[Chapter 1] Starting Somewhere

Daring adventurers willing to risk it all in the name of galactic peace and exploration, the fighter pilots of the United Galactic Republic Navy are the heroes of their own tales, as well as of lore; always at the forefront, the UGR Navy pilots fly their fighters as extensions of themselves in order to ensure peace and prosperity around the galaxy.
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Kai
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Re: [Chapter 1] Starting Somewhere

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Before the discussion could go any further, the lights in the entire ship changed color, from a soft daylight white to a bit dimmer reddish glow. Smaller lights placed every so often flashed a reddish hue as well, and a soft klaxon horn began calling, louder in some areas than others. Luckily it wasn't the loudest in the Shopette, and those within could at least hear themselves think. There was a general announcement, in the soft, businesslike tone of the Karakoram's avatar, informing everyone of why the sudden change in mood lighting occurred.
Warning, The Karakoram will soon be entering Hetran space, where we have received word that a battle is currently taking place. All hands, man your battle stations, All pilots, report to your ready rooms, all non essential personnel, please seek shelter
The warning repeated several times, ensuring that everyone had a chance to hear the message. Additionally, a text version was broadcast to everyone's communicators, which also included specific instructions for each of the individuals. Those in Green flight would receive the following:
Report to ready room in flight gear, this is not a drill, we will be assisting the battle
Rally was not especially happy about this turn of events, muttering "Awww, shit..." before hitting the gas as it were and pushing her cart at breakneck speed to the registers before they could close, so she could swiftly make her purchase and get changed into her flight suit before heading to the ready room. She did not look back at the others- at this point it was every woman for herself (No offense to August) and she really needed the stuff in her basket.
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Mr. Blackbird Lore
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Re: [Chapter 1] Starting Somewhere

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As soon as the lights shifted, Cecil sprinted for the front. But of course the employees were also heading for shelter. After a moment of indecision, she plucked the essentials from the basket and dipped out. They could dock her wages if they were so inclined, but nature would not be ignored.

Cecil bellyached silently all down the halls. Damned seps, damned hormones, damnable nature, not even time for a damned shower. Her thoughts were dominated by these curses as she changed, collected her gear, and made way to the ready room.

There, with battle looming, Cecil's mind cleared. Concerns and irritations fell away. Her old team has called her Mother Goose on account of her graying scalp and maternal calm exhibited at times like these. When she spied the others, Lt. Sampson came to check on them. "You two ready?"
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Straken
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Re: [Chapter 1] Starting Somewhere

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Rally was rushing to the register, Cecil nicked some goods and beat feet, but August on the other hand calmly sat his basket down and power walked to the ready room. There would be time to grab his toiletries later, and he had showered after his work out so he could do without the supplies. While he walked he focused on mentally preparing himself for the sortie. Taking deep breaths, the novice flight lead probably appeared to be in a sour mood as his eye brows knit together and his jaw was set and stern.

The young Kerning was reticent enough about taking command back when the pilots were simply responsible for long range recon, but after the Greens' last flight seemed to have been a harbinger of dark times. Now with this call to action, August couldn't shake the feeling that there would be several more trials ahead. The specter of the Kerning family was hanging over his head, and deep down he couldn't help but feel excited. Before too long he arrived at his locker and quickly changed. With the main portions added, he fastened the clasps as he walked into the ready room. Setting his helmet down on one of the tables, he finally took a moment to slow down and clear his head.

"Ready as I can be, Lieutenant Sampson," August said, his tone even and a somewhat cheery as a wry smile crossed his face.
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Kai
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Re: [Chapter 1] Starting Somewhere

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Rally was able to catch one of the cashiers before she had managed to pull her cash drawer and retreat to the relative safety of the back room of the shopette, and was able to get her purchase squared away before she made a beeline to her cabin, then rushed to the changing room, getting her pilot's suit up and tying her hair back in a bit of a messy ponytail so it was easier to deal with when they actually got their helmets on and jumped into the starfighter for whatever battle might be forthcoming.

"Guess that makes three of us who're ready" Rally chimed in, making sure that she had everything she needed for whatever might lay ahead, checking her locker for all the small bits of in-flight equipment they would need for survival if they went down in an uninhabited area of a planet.
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Re: [Chapter 1] Starting Somewhere

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Seeing Rally's hair up triggered an alarm in Cecil's brain, who yanked her absurdly long locks from the ponytail and began braiding with the skill and grace of many years. Even with the wide, four-plait braid she preferred, the end still struck the middle of her back. She tucked it down her flight suit and sighed. "Now I'm ready. The alert didn't say much, LT. Any idea what we're getting into?"
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Straken
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Re: [Chapter 1] Starting Somewhere

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August watched in bizarre wonder at Cecil's sudden urge to braid, and after seeing some of the hassle that came with the long hair he felt thankful his hair was only a couple inches. Grabbing a seat, the young LT tried to get comfortable when the newest member of Green Flight made an inquiry. "Honestly couldn't tell you, Sampson," August responded, looking up towards the ceiling as he considered the situation. "Hetra is a border planet, with a bit of a dated garrison, but I can't think of who would want to strike at it. Much less a strike large enough to warrant the Karakoram diverting course and putting all hands at the ready."

August then thought back again to the bandits he and Rally had chased off. "Just what the Hell is going on?" he pondered under his breath.
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Kai
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Re: [Chapter 1] Starting Somewhere

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As if to answer his question, in the squadron CO, one Major Nico Philepos, arrived in their ready room. As everyone was already standing, they naturally assumed a position of attention when their superior officer entered the room. This was quickly waved away by the young commander, with a quick "At ease" to ensure the three pilots knew they could relax. He made his way to one side of the ready room, to a wall-mounted screen that was normally used by the pilots to watch movies when they were forced to stand at ready for hours, but was officially used for briefings and presentations.

"I suppose you're all wondering why I came here to see you three by myself?" Major Philepos began, the dark-haired, olive-skinned man pressing a nondescript section of the wall to cause it to bring up an image of Hetra, with what looked like a basic battle plan superimposed over the globe that was displayed.
"Well, it seems that some members of the Hetran planetary guard have revolted, allying themselves with an anti-nonhumanoid terrorist group. They have siezed the port and the drydocks there, and are holding Terran Naval vessels and crews hostage, as well as taking control of the Marine garrison and holding everyone who won't join them as hostages. While most of Wendigo squadron, as well as the other squadrons, will be focused on the space battle, and securing orbital assets, you three have been tasked with entering the atmosphere, and stopping a group of enemy fighters from destroying the Drathonian battleship that is in drydocks there. not only will it be a major blow to the UGR Navy, but it will also likely kill thousands of innocent civilians." The Squadron commander handed August a datacard labeled 'FOUO: CLASSIFIED'
"Lieutenant Kerning, this is your battleplan, please stick to it, and ensure that those craft are disabled, or brought down safely with minimal collateral damage. You'll be fighting in atmosphere, over a populated area. You three were chosen because your academy scores and continual training showed you all to have a high skill in atmospheric flight, so make sure you live up to that and don't make me look like an idiot by sending Green flight out by itself."

********
FIVE MINUTES LATER

Rally jumped into the seat of her Talwar fighter, as Cecil and August did the same to theirs. This would mark the first flight in her primary spacecraft since the tussle with the bandits, as it had been in heavy need of repair. It looked now, just as it had before, though a bit cleaner and the replaced panels lacked the signs of wear that most fighters wore as a badge of honor, showing their rigorous duty in the line of defense in the Galaxy, against evil forces, both without and within. Today, they would be fighting those within. The briefing had gone on to explain that the enemy they would be facing were flying Gladius Starfighters, which, while fairly dated and primitive, were still quite dangerous, as they carried a heavy loadout that included modern anti-starfighter missiles more than capable of taking down a Talwar with a good hit.

"Ya guys ready fer a good fight? In atmo, with no support, tryn'a stop a battleship from fallin' over! Sound's excitin to me!" Rally babbled, as she strapped herself in and closed the canopy, going over her pre-flight checks as the crew chief below her checked all the external workings of the fighter before it was cleared to leave.
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Straken
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Re: [Chapter 1] Starting Somewhere

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August had listened to the Major diligently, and accepted the battle plans dutifully. The remained of the time between the briefing and arriving at the fighters the young man spent in silence as he reviewed the plans and committed them to memory, and by the time he had situated himself in the cockpit of his talwar he felt confident that he had the plans down to a T. With a heavy sigh, he gave himself time to think of something else.

"Yup, this is the kind of battle that gets made into stories, just make sure we are the ones telling the stories," August said as he checked the seals on his suit and canopy, his voice crackling over the comm. "I suppose this will be as good an opportunity as any for us to do some team building, eh lieutenant Sampson?"
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Mr. Blackbird Lore
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Re: [Chapter 1] Starting Somewhere

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In atmo. Populated area. Alone. Idiot. Those were the highlights of the brief that pestered Lt. Sampson on her way to the hangar. Once she was settled, though, Cecil was more perturbed by Rally's excited, blase attitude. She had to remind herself that everyone approached combat differently, and most hadn't had the same experiences she had. No need to create a problem where one didn't exist.

"I'd rather there be no story to tell. Let's settle it clean, by the book." In a sardonic tone, she added, "Teamwork hoo-yah!"
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Kai
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Re: [Chapter 1] Starting Somewhere

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"Teamwork'd be a lot easier if we'd had a coupla practice runs before this, but, I guess you'll just hafta trust us Lt. Sampson!" Rally responded to their newest member. She was used to pilots coming and going, as Green flight seemed to be where they put pilots temporarily between proper assignments, "Except of course August'n I," the blue haired woman thought. regardless, she knew she could trust herself, as well as August, so it really was up to the 'new' girl to prove herself in this one. thankfully, she seemed a little bit older and a not so hotheaded. They only needed one hothead in this flight, and Rally had already done her best to take up that spot anyhow.

The crew chief below signalled to Rally that her craft had passed its pre-flight checks, and she started up the engines, lifting the craft up off the deck and retracting the landing gear, beginning her hover-taxi toward the launch ramp, and that relatively tiny window that would take them out into space. She could see, even from this distance, the battle raging outside, as Green flight was one of the last ones in the rotation to leave on the first wave, hoping to slip through the confusion of battle before the enemy had any chance to regroup from the sudden appearance of the namesake of the Karakoram-class heavy cruiser, one of the newest Terran vessels in the UGR fleet.
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