Chapter 2- Uniforms and men

When the screen went blank again the Captain gave orders to dispatch a shuttle to pick up the ejected pilots. Then he turned to the sensor operator and asked how many ships had been destroyed by the man he'd just spoken to.

"Well sir to start off we saw the cruiser explode add to that the burring hulk of a frigate off to the right and the pieces of a second frigate to its port a thousand meters. Then there are parts of about ten x-wings and there was probably one a-wing out as a recon screen. All told fourteen ships and probably close to a thousand men."

"Thank you for that information, I'll retire to my ready room to wait for him."

"Yes sir."

Sith he killed an entire rebel fleet with that tiny smugglers ship. He might be a useful tactician and pilot if I can convince him to help.

Sean walked to the bottom of the ramp and nodded to the white armored stormtroopers waiting at the bottom. He stepped off the ramp and it locked up tight thanks to a spoken command in huttish. He wore a well worn flight suit and an equally used black battle fatigue jacket. The troopers looked at the high powered blaster on his thigh but they had not been told to disarm him so they made no comment about it. He followed them to the ready room and they opened the door. They didn't follow him but a young sailor with a coffee tray did.

"Glad to meet you Mr. Enders."

"Thanks for the coffee, and you can call me Sean." He responded as he took a sip of the hot black liquid. Having given out the coffee the young man retreated with the tray.

They shook hands and the captain indicated a seat. "I am Captain Jason Barden."

"Do you have any idea as to the situation planet side?"

"Yes, while you were on your way I comed down and the situation isn't good, the factory and starport were flattened, they are currently searching the rubble but nobody lived through that."

"Sithspawned bastards," followed by far more colorful curses in huttspeak was the response.

"You knew people down there?"

"My...My parents were in the star port waiting for me."

The captain winced upon hearing this, "sorry."

"Not your fault. Then he looked around himself and took the room in, as if it just hit him, "Captain, do you have a spare bunk and room for another crewman? I wanna fight."

"I have plenty of room but I want you as an officer with me on the bridge, your skill is far too valuable to be wasted firing a blaster or swabbing the deck."

Then there was a knock on the door and conversation stopped. "Yes?"

"Sir, we have a direct com link to the office of the commanding officer of the imperial navy. He wishes to speak to both of you."

They turned to look at the face on the com screen to their right and saw the face of the fleet admiral appear. "Captain did you destroy the rebel fleet operating in your area they've been attacking us for weeks."

"Well sir the fleet was destroyed but I am not the one who brought it about. I have two prisoners, the rest were done away with by the man standing next to me and his ship the Nightstalker."

The admiral's face turned and he noticed Sean for the first time. At first he seemed surprised, then pleased. "You destroyed the rebel fleet on your own?"

"Yes sir."

"Well thank you; they have been a serious problem for the navy in the area of late. What do you want as your reward; I can give you pretty much anything?"

"Sir my family was in that spaceport, I want to fight, join the navy, that's all."

The admiral studied him for a minute then said, "Captain the man standing next to you is now a commander. He is to take command of your fighter wings. Once settled you two will work as a team to burn out the rebel activity in the sector, understood?"

"Yes sir," was the instantaneous reply.

"You will get comed again with more details shortly is that understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Welcome to the navy."

Sean shook his head clear and looked pleadingly at Barden, "what do I do now?"

Brandon frowned, "you should go clean out your ship then get set up here, I want you to get to know the man you are replacing. He is due for a promotion anyways but the men might not like it or the timing."

Nodding, "Can I take my ship down to the planet and tie up a few lose ends?"

"Sure there will be a shuttle on call just tell them when and were to pick you up." Then he handed Sean a com and smiled.

"Thanks." Sean clipped the com to his belt and walked off. When he left he was followed by the stormtroopers to the shuttle bay. He talked to the crew that would get him told them that were he would be going and about how long it would take. Then he went into his ship and comed the tower. "Tower this is Nightstalker requesting clearance for takeoff."

"Nightstalker you are cleared for takeoff, come back healthy commander."

Then the Nightstalker left the ship and headed for nar sarra at full speed. The Nightstalker landed in a beat up old landing pad and the man who greeted him at the bottom of the stairs was just as bad. After negotiating a price and paying for 1 day's pad time he walked toward a cantina down the street. It was called the flying rat. The bar was a popular hangout for smugglers and he saw who he was looking for in a corner. Their names were Ben and Jess. To most people they were just scum, smugglers; however, to each other they were lovers and to Sean they were best buds.

"Sean, you old dog sit down it's been too long."

"Sean what is it?" asked a softer voice, both of them noticing his unease.

"Guys I came to say goodbye."

"Sean what happened?"

"My parents...my parents were on Chepin III. I destroyed the rebel fleet that did it and joined the navy."

The stunned silence lasted a few seconds. And was followed by, "Well at least now they have somebody worthwhile flying with them, you'll be a hero by the end of this Sean."

"I don't know but they were impressed. Gave me my own fighter wings so now all I have to figure out is what to do with em."

"Well, I'm really sorry about your folks, is there anything we can do?"

"Just drink to my luck every now and again; keep in touch too. I'll send you an address as soon as I can."

"Okay, be careful," said the softer voice in a whisper, then Jess gave him a hug and he shook hands with Ben. They left to go back to their ship and he looked after them for a while. Then he got a few shots of corelian whiskey. Once his throat was properly on fire he walked back to the landing pad and talked to the owner eventually he negotiated him down to a decent price a month to store his ship and let nobody near it. He warned the man about the security systems; once he was sufficiently frightened he walked out side and comed the shuttle.

When the shuttle showed up he got on and looked out the window as he watched nar sarra fade.

At the same time the captain was holding a glass of whiskey as well. He toasted his XO. "Well if he has any idea on how to command he will do a great job but he is going to need some help."

"Yea, but who?"

"No idea, maybe a chief. Let's hope he meets someone and he can get them to go with him to teach him a few things. I'll send an Ensign to meet him later."

The chief of the boat was the highest ranking non officer on the star destroyer. He had been in the navy for almost thirty years, and today had him confused. Well at least the kid has some skill but he's probably got no idea what's going on now.

The chief as he was called walked through his ship; stopping that train of thought he looked up and saw that the shuttle bays were ahead. 'Well might as well find out if they sent anybody to take care of the poor kid.' The chief walked in the door and looked around. What he saw was very amusing, there was a young brown haired man looking around totally perplexed and it showed all over his face.

Sith, I knew this was a bad idea, just what do I do now? Well that guy is old enough to pity me and to know what's going on; maybe I ought to ask him. Once finished debating with himself, Sean walked slowly over to the chief. Who, he noticed had been watching him the entire time. Sean looked him up and down when he got to his position just inside the room. Big guy and older than all the others. In fact the chief was the oldest man on the boat, and with his wide shoulders and platinum crew cut he was no less imposing. The man almost radiated experience and respect.

He's not so bad, at least he's a man not a boy and judging by the blaster and the beat up clothes he's been around the block a few times. "Are you the pilot of the nightstalker?"

Word travels fast around here, well at least he can give me directions. "Yes, name is Enders."

"Chief of the boat, you can call me chief. Are you joining us sir?"

"Sir? Oh yea well I am but I haven't a clue as to what I'm supposed to do now. They made me a commander but I was never in the navy so I'm a little..."

"Lost?"

"Yea that's about the sum of it. I don't know where I'm gonna stay and I don't think they want me walking around like this all the time." He indicated the beat up flight suit and fatigue jacket.

"Well come on then we need to get you quarters and a uniform. Is that all you're stuff?" indicating two small black bags slung over his shoulder.

"Pack light because I don't own much." They walked to a shaft and rode to the level with the officer's quarters. The chief showed him the only empty one; it was small but not so bad. Then they walked towards the ships store.

"Uh chief this wont be polite but do you have any idea what a commander is paid because I'm renting a pad for my ship and if I don't make the rent then..."

How about that, he's not an ass about his new rank and he has no idea just how much comes with it. Grinning the chief responded, "You have more than enough to pay the rent don't worry, officers make small fortunes."

"Oh. Never really had much more than my ship, all my money went into keeping myself in spare parts and food."

Once they had gotten him rank insignia, papers, and ID's he stopped short of the uniforms. "Chief do you happen to have an old one I can borrow, I'll replace it for you but kind of used to my old clothes you know."

The chief grinned and took Sean back to his cabin. "This ought to do it."

The uniform that the chief handed Sean was about his size and a bit worn, and it was made of the same rough fabric that Sean wore.

"Thanks for that, just pick a uniform next time we get paid and I'll handle the bill."

"Okay, now tomorrow I'll meet you outside your room at six o'clock to make sure you have all the stuff on right before you go to meet all the other officers for breakfast okay?"

"Yea, thanks chief."

"Just take it to the tailor so he can sew on the patches and get some sleep."

"G'Night chief."

"G"Night Commander."