If she had been capable of it, Xira undoubtedly would have sighed. E-9 was an almost brand new fighter. It had taken no significant damage in the brief exchange with the Imperials yesterday. But she had a team of techs tearing it apart anyway. It would, she thought, be at least another day before the E-Wing was flying again.
* * * * *
"I understand why you're letting her go, Ariav." Taelros' wing commander told the ship's CO. "But it's going to make a mess out of my patrol schedule, with E-9 still down."
"Since when has my slightly crazy fighter pilot friend been concerned with trivialities like that?" He replied.
"I think they put something in your drinks when they make you an officer. Makes you start acting all respectable." Lt. Gellian said.
"I wouldn't know anything about that." Commander Cyn said. "But I'll have to pull Lt. Starglow up, I guess."
* * * * *
So far, Ens. Falcon had not had all that much to do. He expected that to change soon, though. He was wearing two hats on Taelros; despite his lack of experience he was the senior medic in the ship's Marine detachment, and the ship's junior surgeon. It was an inevitable side effect of the relatively smaller crews that the Republic's new generation of capital ships carried -- a Sacheen-class carried less than a third of the crew of an old Nebulon-B frigate -- that every department was reduced. Which meant that he was one of only two fully trained doctors on the ship.
* * * * * *
Lt. Karan had called both of the ensigns away from their regular duties. By now all of the ship's senior officers had at least a little of a reputation among their juniors, and as much as Lynial Gellian was a throwback to the old Rebellion-era wing commanders, Arial Karan was a tactical officer that was very much a product of the new school. Smart, professional, highly competent... and one who while she understood the value of improvisation in combat, really preferred that things be done by the book when lasers and missiles weren't flying.
They, and a Marine jg barely senior to them, were in one of Taelros' briefing rooms. Usually used by the captain, but not always.
"Now that our 'special' party has reached its target, the Captain thinks it would be a good idea to eliminate the Imperial forces behind them. So he's sending down a couple squads of Marines, under your command." She told the Marine Lt.
"You two will be accompanying them, but you'll be going forward to support the Exec's party." She continued. "Installations like this have a rather disturbing habit of containing unusual technology that needs to be deciphered" She nodded in Xira's direction. "And of being rather dangerous."
She nodded in Jace's direction this time. "Given that, the captain felt it was necessary to send forward some engineering and medical support, and your respective department heads recommended you for the job."
