OT: Zoltan's Space Rangers

The flying conditions didn't match what Zoltan was given back at A2 headquarters during his team meeting.  Vinny, the space meteorologist, had briefed clear space ways from A2 to the Great White Moon, the team's new geology exploration site.  Zoltan and his space ranger team, Obi, Warren, Fitzy, Forcier, and Taymira, dodged meteors the size of small spacecraft as they flew in formation.  Zoltan, flying lead with his apprentice Taymira in the co-pilot seat, called for an echelon right formation to keep his formation of three space ships to keep from running into meteors.  For the mission, Zoltan selected the small attack ships, AX-6b, for it's speed and manueverability.  The AX-6B's deflector shields weren't as strong as some of the larger ships though, and he was regretting the decision. 

 

"Hey boss," Obi, the teams second in command called to Zoltan over the radio; "We need to make sure we plan a nice prank joke on Vinny for this one."

 

"Adapt and overcome, my friend" replied Zoltan.  "Keep deflector power to 50 percent, Team, and maintain half Dilithium speed on my wing.  We need to conserve our energon packs for the mission and return trip."

 

These exploration missions where fairly routine for the Team, fly for half a day to site, pickup some minerals and gems for examination, and return.  After the Great Battle for A2 the Tresselites have been quite, but Zoltan knew better.  The Tresselites had spy probes all over the Major Ten Galaxy and liked to conduct ambushes on the Space Rangers on their exploration missions.  Columbo, the Tresselites home planet, was rapidly becoming depleted of energon sources and were desperate to take A2 energy.  One AX-6B energon pack could power a Tresselite base for months.  Space travel at Dilitium speed was expensive, but the people of A2 were the wealthiest in the Galaxy.  The Tresselites knew this very well.

 

Zoltan's mind went back to the primary objective of the mission, of which the team was unaware.  Taymira was in his back co-pilot seat, and this was her unannounced surprise check ride.  If she passed this flight, she would recieve her gold flying star on her silver badge.  Taymira is the team's new apprentice and was being groomed as Team leader.  Zoltan had hand selected her from over 250 space ranger trainees at the A2 Space Ranger Academy.  She proved to be an amazing Ranger apprentice as she worked tirelessly to become proficient in the major fields of being a Ranger: Space navigation, defense combat, geology exploration, and leadership.  She quickly earned the Teams respect, but still made apprentice mistakes.  Zoltan worked hard to train her the way he was trained by his mentor, the late ranger Schemy.  She was coming along nicely.

 

"Tamymira, take the controls, you have command from here on out," Zoltan ordered. 

 

"Ay, Sir, I have command," Taymira responded.  "Team, I have command, maintain Echelon Right, half Dilithium Speed." She announced to the formation.

 

Taymira took the controls and effortlessly set up the navigation system for the Great White Moon.  She went over her command procedures and scanned the radar for enemy crafts.  All clear, nothing but meteors the size of their ships.  She navigated through the maze as if she had been doing it her entire life.  She called for a weapons check as per regulations.  Obi, the weapons specialist aka Weps, kept track of the Teams weapons status in case of an ambush.

 

"Weps, I need a status," she called.

 

"Lead, you have four photon missles, and your laser cannon is at 100 percent.  Two (who was piloted by Forcier and Fitzy) you have four and 100 percent.  Three (piloted by Obi and Warren) has four and 100 percent.  We are full up, locked cocked and ready to rock, Lead." Obi reported.....................to be continued