Speech/Intercom"

"Raido"

"Thoughts:

LOCATION-ZAPPLAND

DATE-JULY-01-2019

TIME-1200

MESS HALL

For all the ass he acted like in the air I was actually kinda liking Bandog. Not only had he put Spare 2 or Count in their place over kill tallys but he managed to get everyone except Champ out of solitary. So I found myself walking with Tabloid to the mess hall. "So is every sortie like that or are there more people sent to solitary?"

"No the numbers for solitary are right but normally we lose a couple of fighters, and we never get our FCS unlocked." He said letting me walk into the mess hall before him.

That drew me up short as I stopped and just stared at him. "You're shitting me right there's no way they never unlocked them till just now, I mean how do they expect to keep this ruse up without any pilots."

"That's the thing they don't really care I mean we are just prisoners after all."

"Yeah and I get that trust me this itchy ass jumpsuit they call a uniform wont let me forget." I said tugging at the collar of my uniform which was a off shade of grey while everyone else's was a ugly green, my guess it was to separate me from the others or they just where to lazy to order more green ones it is Oseas logistics after all."but isn't there you know rules on how to handle and treat your inmates?"

Scoffing as we continued to get into line for food he said "well yeah but McKinsey doesn't care about that so what if he gets us all killed if it gets him another medal."

"Great is the food at least somewhat tolerable?" I asked practically pleading hoping to hear some silver lining in this hell hole.

"It's decent not five star quality but it's good enough to eat and not want to shoot yourself."

"Oh thank god." I said as we finally got our food and went to sit down. The rest of the room was mostly empty which is one thing I liked being Tabloids cellmate it may be the farthest away from the hangers and the briefing room but it's the closest to the mess. As we sat down and started eating I had to admit the food wasn't as bad as I had feared so we sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes till the other Inmate pilots started filing in. It was to my surprise when they came and sat down with me and Tabloid. I was half scared they were going to do the sterotypicl give us some of your food, but they just sat down with a nod or a hey and started eating. Though I noticed Brownie wasn't with them. "Did any of you see Browine on yalls way in?" I asked, deciding they weren't gonna shank me.

"Who?" The one they called High Roller or Spare 7 asked looking up from his food.

"His WSO you idiot who else would he know." Full Band or Spare 4 said with a look of long suffering on his face.

"Oh well last I saw she was by the girls cell block looking pretty steamed about something."

"Ah well that's nice I wonder what's got her all pissed off this time?"

"So I'm curious what's the deal between you and her Trigger. I haven't seen an WSO and a pilot in sync like that before, are you two together or something?" Full Band asked looking like on off those paparazzi journalists asking about a celebrity's life.

Before I could answer his question I heard a voice from behind me. "Yes we are but it may not last very much longer because I think i'm gonna strangle him by the end of month."

Ignoring the chuckling from the others I turned around to see Brownie standing there looking like she was moments from strangling me. "So what did I do this time because I honestly have no clue what it is?"

Her eye twitched as she answered. "Oh ok how about I saw this in a movie once."

"Oh."

"Yeah of all the things you pick something from a movie really."

"As amusing as this is I have to ask what was up with that guy in the yellow MIG he just bee lined straight for you two." Tabloid thankfully piped in with some of the others nodding also wanting to know.

"Well I really dont know I ran into him before Browine was my WSO and he ramed my F-16 and trashed it, fuckin asshole."

"Seems like he really wanted to finish the job." Count said saying the first thing since he sat down.

"Yeah but those were some ballsy moves you were pulling there Trigger you should teach me a few let me get some better odds in the betting." High roller added.

Full Band suddenly stopped eating and looked straight at me and Brownie and asked. "So while i'm thinking of it, what's up with your Tac names, I mean all ours are related to our crimes but from what I've heard yours are from your previous squadrons."

Looking slightly nervous Brownie hesitantly started. "Well I don't know about Triggers but mines cause I got caught with a plate full of brownies in the mess after lights out in flight school."

"That's actually better than I thought it would be, so how about your Trigger?" Count proded.

"Uhh well it's actually classified technically and i'm serious." I said hoping they would drop it.

"So what are they going to do throw you in jail if you tell us?"

That brought me up short. "Ok fair enough so I was flying in a training sortie back when I was based at Cranston, it was simple bomb the shit out of one of the old bunkers and return so we loaded up with nothing but UGBs and headed off."

"Wait no air to air?" Brownie asked, looking confused.

"Nah it was just a training run in the middle of Osea, so we go drop our bombs and head back for base one the way back the instructor and another pilot had to land before our base due to a fuel problem so it's just me and the other pilot." At this point I notice even some of the tables around us are stopping to listen in. "So there we are about an hour from base when bam missile from nowhere takes him and I've got a Hornet circling me."

"What the hell who was it flying for?"

"I'm sure you all are familiar with A World Without Boundaries."

"Yeah from the Belkan war right?" Full band said.

"Bingo that was who he claimed he was with and then went and tried to get me as well so there I was with only my guns in a F-5e against an F-18 so went through every maneuver they taught us in training, but I still couldn't lose him so I started into a split-s got halfway through it when he got a lock and fired." At this point even Count who looked bored through most of the story even looked interested. "So I did the natural thing I panicked and pulled straight up."

"Holy shit that's where you came up with that move."

Nodding at Brownie I continued the story. "That apparently through him off and let me get in behind him and after five or so more minutes I managed to tag him good enough with my guns that he decided to pull out and run, but from what I heard later some guys from a new special ops squadron shot him down before he got away, and once I landed they made sure this was put under wraps and the only way anyone agnolighed that incident is my tacname Trigger since I apparently went through almost all my ammo."

"Damn son that's actually pretty cool."

"What do you actually believe him Full Band?" Count asked going back to his usual look of indifference.

"Yeah I was still in training to be an intel officer at the time but I still heard whispers of that happening just never heard who it was though."

"Anyways since we're free till tomorrow i'm gonna get some extra sleep. The Scrap Queen said something about everyone doing maintenance tomorrow." Brownie said after finishing her food she mostly stole off my tray.

The rest of them agreed with that statement myself included so with a quick hug and kiss I bid Brownie a good night and went to sleep off the last dregs of my headache resolving to find a way to charge my mp3, I was already missing the calm I got from the music as I struggled to go to sleep.