Chapter 1: Baptism By Fire

[Andy 60]

Aston glances at a console on the wall beside him as he stands. He glances around and sees everyone is busy gathering their belongings, and he taps away at the console while surreptitiously plugging in his datapad to download some info on their destination... and the passengers. Can't hurt to find out about the place and his colleagues in advance, can it?

"What are you doing?" A uniformed guard asks him.

"Sorry," Aston said sheepishly, "I thought it was a public access terminal." Aston detached and hid his datapad, the guard apparently not noticing.

"Ugh, kriffing noob. Go on, get your things together. In case you didn't notice we landed a few minutes ago."

Aston picked up his luggage and started to make his way out.

[Mara 29]

Kaden woke up once he noticed the shuttle coming out of hyperspace and took a glance out the viewscreen, checking out their destination. He saw more than one planet, but they were heading for a smaller one. A moon, he realized.

He chuckled to himself. A secret base on a moon? So original.

He continued watching for a few more minutes, then turned away to take a look at his fellow passengers. He counted... more than 12, that's for sure. A bit more for a new squadron, if what he surmised to be the truth, really was the point of all this secrecy.

A few moments later the shuttle landed and Kaden gathered up his things: a small pack with the essentials and his blaster. Once out of the shuttle, he headed back to the cargo hold to wait while all the bigger items were unloaded.

A familiar twibble and beep caught his attention, and he smiled.

"Artie, how was your trip?"

The little astromech wheeled over to Kaden and beeped shortly.

"No, I would imagine now, especially in the cargo hold. Come on."

The two of them followed the rest of the passengers in gathering around the shuttle waiting for... anything.

Edited June 15, 2007 by Mara

[Chickenman 9]

Aeric watched as another squadron member hurried to the line, late. He quickly scanned his memory and identified the man as Flight Officer Aston Kendall, the youngest member of the squadron. He waited until he had fallen in line, and Aeric began.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Captain Aeric Tunon. To my right is my executive officer, Lieutenant Nat Riamor. I'd like to welcome you all to Altagak Base, so named for the quick, stealthy, and cunning predator of Altora. It's a good name for this base, cause that's exactly how are squadron is going to fight. We are not a "blow-everything-up-that-moves" unit, like Rogue Squadron. Instead, we are going to strike from the dark, when our enemy isn't looking, and disappear as soon as he turns around. Our enemy will never know how we'll be attacking. He'll be looking to the sky, and we'll attack from the ground. He'll look to the ground, and we'll attack from the sky. Sometimes we'll do both at the same time. Our enemy is going to fear us every waking moment, and then we'll be in his nightmares every moment he's asleep. Are there any questions?"

[Mara 29]

He stood there listening quietly, as the officer introduced himself and let them finally know why the kriff they were all sent to this moon in the middle of nowhere.

Kaden pondered all this thoughtfully, wondering when their first mission would start. He knew he, and Artie, too, would be anxious to get back in the fight.

[Rogue 4]

Layla tried desperatly not to stretch out the muscles that had grown sore on the ride from Coruscant. New Officers. She reminded herself. Don't make an idiot out of yourself in the first hour.

She listened to what Captain Tunon had to say, as her gray eyes fixed on him. He was tall, much taller than her, and had an athletic build. The brunette's blue eyes had a striking intelligence in them, and his words were certainly eloquent and moralizing. He was young too. Twenty-five, twenty-six maybe. Not much older than her. Certainly different from old Commander Prej'ark of Redemption squadron.

She liked how he described the Squadron. It made them sound dark, mysterious. A katarn striking in the night. It all sounded so exciting.

Hold on there girlie. Excitement isn't what you came here for. You have to prioritize. Sure you're here to show those Imperial nerfherders a thing or two, but there's another, more important reason.

Edited June 15, 2007 by Rogue

[Princess 35]

Nima Secura's lekku twitched excitedly. The puple skinned Twi'lek felt that in this squadron, she just might get the chance to make it so that fewer of her sisters ended up facng slavery like she endured. Her heart sank a little bit though when she realized that this was a whole new squadron of people that she'd have to trust. Trust wasn't something that came easily to her.

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

Atuarre's tail flicked back and forth in excitement. She was going to love it here.

[Andy 60]

Jareth Daragon more liked the sound of 'blow-everything-up-that-moves', but thought that he'd enjoy this squad anyway. Sneaking around, even behind enemy lines, was something that he was no stranger to so at least his skills would come useful.

[Bad furday 57]

Listening to Captain Tunon speak about the squadron, Jya began to see why Major Hisk had advised her to join. It sounded indeed like something that she'd be very good at.

[Chickenman 9]

"Right. Well, this is the base where you'll be calling home, at least until our unit is activated. It of course includes this landing pad, a simulator room, barracks, a cafeteria, a cantina, from which alcoholic drinks will only be served when we're not on duty, a rec room, and plenty of other facilities. I actually haven't been able to explore the whole thing yet myself. Still no questions? Okay. I know you've had a boring flight, so we'll hopefully be able to kick some energy back into you by sending you guys into the sims. While everyone else is doing that, Lieutenant Riamor and I will be interviewing each of you personally. We're not going to interview each of you. Just to get a feel of who you are. So Aston Kendall, meet us in my office, the rest of you, head to the sims. Dismissed."

[Andy 60]

Aston sighed, he hated going first. As he stepped forward to head to Captain Tunon's office, he felt the eyes of his squadmates on him. He hurried along, not sure he liked the attention before he'd gotten to know these people.

He got to the office just behind Tunon himself.

"Aston Kendall reporting, Captain Tunon, sir."

[Chickenman 9]

Aeric smiled and returned his salute.

"Please, Officer Kendall, sit down," he said, taking his own seat. He embarrassedly wished he had secured a chair for Nat to sit in, but he only had two. One had to go to the captain, and Aston was the one getting grilled. He shrugged the though away. He'd just have to steal a chair from Captain Slade when he wasn't looking.

"So, I hear you're quite the slicer."

Edited June 15, 2007 by Chickenman

[Andy 60]

"Well, I don't really like to brag about it..." Aston started, "but yeah I have been known to slice my way into an Imperial outpost or two back on Coruscant. I think my slicing skills are the main reason for me getting this position... I haven't really had much combat experience and need a few hours in the sims, I think." Aston paused nervously. "I'm rambling, sorry sir."

[Chickenman 9]

Aeric waved a hand. "Not at all, Officer. Do us a favor and don't worry about what you're saying. Lieutenant Riamor and I aren't going to vape you if you misspeak. And trust me, you're going to get plenty of time in the sims on this base." He smiled. "Slicing into an Imperial outpost though? That's very impressive. Any good stories about that one?"

[Andy 60]

"Well it wasn't exactly the most heavily gaurded outpost. It was in the undercity of Coruscant--you've probably read about the time I spent with a resistance movement before the New Republic took the planet--we were hoping we'd be able to steal some communications codes or something, but it turns out there wasn't much there other than surveillance equipment." Aston sighed, "we did try again another time, but things were abit more... heated... there and we didn't get much further than the back door before we had to get out. But I guess we were all technically amatures."

[Rogue 4]

Nat's yellow eyes focussed on the kid---he was only a kid really at nineteen. "That first raid though, I remember reading about it on the HoloNet. If I remember correctly you took down half the sector's power-grid to get in there."

[Andy 60]

Aston was slightly startled, "Umm, yeah that's right we did knock out the power for a while. I didn't think it had been that big a deal though, I didn't really see the HoloNet feeds back then... I just did what I had to do... Anything to take back what the Empire took from the people."

[Chickenman 9]

"That's really impressive. Now, you said you don't have much combat experience. Do you at least have any?"

[Andy 60]

"Well I can shoot if I have to. Used to carry a blaster pistol all the time back home; you need it in the rougher parts of the city..." Aston trails off as if remembering something, but then carries on. "I have a little experience with rifles too, but I wouldn't say I was a master marksman. As for space combat, I've been flying an X-wing for about a year, although it's been mostly training to be honest."

[Chickenman 9]

Aeric nodded. "Very well. It looks like you'll be a fine addition to the squadron, Kenall. Thank you for your time"

As Kendall was leaving, he added, "Can you please send Officer Atuarre next?"

[Rogue 4]

Lieutennant Riamor sighed once he had left the room, turning to Captain Tunon. "He appears to be quite skillful in his craft, and quite nervous in manner."

[Chickenman 9]

"Yeah. But something tells me he's not going to be very nervous under fire. You don't shut down an entire Coruscant power-grid and try to break into an Imperial base when you're nervous. And he seems like a much better slicer than he makes himself out to be, which should be very useful. That being said, remind me to triple encrypt all of my files."

[Rogue 4]

Nat allowed the slightest of smiles to purse is lips. "Duly noted Captain. I think I'll be tripple-encrypting mine as well. And I agree. I think he'll be a valuable asset."

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

Atuarre knocked on the door before letting herself in.

"The kid said you wanted to see me?"

[Chickenman 9]

"Yes, please sit down, Officer Atuarre."