Astra Pt. 05

Emily looked up, "What in the hell?"

Sprits went and hugged her sister, "We are shuffling some people around and we entered 14 into the race down in Death Valley."

Emily looked, "Does mother know? She went down with the boys to root them on."

Sprits smiled, "She can meet my two eldest then."

She smiled, "I will leave the surprise and watch it on the holovid."

Jack waved at her and she smiled and shook her head. They walked over and got into their flight suits and helmets. Jack called out, "I got your wing, Lover. Don't forget to give them your single name in the middle. Aiko, take them and have the other boys follow so they can watch the 'big dogs' play. Grace can take the second seat."

Two squads formed up behind them as they got into the air. "You will peel off for the course. Give them the last 3 of your ID and full name. Once you are out of the course aim up to the left or right. Check that it is clear and launch the Gatlin pulse lasers. I told them we were fully armed. I want them to know it is no joke. The first 2 up is Steve and Martin you got uncles flying in this, show them where you're from."

He heard back, "Understood Merlin." "Confirmed Merlin."

He called out, "Keep formations tight as we hide numbers until we enter the approach." Sprits called out the order having them all roll off the rear of her lead craft and then Jack's lead. Then she would go followed by Jack.

They circled high above the area and watched the racers run through the course. "DV Tower, CHGF Flying 14 are ready to enter the pattern. Call them in. We have assigned orders they will give names."

They heard, "Understood, you are the last of the entries and your timing is good. Only the current course record holder is in front of your group."

The man called them out and Jack's pilots turned off one by one and ran the course. Jack listened to the announcer on the radio call-out times. He heard him swear as the first fighter cleared and launched Gatling pulse lasers off after pulling out.

The first two, Steve and Martin, set a new course record by 1.5 seconds. They tied. The others with a full second off the other two until Sprits went in. he heard, "Sprits Martina Travus former course record holder." This was followed by, "She reclaimed the record by another 1.3 seconds."

The man called up, "The last fighter." Jack smiled, "Jack MERLIN Travus is in the zone."

He tuned out the announcer and took it down the course. Used his corkscrew approach and used the bottom and top retros instead of banking in the turns. He kept it spinning and firing until he popped out at the other end and took it straight up and fired off Gatling pulse lasers before heading for the infield behind the others.

Sprits caught his attention, "You just had to take 2.1 seconds off my time!"

Jack laughed. "Merlin has his magic still."

Jack heard Sprits laugh as he gave direction, "Listen up, I want 6-man star parking, noses pointed out. Sprits you land in the center of your group and I will land in the center of mine. Aiko, meet us on the infield. Jacob, take the second shuttle back to the carrier base." He heard, "Roger Merlin. Nice flying."

They all came down and landed in the formation he wanted. He brought his in last and set it down easy. Powered down and popped the canopy. He had news crews all over the place as he worked to get out of his plane. All his pilots were armed with pistols so they held back. 6 of them had Psi swords. Including Sprits's sons.

Jack walked out of the group and over to the judge's stand where Sprits talked with her younger brothers. They shook their heads at the heavy-ass fighters that schooled them. Jack smiled at Sprits's parents who hugged him. Vincent looked at him, "Now they know what it is like to get schooled."

Jack laughed, "I have schooled many pilots."

The announcer waved him forward, "Merlin, that was an impressive display of flying."

Jack smiled, "Only my second time on this course and you changed it. The first 12 pilots are all my sons who are 19-years-olds and 18-year-olds. The first 4 all Commander rank in the Ceti Home Guard with over 7,000 fighter hours for each one of the 12. The first 2 are Sprits Martina's sons and the wing commander of their fighter units.

The next two are Ash's sons and battleship commanders. Ash who came in earlier is my other admiral over the second battleship. She had guests with her watching the show from my shuttle. Sprits is my Admiral overseeing all fighter pilot training.

I am the Command Admiral of the group from the Ceti Home Guard. I have a shuttle, fighter, and a battleship I like to fly. I hope you did not mind the weapons fire but I told your people we would be coming in fully armed."

He nodded, "We heard you have FTL drives in your ships?"

Jack nodded, "Commander Zack, pop the maintenance bay and show them."

He nodded and showed them in his and then showed them Jack's FTL drive. He closed them as he went. The announcer asked, "How do you do it?"

Jack laughed, "Run the replay, watch the bottom of my craft." They watched him fire the lower retros in rapid-fire on each 180-degree edge of the wingover. "Air breather pilots are all about the bank. Space pilots are all about the retro thrusters. If the retros are powerful enough there is no need to bank.

I only use the upper retros on the right ship wing to increase wingover speed. Practice it in space on one rig. Race it and practice it with another down here. You can do it with your light aircraft and engines. I do not doubt for a second that you do not tweak them some. Your racers after all.

I would like the prize to go to the previous course record holder. We came in after him and stole his thunder, but he is family and we respect family. This was to demonstrate what our pilots out in Tau Ceti do, all craft must go from atmosphere to space. Except for the big guns. From the destroyers on up. Just like here."

Jack shook hands with his 'son' who just shook his head and commented, "I was told I was good but I could not truly say I held this course record until I flew against Sprits and you. Your team handed me my ass today and I understand how you did it now. We will be making some changes to add retros into the bottom and top of our air breather fighters with more kick to them and work with those more and less about the banking. I got schooled by Merlin."

Jack laughed, "I have schooled many fighter pilots in Tera when I introduced the first Lancers. These are all Lancer version V models. They are all fully armed including a massive rail gun that will not fire in the atmosphere. It would melt the barrel and through the frame without the vacuum of space. It has temp sensors so it has a safety function to it. I want you to share some of that with your brothers.

Just so you have some competition for going after that record when we head out. I wanted my eldest children to get an idea of what this event was about. To understand how the other half lives as we do not have this course set up. Ours is in space with moving targets that fire back at you."

The announcer shook Jack's hands, "This is the first time you stopped to do this. Any reason why?"

Jack smiled, "I heard about the changes you made after what my scout did to the course, let alone what Sprits and I did to it. I asked the man at the time if he wanted me to bring the Excalibur into the course and he laughed. The thing is I ran that ship through the models to determine the thrusters needed. I put those thrusters on everything below it to ensure it would handle well. Use that modeling software and you can save some time. I would also point out that all the plating on those ships is 5 cm thick as well.

7.5cm thick in some areas. We are not racers, we are Home Guard fighter pilots. We will leave the racing to you guys. Just don't shorten up the course again to get past our records, that is to the race organizers. You might give us a reason to come back again. I could still run my scout through that course, but not many could."

They laughed at that. Jack called out. "Alpha and Bravo Squadrons. Return home. Job well done."

They gave the boys a nice round of applause as Jack walked over and hugged his mother-in-laws, Stacey and Tracey, briefly. "Good boys you raised here."

Stacey nodded, "They were wondering if you 2 would show for a race at some point. They have been dying to prove who the 'top cock on the walk is' and you all let them know."

Jack laughed at that, "We are going to get heading out but I did want to see how the other half was living here on Tera. We will see you up on the Super-Dreadnought tomorrow."

Stacey nodded and whispered in Jack's ear, "The boys all know who you are to them. We told them a long time ago."

Jack nodded, "Well some beautiful ladies and their ornery husband has done a great job of raising them. Just like their daughters."

She smiled at Jack for that. Jack went to his craft and mounted up and they called out, "DV Tower, This is Merlin and friends 3 craft to depart."

He heard, "Merlin. Outstanding flying. I must ask thou. Is the engine on that craft standard?"

Jack replied, "Negative, it is a Tau Ceti special. Nothing is standard about our engines. This one is enhanced with Merlin Magic. You ought to know that by now. Merlin is a magician."

He heard him laugh and a couple of others in the background.

Jack took off heading south with the other 2 following. He brought up his message and hit her contact. She looked in to see a fighter pilot's helmet and glasses staring at her, "Hello?"

Jack nodded, "Hello. I received word that you were trying to get a hold of me."

She stood wrapped in a towel, "I think you might have..."

Jack chuckled, "Olivia Pence, Sydney Australia, doctor, biologist, and marine biologist. You are Olivia, correct?"

He headed out over the water with two on his tail. She looked, "That is my name. How do you know me?" He forwarded her message back to her and she looked up, "Jack Travus?"

Jack nodded, "Check the news. I just trounced some kids at the Death Valley race. I brought in 12 of my sons to fly with my wife Sprits and me. We showed them what our Tau Ceti fighters could do to their fighter racing course."

Olivia shook her head, "I remember hearing about you doing some flying to prove an aircraft design."

He smiled, "That would be the Lancer, this is a Lancer version V. I have a second off to my right and one of my Manta-Ray shuttles behind it as we just left the races and we are over the ocean. Headed in your direction. Can you meet us at your spaceport?"

Olivia smiled, "Yes I could. Does this mean you are interested?"

Jack smiled, "I have had over 84 million messages sent to me since getting back. Probably close to double that by now. Met with a few business associates. I found one bride candidate without them mailing me. Then I had my messages filtered for when this would occur again. You are the first I have contacted from a message on this trip. The question is will you pass the interview with my wives?"

Olivia smiled, "Alright, I can meet you there. Where exactly?"

He called out, "Astra, can you arrange a hanger for me and let traffic control know that they have 3 fast movers coming into their pattern in 30 minutes including a pair of Lancer fighters?"

Astra laughed, "I am informing them I got Hanger C-11 booked for you, and traffic control is expecting you. I am forwarding the information to Ms. Pence."

Jack smiled, "Thank you, Astra. Did you get that Olivia?"

Olivia smiled, "Yes I just got a message from you but it came from your Dreadnought Base?"

Jack smiled, "Yes Astra works from there. She sent it over to you. See you soon."

Olivia nodded. She turned to the side and dropped her towel on purpose before killing the comms. Jack shook his head, "Well she is a flirt who likes to show off her body."

Jack called out, "Sydney tower, this is CHGF-1 Callsign Merlin inbound with my wing-man CHGF-2 and CHGSH-1 Danyelle heading for hanger C-11. Could you give us a glide path please?"

He heard back, "Merlin, we are not familiar with your aircraft designation."

Jack sighed, "Tower Merlin is Jack Travus, Tau Ceti Lancer fighter -1 and -2 with my shuttle are inbound."

He heard, "I still do not know that designator Merlin. It is not a Tera transponder."

He thought to Grace and Sprits, "This guy is an idiot or purposefully trying to slow me down. Which means both."

Jack sighed, "Tower, request you pass this request to a senior controller. I am on a direct intercept course for your tower. Please advise."

He did not get passed on, "Merlin that is not a valid transponder."

Jack sighed, "Tower please use both hands to remove your cranium from your sphincter. Put a senior controller on now who knows their damned job."

He heard a reply from the same idiot, "Merlin until I have a Tera Identifier, I cannot allow you to land. You cannot use that kind of language."

Jack punched it right at the tower, "-2 and shuttle please stand by while I introduce myself to the idiot in the tower. Tower I cannot give you what you ask for as I can only give it to a senior controller."

Jack flew within a meter of the tower at full speed. He heard someone shout, "Who the fuck is that?" He hard banked it back around and then spun it on his retros, "This is CHGF-1 callsign, Merlin. This is Jack Travus in the Lancer fighter aircraft that is fully armed and has had someone suffering from an ID 10-T error. Believe it was preceded by a PEBCAK error initiation. The problem exists between keyboard and chair when he cannot send me to a senior control when asked multiple times."

The new controller called out, "Pilot who is your commanding officer."

Jack laughed, "I am the commanding officer. As in Command Admiral Jack Travus from Tau Ceti Home Guard. You do get the news here? You are aware there are 321 other spacecraft in orbit under my command."

He hovered the craft right off the nose of the tower. "I have a hanger reserved for 3 crafts including my shuttle. Hanger C-11. Shall I contact the President for you in Japan and have him tell you to let me land? Or would you like the name of my Australian Law Firm to talk with them about the world of shit you are stirring up?"

He finally heard from someone, "Merlin sending you a glide path to the hanger. I will work on educating these 2 on our sister services' arrival in this system."

He called out, "-2 and Shuttle Danyelle, follow me." He turned and headed into the hanger and set it down as the other 2 arrived. He got out of his fighter but sat up top. Grace came walking over, "I contacted James and had him contact the supervisor of the Spaceport to get his people educated before you lost it and cleared the tower to dust."

Jack shook his head, "I cannot believe the idiots they have here."

He saw a military police vehicle approach with the lights going as he sat there on the edge of his cockpit. The man looked over, "I want all 3 pilots over here. You are all under arrest."

Jack looked over at the man, "We were given a glide path to land, and by what authority do you plan to arrest me?"

He looked over, "My own!"

Grace looked over, "That is the wrong thing to say to him."

Jack sighed out, "Astra put me through to the planetary President. What is your name and what was your rank soldier?"

He looked nervous but responded, "Sergeant Foster you fuck, now get down here."

Jack jumped off and floated down with his holovid activated and the capital operator looked at him, "Hello Mr. Travus. I will connect you with him now. He swung the screen up nice and big as the President looked in, "Hello Jack, you hear from the Admiral?"

Jack shook his head, "No. At the moment I am dealing with a Private Foster at the Sydney spaceport who thinks he can arrest me for landing in a hanger I reserved and got tower clearance to get into."

President Grendal looked over at the man, "This true Private Foster?"

He shouted out, "I am fucking Sergeant Foster you fuckers!"

Jack looked at President Grendal, "Permission to educate said idiot, Mr. President?"

President Grendal looked at Jack, "Yes, Private Foster will be in the brig in just a few moments. I did hear you but as the Commander and Chief that is insubordination you just shot off."

Jack picked the man up bodily and held him in front of the President. "I am not checking his corpse for loose change. I am merely detaining him until someone who has more than a quarter of a lobe of a brain in their head arrives."

President Grendal chuckled, "I just got a message they do not have a Foster working for the military at the airport. They are dispatching someone."

Jack looked at the man, "Got something to say do you?"

He struggled against the constraints, "Mr. President, you might want to focus your attention on the Admiral's search in the Australia area."

The man looked at Jack and Jack nodded. Akio sent him a message, "Your suspicions are right. This guy is hiding something about her."

Jack nodded, "I hit a nerve on that one. Astra, run his face through facial recognition, his fingerprints, and his DNA if you can."

She appeared next to President Grendal. "Sergeant Arturo Grant Black-ops dishonorably discharged, arrested 19 years ago as part of the Tera-1 incident. Not one of the ships who shot you but one of the snipers who attempted to kill you."

She sent the information to President Grendal. "Astra confirm my contact is here?"

She checked, "She is at the Spaceport but is being held up by security. Tapping into the communication interface." Jack looked at them, "Greetings, gentleman. In a second, I will have your IDs to go with Arturo's here, and then we can figure out just where the Admiral is hiding. In the meantime. Local law enforcement with a member of the GBI is only footsteps away from entering that interrogation room where you are unlawfully holding an Australian citizen."

Astra nodded as the door busted open with local cops and they worked to free the girl from the room. Another man showed up with a pair of MPs. They shook their heads, "We can take it from here."

Aiko sent another message, "Jack, these guys are trying to deceive us."

Jack shook his head, "Aiko take this man and find out if given enough line you can fish for sharks off the great barrier reef using him?"

Aiko came over and took the man and the others pulled guns and fired into an ever-shrinking telekinetic wall. Jack looked at the President, "I am not about to turn this man who is not military over to fake military police."

President Grendal chuckled, "I have agents arriving momentarily."

2 minutes later and they arrived with the girl who came across. "They kept asking me what my business with Jack Travus was and if I was an alien?"

Jack nodded, "The xenophobic group. This one of your agents, Mr. President?"

He nodded, "Yes, I had his boss send me his ID."

Jack looked over, "You got these 3 here, impersonating the military with them all. This one attempted kidnapping. The other two attempted murder. 2 in the tower if they are controllers, they either failed the piss test and need to be examined or they are working with this group. Astra, confirm who has been on duty at station-8 communication array since I arrived in Ireland and then arrived here in Australia?"

Astra looked over, "One woman. An Amanda Sawyer."

Jack nodded, "Contact James through a back-channel communication and have her brought in for questioning because someone has been tracking my movement and trying to slow me down from getting here today. They are using messages to track us."

Astra nodded, "Right. Working it."

Jack looked over, "Give it 20 minutes. Then head to the station. Lock yourself in the shuttle with shields up. Sprits, provide cover fire to the shuttle."