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"I trust in your decision, master. If you have nothing else, I have a squadron to brief and several captains to coordinate with. If you see fit to send the pilot over, I shall be available near the hangars all day. There was a slight malfunction in the sensors of my craft I need to tweak with the mechanics. I'm not exactly the hardest person to spot," Ritt stated, resisting the urge to point out the shades.

(Gah... the nefarious one-liner threatens my posting repetoire.)

Ritt bowed in apology, his second time this encounter. "I guess I haven't quite calmed my impulsiveness, as the council constantly reminds me of. Please continue."

"In spite of how it may sound like boasting, I would assume that I'm running this mission because I'm the best you got. That, and I have a nack for staying alive and completing missions, like any reliable soldier. But that is just an assumption. It would be rather arrogant of me to presume I know what you think, master. Another reason why I prefer you stay in command."

Sonya felt the wave of relief as soon as Nakara gave his laugh out. While disappointed that she could not start training under him immediately, she did appreciate how he offered a spot should she decide to come back. It meant she had won a small battle. She had proven herself capable of doing just what it took to be his apprentice.

"As you wish, Master Nakara. I shall keep you updated on my progress, until you state otherwise."

Sonya turned, and headed for the shuttle. By tomorrow, she would be in Talofan space.

"I have ursurped control of an entire system to defend the Republic. How much trust do you think they place in me?" Stryder countered. "40 years battling Sith without complaint and they still think I'm a Dark Jedi in the making. It seems we all have something to prove."

Stryder turned to stare at the projection again and continued.
"Master Gohgei's apprentisce seeks to become a pilot. Why I'll probably never understand but she seems eamored with the concept. I dont have the personel to train her in a manner that would benefit her Force abilities as well as her interest in piloting. I will be asigning her to you as something of an Internship for the durration of your mission. In addition, Ive had my techinicans install a Cloaking device aboard your Mothership for this mission. We salvaged it from one of the Sith Ships that are cluttering my system up. It should provide a much needed stealth boost to your mission. Any questions?"

The enemy starfighter rolled over and dived out of sight, smoking heavily as it disintegrated into a fireball. But she had stopped watching it and was already pulling back on the control yoke as her blue eyes found her next target, but it had seen her as well. Turning the nose of her fighter into the oncoming enemy ship they raced towards each other, head to head, the enemy’s cannons flashing as it sent blots of deadly energy in her direction.

She didn’t return it, only making slight curse corrections as she closed the gap, its blaster bolts illuminating the cockpit as they streaked by.

Her targeting computer stopped its quiet mumbling in her ear and started to growl at her. Her finger tightened around the trigger on her stick, releasing a pair of missiles that went streaking off the meet the oncoming fighter. She adjusted her curse, missing the debris of the exploding fighter, and its wingman. Craning her neck around she saw the fighter passed her and start to climb. Pulling back on the stick and went vertical, matching its movements. The enemy pilot had noticed and started to pull the nose of the fighter towards her, as she pulled the nose of her fighter towards it’s. Each jockeying for position they crossed paths repeatedly, each time putting the fighter onto its wing trying to turn tighter then the other as they scissor through the battlefield. As the two starfighter crossed over each other for a third time she pulled up on the stick, climbed for a second or two before pitching the nose over to roll back down on to her prey, leading her target she pressed on her guns. The enemy Starfighter had not seen her break up and over its path, until her blaster bolts came raining down, tarring it to pieces before it too exploded in a fiery ball of death.

As the explosion faded away, her threat indicator on her H.U.D. lit up, and a warning buzzed in her ear, another fighter was behind her closing in for the kill, its guns blazing hot blaster blots at her. She pulled back on the yoke and hit full left rudder. The Starfighter shed so much speed that it seemed to be standing still as the nose pointed up and her fighter did a tight corkscrew. As enemy starfighter shot past her she pushed, the stick forwards and hit the right rudder. Her fighter corrected it’s self immediately and was now on the tail of the hostile fighting craft. As the piper settled onto her target the combat computer growled into her ear, letting her know that her weapons were locked on target, she squeezed the trigger once more and the enemy Starfighter cased to be. Its wingman was a little luckier, and was allowed a few split seconds longer to live as she adjusted her aim, and it to was gone in a fireball.

Returning to base, she brought the starfighter in for a landing, and as her fighter settled down onto its pads, she started to shut the thing off and power down its systems. Popping open the canopy she removed her helmet and pushed back a lock of sweaty blue hair that fallen free of its binding. Steeping out of the flight simulator she looked around, the room was all but disserted, save but a few pilots that were clustered around one of the machines. She glanced at the time display on the far wall. It was late, well past her bedtime, but she didn’t mind. Lord Stryder had finally given her permission to use the flight simulator, as long as she had finished her daily studies and chores, and she had promised not to bother any of the flight crew and to stay out of their way. She headed off to her room to clean herself off before turning in for the night. .

"Then gather your things and crew, make your preperations, and move out as soon as possible. Good hunting, and may the Force be with you." He dismissed the Jedi and then hit his comm again.

"Send Xel Ando up here, please."

Shisstal was still standing outside of the acadamy. He was tossing a rock into the air and catching it. He was bored. The Sith trooper wasn't to keen on conversation. Finally Shisstal sighed and walked up to him again. "What's it going to take for you to at least let me wait inside the entrance." he asked.
"Well the way I see it, there's still no clearence for you so your going to have to wait. But you've been here a while. Mabey I'll cut you a deal." said the trooper.
"Well? What is it?" Shisstal responded.
"I wanna see if you really are a force user. That rock in your hand. Levitate it off the ground. If you really want to get inside, all you have to do is make that rock float in the air for a couple seconds. Deal?" the trooper said mockingly.
"I haven't even started training! How am I supposed to do that!?" Shisstal shouted at the trooper.
"Well then I guess you don't want to get inside that badly do you?" the trooper said. "Either you lift that rock off the ground or you stay out here. It's your choice."
"I'll take my chances out here." Shisstal said angrily. He sat back down and continued to wait. He tried to clear his thoughts, but he was to angry to do so. So he proceeded to toss the rock again.