Author's Note; Dorry about the long wait!
Luckily, it was only this chapter giving me trouble, so updates should be more regular after this.
Keith tightened his grip on the controls, taking a deep breath. "Alright. Team, you ready?"
"Yeah!" Ginger cheered, pumping a fist.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Jeff breathed.
Keith turned around to look at Commander Boone and Shiro, waving to them. "Start it up." He ordered, and they obeyed, closing the ramp behind him.
Keith watched as the indicator lights flashed on around him, and he took a deep breath. He was now being watched by everyone outside…nay, all the Garrison employees. This was his moment.
"Alright, look alive." He told them, switching on a few buttons. "We're now approaching Jupiter." A view of Jupiter popped up onto the cockpit glass, the storm spiraling on the surface below obvious. "Ginger, walk me through our mission."
"Ooh!" His communications officer clapped her hands as she read information off a chart. "It's a new one. Okay; a ship is caught in the storm below and we have to get it out, without breaking anything crucial on either ships."
"This'll be fun." Keith grunted, turning the ship into the storm without assessing the danger.
He completed the mission twenty minutes later at very most , and Keith was avid about his grade. He knew he had completed it in record time, and quite cleanly. Hardly anything had been broken on his ship; a chipped wing, low fuel that needed to be restocked but could regenerate on its own in time, and a broken satellite.
Still, it made Keith happy to see his scores on the screen.
"Commander, sir," James asked, pointing at the screen. "I'm pretty sure this is in need of repairs."
"Why's that?" Boone asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Well, thing's broken. Heck, KEITH could pilot it and do kinda-ish well."
Shiro shot the cadet a pointed look, shutting him down. "Good job, Keith. Ina, you and your crew are up." He gestured to a blond-haired girl, who obeyed him and led her group into the simulator.
Keith had to admit; he had been expecting a bit more praise for being so perfectly wonderful. He slumped slightly before regaining his posture.
His father used to tell him that, in life, when you rejoice, the world rejoices with you. When you mourn, you're alone.
Despite this, his father told him never to go through life with a fake smile, or else nobody could trust him.
So Keith stayed blank. He never smiled. He never frowned. He was stiff.
He reminded himself to stay this way, nobody deserved to see his emotions.
Keith watched the screen with little interest as the girl, Ina, weaved her way past asteroids and flying blindly into dust storms.
He had to admit. She was almost as good as he was. Almost.
"Wow." Mr. Barfs-A-Lot said from next to Keith. "She's pretty good."
Keith ignored him.
"I could never be that good." The boy continued.
Keith began to wonder if the boy was talking to him.
"I know, right?" Another boy chimed, and Keith relaxed, smiling gently. Good, he hadn't been talking to him.
Keith watched the screen a bit longer, frowning thoughtfully before turning his gaze to Commander Boone and Shiro.
He wondered what they were thinking…