Want a Starfighter, I'll give you a Starfighter.

[Ecarht Arak]

Want a Starfighter, I’ll give you a Starfighter.

• 23rd Systems Force Corsucant Assignment
• SD Tantalus
• Briefing room.

Chatter around the room.

“Flight Chief on Deck!” The briefing's deck officer called. Silence reigned, everyone sitting up to attention.

Briefing room of a Star Destroyer was as you would have guessed, tidy, boring and grey. Screen at the front, seats going up toward the back. The only thing that made this one different from hundreds of others out there, was in it sat the OS Top Guns, the Gladiators. Twenty Two of the best pilots you’d ever find anywhere. Dominant personalities playing off each other, here and now they were silent and focused.

Fourteen for active duty assignments, eight on active reserve, meaning they were on call if needed, and so sat in on the briefing.

Datapads passed around, Ecs skimmed it. Rolling around her holopointer in her hand to highlight details, she put it between her teeth, and bit down. An ace squadron like this, the atmosphere was completely different, the level of training so high that you could hear a pin drop, as 22 tactical geniuses analysed what was given to them. In Arak’s case, she took it all in, in minutes, and then was bored, looking up. She wasn’t the only one able to work that fast, waiting till the Flight Chief got started.

 

[Sere Reene]

Sere Reene entered, her tail(s) slipping and sliding, matching her nonchalant hiss. Finding seat near the flight chief facing the pilots, our hybrid played her usual waiting game, minus the spice stick as someone had confiscated it. Waiting for all her usual looks of surprise or disgust which didn't come... because most of the Gladiators weren’t distracted easily at all, even by her.

Everyone listened to the FC talk about mines, asteroids around them, a pirate base they hadn’t been able to pinpoint, an unknown amount of hostiles. Trouble was those pirates had just stolen a shipment of prototype mass driver cannons, which meant trouble if they got away with them. Nobody else was close enough to secure them in time, the group was returning to coruscant and they were still in neutral space when they’d got the call. Having only just reached the Sith’s border.

Seere’s tongue hissed wistfully listening, casually not caring given her nature. Hearing the signal to speak, “Fire For Effects Technique will now speak a few words.”

And so she did, telling them of the weapons strengths, weaknesses, tips and tricks only she would know, only ending with the obvious. “It is’sssss imperative we recover’ssss this’sss sss’shipment of canons’sss.” Because she liked her guns, and people stealing them, almost made her feel something, almost. Guess she could always just build another cannon! Typical casual Sere, worlds could end and she'd just plod along behind them.

 

[Ecarht Arak]

No Bantha Fodder genius she felt like saying, but bit her tongue. Scuttlebutt said Alliance Flarg’s by the thousands were gearing up to jump on them any week now. Briefing room mood was sombre as they read off more of the mission, realities settling in. They. She. Needed those guns.

The flight chief took back the podium. “Just one more word. Not going to sugar coat this,” he took off his visor to look them all in the eyes, “You’ve all heard the reports, it is as bad as it sounds at Dulvoyinn.” Flight chief giving her it straight. “Chances are we are going to need those guns. So get it done.”

“Dismissed!” The Deck Officer called out, and left a room of stunned pilots, only just hearing the news confirmed of the loss at Dulvoyinn and the alliances continued push forward. Stunned pilots who got up, followed their training and got ready to get that mission done.

 

[Ecarht Arak]

No banter getting ready. Aces all. Double checking of suits, following routine, getting in the zone. kissing tags or whatever routine they had to prepare themselves, few quiet words to a picture of loved ones. Lockers slammed close, sidearms clipped on. Real people behind those helmets. Easy to call an navy sith and just forget about the hundreds of thousands behind the guns. Clones, Individuals, and Droids.

Up to the new prototype fighter, she climbed the steps clipped to the side. Setting herself in for the preflight. Single seater, sleak as they came, bristling with guns and style. Ecs liked this baby. A helluva lot. Flipping switches, feeling out her controls. Seat was comfortable, made for a change as her butt was plonked down. Raising her thumb to signal she was ready for the safety harnesses to be pulled away. Like sweet black chocolate, this was her baby.

"Gladiator Seven, boards green, preflight complete." Just having to add, "Sweet ship sarge"

"Clear comms seven." the Flight Sgt told her, in all too familiar authoritative tone of voice.

 

[Ecarht Arak]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z760BHqhKoM


Thrusters engaged to leave their deck, nose raised and pitch leveled. Blasting out the back to velocity to leave their hanger bay, 12 of them headed out, escorting one stealth bomber behind them all. Checking altitude till she cleared their deck toward the black.


“Standard Diamond Formation by flights.” Their Flight Chief called. Nobody needed to be told how they usually approached, tight and close together. Aces keeping tight because they moved and broke with such breathtaking precision, it was usually a wonder they didn’t hit each other when it happened.

Toward asteroids, where they’d been told breaks in the mines occurred, friggin obviously an ambush from their pre flight briefing. Diamond formations moved to echelons smoothly, in a long flanking diagonal line across the front of the field. There it was as predicted, spikes of energy detaching from behind the 'roids.

“Inbound Hostiles, 10 O’clock High.” Her flight lead called out, comms clicking on and off.

“Rookies.” Someone else answered, because they’d broken and come to them…. stupid leaving their advantage like that, overconfident.

"Counting.... 4, 12, 16.... Make that two squadrons, 32." Her flight lead recalled.

Okay, maybe not so stupid after all. More than 2 to 1 odds against, yeah, they obviously had no idea who they were frellin dealing with!

 

[Ecarht Arak]

Hello sweet thing, she banked her baby side to side, time to see what her girl could really do!

Soaring upward, basic combat break applied to the squadron as they moved to engage at their angles of approach, splitting off to "take twos at a time". Their Flight Lead called, obviously he didn't feel these pirates were up to taking on the glads

How good you are... rebelbutt.

Ecs had two coming right for her. Slamming on reverse thrusters, engaging simple wingover turn quarter loop low, followed by sharp raise of her nose. They began to follow her down, only to have her come up under them. Tight, a high degree turn with brakes slammed on! Often made rookies lose their lunch from the g force! No G’s outside, inside there were plenty! Putting herself 180 and climbing up, vertical…. resulting momentum meant they could get the lock.

Chaingun cannons now blazing away ripping up the pirate's underside! "Smooth as they come!"