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Author's note: I hope you like the story so far. I'll try and pick up the pace some more towards the end of this chapter
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Chapter 3: The Spark that Ignites
Ryan was barely able to keep himself standing long enough to finish his shower. Today's training had been exhausting. First the target practice, then tactical movements, and even energy blade dueling. Miss Everett had given him a first rate lesson, and by the time he finally made it to bed, he thought his arms would fall off. He laid down thinking about the fighting that had been going on recently. As soon as the war had ended, the Earth Government had seized control of the corporations on Earth, but some had already set up operations on Mars and were developing factories there. Then came the underground movement. Leftover pilots from the Raven's Nest had gathered together to fight againt the Earth Government. So far, they haven't been able to do much damage and were currently being held at bay byt the government AC pilots. Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep. His dreams revolved around more fighting and training, and of course his favorite thing, the Four Horsemen. He wanted so badly to meet them, but no one knew where they went after the war.
Crystal had just finished cleaning up herself and was planning something for dinner when a knock came to her door.
"Come in!" she yelled from her kitchen.
"So watcha got cooking tonight?" Mike could be heard from the living room.
"Mike? What are you doing here?" Crystal gave him a suprised look and a friendly smile.
"Well, I just thought that perhaps the prettiest girl on base might want to eat somewhere other than her kitchen or the mess hall." He gave her a sly smile and help up a picnic basket.
"I see. So who would this lucky girl be?" Crystal looked at him with a sparkle in her eyes. He came over and took her hand, gently kissing it.
"No one else but you my dear" he said gently.
Crystal giggled like a little girl. "So what's in the basket?"
Mike opened it up and showed her. "Some ham and cheese subs, honey and biscuts, and that great pasta salad my grandmother likes to make. You know what they say, so one cooks better than grandma does."
"So true. Then I guess we should be off. Got a good place in mind?" she said while getting her jacket.
"Of course. there's a little garden just outside the gates," he opened the door for her. "There we can watch the stars and..."
He was cut off by a loud cough, and turned to see Edward standing there.
"What is this?" Edward asked "A mechanic trying to lure the General's daughter off somewhere? I won't stand for it" He forced his way in and pushed Mike aside, taking Crystal's hand in his "Are you ok Crystal? Did this, greasemonkey, do anything to you?" you could hear the distaste in his voice.
"I'm fine Edward" she tried to draw her hand back but he wouldn't let go "Mike and I were just going outside to eat"
"What would your father say? Seeing you with some run of the mill mechanic. He would be ashamed. Someone like him," pointing to Mike "just wouldn't be good enough for you. You deserve a high class man. Someone with dignity and poise. Someone that people respect and can look up to. Someone your father can truly think of as a son to him."
Crystal finally managed to get her hand away from Edward. "and I suppose you have someone in mind?" she gave him a somewhat evil look.
"Of course I do. Who else better to court you than..."
His words were cut off by a loud explosion and the loudspeaker coming on "Attention everyone! This is an emergency! We are under attack. the Raven's have gotten into the base perimeter and are attacking! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! We are under att..." the words were cut off my another explosion.
"What the hell!?" Edward yelled before running out the door, pushing Mike down along the way. Looking back he yelled to Crystal, "Don't worry, I'll save the day! then you'll know who you should be with!" he quickly turned and ran towards the AC garage.
"Mike! Are you ok?" Crystal rushed over to him to help him up.
"Yea, I'm fine, but we better go see what's happening." the sound of a missile could be heard coming closer. "Oh shit!" Mike yelled before pulling Crystal down just as a missile hit the wall behind them.
Ryan had jumped out of bed in surprise from the first explosion and heard the loudspeaker. "I can't believe this is happening." He looked out his window to see several AC's with the Raven insignia boosting through the base, shooting everything in sight.
His eyes suddenly got wide with fear, one of them was heading right for his barracks...
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to be continued......
Author's note: I hope you like the story so far. I'll try and pick up the pace some more towards the end of this chapter
*************************************************************************************************
Chapter 3: The Spark that Ignites
Ryan was barely able to keep himself standing long enough to finish his shower. Today's training had been exhausting. First the target practice, then tactical movements, and even energy blade dueling. Miss Everett had given him a first rate lesson, and by the time he finally made it to bed, he thought his arms would fall off. He laid down thinking about the fighting that had been going on recently. As soon as the war had ended, the Earth Government had seized control of the corporations on Earth, but some had already set up operations on Mars and were developing factories there. Then came the underground movement. Leftover pilots from the Raven's Nest had gathered together to fight againt the Earth Government. So far, they haven't been able to do much damage and were currently being held at bay byt the government AC pilots. Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep. His dreams revolved around more fighting and training, and of course his favorite thing, the Four Horsemen. He wanted so badly to meet them, but no one knew where they went after the war.
Crystal had just finished cleaning up herself and was planning something for dinner when a knock came to her door.
"Come in!" she yelled from her kitchen.
"So watcha got cooking tonight?" Mike could be heard from the living room.
"Mike? What are you doing here?" Crystal gave him a suprised look and a friendly smile.
"Well, I just thought that perhaps the prettiest girl on base might want to eat somewhere other than her kitchen or the mess hall." He gave her a sly smile and help up a picnic basket.
"I see. So who would this lucky girl be?" Crystal looked at him with a sparkle in her eyes. He came over and took her hand, gently kissing it.
"No one else but you my dear" he said gently.
Crystal giggled like a little girl. "So what's in the basket?"
Mike opened it up and showed her. "Some ham and cheese subs, honey and biscuts, and that great pasta salad my grandmother likes to make. You know what they say, so one cooks better than grandma does."
"So true. Then I guess we should be off. Got a good place in mind?" she said while getting her jacket.
"Of course. there's a little garden just outside the gates," he opened the door for her. "There we can watch the stars and..."
He was cut off by a loud cough, and turned to see Edward standing there.
"What is this?" Edward asked "A mechanic trying to lure the General's daughter off somewhere? I won't stand for it" He forced his way in and pushed Mike aside, taking Crystal's hand in his "Are you ok Crystal? Did this, greasemonkey, do anything to you?" you could hear the distaste in his voice.
"I'm fine Edward" she tried to draw her hand back but he wouldn't let go "Mike and I were just going outside to eat"
"What would your father say? Seeing you with some run of the mill mechanic. He would be ashamed. Someone like him," pointing to Mike "just wouldn't be good enough for you. You deserve a high class man. Someone with dignity and poise. Someone that people respect and can look up to. Someone your father can truly think of as a son to him."
Crystal finally managed to get her hand away from Edward. "and I suppose you have someone in mind?" she gave him a somewhat evil look.
"Of course I do. Who else better to court you than..."
His words were cut off by a loud explosion and the loudspeaker coming on "Attention everyone! This is an emergency! We are under attack. the Raven's have gotten into the base perimeter and are attacking! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! We are under att..." the words were cut off my another explosion.
"What the hell!?" Edward yelled before running out the door, pushing Mike down along the way. Looking back he yelled to Crystal, "Don't worry, I'll save the day! then you'll know who you should be with!" he quickly turned and ran towards the AC garage.
"Mike! Are you ok?" Crystal rushed over to him to help him up.
"Yea, I'm fine, but we better go see what's happening." the sound of a missile could be heard coming closer. "Oh shit!" Mike yelled before pulling Crystal down just as a missile hit the wall behind them.
Ryan had jumped out of bed in surprise from the first explosion and heard the loudspeaker. "I can't believe this is happening." He looked out his window to see several AC's with the Raven insignia boosting through the base, shooting everything in sight.
His eyes suddenly got wide with fear, one of them was heading right for his barracks...
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to be continued......