High Flight Squadron

Part One: A Familiar Enemy

By: David A Cohen

Disclaimer: This is a work of Fan Fiction based on characters and places owned and copyrighted by Lucasfilm Ltd. However, everything here not owned by Lucas in this work is the property of the author and should not be used without his consent. No profit has been gained from the creation of this Fan Fiction and no copyright infringement is intended. No part of this publication may be published, distributed or copied in any other way online or offline without the expressed consent of the author. You may contact the author with any questions, comments, concerns, complaints, worries, problems, typos, etc. at Sith_Lord_2064@yahoo.com

High Flight Squadron (X-wing) One Flight Captain Aerick Needa – Squadron CO (One) (Human Male from Commenor)

Commander Crystal Sandskimmer – Squadron XO (Three)(Human Female from Tatooine)

Flight Officer Renn Shrike (Two)(Human Male from Corellia)

Lieutenant Caet Shrovl (Four)(Shistavinen Female from Uvena 3)

Two Flight

Lieutenant Commander Krinuv'ani (Five)(Twi'lek female from Ryloth)

Lieutenant Dojan Reas (Seven)(Human Male from Bespin)

Lieutenant Kolot (Six) (Ewok Male from Endor)

Flight Officer Tamika Pefrin (Eight)(Human Female from Praesitlyn)

Three Flight

Lieutenant Hren Sllr (Nine)(Sullustian Male from Sullust)

Flight Officer Yrida Fhten (Eleven)(Gand Female from Gand)

Lieutenant Jessa Milerna (Ten)(Human Female from Coruscant

New Republic Personnel

Captain Sair Yonka (Captain of the Freedom)

Captain Tigann Oalti – Contender Squadron CO (Human Female from Coruscant)

Lieutenant Commander Jonash Coalin – Lightflash Squadron CO (Human Male from Sluis Van)

Savior (Aerick's R5 unit)

Hawkbat (Jonash's R2 unit)

Dewback (Crystal' s R2 unit)


Prologue

"One Flight, this is Lead. Form up on the Korolev," Lieutenant Commander Crystal Sandskimmer called over the comm, addressing her fellow 'trainees'. As a candidate for High Flight Squadron, she was a little apprehensive. Even though she'd been trained already, Captain Aerick Needa wanted his pilots re-evaluated before he made any decisions. An unusually sage idea, Crystal thought. Especially after recent events.

The squadron participated in the chase of Warlord Zsinj. During that chase, High Flight Squadron suffered 75% losses. Starfighter Command had wanted to fill the squadron with academy graduates. Captain Needa said he wanted seasoned vets as well. Hence the addition of Crystal and a handful of other veterans of both Rebel and New Republic service. Two weeks had passed since her 'training' began. It was grueling. She had to run through every major offensive the Rebellion/New Republic had gone through. Yavin IV, Gall, Endor, Bakura. Sometimes, the days seemed like they were longer than what she was used to. No surprise. Two missions in one day was enough to exhaust even the most battle-hardened pilot the New Republic had.

Everything Crystal had been through was supposed to be preparation for this mission. She had dreaded this day since she began her 'training' to join High Flight Squadron.

It was her last test. The Redemption Scenario. The bane of every New Republic fighter pilot. It was based on an Imperial attack on some evac ships. Crystal had heard this scenario took place before the death of the first Death Star. While the Nebulon-B Frigate Redemption awaited a trio of medivac shuttles and the Corellian Corvette Korolev to off-load their wounded, another frigate, Warspite, jumped in and out of the system, dropping off TIE fighters and bombers. Crystal knew the frigate only launched 4 TIE fighters and 3 TIE bombers at any given time. However, it did so in a way that made it impossible to get them all. The first time she flew it, she'd been shot down trying to intercept the torpedoes one of the dupes had launched at the Korolev. The second time she flew it, the last bomber had destroyed the Korolev just before she destroyed it. The third time, she had survived just long enough to see the Korolev escape to hyperspace before an eyeball had blasted her. Her trainers had told her that she was the only one in that graduating class to ever have the Korolev escape. It earned her a lot of attention from some of the higher-ups.

"Lead, are we doing this by the book?" Her wingman, a Twi'lek woman who called herself Krinuv'ani (or Krinu, for short). "Or are we gonna do something fancy?"

"By the book, Two," Crystal replied. By the book meant that one fighter would engage the TIEs while the other three would protect the Korolev. Each time she had lost, Crystal had tried something fancy. The one time she had 'won,' Crystal had done things by the book. However, she wasn't looking forward to it. Especially with the other squadron candidates flying the TIEs.

"Copy, Lead," A warble from her R2 unit signified the arrival of the Warspite.

"High Flight, protect Korolev. Warspite is launching three dupes." Crystal's targeting computer confirmed the launch of three TIE Bombers (or dupes in New Republic pilot's parlance). Right behind the dupes, a trio of TIE starfighters (or eyeballs) were launched.

"Copy, Control. Two, take over here. I'll vape the dupes. You guys can have the eyeballs. Remember, don't go farther than a klick from the Korolev."

"Yes, ma'am." Crystal swung her X-wing around and made a bee-line for the Warspite. Fortunately, she was in an ideal position. A straight line. That would make things much easier. That way, she could fire her torpedoes and down the fighters, then take the bombers.

"Dewback," Crystal said, talking to her R2, "target the three bombers. Designate targets 1, 2, and 3. Bring up target one." The droid tootled an affirmative and an illuminated box appeared on her CMD. The range-finder scrolled down from 20 as the two craft closed. When the range reached two and a half klicks, Crystal cut her engines and tried for a lock on the bomber. A moment later, her targeting reticle burned red and she squeezed her trigger, sending a proton torpedo jetting towards the bomber on a tongue of blue flame. "Target two." Another bomber showed up on her screen. She fired a torpedo. "Target three." The bomber was only a half-klick away. Crystal toggled her lasers, the fired a quad burst at the ship. Four channels of destructive energy tore through the cockpit of the bomber, shredding it.

"Lead, this is Two. Can we engage the fighters?" Crystal looked at her inflight map. The Warspite had jumped out. I have two minutes until the next wave, she thought.

"Affirmative. Take 'em down." As she said this, Crystal shifted power to her engines, following a hunch and heading towards a patch of empty space.

"Lead, Three. What are you doing?"

"Less chatter, Three," Crystal admonished. She wasn't ready to tell her squadmates about her background. But, that was something for her to deal with later. A moment later, the Warspite dropped out of hyperspace 5 klicks in front of her. She shunted power from her engines back to recharging her lasers. Her R2 unit warbled, declaring the launch of three bombers and two fighters.

"Dewback, designate bombers, 4, 5 and 6. Target four." The dupe was illuminated on her CMD. She spitted the craft with her targeting reticle. Dewback beeped as it attempted to achieve a lock. When the reticle went red, Crystal tightened her finger on the trigger, sending a proton torpedo on its way. She fired a pair of torpedoes at the remaining dupes, then watched as Warspite jumped out for the last time.

"Lead, permission to engage."

"Granted. Get those eyeballs." Crystal pulled back on the stick, inverting her X-wing, then rolled out and punched the throttle forward, chasing the four TIEs that were making a run on the Korolev. She sidled in behind one of the TIEs and then triggered a quad burst from her lasers. Coherent light tinted her cockpit red as the bolts tore through the twin ion engines of the eyeball. One engine exploded, sending the TIE into a flat spin. A moment later, the other engine exploded, disintegrating the TIE.

Suddenly, Dewback started screaming as a pair of emerald laser bolts started chewing at Crystal's rear shields. A second later, the shield generator blew and the TIE's lasers ripped through her upper, port engine. The engine whined as it over-revved, then blew up a moment later, sending shrapnel into the fuselage.

"Dewback, cut starboard engine power by half!" Crystal cried as she slammed her foot on the left etheric rudder pedal. The ship skewed port, chasing it's tail. She then slammed her foot on the right rudder pedal and her X-wing shot towards the Korolev and the safety of her comrades.

Two X-wings angled towards Crystal's crippled fighter. A moment later, blue fire blossomed from the nose of one of the X-wings. The proton torpedo shot past Crystal's X-wing and slammed into the TIE. The resulting fireball consumed al evidence of the TIE's existence.

"Good shooting, Two," Crystal said, giving her wingman a thumbs-up. A moment later, a pair of emerald laser bolts slammed into the nose of Crystal's X-wing. A second pair followed a millisecond later. The proton torpedo magazine exploded and the simulator went black. She flipped a switch and the simulator opened upward, allowing Crystal to climb out of the simulator. As she stood up, she felt her flight suit stick to her body, covered in sweat. She removed her flight gloves and smacked them against the metal body of the simulator. Sithspawn! I thought I had it!!

She saw four of her fellow trainees awaiting the end of the simulated mission. Along the far wall, she saw a holographic map of the battle. It was going well. The two remaining TIEs were chased by a pair of X-wings. One of the TIEs flipped around and made a run on the port X-wing. However, a moment later, the eyeball was enveloped in a roiling explosion caused by a proton torpedo. It didn't escape.

Another simulator, this one ball-shaped (like an actual TIE), opened up and a pilot-candidate (Crystal didn't know his name) swore as he pulled himself out. "That kriffing woman! I had her!!"

"That's what happens when you go head to head with a craft that has shields, Flight Officer," Crystal chided.

"I know, ma'am," The other pilot said. "I got cocky and I paid for my mistake. But, dammit, I thought I HAD her!"

A moment later, the sim ended as the Korolev escaped into hyperspace and the last TIE was space dust. The last two pilots, Krinu and a human female Crystal hadn't met, climbed out of the simulators. Like Crystal and the others, their flightsuits were drenched in sweat. The Twi'lek female walked over to Crystal and extended a hand.

"We did it, ma'am. Thanks to you."

"You did all the hard work, Krinu. I just shot down the bombers."

"On the contrary. If those bombers had got through, we all would've been vaped before we knew what hit us." She wrapped one of her lekku around her neck. "Well, regardless of that, we won."

"Yes, Lieutenant," Captain Aerick Needa called from the doorway. "Indeed, you did win. I am impressed by such…obvious tactics. In fact, I was surprised that your fellow trainees were fooled by it." He glanced at the four trainees that flew the TIEs. They were hanging their heads. In shame, or something else? Crystal didn't know.

"Anyways, congratulations on a superb run, Lieutenant Commander Sandskimmer. All four of you. You have a few hours before the next round. Any of you care to take a run in the TIEs?"

Oooo. The thought of a little payback caused a grin to form on Crystal's face. I wouldn't mind dishing out a little of that…

"I take it you're volunteering, Commander?" Aerick asked, startling Crystal out of her reverie.

"Absolutely…I mean, yes…sir." Crystal added, a full blown smile on her face.