Chapter Three
Mabraant, Mabra System, Fazaal Sector, Gaashox Quadrant
It was another warm, bright and sunny morning on Mabraant. A large predatory bird circled high above the lower plains not far from Grogaan’s home calling loudly to its mate. Its high-pitched call awoke him from a relatively peaceful slumber. Jumping out of bed, he stood in front of his window and stretched while soaking up the warmth of the morning sun. Then looking skyward, he searched for the bird. Fortunately for him, the window in his room was facing magnetic north giving him a panoramic view of the lowlands, plains, and in the distance, the Potrodand Mountains.
The sun rose in the north and shone directly into his bedroom. The sky was a brilliant blue, but as Grogaan looked skyward, he had a strange feeling: A vague premonition that the future would hold some unpleasant surprises. He shook his head as if to shake the thoughts from his mind, and turned his attention back to the birds, many of which he recognised: The White Falcon, Gadoron Hawk, Blue Finch, Black Gull, White Headed Skewer, and several others. Although it was common to see these just after dawn, they were all flying much lower than normal, which was a strange occurrence that intrigued him.
Then he noticed the bird that was making the unusual call. Grasping the microbinoculars he scanned the skyline until he caught sight of it again. He was delighted to see it was a Grederant Eagle. He was even more elated when he saw not just one, but ten, and watched them with great interest. They were soaring gracefully, swooping occasionally when the males neared their mates, flying close, and then soaring higher on the hot air currents. It was a delight to behold, and explained the behaviour of the other birds.
The Grederant Eagle was a fierce predator that nested high in the Potrodand Mountains, and to see them this far south was rare. In fact, only three had been spotted over the plains in the last twenty-one years. The last time they were seen, severe storms followed within days of the sighting: Storms that occur only once every few decades and often had catastrophic effects in both the mountain ranges and the plains to the south.
The omens were bad.
Grogaan sensed something terrible was going to happen and soon.
The young man loved living on the southern edge of the northern plains. The view from his window was made more special because the part of Herloan city where he lived was situated on a small hill. He loved gazing at the mountains and vast open plains, especially first thing in the morning when the sun was rising, and last thing at night when the sun was setting. The plains were full of rich pastures and forests, whereas the mountain range had numerous spectacular waterfalls and rapids that took your breath away.
His favourite location was a large lake in a valley between the two highest mountains: Lake Mabreese. Several rivers flowed into it, one of which ended in a spectacular waterfall with about a forty-metre drop. It was Miranda’s favourite place, where they spent so much time together and where she had made him so happy. Now when he spent time there, images of loved ones no longer with him flashed through his mind, especially those of Miranda.
At times he would just sit and dream of their days together, and of the love they shared. These times not only filled him with joy, but also grief and pain. Some days he would plan how to make the Krelathans pay for their heinous crimes against his people, and others, he would simply sit and think about leaving the sector all together.
Beyond this valley was an extremely long winding canyon with many gorges and outcrops, wherein Grogaan had practised and honed his flying skills. Collatin told him many stories about Sorann Taggash’s exploits during the Uprising and how he developed his skills in such a manner, so Grogaan decided to do the same. His friends thought he was foolish and reckless, but gradually understood the benefits when their skills began improving at a much faster rate.
Most of the canyons contained numerous caves, some of which once contained precious jewels, and had been extensively mined over the last few centuries. He often explored them and found a few stones of value hidden in small crevices or difficult to reach ledges. Most of what he found were Marandiote gems that were of no real commercial value, but he still collected them for a young woman he knew who loved them, and whom he had not seen for many years.
As he sat gazing through the window, he remembered the first flying lesson his father had given him in the Manta Class starship, which Ruebern had bought him for his sixteenth birthday. It was a small ship designed originally for training new recruits at the Academy, but became freely available as an ideal form of transport for civilians. His abilities developed exceptionally well and in a very short time, surprising both him and his father.
After passing his preliminary and standard stage flying examinations, Grogaan taught his three friends to fly. Once they were sufficiently competent, he took them north and explored all of the canyons wide enough to fly through. It was here they would be testing the manoeuvrability of their new MCI’s after having conducted full flight tests at altitude. He still had his MCT stored in the garage, and was determined to hang on to it for nostalgic reasons.
Grogaan watched the eagle soaring on the thermals, free to fly wherever, and whenever it wanted, wishing he could do the same. He realised he had been living his life as if he was incarcerated. The grief over his loss, the traumatic dreams, the stress and depression were restricting his life, his happiness and his future. He wanted to be free from it all, to be free to go wherever he wanted without having to justify it to anyone, to do what he wanted and when he wanted.
The previous morning, he had made a conscious decision to sort himself out, to focus on what was important, what he needed to do to overcome his tendency to wallow in that grief and allow the negative emotions destroy his life. He closed his eyes, and as he thought about it, he knew that decision was the pivotal point from where he either sank deeper into the pit or climbed out ef.
Then he felt a strange presence nearby, but he kept his eyes closed and focussed on it. Grogaan shivered as the sense of that presence grew stronger, and he heard a voice in his mind telling him it was time to act; time to do whatever it took regardless of the cost; to do whatever would make a difference, not only to his life, but to the lives of others. Grogaan knew there was no turning back; what had happened was in the past. He had to let go of his grief and embrace the future.
With a light sigh, he opened his eyes. “Damn, I’m late,” he cursed as he noted the time on the chronometer. He quickly washed and dressed, putting on the new dark green flight suit his mother made specially. After a little persuasion, his mother had agreed to make one for each of his friends. She had completed them just in time for their first test flight, and he knew his friends would be pleasantly surprised.
Grogaan rushed down stairs and entered the kitchen to find his breakfast already prepared and waiting. Although he was late, he took his time eating not wanting to give himself indigestion, and enjoyed a cool glass of fresh milk. It was already warm outside, but he still donned his leather jacket, picked up the holdall containing the flight suits, and left via the front door. Grogaan walked with an air of confidence, which was a complete contrast to the previous day.
He was feeling remarkably cheerful, and he swore nothing was going to dampen his spirits today. Although his expectations were high, he refused to become overconfident about his abilities as an engineer. No one was perfect and Grogaan knew he was far from it. He also knew that regardless of how experienced and clever he and his friends were, they were dealing with electronics and mechanical components, which were susceptible to failure.
He entered the outer workshop and saw several engineers who appeared to be in good spirit despite the shortage of work, but he remained concerned about their future. He and his friends were among the more fortunate employees of Mabraant Engineering, whose jobs were fully secured, at least for the time being. Grogan knew this would only remain so if something effective was done regarding the Krelathans.
As he approached the crew room, he heard his three friends laughing and joking, which had
a positive effect on his already improved state of mind. He had a positive feeling about the day ahead, believing he had reached the turning point in his life that would change it for the better.
When he burst into the crew room, his friends went silent and stared at him. “You’re late!” they said in chorus, their voices tinged with sarcasm.
“Very funny,” he replied as he placed the holdall on the table. “You all ready for the big one?”
“Of course we are!” His friends replied unanimously.
“Hey, when did you get the flight suit,” said Doraant.
“Yesterday.” Grogaan pushed the holdall nearer to his friends and told them to open it. Zaack grabbed and unzipped it with confident expectation. He slowly parted the sides revealing some dark green items of clothing. Taking one out, his face lit up with delight. The others drew in closer to get a better look.
“Wow! These are great. Where did you get them?” asked Zaack, holding one up to get a good look.
“My mother made them specially,” said Grogaan.
Zaack was unable to hide his excitement. “These are far better than the ones used by the MDF. Your mother’s a gem!”
Doraant and Eldaan took hold of the other two flight suits and were equally astounded, even more so when they saw the name badges on the right breast pocket.
“Right then, the sooner you get suited up, the sooner we can perform the flight tests.”
A few minutes later, the four young men climbed into their ships and started performing pre-flight system and navigational checks, which took an agonising fifteen minutes. All systems checked out ready and functioning, and the navigational system was reading the flight data and star charts perfectly.
With a little trepidation Grogaan activated the thruster coils, and signalled for the others to do likewise. The thrusters began whining, and when all operational lights turned green he activated the power transfer switch. The ship slowly lifted off the ground. Applying more power, it rose higher until it had cleared the bay doors. Moments later, three other ships appeared alongside.
‘So far so good,’ he thought.
They held position above the bays to ensure all thruster coils remained operating correctly and could hold the ships steady. After a few minutes, they selected engine start-up sequence while monitoring system readouts. He felt a light vibration running through the ship’s structure, and heard the low constant whining of the engines. It was a sound Grogaan would come to love hearing, and the steady vibration would become a soothing comfort from which he would be able to discern any deviation from operational parameters.
Engaging the drive to the engines, the starfighter began inching forward. He gently eased the throttle and the ship moved slowly away from the complex. After a few minutes, he increased the pressure and the ship began to accelerate more quickly. The whine of the engines was sending a buzz though his veins, and for the first time in years he felt free and alive.
“Is everything operating correctly?” asked Grogaan.
“Everything checks out perfectly,” replied Zaack.
“Same here,” said Doraant.
“And here,” said Eldaan.
“Right then, before we indulge and see what these birds can do,” said Grogaan, hoping not to dampen their enthusiasm too much, “we had better perform thorough checks of all flight systems first.”
His friends agreed wholeheartedly. After checking all systems operated correctly when switched on at the same time or in cycles, it was time to put the ships through their paces.
“Okay guys, let’s climb to thirty thousand for the full flight performance checks. That should give us plenty of height in case any of us experience any problems.”
The four pilots flew to the specified height and started to engage their ships through every manoeuvre they could think of, including simulated dogfights, which meant Zaack, Doraant and Eldaan pursued Grogaan.
Grogaan felt the adrenaline flowing through his body as the excitement increased. The control column seemed as though it was an extension of his arm, the hand control having been remoulded to fit his grip perfectly. For the first time in years, he almost forgot the anger he harboured over the deaths of his loved ones. Flying always had a calming influence upon him, and now he was experiencing the pure exhilaration of flying at high speed with nothing to restrict him.
He began thinking about leaving the Mabra system and exploring some distant system or sector with his friends, to see what was beyond, but resisted the urge. There was still much for him to achieve before he could indulge himself in such adventures. When Grogaan was finally satisfied all systems were operating within parameters, he broke off manoeuvres and went into straight flight, waiting for the others to form up alongside.
“Boy, these are much better than the MCT’s,” yelled Zaack.
“You bet. What do you think Grogaan?” asked Doraant.
“Better than I had expected. Now, what about seeing how fast these lovely ladies can really fly?” Before his friends had a chance to answer, Grogaan slammed the throttle full forward. “Catch me if you can?” he howled.
“Oh no you don’t!” said Zaack.
The other three pilots opened their throttles to full and gave chase. The starfighters raced through the atmosphere like shooting stars. It was sheer exhilaration. Zaack glanced at the velocity gauge and could not believe his eyes. They were travelling at a speed of 3,523 Kmph, which made it the fastest fighter in the sector. Grogaan said it would suffice for the time being, but the starfighter’s velocity in space was more important to him.
The original design of interceptor could manage 3,016 Kmph, and the only ship that outperformed the standard interceptor was unknown to most in the Gaashox Quadrant: The Imperial Zilon interceptor, which could reach speeds of 3,308 Kmph under atmospheric conditions, and was even faster than the Delta XB1 of the Ladorran Republic Forces which could manage only 3,109 Kmph.
After an hour of flying, Grogaan decided it was time they stopped for a little rest and refreshments. They landed in the small pasture next to the southern edge of Lake Mabreese where Grogaan had built a small hut among the trees.
Grogaan always ensured there were plenty of supplies inside the hut, which came in handy if he decided to spend some time alone. After selecting some containers of food and drink, they made their way to the flat area near the stream and set everything down. The four young men stretched and breathed in deeply, savouring the fresh scented air, and the freedom of movement after being strapped in their ships.
Grogaan gazed at the lake and remembered how Miranda loved swimming in the cool water. He pictured her slender but curvaceous body moving gracefully as she swam along. He closed his eyes and the picture was replaced by one of her standing beside the stream where it flowed into the lake. Her long white dress clinging to her damp body revealing the contours of her alluring body, her hair still pinned in a knot.
The image stirred feelings of desire and a longing to hold her close, to feel her body pressing against his, and her firm breasts pressing against his chest. The face in the image turned and smiled. Tears stung his eyes, and he was scarcely able to bear the pain his memories caused.
It was at times like these Grogaan realised just how much he missed her, the warmth of her embrace, the joy of her smile, and the softness of her lips pressing against his. He sighed as his feelings for her continued to rise, intensifying the pain he felt. The anger he harboured toward the Academy for turning down his four applications to join added to his anguish. If his first had been accepted, he knew he would have been able to stop the raiders from killing Miranda, and they would still be together.
As he considered the unfairness of the events, he felt intense fury rising within his soul, but there was something else underlying the anger that he had not felt before. It was a strange tingling sensation within his mind, which made him shiver. Then the visions of Miranda become painfully clear.
He recalled the day he had believed was going to change his life even
more profoundly than when he had first met her.
Borrowing his father’s two-person hovercraft, he left home early on the fourth day of his break from work, and headed for the precinct in the heart of Herloan City. His only purpose for going was to call in at the jewellers to buy a special ring. It was the most expensive item he had ever purchased, and it took him some time to choose the one he thought suited Miranda the most. As he pointed it out to the jeweller, Grogaan knew without doubt she would love it. He left the shop and went directly to her home, feeling nervous and filled with trepidation at how she was going to react.
Grogaan had contacted Miranda a little later in the morning and told her there was something important he needed to talk to her about. The young woman was filled with curiosity and excitement, and was waiting anxiously for him to arrive. She was unable to sit down for more than a few minutes before getting up to look out of the window that faced the roadway in front of her home.
When Miranda saw him stop outside her home her heart skipped a beat in anticipation. She ran to the door, paused a moment to catch her breath, and then opened it calmly. She stood motionless, her heart thumping wildly, wondering what he wanted to talk to her about. The thought that it might be about taking their relationship a step further even crossed her mind, but she did not want to raise her hopes too high knowing how devastated she would be if he did not ask the question.
Just seeing and being with him was enough to make her intensely happy, although the extra little things he did for her made all the difference: The small gifts, the evenings out, the trips to the lake, and for the quiet nights in front of the fire with a hot cup of tea or Lokarsh.
Grogaan climbed out of the hovercraft and his eyes widened with delight when he saw her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and her beauty never failed to make him feel weak at the knees. “Shall we?” he asked, taking her hand in his. He found it difficult to keep his voice steady and his hands from shaking, such was his excitement at the prospect of what he was about to do. Never had he felt so apprehensive about anything he had done previously.
“I’d love to,” she replied, the slight trembling in her voice revealing her excitement, her smile captivating. She leant forward and kissed him gently.
The softness of her lips against his, the warmth of her breath on his face, and her soft gentle voice sounding in his ears was almost too much for him to bear. He wanted to ask her there and then, but that would spoil the surprise, although he suspected Miranda had already guessed what he was planning.
Grogaan took her to Lake Mabreese where they walked for a while, talking and enjoying each other’s company. Returning to where they had left their things, they sat down and talked some more, both of them anxious about what was to come, but Grogaan wanted to wait a little longer. It was getting rather hot so he removed his shirt and lay back on the grass. Miranda smiled and stroked his chest.
“I love you,” said Grogaan gently caressing her cheek.
“I love you too,” whispered Miranda.
They kissed and he crushed her to him, embracing her tightly. He could feel her heart beating and her breasts pressing against his chest, which stirred his passion further. His hand moved seductively down her back sending a tingling sensation up her spine, but she broke away suggesting they go swimming. He consented reluctantly, and would have asked her that one question before he lost his nerve, but bit his lip and waited.
They removed their clothes and walked into the lake. It was cold but refreshing and invigorating. The two swam for a while, but Grogaan, who was not so keen on the activity, returned to the bank where he sat quietly and enjoyed watching Miranda swimming gracefully though the clear crystal water. He smiled, feeling very proud to be in love with such a beautiful woman. As far as he was concerned she was perfect in every way.
A short while later, Miranda swam to the lake’s edge, stood up and walked gracefully through the shallow water toward him. He admired every inch of her, and at that moment he knew what had to be done. His heart was beating wildly, but still he waited.
“That was one of the most refreshing swims I’ve had for a long time,” she said smiling, and knowing his eyes were feasting on her. She loved the way he looked at her, respected her, and how he felt so passionately about her; it filled her with delight. Miranda sat beside him and shivered as the warmth of the sun dried her body. They could hear bird song, the scurrying of small animals through the undergrowth, and yet it was so peaceful, time seemed to stand still. Goose bumps appeared all over Miranda’s body as she shivered, so she stood up and slipped her dress back on.
Grogaan also stood, put on his trousers and faced her, a broad smile on his face. “Miranda, there’s something I want to ask you,” he said.
She looked at him expectantly, her eyes sparkling with desire. Deep in her heart Miranda knew what was coming by the way he acted, and felt her pulse increase as his hand went to his pocket. He took out a small felt covered box, held it out in front of her and opened it slowly while keeping his gaze fixed upon her. Her eyes widened in delight at the sight of the ring. She took a sharp intake of breath, and for a moment, wondered if it was only a dream.
Her reaction said it all, so he looked into her eyes and went down on one knee. “Miranda, you are the most precious thing in my life. Will you marry me?”
“Yes, of course I will,” she said, tears running down her cheeks as the intensity of her delight struck home.
He stood up and she threw her arms around him, then kissed him passionately.
Grogaan broke free from her tight embrace, took the ring from the box and taking hold of her hand, slipped it onto her finger. Then they kissed again.
“This is the happiest day of my life Grogaan. I do so love you,” she said, trying to blink back the tears. The two lovers sat close together with arms around each other, kissing frequently. Then Miranda stood, walked to the edge of the stream, her dress still clinging to her damp body, and lifted her hand so the sun would glisten on the diamond. As she admired the ring, her delight became evident in her eyes, and her smile lit up her face.
Grogaan watched her avidly, hardly daring to believe it was happening. He could not remember being so happy, and now all he needed to make his life complete was to be accepted into the Mabra Defence Academy.
The memory of that day seared his heart and soul afresh. It was four years ago and a distant event in time, but he remembered it as if it happened only yesterday. His anger rose even more, and the tingling sensations spread from his head to his hands, which began to shake as he felt power radiating from his fingertips. As quickly as the feelings appeared, they disappeared leaving him feeling mentally drained, and his fingers strangely numb.
“Hey Grogaan, what are you thinking about?” asked Doraant.
Doraant’s voice shocked him from his thoughts. “Nothing really,” he answered as calmly as possible trying to avoid revealing his emotions, and discretely blinked back the tears before his friends noticed.
Despite his response, the other three knew exactly what he was thinking. They always knew when he was feeling distracted and why, but never mentioned it. They had too much respect for him, and knew how much heartache he still experienced over his losses, especially over Miranda.
After finishing their meal, they relaxed by telling stories of their younger days, their hopes for the future, of what they knew about the Ladorran Republic, and about how well the interceptors had performed. Talking about these things took Grogaan’s mind from his losses and how they affected him, but he was unable to forget the strange sensations he had just experienced. The numbness in his fingers had gone but the tingling remained.
He shrugged it off and turned to face his friends. “Alright lads, it’s about time we found out who’s the fastest through the canyon.”
“We don’t need to do that, because we already know: You,” said Doraant.
“At the moment, maybe, but you are now experienced and capable pilots. All you need is a little more c
onfidence in your abilities.”
“Come off it Grogaan,” said Zaack. “Who else has the ability to sense exactly which direction a canyon or gorge turns, and what obstructions are in the way? Your timing is so precise and your flying so effortless. I still reckon you’re receptive to the magical powers.”
Grogaan frowned and shook his head gently. “It’s nothing to do with magic; I just learnt from the best. Now my father, well, he was pure genius in a fighter. Anyway, none of my ancestors were gifted that way, so how can I?”
“That’s a good point, but it doesn’t rule out the possibility,” said Zaack.
“Maybe, but I’m not convinced,” said Grogaan.
“I still think you’re gifted, but it’s being inhibited by that phenomenon, which means it would be more evident outside the system,” said Zaack.
“I reckon that so-called phenomenon is just a myth, but I agree with Zaack, we may have a future Guardian among us!” said Eldaan.
Little did he know how prophetic his comment was.
“Give it a rest will you. Even if I am gifted, which I am not, who’s going to train me? There’s not much chance of Sorann Taggash travelling here, and he probably doesn’t even know this quadrant exists. And before you say anything more, haven’t we got some flying to do?”
“Let’s go to it then!” They all replied.
Grogaan pondered what Zaack said as they climbed into their ships. He knew there was something special about his abilities, and was no longer able to rule out the possibility of being gifted in magic, not after the strange sensations he experienced. The thought of sparks coming from his fingertips made him uneasy and concerned, because none of the stories he had heard or read about the Guardians mentioned such things.
Shrugging off thoughts and notions of magic, he led the group to the canyons. When they approached the entrance, they selected full sensors and full power to forward shields. He set the wingtip laser cannons to ten percent power, and twin link firing configuration: Top two, bottom two.
“Here we go!” he cried.
Reducing his velocity to that which he had reached on the last run in his MCT, Grogaan entered the canyon and set the timer as he passed the first outcrop they used as the start marker. As he sped along the initial long straight section, he focussed his thoughts only on flying, and began visualising the layout of the canyon in his mind. Although he had flown through this canyon many times before, the mental picture he had of it was far too clear for just pure memory. This clear imagery seemed to confirm there was something enhancing his ability.
Sensing the left corner approaching, he let his ship drift slightly to the right, banked and pulled back on the control column, taking him around the corner smoothly and accurately. Straight ahead and to the right there was a small outcrop. A few seconds later, four laser blasts hit it, breaking off several small chunks of rock that cascaded down to the canyon floor.
As each bend was navigated, Grogaan’s friends dropped farther behind. Although they had a slight advantage in following him and being able to see the way he flew, it was not enough for them to keep close on his tail. The hardest part of the flight was closing in rapidly, which was four successive bends known as ‘The Snake Curves’. Two of them were so close and narrow, there was little time to think. Hesitate too long and the starfighter would hit the canyon wall at the third bend. It was at this point Grogaan’s friends lost most of their time.
At the second bend Grogaan rolled right, pulled back hard on the control column to negotiate the right-hand bend. Immediately having to level out, roll to the left and pull back hard again to take the left-hand bend. As he relaxed his mind and allowed his instinct guide him, Grogaan felt a strange sensation running through his body. It felt as if an outside force was controlling his actions, and so each successive run resulted in his times improving dramatically.
He pushed his ability to the limit on the fourth run, and his heart skipped a beat when he felt the jolt as the tail fin hit an outcrop. “Damn, that was too close,” he breathed, trying to maintain his focus for the fourth bend.
He quickly compensated and adjusted his flight path to avoid hitting the outcrop ahead. Glancing at the instrument panel, he knew the secondary subspace communication array, which protruded about four centimetres above the top edge of the starboard rear fin, was shattered.
By the end of their fifth run through the canyon, most of the outcrops they had chosen as targets were destroyed, and were now piles of rubble on the canyon floor. Grogaan stopped the timer at the designated point, and was shocked at the time recorded. His first run had beaten his MCT times considerably, something he had expected flying a faster more manoeuvrable ship, despite being bigger. However, the time he achieved on his fifth run was shortened by such a large margin, it proved his unique ability was more than just a natural gift; it was definitely being enhanced by outside forces.
He did not want to think about it, not now, so brushed aside the thoughts once again. “Alright guys, let’s get some height and cruise for a while.”
His friends acknowledged and formed up alongside him.
“Zaack, I need you to do something for me.”
“Yeah, sure thing,” he replied.
“I need to know how many hits the shields can take before draining to twenty-five percent power, so I want you to take some shots at me.”
“You what?” Zaack was shocked at the request. “No way am I firing on you.” After everything his friend had done for him, he could not take the chance, would not take the chance, just in case something went terribly wrong.
“Come on Zaack, nothing can go wrong. Besides, wouldn’t it be better to find out now whether the shields were operating correctly, and how much they could withstand, rather than in the middle of a hostile combat situation?”
“I understand what you’re saying, but I’m sorry Grogaan, I won’t do it.”
Before Grogaan could ask one of the others, Doraant volunteered. He was not keen on the idea either, but knew he had to trust his friend’s judgement in these matters. Dropping back, he lined up behind Grogaan’s ship and noticed the damage on the starboard rear fin of his starfighter. “Hey Grogaan, where’s your standby fin communications array?”
Grogaan felt a little embarrassed at being found out. “Ah! I was hoping you wouldn’t notice that. I’m afraid it’s in tiny pieces at the third bend of the ‘Snake Curves’.”
“What! You mean you hit the canyon wall?” said Eldaan.
“Not really, just scraped it with the fin.”
“So that’s how you managed to beat your previous record: By taking too much of a risk. You know how dangerous that section is,” said Zaack, not hiding his annoyance at his friend’s recklessness.
“Well, you have to push your abilities to the limits sometimes,” said Grogaan. “Knowing one’s limit can be a great benefit, maybe even an advantage in certain circumstances.”
Zaack looked across at his friend, but said nothing.
Meanwhile, Doraant selected independent firing on his wingtip laser cannons, and fired shots to the upper surface of the rear fuselage. He took one shot at a time with a short pause between each, and then at Grogaan’s request, fired two shots at a time with a similar pause. After having taken ten multiple shots, and gradually reducing the time between each, Grogaan was satisfied the shields were operating far above expectations, and told Doraant to stop firing.
The upgraded shield generators were recharging exceptionally well, and Grogaan believed the shields would be able to recharge adequately under normal combat conditions.
“What the heck do you think we’ll be facing if we ever go into combat?” asked Doraant.
“Apart from the usual TS5s, MCFs, and MCIs, there’s always Kraylons, Zilon’s and Xirrax Gunships, and who knows what else. Well, I always say one should be prepared for the unexpected.”
They then tested the shields on the other three ships, but fired only three double shots at each. Satisfied there was nothing else that
required testing, the excited pilots opened the throttles and raced back to Mabraant Engineering. Flying low over the plains gave them the thrill of extreme speed, a feeling they would not get in space, so they made the most of it.
“Where are we eating this time?” asked Doraant.
“The choice is yours,” said Grogaan.
“If you’re buying, the Klaret,” said Zaack.
“That’s fine by me. Foods on me, but the last one down will buy the first round of drinks.” None of the pilots hesitated in accelerating away but Grogaan’s skill got him down into the docking bay first. However hard they tried, they were simply unable to match Grogaan’s flying skills; it was as if the ship was an extension of his body. Doraant hesitated long enough to make sure he was the last one to land, believing it was his turn to buy the drinks.
On the edge of the forest to the west of the Potrodand Mountains, a lone starfighter was parked on the hard ground of a small clearing. It had parked there often during the day, its pilot just sitting in the cockpit watching the plains and mountains, waiting, hoping. On this particular day, the pilot was lucky, her patience rewarded. Flight Lieutenant Joeen Parond smiled as she watched the four MCIs being put through their paces, first at altitude and then lower before entering the mountains. From her position she was able to see the ships exiting from the canyon after their flight, and still marvelled at how fast the flight leader was.
Joeen dreamed of being able to fly as skilfully as Grogaan, but knew there was something special about him, and that his father had taught him all he knew about flying, Ruebern being a renowned fighter pilot. His brother had also been a skilful pilot, something that appeared to run in the family. Grogaan was fortunate; he had good friends who shared his interests in flying and engineering, but Joeen did not. She was unable to call those she flew with true friends.
It was hard for her to watch Grogaan, who appeared to be so free despite his pain and grief. She marvelled at how he dealt with it, how his friends were always there for him, but she was unaware of how he suffered, the depression and the dreams. Joeen was suffering too, and the only one who truly cared was her cousin Julienna, whom she loved dearly.
Although Julienna was very caring and supportive over Joeen’s loss, her fiancé Ben having been killed, she was not a pilot and therefore failed to understand why and how Joeen felt the way she did about flying. As a result, her cousin’s support was insufficient to help Joeen snap out of her emotional turmoil.
When Joeen saw the four heading home, she sighed and a single tear appeared in the corner of her eye. She had a dilemma and she was afraid to do something about it in fear of the consequences. She had been emotionally hurt once since her fiancé’s death, and felt incapable of enduring another rejection. With resignation, she powered up her ship’s engines and returned to squadron headquarters, feeling a little more depressed than when she had arrived.