The roar of the waves hit against the carrier Enterprise as she cruises through ocean onto her next engagement. The smell of the ocean permeates the air. The sun starts to show from the horizon as the light hits the carrier giving it life and showing her crew scurrying around preparing for the upcoming battle. Hellcats and SBD dive bombers litter the deck as they are getting prepared. Leaning against the steel structure of the bridge waiting for his plane to be ready is Thomas. One of the few Allied aces in the Pacific, he is the pride of Enterprise.

Thomas sighs as he looks down the horizon. "When will this war end?" He takes a deep breath. " Maybe you are wondering that too, huh Enterprise?" He looks at the ship like he was expecting an answer. "I guess not." He lets out a light chuckle but soon his chuckle turns sour at the new pilots.

The sound of steel can be heard getting kicked and abused as James kicks the metal wall out of frustration. Upset by this Thomas marches over to James. " What the hell do you think are doing to Enterprise?"

He looks up at Thomas. His face looked even madder than what it looked liked. " This stupid hunk a junks elevator got stuck and my plane is still on it!"

" So you take it out on her?" Thomas's voice has anger in it.

" Her?" James scoffs at Thomas. " You actually call this hunk of junk her? It's just piece of metal floating in the ocean."

" That's what you think newbie." Thomas's glare becomes sharp like a knifes edge.

" Who the hell are you calling newbie?" He gets in Thomas's face.

" You, and that's because this is your first time getting ready for combat. You are still green to the whole prospect of war. Her elevator isn't stuck. It's waiting for the planes to move. She's patiently waiting for her crew to prepare everything so she can send us off." The glare becomes sharper.

" Huh?" James get even closer. " The hell you saying? This ship here is just a tool to win the war. That's all it's good for."

Having enough of it Thomas pushes him away with force causing him to fall back on his butt. " You don't know a damn thing about her then. She was built before the war even began. She was here to keep peace and that's what she's trying to do again. She cares for us, protects us, and it's our job to do the same for her. So don't ever abuse the one that is trying to protect you. Because she isn't like any other ship. She is the Grey Ghost, the mighty Enterprise so you better change your attitude or you might not make it through this war."

Saying what he wanted to say Thomas headed back to where he was as James, still on his butt stunned by how Thomas was talking. "Bastard." Thomas mutters before getting back up.

Thomas leans on the steel structure again. " He's an idiot. It just seems like they just sent him out here without him knowing how things work here." Thomas lets out an annoyed sigh. He thinks back to all of the battles he fought in. He fought in almost every battle in the Pacific with Enterprise from 1942-1944 and counting. His body starts to shake as remembers the battles. The curtain of lead in the air trying to cut him down. The screams of flak exploding near his plane. He grabs his arm tightly trying to calm down his nerves.

He remembers the men who lost their lives on Enterprise when the Japaneses dive bombers hit her. He lost so many of his friends in this war. Most of them he met in training. He met his best friend in training, but he ended up losing him, losing Luke. Luke was killed when a Japanese bomb hit Yorktown. It was an awful sight to see. Yorktown was on fire. " Luke, I'm sorry."

Thomas feels a tap on his shoulder. He snaps out of his daze and sees Adam. " Come on Thomas we are leaving." Thomas straighten out and nods. " Right."

Him and the other pilots quickly get in their Hellcats.

" I'll be back Enterprise." He says this as he closes the canopy as he starts the engine. He feels the vibration as the engine warms up.

He feels the cold of the metal as he preps his plane. The planes launch off one by one until its his turn. He put the plane at full throttle as he is launched off the carrier. He feels force as he is pushed back in his seat. He goes off the runway as the plane goes down a bit before he pulls it up, back into the air. Once up he changes the flaps and he retracts the landing gear.

He takes a deep breath. Thomas has fought in many battles. Each time he launches off Enterprise, there is a chance he may not come back. He knows this, but it doesn't matter much to him. There's nobody for him to return too, even with that though he wants to come back to Enterprise. He lost both of his parents when he was young, so he grew up in an orphanage. When he turned 18, he immediately joined the military as a pilot. When he finished his training he was sent to Enterprise.

When he arrived on Enterprise it was the first time in a very long time he felt at home, like he had a connection with Enterprise. He's knows she's just an object, but to him she gave him a chance to experience something new. She gave him a place to come back too. That's why before ever time he goes off the carrier, he tells Enterprise that he'll be back. Because to him Enterprise is his home, and very much care for her.

Thomas leans back in his seat as an hour passes by uneventfully. The only thing that happened is that the sky became brighter as the sun rose. But soon enough the sky becomes utter chaos. Thomas sees something coming up. His instincts kick in as he talks through the radio.

" We got bogeys at 12 o'clock, same altitude!" As they get closer his eyes widen. "They got fighters and dive bombers!" He cusses under his breath. " They know where the Enterprise is! Fighters, our priority is to stop as many dive bombers as we can. Do not let them get to the Enterprise!"

All of the pilots say " Roger that!

The two forces get closer to each other as all hell is about to break lose. From a ground perspective it would seem like the sky is closing as all the planes head towards each other. Thomas grips onto the stick as he prepares for the battle. His breath quickens as his nerves start to show. Sweat drips down his face as the enemy planes get closer, and closer. Soon the first bullets fly.

The planes break formation as shots begin to fly by. Soon dogfights fill the air. Plane after plane are shot and ripped apart, turning into flaming fireballs that plummet to the the sea. Thomas maneuvers his plane as he gets behind a Zero. He sticks with the Zero as it tries to shake him off. Waiting for the perfect shot he fires. His 50. cal's cut right through the wing ripping it off. The Zero starts to fall out sky, spinning uncontrollably.

Thomas pulls up his plane as he focuses on the bombers now. He gets behind a dive bomber. The dive bombers gunner starts firing at him. He maneuvers enough for the bullets to miss the main part of the plane. The bullets just ricochet harmlessly off the wings and side of his cockpit making a distinct sound of fear. He focusing back on the dive bomber, he lines up again before the gunner can start opening fire. The bullets cut through the plane striking the gunner. He continues to fire as the dive bomber catches on fire as it starts to go into a deep dive.

Thomas pulls off and heads for the another dive bomber. Focusing on the dive bomber he fails to realize something. He didn't know that an enemy Zero got on his tail. He finds out the hard way. Bullets go straight through his plane into his cockpit but miraculously missed him, but shrapnel from the bullets explode in the enclosed area as they hit the instruments. Shrapnel flies into his face and body. He feels a sharp pain in leg. Metal shrapnel sticks out of it. He groans in pain but he refuses to let go of the stick. He feels the warm blood leave his body and drip from his face and leg.

His plane starts to fall. He tries to pull it up, but the enemy Zero fires more rounds into it. He starts to panic maneuver but it was pointless. The bullets hit the tail control as the plane goes into a dive. He gets pushed back into his sit by the force.

" Shit!" He tries to pull up, but since the tail control was hit it was in vain. He sees the water come ever so closely as he gains speed. He speaks one finally on the radio. " I'm going down. The remaining pilots protect your home, protect the Enterprise." The end draws closer for him as the water comes closer into view. He quickly speaks again. "Protect the world, god bless all of us!"

The radio goes silent as the plane dives straight into the water. Everything became dark for him. His world became cold and lifeless. Everything for him is ending. Darkness fills his conscious.

" I guess I died huh?" He lets out a sigh. " I hope they protected her, my home, Enterprise. I wish I can go back." Thomas starts to feel everything fade. " Tears start to fall. " I guess I really did love the Enterprise. I really don't want to leave her. She was my home. She took care of me, but I guess I couldn't finish protecting her."

" I never knew what love really was. I never had it, but when I was assigned to Enterprise. I told myself this is my purpose in life. I was always meant to be here, here on the Enterprise. He lets out a sorrowful sigh. " I guess really did love a piece of metal floating in the ocean. I loved the Enterprise."

His body starts to feel lighter, like it was floating. In the darkness there seemed to be nothing.

" Please, give me another chance, another chance to be happy. All my life I wanted it. When I finally found it, I just ended up losing it again. So please give me another chance." He closes his eyes. " I guess no one heard me." Accepting his fate he felt his body become lightly.

Suddenly he felt something in this hopeless situation. He opened his eyes and saw a blue cube in his hand. It was an amazing color.

" What is this?" He brings it closer to him, examining it as it becomes brighter. For some reason, it felt like the cube was comforting him. It felt familiar to him. Like it was something that refused to let him go.

While holding it, he heard something. It sound faint, but it sounded like a voice. He listened closely. Then finally he heard it. " Do you want to live?" His eyes widen. It was a female voice. He could barely make it out, but he is for sure that's what it said.

Without thinking he spoke. " Yes, I want to live." Once he spoke those words the cube became brighter. The blue glow increased as it's beauty did. The darkness begins to fade as the blue covers the dark abyss. Soon the light envelops him.

He feels his body jerk awake as he lies on the ground. He see the blue the sky with little white clouds playing among it. He blinks a few time before sitting up and touching his face.

" I'm alive? He tries to stand up, but he instantly collapses in pain. It felt like someone stabbed him, which he wasn't really wrong. " Oww. What the hell?" He looks down to see a piece of metal sticking out of his thigh. It's not super big, but it still hurts. He just looks at the wound grimacing. " Well at least it doesn't look like it's bleeding." He lets out a sigh as looks around.

" Ok, I'm on a beach, but where?" He looks around and sees a patch of trees with fallen limbs. "First thing first, I need to be able to move somewhat properly." He crawls over to the fallen limbs. He grabs what he thinks is a sturdy branch and he uses it to help prop himself up and keep the weight off his leg.

He starts to slowly walk along the tree line. " I need to find someone. Hopefully it's a friendly someone." It must've been hours since he started limping around. He continue to follow the tree line on the edge of the beach, hoping if he sticks to it he might find a dock or something. Finally after his hours of "walking" he hears music.

" Music?" He slowly limps towards the noise. It progressively gets louder, until finally he spots the source. " Girls? Wait, wait I must be seeing things." He rubs his eyes thinking it will fix what he's seeing. But it didn't, the girls were not the thing that surprised him. It's their hair. Bright red, dark blue, purple, and stunning grey or white. " Where the hell am I? No normal person has that color hair." He lays back on the tree and slowly slides down it, trying his best not to hurt himself.

" Ok, lets think about this. This is definitely not friendly territory but it's also not the enemy territory, at least I don't think it is." He looks over to see the red hair girl dancing and singing on a box. She singing like its her life.

" I am number one yeah!" The girl's lyrics sound highly self absorbed, but it is catchy. He lays there listening, but suddenly the music stops abruptly. Thomas looks up to see why. All the girls seem to be staring at him.

" Uh-oh. Please let them be friendly, please let them be friendly." He keeps saying that, hoping that it would make a difference." A taller girls with what it appear to be white or gray starts to walks towards Thomas. She looks like she's getting ready for a fight.

Thomas sighs. " Hopefully she's not wanting a fight." He slowly props himself up with the stick he got. He slowly walks out of the treeline, stepping out of the shade. Once the light hits him, showing his face the tall girl stops. Her eyes seemed to be widen. It was like she saw a ghost.

She starts to walk again quickening her pace. Finally she makes it to Thomas. Her eyes are still wide as Thomas stares at her in confusion.

" Um hi?" Without speaking she walks even closer to him, almost right in his face. She unhurriedly brings her hand up. " What are you doing?" Thomas asks, but she just ignores him.

She slowly extends her hand. She hesitantly places a finger on Thomas's face. She quickly pulls it back, as if she was surprised. "You're alive." She says as if she's surprised. She places her hand on his face. She feels the warmth of his red cheeks. He wanted to say something, but for some reason he couldn't. Her hand gently touching his cheeks. Any normal person would've stopped her, so why didn't he.

Tears start to fall down her cheeks. That quickly snaps Thomas out of it. It's like a knife being stabbed in his heart. It pains him to see this girl cry. " Wait, why are you crying?" Thomas seems really confused about the current events transpiring. " Did I do something wrong?"

She shakes her head no. " You're alive, you're alive right?"

" I think I am?" He answers the question without thinking. It seems like she's happy that he's alive, but why would she? She just met him. He's pretty sure he would remember a girl looking like her. He's almost hesitant to ask this question, but he needs an answer. " Um, who are you exactly?"

She takes her hand off his face and wipes off her tears. " That's right, you don't know me like this." Thomas tilts his head in puzzlement. " You make it sound like we met before?"

She shows a timid smile as tears still try to fall. " We have." She pause for a moment, trying to recollect herself. " I'm Enterprise."