Eagle X, Mission 20: Quantum Bonds(Editing)

Part 16: Scott

Scott stood quietly in the cockpit entryway watching Ivory adjust the pilot seat, calibrate, and then re-calibrate the strike shuttle's controls.  She stretched her new arm, and made more adjustments.  Once the fighting started there'd be no time to worry about comfort or stability.  The prosthesis spasmed and she wrestled it under control.  Ivory swore and took a mini-wrench to the cybernetic interface connecting her and the mechanical part.

Once she had things under control she went back to prepping the ship.  The vessel was designed for intergrid space travel and light atmospheric combat.  What Spider was planning bordered on exceeding those parameters.  The shuttle's armor plating could withstand medium yield bombardments, and it's deflectors, designed to withstand the rigors of re-entry, might make up for the lack of maneuverability.  None of it would matter if the Amazon fired its main gun.

Through the cockpit window Scott could see a tiny structure in the distance.  It was more than a minuscule hunk of metal, it was home.  They'd followed the vented debris like a trail leading them through the empty void.  Spider had brought them as close as he'd dared.  Unfortunately they could also see the Amazon-class Pale Garden ship.  The enemy had yet to detect the micro-station or the shuttle, but once they did the fight would be over quickly.

Scott grudgingly agreed with Spider's assessment: if they waited to be detected it would be too late.  This was one of those moments when they had to be offensive in order to defend Homebase.

"You just gonna stare at me, big guy, or are you gonna confess your love so we can make this happen?"  Ivory swiveled around with a sly smirk on her face.  "I have to be honest, I'm a heartbreaker.  I might hurt you."

Scott laughed.  She was bold and honest.  He could do worse.

Ivory hopped out of the seat and closed the distance between them.  She rested her head against his stomach, and ran her hand down the fur of his arm.

"You be careful out there, Scott.  That is a long way to fly without a ship under your toned ass."

Scott shook his head and gently pushed away.  Ivory shrugged, and turned back to the ship's controls.  He cleared his throat, then grabbed his space suit from the back seat.  He threw it over her head, drawing a surprised yelp from her lips.

"Scott!  What are you doing?" she cried as she fussed with the space ready garment.  She cursed at his chuckles while she struggled to get free.  "First you try to give me a heart attack, then you try to smother me?  Wait... you want me to help you put this on?  Kinky."

"No, I want you to wear it," he explained, as he took a seat.

She studied him over the bundle of insulated weave and atmospheric filters in her arms.

"Still kinky."  She grinned.

He shook his head again.  She dropped the suit into the copilot's seat and took her own.  "Why would you give me your suit?  You're gonna need it way more."

"Just in case you need to bale out."

"You're not making any sense.  I'm going to be safe and sound in here," she made a sweeping gesture of the entire cockpit, "you're about to make the craziest leap of faith I've ever heard of."

"If we survive this, ask me about the operation on the Kiln World.  I'll play you a mission debrief that will make some of that peach fuzz on your head gray."

"This Kiln World thing seems like a running joke with you and Spider."

"It wasn't funny at the time.  If he ever gives you access to his archive, check out Mission 9."