One week and three days earlier


It was a standard fighter bay aboard the mSSD Atrus.  The black deck had a mirror finish that one could see their reflection in if it wasn't a section that was glared by the flood lights jutting out of the ceiling.  Polished Interceptors hung under the TIE racks, combat ready on a moment's notice.  Like most things Imperial, the walls were all but bare durasteel, having no decoration what so ever.  Located near the bow wall was the tech pit, which was empty at the moment for today was a break in the usual routine.

Today there was a raised platform positioned before the magnetic seal.  In front of the platform stood the pilot that made up Phoenix wing, which were to the right, and the technicians and mechanics that supported the three squadrons to the left.  An aisle divided the two groups.  Upon the platform were two men.  Both were clad in black Imperial uniforms, though one lacked the red over blue rank plaque that the other bore on his chest.  The man just mentioned was before a podium and was called 2nd Lieutenant Willtconq.  Than Sion did not understand why the other was him.  Obviously there was a ceremony planned for this day, but only the officers in the room really know what was up.  Everybody else only knew that it involved the Elite Kaph Squadron and Chief Warrant Officer Than Sion.

Will began to speak.  "I am happy that all of you could be here today for today is a bitter, sweet day for me."  Willtconq paused for a second as though dealing with swirling emotions within him. 

"As many of you know, I was thrown into the position of Squadron Commander after Denthor stepped down from the position and retired.  Before then I was rapidly promoted in both rank and position.  In fact, I feel it may have been too quick for it sometimes seems that I was never given the chance to catch my breath."  He paused once again with a misty look about his eyes.

"Kaph Squadron had basically been gutted by the war with the NR when I was given the job to run it.  I had to start from scratch except for a couple of pilots which had little experience between them.  Chief Warrant Officer Sion was one of those pilots.  He is the only pilot left that has been with me since the beginning of my Squadron Commander career.  This career had its occasional high points, Kaph did gain elite status under me after all, but for the most part I feel as though it has been lacking, as though I've not fulfilled it to a level worthy of the position."  He paused for a third time; his face almost seemed sad and determined at the same time.

"There was another pilot that's career was similar to mine.  His did not hit the ground running like me, though like a Juggernaut, his started slow but picked up pace at a rate that nothing could slow down.  He went from Flight Leader to Executive Officer with not much time in between.  He showed that he was loyal, determined, intelligent, honorable, and strong in valor, stamina, and will.  All these traits are important in a Squadron Commander, but especially the last one."  Kaph 1 paused one last time, his eyes betrayed his emotions.  He was sad, sad in the same way has one that tries his hardest but fails to meet the mark.

"I am stepping down as the Commander of Kaph Squadron," revealed the Veteran of many dog fights and capital ship runs.  "Chief Warrant Officer Than Sion, as of now you are the acting Commander of the Elite Kaph Squadron.  Will the members of Kaph Squadron please stand at attention."

Willtconq turned to face Sion, bringing his right arm up in a broken salute.  The members of Kaph and Sion followed suit.  There was Strangler, a newer member of Kaph who was quick with both a joke and a fighter.  Next to him was Hellkite, a pretty good pilot but with a dark past.  There was also, Etan.  An odd specimen for an Imperial Pilot considering that he was a Wookie.  He was someone you would want on your side that wasn't afraid to shove his weight around.  The Zabrak Cyleaf was also there.  He was usually quiet, but an excellent friend if you got to know him.  To the Zabrak's left was Dredj.  He was dedicated to those above him but sometimes could get out of control.  He also seemed to be hiding something about his nature.  Last, but far from least, was Skylla.  The tough woman that Than fell in love with.  If only they weren't bond to the VEN.

Will finished his salute.  The pilots in Kaph followed example.  Will was not yet done, though.  "I do not only step down from the SC position but, for now, all command positions.  I've served in this squadron for a long time.  I love Kaph and do not wish to part with it.  I will remain in the squadron as a Flight Member."  He turned to Sion one more time.  "Good luck, Commander Than Sion."

"Thank you, sir," replied Sion.

"At last Sion, it is time for your habit of calling me sir to end.  You are sir now," stated Willtconq.  He then faced the crowd.  "Will Commander Shazam now come up upon the platform."

A man in a grey uniform exited the crowd.  Upon the rank plaque on his chest were six tiles in three groups of red over blue.  The groups were spaced apart on either side of the central column.  Will stepped away from the podium as Shazam climbed the platform.  Tucked under his right arm was a flat, black box with a small, gold hinge at one end.

"Well folks," began Shaz with his usual, subtle personality.  "We're not done yet.  It always used to be the tradition that Squadron Commanders were always officers.  In the near past that hasn't been reasonable because of the need for field promotions to the position.  Circumstances now allow for us to continue that tradition.  Chief Warrant Officer Than Sion, you are here by commissioned to Ensign."

He then opened the box.  Inside was a rank plaque like Willtconq's and two rank cylinders (the difference is that Will only has one rank cylinder).  Shazam proceeded to pin the plaque to Sion's chest and put the cylinders in their respected pockets.

"Congratulations, Ensign," voiced the Commander.

Than Sion brought his hand up in a salute, Shazam copied, everybody else in the fighter bay followed suit.

"I have a felling that our new officer has a few words to say after all this commotion," suggested Shazam.  He stepped down from the platform. 

Will also did so.  He joined the other Kaph pilots.

Than was alone on the platform now.  Every eye was now on him, he had their undivided attention.  The whole situation was so raw in his head that it almost seemed like a different person who was moving over to the podium.  Though none of his emotions had completely gathered, part of his mind had. 

"This has been brought upon me quite unexpected, so I don't have much to say.  I will say that I will not let you all down," promised Sion.  "I will work my very hardest to bring Kaph back to its glory days.  To do that there will be changes, but changes for the better.  I thank you all for having faith in me and I hope it will not be in vain.  Glory to the Vast Empire and glory to the Navy."

He dropped from the platform, leaving it completely abandoned.  Already some of those emotions were taking shape, not all of them were positive...


(OCC:  The point of those two pages was to explain the transition of power in Kaph.  I feel that too many times we have had big changes like these and they haven't really been explained in the story line.  In real life this transition was also emotional for me.  I came to respect Will over the last year and nine months.  He had been there for me throughout my career in the Vast Empire.  With out him and Demonic, I would have quit a long time ago for what is obvious reasons to some of you.  His stepping down has left me in somewhat uncharted territory for he has always been above me before now.  With that said, you are all welcome to start posting now).   

 
-----------------------
ESC/ESN Than Sion/Kaph 5/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE(=A=)(=*SA*=)(=MA=)[LoM][VC:S][CBV][MC:1][SWC]{VB}

--SC of Kaph Squadron

Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers, unless you have a lot of cookies to throw in opposite corners to distract them.

*A few days previous*

Cyleaf sat in his bunk for a quick breather, though things had calmed down considerably, the Zabrak still kept himself busy either in the gym or on the flight deck looking over his fighter. Today the normal hum drum routine would be shattered as his comlink beeped. Retrieving the device from his belt and holding it in front of him he pressed the button.

"This is Cyleaf, go ahead."

The voice over the other end was extremely familiar, they had gotten close before and more so after Cyleaf had gone to the brig. Things had changed slightly as the roster kept getting shuffled with new pilots or departing ones and he had become Will's wingman for the second time in his career. Little did he know that the shuffle was about to happen again.

"Cy, I need you to come to my office pronto."

"Yes Sir! I am on my way."

Quickly the Zabrak departed his room and made for Than's office. Lucky for him they kept squadrons in a general area and it wasn't far away. This kept Cy from getting lost as it could take years for him to fully explore the Atrus.

Approaching the door it hissed open automatically, that was thanks to their new SC's open door policy. Walking inside the Zabrak snapped a salute at the man to his left, Willtconq stood and saluted back somewhat surprised at him being his choice instead of Than behind the desk.

"Greetings Sir!"

Will dropped his salute and Cyleaf repeated the procedure with Than. Though Than was the Squadron Commander Will had more time in grade making him the superior ranking officer, that was why he was saluted first.

"Reporting as ordered Sir!"

"Come have a seat, we have some things to discuss."

Than motioned towards a chair and Cyleaf walked over and sat down. As the door shut behind them he heard the lock engage.

"As you know Kaph is constantly going through reconstruction with new pilots being assimilated and me becoming the new Commander. This leaves me some open spots in my command structure. I will not be filling the XO position for awhile but I do have an open Flight Leader spot, my old one to be exact. Would you be interested?"

Before he could even reply Will quickly interjected.

"This comes with one stipulation. I will be your wingman, this will serve as two things. One is to make sure you are doing your job correctly, and the other is to monitor your overall performance. As the senior member of this squadron besides us you could be a big part of its future."

Standing up quickly he looked his friend in the eyes and said,

"I accept Sir!"

"Good, you are free to go."

Cyleaf saluted both gentleman again and left the room heading back to his quarters. This was going to take up more of his extra free time and a welcome change.


*Present*

Cyleaf lay on the bench sweat staining his white t-shirt as his muscles bulged from the strain of the weights. Pushing up with all of his might it slowly began to raise, veins popped out of his forehead and arms. Finally from what seemed like forever he got the wights fully up and placed them on the supports.

Sitting up and wiping his forehead Cy looked around the rec room. Etan was behind him spotting his lifting with his big Wookie strength while the rest were off doing their own thing. Turning to the hulking figure behind him he spoke,

"Remember big guy that I am only a Zabrak not a Wookie myself so keep that as my maximum. Geesh if I could lift a tree like you it'd be different."

Chuckling Cy stood up and began stretching his arms. Ever since his time in the brig he had developed an intense workout schedule and kept at it. His muscles were beginning to get larger instead of more tone, it would truly frighten him to gain the weight that pilots sometimes did from only sitting in a cockpit.
 
-----------------------
EFl/WO2/Cyleaf Aehait/Kaph 2-5/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE/(=*A*=)(=*SA*=)[MC1][BWC][SWC]

One Day Earlier

Jaden could smell the dust as the door hissed open.  He stepped into the room and took a big breath as the door slid shut behind him.  The bags found their way to the ground; and Jaden to a familiar place.  His chair.

It had been nearly half of a year since he had been in this room.  The office still smelled of burnt coffee beans and hard work...paper work.  Memories came flashing back quicker than he thought they would, bringing his head down in dissapointment.

Why did I leave?

The thought kept going through his head whilst he wiped the dust from the desk and picked up his old coffee cup.  Remainders of his last drank cup still remained within the beverage container.  Many things had changed since he had left, but this office was the one place that he could find tranquility.

Jaden had gone on a bit of a vacation.  It turned out to be more than he could swallow, forcing him to come back to his old life and pick up his old ways.  Feelings of being left out and betrayed were now all but bad memories.  He now had his mind set on one thing.  Being back with old friends.

Jaden's com link began to beep as he turned the nearby terminal on and waited for it to power up and come to a personel log in screen.  He quickly grabbed at it and qued the message accept button.

"Jaden here"

There was a bit of an awkward silence.

"This is Shaz..."

Jaden felt his heart drop.

"Man...its been too long," said Jaden, a smile coming across his face as a couple of good memories started to float back.

"Yes...It has.  And, I guess I'm going to have to be be bearer of bad news.  Your getting thrown back into Nazgul Squadron under Trevor's command," said Shazam, "I'm saying this as bad news because you aren't going to be put in a command position.  You and I both know why"

Jaden instantly remembered the reason for the words Shazam had just stated.

"I know that I abused my privelages as Squadron Commander and as XO of Nazgul, but I promise to do my best.  Even as a Flight member, I'm going to give it all in hopes that I will one day earn enough respect to command a league of my own," said Jaden

"Alright, well, a little more news for you here.  We are going to jump you right into a mission.  We've got a bit of a wing mission coming our way.  Kaph and Nazgul are going to consolidate for the sole reason that Nazgul is a bit low on pilots right now, and so is Kaph.  Now lets just hope that you boys can get along," said Shazam

"Oh...you know me," said Jaden

"Alright.  The meeting is tomorrow.  I'm heading off myself.  Its getting late and I'm sure you'll want to get some sleep before the big meeting," said Shazam

"Sure will.  Nice seeing you again," said Jaden

"Nice seein you too bud.  Stick around this time," said Shazam

*****
Present Day

Jaden walked into the mess hall.  Familiar faces looked towards him, but he decided to not make eye contact and to head straight for the flat bread and stim tea.  The way the cook made it was incredible.  Jaden was suprised that he was still around.

After grabbing his things, Jaden made his way towards the table where Trevor was sitting.  Along with a couple of other members of Nazgul, Jaden could see that there were new faces.  He quickly sat down and gave Trevor a bit of a glance.

"Nice to see your joining us," said Trevor, "Its been too long," he said, extending a handshake.

Jaden quickly took the shake and looked around at the others.

"Tomas, good to see your still here.  Darius, Casca....and who is this?" said Jaden

"I'm Sol, a little more than a new recruit," said Sol, extending a hand.

Jaden hesitated a bit, but then took the hand in firm grip.

"Good to see new blood around here," said Jaden, "But wait...that means there are only six pilots in Nazgul?

"Right," said Trevor, "Things have been a bit shakey lately.  We've lost a lot of people from both squadrons in out last couple of missions."

A frown came to Jaden's face at the thought of Jen or someone else going down.

"Wow....we must have taken a pretty hard hit," said Jaden, "This is the squadron at a lesser point than I have seen it in a long time"

"Well, don't be too quick before you think to shoot.  We have a lot of talent here, and a lot of experience.  I'm sure we should be able to hold our own.  Against Anyone."

Jaden could sense the anger and frustration in Trevors voice.  He knew that Trevor was just as angry as he was about Kaph taking Elite status last ESC.

"So...whats new quick Kaph?  I here Than is running things now," said Jaden

"They've got a couple of more members than we do, but they seem to be checking into who's still in the running or not.  Will is still around as a pilot, just to make sure things run smoothly before he leaves, and as for Than, I think he's doing great with what he has right now," said Trevor

Jaden shook his head up and down, "Thats good to see that they still have their heads on their shoulders"

Trevor took another bite of his food and began to clean things up.

"The meeting is in 15 minutes.  I'll see you there," said Trevor, "Oh, and just to let you know.  Tomas is your wingman"

A smile came to Jaden's face.  He knew that Tomas had talent and that they would work well together.

Jaden stepped up, took his things to the tray dump area, and headed out of the mess hall to his office to get cleaned up a bit before the meeting.  He was feeling good, really good.  It had been too long since he had been around, and things were looking up.

GOD YES

(OOC: I'm back )
 
-----------------------
Jaden Khaar
NazgulSquadron
Naval Academy Executive Officer
Executive Officer of Nazgul Squadron
-----------------------------------------------------------
XO/2LT Jaden Khaar/Nazgul 1-2 (Nazgul 2)/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE (=*A*=) (=*SA*=) (*=TE=*) [VC:S][LSM][SV][CBV](x2)[GWC]
-----------------------------------------------------------
TXO/2LT Jaden Khaar/Venom 1-2 (Venom 2)/Phoenix Wing/Platform Saratoga/DEF/VEN/VE (=*A*=) (=*SA*=) (*=TE=*) [VC:S][LSM][SV][CBV](x2)[GWC]

(OOC: Luckily i play quite a bit of pool in my spare time, so i have a grasp of what im talking about )

Skar stood away from the pool table, carefully observing Than. He stood bent over the table, the pool cue a few millimetres away from touching his chin. His eyes were focused right down the cue. He slowly began to move the cue back and forth a few times, before sending it forward with force, sending the cue ball rolling down the table. It clattered into a red ball on the table, which accelerated off towards the corner pocket. it just nudged the edge of the pocket slightly, but it was enough to push the ball away. Than leaned back up and cursed quietly to himself.

"You're turn kid" He called over.

Skar suddenly looked up, his eyes hadn't left the table since Than's shot. He saw Than pointing at the table, so he nodded and stepped forward. Trevor stepped forward with him. They stood silently scanning the table for a few seconds, before Trevor pointed out a ball on the side side cushion just a few inches away from the pocket.

"That shouldn't be too difficult. And even if you miss, your not likely to leave them much"

Skar smiled slightly and leaned over the table, trying to memorise what Than did in his shot. He domed his left hand up in something that resembled a spider. He then placed the cue between his middle and ring fingers.

"Kid" Trevor called out.

Skar looked back to Trevor. Than was stood just behind him, trying desperately not to burst out laughing.

"put the cue between your thumb and fingers" Trevor advised, holding his hand up and tapping the v shape he made separating his thumb and fingers. Skar thanked Trevor quickly before looking back at the table, trying desperately to hide the fact his face was rapidly going red.

He readjusted his grip, letting the cue steady itself in the v-shape he was told to. He pointed the cue so that the white ball would hit the ball hopefully where he wanted it to. He then took a few practice strokes like he saw Than take, and sent the cue clattering into the cue ball.

"Beginners luck, bet you cant do it again" Than said, attempting to burn a hole in the somewhat smug Skar. The striped ball rolled around the bottom of the table to where he stood.
 
-----------------------
Skar Darkanto/ Kanderin Draken

Tomas sat in the mess hall with the rest of the squadron, idly sipping a glass of water. Looking around at the other pilots it took a lot of effort to fight back a sigh. Only Trevor and Darius remained from the first mission Tomas had been on with Nazgul, not all that long ago. Since joining their ranks, Tomas had quickly earned a number of promotions as well as the role of lead for Nazgul's third flight. Life couldn't have been better at the time and he had been optimistic about what the future held....

Halfway through his first mission with Nazgul as he led his flight into an asteroid field...everything had changed...they had encountered resistance on their way to the rendezvous point, in the form of a Y-wing squadron going by the name Tachurus. Tomas had witnessed the death of his wingmate and near destruction of another member of his flight. It had led to a complete gutting of his flight, as the other two survivors were transferred for trauma-related issues.

From there, things had only gotten worse. The subsequent mission found Tomas leading a brand new set of flightmates into what was supposed to be a simulation of sorts. But when things went wrong, it got ugly. His newest wingmate lost her cool and it resulted in him watching helplessly as she spiralled into a horrible collision with a ground. Although the squadron has managed to emerge victorious, Tomas' flight had once again been disbanded. There was no telling if Delia would recover from her injuries, Sol had been transferred to flight one and Valin had been transferred out of the squadron all together. What could he do to stop this downward fall? He had become a shepherd without a flock to lead. But with all that had happened so far, Tomas couldn't help but think that might be a good thing for the time being...

Suddenly, Tomas' train of thought was broken as the mess door slid open and a familiar face walked in. Jaden approached Trevor and after shaking hands, Tomas noticed Jaden's gaze sweep across the room, briefly falling on him among the others.

"Tomas, good to see your still here.  Darius, Casca....and who is this?" Jaden called out across the hall, before meeting Sol formally. As Jaden and Trevor engaged in conversation, Tomas looked down wondering how long he'd been taking sips from the apparently empty glass in his hand.

**In Jaden's Head**

"The meeting is in 15 minutes.  I'll see you there," Trevor said, "Oh, and just to let you know.  Tomas is your wingman"

A smile came to Jaden's face.  Whether or not he knows it yet, that kid's got potential to be one heck of a pilot...should be fun....

 
-----------------------
Petty Officer 1st Class 'Tomas' Dagoram
FL/PO1 Tomas/Nazgul 3-1/mSSS Atrus/VEN/VE (=*A*=) [SoA] [MC1]

"Fight on and fly on to the last drop of blood, the last drop of fuel, to the last beat of the heart."

Clearly Canadian!

She was finally home.

She had been called back for a mission, and she was glad to be back. She had practically run onto the Atrus when she had been ported off the Doashim. She had spent a good amount of time among the technicians, and she had made so many friends, but she was tired of being homesick all the time.

She had walked onto the Atrus, feeling confident, and unlike on her entrance to the Doashim, she knew where she was going, who she was looking for and wasn't utterly and totally alone.

Before she even dropped off her bag at her new cabin, she had set off to find her Nazgul, her friends, her family. She knew that Nazgul had changed a lot with her leaving. She was so excited to meet the new ones, but was also sad that the ones she had known since she had first started, alone and confused, wouldn't be there any longer.

She had also been filled in about Kaph joining up with Nazgul and excited to meet them as well. But she knew this feeling of confidence and zealous excitement would wear off when they would be introduced to each other. Her shyness would prevail once again. But for some reason she didn't feel the same about the new Nazgulians. She thought it was mainly because they had joined the family, and weren't just strangers she would only know for a week or so.

But being a technician for so long, she had shunned the idea of briefings, not having any missions to be briefed on. She had got here on time to make the mission briefing, and it was going to happen soon apparently. But even for something as simple as a briefing, she was ecstatic. She felt so overwhelmed with feelings that hadn't been there before for so long she was oblivious to everything else. But she had to remind herself every so often not to bring these feelings into the cockpit with her. She needed to get on her serious face, and she knew a round in the sims would definitely be called for. But for now, she would focus her attention on finding Nazgul.

She had passed a technician and asked him if he had happened to know where Kaph and Nazgul squadrons were at the moment. He grunted and told her where they were listlessly and walked away as Toki quickly said her thanks.

She found herself walking so fast to a point where she was almost jogging. She knew the way to Kaph's rec room. She had walked past it many times before and when she had reached the mess hall, she looked around frantically for the right hallway, trying to get the Doashim's layout out of her mind.

On her way over she had accidentally taken a wrong turn once or twice, realizing her mistake as soon as it had been made. The Doashim's layout had been desperately learned out of fear of getting lost and it was harder for her to pull out the mental map of the Atrus. But she had found the right corridor and let herself run down it, turning off the radar that told her when other people thought she was being a freak.

She burst through the door, the idea of knocking totally oblivious to her. She stood in the doorway, looking around her. Most conversations had stopped at her hurried arrival. She let her bag slide off her shoulder to the floor with a thump and let her breath steady itself.

She spotted Trevor first and smiled as their eyes met, and then made a quick scan around the room.

"Hey guys."
 
-----------------------
TECH/CPO Tokijin/Phoenix Wing/Str Doashim/1FL/VEN/VE (=*A*=) (=*SA*=) [BWC] [VC:B]

Kaph 9


It was her turn with the stick, Skar failed to get in another ball.  She smirked at the memory of how Than got brought into this.  She wouldn't say that Than was afraid of Trevor, though she wouldn't blame him if he was since Nazgul's SC was five inches taller than Kaph's.  It was more of that he had a respect for Trevor and tried to avoid doing anything that could even remotely tarnish the returned respect.  What was even more amusing was how Skar and Trevor looked at her.  Like most men, they saw her as something beautiful and fragile.  The irony was the fact that she could kill both of them in a heartbeat, though she had no want to do so since they were friends, not the enemy.

She lined up her stick, taking aim at the two ball.  She propelled the cue ball forward.  It hit the two ball, which also hit the seven ball.  They went into holes opposite of each other.  She didn't have any good shots for her next turn.  She tried to force the five ball to angle toward one of the corner pockets on the far side, but only managed to get it to roll into the middle of the table.

Trevor was next.  She couldn't help but wonder why he chose to be a pilot.  His height must make a cockpit uncomfortable.  He looked very professional as he lined up his shot.  Some how he was able to get an impossible angle on the eleven ball, driving it into the right, center pocket.  The cue ball gave him a good angle for his next shot.  He drove the 13 ball straight into the top, left pocket.  Though he put too much force on the cue for it scratch with thirteen.  He made a slight cringe before looking at Than.

"you know what they say, thirteen is unlucky," quoted Lieutenant Sion as he prepared for his next turn.  He lined up his stick in a more humble form than Trevor's.  Most men didn't understand what she saw in Kaph 1.  He wasn't an overly attractive person in comparison to her.  He was a tall, skinny man with messy hair, though he did have nice eyes.  Though his physical attributes were not what she loved him for.  He was an understanding man who always did what he felt was right.  He saw her as a person, not a piece of ass like the Storm Trooper earlier.  He was the only one that she trusted to, and was not afraid to, tell about her past.  He hit the cue ball; it drove the five ball that she missed into one of the middle pockets.  He then proceeded to land the six ball into the bottom, left pocket.  He was now left with a crappy angle.  He aimed at another ball, but it was in vain for he was unable to get the shot.

Skar was up.  Out of the two Nazgul pilots, he was the quickest to advert his gaze.  She could tell that he had a shy, quiet nature.  This was nice since too many men had big mouths.  He was able to land in the twelve ball but once again did not achieve a second hit.

Skylla hit the four ball in but was unable to land it.  It was a stupid mistake and she told herself that many times in her head after making it.

Trevor was up again.  He again used his graceful form.  This time he knocked two balls in with one shot.  His angle was bad for his next turn so he failed to get in the final stripe.  There was only one ball on each side left plus the eight ball.


(OCC:  I'm sorry that I did not finish quick enough, I see that Trevor has left IRC.  Things caused this post to go a little slow.  As for Kaph orders, I seem to remember saying something about interacting with Kaph members outside your element.  Plus there are a bunch of Nazguls to poke fun of.  Be creative you all.)

 
-----------------------
ESC/ESN Than Sion/Kaph 5/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE(=A=)(=*SA*=)(=MA=)[LoM][VC:S][CBV][MC:1][SWC]{VB}

--SC of Kaph Squadron

Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers, unless you have a lot of cookies to throw in opposite corners to distract them.

Wow..There's so many of them. Since her absence Nazgul seemed to have changed a lot. She hadn't been filled in on most of it so this all had come as a suprise to her. Trevor had gone through all the introductions with her, pointing out everyone and shaking their hand. She ran threw everyone's name twice in her head. Like on the Doashim she didn't want to forget any names and make herself feel bad when she could remember.

She had been glad to see Dar but was slightly disappointed when he had chosen to remain seated instead of coming over to see her. But that feeling was quickly forgotten as more members had been introduced to her. She hoped that she would soon be able to become good friends with them.

She found that in flight knowing who she flew with helped her at the very least. She wouldn't have to worry about being judged from anything she did up in the air. She had to contradict herself on that thought though; if anyone was in a life or death situation she doubted that anyone would become critical of her actions unless it had cost someone their life. She hoped it wouldn't come to that though.

Trevor and Tokijin walked down the hall closely. She was so glad to be back, and she hadn't felt the warmth from another human like this in a while. She loved how well her hand fit in Trevor's as he pulled her around. They way they had walked like this had been sorely missed while she was away.

"You tell me about all you learned on the Doashim." Trevor's voice had penatrated her thoughts and she was suddenly pulled back from the depths of her mind.

"Hm? Oh! There's really so much I learned. The whole time was mostly one big cram session. But I figured out so many things I never thought I could do before! Like, for example, I can rewire a computer, and check a ship's engine, though I hadn't gotten as far on that as I hoped I would, I can revive a crashed system and figure out any technical problems fairly easy."

She stopped to take a breath and heard Trevor chuckle next to her as he listened to her enthusiastic reply. "Oh, I had a wonderful time learning. Aggie even gave me some reading material. A real book! I wasn't all that surprised that she had given it to me though; she liked me fairly well and was always encouraging me to keep learning."

"Who's Aggie?" Trevor looked down at her with a slight confused expression. She had totally forgotten to tell him about her friends she was so caught up with herself.

"Oh, Agatha Drea is - was my boss. She was the lead technician who taught me everything I know. She was such a nice person, very spunky for an old lady too."

"Oh? And who else did you meet aboard the Doashim?" She looked up at Trevor's face, reminding herself to be careful about who she told him about. She could see the slight anxity on his face. Probably wondering if I met any guys on board, I think. She smiled at the thought of any of her fellow technicans being any sort of romantic interest.

"Hmm. . . Well there's Briana, my only girl friend really; Errol, he was a nice guy, liked to drink a lot though; Robi, he hung out with Bria and myself a lot, seemed to be the only person who could get me un-lost; and then there's Dahar. He was my technician partner." When she had mentioned Dahar she unconsiously reached up to touch her nose, and gave a shadow of a smile on at the memory. At least she had learned she could take a hit to the nose fairly well.

"Sounds like you made lots of friends. But I did miss you." Trevor looked down at her, smiling.

"I missed you too. It's good to be home. As much as I love getting y hands dirty, nothing can compare to the openness of the flight zone, or feel of the solid yoke in your hand." A wide smile took over Toki's face as she stretched her hands over her head and listened for the pop of her back. "I'm fairly excited for this mission actually."

Trevor's face seemed to darken slightly at the thought of the mission. Concerned and curiousity clouded her thoughts. She never had heard the details of the missions that she had missed. Had something more happened than Trevor was leading on? But she was also sure part of his. . . insecurity maybe? Was caused by the change to Squad Commander. She had no clue really and was never all that good at reading emotions. She would have to drill into his head later.

"So how have you been?" She quizzed at an attempt to change the subject.

"Oh, good I suppose."

"Yeah?" He gave her a nod. "Well you'll have to tell me about it all later. I may or may not be correct, but I do believe we are nearing the briefing room?"

(to be edited later. . . I think. . .)
 
-----------------------
TECH/CPO Tokijin/Phoenix Wing/Str Doashim/1FL/VEN/VE (=*A*=) (=*SA*=) [BWC] [VC:B]

Etan listened intently as the squadron leaders discussed their plans.......

Casca had left them room following after..... Etan could not say immediately. What Etan knew was that the room came to a hush as the Nazgul leader entered the room. Mr. Trevor Evenson was his name, and silence fell around him. He walked right up to Than, who all in the Kaph respected. Whispering in his ear, Than stepped aside, letting Mr. Evenson say his peace.

"Let it be known to those in the Nazgul that we have a very serious mission at hand." Those that stood, stood at attention. Those that sat, sat at alert. "It has been charged with us to use a secetly coveted squadron of Y-wings to infiltrate the New Republic. As many of you know, we don't have enough pilots to man a whole squadron. That is where the Kaph comes in. Over the years, I know a certain amount of animosity has been built up between us and the Kaph. However, now is not the time for that. Today, the Kaph fills in our spaces. We fly as one. Either we, accomplish this mission together, defeating the New Republic space, or, we go down together, becoming a blot on the Vast Imperial Navy archives." Mr. Evenson hadn't really beleived that last part, yet he used it as an Imperial tool.

It worked. The entire Nazgul flight stood to attention along with several Kaph, appauding the Nazgul commander, awaiting further orders. Etan stood, out of respect. He did not clap or roar. He stood waiting for the final instructions.

Those were yet to be seen......


-----------------------
Grammar, mechanics, punctuation, spelling, diction, effectiveness in the science, and larger elements are the facts at hand. The Harbrace College Handbook edited by JOHN C. HODGES

FM/LCR ETAN EVNSTAR/Kaph 7/flight 2/mSSD Atrus/def/VEN/VE/(=A=) Phoenix wing

Jaden had finally made his way to the briefing room.  Trevor and everyone else were still a bit down the hall, walking and talking, but Jaden wanted to get there early and check things out.

Upon his arrival to the room, he was basically "attacked" by one of his old friends.  Good Sir Jack Nebulax.

"Jack, its been so long!" said Jaden, firmly gripping Jacks hand and giving him a bit of a hug.

A grin came across Jacks face, "Yea, its been way too long."

"I really am not going into detail to ask about where you've been, but how long are you going to be back for?" said Jaden.

"Ah, I'm not really sure.  Hopefully for atleast a 3 month tour or a 6 month, I'm not really sure whats going to be coming up," said Jack

"Well, atleast your here for a while," said Jaden

Jaden took a seat in the middle section of the seating in the room.  Jack took a seat next to him, and then people started filing into the rows.  Nazgul Sat on one side, Kaph sat on the other.  The tention in the room could be cut with a knife.  Both of the Squadrons were itching to know more about the mission, because they had all only been partly informed of what was actually going to happen, and the one thing they all hated the most about what they had heard was....

"You will be flying Y-wings this mission, not those Interceptors that your used to flying...."
 
-----------------------
Jaden Khaar
NazgulSquadron
Naval Academy Executive Officer
-----------------------------------------------------------
FM/2LT Jaden Khaar/Nazgul 3-2 (Nazgul 10)/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE (=*A*=) (=*SA*=) (*=TE=*) [VC:S][LSM][SV][CBV](x2)[GWC]
-----------------------------------------------------------
TXO/2LT Jaden Khaar/Venom 1-2 (Venom 2)/Phoenix Wing/Platform Saratoga/DEF/VEN/VE (=*A*=) (=*SA*=) (*=TE=*) [VC:S][LSM][SV][CBV](x2)[GWC]

Casca wiped the blood from his mouth as he entered the briefing room.  His data pad had been taken by the hasty tech, not realizing that she had taken his personal pad with the info chip in it.  Casca was forced to read the mission specifications off of a borrowed pad.  He hated variations from routine and made a mental note to retrieve his data pad upon return to the Atrus.  The room was beginning to crowd and Casca was the third to enter, which annoyed him since he was usually there first.  Second Lieutenant Khaar and a warrant officer Casca did not recognize were the ones before him.

Casca nodded before taking a seat up front where he could get a good view and take mental notes before the mission.  He was putting aside the rumor that they would not be flying interceptors until he heard it from one of the Squadron Commanders.  The thought of flying a fighter or Emperor forbid, flying a conventional bomber was appalling.  Casca set his mind to different things and cursed himself for not checking in with the impudent techs.

"Technicians, the immune system of this body we call the Empire.  It is made up of those monkeys who were too stupid to know how to fly a fighter, but could conjure the brains to remember where each part goes.  They are below you in the food chain.  Keep a healthy fear instilled in them, and they will do as you please."  A student in the back next to Casca raised their hand. "Yes, Kalome...What is it this time.  And try not to make another stupid remark or I'll have you shipped right back to Imperial Center."  The pilot stated his point, unsure of the comment's validity, "Why...uh...not make friends with the tech so they don't vandalize your craft and such."  Casca laughed as the instructor spoke again, "If a tech is smart enough to sabotage your craft without you noticing, than you are indeed, lower than rebel scum.  For that stupid remark, the entire class will have a two thousand word disertation on ways to avoid and detect sabotage.  And you, Ensign Kalome, Lieutenant Phennir will ensure you run four miles before dawn."

Casca chuckled lightly before looking to his left where the Petty Officer from the barracks took a seat next to him.  Casca decided to make friendly and start conversation.  "PO Dagoram, right?" he asked as he angled his body toward him.

"Huh," the pilot returned as he looked up from his own data pad.  "Yeah, you're the new guy...or one of them.  I didn't catch your name?"  Mr. Dagoram asked as he examined Casca, who he hadn't noticed until now.

"Petty Officer Phennir, used to be a Wing Adjutant in Thrawn's fleet before...well...You're my flight leader, huh.  Got any tips?"  Casca shied away from the story of how he ended up in the VEN.  He looked back down to his data pad which was not working at the moment.

"Wing Adje huh...well.  Good luck.  The VE runs a lot different from Thrawn.  You'll see."  Mr Dagoram and Mr. Phennir both turned back to their data pads.  The rest of both squadrons filed in along with the Wookie and droid from the rec-room.

"I say master, it would seem that that answers your question," C3PWO stated.  Creman Evnstar growled low in reply.  "I agree, it would seem that he has been shaken up a bit.  Perhaps he should see one of the medical engineers...umm...after the briefing?"  Crewman Evnstar growled in disapproval and took his seat on the Kaph side of the room.



 
-----------------------
[-=Nazgul Squadron=-]
FM/PO2 Casca "Black Curse" Phennir/Nazgul Squadron 3-11/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/1VENF OFF/VEN/VE(=*A*=)[VC:B][BWC][BRC]
I'm very embarrassed, but it seems you are to be the main course at a banquet in my honor.

Casca stood at attention as Nazgul's Squadron Commander addressed the assembly of pilots.  He would be the first out of his seat, as always.  Another, Mr. Dagoram stood from his seat prompting a few others (mainly recruits) to give Ensign Evenson the respect of the position of attention.  The casual "at ease" accompanied by the familiar, friendly wave of the hand signaled those who had seats to take them.  Tomas gave a slight nod of approval to the two recruits who stood.  Crewman Larith and Crewman Darkanto who were seated directly behind the two Petty Officers.  Casca approved but would not give them the ego boost of a friendly nod.

Ensign Evenson began, "At ease Nazgul...and Kaph.  Let it be known that we have a very serious mission at hand."  Casca wished the commander would get to the point.  How he despised theatrics and dressy wording.  Give me the kraff damned facts!

"It has been charged with us to use a secretly coveted squadron of Y-wings," sighs and other shows of disappointment flooded the briefing room as chatter began to stir amongst the squadrons.  Crewman Malko would curse before the Wookie crewman glared him to dead silence.  "Oh my...I believe I shouldn't be here.  Best to shut down for a bit..." C3PWO was ushered out the briefing as it began, no one removed him as it started because next to a Wookie, a droid seemed quite common and no one thought to have it removed.  By the time one of the Kaph pilots brought this to his own attention, the briefing had started, and most of the pilots were at attention and dared not move. Rowarrahhhuahhh  Crewman Evnstar growled to silence the room.  Warrant Officer Aehait silenced his side of the room while Lieutenant Kharr and Mr. Nebulax brought the Nazgulians to order.

"Eh hem...Now that that is out of the way.  It has been charged with us, Nazgul Squadron..." Commander Evenson stared down one of the Crewman who had decided to whisper after the call to order.  The crewman stopped and sunk into his seat in embarrassment before the CO continued, "and Kaph, to use a secretly coveted squadron of Koensayr Y-wings to infiltrate the New Republic."

Casca, who was quite quiet for the most of the meeting, was shaken by the mention of the word wing.  Wing meant two things, either rebel ships or a wing of fighters, and Casca hadn't heard the word Phoenix or First Imperial yet.  It was a shock that cannot be put into words (but I will anyway cause it makes for good reading!).  Casca had heard rumors of not flying Interceptors, but he thought they would give him the respect of flying him in a Sieniar ship at the least.  Give him an advanced, or a scimitar, a frontline fighter at the least; but by the Emperor's socks don't place him in a kriffing rebel scum boat!

Casca was not the only one shocked.  A few of the pilots who hadn't been paying attention for the first part of the briefing and missed the roar of disorder the first time contorted their faces in frowns and cursed on either on the emperor's body parts/possessions or their mother's grave.  Casca hated his mother, so naturally, he picked the emperor's smelliest of clothing.

"As many of you know, we don't have enough pilots to man a whole squadron.  That is where the Kaph comes in," Casca wished once again that his commanding officer would get on with it. Come now, Ensign...if you couldn't figure that out, what business do you have calling yourself Imperial.  "Over the years, I know a certain amount of animosity has been built up between us and the Kaph."  Casca shrugged.  He thought he heard someone whisper Aegis forevor but wrote it off.  "However, now is not the time for that.  Today, Kaph fills in our spaces.  We fly as one.  Either we, accomplish this mission together, defeating the New Republic space; or, we go down together, becoming a blot on the Vast Imperial Navy archives."  Casca nodded.

The entire Nazgul flight stood to attention along with several Kaph, applauding the Nazgul commander, awaiting further orders.  The two Nazgul Crewman behind Casca and Mr. Dagoram stood, clapping their little brains out and cheering for a concept that they did not understand.  You do not cheer for death.  You do not throw your life away for glory.  You do it for a purpose.  For the empire.  One Nazgul did not stand.  One Nazgul did not clap.  One Nazgul did not Cheer.  One Nazgul was ready to become a blot in the archives.  Casca crossed his arms and stared coldly at the display screen.


-----------------------
[-=Nazgul Squadron=-]
FM/PO2 Casca "Black Curse" Phennir/Nazgul Squadron 3-11/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/1VENF OFF/VEN/VE (=*A*=)[VC:B][BWC][BRC]
Dedication:  On comnet at 2:30 AM to get in that extra post no one asked you to write.  Imperials never sleep untill the job is done.

Trevor took a seat in the front near the isle, knowing the he would shortly be called up again to explain the role that each member would be playing in Hussar Squadron. He leaned back in his seat next to Tokijin as he listening though. He also realized now that Jack was sitting not too far down from him, and gave him a quick wave before focusing once more on the briefing.

"Because of this, you'll have to be able to be just as good. From what Trevor has told me, Hussar Squadron and Tachurus Squadron worked closely together for quite a while, meaning that being able to infiltrate them should be easy. Acting like well trained pirates in a craft unfamiliar to you could be more difficult. In a moment I'll have Lieutenant Evenson return and explain your roles in this squadron, as well as the finer details about the craft you'll be flying." Commander Shazam explained as the screen behind him showed the mug shots of all those in the two squadrons. Trevor momentarily felt stupid about his own picture, but the feeling went away as he saw the pictures of some of the others.

"Before I do that though, I need to explain exactly why you are infiltrating this pirate group." Shazam continued, the screen once again changing to pictures of the few known pilots in the Tachurus group. Trevor recognized only a single face, the man who had been commander when he was flying with them in the NR. His name was Joel Corth, and was actually quite a compassionate and kind man when one compared him to the stereotypical pirate. He had soft green eyes and black hair worn in a similar style to Trevor's, and was clean-shaven as well. The other men appeared a bit scruffier, and Trevor was sure that by now they had replaced some of the other original members.

"Your objective is to find out who it was who hired this group of people to attack our shuttles over Dastoria when Nazgul was escorting them. You are to try and transmit as much evidence as possible back to Navy command, myself in particular. Recorded conversations, photographic evidence, even hard copies of written or digital payment or orders records." Shazam paused to take a sip of water from a clear plastic cup that was sitting on the edge of the stainless steal podium. "If we can use it to link them to anyone on Dastoria, your mission will be a success.

"On another note as a side objective, if you can warn us of any raids they plan to do on Vast Imperial shipping lanes we'd be grateful." Shazam said, checking his notes incase he had missed anything. "Aside from those who are joining your squadrons, who I see you've already met, I don't believe I have anything more. I'll now call Trevor and Than up here to explain in greater depth what has been planned for your undercover stuff." With this Shazam stepped back from the podium, taking his cup of water with him and making his way back to his wall. Than and Trevor rose and made their way to the front of the room where Trevor took the podium first.

"Alright, I think that first off I should give a little background as to what the whole Hussar thing is about. Originally, Hussar Squadron was a bomber squadron stationed on board the Neb-B Frigate Liberty. This version of the squadron was around during the Battle of Endor, and the Liberty was destroyed during a firefight with one of the Empire's star destroyers. Hussar squadron was almost destroyed, spare a few members and the squadron leader." Trevor paused to bring up a picture of a Trandosian, sneering as most of his species seemed to do. The yellow eyes and just as yellow teeth caused some of the crowd to make faces of disgust, but Trevor looked upon the picture with a reverence he hadn't felt in a while. The 'man' on the screen behind him had taught him all he knew about flying a Y-wing, and had flown with him until the bitter end.

"Following this, they were transferred to the planet Tachurus to aid the Tachurian police force to aid in countering Imperial attacks. They remained there for quite some time, including the time I was assigned to that squadron. I spent two years in it, and aside from that, not a lot more is needed to be known, except for how it became a pirate squadron." Trevor paused and took a sip from a cup that Than handed him. He set the cup down and took a deep breath before he continued. "After a disagreement with a seemingly corrupt NR official, both Hussar and Tachurus squadrons defected, bringing with them their fighters and a small fleet of corvette-class ships. The pirating career began shortly after this."

Trevor stood for a moment and considered his next words carefully. It wasn't anything that would damage either squadron if he worded it badly, but he wanted them to understand the first time around. He hated to have to explain things more than once.

"We'll be impersonating Hussar Squadron. Originally it only had fifteen people, but I believe there is nineteen of us in Kaph and Nazgul combined. We have someone from another squadron joining us who was the only other original member of the Hussars, rounding us to an even twenty." Trevor said as a photo of 'Reaper' showed on the screen. The man was really Krey Quel'don and was one of Trevor's oldest friends who had originally flown with him in Hussar Squadron. "Because of this, it is not safe for us to use our real names. You are each being presented with a folder, and in this folder are your new personal details. Name, age, marital status, home world, ex cetera."

Trevor watched as a pair of protocol droids began handing out the folders to their assigned owners. Only he, Krey and Than were going to be keeping their original names.

"Memorize it, learn it, and get used to being called by it. Your callsign is also in there. In Hussar squadron we did use 'Hussar One' and 'Hussar Two' and so forth, but normally we'd just call each other by a preferred callsign. That's how things will be this time too." Trevor said, checking his own notes that were sitting on the podium underneath Shazam's. Believing he had covered everything that he had to say, he stepped back out of the way so Than could give his end of the assignment.

*** After Than Finished ***

Trevor and Than exchanged glances and stepped down from the podium, each returning to their respective seats. Shazam re-took the stand and looked back and forth across the group, contemplating the task he was giving them. He knew very well that many of the pilots were quite capable of what they were being asked, but some of these pilots only had academy experience under their belts. While this was helpful, when it came to something as big as this as their very first mission, normally they would not be expected to do well.

"Alright. You guys don't get shipped out until one week from now, which means that you have time to train. And I highly suggest you do this. The Y-wings will be available for you to use during your practice, as well as our simulator units. Trevor and Krey will both be available to practice with, so I advise you all to try your luck against either of them at some point before you leave." Shazam began, his ever-present cup of water held tightly in his hand. He looked as if he was about to wrap things up, people had even started to get out of their seats, when a look came over his face showing that he had just remembered something.

"I almost forgot. For this mission, Trevor is going to be Hussar SC, and Than will be XO. Although both squadron's have their own individual XOs, we felt it would work better if each squadron leader played a major part in this squadron. This is not to say that you don't take orders from your respective XO during this mission, because you do. They just have to be careful what they do while in the presence of Tachurus." Shazam said, wrapping up his briefing. It had been one of the longer ones Trevor had been to, but it was possible that he only felt that because he had had to speak.

"Dismissed!" Shazam said loudly, and the group of pilots didn't cheer or shout or jump. Most of them just rose and exited the room, chatting among themselves. A few stayed back and sat in their seats, where they would remain for the next five minutes or so until a cleaning tech or a droid hurried them out for the next group who needed the room. Trevor quickly told Tokijin he'd be with her in a minute and turned quickly to grab Than by the shoulder while Toki went off to chat with Skylla.

"I'm thinking we could have those drinks around 21:00, if that's alright with you and your boys." Trevor said, referring to the drinks he now owed Kaph squadron. Than thought for a moment before he replied.

"Sounds fine to me. Meet us in the regular cantina and don't be late. I'll have a lot of thirst men and women and a Wookie for you to buy drinks for." Than laughed as he slapped Trevor on the shoulder and followed the rest of Kaph who were leaving out the door. Trevor made his way back to Tokijin and sat down where she was.

"So what code name and everything did you get?" He asked. Even he had only been able to see a certain few codenames, and he hadn't been privy to Toki's. He looked at her with a questioning look and awaited his answer.

OOC: All right. For the code names and call signs and all that new information you got in the file folders, make up whatever you want. You're being given a bit of freedom on this, so feel free to take advantage of it. Aside from this, we've got about a week to kill (probably a week in real life, unless things move along quite fast. I have some school stuff next week, but we'll see what Than has planned). Good work so far everyone, let's keep it up until ESC starts (which might be next week, I can't remember)

 
-----------------------
SC/ESN/Trevor Evenson/Nazgul 1(1-1)/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE/(=*A*=)(=*SA*=)[VC:B][LSM][BRC][SWC][GWC]

The VEN`s #1 writer as of ESC `06

Clearly Canadian!

** Back in Nazgul's Mess Hall **

Tomas continued to sit and nibble his way through breakfast. As had become the routine as of late. When he wasn't sleeping, in the sims, at a meeting, or some other required squadron activity Tomas had been buried deep in self-reflection trying to figure out where it all had gone wrong. He knew it wasn't exactly the best thing for him, dwelling on the past and all, but he couldn't help it...even given such a short time with his previous flightmates, he had managed to get himself enough involved that he felt it was his responsibility to keep them alive and able to fight another day. And so far, he had failed to do that.

Tomas was shaken from his thoughts once again as he noticed the rest of the squadron one by one rise from their seats. It seemed breakfast had ended and the time had come to head over Kaph's rec room. He had seen these guys around the ship from time to time and in various meetings, but had never really interacted with any of them previously. Judging from the sounds of things though, that would all change real soon.

** At Kaph's Rec Room **

Stepping into the room with his fellow squadronmates, Tomas couldn't help but take a second look at the Kaph pilots. Sure he had seen them in meetings, but to see the zabrak and the wookiee (accompanied by his protocol droid) was still a bit unusual. Tomas had nothing against it, he just hadn't had much contact with many other races through his years in this sort of setting.

This "meeting" of the squadrons was threatening to be a tense time for Tomas. He got along with people no problem, he just generally wasn't the one to do the approaching and those who met him found him to be much more of a listener...and one who actually listened to them at that. Tomas was the kind of person who opened up eventually, but it took time...time that he'd been finding didn't really exist these days.

"Tomas, sir. Over here." Sol called out from across the room, waving Tomas over in the process. Joining the circle, Tomas found three Kaph pilots waiting with extended hands. One by one they introduced themselves...Strangler, interesting name...Cyleaf...ah, didn't quite catch that last name. Almost instantly the others fell into a decent conversation, the three Kaphs talking amongst themselves with Sol giving his occasional input and Tomas sat back and did what he does best.

A few minutes had past when their conversation fell dead as a young woman stepped into the room and matter-of-factly announced her presence with a general greeting. Perhaps a little louder than she intended, but then again perhaps not. She was definitely different than the other female pilots Tomas had seen around here. Her blue hair contrasting her pale complexion in its own unique way.  Tomas watched briefly as she approached Trevor and seemed to strike up conversation. Hm, it seems they know each other from somewhere or another. Judging from the height difference between the two, Tomas could tell she was definitely taller than the other women (and even a few of the men) who had been in the squadron previously. Tomas' initial wingmate, Carly had appeared tiny next to Trevor. This new woman did as well, though not nearly as drastic. Tomas decided it was time to turn his attention back to the circle, where the conversation had once again picked up in its previous fashion.

"Mind if I borrow you, and Tom?" Tomas heard the familiar voice of Trevor say nearby. Looking over his shoulder, he found Trevor standing behind him with the woman by his side.
"Yes Commander?" he asked, glancing at the woman slightly captivated by her blue hair now that he could see it up close.

"This is Tokijin. She used to be in Nazgul before the two of you showed up, and she's going to be flying with us again. At least, I assume that's why you're back Toki." Trevor replied.

"Yeah, I'm back for now." Tokijin said with a smile, meeting Tomas' hand half way and shaking it firmly. "I'm Tokijin, but everyone calls me Toki or Toks. I heard your name was Tom, but I don't know yours." She said as she let released her grip and turned to look at Sol.

"I'm Sol," he replied before turning to address Trevor. "How long till the briefing?"

"About 15 minutes. We're going to be leaving right away," Trevor said with a nod and with that the two of them went back the way they came leaving Sol and Tomas to once again resume their conversation with the Kaph pilots. The rest of the conversation seemed a blur to Tomas and passed by uneventfully, before he decided it was time he head towards the briefing room...

-----------------------
Petty Officer 1st Class 'Tomas' Dagoram
FL/PO1 Tomas/Nazgul 3-1/mSSS Atrus/VEN/VE (=*A*=) [SoA] [MC1]

"Fight on and fly on to the last drop of blood, the last drop of fuel, to the last beat of the heart."

Clearly Canadian!

Suddenly, time stood still for Etan. A wash of thoughts from times passed by entered his mind. Thoughts of piracy, New Republic and Imperial check teams. Y wings, Tie fighters, and smuggler's ships all passed though his thoughts. Friends of days gone by and friends of the present. Mind conditioning, enlisting in the Imperial Navy, becoming a part of a whole, where once he was one. These were the types of things that entered Etan's mind, but at a hundred fold times what is written here.

As the thoughts, crossed his mind, he watched his friend Casca slowly pointing towards another part of the lounge. Etan's head slowly turned, trying to keep up with what was being said, but it was of no use. The group of females Casca was pointing to, were exiting the bar faster than Etan could follow. The last thing Etan really remembered was lending C3Pwo to Casca, as a favor.

C3Pwo. He and a Y-wing, were all the legacy that his father had left him. Etan's father was known to be a wookie General during the Clone Wars. C3Pwo was a handy-down of his.

//C3Pwo bios//

It is known that C3Pwo served during the Clone Wars. What is not known, is everything he ever knew. It is said that he was built, before the Clone Wars by a now famous Jedi Warrior. But, since his memory has been swiped on several occasions, that can not be substantiated.

He is a protocol droid. His profficiancy is much substantiated. He earned the designation wo in recent years. C3Pwo means, C3P unit with out prior knowledge of what he has done before. It is estimated that he is at least two-hundred years old and will live on well into the thousands, properly maintained.

His memory can be swiped, and, he can be programmed to serve anyone. Currently, he is at Etan's command.

When Etan was six and New Republic troops were searching his uncle's ship for guns being run to the Hutt's, it was C3Pwo that taught Etan to cry like a baby. To soon, the inspectors became tired of the young wookies wailing. They departed the ship before finding a sickle.

When Etan grew older, it was C3Pwo that taught him how to communicate with the ruthless Hutts, to gain the upper hand. C3Pwo was more than a friend to the young wookie, he became a nanny. When Etan was , not just captured, but, sequestered into the Imperial Navy, it was C3Pwo, that followed him and gave him guidance.

It wasn't a wonder to many as to why C3Pwo was Etan's best of friends.

//NOW//

Casca slapped his hand down upon the table several times. " Wake up ole buddy " Etan snapped to. He hadn't realized the deepness he was in. Looking around, Etan saw that the lounge had cleared. Only he, Casca, C3Pwo and the bartender remained.
Etan stood to attention, as if he dwelt in another world. " Be kind to the droid. " Etan said as he turned towards the exit leaving Casca with a look of worry. As Etan reached the exit, he turned towards Casca acting like a zombie. " Don't try to be in my flight ole friend, I don't want our fate to be the same."

With that being said, Etan exited the lounge to retire to Kaph quarters. And, with a fog in his mind, Etan fell fast asleep, dreaming of other places and other times.

font class='small'>-----------------------
Grammar, mechanics, punctuation, spelling, diction, effectiveness in the science, and larger elements are the facts at hand. The Harbrace College Handbook edited by JOHN C. HODGES

FM/LCR ETAN EVNSTAR/Kaph 7/flight 2/mSSD Atrus/def/VEN/VE/(=A=) Phoenix wing