From the Desk of Silwar Naiilo

This is it: in about ten minutes, the biggest competition of the year will begin. Every pilot, every squadron, and every ship will fight for the top spot; not only for medals, but for the prestigious titles of Flagship of the TIE Corps, the TCCOM's Escort Squadron, and TCCOM's Wingman for the next 12 months. Raise the Flag 2021 challenges everyone to take part in a variety of activities, and as many of them as possible; pilots earn points for flying, for writing fiction, for drawing art, and for the many bonus competitions that the TCCOM will announce soon. I have zero doubt that the Challenge will win, once again, as we won TIE Corps in Battle and as we won Imperial Storm 3. I expect everyone's participation as we reclaim the title of flagship for the first time in many years. Please refer to the Challenge discord for continuous discussion about strategy and status.

Documentation Challenges has completed. The top three winners are:

1. CM Dynamus: IS-GR
2. MAJ Kalve Ryder: IS-SR
3. LCM Sylas Pitt: IS-BR

Welcome SL SerenityStar13, who joins Thunder Squadron! The sub-lieutenant was recruited by CM LegionX, who has earned a Medal of Instruction.

LT Scarlette's competition, 'Starship Designers', ends in two weeks. This competition is about designing your very own starship, which can be as detailed or simple as you wish. Designs must include the exterior (blueprint style or actual artwork) and interior of any rooms of your choice. The design can be of any kind of ship- fighter, cruiser, etc.

Submissions will be judged on overall composition, art skill, and design. Submissions should be sent to LT Scarlette via direct message in Discord.

LCM Xylo Pathtel is running the competition 'Poetic Proficiency'. He posts a subject and format, and you write a poem. Round three voting has closed, and round four entries can be submitted. Round 4 will challenge you to take it to the Tanka type, and write about anything to do with any of your favorite Challenge competitions we've had, whether that be the local missions, Imperial Storm, or even RtF as this round will run through it!

COL Marenta submitted the winning entry, with a poem written using imabic pentameter, about Chalquilla:

The burn, it hurts me as I take a drink
I cannot stop acting a fool when drunk
Yellow-brown hue that sticks upon every
Surface but cleans machines quite well indeed

COL Marenta's Inferno Signal Scramble has completed its 12th round, a competition where she posts an unknown acronym - and you guess what it means. You can vote for the 13th round and enter the 14th round until October 10th.

Our next Real Heroes of the Challenge entry will be broken into multiple parts. In Phalk's first-place entry, he describes Roolothe mechanic. This is part two; to see the first, visit the previous report.

VII - HANGAR BAY - ROOLO - PART II

COL Phalk Sturm crossed the hangar from side to side while walking by the safety lane, until he reached the entrance to the lower sub-level. Several fighters were lined up into pits with scaffolds around them. A bright sign by the side of the metal structures informed of which work station and appointed mechanic. Almost immediately Sturm recognized his Spectre Missile Boat, as in fact it was the only one parked amidst other TIE starfighters. He could see the Commodore's personal Lambda-class Tyderian Shuttle being adjacent to a badly beaten TIE Advanced. Perhaps Elara's?, -he thought to himself-, and a few steps further he was standing by the open lid of his cockpit. Inside, all panels had been dismantled, and he could not help himself, but to release a gasp of despair. Wires, the backside of panels and screens, accumulators, were all visible and also some scattered handheld power tools here and there. Like if a bomb had exploded and bursted the insides of his, now dead, brand new flying death machine.

Then a voice from inside the avionics box, growled. A guttural sound of no human nature.

A sturdy, aged and horribly scarred Ughnaught emerged. Surprised of having company, he did not greet the officer staring at him. Sturm could clearly see the deep scars on his porcine face. Burn marks, probably? Radiation? Skin plague? Electrified lashes?. This man seemed like he had seen a lot through his life. A big number across the chest of a red apron reported his number: AD478.

'Good morning, AD478. Is your name Roolo?' asked Sturm to the still standing Ughnaught, staring back at him, speechless.

'Hmpf, yes, I am Roolo, and you are pilot. What, hmpf, is your doing here? Not belong here, you pilot.' said the Ughnaught and turned back to look for some tool that he quickly grabbed and almost snuck back inside the cockpit's entrails.

Sturm bowed and an awkward silent pause ensued.

'I am Colonel Sturm, Roolo. And this is MY fighter. What is the malfunction? Maybe I can help. And I need to know what is it, before I fly this baby again', said Sturm and squared his body, expanding his chest.

Roolo issued a guttural sound, not a growl now, but a purr, and bowed.

Then, he spoke: 'Programming is outdated, hmpf, and there are many uncoupled functions that were fried because of unstable molecular weilding. Hmpf, this was poorly done, hmpf. Bad job, bad job' replied, and he started following something with his head, inside one of the open avionic compartments, somewhere in the depths of the fighter's nose.

'Can I help you with those? I mean, I am not flying anywhere this morning, am I?' asked Sturm, more interested in the odd-looking scars of the Ughnaught than the actual malfunctions in his fighter.

'No, hmpf. What can you know about molecular weilding? Hmpf. Work has to be done, you go officer, you go and let Roolo do his job. Good job, good job', his reply was dry but seemed genuinely concerned.

'I have been to Gentes, Roolo. I have been coupling with your neutron-arches quite a few times. In fact, where are you from? Gentes? Belsus? Bespin?' inquired Sturm, with additional intent to know more about his mechanic.

'Neutron-arch you say? Hmpf', Roolo had popped out his head and holding a handheld neutron-arch wielder in his hand. His left hand. His right hand was missing a few fingers and wearing a safety glove. 'Gentes I am, but sold in slavery I was. Been to many places. Now you go, officer. Good job, good job', and quickly slipped back to the insides of the fighter.

'Oh, sorry to hear that, Roolo. But you are here by your will, aren't you?' Sturm asked. He was not sensing any resentment from the Ughnaught nor any physical pain attaining an enemy. The Ughnaught just gave him a feeling of weariness. Although genuinely concerned about Roolo's current situation of being a slave or not, he worried more about an unwilling slave fixing his personal starfighter. But he immediately dismissed the thought of sabotage as he felt nothing inside that could lead him to aggression or the itching pain presenting whenever an enemy was nearby.

'Free I am, and fond of my job. A Good job, a good job. Please, now you go officer, let Roolo finish', the Ughnaught showed up again his scarred face lifting a ventilation lid.

'Alright, Roolo. But I'll be back in a few hours, to see how you're doing. And I'll bring something. Not a genteslug, but something you may like. Good job you do and present I will give you'. Sturm almost shouted inside the open avionics compartment, since the noise of the wielder muffled his words while in a rain of sparks sourcing from an unknown place in the depths of his fighter. He walked away.

Roolo went back to his rumblings.

Ship Stats

• Missions completed: 91
• IU courses completed: 3
• LoCs earned: 236
• LoSs earned: 36

Promotions

• CT -> SL SerenityStar13

Medals

Combat Ratings Advancements

PvP Rating Advancements

• LCM Jaxx Nassin: Veteran 4th
• CM Morgoth: Elite 2nd
• LT Gisornator: Marksman 3rd

Co-Op Rating Advancements

• LCM Jaxx Nassin: Campaigner 2nd

Transfers

• SL SerenityStar13 to FM/SL SerenityStar13/Thunder 2-3/Wing X/ISDII Challenge

Competitions

Activity for VA Silwar Naiilo

Communication:

Email, Discord

Flight Activity:

Squadrons PvP

Medals Awarded: 4x LoC

Resources

• TC Discord
• Ship Roster
• Email the COM
• TC Personnel Administration
• Battle Center
• Competition Center
• Report Archive