Free Citation Series 1: Naero's War: The Annexation War by Mason Elliott Page B

there was often a lot of down time between battles, engagements, and major campaigns. Typical military experience; lots of boredom, and then a few minutes to hours, or days of sheer terror, chaos, and destruction all around.
    Fighter pilots on duty had to stand ready to prep and launch in a matter of seconds or minutes at most, where every second counted.
    Naero stored her gear and met with the other nineteen pilots in their barracks on board The Bulldog . Five others were new reserve replacements, just like her. She met the other backup pilot that she would be wingman to–another Ensign named Laedon James. He had already survived his first battle.
    His wingman had not. Hence the revolving need for another replacement.
    To pass the time, Laedon and Amina-Naero played cards, stellar chess, or various vid games with the other nineteen pilots in her wing .
    She’d been around Chaela and Saemar and other fighter pilots long enough to know how many of them behaved. She did most everything within the acceptable range, so as not to stand out or attract too much attention.
    They gambled small wagers on cards, on stellar chess, on vids, dice, dominoes–anything with an element of chance to it .
    “So , what am I getting myself into with this unit and your commanders?” Amina-Naero asked her new mates.
    “Where’d you come from and who did you serve under?” came the standard response from one veteran pilot, answering her question with a question.
    The woman did not even look up from her cards.
    “I had my initial training under Admiral Sleak Maeris, with the 112th Alliance Star Fighter Wave, Fourth Squadron, 6th Fighter Wing. I’ve bounced around a lot as a backup and reserve pilot since then. Haven’t seen any action yet.”
    A very plausible answer. That sort of thing was commonplace, especially for young backups and reserves.
    The veteran –already an ace many times over–at twenty-two years of age, grimaced briefly.
    “Less chance to die. Count yourself lucky, kid .”
    Another vet chimed in. “Fleet Captain Maeris is a hard-nosed hellcat, much like her aunt, our glorious Admiral. She does some crazy shit in battle–like some kind of a savant.” This guy didn’t bother looking at her when he spoke either.
    Naero put on her best worried face. “Like , what kind of crazy?”
    “The best kind of crazy,” the last guy added with a chuckle. “Crazy as in stuff the enemy doesn’t expect. That drives them nutsoid and helps us beat their asses bloody. Don’t worry, newb. If the fleet cap doesn’t get you killed in the process, you’ll learn to love her. You might shake your head a lot at first, but it’ll be okay in the end.”
    The female vet got mad and threw her cards down, her face scarlet .
    “Don’t tell the kid that, Yuben! You can’t know how it’s gonna be for her or anyone. Not even you. How can you say things are going to be okay? Remind me when they have been okay ?”
    “Easy , Jem. Whatever happens, it’s all gonna be okay. We can’t control it anyway. So why worry about it?”
    “Yeah, your pat, dumbass answer for everything. I’m just saying. The kid could go out and get blown to hell on her first mission –just like the last guy. That’s the same thing you told him. So, you can’t just say everything’s automatically going to be okay. Because it isn’t.”
    Naero let her eyes stare wide and swallowed hard .
    Yuben frowned, squirming only slightly as Jem pressed her point .
    “Like any of us can control any of that. Don’t let her rattle you, kid. Just do your best. That’s all any of us can ever do. Then whatever else happens, it’s all okay.”
    Jem shook her outstretched, trembling fingertips in the air like claws .
    “Idiot! ”
    Yuben ignored her frustration and focused on the card game at hand .
    Amina-Naero quietly asked a few questions about several recent battles that she had heard about.
    The squadron gave their opinions, based on their perspective and the information