In the end, Sam Dunn had to ask Senior Chief Petty Officer Jeanne Nobel to help him into the simulated TIE Bomber cockpit, and having to ask for help was far more painful than the actual moment that his left leg had been vaporised by Saint 1’s laser cannons, and to her credit, the bomber pilot hadn’t said a word during the difficult process of getting a one-legged man down a ladder and into a cramped cockpit. A couple of times, the stump of his leg bumped into one of the rungs. Each time, the sharp impact hurt like hell.

Eventually, however, the crippled TIE Pilot was sitting down in the comfortable ejection seat of the TIE/sa bomber, and the first thing that he noticed was that the cockpit was actually roomier than that of the TIE/In Interceptor he was used to piloting by a considerable degree, despite the additional targeting and sensor screens. He looked at them blankly for a moment, wondering how he was supposed to start the extra multitude of systems up, and in what order. At least he understood how the reactor and comm systems worked, - the same as the Interceptor’s, so he started there.

“Uh, Janissary? This isn’t anything like an Interceptor cockpit. What’s the start-up procedure? His voice betrayed his concern – this was unfamiliar territory to the already badly shaken pilot: even with learning the niceties of Ground Attack, he had at least been flying a familiar craft, the TIE Interceptor: The fighter he’d been trained in and had spent his entire career as a fighter pilot inside. The reply that came on the comm soon after was patient and reassuring.
[[“It’s okay Dunn, I’ll walk you through it. Engine controls are standard on all TIE Craft, so just start with those first.”]]

That seemed simple enough. The Twin Ion Engine on the TIE/sa wasn’t really any different to the upgraded model the TIE Interceptor used, and it wouldn’t surprise him if the Vast Empire’s techs had simply used the same highly-advanced P-s5.6 Twin Ion Engine that they were mass-producing for the Interceptor anyway. Upgrading the solar ionization chamber from the outdated I-a2b Solar Ionization Reactor to the upgraded I-s3a that the Interceptor used would probably be the logical next step, especially if they wanted enough power to run a shield generator. He made sure he followed Janissary’s instructions to the absolute letter.

“Allright, that’s that done. Targeting computer is next, right? How’s this go.”
He was more curious than worried now, and it carried in his voice. Her reply, again, was almost immediate.
[[“The screen in between your targeting computer and your sensor screen is your long-range sensors. The triangular button facing right just in front of it starts it up. Press that, then power up your targeting computer. The screen between that and your damage report screen is your weapons management screen. The triangular button facing left turns it on. After that, just finish up like you would on an Interceptor.”]]

Hearing everything explained by someone who knew what she was doing was far more helpful than just reading a manual, and Sam Dunn quickly and efficiently complied with her instructions, watching as the unfamiliar long-range sensors powered up. He was amazed by how far they were scanning, even if they were only scanning in a 180 degree arc forward of the starfighter. The Interceptor relied on the Adjudicator for sensor data, but apparently bomber pilots didn’t even need to. The targeting computer itself looked far more precise as well, with readouts for missile trajectory and target trajectory, among other things.

“Crikey…okay, that’s pretty impressive. I’m impressed.” Sam didn’t even realize he was speaking aloud, as he moved on to the weapons management screen and powered the system up with a jab of a gloved thumb. The screen flickered to life and showed a detailed readout of the various weapons systems in the other ‘pod’ of the bomber. Four Proton Torpedoes and eight Concussion Missiles seemed to be the nerf-steak and potatoes of the craft’s armament, and a single SJ-62/68 orbital mine. The Bomber actually was carrying an orbital mine!
“So…you Bomber jocks like to pack light, huh?” He simply deadpanned.

[[“And we can put any of them on a target not much bigger than our own bomber. Try the button to the left of the weapons management’s power-on button, it’ll let you cycle through the weapons types. Watch what it does to the targeting computer.”]]
Sam tilted his head to the side a little, and with a slight shrug, did as she said. Each time, the graphic readout on the weapons screen changed, showing the ammunition count of the Proton Torpedoes. As he did, the targeting computer changed drastically, a ‘bomb sight’ replacing the usual screen image on the computer.

He pressed it again, and the Concussion Missiles were displayed next. The targeting computer screen again changed, and no less than eight targeting reticules danced along screen, each apparently hunting for a target for a second, before returning to the centre of the screen. Apparently, the TIE Bomber was able to target and fire on multiple enemy starfighters simultaneously. Handy. He pressed the button once again, and this time, the screen flickered into a small scan view of the area immediately behind the bomber, and the mine was shown on the weapons screen. That mine would wreck anything it touched.

One final press of the button returned the screen to the default layout, showing a quick overview of all of the weapons and their current ammunition levels. Nodding to himself, more to clear his head than anything else, he quickly finished the last of the warm-up procedures, committing everything to memory as he did it. The TIE/sa Bomber had its differences, but it was a member of the TIE mass-production series, so most of its systems were the same. It wasn’t really what he would call a massive difference. He’d heard Strill were training in X-Wings. He didn’t pity them.

“Okay, all systems powered up and green. I’m ready to launch.” Sam spoke over the comm, not bothering to keep the slight tinge of nervous excitement from his voice as a mechanised female voice sounded over his comm system.
“Simulated mission objective: destroy target Bulk Freighter. Mission begins in 5…4…3…2…1, launch!”
A moment later, his simulated TIE/sa Bomber was tossed clean out of the simulated Star Destroyer hangar by the launch catapult and sent hurtling into space, at a speed that was definitely far slower than anything the TIE Interceptor was capable of, but that still managed to surprise him.

Obviously, the Vast Empire’s TIE/sa Bombers did have some upgrades compared to the models that the Imperial Dominion had been fielding so far. It was amazing what simply updating a ship’s engines and reactor to the latest model could do. Looking out of the cockpit canopy right in front of him, he noticed immediately that the bomber’s solar wing panels cut off some of his vision to the left and right, which would be dangerous at close range. Now, he understood why the ‘middle’ portion of the Interceptor’s dagger-shaped wings had been cut out. It made dogfighting a lot easier.

He glanced at his sensor screen, then back to his viewport, and spotted Janissary’s bomber up above and to the starboard of his own, and pulled back a little on the control yoke. Frowning as the bomber responded too sluggishly for his liking, he moved the yoke further, and the craft listed a little less lazily in the right direction. With a sigh, he pushed the control yoke even harder, and this time his Bomber climbed smoothly and fell into a good wingmate position behind Janissary.
[[“What’s the matter? Used to twitching the stick and magically teleporting wherever you want?”]]

Whilst her jibe was a gross oversimplification, she was right – Sam was used to a far more agile and responsive machine, and he was going to have to learn to be rougher with a bomber than he would ever dream of being with his Interceptors. He let out a truncated “ha” in response, and followed a little sluggishly as she banked smoothly to port, before correcting and guiding the bomber back onto her tail. Looking around, he could see nothing but empty space and the usual stars dotted everywhere. They must have been on a hyperspace route of some sort.

[[“Take a few seconds to get used to how she handles, then get back on my 9. The target ship arrives in t-minus 24 seconds.”]] The moment that Janissary sent the message over the comm, Sam sent a quick affirmative and immediately began to try a few basic manoeuvres in the TIE/sa, seeing what it could handle and what it couldn’t. The offset engine proved to do subtle, strange things to the ship’s dynamics that would take a little getting used to, since rolling would rotate the entire ship around the right-side pod, moving the weapons pod around the axis.
That was interesting. He realized that it made some moves, such as the Wotan Weave and the Tallon Roll, even more unpredictable, whereas some of the tight-looping moves such as the Skywalker Loop were simply made too wide to be practical. It could dive, and it could climb, and on a horizontal axis it wasn’t actually too bad, but anything more complex than that and the TIE/sa seemed to become too sluggish to be really practical in a dogfight. Sam resolved to keep any hostiles at arm’s reach, something he reckoned with the bomber’s long range and missiles, was possible.

He slid his bomber back into formation just in time, as his targeting computer picked up four smaller blips surrounding a larger one. There was no IFF signal, so that meant that whatever they were, they weren’t Imperial. He recognized an ‘identify’ key and experimentally jabbed it. His long-range targeting screen flashed as more information appeared on it, complete with a perfect silhouette of a New Republic T-65 X-Wing Starfighter.
“Looks like…yep, a flight of X-Wings escorting a freighter of unknown make.” He reported calmly after checking the other four readings and confirming each of them. That was their target.

[[“Allright, you should be able to handle them on your own. Take out the escorts first, then the target. Show me you’ve been paying attention, fighter jock.”]] Janissary ordered, but her tone was light and humorous, and Sam found it impossible to take offence when he was already concentrating solely on the challenge ahead, already moving his hand towards the fire selection button next to the weapons control panel as he let out a slightly cocky reply.
“They’ll never see me.”
It was true. He couldn’t even see the glimmer of their ion trails yet, let alone the actual ships.

That, plus the fact that he knew for sure there was no way that any freighter that wasn’t the infamous ‘Millennium Falcon’ and a bunch of X-Wings had a greater sensor range than the Vast Empire’s highly advanced tactical bomber craft. He pressed the fire selection button twice, until the concussion missiles appeared on the screen, and the multiple target lock boxes appeared on his targeting computer’s long-range screen. He pressed a button, then another, and two targeting reticules settled onto the blips that represented each of the X-Wings. He noted that every single one of the reticules was red.

Apparently, he would have to wait.
The moment that he began to acquire target locks, the X-Wings, tipped off by their threat detection software, scattered in all directions in an attempt to break the target lock. Sitting out of sensor range, Sam Dunn and his bomber were all but invisible to them, but although the pilots had no idea where their hidden assailant was, it didn’t take a veteran pilot to know that when someone got a lock on you, you tried your damned best to evade.
Rookie or Veteran, it didn’t matter – all four escort fighters broke and ran.

At close range, those manoeuvres would certainly have given him a real challenge to try and keep all four in his sights, but range was his ally, and they’d have to fly very far to get out of his scanner’s cone of detection. It was a matter of time until he got a solid lock, and within quick succession, the red targeting reticules turned a cheery green, each one accompanied by a little beeping sound. With a grin, Sam stabbed his thumb onto the trigger the moment the very last reticule turned green, and smiled as eight missiles achieved liftoff.

Even as his eyes tracked the progress of his lovely clutch of missiles towards the four madly jinking fighters, his thumb hit the fire selection button another three times, bringing the Proton Torpedoes back up, and keyed the freighter into his targeting computer, completely ignoring the enemy starfighters. The missiles would likely wipe them out, but his real objective was the transport, and if a surprise salvo of eight concussion missiles did nothing more than to distract the escorts while he destroyed the freighter, he’d still be a happy man. After all, he did have a wingmate to finish them.

“Almost there.” He muttered to himself as he watched the sensor reticule tighten around the blip representing the enemy freighter as his targeting computer calculated trajectory, range, relative speeds and all manner of other variables for him. He kept one eye on the sensor screen, because he knew how these simulations worked, and there was an almost 100% certainty that something nasty would ambush him right when he felt at his most confident. After all, that was exactly what the blasted 128th had done.
“Almost there.” He muttered again, as the numbers quickly wound down towards zero. Any moment now…

The moment he was fearing never came, and the reticule turned green. He pulled the trigger twice, and smiled as a pair of Proton Torpedoes were sent screaming from the weapons pod of his bomber. The seconds ticked away as the torpedoes zeroed in on their target, and in the intervening time, two of the four escorts disappeared from his sensor screen, obliterated without a sensor trace to mark their passing. Then, there was a sudden, tiny pinprick of light that would have been a blinding explosion to the X-Wing pilots still alive.
“It’s awaayyy!” He crowed, the freighter obliterated.

[[“Not bad, kid. I’ll finish up the stragglers. Remember next time to try and conserve /some/ ammunition. You’ll need some concussion missiles in reserve in case you get jumped.”]] Janissary’s voice sounded almost actually impressed – it wasn’t every day that someone adapted so quickly to a new vehicle. Then again, Sam reminded himself, the ground attack training was fresh in his mind, and this fighter seemed designed with that style of flying in mind.
“Will it always be this easy?” He asked, trying to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice.

He was rewarded by Janissary’s soft, amused laughter.

OOC:

Word Count: 2,500
AAR: Dunny gets a crash-course in the difference between the TIE/sa bomber and the TIE/In Interceptor, and even gets a chance to test one in the simulators. He's given a pretty simple mission - prove that he can handle the new systems that the TIE/sa Bomber introduces, and for once in his life, everything goes his way.

This cert story introduces a new NPC, a member of the Krakana bomber squadron. Feel free to use her in other stories or ignore her as you wish.

I admit that by the time the battle wound around, I was very tired and just wanted to get the post finished so that I could actually sleep, and I felt time pressure - I wanted to get it done before Cervidae OR Trykon posted, since then I'll have to concentrate on the main story.

The reason for the 'easy' kills is due to a variety of reasons:

1: Until the missiles, which will already have built up to full speed by then, entered the sensor envelope of the X-Wing Starfighters, they had no idea what direction the missiles were even coming from, so by the time they knew the right direction, the missiles were already at full speed and closing fast.

2: A Concussion missile is part of the standard loadout for the TIE/sa bomber, and it is unique in that it is designed /precisely/ for anti-fighter duties. It is, as far as missiles go, extremely small and agile and as a result, almost impossible to shoot down. Anakin Skywalker could probably do it, but I highly doubt an ordinary pilot could. Dunn certainly wouldn't be able to. They are also designed to not even /need/ to hit the target in order to do damage, as it was often set to explode in close proximity to a target instead of with a direct hit.

The Concussion missile is also confirmed as either nuclear or thermonuclear in nature, so if it gets close and detonates, unless your fighter is as tough and well-shielded as a Y-Wing, I doubt you'd survive.

3: This post wasn't intended to be a dogfight - it was simply a test of Sam Dunn's ability to utilise and control the advanced sensor and fire control systems that differentiated the TIE/sa Bomber from the TIE/In Interceptor, and to show that it is designed with long-range combat in mind, instead of the intense, short-range dogfighting that X-Wings and TIE/In Interceptors excel at. The /only/ way for a TIE Bomber to defeat such craft is to strike first, strike hard, and strike from very far away.

If you /need/ to see how a bomber handles in a dogfight against Fighters in order to consider me proficient with one, then I will do an additional post with a more challenging scenario.

1;
The wookiepedia article clearly states in the very first paragraph in ‘Characteristsics’ that ‘it carried more sophisticated sensors to penetrate capital ship jamming’, and in the fifth paragraph it states that ‘While not expected to engage enemy fighters in dogfights due to their slower speed and agility, TIE Bombers could target them from a standoff distance with their large magazines of concussion missiles’. Note the term ‘standoff’ distance. Standoff is defined as a verb, to ‘keep or cause to keep at a distance’.

The presence of ordnance would be useless in this role were it not for advanced targeting and sensor systems, which the TIE/sa has in the form of a T-s7b targeting computer and a Nordoxicon bomb sight, and the TIE/sa is famed for being its astonishing precision and accuracy with ordnance. The TIE/sa would certainly have longer range than the TIE/ln, which has no weapons other than short-range laser cannons. However, since TIE doctrine usually requires fighters to remain within the massive sensor envelope of a Star Destroyer, and the TIE/sa lacks a hyperdrive, you may be right in that the X-Wing, designed to operate independently, would be able to detect the launch more swiftly than my post indicated. That is due to a lack of research on the T-65 X-Wing on my part. I'll happily concede that point, but the fact that a member of the VENA's command staff does not know the full capabilities of a craft that is a part of the major cert of the SFC concerns me.

2;
I assumed that the people reading my post would know what a Concussion Missile is, as it is a part of the Vast Empire’s standard armament (and has always been, ever since the VE Interceptor was equipped with concussion missile launchers), and how it differs from the larger and slower Proton Torpedoes that X and Y-Wings carry. This is the missile that every SFC member have been using ever since they joined, it's hardly a specialised payload. Also, the ‘inherent countermeasures’ you state the T-65 X-Wing Starfighter has consists of a single aft-mounted chaff/flare launcher, in addition to the electronic countermeasures that, I assure you, could not possibly be any greater than those of a capital ship, as their complexity is limited by the available space in the smaller starfighter's hull, and the less raw power available due to the smaller reactor.

So, the X-Wing has two options to eliminate the threat of a Concussion Missile that don’t involve a lucky dodge. It can turn to face the missile and, because it is impossible to stop flying forwards in space, run the gamble of drastically shortening the distance the missile has to travel (and rendering any dodging other than a darklighter spin impossible) in the hopes of shooting a target that is showing the smallest possible target profile to them. Or, it can use AfM to attempt to evade it, in conjunction with the rear-mounted chaff launcher. It should be noted that the X-Wing was slightly less agile than the standard TIE/ln Fighter, and certainly far less agile than a dedicated anti-fighter missile.

For obvious reasons, using a rear-mounted chaff launcher to try and convince the missile that the flare is a bigger target when the flare/chaff is a) on the OTHER SIDE of the fighter to the target and b) not firing a multitude of cannons that, will light it up on the missile’s own sensors like Alderaan, and ensure the flare isn’t considered the primary target. Either way, these things are risky against one missile. Against two? Doubly so – and more importantly, they would require every bit of the defending pilot’s concentration: Which was Sam’s REAL goal; to distract the pilots whilst he eliminated his real target.

3;
With all due respect, I did my research, and my post was constructed with the research kept in mind. I feel that before tackling a post that will make me qualified in something, I should make sure I have a good amount of knowledge in the subject matter itself, in this case, the capabilities and equipment of the TIE/sa bomber I am attempting to certify for. I feel, and this is merely a statement based on what I have seen in your posts, with quotes such as ‘is not known for’ and ‘as far as I know’, that it is not me whom has not sufficiently studied the subject matter – something that I feel is one of the VENA's duties. If one does not know, one cannot teach.

I do not mean to bring this forward as a personal attack (I consider you to be a friend), but as constructive criticism based on what I have observed. I am confident that this is a matter that is not only easily overlooked, but also easily fixed, and that when addressed will prove greatly beneficial to the VEN as a whole.

Sam Dunn slid his bomber back into formation behind Janissary just in time, as a telltale blip sounded in his helmet’s speakers, directing his attention to the sensor screen to his immediate right. There, right on the very edge of the sensor screen, was the slightest red flicker, so far away it hadn’t even resolved into a blip yet. There was no way of telling exactly what it was at this range, but whatever it was, it had probably noticed them, too.
“Got something at extreme range, 2 o’clock high and closing.” He made the report immediately, just in case.

[[“I see it. Resolving into…two, no three readings. Two are on an intercept vector. Can you get an IFF?”]]
Sam took the news and turned it over in his mind. The TIE/sa Bomber wasn’t a dedicated scout vehicle, and although it had an upgraded sensor suite to better identify weak spots in targets, it didn’t have the kind of extreme long-range sensors that the TIE/v Vanguard had…or those of hyperspace-capable Rebel craft. The two craft hadn’t changed course since they had appeared on his screen, meaning they’d been on an intercept since before they’d entered his sensor range. That meant…

“They’re hostile, all right. No reading yet, but they saw us first and came straight for us. At that speed, I’d guess X-Wings or upgraded Y-Wings. Either way, they’re gonna be trouble.” Privately, Sam hoped that they were X-Wings. Whilst the Rebel Alliance’s signature space superiority fighter was overall a more effective craft than the Y-Wing, the Y-Wing Fighter/Bomber was the TIE/sa’s worst nightmare. It had the shields and armour to stand a good chance of actually surviving a missile salvo, and responding with a long-ranged counterpunch from a twin Ion cannon turret that completely ignored the TIE/sa’s heavy armour.

At least against an X-Wing, a TIE/sa was guaranteed a fair chance of crippling the enemy with the first shot. Against the four heavy lasers of the X-Wing, or the two heavy lasers and two ion cannons of the Y-Wing, Sam doubted he would have time for a second salvo if the first failed to destroy the target. He made sure to control his breathing as he kept an eye squarely on the sensor readouts, knowing that the sensor would already be running pattern-recognition algorithms. He switched on the bomb sight, and waited. Unsurprisingly, Janissary identified the two fighters first.

[[“Confirmed, two T-65 X-Wings on intercept course. Third contact appears to be a CR-70 Corvette. This could get nasty.”]]
Understatement of the day. Sam thought to himself as his gloved hand moved towards the fire control system and brought up the concussion missiles, not missing a beat as his other hand punched in the closest of the X-Wings into the targeting computer. Now, there was nothing for it but to wait – they were well and truly out of engagement range, and both parties were moving in for an attack. Hopefully, he would be the one to shoot first – and last.

“Trying to get a lock on the closer one. Here’s hoping they don’t get it into their heads to outflank us.” He muttered over the comm as he placed his hands back on the control yoke and forced himself to slow his breathing. This was the hardest part; the waiting. The targeting computer crunched the numbers and tried to get a lock, but it didn’t have the range of the sensors, and the rugged space superiority fighter eluded his grasp. There wasn’t anything he could do to speed the process, the only thing he could do now was screw up.

“Almost there…” He uttered softly, more to himself than to anyone else, a pair of little, useless words to calm him and keep him focused. He knew in his mind that right now, his deadliest enemy wasn’t that pair of X-Wings even now racing to blast him out of the void, nor was it the Imperial Dominion that had maimed him. The one foe he had to conquer, right in this moment, was himself. The numbers on his sensor wound down as the blips came closer and closer. All he had to do was keep his nerve, and he’d win.

No matter how badly his every instinct told him to do something – anything – else.

He found his hands were gripped around the control yoke in a white-knuckled stranglehold, and took a deep breath, trying to relax. He could feel the combat adrenaline start to trickle into his system, like a cold shiver down his spine, and his reflexes worked against him, making every agonizing second appear to take that much longer. The muscles in his arms twitched with the compulsive, trained need to get out of the line of fire – despite the fact his mind knew that would be counterproductive.

In that moment, the calm, rational strategic part of Sam Dunn battled against the unchained animal instinct that he had nurtured from childhood. A bomber pilot had to be cool and collected, and know not only how to pull the trigger, but when. For a man whom had always let his instincts and gut feeling rule him, it wasn’t a contest, and his hands yanked on the control yoke as he sent his fighter into a sharp snap-roll to starboard.
At least, it was meant to be a sharp snap-roll. The reality was somewhat different – this was no TIE/In Interceptor.

It threw off his targeting computer at a critical moment, and as his highly honed reflexes tried to pull his Bomber into a stunt it simply wasn’t capable of, the X-Wing pilot showed why calm is vital for any true ace. Sam could see the oncoming fighter on his targeting computer as it smoothly opened its S-foils. A moment later, his targeting computer blared out a warning, and he pushed the control yoke down hard in an attempt to dive under the assault he knew was coming. It wasn’t enough.
As the simulator shut down, Sam Dunn remained in place.

His brow furrowed into a grim frown as he stared at the blank screen. The Bomber itself had been capable of winning the dogfight – he just knew it was. If he’d held his nerve just a few moments longer, if he had managed to get his instincts under control…

…If, in fact, he had been a better pilot, he would have dusted that X-Wing for sure. Then, the Corvette itself would have fallen to a precise Proton Torpedo salvo right behind the engine block. He knew he could at least evade the bulky turbolaser turrets that it was equipped with.

He knew in his heart as he looked at the empty space where his leg had been, that unless he learned to get this animal instinct of his under control, he would never be anything but a promising rookie. He’d make the same mistakes he had made against the 128th, and he’d get more good people killed – or worse. Sam Dunn jabbed the ‘on’ button of the simulator, and keyed in his comm.
“We go again. I’m not getting out of this thing until I do it right.”

The Battle of Bloodmoon, he silently swore, would never happen again. This was his first step into making that promise to himself a reality. First, he would learn to master himself. Then, and only then, would he set his sights any higher.

OOC:

WORD COUNT: 1,230 words.

AAR: Starting again from the moment Sam Dunn falls back into formation, he identifies a pair of X-Wing Starfighters escorting a Corellian Corvette; his real target. However, even though he knows perfectly well the -theory- of bomber combat, his habit of letting his instinct control him when flying gets the better of him, and he fails to even get past he escorts.

Swearing to himself that he will learn to control his animal instinct and teach himself the virtue of patience, he starts the simulation again. If need be, he will do it again and again until he is able to master his own fear - only then will he try to earn back his wings.

This is something of a shift for Sam Dunn, a move from the cocky, uncaring youth that joined the Vast Empire, and Bombing is the one thing he is likely to lack any natural talent at. For the first time in his life, he is having to rely on actual study and hard work, instead of just treating it all as a game.

I hope that anyone whom reads this finds it as entertaining as I found writing it. Even more, I hope it shows a more realistic version of the bomber scenario.