FSE

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** CHAPTER 6:** Earning our wings

The lights at the D.E Cruiser were still not at their full; the morning cycle was just commencing. Very early in the morning, the three Evos were sitting in a small breakfast table at the ship's main kitchen. Not a word was uttered as the minutes passed by.

Even after receiving those shocking news from our Captain; Fx, Andy and I were seemingly calm. Many things went through our minds regarding the dangerous flight test that Captain Silver ordered us to proceed with not an hour ago.

"You're not eating, Andy?" I asked, as I dipped a cookie in the shape of a bone into a cup of warm milk.

"No... Already did. K9 woke me up very early today. Well, by mistake, that is."

"Yeah, I imagine." I replied. "Now that K9 and you are sharing a room, you'll probably be waking up earlier than usual."

_ _"It's not fun at all." Andy's head fell on the table with a loud thump. He was noticeably tired. "I like to sleep, but at the same time I don't mind. The more I'm with K9, the more I learn about the D.E Cruiser."

_ _"Yeah, probably sleeping less will keep your energy levels lower, and you'll stop being a nuisance every now and then." I told him, obviously joking playfully. I almost choke with the cookie I was eating.

"So funny, Bright Eyes." He said. "You're just saying that because I almost tickled you to death the other day." Andy replied with a huge grin.

_ _"That was not ok. I'm very ticklish. You made me pee myself." I admitted shyly.

_ _"I know. Sorry buddy." He grinned, somehow embarrassed.

I smiled back at him, since I really didn't mind as he was only being playful at that time.

Then I noticed Fx being quieter than usual. He was obviously more focused in our assignment then on joking at that moment.

"What's wrong, puppy bro?" I asked Fx.

"Huh? Nothing..." He answered without making any eye contact. He seemed mesmerized at his milk and the little cookie crumbs that were swirling in it.

"Come on, Fx. I know you better than myself. Something is bothering you."

"I couldn't say is bothering me. It's just that..."

I knew what was worrying my brother. We were all exited about our first real flight, but it was not until we were actually told to do it when we realized how delicate this operation would be. As a matter of fact, this was bothering me as well, although I tried to keep my cool the best way that I could.

"Come on, bro. Remember we are a team. We will take care of each other. Right Andy?"

"Your brother is right, my fluffy orange friend. If we stick together, we will be ok."

Those words did encourage us all a bit. Still it was impossible not to worry. Space is a very dangerous place; just make one mistake, and you could pay with your life. But we were trained to handle the D.E Fighter Ships, and as long as we followed procedures and watch after each other everything was going to be alright.

After our light breakfast, we were full of energy and ready to continue as planned. We stopped by the armor room and wore the PX500LD armor suits once again. A few minutes later, me and the boys where down at the hangar with K9 and the twins. We were conscientiously making last minute checkups, and going through some basics as well.

To our surprise, K9 had officially assigned a Wolf500 to each one of us. With much delight, we noticed how three Wolf 500 fighters had a small yet very distinctive emblem on their side. Each emblem had a number as well. One had a white and black emblem and the number 02 on it; below that it said Siberia. The other one had an orange and white emblem; below this, Fox and the numbers 01 could be seen. And the last one had a brown and black emblem; Anubis 03 showed below the emblem.

"The reason I named them is so you can get familiar with the ships and how D.Es will operate in the future. This is the best way to have control over each ship and their pilot." K9 informed us.

_ _We approached one of the ships and opened the hatch for the cockpit and the engine compartment. There were still a few things to check before we left.

"Ok, team. You know about this ship since most of the training was focused on it. Some of you were exceptionally good in the simulators, reason why you are now assigned to perform the first test flights. Kala and Zulu, I know you probably had the desire to fly these, but right now you will help me to monitor the whole operation. I promise that you won't go without flying a Wolf500."

"It's ok, Captain. To be honest I´m a little bit afraid of these fighters." Zulu replied. I kind of agreed with him. These ships were extremely fast and had a very sharp handling. All of our senses would need to be focused while flying them through space.

Immediately, K9 started explaining the basic functions in the Wolf500 Ships, just as a refresher. He didn´t want to leave nothing aside.

"As you know already, the Wolf500 is nothing more than a Retcan S Series Defense Fighter. The only difference would be in some of the control's layout in the main panel." He then walked to the open engine hatch. "This is the ship's engine. This is what keeps you and the ship alive." He said.

As I watched this incredible Retcan-made machinery, I instantly remembered how it worked. The Ten Chamber Twin Exhaust Ionic Engine receives the energy from the Blue Crystal and turns them to Ions. As we all know, when an ion is released it creates momentum. As the engine generates a vast amount of ions, it sends them to ten compression chambers. Once compressed, this high pressure flow is sent to the exhaust ports where they are compressed even more with what we could call a ´bottle neck´ effect. Part of this high pressure flow of ions is bypassed to the primary compression chambers once again, to create a cycle that gives more and more power as the accelerator lever is pushed. The force that is released is immense, and we know by measurements that the small Ten Chamber Engine can produce a force nearly 15,000 kilowatts. Thanks to this, max speed of a Wolf500 in space, is in the limits of Mach 400, which is around 500,000 Kilometers per hour. In Emergency Mode with all the power of the Blue Crystal diverted from the shields to the engine, a Wolf500 can exceed Mach 800. This speed is slow in the immensity of space, but these ships are not meant for travels. However, in atmosphere this speed is reduced even further to a maximum of Mach 12, which is almost 14,800 kilometers per hour; this might sound like a drastic decrease, but take in mind that forces in atmosphere could be highly intense, and there is a point were the structure of the ship will no longer be able to withstand such forces.

"...So please be very careful, Team." K9 ordered. "Don't exceed the limits if I don't give the order first. Even though you are in the vacuum of space with no gravity, the laws of physics still take effect at some point."

_ _"I have a question, Captain." I asked as I inspected the three meter long fighter ship. "Are all the ship's systems unlocked?" I wondered.

_ _"Yes they are, Husky. Even the weapon systems are functional. These are no test mules. These are the real thing. So let me remind you again, team; be very careful. Respect these ships, and they will treat you well."

So there was nothing more to add. This was our moment. As K9 said these last words, he was already on his way leaving the hangar together with the Dingoes.

We got in our Wolf 500 Fighters. After a quick command input, the cockpit closed and sealed completely. I could feel pressure in my inner ear because of how airtight the cockpit was.

For a few moments I couldn't see anything but a couple of lights around the control panel. After following the first steps to activate the ship, the hull around me started to flicker delicately. A few seconds later, a 180° real-time stereoscopic view of the exterior appeared around me. This is fascinating, considering that none of our ships have windows, except for The Dome at the Wolf5000DE Cruiser.

"I can't believe I'm finally inside of a real Wolf500. This is amazing..." I said to myself out loud as I gazed at the snugged fit cockpit.

These ships are beautiful. Their almond shaped fuselage reminds me of a Retcan's eye. Outside, there are no obvious separations between panels. There are no windows, no nothing, just a smooth almost mirror-like metallic finish that is made as a perfect camouflage for space. Think of it; you're surrounded by darkness and stars and if you make a reflection of that, you become practically invisible.

With only three meters long and roughly four in width, this is a very compact ship. The first thing that grabs your attention is that it never touches ground even when it's deactivated. This is thanks to a constant electron breeze that is generated by the ship's engines and flows against the environment's air molecules. This creates lift.

"This is it, guys." I said, again, to myself. I pushed the start button and I immediately felt a vibration, followed by a deep, raspy, but almost silent whine. This sound was the Ten Chambered Engine firing up and gaining revs. Almost five seconds after, as the engine still raised its momentum, the vibration almost completely disappeared. I looked into my rearview screen and noticed a faint blue glair coming from behind my ship.

"Test Team. Can you hear me_?"_ K9 appeared in a secondary screen. He startled me quite a bit. I was too concentrated in that technological spectacle.

"Loud and clear, Captain." Fx replied. I could hear him in our closed communication circuit. Not only that, but he and Andy appeared in the screen as well.

"Excellent. Lets get to work." K9 said. His words made the adrenaline rush through my body. I felt like something grabbed my stomach and pressed it really hard.

The hangar's light suddenly changed. Just like when I arrived the first time at the D.E Cruiser.

"Hangar is clear... Sealing first level... Oxygen dispersion in progress... Decompression initiated..." K9 informed as he followed the procedure.

A countdown was initiated soon after. I could see how the oxygen was sucked out by various vent holes, forming a white mist. The ship immediately started shifting the electron breeze hovering system to four bypass exhausts ports from the engine to keep the ship levitating, as there was no air molecules for the electron breeze to hold on anymore.

Once the oxygen was dispersed, something odd started happening; everything seemed more defined, or clearer. You feel like you could look further than normal without loosing definition. Even though it might sound strange, oxygen limits your vision. Although being a very thin gas, it does create a similar effect that when you open your eyes in water. Without oxygen, your vision gets sharper.

I also could notice how the sound around me changed. Everything was very silent except for a faint buzz coming from my Wolf 500. This obviously happened because there was no air in which sound could travel anymore.

Seconds later, the main hangar door opened slowly. In front of us, the darkness of space slowly revealed itself. The three of us were stunned, admiring the emptiness the have always surrounded us, but that we never paid attention to.

"Fx, you will lead the formation." K9 said. "When ever you're ready..." He gave us the go.

"Captain! Me?" Fx replied shocked.

"Yes, Fx. You got the best results in the simulator. I trust your skills."

"Ok, K9. I'll do my best." He replied, still hesitant. "Fox01. Initiating flight test number one..."

_ _Fx's ship aligned at the runway and slowly started moving towards the exit. Andy and I followed. I released the lock that keeps the ship still as I gently pushed the accelerator knob and aligned with my friends.

One by one we left the D.E Cruiser's hangar. In my rear view screen, I could see the hangar getting smaller as we got further away. We were finally out.

After we gained some distance, we pushed the accelerator. I could hear the deep grunt from the engines turning into a silent, yet progressive whine. The sensation was something that you could never experience in a simulator. This was the real deal.

After a few minutes of light maneuvers, I started to feel I had full control of my ship. The training sessions in the simulator proved to be highly effective. But we needed to pay attention to our surroundings as in space you can easily get lost. In space it doesn't matter where you turn, there is simply no up, down, left or right. We have to give our full attention at the directional controls and the positioning system at all times.

"Good job, team. Everything is looking good." K9 informed seriously.

"Affirmative, Captain. Everything is working smoothly." Fx confirmed ten minutes after we left the D.E cruiser.

"Good... I'm sending you a new flight plan. This time, I want you to take your ships to a nearby asteroid field. I want you to put the maneuverability of the ships to the test." K9 ordered.

Not two seconds after, the coordinates were sent to our positioning systems.

"Roger that, Captain." Fx replied.

A couple of minutes after setting course to the new location, it wasn't long until we had a visual of the asteroid field.

"Approaching target, Captain." Fx informed.

"Good. Divert 30% of the energy to the shields."

"Right away."

Diverting more energy to the shields, would give us the necessary protection against any mistake that we could make.

I quickly went through the ship's systems and accessed the energy management controls. As K9 ordered, 30% of the Blue Crystal's energy was diverted from the engine to the shields. Immediately, a blue hue surrounded the hull of my Wolf 500.

One by one, we approached the asteroid field. These dark, ghastly figures started to get bigger as we got closer. It was an unpleasant sensation.

"Vision enhancer activated." I said, as I manipulated the display options.

The image in front of me changed drastically in contrast and brightness. It went from the real-time view of the almost pitch black surrounding, to a high contrast view of what lied around us.

Unsettling it was, as a huge mass of dark brown asteroids approached us. One of many permanent indicators in my display indicated that it was a 43 square kilometer mass of space debris.

There was not turning back. We got in... Many of the asteroids in my display were surrounded by a green crosshair. As some of these got closer they went from green to yellow. If they were in collision route, they went from orange to red. All I had to do was to be very careful not to make any of the crosshairs turn red.

Our speed was constant, and we relied not only on our reflexes, but in the turning capabilities of our ships. Flying at a speed of Mach 1.2 wasn't too fast in space, but in that tight asteroid field, there wasn't too much of a margin of error. There was no specific route that we needed to take around the asteroids; it was just a matter of good judgment.

"Wow. Those three are very good. I could never pilot a Wolf500 that way." Zulu said. His sister and K9 were monitoring our progress very closely.

"They could easily become D.E Defense Squad members." Kala added.

K9 slightly nodded, not uttering a single word. His eyes never stopped watching our location on the screen. _ Indeed they are really good... Perhaps I've found the first D.E Squad members... No, Kalem... You can't... I can't take their peace away. They are too young..._ K9 thought. "Status, Kala?"

"Yes Captain. Shields are at 100%. Engines are working at full efficiency. No drop on energy."

_ _"Good. So far, the ships are showing off their reliability. Though they've only been flying for about an hour." K9 replied softly. Still with his full attention at the screen. "You are doing a great job, team. Keep it up. Just a few more kilometers." K9 said. We barely heard him as we were concentrated dodging the massive rocks.

My heart was pounding hard as I avoided a rock the size of my ship by just a few inches. The crosshair was flashing red and a proximity alarm buzzed for a second.

"Husky!" Andy exclaimed. He saw what happened since I was at his 9 o clock all the time.

I barely recovered from that close call, that I got briefly disconnected from my concentration. Without notice, the proximity alarm went off again. Faster that I could react, a chunk of asteroid with a flashing red crosshair went directly towards me. I pushed my directional controls with all my strength to avoid it from below, but it was too close. I felt an immense crash inside the cockpit that made the controls flicker; my sight went blurry for a second. My reaction was to grab the accelerator lever and pull it to reduce my speed, which I did.

"Captain! There's been an impact in one of the ships! Siberia02 has been compromised." Kala exclaimed.

"No, Husky!" K9 sprung from his seat.

"Shields dropped at 60% but now recovering. No mayor damage in the ship's hull. Husky, buddy, are you alright?" Kala didn't loose any time and communicated with me. All of my friends were very concerned for what happened, and all were talking to me at the same time.

"Husky, here. I'm ok. It was a small rock." I reported.

"Brother, are you ok?" Fx asked nervously.

"I'm ok, Fx. Just a little bit stirred." I replied still trying to recover my equilibrium.

"Husky, you have to be more careful. Team, get back to the D.E Cruiser immediately!" K9 barked.

"I'm sorry, K9. It won't happen again." I made him know that I was ok. "I can continue. I don't want to make us get behind our schedule."

K9 didn't respond immediately. "... Alright... I just need you guys to be more careful." K9 replied, hesitant to let us continue.

It was just a mistake. The adrenaline, plus the nervousness I felt, somehow played against me and I suddenly got a period of tunnel vision. It was nothing but bad luck. The rock hit me hard, but after a quick check up to the ship's systems and structural integrity, no serious damage was found.

After we got out of the asteroid field, the last phase of the test was sent to us. K9 wanted us to test the Wolf500's maximum speed.

"We are out, Captain." Fx informed.

"Standby..." K9 ordered. He checked with the twins before commencing the last part of out test flight. "Status on the ships?"

"Everything ok, Captain." Kala replied.

"Zulu. What about Husky's ship?"

"Shields are back to normal, K9. Structural damage at 0.1%. Those little Wolf500 fighters are tough." The male dingo updated.

"Good." K9 replied. He then went back with us. "Fx. I wanted you to test the emergency maximum speed mode, but because of what happened with Husky, I don't want to risk it. For now, you are going to test the standard maximum speed mode."

"I understand, Captain." Fx acknowledged.

We started the last phase of our first flight training. Leading us, Fx slowly started to gain speed as an intense blue light came gushing out of Fox01's exhaust ports, leaving a trial of shiny blue particles that eventually disappeared.

I placed my hand-paw on the accelerator knob, and pushed is slowly but progressively as far as it went. An impressive whistle-like roar came out from behind my ship's engine. I could feel a huge force pushing me against my seat. Even though there is no gravity in space, at that speed you can feel G forces at some rate. A quick reminder that the basic 'action equals to opposite reaction' physic law applies anywhere in space.

A quick glance at my speedometer told me that I was traveling at Mach 385 and rising. I could feel the pushing force of the ship never get weaker, until I started reaching close to 400. Suddenly, it felt like something stopped the ship from going faster; the safety limiter had been activated.

"It's hard to believe how fast these ships can go." Zulu exclaimed impressed at the Wolf500's performance.

"It's amazing how a Wolf 500 can keep itself together at that speed. The amount of energy is massive. Still, its integrity and power source are keeping themselves very stable." Kala added, as she monitored our ships diligently.

"Trust me, dingoes. This is only half of what they can achieve in space. I've tested the Retcan version at maximum speed, and it's not only impressive, but it's absolutely scary." K9 confessed.

Reaching the last turn that took us back to the D.E Cruiser, K9 talked to us. "Don't reduce speed. Take this last turn at full."

"Understood, Captain." Fx replied. He sounded nervous by K9's order. Andy and I heard the order, but were quite hesitant to follow it.

The last turn had a 50 kilometer radius, but at Mach 400, G's were going to hit us hard.

"Ok, guys. Last turn. Hold on to your tails." Fx said. We watched how his ship started to tilt to the left, and we followed the movement.

Turning my directional control to the left, adjusting the rudders with my hind paw pedals and slightly pulling up the ship's nose, I started to make the turn. But the curb path in my display got tighter, and I had no choice but to turn harder. I felt my organs being displaced to my right side as we were in the middle of the turn.

"Oh, man!!" Andy yelled.

"Hold it guys, we are almost there." Fx replied.

"G forces in the vacuum of space. This is ridiculous!" I yelled as I held tight to my controls.

The PX500LD suits proved to do their work as well. They offered support in certain areas of our body, to keep our blood pressure stable. Still, the sensation wasn't pleasant at all.

"It's looking good Captain." Zulu informed.

"Excellent. Just like I expected." K9 replied. He was now more clam and actually very excited about our progress.

"I'll say it again. I don't want to pilot those things anymore." Kala said.

"Oh, and this is in space. Forces are not exceeding 4 G's at the moment thanks to the internal gravity shields. In atmosphere it's a different story. A Wolf500 is capable of withstanding 30 G's before its structure starts to give away." K9 added.

"And what does it matter if no one could survive that?" Zulu remarked.

"You don't seem to remember the training, do you Zulu?"

"I do, Captain. I was just saying. I know that the inner gravity shields limit the forces to 7 G's in atmosphere."

Even if we were not experiencing the full 7 G's, 4 G's was a lot. Fortunately, the turn started to straighten up, and we were finally free from that nauseating experience.

"Ok, that was intense..." I said. Swallowing saliva constantly, as the nausea started to make itself present.

"That was fun." Andy replied. "Let's go back and do it again."

_ _"No way, big guy." Fx responded chuckling. "For now, let's return to the D.E Cruiser as K9 ordered."

Despite my close encounter with that asteroid, we had a really good time in our first flight. Even after what happened, we lost most of the fears that stalked us that same morning.

"Good job, team. We are waiting for you. You deserve a well earned break_."_ K9 told us with a friendly smile. He was very pleased by the results of our first flight test.

But that was just the beginning. Fx, Andy and I didn't know all the details about the proposal that the Retcans made to K9 earlier that morning. This experience was nothing compared with what we were going to go through later on...