35 35. Doom Moon 2 - Energymaster Flora (1/2)

Devon Saneth enjoyed playing pool and drinking beer. He liked his job as a flight coordinator on the Doom Moon well enough, and the pool tables in the common room for the hangar crew weren't half bad.

His day started terribly and got worse when his mother called him and told him to be safe because her astrologist warned her against great peril.

Of course, he didn't give a half a bucket used motor oil for the opinions of a quack, but the warning lingered in that part of his mind that mothers filled with useful advice from an early age, like don't touch hot ovens and don't put your fingers in a meat grinder.

He felt her approaching before he saw her. His head turned instinctively to the figure covering the distance with steady steps. Her stride was confident and graceful. She looked liked she owned that place. From head to foot, she was covered in a green mech suit that had seen better days, but she wore it like it was a diamond garb. Through the green-tinged visor, he spotted the gently smiling face of an older lady.

But his eyes focussed on her belt where the hilt of a plasma sword hung. Then, they immediately flitted to her badge.

Name: Flora Fluss

Title: Magical Prodigy

Class: Energymaster

Level: 1

Rating: F

'Level 1, my ass! Unrated, my ass!'

Devon heard of multiple ways to fake one's badge, but his mind went to the old myth that when you reached level 1000, you ascended and started a new.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

'Keep your cool. There are hundreds of people in this hangar. What are the odds that she will visit you? Please, dear guardians of the energy, don't let her have any business with me.'

His prayers went unanswered. The lady approached his booth.

Devon sprang off his chair.

”Magical Prodigy Fluss, Flight-Master Saneth at your service.” He was proud that he managed to say it without stuttering.

She nodded at him, still smiling.

”Hello, Flight-Master Saneth. Please, provide me with a small spacecraft. An H-Wing would be lovely.”

”Of, course Magical Prodigy Fluss. I'll send the location of the craft to your datapad.”

”I've thrown my datapad away.”

Sweat formed on Devon's brow. In his mind, the old lady threw the datapad on a fighter jet, taking it down with an explosion. Or maybe she threw it at a subordinate who didn't fulfill her wishes fast enough? She seemed nice and friendly now, but energy-masters were known for their violent mood changes.

”Not a problem at all, Magical Prodigy Fluss. Please follow this robot.”

”Thank you for your help!” The lady nodded again and left behind the small astro-bot.

Frantically, Devon rushed to his workstation. He searched for an H-Wing, triple checked its status and transmitted its location to the robot.

Then, he cleared all the traffic for the next minutes.

He congratulated his foresight when he watched the swaying spacecraft feeling its way out of the hangar door.

Never had he seen an H-Wing move more slowly! It was a wonder that it stayed in the air!

Exhausted, he slumped in his chair when the craft finally left the hangar, his domain.

Sirens started blaring.

”All hands on deck! Enemy attack!”

No, today was not his day, not his day at all.

'My momma should raise the pay of the astrologer. That guy knows his job!'

Happily, Flora browsed the manual of the H-Wing, while trying to fly in a straight line.

The fighter jet consisted of a small oval cabin with one chair surrounded by instruments and a bit of space behind the seat - maybe for luggage or an astromech-robot. One additional person would easily fit in, and two would have to squeeze.

To the right and left, H-shaped wings were attached to the cabin. Each Wing had sixteen thrusters. They gave the jet amazing maneuverability in every direction.

The weapon system stuck to the cabin, as well: Four torpedos and one laser in the front and one laser in the back.

Now and then, Flora pressed a button to see if it would do its promised job. The radar flared to life, and red dot's sprinkled the display.

”Looks like the attack has begun.” Flora surveyed her surroundings. Around her droves of fighter jets left the hangars. In the distance, she saw big spaceships looming in orbit.

”Show me the way to the superweapon, dear. And I'm sorry for snapping at you in the sewers. This whole violence thingy is still disconcerting to me. I'm very satisfied with your help.”

”Thank you, Milady. There's no need to apologize.”

Flora smiled. She had heard the slight tinge of happiness in Aidan's ever professional voice.

”And find out where Jake is assigned. This time we can't pick him up, but it's better to find out now. Maybe his assignment changes in each scenario run. I believe I had the same first assignment both times, right?”

Weaving between turret towers and other defensive structures, Flora made her way to the opening. The turrets wouldn't shoot at her, because she was marked as a friendly, but she had to take care not to cross the line of fire.

Because she knew that she had only around 40 minutes to reach the entry, she had to increase the speed. Slowly she pushed herself and the fighter jet to go faster.

But all the lights, structures, and laser beams confounded her. Her eyes were drawn to the flashes, and she lost concentration on the overall fight path.

”Milady, swerve to the right!”

Without knowing the reason, but trusting Aidan, she yanked the yoke. The H-Wing was nearly scraping the massive tower that had escaped her attention.

”Thank you, Aidan.” Flora was breathing hard. She tried to focus on the big picture but found it impossible.

It was lucky that the control elements of the jet were sturdy because Flora jerked them as if they were the reins of a stubborn donkey. As a result, the spaceship zigzagged through the air like it had a seizure.

Until now, none of the enemies had engaged her, but her luck ran out in the last few kilometers. Two red dots rapidly verged upon her.

”Suggestions, Aidan!” Flora's voice was an octave higher than usual.

”3 km to you right is a turret tower, Milady.”

Immediately, Flora changed the course.

The jets behind her started to fire, but Flora's unsteady flying style worked to her advantage. Every time a beam whizzed passed her, she twitched, and the motion proceeded through the yoke to the jet.

Finally, Flora entered the range of the tower. Now the beams not only came from her back but haunted her from the front as well.

Flora started to laugh. It was the wild, uninhibited cachinnation of a person on their breaking point. Still clutching the control wheel, Flora convulsed and howled laughing.

Unnoticed by Flora, one of the red dots vanished in an explosion, and the second dot turned tail and run.

”Milady, they are gone.”

Flora tried to get a grip on herself, but every time she was close to calming down, another fit of giggles overcame her.

”Oh, Aidan. This is so horrible.” She laughed again. ”And a bit fun! But really horrible! I have enough of it! It's your turn to fly!”

After inserting Aidan's jack into the control panel, she leaned back and finally caught her breath.

”Tower 4921D522 to H-Wing H1337FF. You are approaching a restricted zone. Please identify yourself.” The radio came to life.