A couple of hours later, the same formation that had decimated the long-range air defence system of the Erusean-controlled naval base at Snider's Top had returned to their airbase. It was dark by the time that Blaze, Count, Trigger, Keystone and Champ taxied into the main hangar and shut down. Aside from the routine aircraft maintenance crews, there was nobody waiting for them.

Stepping out of the cockpit and onto the ground, Alex wasn't certain if that was a good or a bad thing. He leant against the ladder leading up to the cockpit and rubbed his face with both hands.

'Spare Squadron, you're dismissed for today. Feel free to do whatever.' Alex said to the assembled four people before walking across the runway to the main complex. There were a few groups of convicts in the outside lunch area. One of them was being used as a gambling table, which Wiseman and Huxian were both taking part in. The table across to the left of them hosted Grimm, Webber and Mythic, three of the four 242nd Wing pilots. Alex approached them.

'Where the hell have you been?' Grimm asked as Alex approached them.

'Places that I probably shouldn't have been.' Alex answered, taking a seat on the table when he got close enough. Mythic looked skeptical of Alex's answer to the question.

'What happened to the colonel?' Webber asked next. Alex winced slightly at the question.

'Son of a bitch sent out Count, Keystone, Champ and Trigger on a suicide mission without telling me or any of you guys.' Alex said after a moment. He exhaled heavily out of his nose after finishing the sentence. He wasn't happy about having to do it but the fucker of a base commander deserved it. Even if they are prisoners, Alex had to remind himself. That line had been blurring as of late. Half of the prisoners weren't even bad people, and the ones that were had been cleaning up their acts.

'Oh.' Webber said. Grimm gave him a side glance.

'Speaking of oh, you should check in with Bandog. A few things changed while you were gone.' Grimm added, grinning slightly. Alex saw the grin and immediately suspected something.

'Oh christ.' Alex shook his head and left the table. He was heading for the adjutant office where Bandog usually was whenever he wasn't running AWACS operations. He climbed a few stairwells before going down a hallway and arriving at his office. Alex knocked. Alex waited. There was no reply after five seconds. Alex knocked again. Again, no reply. The door to Colonel McKinsey's office opened and an NCO appeared in the doorway.

'If you're looking for the major, sir, he's in here.' The sergeant opened the door fully for Alex.

'Oh. Thank you sergeant.' Alex thanked the man and entered the room. There were a few enlisted and non-commissioned officers reorganising things. At the back of the room near a big desk was Bandog. He was in the process of cleaning and placing things on the desk. He saw Alex in his peripheral vision and looked up.

'I was just thinking I needed to see you.' Bandog said, taking a seat in the big leather office chair that accompanied the desk. Alex stood in front of him and looked around the office.

'So… Am I being grounded?' Alex asked the big question. Assaulting and injuring an O-6 officer was not something most got away with.

'No. Quite the opposite in fact. Colonel McKinsey has been dismissed from service.' Bandog said. For the first time in a long while, Alex was surprised.

'Ah. Well shit. Command make you the base commander yet?' Alex asked the second big question. While officially speaking an O-5 officer and therefore outranking Bandog who was only an O-4, Bandog was also an Air Force officer and the more likely of the two to be assigned as base commander.

'They did. Still a major though.' Bandog said, chucking. Alex chuckled as well. Sounds about right. 'That leaves this base with a vacant adjudant spot. You're the next in line. What do you say?'

'No.' Alex answered almost instantly. Bandog sputtered for a second in confusion. 'I'm a pilot, not an office worker. Besides, someone like Captain Webber would be better for the job. He understands the operation of a squadron better than I do, and he's been in the Air Force for much longer.'

'Hmm. I'll look into him. I hear that he was an ace pilot during the Circum-Pacific War.'

'That he was. Oh, and uh, should I be expecting any organisational changes because of a change of command?'

'No. The system we have works, and I like it.' Bandog stood up. 'I need to finish up here, so is there anything you need to know?'

'That's all. Thank you sir.' Alex nodded, turned around and left the room.

While Alex was talking to the new base Commander, Trigger arrived in the service bay where he usually was whenever off-mission, went to his personal locker to change out of his flight uniform and into his working uniform. Trigger shut the door on the locker and stood there for a few seconds. He slammed his head against the locker and inhaled sharply.

'Trigger?' Avril called out from the other side of the bay. Trigger brought his head up and turned around.

'Yeah?' He asked, hands splayed.

'Why are you headbutting a locker?' She asked, walking up to the pilot slowly. Trigger held his ground.

'Venting. The mission we got assigned, jesus christ.' Trigger held his hands behind his back, not moving. Avril shook her head and got to within arms reach of the man. She grabbed at the zipper of Trigger's uniform.

'Vent to someone who'll listen.' She pulled Trigger forward and down, forcing his head into the middle of her chest. Trigger let out a muffled grunt when he impacted. He tried backing out, and failed. Avril's grip was strong. She placed her free arm around Trigger's neck and hugged him, standing on the tip of her toes. At 5-foot-11, Trigger was much taller than the 5-foot-3 Scrap Queen.

'You know,' Trigger said, muffled by Avril's breasts and chest cavity. 'This is a lot more comfortable than most people give it credit for.'