“Come on. Out with it.” Maarek didn’t much like it when someone stretched out the telling of important news, and judging by the rictus that passed for Pargo’s smile, this was something pretty big. “Are you going to stand there all day, or what?”
“OK. Don’t get your trainats in a snit. I’m happy for two reasons. First, you’re back from training and are finally one of us. There’s a lot that goes on aboard the Star Destroyer that civilians never know about…”
“Yeah,” said Maarek cautiously. “And the other reason?”
“I’m going to be a stormtrooper. They asked me to start training in three
days.”
Maarek wasn’t sure why Pargo was so happy. Sure, the stormtroopers were among the most feared and respected of the military divisions, but wearing all that armor and being so nameless and faceless had never appealed much to Maarek. On the other hand…
“That’s great, Pargo. I guess you’ll fill out that armor real well. I think I’m going to be trained to be a pilot.”
Pargo’s smile faded. “You mean you’re going to fly those rickety TIE fighters. Those things are death traps. Are you crazy?”
“Guess so,” Maarek answered. “You heard about my little adventure?”
“Yeah,” answered Pargo. “I heard. Just like you to hot dog it like that. You’re never satisfied, are you?”
Maarek laughed. “Some of us have it; some don—”
But Pargo was serious again. “You just watch yourself. This isn’t a swoop race. You’re gonna end up in chunks floating through a gas cloud if you aren’t careful.”
“Worry about yourself, Pargo. Stormtrooper armor won’t stop a direct blaster shot. And knowing you, you’ll probably stand in front of a blaster just to find out.”
“Guess we’re both due for a short, fast life,” Pargo managed, his lips curling at the corners in a wry smile. “Anyway, gotta go. I’ve got a duty schedule in a few minutes.”
Shortly after Pargo left, a message appeared on the small comlink board in Maarek’s room. It told him to report to pilot training at 0700 hours the next morning.
Pilot Training
The first day of pilot training consisted of a self-paced holo training session. He reported to the registration desk for pilots aboard the Star Destroyer and gave his name. The guards at the door then let him enter the training/flight ops concourse.
One of the other pilots, a young man everyone called Brick, joined him inside the concourse. They walked along a narrow catwalk inside a cavernous room. Ahead was a tall elevator column that reached up to the ceiling. Other catwalks curved around and through the space and various doorways lined the walls on several levels. Maarek gawked shamelessly at the spaciousness of the room. He was still having a hard time getting used to the dimensions of the Star Destroyer, and this was yet another reminder of the sheer immensity of the vessel.
Concourse
A. Registration
B. Training Simulator
C. Combat Chamber
D. Change Battles
E. Tech Room
F. Film Room
G. Continue Battle
Brick pointed out the various doorways, each leading to a different area.
“First, you’ve got the Training Simulator,” he said. “Once you’ve taken some basic instruction, you’ll go there to prove you know how to fly a fighter.
“Then comes the Combat Chamber. You get to fly simulations of real missions from history. The instructors here set a lot of store on how you do in the historical sims. Actually, it’s pretty fun. It’s just like the real thing, but you can get blown up and it doesn’t matter. Not that you want to get used to being blown up.
“On the second level, in the back, you get to check the holos of your battles in the Film Room. To the left is the Tech Room where you can learn all about various spacecraft. The instructors like you to spend some time there, too. They claim it might just save your life in combat.
“Finally, there’s the doorway that leads to the ready room and real missions. After your training is done, that’s where you’ll go. Hey, it’s time for your first sim lesson, cadet Stele. Good luck.”
Maarek entered the Combat Chamber then, where a great machine opened to allow him inside. Once he was strapped in, the huge machine closed over him like some giant beast devouring him. All was darkness at first. Then, with a mental lurch, he found himself staring out into a starry vacuum. His hand gripped the controls as a sensation of movement and weightlessness overcame him. The simulation was as close to flying as he could imagine, and he quickly gave himself over to the experience.
During his first session, Maarek learned basic information about the role of a pilot as well as the systems and controls found on Imperial fighter craft. Much of it was familiar—he had repaired or replaced most of these systems at one time or another. Some of it was new, however, and he absorbed it all eagerly. The sooner he got through this part of the training, the sooner he’d be back behind the controls of a real starfighter!
The Training Simulator
A. Ship Select
B. Level Select
C. Begin Training
D. Exit
The Combat Chamber
A. Ship Select
B. Mission Select
C. Begin Simulation
D. Exit
Cockpit Instrumentation Checkout
It was nearly a week before Maarek got his first training opportunity inside a trainer TIE bomber. The instructor, a Captain Trox, sat in an extra seat in the specially modified craft and helped Maarek become familiar with the instruments and their functions. Of course Maarek had already learned most of this on his own during his stint in Repairs, but he kept his mouth shut, for the most part.
“First thing you do, Cadet Stele, is settle into this seat and adjust straps and helmet. Most of our fighter craft lack life support, and this helmet and mask are what will keep you breathing, mister. So don’t forget to check it out before you get spaceborne.”
Maarek adjusted the helmet and tasted the slightly stale air that came through the rebreather apparatus. Captain Trox donned his own helmet and spoke through the comlink. His voice was tinny in the speaker, but clear. He walked Maarek through the proper pre-launch procedures and soon roboticarms lifted the trainer TIE bomber and transported it along the hangar rail system to the launch platform. They powered up the twin ion engines and lifted off. Trox piloted the craft at first on auxiliary controls and soon they were in open space, the Vengeance falling away in the distance.
“Today you’re going to learn about standard cockpit controls. In this trainer craft, all parts of the cockpit are clearly labeled, and I will refer to the labels as I point them out to you. Listen carefully. I don’t like to repeat myself. And you don’t want to be in a small cockpit with me when I’m in a bad mood.”
1. Scanners
2. CMD
3. Targeting HUD
4. Weapons
5. Throttle Control
6. Energy Array — LES
7. Shields and Damage
1. Scanners
In the upper right corners are the front and rear scanner screens. Your life depends on these screens, so learn to read and understand them.
The Front Scanner (on the left) tells you what’s in front of you. Friendly (Imperial) craft appear as red dots on the scanner. When the dot is centered in the display, the craft is directly in front of you. Enemy craft appear as green dots. Craft of unknown allegiance will appear as blue or purple dots. The brighter the dot, the closer the craft. Any currently targeted craft will appear bracketed in the display.
Everything I just said is true of the Rear Scanner, except dots that appear there are behind you. Check this chart if you can’t remember these simple instructions. Any questions?
Red = Friendly
Green = Enemy
Blue or Purple = Unknown
Yellow = Warheads
White = Mines, Probes, & Satellites
Maa
rek didn’t have any questions.
2. CMD
This is the CMD. Get used to checking these readouts frequently. Any craft you’ve currently targeted will appear in the viewscreen. To cycle through available targets, hit the button labeled “T” on your console deck. To find the nearest light enemy or unknown craft, press the button labeled “R.” To move backwards through the list of scannable targets, press “Y” on the console.
The view screen shows the current target, its identification, if available, its distance from your current position, and its orientation—useful for setting up an attack run. In addition, the CMD can usually give you information about the targeted craft, including cargo contents and shield, hull, and systems status levels. The lower right corner readout describes the specific component on the targeted craft. If you’ve got your enemy showing hull damage, you’ve got him. Remember, most Rebel fighters have shields, so once you’ve begun to damage the hull, they’re ready to be finished off.
3. Targeting HUD
When you donned the flight helmet, you may have noticed a floating display in the center of the viewport. This is your Targeting HUD. Most Imperial fighters carry onboard targeting support. In the old days, we acquired enemy targets using manual sights, but there aren’t many of us left who can do that.
What you’ve got here, boy, is a sophisticated sensor-driven target system. It tells you when you’re at the proper firing angle by glowing green. Me, I find if I’m not ready to fire when the target is lined up, this green light isn’t going to help much, but some of you younger pilots seem to like it. Oh, and if a target is beyond visual range, it will be bracketed in a yellow box.
Around the HUD you’ll see the current weapon configuration—whether linked or unlinked lasers. This craft has two laser systems. Some of your fighters may have more. Set them to fire separately or linked. The same targeting system serves for missile locking, glowing yellow when lock is being acquired and red when the target is fully locked in. Along the top of the HUD is the OTIA—your standard Outside Threat Indicator Array. Watch these three indicators if you want to survive. They will tell you if your ship is currently targeted by another craft’s weapon systems. The left indicator lights up when a starfighter’s laser is trained on you. The middle when a capital ship is targeting you. The right represents a warhead.
4. Weapons
At the top of the CMD is the weapons readout. The center readout lists the number of missiles or torpedoes you currently have. On a TIE fighter, that number is zero. On other craft, the number will vary.
The two bars on either side of the missile/torpedo inventory represent the charge state of your onboard laser banks. They charge in two phases. Normal charging results in a dull green readout. Once full normal levels are attained, weapons will begin to supercharge. When they glow bright green, they are supercharged. You’ll get a little more power and range from your laser systems when they’re supercharged. You can shoot until the bar goes dark. Then you’ll have to wait for the lasers to recharge.
“And you set the recharge rates with the F9 button, right?” Maarek added before he could control his mouth.
Trox grunted. “Yeah. You’re paying attention. You get points for that. Now keep quiet and listen.”
“Yessir,” answered Maarek. To be truthful, he already knew all this and was getting a little bored. Doesn’t this guy have anything I don’t already know? he thought.
5. Throttle Control
Each starfighter has a throttle control readout. Its position will vary from ship to ship. Get used to recognizing it. On this ship it is to the right of the CMD. The first number is your throttle indicator, measured in percent of available power. Right now it’s at 100 percent. Next to the throttle indicator is your current relative speed. Speed is affected not only by throttle settings, but by weapon and shield recharge settings. I’ll get back to that later, so pay attention.
6. Energy Array — The LES
The key to successful control of any starfighter is the ability to manage your energy. Each spacecraft has a power plant that delivers a certain amount of power, and how you direct that power will affect the performance of your fighter.
On standard Imperial fighters you are required to manage the resources of your engines, weapons, shields—if you have them—and… anything new that might appear. The display that shows you how this energy is being allocated is called the LES — for Laser, Engine, Shield. Look first at the engine readout.
Engines
Most of you new recruits confuse the throttle with the engine energy setting. The throttle controls the amount of available energy you’ll use; however, that may be less than one hundred percent of the engine’s power if you’re using some of that power to recharge weapons or shields.
You control the throttle with your left hand while your right hand holds the control stick. You do not directly change the Engine energy balance, however. That is entirely a function of the amount of engine power used to recharge weapons and shields. You got that, Stele?
Lasers
Next to your seat is a switch labeled “F9.” It controls weapon recharge rates. The readout labeled “L” indicates the percentage of energy from the engines applied to recharging weapon systems. You may recharge at zero, minimum, normal, increased, or maximum rates. Later I will instruct you in the proper use of these settings.
Shields
The standard TIE starfighter lacks shields, so the readout for shield recharge rate on this craft is covered with a plasteel plate. Future development in the TIE class may add shields and other improvements. On fighters that do have shields, like the Assault Gunboat, the recharge rate is located below the weapon recharge gauge. Settings are the same as with weapons.
Maarek noticed a plate below the engine gauge on the right. “This looks like another gauge,” he suggested, pointing to the plate.
But Trox only blew out a sigh. “Curious recruits who interrupt my lectures usually don’t survive their first encounters. I’ll tell you what you need to know, when you need to know it? That all right with you, Cadet?”
“Sir,” Maarek replied, afraid to get in more trouble by saying anything else.
7. Shields and Damage Screen
To the left of the CMD is a small round screen that shows the condition of your craft. It also shows your shield configuration, if any. TIE starfighters do not carry shields. They rely, instead, on speed and maneuverability, plus good operation planning and execution. However, some Imperial craft, like the Assault Gunboat, carry shields. If your fighter does carry shields, you may use the “S” key to toggle through different configurations—full front, full back, or 360 degree coverage. In the event that you take direct hits to the shields, the color of the readout will change from green to yellow to red and the shield coverage will be reduced. Once the shields are gone, the only thing between you and enemy fire is the hull armor, and you don’t want to rely on that too long. Hull damage is likewise color coded.
Threat Display
We’ve got some new technology that gives you a close look at any craft you’ve targeted. At the top of the screen is the name of the craft, its distance from you, and its current cargo, if known. In the middle of the screen you’ll see shield and hull condition, weapon load and current fire states. The bottom of the window shows information about the target’s current orders, distance and time from its target. Tap the key marked “Z” to open the Threat Display.
Cockpit Information Displays
In addition to your standard action displays, you’ve got a variety of other mission critical information available. These CIDs (Cockpit Information Displays) are important to your functioning as a part of the combat team.
Star Wars - The Stele Chronicles Page 5