Somewhere in Sinear Fleet Systems testing territory. 6 ABYEli walked dutifully into the engineering block of the SFS
Creation space station. He scanned the many booths and tables until he spotted the familiar green head and hunched over back. Eli then strode over behind the being. "Okay, this is it. I'm taking the TIE Cyclone out," Eli announced to his father, Dreezeil, who was stooped over the engine of a TIE Oppressor.
The elder Falleen's head snapped up. Dreezeil frowned and turned to his son. He put a hand on Eli's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Are you sure, Eli? It's only even been an idea for three months. Perhaps more testing would be a wiser idea," Dreezeil cautioned, softly. Eli just shook his head.
"I built this thing from the ground up. It isn't like previous models, dad, that I could jury rig the TIE cockpits and arm braces to already made wing panels. I had to piece it together from scratch. I designed new engines and maneuvering thrusters, just for this model. It's even got the new ionization reactor in it, and that YOU designed. I have put all the data into the simulation programs a hundred times. My engineering team has already cleared the launch. All I need is your blessing."
"You will not even consider my advice?" Dreezeil asked. Eli shook his head disdainfully. "Then you are a fool. Your arrogance has gotten into your head. Just because your past designs have been successful, doesn't mean this is too. You worked longer on the other designs, knowing by logic when they were done. Now with the TIE Cyclone you are following your imagination and gut instinct, and it will not end well."
"You are an old coward and a fool! You know how hard I've worked on this!" spat Eli, the harshness in his voice palpable.
Dreezeil looked stricken. "Fine son. Do what you want."
Eli would have left then, if he had not seen the pain in his father's face, as the Falleen turned back towards his work. "Dad, I'm sorry," Eli soothed putting a hand on his father's shoulder, "I didn't mean to explode like tha-"
Dreezeil shrugged Eli's hand off and said, almost mournfully, "Go. Do the test. If you believe it is ready, I should not have questioned you."
Eli simply nodded, and left his father to complete his work.
Thirty minutes later, Eli was getting in the new prototype, the TIE Cyclone. The starfighter was a beauty. It was a tri- wing design, with the wings of a TIE Interceptor placed at equilateral points around a TIE's ball cockpit, two on the upper right and left and one directly below. Grinning, Eli climbed in, commed in his test run, disengaged the specialized docking magnets, soared out of the station's hangar, and flipped upward 90 degrees, climbing along the hangar's outside wall. The g-force packed on his chest was massive.
Jeez, this thing is so agile, the inertia dampeners can't compensate. Just like I designed it.Eli turned away from the hangar's wall and into open space. Looking at the screens, he began plotting his test course. Suddenly, his panels began winking out on him.
"What the Hell..." muttered Eli, as he looked up and out of the viewport. The space around him was a tick foggy grey. "Ah, just a cosmic cloud... I'd better return to the hangar till it passes." Eli pulled up on the control yoke, flipping end for end. Again all he saw was stellar fog. "Did I turn too far?" Eli wondered, out loud.
No, that's not it. This cloud is just moving fast. Maybe, if I stay put...At that precise moment, a large rock popped into view. Eli yelped, and rolled out of the way. The rock bounced off of the Cyclone's top right wing, angling the ship slightly downwards. Panicking, Eli threw the Cyclone into full throttle. Moments later, the fog faded, revealing the inside of the hangar Eli had just left, only minutes before. The floor of the hangar came rushing up towards Eli.
The Falleen jerked up on the control yoke, leveling off with the floor. The Cyclone's bottom panel scraped across the durasteel floor, throwing sparks in it's wake. The left side- panel of a TIE Fighter, hanging in it's docking rack, clipped the Cyclone's upper right panel, spinning the prototype on its side.
Eli's world spun, as the Cyclone half rolled, half bounced across the hangar floor. Three agonizingly long seconds, and a hundred meters later, the TIE Cyclone smashed into the hangar's back wall, mid bounce, and disappeared in a fireball. Eli lost consciousness immediately...
And regained it seconds later. His vision was rimmed with dark shadows, and filled with white blotches. His entire body ached. He leaned forward and began to crawl out of the Cyclone's shattered viewport. The front of his flight suit caught on fire, as it passed over the molten glass.
He managed to drag himself halfway out, before his arms gave away on him. For a moment he hung there, helmet sliding off his head, before he tumbled head first out of the viewport, landing on his back. When he hit the floor, a horrible crunching noise emitted from his chest and left leg. He barely heard it over the painful ringing in his ears. Dimly, he realized that his leg and ribs were probably shattered. And, most likely, he had a concussion.
Suddenly, an terrible burning feeling covered his face. The fires must have traveled up from his flight suit. Then, once more, Eli's world went black.
======================
The senior medical officer watched as the burning being fell out of the wreckage. "Men! That pilot's alive! Grab those flame dousers, and let's get over there!" The medical team quickly obliged, and minutes later the Falleen pilot was doused and pulled away from the crash site.
"Ok, men," said the SMO, "let's get this guy to the sick bay and hand him over to Doc."
=====================
Eli woke up for the first time, three days after his accident. His vision seemed too bright and everything pulsed. He laid still for a few minutes, and it passed. He was laying in a bed in the sick bay. The chief surgeon, a human nicknamed Doc, sat at the end of the bed. Eli groaned and Doc's head snapped up.
"Ah, you're awake," the human began. "I know you must be tired so I'll keep this brief. As you well know, you had a horrible crash a few days ago, which left you pretty beat up when you were handed over to me. I was able to fix your broken ribs and leg. I was forced to place a metal plate in your head, in order to brace the concussion. Don't worry, it's not noticeable. I also managed to preserve your perfect eyesight. However, by the time I got to cosmetics, your face had already begun to scar. I CAN take them off, but it requires surgery, and it's your choice."
Eli opened and closed his mouth as he tried to process all of this information. He felt himself begin to shut down again. Doc noticed it too.
"I know, it's a lot to take in. I'll get back to you on you decision. Now-"
Whatever Doc said then, Eli did not hear for he passed out once more.
Eli woke again a few hours later. He saw his father standing over him. Eli tried to smile, but it sent excruciating pain through his face, so he stopped.
"Oh, Eli," Dreezeil said shaking his head.
"Dad, I- I'm," Eli began.
"Don't call me dad," Dreezeil said coldly. "You will address me as 'sir'." Then, the elder Falleen turned heel and walked away. Eli passed out again, soon afterwards, still weeping for his loss.
Eli woke for the third and final time, a day later. This time, Doc was standing over him. "So," said the surgeon, "have you made a decision?" Eli nodded. "Good. I'll prep the reconstructive surgery team at on-"
"No," Eli said firmly.
"What do you mean?" asked Doc, bewildered.
"I want to keep the scars," Eli said in a tone that ordered finality.
I want a reminder of this time. Of the time I lost my father.- OOC:
- Word count: 1,373
Just the history of the scars on Eli's face. Not much CD but an ok story in my opinion. Please, post any feedback or criticism you have. I need it.