"No action will be taken for the moment. You know how those pilots get after a few drinks in the cantina. Keep an eye on the situation, but for the time being, just leave it." He sighed slightly, and rubbed his face with his hands. "If there's nothing else..." He paused, and Steeler recognised this as her cue to leave Phoenix Squadron's tired Captain alone. She left his quarters, and, tired herself, walked towards the Cantina for a quick drink before retiring for the night.

The corridors of the FRG El Pollo Diablo were very plain, and it was easy to notice the slightest difference. As Phoenix Squadron's XO walked along the corridor, something caught her eye. She was sure she saw something pink and fluffy move behind her. Turning round, there was nothing there. She put it down to tiredness, and doubled back up the corridor to return to her quarters for the night.

Transmission to all Phoenix Members, from CP Ginyard T R. 25.10.99

I've seen it!!

One night I needed to go and relieve myself, so I went out of my quarters and attempted to walk about in the dark, there had been a power cut or something I think, remind me to stop playing football in the power room I mean those transformers make great goalposts but they did start making an awful hissing noise when I booted them. Anyway I turned on my torch and continued on my way when suddenly I spied a shape in front of me, a hideous ghastly shape, pink, with a huge eye in the middle of its head. I'm not sure if it was scared of me because I ran away screaming back to my quarters and hid under the covers.

So people be careful please when walking around in the dark, pink furry things may sound cute and cuddly but that's just what it wants us to think I bet!

I assure you I shall bring this Daemon to justice, YOU WILL BE KEPT INFORMED.

In the Emperor's name, be vigilant.

The next morning Steeler read the transmission, and shook her head, knowing that she would be hearing a lot about this now, but there was nothing she could do. For now. She walked down to the Cantina, looking for Ginyard, to try and find out what it was that was bothering him so much. She found him, as she thought she would, sitting playing a game of Solitaire. Being 0600 hours, she didn't notice the coffee on the table, and the cup went flying, spilling coffee all over Ginyard's console. He jumped up, knocking the table over, and swore loudly. He hadn't realised it was LtC Steeler.

"Oh, oops, sorry! I didn't mean to... I didn't know... Sorry." He looked embarrassed.

"Ginyard, relax, it's ok!" She picked up the console, which had been damaged more by the fall than the coffee. "I'll get you a new one of these, it was my fault." The cleaner in the cantina came over to pick up the pieces. Steeler and Ginyard moved to another table.

"I got your transmission this morning. What exactly did you see?" Steeler enquired. "It's all in the transmission. I don't really remember much, it was late. This... this thing was right there, in front of me. It was hideous. Pink and fat, huge shape. I don't remember anything else, I didn't hang about to find out what it really was!" He seemed anxious, almost scared of what he had seen. Recognising this, Steeler left him to a new cup of coffee and an IOU for a new console.

Later that day, Ginyard bumped into his friend Fjap, who was returning from a brief run in a new TI, trying it out for size before he made his decision about what his next starship would be.

"Hey Ginyard, what's all this about you seeing things?! Have you been spending too much time in the cantina again?!" Fjap laughed.

"Don't mock me Fjap, I really did see something!" His serious tone indicated to Fjap that he wasn't drunk when he'd seen whatever it was he saw.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to offend..." Fjap started, but Ginyard cut him off, obviously still shaken.

"Leave it now, I'm going out for a ride." He walked towards the hangar, probably going to take out his frustrations on some unsuspecting traveller who got in his way. Fjap thought about following him, but remembered he had no ship for the next few days. He tried to think of something to do, but was at a loose end. When there was nothing to do, no Rebel Scum to annihilate, he got bored. Walking along the corridor, he was sure something was following him. He got that feeling that he was being watched, and turned round, quickly enough to see something pink disappear round the corner. He ran back after it, only to find it was vanished. So Ginyard wasn't imagining things. It was true, there was some sort of creature loose on the frigate!! He would have to go straight to Steeler with this.

Fjap arrived at Steeler's quarters, to find nobody in. Either that or she was sleeping, but seeing as it was only 1600 hours, he tried hard to think of where she might be. Her TI was still in the hangar, and the cantina was closed while the new cleaner tried to get coffee stains out of the carpet, and clean the whole place while he was at it. Lost for another option, Fjap returned to his bunk, wondering what this thing was.

When Ginyard got back to the frigate several hours later, he too was wondering what the hell was sneaking about the frigate. He looked at several options in his mind. It could be Fluffy, the ship's cat, playing tricks again. It could be him finally losing his mind. Or, and this was the most threatening, it could be some sort of deadly creature, trying to destroy them all!! Scared by this last thought, Ginyard went to search for the creature, in the hope that if he could find out what it was, they might be able to deal with it.

CP Ginyard T R's Diary. 26.10.99

Yes, yes, I am close, I feel it! I went searching through the waste processing facility earlier on in an attempt to locate the beast. It will not scare me in future! I armed myself with a wooden stick, let's see how it contends with that eh? So I found a clue in the waste facility, a pink article of clothing, I feel that the clothing aspect of it is a disguise however, it is really a skin that the creature has shed, I am now looking for a creature of a different colour, possibly brown.

May the Emperor aid me in my quest and rid me of the stench of rubbish. Eeucchh! I need a bath.

A few days later, in the evening, most of the squad was in the newly cleaned cantina, relaxing while there was nothing to do. There were two squad members, however, who were not in the slightest relaxed. Ginyard and Fjap sat alone at a table away from the noise. They were recording everything they knew so far about the creature in Ginyard's new console, which he had found in his quarters when he returned from his creature hunt. Steeler noticed them sitting alone, in the corner, and decided if they weren't going to enjoy the evening's entertainment, a very drunk cleaner attempting to sing to piano accompaniment, then she would at least make them feel more at ease.

"Good evening pilots," she said, approaching their table. "I see you got your new console, Ginyard, I hope it is satisfactory." She said, smiling. He stuttered slightly.

"Yes, of... of course it is... the new model, I believe." He pointed out the stamp on the side.

"Oh, well, I never noticed. I just picked it up from the Supplies Bay earlier on." She had noticed, and had looked specifically for the latest model. She was feeling guilty for the demise of his old one, and to combat this, spent her drinking money for that evening on the extra cost of the new console. "What's going on with this mysterious creature? Any more news?" She asked. Fjap replied,

"I've seen it!! I know it exists!! It was big, and pink, and ugly." On hearing this, Steeler looked deep in thought.

"I'll see what I can do." She said, but was interrupted by a commotion at the bar. They noticed the cleaner trying to get more drinks, but his credit had run out for the night. Steeler left for a moment to intervene. Fjap picked up a Twinkie he saw on the table, it tasted good, better than usual, probably because he hadn't eaten all day. Steeler looked back towards them, shouted that she would return in a few minutes, after helping Drice and Damage to carry the drunk cleaner back to his bunk near the holding cells.

CP Fjap's Diary. 28.10.99

Dear diary.

Today I made a big mistake. I accidentally ate the XO's Twinkie. She can pull a big rank on me, she is the XO after all. She threatened to get Desmo to come back and pull my arms off and make them into a hood ornament on his T/A but we were saved by the next rendition of Oh Danny Boy, coming from the new cleaner. Ginyard continues to hunt the "strange creature" he thought he'd seen. (Well I saw it too but it could have been Desmo or that strange creature they call Chris) As for the sun I was singing about, coming out of the refresher, I'm gonna get a replacement T/I tomorrow, instead of the one that blew up last WOW. I'm telling you it wasn't my fault. It sort of... slipped and fell on the fuel station. I repeat it wasn't my fault. Not that anybody believes me or anything like that. They all just snigger and make low booming noises whenever I walk into the cantina.

Well, gotta go, we're having target practises and its my turn to play the ball in the simulators.

Still feeling a bit angry, Steeler ordered Drice to go check on the cleaner. He returned, reporting that the cleaner was hallucinating, saying he had seen a pink monster walking around the room looking for food, and had stolen his favourite mop, the one with the pink head. Drice, who thought this was hilarious, was dismissed, and he returned to the bar.

Steeler decided that enough was enough. She walked briskly to the SL's quarters. The first knock on the door got no reply. She knocked harder, and there was a muffled "Come in" from inside. When she opened the door it was semi-dark, with only a small light illuminating the whole room dimly. She couldn't see the Captain.

"Captain Rookie? Sir?" She called quietly, suspecting that he might have been sleeping.

"Steeler? That you?" She nodded, but laughed to herself when she realised he couldn't see her. He said anyway, "I'm here." and waved a hand from the sofa where he was lying, staring out the bay window of his living room. Steeler walked round to face him, and found him on the sofa, holding a hand blaster, and a torn pink shirt.

"Sir? Is anything wrong?" Steeler asked, slightly concerned about his paler than usual complexion.

"I saw it. That... that thing you were talking about. It was in here!" He paused, and sat up, gesturing to Steeler to take a seat next to him, which she did. "I was taking a nap, before I was going to join you in the cantina, and I heard this bang. When I looked over the back of the sofa, I saw this big... pink... THING!!! It was looking through my wardrobe, and it picked up my favourite shirt." He paused, noticing Steeler's surprised look at his pink shirt. He blushed, and put the shirt under the cushion next to him. Steeler smiled to herself. "Um, it was a present from someone, I didn't choose it." She nodded, pretending to be convinced, but he could see straight through it. "Anyway," he said, moving quickly away from the topic of the pink shirt, "it tried to steal my shirt, and when I tried to get it back, it wouldn't let go, and it was too strong for me. It ran away with half the shirt!" Rookie sounded disappointed, so Steeler pretended to be disappointed too, but secretly she didn't like pink, never had, and never would!

"I'm sure you can get a new pink shirt somewhere. But I think we really need to deal with this creature wandering the frigate." Rookie looked at her.

"Yes, yes, you're right," he said, "tell me everything you know."

The next morning, NCp Rookie, still shaken from his encounter with the creature and suffering from lack of sleep, was still at a loss for something to do about this terror. He was sitting quietly in his living room, having breakfast with Steeler, when there was a loud knock at the door. He didn't even have time to say anything before Ens Amber burst into the room, out of breath, and looking very pale.

"I'm sorry..." She paused, and looked behind her, making sure the door had closed. "That thing that Ginyard has been talking about... I've seen it!! I was in the cantina with the rest of the squad. We were trying to clear up the mess left after the drunken cleaner was admitted to sick bay with a major hangover. Anyway," she said, taking a deep breath, trying to calm down, "we were there talking, and then we heard this noise from behind the bar, and there was a huge hairy Wookie with the arm of a pink shirt tied round it's neck, raiding through the cupboards for food I'm guessing." Amber was getting increasingly worked up, pacing around the room, flinching at the slightest noise, the slightest movement. "It must have got scared when it saw us; it jumped over the bar and threatened us with an empty bottle. It threw the bottle, missed us but hit the piano. We weren't going to wait around to see what it did after that, so we ran, but it got Zekk... he... he fell over something in the corridor, and I was too scared to go back..."

On seeing the fear in Amber's eyes, Steeler stood up, gave the now highly nervous Flight Leader her chair, and on her way out said,

"I'd better go look for him. God knows what this Wookie is capable of."

Transmission to Phoenix Squadron XO, from CP Ginyard T R. 29.10.99

Damn I thought I had the thing yesterday, but it was not to be, here is the story.

When I was searching the waste processor I figured that the evil pink monster would want its skin back, you know to cover its tracks, so I took it with me and set up a trap. I put it into an airlock and set up a pressure pad underneath it, I then linked the pad to the airlock controls and put down a trail of jam butties nearby to lead it to the skin. Anyway I hid round the corner and watched for it appearing. Eventually I saw a hideous shuffling thing approach, devouring the food as it went. I held my breath as it reached the airlock but it seemed very pleased with finding the skin I left for it. The I used my binoculars to make out the thing in more detail, it wasn't the monster but a sodding Wookie! I remembered that a few had escaped from the holding cells a couple of days ago. I couldn't do anything because I broke my blaster betting Apocalypse I could throw it into the bin blindfolded, I missed and it smashed on the floor, I asked for a new one but they told me I shouldn't have been so careless and gave me a steel pole instead and banned me from getting a new blaster for a week. So this damn Wookie looked at the skin and I remembered that Wookies have a love of pink, and the idiot picked it up with a stupid grin on its face. I tell you its face changed when the door closed on it, I ran to the airlock and looked through and saw it bashing on the door. What could I do? If I let it back in it would have killed me so out it went. I swear it was giving me a V-sign when it burst, stupid fuzz-ball.

Now I don't have the skin anymore, my only trump card. The search continues though, there may be more of them.

If you see anything odd feel free to let me know okay?

In the corridor later that day, Steeler met Zekk, who wasn't looking too happy.

"Zekk, I was looking for you, are you alright?" Zekk looked up at her.

"I got attacked by a big, smelly, ugly Wookie!! It was chasing us, and I tripped over this damn mop head!" He held up a pink mop head that was covered in Wookie hair. Steeler took it off him, holding it tentatively by one strand, trying to keep minimal contact with it. "It didn't hurt me, just got my credit chip for the cantina. I guess it must have been hungry." Zekk laughed slightly. "Damn Wookies." He turned to go back to the cantina.

"Well, you'll be glad to know I just received a transmission from Ginyard saying that he got rid of the Wookie..." She paused, realising what Zekk had just said. "Hang on, wait a minute!" She called after him. "You said Wookies... You mean there was more than one?" Zekk turned back.

"Well, I didn't see more than one, but when this Wookie was looking through my pockets, I heard another Wookie nearby, and it took my credit chip and ran off. There must have been two, because I've never heard anything but a Wookie sound like that." Steeler dismissed him, then returned to Rookie's quarters. He had sent Amber back to her quarters to rest for a while.

"Sir, this situation is getting out of hand. I got a report from Ginyard saying he had killed the Wookie, but now Zekk tells me that there are more than one." Rookie, alarmed at this, looked up from his papers.

"What?" He said, angrily.

"Sir we had no idea there was more than one, but there is." Steeler was slightly worried about his tone of voice, hoping she hadn't angered him. After all, she could probably deal with this herself. Rookie sighed, shook his head, and stood.

"Right. This situation is getting sorted. Once and for all." Gesturing to Steeler to leave, he followed her. They went to the bridge, and called a meeting of all squadron members.

At 1800 hours, the squad and the ship's staff - those that were not still recovering from hangovers, or shock from Wookie attacks - gathered at the bottom of the steps to the bridge.

"Right, as you all may or may not be aware, we have an intruder, possibly intruders, on the ship." There was an eruption of mumbling amongst the squad. Rookie hushed them with a simple look. "Now, there is no need to be worried, so far there has been no real harm done," he paused, remembering his pink shirt, "but there is always the risk that the intruders, identified so far as Wookies, will turn nasty, so I am asking you all to be on your guard. That's all for now. Dismissed." The members dispersed, probably to return to the cantina to discuss the day's revelations. Rookie turned to Steeler, and his other officers, who had stood by him during the speech. "I want you to keep an eye on things. Tell me if anything, and I mean anything, comes up." He nodded to them, indicating that they could go. He returned to his quarters, found the remainder of his pink shirt under the cushion where he had attempted to hide it the previous day. Still feeling mourning the loss of his favourite shirt, he decided to indulge himself, and went to the cantina to join the rest of the squad in their early evening banter.

Transmission to all Phoenix Members, from CP Ginyard T R. 1.11.99

Ah ha, my quest is over! I win, the monster has been destroyed. I was walking about bashing my steel bar on the walls when I spied it walking around the corner towards me, before it could run it took some! I smashed the git into a mushy pulp then flushed the corpse down the lavvy.

Ginyard knew now that there were two Wookies disposed of. But how many were left? What if the famous Desmo Wookie had returned to haunt them again? Fjap had encountered the Desmo Wookie before, and, after an evening's stake out, he managed to get a picture of it. The Desmo Wookie has never been caught, so, Phoenix members, be on the look out. What if the Desmo Wookie, outraged at being photographed, had got some of his counterparts to join him? Be warned, Phoenix Squadron, now you know what the Desmo Wookie looks like, keep your senses about you, and if you see it, be very, very afraid.

Authors: CP Ginyard_T_R, CP Fjap, Ens Amber