Commodore Rivejer Tullius
"We can't afford it." Wilek Nereus was very direct in his announcement, setting his datapad down. His steely glare moved from me to Matread, as if daring us to argue with him. I flicked lazily through my datapad, glancing sidelong at Matread as he met Nereus' stare.
With the sheer amount of credits I had been spending - either directly or by proxy - this was not a surprising turn of events. Typically, this sort of resupply would be handled either by my superiors or else the fleet. Seeing as how I was the fleet in this situation and the Admiralty was sending their stockpiles of fighters elsewhere, I was in a bit of a bind. This entire series of events had been highly irregular and without Nereus I would have been lost and broke. So, if the former Governor said we couldn't afford the fighters then we couldn't afford the fighters.
Unfortunately, Matread was not as enlightened as I was.
"The fleet needs fighters." Matread argued, jabbing a pudgy finger down onto the surface of the table.
"I allotted funds for fighters." Nereus countered. "Just not the full amount. You will need to make do."
"You have allotted less than half our capacity!"
Indeed he had. If Nereus had stemmed the desires of Colonel Maab, then he had butchered the fighter corps. He must have consulted with some flight officer as Nereus had targeted any superfluous fighters and those not strictly necessary. All that survived was a token force of TIE Bombers and a fraction of the TIE Fighters requested - leaving us at the nearer side of thirty percent total capacity. I could admit my ignorance regarding fighters, but the comparatively miniscule differences between Fighter 'A' and Fighter 'B' were as alien to me as the Ssi-Ruuk.
"Is there no way to squeeze out a little more funding for our fighter corps?" I asked mildly. I knew why I was here in the end, to be the arbiter on this matter. My word was law, as Nereus was solely an advisor. Spending authority rested on my signature, even if I had delegated the majority of the duty to the former Governor.
My words earned a more severe frown from Nereus, who turned his dark glare to me instead. The intervening weeks had familiarised me with that disapproving look and so I was mostly immune. It seemed that Nereus had returned to his Bakuran state of consistent disapproval and annoyance, though it made him a formidable ally against KDY.
"No." Nereus said directly, his tone brooking no argument.
Silence met that announcement, both parties stewing in their anger at the situation while I remained detached. Maatread spent that time fuming, until he finally seemed to come to a decision and reopened the discussion.
"If we are going to operate on a fraction of our capacity, then we will need something more advanced."
"You have your allotted budget." Nereus allowed carefully, suspicious. "Act within it."
And that seemed to be that. Now that Matread and Nereus were locked in a staring contest, I decided it was time for me to beat a heated retreat. I clapped my hands together, drawing them from their stupor and turning attention back to me.
"Wonderful. Well, if this is all cleared up then I have my duties to return to." I said, rising from the seat. I paused for a heartbeat before adding: "If there are any other issues, you know where to find me."
Matread was quick to follow, leaving into the hallway with me. My guards awaited my arrival, flanking the hallway against either wall - still as statues. They turned and moved in step with me as I made my way down the hall.
"Commodore-" Matread started, but fell silent when I stopped suddenly and turned to face him.
"Commander, Captain Nereus serves an important purpose in this fleet. I will not defeat the purpose of hiring him by circumventing his every decision."
Matread closed his mouth and seemed to ponder my words for a second. After that moment passed, he sighed and nodded his head before offering a salute. While peace seemed to have been reached between Wyatdrew and Matread - at least as far as I had seen - Nereus was decidedly less popular. Not only was he handling the budget, he was also a former Governor - two aspects that made him unliked by Navy men that were used to getting everything they wanted.
We separated, Matread making way for the hangar and his shuttle - to return to the Lionheart - while I made way for the bridge. There were still a few weeks left to the projected work on the Glorious, but despite this and the fluid state of my fleet I had been running wargames as often as I could. My haste in leaving the meeting was one such simulation.
The bridge was a quiet affair still. The bridge crews had all been moved over to the Glorious, establishing their old shifts. It was currently the third shift, the familiar face of its Commander greeting me at the elevator.
"Commodore on the bridge!" One of the Navytroopers barked, stomping his heel into the deck plate. The nearby officers turned to offer a salute, but I quickly set them back to their tasks. The Commander and I moved toward the holotable dominating the rear half of the bridge.
"The engineers have reported that the primary communications relay has been completed."
"So soon? That's a week early from their projections." I noted with hints of concern in my voice. Nothing ever got finished ahead of schedule, at least not without cutting corners. The sabotage faced by the Conqueror at the Rendili yards remained clear in my mind and I did not want to be caught off-guard again.
"So it would seem. Shall we run today's simulation through it, sir?"
"No." I said immediately. "I want stress tests to run for the rest of the week. Periodic communications, file uploads and downloads - let our technicians run wild. I don't want it failing on us in the middle of a battle."
"Immediately, sir." The man bowed his head and split to follow my orders, leaving me at the holotable. We had been running on the secondary relay ever since the primary was cut off the bow of the Glorious.
The holotable flickered back to life, showcasing the Glorious' bulky form. I quickly joined the established call, greeted by the dozens of muted or quiet officers.
"Glorious here." I said, tapping away at the console before me and running the simulation program. "I assume we have all already arrived?"
A series of pings shot out from the holotable, the little icons indicating the attendants flashing green as they confirmed their presence. As the last ones filtered in, the Glorious flickered and then vanished, replaced by the now-familiar starscape of Bakura. We had run through a number of simulations to familiarise ourselves with the capabilities of the 'new' ships, but I had constantly returned to the battles I personally partook in. Bakura, Endor, N'zoth - all drawn from the same data I had sent to the Admiralty.
The holographic figures of the Ssi-Ruuk fleet flickered to life as our forces appeared over the third world in the system. The officers had not yet been filled out for the fleet, namely for the Vindicators, so for the time being they remained under the direct control of Lieutenant-Commander Pax. How he commanded his ships was left to him, an attempt on my part to not micromanage my officers.
It was a challenge.
"Objective remains the same as previous attempts." I noted, watching the Rebel ships materialise as well. They were pre-programmed to follow the paths and objectives of the Rebels in the battle itself, operating independently of my forces. The late Commander Thanas and the forces following him also appeared - leading to there being copies of the surviving Bakuran Corvettes between the two forces. Given how minor they were, it was more an amusing anecdote than a point that might ruin the simulation.
"Victory is achieved through total destruction of the enemy forces or their retreat. Defeat is achieved through our total destruction or successfully landing on Bakura. Let's start basic, open with Position Aurek."
Given the composition of my new fleet, I was forced to change the typical formation playbook I used. All of them were focused around the Glorious, though that should not be surprising. The ship was singularly the most powerful in the fleet and thus would be the focus of any opponent.
Position Aurek was basic, hence being the first devised. The Lionheart would remain with the Glorious, hidden behind it. Its position was dependent on the composition or positioning of the enemy forces. In this simulation, the heavier Cruisers utilised by the Ssi-Ruuk were arranged on the Glorious' port side, so the Lionheart hid behind us on our starboard. These simulations had proven that the notorious fragility of the Venator-Class Star Destroyer was largely relative. Against other Star Destroyers it did poorly, but the Ssi-Ruuk ships were far closer to the Venator in both weight and firepower.
The Vivisector - the command Vindicator-Class Heavy Cruiser - was also positioned on our starboard side. It was arranged in a double line, two ships on the port and three on the starboard. Most of the positions and plans saw the Vindicators separated from the rest of the fleet, being quick compared to the larger vessels. In most of the stratagems my staff and I had brainstormed, the Vindicators acted in a bastardised fusion of a Skirmish, Pursuit and Attack line. Their task was to pursue retreating or out of position enemy ships, separating out individual Cruisers, or else harass and skirmish with the enemy formation. Only when the enemy force was stuck in with the Glorious would the Vindicators be expected to commit to the brawl. The Vindicator was essentially a miniature Star Destroyer; they had the means to protect themselves from most threats at their size or smaller, including anti-fighter duties.
The Lionheart was expected to remain with the Glorious in most engagements and following most plans. Even if it was not as weak as I had expected, it still lacked the bulkiness and firepower of the Victory I-Class Star Destroyers. It joined the Glorious in making the Heavy Attack line, the heart of most formations. There to command the fighters or otherwise supplement the firepower of the Battlecruiser. As such it would remain well behind the Glorious, outside the range of enemy Cruisers trying to engage the larger vessel. Again, only when the engagement had already begun would the Lionheart be expected to move in closer and supplement the Glorious.
The Intrepid and Steadfast were far more fluid in the part they played. They would either be part of the Heavy Attack line, directly attached to the Glorious, or acting as an independent Attack line. This very battle had proven to me my error in how I utilised those Cruisers - costing the Intrepid her former Commander. I would not make that mistake again, not if I could prevent it. They were better suited letting the enemy come to them, whittling down and breaking any charge with a barrage of missiles.
In 'Position Aurek', the pair of Star Destroyers were situated behind the Glorious as well. Unlike the Lionheart however, they sat beneath the ship. The Procurator was slow - it was slow to turn and slow to move. Any numerically superior force would want to attack from multiple angles and the underside was its most obvious weak point. The pair of Victorys were meant to dissuade such a movement. I had learned that lesson quickly after the first simulation, when the programmed AI of the Ssi-Ruuk forces swarmed the Glorious and overwhelmed it. However, in the case of equal numbers the pair would be separated out as their own Attack line.
The surviving two Carrack-Class Light Cruisers - placed under the stewardship of Lieutenant Lo Bannick - fulfilled a similar position as the Vindicators though greatly reduced in number. Much like the Victorys, the Carracks were expected to supplement the Glorious with their array of heavy turbolaser batteries. However, they were far more fluid in most formations. The Carrack, despite being 350 meters long, was damned fast. They were almost as fast as TIE Fighters, meaning that there were a scarce few Frigates or Cruisers that could outrun them. So, the pair of Light Cruisers could shift from Attack to Pursuit as the situation needed.
The Corvettes remained largely unchanged, centered around the ponderous form of the Glorious. If the enemy committed fighters to chase down the Vindicator line, then they would need to retreat back to the Glorious or else rely on their own fighters to intercept. Though given Matread's plans to downsize, I had to wonder if they could manage even that much. The pair of IR-3F-class Light Frigates remained the odd ones out as I initially intended to sell them, having written the two off as worthless. Their lack of hyperdrives means they need a mothership to move around. With the Conqueror and Intimidation, that issue was moot. However, the Glorious lacked a ventral hangar and the Lionheart could only carry one - or so I thought. The Lionheart, being an early production model of the Venator, had to open the entire dorsal hangar bay. The interior - that strip between the many separate bays - had space enough to hold both Corvettes. As such, the IR-3Fs found a new lease on life. They were certainly faster than the Lancers at sublight speeds and, though their firepower was lacking, they were still able to act in hunter-killer roles.
The fleet was in a decent position, given the circumstances. So, once my officers were ready, I activated the simulation. The shift Commander had wandered back over and took his place at the holotable, inputting his commands for the Glorious as he did so.
The moment the simulation started, the Glorious opened up with its long-range batteries. They fired in staggered bursts, each in order.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Each gun was recommended to wait two seconds before firing again. When the last fired, the wait was only around half a second before the first could fire again.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Bright, gleaming lances of fire speared across the space separating the Ssi-Ruuk force from mine. We were well outside their range and so could fire with impunity. The AI had been programmed to react dynamically, but only after first 'experiencing' new weapons or tactics. I did not know how aware of the galaxy the Ssi-Ruuk had been, but they were programmed with the assumption that they knew what a Procurator was. So, our tremendously heavy weapons should serve as a surprise. One of the Cruisers was the Commander's target, two of the first three shots from HX.6 turbolasers impacting its bow. An explosion rocked the alien vessel, sending it careening away while the third bolt missed. The following six missed entirely, the Commander having not expected the first few to be so successful. An error, one Milgern had made when he ran through this same exercise.
"The Ssi-Ruuk Cruiser's observed firing range was half that of the longest-ranged batteries on an Imperial Star Destroyer. Assume their shields are not raised in the initial strike." I corrected the man lightly.
"Yes, sir." The Commander said, shamefaced as he quickly redirected his targeting. The Ssi-Ruuk wised up and spread out, raising their shields. Still, they were not eager to be hit by the powerful weapons and so slowed their charge to manoeuvre. This bought more time for the Glorious to fire, pushing the Ssi-Ruuk further and further apart.
"Vivisector." I said, directly my attention to the stationary Heavy Cruisers. "You are clear to engage. Good hunting."
"Engaging, sir." The Vindicators broke free of the formation and sped off, taking a wide track to get on the right side of the enemy formation. One of the Ssi-Ruuk Cruisers was being pushed further and further away - intentionally being pushed by the Commander's efforts. When it was clear the Vindicators were moving to engage, he redirected his efforts.
Hundreds of pinpricks flashed to life as a warning - the Ssi-Ruuk were deploying their fighters in a massed swarm against the Glorious.
"Overlord, enemy fighters are inbound."
"Aye, sir. Re-deploying."
Like the wings of a bird, the Lancers spread out from beneath the Glorious to cover a wider area around us - and protect the other ships in the line as well. Fighters tightened up as Hamne, who was acting in Matread's place during this simulation, directed them. This exchange continued for half an hour, until finally the Ssi-Ruuk fighters arrived. Like the battle itself, their fighters vanished in great swathes - yet still they came. The programmed AI of my fighters were nowhere near the skill of the actual pilots and so they also vanished enmasse. Still, the Lancers made a solid showing of themselves, decimating the majority of the incoming force.
The Ssi-Ruuk AI made a token effort to bring its separated Cruisers back, but eventually cut their losses. The Cruiser turned to engage the incoming Vindicators, but I decided to make this a learning experience. I subtly took control of the simulated ship and made it come about, racing away from the battle. Smelling blood in the proverbial water, Pax gave chase. The Vindicators drew further and further away as the Ssi-Ruuk fleet came into range. The moment their ion cannons were able to reach the Glorious, the fleet stopped dead and fired. Heavy ion bolts slammed into the bow of my flagship, which returned fire on its now stationary opponents. Another Cruiser evaporated - taking all three bolts of a co-ordinated volley as a direct hit. The AI had been trying to overwhelm the Glorious through massed fire, but it became clear that wasn't going to work as the Commander forewent redirecting power to the forward shields entirely. The only way they would damage the Glorious was to get closer, bringing their lighter turbolasers into range and erasing our greatest strength. The big HX.6s changed from their barrage to volley fire, maximising single target damage at these closer ranges. At this point, the AI was allowed to know about the rest of the Glorious' weapons. The assumption was, after the surprise of the long-range batteries, they would get wise and study us closer. Our array of modern ion cannons and modernised turbolasers would not catch them off-guard.
A portion of the Cruisers went above - continuing to hammer the Battlecruiser and now targeting its heavier weapons. Two more went beneath, trying to overload the reactor by increasing how much area the shields needed to cover. The Lionheart opened up with its main batteries, catching the nearest Ssi-Ruuk and slowing its advance. Nearly stationary, it suffered a targeted volley from the Glorious' turbolasers. Joining those powerful volleys was the veritable hail of mixed ion cannon and turbolaser fire from across the surface of the Battlecruiser's hull. While individually they were far below the destructive power of the HX.6s, it still showcased the tremendous power a baseline Procurator could bring to bear even despite the restrictions it faced. It survived, but the ship crew 'panicked' and continued on past the Glorious, trying to engage the Venator. This was a fairer fight for the Ssi-Ruuk ship, if it had been in peak condition. Its shields were still recycling after suffering the volley and now it faced the fresh Lionheart.
As those two became embroiled in their own private duel, the two Ssi-Ruuk Cruisers below found themselves faced with the Intrepid and Steadfast. The pair of Victory Star Destroyers had thus far only been firing their turbolasers. Now very cognisant of how expensive missiles were - and aware of how nimble the Ssi-Ruuk ships could be from previous simulations - I had them save their ammunition until the Ssi-Ruuk were at such a range that they could no longer dodge. That moment was now. The Ssi-Ruuk Cruisers were cautious, programmed to be aware of the missile bays, but they moved forward all the same. Brilliant flashes indicated that Harand had given the order, unleashing the first volley of missiles. The Ssi-Ruuk Corvettes intercepted what they could, but it was clear the Victory Star Destroyers had fired everything they had loaded. Ordinarily, I would be against that - and I would have a word with Harand - however since this wasn't a campaign but rather a single engagement, I allowed it. The Ssi-Ruuk Cruisers evaporated under the withering fire, their shields overloaded by the mass of missiles and their lacking armour torn asunder.
The Ssi-Ruuk AI, sensing its imminent defeat, decided to rush its main objective - Bakura-3. The Carriers - one of which was the Escapade-to-be - broke from their place behind the remains of the fleet and went to my starboard side - opposite of the Lionheart. Their movements were wide and low, trying to stay out of sight of the Glorious' firing arcs. I glanced again at the holograms of the Vindicators. They were still chasing the lone Cruiser and were in no position to help my main force. I had intentionally remained silent in this, again planning to use this as a learning experience.
"Vivisector, the Ssi-Ruuk landers are making a run for Bakura. Fall in and engage." I ordered.
"Received, Glorious." Pax realised his error too late, bringing his Cruisers about and racing back. He grudgingly added to his report. "Glorious, we will not make it in time."
"Understood." I said, before turning my attention to the Carracks. Both were assisting the Lionheart, though their position indicated they already expected what came next - turning to face the fleeing Carriers.
"Loner, disengage and pursue those Carriers." I ordered, watching them jet off the moment the words left my lips. They were followed by the Bakuran fleet, trailing behind the pair.
"Yes, sir."
As we had not deployed anti-fighter missiles in the initial charge, enough Ssi-Ruuk fighters survived to chase after the pair of Carracks and their AI-controlled escorts. The IR-3F Frigates raced after the escaping fighters, dealing with what they could. Like at the real Bakura, the Carracks were left to deal with the landing Ssi-Ruuk forces. Unlike that time, there was no daring Pter Thanas, nor did the Carracks have the numbers to overwhelm both Carriers. Minutes later, despite the sundering of the Ssi-Ruuk fleet, a red flash filled the holotable. The simulation froze - we had been defeated.
"I'm resetting the simulation, starting at Position Aurek. Lieutenant Pax, watch your distance. Captain Harand, I am changing the parameters: conserve as many missiles as possible. Starting simulation again… Now."
Commander Ciena Ree
When Wyatdrew Matread had floated the idea of finding more advanced fighters for the fleet, I had expected some advanced variant of TIE - Interceptors, Avengers, maybe even Defenders. I had even considered some oddball fighters, like the SoroSuub Preybird. So, I was surprised when I was sent toward Incom.
Incom's headquarters was based on Fresia, but they had several branch offices scattered around the Core. It was sequestered on a space station as far from the center of the system as one could get - one of Rasapan's moons. It was a large asteroid that was captured by the gas giant long ago, with a station tethered to its surface. It was there that the Incom office was located.
The office was a small affair, like a small growth on their larger depot. Incom had fallen far from the days when the Z-95 Headhunter was king of space and atmospheric combat. Though they were not the sole manufacturer for the fighter, it was the one they were most well-known for… until the X-Wing. I had faced the X-Wing many times in my career - most recently at Endor - and I could grudgingly admit its capabilities as a fighter. While not as fast or agile as the TIE Fighters it often faced, the X-Wing was a well-armed and well-defended craft. However, this fighter served to be the downfall of the Incom Corporation.
I could not claim to know the specifics, only that one day a large number of Incom engineers and leaders abandoned the company and ended up with the Rebel Alliance. They had brought with them the X-Wing, which went on to become the workhorse of the Rebel fleets. Incom became a pariah among the major fighter-producing corporations and had simultaneously been gutted of their best and brightest. The company was relegated to reproductions of their most successful products and failing attempts to market more recent designs.
My arrival was without fanfare, though an especially excited salesman greeted me at the landing pad.
"Welcome to the Incom Corporation, Commander Ree. We are honoured by your presence." The man greeted me merrily, glancing at my partner for this endeavour. One of Nereus' ever-increasing cast of flunkies, here to ensure any ships I looked at remained on budget. It seemed his tyrannical control on the fleet funds was ever increasing.
"We are looking to diversify our fighter forces." I said, taking the man's hand. The staff member, feeling the need to interject, stepped forward.
"Ah, within reason, of course."
"Of course." I repeated.
"Of course." The salesman agreed, his winning smile not soured in the slightest. He gestured toward the storage yard.
The interior was like a physical history of galactic fighter history. T-06s, Z-95s, ARC-170s, I-7 Howlrunners, X-Wings-
Wait.
"Not an X-Wing." I murmured, stepping back and looking closer at the large starfighter. While outwardly it still appeared to be an X-Wing, even a cursory glance at the bizarre shape of its engines betrayed it as something different, something custom. The salesman materialised next to me, staring at the fighter as well.
"Ah, I see you are a woman of taste. The T-65I Talon, a cooperative project between Incom and Sienar Fleet Systems."
"Sienar?" I repeated slowly, suspecting what that could mean looking at the back half of the fighter.
"It utilises a heavily modified I-a3b reactor. The same ones as the Interceptor, you know… Theoretically, anyway."
I blinked at the man, then looked at the fighter again. The Sienar ion engines were some of the most powerful reactors on the market, some variants used in many ships across the Imperial Navy. You used a Sienar reactor in a fighter for one thing only, performance - speed. It was because of the I-a2b that the TIE Fighter was so fast. The one thing they seemed to struggle with were comprehensive shielding systems, at least on these smaller scales. The TIE Fighter's answer to that question was just not being hit.
"What did you do about the shields?" I asked, walking along the side of the fighter, letting my hand drift along its fuselage. It was painted in Imperial grey, armoured plating covering the whole fighter from nose to aft - a departure from its more stripped-down kin in the baseline T-65.
"Oh, that is actually quite interesting. You see-" And the man began to babble, but my focus was on the fighter itself. It was sleek, closer to a Z-95 in appearance than an X-Wing, were it not for the wing assembly.
It took me a moment to realise that the man had stopped speaking, making me turn to face him. His blinding smile was gone, replaced by a more wry smirk - almost conspiratorial.
"Want to take it for a ride?"
I turned back to the fighter, a morbid curiosity overpowering me.
"Yes."
The moment I turned the reactor over, I knew this fighter was powered by a twin ion engine. Its scream filled the hangar bay, becoming a lower growl after a few seconds of powering up. A hangar crewmember clambered up the ladder I took to get in, leaning over the lip of the open cockpit to speak to me.
"Commander, this is R3-T6." He jerked a finger back behind the cockpit. I glanced back to see a red and grey astromech droid being lowered into the fighter. "Have you used an astromech before?"
I nodded at him.
"Good, he's just here to record flight data. He can take over autopilot if you need it."
"I won't." It was cocky, but I did not want to let the droid control this fighter. I wanted to feel every second, if only to understand why the Rebels were so obsessed with the damned things.
"Suit yourself. Calk, the one in the green vest, will guide you out. A waypoint will indicate how far you need to go, then you can let loose." I gave him a thumbs up and the man climbed back down. As he ran off, I turned my attention forward. Calk, a short humanoid figure in a fully enclosed suit, was standing a little ways ahead of the 'Talon'. He began to signal me, first to lower my canopy. Then, to spin up the engines. Even in the now-enclosed cockpit, I could hear their scream as the reactor came back to life. The hangar staff had me run through some pre-flight checks, then I was waved out. I felt the difference immediately, though it was difficult to put into words that were not just feelings.
The Talon felt heavier, wanting to commit in a direction or turn faster than a TIE Fighter. The TIE series, or those I commonly flew anyways, were far more responsive. Even the slightest twitch on the yoke sent you spinning in a direction. As I exited into the void, I hurried to the waypoint - even as I was warned by flight control to slow down.
The astromech, R3-T6, whistled out something that was rapidly translated on the console in front of me. It was a greeting from the diminutive droid.
"... Hi." I said, which seemed to please the droid as it whistled happily. I sat in awkward silence, never having had an astromech within my fighter - at least, not as the backup autopilot.
It was as I reached the outer point that I was finally allowed to 'cut loose'. I gunned the throttle and sent the fighter forward. It took off like it was fired from a turbolaser. R3-T6 squealed, but I ignored the droid as I yanked back on the yoke. The fighter hurtled upward and at that moment it didn't matter if the ship felt more or less cumbersome. I felt my lips rise into a savage grin as I put the fighter through its paces, twisting and jinking and doing everything that came to mind. One eye remained on the log from the fighter's many subsystems - the engines were green, the reactor ran perfectly. Focusing on said reactor, I went into its log with the fighter's central computer. I was familiar with how an I-a3b ran, what issues it would commonly face or errors that would be thrown up from running it too hard.
Credit where it was due, Incom knew how to make the parts of the fighters work together despite the brain drain. There was nothing in that log I wouldn't see in a well-maintained Interceptor. I closed the window and was greeted by a question from the droid.
"Nothing." I said, tapping away, before letting my grin return. "Let's really put this fighter through its paces."
And we took off once more.
I flew around in the Talon for the nearer side of two hours, something the Incom representatives seemed perfectly fine with. The man gushed over the comms about the many features of the starfighter, but I got the feeling the man flew himself. There was the sort of passion I only ever heard in the voices of pilots when he talked about these craft.
I returned to the hangar bay, carefully setting the starfighter down myself. The crew rushed over and were on it like a plague of insects, quickly checking the fighter over to make sure it survived the paces I put it through. A ladder was moved over and I clambered back out, joining the returning salesman on the ground. I pulled the helmet I was provided off, tucking it under one arm as I opened the flight suit up - letting air flow in.
"How was it?" He asked, a self-satisfied smirk on his lips.
"Good." I called over the dying engine, before my gaze was drawn to the financial officer. The man was dabbing sweat from his brow, but his gaze was on the starfighter - concern evident in his expression. I swallowed and looked at it again. It really was good, but even a glance told me that quality came with a price tag. "You've clearly put in good work, but that's the problem."
The salesman's smile vanished, concern replacing it so fast it felt comical.
"It is an issue of budget, you see." The officer approached now that the Talon's engines had fallen silent. "I am sure it is a good… ship, but the Fleet cannot afford so overengineered a craft."
The salesman immediately seemed offended by the other man's words, so I stepped in before this devolved into a shouting match or worse.
"Perhaps I should have mentioned it before, but we were here for a very specific fighter." I said and, almost as if it had a gravitational pull, all eyes turned to the black sheep of the hangar.
The I-7 Howlrunner.
"Oh." The man sounded quite saddened by the notion.
Captain Rius Harand
To most officers in the fleet, my position would be enviable. Given command of a Star Destroyer, granted a promotion, appearing for all intents and purposes to have such faith from my superior that he granted me more freedom. Indeed, had the circumstances been different I might have even accepted that to be the truth.
However, in context of the events leading up to this, I recognised the promotion for what it was: a banishment. For years, I had been Tullius' right hand - his chief subordinate, commanding from the depths of his flagship. It was that proximity that allowed me the most influence over his decisions, allowed me the easiest time in understanding his moods. It took a certain skill to understand what Tullius was thinking, a skill I had developed since our time in the ORSF. However, my treason against him had not been forgotten. Milgern and Screold, despite being confederates in the scheme to save ourselves from the scrutiny of Imperial intelligence services, had been allowed to remain while Matread and I were sent away from Tullius' inner circle.
Why I was still alive, I could not say. My blood would not be the first to stain Tullius' hands and this time there would be no one to raise any questions. Was it the lack of officers, or was Tullius working at some greater scheme yet?
I did not know, nor did I want to. Tullius had thrown me a small bone, I was still in command of at least a portion of the fleet - at least, directly. Zanus was dependable and competent, so I had the chance to prove my usefulness even from here.
"Ordinance reports, sir." I was dragged from my stupor by the droll voice of Lieutenant Ulstein. I nearly jumped out of my skin, before turning to face him. Ulstein, despite his usually dull appearance, seemed almost nervous standing here on the bridge. Despite being the reason the bridge had been redesigned and armoured beyond the usual configuration, the man was still uncomfortable being on it.
"Ah, thank you Lieutenant." I said, keeping my tone pleasant. He saluted then retreated, allowing me to face the viewscreen once more. I looked out at the Glorious, still swathed in Kuati repair vessels.
Some day. I decided, hand tightening around the datapad. One of these days.
I had to fight down the insulted feelings I had permeating through my mind. I was guilty of self-preservation, just as much as Tullius was. Yet Screold - his darling child - and that rodent Milgern were kept on as his chosen subordinates. Some day, somehow, I would prove that I was their better. I would show Tullius his error in banishing me.
I turned from the viewscreen and stormed off - back into the depths of the bridge.