The Invitation

Posted on Sun Aug 4th, 2019 @ 9:43pm by Lieutenant Commander Jacob "Jack" Devine

Mission: Preludes
Location: USS Achilles
Timeline: 2376
Tags: Invitation

It was late or early in the morning, however you wanted to look at it. Jacob had been gone over with a fine tooth comb by sickbay. His ribs were healed, his body re-hydrated and fed and every little ache and pain attended to. Of course Jacob was most happy when they gave him a chance to shower and put on clean clothes. He was tired but his mind wouldn’t let him rest. With the excitement over and his adrenaline falling off all he could think of was the future. What happened now? Where would they send him?

He decided to take a walk.

The ship was quieter during gamma. Of course slipping out of medical wasn’t easy and when he hit the corridor it was to find a security officer waiting for him. The ensign never said anything but he fell in behind Jacob as the teen walked the corridor.

The ship was in orbit of Earth and Jacob made his way to the hangar bay. He could hear the footsteps of the security officer walking behind him. Not wanting to be bothered, Jacob wisely stayed away from the consoles and simply skirted one of the fighters to approach the open hangar. Leaning against one side, he rested his palm lightly against the field. He glanced behind him and he could see the gold uniform just on the other side of the fighter, watching from a distance. Apparently the Ensign had been ordered to keep an eye on Jacob but not necessarily interfere with anything he did so long as it was harmless.

Jacob smirked, shaking his head. He might never be unescorted again. He couldn’t blame them. His fingers reached out to caress the field, tracing areas of the Earth, his thoughts shifting...

Where would he end up now that he was an orphan? No mother. No father. No distant relatives he knew about. An orphanage of course... It wasn’t what he wanted but he was sixteen. It would be a bit before they let him pave his own way.

Jacob didn’t hear Freely as he poked and prodded the shield, his fingers tracing different countries. He didn’t want to think about what they’d do to him for stealing a fighter but he wasn’t stupid enough to think that wasn’t coming. Given a chance, would he do it all again?

He caught a shadow move out of the corner of his eye and thinking the security officer had come closer, Jacob turned to find Freely standing there. The commander looked better, having been through sickbay himself. “How long have you been standing there?”

Freely moved in closer, throwing that bulky white scarf over his shoulder as he settled against the bulkhead on the opposite side of the open hangar. He laughed, actually laughed.

“I was never given much time to stare at my home, like this. Usually would have to walk the hull in a zero-G outfit of some sort to get any kind of remote solitude, and even then I was hard pressed for time, wondering when my oxygen supply would run out, or if my body heat would eventually stream out through the tiny holes in my boots. Funny how it never ended up that way...” The commander turned his head to look at Jacob.

Jacob, however, was focused on the planet on the other side of the field, his fingers still tracing bits and pieces of it and playing with the field itself. In spite of that he smirked, a sign that he was listening.

“In about five minutes, a small contingent of type twelve shuttles will be swooping past here, like they always do, to bring supplies to our medical bay first. Thirteen worker bees will be welding metal to the ablative armor on both the damaged port and starboard primary hulls, and will likely have to work until about 1400 hours tomorrow to patch that massive hole in the bridge,” Freely murmured absently.

“You know, for a quiet kinda guy, you sure do speak a lot,” Jacob told him, his pinkie covering a section of storm in the west.

Freely followed the storm too with his finger, “Maybe I have some things I want to tell you.”

Jacob afforded him a glance over his shoulder, the shirt he wore a tight blue flight jacket and highly illegal unless you were a pilot of the Achilles.

“I can’t bring them back you know,” Freely whispered. “You know, I’ve spent the last three days thinking about how I could have stopped those pilots from dying, and no matter what I do, I can’t seem to save them. If I pull away to protect my squadron, the boys in the weaker birds go up in flames; if I hang tight close to my tower, my own tail goes down; if I try weaving between both forces, my wings spread too far apart, and I lose my wingman. Again and again, I relive that last flight, and I can’t think of a damn way to save my god-damn pilots.”

Jacob stopped tracing, but said nothing, and held his hand in place.

Freely let his hand cover most of his face, as he gently rested against it. “Yeah, silence is golden.”

“You want me to say something then?” What the hell was he supposed to say to that? Jacob finally looked at the commander.

“Saying anything wouldn’t bring it all back.”

“Then what?”

Freely covered his whole face. “Then nothing, why say anything?”

“Because you want me to, don’t you?” Jacob dipped his head. Should he apologize? And if so, what was he to apologize for exactly?

Freely laughed, “I’m not sure anymore.”

“I haven’t been sure ever since my-”

Freely’s hand struck the shield. “We don’t talk about that here!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Listen to me, alright? Are you listening?”

Stunned, Jacob barely nodded.

“You’re all I’ve got of my pilots; I don’t even think I got to see their bodies. But you’re all I’ve got left. It was my mission, ya know? It was my mission to protect you, and carry you under my god-damn wing while we tried to save lives, and this is what it got me. You.” Freely stared at Earth.

“And I know you don’t have a home down there, and that you’re all alone now,” Freely told him, his voice coming back to full strength, a little laugh coming over him. “You remind me of my little brother. He’s down there right now with Papa, no doubt trying to figure out a way into some girl’s pants. Last time I saw him, he was out of it, ya know? Really screwed up, lost and depressed, and hating my father for everything he seemed to represent. But instead of helping him, I gave my life to this. I’m out here, flying fighters, killing people, while my little bro is fending for himself against pimples, angry girls, and chocolate showers, a prank his best friend will pull when he’ll least expect it.”

Jacob winced at that last part but it was the first part that had his mind reeling. Why point that out? Didn’t he think Jacob knew he had nothing left? No family. No home.

Freely paused, and let his hand drop from his face, as he turned to Jacob. “I want you to fly. I want you to fly like me. You have nothing down there, and you’ll only be lost otherwise, and I won’t have that. Think about it, alright? Don’t decide right now, or in a few hours, this is a life change, kid. If I take you under me, you’re my wingman forever, until you’re good enough to fly the stars by yourself. It’s not easy, but I’ve seen you fly, and I know you can put a pair of wings down right. Think about it. Don’t make a mistake, just think about it, alright? I’ll be around.”

Jacob’s fingers continued to trace Earth. The invitation had come as a shock. Could he really stay on the Achilles. Stay with the commander?

“The stars are waiting for you.”

Jacob turned with that last pronouncement to find he was alone again.

Well, not entirely alone.

=*=

LtCmdr Jacob Devine
Squadron Leader
USS Andromeda

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Note: Freely's part written by Jason of Thunderfleet in 2004