The rise of a Valkyrie (OS, Allies)

[Kenrath]

Thanith Gumara the founder and Pride of Valkyrie squadron was just leaving the Promotion Ceremony heading towards the Officer's Club. It had been rented out for the party afterwards. While it was Thanith's day he was determined to share it with the other members of Valkyrie Squadron and invited guests.

Still in his dress uniform with new LTCMDR insignia Thanith entered the room. It seemed they had been waiting on him. No sooner did the door shut behind him did Valkyrie 6 jump to attention.

"Officer on Deck."

Thanith smiled looking at his friend shaking his head.

"At Ease."

He walked up to the Flight Corporal shaking his friends hand chuckling as the other members of his old Fighter squadron lined up to get a turn congratulating him. He felt at home among the 11 of them. Some including the Cpl were original members of Valkyrie.

Spoiler

[member="Eliza Lunelle"] [member="Kyra Proga"]

 

[Eliza Lunelle]

The Officer's Club. Perhaps indeed, the most vital clue was in the name. Eliza was no officer- barely a flight corporal, in fact, though the stark grey uniform might have suggested more. But if one does not ask, one does not get, and so perhaps she had arrived at the door with faint hopes. At the very least, she arrived in hope of free drinks, disregarding potential career manoeuvres entirely. Voices echoed back and forth beyond the door, the individual words yet inaudible. The ceremony was in honour of a newly promoted officer, that much was quite obvious, given the choice of venue, and she vaguely recognized the name the notices outside gave.

It was cold outside, though it did not really bother her- she slunk inside. Cold eyes regarded that line of pilots, the officer walking betwixt them in his dress uniform.

Hers was a harsh voice, if high and clear.

"Sir."

[member="Thanith Gumara"]

 

[Kenrath]

Thanith turned hearing the voice behind him. He smiled seeing [member="Eliza Lunelle"] approach.

"Yes?" "What can I do for you?"

He motioned her forward with his hand.

"While we are at it have you met the members of Valkyrie Squadron?"


As he spoke he heard somebody yell from further in the room.

"Speech, speech, speech."

He laughed shaking hiss head. He hated giving speeches. He figured them pointless but then again it was something he was going to have to get used to. It would be good practice for the mission briefings he would have to write up and present from now on.

He called back.

"In a minute will you I just got here."

He turned to Valkyrie 6 with a pleading look.

"Hey will you go entertain them for a minute." "You know I hate speeches." "I need a minute."

 

[Eliza Lunelle]

"You'd be Officer Gumara then, I take it?" She stepped forwards, a thin smile upon her lips. So these pliots were Valkyrie Squadron- she supposed they looked the part. The grizzled types, perhaps less comrades than friends, brothers. One might have thought so from the way they had exchanged words, at least. "Congratulations, sir."

That smile spread ever thinner as she slipped across the room, a sea of unfamiliar faces and hard voices. She glanced between the Valkyries, exchanging quick pleasantries, shaking occasional hands. She'd seen these men in action first-hand, and the two didn't quite fit together; the interstellar aces that had moved as if their minds had been one and the same, and then these men, laughing at each other. Things were always different in the heat of battle, that much was obvious. How different, however, that was to be decided.

The friendliest ones were always the most dangerous.

[member="Thanith Gumara"]

 

[Kyra Proga]

Officers social? Feth. She hadn't signed up for pleasantries, but yet here she was, in full uniform. It seemed to be mostly the Valkyries though - Kyra hadn't made herself known yet, she was merely lurking in the doorway. They seemed jovial enough, but she'd had her gripes about Valkyrie in the past - The Golden Boys of the Navy, and all that. Still, she'd been asked to attend and it would have been political suicide not to. After all, it payed to have friends in high places, especially when said friends comprised one of the more lethal naval units the Empire had to offer... So she entered, largely unannounced and unnoticed, silently making her way over to the serving droid to get herself a drink. Alcohol, at least, was familiar.

[member="Eliza Lunelle"] [member="Thanith Gumara"]

 

[Kenrath]

Thanith smiled to [member="Eliza Lunelle"] giving her a nod.

"Please it is Thanith." "Ranks do not exist in this room today." "We are all just pilots here."

He watched as she wondered off to mingle giving a light chuckle. He clasped Valkyrie 6 on the soldier before making his way to the podium. On the way he grabbed a glass of water. Once up at the podium it politely cleared his throat.

"Well so I guess you guys wanted some epic speech." "Sorry you are going to be largely disappointed."

He paused as there were a few chuckles around the room mostly from Valkyrie.

"Well guys things seem to have picked up quick." "We went from having to fight for a squadron to call our own to having to prioritizing missions."

He paused taking a sip of water before raising his glass. He spoke only a single word.

"Atrisia."

Valkyrie 6 and five other members of Valkyrie raised there glass.

"Atrisia."

The mood had suddenly turned very somber but lasted only a minute before Thanith spoke again.

"Any way against all odds we keep winning despite beign out numbered." "So Command in their infinite wisdom............."

Thanith paused as a few chuckles echo'd through out the room.

"...............gave me a commission and even worse gave me my own Task Force."

[member="Kyra Proga"]

 

[Eliza Lunelle]

Informal- she'd made Thanith for the type. Friendliness was undeniably one route to respect, provided there was something firm besides. She supposed there must be; Valkyrie Squadron was hardly the banner for pacifism. The men seemed to like him, at least. Agreeable.

His speeches too, or so it seemed. The laughter and then the silence suggested so, some air of quiet reverence. What he said meant nothing to her- Atrisia was a footnote in a textbook, a dot on a map. Not a note worthy of silence. The raising of glasses spurred her further along the room, however, past more uniformed officers and grinning faces. The words of Thanith's speech continued to build behind her as she moved, fading slightly as she slithered by the serving droid to take a drink; however dramatic the speeches, this was just a promotion party, after all.

[member="Kyra Proga"] [member="Thanith Gumara"]

 

[Kenrath]

Thanith smiled as the crowd quieted down a bit before he continued. He would now get down to business.

"First I will be leaving Valkyrie to join a new Assault and Anti-fighter Task Force within our beloved Hellhammer War Fleet." "Task Force Phoenix."

He smiled.

"The good news is you have have been assigned to the Task Force." "The bad news is you still work for me."

He chuckled as the cheers turned into mock groans...........at least as far as his pilots were concerned.

"Which means.............6 get up here."

He waited until Valkyrie 6 came up to the podium before he continued.

"I have a special announcement for everyone." "First a Promotion." "Our beloved Corporal has been promoted to Flight Sergeant."

He turned to the man pining his new rank on him before making a second announcement.

"Command of Valkyrie is yours now." "You will be leading them into the future."

He turned back to the crowd.

"For the rest of you that means a slot has opened up to be part of the best." "Any of you guys or girls think you got what it takes?"

He smiled a warm smile scanning the crowd looking to see if there were any future elite fighter pilots in the crowd. True Valkyrie squadron was not his anymore but only a fool would think he would not still have the influence over who wore the Valkyrie patch.

Spoiler

[member="Eliza Lunelle"] [member="Kyra Proga"]

 

[Eliza Lunelle]

(OOC: Sorry [member="Kyra Proga"] , you hadn't been online for a while and I wanted to get this bit done before the invasion tomorrow (as of the time of this post) so I've broken any kind of posting order, really quite rude of me, but I hope it's ok!)

A place on Valkyrie Squadron?

Now that piqued her interest. She finished the drink, set the glass down by two pilots chatting idly. Perhaps it was the alcohol thinking; the Sith did stronger stuff than most, and she was loath to forget it. Either way, this was the first thing she'd heard that made any sense. Valkyrie Squadron. That'd get her out of the backwaters, the asteroid patrols; perhaps it might get her face-first into a Republic warship too, but there were no medals for hitting asteroids, at least. The warships were the more valorous option. She stepped forward.

"Thanith, sir- Rakata Prime, you remember?" The alcohol was definitely talking. She'd been firmly backseat to Valkyrie at Rakata. But she'd been in a seat, and that was better than nothing, surely. Hopefully Thanith'd be drunk or courteous enough to have forgotten. "I can do it."

She'd regret this, if she wasn't laughed off straight away. Her pride was screaming. "Give me a chance."

[member="Thanith Gumara"]

 

[Kenrath]

Thanith smiled as the same pilot from earlier took the bait. Out of all the people around the room with countless battles on their record it was the fresh faced greenhorn with the courage to lay it all on the line and try. He admired that for reasons that young [member="Eliza Lunelle"] didn't know.


He looked at her and the other pilots in the room.

"What's your name Pilot?"

He waited for her to answer glancing at Valkyrie's new CO. The two men exchanged a whole conversation in an instance without ever having spoken a word.

 

[Eliza Lunelle]

"Lunelle, sir. Eliza Lunelle, Sith Navy." In her head the words sounded rather more firm than they came out to be, some wobbly-voiced murmur. Sith Navy? Of course she was Sith Navy, what did he expect her to be, Chancellor of the Republic? The dying remains of her pride wheezed away.

"I think you could use me. And I think you might even need me." Maybe some of her confidence had returned as the words grew firmer, or perhaps her pride was already so dead it made no difference. She was shooting for the stars, and if she missed at least she might hit the moon. Or break her neck hitting the earth at supersonic speed.

She began to regret not having waited to finish the drink until after asking for a promotion.

[member="Thanith Gumara"]

 

[Kenrath]

Thanith nodded.

"Ok Miss Lunelle so considering the company you are in you think you are Valkyrie's only hope for the future?" "Kind of a bold statement don't you think?"

He moved from the podium stepping down and making a beeline towards her. He gait was slow and methodical as he almost seemed to take an hour before he stopped in front of her. Behind him the new Squadron leader spoke to the remaining crowd encouraging everyone to grab something to eat or drink. The formal part of the gathering concluded making way for the actual party itself.


[member="Eliza Lunelle"]

 

[Eliza Lunelle]

"Only hope? By no means." She gave a disingenuous grin, the sort that might easily sway drunks. Gumara didn't look too drunk, but it was worth a shot. "But best hope- perhaps." The smile widened, even if it was no more genuine.

Perhaps he was trying for intimidation, what with the slow walk; perhaps it had even worked. Eliza straightened her back, steeled her gaze. She saw a warped reflection of herself in his eyes, and noticed he was just barely taller than herself, if not broader-shouldered.

"I think that Valkyrie Squadron is based upon an uneven mixture of skill and unabashed luck." She softened the normal cut-glass tone, and some artificial warmth came to her eyes. "And I think that you can see both right now." She glanced up at him and back down, that most practiced and mechanical gesture of appreciation.

The ghost of her pride wept over one shoulder; here the ends justified the means. If it took faux-kindness and impress to wow the newly-promoted officer, then so be it. She'd done more for less.

[member="Thanith Gumara"]

 

[Kenrath]

Thanith looked at her his arms crossing just at the tip of his breastbone.

"Tell me something Miss Lunelle." "Do you know how Valkyrie got it's start. how it earned the reputation it has, why I am standing here today."

His eyes held the serious tone of a stone sober man not easily swayed by anything much less a grin from a woman trying to do her best eyelash batting tricks on him. This right here was her interview make it or break it. She would not get a second chance.


[member="Eliza Lunelle"]

 

[Eliza Lunelle]

A strong man, inside and out. Stronger than she had hoped, indeed, but so much more than she had feared.

The smile faded. It was no use, that was clear, but the cold stare remained. That was important. It had to impress.

"As all the greatest things did." Her hands made their way behind her back, fingers knotted together in some approximation of an admiral's stance.

"With a grand dream," She had one shot. "And the capacity, the willingness, to kill for it." One eyebrow raised. "Dreams upon the shoulders of death, Thanith. I think that is why you are standing here; death riding a dream, a Valkyrie atop her winged horse. Deaths riding dreams, Thanith."

She smiled.

[member="Thanith Gumara"]

 

[Kenrath]

Thanith shook his head his arms still crossed as she quoted fairly tales and propaganda

"Wrong."

He let it hang in the air for a few minutes knowing it had attracted a few looks from people close by especially every member of Valkyrie. The timing ill conceived when an unexpected hush had taken the room. even still his gaze never wavered from hers.

"There was no grand plan Miss Lunelle." "Valkyrie was formed by me for no other reason than because I got tired of sitting around watching holovids of dead Imperials just because some pencil pusher hadn't got around to process paperwork."

A few of the other members of Valkyrie slipped in behind Thanith. They were the newer members ones who were not there when Valkyrie was formed.

"I decided to take matters into my own hands." "I took those 11 other pilots also tired of watching men and women die while powerless to do nothing and a stole fighters from the hanger."

He paused.

"I took those men and women to Atrisia."

A dead silent hush filled the room as the name of that world was spoken.

"I lead a single squadron against two enemy Squadrons and a single space station." "While the battle was ultimately won I lost 5 good pilots." "Men and women who only wanted to make a difference never came home."

He took a deep breath.

"From that day on the rest of us the survivors trained and drilled endlessly." "In near suicidal tactics with the sole purpose of never being caught off guard again."

"I am here Miss Lunelle because I told the Warlord of the Imperial Navy herself she could take her glory and shove it and in that same breath told Admiral Andrew Tharsis the same thing."

He uncrossed his arms pointing at each and every pilot in that room.

"I am here because I will not tow the party line and needlessly sacrifice my men and women to further Sith delusions." "For that these men and women trust me with their lives, their careers, and quite frankly will not fly for anyone else."

He crossed his arms again.

"Would you die for them Miss Lunelle?" "Even more would you sacrifice your career, your very livelihood for them." "That is what it means to be Valkyrie." "You still think you have what it takes?"

[member="Eliza Lunelle"]

 

[Eliza Lunelle]

Even the poetic shtick had failed; that was certainly a surprise. Strong, inside and out. Underestimation was foolish, she supposed. Especially with someone who she'd wanted to impress.

"I daresay my version sounds nicer, sir." Poetics had their place, even in life and death and honour and valour and all things inbetween- he ought to appreciate that, salt-ot-the-earth has he might seem. But she could see the personable edge had rubbed away rather, and the hard creature inside was poking out now, with its talk of delusion and fairytale, careers and honour. It was less amusing, she had to admit. Less likeable, indeed. Gumara's veil was a thin one, thinner than hers maybe. One tug and it had fallen away, or he'd merely taken it away himself with the intention of making her an example.

And an example he had made.

"I don't see much of a Sith in you, sir. And maybe that's a good thing. We have lots of Sith. We don't have many of you." She wasn't smiling. She wasn't sure she liked Gumara, the real Gumara. He had come as soon as he had torn back her flimsy poetics. But he was there. He was most visible, most apparent, and most of all he seemed uncaring. Not uncaring like a Sith- the Sith cared about their pride and their honour, no. He seemed uncaring in a very different, very whole way, honest in itself. And perhaps she had best fight fire with fire, in honesty.

"Yes, sir. I do."

The ends justified the means, whatever she had to say.

[member="Thanith Gumara"]

 

[Kenrath]

Thanith shook his head.

"I am not Sith Miss Lunelle." "I am just a man trying to juggle doing his duty and keeping his men alive."

He took a deep breath looking at her for a moment.

"War isn't nice Eliza." "It was never meant to be." "But you have guts and that you will need." "Keep that sense of humor you are going to need it."

He turned nodding to Valkyrie 6 and then looking back at [member="Eliza Lunelle"] sticking out his hand to her.

"Be at the Squadron Barracks at 0300 Miss Lunelle." "Welcome to Valkyrie."

He smiled softly.

"Come on you look like you need another drink." "Besides since they are all here anyway my as well get introductions out of the way."

Thanith smiled as he walked throughout the crowd playfully shoving one of the Valkyrie pilots. Thanith had slipped right back out of the hard nosed all busy CO mentality just as easily as he had slipped into it. Now it was time to enjoy the party.