The Enemy Within
Hidden behind a set of containers, Commander Raziel makes a final check on his Datapad. The charges have been set, his Squadron are in position, and are all waiting for his final command to detonate and escape along their planned routs.
If it were all so easy. As commander of an Elite Squadron within The Rebel Alliance, Raziel was responsible for 12 great pilots, all who had their individual skills and character. He was the latest in the long line of Squadron Commanders in Green Squad, and he intended to do his job right.
Next to him was Commander Glop, second in command of Green Squad. Where Raziel went, Glop followed. Glop had a divine ability to always support Raziel in his command options, always putting the squad in front of his own goals.
"I hope this will work," Raziel said, as he switched off his Datapad, and ducked as two Stormtroopers walked past.
"Don’t worry, they are all in position. All you do now is tell them to go."
"If only it was that easy..." Raziel said, with a low tone.
On the other side of the ship, Pilots Crimson_Target and Eerazor made a final check on their detonators.
"You know, one thing I hate about you is your quest for perfection." Eerazor put bluntly.
"I really do enjoy these little pep talks in a middle of a life and death situation. Haven’t you got anything better to do than to pester me at this precise moment in time?"
Crimson_Target, a young and intelligent Pilot. He is mainly calm, looking to out think a situation, rather than run screaming into a room full of Stormtroopers with Blaster blazing.
Eerazor is the exact opposite, he would rather shoot and then ask questions, but he does have a weird tactical ability, or just plain luck, that always seems to get him out of dangerous situations.
Together, they are an unbeatable fighter Wing.
"Well, no not really."
"Cut it out, then!" Crimson_Target looked at a pair of Stormtroopers walking past. "And, no Eerazor, don’t even think about it."
On the deeper decks of the ship, Stryker and Starcap777 finished setting their detonators next to the proton torpedo storage area. Both looked at their Comlink, still not showing any sign of life.
Stryker, a young member of Green Squad spends most of his time in the Pilots lounge, questing either for new recruits for the Squad, or for new 'Bed Members' at home. To most of the Squads surprise, he seems to be successful at both. But that does not let his skill as a pilot down. A cool and calculated Pilot, Stryker likes to take his targets at a distance, too make sure his fighter does not get a scratch.
Starcap777 is the newest member of Green Squad. He is a good pilot, but still needs to learn to be calm in the cockpit, as well as on the ground.
"I can’t help it, I am nervous. This is my first assault mission. I am not used to it." Starcap777 tries to hold his hands, to no avail.
"Just stick with me and you will be alright."
Raziel looked at his watch. "Almost time, I hope Lighting_Count does manage to be on time."
"What with Blindfire as Co-pilot, are you kidding, he’ll be glad to be back at the base."
Smiles, "Hehe, I am a nasty Commander aren’t I?"
"That you are."
"Green Squad, report!"
"Team 2 Ready to go," was the first reply from Crimson_Target.
"Team 1, all set here," came from Stryker.
"Ok, Greenies, let’s let hell break loose on this pile of junk, proceed to your evac points, and come home safe. Out." Raziel threw his Comlink towards the Stormtroopers, which turned with Blaster Rifles swinging towards the two pilots.
"RAZ!!! What the hell?" Glop jumped behind a bulkhead.
Raziel, Blaster in hand, jumped up, fired two shots, and headed towards Glop, screaming at the top of his voice, "Will you give me a friggin hand here!!!"
Glop took his Blaster and started to fire at the Stormtroopers, taking out one with a headshot, while Raziel came rolling to his side, and shot a view laser shots at the overhanging Containers, releasing them to crash on the floor, blocking their only way out
"That was fun!" Raziel shouted over the crashing noise.
"Great move, Fearless Leader, you managed to trap us inside!" Glop sighed.
Eerazor and Crimson_Target where running down the Corridor, being chased by 5 Stormtroopers.
"Hey! I ain’t got all day, will you start running!" Crimson_Target shouted, as he took a couple of pot-shots at their following fans.
"I am running!" Eerazor shouted back.
As the two turned into another Corridor, another set of Stormtroopers awaited them.
"Arrrrrrrgh," came from Eerazor as he lunged himself into a nearby Garbage Shoot, followed closely by a "Hooooolllllyyyyy Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!" from Crimson_Target, as he came tumbling after.
Stryker and Starcap777 had other problems. They where pinned down by an automated Laser Cutter, making short work of the bulkhead they where hiding behind.
"We are gonna die!!!" Starcap777 screamed into the room.
"Will you just shut up. I can’t hear myself think, with all that noise you are making." Stryker used a bit of metal as a mirror and looked at the Laser Cutter.
"I can’t believe the Empire has resorted to Laser Cutters as a defence mechanism. Those things are way to slow. We can just run past it....I think."
"Run past it?? You think?? You want me to tell you what I think," Starcap777 was hysterical.
"No, so shut up!" Stryker took his Blaster, and removed the carbine, then he looked at his metal mirror again.
"I hope this works," and with that he threw his Carbine underneath the Laser Cutter, which in urn, moved it’s aim at the Carbine, igniting it into a fierce explosion, destroying the Cutter.
"Now that’s what I call DIY."
Both Pilots got up, and headed for the Garbage Shoot.
*****
Raziel and Glop where still in their Trapped environment.
"I still can’t believe what you just did. Out of all the Stupid things on this mission, you had to come up with something like this. I just can’t believe it."
"Ok, ok, I got you. I know, I know, I am stupid, now will you please help me figure out a way to get to our Evacuation point."
The Pilots turned, and looked up. About 3 Metres above them, there was a small Air Ventilation shaft. Raziel smiled.
"Oh no you don’t, not up there!" Glop said.
"Oh come on, it looks to be our only way out." Raziel said.
He walked up to a control panel, "and this seems to be the control device for it. If I can just figure out a way to activate that paaaaaaaaaaa-" with that the floor opened and both Pilots fell towards the darkness.
In the garbage disposal area, Eerazor, Crimson_Target, Starcap777 and Stryker where waiting for Raziel and Glop.
"You try to be here on time and what happens, the Boss is not here," Eerazor commented. Crimson_Target nodded in agreement.
"What do you expect. He probably locked himself into a room again." Stryker said.
"Hehe, like the last time he locked himself on the toilet, because he left his Keypass in his jacket, hanging outside." Crimson_Target laughs.
"Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaneeeeeeeeeeeeeellll!!!!!!" Came a shout from the top chamber. All four Pilots looked up to see Raziel and Glop falling into a pool of green Liquid.
Then the lights in the chamber went red.
*****
On the Stardestroyer Bridge, Captain Claus von Claustosin turned towards his second in Command.
"Sir, a Rebel wing has just come out of hyperspace beyond the second moon. They appear to be X-Wings, sir."
"A pair of fighters, against an Imperial Stardestroyer??" the Captain smirked.
"Sir, they appear to be keeping their distance."
Then the sensors officer turned around, panic on his face, "Sir! A rebel Cruiser has just come out of Hyperspace, about 3Kilometers of our port bow!"
"Shields, raise the shields! Weapons to bear, take them out!" the Commander screamed across the Bridge.
*****
In their X-Wings, the pilots Kralli and Madeira where unbeatable. Their mission was simple, come out of Hyperspace behind the second moon, to get the attention of the Stardestroyer, to mask the arrival of the Cruiser, which was launching the shuttle, then heading back into hyperspace. The shuttle in the meantime would fly so close to the Stardestroyer, that it would be undetected, that would be their signal to fire their Torpedoes at the Triangular ship. Then they would go back into Hyperspace, and return to base.
*****
In the Garbage shoot, the 6 Pilots of Green Squad await their final signal. All of them had put on their Space Survival Suits, ready for the explosion that was to follow soon after the Stardestroyer was put on red alert.
The second part of the mission was the most critical, and the most dangerous. Kralli and Madeira had to shoot enough torpedoes at the Stardestroyer to make a hole in the Garbage Area, so the pilots could escape into open space.
This plan had two major problems. The first, hopefully at least one Torpedo would make it through the Turbo Laser Batteries of the Stardestroyer, to be able to do some damage. The second problem was the range the transponder had to the detonators. They had to be set off at the precise moment, the pilots left the interior of the Stardestroyer, to stop themselves from being caught in the Explosion.
"Ready!" Raziel shouted as an explosion burst open a hole in the outer hull. The pilots ran towards the hole and jumped into open space. As Raziel left the outer hull he turned and set off the transponder......nothing happened.
"Damn it, we're out of range. I can’t set the Detonators off." Raziel said over their open channel.
The Rebel shuttle started to pull the pilots in via a tractor beam. The Stardestroyer still throwing a shadow over them, except for the hole, undamaged.
"We have to make the jump into hyperspace, otherwise we will be discovered." Crimson_Target said.
"I think that will not be a problem now!" Lightning Count said as a set of Turbo Laser Batteries turned their way.
Raziel was still franticly pressing the detonation key. Still nothing happened.
"I think our problems just got from bad to worse," Blindfire said, pointing to an incoming Interdictor Cruiser from the shadow of the near Planet.
"We are done for!" Starcap777 screamed.
Stay tuned for part two in which we will discover the fate of those two lonely X-Wings, who the true enemy is, and what is to become of Green Squadron as it hangs between a glorious fight to the death and a bloody struggle to survive.
