TFTC-TC 4: Typhoon Squadron's Day-Off: Part 2

General Information

Title: Typhoon Squadron's Day-Off: Part 2

Number of Missions: 5

Original Upload Date: 2024-07-16

Author: Jagged Fell III

Fist of Brotherhood

Readme Background

Typhoon pilots are some of the best in the TIE Corps and while they work hard nearly every day for the Corps, they too sometimes need a day off. Here we chronicle the adventures of many of the Typhoon pilots on their various days off, even if that day was not supposed to be a day which they took off...

Note: This battle was conceived before VA Locke Setzer ascended to the BGCOM position he now holds and before GN Master and GN La'an left to command Firebird and Scorpion Squadrons respectively.

Script

Mission 1: Promises to Keep

Commander's Briefing

VA Locke Setzer is the Battlegroup III Commander, but also serves as the Captain of the “Retirement” ship Phoenix where pilots of the TIE Corps may be reassigned when they wish to not be on active duty. While he can't do it all the time as his BGCOM duties keep him quite busy, when his schedule allows he likes to personally escort pilots leaving active duty to their stay on the Phoenix.

As the official role of the Typhoon Squadron is VIP Escort, when BGCOM VA Setzer makes one of these housecalls at least one pilot of the squadron will normally accompany him. Today LCM Kieran Yoyo, a Trandoshan from Tatooine, has volunteered for the assignment to protect his Admiral.

VA Setzer was also once a CA: TAC and when in that role he also made a certain promise...

Tactical Briefing Text

Thanks for coming with me today Yoyo. We will be escorting a shuttle from Lambda Squadron that is carrying three pilots to the Phoenix.

Once we have finished installing the freshly retired pilots into their berths aboard the Phoenix we can journey back to the Challenge and be done for the day.

Radio Messages

<VA Setzer> Thanks again for flying with me today Yoyo

<LCM Yoyo> This one’s pleasure VA Setzer. It is good to get off the ship from time to time

<VA Setzer> You don't have to call me by my rank. Locke, or even L would be fine

<LCM Yoyo> Thank you L

<COL Gytheran> {Jawa noises} <Come on! Let's get a move on! Some of us don't have all day. You know it is typical that you BG3 folks are lagging behind while Lambda is ready to get the job done>

<VA Setzer> Sith spit, my computer isn't translating for me. Yoyo, is yours able to?

<LCM Yoyo> No need, this one understands its speech. It says that it is ready to get underway

<COL Gytheran> {More Jawa} <That is not what I said, lizard brain!>

<LCM Yoyo> Close enough

<VA Setzer> What was that this time?

<LCM Yoyo> Nothing important

<VA Setzer> Here we go

<VA Setzer> Alright, there's the Phoenix. Just land in her hanger Pops and we will get these fresh Reservists installed in their new home

<COL Gytheran> {Jawa noises} <You don't have to state the obvious all the time you know? Man, if I was running this show we be already back drinking by now>

<VA Setzer> Yoyo?

<LCM Yoyo> It says it understands

<GN Dempsey> Hey L, how's it going?

<VA Setzer> Doing just fine Anahorn

<GN Dempsey> So are you pissed?

<VA Setzer> About what?

<GN Dempsey> Master. The word going around is he is almost done with a Death Star simulator mission he is building. One without even any marker buoys

<VA Setzer> WHAT! I told them all in no uncertain terms Yoyo, we are heading back to the Challenge immediately. I have a certain promise to keep...

<VA Setzer> What? What just happened? Is that the Shire?

<GN Master> What indeed. You are in my dominion now L. I found a certain toy left over in Frothy's stuff

<VA Setzer> Frodo? Don't tell me you found a blue triangle on a folded piece of paper?

<GN Master> I'll never tell...

<VA Setzer> This isn't good, we need to disable that ship as fast as we can!

<LCM Yoyo> Where did it go? How did it get behind us?

<VA Setzer> What’s going on M?

<GN Master> I told you, you're in my world now

<VA Setzer> OK, we must be in a mission simulation somehow. I think we need to keep attacking that ship to see what happens

<LCM Yoyo> It moved again

<VA Setzer> Yeah, but I think it is breaking, keep attacking it!

<GN Master> How about some toys for you to play tag with?

<LCM Yoyo> Not again!

<VA Setzer> Yeah, but I got a hunch that will be the last time let's keep it up

<LCM Yoyo> It didn't jump!

<GN Master> Wait, why isn't it jumping?

<VA Setzer> This is our chance! We need to destroy that ship he fixes it!

<GN Master> Noooo!

<VA Setzer> The sim is shutting down

Victory Briefing

With the destruction of the INT Shire VA Locke Setzer and LCM Kieran Yoyo were freed from the pseudo simulation that GN Master had forced them to enter. Locke quickly made it back to the ISDII Challenge before Master could make it to his ship and escape.

He had Master confined to the brig while they searched for the device of HA Frodo March that he had found. But it seems when the Shire was destroyed in the simulation the device was destroyed in the real world too. All for the best in Locke's mind as he shuddered to think of the war crimes that would have been committed if Master had the power to transport their enemies into a world where he was an all-powerful god.

Master was whistling jauntily to himself while bouncing a ball against the floor and the wall when Locke entered the brig.

“What did you think you were doing M?”

“I was just having a bit of fun L. Got to keep things light around here and when I found that old artifact of Frothy's I couldn't resist trying it out.”

“You could have killed Yoyo or me.”

“But I didn't. Are you going to let me out or am I going to be spending the night in here?”

“Oh, I'll let you out tonight. But first,” Locke bent over and pulled off a shoe, “we need to discuss the consequences of trying to build a Death Star mission...”

Mission 2: To Ask a Question

Commander's Briefing

Jagged has fallen completely head over heels for Shiri’ala. She is gorgeous and fun and brings out the best in him. Before her he kept to himself and stayed mostly in his quarters when not with the squadron. Now she has made him explore Aurora and the other worlds of the Emperor’s Hammer. He can’t imagine going back to a time before her, and doesn’t want to.

He has a special surprise planned for Shiri and has arranged with her to fly with him today. First, they are going to a planet on the edge of the Unknown Regions where they will make a course change and then on to his planned surprise deep in The Chaos.

Tactical Briefing Text

Hey beautiful, we are heading to a special spot in The Chaos I have been wanting to show you. But we will need to first stop at a planet on the edge of the Unknown Regions to change course.

Radio Messages

<CM Fell> Hey beautiful, thanks again for coming out with me today. I have been waiting to show this place to you for weeks now

<Shiri> Of course Honey. I want to spend all my time with you if I am not on a job

<CM Fell> Me too Babe. Ok I have sent over the coordinates for our first stop in our journey today

<Shiri> Pretty. Although why did we exit in this asteroid belt?

<CM Fell> Not sure, maybe my calculations were a bit off. No matter, just need a moment for the nav computer to recalculate the next set of jump coordinates

<Shiri> While we wait, do you want to have a little fun?

<CM Fell> Sure, what do you have in mind?

<Shiri> I bet you can’t fly through those asteroids by the time the computer finishes

<CM Fell> Those asteroids? Which ones? In case it slipped your mind we are surrounded by asteroids right now

<Shiri> Ha, ha. I’ll mark a course and send it over to you as you fly it so you can’t cheat and plan ahead like you always do

<CM Fell> Fine, send the start point over

<Shiri> GO, GO, GO!

<Shiri> Half way done!

<Shirr> Amazing, you did that so fast! I am super impressed!

<Shiri> You did it! You got through my course before the computer was done

<Shiri> Oh...you didn’t make it in time. I really thought you could do it. Did I make it too hard?

<CM Jagged> Ok, the course is done. Are you ready?

<Shiri> You are really making a girl wonder what you got planned. You are wound tight as a spring

<Shiri> AMAZING! This is SO BEAUTIFUL! How did you find this?

<CM Fell> My mother brought me here before she died. It was her favorite part of The Chaos. How the nebula looks like a flower never got old for her. She could sit out here for hours just looking at it

<Shiri> I can see why. It is the most incredible thing I have ever seen flying through space. Is this the surprise you had for me? If so, you nailed it

<CM Fell> I wanted to bring you here to show this place as it was special to me and my mother...And I wanted this to be the place where I asked you this

<Shiri> Asked me what, Honey?

<CM Fell> Shiri’ala, I love you with all of my being and you have made me a better person than I ever thought I could be. I never want to go back to a time without you in my life. In fact, I want you even more in my life. I just can’t stand the thought of not being with you and I don’t ever want that to happen

<Shiri> What are you trying to say?

<CM Fell> I guess what I am trying to say is...Shiri’ala, will you marry me?

<Shiri> Shut up!

<CM Fell> Shiri? Is that a no?

<Shiri> Of course it isn’t! Of course I will marry you! I love you!

<CM Fell> I love you Shiri. Can I come over there and dock so we can kiss?

<Shiri> Get your blue butt over here Jagged, on the double!

Victory Briefing

Jagged came through the docking hatch and was knocked off his feet by Shiri’s passionate kiss and embrace. They laid there on the floor of the Blue Orchid just kissing and talking to one another for hours, all a glow with the joy of the day.

They were to be married! Jagged thought his heart might burst from the elation coursing through him. Shiri was going to be his wife! All was right in the universe because she wanted to be his, forever.

After a time, they disentangled themselves and started to make plans for how they were going to get married. Shiri had more thoughts and plans for this than Jagged expected, but it was ok. They would be together and that is all that mattered.

As the time wore on, they started to discuss the plans for the lead up to the wedding and Jagged said, “Well, I will have to let Master, and the rest of the squadron, throw a bachelor party for me.”

“Oh Honey, I don’t know if this region of the Galaxy will be able to handle that. You all just might blow it all up if you let him plan it.”

Mission 3: A Little PvP

Commander's Briefing

Major Prost Varsis has been around the Emperor’s Hammer for more than 20 years and has been a fixture on the ISDII Challenge for all of those years. Most of his service time has been directly in Typhoon Squadron, having even been its Commander at one time as well.

But Prost hasn’t always been a Major. In fact he spent an idyllic time as a Lieutenant Commander for many years in the early years of his career. He has often spoken about how LCM is the best rank and his desire to go back to it. However, no matter what he has tried he has not been able to convince the TIE Corps brass to allow him to take a demotion (or three) back to the “best” rank, but he has never really given up hope.

These days he likes to engage in dogfighting tournaments, referred to as PvP matches by their participants. He has journeyed to a system just outside the Alpha Sector with his squadron mate, Commander Anthony Starr, today to compete in just such an event.

Tactical Briefing Text

You are here in the Asgard System competing in the semi-finals of a PvP tournament being held by the local casino, Thor’s Hammer.

You, and Tony, are flying in TIE Defenders as they are better suited in a close quarters fight than your normal Missile Boat, but Tony can’t help you in your tournament fights and is only an observer.

If you win this next match you will be going onto the Finals and could take home the prize money of 100,000 credits!

Radio Messages

<Thor> We are about to see the first battle of today's semi-final round for the super-class fighter division. On one side, flying a TIE Defender is MAJ Prost Varsis. His opponent, flying a Missile Boat, is Teal'c. Remember, you are to disable only, not kill. Are the combatants ready?

<MAJ Varsis> This is where the fun begins!

<Teal'c> Indeed

<Thor> Begin

<MAJ Varsis> Well fought Teal'c

<Teal'c> To you as well. I knew that flying against one as well known as you would be a great honor

<MAJ Varsis> Well known? How could you have heard of me?

<Teal'c> Your name is known to all jaffa who have served under the false god Apophis in his Serpent Guard. Even a rank badge of yours is displayed prominently in their fortress

<MAJ Varsis> Wait, rank badge? What did it look like exactly?

<Teal'c> A simple rectangle comprised of 5 blue squares and 1 red square

<MAJ Varsis> MY LCM PLAQUE! Where is this base you said it is displayed in?

<Teal'c> When I last laid eye upon it, it was shown in a place of honor in the main audience chamber of a hidden fortress in a hollowed-out asteroid above my home world of Chulak

<MAJ Varsis> Please send me the hyperspace coordinates for Chulak I got to try and get my LCM plaque back

<Teal'c> I will do one better, my mentor, Bra'tac, and I will journey with you to assault Apophis's hidden base. My honor demands it

<CM Starr> Prost, why are you so concerned about your old LCM plaque? You are about to be in the Finals here. You can't leave

<MAJ Varsis> Forget the tournament. It may be a long shot but maybe if I have my old LCM plaque, I can use its wondrousness to finally convince them to let me go back to the best rank in the TIE Corps. I got to try. Will you help me?

<CM Starr> This is completely ridiculous but I got your wing old friend

<Teal'c> Gate address entered, let us depart

<Thor> Teal'c has been disabled, MAJ Varsis advances to the finals!

<Teal'c> A squadron of Deathgiders have launched from the fortress

<MAJ Varsis> If they stand in my way, I will burn them to the ground

<CM Starr> Fighters all destroyed it seems

<CM Starr> Their capital ship support has been all destroyed

<CM Starr> The base is defenseless

<CM Starr> The base has been disabled

<MAJ Varsis> Cover me while I go grab the plaque

<MAJ Varsis> GOT IT! Let's get back to the Challenge! Thank you Teal'c and Master Bra'tac. I owe you now

<Teal'c> May our paths cross once again someday

<MAJ Varsis> Hey Locke, you won't believe what I found! Meet me in your office!

Victory Briefing

Vice Admiral Locke Setzer looked incredulously at the pilot before him. How had he ever thought that by just presenting his old LCM rank plaque he would be allowed to return to being a LCM? Did he think that the reason the TIE Corps had not demoted him back was a lack of rank insignia? Just ludicrous.

And what more, he had dragged a fellow pilot under VA Setzer’s command, and therefore care, into a dangerous assault on an unknown base, against unknown enemies, with unknown allies and who had unknown motivations. Only one word could be used to describe today: reckless.

“Prost, what were you thinking? You can’t honestly believe that just by having your LCM plaque in hand you would magically be allowed to be a LCM again, can you?”

“Come on L, just let me go back to being a LCM. Please? It is the best rank and you know it.”

“Prost you are too much sometimes. I know you have idolized your time as a LCM, and you had some great years at that rank, but it is time to move on. Your abandonment of the tournament at the last minute has already got the local gossip Holonet channels saying you ran scared from your opponent, or that you were about to be found out as a cheater. Your actions have brought shame to the TIE Corps and the Emperor’s Hammer today. What’s more, you could have gotten Tony killed out there today.”

“Fine, I messed up. Maybe as punishment you should bust me back a few ranks. Make an example out of me to the rest of the Wing. I mean it would send a clear message.”

“Prost, if I am going to punish you it will be by promoting you to Lieutenant COLONEL and making you the officer in-charge of keeping Master out of trouble from now on.”

“That is uncalled for! Would you really be that cruel?”

“Don’t tempt me. You’re dismissed. Now get out of my office.”

Mission 4: What’s Old is New Again

Commander's Briefing

Lieutenant ScottyTheGeo has brought to the attention of the rest of the squadron a new, immersive combat simulation for Fleet engagements. The name of the simulation is Squadrons, or SWS, no one knows what the S and W stand for, weird.

The Fleet simulation is to be a 5 on 5 combat experience while having to take out a few capital ships at the same time. Scotty has convinced Lieutenant Lucius Nehnlar, Captain Atashi Rain, General Master, and Commander Jagged Fell to fly with him in the simulation today to demonstrate it to the squadron as a whole.

Tactical Briefing Text

The objective of the simulation is to destroy the capital ships of the other team while protecting our own.

If we die in the simulation we will just respawn again into the battle as many times as needed.

We will be flying in a T/F, T/B, T/I, or T/D. However their stats are not the same as we are used to in real life as to make it so that the T/D is not as dominant.

We must destroy all their ships in a particular order while watching out for their forces. There will be 5 higher skilled opponents on their side too that we should hunt down to keep them from attacking our Fleet.

Radio Messages

<LT Scotty> All right, mission is finished. Let's log out now

<LT Scotty> Ok, let's go kick some butt!

<LT Nehnlar> Rinner, you can't escape us!

<LT Scotty> Focus fire on Corvette A!

<LT Scotty> Focus fire on Corvette B!

<LT Scotty> There goes Corvette A! Now focus on B!

<LT Scotty> There goes Corvette B! Now focus on A!

<CM Fell> We got all their Corvettes!

<LT Scotty> Focus fire on Frigate A!

<LT Scotty> Focus fire on Frigate B!

<CM Fell> There goes Frigate A! Now focus on B!

<CM Fell> There goes Frigate B! Now focus on A!

<GN Master> We got all their Frigates! Now for that mothership!

<GN Master> The MC-75's shields are down, let's finish them off!

<LT Nehnlar> We clipped Swann's wings!

<LT Nehnlar> Sing for us Alto!

<LT Nehnlar> Mora Veil is mora dead!

<LT Nehnlar> We blocked Bock!

<CPT Rain> There goes Raider A! We got to save B!

<CPT Rain> There goes Raider B! We got to save A!

<CPT Rain> All our Raiders are gone!

<CPT Rain> There goes Cruiser A! We got to save B!

<CPT Rain> There goes Cruiser B! We got to save A!

<CPT Rain> All our Cruisers are gone! They are going for the ISD!

<LT Nehnlar> They got me!

<LT Nehnlar> I am getting murdered out here tonight!

<CPT Rain> I am down!

<CPT Rain> It just isn't my night!

<GN Master> That bloke killed me!

<GN Master> Crikey, I am dying left and right out here!

<CM Fell> Oh come on! That was miles from getting me!

<CM Fell> I am sorry guys, they just keep killing me!

Victory Briefing

With that the simulation was over. It was strange for the experienced TIE Corps pilots, none of the ships seemed to have the correct specifications. The baseline TIE Fighter was way more capable then they knew it to be normally and super fighters like the TIE Defender seemed woefully underpowered compared to their true abilities.

“Scotty, what is with that simulation? Why was my bomber shrugging off laser fire like it was nothing while the Defender was getting vaped by those X-Wings like it was nothing?” asked Master.

“I don't know. The developers of SWS say they made changes to the fighters and other ships for balance reasons. So that every fighter has a legitimate chance in the fight.”

“That’s stupid,” replied Lucius. “What is the point of it as a trainer if it isn't correct in the ship specs? If TIE Fighters and Bombers were so capable as that suggests the Empire couldn't have lost any battles and never would have bothered to develop Interceptors or Advanced versions, let alone the Defender.”

“Yeah, as a training tool it might not be great. But it sure was fun to play, right?”

Mission 5: One Last Night

Commander's Briefing

The weeks since Commander Jagged Fell proposed to Shiri'ala have flown by, now it is the night before the wedding and the pilots of Typhoon Squadron, plus Vice Admiral Setzer, are taking him out for one last night as a bachelor.

Per the advice of Shiri, Jagged did not let General Master plan the party, but he made sure that his opinions were heard by those that did end up planning the festivities. They have come to the Bpfassh system to have fun at Durvo’s Casino.

They had been at the party for some time when a group of New Republic pilots at the bar got suspicious of the Typhoon pilot’s conversations about different ways to vape New Republic fighters.

Usually, Durvo does a good job of keeping the Emperor’s Hammer pilots and New Republic pilots away from each other to prevent any “unpleasant” confrontations. But for whatever reason, whether it was fate or, as some alleged later, Master’s interference, the two warring factions had not been separated this night.

A hot-headed New Republic pilot came over to the table that the party was at and pointedly asked if he had heard them right, “Did I hear you correctly that you think the Incom T-65 is trash and any half-decent TIE pilot should be able to vape it?”

“Oh, someone in a bog-standard TIE Fighter might have trouble, but yeah, in a TIE Interceptor or better, the rebel pilot should be dog food in a 1-on-1,” replied a slightly inebriated Master.

“Have much experience vaping rebel pilots?” the New Republic pilot asked coolly.

“Just 20 years and a few thousand of them. Why, do you think a few of them might have been your friends? You should have told them to practice a bit more then before they wandered down to this end of the galaxy. Although to be fair, I do get around and it might have been a raid of ours that smoked your friends.”

With that, punches were thrown, and the bar room furniture was turned into improvised weapons in an epic brawl. Fortunately, or not, the casino had a firm no weapons policy, so none of the combatants had their normal blasters, vibroblades, or lightsabers. And while several of the Typhoon pilots were skilled in the Force, the numbers were not on their side tonight, and the drinking didn’t help with the concentrating needed to wield those awesome powers.

The brawl turned into a ramshackle affair leading to the hanger where the Emperor’s Hammer fighters sat waiting for combat...

Tactical Briefing Text

Let’s show these nerf herders what real pilots can do!

Radio Messages

<GN Master> Let’s whip these fools!

<GN Boliv> Calm down Master, we will beat them all, but let’s not rush into anything quite yet

<VA Setzer> I have two full squadrons of New Republic fighters on my sensors

<GN Boliv> Shouldn’t be too much trouble then. Do you want to command the battle?

<VA Setzer> No, you can call the overall strategy

<GN Boliv> Jagged, call out any targets you want others to take care of, this is your party after all

<GN La’an> Two more squadrons just jumped in, along with a pair of corvettes

<GN Boliv> Flights 1 and 3, focus on the fighters. Flight 2 along with Locke, take care of those capital ships

<VA Setzer> What? No ready comment on how dangerous these Space Emus are?

<GN Master> Don’t know what you are talking about. These aren’t Space Emus, they are just a pair of New Rep corvettes

<GN Boliv> You make my head hurt sometimes

<GN Boliv> All fighters gone from the tactical screen. Let’s all focus on those corvettes

<GN Master> Corvettes are dead, we are coming to help with the rest

<VA Setzer> All New Republic forces are destroyed. We did get a fix on the location of their home base during the fight though. What do you all think, should we go attack the base or call it a night?

<GN Boliv> Let’s let the man of the hour decide. What do you say Jagged, do we head back to the Challenge or go attack their base?

<GN Master> Alright Jagged! Let’s party!

<GN Boliv> Ok people, we got a base, a few capital ships, and all their escorting fighters. Same as before, Flights 1 and 3 focus on the fighters while Locke and Flight 2 go after the capital ships. If the action gets too heavy we can always just run back to the Challenge and call it a night

<GN La’an> Again, no comments about look at those Space Emus or that Space Roo? Are you feeling ok M?

<GN Master> Don’t know what you all are talking about. I don’t see any Space Emus and Roos

<GN Boliv> That is all the fighters, now for the rest of them

<GN Master> Caps all gone, now going for the base

<GN Master> Caps all gone, now going for those fighters

<VA Setzer> Their base is history, let’s mop the rest up real quick

<VA Setzer> All destroyed, let’s go home. We have a wedding to get to get ready for

<CM Fell> Locke, what are your thoughts about the Challenge and the rest of Wing X coming to help us?

<VA Setzer> Sure, give me a moment to send off a message for them to come

<VA Setzer> Let’s all get back aboard and get the post flight briefing done so the lover boy can get some sleep before his big day

<VA Setzer> Okay, their forces were a bit too much for us to mess with when we are not fully sober and have a wedding to get to

Victory Briefing

With that the pilots of Typhoon Squadron tumbled into the pilot’s lounge aboard the ISDII Challenge. They had showed the New Republic that Typhoon was willing, and able, to beat them wherever and whenever needed.

They laughed and told stories of the battle, using their hands to show how they had maneuvered onto the tails of rebel after rebel. They felt invincible. Then they looked at the clock and saw what time it was. They had just 1 hour to get Jagged cleaned up and to the wedding or Shiri’ala would have all their hides. That put more fear into them than any amount of New Republic Task Force fighters.

---

Thank you all for playing this series of missions, I am assuming you played Part 1 before you played this one. The impetus to make these battles was the desire to have my character meet a stand-in for my wife in this fictional Star Wars universe, as she has been asking to be included since I read her my first 2023 RtF fiction entry.

I struck on the idea to meet her in a mission or a battle one day and liked the idea too much to let it go. But I figured I couldn’t just release a battle whose sole objective was my character’s dating life. So, I decided to use it as an opportunity to write a humorous battle featuring all the pilots of the squadron getting up to shenanigans while not on a bigger mission for the TIE Corps. I have had fun writing these missions, although I did feel a certain amount of pressure to quickly finish making it as I wanted the battles to be released in time to celebrate my 10-year anniversary with my lovely wife.

A very special thank you to Ilios for making the rose nebula for the proposal scene in Mission 2 of this battle. It, and all the other custom backdrops he made for these battles, really make this look amazing and special. Ever since we were dating, my wife and I jokingly talked about blue-galaxy this or that, and while the nebula is not blue, it is incredible and just what she asked for.

To my wife, I look forward to another 50 or more years with you, my smoking hot, blue-skinned goddess.