The Slow Ride

[Asmus Janes]

Rogue Squadron's Mobile Base ~ ANS Rebel's Hope

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Asmus needed a new flight helmet. His own had been thrown across the flight deck with such force that he'd cracked it on a bulkhead. No one had thought to chide him from his display. He'd lost three Rogues in the atmospheric battle, had no idea where Choli was and had lost another two in the phases retreat back from the surface.

They'd escorted the vessels all the way to the perimeter, harassed by Force Order interceptors. Meyer didn't have a hyperdrive so they'd given him a berth on the Hope. After all, there had been plenty of space.

Back in his casual uniform, Asmus was heading for the officer's mess. They'd given Meyer an invitation on account of how well he'd conducted himself in the battle. They'd have lost several more B-Wings in that last run if he hadn't provided cover.

This was going to be a somber affair. Red Squadron were on duty down in the deck so Rogues could get some food and rest. Asmus could try and find out who had joined the battle voluntarily.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kurt didn't do somber.

Not when it came to things like this. He hadn't known many of the rogues, not the two that had been lost on the way back nor the three in the atmosphere, though surprisingly he had actually met Choli once before. She had known him from his racing days, and the two of them had escaped a space station together. Back when the One Sith had clashed with the Republic still. Despite that, he knew what it felt like to lose squadmates, knew what it was like to take a punch or two because of a friend.

"Alright." Kurt said as he lifted the bottle, pouring the shot in a single row. "Two for the lost."

Slowly the Pilot dolled out the shots, pushing them towards each of the men sitting around them. "One for the living."

That was how they'd always done it in the RN. Each time they'd returned from a mission, each time they lost someone, this is what they would do. There were really only two options when you lost someone, you could either mourn their death, or celebrate the life they had lived. Kurt and his friends had often chosen the latter, mostly because in those days the fighting had been so fierce and seemingly never ending that they lost someone almost every time they'd gone out.

Those hadn't been good times.

"Gonna need another one of these." He told the man next to him, setting down the empty bottle as everyone grabbed their first drink.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

There was a clink as Asmus set the next bottle down on the table. The good stuff. They had his credits behind the bar now. He'd been in discussion with the leaders from Green and Gold squadron at the bar and each had put the money over the bar for their respective squadrons for the rest of the evening.

"I've got it," Asmus said, placing his hand on Junta's shoulder. The sullustan, Rogue Four, had kept on Asmus' wing for the entire battle and hadn't let him down. Asmus gave the newcomer a subtle nod of appreciation.

Asmus pulled off the cap and poured himself a shot. The life expectancy of a starfighter pilot wasn't long, but the Rogues hadn't suffered a loss like this yet.

"To Rogue Two. Harrison," he called out. It was echoed back. "He was fething useless at racquetball."

"New on Choli?" someone asked quietly after the shots had gone down. The bottle was already on its way around.

Asmus shook his head. "Could be on the next ship over for all we know. Won't find out for a while."

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kurt tipped his head back as the second of the third shots went down, his eye twitching slightly as he felt the signature burn upon his throat.

He'd grown up drinking Tatooine 'Shine, but that lingering burn always stuck with him no matter what. He frowned slightly as he put the glass back down. A part of him couldn't help but feel a tad out of place here. Sure he'd flown with these people once, but that didn't really mean the same thing. A squadron stuck together about as tightly as a family, losing them? That was hard, harder that Kurt could really describe. His head shook slightly as the last round of shots was poured out.

"I've met Choli." Kurt said as he lifted the small glass.

A few of the others around the table raised their eyebrows.

"Good kid, from Tatooine." He raised the glass, Kurt of course had no idea whether or not the girl was dead, but now wasn't the time to suggest the thought of it. They had already lost five, there was no need to add a sixth to that last. "They don't make wimps on my homeworld. She'll be alright."

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Well that was interesting at least. Asmus walked around the circular table to find a free chair. There were other groups of officers on the mess, but no one from engineering. They'd been struck by several long range missiles during the battle and the central section of the hull had suffered several breaches.

"She's made of tougher stuff that the pilots twice her age," he agreed. "She must have been a kid when you knew her, was it back on tatooine?"

For the first time since he'd come to the mess there was a hint of a smile on his face. It had been a long time since the First Order had bombed his homeworld. He'd always wanted to be part of the first offensive into their space, but this had been a chaotic mess.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kurt downed the third shot, much to the amusement of the man besides him. "No."

"Though I think she knew me back then." That was certainly the impression he got, mostly because she'd recognized him from the posters that hung around Mos Eisley after his Boonta Eve wins. It wouldn't have been unfair to say that Choli had been a bit of a fangirl, a young one at that. He placed the glass back down onto the table, half turning towards the man who had asked him the question. He tried to remember the planet they had been on for a moment.

"She recognized me on Telti." Kurt told him. "Just a few moments before the One Sith invaded."

That hadn't been a pleasant occasion. In truth he'd have rather forgotten all about it.

"They blew up my ship, so she and I had to steal an old...god I don't even remember what it was, but we managed to blow past their fleet before they got the blockade in place." He'd dropped her off at an Outpost not long after that, the memory was an...interesting one.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"I wasn't at Telti, didn't sign up before the Alliance started to come together," Asmus replied. He liked to know about his squadron and perhaps hadn't taken enough time to get to know Choli.

"But you were there at the end of the One Sith!" Junta replied, holding up his glass. Asmus did likewise and threw back another drink.

"Yeah for the first hour of Coruscant 'til that damn ion bomb caught us. Damned First Order have been a plague since the Alliance started. Unlike the Sith they're a full on propaganda machine. There's even support for them still back on Eriadu." Asmus shook his head sadly. "Oh, I'm assuming you're Meyer by the voice. I'm Janes, Rogue Leader," Asmus said. He leaned across the table and offered his hand. He couldn't help but notice the man was scruffy. Particularly amongst serving military. But in a particularly handsome way. Now wasn't the time.

"So how did you end up flying a TIE into a warzone for the Alliance?"

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"Kurt." The Courier said as he shook Janes hand. He had never been much for formality, one of the chief complaints that had been lodged at his court martial. He didn't really mind of course, he wasn't here to be a pilot or anything.

Drawing back from the man Kurt scratched the back of his head.

"The Elves." He chuckled. "I was testing my ship not far from here. One of their fleets stumbled on me, thought I was an enemy. Said that I had to come aboard and when they arrived here...well let's just say they can look awful mean staring at you from across the hangar."

Kurt let out a laugh, grabbing the now once again full shot glass from the table. "I'd rather fly around a bit than get stabbed by an elf."

He shuttered.

"There's something unnatural about those chicks." He stopped for a second, then looked about the officers mess. "No offense to anyone with elfy origins."

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Asmus," he replied, managing most of a smile. If he'd been one for formalities himself he wouldn't have been on the edge of getting booted from the academy before joining a group of talented misfits to form Rogue Squadron. However, today he commanded a Wing that had just taken a beating and lost a lot of good men. If this had been a victory, Kurt would have seen a very different side of him.

"Didn't you date an elf?" Asmus asked of one of his men.

The victim rolled his eyes. "It was only over the holonet for a few..."

"Oh the one that turned out to be a guy," Junta cut in.

"No, no..."

"He just refused a face to face meeting for other reasons then," Asmus chuckled. He turned his attention back to Kurt. Even sombre and down a couple of shots there was a fierce intelligence behind those green eyes. He'd mulled over Kurt's explanation, considered what he'd seen of his comm etiquette and flying and come to a conclusion. Not to mention that the Alliance and allies tended to do background checks before letting people land on military vessels.

"So who were you with before then? Republic? Protectorate? A domestic fleet?"

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"Republic." Most in the room could have probably guessed that by now. "During the war."

There was really no need to explain what war he was talking about. The One Sith and the Republic had fought their war for a decade and more. There had been fighting enough for most people, including Kurt. He'd given them two years of his life, from the age of eighteen to twenty. It seemed like a lifetime ago now, though he imagined that most soldiers felt that way about their service. He frowned for a moment, then downed the drink he'd been holding.

Old memories. "After that?"

He shrugged.

"I'm just a Courier." There was no lie to that. Sure he flew The Messa, one of the fastest ships in the galaxy, but he wasn't really anything special. A part of him wished he could claim that he was some sort of hero, that he went about saving the galaxy and doing whatever he wished, but no such luck. He was just a glorified delivery boy, but that suited him just fine, at least for now.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"A lot of people from around here were too," Asmus replied. "Killian you were..." Holding up his shot glass he pointed two fingers at a Zeltron pilots opposite him.

"I was the hundred and seventh squadron," she replied. "I was with the fifth fleet under Tan when the Sith scattered us. We regrouped at Sullust and that was that."

Asmus brought his glass to his lips, but didn't drink. He arched one eyebrow. "You're a courier... With a TIE interceptor and no hyperdrive?"

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"I got out before then." Kurt explained. "Dishonorably discharged."

He shrugged. That was another story entirely, one that he didn't mind telling but was hardly relevant. It was funny, but he doubted that the people in this room would be all that interested in his days of delinquency. He frowned for a moment and then shook his head.

"No no." He explained.

"The Coil is just something I've been working on." His dad, Kaile, and Him actually. "I have another ship, The Messa. My Roommate and I both live on it."

Another shrug.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"How close are we to a dishonourable discharge again?" Asmus asked his squad with a grin.

Junta raised his wide, inky black eyes to the ceiling in thought. "Well...after Locke flashed her rear at the bridge of the imperial frigate out of her canopy I'd say we're up to one hundred and twenty seven yellow slips."

Asmus feigned concern at this news. "And what's our account stand at the other way?"

"Seventeen confirmed kills today so that's..." Zillian started.

"One hundred and thirty one," Asmus finished. "Excellent, we're still in the black." He turned back towards Kurt. "We have a theory that the Rogues can keep operating as long as we keep our operational record slightly ahead of the logged disciplinaries. When I get some leave I'll get back onto my side project actually..."

"Oh don't start him off," Zillian bemoaned. "You know you're not allowed to fly it."

There was a touch of sadness to Asmus' smile and not because of the events of the day. He hadn't told them yet. The SIS was looking for pilots to work behind enemy lines and take the fight to the heart of the First Order. A few weeks and he would be standing down from Rogue One, formally taking a job as an Incom test pilot and taking his ship to an SIS frigate. Today didn't seem the day to tell them.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

He smiled.

It was an interesting theory. "Rogue Squadron always got to have all the fun."

The Republic had had one as well, though it had been a bit less successful than this current iteration. They had been there, they had flown just like Kurt, but they'd been a bit more stuck up in their ways. Kurt had always found them slightly annoying, pompous even.

"Whats the project?" He asked just to be nice. "New X-wing?"

It was half a joke, though he wouldn't be surprised.

For some reason pilots liked to stick to what they knew, he certainly did.

Flying a TIE was an all new experience, and in truth he only did it because the stealth drive and everything else had already been put into place. No way he was going to change the airframe and everything else just to have the ship look the way he wanted it to.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"No don't..." Zillian started, but the question had already been asked.

"Junta go grab another bottle, no don't look at me like that, my money's behind the bar."

"Oh is it?" Zillian asked with the raise of an eyebrow. Asmus merely shook his head as the Sullustan shuffled off for the bar.

"Anyway," Asmus said, returning his attention to Kurt. "Back before I signed up we found these prototype trainers. Abandoned by Incom during the dark times, but they'd been pretty well preserved. Electronics were all gone mind. But the notion was pretty simple, basic flight mechanics..

"Your X-Wing has the weapons on the tips of the S-foils and the engines on the inside. This means the weapons systems give the vessel a greater moment of inertia and the engines apply less of a torque for a given force. No friction in space so it's all about mass distribution. This one is the other way around. Fixed wings to take the strain, weapon's systems in the nose and engines at the ends of the nacelles. Bi-directional engines right, so you can flip the thrust on the starboard side and she'll spin as fast as the inertial dampers can keep you conscious."

"You had to ask..."

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kurt nodded.

He understood the thought behind it. The Coil was already built in much the same way, most TIE's were in fact. Weapons were built straight into the wings or the cockpit housing to allow for greater maneuverability. It had always been the point of the ships, they were fast and maneuverable, more so than any other craft.

"I see." Kurt said out loud. "Also means less application."

He pointed out, though Asmus likely already knew.

"Biggest thing about the X-wing was always it's versatility." A shrug rolled over his shoulders. Perhaps that was simply what Asmus wanted, or dreamed about it. Though Kurt wondered by he wouldn't choose a different air frame.

Maybe the man was the sentimental type. "Sounds fun though."

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"When was the last time you heard of someone changing out the laser cannons on an X-Wing because they were mounted on the wings?" Asmus asked. "Yes ripping out the repeating cannon this thing has mounted in the nose would be a much larger job, but it's not like cannon technology changes that much, so it ends up more of a maintenance problem. I can still swap out the ordnance just as easily as your regular X-Wing."

"And Janes is already a walking maintenance problem."

Asmus turned to Zillian with his head cocked. "How much have you had to drink already, that one didn't even make sense."

The zeltron tilted her head from side to side and gave a "meh."

Talking was good. Talking meant not letting his mind dwell too tightly on the failure they'd all just been a part of. Not even a small scale engagement, the First Order and Alliance fleets had been colossal by the end of the day and the GADF had failed to get traction. They needed to fight harder, smarter. Small surgical strikes like the ones they'd carried out against the One Sith. They needed to remember how they had fought wars back then. Of course, no matter what, Asmus would start replaying events later that night when he was alone. Trying to stop his own mind from finding a way to blame himself.

"So what's the frame on that thing made out of. The numbers on my readouts suggested you're running at a good shade less mass than the ones the FO were putting out."

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"First Order didn't make it." As far as he knew.

"Neither did the One Sith or the Sith Empire." That was what his father had told him anyway, and since his parents had designed weapons for the first Sith Empire in this age he had trusted his words. "It's based on the designs from the old TIE Interceptor."

Well over eight hundred years old now.

"Not the same though. There's no durasteel in it at all, or any heavy metal." He scratched the back of his head and yawned. "The Frame is pure Titanium and the rest of it is just fiberplast."

That of course meant it was probably one of the most vulnerable starfighters in the galaxy. "I don't think they were ever planning on anyone hitting that ship."

With anything.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Well, the plan held out today and long may that continue," Asmus said with a smile. It didn't quite reach his eyes however, where the strain of the day was still evident to anyone who cared to look. Junta was making his way back with another bottle of the good stuff. Asmus could feel the pinch of that in the morning. He held up his glass towards Kurt.

"So where is it you need to be dropped off anyway? I assume someone agreed to get a logistics ship to take your TIE somewhere?"

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"I think that plan will hold out for a lot longer." Kurt said with a wide smirk. "After all."

Here came the ego. "I'm a better pilot than the lot of you."

There was a rash of chuckles that reached through the room, someone filled up his glass once more. The goofy grin on Kurt's face obviously told that he was joking. He wondered for a brief few seconds what exactly he had been drinking the last few shots, after the third all of the liquor had sort of lost it's taste, usually what it tended to do. He frowned for a moment and then raised his glass to Asmus before slowly tipping it up and drinking his fifth shot of the night.

"Sullust ish fine." He slurred just slightly.

"My roommate should be waiting for me." They could attach The Coil to The Messa and transport it back home. "Though I think she'll wonder what the hell happened today."

As would a lot of other people in the galaxy.