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- @BEGIN_FILE_ID.DIZ
- This is a repost of TIE FIGHTER: STD
- Predator. Not to be confused with
- TIE FIGHTER: BATTLE ON THE FRONTIER
- (Chapter I) or TIE FIGHTER: MOFTA AND
- BEYOND (Chapter II) by Walter Slaven,
- although I recommend those stories as well.
- @END_FILE_ID.DIZ
-
-
-
-
- >
- > TIE FIGHTER: STD Predator
- >
- > Disclaimer: As always, any resemblances to people living or dead is
- > purely coincidental. This chapter does not contain any sex but later
- > ones will. This piece of work is not to appear in any printed or
- > electronic medium that makes a profit without my consent. Otherwise,
- > feel free to transmit this story anywhere over the internet in its
- > unaltered form. STAR WARS, TIE FIGHTER and the star wars universe was
- > created by George Lucas. No disrespect or defamation of his work is
- > intended. The STD PREDATOR was seen in STAR WARS X-WING game.
- >
- > The shuttle had just left the station hangar and was proceeding in
- > formation to the Predator. I wanted to get a look at my new boat, so I
- > climbed up front with the shuttle pilots.
- > From my vantage point, I could see the STD (STar Destroyer) Predator
- > way off in the distance. Apparently, it was just lounging around its
- > jump window while our five shuttles ferried its replacements over. A
- > bulk cruiser was also with us. One of the things on board her was my
- > TIE fighter. I settled down in a chair behind the co-pilot when all hell
- > broke loose.
- > The first thing that happened was the collision warning light went
- > off. The pilot, not thinking much of it, muttered "Dick," and began
- > turning the lambda to the starboard. Out of the corner of the
- > viewshield, I made out the craft coming out of hyperspace. He was still
- > burning up space as he zipped right by us and towards the space station.
- > Right on his tail was another one.
- > "Whoever that was, they're going to get the shit. Pulling a stunt
- > like that at Fleet Headquarters. Ha, ha," the co-pilot laughed.
- > Then the com channel crackled to life.
- > "ALL SHIPS! ALL SHIPS! REBEL CORVETTES HAVE BREACHED THE AREA! REBEL
- > SHIPS -- "
- > "That was them!" I yelled. Everyone was in shock. The Rebels would
- > dare make a move against Fleet Headquarters?
- > Then I heard the co-pilot mutter "What the hell ?" as a blue streak
- > passed ten meters in front of us. Two more came off the starboard side
- > and made for the shuttle .5 kilos in front of us. A single one lagged
- > behind the two. The closed the distance to the lambda pretty quick and
- > hit it -- sending it up in a ball of fire.
- > "That wasn't a corvette!" I yelled. "That came from a Rebel fighter!"
- > Then another light started flashing on the pilot's console.
- > "What's that light ?" he yelled.
- > It was the missile lock-on light. Rookies often forgot that in the
- > midst of battle though.
- > "Evasive, Officer!"
- > The pilot made no reaction. He was frozen in fear at the controls.
- > "Dammit!"
- > I climbed forward and threw him out of the chair. There was a
- > violent thud and the ship rocked forward -- a proton torpedo had
- > exploded against the shields.
- > I dropped the acceleration and pulled the controls back hard.
- > The shuttle went into a 180 turn -- just in time for us to see the
- > Koensayr Rebel Y-Wing that was pursuing us veer off to the port.
- > "Co-pilot -- is this shuttle armed ?"
- > "No, sir!" he replied shakenly.
- > "God almighty," I cursed.
- > "But sir! It's a passenger shuttle."
- > I ignored him and sized up the situation outside and did a quick
- > check on the long and short range sensors. Apparently, the corvettes
- > had dropped out of hyperspace close to the station while three Y-wings
- > and two X-wings took on the shuttles. They had managed to blow up two
- > shuttles and disable another one. That left us and shuttle four, which was
- > quickly making its way for deep space. The Predator had launched TIE
- > fighters but they were 13 kilometers away from us. Then of course,
- > things got worse.
- > I saw the bulk freighter turning on its axis as sparks of
- > electricity crackled along its hull.
- > "Sir, they took out the freighter!" said the shocked co-pilot.
- > MY TIE FIGHTER!!!!
- > The frieghter exploded in a giant fireball which blinded us
- > momentarily. Things were getty really hairy out here.
- > "Shuttle four, this is shuttle one. Do you copy ?"
- > "Yeah," I replied despondently, "Go ahead shuttle one."
- > "You are hereby ordered to rendezvous with us and rescue our
- > crew."
- > The command sounded pretty snotty, but since I didn't want the
- > Rebels picking off the shuttle, I agreed.
- > "Shuttle one, fold your wings and prepare to abandon ship."
- > I closed the distance between our shuttles, which wasn't too far,
- > folded up my wings and glided in so the belly doors on both our shuttles
- > were joined.
- > "Shuttle one," I radioed, "Get over here. It won't be too long
- > before those Y-wings get back from the freighter!" Actually, it was the
- > X-wings who had done the freighter in -- the Y's were just along for the
- > ride. I hoped the X-wings weren't going to engage us. From my study of
- > the enemy, I made an educated guess that they'd be on their way to
- > engage the Predator's TIEs.
- > A technician, one of four who had been the shuttle's only
- > other passengers, yelled "Let's go!"
- > I closed the shuttle door and punched the throttle up to max. I
- > started heading toward the Predator since I didn't want to get between
- > the crossfire of those Rebel corvettes. I figured with the speed and
- > shield advantage of the Shuttle over the Y-wings, we'd have better luck.
- >
- > TIE FIGHTER: Predator PART II
- >
- > "Three Y-wings closing at 2.8 clicks," said the copilot.
- > "How far to the Predator ?" I shouted.
- > "Still 15 clicks, sir !"
- > I had no idea how we were going to get out of this one. One unarmed
- > shuttle against three Y-wings was suicide, but I had no other choice.
- > As we were closing space, someone came up from behind and sat in the
- > chair behind the copilot. I glanced back quickly only to find a black
- > robed man. His hood was pulled over his head, so I didn't get a face
- > shot. I didn't think too much of it, though, because he was wearing a
- > uniform on under the cloaks.
- > I could see the Y-wings now approaching -- coming closer -- closer.
- > At the same time that I put the shuttle into a roll, I got a very
- > nauseating feeling in my stomach. Then, an amazing thing happened. The
- > Y-wings flew by us without even firing.
- > "Copilot! Get me more speed! Divert power from the shields -- I need
- > distance from those Y-wings as I can.
- >
- > TIE FIGHTER: ISD PREDATOR #3
- >
- > "Distance !" I yelled.
- > "2.5 km and closing."
- > "Hang on tight, boys -- this one's going to be rough..."
- > I began to ease the controls back and starboard. I figured
- > the shuttle would go into its helixical weave slowly, then I'd
- > up the pace once the Y's got close.
- > "1.0 km !" said the copilot.
- > I saw red streaks coming from the Y's when one of the passengers, who
- > must have crawled forward into the cockpit, whispered behind me
- > "You don't see a shuttle."
- > Almost immediately, the Y-Wings stopped firing and flew by us at full
- > throttle.
- > "What the hell ?" said the copilot. My thoughts exactly, but the ride
- > wasn't over yet.
- > "X-Wings," I said, "Where are the X-Wings ?"
- > "There he is, sir! 11 o'clock low! 11 o'clock low!"
- > Somewhere, somehow, one of the X-wings had decided to break off their
- > traditional pattern of engaging our TIEs and had decided to go after
- > easier pickings -- us. I pulled the controls back and to the port this
- > time as I felt his lasers pelting the shields. I levelled out as he
- > shot by the shuttle's starboard wing.
- > "He's coming around, sir! Coming around behind us!" yelled the copilot.
- > This rebel was a real bastard, I thought. I had to do something fast.
- > "Throw all the deflectors aft, boy and give all the juice to the
- > engines!"
- > I began weaving slowly back and forth, all the time making way for the
- > Star Destroyer. Meanwhile, the rebel slowed down and just kept plugging
- > away at the shuttle's already depleted shields.
- > "Sir, shields down to 50 percent! 40 percent !"
- > "Come on! Come on!" I muttered to myself, turning hard starboard.
- > "Shields 30 percent! 20 percent sir!" came the copilot as the shuttle
- > rocked underneath the lasers hits.
- > "Now !" I yelled turning the shuttle hard port.
- > The stars spun and the Predator came into view, still lurking some 7 km
- > out in the distance. Then, the TIEs materialized: three flights in
- > diamond formations. The two on the wings went to either side of us, while
- > the leading flight shot past overhead, all the while peeling off green
- > streaks of laser bolts.
- > "Hello Starfighters!" I barked over the com, "What kept you so fucking
- > long ?"
- > "Shuttle four, please remain radio silence during space combat," the
- > Flight leader responded. I laughed inwardly and thanked God I wasn't
- > made space debris today.
- > "X-wing is taking numerous hits, sir! He's on the run!" the copilot
- > sneered. I took a much needed breath and flew straight on towards the
- > Predator.
- > "Distance to Predator, copilot ?" I asked after a half-minute of flying.
- > "2.0 km, sir!" he responded, "X-wings have just gone hyperspace."
- > Which meant that the Y's and the Corvettes were probably long gone.
- > The ISD Predator was nearing now. A huge hulk of metal measuring one
- > mile long -- I had done flybys over a few of them a while back when our
- > sector fleet was assembling for a relief.
- > "Predator Star Traffic Control, this is shuttle Lucky four," I joked
- > into the mike, "requesting a landing pattern."
- > "Shuttle four, this is STC," came the controller, "Your landing pattern
- > is confirmed. All tractors are green."
- > I cruised underneath the massive ship, still exploring every port and
- > laser turret on the behemoth. When we were near the hangar, I cut the
- > engines, letting the shuttle glide into tractor range. The tractors
- > picked up and we were hauled aboard.
- > I stood up and stretched my legs as the shuttle was being put down
- > inside the main hangar. The copilot had already folded up the wings and
- > deployed the landing gear. To tell you the truth, I'd had enough for
- > one day.
- > "Sorry about that, back there," I told the ship's pilot, "force of
- > habit." He nodded coldly.
- > I walked back, opened the door to the passenger's section and began
- > talking to Vladimar, another veteran TIE fighter pilot I had served with
- > on the escort frigate Wolverine.
- > "Vlad, did you see a--- "
- > Vladimar and the four technicians who were aboard had their attention
- > fixed on a man in the back of the shuttle -- a man dressed all in
- > black robes. He turned to me, and I tried to make out his face, but it
- > was covered in the shadows of his hood.
- > "Lieutenant," he addressed me, "I was never on board."
- > My head grew a little foggy, but I squinted and concentrated, making it
- > shrink -- though it didn't go away completely.
- > "Repeat it," he commanded.
- > "You were never on board," said Vladimar and the other techs.
- > "Lt. Dekker ?" he said impatiently.
- > "You were never ....uh... aboard ?" I said not seriously.
- > He seemed to accept that, or else was in a hurry, because he jumped down
- > the ramp and made off.
- > I raised my brows.
- > "Hey, Vlad," I said wierded out, "who was that ?"
- > Vlad looked at me.
- > "What ?"
- > "That guy. What a crackpot, huh ?"
- > "Which guy, Fox ?" asked Vlad.
- > "Mr. Robes? Hello, Vlad? Don't you remember ?"
- > Vlad looked at me strangely and spoke.
- > "Fox, I haven't the foggiest clue what you're talking about."
- > "Vlad! You seriously don't remember a black robed man in here."
- > "Sure, Fox. You mean guy selling Storm Trooper insurance? You know -- a
- > million credits to your folks if you get raped by one? I remember him
- > now," he said sarcastically.
- > Now Vlad's a pretty cool guy, and I've known him for a pretty long time.
- > The better part of a year, in fact, but Vlad does not have holes in his
- > memory. All I could think of was that this guy had done something to
- > Vlad's brain -- maybe had some kind of mind control device on him. I
- > had to find out; partly cos I wanted to make sure Vlad was okay. I also
- > wanted to find out what the heck was going on...
- >
- > TIE FIGHTER: ISD PREDATOR #4
- >
- > "Stop that man !" I yelled.
- > He was about forty meters ahead of me in a dark side passage.
- > There were people milling about, walking this way and that and I hoped
- > one of them would stop him. I ran forward, but a lot of ensigns and
- > lieutenants were crowding the halls and my progress was impeded.
- > I looked back up to get a glimpse of him only to see things go from good
- > to bad. He was talking to two storm troopers.
- > I untangled myself from the technicians I was trapped against and
- > started walking forward. The stormtroopers were walking my way.
- > Great, I thought, let's see if we can't play this off.
- > "Morning fellows!" I said cheerily.
- > The first one grabbed me and slammed me against the bulkhead.
- > "Lt. Dekker, you are under arrest," clicked the second, "Come with us."
- > The first one must have had binders on him, because he slapped a pair on
- > me and pushed me in the direction of the elevator.
- > "You don't understand," I pleaded, "There's a ununiformed person aboard
- > -- he could be a rebel!!!"
- > Of course, they didn't answer. The elevator came, we got in and the door
- > hissed closed. While I was in custody, the troopers started talking to
- > themselves.
- > "Didn't see too many ships in port. Did you ?"
- > "No. Where do you think they are ?"
- > "Got me. I heard an officer say the fleet was deploying -- have
- > to find the rebels again after Hoth."
- > Then the doors hissed open. The first trooper pushed me out.
- > This was the ship's detention unit -- looked like the standard detention
- > area. There was a main desk in the center and a long tunnel leading to
- > the prison cells behind it. The officer on duty turned to the three of
- > us.
- > "Well, this is a surprise. I wasn't notified that we were getting any
- > traitors today," he said.
- > "Here he is," said the second trooper.
- > "Do you have his detention orders?" asked the officer.
- > "Uhhh...no," said the first trooper hesitantly.
- > The officer pushed a few buttons on his control panel.
- > "I'm not registering any transfers today on any levels, troopers. Are
- > you sure he is supposed to be in detention?"
- > The troopers looked at each other.
- > "No, sir. We were bringing him down to detention, but now that I think
- > of it...I can't remember how or why."
- > The officer shook his head.
- > "You troopers are dismissed," he said and came over with a pair of
- > mag-keys to unlock the binders.
- > "They do this sometimes. Just bring down people with no orders or
- > nothing," he said to me, "then again. Sometimes they bring down traitors."
- > "Thanks! I thought I was in some pretty heavy stuff," I said.
- > "Well, try to stay out of it. It helps," he said.
- >
- > After wandering around the ship for thirty minutes, I finally found the
- > pilots' quarters. They weren't too extravagant, but better than the
- > bunks of naval ensigns or the barracks of storm troopers. I met the
- > other pilots in my flight too: Vladimar, my old friend, a veteran named
- > Romulus and another pilot off a frigate named Erich. We used the rest
- > of the day to eat, share stories of dogfights and combat techniques and
- > just familiarize with one another. Through all of it, though, the robed
- > man was in the back of my mind.
- >
- > It wasn't until one day when I was cruising the hangar, just checking
- > out stuff that I saw the man in robes. I was in an access hall, and I
- > had just turned the corner into a main hall that I saw him talking to
- > Romulus. I froze against the bulkhead, straining to hear a hint of what
- > they were talking about. It must have been hours there, flat against
- > the wall. And I heard nothing. Finally, when I was ready to give up and
- > walk out and blurt out my presence, I heard footsteps. It was Romulus
- > He walked by me, unaware. Minutes later, the man in robes did too.
- > What would you have done? I jumped him.
- > "Gotcha !" I yelled.
- > He slammed his elbow into my ribs then rammed backwards against the
- > wall, slamming me hard. I let go, but not without first tearing the
- > hood away from the robes. What I saw startled me.
- > It was a absolutely gorgeous blonde woman, with the keenest blue eyes.
- > The sight threw me off guard, and we stood in front of each other for a
- > second before another strange thing happened.
- > Some sort of force lifted me up and slammed me against the wall --
- > the wind was knocked out of me and my eyes blurred. But something in my
- > head snapped too, and out of the corner of my eyes I saw her fall
- > backwards against the wall. I was violently mad now, and I was going to
- > go for her again -- the throat this time. No more playing around. I
- > would kick the ass of this (phenomenally attractive) stowaway and take
- > her to the ship's captain. Then I saw her sneak a blaster out of her
- > robes. I leaped forward as the shot torched the wall where my head had
- > been just a moment before. I got up and looked to see what she was
- > doing -- she was on her feet as well, blaster in hand. Fortunately,
- > there was a side passage right in front of me and I ducked in it as she
- > took another pot-shot at my head. I ran about ten feet then ducked
- > behind a bulkhead, expecting her to chase me down and shoot me. To
- > my surprise, she didn't. The sound of her boots on steel echoed into
- > the distance as I crouched beside the wall breathing heavily. She
- > had won the fight for today, but I know knew the face of the robed
- > figure -- and I was going to find out who exactly she was!
- >
- >
- >
- >
- >
- >
-
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