Disclaimer: Right, I don't own anything except Abiona and Wade. Ask if you want to use them. George, please don't sue. I need money for my graduation trip to Europe.
Thanks to: Star Wars Technical Commentaries for the rank system (it's enough to make your head hurt), Ryan for finding the ship names, XvT game for the simulator mission
A/N: This chapter went off on about three tangents before I settled on this one. I'm having to invent how Piett acts because he's a secondary character in the movies. Hopefully I can continue to update regularly. Once I get to Spring Break, my life should settle down a bit and I should be able to update more.
Chapter 2: Climbing the Ladder
Abiona boarded the shuttle with great reluctance. She felt the slight jolt as the shuttle took off for the Executor. "Well, at least I don't have to face Lord Vader," she mused. However, facing the admiral would not be any easier. Abiona had never met Admiral Piett, and she was not sure on his attitude toward women in the Navy. If he were anything like her previous commanders, she would be busted down to target drone before she could blink.
As the shuttle set down in the Executor's landing bay, Abiona took a deep breath and straightened her cap and tunic. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. "Calm down," she told herself. "If you act confident and controlled, you have a better chance of not getting demoted." She exited the shuttle and an ensign met her.
"Admiral Piett will see you directly," the ensign said.
"Thank you, Ensign," she said as she followed him to the Admiral Piett's office.
The ensign led Abiona through a labyrinth of corridors and turbolifts. She made a valiant attempt to keep her bearings, but she gave up on the second turbolift ride.
"Go right in, and good luck," the ensign said and left her standing outside the door.
She took a deep breath and went into Admiral Piett's office. She snapped to attention and saluted sharply. "Reporting as ordered, sir!"
Setting down a datapad, he returned her salute. "Have a seat, Lieutenant Reed." She sat down but could not get her nerves to calm. Piett skimmed over a few lines on the datapad and then looked Abiona over, as though her features alone could tell something of her soul. Abiona found his look disconcerting but did her best to show no emotion on her face.
"I've been reading your service record, Lieutenant," Piett said. "Your rank seems to change depending on the week?"
Abiona looked a bit chagrined. "Well, sir, some of my squadronmates do call me 'yo-yo'. In my own defense, I think I'm a good pilot. With my previous commanders' feelings on women in the Navy...well...let me put it this way. I never had a chance with some of them, sir."
"That is unfortunate. Your mission record is exemplary," Piett said.
"Until today," Abiona thought.
"Permission to speak freely, sir?"
"Permission granted."
"Thank you, sir. Frankly, sir, I work my ass off for my squadron." She began to pace around the office. "I fly my best every time I get in the cockpit of my fighter. If you ignore the temporary demotions, I've been a lieutenant for six years." She punctuated this by tapping her rank badge. "It makes me wonder why I ever went to the Academy. I've given eight years of my life to the Navy, and it hasn't given anything back to me. All because I'm a woman. Sir." She sat down.
Piett's eyes showed a flash of sympathy, then amusement. "I'm glad that you keep yourself under control while you're on duty." She smiled slightly and then met his gaze. "Now, as to your rank. I think you're command material. I'm promoting you to Lieutenant Commander, and I will be transferring you to the Executor to serve in Avenger Squadron."
"Sir, I really think you should reconsid-" Abiona stopped her plea suddenly. "You're promoting me?"
"Yes. You've a week of leave to get settled here and tie up any loose ends. If you wish, you may notify your family of your transfer."
"You're assuming that my family cares, sir."
Piett decided to ask about that comment another day. "Report to me once you're settled. Dismissed."
Abiona saluted and left Piett's office.
*****
After getting lost at least three times, Abiona made it back to the landing bay where the shuttle had landed. She fetched her pilot from the break room and boarded the shuttle. She leaned back in her seat and sighed happily.
"Promoted," she thought. "And transferred to the Executor. Everyone knows that the Executor is one's ticket to success."
Abiona felt the slight jolt of the shuttle's landing and exited. She headed to her commander's office to tell him the news. She walked in the door to his office and saluted.
"Sir, I've just been promoted, and I'm being transferred," said Abiona.
"I know. I just got off the HoloNet. Congratulations, Lieutenant Commander. You'll be hard to replace," her commander said.
"Well, sir, my transfer will leave the squadron with an even number. At least everyone will have a wingman."
"True. Well, good luck and good flying." He shook her hand.
"Thank you, sir. And good luck to you, too."
*****
Abiona walked slowly back to her quarters, trying to memorize the Thunderflare "Not that the Executor will be much different. Except I'll probably get lost all the time," she though with a chuckle.
She punched in the lock code and the door to her quarters slid open. She looked around her quarters. Only then did she realize how few possessions she had. Aside from standard issue items, she had almost nothing. There was a picture of her friend Iain and herself right after graduation. A twinge of sadness passed through her when she studied the picture. Iain had been killed on his first assignment out of the Academy. "Once the war is over, then I'll have time to mourn all those I've lost," she thought. She packed up all of her clothes and the picture. The only thing left was her good long sword and her practice sword. Iain's parents had given them to her as a graduation present. "They really were wonderful people," she thought. "I wish I had told them." She packed the swords and hefted her bag up on her shoulder.
A shuttle had been arranged for her and it was waiting in the landing bay. She said a silent goodbye to her fighter and the Thunderflare as the shuttle took off. Abiona felt a strange finality in her situation as the shuttle landed in the Executor's landing bay. She managed to find someone who could point her to her quarters and headed off.
"I only got lost once," she though to herself as she coded her lock and went into her quarters. After a good look at her quarters, she decided they were a bit bigger than her quarters on the Thunderflare but not by much. She lay down on the bed and scanned down a few lines on the datapad in her hand. Her orders stated that she should report in to her squadron commander as soon as possible. Abiona knew she had a week to get settled, but reporting in should not wait.
She headed down to her commanding officer's office to report in. Commander Jkara greeted her warmly, and explained her duties within the squadron. Abiona was replacing a pilot that had been promoted. He told her to head down to the simulator on the double to train with her new wingman.
When she arrived at the simulator, her wingman was already there.
"Lieutenant Wade Marek," he said, shaking her hand.
"Lieutenant Commander Abiona Reed. You're from Corellia, aren't you?" she said.
"Yeah, has my reputation gotten out or something?" he asked with a grin.
Abiona allowed herself a smile. "I've heard that you're a real troublemaker." She became serious. "But I don't know your reputation as a pilot."
"The best."
"Let's see."
They both got into the sim Interceptors and put their helmets on. The mission was simple enough. Protect the new TIE Advanced shipment until it could reach the Star Destroyer. Two-thirds of the fighters had to reach the ship.
"Right, this seems simple enough. Let's hit the ships with missiles first, then take out the rest," Abiona said.
"Let's do it."
Wade lured two X-Wings out and Abiona hit each of them with a missile. Wade finished them off with lasers. The mission was going routinely, until Rebel reinforcements showed up.
Abiona cursed. "I've got two—no three sharps on me. And we've got wishbones targeting the TIE Advanced."
"Enough of the TIEs have made it to the Destroyer."
She jinked her craft and dove sharply. "Then they'll target the Destroyer. And two of us can't save it."
They fought off the fighters on their tails and could only watch helplessly as the Destroyer was pounded with missiles and torpedoes. Abiona saw the ship explode as the lights in the sim came up. Abiona took off her helmet and climbed out of the sim.
"We were so close," Wade said.
"If we'd have had reinforcements, we could have done it," Abiona said.
"You two did better than most," Commander Jkara said.
Abiona and Wade snapped to attention. "Sir!"
"As you were. I'm happy to see that you work well together."
"Thank you, sir."
"Be in the briefing room at 0800 tomorrow."
"Yes, sir."
*****
Abiona went back to her quarters. She unpacked her gear and changed into exercise clothing. She grabbed her swords and checked the map on her datapad once more before heading to the physical training area.
She managed to get there with little trouble. She did some basic stretching and a little weight training, then headed into a training ring. She unsheathed her good sword and began the kata she had learned so many years ago. She became lost in the fluid dance of her training, until a voice interrupted her.
"An interesting hobby," said Piett as she spun gracefully to face him. "I learned how to fence when I was younger, but I never knew anyone who was familiar with other types of swordplay."
"A friend of mine at the Academy taught me a few years ago."
"May I?" he asked, motioning to her second sword.
"Of course," she said and handed him the sword.
He tested the balance and feel of the sword, then turned to face her. Abiona found this a bit disconcerting. Why would her commanding officer, the commanding officer, want to spar with her? She parried a slash and tried to base her attacks on the pattern that Piett followed. With the amount of dodging she had to do, it did not appear that he fought with a pattern.
"Abiona?" he asked.
"What," she said through gritted teeth as she tried to land a kick.
He dodged the kick. "What happened between you and your parents?"
"I don't want to talk about it." She made this clear with a vicious slash.
Piett blocked the slash and kicked one of her legs out from under her. She landed flat on her back and the sword clattered away from her hand. She felt the blade at her throat.
"Well met." She felt the blade move away and accepted his hand up. She made a move to get her sword, but he pulled her back.
"Tell me."
Abiona closed her eyes for a moment and sighed.
"You really want to know? All right." She looked him in the eye. "My father went down with his ship when I was about 13. My mother always wanted me to marry well. When I went to the academy, she disowned me. I don't have a family anymore." She yanked her arm away and grabbed her sword. She stormed off to her quarters to take shower and get some sleep.
Abiona put her pajamas on and ran a hand back through her damp hair. She thought she heard a tapping at her door. Frowning, she went to investigate. When she opened her door, she found her practice sword propped in the doorjamb with a note on it.
"Abiona," the note read. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I should've known better than to ask, especially with the recent death of your wingman. If you want to talk, come see me. Andries."
"So that's his first name," Abiona thought. She changed into civilian clothes and went to see Andries with a smile on her face.
A/N: So, did you like it? Hate it? Tell me! Review! I'm still looking for beta readers! Talk to me if you're interested.
