"Attention!"  Denethor, the most senior squadron leader, ordered as Japheth entered the briefing room.

"As you were."  Japheth said as he marched in sharply.  In the middle of the room, one of the Admiral's aides was fastening the last connectors into the corresponding slots of the holoprojector.  A moment later, the projector sputtered to life.  The admiral reached over to take the controller from the aide and began the presentation.  "Imperial intelligence has recently learned that the New Republic has started manufacturing a new prototype main battletank and two new models of ground based anti-capital ship systems.  We also know that the NR has planned several new research projects and prototype developments in an effort to restrengthen its perimeter.  From intercepts receieved from one of our regular scout and reconnaisance patrols, we have been able to determine a rendezvous point for the first shipment of these prototypes from the recently built New Republic facility."  Japheth pressed a button on the control and the the image changed into a small planetary system.  Turning a page in his briefing notes, the admiral continued:

"From the information collected, our understanding is that the New Republic will be sending a large convoy of the prototype weaponry from its facility to be receieved for installation and review.  The location of the research and production facility is unknown but the rendezvous point for the convoy is.  The convoy leaving the facility will arrive near Metiock VII, a small, quiet system away from traditional imperial interception points.  There, the convoy will meet up with an escort and will head towards its delivery destinations.  We believe the New Republic is sending an escort as the convoy will have to pass near disputed areas in order to reach some of the delivery destinations."  Japheth continued.  He pressed a series of buttons and a few moments later, several coordinates and a fleet where shown on the model.

"Any newly designed equipment could significantly alter the status quo, particularly in regards to the ability of imperial forces to engage in ground assaults in the future.  Therefore, it is paramount that we attempt to disrupt the delivery of these prototypes as much as possible.  The mission of the wing will thus consist of two parts.  The first part will involve ambushing the convoy at Metiock VII and destroying the New Republic escort.  During the attack, the accompanying taskforce will attempt to capture an enemy transport in order to find the location of the actual facility.  If we are able to find the location, the second phase of this mission will be an assualt on the facility itself before a second shipment can be produced.  Any questions so far?"  Japheth asked, looking out at the pilots assembled in front of him.

"What type of ships will the taskforce be comprised of sir?"  Shazam asked.

"For the initial ambush, the flagship for the taskforce will be the ISD Coruscant commanded by Captain Marcus Falensarano.  The Coruscant will be supported by the Interdictor Cruiser Anvil, the Corellian Corvettes Sting, Blitz, and Hammer, the Carrack Cruisers Griffin and Warhammer.  If we are able to launch phase two of the strike, the taskforce will be joined by the modified Strike Cruiser Inferno."  Japheth replied, illuminating each ship on the projector as he went.

"Admiral, which fighters have you assigned to squadrons?"  Denethor called out.

"Nazgul squadron will be flying shielded TIE Interceptors and will be tasked with space superiority duties.  Aegis squadron will have Assault Gunboats and will be tasked with destroying the convoy and any capital ships in the escort while Kaph squadron will also have shielded TIE Interceptors and will be escorting Aegis."  The admiral replied.  "Any other questions?"  He said looking around.

"Did intel have any information on what type of ships and fighters will be in the escort force and how many fighters we can expect to arrive with the convoy?"  Chipmunkman asked.

"Intel indicated that from their analysis of the transmission, it appeared to be a standard convoy with slightly elevated security.  This means that they will most likely have a squadron of fighters travelling with the convoy while the escort will likely be comprised of as many as two or three additional squadrons plus Corellian Corvettes and possibly a Nebulon-B Frigate.  We would expect the fighters the be of the X-Wing and A-Wing class."  Japheth indicated.

"Are we expecting the escort to arrive first and if so, will destroying the capital ships in the escort take priority over the convoy?"  Shazam asked.

"It would make sense that the escort would arrive to secure the area before the convoy arrives.  Assuming that is the case, as we have an Interdictor Cruiser, fear over escaping ships is not a concern.  Therefore, capital ships in the escort will be the first target followed by the convoy itself."  Japheth answered.  "Is there anything else?"  He asked one final time, quickly looking around but seeing no one.  "Excellent.  The Taskforce will be leaving the fleet in two hours.  I have made three shuttles available to carry you and any of your gear that you need though try to keep it down to flight bags and any other flying related equipment.  The fighters are all onboard the Coruscant as we speak so you can make your pre-flight checks as soon as your arrive.  Good luck ladies and gentlemen.  Dismissed!"  Japheth ordered.  With that, he took his briefcase and marched out of the room flanked by guards and his aides.

(OOC: I just made a small change that you should take note of.  The taskforce leaves in two hours, our fighters are on board already, and shuttles are waiting to take us to the Coruscant.  Enjoy everyone!)

(OOC from Japheth: I'd like to encourage you all to make each post at least 300ish words long, roughly half a page in MS Word. Remember to spellcheck and such and make sure your posts make sense before posting it (reading it over, possibly aloud to yourself, before you post it is a great idea). Otherwise, have fun!)

-----------------------
XO/ESN Corran "Arturus" Hargraves/Nazgul 2/Phoenix Wing/M-SSD Atrus/VE/VEN/(=A=)(=SA=)(=*MA*=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)[MC:1](x2)[SV][BRC][VC:B][LSM][LoC]


"The way of war is a way of deception. When able, feign inability; when deploying troops, appear not to be. When near, appear far; when far, appear near. Lure with bait; strike with chaos. If the enemy is full, be prepared. If strong, avoid him. If he is angry, disconcert him. If he is weak, stir him to pride. If he is relaxed, harry him; if his men are harmonious, split them. Attack where he is unprepared; appear where you are unexpected. This is victory in warfare; it cannot be divulged in advance. Victory belongs to the side that scores most in the temple calculations before battle. Most spells victory; least spells defeat; none, surer defeat. I see it in this way, and the outcome is apparent." -- Sun Tzu

Leaving the briefing room, he headed in the direction of his quarters.  He was glad he had spent most of his time in the flight simulator.  For the first time in his life he would be piloting a ship designed to kill.  Just piloting a ship was cool enough, but shooting at the enemy for the first time overloaded him with excitement put him in a haze.

He arrived, opened the door and fought off Zeke, his baby Nexu.

He walked straight towards the closet with Zeke still hanging off his pant leg and started packing his things.  He knew he was lucky that he had more than one suit.  He packed his flight gear and decided to take his tactical manual.  He checked the clock, 15 minutes till he had to board the shuttle.

He started roughhousing with Zeke and got into a full-scale brawl.  Zeke was winning the whole five minutes.  He commanded Zeke to stop, and surprisingly, he stopped.  He got up, ordered his protocol droid to feed Zeke at the appropriate time, collected his things, and headed out the door.

Xynen wondered if Zeke was the runt of the litter since he was small for his age.  It didn't matter; Zeke was very friendly and made a good companion.  Xynen had seen improvements in Zeke's rambunctious behavior after he started vigorously training Zeke.  Zeke knew where to go to the bathroom, knew how to sit and stay.  He decided to get new upholstery when Zeke stopped chewing on the furniture.

He arrived 3 minutes early and got into his assigned position in the flight.

 
-----------------------
FM/LCR/Xynen/Nazgul 8/2-4/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE
(=A=)

  Hunter left the briefing room shortly after it had ended. He had first walked over to Jaden, since Chipmunk was in conversation with one of the newest recruits, and asked a few questions about the mission. As he walked down the halls, he saw movement off to his left as Adar Reepulled up next to him. "Hello Adar. Anything that you need?"

  "No, I'm just a little excited for being on my first mission. Aren't you?" he asked.

  "Yeah," Hunter replied without little emotion.

  "Sounds it." Adar responded. "You're just nervous. Aren't you? That's why you're not talking much."

  Hunter turned his head to the side and looked at Adar as he continued to walk down the halls. "I'm not nervous. If I die out there today, then at least it was for a good cause. I don't have anything to really live for anyways."

  Adar looked at him with an odd expression. "Well I'm nervous."

  "I can tell," Hunter stated.

  "Oh really, mister know it all. This is my room. I'll see you on the Coruscant. And when you are making tactical decisions with my life, seeing as you are my flight leader, please know that I don't feel like dieing today." With that, Adar entered his room, and Hunter continued on his way.

  I guess I shouldn't have told him that. Oh well, I've never been good with people anyways. Not since& Hunter entered his room and walked over to his closet. He pulled out an extra flight suit and gear. Throwing them on his bed, he grabbed a datapad off of his terminal table and began to read a file to pass the time. So, Aegis is in control of gunboats huh? Sounds fun. I've only flown them a few times before, but those were in simulations. I guess I should be excited like everyone else about our first real mission, but I'm not. That's just like you Ridley. Always being a loner and pretending not to care about the galaxy.

    Looking at his chronometer, Hunter grabbed his gear, put the extra flight suit inside the bag, and left his room. Once he had arrived at the hanger bay, he saw a few of the other members of his squadron standing around Chipmunk. Walking over, Hunter heard Chip say, "We'll just wait for the other three to arrive. Ah, there's Hunter."

  Hunter nodded. They only had to wait another minute until Gemini and Dr. Mallard joined them. "Now that we are all here, let me say a few things about the mission.  Our main objective is to destroy the escort ships. The Corvettes and such. We will be guarded by Kaph squadron from the enemy fighters, but be prepared to deal with them if you have to do so. That is mainly it. You heard what Japheth said. Now get on the transport. We're leaving." The group walked across the hanger bay and entered the transport. A few minutes later, it lifted off the ground and exited the hanger.

 
-----------------------
=Aegis-Squadron=
FM/LCRW Hunter/Aegis 10/Pheonix Wing/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE (=*A*=)

After the briefing, Darius went his own way and almost disappeared from his squadron.  This wasn't uncommon behavior though.  After his little fiasco at Kessel, Darius became more of a loner then ever.  He ate at odd hours, went to bed early, and could always be found at the sims, the training center, or the shooting range, doing drills by himself.  What worried everybody, was that after his re-trial, not one single word was heard from him.

When everybody board the shuttle that was transporting them, he was the first one on by five minuntes.  Darius found himself the darkest corner and settled himself in.

When Shazam boarded next, he didn't know what to say the man.  As usual, Darius was hauling more weaponry on a mission than the average stormtrooper.

Finally, Shazam found something to say before everyone else boarded, "you look like you're hiding something."

Darius unzipped his flight suit, and revealed an armored chest plate.  "You never know," he said with a cold, emotionless tone.

Shazam decided to leave it at that, and stood up and left the transport to stretch his legs a little more.

Soon enough, everybody else was on, Art following behind, making sure everybody made it.

The evident tension in the compartment eased at the shuttle slowly lifted off of the deck and carefully flew out of the hanger.

The short transfer was an awkward silence.  Nobody seemed to know was to say.  Darius referred to this as the silence before the storm.  Everybody was nervous and scared.  No matter how much one could deny, they'd only lie if they said they weren't scared in battle.

When the shuttle landed in the Coruscant's hanger, Darius broke the silence, "did I ever thank you guys for rescuing me?"

Confused and unsure glances were exchanged in the compartment, and DJ replied, "no."

"Thanks," announced Darius.  He then walked out of the shuttle, not waiting for any response.
 
-----------------------
Feed a womp rat a food ration, he'll want an energy stim. Give him an energy stim, and he'll rip your throat out.

----------------------
FM/SCRW Darius Pursius/Nazgul 3-2/mSSD Atrus/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE (=A=)

The shuttle ride to the Coruscant was brief.  Within fifteen minutes, the shuttle had made its way to the taskforce's flagship, landed, and the squadron had disembarked.  Once in the hanger, a pair of crewmen brought Nazgul's gear to the appropriate place while the pilots walked over to their waiting interceptors.  Each of the Nazguls took time to examine over the new interceptors, ensuring that all systems were operational and everything was to their liking.  When he had completed his check, Art handed one of the maintenance crew a list of a couple of items he wanted adjusted before they took off.  After going over it to make sure the instructions were clear, Art joined up with the rest of the squadron who were sorting out their gear.

"Where do you want to do the briefing boss?"  Art asked Shazam.

"There is a temporary area set up for the pilots who transferred over from the Atrus for this mission.  We may as well go there and group together in one of the corners to go over a few mission notes."  Shazam suggested.  "Everyone, store your flight bags on your fighters, grab your flight suits, and we'll meet in the area reserved for us."  Shazam instructed.  When everything was stowed away, a young petty officer guided Nazgul to the section prepared for them.  Inside was a small kitchen area and two dozen tables.  Shazam ordered the squadron into the far left corner and began to the briefing.  "Alright everyone, the admiral's briefing was pretty indepth so I have only a few notes for you."  Shazam began.  "The most important goal for us will be to intercept the fighters from the escort before the fighters accompanying the convoy arrive.  Since we have an Interdictor Cruiser, it is logical that it will be the primary target of any X-wing squadrons that are with the escort.  Therefore, the X-wings will be our primary target.  Any Republic interceptors will be going for the gunboats and it will be up to Kaph to deal with that threat."  Shazam instructed.  "The other important thing to keep in mind is that all of the flights are not at full capacity so some members do not have wingmates.  In flights where this is the case, make sure you don't strand people out in the open on their own.  If necessary, attack in threes rather than the usual twos but with the number of fighters we are expecting to come, anyone out on their own is in serious danger."  Shazam continued, his face rigid and his voice emphasizing the necessity of this instruction.  "Are there any questions?"  Shazam glanced around but saw none.  "Keep relaxed, the taskforce will be leaving in less than an hour.  Once it leaves, suit up and stay close to your fighters.  Ensure you are strapped in and ready to launch no later than half an hour before we arrive so that any final problems can be dealt with prior to the mission.  At ease everyone."  Shazam ordered.  The squadron dispersed and several went over to the makeshift kitchen to grab something to eat.

Art sat down at one of the tables and put his feet up on a chair.  His body was almost back to a healthy sleep level but he still found himself nodding off on occasion due to the large amounts of lost sleep he had experienced from the last two ground missions and another bout of stress.  He set his datapad to sound an alarm ninety minutes before launch and then he closed his eyes to get some rest.

Almost as soon as he had closed his eyes, it felt, the alarm went off and Art jolted for a second before switching it off.  Stretching, he looked around and saw the pilots of all three squadrons suiting up, their expressions neutral as everyone was thinking about the mission ahead and the dangers of combat.  Art openned the bag he had with him and pulled out his flight.  He quickly put it on, save for the helmet, and strapped on his gunbelt over top of it.  He wouldn't take off the belt until he was in the cockpit preparing to launch.  When he was done, he quickly conferred with Shazam, Jack, and Jen about the mission and then made his way with the others towards his fighter.

Twenty minutes later, everyone was in their fighters checking over the systems and waiting for the taskforce to finally arrive at their destination.  The planning had indicated that it should arrive ten minutes before the rebel escort, giving all of the ships time to move into formation to protect the Interdictor.  Art finished strapping his gear in and then slipped on his helmet.  He despised wearing the flight suit but the helmet was the worst part.  The helmets were clearly not designed with any form of comfort in mind.  Maybe that was to ensure pilots don't fall asleep Art thought to himself as he slid it on and checked the pressure gauges for the oxygen system.  Preparations completed, he took a deep breath, tried to relax, and stared out at the streaks of light in deep thought as the ship rumbled through hyperspace towards the ambush point.  It was only a matter of time before the mission was underway.
 
-----------------------
XO/ESN Corran "Arturus" Hargraves/Nazgul 2/Phoenix Wing/M-SSD Atrus/VE/VEN/(=A=)(=SA=)(=*MA*=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)[MC:1](x2)[SV][BRC][VC:B][LSM][LoC]


"The way of war is a way of deception. When able, feign inability; when deploying troops, appear not to be. When near, appear far; when far, appear near. Lure with bait; strike with chaos. If the enemy is full, be prepared. If strong, avoid him. If he is angry, disconcert him. If he is weak, stir him to pride. If he is relaxed, harry him; if his men are harmonious, split them. Attack where he is unprepared; appear where you are unexpected. This is victory in warfare; it cannot be divulged in advance. Victory belongs to the side that scores most in the temple calculations before battle. Most spells victory; least spells defeat; none, surer defeat. I see it in this way, and the outcome is apparent." -- Sun Tzu

The first time he had ever done an actual pre-flight check was the one he was about to do. 

Xynen didn't want to miss anything that may cost him his life, so he checked and rechecked more than a few times.  Everything was in order and calmly said under his breath, "Pre-flight check completed, everything is a go."  He wondered if he said that right as he was initiated to.

He was more excited about the mission than afraid of it.  The only thing he feared was being stranded out in the open with no backing.  He knew he was a good shot and was quite adapted to the simulators but also knew he was a very inexperienced pilot.  He would have to not screw up or it would definitely cost him his life.  He decided he would follow his wing-mates wherever they went as so not to get stranded.

He wondered what Zeke was going to do to his new protocol droid C3-RZ.  He would probably have to take it to the repair shop when he returned.  He determined when he returned he was going to get one of those GV/3 Guardian droids as a playmate for Zeke; or maybe another Nexu.

He wondered which one he was going to get until they arrived.  Then he dismissed it out of his mind.

 
-----------------------
FM/SCR/Xynen/Nazgul 8/2-4/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE
(=A=)

(OOC: Sorry to post an OOC but it was important.  Demonic, it actually was made explicity clear what craft you will be flying.  Only the Navy High Command gets to fly their personal fighters, pilots fly the fighters assigned to their squadrons.  Therefore, there is no option here, you will be flying an Interceptor like the rest of your squadron.  Secondly, we transferred over to a different ship, your personal fighter would still be on the Atrus.  Please edit your post accordingly.)
 
-----------------------
XO/ESN Corran "Arturus" Hargraves/Nazgul 2/Phoenix Wing/M-SSD Atrus/VE/VEN/(=A=)(=SA=)(=*MA*=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)[MC:1](x2)[SV][BRC][VC:B][LSM][LoC]


"The way of war is a way of deception. When able, feign inability; when deploying troops, appear not to be. When near, appear far; when far, appear near. Lure with bait; strike with chaos. If the enemy is full, be prepared. If strong, avoid him. If he is angry, disconcert him. If he is weak, stir him to pride. If he is relaxed, harry him; if his men are harmonious, split them. Attack where he is unprepared; appear where you are unexpected. This is victory in warfare; it cannot be divulged in advance. Victory belongs to the side that scores most in the temple calculations before battle. Most spells victory; least spells defeat; none, surer defeat. I see it in this way, and the outcome is apparent." -- Sun Tzu

Gemini nervously studied the control panel in front of her. Her hands grazed over the dashboard. Her ship was the moment on autopilot, guiding her towards the expected battle.
"This is Hunter over" cracked Hunter's voice suddenly through the headset loudly.
"This is Gemini over" she responded automatically.
"All going good? I am making a check-up on every one"
"Should I be honest?" asked Gemini
"Shoot" came Hunter's voice over the small speakers slowly as if he knew what ever Gemini will say next might be bad news.
"I have never flown a gunboat before" she stated bluntly.
"Gemini you ju---CRAP! ----" Gemini's facial expression turned confused as Hunter cut their communication link short. Her unasked question was soon answered as blasts threw her of course.
Instinctively she grabbed the steering stick to gain the balance of her ship. She stole a quick glance at her radar. A x-wing close behind her. She flicked the deactivation switch for autopilot to continue her flight alone without help.

She franticly looked through her window for anything suspicious that might become a cause why she will die.
"Dammit"
She swerved out of the Aegis's formation to get rid the annoying pest of a fly behind her. She jolted her stick towards her, making the ship fly ninety degrees upwards. Almost immediately she turned it another ninety degrees, she turned the ship from it's downwards position upwards, now facing the exact opposite of what she was flying in the formation.

She readied her laser canon, but to her surprise there were no x-wing trying to rob her of life. Instead an interceptor of the Kaph squadren hung almost suspended in black endless space, as if he was trailing her.

"Gemini, get back in formation, we take care of the corvettes, the Kaphs take care the x-wings, got it?" came Jaden's angry voice through her ears.
Gemini didn't reply, as she instead manoeuvred her ship to her previous position.
"This is Kaph two callsign: Demonic, to gunboat five, what were you doing out of formation like that?" Gemini shook her head surprised at the voice that clearly didn't belong in her squad.
"My mistake" she responded, she shifted her clammy hands to a more comfortable grip on her steering stick.
Well I didn't do to bad on steering my ship, she noted to herself. She cursed at her self for getting so easily distracted as the Kaph ship shot down another x-wing as it shot at Gemini's gunboat barely missing. Gemini sighed relief, she appreciated life, and she intended to stay alive.
"Squadron, first Kaph ship, forty-five degrees right of Aegis one" came Jaden's voice, Following the other's example Gemini turned her ship forty-five degrees to the right of Jaden's ship. She saw them increasing their already bullet-fast speed to almost lighting-like speed.

Before they could even get nearer, a squadron of x-wings flew in fron of them shooting expertly at them in hopes of winning. Gemini relaced this time though surprising her self, as blasts lounged from behind her ship to the X-wings.
Moments later an interceptor joined the shooting from above. Gemini stole quick glances to it amazed at the skill the pilot possessed. She plunged forward in the battle, praying she would be able to deliver a better performance then she giving now.

"Guys, lets take the speed up a bit, you heard what Falensarano said earlier" Jaden sounded serious though he was still having the time of his life.
That guy really enjoys flying, or he was just to cooped up in his office to long...

(OOC: Everyone forget that there are 2 squadrons of A-wings going for Aegis and that I already wrote that the X-wings broke away to make torpedo runs on the Anvil with Nazgul moving in behind them to engage?)
 
-----------------------
XO/ESN Corran "Arturus" Hargraves/Nazgul 2/Phoenix Wing/M-SSD Atrus/VE/VEN/(=A=)(=SA=)(=*MA*=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)[MC:1](x2)[SV][BRC][VC:B][LSM][LoC]


"The way of war is a way of deception. When able, feign inability; when deploying troops, appear not to be. When near, appear far; when far, appear near. Lure with bait; strike with chaos. If the enemy is full, be prepared. If strong, avoid him. If he is angry, disconcert him. If he is weak, stir him to pride. If he is relaxed, harry him; if his men are harmonious, split them. Attack where he is unprepared; appear where you are unexpected. This is victory in warfare; it cannot be divulged in advance. Victory belongs to the side that scores most in the temple calculations before battle. Most spells victory; least spells defeat; none, surer defeat. I see it in this way, and the outcome is apparent." -- Sun Tzu

Darius just evaded blaster fire that shouldn't have even been there.  He thought he'd help the new rookie, Corwin, out in his first battle ever, while Jen and DJ paired up.  So, upon taking the new arrival under his wing, he thought it would help take him out of his loner slump he was in.  Now, he regretted it, thinking maybe it would have been safer leaving him at the Atrus.  Corwin was darting around in manuevers that were almost getting Darius killed.

"Nazgul Eleven, this is the last time I'm going to tell you!  Stop dicking around and get your head in the battle!  That's an order!" commanded Darius in an angry tone.

"Come on Dar.  These guys can't hit the broad side of a muju storage barn," replied Corwin.

"Can you?  Now get back in formation with me!"

"Whatever, sir," Corwin sassed back.

Darius thought to himself: I'm gonna break both of his arms if I live to see them again. 

For the moment, Corwin was behaving by staying in formation.  "Alright Nazgul, bring it together.  The X-wings are 5 kilometers away from the interdictor."

Darius was on top of things now.  He was locked onto a Rebel fighter and his trigger fingure was slowly coming down on it when his TIE suddenly careened off two his left.  The last thing he saw before losing control was Corwin's TIE making a nose dive in front of him, slicing into the invisible shield barrier, and missing an X-wing with a laser burst by 50 meters.

The stars became streaks, and Darius' mouth was raging with curses.  The TIE intercepter was spinning out of control wildly, and the pilot within was struggling to gain control.

"Nazgul ten, do you read?" Shazam said, hoping his comrade was still alive.  He let off a burst, crippling another X-wing, and tried again.  "Nazgul ten, to you read?"

Slowly, the bucking TIE regained control, but came to a halt.  When Corwin collided with his shields, the system overloaded, flooding circuited with harmful amounts of electricity.  The com, shields were gone within seconds.  The lasers couldn't be powered above fifty percent, and the flight stick was now sluggish.  Fortunately, the engines were fine, along life support.

Darius put the engines to a halt, and burst out of his flight seat, ripping the small utility box off the wall, and tearing off access panels, hoping he can fix the problem before the NR pilots noticed he was a sitting duck.

Meanwhile, the rest of Nazgul was trying to decided how they were going to handle the situation.

"What do we do, Nazgul 1?" asked Jen.

"Nazgul Flight three, detach from the group and protect 10," commanded Shazam.

Jen and DJ broke off from the fight, hurdling towards Darius' position.  Corwin almost killed Jen, trying to fly into formation.

Darius was racing against time.  He was patching the leaking hydrolic fluid, which was causing the steering problem.  The com unit was completely fried, and the shields had to reboot, which would take at least five minutes.

He could only hope to live, to see tomorrow.
 
-----------------------
Feed a womp rat a food ration, he'll want an energy stim. Give him an energy stim, and he'll rip your throat out.

----------------------
FM/SCRW Darius Pursius/Nazgul 3-2/mSSD Atrus/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE (=A=)

Jaden kept the bulk fighter in formation, waiting for the missile lock on the Corellian Corvette.  The targeting redicule shown a yellow, and the monotone beeping kept getting faster.  A few seconds later, the redicule turned red, signalling a missile lock.

"This is Aegis 5, missiles one and two go," said Jaden

The two red streaks shot off towards the marked target as Jaden got ready to fire his next round.  Hunter and Gemini were late getting their missiles off, but they eventually got the hang of the gunboats.  The rest of the new recruits and a few veterans in the group gave it a go, and their missiles were right on target.  A few moments later, Chip came up beside Jaden and Hunter.

"Guys, we need to keep tight in formation.  When we are engaged by those A-wings, everyone split from Jaden and I.  We will keep on the correct path to make sure that you new pilots don't get lost out here.  We are lucky to have a flight of interceptors with us, or we would be sitting ducks right now.  If, or when you get in trouble, just look to me and Jaden and catch up to us as quick as you can.  Keep switching in between the frigates and the bulk freighters and get those shields down.  Once the shields are down, everything should go smoothly from there." said the veteran pilot, and Aegis Squadron Commander Chipmunk.

"Affirmative," said Jaden

The targeting redicule went red again, and Jaden unloaded two more missiles.  Just after his, he saw about 40 more unload from the rest of the gunboats.  It was a rare sight to see Aegis doing so well, with most of the new recruits not even knowing how to pilot a gunboat to their finest abilities.

"Corellian Corvette #1's shields are down.  Start hitting that hull with all we got, but make sure we don't waste missiles on an over kill.  Each missile shoud take down 5% of the hull, so make sure we only unload about 20 missiles." said Jaden

The next volley was just as successful as the others, and within moments, Jaded could see the escape pods from the Corellian Corvette shoot out of their holding.  They looked like little white specs spilling out from the corvette.  So many lives at hand that managed to save themselves.

"Escape pods are away on Corellian Corvette #1, it's going down," said Jaden, "Aegis Squadron, change targets to Corellain Corvette #2, and watch for those A-wings.  They are about 2 klicks away and are sure to engage."

And that is just what happened.

Kaph squadron pilots from flight 2 were quick to react and engage the A-wings, but it was a full squadron.  The gunboats looked hesitant in their formation, as the new pilots weren't sure of what to do.

"Just keep your composure people.  Let your shields do some of the work, and if you get under too much pressure, pull away and let one of the interceptors take the heat off of your six." said Jaden.

"Harder than it sounds," said Hunter

"This is Kaph Flight 2 leader, we have our hands a little full here.  Nazgul, can you let a few of yours loose to help the gunboats on our end?" said the Flight Leader

"Jen, you, Darius, and DJ get over there.  Aegis needs our help if we want to get those Corvettes down." said Shazam

"We are currently being engaged, but when we are finished we would be glad to give Aegis the support," said Jen

"Thanks for the help," said Jaden, "Good to fly with my old flight again"

"Same on our side, be there soon," said Jen

Jaden kept checking between his targeting computer and his systems panel to make sure that everything was running alright.  Gemini looked like she was falling out of formation again, but she was quick to recover herself.  Mallard and Geth started letting off their next volley.  Jaden and the rest had already began theres, when the worst was at hand.

"This is Kaph Flight 2 leader, we are taking heavy damage.  The A-wings are giving us more than we asked for," said the flight leader, "Aegis, you better watch yourselves until Nagul gets here, we are overwhelmed."

Jaden checked his targeting computer.  4 of the A-wings had broken off of formation and were coming right up on the tail of the squadron.  They would easily take the shields out and force Aegis to go down.  But that wouldn't happen.

"Aegis Squadron, Break!" yelled Chip
 
-----------------------
Jaden Khaar
Vast Empire
=Aegis-Squadron=
Rising out of the Ashes of the past, fighting for the Glory of the Empire of Future- Phoenix Wing Motto...

SXO/SCPO Jaden Khaar/Aegis-5/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE (=*A*=) (=*SA*=) [VC:S] (SV)

(OOC: Aegis, remember in addition to the corvettes there is a Neb-B and light Mon Calamari MC-40 Starcruiser)

Art let out a long sigh in frustration when 3 flight was ordered to peel off in order to help cover Aegis.  So far nothing to date was going right for them it seemed.  The three members left of flight 1 raced towards the lead X-wings in a desperate effort to scatter them before they launched torpedoes.  With the taskforce arranged to protect the Anvil from the escorts that came with the convoy, the interdictor was a sitting duck for the X-wings.

"Nazgul 3, pull away from my wing a bit.  We have to scatter all three of the X-wings."  Shazam ordered.  Raddon acknowledged and rolled to his left to widen the gap.

Art looked down at the panel and watched the distance close quickly.  According to the one minute warning Shazam had gave, the X-wings were now just fifteen seconds from being in range.  The guns of the interdictor were already firing at the X-wings though they fighters were too far out of range.  They are preparing for a salvo Art thought, pleased that that captain of the interdictor was on his toes.  The distance closed within two kilometers and Art quickly locked onto the X-wing on the right.

"Fire!"  Shazam ordered and on cue, the three interceptors unloaded salvos at once into the rear of the X-wings.  Immediately, all three broke off and began to evade as the interceptors closed in.  "Break off and engage one on one.  If you see any X-wings pass this point, peel off and engage them."  Shazam instructed as he pulled up hard and spun around to engage one of the X-wings.

Art pulled off hard to the right and cut his throttle, allowing him to slot in right behind the evading X-wing who's pilot had to make a much wider loop due to lower manouverability of his fighter.  Art clipped the bottom right s-foils of the X-wing as the pilot swerved away to avoid his fire.  Slamming the throttle forward to get back up to speed, Art barrel rolled to the left and pulled up hard, looping around and managing to fire another burst at the left profile of the X-wing as it blew by.  Art was pleased to see that the X-wing's shields were now lower than his own battered shields.  Engaging in one of his practiced sequences of manouvers, Art managed to clip the X-wing two more times.  This time, his shots penetrated and pieces of debris flew out into space as the X-wing tried to avoid but was suddenly, very noticebly sluggish.  Art smiled and decelerated, whipping his interceptor around and firing a quad burst into the cripple craft.  The engines exploded a second later and an ejection seat hurdled itself through the fireball into space.

"Nazgul 2 to Nazgul 1, my target has been eliminated."  Art said in a cold, almost robotic manner into the comm.

"Roger Nazgul 2, move in towards the remaining X-wings.  If we can stop these, then we can engage the lagging squadron that broke off late from the meelee."  Shaz replied, continuing his dogfight with his target and finally finishing it off in a brilliant spin manoeuver a moment later.  The two came back into formation and raced off towards the last two members of the first squadron.  A squadron and a half had been eliminated at the price of one pilot's life and a variety of damage levels to the other interceptors.

***On the Coruscant***

"Move the ship closer to the convoy, try and draw the fire from the X-wings onto us instead of the small ships."  Captain Falensarano ordered.

"Aye sir!"  was the reply a second later.  The two X-wing squadrons escorting the convoy had been pounding the smaller ships in the taskforce and several had their shields lowered near critical levels.  The two enemy corvettes that had unexpectedly traveled with the convoy had been eliminated early as the convoy arrived very near the taskforce and was underfire almost immediately, catching the convoy commander off guard.

Captain Falensarano stared out into space and watched as the battle raged on.  He had the taskforce manoeuver into formation that created intense crossfire for any fighter or ship moving inbetween the ships.  It had been very successful, destroying three-quarters of one of the squadrons and a third of the other.  Five of the lead ships in the convoy had also been crippled or destroyed but there were still many more and every ship was armed though most only with light lasers.

"Sir, the three transports are standing by for your orders, two boarding parties have been organized and are ready to launch when we have disabled a convoy ship."  One of the officers stated.

"Excellent, launch the transports and have them move to the right side of the taskforce  where there are fewer fighters.  Tell them to disable a transport close to the taskforce and then to await further instructions."  Marcus Falensarano ordered.  A small smile cracked on his face, his side of the battle was starting to turn in his favour.  The only thing that really concerned him now was the MC:40 on the other side of the battle but he had faith in Aegis to eliminate it before it ever got close to the taskforce.  He had no intention of losing a ship and the MC:40 had enough power to cripple so of the more heavily damaged ships in the taskforce and could cause problems for the ISD.

The transports launched a minute later and quickly moved to the right side of the taskforce, away from the rebel fighters.  "Red leader to Coruscant, target in sight, stand by."  The pilot of the lead transport informed as he manouvered towards a cargo carrier close by.

Hopefully it has the information we need Captain Falensarano thought to himself as he stared out into space.

(OOC: I have something special in mind in regards to the transports.  I will do it in my next post.)
 
-----------------------
XO/ESN Corran "Arturus" Hargraves/Nazgul 2/Phoenix Wing/M-SSD Atrus/VE/VEN/(=A=)(=SA=)(=*MA*=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)[MC:1](x2)[SV][BRC][VC:B][LSM][LoC]


"The way of war is a way of deception. When able, feign inability; when deploying troops, appear not to be. When near, appear far; when far, appear near. Lure with bait; strike with chaos. If the enemy is full, be prepared. If strong, avoid him. If he is angry, disconcert him. If he is weak, stir him to pride. If he is relaxed, harry him; if his men are harmonious, split them. Attack where he is unprepared; appear where you are unexpected. This is victory in warfare; it cannot be divulged in advance. Victory belongs to the side that scores most in the temple calculations before battle. Most spells victory; least spells defeat; none, surer defeat. I see it in this way, and the outcome is apparent." -- Sun Tzu

(Well done everyone.)

So far, Shazam had received almost no damage in part because he'd managed to pull out of most sticky situations.  A few seconds longer of any of the previous engagements would have left him screwed.  This he knew and thus wasn't looking forward to another such happening.

At the moment he was racing towards the small remains of an X-Wing squadron that was hell bent on creating problems for them.  Really it was too bad they had so much time to get ahead of them, because things happened in Shazam's mind when he had time to think.  Already he'd created a personality for each of the fighters, the one on the far left had beaten his wife and killed his neighbors pet while the other had been bad to his mother. 

The three Nazgul pilots flew in a healthy stagger position with Shaz in front, Art back and to the right and Raddon in the same position behind him.  Shazam had managed to get the thought of losing another member from his mind and got back on base for his ensuing attack.

Ahead, without even saying when, the three Nazguls fired in unison and seperated the pair of X-wings ahead.  Two fighters wasn't a big deal, but there might as well be no enemy superiority than some.  Art and Raddon broke off to take out the horrible neighbor while Shazam continued towards the aggressive son.  Each of the fighters seemed unharmed.

Just ahead, looming in the distance was the target that every other enemy fighter had failed to aquire.  Shazam closed in on the X-wing as it began a long rising loop that gave Shazam some time to switch power to his cannons, in the corner of his eye he caught glimpse of a serious firefight, which kind of bothered him considering it was two on one. 

Shazam released the thought and began to fire on the fighter ahead of him, the X-wing going into insane barrel rolls to avoid his pursuer.  Shazam grinned at the thought that this guy was afraid of him, almost flattered than let off a straight on burst to the upper left burner, the sheild catching the bolts as they should in an interesting display of color. 

The commander's hands were becoming sweaty and he fought the temptation to simply slip off his gloves and rub his hands against his flight suit. 

"Nazgul 1, our target is heading your way...  FAST!" Art elevated his warning voice at the end to the point where Shazam turned his head to see exactly what was so interesting. 

Looking to his left the entire world suddenly turned red as the interceptor was shook by cannon fire.  Shazam felt himself panic as his controls became wild and the sound of his electrical systems began to wine down.  He had just received direct hull damage because he had rerouted his engergies to the cannons.  Life support was still up, but communications were down and his target had disappeared.

Shazam glanced to his right as he tried to get some speed, noticing his engines were alright and he was aloud to fly on.  Radar was out though, and so were a number of stat screens he'd taken for granted.  The pilot checked right to see the battle between the fellow pilots and enemy fighter ending as it burst into a flame, immedietly distinguished by space. 

What caught his eye immedeitly was the figure of a lone X-wing falling into firing position in front of its target...

(Hmm...  As you were.)
 
-----------------------
*Flash Was Here...*

CMDR/ESN Shazam/Nazgul 1-1/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/1VENF/VEN (=A=) (=*SA*=) (=*MA*=) (=*FOCE*=) [LoM] [LSM] [VC:S] [DSM]

Aegis bore down on their new target, the Mon Cal. MC-40, while a few Nazgul's watched their backs. They reached missile lock distance and everyone's computer lit up. Suddenly the space in front of Aegis was full of missiles screaming toward the large cruiser.

"Damn this ships shield is better than the Corvettes" Jaden informed over the coms, "Hit them with another round and maybe they'll be down."

Jaden's gunboat was the first to launch then the rest of the squadron fired into the hull of the Star Cruiser.

"Yes that's it! Hit them aga- SHIT! Evasive maneuvers!" Jaden's gunboat barrel rolled then shot straight down. Aegis' radar's were covered with oncoming A-wings.

"Nazgul, we need ya!" yelled Jaden over the coms.

Jen replied in a calm voice, "Have no fear, Jen is here."

With that Jen unloaded into one A-wing, causing it to explode. Jen had no time to pull out and flew directly through the wreckage, causing everyone to hold their breath until she flew out the other side. Most of Aegis had pulled off the route, but Geth and Hunter remained.

Jaden's voice came over the com, "Guys break formation, and let the Interceptors handle the A-wings."

Geth replied," With all due respect, I'm not letting Nazgul and Kath have all the fun."

Geth hit the trigger and fired into an A-wing, only hitting one laser cannon, but that was enough to pull it off course, where a Nazgul cleanly fired into its engines.

Meanwhile Hunter played chicken with his one A-wing, both ships firing right into one another. Finally Hunter made contact with something important on the A-wing, making it pull straight up, where Hunter pummeled its belly until it caught fire and started to corkscrew downward, obviously disabled.
 
-----------------------
<[GETH]>
=Aegis-Squadron=
FM/CRW GETH/Aegis - 12/Pheonix Wing/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE (=A=)

Darius worked frantically under the conditions.  He had fixed the steering and was now splicing his secure comlink into the TIE's systems, hoping that it would work until he could fix it better, or replace the TIE.

Instantly, an unfamiliar voice cracked in his ear.  "I can't shake him.  SHIT, he's under me, AHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Wrong channel," Darius muttered to himself.  Toggling a couple switch and his temporary comlink, he found the Imperial channel.

A familiar feminine woop was heard, and Darius thought to himself, that's a her.

Darius was strapping himself in his seat in a split second after finding the channel.  A comforting noise was heard as the TIE's engines burst from its idle.

He looked at the radar and noticed that his wing was over protecting the gunboats.  So, he pulled a U-turn and burst toward his wing.  Checking other screens, he noticed that he didn't fix his laser cannon problem.

"Piece of shit!" he yelled out loud and rapped the monitor with an open palm.  Suddenly, it flickered back to 100% and Darius was satisfied.  "That's right!"

He poked a button on the comlink and said, "good to see you again, ladies and gents'."
 
-----------------------
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men to do nothing. --Edmund Burke

-----------------------

FM/SCRW Darius Pursius/Nazgul 3-2/mSSD Atrus/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE (=A=)