Chapter 12

The wingman is absolutely indispensable. I look after the wingman. The wingman looks after me. It's another set of eyes protecting you. That the defensive part. Offensively, it gives you a lot more firepower. We work together. We fight together. The wingman knows what his responsibilities are, and knows what mine are. Wars are not won by individuals. They're won by teams.

— Lt. Col. Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski, USAF, 28 victories in WWII and 6.5 MIGs over Korea.

Hawk, along with the other 19 Swifts in Alpha Squadron, drifted along through the ionosphere of Trenat. Every aircraft trailed long, gossamer nets through the ion rich layer, recharging the Swift's energy cells. The full charge indicator lit up and Hawk instructed the AI to reel in the recharging net. One by one, the Swifts in Alpha Squadron called in indicating full charges. They were ready to resume their training mission.

"Foxy One," Aaron spoke into the comm. "Do you have the latest flare drop coordinates from the AI?"

"Affirmative," Camilla, AKA "Foxy One" replied. "I have a solid link to the AI and I'm getting continuous enemy troop movement locations. D flight will be ready to light up the zone."

"Roger that," Hawk replied. "Good luck and be safe."

Foxy One and the other four Swifts in her flight peeled off from the formation and began a slow reentry. They would be dropping flares over the combat zone to light up the enemy for the combat runs of the other Swifts.

"Roo and Fuji. You guys ready to go?" Hawk asked.

"Affirmative," Roo said in his Australian accent. The Australian and his gunners had been picked up from the Sydney SAAP tournament without "nicknames". It didn't take long for one of the other students to start calling them Roo, Dingo and Koala and the nicknames stuck. "Terrain following is on and functioning, just waiting for the AI to give us the final approach vectors."

"We are ready also," Fuji replied.

"Roger. Assume your initial approach and make adjustments as the AI feeds the updated info," Hawk told them.

"AI, please give us final estimated contact location and approach vectors at a distance of 10 kilometers," Aaron requested.

"Roger," the AI replied. "Final approach vectors will be available at 10 kilometers and I will coordinate the flare drops."

"Let's go get 'em," Aaron said and turned his Swift toward the target.

The Swifts were undertaking their last mission in flight school, a difficult nighttime attack run on a moving target. Robot vehicles were towing targets through a broad valley in the desert. With the help of the AI, a coordinated attack was being implemented. Foxy One's flight would drop aerial flares to light the targets, and then Hawk's, Fuji's and Roo's flights would make attack runs from three different directions, one after another. The changing direction of attack was designed to confuse the targets.

Hawk and the rest of A flight settled in at 50 meters on their preliminary approach vector. Hawk watched the navigation screen as the position of the enemy convoy moved east within the valley.

"10 kilometers coming up," the AI informed him.

"Roger. Please dim the cockpit lighting."

Hawk activated the night vision sensors in his helmet and dropped down to 15 meters. The other Swifts in his flight did the same.

"Alpha Squadron, commence your attack runs!" Hawk said into the comm as they passed the 10-kilometer mark.

Aaron loved this kind of flying. Using the night vision and the terrain following instructions projected by the AI onto his HUD, Aaron flew his Swift close to the hills and valleys, turning and diving to stay as low as possible. Reggie had another opinion.

"Fuck! I hate this night time flying shit," Viper said into the comm. "You're gonna make me sick."

Hawk laughed, "That's bullshit and you know it. The nannites won't let you get airsick."

"Yeah, well I still don't like it," Viper complained.

"Quit your bitching Viper," Kitten replied, "At least the cockpit restraints aren't trying to rub your nipples off every time we change direction."

"Lieutenant Santini, you were informed about the problems that large mammary glands would cause during flight," the AI said, "If you would like, I can schedule a medical visit so that your mammary glands can be reduced in..."

"Can it, metal brain," Kitten replied. "I was joking. If I ever get these things changed they're getting bigger, not smaller."

"Ten seconds," Hawk said. "Get ready."

As Hawk passed the last obstacle he turned off his night vision. A second later, five flares burst into light slightly to the right of their heading.

"They're moving faster than expected. I estimate them to be 3 kilometers further east than expected," Hawk told his other flights.

"Roger that," came responses from Fuji and Roo.

"Fire when ready," Hawk told Viper and Kitten.

Just then, laser beams shot toward them from hidden gun emplacements near the edge of the valley. One of the beams struck the shield.

"Taking fire. Beginning evasive maneuvers," Hawk said. "AI, mark those gun locations and get Foxy One onto them."

"Shield at 60 percent," the AI intoned.

Despite the violent maneuvers, Viper, Sophia and the other gunners in A flight opened up on the convoy vehicles. Flash after flash of blue shot out toward the fake vehicles, eradicating them or setting them on fire. As soon as the firing started, the robots began to spread out, pulling the fake vehicles away from each other to make targeting more difficult.

Scant seconds later, A flight shot past the convoy and headed for their exit location.

"Shield to the rear," Hawk told the AI to keep the gun emplacements from getting in a lucky shot.

Before they even left the valley, Fuji led C flight into the battle. They came in at right angles to Hawk's path. They had destroyed almost 15 vehicles before the laser guns opened up on them. That was short lived as Foxy One and her Swifts concentrated fire on the lasers from 500 meters above. Roo met with no resistance when B flight zoomed in to finish the run.

"Nice work everyone," Hawk said. "Let's head for home."

"I can't believe that flight school is almost over," Kitten said. "It seems like yesterday we were taking our first solo."

"Three months goes by quick," Hawk replied.

"What do you think field survival training is going to be like?" she asked.

"Harder than we think it will be."

"Explain to me why we are attending a kid's birthday party when we should be relaxing and getting ready for survival training," Reggie asked, an irritated frown on his face. Reggie, Sophia, Marty, Ann, Ken and Aaron were on their way to Tiffany's house to celebrate Heather's 14^th birthday.

"I'll give you several reasons," Sophia, snapped at him, irritated in turn by his attitude. "One, Heather turns fourteen tomorrow and that makes her an adult, not a kid. If she doesn't score high enough on the CAP test she will be available for sponsorship. Word has it there are several volunteers looking to fill available concubine slots. Some of them are marines stationed off-planet and Heather's mom doesn't want her to be taken somewhere else. Two, Heather is a sweet girl and would probably fit in well in our family and we have 5 available slots to fill between me, Marty and Ken. Our agreement was that we would all participate in selecting new family members. And three, Tiffany is our friend and if we are invited to her house for a party we go to the party."

"But I had some other things to do..."

"Running off to bang Camilla is not important enough to skip an invitation from a friend," Aaron interrupted. "Besides, it's only going to take a couple of hours. You can go see Camilla later."

Ken reached over and ruffled Reggie's hair. "Ah, the impetuosity of youth," Ken said, chuckling. Reggie pouted.

The group arrived at Tiffany's house and walked up to the front door. Tiffany's concubines had been busy landscaping. They had replicated some fake palm trees and bushes and had set them out in beds around the walkway.

"We need to do something with our yard." Ann observed.

"Yes dear," Marty said.

"I didn't direct that comment at you," Ann replied.

"Maybe not, but I'll end up doing it anyway."

"Make Darren and Kyle help you," Sophia said.

"Hey guys, come on in," Tiffany said from the now open doorway.

Tiffany ushered them into the house. Balloons and ribbons were hung all over the house and the smell of birthday cake was coming from the kitchen.

"The boys are out back fighting over the grill and drinking beer," Tiffany told Aaron, Marty, Ken and Reggie. "Grab a brewski on your way!" she called out toward their rapidly retreating backs.

Tiffany turned back to the girls. "Come on in, we're getting lunch ready in the kitchen."

Tiffany led them into a huge kitchen with a center island and long bar separating the kitchen from a large dining room. Lisa, Tiffany's "mom" concubine was directing several of the other girls while also putting frosting on a large birthday cake. Tiffany got Sophia a glass of wine and for Ann, now almost 4 months pregnant, a soda. Faith, Heather's mother, set down the dish she was preparing and came over to them.

"Thanks so much for coming today; it means a lot to me that you are willing to consider taking Heather into your family. I'm hoping that she'll score high enough to be a sponsor, but I just don't think she'll make it."

"It's our pleasure." Ann replied. "Heather is a nice girl."

"Ummm, Faith," Sophia said, hesitating to ask her question. "What experience with sex does Heather have? We all know she is a sweet girl, but our family dynamic is such that we share sexual partners and all of us girls are bisexual. Do you think that will be a problem for her?"

"She's still a virgin, but she does have some experience. She hadn't had sex with her boyfriend before we were picked up, but I think she has experimented some. I know she has been very sexually excited with all the sex that occurs around here and I let her replicate a vibrator to use," Faith replied.

Zoe, one of Tim's concubines chirped in from across the counter, "She's bi too. We've fooled around a little bit."

"I didn't know that but it doesn't surprise me," Faith said, "I've always been bi myself."

"As long as we feel that she'll be compatible with us, I don't think we'll have any qualms about sponsoring her," Ann said.

The relief on Faith's face was evident.

The boys soon appeared carrying a large platter of burgers. It was obvious that Tiffany's men had been at the beer for a while. They were all laughing and cutting up.

Corey held up the platter and grunted in a caveman voice. "We men. We kill fake meat for women. We make fire. We cook fake meat. It stink like mammoth dung."

"Grow up!" Lisa said to Corey as she took the platter from him.

"He's right, it does smell funny," Lisa's husband Ben said.

"Damn, what I wouldn't give for a real steak," Corey replied. "The replicator can't make meat worth a damn."

"The beer's not much better," Greg added. "Someone must have given the replicators some shitty $1.99-a-case crap as a template."

"Bitching about it won't change it," Sophia observed.

"Maybe not, but it makes me feel better to get it off my chest," Greg replied.

"Here," Lisa said to the men, handing them bowls of potato salad and other dishes. "Take this stuff into the dining room."

The birthday party was very nice. Heather was dressed up in a blue dress that showed off quite a bit of her quickly developing cleavage. She was a beautiful girl who had inherited much of her mother's looks and charm. She sat between Ann and Ken who talked with her quite a bit about what she wanted to do with her life and about their family. They discovered that Heather knew quite a bit about their family already.

After the cake had been served, most of Tiffany's family took 6 year old John, Heather's brother, down to the newly built playground in town. Tiffany, Faith and Heather stayed behind with Sophia and the others.

"Heather, we all like you very much," Sophia said. "And we would be very happy to have you in our family. But first we need to know that you will fit in well with us. We don't want to bring someone into our family that will cause problems for us."

"Likewise," Marty continued. "It would not be fair to you to bring you into the family if you are uncomfortable with us."

"Exactly," Sophia said. "That being said, do you understand how our family works?"

"Ummm. You all have sex with each other, right?" Heather responded.

"Yes, except for the guys. They aren't bisexual. We have sex with each other and sometimes with more than one of the family members," Sophia said. "We respect each other's wishes and feelings and we love each other very much."

"We have such strong feelings for everyone that Marty and I elected to stay in the family after he was retested and his CAP score went up to a 6.8. Ken joined our family too and brought his wonderful women to our family and we love them also," Ann said.

"I would like that," Heather replied, "but I'm not very experienced. I've fooled around with my old boyfriend and stuff but I'm still a virgin," said Heather.

"Would you have any problem sleeping with women?" Sophia asked.

"Well... ," Heather began, casting a guilty look at her mother.

"It's all right," Faith told her, "I know about Zoe."

"Then no, I don't have a problem with that," Heather said, "And I am looking forward to losing my virginity too."

"Not until tomorrow," Tiffany said. "It's not allowed until then."

"But we do need to audition you," Ann replied in a husky voice. "People with good oral skills almost always make good lovers. If you're ready, sweetie, you can start with me."

Ann was wearing a knee length skirt and pale yellow blouse. She pulled her skirt up revealing her dark haired pussy. As she spread her legs everyone could see that her pussy was smooth and hairless from the top of her pussy down. Ann unbuttoned her blouse, exposing her bountiful breasts. She began to roll and pinch her nipples as Heather walked toward her.