Heritage (Under Revision)

Chapter 41: Stella

It’s almost hard to believe that it’s been six months already. Time has seemed to pass like a flash of lightning since I’ve been attending the Flight Candidate School.

Being here is everything I’ve dreamed of.

Top of the line training programs, master instructors, and the satisfaction of hands on training. Just the training simulators themselves gets your adrenaline pumping and I’ve never found myself so happy with the exception of one thing...Leon is missing.

We’ve hardly had any contact what so ever since he became a Navy SSEAL the only talks we’ve really had are video calls here and there on a hacked military TAPs device that he keeps hidden. They only seem to last seconds and feels like my heart is breaking when he has to hang up so suddenly.

I suppose I’d rather that than no contact though...I miss him so much. The separation is so much worse than I had anticipated. The only thing that seems to keep my head straight is the academy itself. It always has my head in a book, hologram, or simulation that puts every ounce of my concentration to the test. This entire experience is completely bittersweet and it’s hard to decide if I just want it to end or if I just want to ride the tide and have fun while I’m here. I know Leon would like me to do that.

“Stella...Stella...Cadet Stella!” A voice yells, snapping me out of another one of my daydreaming episodes.

It’s been getting harder to keep my self-focused in class the past few days. “I’m sorry sir, I zoned out for a moment,” I respond to the instructor in a surprised and stupefied manner.

He raises an eyebrow to me as I feel his eyes scan my facial expression. “It’s fine. Just don’t let it happen again. All of you are here to learn how to be effective pilots, not to daydream,” He says scolding me in a stern manner.

“Yes sir, I apologize, it won’t happen good,” I say, guilt painting my face.

My instructor turns without another word and continues his lecture on dogfighting tactics.

Being a fighter pilot in this day and age is ten times more dangerous than it has been in the past military ages. Though the training now has been cut down to under a year with new scholastic advancements, it used to take up to three years to effectively learn the tactics and strategies of a professional pilot.

The fighter jets reach speeds of more than double what they originally could with the innovations in propulsion technology. Maneuvering in a conflict situation must be nearly flawless as one wrong twist or turn of the plane can cause it to be torn apart by the sheer speed of its traveling.

The highly aerodynamic design of the planes helps to compensate but the materials simply haven’t caught up with the technology. Dogfights require the most skill as a fighter pilot, requiring pinpoint precision and unhindered reflexes. A human fighter pilot has to be able to react instantly to any situation.

Humans are much more disadvantaged in aerial conflicts as the Sekrid seemed to have focused much of their military advancement to that of flight. Their bodies are also more capable of handling higher gravitational forces due to their natural body structures which have always been larger and more evolved than any Earth dwelling creature.

I tried to listen as much as possible after that but the entire class seemed to pass by like a blur before I heard the word “dismissed,” spoken to the class.

I quickly gather my things and briskly walk down the stairs of the lecture hall, avoiding any and all looks from other classmates. But before I’m able to make it through the door, our instructor, Lieutenant Colonel Myers, stops me, “Stella, may I have a word with you?” He asks while leaning against his desk staring at an irrelevant folder of documents.

“Yes sir,” I say as I tense up and slowly trudge to his desk.

The rest of the class files out of the hall leaving it silent and desolate as Lieutenant Colonel Myers cycles his way around to his desk chair and sits down.

“I should probably tell you now before things get out of hand. You’re test scores are beginning to drop tremendously and it is starting to concern me greatly. Would you like to speak to me about why, or would you like to leave the matter unresolved?” He asks me plainly and cold.

“I apologize Lieutenant Colonel, my brain has just been very scattered as of late and I can’t seem to focus,”

“Not being able to focus means that you can’t keep your brain on me only during an entire lecture. You however, can stare at absolutely everything I put down on that screen behind me and yet you still forget the entirety of it, except for a few guessed questions. Your test scores have gone from the top of my class to the lower tiers. Do you understand what that means?”

“No sir...”

“It means that you are subject to this academy’s evaluation program. You understand that we have a very strict policy on our pilots-in-training. We can only allow the top to graduate otherwise we are going to have a very high ratio of casualties in the skies. The Sekrid do not hold back for anyone. I will not allow anyone who isn’t ready for this to graduate this academy with those shining wings pinned on their uniform. The only reason I haven’t submitted this to the board yet is because I believe there’s something more to this. Can you please prove me right so I’m able to give you the chance to raise your scores?”

“It’s...Leon sir,”

“Leon? Ah...I know who you’re talking about. Leon Blake correct?”

“Yes sir,”

“I read about that situation in your file. Please explain,”

“Well sir, he and I are much more than just friends coming out of that conflict and right now he’s off fighting the war, as special forces no less just like his father and I’m just...afraid that I’m never going to see him again,”

“Hm... I understand your concern and I can see how that can cause you to lose focus on your studies. But all you can do is hope for the best in a situation like this. You need to keep yourself going on to graduate from this academy so that you’re able to get in one of those planes and give people like him support. That’s the best thing you can do right now Stella. Do the best you can, for yourself, and for those soldiers out there on the front lines every day dying. When they have an impossible situation, it’s the flyboys who make those situations possible to overcome. I’ve seen your simulation scores, you’re one of the best I’ve ever seen. And in all honesty, I haven’t seen maneuver work like that since Dante Hall graced this academy with his presence all those years ago. So, please, for your sake, keep pushing forward Stella, we need you out there,”

“You’re...you’re right sir. I know this isn’t how Leon would like me to be. He’d want me to work as hard as I can so that I could become the pilot I’ve always wanted to be. Thank you...for helping me realize that sir. I needed to be reminded of it,” I say as appreciative as possible.

“There’s no need for any thanks. Everybody needs a taste of the facts every now and then, and that’s simply what I did,” the Lieutenant Colonel responds.

I give a slightly happier smile to my instructor, salute, and then exit the classroom feeling much more enlightened about the situation at hand.

As I leave the lecture hall, I can’t help but notice a figure standing next to the door through my peripherals. I ignore it however and continue my brisk pace. I begin to hear footsteps behind though as I assume it’s this figure I noticed. I quicken my pace to avoid any kind of conflict. But as I increase speed so does the unknown person.

My heart pounds in my chest

What does he want?

I clench my hands and then swiftly spin around to face my follower. “Can I help you?!”

I loudly say to the mysterious person who stops in his track, shocked. He smiles a flashy smirk that...somehow reminds me of Leon.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to speak with you for a second if you would like to, that is,” He says in a charming tone.

What could he possibly want? You don’t just follow someone for no reason.

“Fine, what do you want?”

“Well, I just...I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with the Lieutenant Colonel,”

“You were eavesdropping on us? On a very personal conversation? If you’re trying to make an impression, you aren’t doing so well right now,” I say in an intentional rude manner.

“I know, I know. I’m very sorry. It’s just that I can tell you really care for that guy and I respect him for what he’s doing. I just wanna say that I really respect how strong you’re being. It takes a lot to support someone who does his job,” My mood seems to lighten naturally after he says that.

It’s nice to finally hear someone who isn’t an officer say that they respect Leon for what he’s doing. “Well...thank you. Is...there anything else?”

“I’d also like to offer you my friendship. I’ve noticed that you tend to keep to yourself here and I’d like to change that. This place is always more enjoyable if you have a friend around to keep you company,” He says with a wide grin.

I can’t help but smile back at the gesture. “Sure, a friend sounds nice right about now. I’m Stella,” I say with a grin of my own and extending a hand outward.

He takes my hand and lightly shakes it “Grayson, Richard Grayson. You mind if I walk with you?” He replies once more in kind.

I smile and nod my head, feeling happy for the first time in months, giddy almost. I turn around and start down the hallway as Richard catches up to me. I feel things are definitely going to get better from here on out.