Earth Star(42)

The presenter gazed adoringly at him. ‘You’ve got the Earth Africa solar array standing by to help you out as well?’

‘Yes, if there’s anything we can’t handle with just fighters, we can call on the solar array for assistance.’

‘My viewers would love to see one of your fighters, but I’m told that isn’t possible for security reasons.’

The screen Drago gave an apologetic nod.

‘Disappointing. Amateur astronomers are also a little disappointed they’re not getting any exciting displays in the skies at night. Presumably that means you’re doing your job very well.’

The screen Drago laughed. ‘I hope we are.’

‘How long will this situation last?’

‘I’m just a fighter pilot, so I can’t predict that, but I promise you we’ll be here to keep you safe for as long as necessary.’

The presenter seemed to take that personally, because she had another burst of flirtatious giggles. ‘Well, I’m really glad to hear that, Major Tell Dramis. May I call you Drago?’

The screen Drago smiled into her eyes, with the same intense, meaningful look that he’d used on me a few times. ‘Of course you can.’

‘Well, Drago, should my viewers be panicking if an Ark evacuation is called?’

He gave a shake of his head. ‘No need for panic. We just want to make sure everyone is perfectly safe if we’re forced to pull out our fighters because of a solar storm. There may well be no problems at all, but we never take risks with civilian lives.’

The interview ended, someone turned off the vid, and Marlise climbed on to our table and raised a glass of frujit. ‘A toast everyone! To the devastatingly handsome Major Drago Tell Dramis, the finest liar in the Military!’

I giggled and drank the toast with the others, while Drago buried his head in his hands. When Marlise got down from the table, he peeped through his fingers at me.

‘Let’s run for it, Jarra.’ His eyebrows bounced suggestively. ‘Come with me, and let me show you my fighter.’

I instantly abandoned the remains of my cheese fluffle and stood up. We went out of the dining hall, with Fian trailing after us, and Drago headed towards his room.

‘I need to change into my impact suit.’ He grinned at me. ‘You can come in while I do that if you want. Betans don’t have a nudity taboo, or at least not as much of one as the officious Gammans would like.’

‘We’ll wait in the corridor,’ said Fian.

Drago sighed, vanished into his room for a couple of minutes, and reappeared wearing a Military impact suit with the hood down. He led the way outside to the nearest base internal portal. I watched, thrilled, as he selected the Shift 2 Attack area as our destination, and authorized us to accompany him.

We went through to where four fighters were parked in neat formation by a huge portal. I could see three more of the great portals nearby, each with a group of sleek, black fighters.

‘Zan! Totally, totally, zan!’ I just stood there for a moment, absorbing the sight.

‘You can sit inside my fighter, Jarra,’ said Drago. ‘You can run the pre-flights and take her up on hovers, but I’m not giving you the portal codes, so you aren’t taking her into orbit.’

When we reached the lead fighter with the gold flashes on its side, Drago tapped his wrist. I hadn’t even been able to see a line in the ebony beauty of the ship, but now the whole side unfolded and I eagerly climbed in. Drago squeezed in beside me, and gave a tormenting grin back at Fian before he closed the cockpit on us.

‘I’m afraid it’s a tight fit for two.’

I was staring at the controls. ‘Hovers. Flight. Attack grid. Oh zan!’

Drago laughed. ‘You’re killing my ego here, Jarra. I’m being outclassed on sex appeal by my own fighter.’

‘What?’ I asked. ‘Sorry, I was looking at the attack grid.’

He sighed. ‘Never mind.’

‘Can I run the pre-flights now?’

‘Go ahead.’

I triggered the pre-flights, the screens ran through the system checks, and the attack grid holos flickered into life around me in the final sequence.

‘Amaz!’ My eyes widened, and the holo grid echoed their movements as I looked to left and right. Bright red circles focused to target first the portal ahead of me, and then Fian, who was standing to one side of the group of fighters. I hastily turned my eyes away from him.

‘I can’t shoot by accident?’

‘No,’ said Drago. ‘You haven’t confirmed firing sequence, and anyway safeties automatically engage when you’re on the ground. You’d have to deliberately override.’