Red Leader: “Gold Shoulder 2, come in Gold Shoulder 2. Do you copy?”
Gold Shoulder 2: “I copy Red Leader. Go ahead.”
RL “Gold Shoulder 2, we have a confirmed sighting. I repeat, we have a confirmed sighting. You are clear to engage.”
GS2 “Received Red Leader. Sighting confirmed. Greenedge 4, proceed to attack manoeuvre delta. Keep the pace high, let’s try for the element of surprise.”
GE4 “Henderson, is that you? Why are we talking to you and not Gold Shoulder 1?”
GS2 “Bloody hell, Greenedge 4. Gold Shoulder 1 is a sodding Wookiee, that’s why! And right now I’m not Henderson, I’m Gold sodding Shoulder 2, and that’s all you need to know.”
GE4 “Sorry Gold sodding Shoulder 2, Greenedge 4 proceeding to attack manoeuvre delta.”
GS2 “Thank you Greenedge 4. Yellow Band 5, Black 3, this is Gold Shoulder 2. Your instructions are to stick tight to Skyrider and Solo, to keep them out of trouble. Do you copy?”
B3 “Black 3 reporting in. Message received.”
YB5 “Gold Shoulder 2, this is Yellow Band 5. We have Solo protected.”
GE3 “Greenedge 3 here sir, picked up from Greenedge 4, he’s down.”
GS2 “What the hell Greenedge 3? How did he manage that? White 4! White 4! Evasive manoeuvres, bear right! You have a bogey on your tail. Wait… there’s a string of them, and they’re coming up fast! White 4, peel off!”
W4 “They’re on me! I can’t shake them! There’s 3 of them, in perfect formation!”
GS2 “White 4, pull yourself together man!
W4 “Sorry, Gold Shoulder 2.”
GS2 “We’ve got trouble! They’re doubling back. Coming in fast and low at 3 o’clock! We’re hit! There’s a lot down! Turquoise squadron! Take up position! Turquoise…. my battle…. don’t let them…. ugh…”
T1 “This is Turquoise 1, assuming command. We think all Gold Shoulders have been taken out. I can’t see any Greenedges either. We have to assume that this is going to be down to Turquoise and White Squadrons. Red Leader, what’s the situation on the ground?”
RL “You’re right, the Gold Shoulders are out. There’s Greenedges in there too. We’ve also lost Black 4. It’s carnage down there, there’s bodies everywhere.”
T1 “Ok, White 1, this is down to you and I. Red Leader, you advise from the ground.”
RL “White squadron, take up position to the left! Turquoise squadron, move across to the right. The bogeys are on you, and they’re coming up fast. We’ve got to suspect Darth Sagan is in there, and we know how dangerous he is. Stick tight to your formations, makes it more difficult for them to lock on.”
W1 “We’re down to 3, Red Leader.”
RL “Affirmative White 1. We want you to take the shot. Prepare your weapons systems”
T1 “Whoa! What do you mean White 1 is to take the shot? I take the shot, it’s what I do!”
RL “Not this time. White 1 has this, Turquoise 1. Pull over right! Pull over right!…. The OTHER right, Turquoise 1, not this again for fuck’s sake.”
T1 “Red Leader, I got this!”
RL “Negative Turquoise 1. White 1 has greater straight line speed. You might not like it, but dammit man move over!”
W1 “Yeah, Turquoise 1, move over! Weapons ready, we have visual. Target locked.”
RL “Take the shot, White 1.”
Turquoise 1 unhappily yields to White 1 as he locks onto the target. (AP/Laurent Rebours photo)
To be continued…
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