Private Angels in the Sky

[Casaana]

The hangers of Naboo were a far reach from the tired old Quonset hut Casaana had previously used on Kattada. Gone too were the sandy beaches and constant ocean background noise, replaced by birdsong and trees. Though it seemed natural for trees to spring up and cover a great many of the less inhabited planets Casaana visited. She was grateful that the Naboo hadn't cut them down for their cities, preserving the natural ecology similar to how the underwater cities of Kattada did.

She was recently arrived, and willing to set aside her misgivings about monarchy, to learn about and experience the Order of Shiraya, the next in a long line of Jedi orders and enclaves she'd joined in the hopes of finding a home. She hoped to make friends, real and lasting relationships, so she'd signed up for a friendly bout of dogfighting. 'Not the usual way of going about it.' She reflected as she checked over her skyhopper freshly unloaded from transport. But it was quick, available, and showed she was willing to get stuck in. Plus, after so much time stuck aboard a ship navigating the freshly churned galaxy, it was activity. Just in a smaller, more cramped ship. But this was different!

Casaana wasn't sure who she'd be flying against, but she wasn't expecting to win. Sure, she'd watched a few holos and practiced the moves, but aside from one quick skirmish in which her shuttle had most of the fighting while she'd flown a crazed evasive pattern and playing chase with Braze that one time, all of her flying was solo or shuttling. A to B type stuff. So her goal today was to hold out, have fun, and maybe learn something. And get to know someone!

For now, she waited, ran a few more checks on the underslung mount she'd just swapped for a heavy ion cannon, and buffing handprints out of the Zephyr's shinny emerald green paint. Nervous habits as she tried to not feel out of place in her oil stained flight suit and secondhand gear.

Michael Angellus​

 

[Michael Angellus]

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Journal Entry:
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Will you STOP?

Argumentative whir

Because I already cleaned the output valves! Bored them out and everything.

Accusing Beep

You’re asking for a memory wipe!

This was a misleading conversation to many. Those who have never seen the dynamic between BB-430 or “BRED” as I call him and I.It's not as though we're arguing. It's more like a back-and-forth banter. I've grown quite fond of the Astromech Droid "BRED", despite his occasional stubbornness. He's become a reliable companion in this desolate place. We are working on routine maintenance of my X-wing.

Another day of no response to my name on the list for mock dogfighting, or “boring play” as my friend Onxio or “Ox” as we call him likes to call this. He’s not the best pilot in the class, but he is better with attack and bombing runs. Anyway, we’re working when another droid came up to me about someone matching up to my name on the list. It was surprising. I quickly rushed to check the list, and there it was—my name, finally included. After weeks of waiting, I couldn't contain my excitement. This was the moment I had been preparing for, and I was eager to prove myself in the mock dogfighting session. This was not against classmates, this was against seasoned pilots.

 

[Casaana]

Realizing that she couldn't buff the paint anymore and she was giving into frustration and unease at waiting, Casaana clambered onto the Zephyr's wing and up to the open cockpit for some mindful meditation. Inside, she found a notification pinging her avionics, her fight was on! Immediately energized with excitement, she pulled on her helmet and hit the activation sequencer while she called for take off.

Checking around her, she taxied the skyhopper out of the hanger, strapping in and closing the bubble canopy as the ship crossed out into the sunlight. Waiting for clearance, she toggled through the maps until the one showing the rendezvous filled the main screen. Tower came back, wishing the Force to be with her, and she keyed on the repulsorlift to take her out. Waiting to clear civilization before kicking on the outsized turbothruster. The sudden acceleration pushed her back in the cockpit saddle as the light craft soared up into the sky where she played among the clouds on her way.

As she approached the designated area, she tried to get her head in the game. Her light shield was on, wing tip blasters powered down to barely a stun, and the ion cannon would only fire its targeting laser to score a 'hit.' The info on her opponent had her a little worried, some type of custom X-Wing, and here she was in a civilian craft. He'd have better everything unless she had something he didn't. A quick mental checklist formed and Casaana want down it, desperate for any advantage. She had the booster and maneuvering thrusters on top of her already excellent speed and maneuverability, which regular x-wings didn't have, and air controls. That was it. He'd have missiles, better scanning and targeting, heavier lasers, shields... Maybe the Force would let her pick him up before her sensors did? Then what? Get in too close for the missiles and hope for the best? Maybe hit him with the ion cannon.

With a sigh, Casaana tried to clear her mind as her fingers flexed around the Zephyr's controls, extending her senses out, and switched off her transponder still broadcasting her Kattada ID. As soon as Michael did the same, the mock dogfight would be on.

Michael Angellus​

 

[Michael Angellus]

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Journal Entry:
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Surprise!

I didn’t fly my X-Wing to this location.

First of all, I was not allowed to.

Secondly, I am not like many of the others who sign up for this. I want a fair fight, even a challenge. So I flew an Academy trainer out hereI’m not here to rely on advanced tech or shortcuts. I want to prove my skills and earn my victories. This is about more than just following the rules—it’s about testing myself, pushing my limits, and embracing the challengeI want to show that I can succeed without relying on the best equipment or the easiest path. It’s about proving to myself and others that skill and determination matter more than anything else.

What I saw when I got to where I was supposed to be was an interesting looking Skyhopper. It looked like it belonged to some kind of “cowboy”. I actually liked it. Didn’t mean that whoever this jockey was, was going to outfly meThe Skyhopper's pilot was confident, maybe even cocky, but I wasn't intimidated. I knew my Academy trainer wasn't as flashy, but I trusted my skills. The challenge wasn't just about winning—it was about proving that determination and grit could outmatch even the most advanced tech or flashy equipment.

Casaana

 

[Casaana]

Feeling a vague pull, Casaana dipped a wing to go into a long and easy turn just as her comp beeped a notification at her. An unknown was picked up on sensors, academy trainer from the ident code. She worried at her lower lip, thinking it over. Being new here, she wasn't that familiar with those ships or how things were done in these dog fights. So Casaana erred on the side of caution and hailed the interloper.

Her bright voice crackled over the speakers. "Hello there! Are you my dueling partner? I was expecting an X-Wing. Name's Casaana, no call sign." She kept the emerald skyhopper in its bank until the trainer came into view and then dipped, flying casual but not so steady as to be an easy target at long range.

Michael Angellus​

 

[Michael Angellus]

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Journal Entry:
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I guess I could have flown it after all. Oh well.

I still would rather have flown the trainer. So meh.

[Hi. I’m Michael… sorry for the mixup. It’s you and me.] No sense adding unnecessarily to the confusion. I am not trying to be a misogynist, but I was not expecting to fly against a girl, neither here nor there though. She was already testing me with the bank and dip. Nothing wrong with that, though I won’t show anything until I need to.

This should be some kind of fun.

[I’m ready when you are.] This model trainer doesn’t have an active weapons system, but once a target lock is set, a “ping” is sent to the target vessel over their comms. Same thing…

Hope we don’t get ambushed.

 

[Casaana]

Huuuuuuh.... Well that sorted that then? Michael seemed content to keep flying straight without trying anything. Luring her in? Acting the gentleman and letting her get the first move in? The fingers of her throttle hand moved up to adjust her targeting, getting a lock on the trainer as her weapons' targeting came online for the exercise. Then Casaana pulled up into the fluffy clouds.

She wished she had a jammer, something to prevent Michael's own systems from tracking her, but visual obfuscation would have to do as she looped up and around, lining up a dive high attack angle. She kept the Zephyr's nose ahead of his, as she depressed the skyhopper's targeting trigger against another person for the first time. Flashes of bright blue light streamed out from her wing tips, arcing through the air towards Michael's trainer and twisting through the air as she rolled to pull onto his tail before she let off the firing stud.

Michael Angellus​

 

[Michael Angellus]

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Journal Entry:
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Here we go, “BRED”. Keep an eye on her! The blue streaks of light came blaring in front of me. A quick “back” on the stick, “back” on the throttle and the flaps.

BRED saw what I was doing.

Yep! She’s smart enough not to let it last, but I love this move! It’s weird. Around my droid, I’m great. In the box, I’m great. Anywhere else? I overthink who and what I am. Oh well. I stayed back on the stick and climbed. It was my turn to have some height and maybe let her think she can come at me from below.

Heh, that really wasn't meant to sound as arrogant as it came off.

 

[Casaana]

Throttle wide open, Casaana screamed by Michael's trainer, spitting de-powered blaster shots that'd barely stun a rat until she was almost past him. His little maneuver pulling him back a few fighter lengths from where she'd expected him to be. Then she rolled out of the dive into level flight and powered away with all the momentum she'd just gained from the dive while he finished bleeding his off with that pop-up maneuver. Most of her 'training' so far had been on simulators and flying acrobatics and loops solo, letting her imagination guide her. All of her practical experience, and her two kills, had been in shuttles. Though Kattada's Sojourners had been fast little things. But she knew the importance of keeping her speed up from the aerobatics.

Pulling away, she opened the distance, watching the trainer in the mirror hanging from the top of the bubble cockpit despite having it on sensors. Sweeping around again at a safe distance, she thumbed the arming stud for the underslung heavy ion cannon, feeling more than hearing it as the actuators lowered the weapon. A quick glance confirmed again that it was set to targeting laser only as she prepared for another pass.

Michael Angellus​

 

[Michael Angellus]

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Journal Entry:
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[Wow! That was a good move.] I didn’t mind telling her this over comms. It was good. Especially the roll out as it took her out of my gun’s eye. Of course I have some moves of my own, and a simple pull back on the stick, and my maneuver repetoire is not a short one… at the risk of sounding arrogant.

Booeeep

Yep, a Split S… she wants space, I’ll give her space. I would indeed do so, however she would not get it in the manner to which she was looking for. I was setting her up. Of what? Well that would happen soon enough. Right now, it was a matter of getting into the right position to execute. Rolling through the banking, it was most prudent to feint a barrel roll into a dive, when in fact it was into another climb.

 

[Casaana]

"Thanks," she deadpanned back at his compliment, too focused on flying to really chatter before she pressed the ion cannon's firing switch. Casaana couldn't see where the invisible targeting laser went as it missed Michael. But no hit notification meant the same thing as he pulled up again. "Doesn't this guy do anything else?" She asked the empty cockpit. Gently banking away to line up, Casaana slipped the Zephyr onto the Trainer's six and opened the throttle, sending quick bursts of de-powered blaster fire after her fellow Padawan. It wasn't like she had limited ammo, and some of her shots were getting close as she closed the distance into their proper convergence range.

Still, she made sure to take it steady and not rush in. No doubt he'd given her his six because he had another maneuver he planned on using to turn the tables on her. So Casaana kept the closure steady, and stayed ready to react when he tried anything.

Michael Angellus​

 

[Michael Angellus]

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Journal Entry:
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She’s got skills… but so do I… There was a reason for every move I made. Yeah, it looked like I was boring, but I wanted her to see that. I wanted her to think that. It’s called “ice cold flying”... old school… so she might know about it, she might not. Either way. There was a reason for the climb.

Booeeep

I got her… don’t worry. She was getting closer, yes. She was expecting me to hit the brakes again. Not happening. I cut the engines, and went into a stall. Then? Boom! Right in my gunsights…

Come on… lock… come on…

Wasn’t re-engaging them yet…

AWOOOO

In a second! It was time to stop this cat and mouse and go on the offensive.