The engines cooled down as
the two Scimitars landed in the hanger bay. Soon they were pushed out of the
way into the flight line.
Rick let out a long sigh,
looking down at his precious picture, He thanked her for making it, blowing her
a kiss as Johnson opened up the canopy.
"They didn't even touch
you, Rick!" He looked inside, Rick frowning at him.
"Tell that to the Krant
I shot down. Two missiles and dozens of Mass Driver hits and he was still
going! Fast little bastard, too! I thought he had me..." Rick got out,
seeing Pilgrim's heavily damaged Scimm.
"That makes two of
you...Except they actually hit Pilgrim." Rick stepped back once he was off
the ladder.
"God, did they get him?
Looks bad..." Johnson shook his head.
"Evan got out alright,
flak hit his Scimm in the belly when he was firing a missile. Lucky guy, they
could of nailed him right there!" Rick nodded, Meg walking back over to
the flight line. Soon Allison and Rokain were landing their Hornets, both
looking worse for wear. Rick walked over to his friend's fighter.
"Allison! How was that
one?" She looked over from the side of her Hornet, several shot marks on
the right side. She had a big grin.
"Damn, what a rush
Rick! I love it!" As soon as she was off the ladder, she was bouncing up
and down.
"A couple more kitties
came over on the way home, Jakkah Sabbath was one of them! He's Blacktooth's
lackey, has about fifteen kills or so. Almost had him, we got into a scrap, he
outran my Hornet in his Salthi though...He seemed scared!" She smiled.
"Good Allison, bet
he'll get ripped apart for running away, it's against their code!" She
laughed, Rick patting her on the shoulder.
"Well...I guess we got
to go to debriefing now, I need to talk to you later about a fighter I
saw..." She looked over, the other pilots heading over to the mission
room.
"Alright, I'll talk to
you later Rick." They hugged for a brief while before going to be
debriefed.
Several hours later,
everyone was assembled in the hanger deck, Mollo taking a spot on a pedestal
covered in blue carpet.
"I would like to thank
everyone for their efforts in the Enyo system. I believe we can win the Vega
sector back for the Confederation." He paused, before continuing.
"No most of you are
familiar with combat, I hope you are since this is going to be a long war.
We're going to receive some new pilots soon, hope you can teach them
something." The six pilots looked at each other, nodding.
"Anyways...I have some awards
to hand out. Will First Lieutenant Rick Eyven please come up to the
stand?" Rick stood up, surprised at his name being called. He went up.
"For his actions
concerning the defense of a Drayman transport, holding off five Kilrathi
fighters while the transport jumped to safety, without the aid of a
wingmate...I would like to present the Bronze Star to Lieutenant Eyven."
He pinned the star onto Rick's uniform, it gleamed in the light with a warm
glow.
"And also I would like
to award him his Fifteen Missions and Ace pins. Congrats Lieutenant."
Mollo pinned the pins right next to the Scimitar pilot pin and the Five and Ten
Mission pins on Rick's uniform, the entire crew cheering for him. He smiled and
snapped off a salute.
"Thank you sir."
Mollo saluted back.
"Thank you, Lieutenant.
You're one of our finest pilots." He smiled, Rick nodding and going back
to his spot, even though he felt that he wasn't worth the comment.
"And will Second
Lieutenant Maegen Covan come up to the stand?" She looked up to him,
knowing what it meant, feeling full of pride in herself. Rick pushed her up,
she was so happy she couldn't walk up.
"And for her actions in
today's battle, destroying a Ralari-class cruiser while other fighters were
held up fighting Kilrathi resistance, and for also destroying two enemy Dorkir
transports, crippling the Kilrathi ability to attack the Confederation, I would
also like to award Lieutenant Covan the Bronze Star." She felt him pin the
star, she felt like jumping for joy, she had done good for the family name.
"I also would like to
give her Fifteen Missions and Ace pins she has won." Soon her chest was
full of pins, she felt like a heroine.
"Merci, merci
Commander...I don't know what to say..." He smiled as she saluted.
"You're welcome, it's great
to have people like you here." She smiled as she ran back to her spot,
jumping and latching onto Rick.
"As for the other
pilots...Valentine has won his Ten Missions and Ace pins, Pilgrim his Ten
Missions and Ace, Artimis her Ten and Fifteen Missions, Honeybee his Ten
Missions and Ace. Please come up here and receive them." All four got up,
receiving their pins and their applause...Rick clapping for Allison the most,
she looked over and nodded at him. As they got off the pedestal Mollo started talking
again.
"...We are going to be
moved to the Alcor system. Kilrathi forces seem to be moving supplies there to
their systems on the front line, let's beat them out of there!" Everyone
cheered, applauding the Bronze Star winners the most, Rick noticing that since
they had the medal that they were apparently heroes.
"Thank you everyone,
good luck in the next system...Dismissed." As they started to leave the
ceremony Mollo ran up to Rick.
"Eyven...I would like
your input on Hell's Unicorns." Rick looked at him, surprised again.
"What do you
mean?" Mollo looked at him.
"You've proven your
worth...I need to know what pilots are the best, which ones need to train
harder. Once we get those new pilots we're going to have to train them in their
baptism of fire..." Rick thought about it for several seconds.
"I guess I'll go along
with it. What do I have to do?" Mollo nodded at him.
"You just have to
recommend to me which pilots do you think are the best, which ones are the best
wingmates and such." Rick looked over to Meg, and back at Mollo.
"Ok, I will then. Thank
you." Mollo nodded, relieved of having to pick teammates.
"Thanks, Rick."
Rick saluted him as he walked off, Meg looking at him.
"Se sentir bon,
Rick?"
"Yeah...I am." She
had a smug look on her face.
A little while later Meg and
Rick walked into the rec room, almost empty save for Pilgrim. Rick had expected
Allison to be there, but she was nowhere to be found. Pilgrim noticed the two
and waved them over.
"Hello there, Delta,
Swordblade. Good work out there." The two nodded, saying their thanks.
"...Have you seen
Allison around?" Pilgrim shook his head.
"She and Honeybee are
on patrol...You lovesick fool." Rick shuddered, then nodded and looked him
over.
Pilgrim's real name was
Evan, where he came from Rick didn't know. He was twenty-three, yet he seemed
as if he were older. Rick hadn't flow with him much, but from what he could
tell Pilgrim was a good pilot, wouldn't shoot until he was ready. Had brown
hair and blue eyes, seemed like he was thinking about something more important
all the time. Still, Rick preferred him to Valentine - He was gonna get himself
killed soon.
"Why call me a lovesick
fool?" Evan shook his head again, a long sigh before he started.
"Well...You're always
with her nowadays, before she just used to be by herself...All alone...Seems
like you're moving in on her, it'd be so easy to since she's lonely..."
Rick got a little pissed, his intentions being judged by someone he barely even
knew.
"And how could you tell
what I'm doing?"
"Simple, Rick. She's
just attached to you since nobody else would talk to her. If other people paid
attention to her she wouldn't give a shit about you either way. But they don't,
it's a shame...I can't tell if it's her problem though, she wouldn't talk to
me...I'd really like to..." Rick thought about what he was saying, a
simple angry little phrase floating around in his head before he talked again.
Had to get off the subject...
"So...How did we do out
there?" Evan looked at Rick, a smile on his face as if to say he had made
an enemy back down.
"Well, Rick...We did
good out there...Hope we can pull off a second act." Rick looked at him,
puzzled at first for his odd smile and then for what he had said.
"Why do you say
that?" Evan laughed.
"Seems like we're lucky
here...The Kilrathi are evil...This is going to get bad soon, Rick...Got a
light? Rick nodded while pulling out the lighter, Meg and Rick both quiet.
While looking around lighting a smoke for Evan he saw the scoreboard:
|
Pilot: Sorties: Kills: |
|
Hell's Unicorns
(Scimitars) |
|
Delta 15 12 |
|
Swordblade 15 8 |
|
Pilgrim 12 6 |
|
Valentine 11 3 |
|
|
|
Honshu Hornets (Hornets) |
|
Artimis 18 11 |
|
Honeybee 12 3 |
He noticed he was at the top...And
he barely knew anything about flying, he felt. Otherwise that Krant would have
been an easy kill, it almost got him before he even knew what had happened. He
sighed, could the Confed really win this war? The smoke from the cigarette
started to fill the room, Mae waving it off.
"La fin de notre
premier acte..."
Forward To Chapter 9
Back To Chapter 7
Return To Main Menu
