Suddenly, the ground starts shaking violently and smoke and flames pour out of a hole in the ground that had gone unnoticed before. Though it is several hundred feet away, the crowd can still feel the heat and smell the smoke. Suddenly the public address system crackles to life. "Ladies and gentlemen, here's what you've all been waiting for! I present . . . Star Force!!"
Five glistening white spaceships emerge from the smoke, climbing toward the sky. The crowd leaps to its feet with thunderous cheers and applause. As the ships climb higher and higher, they begin to circle back one by one, headed toward the area in front of the crowd. The announcer starts again. "And here are the members of Star Force: A test pilot from the United States Air Force, Joshua Carpenter!" Joshua's Starfighter roars by, sending the crowd into peals of applause. "A pilot in the United States Marine Corps, Natasha Crosby!" Tasha's ship now flies by and joins Joshua's. "A United States Navy pilot, Richard Watson!" A third spaceship rockets by. "The best pilot in England's Royal Air Force, Sean Thomas!" The fourth ship passes by, sill receiving a standing ovation. "And the only extraterrestrial living on the planet, all the way from the Beta Quadrant, DYGO!!" With this announcement, some of the crowd sits down, while the rest applaud all the more enthusiastically.
It has been six months since first contact with the Vaxxons, and many people are still very uneasy about their presence in the universe, not to mention that one of them had now become a United States citizen! However, most people by now have accepted or even totally embraced their alliance with Earth. It has not been an easy transition for either planet, and the decision is still in controversy. And some still think it foolish to allow a possible enemy to be in Star Force, a team dedicated to protecting the planet from all evil forces -- terrestrial or otherwise.
"Now the Star Force team will show you what these new Starfighters are capable of!!" The ships return, all five together, and perform arial acrobatics that even make some of the pilots in the crowd uneasy. "These pilots are flying the new X-84 Starfigher. This ship is . . ." No one but the most dedicated reporters are listening to the announcer anymore. They are enjoying the show. The pilots perform dazzling loops and tight turns and dives and climbs unlike any other aircraft has ever attempted before. One even does a short weapons demonstration on a remotely-controled, unmanned craft.
"And now for the highlight of the show. You will be unable to tell this from where you are, so please direct your attention to the large screens we have set up for you. The lead Starfighter has a camera mounted on the pilot's console, aimed out of the front of the cockpit." After a very brief delay, the screens come to life. "Watch as the Star Force team does something no other aircraft has ever done before!"
The ships start a climb sraight up into the air. They go higher and higher and higher until the ships totally disappear from view. On the screen, you see the nose of the Starfighter as it passes through clouds and climbs ever higher. Suddenly, the sky starts growing darker and stars begin to appear. The Starfighter climbs even higher, until all of the blue is gone from the front window. Suddenly, there are stars all around. The ship turns around to give a shot of the earth. The entire North American continent can now be made out on camera! They are in outer space!
The crowd gasps and falls silent, amazed at what they are seeing. Even the announcer has ceased his babbling. The ship turns again, and now all four of the other Starfighters are in view. Each of them is performing acrobatics just as well, if not better, than they were on the earth. No words are needed. This is extraordinary.
After a few minutes of this, the view turns again to earth. North America becomes larger and larger until it all fades out in a firey blur. Then the screen fades to black, the announcer calmly reassuring the crowd that everything is OK. "The signal is lost for a few minutes upon re-entry. Don't worry. Everything's fine."
When the ships first come into view, the crowd cheers and the leaps to their feet. As they approach the viewing area, everyone begins applauding. The politicians and dignitaries exchange meaningful glances and nod, as if to say "That's our tax dollars at work! That's money well spent!" The ships land right in front of the viewing area, with their enormous exhaust cones on the ground and their noses over seven stories straight up in the air. The pilots dismount using their built-in "emergency ladders" since they are not in their specially-designed hangar. They stand shoulder to shoulder, march up to a platform, and salute to a standing ovation.
On the platform is a table with five chairs and five microphones for the pilots' use. They sit down and introduce themselves to the crowd. Then the announcer appears in the crowd with a wireless microphone.
A bearded man takes the microphone. "John Carver, Associated Press. I noticed each of you was from a different branch of the Armed Forces, and some were even from other countires or other planets. So who started this project, and who's funding it?"
"Mr. Carver, I believe I can answer that," Joshua speaks up. "Since I've been in this program from the beginning. It was originally a top secret endeavour by the United States Air Force. The Starfighter was designed by Americans, and the original team was made up entirely of United States Air Force test pilots. However, after first contact with the Vaxxons, we broke off from the Air Force and became an independent and international, . . . well, interplanetary organization. Of course, the original facilities were created here at Nellis, so we are still based here for now."
"And funding . . . ?"
"Oh, right. We get some private funding, but most of it is from the governments of the allied countries. But no single country supports us."
A brunette in a two-piece business suit gets the microphone next. "Joanna Whitmire, local channel 6 news. Mr. Carpenter, about this 'break from the Air Force'. Why exactly did it happen? Was there tension? Was it because you violated every order in the book to make this first contact possible?"
"The exact events leading up to the break are not going to be discussed at this press conference. However, I will say that we felt Star Force should not be limited to one branch of the armed forces, or even to one country. We felt the protection of the planet was a global concern."
"Well, what about the alien?" she persists. "Where does he fit in?"
"Mrs. Whitmire,... " Dygo begins. Cameras start flashing and videotaping him as he speaks. "Mrs. Whitmire, this team is not just about defending the planet against enemies that can destroy us with physical weapons. It's against enemies such as prejudice and hatred, battling them with a sense of universal unity. This is the first truly intergalactic group that has ever been formed, and the ramifications of this are quite far reaching."
The microphone gets passed to a blond lady in her 20's. "Hi. I'm Marie Stokes. I'm not from any news group, I just live in the area. I was wondering what you do exactly. Do you just put on shows like this, or do you fight other countries or aliens or what?"
Richard speaks up this time, "Well, Marie. We do plan to do air shows four times a year. But we are primarily a military operation. We have not had any 'real' combat situations yet, but we will be ready if the need arises. We would fight alongside the armies of the world and will fight battles in space if the need arises."
"Thank you."
The crowd continues with questions for around half an hour. Then the announcer tries to bring the press conference to a close. The pilots salute again, march off stage, and climb back aboard their ships. The day ends with the ships blasting off in a cloud of smoke and flames, accompanied by the cheers of the crowd.
The next day, the news spreads all over the entire world. Everything from the New York Times to Iraq's national newspaper carries stories and pictures from the demonstration. CNN and all of the local news stations cover the test flight, with recorded video footage playing over and over again. Even the tabloids get in on the action, everything from "Military Unveils American-Made U.F.O.s" to"Vaxxons Enlist Earth in an Interstellar War!"
Early that morning, while Joshua is preparing for their next (non-publicized) test flight, the phone rings. "Hello? ... Mrs. President! ... I'm sorry, Shannon. With all of the prestiege of your office, I didn't know if that was too informal. ... Yes. Thank you. I'm glad you could make it, too. I just wish I would've had a chance to speak with you afterwards, but neither of our jobs permitted that yesterday. ... Yes, let's do that sometime! ... Sure you can! We have a two-seat version we could take you up in sometime. ... I promise you it's a lot different from the space shuttle you used to fly! ... OK, I understand. Thank you for calling. ... You, too. Goodbye!"
Dygo, Josh's roommate at the base, looks over with both concern and surprise. "Did I hear you right? The President?"
"Yeah. She and I were friends back home. She was like a big sister to me. She wanted to personally congratulate me and the whole team on a wonderful show yesterday and to tell us she would support us in any way we needed."
"Does she really mean that?"
"You'd better believe it! Shannon is a woman of her word. Now that she's on our side, things will go great!"
Later that day, Star Force is on maneuvers in space. The five ships dodge in and out, circling around each other and around an unfinished space station. Suddenly a ship appears from behind one of the pylons of the station.
Tasha yells, "I'm on it!" and starts barreling toward it at an incredible speed. It turns around and starts heading off in the opposite direction. "I have you this time!"
Joshua and Dygo catch up and flank her position. Tasha fires a Starfire missile at the rocket. It hits the ship and it explodes.
"Well done, Tasha."
"Yeah, thanks, Josh. Too bad it wasn't real. I don't think of blasting remote-controlled drones to bits as exciting."
"Well, this is just target practice. I'm sure you did something similar in the Marines."
"Yeah, but that was in preparation for a real battle. This is just playing. I think the governments of the earth are LAUGHING at us. We're a treehouse club, for Pete's sake! We get together to have a good time and blast imaginary enemiese to bits. We play pretend, knowing in the back of our heads that it's not real and it'll never be real!"
"You'll get your chance, Tash. We're a new group. It'll take time."
"Is that all we're gonna do today? Shoot fake 'bad guys'?"
"No, Tasha. The Vaxxons have decided to share their technology with us, and a Vaxxon ship will be bringing over a Hyperdrive unit this afternoon."
"And we're the 'Goodwill Ambassadors', so we get to be the welcoming committee! Oh, how nice!"
The Starfighters continue their maneuvers for a while and break for lunch at the station. Even though the facility is not completed, there is already a functioning docking hangar as well as a small 'snack bar' of sorts where the crew rests between training missions. They enter the snack bar, dodging the cables hanging from the ceiling and the buckets of paint sitting on the floor. Sean quips, "At least the artificial gravity works!"
They enjoy a sandwich lunch--all that the snack area and its one refrigerator unit can supply for now. Richard comments, "I'll be so glad when this place is finished!"
"Well, knowing how slow one government can be, I can't imagine how long it will take with several involved!!"
Josh is interrupted by a call on his wrist-band radio. "Joshua, the Vaxxon ship will be arriving in fifteen minutes. You and the team need to be on hand ready to greet them. We're counting on you!"
Josh sighs, "Yes, sir."
The team members hastily finish their meals and climb aboard their respective ships. They launch out into space, leaving the poor excuse for a landing facility behind. "According to our calculations, they should be entering our space in this vicinity. Let's back off and give them room."
"I wonder why they haven't radioed us to let us know they are coming?" Dygo asks. "It's standard procedure on my planet. That's strange."
Suddenly the 400-foot long Vaxxon ship emerges, with scorch marks and holes ripped in its side. It slowly creeps over toward the Starfighters. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Josh, " Tasha starts. "I've never actually seen one of these before, but I don't think it's supposed to look like that!"
"I've tried hailing them, but there's no response. I don't know what could've ... "
Suddenly the ship explodes, the debris scattering everywhere--some toward the Starfighters. Tasha screams, Dygo swears, and everyone else just stares in horror. Behind the explosion a huge ship emerges, over a fourth of a mile long and half as wide as it is long.
"Oh my Lord!"
"XURIANS!!"
"What's that, Dygo?"
"Our sworn enemies, the Xurians. Remember when I told you about them a while back?"
"Yes, but you said their chances of finding earth were slim!"
"Apparently they followed our ship here. We've got to do something!!"
"Looks like you got your wish, Tasha! Let's do it!"
The Starfighters move in to attack the enormous carrier. Lasers fire at them but the Star Force team dodges them. Tasha pipes up, "Is that all they have?"
Suddenly, as if to answer Tasha's question, almost four dozen small fighters come out after them. After some profuse swearing, the team starts to engage them. Richard speaks up. "OK, that's 9 apiece. I'm game!" The more maneuverable Starfighters out run and out gun the Xurians, but the sheer number of them is overwhelming. The Starfighters only take on minimal damage every hit, but they won't last for long.
"Dygo!"
"Yes, Josh?"
"Is there anything you can tell us about their ships? Anything you've learned about them that might help us some?"
"Well, as far as I know, these can't handle planetary flight."
"OK, team. Do you hear that? Try to draw as many as you can with you. Let's head for Earth!"
The Starfighters dive into the atmosphere, their heat shields protecting the ships. The Xurians follow and one by one are destroyed by the intense heat. But before they can celebrate, Josh's ship is rocked by laser blasts. "What the heck was that?" He looks on his radar screen to find six ships still remaining. "Oh, shoot. Dygo! Do you know anything about these ships?"
"A new development, I guess. They were still prototypes last time I heard anything."
Joshua pauses. "Well, I only have one question? Who wants TWO?"
The Starfighters break off and head back into space, each taking a Xurian fighter with it. "Josh, I've got two on me!!"
"Hang on, Tash! I'm coming! Just let me shake this guy!" Josh's Starfighter twists and turns on a dime, but the Xurian stays with him. "Man, this guy's incredible!" Josh, still unable to shake him, comes up with another plan.
"Tasha, listen close. Remember the air show we did yesterday? Remember that maneuver we did? You called it 'Playing Chicken'?"
"Yeah, but what good ... "
"Trust me. When we pull apart, blast the one behind me! And I'll get the ones behind you!"
"OK, if you say so!" Joshua makes a wide turn, the Xurian right on his tail. Then he straightens out and heads directly for Tasha, increasing the throttle as he approaches.
"Tasha, are you ready? On my mark. ... Almost ... NOW!!" The ships swerve apart right at the last second. Joshua fires two Starfire missiles at the Xurians following Tasha, but only one makes a direct hit and destroys the craft. The other ship is damaged but still turns to chase Joshua. Tasha's missile makes a direct hit, and she pulls back to avoid the explosion.
"Great shot, soldier! Now could you help the others? I'll take care of this one!"
"OK. And Josh, ... Thanks."
The other Starfighters are doing OK, but Tasha's assistance is still quite welcomed. Joshua takes his "companion" in for a closer look at the carrier. "OK, I know the blast did something. Let's hope that whatever it did messed up the cornering on that baby!" His Starfighter skims the surface of the carrier, the Xurian close behind. He dodges the Xurian's laser fire and flies toward the back of the ship. "OK, let's see what taking out this platform will do!" Joshua blasts the platform on the back of the carrier but only does some minor structural damage. So he backs off, letting the Xurian get in even closer. Suddenly he cuts between the platform and the side of the ship and loops back around toward the front of the ship. The Xurian fighter clips the platform, causing damage to the fighter and destroying that part of the platform. But the injured Xurian ship flies on, still chasing Joshua. Josh turns and fires another missile at the Xurian, destroying it, but not before the Xurian's lasers make a direct hit on the Starfighter.
"Guys, I'm hit, but I'm OK." He turns his ship toward the space station. "I'm going to have to sit the rest of this out, though." As he nears the station, the Xurian Carrier fires its lasers -- not at Joshua, but at the station itself, destroying it. Joshua's ship is far enough away to not be damaged by the explosion, but now he has nowhere to make repairs. "Now that was dirty! ... Richard, are you busy?"
"Nah. Just fightin' a few Xurians here and there."
"No seriously. You got one on your tail, or are you free for a second?"
"Yeah, just took one out. Why?"
"There's still one drone floating nearby. You think you could patch in to it's controls somehow?"
"Sure thing. Where's the target? As if I can't guess?"
"Head for the hangar on the underside of the Carrier. I'll try to draw its fire!"
"Sure thing, Boss!"
The drone comes to life and starts heading straight for the Carrier. Meanwhile Josh heads directly on the path of the carrier's lasers. They fire a few shots, but the Starfighter is still maneuverable enough to dodge these. He flies directly toward the windows of what appears to be the Bridge and fires a few shots at them. Then he sweeps off as best as he can. "Richard, how's it coming?"
"Not bad. I'm almost there! Steady ... Steady ..." The robot ship crashes directly into the hangar doors of the carrier, creating a violent explosion that rocks the entire ship. "Good enough for you?"
"Not bad!" The carrier now has a rather large hole in the underside, but it is still functioning well considering the damage it has taken. All of the fighters have now been destroyed, and the Starfighters regroup to attack the carrier. "Guys, Richard blew a good-sized hole in the ship. Let's concentrate on that. It's the hangar area, so I'm guessing there may be fuel tanks for the fighters in there. Give it all you've got!!"
The Starfighters fire every missile and bomb they have at the hole in the bottom of the carrier. Each one makes a direct hit, but the carrier is still barely phased.
Suddenly, a Vaxxon Ship appears from nowhere and destroys the carrier. This attack catches the team by surprise, and they rush off to avoid the explosion. Unfortunately, Josh's damaged ship can't get away fast enough and catches some of the debris from the explosion.
"Josh, are you OK?"
"I think so, Tash. But primary power is gone. I'm running on secondary right now. I don't think that'll be enough for the heat shield. I'm going to have to stay up here." He hails the Vaxxon ship. "Vaxxon ship, this is Josh Carpenter. Request permission to come aboard. And guys, ... Thanks."
Josh docks his battered Starfighter in the hangar of the Vaxxon carrier and radios for the other Starfighters to return to earth.
A few days later a ceremony is held on the White House lawn. President Clark presents each of the members of Star Force with an award and publicly thanks them for saving the planet. At the team's request, the Vaxxons that came to the rescue are also present and are given an award as well. And though the president, unlike most politicians, does not like to give speeches, she approaches the microphone.
"Members of Congress, members of the press, ladies, and gentlemen. I would like to thank you all for coming out here today for this ceremony. And though the members of Star Force would not want to be put in the spotlight, I thought it only appropriate to honor them publicly in this way. However, there is something else I would like to do for them. Something they would appreciate more than this medal and public recognition. You see, the Star Force team was almost defeated because five people could not handle such a large task alone. Luckily a Vaxxon ship was dispatched to find out what had happened to the first ship. But there won't always be a Vaxxon ship coming to the rescue. And there will be more attacks by the Xurians. We have made a new enemy today. So the Star Force team needs someone else they can count on; someone else that can help when the odds are too great."
"Just like the nations of the world, and even from other worlds, banded together to form this team as we see it now, I have called the nations of the world together once again to work alongside the United States and the Vaxxons to support this team. Plans are already being drawn up, and contractors are being hired to create the world's largest, and only international space-borne fleet. Star Force will no longer be five test pilots fending for themselves, it will be a group of literally hundreds of people from every race and all walks of life banding together for the common good. The five Starfighters will now have a spaceborne carrier in addition to the hangar in Nevada, and contracts have been drawn up for three other carriers carrying a total of over 430 smaller ships to help them. Pilots are being recruited from Armed Forces of the world as well as from the Vaxxons themselves. Together, we can face this new threat! Together, we can handle the Xurians and anything else that may come our way!"
The crowd leaps to its feet and applauds. The president walks over and shakes hands with all of the Star Force members. Every one except Josh, who she hugs. They all walk off stage together, looking forward to what lies ahead for the Star Force team and wondering just what the future may hold.