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From: "Walter Slaven" <wslaven@hotmail.com>
Subject: {Walter Slaven}"STAR WARS: The Tie Fighter"( MF MMF MFF cons Sci-Fi ) [2/5]
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    STAR WARS: THE TIE FIGHTER by Walter Slaven

Part Two: Mofta IV...... and Beyond

GUSTAV arrived at Mofta IV, the Imperial base in the Epsilon quadrant,
after an uneventful three day journey. The repair crews had put the
time to good use, however. Most of the damage had been at least
temporarily repaired, wreckage had been cleared away and, except for
some empty seats in the dining areas, there was little outward
evidence that the ship had been in a fight. As good as the repair
crews were, however, some of the damage was beyond their capa- bility
and required the ship to spend some time in a space repair dock.

I spent much of the time with my wingman, Lieutenant Dromo Acer, and
the squadron, overseeing the repairs to our TIEs. We had lost several
craft, and their pilots, in the scrape with the Rebels, and most of
the rest had been shot up to one degree or another. The entire
electronics package in my ship had to be replaced. Nevertheless, by
the time we reached Mofta IV and Commander Cibock skillfully
maneuvered GUSTAV into space dock, all of the remaining TIEs in Gamma
Squadron were operational.

As soon as the docking clamps were fastened and GUSTAV was secure in
her berth, we were nearly overwhelmed by repair personnel coming
aboard. Shortly thereafter we were informed that Vice Admiral Thrawn,
one of the senior fleet commanders, had recently arrived at Mofta IV
aboard his flagship, star destroyer VANGUARD, and was coming aboard.

I was on GUSTAV's bridge with J'Una and Commander Cibock when we
received the news. Cibock didn't look too happy. We all knew of
Thrawn's reputation for being unforgiving and we assumed that, because
GUSTAV had had to retire from the action at CT-38 that we would be
held accountable for what was ess- entially an intelligence failure.
The fact that we had put up a terrific fight against a numerically and
qualitatively superior foe would matter little.

Cibock sighed, then turned to J'Una. "Well, Commander," he said, "I'd
best go greet the admiral. Assemble the senior officers in the
conference room in the event that Admiral Thrawn wants to talk to
them."

"Yes, sir," she responded. She directed the Officer of the Deck to
summon the senior officers to the conference room over the ship's
intercom, then left the bridge. I walked with her.

"Why do you think Thrawn's coming aboard?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, she said as we headed aft, then down two decks.  "Could
be he just wants to check the damage and see how much repair work we
really need. I've only met him a couple of times, but I know people
who have worked for him. He can be a real bastard if he thinks
somebody screwed up, or if he thinks you're not as loyal to the
Emperor as you should be. I'm told that he's a real fanatical follower
of the Emperor's, and," she paused dramatically, fire red eyes
flashing, "he's trying to get promoted to Grand Admiral."

"Grand Admiral," I repeated, impressed. "Can't go much higher than
that. So what's stopping him?"

"Other admirals, of course," J'Una said. "Thrawn isn't human. He was
the first non-human to make admiral and a lot of people didn't like
that. So, there's a number of admirals who are, so I hear, politicking
to deny him any more promotions."

"Because he's not human. Is that it?" I asked. I admit that I am very
ignorant in the ways of politics among admirals. And I would rather
keep it that way. I have little use for admirals. They usually find
new and innovative ways to get the rest of us killed. But this story
about Thrawn was interesting.

"That's right," J'Una responded, a little bitterly. "We non-humans,
especially female ones, aren't always accepted in high places.
Promotion doesn't come easy. Good assignments don't come easy. I'm no
admirer of Admiral Thrawn, but he would have been a Grand Admiral
already if he was human."

"Think so?" I asked.

"Oh, yes," she said emphatically. I knew that pre- judice against
non-humans was a real sore spot with her so I treaded lightly. "He has
the best record of service against the Rebels," she continued, " But
he's not human and other admirals are jealous."

"Like who? Marina's father?"

J'Una nodded. "Admiral Haarkov's one. Zaarin's another. I had to fuck
one of Zaarin's aides to get this assignment. Zaarin didn't think a
female Bardin would be able to handle this job."

I could tell that J'Una was about to get angry so I decided to steer
the conversation in another direction.

"Thrawn's probably here," I said, "to blame us for the fact that, for
whatever reason, the Rebels de- cided to make a major move out there.
He'll tell us how we need to have more faith in the Emperor, as though
that will compensate for flying TIEs against X-wings."

J'Una looked at me and tried not to grin. She failed.  "Why, Captain
Tallig," she said with a smile, "are you questioning our Emperor?"

If that had come from anyone else in authority I'd get a little
nervous. This statement usually precedes charges of disloyalty and
other such nonsense. But I knew that J'Una was being sarcastic. She
knew that I was unhappy with what was going on and she was giving me
the opportunity to say so, to her, thereby trying to keep me out of
trouble. Not only was she a great fuck and a fine officer, she was
also a good friend.

"No, Commander," I said somberly. "I'm not question- ing the Emperor.
It's just that I'm tired of sending good pilots out in inferior ships
and watching them die. Every- one knows that the X-wing is far
superior to the TIE fighter. They've been working on this new TIE
inter- ceptor forever and we still don't have them in the fleet.  I
hear that the interceptor, while an improvement over the TIE, still
doesn't match the X-wing. It isn't shielded.  But, I'd gladly take an
interceptor."

"I don't know when they'll be available, Vel," she said.  "But I'll
bet the first ones go to the star destroyers in the inner sectors."

"I know. I know," I said ruefully. "Because we're not one of the
glamor ships we have to take on a major Rebel offensive in inferior
starfighters."

"You seem to have survived quite nicely, Captain," she said with a
smile. We rounded a corner and were approaching the conference room
where the other senior officers had gathered, awaiting Admiral Thrawn
and Commander Cibock. J'Una shot me a look which told me that our
converation was over, at least for now.

We entered the room and took our seats. I engaged in some small talk
with one of the supply officers, teasing him about the food. It's hard
for people who don't live this life to understand that when you're
stuck on a ship in space for months at a time the quality of the food
becomes a critical morale issue.  Fortunately the food on GUSTAV was
not a problem.  I'd been on ships where it was.

I heard a commotion in the passageway outside and then Major Maarek,
our esteemed storm- trooper commander, strode into the room bellowing,
"Attention on Deck!" We sprang to our feet as Vice Admiral Thrawn,
Commander Cibock and the admiral's aide entered the room.

Vice Admiral Thrawn didn't just enter the room, he took command of it.
He was tall and power- fully built with a broad chest covered with
numerous ribbons and other decorations, and massive shoulders atop
which were his admiral's epaulettes.  He had pale blue skin, belying
his non-human origins, eyes that were ruby red (as opposed to J'Una's
which were more fire red) and thick black hair which seemed slick and
oily. He exuded power, authority, confidence. He also struck me as
someone you didn't want to mess with.

We all stood rigidly at attention as the admiral strode to the front
of the room, turned and slowly looked us over. I felt a chill go
through me as the admiral's eyes momentarily met mine.

"Please be seated," Thrawn said after running his gaze over each of
us. I sat down, feeling the tension present in the room. I thought it
odd that we were probably more afraid of our own admiral than we had
been of the Rebel fighters we battled with just a few short days ago.

"Commander Cibock," Thrawn began, nodding to GUSTAV's Commanding
Officer, "officers of the Imperial Frigate GUSTAV, it is a pleasure
for me to be aboard this fine vessel today." There was an aubible sigh
of relief from some of the officers present.  I wasn't quite ready to
relax just yet. Maybe Admiral Thrawn was the type who liked to open
with pleasantries, then shoot a laser blast up your ass.  You never
knew with admirals. I stole a glance at J'Una, who seemed to not share
my concerns.

"I am pleased to see," the admiral continued, "that the damage to your
ship is not so severe as my staff first reported. Nevertheless I join
you in mourning the loss of your shipmates. We will be able to provide
you with some replacements, but not enough, I'm afraid." He paused for
a moment. He had clasped his hands behind his back, and was pacing
back and forth as he spoke.

"Your battle with the Rebels in sector CT-38 was very important to us.
Although you sustained damage and the loss of a number of fighters,
which we will try to replace, you outfought a superior enemy and, more
importantly, exposed a major Rebel effort in that area. I understand,
Commander Cibock, that you and your Operations Officer tried to
forewarn the rest of us about this." He turned to Cibock, who stood up
to answer.

"Yes, Admiral," he said confidently. "Commander Selena and I," he said
nodding toward J'Una, "sent several messages with our observations and
recommendations, but they were not followed. I assumed that Sector
Flag Headquarters had more information than we did." He sat back down.

"That officer," Thrawn said coldly, "has been re- lieved." There was a
chilling silence following that pronouncement. I'm sure that everyone
in that room was wondering just what "relieved" actually meant in this
case. I preferred not to dwell upon it.

Vice Admiral Thrawn paused  a moment, then cracked what I guessed
passed for a smile. Al- though the corners of his mouth moved up,
there was no smile in his eyes. 

"Your conduct of that battle is most commendable," he continued. I was
finally beginning to relax. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all.
For an admiral. "You showed courage, adaptability, initiative and
loyalty.  We will be in great need of those qualities in the days and
weeks ahead if we are to thwart the Rebel advances in this quadrant.
In particular," he said looking toward J'Una and myself, "I would like
to acknowledge Commander Selena for the tactical expertise she
demonstrated during her direction of the battle, and Captain Tallig
for the courage and in- novation he displayed while leading an
inferior number of our TIE fighters against the Rebels. You are both
to be commended." And he actually bowed toward us as polite applause
emanated from our fellow officers.

"Now," he said and the applause abruptly ceased.  The pat-on-the-back
had been delivered. Time to get down to business.

"Where do we go from here?" he asked rhetorically.  Obviously, he
already had the answers. "It is clear to us that the Rebel Alliance
intends to make a major effort in this quadrant, particularly sector
CT-38 and its neighbors. Even though these areas are remote, we
believe that the Rebels intend to stir up the local pop- ulace, attack
and sieze resources and interfere with commerce beyond the Empire's
borders." He paused and his demeanor turned even more cold and
threatening.  His red eyes narrowed and seemed to glow. "We will not
permit the Rebel traitors to spread their infection to other sectors
and systems. The Emperor has decreed that we will stamp them out!" 

Standing in the corner, Major Maarek broke out in enthusiastic
applause which was politely picked up by most of the officers present.
Ignoring it, Thrawn continued.

"To that end," he said, "a large strike force, of which my flagship
VANGUARD is but the precursor, will be assembled here with the
objective of sweeping the area clear of the Rebel scum before they can
get established. Once repaired, GUSTAV will play an active role in
this operation. The knowledge that you have gained through your long
patrols in this area will, I'm sure, prove most valuable." A major
strike force?  out here? I still didn't get it. With the war raging as
it was, why send a major portion of the fleet out here?  I guessed
that Thrawn probably knew something I didn't. Which was why he was an
admiral.

"With regard to weaponry," he said, changing the subject abruptly, "I
want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to speed
development of new starfighters and other systems. We are current- ly
developing a new, mobile battle station which, when completed, will
greatly assist us in our efforts. I'm afraid I can't discuss that in
any more detail, but I can tell you that our new TIE Interceptor is in
the testing stage and should be out to the fleet soon. In the
meantime, we have designed a modification to the TIE Fighter which
will allow you to carry a limited number of concussion missiles. That
should help you in future battles, Captain Tallig." He nodded in my
direction. A few missiles, eh? I'll take them. Any- thing for that
extra edge.

"While you are here," the admiral continued, "technicians will modify
your TIEs accordingly. I also want to encourage you to make use of the
base's facilities on the surface. It's quite a primi- tive planet, I'm
afraid, but there are some recreational diversions you might enjoy.
The base commander has been instructed to assist you. Repairs should
be complete, I'm told, in four or five days. After that it's back out
to space. So, make use of this time. It may be a while before you have
this opp- ortunity again." With that he turned and walked out of the
room. Major Maarek shouted "Attention on deck!" again and we all
jumped up, but the admiral and his aid were gone. Commander Cibock
hastened after them to see the admiral off.


J'Una and I looked at each other for a moment.  "Well," I said with a
leer, "Looks like we'll have a few days to ourselves."

"Maybe you will," she said looking askance. "I'm going to have a lot
of work to do."

My vision of having three or four days alone with J'Una away from the
ship suddenly vaporized.

"Work?" I said lamely. "You heard the admiral. He wants us to enjoy
ourselves here."

"Who do you think has to plan our next mission?" she said haughtily.
"Who do you think has to analyze re- ports and attend all those
briefings? Who do you think has to work with the admiral's staff to
figure out what GUSTAV is going to be doing when she leaves here?
Certainly not you pilots!"

"OK, OK," I said. Over the period of my relationship with J'Una I had
learned when to admit defeat.

"Are you sure?"I asked.

She softened. "Yes, I'm sure, Vel. You know I'd love to, but my
responsibility is here. Besides," she said , her eyes twinkling,
black skin gleaming, "I want to get to know the admiral's aid. See
ya." With that she left the conference room, striding purposefully
down the passageway. I just stood there, staring after her like a
complete idiot.

I wanted to get angry, but I couldn't. I knew that J'Una had strong
feelings for me, but her career and her sense of duty were stronger.
Sometimes there were conflicts and I won. This was not one of those
times.

What the hell, I thought. May as well take ad- vantage of the
situation anyway. I figured I'd grab Dromo, go down to the surface and
see if we could get into any trouble.

I went down to the hangar deck to check on the modifications to the
TIEs, and to see if I could find Dromo. I found him standing in front
of one of our TIEs going over a set of schematics with Marina Haarkov.
They lift- ed their attention from the plans as I approached.

"Well hello, Captain," Marina said pleasantly. "How was the big
meeting with the Admiral?"

"Most enlightening, Ensign," I said feigning importance. I turned to
Dromo. "They're going to modify the TIEs to carry a few missiles."

Dromo nodded, indicating the work that had already begun on some of
the ships.

"And," I said, "we're going to take a few days and go down to the
base."

"What about Commander Selena?" he asked.  "Won't you be going with
her?" Dromo was well aware of my relationship with J'Una. He also knew
that if I was going with her, I wouldn't be stand- ing in that hangar
talking to him.

"Commander Selena has other duties to attend to," I said  trying to
sound detached. Who was I kid- ding? Marina Haarkov had fucked me and
J'Una at the same time, so I wasn't fooling her, either.

"You coming?" I said to Dromo my voice betraying some impatience.

"Sure," he said with a grin. "I'll go. Meet you at the shuttle bay."
He turned and walked toward the hangar bay doors.

Marina had been silent throughout this little ex- change. She was
standing beside the TIE with the schematics in her hand, her face and
hands smudged with grease, her coveralls were soiled and her blonde
hair was disheveled. I had an idea.

"Would you like to join us?" I asked.

"Why, Captain," she said coyly, "whatever for?"

"Well," I said grinning. "I may have another problem that you can help
me with."

She laughed, recalling the "problem" that I'd had.  We had been flying
stepped up patrol missions non- stop for four days, I hadn't been
laid, and I had a raging hardon. She helped me with my "problem."

"In that case," she said with a smile, "I'd be happy to.  The base
repair personnel have already relieved us of most of the jobs, so
we're free to go. Let me get cleaned up, pack a few things and I'll
meet you at the shuttle." I felt my cock stirring as she turned and
walked away. Maybe Dromo and I wouldn't have to look far to find
trouble.

Two hours later a shuttle deposited us at the base on Mofta IV. Mofta
IV is one of the few planets in this sector capable of supporting an
Imperial base like this one. Mofta IV used to be one large dry,
uninhabited desert. Now it's an inhabited desert.  Although there were
no native inhabitants, several small towns could be observed
surrounding the perimeter of the base, which was several hundred
square kilometers in size. These towns were the inevitable camp
followers and hangers on that arise to provide any military
establishment with things that it needs but can't easily get.

Admiral Thrawn was as good as his word, apparently. The base commander
had ensured that sufficient officers' quarters were available for
GUSTAV crewmembers. Dromo and I shared a suite. Marina had a room to
herself. Imperial propriety, you know.

Dromo and I unpacked while we talked about what we wanted to do with
our few days off.

"I hear that the towns outside the gates have some pretty wild
entertainment," Dromo said as he stuffed some clothes into a drawer.
"Lieutenant Trogo down in supply says they've got females from several
quadrants who just love visitors." He smiled, and grabbed his crotch.
"And my 'visitor' could use some Imperial hospitality."

I laughed. "Be careful where you 'visit'," I said chuckling.  "Don't
forget Ceraeus where you 'visited' a lady whose husband damn near
chopped your 'visitor' off."

Dromo winced at the memory. He had barely escaped that encounter. He
didn't learn much from it, either. Dromo was several years younger
than I, tall, muscular, good looking.  He came from a wealthy and
connected family on Coruscant, the Imperial capital. A fine pilot and
dependable wingman, he was nevertheless young, brash, impulsive, and
tended to think with his cock more than the rest of us. Dromo
personified one of my theories of human behavior: "When the little
head gets hard, the big head goes soft." Still, he was my wingman and
it's always good to have a happy wingman.

"OK, OK, big brother," Dromo said sarcastically. "I don't need a
lecture. I just need to get laid."

"Just try not to get yourself killed while we're here," I said. "I'm
going to need you once we get back into combat."

Dromo was about to say something further when we heard a knock at the
door. "Hey, boys! Are you ready?" It was Marina's voice.

I opened the door and Marina walked in. She had changed her clothes
and was wearing a silk wraparound that hid little. Her blonde hair was
draped over her shoulders, her breasts were prominently outlined, her
blue eyes sparkled.  To put it mildly, she was stunning and knew it.

"You guys aren't even ready yet!" she said scornfully, looking from me
to Dromo. I was clad only in utility shorts and a loose shirt, Dromo
in shorts only, his muscular torso bare.  Marina's eyes lingered on
Dromo. After a long moment, she turned to me, smiling coyly.

"Why, Captain," she said feigning innocence, "it would appear that
your wingman has a problem."

"Problem? What problem?" said Dromo, clueless.

I looked at the front of Dromo's shorts. Sure enough. The sight of
Marina had had its effect. His cock was stirring, creating a prominent
bulge. 

"You're right, Ensign," I said, acting serious, "It would appear that
the lieutenant does have a problem."

"What problem!?" Dromo exclaimed in exasperation.

Marina walked up to him, reached down and grabbed his stiffening cock
through his shorts.

"This problem," she said huskily, flicking her tongue over his
nipples.

"Oh," Dromo said, finally catching on. "That problem." Sometimes even
the most oversexed of us is slow on the uptake.

Marina reached inside Dromo's shorts and grabbed his cock with both
hands, jerking it up and down. Dromo's cock was quite large and had
grown into a full erection.  He reached down and pushed the shorts off
of his hips, letting them slide down to his feet. He stepped out of
them and backed against a table as Marina kept jerking his penis.

I was starting to enjoy this, and my cock had gotten hard, bulging out
against my shorts.

Marina glanced at my protruding erection and smiled at me.  "Looks
like you have the same problem, Captain," she said as she bent down
and licked the tip of Dromo's cock.

"I guess I do, Ensign," I said. I quickly stripped off my shirt,
shucked off my shorts and walked over to where Marina was now eagerly
sucking Dromo's cock.

Marina straightened up, Dromo's cock sliding out of her mouth with a
soft plop. She very deftly unwound her wrap from her body, letting it
pool around her feet, revealing her nakedness. Her magnificent breasts
stood out proudly, her nipples already erect with excitement. Her lips
were slightly parted and her eyes narrowed in lust as she grabbed our
cocks.

Dromo and I stood on either side of Marina as she worked our cocks
with her hands. She turned to Dromo and kissed him deeply, then did
the same to me, our tongues battling. I fondled her breasts with one
hand while I squeezed her ass with the other. Dromo reached a hand
between her legs and shoved two fingers into her cunt. Marina moaned.
I could smell her wetness on Dromo's fingers. 

Marina squirmed against our ministrations, her hands working on our
cocks. She released my throbbing erection and turned to Dromo,
grabbing his dick with both hands. 

"Fuck me," she said. "I've got to have this thing in me. NOW."

Dromo didn't need to be told twice. He picked Marina up and laid her
on her back on the table, her legs draping over the edge.  He got
between her legs, grabbed her hips and pulled her to him as Marina
grasped his cock and guided him inside her. Dromo slid in to the hilt,
causing Marina to gasp in pleasure.

Dromo started pounding away, his big cock sliding wetly in and out of
Marina's pussy. He put his hands under her knees and raised her legs
so that they draped over his shoulders.  Marina gyrated her ass to
meet his thrusts.

Dromo looked over at me, a big smile on his face. "She's got a great
pussy, Vel," he said between thrusts. "She really knows how to squeeze
a cock."

"Glad you're enjoying it," I said. "Anything for a happy wing- man." I
was slowly stroking my cock as I watched Dromo piston his cock into
Marina's sopping cunt. Marina reached up and pinched his nipples as
she thrashed about on the table. Her breasts were flushed a deep red,
and her nipples appeared to be as hard as my cock. Dromo's balls
slapped noisily against her ass.

I decided that I had been watching this arousing scene long enough.
Cock in hand I approached the table. Marina smiled at me and reached
out to grasp my dick with her hand, pumping it slowly. She pulled me
closer, then took my cock into her mouth, slurping noisily. I could
feel her run her tongue around the head as I began to thrust into her
mouth.

Dromo's thrusts were becoming harder and more insistent, causing
Marina's entire body to shudder under the impact. As a result her
mouth was vibrating around my cock as she sucked voraciously while her
hands fondled and squeezed my balls. It felt terrific. I grabbed her
head and began thrusting my turgid cock harder into her mouth, keeping
time with Dromo's powerful hammering into her cunt. 

Marina was in cock heaven. She was moaning deeply and thrash- ing
about. She lowered her legs from Dromo's shoulders to wrap them about
his waist and draw him even deeper inside her. At the same time she
thrust her mouth forward onto my cock, burying her nose in my pubic
hair. She was too much!

Marina's mouth continued to work hungrily on my cock, as Dromo
continued his methodical thrusting into her cunt. Her hands squeezed
my balls as she sucked me nearly to the back of her throat. My dick
was rock hard and I could feel the explosion churning in my balls.

I wasn't the only one close to cumming. Dromo's thrusts had taken on
an increased urgency as Marina moaned around my pulsating erection.
Dromo gave one final, mighty heave, his fingers dug into Marina's
thighs and he bellowed his ecstacy as he pumped his sperm deep into
Marina's cunt. Marina shuddered in her own orgasm and her hands and
mouth gripped me ever more tightly. Dromo disengaged himself from
Marina and staggered back, his cock glistening, cum oozing from
Marina's pussy.

I slammed my cock harder into Marina's mouth. She moaned and grabbed
my hips, pulling me harder into her face. The climax churning within
my balls broke free and travelled up the length of my penis to
explode outward with gut wrenching force. My cum shot deep into her
throat, gagging her, overwhelming her. I was cumming like I hadn't cum
in a long time. Marina's mouth and throat tried valiantly to swallow
my sperm, but couldn't keep up. Cum filled her mouth and flowed out
around my cock and ran down the corners of her mouth. My turgid penis
kept bucking and jerking wildly, pumping more and more semen into
Marina's mouth. She seemed to hunger for it and attempted to suck it
all down. Finally, she pulled my cock out of her overflowing mouth. I
sprayed her face and tits with the rest of my cum. 

I was finally spent and, knees weakened by my orgasm, I collapsed into
a chair, my deflating cock hanging limply between my legs. 

Marina smiled and sat up on the table. Her face and breasts glistened
with cum. She looked longingly at Dromo's fat dick then said to me, "I
think we've fixed the Lieutenant's problem, Captain."

I grinned back at her. "It would appear so, Ensign," I replied.

Marina got on all fours on the table and turned so that her ass and
cunt pointed directly at me. She reached behind her and spread her
pussy lips with her hands.

"Now," she said lustily, "how about your problem, Captain?"

My rapidly reviving erection preceded me as I moved across the room
toward her.


For the next couple of days we did just about everything. The three of
us sucked and fucked for hours at a time in our suite, in Marina's
room, in the pool, behind a bar. Marina couldn't seem to get enough
and Dromo and I were only too happy to accomodate her. We nearly
drowned her in our cum, but she always seemed to want more. Once,
while taking Dromo's dick up her ass and mine in her cunt, she nearly
passed out from ec- stacy. 

Dromo was a walking erection the whole time. We went to the nearby
towns and he chased after virtually every female we encountered. One
evening, after he'd been forcibly ejected from a gambling
establishment, he hit it off with a four-armed female stripper from
Acros2. She proved to be absolutely incredible sexually and did things
I'd never dreamed of, including jacking off Dromo and I, herself, and
Marina at the same time!   Unbelievable.

So, for a couple of days, the three of us completely lost ourselves in
sensual, and sexual, pleasure. We became totally absorbed in fucking,
eating (food), drinking, gambling and just having fun. Not exactly the
stereotype of Imperial warriors, but I've never been accused of that,
anyway. It was a bit unusual for someone like Marina, however, the
daughter of an admiral. Nevertheless she was probably the horniest of
the three of us. She was really taken with Dromo's sexy physique and
huge cock and impaled herself on him every chance she had.

As much fun as all of this was, what was more important was that, for
a short time at least, we forgot. We forgot the war, the Rebels,
GUSTAV, Admiral Thrawn, combat, the Emperor, storm troopers,
everything. Time nearly stood still as we lost ourselves in ourselves
and the three of us, each of whom had sacrificed so much, for our
ship, our shipmates, the Navy and the Empire which it served, took a
little back.

Reality, however, usually finds a way to intrude upon such revelry. I
was awakened from a stupor before dawn on the third (fourth?) day by
the incessant buzzing of my comm link. All Imperial Navy personnel
carry these so that you're never too far out of touch.

I struggled to semi-consciousness suddenly aware of the female
stretched out across my legs. I wriggled free of her, grasped the
communicator and pressed the "receive" button. The buzzing stopped
(thankfully) and a voice said, "All personnel return to GUSTAV
immediately. This is a general recall. All personnel return to GUSTAV
immediately....." I shut it off. In the next room I could hear Marina
and Dromo begin to stir. Their comm links had awakened them, also.

I slapped the female on the ass, told her it was time to go and
staggered into the shower. Duty calls, I told myself, ignoring the
erection that the sight of that ass had stirred up.

An hour later Dromo, Marina and I were aboard a very crowded shuttle
heading back to the space repair dock where GUSTAV was berthed.

As we exited the shuttle a young crewman approached me.  "Captain
Tallig," he said earnestly, "senior officer briefing in twenty
minutes, sir."

"OK," I said reluctantly. "Tell Commander Selena I'll be along as soon
as I get into a uniform."

"Yes, sir," he said and hurried off. I headed toward my quarters,
moving a little slowly. The ship was abuzz with activity. People were
hurrying about and I noticed that the base repair personnel were all
leaving. We're getting underway early, I thought.probably not good
news.

I got to my quarters and tossed my bag into a corner. I found a Clean
uniform and changed into it. I was now awake enough to feel Like shit.
Hopefully this wouldn't be a long briefing and I could come back here
and take a nap. 

In the briefing room J'Una was standing in front of the other Officers
who had already assembled. She smiled thinly at me as I entered and
took a seat near the back.

"Nice of you to join us, Captain Tallig," she said sarcastically,
causing heads to turn in my direction.

I smiled weakly. "Sorry I'm late, Commander."

She ignored me and addressed the group.

"Commander Cibock is getting the ship underway, so I will con- duct
this briefing," she began. As she spoke we could feel a shudder as the
docking clamps were released. Then the ship began to move. Cibock
wasn't wasting any time.

"The operation to counter Rebel incursions into this quadrant has
begun," she began. I could tell that J'Una was in her element as she
stood tall, proud and official in front of the group of officers. As
the ship's Operations Officer and next senior to Cibock, it was only
logical for her to give the briefing in Cibock's absence. Nevertheless
it was obvious to me that there was more than a mere sense of duty
motivating her here. Ambition. I was sure that whatever GUSTAV's role
in the plans she was about to discuss was, J'Una had had a major part
in drafting those plans. I also assumed that her obvious enthusiasm
was due in no small part to the anticipation of a successful operation
which, since she helped plan it, would reflect well on her and help
her career.

"Vice Admiral Thrawn with the Main Body of three star destroyers and
numerous smaller vessels has already begun to sweep several systems in
and near sector CT-38." Behind her a holographic display of the areas
in question lit up.

"Admiral Traalco is leading a smaller force with star destroyer
VENGEANCE and several support vessels to investigate reports of Rebel
activity in sector BJ-20." More lights lit up showing that force's
track. I noticed that sector BJ-20 was nearly on the other side of the
quadrant from CT-38. 

J'Una pointed a laser pen at several systems through which Thrawn's
force had passed. 

"Several of the smaller, resource rich systems," she continued, "have
been seized to preempt Rebel infiltration efforts."

"That's not going to win us many friends out here, Commander," I
chimed in. Heads turned. It is not customary for pronouncements from
on high to be questioned.

J'Una shot me an angry stare, red eyes blazing. "It is not our purpose
to make friends, Captain," she said deliberately. "Our mission is to
carry out the will of the Imperial High Command and exterminate the
Rebel traitors so that we can end this war." There were murmurs of
approval from the other officers present.  I sat back and shut my
mouth, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

"GUSTAV," J'Una continued unperturbed, "will rendezvous with Frigate
SHAMUS and the Assault Transport Carrier HININBURG. We will proceed to
the Resead system."

The holographic map changed to display a closeup of Resead, a small
unremarkable planet.

"Resead has been the center of smuggling, legitimate commerce and
other activities for a long time," J'Una said pointing her laser pen
at the planet. Resead was just about exactly in the middle between
CT-38 and BJ-20. Coincidence? "The Empire has left Resead alone
because, frankly, some of the intelligence they provided due to wide
ranging connections often proved valuable."

She paused. "Until now. We have learned that the Reseans have
virtually joined the Rebel Alliance. There is a large space platform
in orbit around Resead which had been used for shipping, storage of
goods, etc. Now, however, the Alliance has been allowed to move in and
use the platform as a small base and, more importantly,to use the
communications facilities to broadcast Rebel propaganda throughout the
quadrant, which they have begun to do." There was an angry murmur from
some of the officers. Major Maarek, the stormtrooper commander, seemed
particularly distressed.

"Our mission," J'Una said after pausing dramatically,"is to capture
the platform and suppress the planet." Major Maarek couldn't contain
himself and started clapping. Many followed. J'Una smiled but didn't
let the clapping last long.

"The execution will be simple and straightforward," she continued.
"TIE fighters from GUSTAV and SHAMUS will eliminate any starfighter
opposition. We don't expect much. The Reseans mainly have old Z-95
Headhunters and some old corvettes. TIE bombers will deliver heavy
space bombs to knock out the platform's shields and incapacitate its
defenses." The holographic display now showed TIE bombers attacking
the platform.

"Once that's accomplished," she went on, "Major Maarek will lead
GUSTAV's stormtroopers to attack and sieze the platform.  A much
larger number of stormtroopers from HININBURG will attack and sieze
the planet. Resead will become a permanent part of the Empire." There
were nods of agreement all around.

"A final word on command," J'Una said, smiling. "Commander Cibock is
the senior officer present for this operation which means that GUSTAV
will be in tactical control throughout." I think she really meant that
she would be in control. It was apparent that she considered this a
great opportunity.

J"Una switched off the holographic display and the lights came up in
the room. "I remind you," she said sternly, "that this is strictly
confidential. No one outside this room is to know the nature of our
operation until after we go to hyperspace.  Thank you for your
attention, this briefing is over."

I waited until the room cleared to approach J'Una, who had been
collecting her notes and chatting with other officers. She looked at
me and smiled.

"Well," she said putting her hands on her hips, "did you enjoy
yourself on Mofta IV, Captain?"

"Bet your ass, I did," I replied grinning. 

"Fucked your brains out the whole three days, eh?"

"Just about," I replied. I always enjoyed this kind of banter between
us. It made our relationship special. "I asked you to come along,
remember?"

"I remember, Val," she said earnestly. "But there was a lot of work to
do."

I looked at her for a long moment. "OK," I said, "tell me about the
Admiral's aide."

She laughed loudly at that. "You prick," she said still laughing. "I
guess I had that coming." I merely smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"He was good," she said. "I went with him to the VANGUARD for a while.
What a ship! Absolutely enormous. He showed me around and we talked
about things."

"What things?" I asked, curious. J'Una was right about star
destroyers.  They are so big that it's hard to comprehend. Their crews
number in the thousands and they can carry a dozen or more starfighter
squadrons.

J'Una looked around the room and lowered her voice. "Remember that
mobile battle station that Thrawn talked about?"

I nodded. "Yes. What about it?"

"According to Rickna- that's the aide- this isn't any old battle
station," she said. Her eyes had become intense, the red glowing.
"It's as big as a moon and can wipe out whole planets. Or will when
it's done."

I shook my head in amazement. "Wipe out whole planets?" 

J'Una nodded. "Pretty nasty stuff," she said. 

"Is that how we're going to win?" I asked, "by wiping everybody out?"

J'Una looked at me for a moment. "I hope we can bring this all to an
end before that, Vel. But I don't think the Rebels will ever give up."

"You're probably right," I said. "Anything else your aide friend tell
you? Like why we're sending almost half the damn fleet out here
chasing Rebel ghosts or beating up on some small system?"

"Only that the Emperor was really pissed when he heard that Mon Mothma
herself, the Rebel leader, had been out here stirring up the local
populace. Since Resead was one of those places she visited, he wants
it crushed."

Something about all this puzzled me. "Why," I asked J'Una, "would the
Rebels turn the Resean station into a comm center for broad- casting
propaganda? Surely they know we'd come after it."

She looked puzzled as well. I knew that she had had doubts about this
course of action, too, but in her position she couldn't always express
them. I was certain, however, that doubts or no doubts J'Una would
take full advantage of any opportunity that presented itself.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that one, Vel," she said after a moment.
"Maybe you're right and they want us out here. I don't know. I do
know, however, that we're here, we have a job to do and we'd best do
it." With that we both left the room. She was right. There was a lot
to do.

We didn't have much time until we got to Resead. Dromo and I briefed
the squadron, including the new pilots who had just checked in. We
also inspected the missile modifications that were installed by Mofta
IV technicians. Each TIE now had the capability of carrying four
missiles. Not a lot, but I wasn't complaining.

We had further briefings, which merely expanded on the first one and
filled in some details. As soon as GUSTAV, SHAMUS and HININBURG came
out of hyperspace, GUSTAV and SHAMUS would each launch their two TIE
fighter squadrons, then the TIE bombers. I was designated to be in
overall command of both of GUSTAV's TIE fighter squadrons, Gamma and
Beta.  SHAMUS' squadrons, Sigma and Tau, would be commanded by one of
her pilots. We were told that there would be minimal fighter
opposition, that the real threat was from the heavy laser cannons on
the platform itself. 

I didn't really buy the line about 'minimal opposition.' I guess when
you're the one doing the flying there is no such thing as 'minimal
opposition.' I had a nagging feeling about this operation, but I set
it aside and carried on as professionally as I could. No sense in
letting the troops see that you have doubts. Not good for the mission.

My one real concern, however, was that we didn't get to practice with
the new missile launchers. I ran the pilots through the simulator so
they could get use to switching back and forth between missiles and
lasers, and become accustomed to the missile's targeting system.
Simulators are fine, but they just can't substitute for actually
flying the TIE and operating its weapons. Sometimes training takes a
back seat to operational requirements.

Concerns aside, I felt confident as we approached Resead and GUSTAV
prepared to come out of hyperspace. Morale was up, thanks to Mofta IV,
Admiral Thrawn had delivered on his promise to get us more
starfighters and more pilots, and we would not be operating alone this
time.

During the few periods when we were able to talk privately J'Una
expressed some of the same concerns  I was feeling. Vice Admiral
Thrawn's force had encountered virtually nothing. Only a few systems
where some Rebel dignitaries had visited, but nothing else.  Thrawn
crushed those systems nonetheless, their populations either forcibly
evicted or else subjugated to Imperial military rule. Admiral
Traalco's smaller force, on the other side of the quadrant, hadn't
been heard from recently. J'Una was uneasy about the lack of
intelligence about Resead, and about the High Command's apparent
indifference.

"Sometimes I wonder how some of those bastards got to where they are,"
she said bitterly. Then she answered her own question.  "Probably by
avoiding combat duty aboard ship."


GUSTAV was preparing to come out of hyperspace. I assembled the Gamma
and Beta pilots in the hangar one more time. 

"We're still expecting only light opposition," I told them. "Mainly
old Z-95 Headhunters. Maybe an old corvette or two. That's what the
geniuses at intel tell us." There was a ripple of laughter. It is
almost a cultural requirement for starfighter pilots to despise the
people who work in intelligence.

"What do you say, Captain Tallig," a voice called out.

"I say don't waste your missiles on a Z-95," I said sternly. "You only
have four so save them in case somebody else shows up." There was a
murmur of approval. This made sense. In its day the Z-95 was the
premier starfighter, serving the Old Republic.  But that was a long
time ago. Still used in great numbers by smugglers, bounty hunters and
the like, the Z-95 was totally outclassed even by a TIE Fighter. I
almost felt sorry for the poor dumb bastards that flew those things.
Those feelings would stop, I knew, when those poor dumb bastards
started shooting at me.

"Remember," I told the pilots, "don't attack the platform directly.
Let the bombers do that. Our job is to clear the area of fighters."
Heads nodded. "Also, we're working with SHAMUS' fighters this time:
Sigma and Tau squadrons. Give them help if they need it, and don't be
afraid to ask for it yourself. Good luck."

We climbed into our ships and went through the pre-launch cycle.  The
overhead cranes picked us up and moved us to the launching bay. GUSTAV
came out of hyperspace and the launching bay doors in the bottom of
the ship opened. As flight commander mine was the first ship to be
lowered through the doors and released into space.  I engaged the twin
ion engines and checked out the electronics and the weapons systems as
Gamma and then Beta squadron formed up around me. Off in the distance
I could see SHAMUS' flight group doing the same thing. Between us
there were nearly 50 starfighters and I suddenly felt like kicking a
little ass.

"Gamma one, GUSTAV," J'Una's voice, clear, professional and always
sexy, purred into my ear through the commlink, "report status."

"Roger, GUSTAV," I replied. "Flight groups formed. We will commence
sweep around the platform."

"Very well," J'Una acknowledged. "Be advised that the platform is
launching starfighters."

"Acknowledged. Any ID on them?"

"They appear to be Z-95's, Gamma One," J'Una said.

If that's all there was, this wouldn't be a problem. But my internal
misgivings persisted. I contacted the SHAMUS flight leader.

"SHAMUS flight leader this GUSTAV flight leader, Captain Tallig of
Gamma Squadron," I called, switching comm channels.

"Hello, Captain," said a sweet female voice. I was momentarily taken
aback. There aren't many female starfighter pilots in the Imperial
Navy, and fewer still who are flight leaders. "This is Captain Ijuf of
Tau Squadron ."

"Roger, Tau leader. We will commence our attack on the fighters near
the platform. Request you hang back and cover us in case anyone else
shows up."

"Acknowledged, Gamma leader," she said. "We'll cover you.  Holler if
you need help."

"Thanks," I said. The Z-95s were approaching now, so I put the
squadrons into attack formation and led them forward.

"Remember to stay paired up," I told them. "One guy shoots, the other
covers him. Try to get behind them. The Z-95 isn't fast enough to run
away. Use speed matching and rip them up." Then, to Dromo I said,
"Gamma Two, you're with me. Let's go."

"Roger, Gamma One. I'm with you." I could see him tucked in behind and
to the left of me.

Then we were in among the Z-95s, our formations dissolving into
individual battles. Dromo and I teamed up and quickly dispached two of
the obsolete craft. They didn't even get shots off at us. I noticed
similarly one-sided engagements taking place all around me.  This was
quickly becoming a slaughter.

The Reseans weren't giving up easily, however. Still more Z-95s
arrived and joined the fray. We were outnumbered now, but our tactical
and technical superiority more than compensated for that.  Z-95s
continued to vaporize and I felt no need to call the SHAMUS fighters
for help.

Dromo and I had just dispached two more Z-95s when I heard J'Una break
in excitedly.

"Gamma One, GUSTAV. Hyperspace alert! Numerous ships coming out of
hyperspace." The excitement in her voice bothered me. 

I barely had time to acknowledge when blue streaks appeared
everywhere, indicating ships coming out of hyperspace. Lots of ships.
Lots of X-wings! Shit. And these were Rebel fighters, not Resean. We'd
been set up!

"Gamma One to all fighters. Watch out for X-wings coming out of
hyperspace. Now's the time to use your missiles." My warning wasn't
soon enough, however. Two TIEs were destroyed before they knew what
happened and the battle suddenly became very confused.

I accelerated to full throttle and activated the missile target- ing
system, listening for the tone that would tell me I had a lock on an
X-wing. I maneuvered in behind my target and released the missile. The
range was close and I had a good lock. The missile hit the X-wing dead
on and took down his shields. My sensors told me that the X-wing's
hull had been damaged as well. I activated the speed matching device,
switched to dual fire lasers and finished the job. The X-wing
disintegrated.

More ships were arriving from hyperspace! I decided it was time to
call for help.

"Gamma leader to Tau leader," I called. "We've been ambushed by Rebel
X-wings. We need assistance now."

"Roger, Gamma leader," Captain Ijuf responded. "We're on our way."

The space around the Resean platform seemed to literally burst with
starfighters swirling and weaving in a deadly ballet.  The SHAMUS
fighters slammed into the fight, momentarily taking the pressure off
of us. I zapped a stray Z-95, then decided that we needed to
reevaluate this mission.

"GUSTAV, this is Gamma One," I called. "We are heavily engaged with a
large number of Rebel X-wings. Repeat, Rebel X-wings."

"Roger, Gamma One," J'Una replied. "What's the status of the battle?"

"The SHAMUS fighters are helping us hold our own," I said.   "But
X-wings keep showing up. I'm not sure that we can clear them away for
the bombers to make their run on the platform. GUSTAV," I said
earnestly, knowing that J'Una's wouldn't be the only set of ears
hearing me, "they knew we were coming."

There was a pause on the other end. I assumed that J'Una, Commander
Cibock and the other officers in the Operations Center were discussing
my report. 

"Gamma One, GUSTAV," J'Una's voice, taut, determined.  "GUSTAV and
SHAMUS are launching the TIE bombers now.  HININBURG is launching
assault transports. Continue the attack."

I could tell by J'Una's tone that it was useless to debate the issue.
She was in charge, after all, and undoubtedly had more information
than I did. 

"Understood, GUSTAV," I said reluctantly. "We'll try to keep the
Rebels off the bombers, but that will leave you and SHAMUS vulnerable
if anyone else shows up."

"Continue the attack, Gamma One," J'Una said curtly.

"Gamma One to all fighters," I called, "the bombers are on their way.
Give them cover." Dromo and I made a hard right turn, blasted an
X-wing and headed toward the line of TIE bombers that streamed toward
the platform from the two frigates.

As if magnetized, the bombers drew the attention of every starfighter
in the area. X-wings streaked through the bombers' formations, intent
on thwarting their attack runs. TIE fighters streaked after the
X-wings. I found myself in the middle of this mad melee with an X-wing
on my ass. Dromo had gotten lost somewhere in the fight. I pushed my
TIE to max speed, and tried to corkscrew out of the X-wing's line of
fire. He took several shots at me, but I was able to dodge them. I
just hoped that he didn't have any missiles left. 

"Gamma Two, this is Gamma One. Dromo, I need help," I called. I
wrenched my TIE hard right and barely avoided another laser blast from
the X-wing.

"Sorry, Captain," Dromo's voice was tense. "I'm in a bit of a fix
myself. There's too many of these bastards."

I veered hard left, the X-wing still on my tail, and came face to face
with another TIE fighter flying straight at me, lasers blasting.
Shit! I pulled the TIE violently upward and the other TIE kept firing,
chopping my pursuer into pieces.

"Thanks, whoever you are," I called out.

"You're quite welcome, Captain." Captain Ijuf's voice purred into my
ear. I remembered that Dromo was still having problems.

"Dromo, I'm on my way," I said, turning my TIE 180 degrees.

"I'm OK, Captain," he said, relieved. "One of the Tau fighters helped
me out."

"Roger, Gamma Two," I said. "Form up on me and let's go help the
bombers."

The TIE bombers' formation had been ripped and disrupted by the
repeated X-wing attacks. Nevertheless they pressed on.   They were now
within range of the platform's heavy turbo lasers which opened up.
Another bomber quickly disintegrated and the remainder commenced
evasive maneuvers as they closed.

The bombers had to get very close to deliver their load of two heavy
space bombs. The space bomb can be a devastating weapon, but it must
be launched at point blank range. Unlike the missile or proton
torpedo, the space bomb does not have its own propulsion. It is
"lobbed" at its target. Thus, the bomber has to get very close,
release the bomb, pull up and get the hell away. It is not conducive
to a long life and I had nothing but re- spect for those guys in slow,
unmaneuverable craft flying right into the teeth of enemy fire to
deliver their weapon.

Dromo and I, along with Captain Ijuf and some of her Tau fighters, had
our hands full keeping X-wings off the bombers as they began their
final attack run. Just then J'Una's voice came over my comm link.

"Gamma One, GUSTAV. More ships coming out of hyperspace!"

New blue streaks slashed across space as more Rebels piled into the
battle. But these guys weren't X-wings. They were Y- wing attack craft
and modified corvettes. Shit. The Rebels had suckered us in close to
the platform, then sent in attack craft and corvettes to go after our
frigates. They sure seemed to know a lot about what we were doing.

No time to contemplate that, though. The bombers were delivering their
ordnance. My sensors detected several large explosions as the heavy
space bombs pounded the platform's shields. Several more bombers
vaporized right under the platform's lasers, which were firing
incessantly. I could see Major Maarek's stormtrooper transport
approaching the platform. I turned away from that scene and started to
worry about the latest Rebel arrivals.

"GUSTAV, Gamma One. Rebel Y-wings and corvettes in attack formation
heading your way," I warned.

"Roger, Gamma One. We are counterattacking." Counterattacking?
J'Una's voice was cool, unemotional. I could see SHAMUS and GUSTAV
closing each other to combine their fire. In this case Imperial
tactics permitted a withdrawal. When surprised by a superior Rebel
force, recall as many starfighters as possible, then get the hell out
with your capital ships intact and come back later with a bigger
force. That's the way the Empire operated and I'm sure that's what the
Rebels were counting on. They had guessed right so far. What they
hadn't counted on was encountering a Bardin female who was in tactical
control of the Imperial forces and had no intention of withdrawing.

"Gamma One, detach some fighters to assist us."

"Roger, GUSTAV," I replied. She was taking a huge risk and I found
myself hoping that Major Maarek's stormtroopers captured that platform
because we'd need a place to land if the frigates got wasted. 

I quickly mustered up Dromo and two other Gamma fighters, plus Captain
Ijuf and some of her Tau fighters. We formed up and sped after the
Rebel force. The rest of the TIEs continued covering the bombers.

There were three corvettes and numerous Y-wings approaching the two
frigates. Smaller than a frigate, the corvette had been used pri-
marily as a blockade runner due to its speed. The Rebels had modified
many of these ships, however, equipping them with additional shielding
and turbo laser mounts so that they posed a formidable threat. Three
corvettes definitely meant trouble. 

I had recently seen what one proton torpedo could do to a ship like
GUSTAV, so I decided that my group of TIEs would go after the Y-wings,
and let the frigates slug it out with the corvettes. The battle had
degenerated into a wild, uncontrolled melee and my concerns now
focused on our long-term survival as opposed to the immediate tactical
objectives.

I had one missile left which I targeted on a Y-wing that I had slipped
in behind, ignoring fire from another Y-wing.   I got the lock and
fired. The Y-wing's shields were damaged, but not completely down. I
switched to dual lasers, activated speed matching and sawed the Rebel
ship in half. It finally blew apart. I saw several other Y-wings
suffer the same fate as our TIEs got in among them. Without X-wing
protection they were very vulnerable.

The corvettes pressed home their attack. Two of them seemed to head
toward SHAMUS, probably because she was closer, and the third was
attacking GUSTAV. The two Imperial frigates put up a wall of laser and
missile fire at their approaching foes.  J'Una and Commander Cibock
had maneuvered the ships so that their broadsides faced the Rebel
corvettes, who were approaching head-on. This enabled GUSTAV and
SHAMUS to employ all of their guns, while the corvettes could only
fire those that faced forward. Which meant, of course, that the other
guns fired at us. The blackness of space was ripped by a fireworks
show the likes of which I had never before seen.

GUSTAV and SHAMUS  concentrated their fire on the lead corvette
approaching SHAMUS. Their combined turbo lasers hammered the corvette,
smashing into the shields and ripping into the forward part of the
ship. It continued toward SHAMUS, however, turbo lasers blazing.

The two corvettes attacking SHAMUS began scoring some hits and I could
see the ship shudder under the blows, its shields buckling but
holding. Dromo and I and the other TIEs were still chasing down
Y-wings, dodging fire from the corvettes and trying not to get shot by
our own ships. 

"GUSTAV, Gamma One. We've eliminated most of the Y-wings," I reported.
"We will commence strafing runs to give these corvettes something else
to think about."

"Roger, Gamma One," J'Una replied. Her voice was a little tense, but
otherwise she did not betray any of the anxiety I knew she and others
on the ship must be feeling.

"We'd appreciate any help you can give us." GUSTAV continued hammering
away at the corvettes, but started taking some fire herself.

Dromo and I began strafing one of the corvettes. Our puny lasers
couldn't penetrate the hull, but we could knock out some of their
turbos and distract their fire. We tried to stay in between the
corvettes so that if they shot at us, they risked hitting each other.
Captain Ijuf and a couple of her fighters were also strafing a
corvette. One of them was vaporized by a turbo laser blast.

We were in the middle of a royal slugfest. The corvettes were pounding
SHAMUS and I could tell that she was taking damage.  I dived on one of
the corvettes, targetting a turbo laser mount. I pressed the trigger
and held it as I closed, my lasers slashing at the mount. It exploded
in a flash of brilliant colors. One less turbo mount to worry about.

I pulled out of my attack run and that's when I spotted them: two
Y-wings we had somehow lost track of were approaching SHAMUS. I was
closest to them, but I knew instantly that I was too far to be able to
intercept both of them. Nevertheless I diverted all power to the
engines and my TIE shot forward at full speed as I maneuvered between
the corvettes.

"SHAMUS, this is Gamma One. Incoming Y-wings, "I warned.  "Watch out
for torpedoes."

"Acknowledged, Gamma One," SHAMUS replied.

The first Y-wing launched its torpedoes before I could get a shot off.
Both torpedoes slammed into Shamus, collapsing her shields and
wreaking havoc in interior spaces. I could see explosions in the
hangar bays. The entire ship seemed to shudder, but held together. The
rate of fire from her lasers decreased markedly as power was
undoubtedly lost to various sections of the ship. 

The offending Y-wing pulled out. I let him go, concentrating instead
on the other one that hadn't launched. I got behind him and started
blasting away, but this guy kept jerking his ship around, and I
couldn't get a good lock. I knocked his shields down and targeted his
torpedo launchers as we raced in toward SHAMUS. The frigate was
visibly damaged, but a couple of her turbos were firing again, some of
the laser bolts coming uncomfortably close to my ship. I hit the
Y-wing again, damaging his weapons system but he kept on heading
toward SHAMUS. 

"SHAMUS, this guy's gonna ram you!" I hollered as I pulled up and
narrowly missed hitting the ship myself. The Y-wing slammed into
SHAMUS, exploding in a huge flash. The frigate lost all power and I
could see fires, smoke and collapsed bulkheads. I fully expected the
ship to explode, but it didn't.  It just floated, dead in space, a
sitting duck.

At that instant GUSTAV's gunners tore through the hull of the lead
corvette and it did explode, the flash blinding me in my cockpit,
debris hurtled for miles, rattling against my hull.  The normal crew
compliment of a corvette is 150-200 people. There could not possibly
be any survivors. GUSTAV began firing at one of the other corvettes.

"Gamma One this is GUSTAV," J'Una's voice, still anxious but
determined. "The platform has been secured by our forces.  HININBURG's
assault transports are descending to the surface." The attack had
continued unabated. Rebel efforts to drive the frigates off had
failed. But there were still two corvettes out there.

"Gamma One, we are launching four reserve TIE bombers with space bombs
to attack the corvettes. Cover them." So that was her ace. Space bombs
will knock down the shields of a heavily defended platform, but
they'll blow a corvette to pieces. 

"Roger, GUSTAV," I replied. I had to admire J'Una's guts.  She had
held on to her reserve for as long as possible. Now, when the enemy
was most vulnerable, she went for the kill. 

Two of the bombers swooped down on the nearest corvette and blew it
into space junk before the poor bastards knew what hit them. The
second was luckier. It managed to destroy one of the bombers attacking
it, then get away from the other. It escaped into hyperspace.

As quickly as the battle had erupted, it was over. The remaining Rebel
starfighters joined the corvette in a hyperspace getaway.  Captain
Ijuf and I reformed what was left of our respective flight groups. 

The carnage had been incredible. The space platform, object of this
adventure, had been blasted into a wreck by the TIE bombers, but was
now fully under the control of Major Maarek's storm- troopers.
Wreckage from numerous starfighters, Imperial, Rebel and Resean,
drifted lazily through space. SHAMUS had managed to restore some
power, but it was obvious that the ship was severely crippled. I could
only imagine the devastation inside that vessel.

 I found myself asking myself what was all of this  for? A relatively
obscure system had become the center of a viscious battle resulting in
horrendous destruction and loss of life, and for what? The Emperor?
I'd never even seen the guy.

I snapped myself out of this somewhat heretical reverie as I heard
J'Una's voice come over the commlink.

"Gamma One, GUSTAV." Her voice sounded much more relaxed now that the
succession of crises had passed. "Prepare your group to return to
base. Mission successfully completed. Well done."

"Thanks," I said dryly. Then, "What about SHAMUS?"

"SHAMUS is too badly damaged to recover starfighters," J'Una replied.
"GUSTAV will recover her fighters after your group lands. It will get
a little crowded but, accounting for our losses, we should be able to
handle them."

"Roger, GUSTAV," I said. "We're on our way in." The fortunes of war
sometimes have a way of working out, I guess. I'd get to meet Captain
Ijuf of Tau Squadron. She had proven herself to be an excellent pilot
and a fine flight leader, and she had a very sexy voice. I wondered
what she'd be like in person.

I switched to the flight control frequency. 

"GUSTAV, Gamma One requesting landing sequence."

"Roger, Gamma One," the Flight Control Officer responded. "Be advised
that we are parking two TIEs to a stall."

"Understood, GUSTAV," I responded. I cut the engines as I felt the
tractor beam take hold of my ship. "Just try not to scratch the
paint."

The tractor beam guided my TIE through the bustling hangar and set her
down all the way forward in the stall. I went through the post flight
shut down quickly, then climbed out of my TIE. I suddenly felt
exhausted and I really needed a drink. Another TIE was being parked in
the same stall I was in, and I had to scamper out of the way. Great, I
thought. Survive all that to be squashed by one of your own
starfighters in a parking stall!

The TIE's hatch dropped open and the pilot climbed out and dropped to
the deck. The pilot straightened and removed the flight helmet. The
first thing I saw was red hair. Lots of red hair flowing halfway down
her back. The flight suit hid the particulars of her figure but her
face was exquisite. She had steely blue eyes, full lips and a smooth,
prominent nose.

I extended my hand in welcome. "Captain Ijuf?" I asked. She nodded.
"Welcome aboard, Captain. I'm Vel Tallig of Gamma Squadron." She took
my hand in a surprisingly strong grip. She wasn't particularly big or
powerful looking, unlike J'Una who towered over damn near everyone and
exuded strength.

Captain Ijuf smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Captain," she said.  "Call
me Kao. Any more word on SHAMUS?" We were walking toward the hangar
bay doors.

"I'm afraid I don't know any more than you do," I said knowing how
concerned she must be for her shipmates. "You saw how much damage she
suffered. It didn't look good."

"I appreciate that effort you made trying to intercept that attack,"
Kao said. Her eyes glistened a little, but there were no tears. Tears
are not part of Imperial protocol.

"We're all on the same team," I said. The hangar bay doors opened and
J'Una walked into the hangar bay, obviously looking for us. 

"Captain Ijuf?" she said to Kao who nodded. "I'm Commander Selena,
Operations Officer." She extended her hand, which Kao took. "I'm
afraid you and your flight group will be with us here on GUSTAV for
awhile. SHAMUS was severely damaged and there were heavy casualties."
Kao looked at her stoically, trying not to show emotion. I had only
just met her, but I knew what she was feeling.

"HININBURG has taken SHAMUS under space tow," J'Una continued.
"Assault transport carriers," she said referring to HININBURG, "aren't
much for combat, but they do have good medical and repair
capabilities. Hopefully SHAMUS' hyperdrive can be repaired soon and
she can travel quickly to a repair facility.  In the meantime, you and
your fighters will augment GUSTAV's crew.  We can sure use you."

"Thank you, Commander," Kao said stiffly.

"Commander Selena," I said formally, changing the subject, "the Rebels
knew what we were doing. Either that or they're damned lucky. They
anticipated every move we made, except your decision to stick it out.
What I don't understand is why they sacrificed so much for such an
insignificant place like Resead. Hell, " I exclaimed, exasperated. "I
don't understand why we sacrificed so much for it."

J'Una ignored my rhetoric. "We had our orders, Captain," she said
sternly, looking down at me, red eyes hot. "This 'insignificant place'
was being turned into a major Rebel presence. We have eliminated that
presence." She seemed satisfied with her answer, but I wasn't sure
that she believed everything she was saying. 

I looked at her for a moment. "I hope the cost was worth it," I said
quietly.

J'Una's stance softened. "I hope so, too, Captain," she said. "We are
going to remain in orbit here for a few days, to ensure the planet is
fully secured. We'll make repairs to the platform and restore its
capabilities as a communications station. You'll fly regular patrols
to ensure that the Rebels don't interfere."

"So, what great assignment awaits us when we're done here?" I asked
somewhat sarcastically.

J'Una's face broke into one of those great smiles of hers. "Right now,
Captain," she said, "we have absolutely no idea. But I'm sure it will
be interesting."

I feared she would prove to be right.


End of Part Two





DISCLAIMER: the following story contains graphic scenes of consensual
sex between adults of various planetary origins.

Prologue: The following story takes place in the STAR WARS universe,
but is told from a unique and different perspective, that of a veteran
Imperial TIE fighter pilot, Captain Vel Tallig. I have tried to remain
true to the events, personnages, places, ship-types, weapons systems
and technologies portrayed in the original three Star Wars movies and
in the Lucasarts computer games X-wing, TIE fighter and their add-ons.
This story began at a point  in time prior to the events portrayed in
the original Star Wars film: Episode IV: A new Hope. Enjoy.  WalterS



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