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The following story is a work of fiction. It may contain scenes of romance and death, if such things aren't your idea of a good read, then read something else. Anyway this story is copyright by me. Comments and suggestions are always welcomed: [[email protected]](%5C)

Chapter 9

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Fox's Falling

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ãJonathon "CJ" Ford

"Daren, Daren, come on Daren it's time to get up sweetheart." A soft, yet deep voice called to him. Daren's eyes fluttered open and he looked up into the warm amber of Charles'.

"Umm what time is it?" he murmured sleepily.

"It's just about ten o'clock, and my duty shift starts in a half hour." Charles said softly.

"Humm, have a good time then." Daren mumbled sleepily.

"Well I would but you are sort of lying on my arm. So you need to get up for a sec so that I can get it back." Charles said, moving his paw to emphasize his point.

Daren rolled over off of Charles' arm and onto the top of the covers. Charles shook his arm a few times to get some feeling back into it. As the feeling returned he looked down at the still prone form on the bed. Daren was clothed only in his skin as he lay on top of the covers. "Oh man I wish I didn't have to go to work tonight." He said then leaned down and kissed Daren lightly on the forehead.

"Stay safe tonight." Daren whispered with out opening his eyes.

Charles smiled and stood up from the edge of the bed. He pulled his uniform down from the closet and got ready for his duty shift. Finally he clipped his sword to his belt and left the room quietly.

Charles walked down the corridors to the main operations briefing room. He was one of the six Knights that were scheduled to be on duty tonight, with another six on call through the evening. He quickly checked the message list and found that there were no assignments that needed attending to. So he made himself a cup of coffee and said hello to the other knights that were on duty. He was just leaning on the table in the center of the room when Jonathon laid a hand on his shoulder. Charles turned his head to look at who it was and smiled when he met Jonathon's gaze. "I'm sure that you are part wolf sir, the way you sneak up on people."

Jonathon laughed, "It's good to see you to Charles. We haven't been on the same shift for a long time, how are things with you and Daren?"

Charles smiled wider at the thought of Daren back in their quarters lying in bed, "Oh he's doing well. He's back sleeping right now. But I'm glad that we got together. I just love him to death."

"That's good to hear. It looks like it'll be a fairly quiet night."

"That'll be nice. I like it when it's a quiet shift. It means that our services aren't needed and that's definitely a good thing."

Jonathon just nodded his head in agreement. Then he pushed himself off of the table and went to fetch himself a cup of tea. In fact the night did manage to pass uneventfully and just as the ten minutes to sunrise call came over the PA the night shift Knights where heading out of the briefing room as the next shift filtered in.

Charles finished what must have been his sixth cup of coffee and placed the cup into the recycle bin before heading back to his quarters.

It only took Charles about ten minutes to walk back to his quarters from the operations room. Normally he probably would have stopped off for a few minutes on the upper rainforest catwalks, but he was already fairly relaxed, having not been called out, so he'd decided to head straight home and maybe get to spend a few minutes with Daren before he left for his duty shift.

Charles pressed the button to open the door at his and Daren's quarters, the reader identified his fingerprint and the door slide open with a soft hiss. Charles walked in and almost tripped over Daren's flight bag, for the hundredth time. Daren heard the thump as Charles kicked the hard side of his bag. He turned around in his seat from in front of the computer to look at Charles with a big grin on his face. "You not watching where you were walking again?"

"When are you going to put this thing someplace out of the way? God I swear you're trying to kill me with it or something." Charles responded, gently shoving the heavy bag out of the way and up against the wall with his foot.

Daren just grinned a bit wider and turned back around to keep working on the computer. Charles sighed and walked up behind his mate and put his hands on his shoulders, peering over his head at the computer screen. "So what are you up to this morning?" he said looking down at the data on the screen.

"Just taking down some of the general stuff for what we're doing in exercises this morning. It should be a good one." Daren replied, jotting down a few little details in his notebook, which lay open on the desk. He flipped the notebook closed and pushed back in the chair softly so that he was looking up into Charles' face, "Anyway you're home early. Was it a slow night was it?"

"Thankfully, yes." Charles said, before stepping back so that Daren could get up from the desk.

Daren lifted his notebook from the desk and got up. He placed it in the outside pocket of his flight bag before turning back to Charles. Charles just lent on the desk and looks at him, a grin on his face. He always thought Daren looked good in his flight gear. "Well," Charles said at length, "I think it's time for me to have a shower." He stood up from the desk and took off his heavy overcoat and unclipped his sword from his belt, setting it in its rest on the wall. He unbuckled his belt and slid it out of its loops before hanging it in the closet. Daren just watched him as he removed his shirt and tossed it into the hamper. He sighed before turning away to rummage through his flight bag, ensuring he had everything he would need for the day.

Daren looked up from his flight bag when he heard the door to the bathroom close. Slowly he rose, pulling his notebook from his flight bag as he did. Setting it gently on the desk he took a pen from his left arm pocket and wrote a short note for Charles. Daren quietly tore the page from his notebook, leaving it face up on the desk for Charles to find when he got out of the shower. That done Daren slipped the notebook back into the pocket of his flight bag. Daren lifted his flight bag, placing the shoulder strap over his right shoulder. He pressed the button to open the door and headed off to his squadron briefing.

Daren arrived at the briefing room for his Bravo training flight just as the briefing was about to get underway. He settles into a seat a row from the back, resting his flight bag on the floor beside his chair. He lifts the notebook from the outside pocket and flips it open to the page where he's written all of the general info for today's training flight. Daren was already a qualified fighter pilot and normally assigned to the active Delta air wing, but he liked to keep up his practice and so he jumped in on any training mission he could. The Bravo series ships were always his favorite, they just seemed to handle that much better then even his Delta fighter.

With everyone in the exercise present and seated the wing commander for the exercise stepped to the podium to begin the briefing. Commander Alex Gerlton looked at the faces of the pilots gathered before him and smiled before setting out the basic guidelines for the flight.

Daren, having written down all of the general notes and details that Alex was going over at the moment, let his attention wander for a while. Daydreaming about what he and Charles where going to do when they next had a few days leave, and what they where going to do for lunch, or what could be called lunch for Daren anyway. Daren's attention snapped back to the matter at hand when he heard, "And now to the objectives for today's mission." from Alex.

Alex went on to detail what today's main objectives were and the targets and weapons that they would be using to achieve their goals. The mission for toady was a low level air to surface strike to be carried out on the training and target range near Base One. Daren jotted down a few more notes, making a few lose plans on how best to attack this exercise. He had already qualified on this mission four months ago and wasn't due to re-qualify for another two, but you know what they say, "practice makes perfect."

Alex dismissed the briefing and was saluted by the flight before they all picked up their gear bags and headed as a unit down to the hangar. On the way out Alex pulled Daren aside, "Lieutenant Star. I wasn't expecting to see you at a training briefing for another month or so."

Daren smiled as he paused to talk to his flight leader, and friend, "Well sir," he started, "Delta seven is in having the engine hot sections inspected. I had a few days off and I just thought I'd keep my hand in."

Alex chuckled, "Well I expect to see no less then high eighties from you on this one." He said patting Daren on the shoulder as they stared walking again to catch up with the rest of the group.

The training pilots met in the hangar and signed out their ships before doing a quick preflight inspection, the ships had been signed off as being good to go by the technical crews earlier, but the pilots always gave them one last check to be sure.

Daren signed out Bravo five, his favorite, and put his gear aboard before doing his walk around. He walked back down the entry ramp and to the back of the wing. He checked the thrust deflectors on each of the two wing mounted engine exhausts and the freedom of movement of the flight controls. On the wing tip Daren checked the lights were working and secure before looking over the wing leading edge. As he approached the fuselage Daren pulled a flashlight from his front right hip pocket, clicking the button on the back twice to set it to high intensity. He looked down into the engine intakes with the light to make sure that they weren't obstructed by anything. With that done he flipped off the light with another press of the button and started making his way up the fuselage. Daren paused for a moment just before reaching the back of the flight deck windows. He placed his hand on the hull running it over the big dull gray B-5 that adorned the otherwise black paint. Anyone looking on at him would have been able to tell that this was "his" ship. Daren finished his inspection, ensuring that all the covers and plugs had been removed, ending up right back where he'd started.

Daren fairly bounded up the entry ramp into the main cabin. He pressed a red button beside the door frame, causing the ramp to retract into the hull below the door sill and the door to slide closed from overhead. The door engaged its locks with a firm click and a soft hiss as the air tight seals pressurized around the frame. The light on the panel changed from red to green, indicating the hull was secure and ready to go.

Daren placed his flight bag behind the right hand seat before sinking into the left hand. As his weight settled into the seat the ships various gauges and instruments came to life. The heads up display blinked to life on the windscreen with "Good Morning Lieutenant" written in green lettering. "Good morning to you too." Daren said, to himself as much as the aircraft's computer. Daren took his time setting up all of the ships systems, checking this and programming that, he listened to the weather information as he went about his checks. Soon all the systems were set and ready. Daren waited until the traffic controller finished giving the previous aircraft his clearance before requesting his own.

The ground controller cleared Daren to start his engines before taxiing. Daren pushed the throttle grips down and out of the standby detent before starting the engines. He started the two outboard engines first, pressing the two start switches at the same time. Daren watched as the engine instruments showed the engines spinning up and coming online. With the two outboard engines running and the cabin being pressurized Daren pressed the start switches for the two inboard engines. Each came online with a dull hum and an increase in airflow through the cabin. Daren pressed the frequency transfer button on one of the comm. radios, bringing up the active surface movement control frequency. Daren got his taxi clearance through them, copying it all onto the scratch pad that was built into the instrument panel.

Daren edged the throttle levers forward and took his feet off the brakes. Slowly the craft started to roll forward. As the ship moved forward out of the row it was in Daren pulled the throttles back to idle, the engines producing more then enough thrust to keep the craft moving. Daren smoothly picked up the yellow guidance line out of the parking area and out towards the hangar doors. Once he was approaching the hangar doors he flipped on the ship's enhanced vision system and the windscreen took on a light green hue. Daren sat back in his seat and pulled the two shoulders straps from behind his back, clipping them into the buckle. He looked back up in time to see the heavy door before him begin to open, the warm sunshine spilling in through the ever widening gap. As he cleared the hangar Daren changed comm. frequencies again and reported that he was ready for departure. The tower controller gave him his take-off clearance as well as his initial tracking instructions and the frequency to contact after getting airborne.

Daren leaned forward to look up the final approach path for the runway before letting his ship roll past the holding point and onto the runway. As he turned the craft to be lined up with the runway center line Daren took on last quick look around the flight deck to ensure everything was ready. He set the interior lights as the last thing before reaching down and taking hold of the throttles. He pushed them forward slowly, letting the engines stabilize at fifty percent before releasing the brakes. With the brakes off the ship started rolling and quickly picked up speed, Daren smoothly pushed the levers further forward until the engines hit one hundred percent. He left his hand on the throttles until the computer called out "V1", and then Daren took his hand from the levers and placed it just behind them. After a brief pause the computer called out "rotate" and Daren eased the controls back gently, lifting the nose to the position commanded by the light bar across the windscreen. With a soft thumping sound the aircraft lifted off the ground and rose steadily into the air. As the ship climbed ever higher Daren, without taking his eyes from the forward windscreen, said, "Gear up," and the three green lights on one of the panels changed to red as the computer retracted the landing gear.

After receiving his route clearance from the approach controller Daren set the ship to auto-flight mode and took his hands off the controls. It wasn't long before the clear blue sky was giving way the cold black of space, but the lights kept the flight deck at a comfortable level. The trip time from Headquarters to Base One wasn't overly long, partly because Daren had left the engines at a higher then normal setting the catch up with the rest of the squadron. By the time that Daren was rounding the last corner in his flight planned route he could see the other ships in his group setting up in a holding pattern at the start of the mission run. Daren flipped off the auto flight system and silenced the warning that always sounded as a result. Then he pulled back on the controls and took up his position at the top of the stack.

As one by one the preceding ships started in on their runs Daren moved lower and lower in the pile, until at last he was next up on the list. The range controller called his ship number and set him up on the run in, giving him a countdown to the start point. As the countdown started Daren engaged the ships weapon systems and set the targeting to rapid with auto sequencing, so that all he'd have to do is wait for the target locked signal before firing. When the countdown hit zero Daren edged the throttles forward and started to attack his run.

Daren hit the last target and pulled back on the controls, backing down the power on the engines as he pulled away from the surface. The range controller notified him that he was clear of the run and transferred him back to one of the departure controllers for his tracking instructions back to headquarters. Daren turned to follow the track displayed on his navigation system, pointing his ship at the large blue and white ball looming in the windscreen.

The cold black gave way to the warm blue of the South Pacific sky as Daren contacted the tower controller at headquarters to organize his clearance. After a rather quick descent he was looking down final approach. Daren guided the ship down to the runway, touching down with little more then a soft thump to announce the arrival of the main landing gear on the runway surface. Daren let the nose of the craft down gently, the nose gear squeaking as it spun up. And with all the wheels now on the ground Daren pressed the reverser deploy buttons on the throttles. After a second a pair of green lights came on to indicate that the reversers had deployed and Daren pushed the throttles forward again. The craft slowed quickly under massive reverse thrust that Daren had brought to bear, and soon he was canceling the reverse with a second push of the buttons.

Daren parked his ship back in the hangar and secured its systems before pulling his flight bag from behind the opposite seat. With his bag in hand he unlocked the main door and let the ramp extend before making his way off the ship He pressed the button to stow the ramp and close the door after getting back onto solid ground, waiting until it closed before heading off to sign the ship back in and pick up a copy of the flight record.

By the time that Daren had made it back to the briefing room the rest of the flight crew were already there, most of them just chatting with each other over a cup of coffee as they waited for all the results to be brought in and for Alex to start the de-briefing. Daren placed his bag by the seat that he'd had for the initial briefing earlier this morning before getting himself a coffee. He looked up at clock on the wall. It was hard to believe that they'd been up for nearly two hours. The time always seemed to pass too quickly for Daren. He returned to his seat, coffee in hand to await Alex's arrival.

He didn't have long to wait as a few minutes later Alex walked through the door and took his place behind the podium. He tapped the set of papers he was holding once on the surface before him to neaten them up and call the group to order. The chatter quickly stopped and the crews took there seats. Alex looked around at the group with a smile. "Well to get started," he said looking down at the results summary before him, "Well done gentlemen. I have the segment and overall results for each of you here and I'm pleased to say that the lowest score overall was an eighty-two and the highest was a ninety-one."

A few murmurs ran through the assembled pilots before Alex quieted them with a hand. "Ok let's go over the results starting with departure procedures." Alex continued.

Alex went through all of the results in detail and not all that surprisingly Daren had the highest scores in every category, although not by much in a few of them. Daren listened to Alex run over what had been done really well and what could be improved upon for next time, carefully taking down notes in his book. With Alex finally finished with the de-briefing Daren shouldered his flight bag and headed back to quarters.

Daren opened the door to his and Charles' quarters and set his flight bag down against the wall quietly. The lights were still set to a very low setting and so he quietly peeked into the bedroom to see Charles still sound asleep. With Charles sleeping Daren sat down quietly in the chair at the computer desk and untied his heavy boots, slipping them off as silently as he could. He put them aside so he could find them quickly later. Quietly he stood up and unzipped the top on his flight suit. Shrugging he garment from his shoulders he let it fall to the floor before sitting back dawn and pulling it off one leg at a time. He picked the uniform up and folded it double before setting over the back of the chair. Now clad only in his boxers he tiptoed into the bedroom and over to his dresser. He slowly pulled out the top drawer, praying that it wouldn't squeak. It didn't and Daren quickly removed tee-shirt and a pair of sweat pants, before pushing the drawer back in quietly. He retreated back into the living room pulling on the shirt as he walked. He paused for a moment to step into the pants and then plopped down into the chair at the computer desk again. He pulled his boots back on and laced them up good and tight.

Daren walked back to the bedroom door, his boots making no noise thanks to the thick carpeting. He lent softly against the doorframe. Charles lay flat on his back asleep, his chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. Daren couldn't help but grin as he watched. The simple act of him sleeping, the rise and fall of his chest, the peaceful look on his face as he slept, all reminded Daren of just how much and why he loved him. He stood there for a few minutes, just quietly smiling at the sleeping form.

After a time Daren pushed his shoulder off the doorframe and walked quietly back to the main entry. He pressed the button to open the door and it obeyed silently. He had some excess energy to burn off, so he felt like a nice run was the perfect thing. Daren set off right from his door jogging at a steady pace down the corridor. After a few hundred yards he came to a split in the tunnel and since it was a nice day out he turned left and headed out to Sea Wolf cove.

Daren was forced to pause for a second to open the door to the outside before continuing his run along the white sand of the cove beach. He checked his watch quickly before continuing on. It should be just about lunch time by the time he reached the other end of the beach. As the doors parted, he set off again falling back into step after a few paces, his boots squeaking on the soft white sand with each step. The light breeze is cool on his face as he runs and the sunlight is broken into patches and dappled shade by the branches of the palm trees above. After about a quarter of the way down the beach his shirt is starting to show the first signs of sweat. The sound of the waves continually lapping the shore gives him a steady pace to run to.

After a good twenty minutes of keeping a constant pace the rock walls of the far side of the cove are getting steadily bigger in his field of vision and he can finally see the heavy armored entrance doors cut into the rock face ahead. As he approaches he notices a figure leaning against one of the last palm trees before the doors. He keeps up his pace and draws closer. As he approaches the figure he realizes that it's Charles. Daren jogs up to him stopping next to the tree he's leaning against.

"Have a nice run?" Charles asks with a smile.

Daren just pants with his hands on his knees for a moment before answering. "Yeah not too bad, it's a nice day to outside." He says looking up into Charles' face

"Well if you've finished your run, how about we go and have lunch."

"That sounds like a great idea, any preferences?"

"Well how about my office. It's nice and quiet and out of the way."

Daren nodded and they both set off back into the tunneling corridors of the complex.

The two of them take their time as they make their way to one of the elevators down to the subsurface office levels. When they arrive at the elevator Daren pushed the call button and a few moments later the arrival chime sounded and the doors slid open. Daren ushered Charles onto the elevator with a wave of his hand, following close behind. Charles' office was on subsurface level two, so he pressed the button labeled SL2 after Daren was inside the doors. The doors slid silently closed and the elevator began its descent. The trip didn't take long and after a few moments the chime sounded and the door once again parted.

Daren and Charles stepped off the elevator into a brightly lit hallway, with doors on both sides and the option to go right or left around the core that held the elevator shafts. They headed off straight ahead towards Charles' office. If they had headed the other direction past the elevator core, they would have gone past Daren's office. "You know I still can't believe that the council is planning on closing down these levels for extra storage." Daren said as they walked down the corridor.

"Yeah I know, but the new offices in Knight's peak are going to be very nice I hear." Charles replied as they stopped in front of his door, a polished brass plaque beside it reading "Lt. Charles Fox D.K."

"If you kept that thing any shinier they could signal Base One with it." Daren said looking at the sign.

Charles just chuckled and opened the door gesturing Daren inside.

Charles closed the door behind him as Daren pulled two chairs over to the table that sat against one wall. "What do you want for lunch?" Charles asked over his shoulder as he walked over to the food transporter.

"Oh, just the usual thanks." Daren replied, moving a few stray documents from the part of the table they were eating at.

Charles nodded and pressed a few buttons on the control panel, ordering a medium rare prime rib for Daren and rare sirloin for himself. A few moments later the food appeared and Charles picked up the two steaming plates and carried them over to the table. He set them on the table in front of the two places that Daren had cleared for them, before returning to the wall unit for their drinks. "What do you want to drink Daren?" He asked.

"Just tea for me thanks." Was the reply from behind him.

Charles again punched in the order and two steaming cups appeared moments later. Charles made his way back over to the table with the drinks, setting the lighter of the two down in front of Daren, who had seated himself already, before placing the other next to his meal and sliding into the chair.

Daren looked at Charles' food as he cut into the thick steak. "I don't know how you can eat that steak Charles. It's barely cooked."

Charles finished chewing and smiled at Daren, "Well I am a werewolf. That might have something to do with it. You should try it some time."

"And I wouldn't have you any other way, but thank you, no. Rare meat just isn't my thing." Daren replied with a shy smile.

Charles shrugged and continued eating his steak.

"So tell me what you have been up to the last few days," Charles said between mouthfuls, "Our schedules have been so out of sync that I've hardly seen you."

"Not all that much really, just a couple of simulator checks to get out of the way to stay current. But I did a nice live training mission this morning. It felt good to get back in the air again." Daren replied, cutting another piece from his food.

"Oh come now, Delta seven has only been out of service for four days." Charles quipped, he knew that Daren loved to fly and used just about any excuse to get in the air.

"Ok then wise guy, what have you been up to the last few days?" Daren said leaning an elbow on the table.

"Precious little thankfully, there hasn't been a callout for the last few days when I've been on duty. Jonathon and I have been getting in a few sparing matches just to keep from getting bored though."

Daren nodded and the two finished their meals.

Daren swallowed the last of his tea before lifting the two plates from the table before Charles could stop him. "You got lunch, so it's only fair that I clean up. Now finish your coffee." Daren said in a very commanding tone, but his big smile gave away his feelings. Charles gave him a mock salute and settled back into his chair to finish his coffee. There wasn't really much to do to clean up, just put the dishes and all into the recycle chute and close the door. Daren walked back over to the table and up behind Charles as he finished the last of his coffee. He was about to put the empty cup down when Daren's hand appeared from behind him and took hold of it. Charles looked up over his shoulder and got a kiss on the cheek from Daren when he did. Daren turned and made his way back to the recycle chute and dropped the cup down it, closing the door before heading for the office door.

The two of them headed for the elevator, just walking side-by-side, happy in each other's company. At the elevator Daren pressed the call button and turned to Charles, "So what are you doing for the rest of the afternoon?"

"Well," Charles began only to be interrupted by the elevator arrival chime. Charles stepped through the door as it opened, followed closely by Daren. Once the doors had closed and the lift was speeding its way up to the surface levels he continued. "I'm on duty this evening until about seven unless we get called out, but nothing after that. Why?"

"Well I've got the rest of the afternoon off, so I was hoping that we could have dinner together." Daren replied.

The arrival chime sounded, announcing that they had arrived at their selected floor. The pair got off and stood next to the wall in the corridor to finish their chat.

"That sounds like a great idea. I'll meet you at the base café at seven thirty."

"Ok." Daren replied, giving Charles a quick kiss on the cheek before he turn to head back to their quarters to get changed for duty. Leaving Daren standing in the corridor. Daren sighed and turned to walk the other direction. He didn't have any real plans for the rest of the day so he just decided to head down the gym and get a real workout.

Charles walked through the door to their quarters and pulled off his shirt, hanging back in the closet before pulling down his normal uniform shirt and pants. He takes his time getting changed since his shift doesn't start for another hour. He turns on the computer to check his messages as he gets dressed. He finally sits down after pulling on his pants, pushing the chair back on its rollers to allow himself enough space to get his boots laced up properly. With that done he finishes reading the last of his few messages, nothing too important. He flips off the computer screen and gets to his feet. Charles heads back for the bedroom, lifting his sword from its rest and clipping it to his belt. Walking back out into the small living room area, he makes a quick check to ensure that he's not forgotten anything before flipping out the lights and heading for the briefing room and yet another duty shift.

It didn't take all that long for Charles to walk the distance to the operations center, he slid his card through the reader and the doors parted with a soft hiss. The four knights that were already there turned to see who was coming in and nodded to him as he entered. Charles nodded back and checked the board to see if there was anything that needed attending to. But the only mission currently posted was being dealt with. Charles logged in and pulled his pulse rifle from the rack, giving it a once over before returning it to it's resting place. He pulled his ion sword from its rest and clipped it to his belt. With his gear all sorted Charles wandered over to get a coffee and see if anything turned up that might need attending to.

Charles was about halfway through his coffee when a buzzer sounded and a new message popped up on the board. Charles tapped the accept icon and picked up a data pad for all the details. The mission was a fairly simple one, a were had been caught out away from home and was in the process of trying to sneak back, but a group of thugs blocking his path a few blocks ahead. The objective was to remove the obstacle and shadow the target back home to ensure their safety. Charles looked at a satellite overview of the area and decided that it would be best to have some help to make things got done cleanly and without fuss.

He called over two of the other knights on duty and gave them a rundown on the situation and the objectives before each grabbed a pulse rifle and headed to the transport center next door.

A few moments later all three of them were standing on the transport pads as the transport operator entered the necessary data. "Ready" he asked.

Receiving thumbs up from each of the knights he began the transport sequence. He transported them one at a time, each to a different rooftop to ensure that they could get a clear and uninterrupted view of the engagement area.

After arriving on the roof Charles quickly checked the setting on his pulse rifle. Set two notches above stun, it would quickly and quietly send even the most stubborn person into dreamland for a few hours, only for them to wake up later with a minor burn and one heck of a headache. Silently he made his way over to the edge of the rooftop. Charles knelt down behind the ledge and rested his rifle on it as he peered through the holo-sight. Set to infra-red he could clearly see the body heat of the members of the target group. Silently he keyed open the com link in his communicator with a thought. "Knight Lead in position." He said mentally. The thoughts picked up by a receiver in his wristband.

In his tiny earpiece he heard the other two members of his team report ready and in position.

"Knight Lead has a shot, all units report targets marked." He commanded.

Within a few seconds his two comrades reported that they each had a target. Four targets and three weapons, Charles smiled inwardly this would be all too easy. "On my mark." He said, "Three, two, one, mark." As the thought he thought it he pulled the trigger and the rifle recoiled softly and silently into his shoulder. Within a second of the first shot he changed targets and took down the last target. A quick scan of the area through the sight and he flipped the safety on before rising. They hadn't even known they were being watched. And they'd wake up in an hour or two none the worse for wear really.

With the first part of their job over Charles moved to the other side of the rooftop just in time to a movement in the shadows as a young wolf darted from hiding place to hiding place, unaware that he was being watched. Charles just watched the youth until he turned a corner and disappeared from sight. In his earpiece he heard one of the other knights' report that he had the subject in sight. The young were past right by the group of unconscious men without a second thought. It didn't take very long for the third knight in the group to report that the were had made it safely home. Charles sighed, that meant that now they could go home as well. And a few moments later the three of them reappeared on the transport pads back at headquarters. Charles shook paws with the other two knights before heading back into the operations center to check their rifles back in and start on the paperwork for the mission logs.

Charles had the last of the forms filled out on the data pad and submitted for filing after about a half hour and was just about to walk out when Jonathon came in and pulled him aside. "I had a look at the satellite tape of that last little escapade. Good work." He said leaning on a counter.

"Well thank you Captain." Charles said with a smile on his muzzle.

"Rather then read the report in the morning, how about you give me a bit of a rundown now." Jonathon said, lifting a cup of coffee from the counter.

"Sure thing." Charles said before starting in on a detail about what he'd done and what he saw. After about fifteen minutes or so he finished and Jonathon nodded.

"Well I think you've done enough work for on evening. Go home and get some rest." Jonathon said, laying a hand the wolf's shoulder before pushing off from the bench. Charles nodded and headed for the door pausing as it opened with a soft hiss for him.

It was only a short walk back to his quarters and Charles was walking through his door about five minutes after leaving the ops center. He could hear the shower running, and he half considered just jumping in with Daren, but he decided against it and sat down at the computer desk to remove his heavy boots and start getting out of his uniform. He unclipped his sword and placed it in its rest before unbuttoning his shirt and shrugging it off. He tossed it idly into the hamper and plopped down on the bed, unbuckling his belt and sliding it out of the loops before shuffling his pants off.

He had just tossed his pants into the hamper to join his shirt when he noticed the shower being turned off. Sitting on the bed in his boxers he waited quietly for Daren to finish his hair and getting himself dried off. A few minutes later Daren walked out of the bathroom with his towel still wrapped around his waist. At first he didn't even notice that Charles was sitting there looking at him, but after a second he jumped at the realization of it. "You know you could have said something." He burst out.

"That would have just ruined it though. Anyway it's my turn to use the shower and believe me I need it." Charles replied.

"Well no argument there." Daren said pulling a new pair of boxers from his dresser drawer.

Charles gave him a mock hurt look before smiling and showing a lot of teeth, "You just get dressed and ready to go get something to eat."

"You bet." Daren replied. And watched as Charles closed the door to the bathroom and the shower started again with the gentle hiss of cascading water.

Charles stepped into the shower, the warm water soaking him and immediately began to remove the stress from his system. He let the water soak through his fur for a few minutes, just relishing the feeling. After a few minutes he poured some fur shampoo in his paw and started to lather his fur, the scent of it further relaxing him. He work the rich lather through ever inch of his fur making sure that he didn't miss any area, and covering a few areas more then once. Then he just slowly turned in the warm cascade of water and let the pressure of it rinse the shampoo from his fur. By the time last of it was out of his fur he felt totally at ease.

He pushed the tap back in, turning off the shower and rubbed his paws over his fur, squeezing most of the excess water from it. He slid the door open with a sigh and stepped out onto the tiled floor. Pulling a towel from the rack he started drying his still damp fur. Once he got his fur nearly dry he tossed the now saturated towel into the hamper below the counter and lifted his oversized brush to get all the knots out of his fur before the became a problem later at sunrise. He'd neglected to do it once and the experience was one he wasn't too keen to relive. After about ten minutes of steady brushing he managed to have his fur neatly groomed and looking sharp. He opened the door and strode into the bedroom. Daren was sitting on the corner of the bed waiting for him and when he walked out Daren just grinned from ear to ear. Charles just gave him an "oh knock it off" look and pulled a new pair of boxers from the top drawer of his dresser. He pulled them on before stepping around a still grinning Daren to the closet and pulled down a pair of casual clothes and in a few moments he was ready to go.

Charles finished his getting dressed by placing his hat between his large lupine ears. Daren rose from his position on the corner of the bed, placing his own cap on his head, looking at Charles he said, "So you ready to get dinner? And no wolfing down your food this time."

Charles just shook his head and sighed, with an "I can't believe you used that line" look. "Ok I promise no wolfing of food this evening. Now have you thought of anything to do on our day off tomorrow?"

"I have a few ideas about it yeah. I talk them over with you at dinner."

"Sounds good"

Daren smiled and he and Charles walked out the door headed for the base café. It wasn't an overly long walk but Charles still had to make a conscious effort to slow his pace so that Daren wouldn't have trouble keeping up with his longer stride.

The doors to the base café slid open silently as the pair entered. Daren and Charles found a nice quiet table in a tucked away corner. Not that a werewolf and a human eating together was an uncommon thing around here, they just preferred to have a nice quiet place to sit and talk. Daren stayed at the table as Charles went up and got their dinner. He returned a minute or so later setting a plate down in front of Daren before placing his own on the table and sliding into his chair. "So what were thinking if doing tomorrow?" He said lifting his fork.

"Well I was thinking about getting off base and having a bit of fun."

"That sounds like a great idea. Any ideas on doing what exactly?"

"I don't know, I was sort of thinking about doing some shopping back in California maybe."

"I'd be up for that. Where you thinking about, Stone Ridge perhaps?"

"Well as nice as Stone Ridge is, I was hoping to get out to Southland. It's been a real long time since I've been there."

"Alright then Southland it is."

Daren smiled and the pair finished their dinner before Daren got up to get them both a coffee.

After they finished their coffee the two decided that, since they had a full day planned for tomorrow, and since they'd both had a pretty busy day today that they'd turn in early and get a good nights rest. After the two of them got back to their quarters Daren was down to his boxers in a flash, his speedy change belying just how tired he was. But then again it wasn't all that long before Charles was sliding into bed next to him. Daren pulled Charles close to him. He always loved the soft warmth that came from his fur. It wasn't long before that warmth and the slow rhythmic beating of Charles' heart had him lost in his dreams. These nights of the full moon always seemed to pass to quickly for Daren's liking. The fact that they were always cut short ten minutes before the sun rose had a fair amount to do with that. And this night was no exception. On cue at ten minutes before dawn the base pa rang out its message, driving Charles and therefore Daren from their dreams.

After the change had run its course and Charles was back in human form again, the pair of them jumped in the shower, more just to just to save time then anything else. And after a good twenty minutes or so Daren flipped of the shower and slid the door open. He reached around the slight corner and pulled two towels from the rack, handing one to Charles before letting the other fall open for himself. Before too long they were both dry and Charles was first out of the shower. Daren followed close behind tossing his towel into the hamper to join Charles'.

Back in the bedroom both slipped on a new pair of boxers before getting out some everyday clothes to wear on there day out. After getting dressed they decided to just have breakfast in there quarters rather then walk down to the café and then have to walk all the way back past their quarters anyway to get to the transport center. Thy both just had a light breakfast, since they were planning to have a big lunch out. After they finished their coffee the two of them left for the transport center.

Down at the transport center Charles and Daren found Lt. Carman in his usual position behind the control console. And as always his smile beamed at them as they walked in. "Now then lads," he said, "Where can I send the two of you today?"

"Good morning to you as well." Both replied, nearly in the same second, smiling at each other as Carman chuckled. "Actually we are head for Southland Mall in California." Daren said.

"Ok," Carman replied, taping a few keys to bring up a map layout of the building, "How does the north parking lot elevator sound to you?"

"That'll do just fine" Charles said, "And pick up from the same spot this afternoon?"

"Ok," replied Carman, "Just give us a bell when you're ready and I'll do the rest."

Charles and Daren nodded together as Carman typed in the final set of instructions.

"See you this afternoon." Carman said as he tapped the execute key.

A few moments later the light bars faded back into nothingness, leaving Charles and Daren standing in the empty elevator. Daren pressed the button for the ground floor and the elevator started its slow, yet short journey downwards. The arrival chime sounded just before the car slid to a halt and the doors parted. It was still early and so the mall wasn't very busy yet, but it wouldn't take long to fill later. So they set off hand in hand content to do a bit of window shopping before getting into things properly. They browsed through a few shops, checking out the latest trends and what not. They picked up a couple of things that they actually needed before looking around for a few nice things for their quarters back home, knowing that they couldn't take a lot with them.

It was getting on towards midday when Daren's stomach told him that it was time to break for lunch. He looked at Charles and was about to ask him if he was ready to grab a bite to eat when Charles beat him to the punch, "So where do you feel like getting some lunch?" he asked as they continued walking.

"Well I think they have an Olive Garden here still, so how about there?" Daren replied.

Charles nodded and they stopped at a map board to find their way. They arrived at the restaurant and waited to be seated. It was only a short wait, and soon they were looking over the menu. Daren leaned in close to Charles across the table, "I don't think I can remember the last time that I actually had to pay for a meal you know."

"Yeah," Charles replied, "But then again the company's still picking up the tab."

"I know, but still, it's been a while."

Daren had just finished speaking when a waitress stopped at their table. She was a nice looking young lass, and she had a bright, cheery smile about her. "So," she said lightly, "You two ready to order?"

Charles nodded and folded his menu, ordering both his and Daren's meals at the same time. The waitress nodded and wrote down their orders before flipping her book closed and hurrying off to the kitchen. Charles and Daren sat patiently waiting for their food to be made. After about ten minutes Charles leaned in to Daren, "You know I don't think I could get used to it taking this long to get lunch ready again."

Daren giggled and nodded, since he'd been thinking much the same thing.

It only took another ten minutes before the waitress was back setting to steaming plates on the table in front of them. They both gave her their thanks before starting in on their food. And since they were both rather hungry, it didn't take them long to finish. The waitress game back to see how they were progressing and was a bit shocked to see that they had finished already. So she collected the plates and took them away, returning shortly with their bill. Daren pulled out a credit card and placed it on the small tray before handing it back to her. She took it and returned a few moments later leaving the tray for Daren to sign the receipt. He signed the receipt and left her a rather generous tip, before grabbing his copy to log into the system back home.

With lunch out of the way the two of them decided to get back to shopping and revisit a few stores to pick up a few things that they'd seen earlier. After getting the things that they'd intended. Daren looked at his watch and was amazed at the time that had passed as they'd been wandering around the mall. "Well," he said at length, "I think we should probably be heading home."

Charles looked down at his watch and nodded his agreement. "Yes it is getting on a bit. Ok we'll head back."

It took them about ten minutes to get back to the north parking lot elevator bank. Daren pressed the up button on the wall panel. He couldn't help but smirk a bit at the wasted trip of the car. When the elevator arrived and the doors opened they both stepped inside and let the doors slide closed behind them. Charles pushed the button for the fifth floor before taping the "open comm." icon on the side of his watch. It took a second or so for the link to connect.

"Transport center, Lt. Carman speaking."

"You still on duty Carman, I thought you'd have been relieved by now."

"No sir. I'm still here. Now what can I do for you?"

"Well would you be soon kind as to bring Daren and me home."

"Not a problem sir, I have your location. Standby."

Daren took hold of Charles' hand as the pair of light bars sprang into existence. The light bars swept through he pair before blinking back into nothingness.

The elevator doors opened again on the forth floor to admit another couple, much to there surprise they found the car empty yet the button for the fifth floor still illuminated. Still they got on and thought nothing more of it.

Back at ASL Headquarters Daren and Charles stepped down from the transporter pads. "Thanks for the ride home Carman." Daren said, linking hands with Charles as they walked off back to their quarters. After the short walk home they set their purchases down on the end of the computer desk and decided to change back into their casual clothes. With that done and out of the way, they set about getting all their new toys and clothes put away.

"Well now that that's all done, you want to get some dinner?" Charles asked.

"That sounds like a great idea, but I think I'll be getting to bed right after. It's been a big day."

"Yes, it has. And I have an all day shift tomorrow."

"Ah, to bad, I have the day off again since my bird's not ready yet."

"Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in."

Daren and Charles walked out of their quarters and headed for the base café. It was only a short trip and they managed to find a quiet corner table in the crowded eatery. They had a light dinner, before heading back to their quarters for a nice nights sleep.

The next morning Daren managed to sleep in since it wasn't a full moon the sunrise warning was disabled. As Daren was sleeping in Charles had managed to slip from under his arm and get to work. Daren finally rolled over into the empty space left by his loves absence. He rolled back over to catch a few more minutes sleep.

A half hour passed before he awoke again. Now it was mid-morning and he felt like getting a late breakfast. Daren rolled himself out of bed and pulled down a pair of sweet pants and a casual tee-shirt before heading out the door to get some food.

After he finished with breakfast Daren made his way back to his quarters, after making a short stop off at the upper rainforest catwalks to just sit, relax and listen to the sounds of nature around him.

In the mean time Charles was sitting down in the operations center waiting for his next assignment. He was leaning against the center table with a cup of coffee in hand.

After Daren finished his walk through the rainforest and headed back to his quarters to check his messages. He pulled up one new message to tell him that his Delta fighter would be ready within the next day and that he could get back to active duty after the test flights were completed. With this good news in hand Daren decided to take one of the Bravo fighters on one of his favorite runs, low level through theRockies.

Daren pulled his flight gear down from the closet and moved back over to the computer desk. He pulled on his flight pants over his sweets and pulled on his over jacket. He finished lacing his boots and pulled his flight bag from under the desk. With his gear in tow he set out for the hangar.

At the hangar Daren slid his pass card through the reader and waited as the heavy, shielded door slid slowly open. He walked inside and made a quick left turn to head for the dispatcher's desk. A younger looking Lieutenant is sitting behind the desk busily filling out paperwork and forms of all kinds. He looks up as Daren steps up to the desk. "Yes Lieutenant how might I help you this morning?" he says politely.

"Well I was hoping to take Bravo Five out for a run this morning if she's available." Daren replied

The dispatch officer lifted a clipboard from a hook on the wall next to him and looked down the list of aircraft until he came to Bravo Five. He paused for a moment to read he notice next to the call sign of the craft. "I'm sorry sir, but it looks like Bravo Five is out of service today. They are doing some scheduled maintenance on her." He continued looking down the list until he came to on ship that wasn't booked out for training.

Daren had just turned to leave when the dispatcher called after him. "Lieutenant, sir, what sort of exercise did you have in mind?"

"Just a quick low level through the length of theRocky Mountains, why?" Daren said.

"Well sir Bravo one six is available if you wish. There are a few items that are unserviceable at the moment, but they are permitted to be for what you want to do."

"And what, precisely, are the unserviceabilities?" Daren asked leaning on the desktop.

The dispatch officer ran through the list of items with Daren, and he was right there was nothing on the list that he would really need on this flight. And furthermore nothing that would pose a safety hazard to the ship or himself during his operation. So he agreed and signed the ship out for the rest of the afternoon.

Daren made his way along the flight line until he came to Bravo sixteen. He placed his hand on the scanner next to the door, and stepped back slightly to allow the entry to extend. Daren stepped onboard the ship and stowed his flight bag behind the right hand seat. He slipped into the left hand seat and began doing the preflight. As he went through the systems checks he cancelled the warnings that came up for the systems that we knew were offline, namely the shield generator unit, and the main auto tracking unit for the four main guns. With al the interior check out of the way Daren slid out of his seat to begin his walk around of the ship.

He finished his preflight and got back aboard. He slipped into the left hand seat and went through the startup checklist. One by one he started the engines on the ship and set up his radio equipment before requesting his taxi clearance. He taxied out onto the main apron and then departed. He set course for the , border and climbed out, heading for the edge of space to make the flight there shorter.

As Daren approached theRockiesalong the boarder he pushed the controls forward and dropped down into the series of ever turning and twisting valleys and canyons. He pushed the throttles up slightly and began his run through the mountains.

As he made his way through the twisting valleys his concentration was split between his thoughts about yesterday and the fun time that he and Charles had, and the run that he's currently making. Normally his would be totally focused on his work, but he knows how these aircraft handle and he knows how far he can push, so he stays away from that boundary.

He was about halfway through his run when his second radio clicked in and overrode the primary. The emergency frequency flashed to life and the voice on the other end was one he recognized instantly. It was Charles, his unit had been setup and ambushed. Now he and his team were pinned down and needed an airlift to safety.

Daren quickly punched the location into his navigation computer and pulled up the time it would take him to get there at high speed cruise. At the moment he's only five minutes away. Two Echo fighters had been flying a zone patrol in low orbit near the location and they radioed that they were on there way to help. Daren kept listening to the communication between them and Charles' team. He did a quick mental calculation on noted that the two Echoes wouldn't be able to evacuate everyone in one trip.

Quickly Daren looked over the list of systems that are unavailable to him with the ships limited equipment. He still has manual control over all the weapon systems, so he can provide some cover fire for the extraction, all be it with a bit more difficulty then normal. And anything short of an anti-aircraft missile had no chance at getting through the armor of his craft. So he pulled the controls back and left hard, causing the nose of the ship to pitch and roll sharply. As the mountains slipped below the nose of his craft he opened the throttles to 95% power, the maximum safe level for atmospheric flight, the sudden increase in power not able to be absorbed by the inertial dampening systems and pushing him hard back into the seat. Daren climbed only as high as he needed to clear the highest of the terrain in front of him.

The few minutes that it takes him to get into the engagement area seem to pass with agonizing slowness, and after what felt like an eternity he finally reached the combat site. When he finally arrived his mind was racing and his heart pounding from the anticipation of what was to come.

As Daren drew nearer to the zone he pushed the nose over to descend lower. When he got to overhead the sight wasn't what he really wanted to see. The two Echo fighters were holding a low hover whilst the knights closest to them scramble onboard. Daren can see Charles as he sheltered behind a low mound, still calling out orders to his team. Daren pressed the button to drop the ships stealth mode and the black hull shimmers into view. With his ship now in full view to the people on the ground some of the fire that was falling on the two echoes is turned at him. Light caliber rifle rounds skip and bounce of the heavy plating and windscreen. The first few make him flinch, just as a natural reaction, but after that they don't bother him.

Daren moved his ship over to where Charles was sheltering, giving him as much cover with the hull of the ship as possible. As he hovers over top of were Charles is hiding he quickly turns and slaps the button to unlock and open the doorway. As the door seal depressurizes and the door slides open Daren turns his attention to the groups that are firing at him and the other ships. He pressed the button to charge the pulse guns, as the system charged Daren enabled the holosight and the crosshairs appeared on the windscreen. Using his free hand he tracked the crosshairs over to where he could see muzzle flashes originating. Letting the sight settle on the general location he moved his hand around to get at the trigger. The flight computer gave a double beep then said "weapons charged". At this a twisted smile settled onto Daren's face as he squeezed the trigger. He held the trigger down for a few seconds, sending four rounds from each of the ships guns at the aggressors. The muzzle flashes from that area stopped for a moment and the radio crackled. "Good job Bravo one six, now give those boys down there some real cover."

"Yes sir." Daren replied into his boom mic.

Daren looked around the rim of the clearing to the edge of the trees. He could see scattered muzzle flashes from just about everywhere. He pressed the gun control to translate slowly around the tree line, holding the trigger down as the crosshairs panned across the windscreen before him. Bolt after bolt of light blue sped to the tree line.

Below him the last of Charles' men clambered aboard the waiting Echo fighters. Finally only Charles himself was left on the ground. With a short break in fire from the trees he darted from his place of concealment towards the door of Daren's waiting Bravo fighter. As he approached the open door he tossed his pulse rifle in and leapt after it, landing on the hard, but good feeling metal of the craft's floor. Charles rolled over onto his back and looks to the flight deck. He can see Daren's head poking from above the seat back. "Thanks for the rescue Daren. I wouldn't want to have had to wait until one of them got back for me." He said, getting to his feet. Charles looked at the shield readout on his wrist com., 80%. He smiled and tapped the icon to switch it off.

Charles waved to one of the nearby Echo fighters, signaling him that it was time to leave, and that he was alright. The pilot nodded and gave a small salute before banking away and climbing out. As the craft climbs away Charles reached for the button to close the door. His hand is just about on it when a small spark from the departing Echo's shield caught his eye. He pressed the button and was just taking a step back from the door when he felt a heavy thud in his chest. The heavy impact knocks him off balance and he stumbles back against the far wall of the cabin, time seemed to slow down for a few moments as the door finished sliding shut.

Daren watched the warning panel until the "Door Unsafe" light went out. With the light extinguished he pushed the throttles forward and started his climb out. Setting course for home and passing though six thousand feet Daren turned to look over his shoulder to see what was keeping Charles. Daren's face lost all its color when he saw him. Charles was sitting on the floor of the cabin, leaning against one wall, hand pressed firmly against his chest and breathing hard. Daren turned quickly back to his controls and slammed the throttles full forward. The engines surged in power and the gauges rose to the maximum limit. The speed tape on the heads up display increased quickly past the low mach numbers. Daren keyed his mic to the emergency frequency, "This is Bravo One Six, Mayday. We have one critical on board, request immediate transport to the infirmary."

There was a moments silence before the controller back at base replied to his call. "Bravo One Six, standby for transport lock." After another moment of tense waiting the controller called again. "Bravo One Six, Transport center reports unable to lock on due interference, transport not available at this time."

Daren sighed at the news and then resolved himself to get Charles back home and to the medical center as quickly as he could. He reached up to the overhead switch panel and flipped off the engine electronic limiting system. Immediately after switching off the system the engine gauges jumped from 100% to 105%. The speed tape jumped again at the increase in thrust, and the time to destination dropped by a few minutes. Shortly afterward caution and warning lights began flashing and the master warning shouted at him, telling him that he was pushing the engines too hard. Daren gritted his teeth and silenced the master warning with a push of the switch, before it could sound for a second time he reached up and pulled the breaker on the overhead panel, disabling the system. In his mind the only thing that mattered was getting Charles home in time to save his life. So what if he destroyed the engines in the process, they could be rebuilt later, Charles couldn't.

With the cabin finally quiet, save the humming from the engines, Daren started talking to Charles, as much for himself as for Charles. "Don't worry Charles," Daren started, "I'll get you back home in no time. The medics will have you back in top form in no time."

"You're right." Charles said as he shifted his position on the floor to make himself a bit more comfortable.

"Hey you remember the last time that we had a picnic up at Knight's Peak? After you get out of the medical center in a couple days we'll take the weekend off and just sit up there all day."

Daren adjust course a bit to ensure that the arrival back at headquarters would take the least amount of time possible. As they closed rapidly on their destination Daren talked idly to Charles, trying to keep his mind occupied, and away from the grimness of the task at hand. He didn't even notice when Charles stopped replying to him.

Daren reported to the tower at headquarters that he was turning onto final approach. After getting his clearance he looked back to check on Charles. Charles sits against the wall, hand still pressed against his chest, but his breathing has changed and is now rapid and shallow. Daren whipped back around to face forward and banks off of the approach he'd set up, now heading straight for the main apron.

The apron loomed large in the windshield as Daren barely even slowed on his approach. With the gear down and locked he could see the hangar doors opening nearby on his right. The terrain warning system called out his height as he descended quickly. As the computer called twenty feet to go Daren pulled hard back on the controls and switched the thrust vectoring system to full vertical. The ships speed and descent rate check instantly under the massive amount of braking thrust that Daren was employing. It was the fastest landing he'd ever managed.

As soon as the tires were on the ground Daren locked the parking brake and ripped the throttles closed and pulled the handles up as they hit the idle stops, setting the engines to standby. With the aircraft stopped and secure for the moment he ripped off his harness and rushed the few feet that separated him form Charles. He slapped the door unlock button before dropping to his knees at Charles' side.

As the door seal depressurized and the door rose into its open position, Daren takes Charles into his arms and looks down at him with worried eyes, tears welling in their corners. He managed to pry his eyes from Charles' for a moment and looked to the open door of the hangar, paramedics rushing from the opening towards them. Close behind was a rescue vehicle, rushing towards the open door of the Bravo.

Charles looked up into Daren's eyes as he turned his face back to him. He could see the worry and dread in them. He smiled and laid his hand on Daren's arm, "Hey, what's all this then? You managed to get me back here in one piece."

"But I should have gotten you back here faster." Daren replied, choking back a sob.

"Oh, come on." Charles said, rubbing Daren's arm "You did your best and I'm proud of you for that. And that's all that really matters."

Charles hand slipped from Daren's arm and his eyes faded before flickering shut. The paramedics reached up into the doorway and gently slid Charles unmoving form from Daren's arms, placing him gently onto a stretcher. Then onto the back of the rescue vehicle, before rushing him back into the depths of the hangar and base.

As Daren watched them drive away he slumped to the floor of the aircraft, tears rolling from his eyes as he buried his face in his arms. He sobbed uncontrollably for a time at the fact that he wasn't able to get home fast enough to save his love. As he sobs Daren hears a soft voice coming from somewhere nearby. Daren raised his head from his arms to look for the source of the voice. He can't see anyone nearby. The voice is soft and seems to be carried by the wind as it calls his name.

Daren's eyes flutter open and he's confronted with his pillow a few inches from his face. He sits up slightly to look at it. The fabric is soaked to the point of almost being able to be rung out. He turned his head slightly and instantly finds the source of the voice he was hearing, as Karl looks down to him with worried and loving eyes. Karl takes Daren into his arms and hugs him tightly to his chest, as Daren continues to cry into his chest. Karl just rocks him back and forth, as a mother would do to comfort a small child. "Shhh now, everything's going to be alright. You're safe now." Karl said trying to calm him.

"I couldn't do it. I wasn't fast enough to save him." Daren stammered between sobs.

"Shhh," Karl said pulling him closer and rubbing the back of his head, "It wasn't your fault. You did your best to try and save him. He knew that."

Daren rested his head against Karl's chest and listened to his breathing, the slow rhythm of his breathing lulling him back to sleep. Karl just laid back down, pulling Daren down gently still rubbing the back of his head.

End Transmission...