Galaxy (GIVEN UP)

Chapter 10

"Why is everything goin' wrong?" Virgil thought as he tried to connect the engine in an even remotely stable way. The sudden and constant jolts of asteroids against the sides of The Osiris weren't exactly helping.

"Virge? How's it going down there?" Roman called down.

"I'm gettin' there, Princey, calm yar boots!" Virgil yelled. He paused. "What did ya just call me?"

Roman didn't answer.

"Smart Princey." Virgil thought with an eye roll as he focused back on the engine. His hands were shaking. Virgil shook his head slightly and twisted the wires together again.

"More wires means more power in one place." He'd explained to Roman when he'd poked his head in for a snoop around. "Twistin' the wires together means the power goes where it needs to quicker."

Or, at least, he hoped. He'd never worked with an X-Wing engine before. And he'd definitely never worked in an asteroid field before.

"Come on, come on." He muttered as another asteroid jolted the ship. "Genar dammit!"

"Fuck bein' careful." He hissed. He grabbed a spanner and tightened the port around the wires. Was it faulty? Absolutely. Would it hold? Absolutely not.

Was it good enough? Definitely for now.

Virgil jumped up and grabbed the rim of the engine room roof. He struggled up onto landing level and inched along the floor until he could stand up properly.

"It's done, Princey." He called, cupping his hand around his mouth. "Where'd ya say the X-Wing was?"

"Just behind us." Roman's face appeared around the corner.

"Well?" Virgil asked. "What are ya waitin' for? Punch it."

"We can't get Light Speed, though." Roman pointed out. "They can."

"True." Virgil conceded. "But they can't reach 10.3 par secs without puttin' up shields."

"Thought you said the Kaboom Raa 16 didn't have shields?"

"Exac- wait what?" Virgil blinked at Roman.

"I'm gonna go pilot the ship." Roman said quickly, disappearing around the corner.

"Hey, no!" Virgil set off after him. "What did ya just call my ship?"

"Nothing!" Roman lied unconvincingly.

"I ain't condemnin' this ship to death." Virgil said. He crossed his arms and glared at Roman's back. Roman was very decidedly not looking at him and, instead, trying to work out the controls for the ship.

"And since al'that's happened to yar Kaboom Raas i'that they've blown up, I'm good keeping The Osiris, thanks." Virgil said, his voice the most sarcastic Roman had ever heard.

Roman pressed a button and The Osiris hummed (or rather clunked) into life. Another button and the legs retracted.

"Perfect." Roman said. "How the Hell do you fly this thing again?"

"Ya've already done the hard bit." Virgil said, not ready to leave the 'Kaboom Raa 16' comment alone. "Now ya just need to go forward and not hit anythin'."

"Or get hit." Roman muttered. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and pushed forward.

"Asteroid!" Virgil cried as Roman swerved quickly. He clapped his hands over his mouth.

"I saw it, thanks." Roman said sarcastically. He put his hand over his heart and let out a breath. "Jesus Christ, Virge, that scared me."

"What's wi'that?" Virgil asked. "The whole 'Virge' thing?"

"It's a nickname." Roman said. "Like you calling me 'Princey'. Things friends call each other."

"Yeah, can't believe we're 'friends'." Virgil said, etching quotations marks around the word.

"Yeah, I don't often hang around with engineers." Roman said.

"And I don't hang around with pompous pilots." Virgil sneered then laughed. "Yeah, I'm gonna go check on the engine. It ain't good and if it breaks, we're grass holes."

"Huh?"

"It's not good." Virgil said. "Anyway, remember to punch it. Go as fast as you can and I can repair any damage. S'long as it's not too bad."

"Will do." Roman said, giving a fake salute. He swerved past another asteroid smoothly.

"Maybe he's not such a bad pilot after all." Virgil thought as he turned to go.

"Hey, Virge?" Roman asked.

"Hm?"

"Thanks." Roman said. "For not killing me and everything."

Virgil smiled. "No prob, Princey."

Not feeling this chapter. Dunno why.
Bye,
Blaize