X-WING: The Nikos Gambit

Chapter 1 – Test Flight

Lieutenant Weiss Schnee took a steadying breath as she stared out through the open hanger, the ion engines behind her whirring to life.

Or more accurately, as her simulator pumped in the sound of twin ion engines whirring to life. The fake cockpit did its best to generate the little movements and sounds the craft made when it prepared for takeoff, but it was still just a simulation. A good one, but the engines never sounded quite right.

Beyond the screens shaped to look like a fighter's viewport, computer-generated stars twinkled innocently in an ink-black sea. It looked as peaceful as space always did to her. Welcoming and free. Even the planet below, a red-orange striped gas giant orbited by four small moons, fit the tableau, looking like any other hologram of a planet from space.

Not that this was any other planet. Anyone who hadn't lived under a rock for the past decade would recognize Yavin. The site of the Rebellion's first great victory was about as well known as the massive space station destroyed in orbit.

They'd picked the Trench Run. Of course they had. Weiss sighed and shook her head. She should have guessed her first simulation run would be something this ... iconic.

The question, she thought as she flicked through her pre-flight checklist, is what it's supposed to mean. Are the other pilots just showing off the Rebellion's first great victory? Or are they questioning my loyalties?

Setting her doubts aside, Weiss checked her monitors one last time, just on the off chance the simulation had an error she needed to fix. No - her lights were green across the board.

"Leader to Grey Squadron, launch on my mark." she said, thumbing the comm system. Gripping the control stick, she gave the order to launch and gunned her thrusters. The engines screamed and she whipped out of the hanger into open space.

A series of ball-shaped fighters followed her, hexagonal wings held by the rigid pylons on their sides. Her own solar wings, three misshapen hexagons with deep grooves cut into the centers, started drawing energy from the gas giant, diverting it into her non-essential systems. The tips extended like blades around her cockpit, giving her ship the appearance of some horribly-evolved bird of prey. Smiling at the feel of the control stick in her hand, she angled down, centering the TIE Defender's laser cannons on the opposing force.

The Rebellion – New Republic, she corrected herself – had never had full access to a TIE Defender before. Nicknamed the "X-wing killers," the Defenders were on the cutting edge of starfighter design, and a huge shift from the Empire's love of cheap and replaceable units. With shield generators, hyperdrives, and greater speed and maneuverability than earlier models, the fighters were state-of-the-art, and normally kept by the Imperial Navy under both figurative and literal lock and key. It was a rare honor to fly one; their pilots were hand-picked from the most experienced and talented Interceptor aces the Empire could offer. That status was something few Imperial pilots ever lived long enough to achieve.

Which was precisely why she'd worked so hard to 'commandeer' one of the advanced ships before defecting, along with a hastily-downloaded copy of a TIE Defender simulator program. It had taken weeks, but she and a Republic technician had finally managed to convert one of the Interceptor modules into a fairly serviceable Defender simulator. A simulator I'm just now getting to test.

She felt rather than saw Grey Two and Grey Three move into position on her tail, right at the lead of a squadron of TIE fighters, all of them looking down on the trench-filled, pockmarked surface of the colossal war machine bearing down on the computer-generated planet. Weiss brought her ship around to bear on the two groups of fighters currently making their way towards the space station. The lead flight shifted, its profile changing as the X-wings deployed the s-foils that gave them their name. The slower, more heavily-armed Y-wings came in behind them, using the X-wings as a shield against the waiting TIEs. It was a tried-and-true fighter tactic – the faster X-wings would engage the TIEs in a head-to-head dogfight, giving the bombers the time they needed to try and sink the simulated Death Star.

It was basic, simple, and historically accurate. It was also annoyingly overdone.

Still, she thought, bringing her sights on the lead X-wings. It'll make for a good test run. Weiss in their new ersatz Defender, the TIEs at her back, and the superweapon's turrets against the Rebel host. All she needed to do was keep the Rebels from blowing up the Death Star. Run down the clock, and the space station would blast Yavin 4 out of existence, and the simulation would end.

Does that make me Vader in this scenario? she wondered absently, reinforcing her bow shields and throwing whatever power she could spare to her thrusters. Her Defender whipped forward, streaking towards the Rebel forces, friendly computer-driven TIEs hot on her tail. Grey Two and Three, her AI wingmen, settled in behind her, following her orders as she led the charge. Unlike the rest of the Imperial fighters, the Defender came equipped with a shield generator – making her ship far more durable than the more disposable fighters on her tail.

"Grey Squadron, fire when ready."

The X-wings broke by pairs and spiraled out to engage her fighters. Human and AI pilots fired on each other, green and red bolts criss-crossing above the lumbering superweapon. Explosions filled the airspace over the Death Star's hull, and as ships started crashing around her, Weiss had to wonder how many of the ships fighting against her had actual pilots.

Throwing as much power as she dared to the thrusters, Weiss ripped through the chaos, jinking and juking to make herself as irritating a target as she possibly could. Shots scattered through her path, one poorly-aimed set of red lasers deflecting off her shields as she snapped onto her starboard wing and pulled up out of the chaos.

Gotcha. She swooped down, firing green lasers on the nearest X-wing, and grimaced as the pilot tried to roll away and clipped the side of a turbolaser emplacement. The port s-foils shredded clean off, leaving the one-winged snubfighter spinning until it finished its descent and exploded on the station's surface.

Hope they're not all that easy.

Weiss allowed herself a smile and hauled back the control stick. Her fighter pulled a snap-roll and she darted up, firing into the pack of X-wings. She landed a few shots here and there, but the maneuver was less about finding a target than it was killing time. The X-wings might be more resilient that the TIE Fighters on her side, but their sheer numbers made up for it. Right now, I just need to keep watching for ... found it!

There, out of the corner of her eye, was the sight she'd been waiting for. Three Y-wings, settled into a triangular formation, swooped low across the station's surface, slipping into one of the deep gouges between sections that gave the scenario its name.

She gave them some time – out of fairness, if nothing else. Vader hadn't known precisely where the bombers were headed. If she was going the play the Sith lord's part, she might as well give them the time they needed to start their run.

"Greys Two and Three, on me. Target the ones in rear."

Leaning back on the control stick, she brought her fighter up in a long, leisurely barrel roll before angling down and diving towards the Y-shaped bombers. Her two TIE escorts followed right behind, diving down into the trench as they sped up towards the fleeing bombers.

Weiss brought up her targeting computer and set her sights on the fighter in front. That was the one trying to sink the Death Star. The other two were just an extra set of shields, trying to get between her and the lead Y-wing.

The lumbering bombers started juking, trying to stay out of a missile lock as the TIEs on her sides started firing on the Y-wings. The enemy bombers fired back, using the rear guns to try to counter the more maneuverable TIEs. Weiss fired her own lasers, hammering on the bomber's shields when she could. Like everything else in the Trench Run, it was a race against time – trying to hammer down the shields before the bombers got their shot to down the superweapon.

Let's see how you handle this.

Her HUD flashed yellow, then red, and she fired her first missile. Not waiting for another lock, Weiss fired a second, this one keyed to fly straight forward and detonate when it went too far from her ship. She watched they soared out towards the bombers, numbers scrolling down on her screen as they closed in. Shunting as much power to the engines as she dared, Weiss shot forward, pumping shot after shot on the lead ship, aiming for his portside engines.

Just over a few kilometers away, the head Y-wing bounced around, hoping to lose the missile, only for it to hit one of the rear bombers, shredding it to pieces. Weiss swooped through the explosion, keeping her sights steady and firing away. The head Y-wing tried to evade her, juking up and down and finally darting to the side to escape her lasers.

And flew right into her second missile.

The explosion took out both remaining Y-wings, their shields already damaged by the pursuing TIEs. An engine from the first ship ricocheted off the trench walls and slammed into the second, hulling the bomber just as Weiss pulled up, her Defender shooting up and away. The light lit the bottom of her simulated cockpit before the two ships disintegrated completely.

Smiling to herself, Weiss glanced over at the combat reports. Half of the Rebel ships were down. The Imperial forces had more losses, but with the Death Star's full complement of fighters, they still outnumbered the Rebels eight-to-one. Her wingmen reported no major damage so far – although Two had been clipped by a piece of shrapnel and was listing slightly to the left.

A computerized message flashed on her screen from Three, and Weiss glanced down at the stations' surface. One Y-wing and an X-wing were starting a run on the Death Star's exhaust port.

Red lasers lit up her forward shields and Weiss dropped, trying to get a line on whoever was hunting her. A pair of X-wings swooped in, angling to try and cut her off before she could catch up to the bombers below.

Weiss sighed. They really should have sent more than two.

"Grey Two and Three," she called into the comm. "Hold the fighters here. I'll take the bombers."

She rolled on her wing and got off a lucky shot at one of the Rebel ships above her, before diving back into the trench. Her escorts swooped in behind, hammering the X-wings until they had to break off pursuit and turn around to face the smaller fighters.

Here's hoping they can take them while I clean up this group. Shunting more power to her forward shields, Weiss hit the accelerator. Her helmet thudded into the padded seat as she spiraled down towards the Y-wings, firing relentlessly.

The Y-wing started firing, using its rear guns to track her while they dodged shots from Weiss and the Death Star's turrets. That was the problem with the Trench Run – in a normal dogfight, you could be evasive, try to get the other fighter off your tail. Here, in these passages, they didn't have anywhere to go. The X-wing's guns only faced forward, and neither of them could use their torpedoes on her if they wanted to make it to the exhaust port in time.

At least it makes for an easy target. Weiss centered her sights on the X-wing and fired. Green bolts flashed and sparked along the fighter's shield. She set her fighter into a roll, bouncing around to make herself a harder target, spewing laser bolts down on the two ships.

Her HUD beeped, and Weiss looked down for the split second it took to see the target lock on the bomber. The target reticle went red, and Weiss shot another missile. So much for that base of yours.

The torpedo flew straight and true, up until the Y-wing rolled to port and darted behind a turret. The missile slammed into it instead, sending shrapnel scattering across Weiss' shield in a cloud of sparks and gas.

Not bad, she admitted, adjusting her sights for another lock. Whoever was in the bomber knew what they were doing.

Without warning, the X-wing cut its speed, looming up in Weiss' viewscreen. Sithspit, Weiss cursed. The fighter was trying to ram her from behind – even if it didn't take her out, it might slow her down long enough for the Y-wing to make it to the exhaust port.

Ten seconds to the exhaust port. So, dodge and lose the bomber, or ... dammit.

Weiss threw as much power as she could to her rear shields then yanked back on the control stick. Her fighter bobbed up before dropping back down, neatly leaping over the X-wing. She didn't waste any time. Juking around like a fish on a line, Weiss fired everything she had at the bomber in front, hammering the slower craft's shields.

Her cockpit shook, a klaxon blaring as the computer tried to warn her of some new mechanical problem. She glanced down at the readout - her rear shields were nearly gone.

And of course the X-wing happens to be a good shot. Weiss swore under her breath.

The computer made the sound for a targeting lock, and Weiss fired without thinking. She just needed to take the bomber out. If she could do that-

She cheered when the missile slammed into the Y-wing's aft shields. A bright explosion lit the trench for an instant before it cleared. Blinking, Weiss scanned for any trace of the bomber, and swore. It was still there. Smoke trailed from the Y-wing's engines as the ship trembled and shook, but it held together, limping forward and splashing laser bolts off her forward shields.

Then with a slow, painful lurch, it pulled up, the bright blue proton torpedo flashing between it and the space station's surface.

Weiss didn't have time to see if the torpedo hit its mark. Teeth bared, she floored the accelerator. She was done. So, completely done. Whoever this is, they're good, and they're going to pay dearly for that.

She pulled up out of the trench and broke left. A snap-roll took her Defender up onto its starboard wing as she yanked the ship around, her lasers stabbing out at the X-wing as it sailed up out of the trench behind her.

Weiss saw the flash, knew she hit something, and rolled ninety degrees to bring the Y-wing back under her guns. She dove, then brought herself up in a barrel roll, spewing lasers at the bomber's belly. You're not getting away this time!

Her ship rocked, and the alarms sounded again. Lights flashed, and Weiss punched the button to silence the alarms. Her HUD flashed – her port engine was down.

Where ... sithspit. Weiss rolled to the side, just in time to have a pair of linked lasers slam into her port wing. It sheared a good chunk off the solar array, but at least her ship was mostly intact. Just as good – it would cost her some mobility, but better that than a failed first flight.

Her missile lock flashed red and she fired on that damn Y-wing. She watched as the missiles zipped across the short distance between them and slammed into the bomber's shields.

Then everything went black.

Air rushed into the simulator pod as the canopy cracked open. Bits and pieces of conversations started to trickle in, and the part of Weiss that wasn't fuming could just make out the sound of a dozen or so pilots talking about the exercise. Half of it had the happy tones of pilots reliving some successful maneuver, some personal victory. But the rest – the ones who'd been shot down the fastest, the ones without a kill in the scenario – they laid a low grumbling beneath the luckier pilot's cheer.

Weiss thumped her head back against the pilot's seat and closed her eyes. She had no interest in crawling out there, not now, and especially not to face the dubious honor as the pilot whose forces shot most of the Rebel pilots down. They always did – the Trench Run wasn't meant to be easy, but still ...

At least it was nice to know the Defender sim worked. The ship performed as well as the real thing, although she thought she'd felt a bit of lag with the acceleration controls. She made a note to talk with the techs about it later. Overall, it was a successful test. It would have been nicer to have a clean run, but ...

Someone knocked on the simulator's hull, breaking her train of thought. Growling under her breath, Weiss yanked her helmet off and tossed it to the back of the fake cockpit. It landed in the corner, making a loud thunk when it hit slightly harder than it needed to.

Grabbing the top of the canopy, Weiss hauled herself out of the simulator, only to find herself face-to-face with a blond pilot in a brown flightsuit, a Lieutenant's insignia pinned to the front.

The blonde smiled, and held out one gloved hand. "Need a lift?"

Weiss shook her head at the offered hand and vaulted over the side of the simulator. She landed with a click as her boots hit the floor, taking the time to brush herself off and give the blonde a once-over.

She was definitely Corellian. Weiss had heard that accent often enough at the Imperial Academy, and even there, Corellians had a reputation for being reckless. Maybe even more so than the ones who'd sided with the New Republic. From the ones she'd known, a number of Corellian Imperials saw expatriates like Antilles and Solo as a black mark against their home system. It made them all the more eager to exact revenge.

But the woman in front of her didn't carry that tension. In fact, she seemed perfectly relaxed, long blond hair tied back behind her. There wasn't a name on her flightsuit, but it did have the battle tabs for Endor and Coruscant sewn onto the sleeve.

"Nice flying out there," the blonde said, folding her arms atop the Defender sim.

"Thanks, Lieutenant," Weiss snapped, managing to just barely avoid snarling like a wounded rancor. "Were you the one who shot me down?"

The blonde grinned, lilac eyes sparkling as she laid her head on her forearms. "First, we're the same rank. No need to stand on ceremony. I'm Yang."

"... Weiss."

"And technically, I didn't shoot you down. I got your engine right before you hit my stabilizers. The Death Star going boom took us both out."

"Fair enough," Weiss sighed. She supposed it was slightly better than getting shot down – if only barely. "I thought it would be harder to hit the exhaust port."

"It is. Still not sure how Skywalker managed to get it on his first try," Yang shrugged. "I've run this scenario a lot. Nice thing about simulations is you get to practice until it works. Plus, I kinda evened the odds a bit."

Looking behind the simulator, Yang whistled and a bright yellow-and-white astromech with a transparent dome rolled around the corner. "Meet Ember."

Weiss stared at the R-series astromech, her eyes wide. "How the hell does a bomber jock get assigned an R3 unit?"

Yang shrugged, grinning at Weiss' obvious envy. The generation after the legendary R2s, R3 units were the luxury speeders of astromech droids. Designed for military and government use, their semi-transparent domes had more powerful computing modules than their predecessors, giving them far more storage space and processing power. Power that was far more suited for work on a capital ship than as a plug-in for a snubfighter. Weiss had seen R3 units skittering about on Imperial star Destroyers from time to time, and most of the New Republic's were already aboard the larger ships in the fleet – the odds of finding one in the hands of a Y-wing pilot were about the same as that Y-wing pilot being an Ewok.

Whistling cheerfully, the garishly painted droid rocked back and forth on its two legs before extending the third and rolling around to bump into Yang's leg.

"She's mine, actually. I 'liberated' her from an Imperial Base Commander before I joined the Alliance. Thought about handing her over, but she's got a few bugs. They'd cause trouble if she went on cruiser duty. A few modifications later and she's the best co-pilot I could ask for." Yang smiled proudly and ran her hand over the droid's dome. "Figured if you were gonna test out the new Defender sim, I needed my own ace in the hole."

Weiss nodded, her annoyance subsiding slightly. "Well, thank you for ruining an otherwise excellent run."

"You're welcome. Especially since I'm switching to your side for Round Two." The blonde pilot gave Weiss that cocksure smile only a true Corellian could pull off. "I'm thinking I'll take a TIE bomber for the Redemption scenario. How much you wanna bet the two of us together can vape the entire flight?"

RWBY X-Wing AU, 8 ABY

Dramatis Personae

Hunter Squadron

Commander Coco Adel (Leader, One) (human female from Alderaan)

Captain Pyrrha Nikos (XO, Five) (Zeltron female from Nar Shadda)

Lieutenant Yang Xiao Long (Twelve) (human female from Corellia)

Lieutenant Weiss Schnee (Ten) (human female from Coruscant)

Flight Officer Velvet Scarlatina (Two) (Bimm female from Bimmisaar)

Flight Officer Yatsuhashi (Three) (Wookie male from Corrulag)

Flight Officer Sage (Four) (human male from Fondor)

Flight Officer Jaune Arc (Six) (human male from Agamar)

Flight Officer Nora Valkyrie (Seven) (human female from Kuat)

Flight Officer Lie Ren (Eight) (Mirialan male from Mirial)

Flight Officer Ruby Rose (Nine) (human female from Corellia)

Flight Officer Blake Belladonna (Eleven) (Cathar female from Coruscant)

Hunter Squadron Support Personnel

Chief PO Oobleck (Chief Mechanic) (Verpine male from Nickel One)

PO Alistair Fox (Mechanic, CQC trainer) (Miraluka male from Sluis Van)

PN-3PO, 'Penny' (quartermaster) (Protocol and regulations droid)

Ember (Yang's R3-E6 astromech)

Crescent (Ruby's R2-C9 astromech)

Shroud (Blake's R5-D2 astromech)

New Republic Staff

Council Member Ozpin (human male from Kuat)

Admiral Glynda Goodwitch (human female from Alderaan)

General James Ironwood (human male from Coruscant)

General Taiyang Xiao Long (human male from Corellia)

Imperial Forces

Grand Moff Schnee (human male from Coruscant)

General Lagune (human male from Fondor)

Captain Cardin Winchester (human male from Churba)

Ensign Dove Bronzewing (human male from Rudrig)

Writer's Note: So, here we go. I've bee sitting on this one for a while. Anyway, if you enjoyed it, please do me a favor and leave a review - so I can know what people liked or didn't. It doesn't have to be in-depth at all.

If you want to see what some of the character designs look like for this, check out the RWBY X-Wing AU tag on my tumblr (you can find me at redsuitwriter).