by Trevor Wyatt
Ashley stopped and looked at Tira. Their paths had barely crossed since they had worked together during the Galea operation, but that had been enough for Ashley to know Tira was going to be one of the brightest up and comers. From ensign to officer in just a few weeks, Tira had a bright career ahead of her. “Sure, why not?”
“Why aren’t you taking one of Hunters for an inspection flight?”
Ashley sighed, “Captain’s orders. I’m to stay on The Seeker’s bridge at all times. Frankly, we’re running a small experiment here. Can a first officer keep working while pregnant?”
Tira’s eyes widened, “You’re expecting a child? How long?”
“I’m just a few weeks. We just found out a little while ago…and that’s why I’m still around. But keep it between us, alright? ” Ashley gave a small smile and sighed, “So, you know…would you be comfortable flying one of those things with a small passenger on board?”
Tira gave a sharp laugh, smiling back at Ashley. “I honestly don’t know. Having a family isn’t something I want to think about while on duty.”
“True. Would it surprise you to learn that I have been following all three of your performance records with great interest?”
“Ma’am, I’m honored.”
“Wait until you hear my suggestion first. I think you can take both Powers and Guillermo at the same time. Wipe that smile off their faces.” Ashley reached for her command tablet and loaded the orders app. “If you’re willing, I can make the sparring exercise official. That way, I won’t have to drag all of you in for a disciplinary hearing...”
“Yes! If you believe I can do it, I’ll gladly prove my worth,” Tira said, looking over her shoulder at her colleagues.
Something in her smile made Ashley shudder—Tira wasn’t even nervous; somehow, the young officer knew for certain that she could wipe the floor with two men that loved to brawl as much as they loved to pilot. Was is it just cockiness or something else?
Ashley typed in the new plan and authenticated the order. “Great. Kick their asses.”
Tira cracked her knuckles.
“Consider it done.”
Chapter 4
Tira
“I’ll give you one last chance to back out. There’s no shame in getting cold feet,” Tira remarked.
Guillermo and Powers, standing across from her on the flight deck, didn’t budge. Guillermo smirked at Tira’s offer, but beyond that they remained stone-faced. Tira responded with a shrug. The pilots were apparently itching for a fight, and Tira would give it to them if they couldn’t be convinced it was a bad idea. Besides, now that Ashley had made it official, it wasn’t like she could back out.
Not that she wanted to.
Tira cracked her knuckles as she prepared to throw down. She just wanted to get it over with. Getting attention or standing out above the crowd wasn’t her intent, but looking good in front of Ashley, the ship’s first officer, wasn’t exactly a bad thing.
I just want to do my job, she thought to herself, how did I get myself into something like this?
It was, of course, her tremendous physical acumen that drew both eyeballs and offers to fight. There was something that made people, particularly men, want to prove their mettle against Tira. She was a true specimen. Even though she didn’t seem all that impressive at first blush, her strength was greater than most men. Anybody who underestimated her for her appearances did so at their own risk. Rumors abounded that she had never been bested in a fight—sure, there was that encounter with the Sonali cleric...but truth be told, Tira just hadn’t wanted to crush the bastard’s skull and create a diplomatic conflict.
“You’re the one who needs to be worried,” Guillermo said.
“No, I don’t. In fact, I’ll take the two of you at once.”
“You’re shitting me,” Powers laughed, but Tira just kept looking straight at them. “Okay, whatever. It’s your ass on the line, you lunatic.”
Two against one—that was clearly enough to make the boys confident. Of course, Tira’s hand was so steady she could have poured a cup of tea without spilling a drop. There wasn’t an ounce of worry in her.
At least, not about the fight. Her only concern was drawing attention. She didn’t want to create an audience. Even now, she could feel Ashley just a few feet away, watching the events transpiring on the flight deck.
I don’t need anybody watching me do this, she lamented, regretting the way she had been drawn into the bet.
Tira felt like she had no choice but to fight. She wasn’t going to back down from a challenge. It wasn’t in her nature. She couldn’t have anybody calling her scared, claiming she had backed down. Plus, there was money on the line—Tira couldn’t resist the easy payday. One fight wasn’t going to kill anybody.
Well, as long as I’m careful, she thought.
“I just want to let you guys know what’s about to happen isn’t personal,” Tira said.
Guillermo laughed when he heard this.
“I’m not worried. There’s no way your bite is as bad as your bark.”
Now it was Tira’s turn to laugh.
“Oh, it’s worse. A lot worse.”
Not unlike in the days of the Old West, Tira stared down the pilots, who were shooting her daggers right back.
Tira looked around. Nobody seemed to be watching them aside from Ashley. This was a relief, as she didn’t feel like she had anything to prove. Once she had shut up these two flyboys, it could all be over…at least until the next foolish challenger stood up.
“I’m ready when you are,” Tira said, cracking her neck as she spoke.
She watched the two pilots look at each other before giving a knowing nod.
Powers turned back toward Tira and declared, “We’re ready. Just know we aren’t going to take it easy on you just because there are two of us.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Tira replied.
With that, the fight began. Powers was the more aggressive of the two men, as he ran right toward Tira, looking to strike. He came to her with a flying fist, which Tira dodged with ease. As Powers’s punch was zooming past her ear, Tira grabbed him by the skull. With her opponent unable to move, she struck him with a swift knee to the gut.
“Ooooof,” was the sound Powers made as all the air escaped his lungs.
With this, Guillermo joined the fray. He was built like a linebacker, and Tira assumed he wasn’t used to losing fights. He better get used to it pretty quickly, she joked to herself.
Guillermo’s arms were like tree trunks, and he approached Tira with his arms fully extended, ready to grab her and commence the pummeling.
While the bigger pilot may have been a near match with Tira for strength, he lacked the agility that his female counterpart had. She was able to bob and weave, which was clearly driving Guillermo insane.
“Hold still!” he shouted.
“I don’t think you know how a fight works,” Tira replied.
Suddenly, she felt a swift blow to the back of her thigh. Powers had kicked her in the leg from his prone position on the floor. This caused Tira to lose her balance, and she hit the ground with a thud. It took her a second to collect herself, but when she did she could see Guillermo preparing to deliver a massive stomp to her chest.
With tremendous reflexes, she threw her arms up and grabbed his boot. This kept it from making contact with her. Guillermo was continuing to try and deliver his blow with all his power, but Tira was just too strong for him. With a flick of her wrist she twisted Guillermo ankle, the momentum of the motion causing him to lose his balance and twist in the air as he tumbled.
Okay, time to put an end to this, she thought as she leapt back to her feet. Tira jumped on top of Guillermo and began throwing punches. The big man got his arms up to protect his face, but that meant his forearms were taking a beating. They were going to be sore and bruised by the time he headed to bed that night.
As she was throttling Guillermo with punches, Powers leapt on her back and began
trying to choke her. This registered more as an annoyance than as a threat for Tira. She stood back up and reached behind her to grab Powers by the head. Getting a hold of her assailant, she was able to flip him over her shoulder, sending him crashing back to the floor.
“I think I’m tired of fighting two guys at once,” Tira said.
Powers clambered back up from the ground, but the second he stood back up Tira delivered a spinning heel kick to his face. The pilot let out a yelp of tremendous pain before collapsing backwards. He was clearly down for the count.
Tira allowed herself a smile, adding, “There, that’s better.”
Guillermo was back up from the ground now, shaking his arms in an attempt to get them to stop stinging. He put up his dukes, so Tira followed suit. One punch slipped by her defenses, smacking her in the face. It stung, to be sure, but she was only dazed temporarily.
“Not bad.”
“Thanks,” Guillermo replied.
It was the last word he got in during the fight. Tira responded with a lightning-fast punch of her own, and Guillermo didn’t see it coming. It connected dead square on his jaw, sending him backwards like he was hit with a two-by-four. She followed that up with a lunging kick to the gut and a leg sweep. Like his buddy Powers, Guillermo was now on the floor, and he wasn’t going to be getting back up.
“I think you boys have had enough,” Tira remarked.
With their silence, the pilots begrudgingly agreed. There was no joy, no sense of triumph for Tira. If there was anything she felt, it was relief. She looked down at her fallen foes.
They don’t even know I was taking it easy on them.
Once Guillermo and Powers had regained their senses and gotten to their feet, the time came for them to pay off the bet. It would certainly be the last time they underestimated Tira. She took their credits and thanked them for it, but the pilots didn’t respond. They didn’t want their loss being rubbed in their faces. The two of them had fought a solitary woman, and she wiped the floor with them.
I bet I’m not the only one who was glad nobody was watching this, Tira thought to herself.
Just as the credits were collected, she noticed Jeryl strolling into the flight deck.
“Captain,” she said, straightening her back and saluting him, the two pilots doing the same.
“Officer. How are you this afternoon?”
“I’m alright. Just got a workout in.”
She saw Jeryl look over at the two pilots, both of them looking worse for the wear.
“I can see that,” he replied, putting two and two together.
“Need anything, Captain?” Tira asked as Ashley walked up to them.
“I’m here to let you know that The Seeker is ready,” Jeryl said, now turning to his wife and first officer. “All the repairs have been finished.”
“That’s excellent news.”
“There’s more than that, though. We have a new assignment,” Jeryl remarked. “Let’s go—I’ll fill everyone in at the CNC.”
Following Jeryl and Ashley out of the flight deck, Tira couldn’t resist but look back over her shoulder at the two pilots.
“Thanks for the cash, boys. And take good care of my ship.”
Chapter 5
Jeryl
Jeryl’s eyes popped open and he frantically checked the time. It was still third watch. Somehow, their new assignment had him on edge. Even though none of the CNC officers had seemed particularly worried during Jeryl’s briefing of the mission’s details, he had a bad feeling about the whole thing.
Pushing his anxiety to the back of his mind, he glanced over his wife with a smile. She had kicked off her half of the blanket and lay spread-eagle with one leg hanging off the edge of the bed. That was a new habit she had developed since finding out she was pregnant. Apparently, it made one uncharacteristically hot. She had a sheen of perspiration coating her entire body. It dawned on him that was the ‘glow’ everyone talked about. The undershirt she slept in pushed halfway up her torso and her shorts twisting in a way that looked painful.
He couldn’t resist it. He rolled over and started tracing circles over her stomach. The tiny bump in her womb was barely noticeable, even exposed over the twisted waistband. He got so wrapped up in watching his fingers make wider and wider circles around her navel that he didn’t notice the change in her breathing nor when her eyes opened.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
He looked up at her beautiful sleepy smile. “Just thinking.”
“Hmm.” Ashley rolled over to face him. “I hope you’re thinking about letting me fly a couple more months.” She stretched her arm around his waist.
“I don’t think so, babe.”
“Don’t be an asshole. I’m not fragile yet.”
“Don’t argue with me. My mind is made up.”
Ashley let out a frustrated sigh and sat up.
“Don’t you trust me?” she asked. He knew she understood the decision, but the Hunters were her babies, too. She loved to fly, and she loved leading others into the fray. He wasn’t sure that she was entirely happy to carry his child, but then she snuggled into his arms. She was happy about the pregnancy, just not the changes that it forced upon her.
“Of course I do. It’s others I don’t trust. Would you send a ground marine to the front line, knowing she was pregnant?”
“No,” Ashley pouted, “Alright. You win.”
Jeryl smiled, but it was more like a grimace. Winning usually came with revenge of some kind.
“I’ll make it up to you.” He held out his hand.
Ashley relented. She took his hand and scooted down into his arms. “Are we ready for this?”
“Hell, no,” Jeryl laughed. “But we’ve been through war. How hard can a baby be?” He knew his words were bullshit, but he felt the urge to reassure her. She covered well, but she was more frightened than he was and he wanted nothing more than to protect her.
“If you say so.” She buried herself in his chest and began snoring softly.
Jeryl stayed awake a good hour, playing with her hair and listening to her snore, before drifting off himself, his mind making images dance before his eyes shut.
The entire crew were reduced to an infantile state. Diapered babies sat at the consoles and waddled around like they belonged there. This was perfectly normal to Jeryl as he walked onto the CNC, ready for battle.
“Lieutenant Tira. Report.” Jeryl looked at the baby at the security station. She didn’t have a tiny uniform, but he knew it was Tira.
Baby Tira cried. Jeryl automatically understood it as, “Weapons ready. We’ve got the green light to engage.”
“Fire at will.”
There was nothing on the viewscreen. None of the consoles were lit. Jeryl knew they fought the most dangerous enemy they had ever faced. Time.
Klaxons sounded. The ship rocked. The crew changed from infant to adults and back again. The sound of a thousand screaming infants mixed with the klaxons and everything spun.
The klaxons blared and the couple bolted up in unison. They looked at each other with the same startled expression. The alarm sounded twice more before Jeryl decided it wasn’t a dream.
He jumped out of bed and threw on his uniform. Ashley was faster as she pulled on the last boot and waited for him at the door. Jeryl grabbed their tablets and comms from the dresser and they ran into the corridor.
As foolish as that dream was, it bothered him for some reason. He would keep it to himself. Ashley would only laugh at him then use it for blackmail at the worst time.
Their assignment was to escort a convoy of fifteen armory ships to Edoris Station, the exact kind of ships that have been disappearing en route, filled to the max with state of the art weaponry. This time, Flynn sent Jeryl to ensure the weapons were delivered safely. A boring assignment, but it would be good to see Flynn again in a private manner. The old man always had good booze.
They had been stuck in deep space for days with no suspicious activity, which only
meant Jeryl had plenty of time to worry about the pregnancy. Yes, he was happy about it, but the possibility of a complication weighed him down at the same time. Each time he tried to put it out of his mind, a new scenario popped into his brain. The latest was a sneak attack on her Hunter. He couldn’t let that happen.
“Report!” He barked before he stepped fully through the CNC’s doorway.
Ashley was already at her station. He followed and handed over her tablet and comm.
“Sir. Scanners show thirty shuttles surrounding us,” Tira answered, her fingers gliding over the console and a puzzled frown on her face.
“Shuttles?”
“Yes, sir. They jumped in without warning fifty-seven seconds ago.”
“Well, that’s different.” He touched the comm, “This is Captain Montgomery of TUS The Seeker. Respond.”
No response. One of the shuttles moved in around the first convoy ship. The rest followed until each ship had two shuttles staring at it. They didn’t look threatening by themselves. Normally, a shuttle would only transport a small crew from ship to planet, or ship to ship. Thirty of them grouped together was an ominous sight, however. It left a knot of dread in the pit of Jeryl’s stomach.
“Do they mean to board?” He could see that they did, but still didn’t quite understand. He half-thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
“I think so, Captain,” Tira answered. She sounded just as puzzled.
“We can’t fire on them without hitting the convoy. Deploy the Hunters.”
That was how the previous armory ships disappeared. Send transport shuttles to board, take over navigations, and poof. It was cost effective and ingeniously simple.
“Yes, sir,” Ashley said to his back. Jeryl could hear the grin in her voice. At least she could live vicariously through her pilots.
There were twelve Hunters, but the invaders were only shuttles with almost no weapons to defend against ships made for combat. Ashley gave her orders and headed for the door.
“Commander Gavin,” Jeryl warned. Did she think she could just walk out because people were watching?
