Chapter 7: A Fine Line

[Fel]

Outer Sectors Chapter 7: A Fine Line

Yamaguchi, Arkada, and Gann had all been assigned to scouting missions, with specific targets. Each had a different planet to scout. Only Yamaguchi and Gann had returned - Arkada had not returned. The Pike had waited at the Rendezvous point for as long as they could, but it was clear he was not coming back. His official status was "missing in action", but everyone knew what that meant.

Ilven had told Fel not to lose hope, that he might be alive, et cetera, but that seemed just like false hope to Fel. He didn't like the idea, but he had to face the facts - under the circumstances, pretty much nobody ever left the missing in action status except for the fact that after enough time, all listed as missing in action change status to "missing and presumed dead".

Still, there was no funeral or ceremony until the presumption appears. Nonetheless, Fel decided he would rather write the letter to Arkada's next of kin - his parents, actually, Fel noticed - rather than let Ilven do it. She had hardly known him, whereas Fel had served with him - at least according to his backstory - extensively.

Since becoming a Lieutenant, it was something he had not had to do often, since he'd only been a squadron commander so briefly. He wondered if he would ever get used to it...

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Renzen paced in his quarters. The ISB agent posing as an Imperial pilot posing as a Rebel pilot kept turning over the thoughts in his mind about what was going on. It remained to him a mystery what exactly the scientists were working on, but he was sure that it was one that needed to be solved.

The scientists have deployed their creation - whatever it is - against the planet below the platform, but Obsidian Squadron had been moved away. Apparently they were not trusted... or simply not needed. Still, the suspicious type, Renzen thought it wasn't likely to be the second.

He could not help obsessing, to some degree, over the threat it was that got him sent out to the Outer Sectors with a rowdy bunch of pilots. If he had it his way, he'd rather be chief of security, patrolling an Imperial Star Destroyer, the symbol of Imperial might...

But no, his superior officer, whom he referred to in a way that should under no circumstances be printed in any official documents, had volunteered him for this assignment. Renzen was determined to get back to the Empire, just to see the look on that guy's face when he saw that Renzen lived...

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Tyr Sapan was charged with distributing the orders to the pilots, since Fel was off shift, getting some sleep, for once. He read them over quickly...

Since Harrsk had left the Rebels alone at the platform, the Reb... New Republic... was going in to attack him, and hopefully hit him when he's not looking. The Rebels sure have a lot of bloodlust, he noted... well... Somebody in Rebel command has some bloodlust, and the troops are paying the price...

Well, at least this one was supposed to be a nice, normal mission, for once - harass an Imperial standard patrol. As long as they were fighting against Harrsk, it was never a problem of trying to avoid casualties on the Imperial side, but if they ran into their colleagues from Grand Admiral Daemon's command, things could get a lot worse. In such case, it would be a very, very fine line between treason and the success of their mission...

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Mission Assignments:

TIE: ERS212
XvT: ERS213
XWA: ERS214
GB: ERS215
EaW: ERS216

[Fel]

The following comes from Rear Admiral Junon:

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Officers,

I fear a number of my previous transmissions have been intercepted, so I must continue to be vague as a precautionary measure. You are probably slowly coming to understand the gravity of this operation and thus I presume I need not remind you of its importance.
You must be as vigilant as possible in the upcoming weeks, since I believe an important string of events has just been set into motion. Your continuing operations will put you in a closer proximity with the items and people of interest, and you may have to rely on your best judgment when determining what risks are acceptable.

I shall do my best to keep you informed – we are very close.

Dark Knight
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