Jaina Solo and Anni Capstan were strapped into the seats of their X- wings as they hurtled through hyperspace. They had left the Ralroost almost twelve hours earlier after having packed and caught a quick nap. Jaina had made sure that both she and Anni had a copy of their orders and the other information on a datapad to read during the long flight.

From everything Jaina could discern, Adumar was one very odd place. Wedge Antilles had led a diplomatic mission there nearly thirteen years prior. His mission was to bring the planet and its vast weapon making resources into the New Republic. Though her datapad gave very few details, Jaina got the distinct impression the process had been rather messy due to the local customs as well as interference from the Empire.

As Jaina read more about Adumar's culture, she learned that the general populace was pilot obsessed. Social and political station was mainly based on one's skill as a pilot with all other virtues taking a back seat. Dueling was also a very common custom, though, since their joining the New Republic, live fire duels were only used to resolve the most serious of disputes. These duels were settled either in aerial combat or with a sword-like weapon called a blastsword.

A blastsword was an edged weapon very similar to an ancient broadsword. However, unlike its ancient counterpart, it did not have a point for thrusting, but a blaster nozzle that fired off a shot whenever it contacted something solid. These weapons could be set to shock or burn. The first setting was for practice combat or matters of less importance; the latter was meant to kill.

It would have taken Jaina hours and hours to read through all the information she was given as background for the world. Not to mention, much more attentiveness than she was willing to devote. The convoy they were escorting to Adumar was occurring at an advantageous time, likely by design.

Normally the trip would have taken many days. But the spinning of the Galaxy had opened a much shorter route that would require only about sixteen hours of traveling time with many fewer intermediary jump points. That was still a long time to sit in the cockpit of a snubfighter but it was far better than the sixty to seventy it normally would have taken.

Jaina tucked the datapad into one of her flightsuit's many pockets and shifted in her seat trying to get more comfortable. When she found as comfortable a position as possible in the cramped cockpit of an X-wing, she shut her eyes and drifted off into a light sleep. She awoke sometime later to her astromech beeping at her and she glanced up at her flight console.

Sparky, her R2 unit, tooted and the text scrolled across the screen. Two minutes to reversion to realspace in the Adumar System. "Thanks, Sparky," Jaina muttered, as she stretched. Jaina watched the clock on her navicomputer scroll down. When it reached zero, she pushed forward on the lever that engaged and disengaged the hyperdrive and watched as the swirling points of light spun to a stop.

Quickly checking her sensors, she saw Anni and the three freighters were all in proper position. She also noticed a flight of four starfighters near the planet that were now turning onto an intercept course. Her computer identified them all as Blade-36's. Her communit came to life. "Arriving convoy, Weeping Blood Flightknife. State your business." The accent of the pilot surprised Jaina and made it very hard for her to understand him. Though he spoke basic, a lot of the words sounded twisted and run together. Jaina couldn't tell if he just spoke very quickly or if that was how basic was spoken on Adumar.

Jaina raised an eyebrow at the flight's name. She chuckled lightly before keying her own mic. "Weeping Blood Leader, this is Rogue Eleven." Looking down at her datapad, she read the long stream of characters off that would serve as identification of who they were and their purpose. "Approach authorization Gamma-Two-Two-Theta-Zed- Zero-Niner-Zero-Omega-Three-Niner."

"Continue on current vector," the Weeping Blood Flightknife leader ordered. "Authenticating."

Changing to her convoy frequency, Lieutenant Solo keyed her communit. "Reduce speed to half cruise until we are cleared." The convoy slowed but continued on course for almost five minutes before they heard the Adumari pilots again.

"Rogue Eleven, your convoy is cleared for approach. Turn to heading three-three-zero mark zero-two-zero. Prepare for intercept. We'll be your escort."

"Thank you, Weeping Blood Lead," Jaina replied, not bothering to relay the instructions to the rest of the convoy knowing they were monitoring the frequency even if they didn't reply. The flight was uneventful with the Adumari fighters meeting up with them about half way to the planet. Once they had met up with the Blades, Jaina and Anni were able to get a better look at the fighters. They were very similar to the earlier Blade designs they had seen in the reports given to them in their briefing documents. These particular fighters were painted a deep crimson.

As they made their approach to the planet, the starfighters decelerated to keep pace with the much slower freighters. It gave everyone a chance to look down and see the scenery of the planet they were to be visiting. The area they were over now was studded with huge mountain ranges that gradually became grassy plains. The beauty of nature gave way to civilization as they continued their descent along their assigned vector.

Over the comm, Jaina heard the voice of Cartann Central Control giving orders to their escorts. Jaina kept her convoy on track by following the orders of the flightknife escorting them. Soon, they were coming to the edge of a huge city Jaina guessed was Cartann City, their destination.

Unlike the approach General Antilles and Red Flight had been given years earlier, Jaina and the convoy were brought in high above the city and guided to a large spaceport. That's sad, Jaina thought. I was kind of looking forward to a little trick flying. I guess Anni and I are not as special as Wedge and the other legends of Rogue Squadron.

The spaceport was impressive in both size and scale. There were a number of hangers and row upon row of fighters, bombers and transports. Banners waved majestically in the breeze and other elaborate decorations could be seen on many of the buildings. Heraldry, crests and other symbols marked almost every building and plane. The escorting Blades guided the convoy and its escorts to the far side of the spaceport. The large open area had only one building at its far end and was absent of any other craft.

The two X-wings flew cover over the freighters as they landed. Once the craft had settled, Jaina began her approach to land with Anni on her wing. The Blades flew off away from them without another word but within seconds the voice of the controller was back. "Rogue Flight, you are not cleared to land. We don't nest birds of prey with beasts of burden."

I guess they really do dislike anything but fighters as much as the report said. Jaina applied a bit of power and climbed to one hundred meters above the surface. "Copy, Control. Please advice on approach instructions."

"Rogue Flight, turn to heading…" a squeal filled her headset and rattled her brain as the transmission was cut off. She listened for the controller but heard nothing further.

She was just about to call the controller again when she heard a new voice, "Lords of Dismay Flightknife challenges Anni Capstan and Jaina Solo."

Jaina felt through the Force that Anni was as surprised as she. But, having read some on challenges, Anni quickly answered them. "State your terms." Jaina smiled as shook her head. She knew they had to ask for terms before she could accept or refuse. But there was little doubt in her mind that Anni would let that happen.

"Protocol Thirty One," came the cryptic response.

Anni's voice again came through Jaina's headset, this time it was over the frequency that the two Rogues used to communicate with each other. "That must be a training duel. The data we were given didn't list any of the specific protocols. But if they wanted a real duel they would have used the phrase: To Honor or Death."

"Well, at least we didn't fly into another place where people are trying to kill us," Jaina quipped but then immediately winced. Good job, Hutt-spit for brains. Talk about dying as Anni is trying to get over the loss of her friend, Jaina chided herself. But if she hurt Anni at all with her comment, Jaina was unable to tell.

Looking at her sensors, she watched eight Blade-36's fall into trail well behind the two X-wings, but slightly above. Broadcasting to Anni, Jaina asked, "Well, what do you think? Splinter shots will scorch some of their paint but shouldn't hurt them. So, we are equipped correctly."

"And I tuned up the astromechs with a damage assessment program before we left," she heard Anni reply with a hint of mischief in her voice.

"Well, then," Jaina said to Anni. "It looks like we are on."

Jaina steepened the X-wing's ascent and Anni and the Blades followed her fluidly. Turning her comm back to the frequency she had been challenged on, Jaina said, "We accept - Protocol Thirty One"

She saw four of the Blades turn and move off and away. She assumed they were going to be out of the fight but, since she had no idea what Protocol Thirty One actually entailed, she couldn't be sure.

There was a pause before the voice answered back. "You are not in the correct position for the requested duel. Do you wish Protocol Twenty Three? That appears to be what you are in position for?"

"Affirmative," she heard Anni answer rather brashly, like that had been their plan all along. Even Jaina didn't want to admit ignorance, the bit of the ego that came with being a fighter pilot asserting itself. Jaina reached to open her S-foils and she saw Anni's were deploying as well.

"Excellent," the leader of the Blades answered. "Commence."

Startled by the suddenness of the start of the duel, Jaina had to think quickly or they would lose before they even started. Obviously in this scenario, the flight of lesser numbers is tactically disadvantaged as well, Jaina thought.

Long-range shots of red energy flashed past her canopy. Jaina tapped a key to bring the damage assessment program online and keyed her comm on the Rogue Flight frequency. "Twelve, cross-break-over- under," she ordered. After allowing Anni a moment to let it sink in, she said, "Mark."

Jaina pulled back on her stick, bringing the fighter into a shallow climb. With Anni on her left S-foil, Jaina turned away from her to the right. After passing through the inverted, a position where the top of her craft was exactly upside-down of where it would be in level flight, she began to steadily increase her pull back on the stick until it was against the stop as her s-foils were thirty degrees past level while still inverted.

Anni performed a similar maneuver but her turn pulled her to the left while not increasing her altitude until her s-foils had passed through the inverted. She stopped her roll when her s-foils were perpendicular to wings level before pulling back on the stick to drastically increase her turn rate. The X-wings' paths crossed with the clearance between Jaina's and Anni's wingtips was less than three meters.

The Blades, who had started to follow their targets, were forced to go evasive when they almost collided with their flight members. Cutting her speed, Jaina dropped in behind the Blade at the rear of the formation. Dropping her reticle over the fighter, she mashed the splinter trigger sending a hail of bolts at the fighter.

A glowing sphere stopped her first shots, but quickly collapsed. Puffs of smoke came off the Blade as the paint evaporated. They must think we can fire full power shots that fast, Jaina thought with a smile. Oh well, a little unfair, I guess.

The fighter wagged its wings and turned away toward the circling fighters. Another Blade flashed by, with Anni's X-wing tight on its tail. Her laser cannons spit energy at the fighter. The bolts slammed into it and after a series of quick turns, Anni loosed another volley that "destroyed" the fighter. It flew out of the engagement area as well.

Jaina was about to look down at the sensors when Sparky squealed to indicate a missile lock. Jaina slammed the stick to port and yanked back on it. A grunt escaped her as the maneuver slammed her back into the pilot's couch. The missile streaked by trailing a large plume of white smoke. A feeling of dread filled her as she thought that this might no longer be an exercise.

The missile exploded about seventy meters in front of her. She flinched as she saw impact on her shields. But her alarm was quickly dispelled when she saw the missile's deadly shrapnel was nothing more than paint. Looking at her console, she saw that the simulated damage to her fighter was minimal.

Slamming her throttle forward, she nosed her fighter into a dizzying dive. The Blade tried to keep up with her and fired a few shots but was soon too far behind for an affective shot. The pilot realized too late that Anni had taken the opportunity to fall in behind him. Jaina didn't need to wait to see what happened. Pulling back, she performed a tight loop that brought her head-to-head with the Blade trailing Anni.

She began firing at maximum range. At first the shots fell below the fighter, but as it began to turn away it flew through the hail of bolts. The Blade turned away but wobbled as the computer simulated damage. Jaina slowed her speed to allow for an easier shot. She fired again, pounding the fighter. It wagged its wings and flew off.

She looked behind her and to starboard to see Anni closing in to take up proper wing position. "Good fight," Jaina said over the comm. "Thanks."

"Frothing death to your enemies," came the reply as the Blades regrouped and flew off to the west.

"Rogue Flight, Cartann Control," came the voice of the previously silent controller. "Congratulations on four stops. You won additional honor since you succeeded from the position of weakness." When the Rogues didn't respond, he continued, "You are cleared to land at the Cartann Bladedome."

Sparky tooted that he had received coordinates and an approach procedure. "Roger, Control," Jaina replied. She turned to the appropriate heading and looked at her screen to follow the approach Sparky displayed for her. Their approach was uneventful and in moments they were over a huge duracrete pad that held at least a hundred Blades parked in huge rows. Colorful banners flew from almost every building in the compound. The two Rogues were guided to land near the buildings and in front of a small hanger.

After powering down their fighters, Jaina and Anni popped open their canopies. No crew came out with ladders for them. Jaina slowly climbed out, allowing her aching muscles a moment before she jumped down. Calling upon the Force, she slowed her descent but still handed hard enough to send a jolt through her legs. She saw Anni hit even harder than she did. Immediately, Jaina regretted not aiding her friend's descent.

Anni and Jaina recovered their composure quickly enough and began to walk toward the elaborately decorated building they had set down in front of. As they approached, the doors opened to reveal three men wearing elaborate military uniforms of crimson that were adorned with countless medals and ribbons. The man in the lead appeared to be in his late thirties and wore his graying brown hair closely cropped.

"Lady Pilots," he greeted them, sounding as if the title he granted was one to be revered. "Welcome to Adumar. I am Lord Hasiss ji Rytt, Commander of Writhing Agony Flightknife." He took a moment to shake hands with each of them before continuing. "I will be the liaison between yourselves and the Perator of Cartann, our representative to the Adumari World Council."

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Lieutenant Jaina Solo and this is Lieutenant Anni Capstan," Jaina said, gesturing to Anni as she said her name. "We are both members of Rogue Squadron."

"If you will follow me," he said, turning back to reenter the building and the two Rogues followed dutifully. For three hours, Lord ji Rytt gave them a tour of the vast facility. He made special care to show off his Flightknife's area and introduced them to all of the pilots. Jaina was well used to diplomatic responsibilities and played along easily. Anni was a bit off balance but adjusted as time went on.

They were then led out to the parked Blades and were given access to the cockpits. The controls were somewhat similar to their New Republic fighters. Their sensors were probably the most different feature. They seemed to work as their name implied by reading reflected and transmitted light, but neither Jaina nor Anni were able to fully comprehend how the "lightbounce" system really worked.

Their tour eventually took them back to their X-wings. "My Flightknife has the honor of escorting you over the city to where you will be quartered. I assure you that everything will be befitting your rank and esteem," Lord Rytt informed them.

One mynock sized cave coming up, Anni thought sarcastically as a matching grin came to her lips. Hopefully they hosed it down for us after the last occupants vacated it.

Jaina nodded and turned to climb back up into her fighter. Looking back, she saw that Hasiss wore a pleasant smile but Jaina shot Anni a skeptical roll of the eyes. Anni returned the sentiment with a sardonic smirk, confirming that they shared similar thoughts.

Soon, the two X-wings rose up with twelve Blades joining them but the pace their escorts set was agonizingly slow. All along their route people were lining the streets and crowding onto balconies, waving and cheering at the New Republic fighters.

The lead Blade directed them to a large balcony on the north side of one of the tallest buildings in the city. Jaina and Anni flew a perfect approach and landed the ships gently. The balcony had room for at least four more X-wings. Hassiss' Blade and one other landed on a much smaller balcony three stories lower in the same building.

For a second time that day, Jaina and Anni went through the protocol for powering down their fighters and securing them. They again climbed down without the benefit of ladders but both handled it far better this time. After making their way inside the apartment, their mouths fell open in shock at what they saw.

The quarters they found themselves in were lavish even by Coruscant standards. The rooms were richly decorated and no wall was without accouterments. The suite was made up of four private bedrooms, a large living and entertaining area, and a refresher so large it looked like it could have accommodated twice the number of people the suite was meant to billet.

Anni and Jaina spent the next few minutes in silence as they explored their home for the next few days. As they explored the bedrooms, they found the closets full of civilian clothes for any conceivable occasion. There were also archaic looking pistols and knives. Each closet also held an ornate blastsword.

The two women had just met up in the living area again as they finished their explorations when there was a knock at the door. Anni tinkered with the controls for a moment before she succeeded in opening the door to reveal Lord Hassiss ji Rytt who had come by to finish acquainting the two pilots with their surroundings.

He spent the next hour explaining many things, starting with the odd operation of the refresher and the function of the numerous seashells located inside. He then discussed the wardrobes provided, detailing what was appropriate for which occasions as well as when they should be armed and with what weapons. Finally, he started to hand Jaina an Adumari datapad. However, Jaina nodded in Anni's direction motioning for her to step forward and take it instead. After explaining its operation, Hassiss informed them that it held the information regarding the delivery of the cache of munitions.

"I'll contact the crews and have them get started right away," Anni informed Jaina as she stepped out of the room. She could hear Anni begin speaking into her comlink as Hassiss bowed before her.

"I will bid you good evening then," Hassiss said. "Tomorrow I will return before the morning meal. At that time, we can discuss your plans for the day."

Jaina nodded, only turning away when Lord ji Rytt had made his way out of the apartment. Anni clicked off her comlink and rejoined Jaina. "This place," she began, obviously awestruck. "I mean, it's incredible."

"It's quite impressive," Jaina replied.

"I can't even believe it, when Lord ji Rytt said our quarters would be befitting our rank and esteem perhaps he misheard you." Anni quirked her eyebrow. "You are sure you said Lieutenant not Commodore, right?" Anni asked with a wink.

Jaina chuckled. "Well, if he did mishear, all the better for us I suppose." Looking around the room, Jaina tried to take it all in. "Well, what do you want to do? Doesn't seem like we are actually being encouraged to head out and about."

"Well, I am rather tired. I mean, sleeping in an X-wing isn't the best sleep I've ever gotten," Anni answered. "I think I'm up for a long, hot bath and eight to ten hours of uninterrupted sleep."

Jaina smiled at her friend. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Continued in Part Five