Reminiscence Therapy

[Greybok]

Music​

A small whistle inside the cockpit of his green Malla-class starfighter made Greybok glance down at the timer on his fighter's main display. They were about to come out of hyperspace. The flight from Hoth to the Monsua Nebula in the Moddell sector had taken approximately forty-eight hours—much too long to be stuck in the cramped cockpit of a snubfighter. The Wookiee longed for the comfort and the space of his beloved Starbird, but this mission required the touch only a starfighter could provide.

Snubfighters were well-equipped as recon vessels and rebel intelligence indicated that the Monsua Nebula concealed a planet that might be able to avoid the detection of even navicomputers, making it ideal for a future Alliance base. Greybok and Mig's mission was to scout the nebula, locate the aforementioned planet, and get out without taking any serious setbacks. Czerka Corporation was known to operate within the Moddell sector and it was critical that the rebels pick and choose their battles wherever possible.

Greybok opened a comm channel to Mig's starfighter, flying just behind him, and began to speak in Skyriiwook. Twobee was unable to fit inside the snubfighter, but, fortunately, the main display on Mig's starfighter would translate the Wookiee's speech into Basic: Remember: don't fire your concussion missiles at or near the nebula. Not unless you want both of us to be hairless and very much dead. The Wookiee tried to imagine his droid's reaction to such a proposal. He was suddenly glad she wasn't around to translate for him for this mission.

The wall of light outside of his cockpit exploded into thousands of pinpricks, which eventually faded back into stars, as he and Mig's starfighters reverted to realspace. Almost immediately, his cockpit blared with warning sirens. Greybok checked his display and immediately identified two issues. The first was that there were Czerka fighters on his scanners, but fortunately they did not seem to detect them just yet. The second was that they had come out of lightspeed much too close to the nebula—likely faulty coordinates due to the relatively unexplored nature of this region of space.

The Wookiee keyed his comm to signal Mig and then began to bark in Shyriiwook. Star Four, this is Star Leader. I've got two Czerka recon-fighters on my scanners. They don't seem to have noticed us. Greybok pulled on the stick of his fighter and swung the craft around and away from the nebula on a more correct course. It seems Command's coordinates were faulty. We came out of hyperspace too close to the nebula and I've got no visual on the planet we're supposed to scout. Can you get a visual?

He glanced out the viewport in the direction of the two distant Czerka fighters. He didn't want to engage them but the rebels could not afford to be discovered if this planet was to be their future base. And, besides, if he and Mig ended up having to fly over the nebula further to find the planet, conflict with the Czerka fighters might be inevitable. @Cazar

OOC Note - Dice roll thread

 

[Mig Cabra]

The Malla-class starfighter was still new to Mig. He had mostly figured out the controls by the time they jumped to Moddell but it was not quite his preferred ship yet. The Gotal had flown various vessels for the Alliance and for himself but had yet to find what he would call his home ship. This one was much too small to be home but could be a nice friend to him eventually. As an Engineer he always liked to inspect the ships to see what made them tick. He had also not had a chance to really open this one up yet so he had to hope it was good enough to hold together. Mig glanced back out the windows to see Greybok's fighter before checking his own scanners for any clues.

"Star Leader! This is Staaaaaar Four!" Mig sent back cheerfully as he found some gravitational clues to the planet. "I have located a planet, I believe. It is.... right behind those Czerka fighters!"

Mig was fascinated by the Nebula. It was different than what he usually got to see and it was beautiful. Sadly, it was also a bit dangerous. He wondered what living on that planet would be like, surrounded by a Nebula and hidden from the Galaxy. It would certainly be pretty but maybe a little lonely. Friends would be hard to find if they were so secluded. Then Mig began to think about what Greybok said when it came to firing missiles.

"I've never been shaved before. Losing all my hair... a new style to show my friends!" He piped back casually. "Oh, but you said dead too. Maybe I won't do it then!"

@Malon

 

[Greybok]

Focus, Star Four! Even as Greybok's speech was translated for Mig on the furry alien's main display, Greybok tugged his stick to the left and adjusted his course so that he was heading directly at the enemy starfighters. As he had suspected, those Czerka fighters had to go. Greybok began to bark again: Form up on me and attack the target I have marked on your display. Let's make this short and clean.

Greybok adjusted his course again so that he was gunning for the nearest starfighter. He transmitted the targeting coordinates for the second fighter to Mig's ship. He then switched the main display over to the targeting computer for his two light laser cannons and accelerated to attack speed by stamping down on his right pedal. He waited for the crosshairs on the display to turn from red to green, which was accompanied by a chime that indicated a target lock, and then pressed down on the trigger.

Red laster bolts screamed through the vacuum of space and caught the first fighter across its cockpit, hull, and one of its engines. The explosion that ended its pilot's life was nothing short of spectacular. He zoomed passed the wreckage and immediately opened a comm channel to Mig. Alright, Star Four, I got the first one. Second one is all yours.

Even as he said it, Grey pitched the fighter right and began to loop around for a second pass. There was always a chance Mig would miss or something bad would happen. In that case, Greybok liked to hedge his bets and be prepared in case of more trouble. @Cazar

 

[Mig Cabra]

The first explosion caught Mig's attention a little too much. He forgot to focus on his target as much as he should have so at the last possible second he finally fired a spray of lasers into it. It exploded after stalling for a moment and likely had a bit too long to see its own fate coming. Mig hoped that Greybok wouldn't be mad about it. A little distraction but he did it. That was what counted... mostly. Hopefully the pilot did not get off a distress signal or something.

"Target destroyed!" Mig chimed over the comm while pulling up to avoid any debris.

It was hard to see too far in the Nebula, but it seemed like the planet had to be straight ahead of them now. Whether or not that was correct, Mig could only guess. The starfighter cruised forwards towards where he thought the planet would be based on his earlier scans. Mig had the lead for now as he was the one that spotted it, but he would quickly give that up if Star Leader wanted it again.

"Should be this way... I think." He said again as he continued along.

@Malon

 

[Greybok]

It was an anti-climatic "battle." The two Czerka starfighters did not even put up a decent fight. Both were space dust before they even knew what hit them. Greybok switched off his weapon systems and began to fly over the nebula, turning his equipment to attempting to locate the planet that was the true objective of their mission. As Command data had indicated, his navicomputer detected no planetary mass and all of his other sensors were coming back with nothing either. Finding the data useless, Greybok switched the equipment off and relied strictly on visuals.

Flying casual, Greybok swung his snubfighter around and back onto the course Mig had originally discovered the planet on. Shortly enough, he could see the soft glow of the planet's atmosphere through the haze of the nebula. He switched on his comms. Star Four, I've got a visual! The Wookiee keyed the command into his display to transmit the coordinates to Mig's starfighter. He then pressed down on his right accelerator pedal and directed his craft into the nebula. He went to comm Mig once more to remind the Gotal about avoiding the use of his missile systems, but he noticed that all of his instruments were going haywire.

Greybok howled angrily and popped the display of his starfighter twice, but the nebula was causing too much interference. Comms were dead and none of his instruments were working properly. Fortunately, he was a good flier and working just off of visuals would not be a problem. He was concerned about Mig, though. The Gotal had thus far proven a competent pilot, but that was with instruments and Greybok only a comm-call away.

The Wookiee shook his head of his worries and returned his focus to the mission. The further he pushed into the nebula, the clearer the planet became. He needed to get close enough so that his instruments could pull free of the nebula's interference, allowing him to record the necessary data to transmit back to the rebellion. Even if he failed, there was always a chance Mig might succeed. He just hoped the Gotal pilot knew what he was doing back there... @Cazar

 

[Mig Cabra]

Mig did a small dance in his ship which made it sway back and forth. Success was short lived though as they had to push through the Nebula still. Greybok had said something about not doing a certain thing but he couldn't remember what it was. Mig just had to hope that he was fine for now. Once the ships entered the Nebula, Mig too could see the outline of the planet. It was beautifully hidden and he was excited to scout it out. He went to turn on some sensors but found that nothing really worked. The Gotal then went to call Greybok to complain but the comm was out. Mig realized that the Nebula was interfering with the systems. He was not a great sight pilot but he would hopefully figure it out.

"Uh... friend can't you hear me?" Mig tried again only to hear static.

The ship began to drift sightly off course. Mig just let it go. He would be a bit later than he wanted to get out of the Nebula but at least he wouldn't crash or blow up. For now at least. Mig was watching the planet and getting closer to exiting when suddenly he saw something ahead with his naked eyes. Another Czerka fighter! Mig panicked and tried to hit the comms so Greybok could hear but there was nothing still. Mig knew this was up to him and him alone.

"A single missile should take him out, but I can't aim it without the computer." Mig said to himself as he was about to fire a missile, but stopped just short. "Blind lasers!"

Mig's hellfire of lasers did the job, messily, but they were in the clear. They mostly avoided contact at least. The Gotal wondered if more trouble was waiting or if they'd managed to get through. He kept trying to hail Greybok but still nothing. Probably not until he would exit the Nebula at the planet itself. Oh well, hopefully there was nothing important to say.

@Malon

 

[Greybok]

Greybok emerged from the nebula just above the planet's atmosphere and, almost at once, his ship's systems began to come back online. The Wookiee began to run a diagnostic of his ship to make sure all of the systems were indeed fully functional. At the same time, he flipped his ship's scanners into active mode so that he could begin recording the necessary data the Alliance had sent him to recover. As both systems were running, he keyed his comm and tried to hail Mig.

Star Four, this is Star Leader. Do you copy? Star Four? Mig, can you hear me? A whistling caught his attention and he glanced down to his main display. Almost immediately, he cursed. The diagnostic was done. Most systems were green, but his hyperdrive seemed to have suffered some minor damage from the nebula's interference. Nothing he couldn't fix, but it was a setback nonetheless. Star Four, if you can hear me, my scan of the planet is nearly complete, but that nebula knocked out my hyperdrive. I'm going planet side to see if I can repair it. Finish your scan, then join me.

Greybok closed the channel, then pulled back on the stick, sending the nose of his starfighter down towards the planet's atmosphere. For all the complications the nebula had caused, the landing on the unnamed planet was smooth and without complications. The Wookiee pilot located a region of rocky land near what looked to be a cave to set his starfighter down and then engaged the landing gear.

Once the craft came to a complete landing, Greybok killed the power and reached behind his seat for his tools. With any luck, this would be a quick fix and Mig wouldn't encounter any problems above. He flipped a switch to raise the ship's canopy and then hopped out to make the necessary repairs. @Cazar

 

[Mig Cabra]

Mig finally came out of the nebula after he saw Greybok trying to land. He missed the message so had no idea what was going on at all. It was a weird silence. Mig liked to talk whenever he could and now there was no one he could message. The planet was beautiful at least. His ship did not let him enjoy it though. Flashing lights indicated that the weapon systems had shorted out. That's what he got for firing them off inside the Nebula. Now he'd have to land and repair something. It was a good thing Greybok was landing.

"Wait..." Mig said to himself, realizing his systems were back online besides the weapons. "GREYBOK I'M COMING!"

The ear piercing scream of joy would sadly not reach Greybok who had closed the channel to conserve energy for the landing or something. Mig pushed the nose down hard to try to catch up and land near his friend. His expert piloting skills and a tinge of luck helped him maneuver the fighter into a smooth landing within a couple meters of Greybok's ship. The Gotal hopped out eagerly and greeted his friend with a giant hug.

"We did it! We found it!" He said excitedly as he tried to wrap his arms around the big Wookiee.

It seemed the big guy had some repairs of his own to do. Mig was an engineer by trade and would be a perfect help for this task. He would help his friend before doing his own ship. Especially once he noticed what was broken on Greybok's ship. It would be no problem at all for the Gotal to quickly get things in order with his expertise and the Wookiee's strength.

@Malon

 

[Greybok]

Greybok was growing used to the Gotal's (somewhat awkward) shows of affection; but he was more flustered with the state of his starfighter. He turned his attention to doing what he could to make repairs to the ship. The hyperdrive looked like any easy enough fix from the initial diagnostics. Tools in hand, he set to work; the sooner he fixed it, the sooner they could report back to the Alliance. He opened up the ship's hyperdrive panel, pulled down his goggles, and set his mind to the task... only for something to immediately snap, spewing a putrid-smelling odor into the air.

Greybok howled indignantly. Now the hyperdrive was truly broken and Mig's starfighter didn't have room for a Wookiee. There had to be something he could do. It only took him a moment to come up with a solution. He opened up the canopy of his fighter and hopped inside. Immediately, he set to work rigging the comm unit in order to boost the signal. The Wookiee pilot had learned to have a back-up plan for when shit went south. His backup plan for this mission was to have BE-ET fly the Starbird and keep it on the edge of the system in case he needed his ship.

Though he was too frazzled to do math right now, he suspected that his ship had come out of hyperspace now. He just needed to boost his starfighter's comm unit to get a signal through the storms and the nebula. Then he could call for help. After only a few minutes of rigging, he tested the comm unit and, sure enough, it was instant success. He opened a channel to the Starbird and began to howl loudly. "Yes, we hear you, Greybok!" Twobee's voice came through, albeit with some interference, the starfighter's comm. "We've got your coordinates. I suppose we'll have to rescue you yet again, you mangey Kashyyykian moof-milker."

Greybok wiped the sweat from his brow, breathed a sigh of relief, and then leaned back in his cockpit. If he could get the starfighter attached to the Starbird's docking ring, then they could leave the planet the moment Mig's starship was repaired. Either way, it seemed he was in the market for a new starfighter... @Cazar

 

[Mig Cabra]

Excitement filled the air alongside the putrid smell from Greybok's fighter. Mig heard that the Starbird was coming with Twobee. That droid was his friend and would get a big hug from the Gotal once it arrived. The Gotal Engineer never got a chance to help with the Wookiee's ship before he broke it even worse. Too much muscle for the delicate job it seemed. He smiled at his friend the entire time, growing into a stupid grin when he heard Twobee was coming to help. His own ship needed weapons repair but that was better than a bad engine.

"While they come I'll fix my ship!" He quickly skipped back to his ship and opened up the maintenance panels to begin work.

Mig saw some gunk on the firing circuits so figured that had to be the issue. He went to scrape it off only to find the circuit was broken in half. In Mig's haste to get the job done he had failed to save it, turning the circuit into a useless paperweight unable to be repaired here. At least the ship would still run and he could just cut power to weapons for safety. Normally that would be a horrible prospect but Greybok was not the only one with backups in mind. Mig also had another ship in the area but if he just flew alongside the freighter and relied on its weapons, he could reach his own ship or find a place to repair his fighter.

"Oh. Weapons will be... not working at all until we get a replacement part!" Mig chimed over to Greybok who was waiting in his ship. "If the Starbird comes, I can just follow!"

A plop was heard as Mig jumped back into his fighter as well. He would power it back up and switch off power allocation for weapons systems. He would basically be a shuttle now following the other ships. That was okay though. He trusted in the others to get them away safely. Plus he could always jump to hyperspace to escape if he needed to get away.

@Malon

 

[Greybok]

The Starbird arrived and Greybok had never been happier to see his ship. Attaching the starfighter to the light freighter's docking ring, Greybok barked at Mig, telling him in Shyriiwook to escort them up. He then boarded his precious ship and finally took his seat behind the familiar controls of the Starbird.

The flight off of the unnamed world or the nebula overhead was much easier than the flight in thanks to the deflector shields and reinforced hull on the Starbird. When they cleared the cloud of space storms, Grey began to plug in the coordinates for Endor's Gate: the rendezvous point for the rest of Star Squadron. He then switched over his comm channel to Mig's frequency and started barking. Twobee, ever dutiful, translated for him.

"Star Four, this is Star Leader. We're primed to jump towards Endor's Gate." Greybok made a few adjustments to the course on his navicomputer, which the protocol droid noticed. "It looks like we're making a pit stop on Endor to drop off the fighter." Greybok howled—Twobee translated. "You're welcome to make the pit stop with us. You'll need repaired weapons when we get to Endor's Gate. Wait. Weapons for what?"

Greybok didn't answer the droid. He pulled back on the ship's hyperdrive lever and watched as the starlights elongated until the ship lurched forward into the blinding white tunnel of hyperspace. The end of the mission was drawing near. Soon, the Alliance would have another base on its hands.

The End​