{Incoming Transmission}
{a study of the Pilot: John Tailor}
{playing recordings}
A small ship, a small freighter sat on the edge of an asteroid field particles of smoke spewing from the engines as it sat stalled and stuck. Inside the pilot worked frantically to get the main systems back online, knowing that any moment...
A loud bang and a sizzle interrupted the silence, weapons fire. 'F*cking peace of junk!' The pilot said as he kicked the main cruse system control. His ship, a salvaged Camara, was well used and rather beat up. The thrusters were shot and the Cruse only worked half the time, but it was the best the young pilot could afford...
'Yeah.. Make the Severn to Huston run they said...' He tinkered with the equipment trying his best to at least get the thrusters working, 'Only thing you gota worry about are some small Xeno patrols... We even know a SHORTCUT!' He kicked the control panel in anger as he remembered the man who told him of the trade run he was now attempting to make...
A soft female voice echoed over the ships com as the weapons fire increased, 'Shields have failed...' followed quickly by his ship jolting to one side as a blast came in contact with his hull. Just then the pilot was able to hard boot the cruse, he could hear them charging as he sighed in relief... a moment later that female voice returned, 'Incoming missile'
'Damn it!' He yelled as he rushed for the controls, slamming his hand on the countermeasure panel as hard as he could. He sighed in relief as he heard the cruse whirl into life and his ship began moving towards the field.
The pilot jumped for the controls, grabbing them and holding them tight as he smirked and steered his ship into the cluster of asteroids. He knew they would never catch him now, only one person he knew could out fly him through an asteroid field and he was on the other side of the sector.
He smiled, most people wouldn't dare even attempt what he was doing now, manually flying through an asteroid field, guidance computer off, only his eyes to tell him how to maneuver. But he was used to it, he had enough practice.
It wasn't long before he had made it out of the field and was well on his way out of the system, or at least towards his way out of the system. It shined and flared as he got close, a Jump hole, the same one he used to get into the system and the same one he would use to get out. He sighed, he knew it would be another few hours before he saw another living soul... he flipped on the auto pilot and relaxed knowing it would take him through the hole and to his destination.
***
'This is the ITS Fennec requesting permission to land on planet Huston,'
'Roger that Fennec permission granted,' The traffic controller responded, 'and may we please have the pilot name for our records?'
'damn...' the pilot though, he hated places that needed name registration. But he shrugged, his cargo would be enough to get him home so what's the harm in letting his name slip for once.
'Roger, pilot name is John Tailor.' John said over his radio.
'Confirmed John, welcome to Huston have a nice stay.' John smiled as he leaned back, letting the automated docking systems take over. He was only going to stay for repairs, to get something to eat, and to unload his cargo, it shouldn't take more then an hour or two.
He quickly opened the hatch on his ship as it came to a stop on the landing pad. Unexpectedly the repair foreman was there to great him, 'Wow.. was expecting good service but for you to be here before I even leave my ship is quite excellent.' John joked as he climbed down to the deck.
'Sorry sir but we can't repair your ship.' John looked at the man like he was crazy.
'and why not? My money is good.'
'Well first off you blew your engines, we pulled you down with the docking ring's tractor beam. Second off your ships main reactor is shot it'll be outa power in an hour or two and that's not something we can fix cheaply.'
John sighed, so much for his big pay for his hard work. 'I've got a cargo hold of Military equipment for the Lib ground forces I was planing on selling here... would that cover the charge?'
The man laughed softly, 'That load you got? That'll maybe pay for half. You'd be better off buying a new ship.'
'Damn... how much could I get if I scrap her?'
'Maybe half a mil if your lucky? But she already looks like scrap so I'm sure it'll be less.'
John sighed, 'I'll do it... maybe I'll get enough for a ticket back home...' The foreman handed John the needed paperwork and John took it heading towards the nearest hotel for the night, he was suddenly very tired and figured he should get passenger ship hunting as early as he could the next day.
***
There was a loud and sudden knock at the door, it startled John awake as he looked around. There it was again, John sighed and started pulling on his pants, 'Gimmy a minute damn it's the middle of the night!' john groaned as he looked at the clock... 12 PM... not exactly the night he had just claimed it to be but good enough.
'What is it?' John asked as he opened the door. His eyes went wide at the sight before him.
'Are you John E. Tailor jr.?' The tall solder in full Bretonian dress asked.
'Y... yes? What's the BAF doing out here? Don't you have a war to fight?' John asked as he opened the door a bit more.
'Of course, and that is what this is abut I'm afraid...'
'What I haven't been drafted have I?' John said jokingly, but the solder didn't even blink, he looks almost sad.
'No sir... this is about your father.' John heart sank, his father was ex BAF... He knew only one reason BAF would come personally to tell him something about his father.
'Oh... oh god...'
'I'm sorry to inform you sir.. but you father has been killed.'
'H.. how? When!?' John asked as he lunched against the wall.
'Almost a year ago... a Kusari attack on an outer system.'
'A Year! Why am I just now hearing about this!?'
'We couldn't find you sir. You haven't been using your name for your trade business... until now.'
John slapped himself in the face, he was mad... mad at everything.
'Here.. Take this sir...' The solder handed john a folded flag and gave a salute. Taking his leave he left John there sulking and thinking over his past...
John's father had been a BAF fighter pilot, but the job took too much away from his family... when John's mother died his father quit the forces and became a part time stunt pilot... after witch he became a simple miner. John couldn't imagine how this could of happened... But he did know one thing... he had to get home. He had to Join BAF and fight in the memory of his father.
{End Transmission next data burst: unknown}
There are no accidents and no fatal flaws in the machines; there are only pilots with the wrong stuff.
