The

  planet's atmosphere was thick and filled with smoke rising from the

  burning wrecks of the crashed ships. Second Lieutenant Valeria

  "Valkyrie" Romanov steered the Falchion over the debris

  field while scanning the sensors for signs of life. The ground below

  them was scarred by impact craters and the remnants of a fierce

  battle, but it was still unclear how many survivors were still out

  there.

  Jennie

  Berg, Valkyrie's co-pilot and the ship's doctor, frowned as she

  checked the console. "I can't believe we're slogging through

  this debris field. You know I don't like dying, right?"

  Valkyrie

  grinned crookedly and dodged a thick cloud of smoke rising from a

  crashed wreck.

  "Hey,

  I've managed to get us home safely every time so far. Relax, Berg.

  This isn't half as crazy as what happened at Arcturus Base."

  Jennie

  raised an eyebrow. "Arcturus? What happened there? You've

  mentioned it at least ten times without giving any details!" She

  laughed, but her nervousness was unmistakable.

  Before

  Valkyrie could answer, the scanner emitted a soft beep. "There!

  A signal," Jennie exclaimed. "A crashed E7 Eagle, systems

  appear to be completely offline. Looks bad, let's check on the

  pilot."

  Valkyrie

  peered intently through the windshield. "There's our man."

  She turned the controls and brought the Falchion closer to the crash

  site. The Eagle lay smashed on the ground, half-rammed into a crater.

  Smoke rose from the wreckage as sparks sprayed from the remains of

  the systems.

  "Badly

  damaged, but at least not completely torn apart," Valkyrie

  muttered as she lowered the landing gear. She set the rescue ship

  down with a thud and gave Jennie a serious look. "If he's still

  alive, get him in quickly before the situation here gets worse."

  "That

  was a hard crash," Jennie commented on the field of debris

  around the Eagle.

  Valeria

  felt her pilot's pride had been hurt. "If the pilot can leave

  the ship on his own, then it wasn't a crash, but at most a hard

  landing!" she lectured her friend.

  Jennie

  nodded and grabbed the medkit as the Falchion's hatch hissed open.

  The heat of the planet and the acrid smell of burnt metal and ash

  filled the cockpit. Valkyrie closed her helmet visor before stepping

  out into the dense atmosphere.

  They

  were approaching the crashed Eagle when Jennie suddenly stopped.

  "Look," she whispered, pointing to the pilot's HoloSync,

  which was still attached to his wrist. Despite the thick layer of

  ash, the hologram was visible—it showed the pilot and a woman with

  bright red long hair embracing him affectionately. Both were smiling

  at each other, their affection clearly evident.

  "Looks

  like he lost someone," Jennie said quietly.

  Val

  felt a lump in her throat. "Damn... we've all lost someone."

  For a moment, she was back in the past, seeing herself as a young

  private in the army, with no plan but the will to act. Back then, on

  the Drifter-class troop transport, when no one knew what to do, she

  had taken charge.

  She

  shook her head to shake off the thought. Now was not the time for

  memories. The Eagle pilot needed her. And Valkyrie had never been one

  to hesitate when it mattered.

  "Come

  on, let's get him out of here," she said firmly as they

  carefully laid the unconscious pilot on the stretcher.

  *

  * *

  The

  Falchion lifted heavily from the planet and broke through the dusty

  atmosphere as it made its way back through the remnants of the raging

  battle. Debris floated like ghost ships in space, lifeless yet

  menacing. Valkyrie concentrated on the controls, letting the sensors

  do their work, while Jennie sat next to her in the cockpit, keeping

  an eye on the monitors.

  "Pretty

  nasty business down there," Jennie muttered, tightening her

  seatbelt. "Lucky we got him out alive."

  "How

  is he?" Val asked.

  "We

  can handle the burns, they're not a problem, but I'm a little worried

  about the smoke inhalation."

  Valkyrie

  just nodded silently, her eyes fixed on the star-studded void ahead

  of them. It was a narrow passage through the debris, and any wrong

  move could be disastrous.

  "Hey

  Val," Jennie began after a while, when she felt reasonably safe

  again, "what was that thing with the Drifter? You mention it

  sometimes... back when you were a recruit in the Marines?"

  Valkyrie

  took a deep breath and let her fingers slip from the controls for a

  moment. "Yeah... That was a shitty mission."

  Jennie

  leaned forward, curious. "Did you really fly the boat home after

  the pilot went down?"

  "Not

  just incapacitated." Valkyrie gave her a serious look. "He

  was killed. Sabotage. Zaleri terrorists had somehow smuggled a bomb

  into the cockpit, and it exploded while we were in mid-flight. They

  probably didn't like us adapting their old ship design after we

  destroyed them in two bloody wars 500 years ago. I was new to the

  Marines, but I was the only one who had even the slightest idea how a

  damn ship flies."

  damn

  ship flies."

  Jennie's

  eyes widened. "But how did you take control if the cockpit was

  destroyed?"

  "The

  co-pilot's seat on the Drifter is located below the actual cockpit in

  the crew compartment, so the systems here were undamaged."

  Valkyrie closed her eyes briefly and let the memory come back to her.

  "The cockpit... it was chaos. Sparks everywhere, and the

  pilot... he was dead instantly, and our sergeant was seriously

  injured. I sat there and took control while everyone around me was

  freaking out. We were in the middle of nowhere, without navigation.

  The other recruits were screaming, they were scared. I was scared

  too, but someone had to act."

  Jennie

  was silent as Valkyrie continued. "I just sat down and flew the

  thing. No navigation, no support. I scanned space for familiar

  objects and hoped that I could somehow get us home."

  "And

  you did it." Jennie looked impressed.

  "Yes,"

  Valkyrie replied, her voice quiet. "But not without nearly

  crashing us to our deaths a few times. We were just lucky... or maybe

  it was more than that." She shrugged. "I had practically no

  idea what I was doing, but we survived. That was all that mattered."

  For

  a while, there was silence in the cockpit, interrupted only by the

  hum of the systems and the soft rustling of debris passing by the

  Falchion's hull.

  Jennie

  listened thoughtfully to the Drifter's story, but her curiosity

  remained unabated. "So what happened next? Did they transfer you

  straight to the Navy after you pulled off that daring flight?"

  Val

  nodded as she calmly maneuvered the Falchion through the debris.

  "Yes, exactly that. The officers thought I was a natural flying

  talent. I have no idea what they were thinking... or if

  they

  were just desperate for pilots. But after the incident, they sent me

  to the Navy, straight into pilot training."

  Jennie

  grinned. "I bet you enjoyed that. One minute you were a recruit,

  and the next you were a pilot and an officer."

  "Yes,

  at first," Val admitted. "After the rigorous basic training

  and the constant yelling at the Marines, it was a real shock for me,

  but in a positive way. Everything was so much more relaxed, the

  officers weren't constantly breathing down your neck. Suddenly, all

  the pressure of basic training was gone. But..." She paused

  briefly, a mischievous smile creeping onto her lips. "I got very

  cocky very quickly."

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Jennie

  raised an eyebrow questioningly. "How cocky?"

  Val

  leaned back and laughed. "Too cocky. A few weeks into training,

  and I thought I was the best pilot in the galaxy. So... when the

  Thunderbolt training machines were brought out, I couldn't resist."

  "What

  did you do?" Jennie's voice was full of curiosity, sensing that

  a good story was coming.

  "It

  was the senior station commander's birthday," Val began, shaking

  her head slightly. "An Admiral Abrahamson, a huge asshole if you

  ask me. There was a big fuss with lots of medals, all the important

  people were there. And I, in my boundless exuberance, thought it

  would be a brilliant idea to thunder over the grandstand in a

  Thunderbolt flying low. Afterburners wide open. I was maybe... ten

  meters above their heads."

  Jennie

  burst out laughing. "You did what?"

  "Yes,

  you heard right. I thought it would make an impression. But what I

  got was the biggest scolding of my life. The admiral wasn't exactly

  thrilled that I blew his hat off his head."

  Jennie

  laughed so hard she almost slid out of her seat. "I can imagine!

  And then what happened?"

  Val

  shrugged, but her smile remained. "Well, let's just say that

  things didn't go so well for me after that. I was able to complete my

  training, but then I was practically transferred as a punishment –

  and that's how I ended up here in the medical corps."

  Jennie

  wiped a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye. "I bet that

  was the lowest low you've ever seen."

  *

  * *

  The

  Falchion continued to shoot through the darkness, heading back to the

  hospital ship. But the path was anything but safe. Debris from the

  battle floated everywhere—shredded wreckage from fighters,

  destroyed frigates, and the remains of Ka'Zal ships that had been

  shattered into a thousand pieces.

  "This

  is going to get a little bumpy," Valkyrie muttered, her hands

  tight on the controls. "Hold on."

  Jennie

  immediately clung to the armrests of her seat as Valkyrie glanced

  sharply at the scanners. "We have a huge cloud of debris up

  ahead... Ka'Zal cruisers, half exploded. And it looks like some of

  the wreckage is starting to rotate."

  Jennie

  swallowed. "Don't tell me you want to fly through that."

  "Trust me," Val said with a grin as her fingers flew over

  the controls.

  .

  "This is nothing compared to what I used to do."

  She

  pushed the throttle forward, and the Falchion accelerated as it flew

  toward the cloud. Huge pieces of metal, larger than the Falchion,

  floated sluggishly in space, but many spun uncontrollably. Valkyrie

  skillfully maneuvered the ship through the gaps between the debris,

  dodging rotating plates that came so close they almost grazed the

  hull.

  A

  huge, rotating hull plate came toward them, too large to simply fly

  past. Valkyrie narrowed her eyes,

  turned

  the controls in a wild maneuver, and shot directly under the edge of

  the plate as it rotated.

  "Almost

  like a birthday parade, huh?" she shouted as the debris jerked

  past them.

  Jennie

  was frozen with tension. "You're crazy, Val!" Valkyrie

  laughed. "You wouldn't believe how often I hear that."

  But

  the most dangerous part was yet to come. Directly ahead of them, they

  saw a damaged Ka'Zal warship slowly drifting toward the wreckage of a

  destroyed TNS cruiser. The scanners beeped as Valkyrie began a daring

  maneuver.

  "Okay,

  hold your breath," she said quietly and pushed the afterburners

  to full power. The Falchion shot forward, past a thick piece of

  shredded hull, just a few meters away from the raging flames and

  debris of the wreck. Val rolled the ship almost vertically to fit

  through an even narrower gap, while sparks and splinters grazed the

  cockpit.

  Jennie

  held her breath as she saw another piece of debris moving directly

  toward them. But Valkyrie maneuvered calmly, sliding the ship just

  under it and bringing them safely to the other side.

  "And

  that's it," Val said with satisfaction, slowing down as they

  left the last remnants of the debris cloud behind them. "A

  little nerve-wracking, but nothing we can't handle."

  Jennie

  breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head with a laugh. "You're

  going to kill me one day, Val."

  "Not

  today." Valkyrie grinned broadly. "Today we're flying

  home."

  *

  * *

  When

  the Falchion finally reached the hospital ship, Jennie felt a certain

  amount of relief. The frantic maneuvers had pushed her to the edge of

  her nerves, and now that they were safe,

  she

  could finally concentrate on her patient.

  "I'm

  going to check on our Sleeping Beauty," Jennie said as she rose

  from her seat. Val nodded and watched her as she walked to the rear

  cabins of the Falchion.

  Jennie

  opened the door and found the pilot still lying on the stretcher, but

  stable. "Hey, how are you doing, sweetie?" she called out,

  even though she knew he wouldn't answer. He was unconscious, but she

  couldn't help but give him a big smile.

  She

  leaned in a little closer, as if waiting for a reaction, but the

  pilot didn't move.

  Val,

  who was watching the whole thing from the pilot's seat, couldn't help

  but laugh. "Wow, Jennie, you seem more interested in his looks

  than his health."

  Jennie

  turned around quickly, a broad grin on her face. "What? I'm just

  kidding! We all know I like charming guys."

  "Charming

  isn't the word I would use for someone who is currently injured and

  unconscious on a stretcher," Val replied with a sharp look.

  "You'd better worry about his recovery than thinking of him as

  your new poster boy."

  Jennie

  raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, okay! Back to

  professionalism! But let's not spoil the mood! After all, we've had

  an impressive flight back."

  Val

  sighed but couldn't suppress a smile. "You're right. Let's make

  sure our hero is well taken care of. After all, he's our patient, not

  your next date."

  "You're

  impossible," Jennie replied with a laugh and turned back to the

  unconscious pilot to tend to his wounds.

  *

  * *

  The

  Falchion landed gently in the hospital ship's hangar, and Jennie and

  Val quickly jumped out to deliver the unconscious pilot. The

  technical staff, who were already waiting, helped them lift him onto

  a stretcher and carry him inside the ship.

  "Quick,

  take him to the treatment room!" shouted a medic as they hurried

  through the narrow corridors. Jennie glanced at Val, her expression

  showing both relief and concern.

  Once

  they reached the treatment room, they laid the pilot on the

  stretcher. The medical staff immediately began their examination when

  a doctor noticed the insignia on the pilot's uniform. "Wait a

  minute, what's this?" he asked when he saw the symbols of the

  5th Fleet on the pilot's suit.

  Val

  raised an eyebrow. "He's with the 5th Fleet. We rescued him

  after the crash."

  The

  doctor looked at her skeptically. "But we belong to the 2nd

  Fleet. What is a 5th Fleet pilot doing in this area?"

  Jennie

  couldn't help but laugh sarcastically. "Oh, so you're refusing

  to treat him just because he's not in the right fleet?"

  At

  that moment, another pilot with the insignia of a lieutenant

  commander, who was lying injured on a nearby stretcher, his flight

  suit bloodstained and torn, interjected. "Parts of the 5th Fleet

  supported the 2nd Fleet in this battle. They suffered heavy losses,

  and this pilot may be the only survivor of his unit."

  The

  doctor nodded as the officer spoke, and his expression became more

  serious. "I was just curious. Of course we'll take care of him.

  Regardless of the fleet, all that matters is that he needs help."

  Val

  and Jennie both breathed a sigh of relief. The pressure of the

  situation seemed to ease a little as the medical team prepared to

  treat the pilot.

  "We

  cleared that up just in time," Jennie murmured to Val, who

  nodded in agreement.

  *

  * *

  After

  the pilot had been handed over to safe hands, Jennie and Val got

  ready for their next mission. They left the hospital ship and climbed

  back into their Falchion. The machine hummed gently as Val checked

  the systems.

  "What's

  next?" Jennie asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

  .

  "A

  small medical evacuation mission to a nearby outpost. Nothing big,

  but important," Val replied as she started the engines.

  outpost.

  Nothing big, but important," Val replied as she started the

  engines.

  Jennie

  looked at Val and couldn't hold back her curiosity. "Hey, are

  there more stories? I could listen to you for hours."

  Val

  grinned and shook her head. "Oh, there's enough material for a

  whole novel. But the best stories are usually the ones where I didn't

  exactly cover myself in glory."

  "That

  sounds exciting! What about the time you tried to fly a Thunderbolt

  through the hangar at full speed?" Jennie was now really

  interested.

  Val

  shook his head and laughed. "More or less... but it wasn't a

  Thunderbolt, it was a Falchion, like this baby here. It was one of my

  first missions for the medical service. We were supposed to evacuate

  a civilian ferry that had been attacked by pirates and had several

  pregnant women on board. No idea what they were doing in space. Once

  we had them on board and were on our way back, the pirates came back,

  and I had the choice of either dodging into the black or flying into

  the hangar at full speed... I decided on the latter."

  Jennie

  grinned. "That sounds like a real adventure. Did you get in

  trouble for that?"

  "Not

  really. The commander wasn't amused, but in the end, they realized

  that I had a choice between two shitty solutions and that there was

  no right or wrong in this case. In the end, nothing happened, except

  that two of the women went into labor spontaneously and now there are

  two kids named Valerie."

  Jennie

  laughed out loud and Val sighed. "I still regret not being

  allowed to fly a combat ship. My impulsiveness cost me my dream job."

  "Yeah,

  that sounds really frustrating," Jennie remarked. "But I

  bet you still had a lot of fun. Maybe someday you can go back to the

  hot ships and make up for it."

  Val

  nodded thoughtfully. "That would be the dream. But sometimes I

  wonder if I really have what it takes, or if I'm just heading for

  another disaster."

  "You've

  got the talent, Val. Everyone makes mistakes, it's part of life. What

  matters is that you learn from them. And hey, until then, you're

  doing just fine here!" Jennie said encouragingly.

  "I

  hope you're right," Val admitted, letting out a deep breath.

  "And even though I'm only flying medical missions now, I'll

  never stop pursuing my dream."

  The

  Falchion took off and glided elegantly through the room as the two

  women chatted and laughed about their shared experiences.