first traveled around before finding the Jedi Order… hopping from place to place, station to station, eating and re-fueling before heading to the next stop. Perhaps this woman was a more kindred spirit than he originally thought.

The woman had visibly tensed after looking around the room another time, and Cassius quirked an eyebrow as she slid her glass across the bar. He still tried to play it casual, continuing to eat his meal. Something told him that he might not be able to finish it, however.

She gave her name, and in return, he gave his. “Cassius,” he spoke, “and I never pass up the opportunity to hash out stories with an A-wing pilot.” Her naming of her vessel made him realize that he’d never named his. It wasn’t something he was used to, naming his fighters. His freighter, no problem, but his A-wing… it hadn’t crossed his mind.

That foreboding feeling started to close in. Someone was making a move.

Staring down at his food, Cassius casually asked, “You in some kind of trouble, Mara?” He looked up at her to gauge her reaction. The Force was giving him a very strong vibe that in just a few moments, he was going to need his lightsaber… or just to not have his head in the same position it was at in this very moment.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

Mara was beginning to feel skittish. While the A-Wing pilot, Cassius as he'd called himself, was providing her with some sort of mental buffer, the atmosphere within the room had started to shift and she knew it wouldn't be long before the tension snapped, for better or for worse.

"What had you flying her?" she asked, returning her attention to him and doing her best not to let her eyes stray too much. Perhaps it was someone she once knew, possibly even a member of her old crew, but then she doubted if it was the latter they'd waste much time before coming over to say hello. Likelihood was they were all dead by this point, a thought which did not help her current mood.

"Nice to meet you, Cassius. It's been a while since I had company along the 'lane, even if only for a short time. Can I get you a drink?"

And then she noticed it, from the corner of her eye, one of the men who had been watching her was no longer in their booth. Not someone she recognized, he looked rather brutish and she could see the hint of a blaster under his outer coat.

Apparently Cassius had picked up on her anxious state.

"Not that I'm aware of," she muttered in return, though being this far into the Core did mean there was more chance of her being spotted by bounty hunters and the like. It had been so long since any had tried to cash in on her bounty that she'd almost forgotten she was wanted at all.

One hand drifted down from the bar, reaching for a pistol of her own, though for now she didn't unholster it from her belt. Instead her fingertips brushed the smooth metal in anticipation.

"You might want to step aside," she told him in all sincerity, moments before the brute drew his weapon and Mara rose from her seat, her blaster aimed squarely at the stranger's head. Both were locked in place, staring down the barrel of one another's weapon.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

“Just felt like flying her,” Cassius said. “I’ve been missing the closeness of the cockpit… not to mention the pure, raw speed you can kick it to when breaking orbit.” He peered over his shoulder to a rather shadow duo shrouded in cowls and helmets. Their beady eyes pierced through the crowd to them. They weren’t particularly doing anything… just sitting, arms crossed.

She offered to buy him a drink, and he dismissively waved his hand. “I think I’m good for now, thanks,” he smiled politely. Didn’t want the bartender to go through all of the trouble in case they suddenly had to make a break for it… which it seemed was becoming more and more likely.

He picked up the pace on his food as the tension in the room started to build. If a fight was going to break out, he didn’t want to have to leave the meal he’d just paid for.

Cassius followed Mara’s gaze to the approaching man, and quickly glanced down to her waist as he noticed her reach for her blaster. Slowly, the young pilot placed his empty paper box down on the bar, pressing his palm against the luminescent surface. His fingers were spread wide, and they shook ever so slightly. A casual observer might see it as him trying to restrain himself, but it wouldn’t be further from the truth.

This was all about concentration.

All at once, the hulk of a man drew his blaster, and Mara to meet him, the scraping of metal on leather and charging tibanna packs cutting through the sounds of light conversation around them. The bar fell eerily silent, with everyone watching in anticipation as to what would happen next. A few patrons close to the exit bolted, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire. Glasses clinked back onto tables. Others slowly reached for their own weapons in case they needed to defend themselves.

Cassius stared straight at the man holding a blaster to the head of his newfound friend. Within a few moments, the bounty hunter’s finger would start to shiver, and then completely start to shake as it came off of the trigger, no doubt causing confusion. The Jedi then started to work on the wrist, trying to move it up and to the left – hopefully the blaster would be pointing up at the ceiling rather than Mara’s forehead.

“Not to sound like an echo,” Cassius said, not taking his eyes off of the attacker, “but you might want to step to the side.” He couldn’t guarantee that his freezing stun effect would work a prolonged amount of time on the man’s arm. Not to mention the fact that there were no doubt others around them that wished them harm.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

The remnants of their conversation fell to the wayside as the establishment came to life.

All around her Mara could sense the shuffling of bodies, hands reaching for drinks, or weapons, persons fleeing the general vicinity. She couldn't blame them because she wanted to do the same, despite being stuck in the epicenter of it all. Or perhaps due to that very reason. She wasn't typically one to shirk away from such events, it was often interesting to watch a scene play out. And if she could learn something from the moment then all the better.

It was something all together different being the one staring down the barrel, though.

Somehow she managed to hold her arm steady. Finger on the trigger, safety already off, breathing regulated so as to avoid too much in the way of recoil, Mara seemed a little too calm given the circumstances. Though to one such as Cassius it might be obvious that beneath the surface the opposite was more likely true. Her mind had gone into hyper-focus mode, even as anxiety and adrenaline kicked in.

And then something strange happened. Her antagonist released his finger from the trigger and soon enough his blaster was pointed toward the ceiling. All she could do was blink in confusion, though the words of her fellow A-Wing pilot drew her from her dazed state and set her into motion.

Before the second man could round on them Mara bolted to the left, where a whole series of booths and tables with dividers separating them lay as the perfect cover. She turned once in place, aiming straight for the second guy, and before she could be completely certain if she'd hit her target she loosed one quick bolt - straight at his kneecap.

Killing wasn't necessarily her style. She didn't need a higher bounty, she simply wanted to get away with her life.

And maybe Cass'.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Mara moved quickly, not questioning the super-natural help he was now giving her. All for the better, as well – time spent gawking at his abilities would be more time for them to get smacked with a blaster bolt. As soon as the redhead passed, his left hand flung out, palm directed towards the man he had in his grasp. The kinetic blast lifted the man off of his feet and sent him flying about ten meters back until he hit a table. After all, if he had simply let go of the man, he’d just fire at him. Couldn’t have that.

Cassius chased after Mara, dipping to the right as a blaster bolt screamed by his head and exploded into a pillar next to him. Vaulting over a booth, he landed next to Mara as she bipped another bounty hunter in the kneecap. The hunter howled out in pain, and Cassius winced only slightly as he felt it through the Force. Better than leaving a burning hole in their chests… and it was also a great shot.

“Whoever you pissed off, I hope it was for the right reasons!” Cassius yelled out as yet another hunter came after them. Letting loose another powerful push attack, the helmeted hunter crumpled backwards, the wind knocked out of them for the time being. Whatever he’d gotten himself into, he could only hope he was on the right side. From the way the Force was leading him, he was certain that this woman was one of the “good guys”… at least, so he hoped.

The Force worked in mysterious ways.

“The hangar!” Cassius shouted as he headed for the door, blaster bolts still pelting around them. He rounded the doorframe and pressed against it for cover; he grimaced. It was a straight shot down the corridor to the hangar – if they ran it, they’d get shot in the back for sure. There wasn’t too much cover, and even if they did stop to take cover, it would just allow more time for other potential hunters to close in.

Time to use his own system of cover.

Reaching to his belt, Cassius retrieved his lightsaber, and with a deep thrum, the emerald blade sprang to life. If Mara ran ahead of him, he could cover them from behind – provided he could run backwards without tripping.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

For her part, Mara did not bother to stop and check whether her shot landed.

After her initial dive behind the divider she kept moving, crouched low yet moving at a surprisingly spry rate. Panic ought to have washed over her, and a couple of years ago or heck even months ago it might have but interactions with certain space demons had really put things into perspective. Nobody was sinking into the upholstery, or emitting red smoke of rage, this was all blasters and slugs, and that was something she could handle.

She really hadn't been paying enough attention to what Cassius was doing to realize he was borne from the same bread as those nightmarish men, everything had happened much too quickly for her to know he hadn't actually touched any of them. There was no time to pause and watch, though as she strafed a stray bolt she couldn't help but briefly glance back in order to ensure her fellow A-Winger was still alive and close at hand.

Which he was.

He yelled something in her direction, though amidst the sound of gunfire she didn't put much stock in actually listening for each individual word. As the pair of them headed for the exit, however, one word was made abundantly clear. Hangar.

The very idea of any of those fools shooting up her ship made her blood boil, but given the circumstances it was definitely the closest area once they left the establishment. She didn't say anything, though she did follow after him when he made his move, the air around them lit up by bolt after bolt.

Kal sucked in a sharp breath, moments before she rounded the corner and pressed back against the wall just as Cass had. One hand lifted up, feeling a ginger spot on the right of her chest, just below the collarbone. She was about due for that sting, she supposed, as she glanced down at the burn where the bolt had struck.

"Chit," she muttered, under her breath, her right arm feeling a little numb and heavier than usual, "Good job I'm a leftie." Her words were accompanied by a chuckle though it was a little lifeless and forced. Leftie or not, having her right out of commission for the time being wasn't at all helpful.

Her pain seemingly vanished, however, at the sight of what Cassius drew into his grasp. "Woah..." She blinked once, then twice, realizing that she was eating up precious time yet unable to stop herself from staring all the same.

"That can't be real...."

A few more bolts drew her gaze up from the lasersword and without looking back down the hall they'd just come from, trusting just get gut, she reached her arm around the corner and loosed a few quick shots. Just as quick as she did, she drew her arm back, and heard a yelp as at least one of the bolts struck flesh.

"We gotta move, Cass..."

But putting their back to fire wasn't a wise idea, and nor was facing them.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

He shot Mara a concerned look as he saw the burn mark on her collarbone. Luckily, his master had just taught him how to heal wounds. As soon as they were able to shake these hunters off, he would hopefully be able to take a look at it. Strangely enough, these bounty hunters were using non-lethal bolts… she was worth more alive than dead, apparently. Lucky for her… not so lucky for him. He was just some guy in the way.

With his lightsaber humming in his ears, Cassius felt more centered, more calm. Hours upon hours of training came crashing back into him, and the Jedi tightened his grip on the hilt of his weapon. This wasn’t like before. He was no longer a brash young pilot who’d happened to find a lightsaber in a cave, or even a Jedi who was losing his connection to the Force. Cassius Droma was a well-trained Jedi, one that could take out a few bounty hunters.

He gave a curt nod as Mara expressed the obvious – they needed to get out of there. “Start heading for the hangar bay. I’ll cover us,” he told her, and stood square in the middle of the doorway. Immediately, blaster bolts started to scream his way, and with robotic-like speed and precision, brought his lightsaber up to meet every single one. He even managed to deflect a few so perfectly that they bounced back to their origin, making the shooter take cover.

Back pedaling, Cassius made sure that he moved at a good clip while still keeping his guard up. If even a single blast got through, it could spell disaster. Eventually, he was able to put enough distance between them and the hunters that Cassius was able to break into a full spring next to Mara, saber still thrumming in his hand.

The hangar bay had a little buzz of activity to it. Some were simply trying to get away from the firefight, whereas others knew that the trouble would only bring by authorities that they really needed to dodge. Either way, ships were taking off left and right, and the commotion only got worse when a lightsaber was seen.

He began to make his way to his A-wing, shouting over to Mara. “Here’s my comm frequency!” Cassius dug into a pouch on his belt and tossed her one of the many comm chips he carried. It should be able to directly interface with her A-wing. “Contact me, and we’ll be able to keep track of each other when we’re in the air!”

Deactivating his lightsaber and putting it back on his belt, he stepped onto his A-wing and opened the canopy. He stole a glance over his shoulder at the hangar entrance. The bounty hunters were still giving chase, no doubt to get to their own ships and fighters when they see the pair take off. A small smile quirked at Cassius’s lips. In A-wings, they’d be able to fly circles around whatever the hunters threw at them.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

Even as she stood there, moments after being shot, she could feel the effects of the burn begin to lessen. While there was no visible change, already Mara could sense the pain begin to dull. Her arm still felt heavy, though, as though it was lacking real circulation, which worried her. Not as much as getting the heck out of dodge did, though.

"You're crazy, Cass!" she yelled, over her shoulder, as she broke into a sprint toward the hangar bay which held their beloved ships. "A laser sword" she muttered to herself, during that time, as she heard blaster bolts fizzle against the energy of his weapon, "Of course he has a damn laser sword!"

All around her was chaotic. People shied back, ran to their own ships, hastened to put their illegal tender away, as she passed by. Her blaster was still firmly in her grasp but at this point shooting backwards would actually be more detrimental to Cassius than her pursuers. Luckily enough he soon caught up with her, throwing her a frequency chip, and as they both leaped up toward the cockpit hatches of their archaic vessels.

She didn't say anything else. It was difficult enough getting herself settled in place, helmet on, straps buckled, without conversing at the same time. The ship began to hum with life, just as the bounty hunters made it into the hangar, no doubt searching for ships of their own or ones to commandeer, and as soon as she was prepped Solitude lifted into the air. She felt certain a tool or two had been left behind, but hopefully it wasn't anything she couldn't easily purchase again.

The ship jolted, as she kicked it up a notch and veered it toward the exit.

"Time to see what you can do," she encouraged the ship, as though she hadn't already pushed it to its limits - which she had, numerous times - moments before she shot out of the hangar and into the city beyond.

Once she was airborne, she punched in the frequency and tried to establish a connection to the green A-Wing. Part of her hoped that just by hopping into their ships they'd shaken off their pursuers, but she knew they didn't live in an ideal world.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Blaster fire continued to pelt their position as Cassius put his helmet on and the canopy slid over the cockpit, hissing closed and sealing. With a flick of a switch, the deflectors came online, and a blaster bolt pinged harmlessly off of the hull. Next were a series of switch-flipping and button pushing, skipping over a majority of pre-flight checks. As a former fighter pilot, he had to be ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.

Within moments, he had lifted up in the air, and he could see that the bounty hunters had now given up their foot pursuit and were heading to their starfighters. They weren’t out of the woods yet.

Not bothering to exactly follow the taxi lights, Cassius shot out of the hangar, staying low but trying to get out of the city. The buildings would provide good cover, but it wasn’t worth the potential loss of civilian life. There was a large body of water nearby… if they could get to that, then they could easily maneuver whatever these guys had.

Incoming comm frequency. Accepting it with a meaty button push, Cassius spoke, “Mara? This is Cassius, you read?”

Already, he was configuring his radar and targeting systems. Mara’s A-wing was marked as friendly, while a small cluster of signals trying to keep pace with them were signaled as enemy fighters. Looked like a half-dozen hodgepodge of different fighters and small two-man gunships. A few had locked onto him specifically.

Banking hard right, Cassius kicked his thrusters into gear as he took the tightest turn he could possibly make around a building, leading into the less populated suburban zone towards the water. Climbing as well, he came about a full three hundred and sixty degrees. Hoping the maneuver had shaken his tails for a moment, he leveled out and sure enough, he was able to target onto one of the hunter’s starfighters. His console beeped in affirmation as the target locked on.

Red plasma blasted out his laser cannons and pelted the starfighter, absolutely tearing it to shreds and nearly incinerating the chassis, leaving smaller bits of harmless debris to bounce off of buildings and rooftops. Hitting the boosters again, Cassius gained more speed, hoping to lead the group even further away from the city. Laser cannon fire of all colors whizzed by him, but his rolls and deep pitching maneuvers kept him clean.

The lake came up fast, and as soon as they would get over it, Cassius would completely switch his tactics from defensive to offensive.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

With deflectors up, the first bolt which struck her ship fizzled into nothingness; alerted to their continued pursuit, she veered off to the left rather sharply and used the onboard sensors to track the series of ships which shot out of the spaceport.

One of them, soon identifiable as belonging to Cassius when their connection was established, made a complete tangent away from the cityscape they were currently firing overtop of, and though it had her lag behind a little she pushed the throttle and tried to close the gap. Those ships, a mixture of starfighters and smaller transports, were left in the dust.

The difficulty she had initially catching up with her fellow A-Wing only solidified in her mind that he was already trying to outrun them. Which made more sense than trying to outgun them, that was for certain. With the connection established, and a little space between them and their pursuers, she finally spoke up.

"Cassius, this is Mara. Do you copy? I count nine ships in pursuit."

What the feth was nine plus mercenaries doing risking their necks for the like of her? Surely her bounty was insignificant when compared to most, she was a small time outlaw, minded her own business for the most part. It didn't make sense, unless there was more to it.

Following his lead, after all Cassius was more used to flying as part of a squadron than the solo-Kal was, she found herself suddenly forced to turn. A series of large laser bolts zipped past her viewing port, from both friend and foe, narrowly avoiding collision with her ship, and when the mercs came into view she loosed several of her own. A couple of the ships had already bit the dust, Cass having landed a particularly splendid shot, but that still left them outnumbered.

With the lake beneath them, and the cityscape distanced, she rolled her ship to the right - avoiding stray bolts in the meantime - and veered around, targeting one of the larger ships.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Mara’s voice came over the comm crisp and clear. “I copy, Mara,” Cassius said, stealing a glance at her A-wing over to the left. She noted how many hostiles there were, and Cassius’s brow furrowed. “Nine…” he whispered to himself, not loud enough to be heard over comm. He looked back at his radar readout. Sure enough, there were a few more ships heading in their direction that he hadn’t tagged yet. With a few taps, they two were marked by the ship’s advanced targeting sensors.

“Got em. We’ve got a lot of boogies on our hands…” Cassius said over comm, his voice laced with apprehension and yet excitement. He hadn’t been in a scrap like this in so long… it was sure to be exhilarating.

After completely vaporizing one of the smaller starfighters, they had made it over the lake which would cause the least amount of collateral damage as possible. Climbing upwards, Cassius tried to get a good amount of distance between him and his pursuers. A particular ship was nipping right at his engine exhaust, somehow able to keep up with his maneuverability. That would have to be remedied…

At the peak of his climb, Cassius tipped backwards and looped right back down, facing a few of the fighters that had been chasing him. The one on his tail had followed his trajectory almost perfectly and was lining up another shot. Immediately, Cassius engaged his missile lock and targeted one of the ships in front of him. At the same time, he engaged the servos in his laser cannons and had them swivel one hundred and eighty-degrees backwards.

Firing both at the same time, the laser cannons punched through the fighter following him, and a concussion missile seared out of his launching tube and straight into one of the fighters in front of him. He shouted out a yelp of excitement as he soared down through the cloud of smoke and debris he just created, pulling up just before the water and skimming it.

“Hey Mara,” Cassius spoke into his comm, weaving back and forth to avoid more laser fire coming his way, “can you fly in a consistent waving pattern?” He jerked his controls, rolling out of the way of a strafing gunship. “If you can, I can fall into your pattern in the complimentary direction – like a helix – and we can cover each other’s sixes that way.” Hopefully, they would be able to knock off a few fighters on each other’s tails with this maneuver.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

"Easy... Easy..."

The ship in her sights was flying haphazardly through the skies, something the girl was quick to put down to unfamiliarity with the vessel itself. While it must have been a pain for those inside, it was equally frustrating for her targeting systems which were constantly trying to get a full lock on.

When the moment came, however, Kal did not hold back.

A barrage of laser bolts zipped through the air between them, faster than the mind could truly comprehend, and as the dust settled debris flew over her ship. Some pelted the cockpit hatch, bouncing off the disruptor shields in the process. She pulled up then, climbing higher over the lake with the City far away in her peripheral.

Eyes darted briefly to the sensors, and as a ship caught her tail she pulled to the right and let her Solitude roll, avoiding the bolts which were released her way. The sound of Cass' voice reminded her that one among the fray was friend not foe, and after deducing which ship on the readouts was his she marked him as such and began once again to follow his lead, reorienting herself after the engagement with the freighter.

"Aye," she said, in swift response, without any hesitation, "I can do that."

She'd never had to pull off such maneuvers alongside another before, though that was something he likely understood by this point. After all, he already knew she'd never flown as part of a squadron.

"I count five remaining," she told him, as she dipped back on herself and rounded to face the fighter haphazardly pelting bolts her way, though after loosing a missile she was quick to correct herself.

"Make that four."

By this point she was lined up pretty well with the green A-Wing, having finally made her way back around to his own trajectory after the mini-wild goose chase, and as requested, she began to alter her flight path, quickly finding her rhythm.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

They were fairing extremely well, considering the odds prior to their takeoff. Nine versus two? Not many pilots would take that chance, even the more experienced ones. With a former squadron leader and a talented pilot both in superior A-wing interceptors, as well as bit of the Force on their side, they had managed to even the odds considerably. Even out in the open, where the fewer numbers would have the least advantage, they were tearing through the bounty hunter’s ships.

Only four left – it would be a piece of cake, now. Cassius had asked his wingman if she could start to perform a weaving pattern, and she confirmed that she could. As Mara began her maneuver, Cassius took note of the starfighters that had gotten onto her tail. This was exactly what the technique called for.

“Alright, Mara – I’ll set ‘em up, you knock ‘em down, and I’ll take care of the ones behind you too,” Cassius rolled out of the way to avoid more laser fire, and positioned himself slightly above Mara’s path.

It was called Beam Defense Position, and it involved two pilots weaving together so that they could intercept any following craft. In its most basic form, the two pilots performing the maneuver would take out one craft, but Cassius had found that during his days as a patrol pilot scrapping with pirates and raiders, it could be used to take out a third of a squadron before they wised up.

As Cassius flew to get into position, there was one starfighter and a larger gunship on his tail. He waited for the right moment, when Mara was turning, and he executed a hard banking turn. The paths of the two A-wings looked like they would meet, but there was enough space that they would merely pass each other. Looking up, Cassius could see the starfighters following Mara. He quickly targeted one, and right as the two A-wings turned into each other, he had a clear shot.

He pulled the trigger, shooting deadly laser bolts at the starfighter right on Mara’s tail. If everything had gone right, she would have a clear shot of the one behind him, as well. The starfighter popped into a cloud of dirt and debris, and Cassius twisted one hundred and eighty degrees before pulling up, turning away with his ventral stabilization fins just barely gracing the fire and smoke he had created.

Another run like that, and they were sure to have the skies clear.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

It seemed as though when they began the weave their pursuers fell into place, almost as though they belonged within the formation.

In that moment, Kal could fully understand why it was that starfighters tended to fly in squadrons rather than solo as she had been used to all these years. The way in which the two of them glided through the air, moved in unison even if they were at one another's opposite, was gratifying to say the least, and as she followed their pre-planned trajectory she heard the blast of laser bolts and felt the air hum and ripple as the ship on her tail was blown to smithereens.

Around the same time, she lined up her own shot. There wasn't exactly much room for error, as soon enough the two of them would pass one another once more and it wouldn't be until they completed the next leg of the weave that they'd get another shot. She punched the cannons into action, and readied herself to roll when the gunship she'd targeted lit up and started to choke out black plumes of smoke. While it wasn't quite the instant demolition she'd seen from the starfighters, the ship was most definitely a gonner.

She rolled to the right, just enough to remove herself from its flight path, before watching it spiral out of control and smash into the body of the lake. Pieces had already begun to fly from its hull, but impact with the water had it rolling something fierce before it all but exploded into more pieces than she cared to count.

Still, they had the remaining two ships in hot pursuit and if they didn't want to lose their edge they'd have to fall back into formation. Thankfully the bounty hunters didn't seem to have wised up to their plan just yet, but if they gave them too much time to observe the weave she had no doubts that they would catch on.

[member="Cassius Droma"]