Star Wars: Bantha Squadron
Author's note: All Star Wars stuff belongs to Lucasfilm and I don't own any of this. Read and review, and yub yub!
Chapter 1: Newcomer
The dark void of space filled Kal Korros' eyes as he disengaged the hyperdrive. The faint green orb of Cyranan VII was a distant twinkle in the field of stars in front of him. He saw the pale-green text of his R5 unit, Caller, and read it.
"Looks like we're here, Caller. Run a sensor sweep for the Vigilance." Kal checked his scopes, and watched as the sweep returned its results. The sensor signature of the Republic cruiser Vigilance showed up a few clicks out. "Alright, open up a comm to the Vigilance."
A rough masculine tone came after a few seconds. "Y-Wing, this is Vigilance flight control. Are you Flight Officer Korros?"
"Affirmative, Vigilance. I'm transmitting my clearances now." He kept the Y-Wing on a holding pattern with the bulk cruiser. He ordered Caller to send the codes, and a few seconds later, the flight control responded.
"Flight Officer Korros, you're cleared to land. Follow the standard landing procedures."
"Copy, Vigilance. Glad to be here, Korros out." He said as he veered his craft to approach the cruiser. As Kal started to approach, the cruiser's long shape came into view. He sighed as he looked back to Caller. "How's our new home look?"
Caller sent a stream of low whistles and beeps. Kal chuckled. "Yea, not much, but we're still flying." Once he got within a half-click of the Vigilance, he cut the engines of his fighter and let the tractor beam take over. He watched as the hangar bay grew larger, and he set his landing gear down. The craft was down by the time he had powered down the systems, and his cockpit depressurized.
The hatch opened, and he watched as a ladder was pushed up against the Y-Wing's nose. Kal climbed out of the cockpit and descended down. He was approached by two beings.
One was a human male. He was tall and had graying hair, and wore a Starfighter Command uniform with a Lieutenant Commander's tag. The other, a Faleen female, wore a similar uniform with Lieutenant's markings. "Kal Korros, right?" The man said.
Kal snapped to attention. "Flight Officer Kal Korros, sir." He reeled it off like second nature.
"At ease, Officer Korros." The human offered a smile. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Quint Tarth, and this is Xil, our Squadron XO. Welcome to Bantha Squadron." Tarth must have seen the look on Kal's face. "Speak freely, Korros."
"Bantha Squadron?" Kal tried to hide the incredulity in his voice. "I was being told I was being part of the Vigilance's Gold Wing?"
"Gold Wing doesn't really exist any more." Xil explained. The Faleen had a cool voice, with a slight accent from her reptillian tongue. "Between attrition and reassignments, what was once a thirty-six-craft fighter wing is now six Y-Wings."
"You're kidding." He looked around the hangar. The bulk cruiser's hangar was big, and he looked at the ships. Some small cargo shuttles, a Correlian HWK-290, and an Assault Transport sat mixed around five Y-Wings. "Sithspit. You're not kidding."
"Afraid not. Bantha Squadron's a second-line unit, Korros." Tarth said, then nodded to Xil. "Xil, show Korros to quarters. Who's got a bunk to spare?"
Xil considered a moment, pondering. "Nalen just moved in with Sien. Kossf?"
"He's not going to last bunking in that uncomfortable mess Kossf calls quarters. He's human, he won't sleep." Tarth said. "What about Silda? She's human. Or close enough."
"Done." Xil said, and just like that, he had quarters. "Come on, new kid, you get to deal with the Princess. Grab your gear."
Kal went to the rear of his Y-wing, unloading the cargo from it. He had only two duffels to his name at the moment. "Who's the...Princess?" He asked once he was sure Caller had been secured from extraction and was happily tweedling on the ground.
"Flight Officer Silda, Bantha Six. You're going to be Four. We've been understrength for about a month now. Our last Four bit it on a patrol of the Widow's Nebula."
Korros nodded, thinking not to comment on the subject. "So you guys are running a half-squadron?"
"Indeed. I run Bantha Null, that Hawk over there. We run the Mynock with the rest of the squadron as electronic warfare and communications."
Kal nodded his approval. "Handy. So, what kind of action are you usually seeing here? Cyraanan isn't exactly the core worlds." In fact, it was a bit of a joke how far it was from the usual front lines of the now-New Republic's push towards the core.
"Usually freighter escort and we occasionally assist some local governments. The Vigilance isn't exactly a shining beacon of the Republic. It's an old bulk cruiser that can launch some birds. Even so," Xil smiled. "We Banthas are good hunters."
They walked through the pristine halls of the Vigilance, reaching the crew deck after a few minutes of walking. Xil led him to a room, and Kal noted the number. He smiled. "Thank you, Xil. I don't think I ever got your rank."
"I do not have one." Xil sighed. "Alliance Command has not seen fit to give most of Bantha Squadron ranks beyond Flight Officer. Frankly, we aren't front line. I'm pretty sure making sure to assign commissions to the Banthas ranks slightly above making sure Palpatine gets a proper funeral."
"Oh." Kal gave a half-hearted smile. "Very well. Thanks, Xil."
"Welcome aboard, and welcome to the Banthas." She offered a slight smile. "Have fun with Miss Silda. Once you've got accommodated, we'll be on Deck 7's officer lounge to give you a proper Bantha welcome."
He nodded. "All right." He hit the door chime, and a moment later, the door slid open. He turned around to check for Xil, but the Faleen had already beat a hasty retreat.
A female voice, haughty and full of class, greeted him from the bunk. "Oh, the new kid, right?" A woman peeked her head out of the bunk.
The woman he presumed was Silda was absolutely gorgeous. Her hair was jet black, cut short and neat. Her eyes were a deep gray, and her entire face was carved an elegant. "You look like you got picked up off some farm." Her voice carried a definite accent, and Basic wasn't her first language, he could tell. A rarity amongst humans.
"Close enough." Kal replied. He carried his two carry bags into the room. "I'm Kal Korros. I'm going to be your bunk mate."
"Silda, Bantha Six." She said simply. "You will get the top bunk." She gestured to the bunk above the one she was sleeping on.
The quarters themselves were confined. There was the one set of bunks, a refresher with a stanisteam, and a desk with enough room for a humanoid to lie down on the floor with the desk in use. The walls had several compartments built in, which Kal guessed were for clothing storage and gear.
Kal nodded. "All right, thanks. Anything I should know about you?"
Silda gave a haughty snort. "A few ground rules. First, I leave the lights on. My home planet leaves me night-blind. I can't see at all in the dark. I'll dim them when you sleep, but beyond that, they stay on."
"All right." Kal gestured to the compartments. "Is there one I can use?"
Silda leaned over and she hit one of the compartments. "The ones on either side as well." She said. "Secondly, I'm not much for small talk, so if you're thinking of trying to get in my flight suit, forget it."
Kal felt just a hint of heat come into his cheeks, and that drew a smirk from Silda. The woman reminded him of a Nexu, fierce and very prickly. "I wasn't thinking of it." He started towards the compartments, and Silda shoved a foot out, blocking his path with her leg, long and muscular and uncovered by anything but her shorts.
"And don't lie to me, Korros. I'm a Hapan. You were thinking of it the moment you saw me."
Kal just stepped over the leg. "I thought Hapans didn't leave the Consortium." He said.
"Most don't, but wanderlust is something that affects everyone." She withdrew her leg. "Is the Commander having us throw you a welcome party?"
"Deck Seven officer's lounge." He said.
"Oh, goody." She smirked just a little bit. "Sien's going to show you a hell of a time." She got out of the bunk. "Get out of those oranges, and into something resembling clothes."
Kal changed into trousers and a shirt before the two pilots headed for the officer's lounge. Even for the cool temps of the Vigilance, Silda wore shorts and a tank top.
"Aren't you cold?" He asked as they took the turbolift.
"Not particularly. Besides, after some of the places I've seen, the enviro controls for the Vigilance are practically balmy."
They found the officer's lounge quickly. At one point he guessed it might have been a briefing room. But now it was organized into a circular bar with a pyramid of liquor bottles, and tables gathered around the bar.
"Ah, there we are." Silda said, and the woman, tall and lean, led him towards a table.
The assembled Bantha Squadron was an interesting mix. Kal spotted two humans, one of them Commander Tarth, Xil, and a Sullustan who was coming over with a tray of drinks.
"Well, well, Princess, you didn't kill him yet." Tarth had a wide grin on his face. "Restraint."
"What can I say?" She offered an apologetic shrug. "I'm getting soft." She gestured to the other human, a male with dark skin. "Kal Korros, his is Nalen Zur. Best techie on the Vig."
Nalen sketched a sloppy salute to Kal. "Welcome to the Banthas, Kal." He lifted his drink and took a swig from it.
The Sullusatan gave a little smirk. "I'm Sien Surr. Ruby Bliels?" He asked, offering one of the glasses.
"I'd love one." Kal said as he pulled up a chair. Silda sat down next to him, and they both grabbed a glass.
A low, growling voice came from behind them. "I hope I'm not late, fellow hunters."
As Kal turned around, he saw a gold-scaled Trandoshan, towering over in an orange flightsuit. The Trandoshan was two meters tall, easily, and Kal wondered how the reptillian humanoid even fit in a Y-Wing.
"Of course not. We were just getting started." Tarth said. "Kal, meet Kossf. Kossf, Kal Korros, Bantha Four."
"You fly with Silda and I, then." Kossf pulled a seat up and sat down. "Surr, do you have my-"
Sien placed a tankard in front of him. "Of course, Kossf. You think I would forget your order."
"Of course not, Surr." Kossf lifted the metal tankard and took a hefty pull from it. "So, Korros, why are you here in the Banthas?"
Kal shrugged. "I got assigned here." He answered, simply.
"Well, naturally. Tell me, how much time do you have logged? Kills?" Kossf asked, with an honest curiosity. Kal thought this was interesting.
"Uh, I've never actually flown combat before. Only training."
"He is hatchling." Kossf raised his arms, and Kal's immediate reaction was to recoil. However, the Trandoshan embraced Kal, locking him in a tight hug. "We shall see him become great warrior. Get him many points."
"Uh, what?" Kal asked, breath tight from the hug.
"Drink up, kid." Xil chuckled. "We fly out tomorrow."
Chapter 2 coming soon: If Banthas Could Fly