hyperspace. “I’m afraid we have no launch bays that can accommodate your Avengers. I trust you are willing to launch from here?”
Jack blinked in realization of where the Peloran pilots had gone.
“Of course we are,” Charles answered without a pause and waved everybody to their fighters. He aimed a quick look at Jack, and Jack realized the man had caught that little tidbit as well. “Hula!” Charles said in a soft tone, stopping Drew and Jasmine in their tracks.
“Yeah, Chief?” Drew asked, looking nervous.
Charles glanced over at her damaged Avenger. Without the nose, she had no laser turret, but that wasn’t the worst of it. “You can not break the surface,” Charles said with a shake of his head. “You can not fight this one.”
Drew bit her lip before nodding. “I’m sorry, Chief,” she whispered.
“Don’t be,” Charles said with another shake. “There will be many Shang to kill in the future I think.”
Drew gave him a sad smile.
Jack felt the need to say something and smiled at her and Jasmine. “I’ll tag one for you.” He aimed a jaunty finger at them as he said it, and saw both of them fighting to keep from laughing at him. Their mood lightened, even if only a little, he turned and ran off towards his Avenger, Betty beside him. He frowned though as his mind returned to the Peloran and everything he’d learned today.
“What’s on your mind?” Betty asked as they stopped at the foot of the fighter and the ladder extruded out of its skin for him.
Jack looked between Aneerin and Hal as he pulled himself up the ladder. Something was odd but he couldn’t put his finger on it. “These people are strange. Deeply strange.”
“True,” Betty answered with a smile. “Far more alien than you thought from their faces?”
Jack blinked again and froze on the ladder for a moment. “Yeah. Alien. I think that covers it.” He aimed a long look at Aneerin and Hal, standing side by side like twins, watching the Americans board their fighters. “Have you noticed they talk very much alike?” he finally asked.
“Well, they have been partners for over two thousand years,” Betty said with a smile and jumped up onto the console as she shrunk down to twenty centimeters in height. “If we last that long, people will be saying the same about us.”
“God, I hope not,” Jack answered and dropped into his seat. He winked at her surprised expression and locked his restraints in. “I like my sexy baritone.”
Betty laughed, a clear soprano sound that tinkled off the inside of the cockpit. Then she pursed her lips. “Well, I could change,” she said, her voice dropping down into the baritone range.
Jack rubbed his chin and cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable with the discussion. “I think I’ll take yah the way your momma made yah,” he finally said.
Her eyes opened wide, she slipped her hands behind her back, and gave him a pleased smile. “Nice,” she said in her normal voice. “Good save.” She cocked her head to the side. “And I am ready to fly…now. Are you?”
A smile came to his face. “Always.” Jack leaned back in his seat, completely at ease again.
“Good,” Betty said and they floated up off the deck.
He looked out to see the other Cowboys lifting off as well, and a scan of the displays showed their information popping up, confirming their readiness to fight. All but Drew and Jasmine of course.
“Cowboy Three to all Cowboys,” Charles broadcast. “Let’s launch. We’ll be holding the Guardian Light’s starboard flank against counter attack while assisting in offensive operations.” A beam of light appeared on the displays, showing their route out of the hangar and around his flank. “Follow my beam,” he ordered and accelerated out of the hangar.
Jack interlaced his fingers and cracked his knuckles as they accelerated out with the rest of the Cowboys. The squadron
Jack blinked in realization of where the Peloran pilots had gone.
“Of course we are,” Charles answered without a pause and waved everybody to their fighters. He aimed a quick look at Jack, and Jack realized the man had caught that little tidbit as well. “Hula!” Charles said in a soft tone, stopping Drew and Jasmine in their tracks.
“Yeah, Chief?” Drew asked, looking nervous.
Charles glanced over at her damaged Avenger. Without the nose, she had no laser turret, but that wasn’t the worst of it. “You can not break the surface,” Charles said with a shake of his head. “You can not fight this one.”
Drew bit her lip before nodding. “I’m sorry, Chief,” she whispered.
“Don’t be,” Charles said with another shake. “There will be many Shang to kill in the future I think.”
Drew gave him a sad smile.
Jack felt the need to say something and smiled at her and Jasmine. “I’ll tag one for you.” He aimed a jaunty finger at them as he said it, and saw both of them fighting to keep from laughing at him. Their mood lightened, even if only a little, he turned and ran off towards his Avenger, Betty beside him. He frowned though as his mind returned to the Peloran and everything he’d learned today.
“What’s on your mind?” Betty asked as they stopped at the foot of the fighter and the ladder extruded out of its skin for him.
Jack looked between Aneerin and Hal as he pulled himself up the ladder. Something was odd but he couldn’t put his finger on it. “These people are strange. Deeply strange.”
“True,” Betty answered with a smile. “Far more alien than you thought from their faces?”
Jack blinked again and froze on the ladder for a moment. “Yeah. Alien. I think that covers it.” He aimed a long look at Aneerin and Hal, standing side by side like twins, watching the Americans board their fighters. “Have you noticed they talk very much alike?” he finally asked.
“Well, they have been partners for over two thousand years,” Betty said with a smile and jumped up onto the console as she shrunk down to twenty centimeters in height. “If we last that long, people will be saying the same about us.”
“God, I hope not,” Jack answered and dropped into his seat. He winked at her surprised expression and locked his restraints in. “I like my sexy baritone.”
Betty laughed, a clear soprano sound that tinkled off the inside of the cockpit. Then she pursed her lips. “Well, I could change,” she said, her voice dropping down into the baritone range.
Jack rubbed his chin and cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable with the discussion. “I think I’ll take yah the way your momma made yah,” he finally said.
Her eyes opened wide, she slipped her hands behind her back, and gave him a pleased smile. “Nice,” she said in her normal voice. “Good save.” She cocked her head to the side. “And I am ready to fly…now. Are you?”
A smile came to his face. “Always.” Jack leaned back in his seat, completely at ease again.
“Good,” Betty said and they floated up off the deck.
He looked out to see the other Cowboys lifting off as well, and a scan of the displays showed their information popping up, confirming their readiness to fight. All but Drew and Jasmine of course.
“Cowboy Three to all Cowboys,” Charles broadcast. “Let’s launch. We’ll be holding the Guardian Light’s starboard flank against counter attack while assisting in offensive operations.” A beam of light appeared on the displays, showing their route out of the hangar and around his flank. “Follow my beam,” he ordered and accelerated out of the hangar.
Jack interlaced his fingers and cracked his knuckles as they accelerated out with the rest of the Cowboys. The squadron
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