8A/N: Whenever Wolfpack gets involves, it's going to be wild. :D
A list:
Howl Leader-Plo Koon
Howl One-Warthog
Howl Two-Tac (OC)
Howl Three-Howl (OC)
Howl Four-Sharp (OC)
Howl Five-Weave (OC)
Howl Six-Boost
Fee- F3-E3 astromech
"Howl Leader, checking in. Sound off, Howl Squadron."
"Howl One, checking in."
"Howl Two, checking in."
"The original Howl, present and-"
Comms dissolve into laughing protests. Plo Koon leans back with a slight smile, glad enough to give the men a few minutes' respite. He accounts for everyone visually while the bickering builds.
"You're outta line, Howl Three!"
"I'm just saying, I should be Howl One."
"Howl Four checking in, and you're going to have to fight Howl One for the title, vod."
"Name the time and place!"
"I'm pulling rank."
"Coward!"
Wolffe's voice cuts smoothly into the conversation. "I'm not hearing what I think I'm hearing, am I?"
"At the very least, Wolffe should be Howl One."
"He is, when Warthog's grounded. And, yeah, Wolffe. You're hearing it."
"I'm just saying-"
"How about we call you grounded, Howl Three?" Wolffe waits through a beat of silence, then goes on, "There, now just-"
Howling laughter over the comms drowns him out.
"Wolffe just grounded Howl!"
"Someone recorded that, right?!"
"Aw, buir-"
"Incoming transmissions, boys," Wolffe cuts in flatly.
There's a murmur of playful grumbling, but the Howls fall silent. Plo Koon doesn't see any incoming transmission on his console, but Cody's voice echoes through the Howls' transmitters to Plo Koon's.
"Execute Order Six."
The Force fairly jolts, startling Plo Koon so he almost misses the buzz of feedback through the transmitters. All the Howls' ships jerk into sharp turns, and are suddenly out of sight.
"All Howls, report in," Plo Koon says into the transmitter urgently. The speakers buzz quietly with static. "Wolffe, report."
Nothing, but a ship appears at Plo Koon's side. It's Sharp, gesturing fervently at his helmet. Smoke coils from his console.
"Fee," Plo Koon says to his astromech, "Reconnect comms."
Fee gives a low whine.
"Transmitters functional." Plo Koon again looks at Sharp, who raises his hands in a helpless motion. "Hold on, Fee."
Plo Koon swings his ship around, noting with relief when Sharp follows easily. Having turned, Plo Koon can see the rest of the Howls, their ships flying in various directions.
"Odd…"
Plo Koon points to Sharp, then raises the other hand to clasp them together. Sharp nods and gives him a thumbs up.
They catch up first with Howl, who immediately begins speaking to Sharp. Plo thinks at first that the Howls' comms are still up, until he sees all the hand gestures. What can't be communicated through the ARC hand signals Sinker taught them is apparently filled in with the near-telepathic tendencies Plo Koon often sees in batchmates.
Letting Sharp chew out Howl, Plo Koon takes the lead to locate Tac and Warthog, both weaving around each other in an attempt at communication through the transparisteel domes. Their relief is clear when they spot Plo Koon.
Weave is hardest to locate, and Plo Koon thinks at first that he's lost Howl Five. But then he spots Boost headed their way, with Weave on his tail.
Plo Koon nods in approval, then gestures broadly for everyone to follow. He waits for thumbs up from everyone to ensure there's no injuries or damage to the ships besides the transmitters, then gets everyone turned around and headed back toward their cruiser. And hopefully some answers.
Answers are slow in coming, as it took passing across the bridge's sight five times before anyone inside opened the hangar doors. Sinker is waiting as Plo Koon left his ship, spewing apologies in a manner so unlike the normally calm ARC.
The floor crunches under Plo Koon's boot, covered as it is with fine shards of transparisteel. The bay is unusually abandoned, with the few men present gathering comlinks from the floor.
"What happened, Sinker?" Plo Koon asks.
"We're trying to figure that out," Sinker says. His silver-white hair sticks even straighter as he runs an agitated hand through it. "Did your squadron destroy their comms as well?"
Plo Koon looks at the rest of the Howls and receives solemn nods. He turns back to Sinker.
"Every comlink and transmitter is destroyed?"
"Yes, sir." Sinker's stiff with embarrassment.
Plo considers this for a moment. "What is Commander Cody's last location?"
"Wolffe is looking into it now."
"Good."
"General Plo!"
Plo Koon looks at Craig, waving a hand from the entrance of the bay. He moves toward him, but Craig gestures for him to stay put.
"We want to test the bucket line!" Craig hollers, absolutely beaming with enthusiasm while groans come from behind him. "Wolffe has Cody's last known location. Permission to head that way?"
Plo Koon's voice doesn't carry as well as the clones' so he looks at Howl. Grinning, Howl earns his name once again.
"Let's gooooo!"
A/N: Craig is also an OC, and Boost's batchmate. :D