It All Started With A Shuttle Flight - 4. Chapter 4

We approached the Training Cruiser ANS Endeavor as Midshipman Thorp Comm’d for permission to land while he lined us up. I remained patient as I observed while he positioned himself on the ball. Making my decision and tapping the Comm link open.

Arms stretched out forwards, taking the controls. “I have the Helm.”

Startled, he looked over at me as he raised his hands as I felt his feet leave the peddles. “You have the Helm, Sa.”

I nodded as I tapped the tab and spoke. “Endeavor Flight Control. This is Shuttle Seven-Two-Eight Alpha Actual. We are aborting approach and coming around again.” I said as I pulled us up and increased power to ninety percent.

“Ahh…Copy Seven-Two-Eight Alpha Actual.” They replied.

Sounding not unlike the confused looks on my three trainees as I over flew the ship and brought us around again. Moving back to an offside starting point. I tapped out a course and nodded to myself as I slowed the shuttle to thirty-five percent power. The Endeavor was running starboard to port of us as I brought us in on their port side.

“Now. Let’s try this.” I said, glancing at the screen displaying the two behind me. “Wojact. Trade with Thorp.” I said.

Thorp undid his harness, sliding his seat back, and went to stand as Wojact didn’t move. Eyes wide, he looked towards me.

“Midshipman Wojact. I am completely aware of your issues.” I said in a low command voice. “Let’s move.”

They finally changed positions, but I had to bring us around and back out to a further distance before I let Wojact take the Helm. As he brought us in and made the last turn, I watched him line up with the ball that would indicate if the shuttle was centered on the deck or not. As well as display the ship’s speed, the shuttle’s speed and the closing speed. I coached Wojact softly as our shuttle approached. My hands staying close to the controls, just in case. Unknown to them, I tapped the record tab and the scoring tab as we came around the second time.

A familiar voice brought the Comms to life. “Marc. I’m on a schedule.”

Nodding, “Thank you very much for reminding me, but so am I. On a schedule, to not splatter myself against the ship instead of landing in the bay as I conduct shipboard landings training.” I said, and Dad cracked a smile as he disconnected.

Continuing to watch Wojact fly us closer to the landing bay. Making a few suggestions as we did. Two minutes later, he was setting us down on the deck and we were shutting down the systems as the Flight Deck crew approached to care for my shuttle. I waved them out as I opened the hatch before following them down. We had a small welcoming party as I stepped off the shuttle and moved towards my father. Standing with my sister and the Captain.

Walking up, I hugged my father before I shook hands with the Captain and hugged my sister last before she spoke.

“Shall we adjourn to the Wardroom for lunch?” She asked as the Captain motioned for her to lead the way.

I chuckled before I spoke to dad. “When can I do it, and how much?” Caitlin gave me a wry smile over her shoulder as my father spoke.

“Four hours a day, twice a week, for the next three weeks.” My Father said.

“Payment?” I responded to see the edges of his lips tilt up in the beginnings of a smile.

“We’ll discuss that later. Off ship.” He said in a low voice. No need for anyone to know that I’m receiving pay. I smiled with a slight nod as we walked into the Wardroom.

All Officers present rose as one as we entered, being escorted to the main table. My junior midshippersons were already at their table on the side with the other junior officers. We found our seats as Caitlin spoke.

“As you know, the Captain is joining us today for our working lunch, as are Lloyd Alexander and Marc Alexander. The reasons for that will be explained in due time.” She said as she seated herself.

Being on the outer side of the table, I had a clear view of the entire room. Including, if I leaned back, out of the forward viewport. That allowed me to notice we were changing course, most likely back towards Low Point Station. I listened halfheartedly as the Captain spoke with my father and Caitlin until my name came up.

“Marc. Is tomorrow good for you?” asked Caitlin.

“O-Seven hundred hours and I’ll pick them up here.” I said as I continued on with my salad.

“How about O-Six-Thirty hours and you can join us for breakfast?” she countered.

Thinking it over as I checked my Link for my schedule. My lips puckered before I nodded in reply. “That will be fine.” I said as I shifted to my father. “I suppose you need a lift back to the station?” I asked innocently. Which made him laugh.

“Yes please, Marc.” Dad replied. “I have another hour in meetings. You could have your post-flight debrief with your students while I do that.”

“Works for me. If you need more time, I could busy myself on the Bridge, maybe down in the Drone Bays. With the Captain’s permission, of course.” I said. To which she nodded her approval while smiling.

Which is the answer I usually get nowadays. The ships I visit with Dad are used to me and understand I like to learn as well as teach. Hence why my sister tapped me to help her worst shuttle pilot rated, Officers.

Since this was a mandatory meal, no one could leave unless dismissed by my sister as she was the Executive Officer and she is in charge of the Wardroom. The Captain is only a guest here.

“That’s settled then. They can show you where the training room is. Chief Kibosh will be there too.” Said Caitlin. To which I also nodded.

Shortly after, my three charges were escorting me to the training room. Holding my tablet, I pondered my words. True to her word, the Chief greeted me as we arrived.

“Good afternoon, Marc. Post-flight debriefs?” he said with a smirk, which made me chuckle.

“Something like that, Chief Kibosh. How did Kayla make out on her Exam Flight?” I asked.

“Very good Marc. We both appreciate your advice. She said it was right on the credit and the Examiner didn’t ruffle her feathers one bit.”

“Excellent. I hoped that would be the case.” I gestured for my charges to take the right, smaller, room.

After a few more words to the Chief, he entered the access code into my tablet, so I could sync it with the main smartwall and debrief my three pilots. Intended for small groups of six, comfortably, I brought the smartwall to life as I told Chief Kibosh that I would be here tomorrow too at about Eleven-Thirty hours. Today I was in no hurry as I started going over the highlights with each pilot. It only took me about thirty minutes, but I expanded several ideas out for training. Just to make my sister happy. Time spent together has loosened them up even to the point of joking around with me as much as I was joking with them. Learning the slight changes in my tone, discerning between joking and critical information. Chief Kibosh gave me an approving nod before he left.

Slightly over an hour after I started, my Link chimed a message. Dad was finished and would meet me at the hangar bay in ten minutes.

“And that’s it for today, folks. Time for me to play shuttle service.” Which they all laughed at. “I’ll see you at O-Six Thirty hours for breakfast in the Wardroom. At O-Seven hundred hours, we’ll disappear for a few hours. Suit up before breakfast.” I received the standard, correct military response before I had them deliver me to the hanger deck from here.

Midshipman Janek Wojact

ANS Endeavor

Marc Alexander is a far better pilot than the rest of us. And that comment when I froze, Midshipman Wojact. I am completely aware of your issues. Let’s move. Just how does he know about my issues? Is it in my Personnel Jacket? Just the mention of my troubled past sent a shiver down my spine as memories of the abuse I had endured resurfaced. Do they know everything about my past? Or was he talking about my flight training file? I shook myself out of my thoughts as I walked into berthing to change out of my flight uniform.

Fortunately. Thorp and Uroda are the only ones here, awake anyway, as I heard the telltale signs of at least two people sleeping. Most likely the Mid-Watch. I turned into my aisle. A standard Junior Officers Berth with room for 24 in six aisles. Two by two over and under, bunk bed set up. Storage lockers for each of us plus a dress uniform locker. We had a small lounge with a table and chairs, two couches, and a Holovid entertainment center.

“Hey. You good?” Asked Shana Uroda as she stepped into my little aisle. I was confused, and it showed. “He knows our training records, Janek. If you didn’t notice, he is hitting everything we have problems with.”

“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.” I said with a shrug.

“Wear your Dress Uniform tonight.” She said as she turned to leave. “And try talking to him.”

I frowned, hoping I could get out of it, but they pulled me from duty tonight to be there. Marc Alexander undoubtedly has a lot of pull around here with his sister as Executive Officer. I let out a long exhale as I headed off to my workstation.

Mark Alexander

Shuttle: ANS Endeavor Hangar Deck

As I thought, Dad arrived fifteen minutes after I did. Which was fine as I pre-flighted and ran my checks before he arrived. He wasn’t even in the right seat yet as I lifted us off the deck and spun around towards the force field enclosing the entrance.

“In a hurry?”

“Absolutely. The faster I get off this ship. The faster I make credits.”

Which made my dad laugh as he pulled the harness over his shoulders. His assistant had already strapped in. I tapped the Comm’s system to life.

“Endeavor Flight Control. Seven-Two-Eight Alpha requesting departure clearance.” I said as I looked out the viewport towards the Flight Deck Control Center. A Lieutenant nodded at me from above.

“Seven-Two-Eight Alpha, you are cleared to launch. Control out.”

“Copy Control. See you at O-Six-Twenty-Five hours tomorrow. Seven-Two-Eight Alpha out.” I said as I pushed forward on the throttles, and we moved through the barrier before I opened the Mains up to ninety percent.

“Let’s pop over to Aris to check in on the planetary extraction facility.” Dad said. I sighed as I had plans to meet Hugo at the pool this afternoon as I pulled up the navigation.

“OK.” I said as I found what I wanted and loaded it into the system and changed course. “What’s going on at Aris now days?” I asked, as I hadn’t been there in two months. Since our last grand tour of our holdings. That’s when I either go with my parents or grandparents to check the facilities the corporation owns, personally. Usually, every month or so. It’s not always fun. Sometimes it’s downright boring sitting in all the meetings. But the exploration of the area is good, when I can get away with it.

Aris is a dry planet with a light atmosphere. All our facilities are under armorplas domes, and you need a skinsuit, preferably a powered suit, to go outside. Gravity is .79 G, and the atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Not a good combination to breathe.

“Just want to check out the latest borehole site and we can pick up Dr. Shneider to return him to Low Point Station.”

I shrugged indifferently. Dad handles most of the military, manufacturing, and planetary resource extraction management. The corporation itself is run by managers under the supervision of the Board. Which is my family and a few relatives. The management team is told in broad strokes what the Board wants and it’s their job to make it happen.

The Comms came to life on channel Sixteen. “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is shuttle Four-Two-Two out of Mallery Point. We require help. Being pursued by hostile craft. Location Aris Mons Ring Two. Near Beacon 385AMR938, X plus Twenty-Five Kilometers, heading Three-Four-Eight point Two-Two-Seven tac Three.” The message repeated as Dad already had the Comms opened to the Fleet. I inputted the navigation data while the Jump Drives spooled up. He tapped his finger on my shoulder and pointed at another set of controls above my head. I reached up, looking at him as he continued to issue orders over the Comms. He gave me a quick hand gesture. Third button. Left. Push. I did, and a new set of screens came to life. Eyes wide, the slow smile spread as I realized what those extra bulges under the hull were for. Electronic Counter Measures and Electronic Warfare Systems.

“Bring us around to the new course, Marc. Try to put us on top of the shuttle or as close as possible. Endeavor and the Rollings are scrambling to intercept.” Nodding, I adjusted our course as I tapped in the new parameters to the Jump system.

“I didn’t realize we had any Rats around today.” I said.

“We didn’t, as of two hours ago. Not sure why they would be near Aris. Their Space Patrol is extending their range now, out to Three Hundred Thousand Kilometers and are launching Interceptors too. You fly, I’ll handle the ECM and EW Systems.” Dad said as he tapped out some orders into the systems.

I watched as I dropped us out of Jump. Just a Micro Jump, but it put us where we needed to be. Dad was busy opening a tight beam Comm’s to shuttle Four-Two-Two.

“Lloyd. A fighter or four would have been much nicer to see.”

“Understood Malcolm, but Marc is flying and the calvary is on the way. Come right and bring the nose up Thirty Seven degrees. Once Marc puts us on top of you, listen for his flying cues. I’ll burn space around the two of us until help arrives.”

“You Alexander’s have always been on the nuts' side of the spectrum.” Malcolm sighed, “OK, Marc. Coming up.”

“Got you. Burning in now.” I said as I weaved us down and towards them. It didn’t take over three minutes before I not only heard but felt the Electronic static fill space around us.

“Damn the Stars to Hell and back. I just lost most of my sensors.” Said Malcolm, as I could hear other voices in the background.

“And that is with everything blasting back at them. Marc will give you a running commentary on flying while I converse with our help.”

“Copy. Where too Marc?”

“Is your Nav System still operational? I can push the course across direct.”

“It’s a little spotty, but try it.” I tapped out a few commands as I heard Dad vectoring the fighters towards us.

“How’s it looking?” I asked.

“We caught most of it, Marc. Trying to follow the waypoints as best we can.”

“Good enough. I’ll stay behind and above, following you through our path, which I will continuously update.” And that was easy enough. I only had to run my finger across the screen to plot the courses I wanted them to follow. Which had us weaving hard around the debris of the ring.

“Vampire, Vampire, Two-Eight-Seven. They launched two. I say two inbound on your location.” Said one of the inbound fighter pilots.

“That shouldn’t be a problem.” Dad said, as I jinxed us around another rock.

Malcolm’s shuttle, just as fast and maneuverable as this one, but without the added toys, was pushing the limits as I followed. I watched as dad made some adjustments to the ECM and then tapped another button on the EW screen to watch another screen open. It was blinking amber and had multiple crosshairs locking the two inbound missiles together. When all four had locked, dad spoke.

“Hold us steady for a few seconds, Marc.” I did as asked, and he tapped the key. The screen pulsed twice, and one of the missiles exploded. “Crap. Fly hard.” He said, as he tapped out some more commands.

We dived again behind Malcolm before we pulled around and Dad dumped multiple puffs of chaff before the decoy flares fired a stream of plasma balls in different directions. Just before I turned again. It was enough of a distraction that the second missile collided with debris before spinning off to explode against a rock. The Comms came to life. “Target splashed. Area appears clear. We are starting a set of patrols to ensure the area is clear Sa Alexander.”

“Thank you, Tango Leader. We appreciate your assist. Alexander out.” Dad said as he tapped a few keys and the ECM and EW systems shut down.

“That should clear the area, Malcolm.”

“Thanks Lloyd. Next, you folks are over at Mallery Point. Drop in for a meal.”

“We’ll do that. Take care Malcolm. Until we met again.”

“Same to the two of you, Lloyd. Until we meet again.”

***

Dad turned the entire incident and our logs over to Aris Space Patrol for their records. In twenty minutes, I dropped into the atmosphere above one of the facilities and followed the beam to the hangar. Landing here is always fun. Nice chop breaking into the atmosphere and then the turbulence of the frequent storms. Occasionally a major dust storm arises, and it’s great to fly through as the shields look like a snowplow as we pass through. Sweep in low over the canyon rim and drop onto the raised landing pad to be lowered into a sealed hangar bay.

Dad had said we would be only thirty minutes, so I ran down to the local shopping district to see if the flea market was operating and it was. Not as crowded as usual, but midafternoon is slower. Closing time is Seventeen Hundred hours so I might find a deal. More than one stall owner called out to get my attention, but I was laser focused on finding the stall I wanted as I glanced at all the different wears being displayed for sale.

Ten minutes and two aisles later, I found what I was looking for. Grabbing six different boxes of assorted chocolates, only 6 chocolates per box, and a small container of chocolate drink powder for the drink dispenser back home, I thumbed the tab and headed for the shuttle. Beating Dad back by five minutes as I stowed my prizes in an overhead storage bin.

Heading for home, Dad sat in the right seat so we could talk. He had given me a pay rate equal to a Lieutenant for training the Middies for the next few weeks and that works out to enough I should be able to get a mining shuttle on a twelve-hour rental. That would begin getting me out there to the mining belts. Dad also reminded me about the upcoming Low Sec Mining Guild’s meeting and that we had many people going. Which prompted a quick bid on my part for my inclusion in the sessions I already knew I wanted. His chuckle accompanied the tapping of the words into his tablet.

Dad also mentioned that Jessica would be home in a few days. I was about as happy as any teenager about their younger sister going to be around. Constantly, for the next few weeks before she heads out again to the Silva Academy. I loved her, but I liked my privacy too. Hence why now, I was prepared for my little sister to come home. I could bribe her off with chocolate. I smiled gleefully at the thought before the memories of my academy time floated back into my mind.

It was fun to be a landrat for the eight months of classes, even if it felt a little weird to not have an artificial atmosphere and gravity. Tom, Rachel and I had a blast with all the others we met from all over the Confederacy. It’s a Confederation Senate approved facility for teaching everything from human history in the known universe in 8 summary courses to prepare students for the changes that occur and the decisions they can make after their twelfth Birthingday. In my case and Jessica’s, that means joining the Board’s of the Station’s and Corporation our family owns as Junior Board Members. Our training becomes less general and more specific to our wants and needs. I sighed, missing the old days when I didn’t have any responsibilities beyond what I wanted, as I shifted us to the arrivals lane and sent the Comm request for landing clearance aboard Low Point Station.