Shazam blinked twice, rolled his neck then his ankle to make sure everything was working correctly before he proceeded to the podium.  The planet Rispry had been there home for the last week and a half, and the Nazgul Squadron had enjoyed themselves immenselly.  The planet was of a lush rain forest and wonderful cities.  While not on the scale of most imperial planets, it did just as well with massive carnivals, plays and other shows that the Nazguls were aloud to attend before the mission.  During the days however, they were being trained for a special mission- one invovling a ship they hadn't used outside the simulators.

"Good morning, Nazgul Squadron.  Today I will be briefing you on a top secret series of missions.  That means nothing leaves this room unless it's in a body bag folks- no one will know about this for fifty years..."  The breifing room was small but not vacant- Nazgul squadron sat on the hard wooden benches, their legs either swung about seats or planted firmly on the cement ground.  It was raining outside again, but one could only tell from the cool air rather than blue/grey atmosphere.  The lack of windows made it desolate, but homely- Shazam tried to convey this tone while speaking with his game face though. 

"For three years, after the destruction of the second death star and near demise of the Imperial fleet, groups have been showing up for supremacy.  These are the Imperial Remnant- seperate factions with the same equipment and allegience: to themselves.  Each buys for power in drastic ways- none of them beneficial to the rest of the galaxy and none too organized.  Unlike the Vast Empire, the faction we will be taking on today is ruled by a series of grand moffs- each of them wealthy and hungry for power.  Who's to say one will not eventually take control and cause chaos?  We are here to disrupt thier efforts to create an armada and thier organization."  Shazam pressed the control in his hand smartly and smacked it once, realizing it wasn't working. 

"As you can see- we will be launching from here- in TIE Advanced Fighters.  These fighters are equipped with hyperdrives, shields and missiles.  We will jump, without a capitol ship as our escort or carrier, to the Jysdro System where we will attack and destroy as many ships as possible inside of a half hour.  Once that time has been spent- we will jump immedietly to a rendevous point with a the ship Righteous.  We will spend no time in re-emerging inside the Jysdro Styem, but this time at the planet Wascale.  There, due to the discturbance at the ship yard, we expect to encounter few resistance outside the atmosphere and should be alowed to enter quietly.  The Righteous will launch a crew with you inside a troop transport to assist in the capture of the base.  A high security platform is our target to disable the defense system.  We will destory power and shield generators protecting it then clear the airspace for the troops to land and take over.  That is our mission- other targets may arise and if at all possible: people will be those targets.  Primarilly the heads of the imperial faction we will be facing.  Any questions?"  Shazam glanced around the room and saw Darius spring his hand in the air.

"Who is the remnant group we'll be facing, sir?"  Shazam thought about following his orders not to disemminate such fragile information, but then realized it was futile to keep such a thing from Darius Pursius- somewhat nosy, but very knowledgable.  He'd figure it out if not one of the other experienced pilots.

"Today we face the forces of Moffs Terry, Prim, and Gara-gara.  Better known as the Ferengi Talus- or two-faced.  Able to be both remnant and loyalist at the same time.  We may or may not see help from additional remnants- we must be quick or we could become exposed.  Any further questions?"  Everyone continued to ponder on this as Shazam said-  "Report to the hanger in three hours for launch."

(Alright guys- this story can go any way we want it.  Goals are not defenite here- we are aloud to change them along with characters, overall storyline and where we stay and go.  We can run with this story as much as we want.  Story ideas can be expressed in the Nazgul thread along with questions, comments or concerns.  LETS ROCK!)
 
-----------------------
*Flash Was Here...*

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

NazgulSquadron

Commander of Nazgul Squadron, Phoenix Wing and Training

Shazam rolled his neck once again after Jen left then climbed to his feet and slowly strolled past the upper section of the briefing room.  His hand running down the bar, Shazam felt kind of funky.  He wasn't sick, so perhaps it was just nerves- or excitment.  It'd been a while since they'd been on thier own mission and meeting new enemies rather than facing a lot of old ones.  Maybe this was what made him jittery- it was different.  For the last two months his mind had been focused on the destruction of the Reugrand Sovereignty and Warren Dimmias- the foul, lothesome creature that'd escaped his grasp in the battle over Cepany and remained missing to this day.  Not only was there a little damage to his pride, but damage to the squadron- Jen was in the middle of it all.  Shazam wasn't quite sure what to think of her yet, but all he really had going was 'very good friend.'  He wanted to give her a little closure to that part of her life, especially the most recent additions by Warren Dimmias- if he'd scarred her further it wasn't evident.  After he'd turned enemy and Shazam had returned, things changed and Jen was back to herself.  While Shazam was proud of her, he was also a bit worried that she could revert back at some pivotal time and they would be unable to revive her.  She was, after all, the one who was threatened on a daily basis, beaten unmercilessly and ignored once Warren Dimmias had been found out.  These glossed over a few more ill-feelings, but Shazam was pretty sure Jen was coming back stronger than ever.  Little defense-mechanisms were working in ways she hadn's conceived before- she wouldn't let anyone push her around again.

"Got any pressing matters within an hour's time?" Darius Pursius called from the door, but Shazam did not jump. 

"I suppose not- already had breakfast and I've had plenty of sleep.  Yourself?"  Shazam straightened up and felt a challenge coming on.

"Same here- just wondering if you'd like to engage in some friendly sport..."  Darius smiled gingerlly and made a hasty wave before Shazam galloped up the steps to follow.  A short jog later they'd reached the combat area of the base where most extra-curricular training was done and necessary re-vamping held for the impossible.  The the far left, through a couple of doors, was the guns range, but Shazam never went there.  Ahead was a single gym-like room consisting of weight sets and other mechanisms for body building.  Beyond that room, really in the center of the complex, was the sparring room. 

"Oh- you shouldn't have..." Shazam grinned as Darius activated the first room to display the mats. 

"Right well- I hear this rumor you dont' like guns.  Figured I'd see what you could do in the ring..."

"We really shouldn't you know- three hours until the mission and we're going to kill eachother?"  Shazam querried.  He was in his officers uniform, but that was easilly taken care of by un bottoing the officer's coat and setting it aside so he had the slacks, which were a comfortable fit and the white shirt underneath.  Darius had already changed somehow and was in a black pair of pants and black shirt.

"Got  a favorite style?"  Shazam smiled at the question because it totally ignored his last comment about the mission.  Dar didn't care. 

"A few."  Shazam placed a foot on the edge of the large circulra matt, then another.  Roughly fifteen feet away on the other side of the matt was Darius, performing some high knees and butt kicks.  Shazam slowly placed his right foot forward and waited until Darius was ready.  Darius was displaying a totally different style with his arms spread wide  and feet crossed but several feet away from eachother.  Shazam decided to wait instead of comment.  Almost faster than he would have thought Darius capable of, the young man jumped forward, his elbows acting as a bar as they met the ground and threw him into a roll.  As he finished the roll, on of the legs came flying up.  Shazam spun off unharmed and smiled.

"Very well..." Darius got back up to his feet and entered a new stance where the feet were perfectly parallel but the hands went up like boxing gloves.  Shazam creeped forward in his same stance, arms at his sides- waiting.  Darius made the first punch, not afraid for a trap, and nearly connected with Shazam face.  Shazam was smooth though and stepped around the punch, his left leg the base and his right the lever.  A swift right snap kick just about ended the battle, but Darius was quick as well.  Ducking slightly, knowing that no knee would be able to reach him, he was able to arc his body away from the kick and take a step back.  Wasting no time at all he sprang back in a series of chops and kicks designed to take someone off the matts.  Shazam kept his elbows close to his body and perried the attacks before closing in, missing one of Darius punches and placed his hand against his chest.  Stepping past the young man he dropped his right leg behind Pursuis left and just shoved.  While that would have ended most men's thoughts of a continuing fight, Darius never hit the ground.  Shazam had underestimated the man's flexibility.  Leaning into a full arch backward, he led his hands fall to the ground and spring him into a back cart-wheel. 

"Not bad at all..."  Shazam hopped up and down a couple of time sand closed in, wanting to activate a punch.  Unfortunetly, Darius wouldn't let him in and Shazam was forced to make tedious work of kicks and other sabatoging moves, forcing the pair up and down the mats.  After a good twenty minutes of constant back-lashing Shazam felt a trickle of sweat come to his brow and realized he was getting a work out.  He and I should do this more often... Just as he thought this, Darius stepped into one of Shazam's moves and nearly shattered himself, but he avoided the punch and created one of his own, throwing it into Shazam's solar plexus.  Not to be beaten by speed, Shazam threw his right leg out to intercept the punch.  Darius caught the foot and was forced back.  Again, they were feet away and accomplishing little: just getting tired.

"What style are you using?" Darius querried-

"Dunno anymore..." Darius stopped circling and gave his commander a look.

"We'll do this again some time- I better go and perform some final task..." Darius unstrapped glvoes Shazam had barelly noticed and stepped off the matt.

"Calling the wife and kids I presume?"  Shazam said it just right- not spiteful or taunting- just playful.  Darius said nothign but lifted his center finger as he walked out.  Shazam chuckled and took a look at his semi-drenched white shirt.  He would have to take a shower and get-rehydrated.  He'd didn't sweat as much as others in the TIEs, but he did a fair shair and any lack of water would cost him.  Maybe I can check on one more thing as well...

-----------------------
*Flash Was Here...*

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

NazgulSquadron

Commander of Nazgul Squadron, Phoenix Wing and Training
-----------------------
*Flash Was Here...*

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

NazgulSquadron

Commander of Nazgul Squadron, Phoenix Wing and Training

(Before the briefing&)

The enemy was everywhere. Atrick looked around and found the third wing of Preybirds he had seen so far today. Man, there's so many of them! He thought wildly as he adjusted his course to attack the wing. They came right at him and he didn't flinch once, opening fire on the leader. It took evasive action, breaking from the group.

I've followed it so far so why should I stop now? He  thought. He opened fire again on the Preybird and broke through the damaged shields, tearing apart the engine. The ship plummeted to the forest below and erupted in a fireball, creating a huge, black crater, in the green ocean.

Suddenly, alarms flashed, signaling he was being painted by a missile. He gunned the throttle, hoping to outrun it the lock and get away from it. It didn't work, causing more alarms to go off and he flew on, desperate to get away. If only the alarms would shut off...

Atrick sat up in his bed. That was the third night in a row where he had the same dream. I really need to see someone about this. He thought as he groggily shut off his alarm and headed for the bathroom for a refreshing shower.

After his shower, he got into his uniform and headed for the briefing room. I hope it's nothing serious. He thought, thinking of his nightmare again. For the past week and a half on the planet Rispry, he had been thinking about the Phoenix Wing campaign and how draining it had been. The thought of been watched at every moment, feeling as if your life rested in some higher power. It reminded him of his smuggling days, waiting for the inspector to find something, always looking over your shoulder...

He dismissed the thought as he entered the briefing room. He saw other Nazgulians there and took a seat next to Jack. He didn't know Jack that much, only that he had just come back from leave. He also knew he was a respected pilot in Nazgul and around the VEN.

Soon, the rest of the squad was there and Shazam began the briefing. The sound of the alarms came back to Atrick's mind, but he forced it out, trying to focus on Shazam and forget the awful nightmare.

"For three years, after the destruction of the second death star and near demise of the Imperial fleet, groups have been showing up for supremacy.  These are the Imperial Remnant- seperate factions with the same equipment and allegience: to themselves.  Each buys for power in drastic ways- none of them beneficial to the rest of the galaxy and none too organized.  Unlike the Vast Empire, the faction we will be taking on today is ruled by a series of grand moffs- each of them wealthy and hungry for power.  Who's to say one will not eventually take control and cause chaos?  We are here to disrupt thier efforts to create an armada and thier organization." 

Shazam pushed the control in his hand but, realizing it wasn't working, smacked it once. Atrick thought he heard a small laugh from Jack on his right.

"As you can see- we will be launching from here- in TIE Advanced Fighters.  These fighters are equipped with hyperdrives, shields and missiles.  We will jump, without a capitol ship as our escort or carrier, to the Jysdro System where we will attack and destroy as many ships as possible inside of a half hour.  Once that time has been spent- we will jump immedietly to a rendevous point with a the ship Righteous.  We will spend no time in re-emerging inside the Jysdro Styem, but this time at the planet Wascale.  There, due to the discturbance at the ship yard, we expect to encounter few resistance outside the atmosphere and should be alowed to enter quietly.  The Righteous will launch a crew with you inside a troop transport to assist in the capture of the base.  A high security platform is our target to disable the defense system.  We will destory power and shield generators protecting it then clear the airspace for the troops to land and take over.  That is our mission- other targets may arise and if at all possible: people will be those targets.  Primarilly the heads of the imperial faction we will be facing.  Any questions?" 

Atrick saw Darius raise his hand and ask who'd they'd be facing. Shazam replied then looked around again. No one had any more questions, so they were given permission to leave. Atrick got up, still thinking about the mission.

That's a weird mission. Thought Atrick as he made his way back to his room. Infantry tactics? In the Navy? It seemed incredulous to him. How could they see Navy taking the place of Army? Where were the troopers? The stongest weapon Atrick had was a DT-47, which was still a pistol. The thought of minimal resistance was a relief to him though. The thought of another battle like Remesis IIV sickened him.

Atrick looked around his bedroom at the mess. Reminds me of home. He thought. Images began to flash through his mind. His parents smiling at him... The troopers taking his father away... His mother on her deathbed...

Atrick pushed the thoughts away, determined to stay focused on the mission. He looked for his knife, found it, and began to sharpen it, thinking it would come in handy for the mission ahead.


-----------------------
NazgulSquadron

FM/LCRW Atrick25/Nazgul-10/Phoenix Wing/[mSSD Artrus]/1VENF]/VEN/VE (=A=)
~Leading Crewman Atrick25~

Nerds stick together! (Until Football Players storm us, because then we run like the girly men we are!)

Why does Darth Vader want cookies?

Alarms flashed and sounded, making Atrick's heart pound. He was being painted again, he was sure of it, but had trouble determining where it was coming from. He looked to his left and right, but he saw nothing, making him wonder if...

DEAD.

The screen began to blink the message as Atrick pounded the data screens. I need to get better. I gotta stop having those nightmares! He thought as he went outside the simulator to start it up again. Before he went back inside, he saw Shazam walking across the simulator room towards the sparring arena.

Wonder what he's doing there? He thought as he followed Shazam with his eyes. He had only known him for a few weeks, but he already thought of him as a nice guy. He was constantly laughing and only stopped smiling when there was business to attend to. He was slouching, which was something Atrick hadn't seen him do before. Atrick decided to follow him to the sparring room, but did so in secret, climbing the catwalks that littered the complex.

He moved slowly, taking care not to make any sudden movements, or make any noise at all. He came into the sparring room and was surprised to see Shazam fighting another fellow Nazgulian Darius.

As Atrick was about to spring into action, he heard some chatter between the two and softened up, realizing it was a friendly match. I've been really high strung the last couple days. I really need to see someone about this. He thought as he walked back down the catwalk and back towards the simulator. He climbed inside, hearing the familiar hum of the artificial engines on the "TIE Fighter." He pressed the Start button and took off, determined to beat his demons once and for all.

Half an hour later, Atrick left the simulator room, and headed back to his room. He passed the Mess Hall and smelled the familiar smell of cafeteria food, mixed with the smell of soap on dirty pans. He walked in, seeing some of his fellow Nazguls eating together at a table. He walked over to the droid serving the food and grabbed some pizza along with a fruit drink. He started over to an empty table when he heard someone say something from the Nazgul table.

"Hey, what are you doing? Come sit by us! You're a Nazgul and should be treated that way!"

Atrick turned right and walked towards the voice and the table. He sat down, clattering his tray on the wooden table, and looked around. He recognized his flight leader, Trevor, right away and Jen looked familiar too. The last person at the table was Tokigin...Tokjin...he couldn't remember.

"How's it going Atrick?" Jen said, taking a bite into a bright red apple.

"Oh, pretty good. I've been getting good sleep and the experience from that last mission really prepared me for this one." He lied, eating his pizza.

"Well that's good, hope to see you get some kills." Trevor said.

Atrick just nodded, his mouth full of pizza.

He finished the last of his fruit drink and left the Mess and headed back to his room. He grabbed his Flyhigh knives from the closet and put them on his belt. Then he grabbed the DT-57 and DC-15s blaster pistols from his bag and threw them in their holsters. He would put them behind the pilot's seat when he got on his TIE.

He began meditating on his bed, trying to put clear thoughts in his head and remove the nightmares. He had learned the technique back on Naboo from his mother, when she had her stress melt downs. Meditating would help them both continue through their day, with only a few minutes of quiet...


-----------------------
NazgulSquadron

FM/LCRW Atrick25/Nazgul-10/Phoenix Wing/[mSSD Atrus]/1VENF]/VEN/VE (=A=)
~Leading Crewman Atrick25~

Nerds stick together! (Until Football Players storm us, because then we run like the girly men we are!)

Why does Darth Vader want cookies?

Again, the enemies were everywhere. They flew fast, making streaks cross Atrick's vision as he tried to shoot them down. He had his shields spread out across the entire ship, but it was no use. An X-wing flew in from the left, shooting it's cannons at Atrick. The blasts brought his shields down to 50 percent and he started sweating. Soon the alarms sounded. The dreaded alarms...

Atrick awoke again, cold sweat covering his body. He must have fallen asleep when he was meditating. Doesn't anyone on this ship make a loud noise? Ever? He thought to himself as he got up from his bed. The way he had been sitting when he had fallen asleep had cramped his legs up and now they were sore and red. So much for an easy flight. Atrick thought as he exited his room.

He didn't know where he was going but he felt like he needed to check out his TIE fighter in the hanger. The base layout was new to him and he was constantly getting lost. The only way he had made it to the briefing this morning was by following a fellow Nazgul and memorizing the way back. He stopped another pilot, who was, surprisingly to Atrick, an attractive, young female.

"Excuse me, miss? Could you tell me the way to the hanger?" Atrick asked, feeling quite stupid all of a sudden.

"Yeah, at the end of the hall, take a left then take the next right. Can't miss it." She replied giving him a big smile.

Wow, she's beautiful. Thought Atrick as he made his way towards the hanger. I should've gotten her name.

Entering the hanger, he quickly found the TIE Advanced Fighters, due to the Nazgul insignia along their starboard wing. He walked over to a technician and requested which one was his.

"Third one on the right." The burly technician grunted, obviously preoccupied more with his gamedroid than an Imperial pilot.

Atrick grunted a quick "thanks" and headed over to his TIE. He climbed inside, trying to remember the schematics for it from one of his data disks he had in his room. He carried them everywhere he went, always reviewing them if he had spare time.

He sat in the pilot's chair, feeling the power of the starfighter. He remembered he still had his weapons, and threw them behind the chair, not caring if they fell up or down. As long as I can get to them, I'm ok. He thought. He began running a self-diagnostic of the ship when he heard them again. The alarms, ringing in his ears, the flashing lights, the explosion...

He shook his head hard, determined to get the thoughts out. He turned all of his attention to the diagnostic of the TIE, but kept an eye on his wristwatch. He had little over an hour to go and some more things he had to do before it was up.

The diagnostic light turned green and Atrick sighed. He could get used to life as a Navy pilot, but the stress of battle could be a problem. He wondered if he should tell Shazam about it...

No. I'm fine. I'll tell the medical team when we get back to wherever we get back. He thought, feeling as if telling Shazam would mean showing he was a coward or something along the lines of a new pilot. He wouldn't tell Shazam about it... He couldn't...

Getting down from the repulsor lift, Atrick made his way back to his bed to wait for the mission to begin. He couldn't wait for it to be over but he also couldn't wait for it to begin.

 
-----------------------
NazgulSquadron

FM/LCRW Atrick25/Nazgul-10/Phoenix Wing/[mSSD Atrus]/1VENF]/VEN/VE (=A=)
~Leading Crewman Atrick25~

Nerds stick together! (Until Football Players storm us, because then we run like the girly men we are!)

Why does Darth Vader want cookies?

Shazam felt better- cleaner.  Waking up to a breifing was one thing, then turning around and getting a workout was another- he liked to feel clean.  So Shazam's second shower had been shorter, but he couldn't help but smile now that he smelt like a box of 'good things.'  When he was younger 'good things' were the key words in explaining people, places or things to him.  "He's a good guy..." Or "he's done good stuff..."  Or even- "It's full of good things..."  And they were good- always delightful surprises.  Of course, there were the bad things as well, and he'd seen plenty- travelling the galaxy like a family band couped in a bus...  "Bad Things' usually reared their ugly faces when an exchange couldn't be agreed upon or one party had Imperial credits and the other Republic.  Or?  Never mind... 

The commander's room wasn't much more than the average pilots, but he got a desk as well as a better network station.  He'd managed to get a holo set up in the corner so he could watch random recordings at his leisure as well as review data from battles and outside distractions.  The room was a dull brown with two hanging lamps dangling off of thin lines of white wire, about seven feet off of the ground.  That was the only thing Shazam really liked about the place; lighting is everything...  With an elevated ceiling and a some-what classy architecture, the room was comfortable and had the touch of a pilot drowned in work.  The desk, despite his best efforts, had piles of folders that he was attempting to convert to data files so they could be stored in a computer somewhere, as well as some risque articles from a late night or two and random hodge-podge he'd collected on his travels throughout the planet of Rispry.  Shazam checked the chrono and sought refuge in his hyper speed room sorting to pick up some particular items before he would be alowed to go to the hanger.  The soveniers he'd accrewed on various journeys were to great to be held in his room, so most were at his home...  This one though...  Shazam about slapped himself, thinking the gift may be a bit mawkish.  Deciding not to argue on whether to do it or not, he just took off down the corrider and made his way to Aldur Wyndaru's room.

Tough break...  Shazam had read his file when Aldur had first joined and felt a little bit of the apprehension he'd been building up when they'd gone to rescue Darius.  The commander thought he'd made a breakthrough when they were able to use Aldur's technical skills to get around the prison and help salvage equipment and computers for thier use.  Unfortunetly, before he could be formally introduced to the squadron and really made a part of the team, there'd been yet another loss...  To others who were polite to the pilot and even gave him a friendly 'Hello'- he was in a downward spiral.  Shazam thought different though; perhaps this was just a front.  If he'd been going out of control he'd have been giving signs, sort of like Aldur was at times.  Talk to the kid soon... Shazam reminded himself before continuing his train of thought on Aldur.  Indeed- if he was losing it, everyone would know.  Instead, he simply avoided the group, the only one who couldn't accompany the others on trips around the planet or even to go watch a local play.  Sure, others simply weren't interested, Darius for one choosing to spend some time with his wife and work on equipment, but Aldur just said "I'm got a lot to do..."  It didn't seem like much, but it was a sign to Shazam : he was afraid to become a part of the group...  Just why, the commander couldn't quite place it, but with the given circumstances and thier line of work, there could be hundreds if not thousands of reasons why he would be a bit shakey coming back into the Navy.  Hopefully this will inspire a little hope though...  The gift was tucked well away so it wouldn't get looks Shazam liked to avoid as he reached the white door. 

Rapping on the side lightly he waited patiently for about fifteen seconds before giving it a harder round.  Not here?  Perhaps the hanger?

"If your looking for the young man from that room, you'll find him in the Cantina..."  There was yet another reason why he liked this base- some beautiful women.  This one looked a little concerned which indicated the pilot was a little less than spectacular today- tread softly then...  Shazam gave the woman his thanks and found his way to the local cantina; he was relieved to see that Aldur wasn't passed out on the bar but instead sipping modestly from a short, slender glass of ale. 

"Getting away from it all?" Shazam querried to the pilot.  For a moment, Aldur didn't even move then he glanced around to see who was speaking to find his commander right there.  A little surprised, he attempted to hid it with a disguised "I guess so..."

"Ready for the mission?"  Shazam didn't give Aldur an opportunity to decline his invitation to sit.  Aldur spun the glass in his hand slowly then said- "Yea.  It should be interesting..."

"Interesting?"  Shazam waved for the droid to come over who nearly didn't take notice of him, so Shazam said- "Hey!"  Disgusted, the droid made his way over.  Piece of crap...

"Well, we're going on the ground?"  Aldur seemed to have a valid point and Shazam was beginning to get the idea there was more to the pilot than what he'd been seeing- he wasn't just willing to jump into anything.  He'd seen similar things from Atrick and Toki, but the other pilots seemed to prefer getting a stretch break between waypoints and attacks.

"Sort of," Shazam attempted to convey this meaning as the droid gave him a glass of whatever, not asking for what Shazam wanted.  "Hey!  What'd you give me?  Going to ask what I want at lesat?"

The droid turned toward him, a wider droid with a swivelling head that gave the sense of a disgruntled human.  "Sir, you've come in here seventeen times and stayed for twenty point three seven repeating hours- you've ordered the same concoction every time.  I believe you were about to order the same because your line of sight was indicating the Mountain Scratch Whiskey- would you like something else?"  Shazam eyed the droid with utter amazement, one eye twitching slightly before he whispered- "Smart ass" underneath his breath.  The droid went back to his station and began sorting bottles.

"Anyways- yea, we'll only be landing momentarilly.  We're not going to be jumping in guns blazing or anything, our job is simply to watch things and make sure some tech doesn't go balistic and blast holes in our jockeys."  Shazam took a sip of the sharp tonic and chewed some invisible food to get the knots out of his jaw, the whiskey really sharpening his senses all of the sudden.

"Alright- so we're supposed to get out of our fighters while on a shakey platform under seige and not expect some kind of hidden defense mechanism?"  Aldur was a firey one, challenging obvious aspects the command thought unworthy of considering.  Of course, the idea that hidden mechanisms would hinder the performance of the group and produce casualties had been heavilly weighed, but since most police platform defenses could be taken out by air as well as various electrical systems powering the station, they'd felt this would be the best choice. 

Shazam chuckled at the man and gave him a pat on the back, saying lightly- "That's why we keep out eyes open, man.  Never let intel tell you how things are- just how they should be.  Walk with me and I'll tell you about a little somethin from my days on Yumen..."

**Fifteen Minutes later**

The stroll to the hanger hadn't seemed too long, but the time on the holo gave him roughly a half-hour till take off, cutting it close for the check-up systems.  Shazam had run through his story about how the Intelligence agency for the empire had given him a faulty map and he'd been taken into enemy territory and engaged by three fighters, all of which ended up getting beat around by the missiles launched from the ground.  They'd had bad intelligence as well- told that their fighters were the enemy and Shazam was a fleeing ally.  Of course, they were Imperial Faction as well, so it was hard to tell the difference between the fighters...  Aldur had listened quietly for the most part, laughing here and there, a little bit of the initial tension bleeding away.  He was still too quiet though, and Shazam was beginning to get the idea he saw Shazam making feeble attempts to make him feel comfortable...

"Listen man- if you need anything, or you just wanna get away- lemme know man.  I travel a lot.  I don't want you to think I'm trying to push this best friends forever crap on you, I just don't want you getting isolated from the group- can cause some serious problems when things get busy."

"Yea..." He replied as best he could.  He wasn't quite bought yet.

"Just use those talents you got man- I know there's a lot more to ya- let everyone else know man..."  Hopefully the pep-talk did some good... Shazam eyed the young man up and down as he gave a nod and said-

"Thank you, sir..."  Shazam took that as good and began walk over to his fighter when he noticed Atrick workin on his fighter in the corner.

"Hey man- hows it goin?"  The transition from Aldur to Atrick was like day and night, this one anxious and excited- but worried. 

"Great, sir- just jumpy, sir..."  Shazam couldn't tell what was in his hands, but he figured it was an energy output device designed to check for shorted wires in the fighter- good man.

"So everything's good?  You're feeling alright?"  The young pilot dropped an eyebrow and just about stuttered but caught it, transforming it into-

"I'm fine.  Thanks though..."  He'll talk when he's ready...  Maybe not to me- but he'll talk.  Shazam climbed onto the hull of his own fighter a row down and inspected the outside before climbing in and activating it.  The pilot was in his flight suite already, so he wouldn't have to worry about forgetting anything...  Oh crap- the gift...  He'd forgotten to give it to Aldur earlier- it'd have to wait.  I suppose he'll get it when we return.  Time to check for shorts...

(Alright guys, really talk about your characters and what they've been up to as well as what they think about the mission.  Explore some ideas of your own- don't let me or anyone hold you down.  This is our story and our opportunity to show the rest of the Navy what we're capable of- keep up the good work, you're doing great.  Any questions, comments or concerns- direct 'em to the main thread so we can talk about 'em and coordinate a little.  Good hunting!)
 
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*Flash Was Here...*

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

NazgulSquadron

Commander of Nazgul Squadron, Phoenix Wing and Training

The silence of his room was unnerving, even to Atrick, who had smuggled hundreds of items across the galaxy, even as far as the Outer Rim. He had met the Hutt crime lords and even worked for one at one time. It was a deadly kind of silence, the kind of silence that comes...

Before a storm. He thought, feeling as if walking around would make his suspicions go away. He soon decided that being alone was not the best thing, and headed out, wandering the halls. He wondered if that pilot he had met before was still around. If I could just get her name... He thought.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" A technician said loudly, his arms full of  data disks, probably to an Imperial class or something like that. Atrick snapped out of his thoughts and paid better attention to the corridors, rather then his thoughts. He passed the Mess Hall again, peeking his head inside, but to his dismay, found no one but the server droids.

Must be checking their TIE's. Thought Atrick, continuing to look for the pilot, but to little avail. He checked his holowatch again. 30 minutes to the mission and counting. Must time creep so slowly? He thought angrily, still anxious about the mission. That's when he found her.

She was still wearing her uniform, but to Atrick, still looked dazzling. He walked over to her, trying to act casual, but he thought he looked like a one legged Rancor trying to catch a meal.

"Hi." He said to her, while trying to look presentable. Man, I look stupid.

"Oh, it's you again! I was wondering when I'd see you. It seems we forgot to exchange names! I'm Meghan. Yours?" She said the whole thing with a smile and extened her hand, as if she wanted him to shake it.

He grabbed her by the hand and said, "I'm Acrutis. But, my callsign is Atrick if you prefer." Smooth. He thought sarcastically.

She smiled again. "Well, "Atrick", I'll be seeing you around. Would you like to go for coffee?"

"Sorry, but I have a mission in about 20 minutes. I'd love too, but I don't want to be late. What's your Imperial serial number? I could still talk to you after the mission through the Imperial comnet." He replied, actually regretting he didn't have the time to spend with her.

"Sure." She gave him her serial number, a smile, and walked off, making Atrick feel very red around the cheeks.

He continued on his stroll of the corridors, looking into each door as he passed. Some contained droids, others were classes, until he came to the hanger again. He looked at his watch again. 15 minutes to go. He thought as he walked over to his TIE. He walked around it once, giving it an inspection of the hull and weaponry, making sure nothing was wrong and everything was in place. He pulled himself back into the cockpit, running a hand behind the chair to make sure everything was still there. His DT-57, DC-15s and his...

"OW!" He yelled as one of his throwing knives cut his skin. It began bleeding profusely, making the seat turn a dull brown. "Aw, man." He said aloud, still wondering how he could've cut himself. He got back out of the fighter and walked over to Shazam, who was working on the outside of his TIE, checking to make sure the paneling was in the right order.

"Hey, uh, Shazam? I really hurt myself here..." Atrick said, not sure what to really say about his still bleeding hand.

Shazam came down and took a look at it. "That looks pretty bad, man. Head on over to the medical wing, and get someone to bandage you up. You're still coming with us, right?" He said.

"Yes sir." Atrick said, leaving the hanger. He headed towards the medical wing and some relief. They cleaned the wound, gave him a tetanus shot, and wrapped it in gauze. The wound still hurt, but it was only a dull thump now, and Atrick felt he could fly again.

He hurried back to the hanger to see other Nazgul pilots beginning to come in as well. Atrick went over to his TIE and got in, wondering how he would fly, with a damaged right hand. I'll make due, I suppose. He thought, ready to start the mission. He looked at his watch again. Only five minutes now...


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NazgulSquadron

FM/LCRW Atrick25/Nazgul-10/Phoenix Wing/[mSSD Atrus]/1VENF]/VEN/VE (=A=)
~Leading Crewman Atrick25~

Nerds stick together! (Until Football Players storm us, because then we run like the girly men we are!)

Why does Darth Vader want cookies?

(Just making my place to where I've counted, continue please)
 
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WAJ/2LT Corran "Arturus" Hargraves/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

Jack waited for his turn to report in.

"Nazgul Two..."

"...Nazgul Three..."

"...Nazgul Four..."

"...Nazgul Five..."

"...Nazgul Six..."

"...Nazgul Seven..."

"...Nazgul Eight..."

"...Nazgul Nine..."

"...Nazgul Ten..."

Finally, Jack thought.

"Nazgul Eleven, ready to go - back to work, kids," Jack said.

Then, "Nazgul Twelve."

Jack never really liked the "checkup," as he called it. If you were at the "end" of the squadron, you had to wait for everyone to report in, and sometimes there would be some messages with their callsign. But, at least he was back where he belonged, and he was very happy with that.

Detaching from the fighter rack, Jack then followed everyone out of the hangar.

Just like the good old days, Jack thought.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Before engaging the TIE Interceptors...)

Jack began thinking about Alexia again. It was yet another dream in a series of them, although he was wide awake and not sleeping. Even though it wasn't an actual dream, it was still more of a nightmare.

In the dream, Jack saw himself in the middle of a civil war on Aurora Prime. He was older, and so was Alexia and Jason. Jason appeared to be about five standard years old.

Suddenly, someone or some people began firing in there direction. Jack aimed with his mechanical super battle droid arm, but it was no longer functioning. Jack then realized that he had a blaster holstered on his belt, so he grabbed it and began firing.

Jack managed to hit the people shooting at him and his wife and son, but they didn't die or show any signs of being hit. Jack knew he had hit them with the blaster bolts. Something was very wrong.

But it was too late. The people had been replaced by holograms. Now they had taken Alexia and Jason. The entire universe seemed to have been dying right then. Jack watched helplessly as Alexia and Jason were -

"Break comm silence, folks - wake up." Jack exited the all-too-real dream when Shazam spoke. Jack continued to listen. "We've got bogies at ten o'clock and they're comin' in fast."

Finally, Jack thought. My first kill back with Nazgul Squadron. Jack managed to smile.

Jack looked around at the shipyard. Two rounded tops and a pentagon at the center. Jack also noticed the single defense turret - or, at least the only one visible.

"The clock is ticking, people - let's ride," Shazam said. Jack then continued to listen, rather than speaking.

"Looks like Interceptors, One; Two Flight breaking off to engage the first group."

Excellent, Jack thought.

"I count eight, but it looks like they're launching more."

More? They would make great target practice, and Jack loved some good target practice.

"What are they?"

"Can't tell yet..."

And then Jack's assignment finally came. "Alright - Three Flight - assist Five's group and bust the chops on those Interceptors. We're ganna pay the fellas dropping in up north a visit. Nazgul One, out."

"You got it, One," Jack said over the comm.

"I don't suppose these guys know who they're up against?"

"Fresh meat?"

"I've got movement on the left shore, by the way."

Here came the good part. Flight Three would help engage the TIE Interceptors. Jack promised himself that he would remember the first kill he scored today here.

This is going to be good...


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

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Warrant Officer 2nd Class Jack Nebulax, Nazgul Squadron, Imperial Navy, Vast Empire.
FM/WO2 Jack Nebulax/Nazgul 11 (3-3)/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE (=A=) (=*SA*=) [SV] [VC:G]
Rep|Int/Rep Jack Nebulax/Rep: 4/Reporters-Interviewers/VE/VET
Jack Nebulax: King of the Reply
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Admiral Jack Nebulax, third-in-command of the Auroran Defense Fleet (ADF) and leader of Nemesis Wing (Wing I)