"Our imperial forces have been in negotiations with some of the Smugglers Guild on Tatooine in an effort to get ahold of spice As it turns out if the spice is prepared in a certain way it can make some rather effective painkillers. The problem is apparently rebels have learned the same thing and imperial intelligence says there is a good chance that rebels will attack one of our asteroid bases near the planet, and attempt their own negotiations."

"So are we talking standard three day patrol, or seek and destroy?"

"Hopefully it will be a simple 3 day patrol but if of course you run into rebels you know what to do. Report to the hanger. You are dismissed."

Luke looked around in amazement as he looked around the Hanger. He had read up on the basics of TIE Fighter and even managed to familiarize himself with the controls. TIE fighters were smooth in space but due to the lack of shields one had to make sure not to get hit. Some of the upgraded models such as The TIE Advanced and TIE interceptor had shield generators but even those were in a limited capacity.

Still it was exciting and even breathtaking to watch the droids prepare the ships. If there was any kind of word that could describe it, it would be exhilarating. Luke found himself mouthing in amazement as he saw the whole thing. That was until Jyn signaled him to the locker room.

"Come on rookie!"

Luke went to the locker designated to him and began to smile wide as he gazed at his uniform. Less than 10 percent of all Recruits had passed the rigorous test that qualified a person to wear such a uniform. To be able to wear such a thing meant something. It meant he was part of the best of the best.

Luke turned around to see Jyn putting on her uniform. He noted how it was custom made to fit her bulk but was really to pre occupied to make a remark or joke.

"Excited?" she asked
"It….it just doesn't seem real to be honest. just a few short years ago I'd be on the surface of Tatooine fitiling around with droid and making sure the moister evaporators were working. Now I'm going to be flying above the planet trying to defend it."

"You'll get used to it. Just like you'll get used to being called a vac-head and being pulled in for propaganda films.

This made Luke stop. "Wait what films?"

Luke never got the opportunity to get his question answered as she immediately went back to the hanger bay. It was launching time. Luke headed to a tie fighter but was stopped before he could get in."

"Hey Rookie where are you going?" Ghost asked.

Luke raised an eyebrow "Um getting into a ship?

"In one of those death cans?"

He then directed Luke to where everyone else was going before pointing out a new type of fighter to Luke. the ship had a spherical cockpit with an octagonal forward window, but rather than the usual large wings on either side, it had four short fins protruding directly from the cockpit assembly at right angles to one another. Luke found himself amazed

"What is that?"

"One of the moffs calls it a TIE Raptor. It's fast, Maneuverable, has Hyperdrive, is armed to the teeth with four laser cannons and two concussion missile tubes, right now they are in the beta stage but the ones we are testing out even have shields.

Luke eyes widened and his mouth dropped as his inner child began to come out.

"You mean we are the first to get to test these out?"

"Oh yeah. Shadow Squad gets all the new toys. The emperor has even said if they are effective and we can make them last we can keep and modify them as we wish."

Luke jumped into the cockpit of one of the Raptor's. It only took him a few minutes to get used to the controls thanks I part due to their similarities to the other TIE models that he had studied at both the academy and boot camp. Luke couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"Everything I have done for the last two and a half years have been preparing me for this moment."

Nearly everyone on the Comlink channel started laughing

"Alright rookie try not to get to much of a high."

Luke looked down on the sandy planet from his cockpit. his breath was somewhat taken away all things considered.

"The planet seems a lot more magnificent when you're looking down on it. I'll admit looking at the twin suns from here, they look amazing.

"You don't get out much do you rookie?" Ghost asked Jyn interjected in defense.

"Give Luke a break ghost. This is the first time he's seen space from an open window let him enjoy.

"Would you Newbie's shut up? We have a mission to do.

"We get it Ten you're a crabby old man that feels out of place."

"Interesting fact. geologist think Tatooine was once a lush world that had large oceans and a world-spanning jungle inhabited by a technologically advanced race."

"Oh please Shorty no more nerd facts please!"

As the crew joked around, Luke's sensors noticed something coming up on his scanners. As they got closer, the alert systems on the scanners began to beep faster and faster.

"Guys Fighters incoming."

"I see them."

"Copy that."

"Hold your positions."

Ships came out of hyperspace. Upon closer inspection. Ten recognized that they were X-Wings bearing rebel insignias

"Rebels, Watch yourselves Rookies."

"Should we hail them?" Luke asked

"Would it ever work?"

"It's worth a short.

Those thoughts were cut off as one of the rebels already opened a public channel

"Imperial fighters, you are inside neutral space. Leave now and you will not be harmed. Repeat leave now and you will not be harmed."

Luke's eyes widened and his heart sank as he heard the voice. It was a voice that Luke not only recognized, it belonged to a man that Luke considered a brother.

"B-Biggs?"

The fighter reacted in kind "Luke?"

a few seconds seemed like an eternity as silence echoed in space.. Luke felt like he could almost sense dread coming from the X-Wing. When Biggs finally spoke up, his voice was shallow and cracking a cold chill came over Luke as his best friend gave him a warning.

"Luke, Vac-head or no Vac-head I'm only going to say this once. Get out before we both do something we'll regret."

A/N: Fair waring we are probably going to go into clique territory here in the next chapter. So if you want to skip the next chapter I won't mind. (Seriously anyone who has seen a civil war movie probably knows what's going to happen next. I was originally going to have Biggs be part of Shadow Squad, but one I didn't want Shadow Squad to literally be an alignment bended Rouge squadron (As in all the same characters just on the empire's side) plus two Biggs was never an imperial. At least with Luke the only initial reason for him joining the rebellion was because he was dragged into it and the empire killed his family. Biggs Jumped imperial ship at first opportunity. (Heck we learned in the EU that he was a deserter long before taking to Luke) So yeah sucks to be Luke…anyway don't forget to comment.