Disclaimer.
J.K Rowling went out one day so I took her characters out to play.
We ran around, they laughed with glee,
All this fun and she works for free!
To my reviewers Silver1 and Verity Brown – Thank you for saying HI.
At last Phaelan takes him flying. – really part one of two
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"Severus wake up." Phaelan was nudging her lover. Her eyes were still heavy from the previous night but Severus had charmed his clock to chime in time for them to rise and breakfast.
"mphstltird, gobckslpfrnr." Came the garbled reply as he turned on his stomach.
Phaelan smiled remembering the previous night's experience. Even in her college days of sexual freedom, she had seldom engaged…no wrong word…screwed with such energy and purpose. He was goooood! Really good
"Wake up, lover mine. You promised me." She teased.
Leaning over him, Phaelan began to kiss her way down his back, smoothing the skin ahead of her caress. As she her hand reached his backside, she cupped his buttock and massaged. When her kisses finally met her hand, she lightly bit the fleshy cheek causing Severus to moan. Turning he opened his eyes to regard his lover.
"I can't do it you know. I'm not physically up to it; my body has been sucked dry." He lamented as he looked at her.
"What do you mean?" she asked, "you promised me. You are not getting out of this Severus Snape."
"Phaelan, I may be a wizard, but in most things I'm only a man. Trust me when I say, I will not be rising to the occasion for you." He replied plaintively.
"Fine, never mind. I'll go by myself as usual. Sorry to have assumed you enjoyed experiencing new things with me. I suppose promises made by Slytherin's should be considered tentative."
She made to get out of bed only to have her ankle seized. Pulling her back across his body, Snape trapped her against him with a strong arm around her waist and one leg trapping both of hers.
"Bloody hell, Phaelan!" he began in an irritated tone realizing the confusion.
"Shut up and listen." He warned as he gestured at her with his right index finger. "We were having two separate conversations. I wasn't talking about not going with you today. I have every intention of submitting to your demonstration." He paused to catch a breath, "I was referring to what I had said just before we fell asleep. Do you remember?" He looked at her and waited.
Phaelan thought back to the moment of half sleep haze when he whispered in her ear about waking her to another round of unadulterated sex. She looked at him contritely realizing her misapprehension.
"Oh, sorry, I just jumped to conclusions." She wasn't sure what he would say next.
"One thing you need to know Phaelan, when I make a promise, I keep it. All Slytherin's do, whether it is to guard you with their life or to hunt you down and kill you. Once made, a promise is solemn to us."
"Why then did the headmaster not know you needed the day off?" she asked curious as to how he would explain his lapse.
"Ah, well you see, I promised I would come with you if I had the day off. Since I was not regularly scheduled to be off, Dumbledore would have had to make an exception." He replied.
"That would have meant breaking your promise." She pointed out.
"Not precisely, as I would have demonstrated my agreement to go by asking the Headmaster for leave but as he would have declined the last minute request, it would not have been my decision to forgo the trip. Technically speaking, I was ready willing and available but through extenuating circumstances prevented from fulfilling my promise." He looked at her like a schoolboy who had solved a difficult equation for his teacher.
"You devious bastard." She looked at him askance. "I'll watch you closer from now on and listen to what you say."
Flipping her over to her back, Severus pinned Phaelan at her wrists before kissing her senseless. He watched her as he pulled away. Had it really been less than three months? This Muggle woman had come into his life and his perspective had been skewed ever since; a month of intimacy that ended a lifetime of loneliness. He wouldn't loose it; he couldn't loose it. She was what he wanted, needed; the part of him that had been missing. He smiled and got ready to visit her world.
As she opened her eyes, she beheld a sight few ever saw, Severus Snape smiling a genuine smile.
"I'll draw us a bath and you order breakfast." He ordered has he got off the bed. "Hurry." He added as he pulled her up.
Pausing at the bathroom door he watched her tattoo move as she walked to where her robe was tossed. Yes, definitely the best veto he chose not to invoke.
After breakfast, they had dressed for the sojourn into the Muggle world. Phaelan donned her usual flight suit with looks of disdain from Snape.
"Oh Severus, make sure you wear underwear today." She reminded him.
With a sigh he turned and looked at her. "Phaelan, the day I made that remark, I was teasing or had you not realized."
"Just making sure because you know you'll need to change into a flight suit as well." She advised.
"What? You didn't say anything about needing to change clothes." He snapped.
"It's just what I'm wearing. No big deal." She replied worried at his reaction.
"I suppose there is no problem. I need to cover the mark." He muttered while walking to his lab.
"Why, no one will know what it is?"
"You don't know that Phaelan. He has eyes everywhere." He pulled out a jar and rubbed a salve over the Dark Mark then pulled his wand and muttered an incantation. The mark disappeared.
"What was the salve for if you used a spell?" wondered Phaelan.
"The mark will not be acted upon. The salve is an invisible concealment crème which will hold a charm." He explained as pulled a dark green shirt on over the black t-shirt.
After they both donned jackets against the cold autumn wind, Phaelan and Severus flooed to her flat to drive to the air base.
Walking to her desk she turned on the computer. "I just need to check my e-mail first. Did you fix your photo ID card?"
"Yes, I no longer move in the picture and it looks like your driver's licence.
Snape took the time to look at how the computer was linked by wires to the outlets in the wall.
"How does the- what did you call it? E? mail work." He asked.
"Through the telephone lines here. There are other ways but this was all that was available." She commented as she logged on. "Ah, there we go my request for a special flight route has been approved." She smiled up at him. "Our route will take us over Hogwarts."
He looked at her in confusion, "We'll have time to fly there and back?"
"And then some my dark wizard. I also asked for an onboard camera. We'll see how far your wards reach." She smiled at the look of uncertainty on his face.
"Don't worry, I'll never let you fall Severus." She picked up her bags and keys after logging out. "I'll make sure you have a parachute." She turned before looking at him and giggled silently to herself.
After an uneventful trip to the airbase, Phaelan began the procedures to allow him entry to the flight line. Completing the forms and getting him a badge took twenty minutes.
"Put this on and don't take it off till we leave." She instructed.
Rolling his eyes, he clipped the visitors pass to his shirt. "You recall we have similar procedures at the ministry?" he asked snidely.
She gave him a trite smile in return before turning to lead him deeper into Muggle territory. When they arrived at the flight line sign in, the Marine Sergeant on duty looked up the paperwork Phaelan had sent ahead along with her credit card number for payment.
"Mr. Severus Snape?" the Sergeant looked up at him.
"Professor Snape." He replied in his best snooty tone.
"Yeah. Okay sir. What we have here is your usual waiver of liability, your statement of non disclosure and your medical forms." The non-com carried on his disinterested banter.
"Medical forms?" asked Snape, not liking what he was hearing.
"Yeah, just fill them out and the medic will check you out." He replied and turned away.
"Severus, just fill them out." prompted Phaelan, worried about the look that had come over him.
Looking decidedly annoyed, Snape took a deep breath and began to write.
"Do you need help?" asked Phaelan.
"I can read Phaelan." He snapped.
"I thought maybe the terminology or…." She faded out as he gave her a scathing look.
After he had finished he passed the papers back to the Sergeant.
"What next? Something in blood?" Severus snapped.
"That's the medics' job." Replied the bored non-com before ignoring him again.
"Is he serious?" Snape demanded of Phaelan.
Sharing an embarrassed smile with him, she explained he needed to go to the medical section next and picked up the medical form to lead him there.
"Mr. Severus Snape." Called the medical technician.
"Professor Snape." He replied in a sharper tone.
"Yeah. Okay sir, just take off your shirt and sit on the bench." The young woman instructed.
If looks could kill, Phaelan would have now been a corpse.
"You didn't say anything about this." He hissed.
Phaelan shrugged. "No I didn't. How does it feel to be the outsider, Professor?" she stressed the last word.
She was spared his retort by the return of the technician.
"Let's start with your blood pressure." The medic lifted his right arm and wrapped the cuff around. Putting the stethoscope in her ears she pumped up the pressure in the cuff. As the pressure increased, Snape's eyes got wider.
"135 over 90 not bad; could be better." She muttered as she entered the information on the
forms.
Using another instrument she looked into his ears.
"Say ah." She asked and Snape opened his mouth to have a light shone in.
"Now we just need a sample." She grabbed his arm again and tied rubber tubing around his upper arm before tapping the inside of his elbow.
"Nice veins." She observed as she brought out the venipuncture needle and vials.
Snape paled as he took in the medical equipment and his eyes widened larger than Phaelan had ever seen them.
"Just relax, all over in a moment." The young woman reassured her victim as she swabbed his arm with alcohol.
"Breathe Severus, breathe slow and even. In and out. That's it." Phaelan coached him to take his mind off the needle.
He felt a slight pinch and closed his eyes expecting a sharp stabbing to allow blood to flow.
"All done sir." She swabbed quickly again and applied a cotton ball before bending his elbow to staunch the flow.
"You're finished?" asked Snape incredulously.
"Yup, I'm the best blood sucker they have around here." She smiled in professional pride. "Just one last thing." She held out a plastic cup with a screw on lid. "We just need a urine sample, the head is over there." She pointed to a door behind her.
"I'm to urinate on someone's head?" asked a horrified wizard.
Phaelan shook her head and looked at the girl. "He's not navy. That's our slang for the toilet Severus."
Passing her he leaned over to whisper in Phaelan's ear. "One day you will pay for this madam."
She smiled back at him, "I already did, on my MasterCard."
While they waited on the test results, Phaelan took her reluctant guest to be fitted for a flight suit and helmet. At the quartermasters counter, Severus was subjected to a lecture about the purpose of the suit and helmet as well as the other accoutrements needed to fly in the F14. With Severus carrying an armful of issued equipment, they finally made their way to the change room used by pilots before and after flights. Walking to her assigned locker, Phaelan advised Severus he could get changed into the suit.
"Are there no private facilities?" he inquired.
"Am I going to see something I didn't see more of last night?" countered Phaelan. "The bathrooms are over there if you want." She relented.
"Ah, more heads to piss in." Snape observed with a wry smile.
Phaelan returned the look with a "Ha, Ha." added.
Opening her locker, she pulled out her helmet and gloves placing her bag on the floor. Behind her she heard voices entering the room and she turned to see who they were.
With a stunned look she called out. "Captain Glover, CAG!"
The older officer looked over a smiled in recognition. "Well, look who's here. Gentlemen, our Deathangel has graced us with her presence."
"McKenzie! Woo!" shouted a youthful voice followed by a body rushing forward to pick her up and spin her round.
"Goober, you mad man put me down." Phaelan laughed.
"How's my favourite six." Another voice belonging to Kevin Shue called out before approaching to pull her into a hug.
Severus had just stepped out from the bathrooms in time to see his lady picked up and spun in the arms of a young man with movie star looks. Clearly, the newcomers were well known to Phaelan who greeted them enthusiastically. He approached her quietly, uncomfortable at the outcome of events.
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked still smiling at her old friends.
"Just a stop over on our way home." Answered Shue.
"Yeah, couple of months stateside and then redeployment. 'Sides the baby's are due for some upgrades." Added Goober indicating their planes were to be modified when they returned to the U.S.
Phaelan noticed Severus approach silently from behind.
"Severus, I'd like you to meet some of my old comrades." She smiled at him unsure of the look on his face.
"Captain George Glover I'd like to introduce you to Professor Severus Snape. The professor teaches at the same school I'm currently working for."
"How do you do sir." Greeted CAG extending his hand.
"Captain." Severus replied as he shook the proffered hand.
Phaelan indicated her two old friends. "And this is Aaron Gouberstien and Kevin Shue."
The two men stepped forward and offered their hands also.
"So is our Deathangel behaving herself at your school?" Asked Goober is a teasing voice.
"Deathangel?" asked Snape curious as to how she earned the appellation.
CAG stepped forward to explain. "When our pilots complete their training and get assigned to a flight, they make a number of training flights with their new crewmates. Once we see how they fly, we give our pilots call signs that they carry with them."
He indicated Phaelan. "This young lady came to her first flight and proved herself to be deadly accurate with her targeting. Someone commented that watching her fly in was like watching the Angel of Death swooping in to pick up the next victim to take to the Otherworld. Hence the name, Deathangel."
Severus raised his patented eyebrow in reaction to the CAG's comments "Interesting."
"What do you teach professor?" asked Shue.
Phaelan panicked slightly wondering at what he would say.
"Natural science and chemistry. I also dabble in holistic pharmacy." Snape replied smoothly.
"Interesting, your school must offer some unorthodox studies then." Suggested the CAG.
Phaelan who had let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding replied, "Yeah, we teach exceptional students from an exclusive subculture. The curriculum is eclectic and offers a number of alternative studies."
The three men laughed. "Geez, Phaelan, you sound like one of those Pentagon flunkies who mouth a lot of words and say absolutely nothing." Suggested Shue.
A new voice called out. "Lt Cmdr McKenzie, Mr. Snape."
"Excuse us." Said Phaelan glad for the distraction.
The medical technician from the morning had called them over.
"Mr…"
"Professor, I have earned the title please use it." Severus snapped.
She looked at him surprised at his reaction.
"Professor Snape, we are clearing you to fly today with an exception for your non-military status." She advised.
"What do you mean?" demanded Phaelan.
Looking uncomfortable the young woman took a deep breath. "The urinalysis indicates use of cannabis with in the past week."
"Really, well I'll take it that you used a quick method of analysis with a high degree of error." Phaelan snapped.
"It was a quick test, yes but it's usually correct. Regardless, we will not prevent your flight sir. Have a good one." She quickly escaped further questions.
The CAG had come up behind Phaelan having heard her raise her voice.
"Is there a problem McKenzie." He asked.
She turned and smiled at her old boss. "No sir, just a misunderstanding. No problem at all. We should get going Severus."
"Phaelan," called her old friend Goober, "meet us in the mess later this afternoon."
"We'll try Goob, thanks." She replied pulling Severus out with her.
Snape was harnessed into a parachute and led out to the actual flight line where a plane sat on the tarmac. Phaelan had picked up and signed her flight plan. Looking over her passenger, she checked out the equipment attached to him and passed him an elastic holder to pull his hair back.
"Tie it back; it will be easier with the helmet." She advised.
"Phaelan, what's wrong." Severus asked wondering at her sudden distance.
Stepping closer to him she spoke as quietly as she could in the noisy atmosphere.
"Why didn't you tell me you smoked up?"
"I didn't know I would be subject to such scrutiny, did I." he stated tersely.
"Is this acceptable in your society?" she asked.
"Not just acceptable, prescribed and suggested as a cathartic and relaxant. Also an appetite stimulant and antidepressant." He snapped.
"Prick." She snapped back.
"What?" he looked at her aghast.
"You could have shared." She replied in a hurt voice.
"But your world… you…." He was confused.
"I have not lived in a bubble Severus. Never mind, come on." She led the way to her plane.
The chief in charge of the crew responsible for the plane instructed Snape to climb the ladder up to where another rating was sitting waiting for him.
"Have you had many requests for visitors to fly chief?" Phaelan asked the veteran sailor.
"Quite a few ma'am but most of them were from brats of brass with the purse to spare." He spat to the side. "You know, them old commies came up with this idea first?" he looked at her waiting for a reaction.
Phaelan obliged, "Really, do tell Chief."
"Yeah, they're selling rides in MIG's and they say they'll sell rides to outer space." He advised sagely.
Phaelan decided to change the topic. "My flight plan has logged extra time Chief, have you topped up the tanks accordingly?"
"Yes ma'am, you should be fine for the extra hour or so." He replied.
"The camera is set?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Excellent, thank you Chief. That will be all." She smiled and returned his salute.
She watched as another of the ground crew helped Snape climb into the plane. When he turned around to sit, Phaelan thought he looked a little overwhelmed. She knew the feeling well and felt – for a very fleeting moment – a little pity for the man. Putting her helmet on, she climbed up the ladder to the cockpit to take her place. Before sitting, she knelt on her seat and faced her passenger.
"Thank you sailor, I'll finish up the briefing." She advised the rating explaining the controls to Snape.
"So my dark wizard, are you ready?" she asked.
"Flying a broom is so much simpler." He observed.
Looking at his pale complexion she asked in a concerned tone. "Worried?"
"Am I that obvious?" he glanced at her.
"You'll be fine. Now where did the sailor leave off?"
"Something about HUD?" he looked confused.
"Heads up display." She explained, "When you put the helmet on you will see an image of the flight controls in your visor without looking down at the panel. Did he talk about the aircraft?"
"Not yet."
"Okay. The F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, variable sweep wing, two-place strike fighter manufactured by Grumman Aircraft Corporation. The multiple tasks of navigation, target acquisition, electronic counter measures and weapons employment are divided between the pilot and the radar intercept officer or RIO. Primary missions include precision strike against ground targets, air superiority, and fleet air defence. The plane can be used in both carrier and land based duties." she lectured.
"Translation. "Severus looked at her with raised eyebrows.
She smiled. "This plane can fly faster than the speed of sound which at the altitude we will be at is around 700 miles per hour give or take a few miles. There are two engines one on each wing. The wings themselves change orientation depending on our speed. The seat you are in is usually used by the radar intercept officer. In combat, the person in that seat monitors the scans and radio for enemy. They also handle some of the defensive measures and targeting."
"I'm still clueless. What do I have to do?" he asked worriedly.
"Nothing. I can handle everything for a simple cruise. Oh, yes there is something. See this button?" She pointed to a yellow disk on the arm rest. "That controls the camera. When I tell you, press it."
"Alright, I think I can handle that. What's this for?" he reached to the side of his seat."
"Don't touch that." She quickly spat. "That's your ejection seat control."
"What does it do?" he looked at her warily.
"If we are in danger of crashing, this will cause a small explosive to fire beneath your seat and throw you up and out of the plane. Your seat will then fall away and your parachute will open and float you to the ground."
"I'm sitting on a bomb." He looked at her in wide eyed amazement.
"It's perfectly safe Severus don't worry."
"Where's the petrol tank?" he looked around.
"All around us basically. We're carrying about 17,000 lbs of fuel."
"I don't think I want to know any more of these facts." He told her.
"Alright, put on the helmet and plug in." she instructed. "We're due to take off in ten minutes."
She showed him where to attach his helmet for communications and air, explaining the mask. Giving the wind up signal to start the engines to the ground crew, she turned and plugged her self in and finished strapping in. The canopy came down and muffled the sounds from outside. She looked in the small rear-view mirror and observed Severus lick his lips nervously.
"Can you hear me okay?" she asked.
Severus hearing her voice within the helmet looked up surprised. "Yes, I hear you."
"Good, now I'm going to be speaking a load of jargon for the next little while. I'll be speaking to the control tower for clearance to take off. Don't worry about it just sit back and relax."
She watched him inhale deeply and blow it out several times. She hoped he wouldn't get sick – damn she forgot.
"Severus? Do you see a green folded paper container in front of you?" she watched as he looked around.
"Yes, something else I shouldn't touch?"
"No Severus, if at anytime you feel nauseous, you will use this bag if you need to vomit. Please don't mess up my cockpit." She warned.
"Mess your Cockpit? A little late for that isn't it." he began to laugh.
"Oh shut up Snape." She snapped before she switched to control tower communications.
Sitting in the back seat of a Muggle aircraft sat a very nervous wizard. Shortly after the engines had started with an unearthly noise, the plane had begun to roll forward on the tarmac. Phaelan's advice that she would be speaking jargon was no understatement. He had no idea of what the conversation was about. They moved out to what appeared to be a large open field bisected by a long paved road. Blinking lights paralleled the road at equidistant spaces either side.
"Hang in there Severus; we're just waiting for clearance to take off." Came Phaelan's voice.
"I'm in no position to change my mind Phaelan. Remind me to research any bright Muggle ideas you have for adventure in the future." He replied.
Phaelan smiled and began to sing, "Fly me to the moon, Let me sing among those stars, Let me see what spring is like, On Jupiter and Mars."
"Thank you for your warning. Any time you sing Frank Sinatra I'll make sure to avoid agreeing to your brilliant Muggle ideas. I have no desire to experience space flight."
Phaelan smiled, "How is it a wizard knows so much about Sinatra?"
"When I was old enough to attend Hogwarts, I became aware of what Muggles did for recreation. When I was home, I would escape to the Muggle village with conjured Muggle money. The small cinema showed old pictures. Frank Sinatra was a favourite." He reminisced. "From Here to Eternity, High Society, Guys and Dolls."
"I thought so. Would you like to take in a movie with me?" she asked but the control tower was calling her.
"Here we go." She told him.
He felt the power in the engines increase and the vibrations around him grow. Slowly they began to move forward, with each inch their speed increased. Within seconds they were speeding down the runway faster than Severus had ever travelled. The vibrations and noise increased to a level he thought would vibrate his eardrums out of his head when suddenly the vibrations dropped off dramatically and the sound evened out. The weight of his body was firmly on his back and when he looked out of the windows the ground was canted at an angle to his point of view and several feet below him. The were flying. Up and up they continued until he could no longer see the ground from his position in the plane. Suddenly, the aircraft dropped the wing on his right side and the ground became all too visible. He felt so totally out of control, a feeling unfamiliar and unwelcome.
"We're turning and climbing to our cruising altitude. You should fasten on the mask now if you feel okay." Phaelan instructed.
"Are we at full speed?" he asked.
"Shit no. We can't go supersonic over inhabited areas. People get right pissed when their greenhouses get broken windows caused by a sonic boom. We'll fly out over the North Sea for a bit and then come back in north of Aberdeen." She advised.
The flight became mesmerizing. Severus had never seen a sky more blue. The overcast canopy south of London had been left quickly behind as they ascended. Now, he looked down at a white blanket that blocked sight of the ground below. There were no birds or flying creatures here; just this powerful Muggle machine and his lady.
What fools they were, the wizards who thought themselves more powerful, more gifted than Muggles. How could they believe they would be grovelled to by people who had harnessed their world by intellect and industry? No, wizardkind could learn much from these people who made the world do their bidding by hard work. He was awed and humbled. Never again would he underestimate the power of Muggles in the world.
"You're very quiet." Observed Phaelan. "Feeling all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine. This is just nothing like what I expected." He replied.
Phaelan smiled to herself. "It changes your perspective doesn't it? You don't realize how small the world is until you look down on it. Makes you realize how small we are really."
"Yes, I think I understand what you mean."
"Scotland coming up." She announced.
The clouds were lighter here allowing the ground to be seen from high above.
Phaelan checked her bearings. "I thing we're nearly there. It's just an estimate but I believe we are just to the north of Hogwarts. Watch below as I do a flypast."
The left wing dipped and Severus looked down. He could see the sunlight glinting off water ahead. They approached very quickly. The plane was still at a high altitude but it looked like there was a sprawling structure below as they streaked over the landscape.
"Well?" she asked.
"There appears to be something but we're so high and fast, it's hard to tell" he replied.
"Okay, I'll go a bit lower and pull back my airspeed. Get ready with the camera." She instructed.
They flew considerably lower and as they passed again, Severus was sure of the site.
"Now." Phaelan ordered and he pressed the yellow button.
"One last time." She decided and came about again.
Snape took the pictures once more and was treated to a sudden climb up that left his ears popping. At the top of the climb, she flipped them over upside down before righting the plane.
"Better than a roller coaster." She laughed.
"I have been to Battersea Park thank you." Severus snapped at her.
"Yeah but you've never been to Disney world or Seven Flags." She retorted.
She continued to fly eventually bringing them back to the airbase. They descended down through the clouds which had not cleared all day. Phaelan brought the plane in for a light touchdown, not bouncing once. As she taxied back to the holding area, she popped the canopy to let fresh air into the cockpit. She stopped the plane as the ground crew instructed her and shut down the engines. The sudden silence was deafening.
Phaelan took off her helmet and passed it to the rating who had attached the ladder to the side of the plane and climbed up. Pushing herself up, she turned to look at Snape who had also removed the helmet.
"Well, are you going to tell Hooch about the stick I keep between my legs?" She teased.
"Why do you stay with us Phaelan? How can you possibly think that Hogwarts could replace the power you have here?" he asked.
"It's not about power Severus. Power means nothing if it's used in the wrong way. It's like I told the kids. It's about justice and freedom. This power can be used to set people free or enslave them. I've seen both sides, I've been both sides. Now, I want to; need to make others see what it took me years to realize." She looked at him with conviction in her eyes.
"You are, how do you say it in America, Something else Phaelan." He responded.
She quirked a smile at him. "Come on, I'll buy you a drink." And climbed out of the plane.
A/N
"mphstltird, gobckslpfrnr – Severus translation - "I'm still tired, go back to sleep for an hour."
The F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, variable sweep wing, two-place strike fighter manufactured by Grumman Aircraft Corporation. The multiple tasks of navigation, target acquisition, electronic counter measures and weapons employment are divided between the pilot and the radar intercept officer or RIO. Primary missions include precision strike against ground targets, air superiority, and fleet air defence. –This is a direct quote from http/hills.ccsf.cc.ca.us/dbui01/hw5.html by Lieutenant Commander DINH THIEN BUI, USN