KAPPA SQUADRON WSR #25 (May 14, 2022 - 30 ABY)

As Tommy hauled himself out of the Tie Defender simulator for what felt like the 100th time of the week, he was surprised to find himself lamenting the fact that he was stuck flying perhaps the empire's greatest spacecraft. While he wasn’t sad to have returned to active duty, quite the opposite, he did miss however the pure joy brought on from piloting, what he thought to be, the deadliest fighter in the galaxy.

As he dragged his sweaty body towards the refreshers, Tommy mulled over the news that the fleet was looking at experimenting with larger sized squadrons. This meant that a new flight was to be added to Kappa Squadron. Tommy thought it a weird thing to do, as squadrons traditionally have always flown as a twelve pilot unit. He was however interested to see what new tactics could be spawned from the idea.

As he hit the handle on the refresher, spawning a cascade of lukewarm water over himself, he was also interested in seeing what the new nickname and motto would be for Kappa’s newest flight.

Tommy chuckled to himself. “Rulers of the stars' ' he thought out loud. A unit based on the mythical Krayt dragons of old. Oh how he would have loved to have hunted one of those behemoth’s. So much like the legendary Mandalorian Mythosaurs, which is perhaps why Tommy felt so at home in Kappa squadron, there was some sort of connection there, however faint.

He imagined himself hunting and ambushing a Krayt, in the baking hot twin suns of the Dune Sea of Tatooine, envisioning the striking tail, the claws large enough to shred a man in half, despite his beskar armor. And those fangs, oh man those fangs! They would be nearly able to bite through a…

“Haar’chak! I think I have it!” Tommy exclaimed out loud. “You have what, you Mandalorian mad man?” came the familiar voice of Lieutenant Colonel Adom Wietu from the refresher over. “Oh hey Fro, I didn’t hear you enter. And it’s nothing, just another crazy concoction of mine I’ve thought up.” “Yeah well last time you had one of those ideas, your Gonk droid nearly set the bar on fire. So keep me out of whatever it is you’ve dreamt up.” Adom retorted, trying valiantly to stifle a laugh. “You got it bud!” Tommy replied, as he rushed out of the refreshers, barely drying himself and nearly stumbling over what he could have sworn was an Ewok wearing a pilot's suit…

Tommy raked his fingers through his still damp hair in a last ditch attempt to tidy up his looks, as he knocked on the door of his commanding officer's meeting room. “Enter” came the distinctive voice of Lieutenant Colonel Aardvark.

As the door slid open almost silently, Tommy made his way into the stark room, which Tommy knew was only for appearances sake. Kappa’s Kommander as they were affectionately known, was a keen hoarder of rare ancient weapons and what some would consider to be lewd or sordid material, these items were hidden away behind secret wall panels. This is why Tommy and his Kommander got on so well, they were two of a kind.

“What can I do for you Tommy?” asked Aardvark. “Well Sir, I’ve been thinking alot about it as of late. And by a lot I mean, the past thirty minutes or so, about what we are going to do about the new flight nickname and craft being looked at for Kappa.” Aardvark swiveled slightly back and forth in his desk chair, while nonchalantly rolling around an old bolt caster round on his desk. “I’ve seen this look on your face before Lieutenant Colonel, last time you had it, you set the bar on fire.” “Well Sir, if you want to get technical about it, it was actually Combat Gonk and not me that…” Tommy’s words fell away as his Kommander raised an eyebrow at his excuse.

“But I digress,” Tommy continued. “As I was saying, I’ve been thinking about it. I know that when my old squadron Sigma was decommissioned, most of her craft have been sitting around gathering dust in one of the reserve hangers. I thought we could put them to good use, along with a new flight nickname and motto.” Aardvark leant back this time in his chair, sticking his boots up on the corner of the desk. “Go on,” he replied. “Well Sir I have to admit, it is a great honor to be placed in the cockpit of the Tie Defender. I know most Imperial pilots would lick the toilet bowl to have a chance at flying one. But for myself, I have always felt more at home in the cockpit of an Interceptor.” “An interceptor flight, huh?. Why would we choose that over another flight of Defenders, an arguably better craft?” replied Aardvark “Permission to sit, Sir?” Tommy asked. Aardvark waived at the chair to Tommy’s left.

As he slid into the chair Tommy continued. “Well Sir, the maintenance on the Interceptor is far lower. They take up less room in the hanger than the Defender and well…” Tommy appeared to pause, looking lost for his next sentence. “And well what?” Aardvark asked, leaning forward on his desk, planting his elbows upon it. “And well. They look like the fangs of a Dragon, Sir.” Tommy blurted out. Aardvark’s eyebrows raised, if slightly. Kappa’s Kommander once again leant back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. Head and eyes tilting up towards the ceiling. “You said something earlier about the nickname for the new flight.” Aardvark prompted. “Yessir, as I was saying, I thought we could nickname the new flight The Dragon’s Fangs. Seeing as the Interceptor somewhat resembles them.” Tommy explained. “I see. And have you thought about a motto for the flight also?” Aardvark asked. I have Sir. I thought we could use The Crushing Blow. In reference to the fact that the fangs of a dragon could crush nearly anything our enemies could throw against us.” Aardvark sat impossibly still for a few moments, seeming to mull over what his pilot had just put forth to him. As he opened his mouth to reply, the warning klaxons sounded.

“I’m sorry Lieutenant Colonel, we are going to have to postpone this conversation until after we sort out whatever is being thrown against us.” Aardvark stated as he rose quickly from his chair. As the two pilots ran towards Kappa’s ready room, Tommy shouted above the noise of a ship getting ready for combat. “If it were to sweeten the pot at all Sir, I would put my gauntlet up to be flight leader of Flight Four!” Tommy yelled, as he dodged an MSE droid and then nearly barrelled straight over a very short Tie pilot. “Holy hell, was that an Ewok!?” Aardvark yelled.