It All Started With A Shuttle Flight - 17. Chapter 17

Three weeks ago, Janek left for his ship. Without him around, I had been spending as much time as possible out with the Mining Shuttle. I am finally solvent enough to be able to get a Prospector Mini Miner for forty-eight hours. I am already working out that plan. Unfortunately, I need to take an engineer with us to sign off on Tom’s qualifications. That costs credits and I can only go out for 24 hours with the hired engineer. Meaning I have to work the numbers and see if twenty hours of mining will cover all the costs of this trip. Just as I was getting into the groove, my Link chimed. A fast flip of my wrist and I shot straight up as I answered the Comm.

“Hey Jan. How is it going on Renown?”

The smiling face peered at me. “What did you put in my file?” He asked with his eyebrows raised as he waited for me to answer.

“I added my evaluation of the three of you to each of your files.”

I heard there, I told you so, comment from Rory in the background before he pushed into the view. “Hi Marc. Thanks for the positive evaluation. Lover boy here thought you pulled strings for him.” Janek pushed him out of the view, laughing. I just sat with my arms crossed and waited.

Janek stopped laughing. “Sorry Marc. I just didn’t believe when I applied for fighter training, I would get it and when I did…” He took a labored breath.

“He heard someone that didn’t get it say Janek got special treatment.” Rory said, as Janek’s shoulders slumped. He patted his back and point to the screen. “Talk to Marc. He’ll explain it to you. Or I’ll Comm Shana and let her do it.” That made me laugh and Janek shook his head no.

“Fine. Sorry Marc.”

“You just don’t understand. There are people who are jealous that you dated me and we are friends. That joke about me being a prince is not far off the mark. I am all powerful in some ways. I could pull you around into trainings you are not qualified for. But the military hierarchy knows I don’t work that way, or hope I don’t. That being said. I did teach you three a few tricks that are ahead of everyone else, not just basic shuttle training. That would show up when you took the fighter pre-qualification exams.” Janek was looking at me with a smirk now as he listened to Rory in the background. Singing about ensigns and princes.

“See what you’ve done. You gave him something else to tease me about.” I just gave him my most innocent look and shrugged.

“Can’t help that. The last time I growled at him, you yelled at me.” Rory stuck his head in the frame again. “Love you too, Marc.”

“You’ve been cheating on me?” Asked Janek in mock astonishment.

“Love those redheads Jan. Did you know he has the cutest birthmark on the inside of his left butt cheek?” Rory was laughing so hard his face was the color of his red hair. I heard someone else in the background and then a pair of underwear went flying past the holo pickup. I just raised an eyebrow in question as Janek grabbed his tablet and moved.

“I can’t believe you did that. Now he’s running around the berthing compartment nude, making all the idiots personally check his ass for that birthmark.” I was laughing hysterically when Rory pulled the tablet away and aimed it at his ass.

“No birthmark, Marc. Good one though. It should keep this group at bay for a while.”

“I never realized your pubic hair is red, too. Even on your ass.” I said as Janek grabbed his tablet back.

“Can we stop talking about his ass now?”

“But baby. He said he loved me! I didn’t start it.” My innocence was pure as the driven snow. Janek gave me the yeah right look.

“OK. I just wanted to say thank you for helping me get into the fighter course.”

“The only thing I did was to put a decent evaluation into your personnel jacket. You did the work, and you got yourself into the course.” I said, and he nodded. “That said, when do you start?” He tapped out a command and the official notification popped up on my view. I read it fast and smiled as I looked at the dates.

“Nice. Three more days of freedom. Is Rory going to be your wingman?”

“I hope so. I hate to have to break someone else in.” He said as arms wrapped around him and Rory planted a wet smooch on his cheek.

“I love you too, Janek.” He said as Janek pushed him off with a sigh.

“Really now. Something I should know?” I asked with raised eyebrows.

“No. I am still single. Are you coming up?” I turned and grabbed my tablet to pull up my schedule.

“I… might be up in two weeks… maybe three. I’ll try for a meetup if I can. Not sure which Sector I will be in or you for that matter.” I finished, and I saw the sadness flash across his features before he hid it.

“I hope you can. I miss you.” I didn’t quite sigh, but was close to it.

“I miss you too, Janek. I’ll try my best to see we get some time when I am up there.”

“Thank you Marc. I appreciate how much you do for me. Love you. Talk to you next week.”

“Love you too, Jan. Don’t forget to tell Rory I love him too.” I said with a grin.

“I have no problems understanding why Jessica calls you a brat.” He released a breath and blew a kiss to me, which I returned. “Until we meet again, Marc.”

“Until we meet again, Jan.” I said, and he nodded before he closed the Comm.

I sat quietly for a few minutes in thought before I tapped out a request to my father before going back to work.

 * * *

“Thanks for letting me come out with you, Jerrand.”

“Anytime Marc. I know you love the rocks, and your friend is out here today. Figured you might want to play.”

“I do.” I said with a mischievous grin.

“In that case. You heard the brief. We are the aggressor. Sneak through and get behind them.” Smiling, I checked the screens before I chopped power as we disappeared into the river of dust.

“I thought they were hunting us.” I said casually as I leisurely shifted around the dust river. Hearing the grunt from behind me, I smiled as he spoke.

“That’s what they think, too. We’ll just abuse them of that fact.” Said Lt. Commander Jerrand Knippel.

As Senior Training Instructor for the fighter school that trains all of our fighter/bomber pilots, he is in charge here. Which is the training Renown’s newest trainees are receiving. Also, both Wojact and Thorp could qualify for it. Since my dad had to come up to Joshua Seventy-Seven Station for a few days. I figured I would tag along and visit Janek.

I would have jumped and cheered if I could. Lucking out with having Jerrand here with Dad and Uncle Fran coming up to Joshua Seventy-Seven Station to review the new fighter training. Janek enrolled in one of the fighter training programs. I took a sneak peek at his records and smiled as he continued to excel in the small craft. Now fighters. My smile spread as I saw the beginning elements of the fighter wing probing the rings. I shook my head as I slid under the river of dust, as Jerrand snickered behind me.

“We haven’t actually gotten this far yet in their training.”

“No better time than the present to learn.” Which had him snickering again.

“Did you see the addition to the nose that Senior Chief Riedel had one of her crew add on?”

“I did. Thanks.”

“She thought you might like that.”

“Indeed. I did. I’ll need to get a holo pic or two later. Along with some kill designations.” I paused speaking as I pulled a few new screens up. “Do I need to fire the forward cannons, or can you handle them with the turret and missiles?”

“I can handle most from here. You can take some shots if you want.” He said as I thought about it. I’m an excellent pilot, but not the greatest shot. Something I should probably work on. Using combat drones, though, is an entirely different story.

Watching the team of four fighters work their way into the asteroids, I smiled as I started tapping out some possible tracks. Jerrand had opened their Comm’s channel on reception only. This would be fun.

“Think we should move yet?”

“Not yet. I might even let them run right over us before I pop out. They are too far apart for mutual assistance.”

“All very true.” I could hear the smile in Jerrand’s voice. “You’ve been practicing.”

“Not as much as I would like, but I have been spending a lot of time with a mining shuttle out in the belts. Good time to think while we work out there.”

“Been playing with the mining fleets?”

“Pretty much. Learned a lot about signals bounce and snuggling up to a rock.”

A tone sounded, and I checked the systems. Smiling, I shifted us down 100 meters and slipped behind another rock as I rotated us in place. Looking for another location that I could use to sneak under them.

“How’s your history of old wet navies, Marc?” Which made me chuckle.

“Probably not as good as yours, but we are a submarine, and they are destroyers. If I remember the terms correctly.”

“Excellent memory. That’s right and now. I think they are in position for you to follow the course you were working out.”

Nodding, I nudged the power up and slid us out from under a rock, heading for the next. Watching for changes in their own courses. They were moving too fast and would have a hard time locking me up if I was careful. I brought us to a stop under a dust cloud as I saw the lead fighter begin a change off their trajectory that they had been following closely for the past fifteen minutes.

“Tsk, Tsk. Should have been zig zagging the entire way in.” I whispered.

“True, but they set it up nicely for you. Go ahead and jump them.” I smiled. Pushing the pedals, and gave it a little left stick as we moved out. Slowly increasing the throttle to bring us up from below and behind. Our first shot should get the trailer, and then I can chase the leader. We were close enough to be spotted as I pushed the throttle forward hard. The stealth fighter leaped forward, pushing me back into the seat as I lined up the forward guns.

“Guns, guns, guns.” I called out as I fired. Milliseconds after I depressed the trigger. I felt the whirl of the two 8 barreled plasma cannon spin and spit out a stream of plasma rounds. All less than two seconds from the time it took me to quickly squeeze and release, not hold, the trigger. two centimeter miniature suns, four hundred of them per rotating barrel. Stitched across space and the fighter, too. The A.I. called it a kill as I rolled in on the lead fighter. 1 missile left the rack as I fired again. My shot was premature and presented a light show in front of the fighter as the missile slammed into its rear. A.I. called it another kill. As I cut the power and dropped us down again.

“Nice one on the first shot, but we need to get you some more practice. That second was way too soon.”

“I’ve always had trouble with that. I’ll see if Dad will let me play some more this week or not.”

“You are always welcome, Marc. The team loves your enthusiasm and the amount of skills you bring to the table for someone your age.” He paused, and I thought I heard a humph. “Did you train Thorp and Wojact?”

“A little. I didn’t get into any real hard core rock running that I like. Why?” I asked as I looked over my screens and then I saw it too. Somebody had seen what just happened and decided that maybe they should investigate. “I think I see. Is that them? Coming in from our O-Nine Hundred position.”

“It is. Shall we go hunting?” I responded by bringing us around and pushing it up to 80 percent on the Mains. More than enough to make sure they can’t get a lock because of the speed we are moving through the asteroids. I was also pulling them down deeper into the field than they already were. I had the forwards scans up and spotted what I wanted. Several more course changes and I watched them try to follow us.

“I’ll need to go dark in about twenty seconds.” I said.

“Just say when.”

Pushing the pedals hard as I brought us around an asteroid, I took one last look at the screens and smiled. “Now.” I called as I pulled the throttles back to twenty percent as I pulled the fighter around hard to an alternative course. Thirty seconds later, I dove almost straight down for ten kilometers before I slipped into a nice hiding spot.

“OK. We can light up now.” I heard Jerrand tapping some commands and the fighter’s low power systems came back to life as the cloaking technology kept us hidden. I watched as another group had joined them and they were now searching for us. Plotting courses for me is like crossword puzzles to others. It’s fun and educational. I tapped out a few ideas and sent them back to Jerrand as we slowly made our way around another rock.

“That’s interesting Marc. Try your option two,” He said as I smiled and moved us off at twenty percent power.

Fifteen minutes later, we headed up again while I observed their actions. Again, I nudged us up to almost forty percent power as we moved above them. Watching the scans again and shifted suddenly to port and brought the nose up. I heard the tapping behind me as I angled us down. By coming in almost directly in front of them, with the system primary at our back. That caused many issues for them, as they were now lit up like beacons in the light. Seeing me would be difficult with the naked eye, as the primary was behind us. Even with polarized cockpit armorplas canopies, they would be hard pressed to see us. Their instruments would detect us if they are not set on a narrow scan range. It was very possible they would be as they think they know where I went or should be.

“They might actually get us if we don’t get them all in the first run.”

“I am hoping your gunnery is better than mine.” I replied as I checked the latest scans. “Close enough now. Ready?”

“Fly it Marc.” He said as I heard the weapons systems come to life.

I pushed the throttles forward as I weaved us down towards the first two. I was at eighty percent on the Mains when they spotted us. We heard the calls across the Comm’s as I gave my trigger a fast squeeze saying, “Guns, Guns, Guns.” Once, twice, thrice as we spun. The turret spat 4 times, and 3 missiles leaped off the rails. The A.I. marked my second target dead. My first was only marked disabled. Soon to be a kill as the turret fired again. Jerrand took the other two out. I smiled as he opened the Comms and told them all to return to the ship for lunch.

“I suppose you want to remain anonymous for a while?” Hearing the smile as he asked.

“Yes. I believe I do. I’ll meet you in the Wardroom.” I said as I brought us on course for the cruiser Renown.