“I hope you crash your jet and come back reincarnated as a worm!” Sujay said as Forrest flew next to him. The two locked on to Green’s ship, but Forrest rolled and dived his ship below Green and Sujay.
“Stay on Green!” Forrest ordered. Sujay followed his instructions, and stayed close. Just as Sujay was about to fire on Green, Green deployed his flares, which scrambled Sujay’s targeting sensors. However Forrest flew past the flares before they rained down on him. Forrest got a lock and fired on Green. Green’s ship indicated that he’d been hit and he veered off back to base.
“Sons a bitches can fly,” York said.
“Oh yeah. They’re the best we’ve got,” Byron said. “Those drones we put out, the AI can’t compete with Forrest’s creativity.
“Now for Mason!” Forrest cheered.
“I’m still mad at you,” Sujay said.
“And why’s that?” Forrest replied sweetly.
“You used me for bait.”
“Only because I knew you could handle yourself!”
Sujay groaned.
“Whoop! Mason’s on our tail!” Forrest turned his ship upside down, cut the thrust, and went soaring backwards. His jet hurled through the sky, which forced Mason to dodge him and give up his lock on Sujay. The move didn’t give Sujay time to react. He noticed that Forrest activated the comm line to communicate with the opposing team, which was strictly against the rules.
“Now I’m chasing your tail Mason! Just like I did to your mom! Too bad you’re into boys like our pal Sujay up there!” Forrest goaded. “Oh, and your blond besties mean to tell you what a failure you are without them.”
“You sorry sack of shi-” Mason growled before Forrest muted him.
“Well this is for you being a potty mouth!” Forrest said as he shot at Mason. Mason deployed his flares, but Forrest scored a partial hit. Mason dived, but Forrest kept steady in pursuit. “Finish him off Sujay!” Forrest hollered.
Sujay flew up in an arc until he was able to circle around and point guns his at Mason’s ship.
“Atta boy Sujay! Swoop him! Show this bully that nobody can stand against the maniacal genius of Forrest and Sujay!” Forrest whooped. The rush of charging through the clouds towards the surface was indescribable. Sujay realized why Forrest pulled so many stunts and why he was so reckless. It was all about having fun. Sujay felt his organs press against his spine as he locked onto Mason and opened fire. Mason was gaining speed, but Sujay pressed down on the trigger so that his guns could ‘lead’ Mason and end the fight. Mason’s screen went red. The simulation was over, Forrest and Sujay were the winners.
Forrest and Sujay became an unbeatable duo against all other combatants. Every cadet was challenged to shoot them out of the sky, but the two outmaneuvered everyone. They acquired (and still maintain to this day) the most successful flight record in the history of the Space Corps. A record of being the only flight duo in the history of the corps to never lose in a dogfighting.
“So, what do you want out of the academy Forrest? What do you hope to achieve?” Sujay asked.
“All I want is to save enough to buy my own starship and fly across the galaxy. You?” Forrest asked as he tinkered with a thruster modulator.
“I want to become an Admiral of the Core Navy,” Sujay said as a dreamy gaze which blanketed his face.
Forrest laughed, “No you don’t.”
“Why not?”
“You don’t have the pompous, arrogant nature to be one of those buffoons,” Forrest said absent-mindedly.
“I could be an Admiral if I wanted to!” Sujay said with a sneer.
“Look Sujay, you’re a great strategist, but the Admiralty is bought by rich guys. Rich guys who will only sponsor the frat boys, ergo, having more rich guys bribe each other for the position. You’re too valuable as a fighter pilot,” Forrest said.
“I’ll be an Admiral one day! I’ll show you! I’ll show everyone!” Sujay said as he pointed his finger angrily at Forrest.
“Sujay, if you get sponsored to be Admiral, I will never make another ‘your mom’ joke ever again.”
“You mean it?”
“Cadet’s honor.”
“You have no honor.”
“Oh right! Let the guy who carves his guts out with a butter knife if he dishonors his family make the call about what’s honorable!”
“Wha...that’s the Japanese you chutiya! You can’t even get your stereotypes right!”
“Ahh whatever! My point is, the Admirals won’t sponsor a no-name Indian guy. But if you get sponsored, I’ll keep my promise and never make another ‘your mom’ joke...ever.”
“You’re serious?”
“Of course I am caramel-sauce.”
“Deal,” Sujay said as he extended his hand. The two shook on their agreement.
Forrest and Sujay fought bravely throughout the Unification Wars against the Coalition of the Outer Realm or more simply, the “Rebellion.” Forrest went on to become a Quintuple Ace since he had brought down over twenty five rebel fighter ships over the course of three battles known as the Melpomene skirmish. Sujay got promoted to Lieutenant as a result of the Melpomene battle, since Forrest let him have the credit for masterminding their daring missions during the raid. Forrest didn’t care about rank, he just wanted the war to be over so that he could explore the galaxy. Sujay could have the promotions.
“Sir! What is it you wanted to see me about?” Forrest asked.
“Ah Forrest, hero of the Melpomene skirmish. I have a special mission for you,” Captain Ransom said
“Aww shucks sir, you’ll make me blush.”
Ransom shook his head. “I’m going to need you back in the air Forrest. The Melpomene skirmish was a turning point for us in this war against the rebels. Command has ordered us to begin a preemptive bombing run against Calliope.”
“But sir, that’s a civilian world!” Forrest protested.
“You’re right Forrest. But Intelligence reports indicate that Calliope helped, housed and aided the Melpomene traitors. We must make an example of them. Our orders are no quarter, no mercy, no surrender, and I would like my bombers into battle.”
“Sir...it’s a civilian world!”
“Do you have sympathies for the rebellion Forrest?”
“I’m starting to because you keep telling me to bomb women and children!”
“It is because of this attitude that the war has dragged on for longer than it should have.”
“Sir, I won’t bomb a planet out of existence...there’s gotta be bad karma in there somewhere.”
“Forrest, lead the bombing run or I will court-martial you!”
“You know what? NO! I’m not going to bomb a civilian target just because you guys can’t stand for liberty, free speech and all that junk. I’m not a political man captain, but I won’t stand for this. I’ll run.”
“Do so Forrest and we will hunt you down,” Ransom hissed.
“Yeah? Well, start with your mom’s house Ransom! Uunngghh!” Forrest said.
“Soldiers! Seize him!” Ransom shouted.
“Uh-oh!” Forrest said, and scurried off.
“Forrest what is going on?” Sujay asked through the comm.
“Minor disagreement with Captain Ransom! No need to panic!”
“Really? Because there’s a warrant here for your arrest.”
“Sujay! They want us to bomb a civilian planet to smithereens! I won’t do it and now they’re going to kill me!”
“Hold on Forrest, I’ll help you get out of here.”
“Don’t! You’ll be demoted or worse!”
“Go left up ahead. I’ve unlocked the hangar bay. In there you can take one of the fighters and run as far as you can from here. Best of luck out there Forrest,” Sujay choked as he stifled a cry.
“Thanks buddy, I owe you. Remember that these guys believe it’s okay to bomb civilian worlds. They think it’s okay to execute a man for standing up for what’s right. Remember who you’re fighting for Sujay. Remem
ber what you want to be an Admiral of...” Forrest pleaded. Sujay put him on mute and awaited the Captain and his guard, while Forrest slipped away in one of the fighter jets.
“Oh yeah, I remember that warning. Then you went and smuggled for the rebellion,” Sujay said as the two walked down the street. The streets were nothing more than pounded dirt since few companies were willing to invest in the infrastructure of Aurelius Prime for citizen benefit.
“Uh, the word is ‘blockade runner.’ Much cooler and less criminal-ly sounding than ‘smuggler.’ Smuggler makes me sound like a mule who’s willing to put drugs up my bum,” Forrest replied.
“You take these remarks so out of context it’s a wonder anyone can understand you at all,” Sujay said.
“Yeah well, the rebels paid better for contraband goods,” Forrest said. “Their desperation gave me a few years of some nice tidy profits.”
“Which you completely blew that and then some by acquiring the Dreamweaver,” Sujay snorted.
“Hey! I needed a bigger ship. You were so good at leaving me breadcrumbs to get past all of the blockades because you were vengeful about being passed over for promotions...which is exactly what I told you was going to happen!” Forrest said.
Sujay turned away. He knew that Forrest was right. The two stayed in touch while Forrest was on the run, and Sujay was just as guilty about helping the rebellion as Forrest was. However, Sujay saw it as more helping a friend who believed in him rather than hurting the Core who kept passing him over for promotion.
“I give you this though Sujay: dogged persistence. Even when the Admiralty had given up on you, you still went on to Titan University, acquired your Masters in Astrophysics and started your Doctorate after the war was over. You also failed to have sex with...how many women?” Forrest asked.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Sujay demanded. “...And there was only one.”
“Oh yeah. What was her name?” Forrest asked.
“Maya Helmirra. She was beautiful, but some snot nosed asshole named Richard got to her first. I’d punch that guy’s lights out if I ever met him face to face.”
“Yeah, sure, mm-hmm,” Forrest replied. “Look on the bright side, at least I busted you out and provided you with a life of fun, adventure and nookie.”
“Hookers don’t count.”
“Since when?” Forrest screamed.
“And I would hardly call what you did at Titan ‘busting me out,’ “ Sujay replied.
“Oh come on! Yes I did! I even personalized a message just for you!”
“An announcement over Titan’s comm system saying: ‘Sujay Malak, there is a man in the docking station who claims that he is your son,’ is so immature.”
‘Aww c’mon, that was hilarious!” Forrest said as he laughed to himself.
“I wasn’t old enough to have a son, especially when people saw your pasty white face! All you want to do is humiliate me!” Sujay shrieked.
“True, but I still managed to convince you…” Forrest said.
“Are we going back down memory lane?” Sujay asked.
“We certainly are!” Forrest replied with excitement.
“Was that really necessary to tell everyone that I was your father?” Sujay screamed. He couldn’t believe the difference in Forrest’s attire. Instead of the crisp, proper gray uniform of the Core, Forrest wore leather boots, a satchel/bandolier with several clips, pilot goggles to block out the UV rays, and a long leather coat which looked two sizes too big on him. He symbolized the look of the rebels, a ragtag outfit composed of whatever clothes a person could find, and focused on utility instead of fashion.
Forrest stood outside of his starship the Dreamweaver. “How else would you know it was me?” He asked. “Besides, I’ve got a job for you.”
“Really. And what would that be?” Sujay asked.
“I am here to take you under my wing as a blockade runner. I’m feeling so generous I’ll cut you in for half since I need a partner,” Forrest said.
“I would much rather be a carrier pilot, I could even make Admiral,” Sujay argued.
“Please? Come run blockades! Live a little! The pay is way better than being a carrier pilot,” Forrest argued.
“My understanding is you regularly struggle to get paid,” Sujay said as he glared at Forrest.
“Yeah...uh...well...I still manage to get by…” Forrest said as he avoided Sujay’s gaze.
“I’ll finish my Doctorate program ahead of schedule. Of course I’ll be a shoo-in for Admiral. They’d be crazy not to.” Sujay said
“Have you ever seen an Indian Admiral with a Doctorate?” Forrest asked.
“I could easily be the first,” Sujay argued.
“I don’t doubt your smarts Sujay, but with a Doctorate, you’ll be stuck behind some desk, stonewalled from advancement, the life slowly oozing out of your ears from boredom,” Forrest said as he wriggled his fingers next to his ears.
“I really doubt that my brains will ooze.” Sujay said .
“Just run blockades with me for two months. If we don’t make any money, I’ll let you go, no questions asked, no hard feelings. Just two months Sujay. I know you want to explore the depths of space, to see the forgotten worlds of the Core. You’ll be the most beloved Admiral ever with all of the contacts you’ll make.”
Sujay hated to admit it, but it was a reasonable offer. A part of him knew that with Forrest, he’d never be able to leave, but he thought he could always try again with the Naval Academy…
“You made that offer eight years ago and I still haven’t made much money!” Sujay said. “Nooo, I got up to my eyeballs in debt with some of the lowliest mobsters in the galaxy! Because of you I’ll never be able to get back into the naval academy!”
“Oh please! You love the adventure Sujay! You were bored stiff at school,and at the naval academy. Tell me you don’t love the freedom!”
Sujay stared off into the distance, and refused to admit that Forrest was right.
The eight years of running blockades made the two infamous smugglers...and risky businessmen to deal with. Since Forrest was reckless with his money and Sujay was helpless to stop him, they were always cash poor, and got deeper and deeper into debt looking for the big score. However, the two did have the reputation of being very reliable smugglers. Thus, people were willing to trust them with their cargo, but not their money.
“Why don’t we go see Brocker? He’ll give us some pointers on our next big score!” Forrest said as he pumped his fists in excitement.
“You just want a plate of his fries,” Sujay said. “That’s a lot of fuel we’re going to burn for a plate of fries.”
“Well, who wouldn’t burn all their fuel for a plate? They’re fantabulicious!”
“Brocker’s place smells like tobacco and B.O.”
“Nero’s Cove is an Aurealian establishment! May be a little low-brow for the ‘Admiralty’ folk, but for those of us with simpler tastes it’s perfect.”
“It’s also where Kingsman and his underlings spend their time. You have a payment ready for them?” Sujay asked.
“Oh, that could put a damper on things. But I really want a plate of those fries…” Forrest pleaded. Sujay rolled his eyes and sighed.
“I know! Why don’t you use your mad Sujay-negotiation skills to convince Kingsman to give us an extension?”
“He’s already given us an extension - twice! You keep losing our profits at the casinos and buying parts to make repairs to the Dreamweaver because you have something to prove with your flight capability. Have you even paid Kingsman off for the Dreamweaver?
“Uhh...” Forrest muttered.
“You haven’t even paid off Kingsman for our ship?” Sujay shrieked. “Where has all of our money gone?” Sujay screamed.
“You already said it. Casinos and repairs. All we need is that big score and we’ll be able to pay off all our debts, which is why we go directly to Brocker.”
“So your plan is to see Brocker and hope he
has info on a big blockade run while at the same time trying to avoid Kingsman’s goons from capturing us and either extol payment or break our legs?”
“No, but that plan is genius! I knew there was a reason why I wanted you as my partner!” Forrest screamed in excitement as he charged off for Nero’s Cove.
“That’s not what I meant!” Sujay howled as he chased after Forrest.
In front of the door to Nero’s Cove, Forrest adjusted his collar and then kicked open both swing doors to the diner. He sauntered in with the slow and confident swagger of a mob boss. He even gave himself a stone face, and looked down on the patrons who ignored the curly-haired man. Brocker waddled out of the kitchen, his white tank top covered in grease and sweat stains. His face was also covered in a black scruff that didn’t fully cover his second chin. The air changed when Brocker stormed out of the kitchen and unleashed a tsunami of body odor into the dining room.
“You’ve got serious balls comin’ back here,” Brocker growled at Forrest and pointed at him with a spatula. The diner air was lacquered with greasy hamburgers which tickled Forrest’s nose. He noticed how the cooks scrambled in back over the grill as the burgers sizzled and crackled in fat.
Forrest inhaled deeply through his nose, waved his head around, and then puffed out in joy. “Reeks of grease, tobacco and sweat. Smells like home,” Forrest said with a grin.
“Forrest my boy! Good to see you!” Brocker said as he held his arms open. Forrest wholeheartedly embraced the greasy cook. “I swear, you’re the only one who actually likes this dump,” Brocker croaked.
Sujay ran into Nero’s Cove, and scanned the patrons in the restaurant to spot any of Kingsman’s goons. He didn’t see any and they weren’t a group to hide who they worked for. Sujay breathed a sigh of relief and then immediately regretted it.
“Sujay! Can’t believe you still hang around with this deadbeat,” Brocker said as he slapped Forrest on the back.
“I can’t either some days,” Sujay said with scorn as he glared at Forrest. Forrest placed his hands on his chin, blinked and gave Sujay big Bambi eyes.
Horsemen United: Horsemen Origins Books 1-5 Page 8
