So now for a bit of background. When I was five my homeworld was attacked. All I know is one second I was playing with my family and the next my village was under ten feet of water. I was swept one way and they were swept the other. The second my paws touched solid ground I started running. When I looked back I saw their black armoured forms firing on the survivors. The Iesmi had changed the weather of the planet so much that it rained that whole week. That was always their attack pattern. Flood their targets with the water bombs than muck up the atmosphere so it rained enough that you couldn’t tell what damage had been done by them and what had naturally occurred. It’s how they all but wiped out my homeworld. It would be almost a month before the water cleared and by that time their special bacteria would have decomposed all but bone. Leaving little to no evidence of their crimes. At the end of the longest week of my life I was soaking, cold, starving, hungry, lonely and desperate. Every step I took brought a new wave of pain. Pain from the chill, pain from hunger, pain from walking and the kind of pain that drives people crazy: pain of the mind. I saw a squad of strange people in strange armor through a bush I had taken shelter in. They didn’t look like Iesmi and their leader looked like one of my own kind. So I ran out begging for help. I don’t remember much of what happened. All I can say for sure is that I collapsed at their leader's feet and woke up in a bed in the Hugo’s infirmary. I was adopted by the leader of that squad. He was in fact another foxling as I had assumed. Which was why he was there. After the Iesmi had invaded he sought permission to try and save as many as he could. He managed to find four others.
As for Jean, he was one of the first friends I made. We grew together. We fought together against the same foes(usually the people who now proudly make up B-company). A long, complex relationship built upon respect, admiration and the fact that in private I am a borderline shambling emotional wreck and he seems to be the only person who knows what to do with me.
We now return to the here and now.
We were awoken that morning by the sound of a blaring alarm. Looks like some of our enemies have managed to catch up to us. We quickly put on our flight gear and run to our hangar. I hop in the pilot's seat followed by Jean a second later. Once outside the hangar we group up with the rest of our squadron and veer towards our enemy. A Centrarion frigate. A giant oblong vessel with an exterior covered in navy blue scales of armour each the height of a deck and roughly twenty feet in length. These scales pointed downward from the top and upward from the bottom meeting in the middle to form a smooth lip that ran around the vessel. Over the bow a cloud of fighters heading straight for us. Around me a sea of our own dart-like fighters. Each showing signs of it’s pilot’s modifications. From the stripe of emerald paint that wraps around the long diamond shape of mine. To the outlandish designs favoured by some other pilots. Seconds pass between the clash. Each dragging like an eternity. I flick the arming switch and nervously fidget. Then the chaos erupts. Green blasts of Clierine fly over the cockpit as I veer headlong into the battle. “ready for another twenty five kills?” Jean asks whooping as I shoot one of them down. “You had better believe it!” I shout.
The battle progresses and I rack up another ten. Banking hard to the left to rejoin the main battle. “these bastards are about as green as my fur!” I whoop out as I shoot down another one.
I lose myself in the chaos of battle. All around me fireballs mark places where comrade and foe alike once flew. They can’t outfight us though, we’ve lost maybe five in total and I’m approaching twenty by myself. As I had noticed the enemy force is severely under experienced. They couldn’t hope to stand a chance against a force of battle hardened mercenaries. It shows in their flying. They make such elementary mistakes I’d be embarrassed to be their commanders. They don’t cover one another at all. They leave their sides exposed way too often. All this and more is the reason I am now at twenty five kills.
“Look at the way they fly! They look worse than B-company!” Hellhowl cheers out. “Now we go in for their ship. Evergold, Dartinen: You two go for the comms. Rogers, Migulo: You two take the bridge. Everyone else: on me, I’m going after the engines.” She continues. As I steer to follow Jean calls out “We’ve got two of them on our tail!” “hold on Jean”
I hit the accelerator and wait to see if they will pursue. When they do I wait for them to line up and flick a switch. Suddenly our fighter drops roughly ten feet and I see them fly over our heads. I steer back upwards while firing. Bringing down both of them, making twenty seven so far. Returning to the task at hand I accelerate and fly over the top of the enemy ship. Through the gashes in the ship's armor I can see some of the destruction. I fly past the communication equipment and Jean fires two torpedoes. There is nothing more satisfying than a task carried out perfectly. I look at the gauges on my dash and notice a few extra blinking lights. Never a good sign. “Hellhowl, I have to head back to the ship. I’m losing Clierine pressure fast. Soon I’ll be without weapons and I’ll be about as useful as B-company.” I say with a laugh. “That’s a shame, Ever. I was hoping to see you go for another twenty five.” Hellhowl laughs loudly. “Well I’ve got to save some for the rest of you” I say turning back towards the Hugo.
We touch down in the hangar and I study the damage to my fighter. Gashes are visible throughout the angular, narrow body. Evidence of just how close we had come to biting it. Around us the chaos of dealing with the effects of battle unfolds. Two medics run up to check on us before seeing that we are unharmed at the same time a pair of mechanics run towards our damaged fighter. Behind us several squads are preparing to board a landing craft. In a few minutes our troops will land on their ship and begin looting it. I feel the usual withdrawal of adrenaline. The cold sweats and shaking undercut with the strange joy of having something to look forward to. That being something to eat other than that grey stuff. Instinctively me and Jean go to check the E-company promotions board. Both of our pictures are glowing. Excitement joins the already muddy mix of emotions swirling around in my head. Promoted to wing commander. My own squadron. Then my fatigue sets in and me and Jean stumble back to our cabin. Being promoted means we get some time off before our trials begin. I all but faceplant onto bed as soon as I get in. Flight suit and helmet still on. I realise this and throw my helmet to the floor. Jean joins me and I all but pass out.
We are awakened by a knock on our door. “Come in” we both say without really thinking and in walks my adopted father. Unlike me he left his fur it’s natural vibrant shade of orange. In any case he wouldn't need to dye it to stand out. Looking upon him you’d be hard pressed to forget him. Almost every other inch of his muzzle is scarred. There are small bits missing out of his ears and his right leg was replaced with a cybernetic one even before he adopted me. I would forgive anybody for being frightened of him because he does scare even me. Not completely though. I could never truly be scared of him. I know his other side far too well. The side that nurtured a scared orphaned kit into adulthood. The gentle figure encouraging my interests and talents and the councilor guiding me through rough patches. Of course it may have been a good idea to have informed him a bit better on the nature of my relationship with my co-pilot. He looks at the two of us and sighs “Oh Ever, I thought I had raised you better.” “Father please I can explain. Jean and I…” My father cuts off my babbling with a wave of his hand. “I don’t care about that. You two are a good fit for each other anyway. No, I thought I had raised you to always take your flight suit and helmet off carefully after a flight. Now it’s going to need a thorough wash. And just look at your helmet. Thrown away on the ground with no regard. I raised you better” the three of us start laughing as I stand up to pick up my helmet. “To what do I owe the distinct pleasure of your visit, father?” I say yawning a little bit. “ You didn’t think I wouldn’t be the first to congratulate you on your promotion did you?” He said with a chuckle. “Is it weird how I had completely forgotten about that?” I say taking off my flight suit and reaching for the grey jumpsuit worn around the ship. “I wouldn’t think so. Especially since you seem to have only barely taken a look at it before shuffling off here and passing out.” my father continues while he takes a seat at the table that sits across from the bed. I see a stack of packages on the small stand by our door. “I have some things for you.” he says and I suspect he may have noticed my glance. “do you want me to bring the stack to you?” “yes please.” After this is done he hands me the first package. Upon opening it I find a cobalt blue dress coat and a black leather belt to run along its centre. “this belonged to my father. It never felt right for me to wear it but I would be honoured if you would.” He said. Next package contained a Margelite knife and shortsword. Margelite being an metal that could cut through almost any unshielded material. “These, however, were once mine. Since I have been all but relegated to divisional command I doubt they will ever again see action in my hands. Again, and it goes without saying, I would be honoured if you were to carry them in my stead. May your blade never dull and may your enemies learn to fear your name.” “You honour me,father” “Knock that nonsense off. I don’t need to see you adhere to the rigid forms. You’re my son not some underling.” here he handed me the third and final box. Inside was a commander's armband and a small amber coloured orb. Much to my surprise my name was engraved on the orb. “that armband was mine. It’s seen better days and I wouldn’t mind if you chose not to use it. As for that orb. Evergold, that is your birthright. After we had stabilized you I followed your tracks back to your village. I found it amongst the wreckage. It’s a storage device containing pictures and videos of your family. Both of them as I added to it quite frequently over the years. I want you to have it now. As a reminder of both who you are and where you came from so that you may never forget both. I have every confidence your true parents would have been very, very proud of who you are. I hope I have done their son justice.” I feel tears of joy streaming down my face and I can’t resist clasping my father in a hug. “You’ve done far more than that, father. So much more than I can ever put into words.” After releasing him he nods. “go through that orb at your own pace. I recommend taking it slow. Well I should probably be on my way and let you two get a full night's sleep. You’re going to need it because holy shit if the promotion ceremonies don’t drag on forever and ever. I’ll see to it that your squadmates don’t disturb you.”