Private Pilots and Mandos

[Minerva Fhirdiad]

Alliance Outpost Saxum, Deep Core
​

Inside a hangar next to her ship, Minerva sat on a crate, sharpening her Kal dagger with a whetstone while fully clad in armor saved for the helmet. She could hear machinery at work all around her with some muffled voices. The Mandalorian didn't pay it any attention but instead focused with a slight reflection shining from overhead lights.

Finally she looked back to her vessel with some new dents and sighed.

"I had no choice but to go into the asteroid field but stars preserved us so that Exogorth nearly swallowed my ship. Thankfully the overgrown worm got those Maw fighters chasing me instead."

Indeed she had been fortunate to live to tell the tale. Putting up the dagger she next checked the pistols, starting with her left one. Subsequently Minerva thought.

These Alliance types like to get all the intel organized. Then again who can blame them after I just returned from a recon op to Selvaris. We've spent hours going over the mission down to the last detail.

Sighing again she looked up and saw a Gran engineer and a protocol droid walking by. Even from a brief glance Minerva could tell from the engineer's three weary eyes that he was busting his tail with work. Allowing herself to look further out to the other personnel nearby she couldn't help but think.

Not everyone has the heart of a warrior but I now see these folks are dedicated in their own way. Well most of them at least.



Ari Naldax

 

[Ari Naldax]

Ari carefully inspected her X-wing as it sat in the hanger, a datapad in her hand and the ever-loyal Keeper flanking her every move. Despite the interloping of a few Maw fighters on ingress and the wild astrography of the area surrounding this base, her preternatural reflexes and stealthy fighter had avoided any major damage - even the stealth coating had been pretty much scratched.

Finally signing off on a small paintover of the pair of scorch marks on the inside of her port S-foil, the pilot hung her helmet on the lower of the portside blaster cannons, handing the datapad over to one of the GADF maintainers staffing the bay. With most of her recent days spent forming, assessing, and training the 303rd, Getting a mission just as a pilot was a welcome change of pace for the new wing commander.

The briefing had only mentioned her partner would be a Mandalorian - which would've been a problem if there had been more than one in the whole system - as it were, Ari walked up to the green-clad warrior and offered her hand for a friendly handshake.

"Major Naldax of the 303rd Wing, at your service."

 

[Minerva Fhirdiad]

Hearing the pilot's approach Minerva titled her helm in that direction. Tall and serious. She silently summarized. The Mandalorian continued to sit on the crate until the Alliance major reached her. Upon the introduction, Minerva nodded before getting up and firmly shaking Ari's hand. Subsequently she answered.

"Well met major. I'm Minerva Fhirdiad from Gorgara Company."

Once the hand shaking stopped the armored warrior went straight to the point.

"As you already know, the Mawites are searching for this base. If we don't do something soon they'll find it. They're using only one warship for the hunt."

Without missing a beat Minerva pulled out a hand held holoprojector, turning it on. Ari would then note an renofitted Munificent-class cruiser.

"That thing is outside the field and they have been increasing their patrols. Unless we get more warships we'll have to make due with what we have on hand. Fortunately our side captured one of their transports recently."

She grinned underneath the helmet before explaining.

"We're going to give it back to them but with an extra gift. Inside is a bomb that me and some of the techs specialized for the occasion. It needs to be inside one of the hangars to position it just right to go off and that is where you come in major. You and some other fliers will 'chase' me until they let me in and I'll detonate the bomb as soon as I get off the wreck of a ship or do it anyway if escape is not possible."

Minerva paused to let that all sink before shrugging her shoulders.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you have questions given this kind of mission so I'll do my best to answer."

Ari Naldax