"And the others passed him up?" Vreem Zarell asked as he and the other members of Raven squadron watched Dram Serilli land his Z-95. "Are they all idiots? That was some great flying!" "I think this kid is going to fit in just fine among the Ravens," Cutter said, to which the others agreed. "Congratulations Serilli," Zarell said over his comlink. "You're in!" "Thank you sir!" Serilli replied. But with a flash, Dram's cockpit rocketed out of it's fighter and into the air. "Vreem?" Dar Endmins said as he grinned as the parachutes deployed. "I think we have a call sign for the kid: Eject." "No," Vreem said as he watched the ejected cockpit slowly descend in the direction of the base commander's residence. Finally it came down in the pond behind it, water shooting skyward. "Splash!" They all shouted before laughing as a torrent of foul language came over the com link. "Yeah," Vreem said as he grinned. "I think he's going to fit in just fine!" As they watched the cockpit open, a rain of heavy laser bolts peirced the clouds and bombarded the Corell City skyline. All watched in horror at the titanic explosions as city blocks vanished in massive explosions. As one, all turned and ran for their fighters. Zarell leapt into his cockpit and strapped himself in while re-starting his engines. In seconds he was racing skyward, followed by the rest of Raven Squadron. Lt Commander Vreem Zarell sat listening to the Captain of the CDF Raven as he told his fighter pilots of their next mission. Hass McMurdo stood before his pilots, an intense expression on his face. McMurdo always had an intense expression on his face. "Our target is a group of smugglers," Their Captain said. "They've been operating out of a little backwater world called Dessin." "Never heard of it, sir," Lars Bardo, the ship's executive officer said. But Vreem had. He'd been there. It was home to the Smuggler's Haven, the base of operations of the smugglers who worked for Resha Torvul. "It's a small agricultural planet." "I take it our job is to keep any from escaping, Sir?" Ensign Dram Serilli asked, excitedly. "Yes," The captain told the new pilot. "There will not be many ships there. It's just a single smuggler's group operating out of a small spaceport." "Great!" The rookie pilot blurted out excitedly. "Calm down, Splash!" Zarell said over his shoulder. "You're too eager to fight." "What's wrong with that?" The newest pilot asked, hating the call sign given to him by his CO, Vreem. He'd earned it when he'd accidentally set off his ejection system after his tryout at their home base outside Corell City. The name Splash came from his landing in the pond behind the base commander's quarters. "He's right," Bardo cut in. "There is such a thing as being too eager. Just follow the lead of Smuggler and Cutter, and you'll do great." "Can we begin this briefing?" McMurdo asked with a grin as the rest of the Ravens entered the room. "Sure, sir," Vreem said, smiling. Inside, though, he was not smiling. He knew his days as a fighter pilot in the Corellian Defense Forces were over. "Ok," Vreem told his friend Mark Holstrom, a young computer technician on the Venator class Stardestroyer, Raven. "I'll try to convince the Raels to let you take Rella out on a date when they're on Corellia again. But I can't promise anything, though." "Just as long as you try," Mark said. "I really like that girl." "Now don't forget, Mark, her parents are very protective of this girl," Vreem then leaned down threateningly. "And so am I. She's like a little sister to me." "Yeah," Holstrom whispered. "I'm sorry about your uncle Vreem and his wife. I'll be glad when this war is over." Vreem's uncle and aunt had been killed a week before when several separatist ships conducted a hit and run attack on Corell City. The only family he had left were their daughters, and his grandfathers, Franco Zarell, and Harry Mudd. Zarell refused to accept Vreem as his grandson, and he had yet to meet Mudd. "Yeah," Vreem said to his friend. Mark had also lost his parents in the same attack. That was why the two had become such good friends. "I'm sorry about your parents, too." "All you have to do is bring this program up and hit enter," Mark said as he took Zarell's datapad and inserted a memory chip. "And the virus in the ship's computer will cause everything to go down. The ship will not be able to go beyond emergency power for six hours. Plenty of time for you to warn your friends." "Captain McMurdo?" Commander Bardo said from across the ship's bridge. "We have a fighter exiting one of the hanger bays. It's Zarell." "What the hell is that boy up to?" The captain pondered as he crossed the bridge. "Smuggler!" Bardo asked as they opened a channel to the small craft. "What are you doing? We're getting ready to make the jump to hyperspace! Return to the ship!" "I'm afraid I can't do that, sir," The reply came back. "Then just what are you doing out there?" "What needs to be done. It's been an honor serving with you, sir." "Lock a tractor beam onto that Headhunter!" Bardo shouted. "I think he's going to warn these smugglers!" That was when everything went dead, and the Z-95 disappeared. "Shit!" Fifteen minutes later, the Headhunter was dropping out of hyperspace over Dessin. Former Lt Commander Vreem Zarell putting in a call through to the manager of the Smuggler's Haven. "Hey Doug!" Maro Rael shouted across the control room. "A Corellian Defense Forces Z-95 just dropped out of hyperspace." "What?" Douglas Frey shouted as he ran across the floor. "It's Vreem," Zandya told the others with a grin. "Oh look!" Bethany Frey, the station manager's pregnant wife said with a laugh. "He's calling for his Uncle Doug." "Well, let's see what he wants," Lizbeth Rael cut in as she answered the craft's hail. "Hey, Vreem! What are you doing here?" "Telling you that it's time to evacuate. They've found out where Smuggler's Haven is, and Raven is on it's way. I've managed to delay them for a few hours, though. Will that be enough time?" "Guess they found out that we're smuggling again," Doug replied. "And does this mean that you're here to join us?" "Negative. I have to refuel and head back to Corellia." "Are you out of your mind?" Zandya exclaimed angrily. "You'll be lucky if you don't get shot!" "I have to!" Vreem returned. "The Force is screaming at me. It's telling me I need to get back there as soon as I can." "Do you think it's that big attack the Separatists are said to be planning?" "Yeah. I'm on my way down. Have someone ready to refuel my ship." "I'll have Rella help me," Zandya said quickly before grabbing the girl and hauling her out of the control room. Vreem popped the canopy of his fighter as the two women hooked up the fuel lines. Zandya, seeing the open cockpit, glared up at him. "You're going to be in a lot of trouble for this," She growled. "You know that don't you?" "I'll be ok," Vreem said with a smile. "Trust me!" "Vreem," Rella said as she stood next to Zandya. "Please don't go back. I have a bad feeling something awful is going to happen to you." "So do I," He told the others. "I think I'm in for a lot of pain in the near future. But regardless, I'm going back." "Then you be careful," Mama Rael said as she and Papa stood next to their daughter. "Sure," Vreem turned to Rella and smiled mischievously. "Rella? Do you remember Mark Holstrom?" "That blonde pretty boy?" The girl grinned. "How could I not?" "Yeah, he's hot!" Zandya added. "Well, he wants to know if you'll go out with him the next time you're on Corellia." "And why should we allow it?" Lizbeth Rael demanded. "Because it's not up to you!" Rella said angrily over her shoulder. "Oh, really?" The woman said, her eyes flashing angrily. "That's right!" The Iridonian shot back "I'm nineteen, and I can do as I want. Including get work on another ship." "Has someone offered you a job?" Maro asked cautiously. Unlike his wife, Maro knew that Rella was ready to set out on her own. "Yep!" She said with a grin. "Uncle Zak has offered me Momo's job, now that she's bought her own ship." "No, Admiral Crini," Captain McMurdo said as he shook his head angrily. "We had no idea what he was going to do. Besides, why are twenty capital ships out here searching for smugglers, Ma'am? The word is, the Seperatists are going to launch an attack against our orbital shipyards! We should be there!" "I know that, Hass!" Admiral Mara Crini shot back. "But these orders come from the Supreme Chancellor himself!" "So what!" McMurdo said angrily. "We are the Corellian Defense Forces! We are not part of the Republic military! Now this stupid smuggler hunt has cost us our best pilot! And it will cost us a lot more if they attack while we're gone!" Crini was going to upbraid McMurdo for his insolence when an idea popped into her head. "Captain, you are right," She said with a smile. "I'm recalling your ship. I'm recalling all those ships! We can't afford to lose anymore fighter pilots." "Is there anywhere in particular you want us to go, Admiral?" Raven's commander asked with a grin. He knew what she had in mind. "I want you and nine of the others to go to the CEC yards. I'm going to send the rest to the CDF repair facilities," Her smile faded. "Hurry!" They were two hours into the battle and the CIS forces were slowly being cut down. But unfortunately, they couldn't hurt the command ship. It's protective shields were too strong. If they could take it out, the others would fall quickly. McMurdo stood on his bridge listening to the chatter of his fighters as they tried to kill the Treasure class battleship. The Raven's commander turned about as Bardo tapped him on the shoulder. "We just got a call, sir. It seems our rogue pilot is getting ready to drop out of hyperspace. Says he has an idea on how to take out that big bastard." "If he can do that, then most of what he's done will be forgiven." "Most?" Bardo asked, incredulous. "He's going to have to face some kind of punishment for what he did, Commander Bardo. His actions have already been reported." The two jerked about when a blinding flash from outside the ship lit up the bridge. "Sir!" The ships fire control officer shouted. "There's been an explosion on that battleship. It's the reactor," Everyone on the bridge watched as a giant fireball mushroomed from the enemy vessel. Within seconds, it was riddled with explosions. Finally, with a burst of blinding light, the three kilometer long ship broke in two. "Captain! The seperatists are turning about!" "Continue to hit them with everything we have!" McMurdo said, seething with rage. "I want as few of those bastards to get away as possible! We are not going to waste the opportunity that boy gave us." "Of the thirty CIS ships that engaged us at the CEC and CSF shipyards, ten escaped, with heavy damage," Bardo told his Captain an hour later, as he stood watching the small craft flit about searching for survivors. "And we have video of what Smuggler did, sir." They turned to a nearby monitor and stared at the image of a single Z-95 dropping out of hyperspace right on top of the battleship's reactor. The Headhunter then forced it's way through the ship's shields and fired two concussion missiles point blank. "He did us proud, Captain McMurdo, Commander Bardo," Mark Holstrom said sadly from his station. "Yes, Ensign Holstrom," Bardo agreed. "That he did." "Sir!" The officer coordinating the search and rescue effort ran up. "One of our boats found what was left of Commander Zarell's fighter. He's badly burned, but alive, and they're bringing him in!" "Any word yet on how many pilots I lost today?" Hass McMurdo asked, clearly relieved at the news of Zarell's survival. "We were lucky, sir," The officer replied. "All our pilots are alive. But the doc says that Cutter will lose both her legs." "And did any of them stand out?" "They all did, sir!" Bardo said smugly. "Especially Splash. He killed thirty droid fighters." "Sounds like Zarell might have some competition as our top ace," McMurdo muttered. "As soon as Splash can claim a battleship, sir," Ensign Holstrom said with a smile, resuming the work he was engaged in: erasing all traces of the virus that the captain thought Zarell had put onto the ship's computers.