It All Started With A Shuttle Flight - 18. Chapter 18

Twenty minutes passed before I had lined up for our approach and we had been given landing clearance. Jerrand had darkened our canopy so no one could see in. Setting down in our designated spot, the crew came over to secure us as I shut the flight systems down. The aft canopy rose as the two ladders deployed and a Chief hopped up, talking with Jerrand. I lifted my helmet off and took my first breath of Renown’s air. Wasn’t too bad considering we were on the flight deck. Faint smells of lubricant and fuel mixed with unknown scents. Overall, it was clean. I looked around the bay and I spotted Thorp with someone else looking in our direction. Their Lieutenant told them to go change for lunch. I watched and most of them were leaving or had left already. I slipped my helmet back on as I popped the canopy, hooking my travel bag on the ladder, and climbed down.

“Sa Alexander. Welcome aboard Renown. Your Father is currently in the Wardroom with his staff and invites you up for lunch.” I turned and shook the Chief’s hand.

“Thank you Chief. I’ll need an escort to direct me to some place I could change as well as the Wardroom. Away from the pilot crews, please. As well as be able to store my gear until I suit up after lunch.” I said as I reached up and grabbed my travel bag off the top of the ladder.

“I’ll have a marine escort you, Sa.” He said as he looked at the side of the hull under the canopy, nodding to himself more than anyone else.

“Thank you Chief. I guess we get six training kills today.” The Chief laughed as he nodded and waved a marine over.

Walking into the Wardroom had garnered a little attention as I forgot my shipboots and wore my armor’s boots with my shipsuit. Which, I will admit, looked funny, but also gave me away to Thorp and Wojact. As I know, somebody said something. The entire group was looking at me as I greeted the Executive Officer and the Captain before hugging Dad and Uncle Fran. I’m sure Thorp mouthed. “Special Treatment?” In my direction. Janek directed his laughter towards me, his eyes filled with mirth.

I finished my lunch and joined the conversation with Lt. Commander Knippel and the ship’s Flight Lieutenant. Planning this afternoon. The wing would fly back to the station with us for an overnight at the training center. I smiled at the thought as I looked over at Janek. I tapped out a quick message and sent it. His head swiveled around to find me, and he smiled a nod. I smiled back before returning to the conversation at hand.

***

The Lieutenant flew on my wing as the wing itself was in the asteroid belts hiding from us. I was on the hunt again. Watching the scanners as we flew over the belt in a wide sweeping arc. Lt. Astray was one hundred meters off my starboard side, slightly back as I had Jerrand run the scans in concert with them. I heard the communication back and forth as I watched the screens myself for movement.

“Snorkel.” I said as I almost felt Jerrand smile as he tagged it.

“That’s four.” He said as I began another turn into the area, I thought they were in.

Another fifteen minutes I headed back to where the last sighting was. Smiling as they were still there. I made another sweeping turn out 4 kilometers from that spot and headed back across. I tapped the Comm’s Link open.

“One to two. Go dark and shift back to the first sighting. I’m dropping in on these. See if that draws anyone out.” I said as Jerrand brought up the weapons suite.

“Copy 1, going dark in five.”

“Copy. Going for vertical flare.” I said as I pulled back and hit the afterburners as I looped us around in a dive into the belt. Cutting power to the Mains back to twenty percent as I weaved us down around the various rocks. My thumb hovered over the gun’s trigger as I kept a close watch. Eyes darting from the scanners to the viewport. My head tilted as I saw the glint of light on metal. Shifting our course as I watched the scanners.

“There they are.” Came from behind me as he relayed the information back to our wingman. I slowed as I shifted to a more horizontal course, working out if I could drop right in or if I had to pull them out. My head tilted again, then back to the other side. Before I smiled and pulled around to continue my dive. In theory, I was coming in behind them, possibly from an asteroid behind them.

“Marc? Are you humming?”

“Oh. Sorry. Happens when I am thinking. I dance too.” I heard the soft laugh.

“Hum on then.”

I pushed the pedals, and we inverted as I watched the scans. I made a noise as I spun the nose upward as I inverted again, so we had to look up to see where we were going.

“Marc?”

“Stand by weapons. I’m going to hug our belly to the next rock, and it should bring us out right across from them.” I heard the chuckles as he tapped out something.

Bringing us to a stop as I calculated the rotational speed, and I slowly brought us closer to the rock, realigning us to sit on it as it rotated. The soft laughter sounded from behind me again as unnecessary systems went dark. The slight bump told me I was close enough as I sat back to wait for the rock to spin us into position. We were drifting as the other asteroid’s hump rose over the horizon.

“Pop up three meters and fire.”

Popping the fighter up, I snorted as I saw them. All six oriented in a star formation, sitting on the rock as I was. My finger pulled back on the firing stud. Multiple times as I made small shifts from port to starboard. My first shot caught two of the fighters at once. One cannon just missed the first target and caught the other fighter at two hundred meters beyond it. My second shot hit another on the left side as Jerrand got the other 3, with a combination of missiles and turret fire. The A.I. registered all as kills as a lucky blast of fire damaged us. The only blast of fire to come from them and it came from Janek. We were still an active fighter though. I had to wait for Jerrand to stop laughing as I flew past them inverted, canopy transparent. Giving them the royal wave, just my hand held up, twisting left and right at the wrist, while he called them to regroup with us for the return flight to the station.

The Comms were quiet all the way back to the station as Jerrand tapped out his performance evaluation. It was funny to see their faces as we were the last one to land as Lt. Astray was not at all happy and had them lined up to salute us as we entered the bay. I nodded as we floated past to our position. Once I had the fighter shut down, we opened the canopies with the boarding ladders deployed. The Chief immediately came over and I yelled down.

“Six more Chief.” I said, as he gave me a smiling nod.

Fourteen minutes later, Lt. Commander Jerrand Knippel had finished my review and had started on the other six. I was allowed to leave. Which I did so Jerrand could explain my qualifications. Only a few minutes anyway as I made reservations for dinner. I figured I would bring all the new pilots. Lt. Astray popped his head out and gave me a nod. Meaning it was OK to return. Which I did to the entire room, laughing at something Thorp said.

“So. Is Uroda’s prince of the Confederation going to be giving us special treatment?” I looked at him and then at the group before I zeroed in on Janek’s blushing face.

“Define it, Thorp. For the group or for an individual?” that brought a round of, ‘Oohs’

“Both would be nice.”

“Enjoyed that, did you?” I shrugged. “I have no problem shooting any of you out of space.” He barked out a laugh.

“I’m sure Wojact enjoyed more than I did.”

“I’m sure he did too and will again, but yes. I’ll take you all to dinner tonight. Shipsuit is fine. Janek and I will separate from the rest of you after dinner.”

***

Janek’s hand was in mine as we walked in silence to my cabin. Not that big, but large enough for the two of us. Being Sixteen-Thirty hours. I scheduled dinner for Nineteen Hundred hours. We all had to be up and back for training at O-Seven Hundred hours. I grabbed the travel bags and had Janek unload his into my space. I also did our laundry before we entered the fresher together to shower. And we did bathe. And kiss. And hug. Gentle caresses. Whispered words. Then we headed for the bed. Forty minutes later, we were back under the water cleaning up for dinner. Our last kiss was long. Slow, passionate, and full of desire as we communicated our feelings without words.

“Are you training us tomorrow?” Janek asked as we walked arm in arm to the restaurant.

“Possibly. Or I might just chase you again. It will probably be more like today with me training with you. We are going to switch belts, though.”

“Who taught you?”

“To fly a fighter? Lt Commander Knippel. In the rocks? My family, friends, fellow miners. The list is long over the past four years. Next year I start my Command Level Exams for my Star, but I am training in the fighter this week as a pilot.”

My Link chimed a message, and I glanced at it before I smiled, and we continued small talk and catching up on the past two months since Janek left. All too soon, we were at our destination. I guided Janek past the line to the front desk, and the staff escorted us to our table. Everyone was already here. Including my special guest. Who rose to greet us.

“Sa Alexander. Wojact. It’s so good to see you both again.” Said Uroda as she hugged us both.

“It’s good to see you too, Uroda.” We almost said in unison as we seated ourselves and the trio engaged in conversations.

I checked the menu and smiled as I nudged Janek. Giving him a wiggle of my eyebrows. He laughed as he nodded, and I moved closer as we ordered several dishes to share. Much to the surprise of his new shipmates. What followed was story after story by the trio that kept the rest of the group occupied, as I planned tonight with Janek. It also gave me the time to get to know the other members of the class. Dinner was over all too soon and we all went our separate ways.

The heat from the body leaning against me, as we walked the outer passage, reminded me just how much I missed Janek, too. His head turned slightly to look out the viewport, and I turned us towards it. He smiled at me before he settled in to watch the ship departing. I moved to my standard position. Behind him. Arms wrapped around his waist. Head on his shoulder as he nuzzled into mine with his. I felt him exhale as the ship moved out of sight.

“Someday. You’ll have your own ship.” I whispered before I kissed his neck. He lifted my arms and spun to hold me in his.

“Someday I hope to meet someone like you to be my mate.” He said sadly.

“I’m sure you will. I expect to be invited to the Bonding Ceremony too.”

“Thanks for coming to see me.”

“You realize I miss you as much as you do me?”

“I was hoping you were coming to get me.”

“Sorry, my love, but that just isn’t possible. I do not know when I would see you again after this week.”

“I know, but I can hope. Maybe tonight I can make you change your mind?” His lips moved in and pressed against mine. “Where to next, my prince?” I smiled as I pulled back and took his hand.

“Let’s stroll through the park and then head back to the room.” I whispered.

He nodded as he slipped into my side, as we have done so often in the past. Slow, measured steps marked our way down the passageway to the park. The park was crowded, but we managed to find a spot on the ground where we could lie facing each other and talk. Taking turns caressing the other’s body. The group spotted us, but Uroda and Thorp kept them away. Much to my delight.

 *** 

As was usual, Janek didn’t want to get out of bed this morning. Until I coerced him with promises of love making in the fresher. After which we joined the group for breakfast and light-hearted teasing before we hit the ready room for the morning briefing. And I was right. We were going to a different asteroid belt for this trip and another in the afternoon. I separated from the group to check out the ship I was using today. It was one of our small exploration ships that Grandma Armstrong takes me out on. Same weapons as a fighter, but larger to carry the probes we use for pin pointing exact locations in space. Everyone else went to their fighters. Including Lt. Commander Knippel. I received another lieutenant to work with me. She was already conferring with Senior Chief Riedel about the load out. Which I was going to double check and reassign if needed once I finished my exterior visible checks. Being close enough, I eavesdropped on the conversation as I approached.

“What about sniffers, Senior Chief?” I asked as I stepped up to them.

“None at the moment, Marc.”

“Open slots?”

“Three.”

“Please.”

“Ten minutes.”

“Perfect. Thank you, Senior.” I replied as I turned to the Lt. “Shall we board and start our checks while they load them?” I asked, as the loading crew was already approaching. I looked at the Senior Chief with a nod of thanks. Once again, expecting my needs. We no sooner stepped through the hatch and I heard the bay open. Followed by the distinct sound of the loading system coming online.

“Why sniffers Sa.” I shrugged.

“Testing a theory.” I said as I dropped into my seat and brought the ship to life. Just as the Holovid popped up. The view of a very stern looking older lady pointing a finger at me.

“You scratch it and you bought it.”

“Thanks Grams. Love you too.” I said, as I disconnected. Getting a worried look from the Lt. Freiman. “She’s just teasing me.” That seemingly calmed her.

***

O-Seven-Fifty-Six hours. We launched after the group. They had already micro-jumped as planned so that they could hide from me again. Sadly enough. They cannot hide from these probes, but they don’t know that. Yet. I was in no hurry once we made our Micro-jump to the belts as I was thinking. Listening to Lt. Freiman but thinking nonetheless as I tapped out a few ideas and sent it to her. She stopped talking as she scrolled through my plot vectors.

“Who taught you this?” She asked slowly.

“My Grandmother. I believe the Academy uses her training tools.”

“And here I thought I was supposed to train you.” To which I chucked.

“You are. I just know a few things already.”

“And that explains how you piloted the fighter that took out all six of them yesterday. Twice and came back with only a scratch for their efforts.”

“They wanted to play in the rocks.” I responded. “I live in the rocks. There is a difference in our training.” To that, she gave me a sharp nod before going back to her planning.

***

O-Nine-Hundred hours. “How long are you going to play with them? You have them all dead to rights.” She asked as I slipped us around another asteroid. Plotting my next skip through the rocks.

“I am recording this for the… after party. I can show them just how long I waited before I pounced.” Which caused her to let out a roaring belly laugh. I had to smile as I shifted us again. Each rock bringing me closer.

O-Nine-Twenty-Eight hours. “Bring our weapons up. Slowly.” I whispered as I pressed the left pedal and forward with my hand on the joystick. A slight nudge to the throttles and I had us up to twenty-four percent on the Mains. The absolute maximum speed the cloaking could cover us for. Theoretically. I glanced at the chronometer. O-Nine-Thirty-Two hours.

“Here we go.” I said as I brought us up and over a dust river. Just barely clearing it as I fired at the same time she did. I Pushed the nose down and dove us back under. A.I. registered our first kill. They never saw us as we were directly beneath them. Only their scanners would have sounded a warning of incoming as we fired. I was already moving to the next location. I shifted and had us going almost one-hundred-ten degrees off our previous angle.

O-Nine-Forty-Four hours. “Gently. They will see us.” She said as I smiled.

“High speed, shoot and scoot. In five, four, three, two, go.” I said, as I rammed the throttles forward as we dove in from above. We both fired simultaneously again. I missed, but she got them. Before we charged past them, and I pulled us into another harrowing turn and burn. Thirty seconds later, we were dark and shifting positions again.

O-Eleven-O-Nine hours. “OK people. We are definitely going to have a talk about this one when we get back,” Lt. Astray said over the Comm’s.

I was already forming up alongside of Jerrand who just sent me a private channel Comm’s. “Did you have to shoot him, too?”

“I figured I would get both of you, but you didn’t enter the rocks. So…” I said innocently. He laughed and then he sighed.

“Be gentle on him, Marc. He’s a little frustrated at the moment.”

“Thinks I’m here to fire him?”

“Something like that. One of your cousins hammered him once.” I had to think. I didn’t hear about it. “Who. Did it make into his records?”

“An Armstrong. Don’t know which one. I think it did.”

“I’ll look into it.” He gave me a nod and signed off.

I was actually late for the debrief because I did pull Lt. Astray’s records. Once I saw the name, I amended it and left open a spot for my evaluation. Which I will decide on after this. I stepped in just as Lt. Commander Knippel was finishing up something and since a few eyes darted to me, it must have been about another portion of my training and what I did to them.

“That’s why you were shot out of space, once more.” Jerrand finished as he nodded to me and motioned me to come forward. Which caused me to give them a playful smirk as he added. “If you would explain what you did and how long you had them all spotted.”

I tapped out a few commands into my tablet as I walked forwards. “For informational purposes. Once I found out, I was bringing Grandma’s ship to the game. I was going to splash all of you. Unfortunately. Lt. Commander Knippel must have thought I was planning on that and didn’t play in the rocks. Instead, staying outside as an observer. That left just you, Lt. Astray. Sorry about that, but in reality.” I paused as I looked out over the room. “None of you had a chance of hiding from me. Lt. Freiman and myself watched you all for over an hour before she begged me to just kill you and get it over with.” Which made her and Jerrand laugh.

“That being said, people. Jerrand is right. I live in the rocks, you don’t. My experience comes from exploring and mining. Jerrand taught me how to fly a fighter about a year ago. I get little fighter time, hence why I am here now as a refresher.” I tapped a few commands on my tablet and multiple smartwalls came to life with different data on them. “Let’s look at what I did and how I did it to each of you. And for the record. The time I spent with Thorp and Wojact made them two of the harder targets today, but the only one I had to truly work for was Lt. Astray.” I said with a nod of respect to him as I turned to highlight our plots and probe data.

*** 

Having finished, I moved to the room’s back and was impressed by people’s questions. Lt. Astray’s especially. Impressed enough that I gave him a favorable evaluation and suggested that possibly my irate cousin was mistaken in her evaluation of him. That the effects of that should be reviewed. I listened carefully as they discussed various tactics. Before, they released us for lunch.