"So this is pilot school. Looks remotely decent considering the situation of our location. Sure is a good thing my dad got me approved before he was killed by those damned Black Dragons."

"Yeah, sorry about that, Radon. I served with your dad for a little while. Before I decided to becom a pilot anyways. Great man."

"Yeah he was."

The doors to the flight school stood only a few doors down from the bases hangar and access to space around the planet. Through those doors was a complex system of tunnels housing soon to be pilots, trainers, commanding officers, offices, and classrooms. Radon and his friend Teren stood looking down the main hall towards the reception desk. After a few moments of gawking, they shouldered their packs and walked forward slowly. There was no one to be seen but the women at the reception desk. All around them was nothing but rock.

As they walked down the hall towards their destination, both of them showed the effects of nervousness in their own characteristic way. Radon's eyes darted around taking in just about everything. Teren's fingers shook continuously and he kept shoving them into his pocket in an attempt to hide the shaking. Despite Teren's tendency to nervousness with his hands, Radon had no doubts of the man's ability as a pilot. That two had been wingmates together ever since starting into pilotry. They were practically inseperable.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. How may I help you?"

Radon looked down, not having realized they had made it to the reception desk already.

"Oh. We're here to enrole in the Top Flight school. I believe you already have recommendations from our academy commanders. I'm Radon Mont Jr. and this is Teren Sobeisky."

"Ah yes. I remember receiving those letters. You come with great recommendations. The only problems we can see is that you are both quite young for the skill you possess. A lot of the older pupils will try to take advantage of that. As such, you two will not be split up into separate dorms and squadrons for school."

"Great, thanks."

"Don't thank me. You need to go down the hall to your right for testing. An instructor will be with you shortly."

"Thanks."

Radon turned and nodded to Teren before they both started to walk down another hallway similarly lined with rock. All walls on Alatar Prime were lined with rock. This was to be expected though. They were underground on a planet that was simply a ball of rock and ore. The hallway ended ubruptly at a set of doors. Looking over at Teren, he gave the man a reassuring nod and they stepped inside. The first thing they saw: pitch black.

And then, as suddenly as the darkness appeared, they were surrounded by blinding white light that was emmitted from a source which they currently could not see. While their eyes readjusted, the ears attempted to detect any sources of sound in the room other than the slight buzz of the lights. To their surprise, there wasn't even the slightest hint of a sound. Not even the sound of the other occupant's breathing. When their eyes finally did adjust to the light, both of them stood staring at a rather good looking female human and three flight simulators.

"Welcome to flight school, gentlemen. This academy is for training the best pilots to become even better. You've obviously been sent here because the instructors at the old naval academy saw something worth our while in you. That being said, I'm Flight Commander Schwinn. I'll be testing you today to see if you're worth entrance into our academy."

She walked over to one of the flight simulators and picked up a helmet which, upon closer inspection, appeared to be shaped liike a dragons head with all the decoration to make it appear as such.

"These are the flight helmets of the Confederacy. As you seem to have noticed, they look like Dragon Head's. Each squadron has its own color for the dragons. Since I'm an instructor here at the academy, mine is white. Yours will also be white. You will also be given flight code names. For instance, mine is Delta. Your code names are on your helmets."

She then proceeded to point each of the pilots towards the correct flight simulator. Radon stepped forward, his green naval suit contrasting with the white of the helmet that sat waiting. Slowly, he set his bags down and picked up the flight helmet. Not only was it painted to look like a Dragon Head, it was practically sculpted like one. On the side, just below the ear was his codename.

"Splinter. I like it. What did you get, Teren?"

"Scythe."

"Not bad."

"Alright. Gentlemen, put on your helmets and climb into the sims. It's time for your test."

"Splinter does this simulation look familiar?"

"It does, Scythe. The ambush incident after the blockade on an enemy world in order to stop the possibility of a terrorist attack on Tholatin. Our forces left without firing a shot and were subsequently ambushed. Not many ships survived."

All around them, fighters were engaged in dogfights with enemy forces and all around them, fighters were getting destroyed. Their two E-Wings blasted into battle, duking it out with enemy forces all around them. A pair of fighters formed up and came at them, and both of them went into maneuvers. Teren broke a little of to the right and Radon went left. The two fighters, fixing for head to eads, split up and came at them. Radon set his sights on the one after Teren, and Teren did the same. They closed, and fired.

"Splash two bogeys, Scythe. Nive work."

"For the moment. I've got a bogey on my tail and I can't shake him, Splinter."

"On my way, Scythe."

Radon broke hard right and then pulled a loop around behind the bogey that was chasing Teren. The fighter immediately broke off and dove down into the mix of battle going on. Radon broke hard to port and shifted downwards into the mix as well. Teren had already broken into the mix to search from another direction. Radon found himself in the fighters wake almost as soon as he broke into the mix.

"I've got her in front of me, Scythe. I believe it's the target bogey."

"I'm coming around on your six. Take the shot if you have it."

"I'm too close for torpedo's, switching to lasers."

Before he could get a target lock, the fighter broke right into the midst of more fighters of the same type. Radon opened fire on the vessels, taking out two in seconds. Which one is she? Come on, come on. Before he could figure it out, he found himself in a predicament.

"Fighter on my six! Working hot!"

"I can't get him Splinter! I've go...."

"Scythe!"

A flash and explosion was all he had to see of his wingman before he came back to reality. The bogey was still on his tail, so he dove into the fighting again, picking up a couple of allied fighters behind his bogey. They took the ship out leaving him to follow the group again. Before he could though, he found his screen going black and himself back in the simulator. Popping the hatch, he climbed out and removed his helmet.

"I painted you in your moment of weakness. You actually did quite well. Significantly better than most everyone else. You have potential, both of you. You're both accepted. Welcome to the Corp."