Braids shook her head, one of the bows at the end of her braids whipping around her head started to untie itself. "Remember Top Gun? He's Navy."
Pixie narrowed her eyes. "They flew fighter planes. Remember when Goose-" she cupped one hand around her mouth and whispered, "died."
Ponytail nodded. "Yeah. They have planes, but they're on battleships."
Pallas bent his knees to crouch down and look at the girls almost straight in the eye. "You're all right. Sometimes we also have to cooperate to get ourselves around the world to help people."
Pixie shook her head as her brow furrowed. "If you have to help each other, why not just have one big military?"
"I doubt that would work. At least now, I mean." Braids was trying to retie her bow, frowning at it as she spoke. "You know that fight your dad and my dad were having about girls being in the Boy Scouts?"
Pixie nodded her head solemnly. "Yeah?"
"I'm guessing it's like that. Some people like it just the way it is for whatever reason. And some people like to change things and see if that works." She sighed and gave up the ghost, lettingthe ribbon ends go. "I don't really care but I'm betting some people are going to be really unhappy."
Pallas squinted at the three in the oddly lit area of tarmac. "Are you three eighty or eight?"
Pixie looked right at him and gave him the definitive answer. "We're ten!"
"I knew it," he addressed the girls. "And you're all smart. I can tell."
Braids turned her head slightly to the side. "Right. You better not forget it." The three girls nodded before Braids spoke up again. "So, are you going to give us a tour or just stand around down here?"
Pixie looked up at the interior of the Osprey and then turned back to look at him. "One day I'm going to fly something like this."
He grinned. "As a Marine pilot?"
She shrugged. "I'll have to think about it, but I don't mind Pink Camo. What branch of the military has pink camo?"
"Uh... I don't think they do."
Pixie shrugged. "It's okay. I don't mind. I like a lot of colors. I'll be okay."
She reached up and took his hand.
As they walked inside the Osprey with a couple of adults wearing matching T-shirts with a troop number on the front, Pallas smiled. The girls were smart. Really smart. He wondered what it would be like to have a little girl. Would she be as forthright with her speech? Would she walk right up to people and ask questions?
He thought of Kawehi and then his own personality. They were both pretty reserved people as it was, but together, they were... different.
Better.
Maybe if they had a daughter, she'd have the best of both of their characters.
He hoped so.
"Mister?" He looked down near his free hand. Braids was standing there, an impish look on her face. "Think we can get a ride in this thing tonight?"
Pallas shook his head. "Sorry, we don't have a pilot available."
Braids shrugged. "Can we kick the tires?"
Behind her, Pallas thought he saw Braids' mother. She had her teeth clenched together and a nervous look about her.
"I don't think it would be good for the tires."
Pixie tugged on the hand she was holding. "It's okay, who needs tires on a plane?"
"Well, tires are very important on a plane."
