Chapter 1 Submission

SUBMITTED BY: CPT Longstreet / Demon CO / 1st Brigade / Imperial Army
HOLONET REGISTRATION: <FriederLeimenstoll@gmx.de
SUBMITTED ON: 2008.05.16

It was during the night. Night? Right, no night in space as it´s dark everytime. Life is not regulated by day and night but by duty and off-duty. Something that needs time to be understood, at least by a young man who just some half year ago graduated from the Imperial Academy and has his first assignement on a ship.

 

Ensign James Longstreet roamed through the corridors of the VSD Adamant, the flagship of the 4th Systems Force and already the most renowned VSD of the 2nd Sector Group of the Imperial Navy. He was a pilot in the Gimel Squadron, flying a TIE-Interceptor, who had earned his first combat experience just a month ago. Smoking a cig in the good knowledge that he had layed back some lung cells for cloning if needed he thought back to the last weeks when things on the Adamant went strange. A space battle went fine without any real losses, the ground forces of the Adamant successfully pursued some rebels on a jungle-covered planet, and BAM: a week later sickness spread all over the ship.

 

The VSD Adamant was reassigned to the coreworlds of the Empire, just near the Academy where most of it´s pretty young crew spent the major time of their service in the Imperial Armed Forces. But still nearly a quarter of the crew was on sick-leave, many others in medical care. Even the ship´s captain, Pryum, was hit by the mysterious sickness and virtually never left his office; denying to be transferred to a hospital. Happily, and strangely, the members of Gimel just went fine till now.

 

Drowned in thoughts and memories Longstreet nearly walked into another officer coming around a corner. It was Ensign Arkada, serving as one of the many bridge officers of the Adamant, but often taking part in the training of Gimel as he was fond of TIE-Interceptors; which he flew into battle in past years. Having graduated from the Academy years ago he and Longstreet knew each other from a year spent together there; Arkada´s last and Longstreet´s first.

 

Longstreet,” he said “are you okay?”

“ I am indeed, Sir!” answered the younger Ensign, still adressing him with Sir due to his earlier commission. Though coming from a low-class family the father of young Longstreet tought him mannors, which he most time kept on as his own values.

“Ensign, I have a new assignement. Don´t ask – I have to kill you if I tell you. Just one thing I want to ask you for. Will you have look on my baby till I´m back?”

Longstreet rolled his eyes, he knew the Ensign´s passion for junk, including an old battle droid he tried to repair with the result that he can´t walk, but instead looks like a mixture of a dozen diffrent droid types and an ewok.

“I will, Sir.” he said.

“Fine,” Arkada responded “than carry on with your mud pies.” and walked away before Ensign Longstreet could think over to deny the wish.

 

Grinning Ensign Longstreet shaked his head and walked along lighting another smoke. Near his quarters suddenly an “Ensign Longstreet!” was yelled. He turned around in attention just to see Sub-Lieutenant Jubei walking closer. Jubei was a strange man, even smaller then Longstreet he was nearly double-sized in other directions; his rattling voice coupled with a habit of cursing all the time, despite this a sense for discipline and his sharp small eyes didn´t make this better. Nevertheless the flight leader was respected and well-liked within the squadron.

 

“You and your weird comrads better pack your bags and overhaul and tie up your frigid old fighters within next days.” the Sub-Lieutenant said “All members of the squadron have been ordered to the Academy – without our damn TIEs.”

Looking quiet surprised the Ensign couldn´t say a word, and after some seconds of silence the Sub-Lieutenant went on with speaking “Yes. The Lieutenant said something about that we should be trained to fly those bulky slow TIE-bombers, may god let the idiot who ordered this burn in nerf!” and straightly punched against the wall why talking, unnoticed by himself leaving a red spot on the durasteel plates.

“Make yourself ready as said, and educate yourself about damn bombers; we have crappy 2 days till our damn shuttle leaves!” he said and then walked away, not waiting for Longstreet´s reply and salute.

 

“”TIE-bombers.”” Longstreet thought while switching to another smoke “”Hm, the SL is right; someone must be a raving lunatic up there!””