The Princess and the Guard (Book 1)

Ten

As soon as he changed out of his uniform, Noah scoured the entire guards' wing in search of Philip. He found him in the main gym, finishing a set at the bench press.

"You haven't sold the ship yet, have you?" Noah asked, jerking a thumb behind him.

Philip sat up, slinging a towel over his shoulder. "No. Why, do you want it?"

"Yes. I'll buy if off you, if you want. Or, you know, your half."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"I think it would be fun to fix up." Noah shrugged. "Mason got really into ships a few years ago and is always going on about how cool they are. My curiosity has been piqued. Besides, I'm almost finished with my pilot's license, so it would be nice to have my own ship."

"Oh." Philip stood up and started to put the weights away. "Have at it. It'll be one less thing I have to worry about transporting."

Noah inwardly pumped a fist. "Great, thanks. I'm going to go tinker around with it for a bit."

"Just don't mess anything up until you know what you're doing."

"I'll try my hardest," Noah replied with mock sincerity. Philip shot him a glare, and Noah took off before Philip changed his mind.

Jogging out to the hangar where the guards were allowed to keep their personal ships, Noah started straight toward Philip's. Or, rather, his and Philip's. It was small, meant for short journeys, but a new ship was out of the question. Ships cost money and registration.

A palace guard, or the royal princess, purchasing a two-man ship would not go unnoticed.

No, this would be perfect. It needed some repairs before it would be airworthy, but if he and Juliette could get it to work, it would be perfect. He wasn't sure if Juliette had a final destination in mind, or if she had in fact thought through a rough idea of a plan.

Pulling at the door, Noah hauled himself into the cockpit and sat down in the captain's chair. He'd only ever flown the newer models, but from what he understood, these older ships were much easier to fly. He really hoped that was the case and he wouldn't have to learn a whole new system.

As he familiarized himself with the inner workings, he propped his tablet up and turned on the local news for a distraction.

"... worried about the increasing number of quakes in the coming winter months."

Noah absentmindedly listened while he thoroughly inspected the control panel. Most of the inner workings he recognized and understood how they worked, but there were a few knobs and handles he wasn't sure about, so he did some Nexus searches.

"Queen Odette had declined to make any comment, but we have it on good authority from a palace source that there is ongoing research into the continued development of the dome."

Noah glanced over, his eyebrows sinking lower on his forehead. He watched on the screen as the camera switched from the woman making her report, to a shot of the sky through the electrified field that separated the entire country of Demetria from the harsh elements.

"You're not going to try and fly this thing, are you?"

Noah turned as Mason hauled himself into the cockpit.

"Eventually. Why?"

"It just needs a lot of work."

Noah stifled a sigh. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. It'll be fun, though. At least, I think so."

Noah licked his lips. "That's the goal. Where would you suggest I start? I've never done a project like this and would like to avoid blowing myself up."

Mason laughed. "I have some basic books I can give you to look over if you want. You got some big trip planned?"

Noah tensed. "No. No, of course not. I just want something to do. I work, eat, and sleep. I need something to look forward to."

"Makes sense, I can respect that. I'll get you those books later tonight."

Noah nodded. He waited until Mason had left before moving through the rest of the ship.

Aside from the cockpit, which was in the worst condition, there were only minor repairs needed in the interior. Besides the small kitchen, there was a single bedroom and washroom, a living area with a built-in TV and sofa, a tiny cargo bay in the rear that would maybe hold two suitcases, and plenty of storage space for enough food to get them at least to another country.

The sink in the washroom needed attention, but when Noah inspected the toilet and shower, they both seemed to be in working order.

The couch in the living room housed extra storage space, and there were cabinets lining almost the entire wall opposite the TV. It would be tight, living like this for a while, but it would work.

Noah thought to see about getting a bigger sofa that he could sleep on, but since it was built into the ship, he decided against it. Oh well. He didn't mind. Maybe he would sleep on the floor in the bedroom.

Although, he realized with a glance around, the floor could use a thorough cleaning.

Noah stifled a grimace. He would talk to Juliette as soon as he could so they could touch base about who would do what. The engine being in working condition was the most important, and if Juliette could install a new computer, then the rest would be easy to take care of.