Star Wars_ X-Wing 05_ Wraith Squadron - Aaron Allston [47]
A short straightaway gave Kell time for a moment of reflection. Here, now, though a single slip could put him against the side of the fissure and kill him instantly, he knew no fear, no tension. It was just him and his fighter against the challenge of speed and obstacle. If he fouled up, if he died, Runt would take that as a warning, slow down fractionally, reach the observation sight alive. Or the A-wings would get there. No one was really depending on him, and that was the way he liked it.
Thirteen, his R2 unit, recently assigned to him on a permanent basis when the final X-wing assignments were established, beeped at him. He glanced at his main display. It now showed the path of the Pig Trough, his location, the A-wings’ locations, the oncoming TIE fighters and Star Destroyer, and two projected sites: the spot where the TIE fighters would theoretically cross the Trough, and the spot from which Kell and companions were supposed to surveil the enemy. That was a spot just on the lip of the Trough several kilometers northwest of the projected intercept point.
If Kell had it calculated correctly, he’d be able to give Wraith Squadron and Blue Squadron a bare few minutes of warning from point of first sighting to the time the TIEs reached the Trough. That meant the two New Republic squadrons had to be under way already, following Kell’s path at somewhat less reckless a speed.
Owing to a programming error, Kell’s R2 unit initially responded to any request for a random number with the value thirteen. Kell had arranged for Grinder to fix the programming glitch, but had given the astromech unit Thirteen as a name. He suspected the R2 actually liked it, for it implied that the droid was the thirteenth member of the squadron.
They reached the first bend that would angle them northwest, through the main bomb run and to their destination. “Six, take lead. I’m your wing.”
Runt bellowed out an incomprehensible reply and moved up past him. Kell concentrated on duplicating his wingmate’s maneuvers, anticipating them as much as he could, flying wing just as precisely as Runt had flown it for him.
Then they were in the bombing run. They leveled out and put all energy to thrusters. Kell glanced behind him. Still no sign of the A-wings. Moments later they were halfway along the straightaway and the other fighters had not shown themselves.
Kell felt a sudden grip of guilt. Had he and Runt flown too well? Had the A-wings, wishing not to be shown up by the more experienced pilots, overflown themselves and been destroyed against the fissure walls? But no, just as they arrayed themselves to enter the narrow continuation of the Trough, Kell saw the A-wings’ lights behind, just entering the bomb run.
A bare minute later, with their lead over the A-wings still solid, Runt reduced power to the main engines and cut in the repulsorlifts. Kell followed suit. The two of them angled northward and rose smoothly along a jagged cliff face, clearing its top by a mere two meters, and set down twenty meters from the dropoff.
“Six, cut all power,” Kell said, “except life support, communications, visual sensors. No cockpit lights. Tell your R5 to shut down its exterior lights.”
“Will do,” Runt acknowledged.
A shadow fell across Kell’s cockpit as the two A-wings settled in beside them. Kell switched his comm system from the squad frequency to the general New Republic frequency, but kept power scaled so far down that it would be unlikely for anything more than a klick away to pick them up. “Glad you two could join us. We’ve been here awhile; would you relieve us while we take a nap?”
“Ha, ha,” came the reply. A woman’s voice, Kell thought. “Who are we talking to?”
“Kell Tainer, Wraith Five. To my starboard is Hohass Ekwesh, also known as Runt, Wraith Six.” Kell saw the two A-wings powering down and was relieved he didn’t have to remind them.
“Dorset Konnair, Blue Nine. The pretty boy to my port is Tetengo Noor, Blue Ten. You two got some fair speed out of those outdated piles of junk.”
“Why, thank you.”
“Of course,