Screw Pile Developments

Hundeerde Orbit — Wayfarer

Twenty-one months aboard the Wayfarer. Three seven-month rotations from junior to intermediate and then to senior flight. The time had finally come for the thirty cadets of Blue Flight to leave their training ship and head back down to the surface for their graduation and commissioning ceremony at the Hundeerde Space Defence and Communications Network Academy, Theden University.

Shortly, the Pathfinder would arrive with a new flight of junior cadets to take the place of those leaving. For Blue Flight, this meant that the dormitory bunk rooms that they had called home for just over a year and a half would now become home to the new arrivals. The inhabitants of bunk room A emptied their lockers, packed up their bags, and stripped their beds one last time. As a parting gesture, it was tradition for the departing cadets to make up the bunks fresh, ready for the new cadets, with crisp white sheets and teal-green blankets. Each bed was made perfectly, with mitred corners and every wrinkle smoothed out. Soon the bunk room looked exactly as it had on the very first day when they had arrived.

Bags in hand and paw, the Blue Flight cadets trooped down to the flight deck, ready to board the Pathfinder and start their journey back to the Network Academy at Theden. With their bags stowed and everyone in their allocated seats, the shuttle rose from the deck and slipped through the Wayfarer’s portal curtain. Once clear of the main ship, the shuttle commenced its deorbit burn by firing its retrograde thrusters and began its descent as it fell deeper toward the atmosphere.

Toby elbowed Raven, in the seat next to him.

Raven half-turned in his seat and gave Toby a sideways glance.

Raven, with a faint smirk on his face, gave Toby another sideways glance.

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Network Academy — Theden

On returning to their old C-Wing dormitory, the cadets immediately noticed a significant change; this time there were no bare mattresses. Each bed had been carefully made, with the now-familiar crisp white sheets and teal-green blankets.

The Academy could not have felt more different from when they first arrived. No one was shouting at them, and there were no arbitrary thirty-minute blocks of time to complete tasks. Other than the dinner bell sounding as usual at precisely 1800, their return almost felt like checking into a resort.

Their formal commissioning as officers and passing-out parade would be the next day. For now, they could all go and shower when they pleased and spend their last evening as cadets relaxing together.

Following breakfast the next morning, they found another surprise. The cadets could not help but stop for a moment and just look at what was lying immaculately folded on each of their beds. It was a uniform — and not just any uniform. This was a full dress officer’s uniform, complete with gold trim and, most importantly, on each epaulette a single silver bar, denoting the rank of Lieutenant. The only thing missing was the golden paw emblem that would be pinned to their left breast during the commissioning ceremony.

For three Hunde boys from Veldmeer and four Human boys from Headwall, if it had not before, it was now starting to feel all very real after two years of intense training. At first learning how to march and make their beds, then another few months of simulator training, and finally flying for the first time in the Houndswifts. Then came the actual reason that they were here; five of them were about to become pilots in the Hundeerde Space Defence and Communications Network, flying the X-fighters, helping to form part of Hundeerde’s first line of defence. Two would become communications, data, and systems analyst officers.

It was time to change into their new uniforms.

Timo had just tried on his new trousers and instead of finishing at his ankles, they had several layered folds sitting on his lower paws. At almost the same time, roars of laughter broke out near Hans. As he tried on his trousers, Hans’ problem was that they finished halfway up his calves.

Timo and Hans swiftly switched trousers, and, to their great relief, both pairs finished exactly where they should — at their ankles.

Eventually the soon-to-be Lieutenants of the C-Wing dormitory were dressed in their new uniforms. Every trouser leg was now sitting where it should and all stray traces of Hunde hair had been removed. They all checked each other over one last time. They were ready.

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Passing-Out Parade and Commissioning — The Network Academy

Friends, family, and other VIP guests had gathered in the bright late-summer sun on the flight apron at the Network Academy. In place of the shuttles and training craft, a long stage had been set up in front of the hangar doors. White, blue, and yellow flowers complemented the Network banners and flags that fluttered in the light, warm breeze. Behind the flight apron, the landscape of Lake Theden and the highest peaks beyond still capped with snow completed the scene. After the guests had been seated, music filled the air and four flag-bearers marched out. Following a complete circuit, they took up their allocated position at the rear of the apron. A phalanx of senior officers also marched out, with some taking up seats on the stage, and the rest forming up on the apron to the left and right. The large central area of the flight apron remained, for now, clear.

In the central hall of the Academy, the thirty graduand officers of Blue Flight were formed up and ready to march out to their passing-out parade. Flight Sergeant Krieger walked slowly up and down the three files of ten, carefully checking each and every one personally, one last time. He gave one or two curt instructions to ‘straighten that’ and another to remove a stray hair from an epaulette. Finally, even he was satisfied.

Thirty pairs of heels snapped together in unison.

Blue Flight marched from the ambient gloom of the central hall and out into the bright sun reflecting off the flight apron. Blinking momentarily, they soon refocused as they gave their full concentration to their drill demonstration. They marched up and down and around the apron, the three files splitting off in different directions to join up again on the opposite side. Finally, they re-formed into two ranks of fifteen and came to a halt directly in the centre of the apron, facing the stage.

General Huxley approached the lectern and addressed the crowd.

A quiet round of laughter emanated from those assembled before him.

Raven snapped his heels together and marched from his place in the parade, around and up onto the stage to face Flight Sergeant Krieger. Krieger stepped forward and pinned the golden paw to Raven’s left breast. He then placed an envelope in Raven’s left hand. Stepping back, Krieger promptly saluted the new Lieutenant. Raven immediately returned the salute, turned to face General Huxley, saluting again. Huxley acknowledged Raven’s salute with his own. Finally, Raven turned, marched from the stage, and returned to his place in the parade.

In the ranks there was an almost imperceptible shift and an even more imperceptible whisper that sounded more like a snuffle.

Huxley’s eyes also flicked almost imperceptibly in the direction of Timo, as Toby marched forward to receive his golden paw.

For Timo, there were certain moments in his life he would remember forever. His first flight in a glider launched skyward at forty-five degrees, his first glider solo, and the flight around Graufels. Then, the Academy. The eager anticipation of every new milestone in the training — and now, this, the moment when the boy from Veldmeer who dreamed of flying, this moment was his ultimate dream come true.

In reality Timo’s quiet reverie lasted less than half a second; he snapped his heels together and proudly marched up to receive his golden paw.

More than one Hundel in the crowd sat up just a little straighter as Seb marched up to the stage.

Rebecca, sitting closest, leaned over, smiled, and made a shushing motion with her paw at the boys, but she too murmured to herself.

Hans came to attention and marched to the stage with practised precision. After receiving his pin, envelope, and salute from Krieger, he returned the salute impeccably. Longest way up and shortest way down. He repeated his salute to Huxley with the same pinpoint accuracy that he had practised over and over in the mirror to get it right.

The presentations to the pilots continued and soon came the turn of the communications, data, and systems analysts, a group smaller by about a third.

Scott took a slow breath in, came to full attention, and marched up to the stage.

As Huxley returned Scott’s salute, he spoke quietly to him.

Huxley paused for the briefest of moments before he read out the final name. It was a name he had spent considerable personal capital on within the Network hierarchy. A cadet starting the Academy at just fifteen, a highly unusual concession. But he was sure then and he was still sure now that he had made the right decision.

Lewis silently wished that he could push his glasses up his nose, but he managed to maintain the discipline of the moment. He had, however, been granted one highly unusual concession from military discipline, and again specifically by Huxley. Under his left arm he held Dogger, his constant companion since before he could remember.

Presentations of the golden paws complete, Huxley turned his attention to the new officers and those in the crowd.

The officers of Blue Flight turned, marched three paces, and headed to the stands to meet their families and friends.

For the Headwall boys, the first hug, without question, belonged to Rebecca, who hugged them all warmly, followed closely by Grandpa Jake and Grandma Bella. The pups, Daan, Marta and all the other boys were also there to congratulate them.

Rupert in particular was most impressed by their uniforms, as he ran his fingers over the gold piping, the seams, and the silver bars on the epaulettes, inspecting every detail with a critical eye and nodding in approval.

Raven was still holding the unopened envelope in his hand, and he walked over to Seb, who was busy talking to Owen and Callum about their media studies at Theden University.

Seb was just about to retort with something about not being able to land a spacecraft on a book when Raven slid in beside him with a smooth deflection.

Seb and Raven moved a little bit away from the main family group and opened their envelopes together.

Raven was quickly scanning his orders as Seb was speaking.

Seb and Raven soon found Lewis and Scott, who were both in a quiet huddle, poring over their orders.

Scott spoke quietly.

Before long, Raven and Seb found Timo, Hans, and Toby, and to everyone’s great delight they all discovered that they would also be joining each other as Greenwatch Squadron on the Chasetail.

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Following a week’s leave, which included Rebecca and Charlie’s home cooking at Headwall, another circuit of Graufels summit, and, for Lewis, evenings on the stone bridge with the telescope, they were all soon back in Theden and boarding the Pathfinder. This time, though, they were not heading to a training ship but to a Hundeerde capital cruiser, and a waiting fleet of X-fighters.

The first stop was Scott’s new posting on the HSS Pointer. As the steps were lowered and Scott made his way to the door, he simply turned, waved once, turned again, and was gone.

Soon the Pathfinder was approaching the Chasetail, and the long rows of blue lights along the side and the large rectangular starboard portal curtain came into view through the windows. The ship grew progressively larger, and before long the Pathfinder slipped through the portal to the waiting flight deck below.

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End of Part Four

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Author’s Note:

That’s the end of Part Four. What comes next, chronologically? Part Three!

Yes, it’s a little confusing. Part Three was written and published before Part Four, even though it comes after it in story time. The boys’ commissioning as officers in Episode 60 leads into the opening of Greenwatch: Proving Ground (Part Three, Episodes 16 to 25), which you may have read some time ago. If it has been a while, a quick re-read is a good way to refresh your memory.

Part Five, Earned Name, is still to come and is currently being planned and written. It will pick up directly from the probe standoff at the end of Episode 25, so the HSS Chasetail, Greenwatch, and the Marauder probes will all be waiting for you.

Thank you for reading along.