Chapter 4

Androme said, "As your ship sensors indicate, the asteroids we are approaching are not real. It is Terraforce's playground."

Novia was happy to be in space again as the third week at the academy begun. She was in the shooter seat as Orion piloted out away from Mars. Orion didn't think the motionless fake rocks looked very realistic.

Androme continued, "They are pretend asteroids, but they are still very much a danger. If you run into one, you can destroy your ship and kill yourself as much as a real asteroid will."

"And we're going to make it so hard on you if we have to fill out the paperwork about your death," quipped Sirrah.

"There's no course today," said Androme. "You are going hunting and shooting. There are fifty drones. Find them and destroy them as quickly as you can. They don't shoot back. Hunters, here is your chance to show me that you learned something. If you're always flying head on at the drones and not giving your shooter a chance to do his or her job, then when we get back you are going to spend half the night in decon because I know there is something contaminated in your head."

Orion was excited. Live action! Flying in and out of the asteroid field wiping out drones.

"We're going to do this like we're fighting the Gruus," said Sirrah. "Shut off your weapon's automatic tracking and shut off your sensors."

"Not a problem," Orion said to Novia.

"If they don't shut up, we're going to be dead from old age before we get a chance to get out there," she said, expressing the same frustration Orion felt.

Androme said, "Our sensors can tell if yours are on. If you even accidentally switch them on, you are going to spend a long time in decon."

"We get it," muttered Orion impatiently.

Novia said, "You and I would have every drone killed by now. They probably need an excuse to keep us out here this long."

"Are you ready?" Sirrah asked.

"Yes!" was the eager chorus.

"Good."

"Hold on a second then," said Androme.

The asteroids began to tumble and rotate as they went on whatever programmed course was selected for this training session. Once they were in motion, they looked a lot more realistic. Orion watched them. This would be challenging - and fun!

"Happy hunting," Androme said.

"Go!" shouted Sirrah.

Orion wasted no time. He blasted into the asteroid field before others could react. A silver drone appeared straight ahead. He fired his weapon and destroyed it. He thought he saw a motion to his right by a big asteroid as if a drone or two were going by it.

"Get ready!" he yelled as he went the opposite way around.

"I am!" she yelled back.

Novia's gun went off and he noticed the remains of a destroyed drone. As Orion flew, three silver drones appeared where he expected. Novia swiveled around quickly in her chair and wiped them out. Damn! She was fast. Orion was impressed. He was glad to have the best shooter in his ship.

"That way!" Novia said excitedly.

Orion didn't see them at first, but it was a couple of dark drones. He raced toward them. Cassio's ship appeared ahead of them from behind an asteroid and they were in range to shoot the dark drones.

"They don't see them," whispered Novia even though the channel was only between Orion and her. "Veer off a little to make them think you are about to go the other way."

"I was thinking the same," Orion said.

"The drones are turning!" said Novia. They would for sure be noticed.

Orion throttled up in the midst of the asteroids. He wanted the kill as much as Novia did. The few seconds went by excruciatingly long for Novia until finally she fired. The laser fire and drone explosions startled Cassio and she veered down as if to avoid being shot.

"Yes!" cheered Orion. They got them!

When the last drone in the asteroid field was destroyed, Orion and Novia had killed eighteen out of the fifty. The next highest was Perion and Lyra with nine.

"Return to base," said Androme.

"We'll debrief immediately after decon," said Sirrah.

The students sat on the ends of their beds while Androme and Sirrah stood in the middle.

"You were completely pathetic," Sirrah chastised much to the shock and dismay of the cadets.

Androme paced the floor wordlessly.

"What were you thinking?" Sirrah continued.

A cadet finally spoke up. Ouranie said, "What did we do wrong?"

"It would be easier to say what you did right. Nothing."

"We killed all the drones." Ouranie with Pyx piloting their ship hit six so she felt good about the drone training session."

Sirrah turned to Novia. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Novia anxiously looked back at her not knowing how to respond.

Androme said, "What about you, Orion?"

"We killed more than anybody," he defended.

"Is that a good thing?" Androme shot back.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Orion couldn't help but get a little testy.

"What about the dark drones you killed when Cassio and Castor were right there?"

Sirrah looked straight at Novia. "Why did you have to have the kill?"

"I ... I don't know," she said which wasn't exactly the truth. She and Orion wanted the kill.

Androme said, "The teamwork between the ships was deplorable."

"There wasn't any," Sirrah added.

"When you run up against a Gruus squadron, do you think you are going to win on your own. Do any of you?" Androme scanned the cadets.

"Not a single one of you showed any teamwork" said Sirrah. "You are not competing against each other. You've made it. You're in Terraforce. You have to act like it. Do you think your team leader is going to want you off doing whatever you want?"

"No," said Thabit, automatically responding for everybody.

"Your lead may need you at a particular place defending a particular area. You might have to let some Gruus go by just so you don't expose the plan."

"Yes, ma'am" Ceres said.

"Tomorrow the drones shoot back and will disable your ship."

"Okay," said Androme. "Get some food, get some rest, and we'll go out for a jog."

Every cadet knew it was going to be a long and painful workout today.

For Androme and Sirrah, it was always one of the hardest talks they had to give to each batch of cadets.

The asteroid field was in a different pattern this morning and everything moved faster.

Androme said, "Cassio, you are with me. We are going in through the center. Orion and Ceres will take the left flank. Perion and Pyx on the right. Everyone understand?"

All gave their affirmation.

"Let's go."

"Hang back a little," Orion told Ceres as they headed in. "We could both be taken out if we are together."

Ceres followed just back and to Orion's right as they weaved through the asteroids.

"There!" Novia and Thabit said it almost concurrently. Several drones had flown behind a larger asteroid.

"Go around the other side," said Orion excitedly and throttling his speed up. "I'll chase them to you." He preferred Novia and him to have the kill, but he also knew this was right.

"Got it!" said Ceres, equally animated. She veered off at high velocity.

Orion started firing his front gun to drive the drones faster. When Thabit started killing them, two drones veered back to escape so it was obvious they were smarter than yesterdays drones that simply followed random and pointless courses. Novia killed them.

"They didn't even get a shot off!" said Ceres.

"Yes," said Orion, though he mentally kicked himself for forgetting the drones could shoot back. His course should have been erratic so the ships couldn't easily get a bead on him. "Let's keep moving on."

It was quiet for a long time except for the hum of their engines.

"Motion!" Novia said excitedly. She thought it was a single dark drone.

"Where?" Orion said.

Novia called out, "Thabit! Lay down fire at two!"

Thabit did and the drone turned toward them.

"Evade!" said Orion.

The two Storms went in opposite directions as the drone fired. Novia and Thabit combined their fire and destroyed the drone.

The two ship team destroyed ten drones in all.

"That was foolish, Perion," Androme reprimanded at the debriefing.

"I made it!" Perion said proudly.