Part 40: BONGLEEE

They had the Wolfcraft repaired and it was no longer fleet standard gray but was black with Olafson red trim and the Olafson Seal of the two wolfs painted on each side below the cockpit. Two weeks had passed since our fight against the Nul. There was not much information about the whole incident in the official channels. GalNet News showed bits and pieces of the fight and called it a minor border incident. A force that gave the Devi pause caused 14 casualties sounded more than a minor incident to me. The Squadron News Magazine had a lengthy article about the intruder test and even a report about my fight with Har-Hi but very little about the Nul attack. Har-Hi speculated that there was more to it and I agreed remembering my own thoughts. However this was the military and not required to divulge all its secrets for public scrutiny.

Commander Cotton and the other pilots treated us like part of the squadron; we ate in the same mess hall or sat around in the Hot Standby lounge right next to the pre-flight deck. 50 Squadrons were always on Hot Standby, meaning combat ready and able to launch in less than 3 minutes. Hot Standby rotated daily and when it was the turn of Squadron 12, Har-Hi and I shared the duty. They all were cocky and arrogant and full of energy, but there was a deep sense of honor. Duty to the death and comradeship was the mantra.

The twelfth squadrons of course competed with all the other squadrons and the entire Wolfcraft fighter department, competed against the Marines gun boats. All in a professional way of course, everyone knowing full well they all were on the same side.

Har-Hi was, according to Cotton the best pilot he ever had and so it came we flew quite a few exercises and competitions against other squadrons. No matter the challenge, Har-HI came out on top. We just returned from an exercise fought in the atmosphere of an uninhabited desert planet. His fighter was now deep red and he had a whirling Alti-Karr and a glyph of the Dai alphabet reading Tar-Kar. Thanks to Har-Hi’s constant tutorship I was now able to read and decipher most of the Dai glyphs. Like every pilot we were allowed and encouraged to modify and personalize our fighters. So instead of four FTL’s, my Wolfcraft carried now dual launchers with Locust Swarm missiles. Sneered at by most pilots for their weak destructive power, but Har Hi said a swarm of target following warheads was distracting and unnerving and that bought the necessary half a second time that was so often crucial in any fight with a similar good opponent.

Our last combat exercise results showed, it worked just as Har-Hi said it would.

We were greeted at the door with a rough throated cheer. Cotton came around the chairs and pounded our shoulders, then handed out cigars. “Fine job boys, fine job indeed. The Commander of the 4th Squadron owes me a whole case of these now. So in light of your accomplishments I am giving you both two days off, before the big day!”

He pointed his cigar at me and added. “Viking, I mean two days off. I don’t want to see you anywhere near the simulators or near the Preflight deck. That goes for you as well, Pirate!”

“Yes Sir, two days off.”

Har Hi puffed in his cigar and said.”What big day, Sir?”

Cotton sighed. “Friday is your last day with the squadron. The time is up and no matter what I tried; Command insists that you go the regular way. We never had two more talented fighter pilots than you two, and I would have loved to see you tear up fighter school at Arsenal IX and come back to us, unless of course they would have kept you as instructors.”

Blowdart, actually Lt Commander Neuheen who was a Blue and a distant relative of the Kermac said. “Union Week begins on Friday and the Devi is going to reach the Pluribus system by Thursday night to participate at the big parade for the first time.”

“I forgot about Union Week,” I said. “I also had no idea the Devi would be in the Pluribus System.”

Wildcat laughed. “They don’t feel the necessity to discuss flight plans with Midshipmen on a daily basis, even if one of them commanded that mighty ship of ours for a few weeks, but you two and the squadron are going to fly escort in the parade and our guns will be loaded with pyro color bombs for dazzling show effect fights and all that.”

Blow Dart handed us our jackets, while trying to get into his own. Har Hi took his and helped him getting in. “I never heard of any parades, but then this is only my third year as a Union Citizen.”

Another fighter pilot sitting in one of the old fighter seats that had been placed in the Squadron Standby room, holding a magazine turned,” There are always parades on the first day of Union week, on many planets and also here at Pluribus, but they are usually ground or aerial parades. Only every five years to commemorate the last victory over the Y’All, there is a big parade in space between the orbit of Pluribus Unum and Planet Suburbia.”

Yet another standing by the Serv Matic Vending machine added to the conversation. “It is only the ninth time the Devi participates. It’s spectacular, all member species participate with ships of their own, often with pre-join Old-timers of their original fleets, beautifully restored or maintained and then of course the Navy shows of their latest stuff.”

Wildcat smiled. “Main reason for these silly parades is of course to send a message to the no doubt observing enemies saying: Try something and we parade down your system next.”