This is crazy, the young pilot thought to himself. Damaging one A-wing was
one thing, but risking two? Moreover, risking his life and the life of his
best friend? She must be out of her mind.
The two Rebel craft hovered in space, high above the landscapes of Bothawui, at three kilometers apart. The two young pilots directed their craft toward the other, engaged in a temporary discursion from the toils of regular patrol exercises. Within the A-wing fighters were two of the Alliance's most ambitious recruits - a young woman, Sorcha Da-Wee; and a young man, Terr Mys.
Sweat blurred the visor on the inside of Terr's helmet. He had agreed to this 'exercise' solely to please Sorcha, but he found himself once again questioning his own judgment, not to mention that of his capricious companion. Feeling the need to address his fears, he activated his comm. System. "Uh.Sorcha.are you sure this is safe? I mean, I don't think-"
"You need to learn to be less cautious, Terry," she interrupted, using her exclusive nickname for him. "Just trust me. This'll be fun!"
Switching off his comlink, Terr sighed. How could he argue with her? He knew what they were about to pull was dangerous, not only for their lives, but for their careers. Still, he thought, what harm could a little fun do? He could use a little relief from the humdrum days he spent with his caretaker amidst the Bothans on their homeworld.
"Ready?" Sorcha asked.
Terr responded by activating his engines. In an instant, he and Sorcha were off; the two craft accelerating steadily until reaching maximum speed. The A-wings were the fastest fighters in the Rebel fleet, but both pilots had enough confidence in their abilities that they could successfully perform this risky maneuver.
Like two ends of a power coupling, the A-wings seemed magnetized on a single plane. Traveling at breakneck speed, the void between them quickly became scarce. Both pilots were suddenly stricken by brief moments of extreme fear and doubt, but this was instantaneously replaced by tremendous sensation as each craft banked in opposite directions within mere meters.
"Wooohooo!" cheered Sorcha. "Come on Terr, aren't you gonna say something? That wasn't so bad after all, was it?"
Terr smiled. She was always right, he thought. "Not at all, Sorcha, not at all."
For a while, the two cheerful pilots flew in their most magnificent formations, each trying to outdo the other, and improve upon their previous maneuver. For them, this was the most fun they'd had in a long time. It wasn't often that the Rebel command on Bothawui allowed for flight exercises, especially when the pilots were still rookies. The danger of alerting an Imperial fleet to the secret Rebel presence on their planet was too grave for the Bothans. Although they relished in the relatively peaceful state of their neutrality, it was a well-known fact that the Bothan SpyNet largely aided the Rebellion.
Terr and Sorcha glided serenely through space before their patrol time was up. Looking down on the great planet, they both marveled at its beauty - a certain beauty that could only be seen through this unique perspective. Neither had had the advantage of extensive space travel in their youth, so the sight of a beautiful planet like Bothawui from space was a rare treat. Terr had grown up on the planet, in foster care. He knew little of his real parents. At this point in his life, it was more a matter of choice than it was his caretaker's sheltering.
Sorcha's past was as much of a mystery to Terr as his own. But not to her. She had run away from her parents. She was an idealistic young woman, and as soon as she heard about the rebellion against the Empire she was instantly enchanted by the prospect of overthrowing its tyrannical ways. But her father was, in fact, an Imperial officer. She had run away, and she had never told Terr any more than that.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Terr asked, observing the scope of Bothawui's physical features. From its magnificent cities to its lush valleys, it was truly an inspiring world, and Terr had enjoyed growing up there. However, there was a part of him that yearned incessantly. It yearned to leave this old world behind, and to see all the wonders of the galaxy. It was typical of young people to feel this way, he told himself, trying to ignore the strong emotions. But these feelings extended beyond a simple desire to adventure.
The two young pilots had always felt a connection, just as they did now as they shared the surreal vista. "Yes it is," replied Sorcha. "Quite beautiful."
There was a serene silence between the two craft's comm. Systems for a while afterwards. Suddenly, a glimmer appeared in the distance, as a metallic cruiser began its entrance into Bothawui's atmosphere. Examining the object, Terr's face lit up.
"Baaka!"
The two Rebel craft hovered in space, high above the landscapes of Bothawui, at three kilometers apart. The two young pilots directed their craft toward the other, engaged in a temporary discursion from the toils of regular patrol exercises. Within the A-wing fighters were two of the Alliance's most ambitious recruits - a young woman, Sorcha Da-Wee; and a young man, Terr Mys.
Sweat blurred the visor on the inside of Terr's helmet. He had agreed to this 'exercise' solely to please Sorcha, but he found himself once again questioning his own judgment, not to mention that of his capricious companion. Feeling the need to address his fears, he activated his comm. System. "Uh.Sorcha.are you sure this is safe? I mean, I don't think-"
"You need to learn to be less cautious, Terry," she interrupted, using her exclusive nickname for him. "Just trust me. This'll be fun!"
Switching off his comlink, Terr sighed. How could he argue with her? He knew what they were about to pull was dangerous, not only for their lives, but for their careers. Still, he thought, what harm could a little fun do? He could use a little relief from the humdrum days he spent with his caretaker amidst the Bothans on their homeworld.
"Ready?" Sorcha asked.
Terr responded by activating his engines. In an instant, he and Sorcha were off; the two craft accelerating steadily until reaching maximum speed. The A-wings were the fastest fighters in the Rebel fleet, but both pilots had enough confidence in their abilities that they could successfully perform this risky maneuver.
Like two ends of a power coupling, the A-wings seemed magnetized on a single plane. Traveling at breakneck speed, the void between them quickly became scarce. Both pilots were suddenly stricken by brief moments of extreme fear and doubt, but this was instantaneously replaced by tremendous sensation as each craft banked in opposite directions within mere meters.
"Wooohooo!" cheered Sorcha. "Come on Terr, aren't you gonna say something? That wasn't so bad after all, was it?"
Terr smiled. She was always right, he thought. "Not at all, Sorcha, not at all."
For a while, the two cheerful pilots flew in their most magnificent formations, each trying to outdo the other, and improve upon their previous maneuver. For them, this was the most fun they'd had in a long time. It wasn't often that the Rebel command on Bothawui allowed for flight exercises, especially when the pilots were still rookies. The danger of alerting an Imperial fleet to the secret Rebel presence on their planet was too grave for the Bothans. Although they relished in the relatively peaceful state of their neutrality, it was a well-known fact that the Bothan SpyNet largely aided the Rebellion.
Terr and Sorcha glided serenely through space before their patrol time was up. Looking down on the great planet, they both marveled at its beauty - a certain beauty that could only be seen through this unique perspective. Neither had had the advantage of extensive space travel in their youth, so the sight of a beautiful planet like Bothawui from space was a rare treat. Terr had grown up on the planet, in foster care. He knew little of his real parents. At this point in his life, it was more a matter of choice than it was his caretaker's sheltering.
Sorcha's past was as much of a mystery to Terr as his own. But not to her. She had run away from her parents. She was an idealistic young woman, and as soon as she heard about the rebellion against the Empire she was instantly enchanted by the prospect of overthrowing its tyrannical ways. But her father was, in fact, an Imperial officer. She had run away, and she had never told Terr any more than that.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Terr asked, observing the scope of Bothawui's physical features. From its magnificent cities to its lush valleys, it was truly an inspiring world, and Terr had enjoyed growing up there. However, there was a part of him that yearned incessantly. It yearned to leave this old world behind, and to see all the wonders of the galaxy. It was typical of young people to feel this way, he told himself, trying to ignore the strong emotions. But these feelings extended beyond a simple desire to adventure.
The two young pilots had always felt a connection, just as they did now as they shared the surreal vista. "Yes it is," replied Sorcha. "Quite beautiful."
There was a serene silence between the two craft's comm. Systems for a while afterwards. Suddenly, a glimmer appeared in the distance, as a metallic cruiser began its entrance into Bothawui's atmosphere. Examining the object, Terr's face lit up.
"Baaka!"