Pitch and Yaw: Fighter Testing

[Ordo]

Yavin System-Abandoned fleet from Gulag plague.
Outside Gravity Well
Abord Kandossi-Type Dreadnaught "Indomitable"
Hanger Bay 1

The Yavin-Class was a new product made for the pilots and governments of the galaxy as the new heavy hitting inteceptor of the future. However, it may not live up to that hope if they couldn't get the thing tested in live exercises. They needed several things. Speed and maneuverability test. Weapons test and targeting computer operations. Other hopes were to see formations operation, squadron tactics and communications ranges and readability.

The Mandalorian CEO would not show his face today but he would be in a fighter specifically a TIE Exalt hidden in the dead fleet with 3 other ace Pilots waiting for the test pilots to start their runs and try and get target locks on them before they could evade and destroy the derelict fleet.

The head of the Research and development team approached the pilots and handed out a checklist and capabilities sheet of flimsi.

"You will be testing the Yavin-class Interceptor today. This is currently a classified project intended to be sold to both independent pilots and or governments in the future. Are there any questions before we begin?" the thirty something man asked.

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Ordo"]

Iced-azure eyes looked over the flimsi. A light flashed on her comm along her hip. She ignored it for now. She imagined it was Sparky, waiting not-so-patiently in the x-wing fighter she flew out here for this job.

The astromech did not like being left behind. She imagined [member="Judah Dashiell"] tinkered with its programming to add some level of nanny-protectiveness. She just wasn't sure if it was more meant for Makai or herself.

"Are the laser-canons going to be set at practice or are we going full power-level in this exercise?"

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea took in the words on the flimsi, it seemed to be pretty basic stuff. She wondered however about the exact abilities of the ship. Such things as maneuverability and its capacity for handling rough treatment. Likely, she would have to figure that out on the test flight. But there were so other things that she could ask about right now.

"Have these starfighters been outfitted with Lock-threat warning systems?" Leea waited till after the other woman had spoken before asking her own question. While she doubted that it would make much difference, it was better to make sure and it would be an advantage to have one.

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Thessa Kai"] [member="Leea Pandac"]

"Lasers are set to practice levels, everything is being monitored. We have four elite fighters out there that are foing to try and stop you from scoring hits on the derelict fleet. They will be using low power ion weapons." yhe man said as he looked at the two pilots. "The fighters have targeting computers and target lock warning systems as standard. If you check the ship systems readout you'll notice the wing configuration can be changed for either speed or maneuverability bear in mind you can't fire or fly at attack speeds while the ship is changing configuration. You will each have a wingman on this from our crew. Score 10 hits on each of the three dead ships out there and comeback."

He turned to check the for the signal from the flight controller.

"Emergency crews are standing by put these things through the paces if you can think of it try it if you have a serious problem bail out and we will get you back here in minutes." he smiled, "go get'em credits should already be in your accounts. Do in flight checks and you're cleared to go."

Meanwhile the rag tag quartet of pilots each flying a different fighter from Ordo's personal collection sat waiting among the floating wreckage. A Vhe'viin, Rassalion, Rush and TIE Exalt sat in a loose formation as they waited for the shimmering dots of deployed fighters to exit the MandalTech command ship.

 

[Blacktail]

It'd been a while since Aavon had seen the inside of a fighter, or the "hot seat" as the younger fly-boys liked to call it. The only thing hot about the helm at which Kikhveakkaz usually sat was the imprint of his feathery rump from hours of sitting down upon it.
Surprisingly enough, the cockpit of the Yavin was comfortable for a being of his stature. Everything was laid out in a fairly simple fashion and the controls, while not the most cutting edge he'd seen, were relatively easy to manage. The systems even registered properly on his MMSHMD system! That was a huge plus, since the helmets the Shadow Empire bought practically flew their attack craft for them!
"This is Captain Aavon Kikhveakkaz, reporting in. All systems are operational. Preparing for pre-flight checks."
First went the flaps... then came the vectors... finally budged the wings.
"Confirming pre-flight checks pass. All systems green. Ready for launch."
All that was left was to wait for the others to pour out. Aavon did so hate being the first one in a fight.

[member="Ordo"]​

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea thanked the head of Research before marching smartly over to the Yavin she decided would be hers for this test. Pulling herself up and in, Leea once again felt the awe of such amazing technology wash over her. While she was not always the best with most types of electronics, she found that starships were much nicer to her than almost anything else. There was simply so much to see that it normally take a little time to figure out where everything was. However, she quickly grasped the concept of where most of the necessary controls on the craft were.

It was odd, the last ship she had flown had been a craft meant for in atmosphere flight. That made this to be a new experience. Leea hoped that the difference would not negatively affect her workmanship. She began the pre-flight check procedures. First the ion engines----good. Next the maneuvering flaps----okay. Power-converters----good. Sensors----alright, wait till we're outside.

"Test Pilot Leea reporting in. Pre-flight check complete. All systems go. Prepared for launch." She wondered how this would end, she doubted that it would be as easy as it sounded.

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

Though the leader of the Rebel Alliance's famed Rogue Squadron, Juwiela hadn't been spending near as much time in the cockpit as she would have liked. Between some of the Rogues needing more simulator time and the small amount of pilots that they actually had to work with, finding a flight mission for any of them, let alone the entirety of the squadron, was a rare occurrence. So when she'd heard about the offer to test one of the new ships manufactured by MandalTech she'd jumped right on it, always curious as to what new prototypes the companies of the galaxy had managed to create. And, well, there was a free ship in the bargain, and the young pilot was smart enough to know not to turn that prospect down.
After listening to the briefing she went through her usual pre-flight routine, though without physical sight to aide her it was most likely much different than what the other pilots thought average. Regardless, everything checked out, all that was left to do was launch and see what these ships were capable of. "Pre-flight checks are green, all systems go. Ready for launch."
With that out of the way she took a few moments to really study the interior of the ship, noting the targeting computer with a slight smile. She recalled one of the pilots in Rogue Squadron being a bit surprised at her not using one the first go around in the simulator. With her seeing through the Force the piece of technology was all but useless, but it still took people aback.
But none of that really mattered, not now. Now was her chance to see what these new ships were really capable of.

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Thessa Kai"] [member="Juwiela Melec"] [member="Leea Pandac"] [member="Kikhveakkaz"]

The all clear was given from the emergency crews and Ordo and his small group began their in flight checks. He was set and he opened the comm to the flight control.

"Ready Commander, send the fighters and have them do some test maneuvers before they begin attack runs." Ordo said before firing his engines.

"Aye Field Marshal." the man said before opening a comm channel to the test fighters. "Pilots, we need you to run some maneuvers when you take off so we can monitor the inertial dampeners and the other systems. We also want you familiar with the ship before you begin attack runs take your time and let us know when you are beginning your run."

The light inside of the cockpits would all flash green to let them know they were now cleared for take off and the emergency crews were in place. a Medical frigate waited on standby just in case.

"All pilots clear to traffic out of the Hanger. Good luck out there."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Ordo"]

Scale-speckled hand hit the go for pre-flight ready. Her comm beeped at her side, a bemoaning astromech droid on the other end came in through the speaker. "Relax Sparky. The man said there are emergency crews standing by."

She tightened the crash-webbing when the cockpit lit-up green. Fingers flexed on the controls as she brought the Yavin-class out from the safety of the hangar. A few short razzles filled the cockpit of the Interceptor. "No, I'm not replacing you. Keep your circuits plugged."

Aqua-lips pursed as she opened the designated channel. "Call-sign Sirena checking in and pulling away from hangar. Test maneuvers in progress."

Time to open her up.

 

[Leea Pandac]

"Acknowledged. Call sign Sharp checking in and beginning launching sequences." With that Leea lifted the ship out of its resting position. She started with the repulsor-lift engines to keep it slowly heading out into the void of space. When she passed the ray shield, protecting the hangar from the cold expanse of space, she fully activated the ion engines and began a sharp dive right out of the hangar. The ship responded well and Leea felt herself being smashed back into the seat, without being overly forced into the seat. She pulled the ship back to the original angle and checked the S-foils. She turned them to vertical and once they had completed the action she began a series of sharp turns.

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

Now was time for the fun part. Sitting in a cockpit with the ship on standby was always fun, but it was the actual piloting that she came for. And these ships sounded as if they would be the perfect opportunity to brush up on her skills. Or at least, they'd looked good on paper. With a small smile Juwiela lifted the ship up and out of the hangar with a nudge of the controls, keying the comms once she was out in open space, firing up the ion engines completely as she did so. "Call sign Rogue reporting in and exiting the hangar. Test maneuvers currently in progress."
Reaching up a hand to adjust the crash-webbing she brought the ship into more of a gentle dive, pulling up after a moment and switching the S-foils to vertical. If everything checked out the ship would be capable of moving much faster now, and as a fighter pilot maneuverability was always at the top of her list. This would prove a gain for both her and the Alliance if the vessels lived up to expectations.
Without wasting another moment she brought the Yavin-class into another series of dives and sharp turns, keeping a careful eyes on the systems, for lack of a better word, for anything out of the ordinary. Thus far everything was checking in good.

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Thessa Kai"] [member="Juwiela Melec"] [member="Leea Pandac"]

"There they are." Kir said as he watched the ships exit and begin maneuvering, testing controls, and playing with the fighters that would be theirs to keep after this.

"I see them." Ordo said as he reached up to turn on his targeting computer and activated his ion cannons, "Ugly squadron check in."

"Ugly four, five by five, standing by." a female voice said.

"Ugly three, five by five, standing by." came the heavily accented voice of Kir.

"Ugly two, five by five, standing by." Ordo's wing man said into the comm as they other ion cannons and targeting computers came on line.

"Ugliest one, reading all five by five." Ordo said finally as he brought his engines on line, "tight formation modified vee staggered z axis. I want maximum coverage, push them as far as we can. If you get a solid lock ping the pilot and let them know their dead, it's something they may like knowing."

The four fighters activated their engines and began making an approach 5 minutes outside of maximum effective range with the TIE exalt and Rasallion fighters side by side and the Rush and Vhe'viin on the right and left aft slightly higher to cover the two lead fighters. The three Yavin-class Fighters would see them on their sensors within seconds and coming at them fast.

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea began pulling through a lazy loop on her aft S-foil when she noticed something odd. Her sensors were picking up four other fighters beyond extreme firing range. Her first assumption was that they had been setting up some traps within the broken fleet to test the pilots, but that did not explain why they were moving so fast in their direction.

She activated her comm and set it to the frequency for the command ship and the other Yavin fighters. "Sharp calling command. Are those friendlies?" She didn't expect them to be, but better to ask first rather than shoot a friendly down. She locked her S-foils in attack position and prepped her lasers for immediate use.

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Ordo"]

"Hey wingman, you with me?" She tried out the ship's communication systems as her readouts went wild with incoming fighters. She didn't have time to question if it was planned or not. Their approach warranted some immediate evasive maneuvers.

"Yeah, on yo' port."

The Galan charged-up the ship's weapons, knowing they would be on a practice setting. "You got a call-sign?"

"Call me Chuck."

"You got my six?"

"Oh I got yo' six."

"Good. We're going straight at them." She thought she heard a sputter on the other end but it was hard to tell with some mild interference. "Charge up your forward shields."

Time to break their formation.

 

[Ordo]

[member="Leea Pandac"] [member="Thessa Kai"] [member="Juwiela Melec"] [member="Kikhveakkaz"]

The four fighters angled their deflector shields forward almost in unison as they careened through space toward the test pilots and their wingmen.

"Those are your competition." the flight controller said simply to the pilot who had double checked before engaging.

The four fighters continued the charge as Ordo himself smiled at the two fighters that streaked into an attack run of their own. He noted that the target they offered was bigger in s-foil verticle configuration than in horizontal configuration and sent a brief text based note to the control tower for future designs. His targeting computer highlighted the lead fighter and read out the range even as he knew the fighters he had designed would be doing the same.

"Open fire early. Indirect fire try locking them into their course with surrounding fire. Lets see just how fast they can turn if their enemy doesn't break formation. Three and four peel away when we are in range and engage the other pilot. Two and I will entertain this one."

 

[Juwiela Melec]

Instead of attacking straightforwardly as the other two Juwiela deemed to test the other pilots as well as herself, waiting until the others belonging to what she supposed was a squadron of sorts had broken off before moving the ship into a maneuver that would bring her above both the two friendly ships and the incoming four. If her time in the Alliance had taught her anything, it was to do both what the enemy and yourself didn't expect. And she was certain they would be caught off guard, if only for a few moments.
Keeping the power in her deflector shields even along all sides of the ship she flicked the weapons system online, reaching out with the Force in what was, in a sense, her own targeting computer of sorts. Though she wasn't able to see them in the traditional sense the Force allotted her the ability to sense them in a fashion that was similar to physical sight. The outlines of each ship along with the unique signature of each individual pilot were what allowed her to shoot accurately. Many were unaware of this, which was yet another reason Miraluka were assumed to be completely blind.
Using this ability she pulled her ship around and settled herself above the opposing squadron, picking the pilot closest and doing another check of all systems before turning her attention back to the guns and only then opening fire, sending a strafe of low-powered laserfire towards their tail.

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Ordo"]

A scale-speckled hand switched the controls to horizontal wing-configuration as she opted for maneuverability over speed. Red-streaked fire lit up just outside the fishbowl-like cockpit to her starboard side. Instincts made her hesitate in rotating the cockpit for a fluid 180-turn. For now, she was getting away with a series of double-time short turns as Chuck opted for the more extreme.

"Chuck, you feel like we're being herded or is it just me?"

"Like prepping us to be fish in the barrel. Sorry ma'am. I mean..."

"Let's show them we aren't ordinary fish, Chuck. Looks like we got some distracting friendly fire from above! Let's use it. Time to test out the short range comm jammers. Targeting the leader bogie and the wingman now."

"Roger."

Crash-webbing tightened across her shoulders as she brought the Yavin into a series of tight rolls and turns, sending a volley of laser canon fire across the two bogies as the comm-jamming system went to lock on.

Time to see how well the non-friendlies worked together without a channel of communication.

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea listened to the reply from flight officer. She had guessed as much, but had learned not to assume. She tightened her grip on the pilot's yoke as she began speeding swiftly towards the area of the enemy fighters. They didn't seem to be of the same build, each one was a different type of fighter, but that didn't stop them. The pilots on those ships must be very good, Leea could feel it. She was distracted for a moment by the fire coming from above, however her attention soon returned to the forward charge started by two of the Yavin fighters.

Looking at the situation as quickly as she could, she checked the power levels on her weapons... before releasing a single linked shot at one of the enemy fighters. Obviously the shields would absorb even the strongest of single shots from her fighter, but it allowed her to gauge their willingness to avoid fire. She made as sharp a turn as possible with the wings in horizontal position, trying to flip around and get on one of those fighter's tails. She could feel herself being mashed down into the seat from the inertia, not enough to knock her out, but certainly enough to feel uncomfortable.

[member="Thessa Kai"]
[member="Juwiela Melec"]
[member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Thessa Kai"] [member="Leea Pandac"] [member="Kikhveakkaz"] [member="Juwiela Melec"]

Three and four banked a hard right and began to weave back and forth in a well practiced pattern. Their shields evened out as they tracked the movements of Rogue as she fired. The shot had glanced Ugly Three's shields before they began to try and lead Both Rogue and Sharp away from the derelict ships.

Uglies one and two continued alternating fire to ensure a steady stream of fire. Ordo watched as the two yavins broke their charge, peppered his shields with laser fire and performed a series of maneuvers that made him smile. They were good. He liked that. This is what he had spent so much of his life on. His years behind a yoke were his most alive, most free. He motioned to comm ugly two and found his comms had gone dead. His smile widened and he flashed his landing lights to get his wing man's attention. Then dipped a wing tip. They had been working together since the battle of Mandalore and they knew the routine. Ordo rolled his fighter as his wing man swung over and they flew belly to belly to share shields and began firing at the Yavins while the targetting computers began working on a missile lock.

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea tried to stay on the fourth ship's tail, but then she realized they were leading her away from the ships, the same ships that would be good cover for combat, but it would be a waste of time to try and bring the enemy ships into the derelict area. She tried to keep the ugly in front of her as she fired her lasers again. She loosed three shots in quick succession before lowering her shield by 50% to increase the strength of her blaster fire. He began firing again.

"Good pilots... Have to figure out a way to cut them off. Have to think..." She spoke aloud, not really caring if anyone was listening. Fortunately her comm was odd anyways.

[member="Ordo"]
[member="Thessa Kai"]
[member="Juwiela Melec"]