Words: 2070


Chapter I
Becoming a pilot
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Today it was cold and dreary as she slushed through the puddles mud that has formed where no tar has yet been laid between the Academy facilities of the Army base. Her hair formed its own little storm of rain droplets due to the storming raging above, flooding the skies with a mass of water, but all this went unnoticed to the Senior Sergeant who seemed to be lost in thought.

She was late. Again. As always. And usually there would be some punishment awaiting her, courtesy of Racus, the smart Sergeant Major who was also her older brother who had managed to create the reputation, and was not about to let his baby sister destroy it with her lazy antics of courage.

Dripping water Aeos lazily strolled into her class which has surprisingly not started yet.
Slightly disappointed at missing the chance of a banter with her instructor in front of the class Aeos took her seat. As usual at the back of the square room.

The class bustled with Heavy Weapons Students chattering about, scraping their chairs across the tiles with screeching sounds and throwing paper bowls ever so often. And in the process, driving Aeos slightly insane, despite the child-like nature she had. Yet today, her mood was that of an agitated lady and she had no interest in wasting her time here.

A quick glance at the chronometer told she was wasting her time by fifteen units so far. Her right hand's fingers jerked spasmodically as she twitched the  double-jointed thumb out of habit and pure agitation.

Getting up hastily Aeos decided that this was the moment to leave. Dodging countless desks, students and flying crumples of what seemed like paper, Aeos made her way to the front where the door was situated as well. Her hand hovered over the identification pad against the wall, but before the electronics could register her identification the door slid open. Her glance fell against the chest of a burly male. Her glance crept up towards the face. Bright emerald eyes locked with hers.

"Going somewhere Sergeant?"
Snapping out of the slight daze she suddenly succumbed to, Aeos retorted;
"Yes, my quarters."
Meanwhile, the class has grown silent.
"Get back to your seat, my apologies for being so late, " he replied in a light yet firm Corellian accent.
"So, you are the guy who wasted my time-wait... where is the other bald guy?"

"He retired, now Sergeant, please get back to your seat, or I will escort you back there myself. Orders from your brother," a smirk tugged at his lips.
The audacity!
It was one of the few times Aeos was too shocked to find herself retort some smart-ass comment or defy whatever she was ordered. Instead she bit bubbles in the air, before returning to her seat as white anger boiled through her veins.


The vendetta she had build up, quickly dissipated strangely enough as she lost herself in the tutorship of the class.

"Indirect Fire, well, there is little theory offered on this subject as it requires a more 'hands on' approach. In the following series of classes we will find ourselves outside in the Wilderness of Tadath as I will explain and teach you the finer basic of basic artillery equipment,"

Zaess Kraturus as she came to know his name sighed, clearly the thought of sharing his vast knowledge and passion of weaponry with students was a pleasure. He carried this boyish grin that reminded her of her other brother Radge who served the served the illustrious Vast Imperial Navy. She reckoned Zaess to be of same age as well.

The thoughts of her oldest brother brought crimson thoughts to her mind, and she struggled to contain her temper and lash out. She forced her maundering thoughts away from him, and managed to catch the last few words of the lesson.

"...Squad Weaponry such as the E-Web and last but not least the energy or if you prefer projectile weaponry which would include personal favorites such as Subsonic Slugthrower,"

A boyish grin stretched across his face, as if the thought if weaponry was the biggest pleasure he could think of at  this moment. Aeos scowled at Zaess, and from within she was scowling at her brother, and at the Army.

For a moment her thoughts lingered.
Why did she join the Vast Empire? Was it really for her brothers? Or was it the craving for adventure she craved? She has never cared for her Army career, until a few days ago. Until she noticed that there were other that seemed to care for it, like her squad. No squad.
Her missions were affected by her imperial career. No missions.

Since her demotion, since she lost her position of Squad Leader, something was amiss. And she failed to grasp what exactly it was that went amiss in her. She felt humiliated. And even though it happened almost a year ago, it still had a ripple effects on her.

Was it really worth staying in the water?

She gathered the little stationary she used, and her datapad from the desk and stood up. She kept her head high, her face proud,  ignoring every questioning gaze that fell upon her.

The door closed behind the Senior Sergeant, leaving the class in a buzz of gossip. Speculating.

***


"You called?"
The young female Sergeant gazed at the light-haired man in front of her. He was seated in a pleasant looking, yet non-comfortable leather chair. He nodded his head lightly and with a simple authoritative wave of his hand gestured her to have a seat. He leaned forward as he stretched over to reach some papers lying about on his slightly disorientated  desk and shuffled it neatly into a pile.

"Why paper?" asked Aeos bluntly, raising an eyebrow at the queer man in front of her.
"Old-school habit," he replied as he tried to stifle a small yawn trying to escape through his lips.
"Well, what is it you require of me Sir?" she asked. Earlier the day she was hammered with a series of bleepers and bloopers on every Communications Device she owned driving her insane and driving her to actually see the Platoon Commander.

"Yes, here take this," he handed a datapad, Aeos gazed numbly at the blank LCD screen.
"You will receive daily briefings, and-"
"Sorry, Sir, " Aeos stood up, her chair screeched as it scraped across the barren floor not touched by the warm folds of the small carpet.
"What is this about?"
"Sit, down Sergeant, and lemme explain,"
Aeos took her seat again, while staring suspiciously at the First Sergeant.
"Since, you are in a semi-retired yet active state of duty, I might as well assign you piece of work."

Aeos stared at Kairo with dull eyes.
"I'm already doing those odd jobs for Colonel Rizzit,"
"You didn't seem very busy today nor yesterday, "
Sighing Aeos gestured with her a small nod that he could continue,
"Some local investigations I want you to take a look at. We've had a bizarre case of crimes that is definitely linking with an syndicate, but nothing seems to be adding up and no one is behind bars giving me reason to believe that this syndicate might have contacts in the Law Enforcement,"

Kairo straightened from his chair and stepped across his office to an open window from where he could view the recruits in their training progress. His hands were folded neatly behind his back.

"Sir, I may speak freely,-"
"Yes, continue,"
"This is Tadath, the capital of the Vast Imperial Army, how in Seven Hells could there exist something like a syndicate in the midst of an Army base?"  asked Aeos extremely confused.

"You will just have to find that out, won't you?"
Kairo turned around, and cocked his head slightly to the left whole keeping his stern gazed fixed on her.
"Sergeant, you need to remember that there exists no perfect system  that cannot be infiltrated by corruption," he muttered tiredly.

"Why are you doing this?"  lightning blue eyes stared at Kairo, questioning his mindset.
"Doing what?"
"Don't play-...sorry, you what I mean Sir,"

The Platoon Commander turned around, and stared at her with inquisitive eyes, studying her intensely.
"You explain to why I am doing this," he muttered and met her gaze with his own.

Aeos took a deep breath and took her seat again. She shifted around uncomfortably, and squirmed under his stern gaze.
"Yes?"

A bitter smile stretched across her usually child-like face, always filled with a joke and laughter.

"I haven't been assigned in months. Why now?"
Kairo seemed to sense that this was a rhetorical question and he kept silence, allowing her to continue.

"It was one simple mistake I made, and the fact that my ability as leader is now doubtful. How could I prevent mutiny?"
Aeos turned her head away, staring past Kairo through the window behind him.

"Word has it, that you are planning to leave the Army."
It was a statement, not a question.

"You seem confident of your sources, " said the female advisor as she lifted an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Aeos,  some people collect stamps, or cards, other collect money, but, I like to say; I collect people, do you know how much you can learn about someone if you observe them close enough?"

Aeos frowned lightly, more confused then anything at that time.

His fingers intertwined one another as he continued.

"You are one of the few capable advisors I have around, despite your err...history, and it is a shame. Many saw potential in you when you first signed up, and what a disappointment it turned out to be for everyone, including yourself, hmh?"

A scowl broke across her soft features. It has become a practiced face expression for her by now, and she turned her head again, to avoid his gaze.

"Don't think I didn't notice your face lit up the past few weeks whenever a herd of TIE's skimmed over the planet surface. And the little pamphlet you dropped the other day most certainly gave it away, and nor did I fail to notice that your circles of friends nowadays seems to exist only of pilots, and mercs you meet in the bar. You seem actually disgusted with the Army."


She shook her head. Denying it was a lie to her self.
"So. Why the assignment?"

"I was hoping, maybe it will give you a bit of hope of getting back, involved with the Army, but your whole response to the assignment did not seem very excited." he replied.

Aeos refrained from snorting.
"Indeed."

"Should I make the arrangements for transferring?"

Her eyes lit up. And momentarily she couldn't give a cow whether Kairo caught the new spurt of life that made her eyes seem lively again.

"I hate to do this Aeos," Kairo sighed, and plopped himself down in his chair. He reached over the table again, and dragged a datapad with his fingertips closer.

"Thank you Sir, really, thank you," she said to him, for the first time in weeks, feeling sincere about an emotion other then the bitterness that has been consuming her so much.

"You are excused..."
Bolting from her seat, Aeos executed a crisp yet hasty salute and dashed to the door. For a second she paused, and gazed at the Platoon Commander.
"Do you really collect people?"

"Do people want to be collected?"

Aeos frowned. She could not quite grasp the man's mindset that sat in front of her.
"I'll contact you, when you are accepted by the Navy,"
"Thank you, Sir,"
"Now, get out," muttered Kairo with smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Aeos dashed, not about to spoil her chances.


Aeos, stepped out of the office, a smirk gracing her delicate features. She glanced down at the rank insignia that was neatly pinned to above her Army decorations. She flicked it with her fingers, laughing softly. Soon she will be released from the damn thing, and she will join her brother. Laughing again, while throwing her one hand to the sun she set off to her quarters, while allowing the sun to play with the shadows formed by her thrown-out hand.


***
End Chapter I
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Words: 2070

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Adv/SSGT_Aeos/[LoR][ES2C][CoR]
TRN/AC_Aeos/Training 1-1/Lopen/VEDJ/VE
Army Advisor

Words: 2169

The Plunge

She stared at the tall glass in front of her. The little fluid that remained in there was an amber colour, almost golden, but then again it might be that the colors were playing tricks on her eyes. She pushed her face off the counter, and supported herself by leaning with her elbows on wooden surface.

She took another swig, taking the remaining amount by half. The wooden, yet spicy flavor flushed across her taste buds, before leaving a burning sensation down her throat as the liquor entered her blood stream.

"Nother glass if you will," she mumbled almost inaudibly.

The bartender glanced at the young female in front of him. If she did not show her identification card, he most certainly would not have allowed her anything except maybe> some water. And were she in civilian clothes presenting her identification card, then he still would have refused her. Her gray military uniform however saved her from the refusal of liquor. She seemed as young as sixteen, yet here sat an twenty year old woman at his bar, already drowning her sorrows in life.

Her appearance in the bar turned heads from every direction when she stepped through the narrow door very early that day. Except for the few twi'lek female dancers that entertained the men, Aeos remained the only female customer at the bar. A few whistles trailed behind, and the Senior Sergeant managed to hold her temper, if only barely.

"Whyren's Reserve ?"  he asked. She gave a nod.  The bartender put the glass he was cleaning down to attend to her drink. He pulled a bottle from barrels behind them, and took a quick glance at the year.
"Just gimme the whole damn bottle, will ya,"  she muttered as she tried to focus on him.

He shrugged, and hand it over to her, not about to complain. She was a good customer with a nice healthy bank balance unlike the rogues that resided in his bar. Speaking of which...

"You still need some ice?" he called over her head at the back.
An burly man behind her scowled at her back as he nodded to the bartender. He was the first and last example of what happened when someone approached with hidden intentions. A DC-17 pressed against his temple, a colorful uttered mixture of Correlian and Rodian curses before he he felt the skin break where she knocked him with the butt of her pistol across the bridge of his nose, instantly breaking it.

Usually the bartender forbid any type of weapon in his bar, but to females he has grown to make an exception. With a rowdy crowd of customers like this lot, they needed it. So Aeos sat there, drinking, while keeping her DC firmly gripped and loaded.

Hours must have passed since she arrived there. A sickly pale colour has replaced her rosy cheeks, and usually sparkling eyes, now had a dull light emitting from them, not completely registering her surroundings.

"Hi!"
Someone plopped into the high chair next her.  Before she could even aim her DC, she felt fingers grasping her her arm, and twisting it around forcing her to drop the pistol.

"Don't worry, I'm sent to pick her up, I know the girl," muttered that same voice to the bartender who was about to call security. Seeing as how Aeos didn't seem about to be denying it, he stepped back.
"I'll have the same," said the voice, gesturing to her drink.
She redirected her focus to the voice, and met his gaze. Emerald.
Aeos groaned.
"Anyone but you,"

That familiar boy-ish grin appeared on Zaess' face as he laughed at her.
"Come now girl, you've had enough." He reached for her bottle, but Aeos held  it away, and a sudden giggle broke over her face.
"Nada, keep away, Shir Zaeeesh" she muttered, keeping the bottle to her body, protecting it.
"Call me Zack, I guess," he muttered staring at the drunk female in front of him.

"Not Sir?" she asked this time successfully managing not to slur.
"Well, technically....you are not my student anymore, and besides, I was only a temp,"

"Zack..." she said the name slowly, allowing each syllable and vowel to play with her tongue and lips. The First Sergeant in front of her shifted his weight uncomfortably.
"Your brother sent me."
"Awww, are you his messenger boy?" Aeos pouted, quite clearly beyond drunk and whatever was left of her common sense. She reached over and racked her fingers through his thick and curly dark blond hair. The male shifted uncomfortably around again. Was the female even aware that she was flirting with him?

He pushed her hands back,
"I'm a delivery boy tonight, you are done drinking," he said, clearing his voice, and rising it slightly.
Her flirtatious fashion dropped, and she returned to her drunken depression.
"Just go, I'm not leaving,"
"I will take you by force,"
"You wouldn't,"
"Try me,"
"Radge will mess- oh!"
Aeos felt herself being lifted into the air with ease, as Zack scooped her up, and slung her across his back. She clung to her bottle Correlian Whiskey with might. He turned to the barman who stood there grinning at the spectacle. It was nice to see that there some men left in the galaxy who had the potential to be decent.
"Put it on a tab?" asked Zack,
"Don't have one,"
"Make one, I get a feeling you haven't seen the last of this lassie,"
The bartender nodded, hastily scurrying away, to add her name. Indeed, it was not everyday you find a customer who drinks three bottles of your best whiskey.

"Zack, please put me down,"
"No, I told your brother I'll bring you to him,"
"Why?"
"He asked me,"
"Why?"
"He worries about you," answered Zack tiredly. Their conversation has been going around in circles since he started the weary journey of carrying her back. He forgot his money, and he had the decency not to search her for money, so they, or rather, he was stuck to walking back to the Academy, with a drunken, yet pretty lady slung across his back.
"He worries about the reputation I shhpoiled,"
Zack frowned. IS this how Racus' baby sister  really felt.
"He loves you, "
"Shu-up"
Zack didn't say anymore, and allowed her to break the silence. 
"How do you know him?"
"I'm his second-in-command,"
"Then you must be a deshent guy," she muttered softly from behind his lower back Zack heard glass breaking, as the bottle slipped from her hand fell to the tar, shattering to pieces.
"Aeos?....Aeos?"
Zack  stopped for a moment in the middle of the road, not caring whether people were staring at them.
He carefully put her down, and stared at her sighing, and shaking his head.  And tucked a few of those stubborn strands of hair away.
Her older brothers were such stable characters. Well, Radge barely made stable, but stable he was.
He scooped her up in his arms and went fort into the darkness of the night.

The next morning Aeos groggily woke, entangled in white sheets with sun staring hotly at her through the open windows, when someone woke her gently by means of shaking.
Racus' face met with her, and she groaned. She was at her brother's place.
"I think I'm going to throw up..." she mumbled, gripping her head as an headache exploded in her temples. Her hand flew to her mouth, and felt something rise from within her stomach.

Sighing Racus pointed at the back the bathroom was situated. The girl bolted from the the bed with its tangled sheets to where her brother pointed.

Racus winced as as his sister's system started to unload whatever she had had consumed the previous day. For a few minutes he sat there, his face distorted, feeling every motion through she felt. Aeos emerged from the bathroom, clinging to the wall for balance, extremely disgruntled and unbalanced, after almost half an hour.

"I got some clothes from your place, and I have spare toothbrush here,  wash up while I fix some breakfast for you," he said sighing again. Aeos stared at her brother confused. Usually he would yelling at her for being in such drunken state, ruining his reputation, being an failure. But today....he was accepting.

She did not allow herself to question his mindset any further, feeling an dire need to get clean, and get dressed in clean clothes. Nodding a gesture of appreciation she dashed back into the bathroom towards the refresher booth.

She emerged almost hour later, feeling extremely fresh, and while she walked to kitchen finger combing her hair, she was humming a soft lullaby she learned from her mother. She snickered seeing her brother walking around in an apron. He spun around as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Now thats better! Come sit, "
surprised at her brother's hospitality Aeos took a seat dumbfounded. What confounded her even more was she could sense he was sincerely being pleasant towards her.  She gazed across the table to see what he managed to whip up. It was a collection of her favorites, bribb juice, thick algae bread slices, each covered in layers of frill syrup with Vagnerian canape pastries. .She grinned at her brother, before tucked in.

*Much Later*

"Zack is on his way,"
"What?" Aeos bolted upright from the couch. She was still recovering from her breakfast, and for the first time in what seemed like years, she and her brother was having a heart-to-heart.
"I guess you didn't get the note, seeing as you have kept yourself  busy in the bar the past few days,"
Aeos reddened slightly.
"You request to be transferred to the Navy has been approved by both General Fury, and Admiral Japheth, Captain Shazam, Commander of the Naval Academy will meet you, Zack will be your escort,"
"Wha..."
Aeos' eyes widened.
"I've...I'm accepted?"

"Indeed," Racus looked at her, wearily. He did not feel completely assured by her transferral. An injury on the field in the Army, could be attended no matter how serious. But in the Navy, stuck in space was not a joke.

He sighed. Aeos stared at him with soft eyes.
"Don't worry bout me bro,"
"I never told mom and dad you are here," he whispered.
Aeos coughed. Surprised. Again.
"And Racus?" she asked, frowning.
"Neither has he."
"Why?" Aeos couldn't quite comprehend why her brother would keep still about something like this, she has always been under the impression that her parents knew. That her brothers, or rather Racus would spill the beans.

"Arranged marriage." he muttered in crisp syllables. She paled.
"No...."

The atmosphere were shredded apart, much to both the brother and sister's relief when a chimer went off. Racus's wrist flicked up as he checked.
"Racus is here, now I've already packed you basic stuff, I'll send the rest over. If you need money, contact me, and no drinking!"

Racus pulled her by her shoulder, and dragged her with. Still shocked, Aeos just let his strong hand guide her through his home till they met with the front door.  His hand pressed against the LCD identification pad, and the door slid open moments later.

Zack stood there waiting, their eyes met and her heart stopped suddenly. She blushed maddeningly, memories flooding back of her drunken self flirting with man, who shied away, taken aback at the usually stable girl's slightly out of character intentions. Does her brother know?

"Come girl, greet your brother," he muttered suddenly gruffly, and he turned his back to allow them some privacy.
"Why is he escorting me?"  she asked softly at her brother.
"Sometimes, he is called in by the Navy, he used serve there as well but he transferred to the Army, and every now and then, he helps out I think, you don't seem to comfortable seeing him, do you Aeos?"
A playfully smirk graced her handsome brother's facial feature and he winked. He knew.

Aeos turned her head away sharply followed with a stout sigh before digging her self into brother arms, hiding. He embraced her lovingly, and they stood there for a long time. For the first time in here, she felt like a child again, running to her brother for protection against the taunts of her fellow peers. She was chubby. Ugly Duckling, cropped hair with boyish features. Talking to animals.

Her brother pushed her away, and allowed Zack to grip her firmly around the shoulders.
"Now go, and send brother dearest some greetings, " he called as Zack took her away, leading her across the small bridge that connected to his front door. At each step that they took, the bridge cut it self shorter, sliding with their journey till they reach the landing.

Aeos looked back, caught the last of her brother before they turned and headed for the shuttle to escort her to the Naval Academy.

Words: 2169
 
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PO1/FM_Aeos/Sentinel 2/Flight 1/STCR Doashim/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE[(=*A*=)]
TRN/AC_Aeos/Training 1-1/Lopen/VEDJ/VE
/SSGT_Aeos/[LoR][ES2C][CoR]