Consider this a continuation of week 14.

Week 15 (10.13.06)
71. indifferent
72. exhausted
73. hopeful
74. relaxed
75. restless

bIndifferent/b

"Your indifference will cost you your leadership, if not your life, one of these days." The Twin Suns squadron's second-in-command struggled to keep up with her leader as they strode down the halls away from the medbays. The woman was referring to the newbie who went berserk earlier and crashed onto Corellia's surface and was left stranded for five standard hours.

"I did care about the kid," protested the middle-aged man without turning to face his subcommander.

"Telling him to pull back is not caring. Pulling him back is!" she would have screamed were the man not her superior.

"You're young."

bExhausted/b

The subcommander hid her exhaustion as she reentered the medbay to visit the new recruit. He was still hanging unconsciously in his bacta bank and his expression was completely serene save the intense sadness around his eyes. He was, in most ways, as different from the eager and enthusiastic young man that she had seen so much potential in when she helped to bring into the squadron. That potential was still there; perhaps it was all the stronger…

iThere's just so much./i The thought brought back nauseating memories of the subcommander's last futile argument with that conceited leader, Ares Raei.

bHopeful/b

"Andur!" the newly recruited pilot asked for his departed wingmate as soon as he awakened. iAndur/i

Despite the severity of his injuries, the kid had awakened and was not only aware but well enough to speak. Perhaps the Twin Suns were not going to lose two good pilots to one battle after all. Of course, Kyp Durron's legendary dozen had lost ten in one battle in the Yuuzhan Vong, but the modern-day Twin Suns was not like the Dozen.

"Shush. Save your strength, kid. We'll have plenty of time to talk later," grinned the subcommander.

"…my best friend…."

"I know."

bRelaxed/b

Flashback

"Relax a little! It's not like you've never flown before. You'll make the squadron," grinned the chubby, light-haired Andur as he sat beside the dark-skinned Ravinn.

Ravinn half-lied in response, not wanting to dampen his wingmate's enthusiasm. "It's just the war. I'm not worried 'bout making it. Just flying in a war and getting shot down."

"I thought we already agreed that we're the best in the galaxy. No Corellian's shooting us down." Andur remained at ease, not even slightly worried that his friend would be rejected like the fifty previous applicants. Ravinn, on the other hand, was sweating profusely.

End of Flashback

bRestless/b

Ravinn could not help but pace around the room when he heard the news that Andur's family was coming to collect the blonde pilot's belongings. It meant that he had to face them and Ravinn didn't want to make more mistakes in addition to disobeying Twin Lead's orders. Even deeper than the restless nervousness was the heart-shattering pain of loss. Andur had been one of his closest friends ever since their first day at Coruscant Academy and now, Ravinn was going to have to fly alone. He'd never hear the cheerful voice tell jokes or see the skillful maneuvers again.