by Calista Skye
“Kira, you’re right about one thing,” he said as he leaned into her. “This isn’t going to be an easy road. Not for you. Not for any of us. The Kamarans are doing everything they can to root us out. They’ll stop at nothing to find the location of the Rebel headquarters and blow us all back to the depths of the void. The weight and the pressure weigh on every single one of us.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” she said.
She looked at him with a burning intensity that stirred his insides. With an unbridled passion and a thirst for life he would give anything to protect, Kira inspired him. She was a woman capable of bringing out the best in them all.
“I need you to remind me what I’m fighting for.”
“You’re fighting to save the galaxy from oppression, Ja’al.”
He shook his head. It was so much more than that.
“That’s the shallow answer that looks good to a recruiting officer. It won’t help you in the heat of battle. What drives you? What do you want?”
“You know what I want, Ja’al.”
She leaned into his body, and he savored the smooth touch of her bare skin against him.
“I want you near me, Kira. I want you in Storm Squadron because I don’t want to live with the constant regret of losing you.”
She shifted against him, pressing her body into his. The soft curves of her breasts felt warm against his chest and he drew his hand down her back and pulled her in close.
“I’m still not ready,” she said.
She buried her head in his chest and drew a deep breath. It wasn’t a decision he could make for her. Kira didn’t hesitate when it came to making her opinions known and she had no trouble going after the little things she wanted. But when it came to the choices that mattered, she still stumbled.
“I’m never going to give you more than you can handle. Trust the process.”
“I’m not going to get out of this, am I?”
“You chose this path, Kira. Now you have to walk it. But trust that I won’t let you fail.”
“It might not be up to you.”
“I control my fate, Kira.” His lips met her cheek, and he savored the lingering taste of her skin. “When I set my sites on something, there’s no stopping me. When I want something,” he said, pulling her in close, his mouth hovering inches from her lips, “I go after it with everything I have.”
“This could all go horribly wrong.”
“Maybe. We’ve chosen a dangerous life. And now we’ve enraged the Empire. There are no guarantees, Kira. But I refuse to live with regret.”
“You’re braver than I am,” said Kira. “Or maybe just more reckless.”
Ja’al pulled her in close and felt the heat of her breath on his chest. “You belong in Storm Squadron. You belong with me.”
***
When Kira arrived on the flight deck, the other new recruits already stood in formation, lined up and waiting. Reina smiled and waved her over. “I wasn’t sure you were coming,” she said.
Kira wondered how much the others knew about her. She hated having the feeling that the other cadets were talking about her behind her back. Her nerves were already on edge as it was. Reina must have noticed the look on her face. “Don’t worry, Kira. It’s just that you seemed so hesitant yesterday. I’m glad you’re here, is all.”
“After the ceremony yesterday, I couldn’t let everybody down,” she said. But as the words left her lips, she wondered about Tyrus. Would he feel let down, betrayed by her decision? It was unlikely—Tyrus didn’t seem to be the type to take offense to something like that—but she’d make it a point to catch up with him later to make sure.
“I have a confession,” said Reina. “You’re not the only one who’s nervous. I’ve never flown anything besides a sim before.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” said Kira.
“It’s just that our training is so short, you know? The Kamaran fighters study for years. We don’t have that luxury. The learning curve here is steep. At least you have real-world flight experience.”
“Flying a freighter doesn’t compare to what we’ll need to do in combat,” said Kira.
“No, but you’re familiar with a ship’s systems. You’ve got plenty of practice reading all the control panels and keeping track of all that information at once.”
“The ship does a lot of that on its own,” she said. “Or at least mine did. Back on Tarksis I designed a system to automate most of that. And none of those choices were made with an enemy fighter closing in with torpedoes locked on me.”
“That’s right, you’re an engineer,” said Reina. “I’d almost forgotten. That’s going to help more than you know. I really think we’re going to get on well together, Kira.”
Kira didn’t know whether it would help or not, but she appreciated Reina’s effort to cheer her up. She looked out over the flight deck and into the blackness of space beyond. Out here, she’d need all the friends she could get.
***
Kira snapped to attention along with the rest of the cadets when Ja’al arrived promptly at 0630 for orientation. The lessons would progress quickly, and the curriculum was a work in progress. That was one of the joys of being the inaugural class of a new military division—they got to be the guinea pigs for an untested system.
The cadets stood at attention as Ja’al walked down the line. “There’s more to the Storm Squadron than just some fancy flying,” he said. “To be the best, we have to make sure that you have every tool at your disposal to perform your jobs well. And we need to make sure you’re prepared for every possible contingency.”
Fidgeting uncomfortably, Kira held her body at attention. She didn’t want to be the one to break formation and get called out in front of everyone on their first day. The idea that there was more to being a pilot than mastering the controls was no big surprise. But it still didn’t ease her nerves any.
“What else can there be?” came a low baritone from somewhere down the line. Kira resisted the urge to turn her head to glare at the speaker.
Ja’al stood in front of the speaker. “What’s your name, Cadet?”
“Jomanak, sir.”
“Let me ask you a question, Jomanak: What do you think will happen to you if your ship is shot down over hostile enemy territory? What would you do to survive?”
“It’s irrelevant,” said the cadet. “I won’t get shot down.”
Kira thought she heard a muffled giggle coming from Reina’s direction.
“You’re confident,” Ja’al said. “You believe in yourself. And that’s a skill every pilot needs. There’s no room for second guessing in the heat of battle. You have to take in a lot of information and make split-second decisions, all while the Kamaran fighters are assaulting you with everything they have. And they won’t give you a second chance. However, you’re making a fatal mistake: You are underestimating the enemy’s capabilities.”
“I can handle myself.”
“I’m sure you can. And by the time we’ve finished our training, you’ll all be able to handle yourselves. But the Kamaran fighters are the best trained force in the galaxy. Even if you do everything right, you’ll face a formidable foe. And there are no guarantees. That’s why, in addition to your flight training, you’ll need to learn all the other basic skills that would be required for any member of our forces. Hand to hand combat. Survival in extreme environments. How to withstand an enemy interrogation.”
Kira swallowed hard. She was no stranger to fending for herself. But the thought of surviving alone in the wilderness, or being tortured by the enemy, was something she hoped she’d never be unlucky enough to experience.
“The first rule of war,” Ja’al said as he continued down the line, “is that shit happens. So you need to be prepared. Even with superior combat skills, there are no guarantees. How would you handle a mechanical error in mid flight? What will you do when your ship’s systems malfunction? Does anyone here know to repair a malfunctioning targeting computer? Wh
at’s the procedure for diagnosing a faulty comm link?”
“That’s a job for the flight mechanics,” said Jomanak. “We’ve got more important things to do.”
“Wrong,” said Ja’al. “And that attitude will get you killed. I won’t have you jeopardizing my team. You owe me thirty press-ups for crossing the line from confidence to stupidity. Storm Squadron pilots depend on their teammates, but each of you are expected to know how to do everything and anything required of them in the heat of battle. When the mechanics are safely back here on the deck, they can’t help you.”
Kira gritted her teeth and dug her heels into the ground. She may not have the training or the sim experience that some of the recruits did, but she sure as hell knew what to do with faulty systems. She gathered her courage and spoke. “You can divert power from the hyperdrive core.”
Ja’al walked to her and looked her in the eyes. Her body filled with electricity as he held her gaze. She still remembered the feeling of his hands on her body. Imagined his warm lips on her skin. And she felt the heat rising inside her.
“And why would you do that, Cadet Thorne?” he said.
She felt the eyes of the room on her. She almost regretted speaking up. But she knew she was right. “You can’t run a full diagnostic in the heat of battle,” she said. “But the most common problem with the comm systems on a fighter, is that the weapons are drawing too heavily. There’s not enough power left for the Gaussian field to complete the comm circuits. Diverting power from the hyperdrive could give it the extra kick it needs.”
Ja’al stared at her silently, and she heard the sound of Jomanak grunting beside her as he fought through the remaining press-ups.
“And you think it’d be a good idea to knock your hyperdrive systems offline?” said Ja’al.
Despite their feelings for one another, he couldn’t go easier on her in front of the others. And Kira wouldn’t have wanted him to. The more he drilled her now, the better prepared she’d be. But this was an easy question. To her, at least, the answer was obvious.
“I do, sir,” she said. “No sane pilot would make the leap to hyperspace in the heat of a battle. You wouldn’t have a clear course, and you’d never make a clean escape. Getting the comm systems back online first gives you a better chance of surviving the battle.”
Ja’al smiled at her and closed his eyes briefly as he gave a small nod. “Thank you, Cadet Thorne.”
“Sir,” she said, feeling more confident in herself already.
Ja’al raised his voice to address the group. “That’s the kind of forward, strategic decision that each of you will be expected to make. And those of you who think you’re above learning the inner-workings of your ships would do well to take a page from her book.”
She still had a lot to learn, but her background would serve her better than she had realized. She had a foundation that few, if any, of the other cadets did.
She could do this. She just needed to draw on her strengths.
Chapter 7
After a brief lunch, Kira navigated through the dark, cramped hallways of the Rebel base and found her way back to the training room. She could have used more time for rest and relaxation, but that luxury wasn’t on the agenda. She probably would have been too nervous to appreciate it, anyway. Storm kept a rigorous schedule, and there was no time for relaxation.
A bank of simulator pods lined the outskirts of the room, waiting for the cadets to begin their flight training. A large holodisplay occupying the room’s center, enabled recruits who weren’t taking part in a drill to study and learn from the mistakes of their classmates. No pressure.
Immune to the pressure of performing in front of her peers, Reina looked as bubbly as ever. Her red curls bounced as she tilted her head and waved Kira over. “I can’t believe they’re starting us on aerial combat already,” she said. “After this morning’s lecture, I thought we were in for a physics lesson.”
“I can handle equations,” said Kira. “But all this? I’m not so sure.” She looked around at the rows of steel and tarkanium pods sitting on complex rigs that allowed full rotation in all directions. The mock-cockpits were outfitted with the full array of sensors and controls, just like the JRV class fighters they’d be flying while on their sorties. Training in an I-57A pod was indistinguishable from the real thing.
“Kira, this is going to be amazing. You wouldn’t be here if they didn’t think you could do it. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”
Again, Kira wasn’t so sure. Her stomach tightened as she questioned her resolve. Why did she let Ja’al talk her into this? She should have joined the wrench-heads after all.
“What’s the matter, Thorne? Afraid you won’t be able to hack it?” said Jomanak. He placed his hands on his hips and a mocking smile drew across his face.
“She was just concerned that they won’t be able to clean up all the pieces of your over-sized ego when she blows you out of the sky, Jom,” said Reina. “You’re the one who should be worried here.”
“Please. I can handle anything this wrench-head can throw at me.”
“We’ll see about that,” said Kira. She’s wasn’t at all sure she’d be able to best him, but Reina’s faith inspired her. Besides, she wasn’t going to let this little prick intimidate her. If there was one thing Kira could do well, it was rise to a challenge. No matter what she thought about her own skills, Kira wasn’t about to suffer his insults.
“You’ll get your chance soon enough,” said Reina as the holodisplay burst to life, showing a vivid, three-dimensional image of towering city buildings at the edge of a canyon.
“Good afternoon, cadets,” said Ja’al as he entered the room through a sliding steel door. “I hope you’ve all made good use of your break. We don’t have any time to waste. Things are only going to get more intense from here on out.”
He waved his hands through the air, zooming in on the map of the city before them. “Today’s exercise is an assault on the military installation at the Kamaran moon, Beta Relo Five. It’s all simulated, of course, but we’ve mapped the terrain and the threats you’ll face to the highest detail. For all intents and purposes, this will be exactly like the real thing.”
He shifted the camera, panning through the city and onto a dark grey hexagonal building at the perimeter, surrounded by a luminous dome of green light. “The central hub of the base is here. As you can see, they’re well protected. To hit the target, you must destroy the shields. After that, a well-placed torpedo here,” he said, zooming in on the display to an assembly of fortified concrete buildings deep inside the base’s center, “will put them out of operation.”
Kira studied the projection. The shields projected from inside the field; there was no way to hit the generators.
Reina must have noticed, too. “Sir,” she said. “The generator is inside the field. Even if we make it through the aerial defenses, we have no way to hit them.”
Ja’al looked to her and nodded. “You’re right. But I assure you, there is a weakness. And your job is to find it.”
Kira studied the map. This system had the same design flaw that the JRV class fighters did. The trick was to strike at the peripheral systems so they drew power away from the shields. She smiled to herself, forming a plan of attack. As long as she had time to analyze, she’d be fine. This was all about strategy. Keeping the bigger picture in mind.
“I’ve split you into three teams,” said Ja’al. “Five of you will fly the torpedo raid, and five of you will defend the base. The final team will watch from here.”
“You want us to defend the base? I thought we were all training to attack,” said Jom. “Why waste our time?”
“To defeat your enemies, Jom, you need to understand them. You can only understand the moves they’re likely to make when you’ve shared their perspective and seen the situation through their eyes.”
“That sounds a little mushy for my tastes,” he said. “I don’t want to know my enemy. I want to destroy them.”
&n
bsp; “And I assure you, they want the same,” said Ja’al. “But this isn’t just an exercise in perspective. You’ll be responsible for defending our own base in the event that our location is ever compromised.”
“I’ll play defense,” said Jomanak. “But it won’t be fair to anyone else.”
“We’ll let the leaderboard speak for itself,” said Ja’al, pointing to a glowing, holographic readout on the training room wall. “Your scores in the training exercises will determine who makes the final cut. The cadet with the highest score will assume command of Storm Squadron when training concludes. Anyone who fails to accumulate enough points will be reassigned.”
Kira stiffened. Jomanak smirked.
“Let the games begin.”
***
Kira slid into the leather bucket seat of the sim and closed the pod’s lid around her. She took a quick inventory of the readings on her control systems. Fuel, weapons systems, engines, shields, guidance, targeting, power. Everything matched the diagrams she’d studied, but it was always worth making sure. She wouldn’t be surprised if one day they began an exercise with some critical component missing, just to see how the pilots would react.
But she didn’t have much time to get her bearings. The countdown began, and the simulation launched before she was prepared. The pod rattled around her, throwing her back into the seat as her screen lit up, revealing the terrain below.
Peering out through the canopy, she studied the landscape to orient herself. The enemy base sat on the edge of a large, sheer cliff. That could be a problem, she noted. While her radar systems would show the heat signatures of enemies waiting, she wouldn’t be able to get a precise read on anyone’s location or altitude with the thick rock shielding them.
