Free The Honour of the Knights (First Edition) by Stephen Sweeney

all kinds of genial banter and teasing, Chaz’s
voice lent itself only when it was required of him. Despite this,
Dodds found that the man was an accomplished pilot and worked well
with the rest of the team.
    The
mission took the best part of an hour to complete, by which time
they were all grateful for a break and some food.
     
    * * *
     
    Making
their way into the refectory after Estelle joined them, Dodds felt
quite out of place, the five pilots being the only military
personnel present. The tables were packed full of casual and suit
attired staff, a smattering of white coats here and there. More
walked around carrying their meals on trays.
    “ Is there anyone else here?” Dodds asked as
he sat down to eat whatever delights
Xalan ’ s
research staff were given for lunch. He had yet to see any other
servicemen and couldn’t help but feel that he was missing out on
something.
    “ Two other teams,” Estelle said, confirming
what Parks had told him earlier, whilst holding up a fork full of
mashed potatoes, dripping in gravy. “But
we ’ re
being kept apart; something about the segregation enabling us to
function better as a team and provide us with fewer
distractions.”
    “ Sure it will,” Dodds replied as an attractive, petite
brunette brushed past his chair, their eyes meeting for a brief
moment. She looked away, but smiled as she continued
walking.
    Estelle
tutted before going on to question Dodds as to his performance on
the simulators for the rest of the meal, asking every conceivable
question about his progress. She was quite disappointed to discover
he had not brought back any analytics.
    Finishing, the team stashed their trays on a rack and left
the refectory, Estelle steering them in the direction of the
central lecture theatre to attend the presentation.
     
    * * *
     
    The
lecture theatre, like the other areas of the facility Dodds had
visited that day, had a far larger capacity than their needs
demanded. Positioned centrally in the rows of red steepled seating,
and close to the front, were ten other people, who must have been
the other teams.
    “ Ah, you must be… um… you are..
the White
Knights ?” a voice boomed out over the
theatre speakers. A tall suited man stood behind the podium at the
front, with his back to a large screen covering the wall. To one
side of him sat two other men, one of whom was Parks. “If
you ’ re all ready
then… er.. please take your seats and I will begin the… the
presentation.”
    “ Come on, come on,” Estelle
muttered, ushering her team into
their seats.
    “ Estelle, we’re early, relax,” Dodds said.
    “ Yeah, about fifteen minutes early,” Kelly said.
    “ Yes, but the other teams are already here,” Estelle replied,
before insisting on dictating the seating arrangement so that she
could sit herself in the middle of the team.
    Dodds
was already beginning to feel sorry for the others, having had to
put up with her perfection-seeking attitude for three intense days
already. Sadly, he knew that with their formal training starting
the following day, it was going to get a lot worse before it got
any better. And should they succeed in the evaluations and have the
opportunity to pilot these new starfighters, Estelle could become
unbearable.
    “ Now,” began the lecturer, “may I first welcome you to the
Obex Research Centre here on Xalan and er… tulate… all…” His
words became inaudible through his mumbling. The speaker looked
around as Parks said something to him. He cleared his throat and
went on.
    “ …congratulate you all on your selection
to become the first to pilot the
Confederation ’ s newest and most advanced starfighter… um… My my my name
is James Ainsworth and… er… I am the chief engineer on the ATAF
project. This is Scott Mansun,” he indicated to the man seated just
behind him, “the project leader, and you all know Commodore
Parks.
    “ Right, um… I know you’ll probably have a lot more
questions, b… but, if you