Two days later, Andres and Marcus were walking through the city’s shopping center once again. The place, buzzing with activity, had been repaired since the attack. Broken windows had been replaced, and paint covered the spots where the damage had been.

  “What’s on your mind, Andres?”

  “The attack was terrible, and people died. Yet everyone seems to have moved on, I’ll admit that even I find myself carrying on as if it hadn’t happened. I don’t know if that’s normal.”

  “Happiness and grief have always existed simultaneously in the world. I think it’s appropriate to be upset when terrible things happen. But I believe we can’t stay that way forever. I think we only hurt ourselves by doing that.”

  “It just feels weird to catch yourself laughing after something like that.”

  “We’re not meant to carry the burdens of the world alone. If you’re looking for permission to keep living, you don’t have to do that. You’re already trying to do your part by piloting a Knight. Let our free time be ours, and let’s be serious when we need to be.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Hey guys!” a familiar voice called to them.

  The boys turned to see Akari walking toward them, pulling Rachel along with her. Mai is not far behind them. The boys waved back as she approached. Akari moved Rachel in front so she would have to be social.

  “Are you two on a bestie date like us? Say ‘hi,’ Rachel!”

  “Hiya boys!” Rachel’s fox avatar said for her.

  “Hey there, girls, we were just shopping,” Marcus responded.

  Akari whined. “Aww! Without us?”

  “We didn’t know if you would want to shop for clothes.” Andres shrugged

  “Now I’m offended!” Akari laughed. “What are you guys doing now? We should get boba!”

  “Sure, why not?” Marcus looked at Andres, who nodded.

  “Yay! I know a great place nearby. Let’s go!”

  ***

  The group made their way to the boba place, a small, cozy shop tucked away in the corner of the shopping center. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of tea and fruit as they walked inside, greeted by the hum of the blender machines and the clinking of ice being shaken. After scanning the menu, they all ordered their drinks.

  Once their drinks were ready, they grabbed their cups and made their way to a nearby table. Akari, already seated, patted the spot next to her with a mischievous grin. “Andres, sit here!”

  “Sorry, seat’s taken.” Mai plopped down next to her sister and rested her head onto Akari’s shoulder. She made eye contact with Andres and smirked at him as she drank through her straw.

  “Mai, be nice!” Akari insisted.

  “I always sit to your right and Rachel always sits to your left,” Mai stated matter-of-factly.

  “It’s true, it’s always been that way!” Rachel’s fox answered excitedly.

  “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. You three seem inseparable.”

  “We are,” Mai quipped.

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  Akari looked at Mai as if to say, ‘please be nice.’

  “I can see why you’re a pilot, Mai, you’re tough.” Andres smiled at Mai, and she averted her gaze, resting her chin in her hand.

  “What made you join Bella’s MAV program, Akari?” Andres asked. “You’re so cheerful and kind, I wouldn’t have expected that from you. I don’t mean that in a bad way, though.”

  “That’s a great question! Well, ever since people came to this continent, we’ve been fighting over land and resources. The research Boltus has done suggests that the energy Teal gives off could be used to create matter. If that turns out to be true, then we can create land further south that is more usable.”

  “So why not join as a scientist or engineer?” Marcus asked.

  Akari rubbed her arm. “Well, I never was very good at school, to be honest…” She perked herself up and continued. “But I’ve always been good at sports and stuff like that! So I told Bella I would help her anyway I could, and she suggested I help her by being a pilot! So here I am!” Akari flashed her perfect smile.

  “That makes sense, you definitely help lift morale,” Andres replied.

  Akari saluted. “Thank ya!”

  Andres turned to Rachel. “What about you, Rachel?”

  Rachel tried to slump down in her seat, hiding within her hoodie.

  Akari pulled back her hoodie and propped her up. “C’mon, Rachel, they’re friends.”

  Rachel nervously typed a message for her avatar to say. “Where Akari goes. I go.”

  “Aww!” Akari hugged Rachel. Andres looked at Mai. He could tell Mai wanted a hug from her sister, too.

  Mai stuck her tongue out at him. Just then, Marcus got a phone call and answered.

  “Hey, Bella, what’s up? Yeah, I’m with some of the other pilots now. I’ll let them know.” Marcus hung up. “Bella wants us to report to the base, and that we need to see something.”

  They were all curious and called the others to meet them at the Boltus facility.

  ***

  Bella gathered her pilots in the briefing room. “The Republic’s 1st Sky Fleet is about to engage with one of the Imperial fleets. We can view the battle from the fleet’s perspective and from low-orbit satellites. Let’s see the outcome.”

  The Republic’s battleships, known as Embers, were imposing ships. Their white exteriors gleamed against the blue skies of the South. The Embers resembled reassembled naval battleships, featuring four triple-barreled guns; two at the front and two at the rear. They were also equipped with missile silos along their starboard side.

  ***

  Many miles north of Troya, the 1st Fleet arrayed itself for battle over the Republic’s northern plains. Admiral Vincent Otto, a burly, rugged man with a thick beard, commanded the 1st Fleet. His demeanor and appearance were a mix between a lumberjack and a pirate. Otto gave a hearty laugh as he finished his preparations as the Elerian fleet came into view.

  The Imperial Blizzards were painted in a sleek gray. Larger than the Embers, they were armed with six triple-barreled guns. Both fleets consisted of five ships. Otto’s flagship, the Yamato, faced forward, flanked by two Embers, turned to make full use of their guns.

  Elerian’s fleet sped forward, attempting to turn as quickly as possible to outgun the Republic Embers.

  “Let’s test their armor, shall we?” Admiral Otto laughed as he began his orders. “Icarus! Achilles! Full broadside! Fire!” Twenty-four guns boomed at once, hurling explosive shells across the sky.

  “Taurus! Minos! Full broadside! Fire!” The order rang out from Admiral Otto. Their twenty-four guns went off as the Icarus and Achilles reloaded, again and again.

  “Full broadside!” The Yamato contributed her frontal guns to the barrage.

  As smoke plumed from the Republic guns, shells slammed into Elerian’s fleet. Despite the immense damage, the Blizzards continued their advance. Relief only came during the Republic guns' cooling periods or when shells missed due to the ships' narrow profile. The Blizzard, furthest to the right, succumbed to the onslaught of fire crashing into the ground. Finally, Elerian’s fleet turned and responded with their own barrages.

  With their advantage in tonnage and firepower, the Blizzards retaliated fiercely for their lost vessel. The Imperial fleet concentrated all four of their ships on the Taurus first, followed by the Minos. Both vessels crumbled under the relentless barrages of Elerian.

  With the vessels to his left destroyed, Admiral Otto swung the Yamato around, bringing her guns to bear. To shift the odds in his favor, Otto ordered a full salvo of Spartan missiles. From the silos on the Embers, missiles shot up into the sky, then rained down on The Imperial formation. The two Blizzards on the flanks erupted in fiery explosions, falling to the ground in pieces.

  The two fleets exchanged barrages relentlessly. The Icarus was the next to fall. Then, a well-placed shot from The Yamato hit the Teal generator of Elerian’s flagship, triggering a massive explosion that lit up the sky in a bright green flash. Despite the heavy damage, Yamato and Achilles triumphed in the two-versus-one fight, though not without taking significant hits themselves. The Republic defended their territory, but the 1st Fleet was now in tatters.

  ***

  Back at the Boltus facility, the pilots stood in stunned silence, still processing the scale of destruction they had just witnessed. The flashes of explosions and the deafening sounds of battle were still fresh in their minds, the adrenaline fading. Akari was the first to speak, breaking the silence with her usual confidence, though even her voice seemed subdued by the enormity of the fight. “We…won, right?”

  “Barely.” Bella replied. “The 1st Fleet is going to be out of action for a while. So our sorties tomorrow are going to be vital to the war effort.”

  “What will be our objectives?” Kobe asked.

  Bella projected a map on the screen. “We will have two simultaneous operations. The Falcon squadron, consisting of Akari, Mai, Rachel, and Julius, will destroy the Empire’s only warm water port along with their southern navy. The Hawks squadron, consisting of Marcus, Andres, Santos, and Kobe, will destroy an Anti-Air cannon emplacement.”

  Marcus raised his hand. “Aren’t those locations really far from us? Will we have to fly the Knights all the way there?”

  “Good question.” Bella displayed a carrier-type vessel on screen. “This is the Cairo, my personal ride into battle. I had her created specifically for MAV operations. I’ll be able to offer you support from here.”

  “It’s like the aircraft carriers from the past, it’ll catapult us to our destinations quickly,” Andres pointed out.

  “Precisely. Your Knights have already been loaded onto the Cairo. You Minions get some rest, you have your first mission tomorrow.”

  Bella dismissed the pilots, and they all spent some time together before leaving the facility.

  Andres scanned the room for Kobe as he made his way out. He found him talking to Akari, showing her the book he always read. Akari listened intently, her eyes wide with fascination. When Kobe handed her the book, she brightened, taking it eagerly. I’ll call him later, Andres thought to himself.