Chapter 27

[Day of Mar's Base Battle: 0845] 

<What am I thinking?> I stopped myself. I shook my head and paced back into my quarters. <Lack of sleep has got me nuts, I guess. Not that there's much I can do about it.> 

I splashed some cool water on my face and looked into the mirror again. I could still see Karl's face in mine, but it didn't bring back the painful memories anymore. If anything, it only renewed my my urge to continue with this grand charade. Taking a deep breath, I turned away from my reflection and started my day. 

After starting my new calling program, one that would notify each pilot in my squadron of our standby condition, I sat down to work out the day's paperwork, including David's new request. It didn't take me more than an hour to finish it all, but I couldn't go back to sleep. My squadron was on standby, and I had to be as ready as everyone else. 

I glanced down at the pile of finished paperwork and checked over the top page again. It was David's request for better priority on the simulators. David had the right idea. It had been a long time since I'd hit the simulators. More than a month, in fact. Maybe it was because I was getting overconfident; maybe I just hadn't had the time. I had the time now, and David had reminded me that I hadn't flown in an atmosphere or gravity for too long. I called to reserve a booth and pulled on my flight suit. 

[1015] 

"Crap!" I screamed at the suddenly black screens in front of me. I had just been creamed by a 'platoon' of battle pods - again - because I was trying to pull the maneouvers I'd used in the vacuum of space. They didn't work as well in an atmosphere or gravity, if at all. The sim was programmed to emulate a Mars-like environment, and I was finding it all extremely difficult. The environment affected the Valkyries less than earth's, but infinitely more than space. I found myself either over- or under-compensating for almost everything I tried. 

Growling under my breath, I signaled for another try at the same simulation. "Gonna have to alter your strategy. Stop relying on the fighter mode so much. Battle pods are basically restricted to ground level when on a planet, but the atmosphere limits the advantages you'd have from the air. So use the cover that the ground provides, and go to gerwalk when you want to get somewhere fast. Right. Okay, begin." 

I fared better in the next simulation. And the next. I wasn't doing nearly as well as I would have liked, but at least I wasn't being smeared all over the landscape. By the end of my reservation, I had reached difficulty level six, as compared to my level fifteen in space. 

[1145] 

I was finally booted from the simulator a little before noon, and I still had some time to kill. Raven probably needed to be checked on, considering I hadn't flown her for days, so I caught a lift to the Prometheus' hangar deck. <I'm glad you picked one of my weekends to ask for help, Thallin. Otherwise, I'd be AWOL.>As I entered the hangar deck, I heard a bit of commotion from the Nighthawk's berthing area. It sounded like everyone was having a good time, so I walked over, hoping to join in the fun. 

Most of the area's attention was centred on a group of people by David's green Veritech. It was composed of a couple techs, Tony, Lauren, and a very dirty David. He was sitting on the deck, soaked and dripping in a puddle of brackish fluid. One of the techs was talking to him as I came into earshot. 

"Say about ten, fifteen minutes." 

"Thanks." David muttered and shook his head. "Wonderful way to start a day, eh?" 

"Only you, boss." Tony chuckled. "Only you - uh, oh." He looked up from David and his puddle and spotted me as I approached. 

"Uh oh what?" David asked. Then he looked up too. "Uh, oh." 

This was quite a change from his appearance at the dress inspection. His uniform was a mess, and, although he had wiped some of the grease off his face, it was still thoroughly covered. "I'm almost afraid to ask what happened," I said. 

David stammered a bit before he finally managed, "It's a long story, sir." 

"I'd suppose so. Well, you don't have a lot of time to spare, so you'll have to tell me about it later." 

"Yes, sir." 

I looked him over again and said, "You'd better go clean yourself up. We should be landing any time now. Since your flight's patrol slot is coming up, you'll be on the flight deck while the SDF is being loaded." 

Lauren spoke up, "Is that wise, Commander? What if we have to launch?" 

"You're pretty far down on the launch schedule, so if he hauls ass, he should make it back by the time you have to go. Even in a scramble alert." I turned and glared at David, "So haul ass, Sergeant." 

He snapped to crisp attention, slinging a bit of the fluid across the deck. "Yes, sir!" Then he turned and ran past his Valkyrie to the exit. 

Then I noticed that someone had painted some new words below his cockpit. It looked like he had finally named his plane, but the title read: 'Swiss Cheese'. 

I called out, "One more thing, David." 

He stopped and turned to look back. "Sir?" 

I inclined my head towards his Valkyrie. "'Swiss Cheese'?" 

His face cracked into a grin. "Well..... the name fits. Always ends up full of holes." 

I almost laughed. David was right. His Valkyrie had always needed more repairs after every battle than any of the others in the Nighthawks. Some said he was lucky to still be alive after all the flak he'd flown through in that plane; others said he was a shot magnet. Restraining a grin, I said, "Ah, I see. Carry on." 

He yelled back, "Yes, Sir!" Then, before he turned to leave, he added, "I mean, Kay." 

I managed to keep from cracking up until I reached Raven. I nearly bust a gut once I got there, though. 

Forward to Chapter 28.
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