Horizon of the Stars

Dangers of the Rift Chapter 2

        One Hour Before the Rift Opens.

After the short speech I gave my Squadron and I started checking over the New Heavy Fighters. Burk of course had a one pilot Heavy Gunship and he almost cried when he saw it. The Dark Gray of it made it much harder to lock onto in the dead of space which was good because a bigger ship like that would be all but a sitting duck, it's shields were much stronger as well. My brother and I's Heavy Fighters were the same pattern painted dark blue and dark red. Mine more Red his more Blue, The Dragon heads on the front were bigger than our old fighters but definitely a sight to behold.

The other five heavy fighters were patterned much the same way just different coloring, Joco and Barbara's Fighters were opposing Dark Green and Dark Yellow, Lilia's was a dark blue and dark orange with Terra's being a Maroon and Greed, and Jericks was shades of brown. I don't know if that was done on purpose or not, but it made a few of us laugh. Hangar Bays one through ten were all launch bays which means they had no gravity so the pilots and crew could get around easier without having to climb up anything. We could just push of a surface and get to where we needed to be. I was in my cockpit doing pre-flight checks as Terra floated over and rested her hand on the back of my seat.

"Hi," She leaned in a whispered. Her big jade green eyes almost glittered at me with a sly smile across her face. "I honestly didn't think you liked me, I mean I always thought you liked Lieutenant Truan." She rested her elbow on the seam for my cockpit canopy and placed her chin in her hand.

"I did and because Restrictions have been lifted I did ask her, turns out she doesn't feel the same. But my brother helped me to realize something." I broke off, I did not want to upset her by saying something stupid like guys usually do. She slapped my arm, the sly smile on her face getting bigger.

"It doesn't matter what your brother helped you realize, when a woman says no what can you do but move one to someone who knows your worth." She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. "I'm glad she was stupid enough to let you go." Just then there was a loud whistle from Jericks direction.

"Hey Hot Stuff, why don't you come over here and give me some of that sugar as well!" Jerick yelled across the hangar bay, and there it was her anger flared and the green in her eyes darkened, she looked just as beautiful angry as she did calm and happy.

"You Rat Bastard-" As the words slipped out of her mouth Lilia's hand clamped over it, muffling the rest of the very colorful words I know she wanted to say to him. I just nodded at Lilia in thanks, we did not need to give him more ammo. She breathed heavily through Lilia's hands and kind of looked back at her. She released her and floated next to my fighter, Lilia was always calm and collected which she always was able to pass over to Terra.

"Jerick, that right there is why you will grow old and alone, no one will ever like you because you're just shallow." Lilia kicked off my fighter to floated back over to Adrian.

"Whatever I have fun that's all that matters." Jerick shouted back with a big cheesy smile elongating the "Whatever" in a sarcastic fashion.

"Yeah and that fun has only gotten you in trouble." Adrian shouted back as he took Lilia's hand to bring her closer.

"I haven't been in that much trouble-" He was cut of as Burke came out of his Gunship and interrupted him.

"Women look at you in disgust, you are despised by many and every where you go you make enemies. You are the only one to laugh at your nasty jokes and sexist comments, you are not a man but a childish perverted boy in a grown man's body." Burk stated in a monotone fashion not even bothering to look up from his flight console. "You will grow old alone, live alone, and die alone.'" He pressed few extra buttons on his console and his cockpit shut as Jerick started shouting some pretty obscene profanities across the bay. I think he got even more upset by the fact that Burke could no longer hear his trash ridden comments. He sat back down in his flight seat grumbling something about fornicating with someone's mom.