Someone on your 6...

You get a 'told you so' blurt from your Astro-droid and check your sensor board to see you have a contact that's identifying as 'Patrol 5'. Stifling an aloud curse at the Emperor you decide to 'fly casual' but dip the yoke forward to purposely lose altitude. Things on the ground start to come into focus; you're nose up by the end of it, and engines roaring. Tree height is a good height.

Patrol 5 follows, higher speed and closing in- looking over your shoulder you skip a breath and by reflex almost go evasive. He's flying a ship that looks like a TIE. Its got a pair of TIE Fighter vertical solar panel 'wings' and struts, but you notice that the engines and fuselage are taken straight from a Z-95.

You call it Ugly... but the term for that specific kind of junkyard special is actually a 'Z-TIE'. They handle like ass, even if a good model, but it can match speeds with your Y-wing, and this one's got good-v so he's gaining. It hails you:

"Y-wing, this is Patrol 5- maintain current course and speed."

There's no weapons lock warning... you keep a conversational tone "Beautiful morning, right? Kind of do nothing day. I haven't done anything Patrol 5..."

"You said you were going to strafe the control tower?"

"Naw, that doesn't sound like me."

"Sorry to hear Y-wing, Control is steaming pile of bantha droppings... would have joined you on that run."

"Yeah?"

"If you could have kept up with me that is..." Patrol 5 sounds all business but he's got a cute accent. And he's got a lot of confidence for someone flying a **** trap too. You decide to indulge him:

"Drinks on me if you can get a target lock in that bit of scrap you're riding?"

Patrol 5 perks up "Vice versa. Ladies first..."

You roll your eyes- gentleman, please- and sharply pull the stick into your chest. Seeing all blue in front, and pointing up, you kick rudder and spin your ship on its side before tumbling down onto the course the Z-TIE was following you by.

Like a trooper he's shot ahead and you flick your sights on to tag him. He swerves right in a loop that you turn with, but then cuts back and begins a hasty slalom that's encouraging you to overshoot. Keeping after him you try to manage the speed advantage but he bunts under your aim and appears again off your port engine. You give him a rude gesture. At least you didn't fly past him and pick up the tail-

He cuts in, you climb, in a series of twists and ascents with cut-ins and the odd turning moments where you actually get to wrestle your cross-hairs at him, the mock fight goes on. You really **** the throttle, and your Astro wails unhappily; the Ugly- well he inelegantly uses thrust to respond... his throttling is reactive rather than an extension of his desire. You hear the engines scream, but you use them to advantage because you know how to get what you want. You put the pipper over the Z-TIE, it shakes, and you are just about to get the 'good to fire lasers' green overlay on him...

-When the fun is interrupted:

"Knock it off you two! Knock it off!" Its Control- from his tower- and he doesn't seem impressed.

Patrol 5 obeys and you get your 'green' easily then announce "Pew pew" over the comm.

Control threatens your docking bay assignment but Patrol 5 tells him to quit bitching before offering to honor the deal for drinks "...know where to find you too."

"I thought you were dumb..." you accept the offer even though you got the 'tag' after Control had butted in "... since you do fly an Ugly."

The Z-TIE climbs away without so much as a waggle of its hexagonal wings. You power towards the starport; identify and home in on your docking bay; spiral tightly down to the circular opening in the roof you'll land through; deploy landing gear, cut thrusters, and move to repulsors; setting down with a whining though gentle drop.

Your Astro-droid whistles that the Docking Bay droid-in-charge has requested to hook up a fuel line. You pop the canopy and tell your Astro to take 'care of it all'. Free of harnesses and losing your helmet you trade bottled Y-wing oxygen for your first breath on planet...

It's warm and a bit humid here- the sun doesn't burn, it brightens- and the air smells sweet. That might be natural, or it might be fuel fumes. The sky looks a wonderful shade of blue, you hop down to retrieve your spacer's duffel...