The First Starfighter by Grace Goodwin (lightweight ebook reader txt) 📕

I remembered from my younger days on Velerion. He was near my age but looked a decade older. “Excellent work. However, Jamie Miller, I did not receive a report from medical stating you were mission ready.”

“What?” Jamie asked, frowning.

I explained for her. “This was supposed to be a joyride, General. Nothing more.”

“Every time a Starfighter climbs into their ship, it’s always more. Get to medical. I need you cleared mission ready. When you've done so, I expect a mission debrief.” The general stopped ordering her around long enough to hold out his hand to his newest recruit. He even cracked a smile. “Welcome to Velerion, Starfighter. I am General Aryk, your commanding officer.”

Jamie accepted his overture and curled her fingers around his in the accepted greeting. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jamie.”

“Jamie Lynn Miller, planet Earth, city of Baltimore in a place called Maryland. I have read your file.”

Her dark brows winged up. “I have a file?”

“Of course. And there is no medical clearance in it. So get your asses to medical.” He pointed in the general direction of the med unit.

“Now?” Jamie asked. I realized she’d seen the leader in the training program. Knew his face and voice but was actually meeting him for the first time.

“What part of get your asses to medical does not translate into English?” General Aryk looked from Jamie to me; then he grinned. “You both performed beyond expectations. Especially considering the surprise nature of the attack. I need to know you are ready for your next mission. Medical, then my briefing room. One hour.”

“Yes, sir,” I said.

The general nodded and walked away. Jamie looked at me as the base crew started moving again, getting back to work. Lifting our still-joined hands to my lips, I kissed the back of her knuckles before tugging gently toward the archway that led to the medical stations.

As I’d expected, the medical unit was operating at full efficiency and had been waiting to get their first look at the newest species of Starfighter. The medic was practically beside herself with excitement.

“Starfighter Jamie! Welcome, welcome to the medical station. I am Medic Suzen, and it is my honor to assist you.”

“Thanks, Suzen. I’m fine,” Jamie insisted even as she allowed the taller woman to lead her toward a scanning unit.

“I’m sure, but we both have orders. Sit here. That’s perfect. Just relax and lean back into the seat.” Medic Suzen looked at me. “You, too, Starfighter. There is another place for you right here.” She looked over her shoulder to one of the younger gentlemen operating a control station. “Medic Wallis, will you assist, please?”

“Of course.” The young medic walked to the scanning unit and indicated that I should recline in the seat. I did, having done this hundreds of times. Jamie was within sight, so I leaned back as the seat adjusted to my body, and waited for the familiar lights to swirl. “Commencing scan.”

I could leave my eyes open if I preferred, but I saw no reason to do so. I’d watched the bright lights and felt the soft pulsing as the scanners checked the frequency readings of every cell in my body right down to the DNA.

As expected, I was done within a couple of minutes.

“You are operating at optimal levels, Starfighter. You are free to go. This exam will be entered into your records.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled, more out of habit than because I was really paying attention. Instead my focus was on Jamie, who had been placed into a light trance by Medic Suzen. Jamie’s eyes were closed and her body slack. “What is wrong with her?”

The medic had called over another to help her with whatever they were doing.

I stood by Jamie’s head and watched the two medics moving with a speed I didn’t normally see unless they were treating wounded or doing triage.

“What. Is. Wrong. With. Her?”

Medic Suzen finally looked up because of my tone. “The cipher injection has not fully fused to her neurons. The process is nowhere near complete. How was she able to fly her ship?”

“She operated on manual control.”

“That’s impossible.” She crossed her arms and looked at Jamie with narrowed eyes. “No one has natural reflexes fast enough to fly manual control. You both should have been blown into space dust.”

“No one from Velerion,” I agreed.

“She’s that good?” she asked, her eyes as wide as the outer moon.

“Yes.” My chest filled with pride as I reached out and touched Jamie’s long, dark hair where it hung over the end of the scanning unit. “She’s that good.”

All Velerion military personnel used the cipher injection nanoparticles to not only understand language, but counted on them to increase reflex and processing speeds. As fast as natural, physical reflexes were, the cipher implant made fighters faster. I’d received my injection the day I started my military service. Yet Jamie had managed to win a major battle without the full benefit of the nanoparticles integrating with her system. She was… an anomaly at the very least. The best pilot I’d ever seen.

Even better than my brother and his bonded mate had been.

Apparently the medic was of a similar opinion. “How many more humans are nearing completion of the training simulation?”

“Last time I looked, a handful. But many more were not far behind.”

Medic Suzen smiled and slapped me on the shoulder. “We might have a real chance to survive this war, Alexius. If there are more like her, we’ll have a fighting chance.”

I didn’t respond because the comment was said with hope. We stood for long minutes watching the other medics finish up with Jamie. When they were done, they brought her back to consciousness slowly. Her soft groan of discomfort had me stepping to her side at once.

“Jamie, I’m right here.” I took her hand in my own.

She blinked. “The room is spinning.”

“It will pass in a few minutes. You are going to be better than fine, Starfighter. I believe I have done my best work on you.” Medic Suzen seemed quite pleased