Project Boussh: Precision Strike
by Nick Coghlan

"Could it have been Pash?"

Piggy looked up curiously.

"The A-wing. Could it have been Pash?"

Piggy grunted. "I don't think so. From what we've heard from Vickie,
he's been with her the whole time. Although it is possible, if Brad is
part of some scheme of Cracken's. I must admit though, that I neglected
to consider Pash's use of his preferred craft for this mission."

Whatever Nick was about to say was drowned out by the whine of
repulsorlifts from directly overhead. They looked over at the console to
check if it was Brad's B-wing returning. The screen was dead. Piggy
slapped at the console. No response. The screen remained blank, the
controls unresponsive.

The repulsorlifts were suddenly overwhelmed by the stuttering roar of
repeated fire from a starfighter's laser cannon. Looking at each other
in alarm, Nick and Piggy grabbed their weapons before running towards
the back door. Halfway there, the sound of blaster fire ceased, and the
ignition of the starfighter's main thruster caused a booming detonation
that blew in the rear windows of the flat. By the time the pair reached
the door, the fighter was long gone, leaving behind it the smouldering
ruin of Piggy and Ooryl's X-wings. Small fires flickered beneath the
still-standing jacarandas, sputtering slowly in the damp grass. The
charred, twisted lumps of metal which had recently been camouflaged
starfighters spewed forth occasional gouts of smoke and steam.

Nick and Piggy stared at the destruction, jaws agape.

In the back corner of Josh's room, the comms console clicked back to
life. The screen displayed a single, terse message:
"CONSIDER THIS A WARNING"