Strike read the letter again.
"Hey Pal,
I'm just gonna get down to it. We can't keep Ace here any longer. He's too active, he needs to be somewhere where he can move and explore. Just like any 14 year old boy I guess, but he has a lot of you in him. You know, last week, he had an argument with one of his teachers. When they found him, he was huddled on the roof reading the latest about the Storm Hawks.
He's a great kid, but I don't know how to handle him. No-one does. I love the kid like a son, but we both know he isn't, and I can't give him what he needs here.
You know as well as I do that the Condor is the best place for him. Being with his 'Uncle Strike' is probably the best shot he has to get his life on track.
Please write back soon. I need to hear from you.
Jace"
Strike sighed. His plan to keep Ace away from the Sky-Knight world had backfired and he knew he had no choice but to have Ace on the Condor. Jace was right…
He looked up at the speaker as Dalia's voice echoed through it,
"Coming up on Terra Atmosia… "
Strike crumpled up the letter in his hand and let it fall, before turning and heading to the skimmer bay. He didn't notice the wind that blew the scrap of paper into the open doors, before it lodged itself beneath one of the corners in the console room.
He entered the hangar bay to find Crystal already waiting to go.
"Come on, Strike! You may not be looking forward to this, but the rest of us are. Ace is definately gonna liven the place up…"
"Yeah… But I don't know if he's…"
"Ah, drop it. He spent three years I that Sky-Knight academy. Heck, he beat your percentage record. He kid's a natural born Sky-Knight… No that he knows why…"
"And he can't. I can't tell him after 14 years of him thinking I'm his uncle. It would be too hard on him…"
"But…"
"That's an order Cryss. No-one is to tell him."
"Yes sir…" Crystal put an emphasis on the last word, and gunned the engine of her ride, leaving Strike to sigh before running after her. They just… didn't get it.
A few minutes later and they were within sight of Terra Atmosia.
Strike landed and span to a stop just outside Jace's front door. Jace's wife, Karla, poked her head out and smiled.
"Well, you made good time…"
"Yeah… Flints been messing about with the Condor's engines… added some different crystals to the crystal array. She's now the fastest ship in the quadrant…"
"Try the whole of Atmos…"
Strike's chest seemed to tighten at the sight of Ace, as it always did. The wiry 14 year old was lounging against the doorframe, his dark hair spilling messily over his face, and his expression was one of badly concealed surprise.
"What are you doing here? Dad said you wouldn't be arriving for at least a couple of days…"
"The council managed to get the Eagles to manage the border skirmishes…" Strike's chest had burned slightly as he heard the teenager say 'dad' but he knew he could only have it one way…
"So…" he continued, "I hear you smashed my record at the academy…?"
"Yup… Ninety-six Per cent…"
"Damn… I'm never gonna live that down…" Strike grinned, and found that he was actually looking forward to giving Ace the news. "Karla? Did you tell him…"
"No," she said, smiling, "I thought I'd let you do that…"
"Tell me what?" Ace had pushed off from the doorframe, and stood with his arms crossed, casually leaning back on one foot.
"That you… Hey, where's Jace?"
"Hey! Come on, tell me." Ace was trying to hide his impatience, and Strike grinned at the way he rocked gently back and forwards, remembering that he used to do the exact same thing.
"Well… I dunno… I think we should wait… For your… for Jace…" Strike was worried that Ace had heard the slip up, but he was far too interested in what Strike had to say.
"Awww, come on."
"Hmmm… Okay then… How would you like… for a small while anyway, seeing as I can't really be sure how…"
"Come on! Stop avoiding the point…"
"Fine. How would you like to live on the Condor?"
Ace seemed struck silent. He was still standing with his mouth open when Crystal turned up.
"Ya know… I think that's the quietest I've ever seen him…" she grinned. "So…? What did he say?"
"I don't know," Strike replied, with mock sincerity, "He hasn't answered so it may be a No…"
"Are you joking?" Ace seemed to explode "Of course I want… I sure as hell… Hell yeah!"
"Ace!" That was Karla, "Language…"
"But I…" he didn't seem to be able to say anything, and instead ran forward and nearly shoved Strike to the floor as he hugged him.
"I'll take that as a yes…" Strike grinned, and caught the smug 'I told you so look' in Crystals eyes.
He rolled his eyes at her, and stepped away from Ace.
"So…" he said to the still shocked teenager, "Wanna start packing?"
Sorry for the REALLY REALLY REALLY long gap between this and the last update, but its been hectic so... yeah. Hopefully be able to update more regularly now, and hopefully at least once a week. Please review to let me know if you guys are liking it!
Again, sorry for the delay *sheepish expression*