Sigma Weekly Fiction #2 by MAJ Len Eode

Previously in Sigma Weekly Fiction:

Warrior Commodore, Vice Admiral Plif, called a classified meeting with the Squadron Commanders of Wing II about a possible mole onboard. While the Imperial Security Bureau looks for the mole, the pilots of Wing II will be secretly searching for the mysterious contact, who has been dubbed "Subject Q":

*ISDII Warrior - Zone 2, Level 10: TIE Corp Officer's Cantina: 2 days ago*

Len walked into the cantina. He looked over at the bartender and nodded. The barkeep nodded back, gathering 7 glasses and starting to fill them. Len pulled his cap off as he came up to the table, lined with the rest of his Squadron. Spiffy the Chicken was wrapping up one of his Ryloth tales, which Len who had known Spiffy quite a while was never sure if it was true.

"So I said to her, that's not a power cable that's a commnet cable." The table laughed.

"Hey Len! We saved a seat for you," Spiffy said.

"Thanks," he replied taking his seat between the two flight leaders.

"Anything come back from our latest patrol footage?" Exar asked, "I know we didn't see much but those new Scimitars definitely have better resolution than our Advanced's."

Len shook his head as the bartender walked over to deliver the drinks, "Not yet, they are still...Thanks just on my tab please," he broke as his drink was placed down, "They're still trying to enhance the frame Kaisin got of Spiffy and Michael firing at the bogie."

Spiffy pounded his fist on the table, "I know we got him boss, Michael and I fired at least two missiles at him and both registered as hits."

Michael Emrys nodded, "I watched my target indicator, and it was a clean hit. I don't know how there wasn't any wreckage at all."

"Kaisin and I checked at least 3 times, nothing was left. Not even a trace of anti-matter or explosive residue," Crix added, "It's like they were ghosts or something."

Len pondered the conversation and suddenly cleared an open space on the table.

"Let's walk through this," Grabbing the salt, pepper, COL Frown's Brand eleven herbs seasoning, ketchup, vinegar, a mug of ferment, and a spoon. Len laid them out in formation.

"Crix is salt, Kaisin is pepper, Spiffy is the Seasoning, Michael is the spoon, I'm vinegar, Exar is ferment, and Valic is the ketchup," he grabbed a sugar packet and placed it at 11 o'clock from the front of the formation.

"This is the ghost fighter, which Flight I detected at T+45 from launch. At that point I ordered Flight II..."

Crix picked up, "...To begin recording the attack, I ordered my mission specialist to activate the recorder and zoom in as close as possible on the target..."

"I did the same and moved here," Kaisin continued moving the pepper shaker to the right flank of the ghost fighter, "Crix moved..."

"Here to cover you," Crix smiled as he moved the salt shaker to the 10 o'clock of the ghost fighter, "and to get a better shot of it..."

"As you guys were maneuvering, I ordered Flight III to..." Len started

Spiffy excitedly took over, "You told us to lock onto the fighter while you..."

Michael took over, "Took Flight I to the left flank to try for an even closer look, but..."

"The fighter turned and tried to make a run for us," Valic started, "but Spiffy fired his missile which made the fighter turn back at the open gap."

"At this point we have him surrounded on all sides except one, Michael fires a missile as well," Exar added.

"My targeting computer registers a hit and I saw an explosion," Michael finished.

"Mine did too, and first I might add," Spiffy shot back jokingly, "Then you told Flight II to cut across and look for debris..."

"But we didn't find any, not a single thing," Crix said mildly frustrated, "we're back at square one."

Everyone's eyes fixed on the scene before them, they let their minds float back to the skirmish, only hours before.

Spiffy leaps to his feet, causing most of the Squadron to jump and shout, "I'VE GOT...oh wait no that wouldn't work."

"What did you think of," Len asked, "Anything is possible."

"What if it was a space mirage? You know, like on Tatooine...but in space."

There was some silence as Spiffy sat down.

"It could be a projected image, but the problem is where was the reflected surface?" Exar asked.

"Better question, why would the NR try that? I mean unless they were watching it to see how we'd..." Crix trailed off, "Oh boy."

Len stood up and walked to the nearest comm panel near the door and keyed the main line.

"Central Communications," the voice emanating from the panel said.

"I need the Vice Admiral immediately," Len replied with authority.

*ISDII Warrior - Section 1 Deck 13 ISB Investigation Division's Office - Several minutes later*

Lieutenant Colonel Repulsor and Captain Eode stood behind Vice Admiral Plif in the office. The ISB Chief Investigator Bracket handed the data pad over to the COM.

"Sounds like these two squadrons in particular are chasing ghosts Plif," the Chief said, "We checked for minute traces of clear polymers and found some in the flight records of each craft. You two are the only ones to come in contact with these ghost spy fighters."

"Any reason sir?" Repulsor asked.

"We're working on it, but for now I think your COM has a new mission to give you both..."