It All Started With A Shuttle Flight - 3. Chapter 3

Station Hangar

“Wojact.”

“Yeah, Uroda?”

“Try talking to him.”

“Who?”

Uroda’s head shook. “Who do you think? Alexander.” Just as we walked into the hangar bay behind Thorp. My mouth must have dropped open as she chuckled. Marc Alexander wouldn’t talk to me the way I would want him to. And there he was, looking under a shuttle. His Link chimed, and he stood looking around while he talked. Thorp slowed and Uroda moved along one side of him, and I stepped alongside her as we waited. Then Marc smiled at us, making me sigh internally and blush as my heart raced again, a sure sign of my desire for Marc Alexander. To be followed by the self-doubts that thought reminded me of. He would never see me as more than a trainee.

Marc Alexander

Looking under the shuttle, checking the landing gear, hearing the three Middies walking into the hanger and heading for this shuttle as my Link chimed.

“Hi Sis.” I said as I stood.

My mind wandered, thinking about my sister. Commander Caitlin Alexander. Executive Officer of the training Cruiser ANS Endeavor. She took the all-around track for her Captain’s credentials, where I took the shortest track to get what I wanted. Command of a Mining Vessel. With her command track, she could command any vessel, anywhere. My limited track allows me to command Industrial Vessels, and I added the specs for Destroyers and Cruisers. I still need a few more classes and certifications for those, as well as a few for my chosen path. Which will be finished by the time I turn sixteen to take my Captain’s Boards.

I shook myself out of my thoughts by looking around the shuttle hangar. H-Twelve is one of our larger ones here at Low Point Station. Not surprising, as we are the largest station in the Moira Sector, as the bulk of most trade in this region of eight sectors comes through here on its way up or down the Aphlinerta Sector to Moira Sector Pipe. Called the Pipe because there are five sectors it transverses that have no other exit unless you use a Jump Beacon, making Low Point Station a Gateway Station. My family has worked hard to establish since the days of my great grandfather Joshua Alexander first built it over Two hundred stanyears ago. Set up like a giant top. The twelve O-levels are above the midpoint and the nine B-Levels are below, but much higher in individual level height. Different hangers are around the outside at different levels, depending on the size and type of ships they provide dockage for.

“Teach them. Don’t tease them.” Making me laugh while turning to look at them as they stood in a line before me. Uroda was the tallest by far. Her dark mahogany skin and tight, braided hair made her stand out. Wojact was my height and had a stocky build. Thorp was two fingers shorter than Wojact. His short flame red hair and freckled face made him stand out, just as much as Uroda’s height did.

“Just remember, they haven’t had your opportunities growing up. They could use your skill in training people like you did with Kayla.” And that was true. I’ve had the benefit of being able to train on different ships since I was ten stanyears old. I’ve been piloting since I was twelve. Even had starfighter training almost a year ago. Useful for my training, not a field I wanted to continue in. Mining was, as I enjoyed the peace of the asteroid belts. No politics, family expectations or legends to live up to.

“Caitlin. It’s my Birthingday and I want to have fun.” Shaking my head at the look she gave me, grumbling out, “Fine. I’ll train them.”

“I knew you would see it my way.” She stated, then that mischievous grin formed. “See you for dinner and they are coming too.” My eyebrows raised at that.

“Have to at least feed them a good meal after letting you terrorize them.” She said.

“OK.” I smiled mischievously right back at her. “See you at dinner.” I said before I disconnected and turned back to them.

They were checking me out as I checked them out. We all wore armor. Helmets on our hips. Two items drew special attention from them: my Blood Red Bear Claws on my right breast of my heavy armor and my sidearm. Unlike the Model V personal armor I wore the last time they saw me, that I could hide under a shipsuit. This was more akin to a light version of battle armor. Slip into the undersuit, which is a heavy shipsuit like my light armor but has the built-in functions like personal autodoc and temperature control. Pull the armored pieces over the top, syncing them together. Then their eyes dropped to my sidearm. The Marines call it a hand cannon when I go down to practice with them. It’s a Sig Titan Model XI 6mm Kinetic. The weapon belt I wear shows the amount of kinetic wafer reloads and power cells I carry for it. As opposed to their service sidearms, that are plasma beam weapons. At the max penetration setting, the Sig Titan guarantees to pierce most unarmored ship and station bulkheads and the armored person behind it. Absolute overkill, but I earned my Pistol Marksman Medal with it, so it holds a special place in my heart. I sighed as I realized I put my foot into it again. Tilting my head, I gave my trainees a lopsided grin.

“Good morning, everyone. Let’s get to it. Start your walk around, then Wojact and Uroda. Rear seats. Thorp. Right seat.” I said. Observing and asking questions of each of them as we moved around the shuttle before I boarded the shuttle with them behind me.

Dropping into my seat, I checked the basic plan to at least bring the three of them up to a higher standard to see what was next on my list. Not much I could do in just one session. Firing up the Systems and bringing the Mains online. I had Midshipman Thorp Comm for our departure clearance, letting him take us out to Track Seven-B. En route, I gave him the turns to make with pointers to all of them on how this shuttle handles, allowing each five minutes to try it before I had Thorp back in the seat.

“Shuttle Seven-Two-Eight Alpha to Track Seven Training Control. Marc Alexander commanding. Request entry lane to Track Seven-B.” I waited for the response as I saw the Nav screen change, and a new pip appeared.

“Track Seven Control Actual to Seven-Two-Eight Alpha. Are you trying to top the list today, young Alexander?” asked the wizened controller of the of Track Seven’s multiple courses.

I chuckled, “Good morning, Sa Kronis. Probably not today. Too much weight aboard. I’ll be teaching,” I paused before adding, “Mostly.” As I grinned.

Hearing the soft laugh from the other end of the Comm’s, I grinned wider. “Shame on that.” He said. “I was hoping for the competition today on the Leader Boards. As always, you have been sent the navigation and the lane pip will turn green in 3 minutes for your run to begin. Enjoy and fly safely. Seven Control Actual out.”

“We’ll see how the day turns out. Maybe we can. Thank you Seven Control Actual. Alexander out.”

I verified our navigation and checked the track scan itself. It wasn’t very crowded, which I knew was because they limited the number of shuttles allowed at any one time.

“OK. Thorp. Let’s head for the entry lane. Once the pip turns green, 50 percent on the Mains until we merge with the track. Then boost it up to 70 percent. Follow the track through the circuit.”

“Aye Sa.”

Thorp worked his way through the screens and verified the pip was available. Moving us towards the starting point. Waiting for the pip to go from yellow to green. The tones sounded as the countdown began. He sped up, merging onto the track with the familiar feel from under my seat as power increased to the Mains.

Making suggestions as Thorp worked his way around the course. The technique was OK. Definitely lacking experience. Nothing hours piloting a shuttle couldn’t fix as we turned into the last straightaway, heading for the finish line. I took the controls and had Uroda switch with Thorp. Then I let her take the helm and run the course. Just as I did before. Pointers here and there as we worked our way back to the last stretch. Once again. I had Wojact switch with Uroda and take the right seat. He had a friendly smile and seemed to blush a lot, but he was two years older than me. Like the other two Midshippersons, he was trying hard. He asked sensible questions and had correct answers to my questions. Plus, he had that dark hair that always attracts me to people. And, of course, those cute dimples.

I had other people I was interested in. Namely, a certain dark-haired guy in my Astrogation class, Byran. Also, fourteen stanyears old and coming to dinner tonight. I did nod at him on the shuttle hanger deck before the Middies arrived. He smiled in return as he boarded his shuttle. Hopefully, we can dance tonight. Just so I can hold him in my arms.

Janek Wojact

Sa Marc Alexander was the talk of the Midshippersons table during our meals over the first few days after the Executive Officer introduced him as her brother over at the exam center. Her little brother. Which made me chuckle. He was taller, had a thin but muscle toned torso. Shoulders were broader and his waist was narrower, giving him that perfect ‘V’ shaped torso that ended in a very nice-looking set of ass cheeks. From which his sturdy legs complemented the rest of his body. He probably had 50 pounds on her at least. Then, under that blond hair, was his face. More to the point, that smile attached to those strong cheek bones. And every time it turned on me, I blushed.

Chief Kibosh overheard us in the training room between simulations making jokes about the young kid that scored better than us on his flight exams. He promptly put us in our place by explaining the past training he has had. And the list was long. He’s been training since he was in diapers to not only run his family’s corporation, one of the largest in our region, but including the fact that he’s capable of commanding vessels, after he sits his Captain’s Boards when he turns sixteen. Which the Chief knew in his mind he would pass on the first try. Which very few people do. Just because he was that well trained and has the resources to practice on board various ship types. Including this Cruiser.

Two weeks later, Commander Caitlin Alexander summoned us to the Executive Officer’s office and explained what was going to happen to Thorp, Uroda, and myself. We needed to pass our shuttle flight exams and Marc Alexander was going to train us. He was to be treated as we would any superior officer as his status as an Alexander of Alexander Industrials demanded. The Alexanders owned our ship and paid our salaries. Owned a few warships, enough to field two fleets if needed. Strong enough that our presence is usually enough to not need to call in elements of the CONFED Navy. Which nobody wants poking around. I shook myself as I returned to listening to Commander Alexander. She warned us that his decisions would be final, as far as our training goes.

And now I sit in this shuttle behind the one person I’ve ever found to be attractive. Not that I haven’t had offers before meeting him, but no one met my qualifications. Attractive to me goes beyond looks. He is intelligent, walks with an air of confidence, has a commanding presence… and he would never want someone like me. A guy from a backwards station in the Zebarra Sector. Behind closed doors, people say we have ties to the black market and pirate communities. Which is true, but not for my family, mostly. Glancing up, Marc Alexander looked up at me, smiling; I sighed internally as I blushed. Again.

“Wojact. Switch with Uroda.”

“Aye Sa.” I spoke.

Marc Alexander

Boredom consumed me as we approached the last turn for the third time, debating whether to attempt a speed run. My lopsided grin caused the corner of my mouth to tick up, and I’m sure my eyes twinkled as I made my decision.

“I have the Helm.” I said as I took the controls in my hands, placing my feet on the pedals. My eyes darted across the screens as I double checked everything.

“You have the Helm, Sa.” Wojact said as he raised his hands to show they were off the controls.

“Thank you.” I said as I tapped out a command and the navigation pip blinked green as I pushed the throttles forward and nudged the afterburners to fifty percent. My grin increased as the numbers ticked up rapidly on the speed readout with the proper amount of pressure applied by the Inertial Compensators to let us feel we were speeding up hard.

Trainees gripped armrests as I charged across the start/finish line to the sound of the tone, signifying we were being timed. Heading for the first turn before I slowed the shuttle into it and blasted back out the other side under afterburners. My body dropped into its relaxed zone as my synapses fired through my brain as I navigated the course at high speed, even humming to myself as we made the next series of turns, heading to the dip. “We’re coming up on the dip. Brace for erratic maneuvers.”

At least one gasp came from behind me as I leaned in the seat. Loving that the Compensators let us feel up to two G’s max. Applying heavy pressure to the pedals as if my body was forcing the shuttle itself to do my bidding as I twisted my left hand. I rolled and dived under the rock and blasted up with a stomach wrenching maneuver around the back side on afterburners as I brought us into the next section of the course. Once again rocketing past another shuttle on the course using the afterburners. Bringing us around and back into the final straightaway, baring my teeth, as I opened the afterburners to full thrust, bringing us across the finish line as our speed climbed from four hundred meters per second to six-hundred and forty-seven. Cutting power, allowing us to slow after I heard the tone that marked our crossing the finish line. Too fast for the track departure lane I had to take us through again.

“We are too fast to exit this time around, so Wojact and Thorp switch.” I said as I dropped us to seventy-five percent power.

Two distinctive, “Aye Sa’s,” sounded in the cabin as they switched places, and I smiled at my exceptional scoring as I looked at the Leader Board. My time was point two-eighths of a second behind Sa Kronis’s time. My score was ninety-nine point three-two, compared to his ninety-nine point nine-eight

“How many times have you flown this course, Sa Alexander?” Asked Uroda from behind me in slight awe.

“This makes my eighth time around it.” I replied. “Most of my flight training is off course and this is fairly tame compared to where I normally fly.”

“Oh.” Surprisingly came from Wojact. And it sounded like a cross between awe and disappointment.

Which made me smile. Most people don’t seem to understand the amount of experience I have. Courtesy of my family.

“I’ll check with my sister and see if she will loan the three of you to me again and we’ll run the rings over in section four for a few hours. That should provide some gray hairs and valuable training.” I said as a statement of fact as I looked up at the screen back at them.

The looks I saw were a cross between interest and fear. Which made me chuckle as my Link came to life with a chime. I flipped my wrist and smiled.

“Hi Sis. They’re still alive.” I said, and she snorted.

“That’s good. Are you finished?”

“On our way back to the exit lane now.” I said, as I checked the timing. “We should be out of the track in nine minutes.”

She nodded as she looked at something out of my view. “Why don’t you rendezvous with Endeavor, and we can have lunch onboard? We’ll top off your consumables too.” Caitlin asked as she turned back to the Holo pickup.

“OK.” I drew out as I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Good. I’ll have the Officer of the Deck send you the Navigation.” Caitlin said as I watched her expressions.

I just shrugged. “Sounds good. I’m hungry, and so are they.” I said as I saw the Navigation Data pop up on our screens for an approach to the Cruiser Endeavor.

“See you in, roughly seventeen minutes, it looks like.” She said before she disconnected.

“Right. Shuttle service back to your ship, since they, apparently, don’t want to provide it themselves and lunch.” I said as I smiled at the gang.

A much nicer group now that they have got over the fact someone younger can fly circles around them. I watched as Thorp brought us out of the training region and headed towards the Endeavor at fifty percent power.

“Eighty-Five percent on the Mains if you please Thorp. I’m hungry.” I said with a smile as he nudged our speed higher.

“Aye Sa.”