[b][i]ISD-Blackstar (Pilot's Briefing Room)[/i][/b]


The sounds of idle chatter and gear rustling about filled the air of the pilot's briefing room. Normally, the room was spacious and empty, providing a giant echo chamber to anyone with free time. However, after dozens of squads started filling in the seats, the room started to feel cramped instead.

"I can't believe it, we're finally taking the fight there. You guys think I'll see one?" Liam asked absentmindedly as his finger flicked back and forth across his datapad repeatedly. Each time his finger danced across the holographic display switched the projection between two starfighters. The Delta-7 Aethersprite, or the Eta-2 Actis, both were jedi interceptors.

"You'd have better luck with a museum." A voice from behind him replied, a slender arm came down over his head, and forcefully closed down his datapad. "Which happens to [b]not[/b] be what we're attacking!" The voice playfully continued to tease at him.

Liam turned around. "Come on, Maran, what'd you go and do that for? I can dream, can't I?"

Maran smiled at him. "Dreaming about ships, at your age? We're both twenty something, we've got better things to dream about, you'know?" Maran said, shifting his eyes lecherously toward some of the female pilots in the room. A couple of whom, sent some form of expletive's, or violent gesture, Maran's way.

"Maybe some dreams should just stay dreams." Liam taunted back.

"Enough, you knuckleheads!" A hand came crashing down on both their heads, drawing out a grunt from both of the pilots. "The ship's captain is coming all the way down from the bridge, so shut it already!" Jarael shouted in their ears.

"Ach, come on, don't be such a scuff eater." Maran rubbed the top of their head gently. "Every other squad is doing the same."

"Wait, the captain is coming down?" Liam turned his head towards Jarael, still nursing his own wound, and sent a puzzled look her way. "Doesn't the tactical officer usually brief us?"

"Yeah." Blanche added from behind Liam, startling the man, but said nothing else.

The squad captain, Ben, took this moment to chime in. "It's rare, but there are times when the ship's captain comes down to talk to the troops. So to speak. During the height of the rebellion a few of my old captains came to speak with me a-"

"No offense, sir, but can we skip the story and get to the point?" Maran interjected, and received a swift elbow from Jarael. "Ach.."

Ben eyed him, then the rest of the squad, and gave a short cough. "Yes, well, in short. Expect to hear some bad news. You all heard how we're going on a major offensive to retake Kuat? Expect to hear something like 'no reinforcements' or 'focus on this sector'."

"Not the first time we've been given hard orders." Blanche said flatly, staring off into the ceiling.

"Yes, but I don't like following them." Maran retorted, and Liam nodded on his own.

A loud whistling filled the room, and suddenly everyone shut up. Seats turned, clothes rustled one last time as every pilot in the room filled into their proper seats with the efficiency of a machine.

The Blackstar's tactical officer walked in, a clean-shaven man with blonde hair, and an aura that seemed to cut off any last bit of unnecessary chatter. Behind him, the ship's captain, a rare sighting among the pilots. Several eyes darted to her, then back to the tactical officer. The both of them stepped behind a podium, with a giant wall-embeded screen behind it.

"Pilots, as soon as final checks complete with the fleet, and Admiral Kava's ship, we will undergo an operation to retake the Kuat Driveyards for the Empire." 

Several approving nods and mumbles escaped various pilots, but they continued to stay silent, and the officer continued. Details such as their Blackstar's position among the assault fleet popped up onto the viewscreen, their plan of attack, details behind the actual Kuat shipyards, and one last detail.

'Limited mothership support'. 

Of course, that was expected, as the rebels begin pulling in reinforcements to face their fleet, the fighting between capital ships would get heavier. Fighter screens and support would have to change appropriately during the fight. With the normal briefing over, and all important questions answered, the tactical officer saluted, then dismissed everyone in the room. 

After staying quiet during the briefing, the captain finally spoke up. "Everyone, except Obisidan squad." The entirety of Obsidian looked at each other peripherally, something weird was about to happen, they had never been singled out like this before. A few of the pilots leaving sent pitying glances, or pats on the back, before they left. Even the tactical officer gave them one last salute, before quietly exiting the room.

Ben quickly took a position closer to the podium. "Ma'am, Obsidian, reporting."

The captain motioned for him to stop. "At ease." She sighed after rubber her forehead. "I really pity your squad, Captain. I have no idea why the Emperor's Hand picked you out, but you have additional orders. I thought it would be best if I briefed you personally." She tapped at the podium controls, and new details painted the screen. Obsidian locked eyes with each other after viewing the screen, instead of deployment plans or ship specs, it was a personnel dossier.

"Mara Jade has ordered you to exact an engineer, key member of rebel R&D. From what she's told me, he's a former Imperial, a traitor. Our spies say he's at the driveyard to personally offload advanced technical documents, and then will be departing with a medical frigate. If we time it right, you will disable this frigate, preventing his escape, and then board the station."

"Will all due respect, sir, we're pilots. You can't expect us to lead a boarding action." Ben suddenly objected, his brows were furrowed, and his voice sounded like he was on the verge of shouting. 

The Captain smiled thinly, it seemed like she was sympathetic, maybe she didn't appreciate her own soldiers being randomly appropriated. "Most rebel attention should be focused on the capital ships, but to account for station security, an additional lower fleet will be providing support in the form of stormtrooper transports, which will also invade the station. Their random positioning should help screen you, along with serving as a decoy. They should finish deployment once you disable the frigate." The screen switched to display the 'lower' fleet, composed of five Arquitens. 

"Don't expect much from them, I doubt you'll see them unless you look for them. They have orders to rejoin the battle once they offload their troops." The Captain tapped at the podium, switching the screen back, and then continued. "One of you will fly a TIE Reaper, you will need the extra cargo space to extract the engineer, along with a small squad of stormtroopers to help you fight your way inside. Any questions?"

Ben immediately spoke up. "Sir, why are we doing this in the middle of a battle, wouldn't disabling the frigate be enough?"

"The Emperor's Hand, is worried our engineer may be killed during the fighting."

"Sir, he's just one man, a single engineer? Why employ such an awkward plan for a single person?" Jarael followed up, her own face showing concern.

"I asked that too, apparently he's [i]that [/i]important. As it was explained to me, if he continues his work for the rebels, he could advance their technology by decades." The squad stayed quiet for a few more moments, giving each other looks. "If that's all, I want you on standby, I imagine you have preparations to make."

"Sir!" Obsidian stood at attention, returned a salute, and briskly left the room. Halfway to their locker rooms, with the Captain far behind them, they began to talk amongst themselves.

"Hey, Ben, have you ever led a ground assault?" Liam asked nervously, Ben put a reassuring hand on Liam's shoulder. "We won't be leading, remember, let those stormtroopers march off first, we'll follow them out."

"There's one last question then, who's gonna fly the Reaper?"

"Liam, you just volunteered." Ben turned to him with a smug smile. "I'll fly co-pilot with you." He gave a loud chuckle.

[i]Just harking, great.[/i]