from the memoirs of Pola Panallal, Orange Squadron
As I entering the briefing room, I had to smile. Radis was there,
and we two remaining Orange Squadron Y-Wing pilots were so hard
pressed with escort duty and off the cuff assignments that we rarely
flew together any more. Also present were fighter pilots Drel
(updated Z-95) and Arkansas Dave Rudebaugh/Lifeguard (X-Wing). I had
flown with ADR before. Oh yes, a couple of freighter pilots, Gen.
Miris, Claven, and Gabrielle. Our "mission" was to escort some techs
out to a newish Sallustan Resistance unit, where the techs would do
their wonkery and we could train pilots.
While we were forming up and dressing the escort formation, the
techs jump! Miris was pretty angry that some idiots deemed valuable
enough to rate escort would proceed without it, but you can't count
on common sense from other pilots, much less from support units. We
catch up, and the tech's lack of patience is matched by inability to
communicate. They have been waiting as they jumped at a better
multiplier than all the freighters can go, which they had not
bothered to check.
The first stop is an old bulk freighter with a variety of
modifications, including a fighter bay inside the rearmost cargo
hold. The techs go to play, upgrading systems or whatever, while
we look over the Sallustan pilot trainees. Very eager, very raw,
they have had simulator time! I suggest we start with take off and
landing drill, selecting a two seat Y-TIE ugly. The first pass
goes okay, but on second landing the rookie has a bad angle and
mangles a landing strut. I try to calm the embarrassed babbling
(in Sallustan) but he hits the eject button…in the landing bay.
Well, it could have been worse. Rudebaugh was practising manuevers
when his trainee collided with him. Gen. Miris swears never to
complain about our own trainees again.
Time to go, and we have only more of the same to look forward to
at future stops. The techs seem to have gotten the idea of
co-operation, so as we line up at the nav point with the same
astrogation figures adjusted for the slowest ship, naturally things
go off course. A MAYDAY comes in from a Rebel Allaince corvette
that is being attacked by pirates! Nervy bunch. We run astrogation
and hop over, a frigate of unknown design, two Skipray Blastboats
and a cloud of fighters pummeling the corvette, which is returning
very little fire. There are bodies floating in space; the
corvette's crew will need will need some reinforcements.
Radis agrees that we have to take out the skiprays first, and turns
on his rocket boosters. Dave, Drel and I form up and follow while
Gen. Miris tells the pirates that they are up against "the best
pilots in the Crucible sector!" somehow leaving out the Orange Squadron
name. Guess she didn't want to discourage Claven or
Gabrielle. Her tone of voice suggest several impertinent remarks
I could make to her husband occur, but I like Bel Iblis and will
let them go.
While we move in, I have my droid run astrogation for a quick exit
back the way we came. Also, Gabrielle does something daring; she programs her
ship for a micro-jump into the unknown capital ship
keyed off her ejecting! She should be a fighter pilot. It ceases
firing after a horrendous explosion.
The blast boats are KOed, but Radis takes a hit in his rocket boost
fuel tank, requiring ejection as his customized Y-Wing blows to
bits. I leave ADR and Drel to scatter the estimated 40 fighters
(who are already demoralized by Gen. Miris and, just possibly, the
damage to their frigate) while I slip over, pop my lid, and let
Radis in the ion gunner seat.
Somewhere along the line, the techs have boarded our damaged
corvette and think they can get hyper running, if we can buy them
a little more time. With only fighters to deal with, this would
not ordinarily be a problem, but a Star Destroyer and two Lancers
hop out of hyper, answering the Mayday. The Lancers waste their
time manuevering to isolate the skiprays, not knowing how
damaged they are. The pirate fighters all start to run for it.
When the Impies announce that they have IDed us as Rebels, ADR suggests a
strafing run down the side of the SD to pot the launch
bays, which are spewing TIEs. OK by me, and off we go. One pass
was all that was needed, we get the signal from the techs and we
all jump out. Good thing I had calculated the coordinates earlier.
Later, I offer to help Radis locate another Y-Wing, but he can't
afford the probable cost. Even when I offer to help, he still
wants to look into less expensive options. This leaves me the last
pilot in Y-Wing Orange Squadron.