Dramatis Personae
Loser Squadron Pilots:
Loser 1 – Captain Bern Munsoon (Human male from Corulag)
Loser 2 – Lieutenant Bard Wie'test (Bothan male from Bothuwai)
Loser 3 – Flight Officer Obi Kromi (Nautolan male from Glee Anselm)
Loser 4 – Lieutenant Lerch Hierogryph (Snivvian male from Cadomai Prime)
Loser 5 – Lieutenant Mak "Slugs" Slugtira (Ithorian male from Couruscant)
Loser 6 – Flight Officer Kris Mardrid (Human male from Ord Mantell)
Loser 7 – Lieutenant Tyrol "Ty" Welbo (Human male from Corellia)
Loser 8 – Flight Officer Zekkert (Xexto male from Troiken)
Loser 9 – Lieutenant Terrik Hiel (Shistevanian male from Corellia)
Loser 10 – Lieutenant Yeto Schui (Aleena male from Aleen)
Loser 11 - Lieutenant Tiff Securra (Twi'lek female from Ryloth)
Loser 12 – Flight Officer Dallo Hui (Rodian male from Rodia)
Loser Squadron Support Personnel:
Aleina Hornedo – Squadron Mechanic (Zeltron female from Tatooine)
RB-27 "Arby" (MK-Series maintenance droid)
G2-9T "Goose" (G2-Series repair droid)
Wheeler (Aleina's R2-Series astromech droid)
Rusty (Ty's R4-Series astromech droid)
Whisky (Lerch's R2-Series astromech droid)
Pustule (Kris' R2-Series astromech droid)
Hunter 2 (Terrick's R5-Series astromech droid)
Target (Slugs' R5-Series astromech droid)
Red (Captain Munsoon's R2-Series astromech droid)
C-LOM (LOM-Series protocol droid)
Big Loser Crew:
Pilot – Derk Sheynik (Twi'lek male from Ryloth)
Co-pilot – Mirry Oyler (Human female from Tanaab)
Dorsal Gunner – Cres Wilter (Chadra-Fan male from Chad)
Belly Gunner – Nek Wilter (Chadra-Fan male from Chad)
Aft Gunner – Kile "Stooby" Sublet (Human male from Bespin)
Forward Gunner – Trevs Yocky (Devaronian male from Devaron)
Informatino Specialist/Slicer – Kari Sey (Zabrack female from Couruscant)
Chapter 1:
Death Among The Stars
Like a flock of birds the twelve x-wing starfighters quickly descended on
The powerless Imperial II-Class star destroyer, as it drifted just inside the Hoth System's asteroid field. A flash of light and a barely recognizable YT-2400 light freighter left hyperspace and joined the twelve star fighters.
"Alright Losers," Captain Bern Munsoon said through the squadron's comm frequency. "Let's tighten up formation and lock s-foils in attack position. Keep your eyes peeled! I don't want them taing us by surprise if this turns out to be a trap."
"As ordered Lead!"
"Loud an clear, Cap!"
The others each rogered up and in turn opened their fighters' wings to the characteristic "X" position that gave the famous fighter it's name.
The heads up display in Munsoon's fighter showed that the Imperial warship had barely enough power to maintain it's shields and protect against the asteroids closing in around it.
"Big looser, this is Lead," he said.
"Go ahead Lead," a female voice called back.
"Make a pass over the destroyer and have Kari scan for any sudden changes in their power output. If their down to emergency power they should have a steady decline and nothing more."
"Understood Cap." The YT-2400 light freighter flew ahead of the fighters and made a bee-line towards the stranded Star Destroyer. The freighter bristled with dozens of sensor arrays and antennas as well as a f ew gun ports that had been added on since the squadron came into possesion of the old ship.
"Imperial Star Destroyer Malice, This is Captain Munsoon of New Republic Starfighter Command, Commanding Officer of Loser Squadron. We received your distress signal and are here to accept your surrender and tow you out of here. Please aknowledge."
"Captain Munsoon," A raspy voice came back after several seconds of silence. "This is Captain Nataro of the Malice. I recall stating in our distress message that we would only surrender to Commander Antilles and Rogue Squadron."
"Rogue Squadron is currently on mission elsewhere," Munsoon replied. "It's either us or nobody. You will open your main hangar bay and allow myself and three other pilots to land. The rest of my squadron will fly patrol while you and I discuss the terms of your surrender. We also have the NRS Freedom patroling outside the asteroid field. Any funny business and they will launch three additional squadron, and in this environment fighters can meneuver much easier than a capital ship."
"Understood Captain," Commander Nataro called back.
"One flight follow me in and keep your weapons ready. I trust this guy about as far as I can thro…."
"Captain!" The female voice called again from the freighter. "We're picking up multiple signals powering up from the asteroids."
Munsoon looked down at his own scanners and saw several red dots appearing. "We've been suckered in Losers. Weapons free, I repeat weapons free."
"Break off by flights," Tyrol Welborn listened to the older pilot in the lead call out to the other fighters. "Big Loser get on the horn with the Freedom and tell them to send back up."
Ty could see the shapes of several TIE fighters coming at the X-wing group from the cover of the asteroids.
"What the Hell?" Ty's wingman called over the frequency.
"Another trap for the Rogues," Ty said as he switched his weapons from lasers to proton torpedoes. He quickly received a target lock tone and fired. Without waiting to see if the torpedo hit it's mark the young pilot broke left.
"Cut the chatter back there seven," a deep gutteral voice called over the frequency. "I want you and eight flying cover for the Big Loser while Kari slices into their systems."
"Affirm five," Ty said. "Lets go Devin."
The devaronian pilot hissed something in his native tongue before responding to his wingman. "Why we always getting' stuck on babysittin' duty , Ty?"
"Would you rather be back at command staring at dots on a scanner screen?"
The two x-wings veered to the left towards the freighter as it passed over the star destroyer. "Big Loser, you've got four eyeballs on your ass. Break left so me and Devin can take them out."
Without a word the freighter broke suddenly. The TIE fighter, not expecting the sudden meneuver, were late to respond and in a matter of seconds three were destroyed by the two x-wing pilots.
"WATCH IT TWELVE!" Ty took a glance at his scopes and saw that the signal for Loser twelve had dissapeared.
"Twelve report!" Munsoon's voice came over.
"She's gone captain!" another voice replied. "I got the bastard in my sight's now."
"Big Loser how much longer until your done?"
"We're at eighty percent now, Captain," the female said. "About thirty seconds and we'll have all the information from their systems aboard."
"Ty!" Ty turned just in time to avoid the green laser bolts from an incoming TIE fighter.
"Thanks Dev," Ty replied. "Hey I bet I can take down four more before you get your third kill today."
"What'll you give me?"
"Twenty credits."
"You two knock it off!" Munsoon said. "This isn't a casino."
"Roger Captain," Ty replied without enthusiasm. He lead his new target, keeping the crosshairs of his weapons system a few inches ahead of the TIE he was chasing. As he squeezed the trigger the red bolts of energy tore the wing pylon loose on the enemy fighter and sent it careening out of control.
"We're done Losers," The female aboard the Big Loser announced.
"Roger that, you guys get the Hell out of here," the Captain ordered.
"Permission to attack the destroyer, Captain?" Ty asked.
Munsoons aged voice came back at once giving them permission to attack the star destroyer which was now attempting to leave the asteroid field.
"Go for the engines Devin," Ty shouted as they closed in on the large ship. "Rusty!"
The bulky R4 astromech droid responded form behind Ty's cockpit with a series of whistles and beeps.
"Shut up," Ty said to the droid. "Find me a weak spot on their engines. Find it and put it up on my HUD and then transfer it over to Devin's fighter."
The droid gave it's usual response and within seconds the image of the left most engine on the capital ship appeared with a large portion of the engine highlighted.
"You seeing this Dev?" Ty asked as he rolled his fighter to avoid colliding with a smallar asteroid.
"I see it," Devin answered. "Must have taken some abuse from these rocks. "Looks like their gunner have us in sight."
Both fighters broke in opposite directions to avoid a barrage of incoming green turbolaser batteries fired on them.
"All this just to take out the Rogues," Ty sighed. "What a waste."
"The Rogues stand for something," Devin shouted back. Ty looked out his viewport to see the other X-wing fire a quick burst of lasers as a nearby TIE fighters before breaking off and continuing towards the star destroyer. "Their a symbol of the Republic now. Destroying them would cripple morale."
"Oh spare me," Ty said. More of the turbolaser cannons on the large ship were now trained on the two of them. "Divert more power to your forward shields."
"Got it."
Ty and Devin executed a series of barrel roll meneuvers to avoid the large energy bolts. More fighters were now in the fight as a squadron of A-wings had come to Loser squadron's aid from the Freedom just outside the asteroid field.
"Their shields are down," Devin said just as the reports started filling Ty's own screens.
"Alright, link your torpedoe's to my targeting computer and stay on my ass."
The two snub fighters were far too close now for the turbo lasers to track. The smaller laser turrets still fired on them but with no luck. Ty and Devin skimmed the hull just under the Malice's ion cannons.
As they reached the aft of the ship Ty hit his emergnecy break and forced the nose of the ship downwards. The force of the meneuver slammed him into his seat.
As soon as he heard his targeting lock tone, Ty fired two proton torpedoes. Devin who had shot past his wingman fired his as well. The targeting systems in the the devaronian's torpedoes, being slaved to Ty's own, turned and headed back at the Malice's already damaged engines. The four torpedoes punctured the engine plating and detonated inside. The force of the explosion ripped Ty's shields down to thirty percent as he sped away.
"Good shooting guys," Loser five shouted as he passed overhead.
Ty smiled and looked around. The star destroyer Malice now floated in space with one engine still online. Both dome shield generators atop the command deck were destroyed as were several of the gun turrets. The debris from dozens of TIE fighters and sadly a few x-wings and a-wings floated amidst the asteroids.
"We've had enough," the raspy voice of the Malice's commander came over the main frequency. "Call your ships off and allow my remaining fighters to dock. We surrender."
Ty smiled as he heard the commander's plee for surrender. His voice was soon followed by that of Captain Munsoon's.
"Your pilots will leave the asteroid field where they will be escorted to the NRS Freedom's auxilery docking bay. You and your command staff will leave the Malice on an unamred shuttle and dock as well where out CO will meet you and discuss the terms of surrender. I hope this little "trap" of yours was worth the lives of four of my pilots."
"Four?" Ty shouted. "Who all'd we loose back there Devin?"
There came no response to Ty's question. Ty looked down at his scopes and saw that the transponder codes for four of the x-wings in the squadron had disapeared, including Devin's.
"What happened?" he asked calmly.
"Took a shot from the Malice right after he launched his torpedoes," Loser nine growled. "He took many enemies with him. It was a good death."
"We'll mourn later," Munsoon's voice came over in a scolding tone. "Let's escort these fighters to Freedom. They even look like their up to something and you slag them."
"Roger that," Ty said. He quickly moved his fighter into position behind Losers five and six, then removed his glove and pulled out a small black grease pen. On the left wall of his cockpit, just behind the transparisteel viewport he wrote the name "Devin Karrl" beneath two other names.