my boots clinked as i walked down the corridor my nametag shining JOE REGAN it read.i came down the corridor until i found an elevator and waited for it.finally it came down " bout flipping time" i mumbled to myself as a group of soldiers walked out.life on the flagship was boring it was just patrol, after patrol, after flipping patrol.i walked inside the elevato and punched the button for the 3rd floor. "probably another patrol" i said outloud.the 3rd floor was the briefing room. "like we need a briefing for patrol duty" i mumbled again.the elevator dinged and opened to allow a group of soldiers in and me out.i came to the door that read in big bold letters BRIEFING ROOM. i swipped my keycard in the slot and the door slid oppened and i found my partner already there.

"Names Joe, Joe Regan" i said shaking Dante's hand.as we walked towards the elevator i decided to stay quiet i never got that attached to my wingmen.dante asked "so what did you do before the navy?" this took me completely by surprise, none of his wingmen asked him any questions like that. " I was
a farmer as a young man, then my father struck a mineral deposit and i became a miner" i said a little akwardly.the elevator arrived and i punched the button for the hanger.as they got there he saw dante go to the other side of the hanger. i walked to my ship, a standard tie fighter , i streaked my hands over the spray painted words on my fighter STAR BULLET they read.i opened up the cockpit and took out my suit and started putting it on

Dante walked out of the elevator and walked over to his own Tie Interceptor, Double Eagle, that was the name that resided on the port side of the ship. It was painted in gold bold letters, slightly crooked. Besdies that the ship was unpainted, for now atleast. Dante walked over to the cockpit and entered the craft, it took him a minute (being a little to tall for a standard pilot) to get in. Once inside the ship he sat down and put on his helmet, where his comlink was stored. He opened the Alpha Patrol Channel and said, "Joe you there? Are you ready for take off yet?"

Dante got the ok from Joe and he turned on his ship, starting the initial lift off procedures. He looked out of his view port and saw Joe doing the same. He pulled up on his controls and slowly proceeded out of the hanger bay. He checked his scanner and saw the blip of Joe's ship flying behind him at about the same altitude. "Ok Joe we have have to turn Starboard in a second and go run through the astroid belt so lets take it slow and easy ok? I don't feel like dieing my first time out"

Dante pulled out of the Immelman and checked his back sensor, there was two on each of them. Dante dipped down and flew past on of the assailants that was trying to come from below. He quickly pulled back on the controls to pull up into a loop. He saw on coming right at him, about the same altitude, and Dante couldn't pass the chance up; so he released a couple of cannon blasts. Both missed but it did force the attack to turn off him, Dante smiled as he continued straight ahead to try and help Joe. After a couple seconds he heard a beeping sound and turned his head to the right, his lock-on alarm was sounding, meaning he was about to get hit by a missile. "Shit!" Dante screamed as he tried another Immelman. The fighter behind him anticipated it and turned up with him and released that missiles.

The missiles missed by an inch and sailed past him into the void of space. "Yes" Dante shouted to soon, the one he forced to turn earlier was now back and coming straight down on him. Dante saw it on his sensor to late, the pilot launched a burst of cannon shots at him. Dante couldn't pull out of it and took a hit in the wing, the shot only glanced and cause no vital damage to the wing. Dante felt relieved as he heard no alarms go off, "Joe how are you doing? Where are you I don't see you on radar." He knew he couldn't wait for a response so he dived down and turned left into one of the enemy fighters. The fighter didn't notice him so he was able to get into a tailing position. He shot a couple of rounds, but they all missed.

The fighter pulled up at an angle slightly, the fool was trying to out speed a Tie Interceptor. Dante laughed as he dipped his nose down and raised it back up after a second, using the yo-yo straight pursuit he learned at the academy. He used the speed and shaper angle he received to pull in closer to the fighter. He fired another shot off, this time nailing him in his right wing. The fighter pulled off and ran deeper into the asteroids trying to escape, Run fool Run! Dante was about to turn to chase him when he saw a blip on his back sensor, damn lucky bastard. Your lucky I have your friend to deal with. He dived straight down and went under an asteroid pulling up on the other side. The pursuer was crazy enough to go after him and broke off giving Dante a chance again. He felt odd though, he hadn't seen Joe in a long time so he decided to call him on his com again, "Joe you there? Joe where are you man?"

Dante barrel rolled over to his left side as the bandit behind him fired off a quick burst of cannon rounds. "Damn you bastard!" Dante yelled as he dipped down and pushed down on his acceleration peddle. It was no good he couldn't get fast enough in the belt to escape him and he knew it too. He weaved in and out of the asteroids trying to shake him that way. Even though the Tie had better maneuverability Dante's skills weren't enough to shake the fighter. Damn he must be a vet. in this type of field cause I can't shake him no matter what I try. He flew straight threw two asteroids, and lucky for him the bandits ship was to big to get through the gap so Dante slowed down and turned around to fight him head on.

"Die bastard die," Dante shouted as he thumbed the cannon fire button and sent a round flying back at his attacker. The shot missed barely, Dante noticed his aim was improving quiet a bit. Dante quickly turned to the right and flew away before the bandit could aim for an attack. Dante was now speeding to the right as the bandit dived under the asteroids he couldn't fly through and turned to follow Dante. Dante knew he had to do something fast or he would be where he was just a minute ago. Thinking fast there was only one maneuver he could think of that would possibly get him behind his attack.

Dante slowed down and let the bandit gain a couple hundred yards before returning to normal speed. He broke into a turning roll, which was followed of course, and as he came out of it he pulled up and did another turning roll, causing him to lose a lot of speed. The bandit was expecting this type of maneuver so he didn't follow Dante into the roll. Laughing Dante straightened out as he saw the fighter right in front of him through his front port glass. He flipped the switch to the left of the firing button and turned his fire mode to linked and held down the button and shot off about ten shots. He guessed three of them hit home and the bandit went crashing into a asteroid. "Damn I was hoping to see exactly where I had hit. Oh well thats my first kill at least"

As Dante returned to where the bandits first attack he saw Joe coming his way from the opposite direction, he called into his comlink, "Where have you been Joe? I got me my first kill, the other one ran after I hit his wing. How did you fair?"

Dante and Joe walked into the room where Captain Lorgrez was sitting at the head of the table on the opposite side of the room. "Greetings gentlemen, I see that you both made it back in one piece," he smiled and gestured for us to sit down, "So you two what was it like, have a taste of the real deal?"

"It was awesome! I blew two bandits out of existence, I shot one down with a missile then pulled up and rolled behind the second and blasted his wing to hell..." Joe said getting excited.

Oh brother, here he goes again.

"That is all nice and well Joe but calm down, though I do know myself what the euphoria of a fight is like," he replied with a vain smile, "What about you Devant what happened?"

"Well sir while preceding into the asteroid belt on patrol we were ambushed by four bandits, in unknown fighter craft. We both pulled up into immelmens to get out of their firing path. We both pulled out into different directions and two of the fighters followed both of us. I was able to hit one in the wing, but unfortunately it escaped, while the other I maneged to utilize a High G-Barrel Roll and switch positions with him..."

"Dante I'm sure the captain doesn't want to hear all this..."

"Oh no Joe this is a wonderful response in a debriefing, go on Mr. Devant"

"Yes sir, I manged to fire off a burst and decommission the fighter and the pilot sir" Dante finished

"Very good men, we will send a heavier patrol to go find where the bandits came from and destroy their base of operations thanks to you," we saluted the captain and got up to leave and he added, "Oh and men go have a round of drinks or something to celebrate, you both got your first kill today"

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