Wrong Side of the Right Coin

[Aurelias Kazaar]

Cona

Aurelias Kazaar sent his Aggressor assault fighter into a deep dive as the X-wing splattered death towards him. He checked his shield indicator, seeing it was still at 75% and fired his own twin cannons at the nearest four-winged fighter. He smirked beneath his helmet as he saw its shields light up green, then flames start billowing out of an engine. The Resistance fighter was crippled and tried to pull away from the fight. Kazaar kept on the pace, spraying more blasts at the X-wing until it exploded and sent debris into the desert below.

“Two more coming at you!” A voice crackled in his radio headset. He spotted them on his sensors and sent his own fighter into a spin. Cannon fire from the X-wing missed, but then his indicator screamed a warning about an incoming proton torpedo. Krasst, this pilot was frackin' good.

Kazaar pulled his fighter left, and hoped he'd be able to outrun the torpedo or at least figure out a way to get it to slam into something else. His black eyes caught the blue-grey X-wing coming towards him with an even faster A-wing at its starboard. Kazaar popped off a couple more cannon bolts before there was loud explosion and his shields failed. His computer told him the Aggressor was seriously damaged but still serviceable as long as its shields were able to get to 100%.

“Where th'frack are ya, Giggles!” Kazaar knew he could eject out of his fighter, but he'd hate to have to tell Mrak why the frack he'd let one of his prized Aggressors go to waste. It was bad enough the engineer was busy trying to fix up Kazaar's normal fighter, Bren, but Kazaar would never hear the end of it if he lost another fighter. Not that Rakky didn't have another 100 he could choose from, but still...

The A-wing suddenly shot quickly towards the ground as two red concussion missiles targeted in on it. The missiles were followed by another Aggressor, this one painted an almost blue-black with long orange triangles on the hull and steering vanes.

“Just had to make sure you were ready for my help, old man.” Giggles' voice almost betrayed the nickname. Full of laughter and amusement. Giggles' Aggressor peppered the A-wing as if it were an annoying insect, causing it to completely disintegrate in a ball of flame.

The second X-wing headed for space, trying to get as much distance between itself and Kazaar and Giggles' ships. “Go after it?” Giggles' voice was hopeful.

Kazaar would have loved to chase it down, but knew it wasn't an option. His ship was too damaged, and something told him it wasn't a good idea. “Let th'bastard run. Prob'ly hopin' t'lead us t'his pals anna trap. Rather make 'im come t'us.”

“Yes sir.” Kazaar could tell Giggles wasn't happy, but knew he wasn't going to get an argument. The two fighters headed back towards the massive mining complex they were using as a base. It featured 12 buildings, each built as if the architect knew exactly what function it was going to serve. None of the structures looked the same (a massive difference from the other mining facilities Kazaar had visited), but he'd never heard the owner complain at all. In fact, Stass Tag seemed almost thrilled his facility was unique. It had cost a fortune to build, but brought even more fortune out of the metals it churned out of the ground.

The two Aggressors went into a rectangle-like structure with high ceilings and a wide interior, which served as their hanger. As the fighters settled to the ground, Kazaar cast a wistful eye towards the Pursuer-class enforcement ship which was on having one of its stabilizers replaced. Last time I try t'take on o'frackin' frigate without heavy rockets. Mrak promised it'd be ready by the next time the Resistance attacked, and Kazaar was hoping he was telling the truth. The Aggressors were sturdy ships, but Kazaar missed Bren. That ship knew how to operate.

He strode out of the cockpit, yanking off his helmet, and sticking a cigar in his mouth. He paused only a moment to light it with two matches, as Giggles caught up to him. The other pilot pulled off the T-visored helmet, showing her short, flaxen hair, tanned skin, and green eyes. Her armor was the same color as her ship: bluish-black with orange triangles on the helmet, shoulder pads, chest, and thighs. She blew one strand of hair out of her eyes and smiled.

“Good fight. Glad you didn't die. I'd hate to have to tell the rest of the company how I failed to keep you alive, old man.”

Kazaar smirked through a cloud of smoke. “Ya know Kranog ain't gonna be happy if he catches ya calling me that.”

“And Anni isn't going to be happy if she sees you smoking cigars,” Giggles, otherwise known as Ophelia Ash'kalar, shot back playfully. “She'd hate it if our 'dear leader' died from cancer, instead of on the battlefield.”

Kazaar was about to reply, but a tall, powerful man decked out in Mandalorian armor hustled up to the two. “Tag wishes to speak with you, Mand'alor.”