Ship Training: Maal

[Khendon Sevon]

Space was dark. Darker than it should have been. The simulation began blank, empty, nothing but infinite black. The hardware quickly rendered the scene, a wasteland of stars. At one side of the invisible map was a TIE Executioner Mark Two, and opposite it was a TIE Executioner Mark Four.

“Welcome,” said Khendon over his communication unit, “I will be getting you aquainted to the array of Federacy vessels currently in use in our Fighter Corps. Sit back, relax, and prepare to be amazed.” Khendon transmitted data to Maal.


Tie Executioner mk2
Class: Superiority Fighter
Manufacturer: TSE/Tarot
Crew: 1 Pilot
Length: 8 meters
Speed: 245MGLT (310 w/ afterburner)
Hyperdrive: 1x
Shield Rating: 120 SBD
Hull Rating: Cockpit: 60 RU, Wings: 35 RU
Armament:
2 Laser Gattlings (medium lasers, ion selectable)
1 Warhead Launcher
Special:
Shield Compensator
Afterburner


“I have just sent you the stats for your fighter, don’t try to play with the controls, they’re disabled… give me a moment and I’ll show you exactly what you’re ship is capable of.”

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon took control of Maal’s TIE Executioner MK2, sending the craft into a sharp dive. The former Vice Diktat spoke calmly, “you’ll notice your craft can easily enter a dive, this is due to the vectoring of her engine. Unlike most craft that have static placement engines and require maneuvering jets, your fighter actually angles the exhaust giving you greater maneuverability.” Maal’s fighter quickly leveled out then pulled a hard right while the nose angled up towards Khendon’s fighter.

“As you can see, the Executioner is an extremely maneuverable fighter. There’s no need to spend time moving a yoke or stick, either,” with that a blue laser activated in Maal’s cockpit, two circles being etched near his hands and two directly in front of him.

“Simply place your hands in the circles and the computer will track your hand motions. Your H.U.D. will appear whatever direction you turn; lasers etch it in your eye.

“Now,” started Khendon, “your turn, I’m returning control of your vessel to you, prepare for it! And go!” Khendon relinquished control of the vessel and grinned.

[Maal Lah]

Maal Lah fought a sudden urge of panic as the Executioner dived downward. Then he moved his hands upward and the fighter leveled out. Maal flew straight ahead for a few seconds, then decided to test the reaction of this fighter, and his mettle. He twisted his hands to the right so that it was perpendicular to his previous position. Instantly, the fighter turned into a hard roll to starboard.
Maal had his breath taken away by the suddenness of the roll. He brought his hands back to a normal upright position and the roll slowed into a level thrust. He was now getting a hang for the control system on this fighter. In truth, the hand guided actions of the fighter were much better for instatnaneous reactions. Even as he was thinking about this, his hands twitched to his left. The fighter instantly sideslipped to port, throwing Maal off-guard. A rueful smile appeared on his face. Gotta be careful with that, He said to himself.
However, he was confused about the weapons system. How did he switch weapons? How did he fire? He squeezed his hands. A burst of lasers jumped out of his ship and streaked off into the distance. Well that problem was solved

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon grinned sensing the slight confusion and sudden awakening of knowledge in Maal. “Yes, that’s right, now, move your hand to your upper right portion of vision and a menu will appear. Simply tap the option you want and you’ll have selected that weapon, or that system to change.

“You can hotkey actions to happen when you move specific fingers and some pilots have modified the software to do different actions when they move their fingers in different directions,” Khendon almost laughed at the complexity that his best fighter pilots dealt with daily. “Now, I’ll setup some buoys for you to destroy!”

Khendon had eight buoys, each armed with a quad laser cannon, materialize in random spots on the map and set the waypoints on Maal’s H.U.D.

[Maal Lah]

Maal ponderously turned his fighter clumsily towards the buoys. As he was not even close to mastering this fighter, he decided to come up under the buoys and minimize his profile. Maal them pushed his hands forward and the fighter jetted ahead. he then pushed his hands downwards and the fighter streaked into a steep dive. After five seconds of dive, Maal pulled his hands up and the figher leveled off five hundred meter below the level of the first buoy, which was still half a klick away. As he zzomed towards the target, he switched through the different weapons profiles on his fighter.
"Hmmm.....warhead launcher, ion cannon,lasers...decent armament."
He was now coming up on the first target. maal lah pulled his fighter in a steep, steady climb. He took aim with the HUD screen shown clearly in his eye. When he thought he was lined up for an optimal shot he fired. Two lasers jumped out at the target. The first grazed the left side, but did little damage. The second hit the quad laser cannon, but didnt destroy the buoy. Maal fired a second. This time both shots grazed the buoy. Maal gave a frustrated groan. It's harder than it looksHe fired again. Now he missed BOTH shots. Losing patience, he called up the weapons selector and chose the warhead laucher. He kept the targeting reticle over the buoy until he got a red lock and then fired. The buoy exploded.
Maal then flew at full speed to the second buoy and took aim with the warhead laucher again. He fired and hit. Then he went and did the same with the third.
Within five minutes, Maal destroyed all the buoys.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon gave a slow nod, “Well, that wasn’t too hard, now was it? Ah, more fun, though.”

Suddenly two X-wings came out of hyperspace and angled onto Maal’s tail. The fighters locked their S-foils into firing position and unleashed a quick barrage of lasers, Maal’s shields angling automatically to intercept the oncoming strikes.

“You’ll never have to worry about angling your shields, they’re automatically angled and activated, and energy reassigned. In fact, with the Executioner series, you never have to worry about adjusting any energy. The faster you want to go, the more energy is given to your engines, the heavier the blasts to your shields, the more juice goes to your shields. Of course, in combat, it all balances out, and you can always take manual control.

“Now, take out the X-wings, and watch it, they’re set to ace setting.”

[Maal Lah]

Maal instantly jerked his fighter into a downward dive, spiraling as he did so. TIE Fighters were on the whole, faster than X-Wings, and he outdistanced the chasing X-Wings by a small margin. When he judged the distance was enough, he level and quickly pulled into a loop. He swooped aorund to face the incoming X-Wings. Instead of going on a face-to-face dogfight with two X-Wings, which would be suicidal, he juked and jinked his ship and fired at the X-wings but couldn't be sure if he hit.

Maal flew over the heads of the two X-Wings. As he did he pulled into an upward loop, and turned his fighter straight down.

The X-Wings responses to his maneuver had been different. One snap rolled to port. The other went into a downward loop and pointed its fighter upwards. Ignored the diving X-Wing, Maal concentrated on the other. As he was above the X-wing, he had a perfect spot for blasting at it. He came at the fighter hard, lasers blasting. Then he quickly switched to warheads, got a tone lock and fired. The missile puched through the chields, weakened as they were by his laser barrage. The missile actually emerged from the other side before exploding. The blast vaporized the X-wing into a floating pile of gas and metal.

Maal glanced at his sensors and saw that the other X-wing had come right onto his tail. Before the enemy pilot could unload a torpedo into his aft, Maal carved across to port and dived. The X-wing dived after him. Maal grinned.

He switched his shields to manual control. Then he stopped dead in space. And he switched all power to his aft shield.

At the speed the X-Wing was traveling at, it couldn't pull out in time. the forward shields of the X-Wing hit Maal's aft shield. The shields of both fighters turned opaque. And then the X-Wing's failed. Maal had had all his power to his aft shield. The stress had proven too much. Then the X-Wing hit the aft shield. The collision blasted 3/4ths of the power of the aft shield and bounced Maal's craft around but did no more damage to the Executioner. The X-Wing could not say the same. The nose snapped off a half a foot before the cockpit and tumbled away . Then the canopy hit the shield and the transparisteel shattered. Maal could see the pilot float away...and then the rotating hulk of his X-Wing smashed into him.
Maal's grin widened. "Objective Completed,." He announced.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon smirked, “Alright, now that you’re acquainted with the Executioner Mark II, it’s time to move onto the Mark III. You remember that surgery you went through as soon as you were chosen for the elite figher corps? Well, it’s time to use the device that was implanted in your brain,” Khendon grinned, this was his favorite part.

The simulation’s reality altered. Maal was no longer in an Executioner MK2. He was now in the sleek, viewportless Executioner MK 3. “You’ll notice that you can see nothing, that you can’t move your body, and that you’re now reclined,” Khendon began, “don’t worry, this is part of the CTS system.”

“Now, I shall activate the CTS receiver/transmitter in your head, one moment,” Khendon keyed in a code. “You’ll notice that you are ‘looking’ forward… that is your ship’s forward view cam, you can switch between cams by simply ‘willing’ the vessel to do so. Furthermore, you can view all cameras at once in a panoramic, 360 view, but this will take a lot of training to get used to, seeing all things at once can be disorienting.

“You can alter your cam’s filter, be it normal visual, infrared, ultraviolet, etc., etc. by willing it to do so, or you can apply multiple filters, allowing the easy tracking of virtually any opponent. Most importantly, you can use sensors other than visual, and you will know exactly where anything being detected is. If you want to know the temperature outside, all you have to do is think and you shall know the exact number.

“As you can see, the CTS system is simple and complex at the same time. Take some time orienting yourself with viewing.”

Khendon sent him the technical notes.


Name: Tri-Ion Engine Executioner Mark Three
Combat Designation: Star Fighter
Mission Profile: Superiority Fighter
Manufacturer: Tarot Labs, TGE
Length: 6m
Crew: 1 Pilot or Remote Pilot
Speed: 288MGLT (348 w/ booster) Dreamweaver Ion Assault Engines
Shield Rating: Class A Ion Shield (310 SBD)
A.L.F. Rating: 10x1
Hull Rating: Cockpit: 70 RU, Wings: 60 RU
Hyperdrive: Class A
Weapons: Four Gatlings (Medium – Type Selectable), 2 Rear Swivel Lasers (Medium), 2 Missile Racks (Holds all projectile payloads currently used by the Galactic Empire), 1 AMFS (Belly Mount)
Reactor: Matter/Anti-matter Reactor (Engines and Systems), Miniature Ionization Reactor (Weapons)
Special: Shield Compensator, PM tech, Light SRCI, OCU, Mini-tachyon Detection Grid, Carbon-fibre Armor, Booster Recharge Battery (just like TIE/E2), Mini-keyhole Transmission Receiver (1000 Terabyte Encryption), TS Lining, VB Force Detector, YB Force Inhibiter, Emergency Laser Control H.U.D., MIIC Receiver/Transmitter (1000 Terabyte Encryption), Crystal Cooling, Metabolizer Self Destruct, CTS Control, CTS Control Transmitter and Receiver (1000 Terabyte Encryption), Encrypted Communications (1000 Terabyte Encryption), Quantum Physics Processor, 3 Programmable Hardpoints (top, sides of wings), Power Compensator, Space for Special Mission Systems (such as mini-cloak generators, higher powered scanners and sensors)

[Maal Lah]

Maal settled himself back into his cockpit seat, adjusted his helmet, and glanced around in the advanced fighter in which he was now sitting.

The controls of this fighter were completely disorienting. He didn't completely like this whole mind-control piloting idea. It seemed to prone to errors than the good old manual control with the yoke and rudders. Maal decide to experiment with thsi fighter's mind control system. He thought about moving forward at a high speed. His fighter suddenly lit its engines and raced along a straight path. Maal though about stopping and the engine burn died out.

Next he thought about going into a dive. The fighter angled downward and zoomed steadily. Maal spiraled his fighter by rotating his head. The actual simplicity of the controls was breathtaking. Fighting was no longer based on relex and reaction speed. It was based on how fast you thought.

So, he thought, lets practice the weapons system. He looked at one of the few consoles in his cockpit. Maal was deeply impressed by the varied weapons available on this fighter. Quad laser gatlings, Dual rear lasers, any missile profile that existed within the Federacy, and a defense belly mount. Maal concentrated on a specific spot in space and thought about firing at it. Four lasers fired repeated blasts at the area. If a fighter had been there, it would have been vaporized into tiny bits and pieces.

"I'm ready. Bring on anything, at least short of a Death Star," Maal announced.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon gave a slow nod, “If you think you’re ready… then so be it,” the grin turned to an evil smile. Without warning, three TIE Executioner MK2’s appeared on Maal’s 6, each with gatlings blazing.

“Destroy the first two Executioners, and disable the third.”

[Maal Lah]

Maal scoffed. Having just upgraded from a MkII Executioner to a MkIII he could really appreciate the benefits of his fighter over that of the enemies'. He switched all gatlings to ion mode, and headed straight for the three fighters. He took the first few shots on his shield and then saw bright flares appear on each of the Mk II's. Three proton torpedoes rocketed at him.

Maal's belly cannon fired two shots at the first torpedo. Both blasts hit it, melting the controls into pieces of slag. then the torpedo exploded. The other two missiles came in too fast. Maal saw the distance between him and them shrink to one klick, and then snapped into a dive. Because of the high speeds of the missiles they coudn't immedieately traverse to follow him, but started to corrected their courses. Maal immediately leveled off his dive looped around, and ruddered to face the incoming missiles. He snapped of eight shots, then ruddered to port and shot eight more at the second torpedo. The cycling of the gatling were super-fast. The ion barrages knocked the circuitry and tracking devices on each torpedo. The short-circuit caused them to explode prematurely.

Maal felt lasers hammer his aft shield. He turned his fighter into a loop and fired repeated barrages of ion shots at all three enemy fighters. He didnt carrehow many shots hit his shields, just that he put some of the enemy fighters out of action. He saw some of his shots burrow through the shield of a MkII and hit the cockpit. The fighter stopped manuevering and became as dark as the space surrounding it. Maal emerged from the furball still intact. He boosted his shields and dived back into the fray. This time he only clipped the starboard wing of a fighter, sending into a hard roll to port, but a few lasers punched through his shield. He felt the shuip shudder as it received a blow to his port side. He looked at the damage console. He had lost his power compensator and emergency guidance control. Instead of going back into a dogfight, Maal switched to missiles. His fighter was currently outfitted with concussion missiles. He fired two at the only functional MkII, then two more. Then a final two as a parting gesture. THen he turned towards the still rolling vehicle, siwtched to ions and fired at it. The shots hit dead-on, stopping it dead in space.
Meanwhile, the other fighter had rolled to starboard and avoided the first two shots. He even noticed the next and dived to avoid them. He had actually ruddered around and was trying to shoot the first four missiles when the last two hit him. His fighter blossomed into a awesome explosion.

Maal sent out two missiles towards the first disabled Executioner, watched it explode, and then straightened his fighte rinto a level course.

"Am I good , or what?" he asked Khendon with the usual fighter pilot arrogance.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon shook his head slowly, “Well… it appears you’re getting the hand of using the CTS system. Why not challenge you a little more?” Khendon grinned, “with your current damage, and current payload, you must destroy all thirty-six TIE Swarmers that are attacking you… now!”

Suddenly 36 fresh blips appeared out of no where and began breaking into groups of four.


TIE Swarmer
Class: superiority Fighter
Manufacturer: Tarot
Crew: 1 Pilot (or 1 AI)
Length: 2m
Speed: 200 MGLT (250 w/ booster) Quasar Assault Engines
Shield Rating: Class A Ion Shield (40 SBD) (80 SBD in pilot flown version)
Hull Rating: Cockpit: 20 RU Wings: 60 RU
Weapons: 1 Gattling w/ Ion or Laser setting (using same theory as the defensive banks or TIE/E) 1 multi-purpose launcher
Hyperdrive: (only in AI equipped craft) Class A Hyperdrive
Special: Shield Compensator

[Maal Lah]

Maal sighed. He hated computer-driven fighters. They were too accurate and precise. These Swarmers reminded him of the Ssi-Ruuvi fighters he'd fought in the outer rim. They were small, driven by non-physical entities, and damn deadly. And they came in large numbers.

He selected the concussion missile profile and started firing at the nearest fighters. He emptied his bank of 16 missiles quickly enough. his belly mount managed to keep him more than protected, although he had to roll twice to avoid being hit.

14 out of the 16 missiles hit their targets dead on. As their shields were 1/8th that of the MKIII, they capitulated easily enough. The other two targets were saved when other members in their group shot down the incoming missiles.

Teh fighters were keeping close together as they came in on his position. Maal noticed that and zoome dinto the middle formation.

It was like a rancor amidst a nerf-herd. Any shot that Maal fired was bound to hit an enemy, whereas a return shot by a Swarmer might miss him and hit one of the Swarmer's wingmates. Plus, maal's four gatlings massed much more power than the Swwarmers' one. It was after 30 seconds of his entry, after Maal had destroyed 3 Swarmers and was running down a fourth, that the first shot actually hit his aft shield. The hiss prompted him to smile. He destroyed the fighter he was following, ruddered around, and disintegrated the offending Swarmer with four well-placed shots.

Five seconds after the shot hit, Maal remembered that he had rear lasers on his fighters. As fighters gathered on his tail he opened fire with them, knocking out two on his tail. Obviously thay hadnt anticipated a rear attack. That left 15 fighters out of 36.

Maal climbed out of the melee, and outdistanced the fighters that followed him. He looped around, stopped, and starting fire at fighters that came up after him. He took them out one by one as they traversed to follow. It was only after he had destroyed half a dozenthat there became too many, he snapped off a shot that failed to penetrate any fighter, and dove right back into the midst of them.

He had shot down two fighters when the rest of the group finally scored a massive hit on his shield. Seven shots hit his shield at once. The shields went down. Maal immediately went into a corkwcrew, avoiding as many shots as he could. He fired with his rear lasers when he could. As he did this, he frantically tried to relocate enough power to get his shields back. Before he coulda ion bolt struck his engines, knocking them out. Just as his engines failed, his shields came back on. Panic gripped him as the pursuing fighter closed to point blank range.

His engines were out bu the could still use repulsorlifts. He turned his hsip around to face the incoming fighters, and start firing a repeated laser barrage at them. When his lasers overheated and stopped firing there were four of them still left. He waited for them to come. But instead, they turned around and ran. He watched them leap into hyperspace and then llaughed aloud. They probably hadnt even realized that his engines were knocked out.

He sobered as he realized the predicament he was in. without main engines he couldnt go very far.

"Umm, I could use a little help here, " he implored to Khendon, still in his Executioner MkIV.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon smiled, “If it’s help you want, it’s help you’ll get… why do you think I recalled the Swarmers? Obviously for this reason,” Khendon grinned with his hidden knowledge.

A bright burst of energy signaled a ship dropping out of hyperspace. “Oh dear, it appears they’ve come to play.”


Sector Security Ship
Name: ST-1000
Combat Designation: Light Transport
Mission Profile: Sector Security (Counter-espionage, Counter-intelligence, Counter-sabotage)
Length: 25m
Crew: 6 (2 Pilots, 2 Gunners, 2 Engineer)
Troopers: 2 Storm Trooper Squads
Skeleton Crew: 1
Cargo Capacity: 25 Tons
Cost of Craft: 270,000 credits
Sublight Speed: 80 MGLT
Atmospheric Speed: 1,400 KPH
Consumables: 1 Month
Hull Rating: 100 RU
Shielding: 500 SBD
Backup Shielding: 100 SBD
Hyperdrive: Class A
Reactors: Single Ion
Fighter Complement: none
Weapons: 2 Occult Turbolasers, 2 Occult Ion Cannons, 1 Defensive Bank
Special: Shield Compensator, Refocillation Armor, Best Scanners Available, Rotating/Moving Docking Piece w/ Plasma Cutters for Forced Docking.


“With current damage and payloads, eliminate the ST-1000.”

[Maal Lah]

No special systems packages have been loaded on your TIE/E3, try again, Maal.

[Maal Lah]

Sithspawn, this is a no go Maal turned his head fromthe computer. This latest abortive attempt had failed as well. He had tried hacking into the St-1000's systems. And he had tried to cloak himself. And he had tried to cross wire his engines. and still the St stood there in space.

Wait a sec he thouhgt, frowning out his cockpit. The Patrol craft was just waiting there...when it could easily blast him apart. Why would the Imperator be doing....

And then it hit him. It wasn't the Imperator controlling the ship, it was an AI. Not a flessh-and-blood pilot. And AI had "honor". Killing him, with his engines out and payload depleted would achieve no honor for the Ai. Maal had always wondered why they had programmed AI to be like noble humans. Noone is like that in real life.

So it would wait till his engines were restared,then blast him. Very proper and honorable. But they don't know that i can outfly them with one hadn tied behind his bakc He glanced at his cisplay. Thiry seconds

The seconds creeped past. the timer hit zero. and Maal still did not hit the restart. I wonder how long they'll let me wait He didnt have to wait long. A shot sizzled off his shields, lowering them by 3/4 power. He immediately pushed the restart and waited for the thrum. He was not disappointed. hte engines came online almost instatnaneoiusly. And Maal pushed his fighter down.

The turbolasers tried to hit him, sure. But with his skills, and the CTS, nothing could touch him. He finally outdistanced the frigate and got out of firing rangs. He looped his fighter around and came straight at the ship. He smiled wickedly. [i]I'm going to show you how to get your asses kicked. By a starfighter</> he promised.

[Khendon Sevon]

“Imperator, do we have permission to engage now?”

“Yes, Captain, you may fire at will,” said Khendon with a grin.

From the belly of the ST-1000 emerged a turret, four gatlings already rotating. The weapons aimed in the direction of the TIE Executioner, the hostile, the threat and took a moment’s aim.

“FIRE!” The Captain gave the command and all batteries opened fire. At first, the Executioner had made a good job of dodging the blows, but as soon as the defensive bank unleashed, it was no contest.

A rain of crimson energy approached Maal, energy capable of overloading his shields and incinerating his vessel, he had under estimated his mark.

[Maal Lah]

Ph brother Maal thought. Neither his shields nor hull would be able to withstand the coming lasers. He knew a gambit that could work, but he was reluctant to try it. It coul cost them his life.

But so could this barrage. He dialed his inertial compensator up to a sphere of 15 meters and waited. the compensator were built in order to protect pilots from being overloaded by high acceleration maneuvers. Any stress within the sphere of the compensator would automatically make it try to tug it away from a ship. And a storm of lasers definitely counted as stress againts the ship.

Even then, Maaal still had huge doubts as to whether it would work. He had never heard of such a manuever done by any other pilot. Bu the had to try it. Otherwise hed be dead. the lasers approahed the compensator sphere. They passed the sphere and.....

[Khendon Sevon]

The laser blasts passed through the field, their courses unaltered. The red energy sped forward and collided with Maal’s craft. At first the hull withstood the barrage, but then the hull literally incinerated and Maal experienced explosive decompression and finally, large red letters neatly printed on the simulator goggles he wore, “MISSION FAILED.”

Khendon grinned mischievously and tapped a button, Maal being readmitted into his simulation universe. “Close, was it not?” said Khendon with a smirk, “You’ll notice you’re now in a new craft… the TIE Executioner MKIV”

[Maal Lah]

"Hopefully this one does have a cloaker?" Maal replied."I really don't appreciate being vape-bait for a ST-1000."

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon mused over Maal’s words, Vape-bait, “well, perhaps you would like to be bait for something else,” Khendon grinned mischievously.

The TIE Executioner MK IV at Khendon’s command suddenly burst away from its stationary point, it’s brilliant engines quickly being dimmed as its subtle anti-detection package activated. “Lah, you will find that the MKIV doesn’t fully go stealth, rather, it has a lower profile on sensors and is harder to hit. The craft is more maneuverable, has heavier shields, can go slightly faster, and has beefed up weapons. Furthermore, it costs a lot, which is why there are only a few squadrons in existence,” Khendon grinned as he reached the ten click point between him and Lah.

“Now, your mission, Lah. Destroy my Executioner,” Khendon grinned wickedly.

[Maal Lah]

"Heh. Hope you didn't make a mistake by challenging me, Imperator. Well, here goes. Open wide."

Unsure of the Imperator's skills, which was probably excellent, Maal decided just to test him out on the first run and try to gauge his tactics. If i can survive this first dogfight then

So on this first run, Maal decided to just concentrate on evasive manuevers. He fired up his Executioner Mk IV, the control systems of which were almost exactly the same as the Mk III and raced on a straight path to the enemy fighter. As the distance between his craft and the Imperator's craft neared, Maal noticed that the Imperator's starfighter wasn't moving. Why isn't he moving.

He had now moved into firing range. He juked his fighter in a randomized pattern. Up, down, upward cross. He fired more out of reflex than out of any hope of destroying the enemy craft.

He was now within on eklick of the Imperator's craft. Optimal firing range. He increased the rate of his evasive maneuvers. It wouldn't look good for him at all if he got destroyed in the first 30 seconds of the dogfight.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon’s mind was a vice, absorbing every piece of data that was fed to him by his craft’s computer, filtering and assigning, responding in microseconds. The Imperator’s skills had been honed in one-on-one combat and massed combat and he knew exactly what to do to counter Maal’s current crazy rabbit pattern.

The Executioner’s engines suddenly erupted with a blue flame, its vectoring straining to process the maneuver properly as gravity shifts aided in the advanced tactic and miniature thrusters released small blazes. The fighter began moving forward, accelerating at an amazing speed for nearly a half a second, then snapped onto its back, angling upwards and towards Maal’s general area.

The fighter inverted and boosters fired, sending the craft into a headlong acceleration arch towards the opposing Executioner. Khendon made sure his shields were set to advanced mode and concentrated, his vessel rolling along its horizontal axis as it gained “altitude” above Maal’s craft and neared the point of intersection of craft.

The entire event transpired in only a few seconds and put Khendon in a position for a snap roll behind his trainee’s Executioner.

[Maal Lah]

Sithspawn! The Imperatos's craft was now high above his own. It had prime killing position from where it was right now.

Well, he'd just have to deny the Imperator that. He corkscrewed down into a spiral. The hardness of he manuever pressed him back slightly into the couch.

He pulled out several klicks below his starting point. he glanced at his sensors to show the enemy craft and was answered when laser hammered into his rear shield. Hte Imperator had come in right behind him. Maal dived and rolled left, but the Imperator easily followed. But before the Imperator could open fire again, Maal carved to the left and took him out of firing range for the time being. ANd he looped quiakc and hard to come in behind the Imperator's craft.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon watched as the maneuver transpired and killed his engines, his reverse thrusters erupting in answer to the commanded ceasing of forward momentum. His craft drastically reduced its acceleration and halted in the matter of a second, causing his opponent’s tactic to pull him directing in front of Khendon’s four forward gatlings, which promptly sounded, a rain of literally energy slapping Maal’s shields.

[Maal Lah]

Okay, time to get a little maneuver in here Maal thought as the Imperator opened fire. He cut all power to engines, and waited.

THe Imperator was obviously to skilled a fighter pilort to just overshoot him. That was what Maal was counting on.

THe enmy fighter, true to his hopes, hovered back on his tail and continued to pour fire into his rear shields. The shields were in pitiful shape right now. So Maal fired up his engines and instantaneously headed straight ahead. But he left a secret behind.

That secret was a dormant warhead, the weapon keyed to explode when Maal's computer gave a command. This should be a pleasant surprise Maal thought wickedly.

The Imperator roared after him. Maal glanced at his rear sensors Almost there... He let the Imperator's craft pass the actual location of the warhead....and then keyed the comand to detonate the missile. And there was an explosion. THe blast wuickly caught up to the Imperator's craft wuickly and even went so far as to rock Maal's fighter, though the shields held. Pretty powerful missile

Maal flipped around to face the late missile, evened out shields, and waited for the outcome.

[Khendon Sevon]

From the brilliant energy eruption emerged a phoenix, shedding blinding streams of blue as it penetrated the wall of flame. The TIE Executioner MK IV had picked up the device as soon as it was released, had calculated what it was, and sent a shrill warning to Khendon. Unlike most pilots, which would have attempted to dodge the blast, Khendon had simply commanded his vessel to pass it and supercharge the A.L.F. lining in the craft’s shields, causing the energy to literally stop before the hull of the Executioner.

Of course, this tactic had lowered Khendon’s general shielding by a modest amount, roughly 20% lower than when he had entered the inferno; however, the maneuver was worth it, Khendon was now directly facing Maal Lah.

The fighter shrieked out of the furnace, its blasters already blaring, stopping momentarily to spew a firestorm torpedo programmed to detonate in front of the opposing TIE and two ion torpedoes set to proximity charge when within critical damage distance of Khendon’s opponent. With a grin the weapons angled this way and that, randomly changing course, accelerating and deceleration, attempting to prevent a lock from Lah’s anti-missile system.