Pilot's Choice CH.2

                                            Chapter 2: A New Partner



Kyoji looked at her hand than back at her face in suprise.

"What do you mean new partner?"

Sakuya could see the suprise on Kyoji's face and put her hand down to her side.  Looking into his eyes she could tell he had seen things that no kid their age should see.

"I was assigned by a commander Mimiru Katsuragi to become your partner in combat."  "Is there a problem?"  Sakuya asked nicely.

"You bet theres a problem." "COMMANDER!!!" Kyoji yelled out.

Mimiru came from down the hall and walked up to them looking at them both.

"What's up?" "I see you met Sakuya."

Kyoji looked at her in anger.  Feeling a fire rage through his body threatning to consume him.

"Yes I have."  "Now what the hell is with this "partner" thing?" Kyoji said with venom in his voice.

Mimiru looked at Kyoji with a kind smile.

"Me and Admiral Takumi thought it would be good for you to work with another pilot."  "Thats why I assigned her to you."

Sakuya gave a small smile to Kyoji that she hoped would calm him down but seeing how mad he was she quickly realized it wouldn't.

"It will be an honor to serve with y-----"

Kyoji glared at her with a menacing look and pointed at her showing her how angry he was feeling.  He couldn't stand the thought of working with another pilot.

"You shut up." Kyoji looks at Mimiru and she could see the fire of anger burning brightly in his eyes.  She knew that when he got this angry she had to be careful with her words.

"And you why did you stick me with a wet-behind-ears ensign?"

"I would rather have anyone but an ensign."

Hearing that Sakuya looked down sadly not knowing what she did to make Kyoji so mad.  She crossed her legs and hugged her body feeling very sad.

"Kyoji shes the best pilot to come from the academy."  "Did you hear about the incident involving a downed plane 2 years ago?"

Kyoji thought for a moment he had heard of that incident but didn't know the specifics of it.  All he knew was that a pilot had screwed up and ended up crashing his plane.

"Yeah I did, so what?"

Mimiru looked at Sakuya and noticed that she was sad and Sakuya looked at her with tears starting to form in her eyes,  Mimiru gave her a warm smile and could see that visibly started to make her feel better.

"Well when that pilot crashed Sakuya was nearby and saw the pilot was dead and took it upon her self to defend us."  "She showed a natural skill that rivals yours Kyoji, so after that point the military asked her if she wanted to join and she quickly said yes."  "So we sent her to the academy to be trained."  "Besides we want her to learn from the best and I figure who better to teach her than you?"

"So basically I'm babysitting?"

"That's one way of putting it but yes."  "So will you take her on as your partner?"

Sakuya looked at Kyoji hoping that he will say yes.  Kyoji looked at Sakuya and could see the that she was going to need the best teacher to help her survive in this war.  Kyoji sighed knowing that there was no way he could go against orders and calmed down a little.

"All right I will teach her but if she doesn't do everything I say or gets in my way I will make sure she never touches a plane again you got that Ensign?"

Sakuya was a little disheartened to hear him call her by her rank instead of her name.  She felt now that he still didn't want to do this but felt glad that he was still going to teach her.  She saluted Kyoji.

"Yes, sir"

"Good, now after you get settled meet me in the hanger bay for some basic simulations."

"But Kyoj---I mean Lieutenant Kyoji I've already done those simulations."

Kyoji looked straight in her eyes and she could see the seriousness in his eyes.

"Not the ones I do"

Kyoji left at that moment to go to the hanger bay and set up the simulations.  Sakuya and Mimiru watched him leave but when he was gone Sakuya looked at Mimiru.

"Why was he so angry?"

Mimiru looked at her a little sadly.

"Its because hes not used to working with others, he prefers to fight alone only seeking assisstance when he feels like he needs it.  He's been alone for a long time."  "Its not because of you don't worry about that, but for right now just do what he says and I think he'll warm up to you."  

Mimiru put a hand on Sakuya's shoulder and gave her a welcoming smile.

"Welcome to the team Sakuya."  "Now you better get settled, you don't wanna keep Kyoji waiting."  Sakuya saluted Mimiru.

"Yes,Ma'am"

Sakuya turned to leave but looked back at Mimiru.

"Oh commander do you know if my bags are in my room?"

"I made sure they were delievered there so don't worry about that okay."

"Okay"

Sakuya headed for her room and felt proud to be partnered with the person she admires since she heard about him in the academy but she couldn't get the angry look he had on his face out of her mind, feeling his angry stare at her as if she were the most hated thing on the planet.  She found her room and entered finding her things already there.  She started putting away her uniforms and clothes while thinking about how best to get Kyoji to notice her.

I know, I'll impress him by doing well on his simulations.  He'll think I'm pretty good if he sees that.  Sakuya giggled despite herself and thought that it would be great to serve under Kyoji.

30 minutes later Sakuya entered the hanger wearing her standard uniform of a black skirt, short sleeve buttoned up white shirt and a small cap bearing the insignia for ensign on it.

Kyoji was in the cockpit of SilverFang with electrodes attached to his head they were connected to a machine that monitered brain waves, and heart rate was being run by a young technition.

"Okay sir are you ready?"

"Wait."

Sakuya walked up and sat next to the technition and looked at Kyoji.

Kyoji looked at her annoyed that she was here but focused on the panel instead.  

"Now watch how the program is done okay ensign."

"Yes sir".  Sakuya said with entusiasim and watched the screen that showed 50 red blips indicating enemies and one blue one indicating Kyoji.

Kyoji's eyes darted back and forth as he watched the enemies moved on the radar and pushed the buttons for his weapons destroying each one with carefully, calculated shots.

As each dot disappeared one by one, Sakuya couldn't help but feel in awe of Kyoji and wondered what he was thinking.

As Kyoji watched each red blip he noticed Sakuya's stare and turned off the program and took off the electrodes and got out of the cockpit.  He stared at Sakuya with a neutral look.

"Go ahead try it but I am putting it at its highest difficulty."  

"That won't be a problem will it?"

Sakuya looks nervously at the plane not certain if she should do this but she remembers that she wants to impress Kyoji and puts on a confident look on her face.

"No,sir!"

Kyoji smiles cockly at her determination.

Kyoji nods at the technition and he turns the program at its highest level.  Sakuya gets in the cockpit and puts the electrodes on her to measure her performance.

"You ready ensign?"

"I'm ready." Sakuya replied in a calm and confident voice.

Kyoji admired her confidence, in the back of his mind she reminded him of the way he was when he first became a pilot. in his mind Kyoji saw a familar face.  A face belonging to his mother.  Kyoji closed his eyes and remembered her, the light tan color of her skin, the light red of her eyes, her long flowing beautiful hair and the feel of her arms around him holding him.
Kyoji immediately felt a pain in his heart, he put his hand to his chest and suppressed the feeling and calmed down.

No need to have those memories come back right now.  Was all Kyoji thought.

Kyoji turned on the program and watched Sakuya for any mistakes that she might make.

"Remember if you get hit once you will lose."

"Understood."

Sakuya saw the radar light up with red blips and saw her weapon supplies and calculated her attacks.

Okay I better use the missiles sparingly and save my guns until I use all my missiles.  Sakuya stared at the radar and began to attack pushing each button to launch an attack and each move hit its mark.

Kyoji was watching her progress and the technition was watching intently.

"Wow shes doing pretty good."

Kyoji looked at the technition with a questioning stare.

"You really think so?"

"Yes, Sir I haven't seen skill like this since well.... You sir."

Suddenly a red light came from the screen and from the cockpit indicating that Sakuya has been destroyed.  Kyoji let out a sigh of disappointment.  Sakuya saw him sigh and looked away feeling bad that she had lost.

"Lieutenant Kyoji please let me try again I know I can beat this."

Kyoji looked at the clock and began to walk to the hall.

Sakuya looked dumbfounded thinking he was abandoning her.

"Hey where are you going lieutenant!"

Kyoji turned to look at her and the technition went past him and went into the hall.

"Its almost time to eat, you do what you want but I'm getting something to eat."

Sakuya saluted Kyoji and sat back down in the cockpit and activated the program.

"I will have beaten the program by the time you get back sir."

Kyoji just shrugged his shoulders and went into the hall.

A few hours later Kyoji had a plate of food with him.  Kyoji went to his plane where Sakuya was still trying to beat the program.  Kyoji blinked his eyes in amazment that she was still at it.  He walked up to her.  Sakuya smelled the food and her stomach growled loud in hunger and Sakuya blushed embarrassed.  Kyoji suppressed a smile and handed her,her food.

"Thought you might be hungry so I brought you something."

Kyoji started to leave to the crew quarters.

"Wait lieutenant!"

Kyoji looked at her.

"What is it ensign?"

"Why did you bring me this, you didn't have to do that."

Kyoji sighed in annoyence.

"Don't get me wrong I only did it because I don't want you to pass out and get sick thats all."  Kyoji went in the hall leading to the crew quarters and went into his room. Sakuya stared after him with a confused expression on her face but immediatly sat down and began eating.

A few minutes later Sakuya was eating quietly thinking that Kyoji brought her the food because he was being nice but smiled at that thought and began to imagine what he would look like laughing.  Sakuya giggles at the thought of him laughing and sets down her food.  She gets back in the cockpit and begins the program again and begins calculating her strategy.  

Kyoji lay down on his bed wearing a pair of dark blue sweats and a white t-shirt when he hears a knock at  the door.

"Come in."

Mimiru comes in and stops Kyoji from saluting her feeling it wasen't nesscessary.

"So Kyoji what do think of Sakuya?"

Kyoji looked at her with sad eyes.

"She's alot like I was when I first became a pilot and it...." Kyoji stopped as memories from the past, painful ones flooded his mind.  He clutched his heart feeling the intense pain come over him and he had a pained expression on his face as his mother's face came to him

Mimiru smiled sadly because she knew what he meant and hugged him in a motherly tight embrace.  Kyoji felt her arms around him and relaxed a little but still couldn't get his mother's face out of his mind.  But strangly thinking of Sakuya's kind smile made him feel a little better.

"I know Kyoji don't worry she won't get hurt not as long as she's with you okay."

Kyoji nodded and felt a little better and looked at Mimiru with a tired look in his eyes.

"Good night commander Mimiru."

Mimiru felt better now that Kyoji wasen't so mad anymore and ruffled his hair a little.

"Good night Kyoji."  Mimiru gets up and goes to her room.

A couple of hours later

Sakuya felt exausted, she had been trying to complete the program for another 2 hours now and felt like she was going to pass out but she kept going hoping to beat it for Kyoji before she went to bed.  As the last enemy blip was on her screen she targeted it and fired her guns.  The last blip disappeared and Sakuya felt happy but more tired than ever right now.

I better get to bed its getting pretty late. Sakuya thought as she got out of the cockpit and headed to Kyoji's room to tell him the good news.

Kyoji checked the batteries for his cd player and saw that they were full.

Good their fully charged.  Kyoji put the batteries in his cd player and was about to turn it on when someone was knocking at his door.  Kyoji hid his cd player and opened the door and saw it was Sakuya standing in the doorway.

"What do you need ensign?"

Sakuya shifted a little nervously in front of Kyoji and looked at him.

"I completed the program." Sakuya said in a soft voice.

Kyoji looked at her in suprise thinking how it was hard even for him to complete the program.  Hell he lost to that program so many times when he first tried it that when he finally beat it he was happy.   He was impressed with her and looked at her trying not to smile as he saw her relaxed expression on her face.

"Good work ensign, keep this up and you'll rise in rank in no time."  "Now get some sleep."

"Yes sir."  Sakuya thought she saw a hint of a smile on Kyoji's lips and went back to her room.

Kyoji closed the door and brought out his cd player and began playing the song "Fake Wings" to help him sleep, Kyoji grabbed his right arm as it suddenly throbbed with intense, excruciating pain, his nerves on fire, feeling as if hot lava was coursing through his veins, veins bulging all over his arm and his fingers curl as if being controlled by something else making him grind his teeth, he gripped it tightly and forced down the pain.
As the pain subsided Kyoji was breathing hard and sweating and he felt remnants of the pain shoot through his arm but he managed to lay down.

I hate this pain I wish it would just stop.  I wish..... Kyoji pushed all of his thoughts away and fell asleep dreaming a black dream only hearing his mother scream in pain causing him to toss and turn in his sleep.

Sakuya came into her room and closed the door.  She felt proud that she got Kyoji's recognition and was happy that he acknowleged her, feeling now that she will continue to impress him.  Sakuya took out a long t-shirt and took off her black skirt and shirt, she stands there in her underwear looking a little sad.  She touched the necklace hanging around her neck that she had been hiding under her uniform.  The blue heart shaped necklace felt warm in Sakuya's hand.

Mom I've done it.  I've become a pilot just like I said. I'll find him don't worry.  Good night mom I love you.  Sakuya thought sadly thinking of her mother who was killed 2 years ago during that incident.  Sakuya put on the t-shirt and relaxed, she layed down on her bed and thought about Kyoji and the way he acknowleged her and fell asleep feeling happy that she was here to stay.

Chap.2 End