<i>-3 years ago-<br/>
</i><br/>Lane stood in line, her eyes downcast as she waited to be evaluated. There were hundreds of people that have come and gone through the building, but only those with the correct requirements, physically and mentally, would move on to recruitment. She looked to her left, her deep brown eyes settling on those of her brother. Her brother, Oliver, had also prepared himself for this, he had always had his sights set on joining the fleet. He was two years older than her, and born for it, he knew what he was going to be, who he was going to become. It wasn't just an option, it was<i>the</i>option. She didn't exactly the same desire, she didn't have any plan if she was honest. Though, this was the only way that the pair could truly shake the grasp of<i>him</i>. Of their father. He couldn't get to them if they weren't even on the planet. That's why she stood in line at age 16, ready to join the fight.<br/><br/><i>-Present Day-<br/>
</i><br/>Joining the fleet had, in the end, turned out to be exactly what she needed. She was able to shape up and focus on what truly mattered, it kept her mind busy and she liked that. The facade that was drilled into her brain from her 16 years spent at home faded away, and she shaped into her own person. She'd admit, she really liked that person.<br/><br/>A blaring alarm jarred her from her sleep, her body jerking up from her bed. She took no more that a moment to process the reasoning for her rude awakening before she was on her feet, throwing on her uniform. It had been three years since she joined the force, and now she lead her own fleet. At 19, she was the youngest at her station, but she was one kick-ass fighter pilot. The danger that the red tinted alarm warned the crew of wouldn't be her first fight, and it very well could be her last.<br/><br/>She was down at the platform in two minutes flat, jogging between the hangers before she came to her ship. One boy sprinted past her, jogging up to the fighter that rested next to hers. "Shit Lane, how the hell did you beat me again? You're at the back of the damn cabin." He laughed and climbed inside, settling himself down in his seat and strapping himself in. Him and the rest of their crew wore black flight suits to match their dark helmets.<br/><br/>"Because I'm awesome." She winked as she pulled down the canopy, grinning to him as she adjusted her helmet on her head, pushing away her dark brown hair that sat on her shoulders. She had been here before, but the adrenaline rush at the beginning would always remain. She could feel her body shake, but she wasn't scared. She was long past that at this point, she was ready. As the launching mechanism began to click away, pulling the fleet back into position, she cleared her throat. "Alright, don't be stupid out there, yeah?"<br/><br/><i>"Yeah, come one, Luke." </i>There was some laughter from the the other members of the crew.<br/><br/>"<i>Wow, fuck you guys." <br/>
</i><br/>Lane grinned, shaking her hands out as she gripped the throttle. They had all had time to bond over the past few years, and they were long past the formal prep talks that they used to receive in the beginning. It didn't help them loosen up even a little bit. When you spend as much time with the same people as they had, you become more like family. They knew when to be serious of course, they knew when to focus, but sometimes all they really had left was the humor shared between them. There isn't much room for fun when you spend your life fighting an alien fleet, they fit it in where they could.<br/><br/>"Now let's go through a bit of a refresher, okay? Saurians are bad, humans are good. We got that?" Her smile could be heard through her voice.<br/><br/><i>"Yeah, yeah I think that's right." </i>There were a few more hushed agreements, prompting laughter from the rest of them.<br/><br/>The fighters locked into place, and a silence fell over the crew. It was game time, and they all knew it. Lane took a deep breath, giving them a few final words. "I want to see all of you back here after, okay? You know what you're doing out there, stay safe, don't do anything stupid. We've got our orders, let's follow them and get back before the day is done." She looked across the platform, nodding to the other pilots. "Let's roll out."<br/><br/>With that, the catapult launched them from the safety of the battle-cruiser and into the battle. It was now or never, but in the end, it would always be worth dying for.