Smart and suicidal; a powerful combination Art thought to himself as he realized the air was quickly being bled out of the area.  He began to conserve his oxygen use; he moved methodically rather than hurriedly to prevent a need for excess air and he spoke only when necessary and even then it was in short concise statements.  Now was not the time for hot air; there wasn't any air to heat anyhow.

They finally reached the hanger; the enemy had simply given up and resorted to lying in the hallway, hand on their throats, accepting their fate.  Accepting their fate...  Art thought, that is one lesson I still have to learn he realized.  Accepting one's fate was the honourable and dignified way to live life and accept death; Art had trouble embracing this but would continue to work on it.  It was something that was supposed to come naturally; one was supposed to accept and believe in the lessons but his overactive mind questionned too much.  His skepticism was in conflict with his religion constantly.  Art's solution was to begin approaching it by diverting his skepticism to people; he trusted no one and wasn't apologetic about it.  Those he trusted knew it and he gave them his complete respect.  He was a good friend to true friends and an enemy to everyone else.

The hanger was empty of enemies.  No one had tried to enter once the lifesupport systems had been turned back on it seemed.  The squadron raced into the hanger and ran towards their fighters and oxygen.  Art turned to look back and saw Toki stumble and stagger.  The loss of oxygen made Art feel very lightheaded and he couldn't think straight; he could discern though that Toki needed oxygen badly as it was clearly affecting her ability to function.  He tried to call out to Jen and Jaden who were the closest to her but he knew he needed the air to carry him to his fighter.  Jen and Jaden had turned back towards Toki so Art continued towards his fighter.

Just before he reached it, he saw a cluster of pirates in various positions suffering from a loss of oxygen as well.  They were all armed; clearly sent to investigate and guard against escape.  Art saw three in front of his fighter; he slung his blaster in front of him and fired as he ran.  Nothing happened.  Art tossed the gun aside and kept running.  He swung his right arm around at the first enemy before spinning around and catching the second in the face with his left foot.  He staggered on his landing; something that normally wouldn't happen with proper oxygen, and leaned forward to deliver his right elbow into the face of the final guard as he ran past.  Not even bothering to turn and see if any pursued, he stumbled to his fighter and climbed in as quickly as his oxygen starved body and injured arm would allow.  Inside, he thought of nothing but turning on the support systems.  Oxygen began to move in the cockpit while he reached down to his secondary support system that he had rigged into the fighter.  Like the old fighters, he also had an oxygen mask as a safety measure in case he had to eject or if his cockpit was punctured and the oxygen began to bleed out.  He pushed the mask onto his face and his body began to breath in quick short breaths as the oxygen flowed into his body.  Once his lungs stopped the convulsive like breathing, he took several deep breaths before strapping in and preparing to leave.  It was time to return home.
 
-----------------------
FM/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

"Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting." -- Sun Tzu

*** Back in the hallway, right as life support goes***

Trevor heard the hissing, and a dissapointed look crossed his face. He should have totaled the terminal or something, to prevent them from doing this. He saw other`s taking a deep breath of air, and he did the same, then followed them down the hall, blaster bolts wizzing past them, but then the bolts stopped. The pirates around them had given up, and were slowly dieing, probably laughing inside at the Nazgul pilots as they tried to save themselves.

They think we are crazy...Well, I`m not going to say they are wrong... Trevor thought to himself, then smiled inwardly. He wasn`t going to think about what would happen if they didn`t make it...It was not the way to keep going. They rounded a final corner and Trevor punched the code for the door into the keypad as fast as he could, damaging the 'Accept' button because he hit it so hard. The door slid open and Trevor expected to be able to breathe again, but he couldn`t.

He looked behind him and saw Toki fall, and was about to turn back, but saw Jaden and Jen had beaten him to it. He turned back towards the fighters, and saw that there were guards, struggling to keep themselves alive. Trevor took a few badly aimed shots at the guards near his fighter, and didn`t care if they went down.

He dove for his fighter, and crawled in quickly. His lungs felt as if they were going to explode, or collapse..One of the two. He shut the hatch above him and started flipping switches franticly, listening as each system came online. Right when he thought he was going to pass out, he took a deep breath. Oxygen filled his lungs, and he quickly took in a few more breaths, then slowed his breathing. Breathe to fast and he would pass out.

After a few seconds of enjoying being able to breathe again, he slipped on his gloves and helmet, and then waited.

"Nazgul two checking in..." Art`s voice came over the comm.

"Three here...Lets rock and roll." Trevor said, smiling. Everyone else called in, and Art disingaged. Trevor followed, and he was followed by some others, and eventualy everyone was out of the hanger, breathing normal.

"Yee-haw!" Trevor said loudly into the comm. "We`re out!"

"I wouldn`t start celebrating yet there Trevor," Jen`s voice came over the comm, muich more serious then his own. "We`ve got fighters on our six!."

(OOC: I don`t want to start the fight right now...I`ll let someone else do that)
 
-----------------------
FM/PO2/Trevor Evenson/Nazgul 3(1-3)/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE/(=*A*=)

(During the last part of Shazam's post...)

With Nazgul Squadron in the hangar now, Jack waited patiently for the squadron check to go by. The loss of life-support had been a problem, and Jack had even thought he had died, but things were going smoothly now.

Except for the fact that they were being shot at by some enemies. Jumping into his TIE interceptor, he started the pre-flight check and reported in.

"Nazgul Nine, reporting," Jack said, getting the engines of his TIE ready. Art was now out of the hangar, and Jack and the rest of the squadron soon followed.

Jaden then said, "Interceptors as well..." as crimson bolts flashed by their fighters.

"This should be interesting," Jack said to himself, remarking on both the battle and the fact that his eyesight was going bad... again.

Jack quickly made a small and fast manuever that brought him closer to the enemy interceptors. He fired a few bolts, all of which missed, but this was intended. It was a manuever he had used during his time with the Auroran Defense Fleet. Designed to punch a hole in an enemy formation, it did exactly that - causing the fighters to head directly for the Nazgul fighters.

Suddenly, one enemy disappeared.

"Got it," Jen, Nazgul's Executive Officer, said over the comm.

"Nice one," Arturus replied, despite the fact that he had been removed by Jen as leader of the mission, due to Jen's squadron position.

(Okay, it's a start. And thanks, Art.)

-----------------------
Revenge is what holds this galaxy together. Without it, the universe would be a boring place.

------------------------------------------------------------
Warrant Officer 2nd Class Jack Nebulax, Nazgul Squadron, Imperial Navy, Vast Empire.
FL/WO2 Jack Nebulax/Nazgul 9 (3-1)/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE (=A=) (=*SA*=) [SV] [VC:G]
Rep|Int/Rep Jack Nebulax/Rep: 4/Reporters-Interviewers/VE/VET
------------------------------------------------------------
Admiral Jack Nebulax, third-in-command of the Auroran Defense Fleet (ADF) and leader of Nemesis Wing (Wing I)

For a long moment the stars whirled around tirelessly without a definate shape, gossomar strands of lights illiuminating the triangular interier of the interceptor.  Then the craft haulted abruptly, seemingly spellbound by the magnificent portrait hung in front of it.  The mSSD Atrus drifted casually but in it's proud manner that had brought fear to so many souls.  Very little gives a pilot as much pride as their warship, their king taking the thrown...  '"BEEEP!!!"

The indicator lights above Art's head signified the incoming missle and the sensor array facing toward the back of the ship showed a fast approaching object...  My missile... Art was using his devestated arm as little as possible, but his wounds could heal later.  The injured arm extended to the right, taking hold of his lateral controls while his feet gripped the pedals below feircly.  "Here goes..."  The pilot pulled back hard on the yoke while spinning his craft as well as could be expected.  He let himself fall into his harnesses; no need to waste energy resisting he thought as he tried to keep his eyes focused on the view port.

"Be careful, two!" Jen shouted into the com as the fighter got away from Art just a little, throwing him between Jaden and Jack.  As they had launched the pilots were split up according to their condition.  Jack's condition wasn't at a life-threatening degree, just a disabling one seeings how his droid arm was totally useless.  "It's a bit foolish trying to dog fight with one arm, don't you think?" Jen had mentioned when he denied his inability to fight.  Jen was obviously a little messed because her hand had been pretty well dominated during the torture and Art's gash was just not something to try and fly with.  Jaden had come along to make sure they had some cover on their way to the Atrus, but two of the four enemy interceptors had broken off immedietly to pursue the escort.  Two interceptors against one wasn't exactly what Jaden had thought he was going to be doing when told to 'escort.' 

"Missle disengaged," Art announced as the lights no longer blinked for hazard.

"Don't be too sure...  These guys arn't bad..."  Jaden noted as he broke off of the group to pursue the interceptor that had decided to fire on Art.  The second of the two was just completing its loop, completing a strafing run a moment before. 

"I got another lock on me..." Art announced as the light flared up.

"Hold on two..." Warren's calm voice filled the quiet com line when no one answered. 

"It's alright Dimmias, I got it under control..."  He would rather not accept any help from him if he could help it.  Art pulled up hastilly, father above than the formation than he would have liked to be when he realized he had called a pilot by his real name.  He would have slapped himself if he could have.  I'm ganna get court martialed... he nearly chuckled, noticing that his own dislike for someone had clouded his own basic common sense.

"Break when I say..." Warren said calmy, not seeming to notice the blurted name.  Art checked the posterior sensor for the enemy fighter to find that it was honed well in on him.  Where was Warren though?

"Break towards your formation that is..." Warren added from out of no where once again.

"Listen, I'm fine...  You need to go help your own group...  Lieutenant..." He paused and with his own curiosity said," Where are you?"

"Break now, two..."  Warren replied with the same sangfroid he'd kept intact throughout the entire mission.  Art would have to follow his directions for now, but it didn't mean he would have to look as decrepit as Warren was making him out to be.  The pilot's feet near stomped on the pedal system below with his injured hand forcing the lateral controls hard to the left.  A shock sprung up his arm as it met the side of the border which held the sliders...  He ignored it as best he could and pulled up hard on the yoke, relying on his straps once again.  Blood sprayed across the front view port as his gash reopened in all its gory splendor.  Great...

"WOW!"  Jaden said with such a profoundly genuine tone that Art had to check over his shoulder to see out the posterier veiwport.  His ship stabalized as the missle lock went dead, his eyes meeting the back viewport just in time to see Dimmias's fighter come down at a ninety degree angle to the enemy interceptor.  The bolts had been too fast to see, but after Warren disappeared from view, the ship shuddered and convulsed strangly with a sudden super nova emitting from its core, blowing peices of the ship in ever direction.  Art barrel rolled with his bleeding arm in an effort to keep his ship as far away from the shooting debris as possible.

"That was one hell of a drift..." Jack said in a similar tone to Jaden's.  Now Art realized what had just happened.  When Art broke off towards the formation, Warren had gone to cut him off, turning his ship so forcefully that it faced downward upon the sweeping craft below.  The reverse in thrust slowed Warren down pretty well, but it gave him just enough time to let his fighter catch up and send it on a downward sprint onto the top of the enemy interceptor.  An advanced manuver not well defined at the academy...

"You take the other one, four..."  Warren said as if nothing special at all had happened.

"Hold still for a minute seven," Dj ordered Tokijin.  Toki was having a hard time understanding how she could 'hold still' when she was under heavy fire by a pretty advanced pilot.  Where were these people when we were takin out the life-support?  "This guy is all over the place, I need him to get his target for a second...  Hold still!"

"NOT GANNA HAPPEN!"  Toki was becoming a little angry now and decided to flat out evaid.  Her right hand stayed on the slides, preparing for the next series of shots while she pulled up strongly on the control yoke.  The stars sprinted downward as two bolts of bright green shot past her, one making contact with the sheilds before she could throw the stabalizers to the side, forcing her into a fast yet slowly moving to the right barrel roll.  The increase in spin worked against her as she tried to keep control of her and try to figure out a way to keep from being fried.

"There ya go!" Dj announced as the back row of lights in the upper portion of her cockpit flash red. 

"He's got a lock...  C'mon...  Help me out here people..."  Her right hand slowly pulled the lateral controls into a stable position, granting her true control of the craft once again.

"Come up fast, seven.  Break off eight and come straight up at about seventy-percent..." Warren's voice was around them once again.  Darius was in the process of pulling out of a hard dive, allowing Trevor to cut off the target and get him into the weapons envelope, but he wanted to get a glimpse of what would come next so he pulled out as soon as Trevor confirmed the missle lock.  I'd have to move out anyways, but I'll be able to see when I loop back arou...

"Keep comin seven..." Warren ordered with an unreal calm in hist voice, not hastey at all.  Tokijin did as she was told with the same remarkable control, waving off the dazed feeling she thought would overcome her if she tried such a manuver. 

"Alright, make as tight of a turn as you can, bringing your fighter across eight's flight path..."

"I got it ten...  A little easier than I thought it would be..." he began but Warren cut him off in almost a whisper.

"Prepare to evaid eight..."

"Uh, what?"  He checked his posterier viewport to see nothing but then threw the lateral controls a little to the right as he pulled up hard.  "WHOA!"  Tokijin's pursuer had broken off, continuing it's loop to come head first at Dj.  As Dj was realigned, the interceptor fell in behind him, taking his shots carefully and barelly missing.

"Pick up a little speed and break eight.  Seven, take three's pursuer head on..." Warren noted the unseen pursuer that had forced his hand when Dj had been climbing to take down his target.  Trevor's first missile had been thrown off by a late release so his target stayed alive as Darius looped around to get on his wing.  As Dj had climbed, the enemy interceptor was doing a similar number on him.  Tokijin's sudden freedom had given her excellent position though, turning hard to come the opposing direction of the enemy fighter.

"Breaking..." Dj announced and rolled left until he was upside down and then pulled back hard on the yoke, the craft drifting just slightly before it began a downward descent.  Dj felt pretty confident with the manuver seeing no danger of colliding with other craft or foreign matter...  Just gotta take the pressure now he thought and picked up his speed as he dropped.  The pursuing fighter tried to pull the same manuver, but too late...

"Missle lock...  Firing."  He had been moving the two knobs at his right into position as Dj manuvered downward.  Considering he'd done it in about a second and fired just as it was completed...

"Not bad, ten." Darius announced as he spun off to the left, trying to get out of the way of any cross fire that might occur.

"Just take him out seven..." Warren urged Tokijin on, herself a little unsure as she switched from cannons to missles.  Her hands were a little sweaty as she flashed the knobs around at the incoming target.  Oh gosh...  He's already firing." 

"Just trust your instincts seven..." Warren chimed in again.  Art felt the need to pipe up, but with the intensity he decided he'd better not disturb Tokijin's focus.  The first knob was aligned, the enemy spiraling toward her with bolts flying about wildy.  Her hand slipped on the second knob, recovering hastilly to start turning it into position.  Don't move...  Don't move...

"Missle lock..." The lines stuck together as the fighter neared and began to moved up and down a little.  Too late, bud...  "Firing!"  Tokijin clicked the trigger confidently and pulled off to the left, not bother to touch the control yoke.  No lift needed here she noticed as Darius and Trevor pulled up and away.  The missle went straight through the cockpit of the sheildless interceptor. 

"Great job, seven..." Warren seemed truly satisfied by the pilot's work as the last fighter was shreaded and fell apart in quickly extinguished flames...

(To the Atrus?)
 
-----------------------
*Flash Was Here...*

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

(Okay, just a little something during the battle... It's me against an enemy fighter.)

"Jack, you've got one on your tail," someone said. Jack couldn't tell who it was because there were bolts flying like crazy around his TIE interceptor.

"Thanks for letting me know," Jack replied. He quickly made a quick turn to avoid a few bolts. "Whoever it is, I'm dead if I don't shake him off."

Jack made a complicated manuever, one that made him even lose direction. Right now, he could be headed anywhere. But the enemy was still on his tail.

"He's good..." Jack said as a bolt flew over his cockpit. Suddenly, one scorched the side of his right radiator pannel.

"He's really good..." Jack corrected. He was now headed back closer to the rest of the battle, but he couldn't go directly ahead. But he had been in the Auroran Defense Fleet, where suicidial manuevers had been trained to the new recruits.

"Control the fighter as if the Force was controlling it..." the instructor aboard the Nebulax's Fist had taught. He had been both a great instructor and a strong believe in the Force, but had been removed from his position when there was talk he had supplied a pirate gang clearance codes to land inside the Star Destroyer flagship.

Still, he had been the greatest piloting instructor ever.

Too bad he was shot six times by the Auroran Planetary Police... Jack recalled as more bolts flew by.

Suddenly back from the memories, Jack attempted another manuever, and soon the enemy craft was right in front of him.

"I have you now!" Jack yelled, sending bolts straight into the rear of the enemy fighter. It exploded right away, sending scraps of metal throughtout the empty void of space.

"Scratch one enemy," Jack said proudly into the comm.
 
-----------------------
Revenge is what holds this galaxy together. Without it, the universe would be a boring place.

------------------------------------------------------------
Warrant Officer 2nd Class Jack Nebulax, Nazgul Squadron, Imperial Navy, Vast Empire.
FL/WO2 Jack Nebulax/Nazgul 9 (3-1)/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE (=A=) (=*SA*=) [SV] [VC:G]
Rep|Int/Rep Jack Nebulax/Rep: 4/Reporters-Interviewers/VE/VET
------------------------------------------------------------
Admiral Jack Nebulax, third-in-command of the Auroran Defense Fleet (ADF) and leader of Nemesis Wing (Wing I)

Trevor was pretty quiet over the comm. He prefurred to concentrait rather than talk. Not that he couldn`t keep his mind on things when he was talking. He just did it better when he wasn`t. His only comments over the comm where confirmations and standard things, and occasionaly a whoop whenever something unexcpected happened, but these were usually not ment to go over the comm.

He had been listened and heard about Art, and saw Darius take out a fighter that had attempted an assult on Art`s defensless fighter.

"Good on ya..." Trevor said quietly to himself. He was sort of lost right at the moment. He couldn`t find a target, and there wern`t many left anyways. He checked his targeting computer and only counted a few more fighters left, most being chased. 

"This is 7. I need a hand over here. I can`t shake this one." He heard Toki`s voice come over the comm. She was heading for the Atrus, but with how good these pilots were, without help she might not make it.

"I`m on my way..." Trevor said as he sped up and flew right out infront of an enemy. It was one of the few who wasn`t being chased, and it launched itself after him. Trevor swore lightly under his breath, but was hoping to find a way to use this to his advantage.

He kept his pursuer busy as he made his way to where Tokijin was, and let off a single blast at her pursuer, but missed. He had managed to get the pilot`s attention though, and the pilot turned off Tokijin`s tail, but then thought against it and returned to following her.

"Seven, this is three. Do you copy?" Trevor said hurridly into the comm. He had to tell her his plan before either of them got shot down, or before it escaped his mind.

"I copy." She said over the comm, making a funny noise at the end as she turned hard to the right to avoid the fighters blasting.

"Alright. Here`s my idea. You gotta get turned around and flying towards me, as fast as you can. We gotta make them think we are going for a suicide collision or something. Then, at the last second, I want you to pull up hard and to the left, While I go down and to the right. Hopefully they will still be following close when we pull this off." He said, a grein appearing on his face, no one else could see.

"Lets try it." She replied, sounding as if she understood, but a bit of caution in her voice. She shrugged it off though, and made a wide loop. She was now barreling towards Trevor, her pursuer still right on her tail, but he had stopped firering. He was now just trying to figure out what was going on. Trevor didn`t blame him.

Trevor`s follower was still firering, but missed most of the time. The occasional bolt would hit his shields, but not enough to do anything. He had reached top speed now, and his follower was keeping right on his ass.

Perfect Trevor thought to himself. He then started to mentally count down to himself, and right when he thought it was the perfect time, he said 'now' calmly into the comm, and pushed the control yolk down, and not bothering to barrel to the right, kept going downwards, hoping Toki had heard him. His fighter was rocked by an explosion, and he spun his fighter around as he slowed down to take a look.

He could see Toki flying off above him, and a large fireball where the two enemies had collided.

"Thats two you owe me Toki..." Trevor laughed into the comm, a smile accross his face, as he went off to look for another target.
 
-----------------------
FM/PO2/Trevor Evenson/Nazgul 3(1-3)/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE/(=*A*=)

Jack, deciding it was best to head for the Atrus and see Alexia, flew his TIE interceptor into the hangar, shortly behind Darius. Quickly performing a standard landing, he got out of his fighter and rushed to Alexia, who was waiting at the entrance to the hangar bay.

"Jack!" she said, crying. "Look at you! You said this wasn't going to happen again!" She wasn't mad, Jack could tell. But from what Jack felt like, he couldn't look much better. His right eye, still bruised, was now only half-open, and Jack's mechanical right arm was busted. He had dry blood on his lips and below his nose, and a new scar on the right side of his face.

But he didn't care about what Alexia saw. He was still upset for going along in the first place, although he had - and still - had mixed feelings about it. But he was glad that he was back with Alexia.

"Luckily you're a medic," Jack joked as they walked away with R2-X7, who had recently joined them.

*An hour later*

Jack, still not looking much better, sat up on the bed in their quarters. Alexia was sitting next to him, and they were once again discussing their future.

"Jack, we should move back to Aurora Prime after Jason is born," Alexia said.

"Jason?" Jack said. "How did you think of that?"

"Willtconq," Alexia replied. "He was talking about someone name Jason and I like the name."

"So good old Kaph Commander Willtbast gave you our child's name," Jack said, laughing.

"Yeah," Alexia replied, smiling. "So, are we going to move back to Aurora Prime or not?"

"I think I could use a little vacation..." Jack said. But then, a thought hit him. My stepbrother... And then he remembered his mission. Finally making up his mind, Jack said, "I could always take a leave for a while." This made Alexia happy, but it also gave Jack the chance to hunt his stepbrother's killer. Of course, he could be far away from Aurora Prime by now, but there was always a chance.

I will avenge you, Jack said to himself.

(Okay, figured I'd get this in...)
 
-----------------------
Revenge is what holds this galaxy together. Without it, the universe would be a boring place.

------------------------------------------------------------
Warrant Officer 2nd Class Jack Nebulax, Nazgul Squadron, Imperial Navy, Vast Empire.
FL/WO2 Jack Nebulax/Nazgul 9 (3-1)/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE (=A=) (=*SA*=) [SV] [VC:G]
Rep|Int/Rep Jack Nebulax/Rep: 4/Reporters-Interviewers/VE/VET
------------------------------------------------------------
Admiral Jack Nebulax, third-in-command of the Auroran Defense Fleet (ADF) and leader of Nemesis Wing (Wing I)

Darius sat in his quarters with his wife, absorbing and recovering on what had just happened in the mission.  The conversation they were having had gone from pleasant into a wife with a foul mood.

"You mean you're going out there again?" she said.  Her voice was full of anger and confusion.

"We didn't finish our mission, of course we're going back out," he added in a calm voice.

"How about this Shazam.  You've told me about them, but I haven't met anybody from Nazgul yet, unless you want to count Taylsha and Alexia.  We work together by the way."

"You've already been exchanging gossip and stories with the other Nazgul wives.  That was fast."  Darius was trying to lighten the mood of the conversation.

Layren gave Darius a playful punch on the soldier.  They started to laugh, but became interrupted by a buzzer.

"Come in," Darius shouted, and the door slid open, revealing Jen.  She came in looking normal, but couldn't hold off anymore.  She began to cry, the mourning look on her face revealed the reason behind it.

"He's gone, isn't he?"

She nodded and was about to explain, but Darius interupted her.  "Uh, Jen, this is my wife, Layren.  Layren, this is Jen Knight, XO of Nazgul."  Bad time for introductions, but that was no excuse for poor manners.

They nodded in acknowledgement of each other, and then Jen gave some information.  "Briefing is in an hour.  Some of us our meeting before hand with Dimmias, to discuss what going to happen next, and where Nazgul stands.  Do you care to join us?"

"Nope.  I'll use this time in a more constructive way."  He went over to his weapons locker he had finally managed to acquire, even though he is in the Navy and it's not common for such an item to be in a pilot's possession.  Reaching back in a far corner, he pulled out a beautifully designed sword.  "If you need me, I'll be in a training room to mourn and use my anger in more of a," he paused for a moment, pondering his word choice, "constructive manner, in seclusion."

Jen nodded, understanding how Darius worked, and left to tell the others.  He quickly changed into light training clothers, and slung the sword over his shoulder.

"Do you mind if I watch?" Darius' beautiful wife asked, and he gave a welcoming gesture, motioning her first out the door.  He turned off the lights and was about out the door before he realized he had forgotten something.  He turned around and grabbed his duel DL-44 blasters and holster and strapped them to his thighs.  Then, he grabbed a small holdout blaster and strapped in behind his back.  He finished with tucking a vibroblade into his right boot, and strapped his set of hand-made throwing knives in his left boot, conceiling it from view.  Now he was ready to leave.
 
-----------------------
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men to do nothing. --Edmund Burke

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

FM/CPO Darius Pursius/Nazgul 2-2/mSSD Atrus/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE (=A=) [VC:B] [CB*]

Tokijin sat in her fighter reviewing what had just happened to her. In so little time so much has gone wrong. She was just happy to be off that corvette. She sighed and carefully climbed out, surveying the hanger. She looked down at her badly bandaged arm and knew the first thing she was gonna do. She started walking when a voice called out to her.

"Hey, you owe me two...How about I cash that in for some drinks?" Trevor smiled cocky grin on his face. Tokijin chuckled but put a hand on her injured arm.

"Yeah, sure. But I want to go check up with the medics first."

"Yeah, lets go." Toki laughed wondering why that wouldn't he want to do that in the first place.

* * *

Toki rubbed her arm, happy it would heal fine. Her leg had been fixed up too. She just hoped everyone would be as fine as she ended up.

"How about that drink now?" Toki laughed at how eager he was and nodded. "Yeah, lets go." They began walking down the hallway and only was it when they reached a window that a sudden light appeared out the darkness. Toki squinted and ran toward the window, and stared out into the abyss as the corvette disappeared into flames.

"Wow....Guess I only slowed down the self destruct timer, not stopped it..." Trevor spoke to no one, but his words hit Toki like a rock. It was my fault...That could've been us if Trevor hadn't been able to slow it down. She sighed and pressed her forehead against the cool glass and mumbled. "Serves them right..."

"Damn right..." Trevor laughed and began walking again. Toki lifted her head off the glass and stared at the quickly dying inferno now, and went to catch up with Trevor before they almost slammed into Jen. Her eyes were red and she looked terribly tired.

"Oh, th-" Jen started to talk but Trevor burst full of questions.

"How is Art? Did Shazam make it?" Toki had been wondering the same thing.

"Art is going to be fine, but Shazam..." She stopped, then burst into tears. "He didn`t make it....He was DOA in the hanger." She sobbed, tears running down her cheeks. Toki was stunned. Could this really be happening? After all they've been through more troubles had to be added on?

The tears began falling and Tokijin's shoulders shook. Toki put her head on Trevor's shoulder. She would never get to fully befriend Shazam now. She felt everyone's loss and knew things would never be the same. She felt Trevor tense at her touch and then just relax. She gave him a hug and felt the tears slowing.

"We...We`re having a meeting with Dimmias to discuss what going to happen next, and where Nazgul stands. You are free to come, but if you don`t want to, its perfectly understandable, considering the circumstances." Jen said, regaining her voice and stood up straight. Toki stepped away from Trevor and tried to hide her embarrassment when she wiped her eyes with her hand.

"I'm not sure..." Toki was still pondering on whether she should go or not. She swallowed but her throat hurt from crying. "Alright, We`re meeting in his quarters." Jen said and turned to walk away, covering her eyes with her hand.

"Are you going to go?" Trevor asked her. She nodded.
"Yeah, I think so. " She turned and walked off in the different direction than Jen and Trevor went. She really need a drink and would just find someone who knew the way there.
 
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Nazgul Squadron

SC/FM Tokijin/Nazgul 7/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/Denfensive Fleet/VEN/VE (=*A*=)

~ Tokijin ~