ITOD Home > RS Tour 4 (BoP): Return to Subterrel > XvT 402: Shakedown

[Officer’s Mess – ISD Redemption]

Major Mia StormChaser headed into the Officer’s Mess onboard the ISD Redemption, nodding a greeting to the regular barperson, a seven foot tall blue alien of indecipherable sex whose four arms aided him greatly in the mixing of the various and diverse drinks that the thirsty fighter jocks like Mia required to unwind, often in huge quantities.

“Evening Zarseem, you closing up yet?” Mia asked, taking hopeful seat at the bar.

“For you Ma’am, of course not, your one of best customers after the top brass have gone off to their bunks.” Zarseem moved his face in what Mia assumed was a smile.

“Anyway, I can’t close up while the pilots of Red Dragon are still here. Your usual Ma’am?”

“No Zarseem, I think I need something stronger tonight. Let’s see, Tihaar I think.”

Now that Zarseem had mentioned it, Mia’s tired mind registered that in the corner of the mess, a small group of pilots wearing the distinctive scarlet dragon patches of the veteran Red Dragon. They had obviously been drinking for quite some time, if the noise had anything to go by. Catching the eye of their CO, Colonel Dolaree, Mia raised her glass Tihaar in greeting.

Turning back to the bar, Mia started to run through her mind the Dagger Squadron roster for the new few days, recalling some recent conversations she had with Colonel Draw. Luckily, Dagger Squadron hadn’t lost any pilots recently, and those that were filling the main roster slots were mostly veteran pilots by now. Still, everybody was getting very tired - it had been a no stop couple of months, and didn’t look like it was going to let up in the near future.

“Credit for them Major?” Mia was startled out of her reverie, by one of the Red Dragon pilots who proceeded to sit at the bar. It took a couple of seconds for Mia to recognize First Lieutenant Jarik Nynie, a human, and from his accent, from Corusant.

“Sorry Lieutenant, I was parsec’s away, a credit for what?” Mia replied, desperately trying to shake of the fumes of the accumulated Tihaar from her head.

“Your thoughts.” Smiled Jarik. “You looked pretty serious over here on your own.”

Mia smiled, and becoming more relaxed, replied “Just running through some squadron admin, which is much easier I find with a drink in my hand.”

“Sounds like a good strategy Ma’am.” Chuckled Jarik, ordering another drink for himself.

Mia remembered now what she had heard about Jarik. She seemed to remember that he had joined the RS roughly around the same time as she had and had quickly made an impression as a hard working and talented pilot. A quick scan of the ribbons on his uniform confirmed her impression. An Alvace Star no less and the full range of academy medals.

Turning back from receiving his drink from Zarseem, Jarik continued “I was meaning to ask you Ma’am, fancy brushing up your skills in the combat sim? I was just going off to fly some late night matches to keep my skills up if you’d like to join me?”

“Please, call me Mia and what makes you think my skills need brushing up” laughed Mia, thinking if only this pilot knew how much time Colonel Draw and herself had recently spent on that damn gruelling Assault Transport simulation.

“It doesn’t hurt to keep improving though.” grinned Jarik, with a smile that Mia really could forgive anything of.

“Sure, let go then.” Replied Mia, finishing her drink in one gulp, and watching in amusement as Jarik hurriedly gulped down his own beverage.

Heading towards the combat sims, Mia couldn’t help thinking this sure was going to be an interesting couple of matches…