Chapter 1
"Cooper, get over here!" Davis, one of the members of the 6-4, yells as he beckons to me. As I run over to them, I see Davis, Bear, and Droz all clustered around that one woman, the one that creates a wide berth in the militia men just by walking the halls, she gains the stares of all the men in the ship, and a few women even, though I don't even glance at her, I do my best to respect her as a woman, Gates. "Sirs? Ma'am?" I ask, coming to a stop a few paces away from the circle, nervously at attention. "Cooper, you are aware of who we are, correct?" I look to her now, just realizing her sea blue eyes and blonde hair, the secrets hidden behind those eyes. "The 6-4, a freelance group of pilots, led by you, yet, unlike other freelance groups, you follow a code of honor, if your offered a smaller amount for a good cause, you take that over a large amount for a bad cause, correct?" I ask, recalling the briefing from when the 6-4 originally joined our cause. "Yes, well, I know you've been training to become a pilot with Captain Lastimosa." She responds, watching my reaction. 'How does she know this?! I thought only Lastimosa and I knew.' I think, my eyes going wide. "Y-Yes, ma'am I have been." I reply, glancing at the men circling around me now. "Well, with that knowledge, I have a proposition for you coop, how would you like to join the 6-4? I've been given the go ahead to induct you into our group if you choose." She says, before moving to stand in front of me, holding her hand out. 'Me? In the 6-4, the most elite pilot team in the galaxy?' I think, my mind racing at the prospect. "I'd love that ma'am, I would have to leave the militia, but that's been my dream my whole life." I say, clapping Gates' arm, hand to elbow. "We'll take care of that and get you settled in, don't worry about that Jack." She says, giving me a warm smile, before turning to the other men. "You all go inform Sarah, and update the roster, Jack, you follow me." She finishes, before leading me down a Hall towards their dropship. "You'll be bunking in the room across the hall from mine." She says, before giving me what I could swear was a wink, and keying the code to my room. "Does everyone know that code?" I ask, thinking of how awkward it could be to have one of the other men walk in on me mid change. "No, just you and I, here, this is the code, and here's the code to mine, and the comm number to contact me directly. Training starts at 0400 tomorrow, so get some shut eye." She replies, grinning at me before turning towards the door and leaving me be. I walk around the room, inspecting everything there, before realizing all of my previous belongings had been moved here already. 'She knew I couldn't resist then.' I think, as I lay down to let sleep overcome me.
My alarm jumps me from sleep at 0330, before I roll out of bed, and slip on my clothes, before grabbing a monster and jogging to the training room down the Hall. 'Huh, first up for training then.' I muse as I discover the sim pods all open and vacant. As I start to drink my monster I check my comm, before seeing a message from Gates. "Jack, you have a lot of potential, that's why you'll be accompanying me on my special needs missions, the others lack the skill and touch you possess." As I read my eyes widen, realizing the meaning. 'But... I'm just a rifleman, how can I have what those pilots don't?' I think, my mind racing. Just as this thought crosses my mind, Gates strides into the room, staring intently at her tablet. "Gates, I got your message. I just wanted to know, why me? I'm just a rifleman." I ask, taking note of her slight jump, before smiling warmly at me. "Jack, you misunderstand, your going to be a pilot, you train for it today." She replies, pointing to the sim pod near hers. "I'm going to be training you personally, we have some tools and gadgets no other pilots use, not even Davis, Droz, or Bear." She finishes, before sticking a metal nameplate with my name to the top of it. "Your making me a pilot?!" I ask, grinning broadly at the prospect. "I am. Now, into your pod, we begin training early, I want you ready as soon as possible." She replies, before hitting a few buttons on her tablet, locking it, and changing the settings on my sim pod. I step into it, before she looks at me, I'll join you in one sec, I have to relay the orders to the rest of the men." She says, a hint of annoyance at the mention of the others in her voice. "Ma'am, you seem... Displeased with them. Is something wrong?" I ask, seeing her annoyance flare up again. "First, enough with the 'ma'am' just call me Gates, Second, the men have started trying to convince me I made a mistake inducting you." She says, tensing in further annoyance. "Well then I'll just prove them wrong Gates." I say in reply, giving her a small smile and look signaling my intent to prove my capability sooner rather than later. "Please do Jack, I don't enjoy having my men question my decisions." She replies with a warm smile, before closing my pod.
The sim starts, revealing a wasteland of destruction and decay. 'The moon Titus, destroyed by war. Why'd she take me here?' I think, gazing around at the destroyed buildings and streets. "Titus, this, Jack, is where I was born and raised, therefore I'll use it to raise the pilot within you." Gates says, as she appears next to me, sitting atop a crate marked 6-4. 'Well shit, no wonder she's such a bad ass, you'd have to be after this.' I think, watching her adjust a setting on her helmet in her lap. "What's with the crate?" I ask, gesturing to her current chair. "This Jack, is your new suit. Didn't think you'd be a pilot without the aunt to match did you?" She says, laughing as she gets up and gestures for me to open it. 'So I'm given a position next to her, a room, a job, pilot training, and now a suit to match. Damn I must've made an impression.' I muse, before noting her gaze lingering on mine, waiting. "I-I don't know what to say. This is all my dreams coming true." I mutter, before adding a much needed and heartfelt thank you. I open it to see a full suit, with a helmet and the number 2 painted on it. "Your to be my second in command, we had reserved the number 3 spot for a new recruit, but, Bear, my number 2, dumped me for some whore and has started disrespecting the chain of command. I can't have such a un disciplined man be my second in command now can I?" She says, skillfully attempting to hide that pain away. "He would do that to you?!" I ask, anger flaring at the thought of such a nice woman being treated like trash. "He has, but I'm showing him his place, beneath me." She replies, before meeting my eyes again, a new determination filling them. "Allow me to assist then, I'll be a better ally towards you, and in time, friend." I respond, smiling slightly, hoping to help her show Bear what happens when you cross a woman like Gates. With that said, I get my gear on, and begin the days training.
"I must say Jack, I'm impressed, no one's been able to keep up with me before, even with prior training." Gates says to me with a grin as we exit our pods. Bear growls and looks towards me, a hatred burning beneath his brown eyes. "I aim to please." I say, grinning back at her, eliciting a laugh from her, which in turn creates another growl of anger from Bear. "You replace me with him?!" He growls out. 'Man what's with this guy and growling, you'd think he was an actual bear.' I muse, before looking to Gates for her reply. "Well I wouldn't say replace, but I have no other word for come in, make everything better almost instantly, and help me with my troubles, soo... Yeah we'll use replace." She says, before giving me another grin and leading me to the cafeteria while the others train. "What's his problem?" I ask, following her down the corridor to the cafeteria. "Bear, my friend, is jealous of you, he was previously my second after all, that and he won't have the chance to get in my pants anymore." She replies, before her eyes widen. "I-I don't mean to say you and I are a thing... I just meant that-" She states, before I cut her off. "Don't worry about it, I know you meant he has no chance with you. Besides, I can't say I'd be against it anyways." I reply with a nervous laugh. She bursts out into another one of her smiles. "Well, prove yourself, and you might just get that chance." She says quietly before walking briskly down the corridor, me in tow. 'Wait, so I have a chance to call her mine?!' I ask myself, grinning at the thought. As we arrive to the cafeteria, I see a food I haven't tasted in forever, pizza. As we sit to eat, my comm buzzes, signaling a message. "Rifleman, stay the fuck away from Gates. Leave the 6-4, forget her. Or else I'll make it happen myself more permanently. -Bear" As I read, Gates must've noticed my expression. "What did Bear say?" She asks, her eyes flashing dangerously. "A threat." I reply, handing her the comm. "Bear you fuck." She says, her voice barely above a growl. "I'll let him know that if he so much as glances at you, he's to be removed from the 6-4. I cant have him attempting to undermine my orders." She finishes, before handing my comm back, her message typed to him and sent already. As our meal comes to an end, the others come in, both Davis and Droz stopping to congratulate me on keeping up with Gates, Bear on the other hand, moves to the farthest point in the cafeteria. "I trust you two have no problem with Jack and I?" Gates asks, watching the two with narrowed eyes. "No, we're fine, we'd rather see Bear put into his place, he has this Almighty air, like he believes he's God's gift to the fuckin universe." Davis laughs, before they move off to join Bear.