[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/191228/1c7c012ee83e9fd5f3e44889efaa708e.png[/img][/center][hr]

[indent][indent][color=red]"There's too many of them."[/color][/indent][/indent]

[center][color=lightgray]"How the Hell are we supposed to pass this?"[/color][/center]

[right][indent][indent][indent]"There's just too many!"[/indent][/indent][/indent][/right]

[color=fdc68a]"Remember: follow your training, and you will-"[/color]

The students watched in horror as a hail of laser fire pierced through the darkness from a rogue Vulture Droid Starfighter. The simulated battle was far more intense than anything the students had seen before in their experience. The Eta-3 Interceptor's hull was ripped to shreds, before an explosion launched the debris into a cloud where their Jedi master once was. The twelve students were now alone to face down a Lucehulk on their own. Red One, the highest marked student in the class, piped up almost immediately. [color=lightgray]"Evasive manuevers while I patch through to command."[/color] The admiral's son took a deep breath while he re-routed his comms under heavy turbolaser fire as if it were a piece of cake. Flying was in his blood, after all. Once he got the green light and static, he called out. [color=lightgray]"This is Red One to Command. Red Leader is down, and we are outgunned in CIS contested space. Red Squadron is awaiting orders."[/color]

In the meantime, Ro Nuul sat back and watched his students from the comfort of his flight simulator. His monitor showed a 3D holoprojection of the simulated battlefield, and the Jedi Knight sighed and shook his head as he watched his students failing one by one. He heard Red One's call to command and gave a slight nod, before turning to flick a switch on his console.

The static increased significantly in his ear, and a quick look to the control panel revealed the worst: communications were being jammed. Red One looked through his cockpit at the sight before him. They were outmatched five to one with starfighters, and only half of the students were still alive in the simulation. Red One ground his teeth and sighed. [color=lightgray]"Red Squadron, prepare to jump to hyperspace. We're going to regroup with Republic command."[/color]

Red Three grit his teeth at the order. [color=red]"We know how to take this thing down. We need to make a rush for their hangar bay."[/color] The student smiled as his targeting computer confirmed a lock on the Vulture Droid that was tailing Red Five, and squeezed the trigger. The volley of laser fire tore the droid to pieces. [color=red]"We need to complete the mission, Red One."[/color]

Red One shook his head as his droid finished the calculations. [color=lightgray]"Then finish it on your own. I'm not tanking my 'no-death' record to go on a suicide run in our final. I'm jumping now."[/color] Before Red Three could even protest, the top student eased the lever forward and watched the world around him zip past.

Red Three watched as the others followed suite, one by one. Within seconds, Red Three was left as nearly twenty remaining Vulture droids began to lock in on his position in the asteroid field. The Mandalorian student gave a wicked grin as he called back to his astromech droid. [color=red]"All power to forward shields and thrusters. Let's outrun these clankers."[/color]

The X-Wing lurched forward as Red Three bobbed and weaved through the asteroid field. The Vultures could barely seem to register the X-Wing's trajectory, slowly turning to try and chase the lone fighter with little success. Red Three was careful enough to also use the asteroids as cover fire, as the Lucrehulk's turbolasers were having trouble locking on with all the debris in the way. With a little luck and a lot of skill, the last student managed to zip past an asteroid and swing himself right into the open hangar bay. The interior defense turrets could only get a shot or two off on the X-Wing before it zipped by, and the shields managed to hold together just fine. As he saw the end of the hangar bay quickly approaching, Red Three called out to his astromech, [color=red]"Cut the thrusters. Weapons to full power!"[/color]

The next few seconds were a blur. As Red Three's X-Wing zoomed past the Vulture Droid Starfighters, the pilot fired everything he had at the exposed reactors. And then, with a flash of light, the screen went black. Red Three heard the simulator powering down, and his hatch automatically opened to reveal the well-lit hangar the simulators sat in. As the student began climbing out of the cockpit, the other students were all cheering and hollering. All, that is, except Red One. A large screen nearby simply read "Mission Complete" in bold letters. Red One's glare went from his classmate to his teacher, who was rapidly approaching the crowd of students. As soon as the Kel Dor approached, the students fell silent and directed their attention towards their master.

[color=fdc68a]"Red Three... you are aware that if your squadron leader dies, command falls to the highest ranking pilot in the squadron, correct."[/color]

Red Three, a human standing a little under Ro's height, turned his gaze towards the ground in defeat. [color=red]"Yes, sir."[/color]

[color=fdc68a]"So that made Red One your superior officer, correct?"[/color]

[color=red]"Yes, sir."[/color]

[color=fdc68a]"And you disobeyed his direct order to jump to hyperspace..."[/color]

[color=red]"I needed to complete the mission, sir."[/color] Red Three's face hardened. His square jaw seemed to stiffen, and the boy's eyes were lifted to meet Ro's in defiance beneath his mop of red hair.

Ro meerly folded his arms at the sight of Red Three's defiance. The tension in the room was palpable, as the Jedi Master's reputation for dismissing pilots for insubordination was legendary in the Academy. With his eyes and goggles seeming to narrow, Ro began pacing. [color=fdc68a]"In order to get this straight for your examination report... you chose to disobey a direct order from your superior officer to go on a suicide run into the heart of a Droid Command Ship to fulfill your mission?"[/color]

The defiance in Red Three's eyes dwindled as his gaze turned towards the ground once again. He was silent for a few moments before weakly responding, [color=red]"Yes, sir."[/color]

Ro gave a thoughtful nod, before reaching towards his utility belt and pulling out a small medal from one of his pouches. He held it out in his four-fingered hand beneath Red Three's gaze, and the student's head recoiled back in shock. It was an emblem known by every student Ro Nuul ever taught: the insignia of the Iron Squadron. [color=fdc68a]"It seems I have taught you well after all, Iron Twelve."[/color]

Before the other students could rush in to congratulate their fellow classmate, Red One's voice boomed through the hangar. [color=lightgray]"WHAT! I played things by the book perfectly. I took command, tried to contact command, and then made the judgement call at the last minute to save my Squadron's lives. I did what any good-"[/color] The large Zabrak halted in both his steps and words as soon as Ro raised his hand.

Ro was silent for a moment as his gaze fell on each student individually before finally turning back to Red One, the son of one of the GRM's admirals. [color=fdc68a]"You did play things by the book, and without a moment's hesitation. And for that reason, I will be recommending you to serve as an officer in this Navy. You will do well in Tarkin's military."[/color] Red One began to open his mouth again to speak out, but was silenced by the furrowing of Ro's brow. [color=fdc68a]"I'm not looking for a man who will play by the book in my squadron. I have been looking for pilots who will go fight against the odds and do whatever is necessary to complete their mission. No matter what it takes. That is why Ezran Wrells will serve as my Iron Twelve. The rest of you have passed the final examination, and will receive your orders after the Founding Ceremony. May the Force be with you."[/color]

[hr]

For the last four years, Iron Squadron was responsible for acting as an elite security escort for the Founding ceremony. This year was no different. The Jedi Ace had been busy coordinating starfighter escorts to various dignitaries and Mandalorian banners for about three hours from the comfort of his modified Eta-3 Interceptor, the [i]Dauntless II[/i], before anything interesting had happened. Ro Nuul raised his brow as he overheard a particular transmission to Keldabe from the Prince of the Hapes Consortium. The name was familiar, but it took Ro a moment to process. By the time it clicked, Ro flipped a switch and called out from his Eta-3 Interceptor. [color=fdc68a]"Keldabe ATC, Iron Three and Iron Seven are moving into position to escort the Thundering Wrath. I'll act as the welcoming committee for this one."[/color]

With that, Ro Nuul relayed the orders to his squadron. Two Eta-3 Starfighters began their approach to flank the Nova-class battle cruiser. The Jedi Ace took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts for a moment. [color=fdc68a][i]It's not going to be him, Ro. But let's see this through.[/i][/color] The [i]Dauntless II[/i] began it's approach, and Ro hailed the cruiser with his comms unit. [color=fdc68a]"This is Jedi Knight Ro Nuul of Iron Squadron requesting boarding permission to personally welcome you to the Grand Republic of Mandalore."[/color]

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