A/N: I know in the intro of Chapter One I said there weren't gonna be any original characters with big parts. Well, that was back when I was planning to make the 'Slipfighter Chronicles' its own fanfic. Then I realized that most of you people on don't like fanfics staring original characters, so I'm meshing it with 'Echoes of the Past.' Bear with me here.

Thanks to Iara, Oenone, Casey, Sam, Samantha, Colleen, and Emmy for contributing an original character! Love you all, even though we don't meet all of them in the next couple chapters!

Chapter 11

"This is all you could get for me?" Pish stood on the bridge of a starship, staring at the viewscreen in front of him.

"I'm sorry, sir," the man on the other end of the transmission said. "It was all I could get on such short notice."

Pish snorted and cut the transmission, revealing the blinking blue dots that represented Pish's new fleet. The ship's captain walked up behind Pish and looked at the battle map in front of them.

"Sir, we scraped together the best battle group we could," the captain said. "It doesn't look like much, but it's nothing to dismiss lightly. Five light cruisers, three heavy cruisers, and," he paused for dramatic effect. "We have the two best Slipfighter squadrons in the Commonwealth, Alpha and Delta Squadrons."

Pish did not look impressed. "Two Slipfighter squadrons hardly seems something to brag about, captain."

"Yessir, but Delta Squadron's members were picked from the best of the best. So was Alpha Squadron. They're forty-eight of the best males and females in the forces. For Slipfighter pilots, that is," he added, a hint of professional disdain seeping into his voice. "Any ten of them could equal any battle cruiser in out fleet, sir."

"It's not equaling any ship in our fleet that I'm worried about, captain," Pish said. "It's beating any ship in the opposing fleet that I'm concerned about. Who are the squadron leaders?"

The captain looked down at the flexi he held in one hand. "Alpha Squadron's leader: Corrin Larkan, human, male. Homeworld Savion-"

"Isn't that a very low-tech planet?"

"Yessir, but Commander Larkan purchased passage offworld." The captain looked down at the flexi again. "His radio call sign is 'Hotshot'."

"And Delta Squadron's leader?" Pish prompted.

The captain frowned at the flexi. "Nietzschean female from Terazed, but apparently she only goes by her call sign, 'Jade'."

"This 'Jade,' what Pride is she from?" Pish asked.

"I don't rightly know," the captain admitted.

"You don't know?" Pish demanded. "We have one of the largest information databases in the Known Worlds, and we don't even know this pilot's name or Pride?"

"No sir," the captain said. "And after seeing her fly, I don't really care what her name is. She's got to be the best pilot out there."

--------------

"You done checkin' that there fighter?" The chief engineer was not a patient woman. "Y'ain't gonna find nothin' wrong wi' it."

"My good woman, there's always something wrong with the new ones," the Nietzschean female retorted, her voice echoing off the interior of the Slipfighter. There was a startled curse as something sparked in the rat's nest of wiring the female was headfirst in. "Could you hand me the thingy?"

The engineer handed the female something silver, shiny, and pointy. (A/N: NO Erin, just because it's shiny doesn't mean it's an extraterrestrial! Sorry, back to the story.)

"No, not that, that," she pointed just as vaguely. "The thingy."

"What thingy?" the exasperated engineer demanded.

"The nanowelder."

The engineer muttered something less-than-complimentary as she handed the Nietzschean the nanowelder.

Something sparked, followed soon after by another curse. "There!" the Nietzschean exclaimed in triumph, extracting herself from the wiring and bolting the metal plate over the wires. The Nietzschean female was tall and slim, with dark brown hair and matching eyes. She had a pale complexion that was slightly tanned, giving her skin a healthy glow. She was what most humanoid males described as 'stunningly beautiful'. Of course, if you told her that to her face, she would laugh and tell you to lay off the Flash because it's not good for you.

"Took ya long enough, Jade," a human woman said from the doorway as the engineer stalked off muttering something about overtime. "We're gonna miss the basketball game."

"Cynthia, you know I need my fighter perfect," Jade said, laughing and jumping off the top of the fighter to land on the decking below. "And there is no basketball game."

Cynthia Valerie was an Earther, a fact she'd tell to anyone who'd listen. "Well, we should teach everyone to play basketball," she retorted. "Something has to liven up this ship."

"There's a poker tournament tonight," said a soft-voiced Inari female standing behind Cynthia.

Cynthia brightened. "Another example of a great game from Earth!"

"Winter, where's Nuria?" Jade asked, directing the question at the Inari.

"Probably in the Rec room with everyone else," Winter said. Winter Sharn was soft-voiced most of the time, but piss her off... well, don't say I didn't warn you. "Which is where we should be, too."

"We'll be getting the mission briefing tonight," Cynthia added.

"Hooray," Jade said sarcastically. "Yet another chance for the brass to tell us that we're the best of the best and everyone is depending on us."

"Yeah, like we didn't know we were the best already," Cynthia said.

"Ever the modest one," Winter joked, elbowing Cynthia.

Cynthia shrugged and smirked.

"All Slipfighter pilots, please report to the Recreation room," the ship's voice announced. "All pilots, please report to the Recreation room."

-------------

Jade elbowed her way through the crowded room until she found two other people from her squadron, Kaysea and Shauna. They were arguing about something, as usual. There was another woman standing with them who Jade didn't know. Must be from Alpha Squad, Jade thought.

"Just because I rescued you off Earth does not give you permission to 'borrow' some of my belongings!" Shauna announced. Shauna Du'lakar was a female Nietzschean from Drago-Katsov Pride.

"It was only temporary!" Kaysea Alantra protested. Kaysea was a former slave from Earth, whose tendency to 'borrow' things had landed her in trouble more that once.

"I got through people's tuff all the time," the woman Jade didn't know said. "I usually give it back though."

"See, Emmy's on my side!" Kaysea said.

Jade laughed to herself and shook her head, moving past them because it looked like Shauna was about to explode. She finally found a clear spot to stand when the boss came on the viewscreen.

"Alpha and Delta Squadrons," Pish announced. "This is the mission. You are going to be given coordinates in about a week. The coordinates are the location of the enemy Glorious Heritage heavy cruiser that will be waiting for you. I regret I cannot join you in the coming battle-"

Lying coward, Jade thought to herself. Probably going to be running with his tail between his legs.

"-but I have faith you will to your duty to the Commonwealth," Pish continued. "Good luck." His image on the viewscreen faded.

"Notice how they didn't mention what ship we'd be up against?" a human male muttered, shaking his head.

"Glorious Heritage-class cruiser," a Nietzschean male next to him noted. "Corrin, I don't like the sound of that."

Corrin grimaced. "I don't either, Achilles. Considering that Alpha Squadron has never fought side-by-side with that other squad. What is it? Beta, Gamma?"

"Delta," Jade told him. "Maybe we should arrange a few training sessions for our squadrons."

Corrin looked over her appraisingly. "Who are you?"

"Jade," she said. "Commander of Delta Squadron."

"Corrin Larkan," he said. "Leader of Alpha Squadron." Corrin motioned to the Nietzschean next to him. "This is my second in command-"

"Achilles Kadon," the Nietzschean male said, putting up his forearm in traditional Nietzschean greeting, which Jade matched with practiced ease. "Out of Maria by Apollo, of Sabra-Jaguar Pride."

Jade nodded as she lowered her arm. "Should I arrange a practice?"

Corrin hesitated. "Technically we don't have authorization-"

"I'll get the authorization," Jade cut him off. "Delta Squad!" she yelled over the chatter of the other pilots in the room. "Be at your Slipfighters in thirty minutes!"

"Same for Alpha Squadron," Corrin added.

A Nietzschean woman with large brown eyes pushed her way through the crowd. "Jade, what are we doing?"

"Our two squadrons have never had the pleasure of fighting together," Corrin said. "We're going to have a short training session."

Jade slapped the other Nietzscheans arm playfully. "Nuria, where are your manners?"

Nuria looked over her shoulder at the mention of 'manners.' Feigning surprise she said, "Jade, I thought you knew. Manners is shy, and he doesn't like to come out of his quarters." She smirked. "Name's Nuria Fatima, out of Sierra by Tallis."

"Pray tell, what Pride are the both of you from?" Achilles asked.

Nuria hesitated. "My parents were killed before I knew my Pride. All I remember of them is their names."

Achilles nodded in sympathy and turned to Jade. "What is your name and Pride? 'Jade' is a call sign, not a name."

Jade looked at him. "That's my own business," she said coldly, giving him a look that could melt through a heavy bulkhead before turning heel and walking away.

Achilles looked at Corrin and Nuria. "What did I say?"

Nuria paused. "Jade is a very private female," she said by way of explanation before joining the exodus of pilots toward the Hanger Bay.

----------------

"You want what!" the captain demanded, his face taking on a scarlet hue. "We don't have time for you Slipfighter jocks to prance your little fighters around!"

Jade stood military-straight in front of the captains desk, trying hard to stifle a yawn of boredom. "Sir, with all due respect, a few hours training now will be very good for our squadrons. We've never fought together, sir, and I think a few battle drills will make it easier in a real fight."

The captain sighed. "Fine. But don't get used to special treatment like this."

"Yessir, we won't sir." Jade saluted and left.

"Took ya long enough," Nuria said from where she had been leaning against the wall. "Let's go beat up on Alpha Squad."

Jade smiled. "Now you're talking."

A/N: my cat is chewing on my toes!