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444th Air Base, Zapland, Usea.
August 5th, 2019.
0700hrs.
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In the following days of the penal unit, change was starting to set in. It all first started when a cargo plane touched down with what Mere assumed to be supplies for their next operation only for it to take off quickly after dropping off food, fuel, and some parts that Queen had ordered a few days prior. Not a single munition was rolled off nor has the base commander given out any orders to the squadron. Mouse was the first to voice his concerns that things seemed weird and they were only validated as the following day larger transports touched down carrying supplies for crates. McKinsey had called a briefing for the whole base and ordered them to start packing everything away and into the transports but didn't elaborate furthe. Before she knew it, all the hangars were stripped of their parts and equipment and stashed into the provided crates. Before long the hangars almost felt bare save for the essential equipment needed to load the planes. Undoubtedly, they'd be loaded last but it didn't sit well with Mere. With the work they've done, they didn't hear a single peep from the base commander about what's happening. Were they being moved deeper into the continent? Were they being broken up and parted out to units in need? Nothing. The only slight hint they got was a very small shipment of new munitions, AGM-88s and long-range anti-ground munitions, gave them an idea of what their next operation was. Even then, it was only enough munitions to fill out maybe four planes. It was only until today when the guards woke them up announcing that there was another briefing they all needed to attend.
As both Spare squadron and the prisoners that made up the ground crew filed into the briefing room while McKinsey eyed them all. The pilots took the front seats with Mere sitting between Trigger and Count while Queen and Mouse were seated behind her. Sitting in the darkroom made her drowsy and she let out a yawn. The nightmares were making her sleep schedule hell and it was starting to take its toll on her. She's been able to keep up with her work and the occasional mid-day nap helped, but the dreams were only getting weirder. Instead of the F-18 drones, it was just swarms of MQ-99s and 101s swarming over the skies. Instead of Trigger, she was now flying with either Lamp or even Derick. Even before with Trigger, it didn't feel like she was flying with him. His movements were slow and sloppy, it was just too weird for her. Rubbing an eye, she was glad that she hadn't developed any dark bags under her eyes yet. The room was fairly quiet and Mere couldn't help but look back seeing how many people were being packed in the relatively small room. Queen had a look of indifference on her face as she sat arms crossed while Mouse seemed nervous.
"Wire, what do you think is up...?" Mouse quietly asked her and she could only shrug in response. Looking back she was about to ask if Queen had any info when the doors in the back swung open. Looking forward, McKinsey strutted up and took his usual position at the front. As the doors finally closed McKinsey began the briefing.
"Attention!" he shouted at the group and Mere just slumped a bit more in her seat. His brow seemed to twitch a bit in annoyance at the lack of a response he got but continued on. "I've received a communication from the General Staff Office," the large screen in front soon booted up and displayed the usual map of the continent. "It seems your ability to carry out missions has gotten the attention of the higher-ups. All of you have been pardoned and your previous status and rank will be reinstated." This elected a bit of a surprise response from the crowd and Mere bumped Trigger with her elbow a bit. She gave him a smirk as he glanced at her and gave a thumbs-up before the two focused back on the screen. "In celebration of this feat, the Osean Air Force Base 444 Squadron is now to be dissolved and you will be sent to units that are in need of reinforcements. Most of you are to join the operation to take back the base on Tyler Island in Southwestern Usea."
The map began to zoom in on the southernmost part of Usea with a dotted route appearing linking the two bases. "The battle is underway and the airport to the South has been reclaimed. However, fighting with the remaining forces in the North is still active." The screen zoomed in on Tyler Island and Mere had mixed feelings only got heavier as this was fairly close to the resting place of the Kestrel II. The map soon pinpointed areas that were under Allied control as well as Erusean control. "Most of you will be stationed at the airport alongside another former penal unit. The battle is not letting up. We expect extensive losses to all involved. Still, the fact that we've gained new ground is a blessing." The map of the island vanished back to the Usean continent.
"My time as CO of the penal unit is over. All command personnel, including myself, are being moved to a base in Far Eastern Usea. However..." The map shrunk in again to the Northern part of the continent. "We will be stopping to refuel in Bulgurdarest. It's in Erusean territory with close ties to Osea. Even if we detour, we will still have to fly through Erusean airspace in the end. That is where we need you ex-cons to come in. I've selected a number of you with mission experience and planes to provide support. We'll be leaving in a few hours as soon as we're finished packing up the remaining supplies. Bandog will be handing out your new orders to the pilots outside and Jesselton will direct the ground crew to their respective transports. That is all. Dismissed."
The door in the back soon opened and Bandog's voice could be heard calling out for the pilots to come to him for their new order. The room soon filled with anxious murmurs of the news. Mere was a bit anxious herself as she tried to think about what orders she had. They had a few Navy pilots so she'd probably be pulled into one of the transports heading for some port when McKinsey's voice called out. "Hey, Trigger, Hotwire! Wait right there!"
Stopping, Mere nervously turned around while Count, Tabloid, and Lamp stopped looking at the two. They only went on ahead as Bandog's voice called for Lamp to get his orders. Glancing at Trigger, the two walked back to the front and stood in front of McKinsey. Mere crossed her arms and leaned back a bit shifting her weight onto one leg while Trigger stood there relaxed and indifferent.
"Yes, sir?" Trigger soon asked him as the room quieted down as the door closed with a clunk, muffling the sounds of Jesselton and Bandog calling people's names out. McKinsey scowled at the two of them as his finger thumped against a file on the podium before letting out a sigh.
"Though I am not entirely happy with the arrangement, Trigger is going to help provide support. In turn, this will also involve you, Hotwire. Since we're going into Erusean territory, there's a good chance that the drones might attack again. If they do, protect my aircraft with your lives." Mere and Trigger's heads nodded as they carefully listened. As much as it stung that Mere wasn't free of McKinsey's rule, she felt some happiness that she could at least fly one more mission with Trigger before they had to part ways. McKinsey's scowl only deepened as he picked up the file he was tapping. "If the General Staff Office hadn't stepped in and requested you, your ass would've been sent to Tyler Island and I can finally let the Navy deal with their own problem children. Even pardoned, you've still got Harling's blood on your hands, and that blood can stain others around you." He soon held up the two manilla folders he had on the podium and handed them over to both Trigger and Mere. Grabbing them, he held onto them as he stared both of the airmen down. "You're still under my command so if you even breathe in a way I don't like, I'll shoot you out of the damn sky!"
"Yes, sir. Of course, sir. We will follow your commands, sir," Mere said with a forced smile as he finally let go of the two envelopes. Spinning around Mere started to walk out with Trigger close on her heels. She could hear McKinsey let out a groan and mutter probably an insult under his breath as she pushed against the door's release. With the door shutting behind her, Mere stopped. Trigger kept walking before he stopped as well and looked back at her.
"Wire?" Mere blinked a few times before she let out a breath she realized she was holding. Sucking in some more air she let out another deep breath, her eyes darting on the floor as the weight of what was happening finally hit her. She was free and her records are now free of her own mistake, but what will she return to? Would she return to the Blacklions? Where are her friends she had on the Kestrel II gone? What will she do once Trigger is gone...? What about all the friends she's made at this base? Lampshade, Tabloid, Count, Queen, even Mouse. They'd all be going in different directions and the feeling of loneliness crept into her mind and she hated it.
Feeling a hand placed on her shoulder she looked up seeing Trigger in front of her. Giving her shoulder another pat, he gave her a reassuring smile. "Come on, we gotta prepare."
"You're... You're right," Mere nodded her head as she began to bottle her feelings up again, "One last rodeo in the old Cat." Wiping her eyes with her sleeve she couldn't help but laugh it off a bit. "Shit, you saw one of my more ugly sides..."
"It's what makes you human," Trigger assured her patting her shoulder before he looked at his folder. "Honestly, I'd be a bit more worried if you didn't show any reaction to this situation at all," he joked a bit as the two continued to walk outside. Once outside, they were greeted seeing that all the pilots were still huddled in a group. The second they heard the door open, all their heads turned to spot Trigger and Mere walking out.
"There they are! What took you two so long?" Weasel was the first to ask them. "Ah never mind that! Have you looked at your orders yet?"
"Haven't yet-"
"Perfect! Come on, get in, get in," Tabloid ushered them into the small group huddle. "Since the squadron is being broken up, Count had the grand idea to open them up all at once to see where we'd be shipped off to."
"Wha- No I didn't-"
"Oh, that's a great idea," Mere perked up at the idea. "One last hoorah for the 444th squadron, huh?"
"Uh... Well... Kinda," Count became more bashful as he rubbed the back of his head. "I just thought it'd be a good thing to know where we'd be heading next if we cross paths again in this war."
"Come on, we don't have all day so let's just open them," Utah huffed a bit impatiently as he tapped his own folder.
"Well... Bets on who's going to Tyler Island...?" Mere asked as the other pilots looked at their folders.
"Really Hotwire? Time and place for these types of bets. These are people's lives we're talking about here," High Roller lightly scolded the WSO who just scoffed in surprise.
"You are literally the last person I want to hear that from," Mere sighed as the other pilots got a light chuckle from the exchange before silence fell on the group. It was perfect for the group to calm the tension that was there and without a cue, everyone in attendance opened their folders. There were a few things that Mere was hoping she would read in her order sheet. She was hopeful that if she was to return to a carrier she'd at least be on the same boat as Lamp and Magnet. But there was this urge to continue to fly with Trigger. She wanted to continue to fly with him, assist him, and she felt safe around him. Yet she knew it was still a far-fetched dream as once she was done escorting McKinsey, she would be transferred to Expo City to reinforce the Buzzard.
"God, damn it, I'm getting sent off to Tyler Island!" Weasel was the first to break the silence and dramatically threw his hands up as he walked out of the circle.
"Do you have to be so loud about it? You're not the only one going," Utah pinched the bridge of his nose while High Roller just laughed as he draped an arm over Weasel's shoulder to pull him back into the group.
"So the three of us are going off to Tyler Island huh? I didn't bet on that happening."
"Hey, if what the former base commander says is true, then you three are stepping into one hell of a firestorm," Magnet added.
"Yeah, yeah... I know," High Roller nodded his head but smirked. "Still, I'm a cat with 9 lives! Already used three while over Roca Roja! I'm sure I'll be fine and keep these two out of trouble." High Roller boasted while pushing a thumb into his chest.
"Wha- Three? Shouldn't it just be 1?" Lamp asked gawking at the man. High Roller just smirked a bit as he puffed his chest out triumphantly.
"Well, ejecting to start off, then my parachute got caught on the rock wall which subsequently led to having myself fall through a tree after I got free, and nearly getting shot by our allies..." High Roller rattled off this untold story dumbfounding the group. "Anyway, not the point, where are the rest of you going? Wanna share with the class, Lamp?"
"Uh... Huh..." Lamp blinked a bit after being flash-banged with that information before flipping up some papers. "I'm going back to Seal Point to help replenish the Vulture's squadrons."
"Same here," Magnet said gently shaking his folder. "Heh, maybe we'll get lucky and be in the same fighter squadron on her," he smirked elbowing Lamp a bit while Count scoffed.
"Oh look at you all being lucky with your assignments. I'm being sent off to Vampire Squadron, the 44th Fighter Squadron, once I'm done with the escort mission. Doesn't say what base I'll be going to though..."
"You're on the escort flight as well?" Tabloid asked as he looked up from his folder and off to his right to look at Count. He had a somewhat worried expression on him but he relaxed hearing that news. "Well... Guess it's my turn. Says after the escort mission I'll be joining with the 13th Fighter Squadron. The Panther Pack. What about you, Trigger?"
"Ah, I'll be assigned to Drake Squadron after this whole ordeal. Says to standby for further orders after the escort is completed though..." Trigger nodded his head before turning to Mere. "You, Wire?"
"Ah, seems I'll be heading to Expo City and linking with the Buzzard's crew," Mere nodded before all eyes turned to Roofer, the last in the circle.
"Escorting a transport to New Arrow then off to Fort Gray, Mage Squadron," he curtly said getting a surprised reaction from Trigger.
"Mage Squadron?" he asked surprised. "That's part of the IUN and my old squadron before I was sent here..."
"Orders are orders. Maybe they're pulled back and under OADF control...?" Roofer shrugged a bit.
"Well, sounds like we're going all over Usea..." Weasel said a glumly while Lamp shook his head.
"You won't be too alone. We still for the most part have relative control of the sea down South so maybe we'll cross paths in the future."
"Now we should get going now. Bear over there is coming over with a wrench and he looks pissed," Magnet suddenly pointed out. Even as far away as he was, and as noisy as it was with all the equipment being loaded up in the transports, his loud booming voice reached their ears.
"What the hell are you waiting for princess?! A fucking invitation?! Get over here and pick an armament so we can finish loading before I beat your ass and lock you in solitary!"
"Ah, you heard the man," Weasel nervously laughed as he was the first to take off. The rest soon followed as each member broke off for their respective hangars. Mere watched as each of them broke off as they walked to their hangar before it was just Count, Tabloid, and Trigger. After speaking with Gramps and a short discussion with Trigger, the two decided to outfit the Cat with a HARM pod and their paired missiles for the mission. Tabloid was gonna be running LAGMs while Count went with a full complement of air-to-air armaments. As the planes were being loaded up outside, Mere had spotted Queen lurking in the hangars seemingly finishing up packing some more tools and materials. Walking in, Mere couldn't help but stop a bit to take in how empty the place now feels. This was her home for the past few months and it's a strange sight seeing the shelves stripped and the floor clean of any spare parts. Approaching Queen, she didn't even look up from the box she had just placed a few items inside.
"So, are you satisfied with where you're going?" she asked without looking up at Mere.
"In a way. Get to go back to my roots," Mere responded before she took a seat on a nearby crate. "Finally can get out of this dump and I can have a second chance at a life without a mark on my record."
"Even with all you've been through, you still want to be here?" Queen suddenly looked at her. "Why?" Mere was surprised by her sudden question. Most sane people who've gone through everything she's gone through would usually want to be done with it. The loss, the pain, and the suffering she has gone through, she could easily just say she wants to go back. But she still has a few reasons to continue fighting. Running a hand over her hair, her hand rested on her own shoulder before she gently gripped the chain of her necklace. Pulling on it gently she gripped onto one of the darts rubbing her thumb against one of the fins.
"Well... For my own selfish reasons," she said while looking up at the sky. "I have someone important to me still out there. They're currently in the dark about what's going on down here and If we don't win then they won't be coming back... And this is also what I signed up for. Call me old fashion but I still have a sense of duty to uphold. I can't exactly back out now after going this deep now can I? At least you can get back to civilian life after this shit show." Mere gave her a smile knowing how much Queen despised how she even got here to begin with. Wrong place at the wrong time, but now she can get back the life that was taken from her.
"Honestly it took a long time for the command staff to remember I'm not even a part of the military. With Gramp's and Wizard's help, I eventually got an offer: I can join the military as a civilian contractor or I can get on a plane back to Osea."
"Well, I'll miss the time we've spent together working our asses off trying to keep these buckets of scrap flying," Mere let out a light laugh when she noticed Queen hadn't reacted much. "Avril, you're... Going back right?"
"'I can't exactly back out now after going this deep now can I?'" she responded while tapping against the half-empty box she was leaning against. "I've already given them my answer so I'm shipping out with the others... It's also a bit weird hearing my name come from your mouth. Thought you would have forgotten it by now."
"I'm not that dumb to not remember your name. I just think Queen was more fitting," Mere shook her head as she got up to stand next to her. "Are you sure about this? This war is far from being over."
"I just can't stand the thought of leaving some of these kids behind to fend for themselves... Honestly, those dumbasses might do more harm than good if I leave them unattended."
"Well if it makes you feel any better, at least you'll be with good company. I gotta start fresh where I'm going."
"I'm more pissed that you aren't coming with us. Do you know how much extra wiring work you've suddenly dumped onto me?" They shared a light laugh when Queen pushed off the crate to look at Mere. "Now then, stay safe... I still got some work to finish up and you have some pre-flight checks that need to be completed," she said before she began to limp out of the hangar. Watching her go, Mere could see her limp was getting better. It was still noticeable, but Queen was moving around much better than she was when she first met her. Tapping her boot against the concrete, she still had her own tasks to complete before they were ready to fly. Stashing her necklace away, she made her way over to the Tomcat to assist with the pre-flight check.
Time seemed to fly as they finished the preflight checks. Moral was coming up with the assistance of Count's little radio. Mere was a bit jealous that he was able to get that thing working and could listen to music rent-free in his cockpit. The closest thing she had was her rather dated MP3 player she had in the cockpit back when she was with the Blacklions and she did miss that little device. It was confiscated and probably packed away with her other belongings and she now wonders where her stuff even is. Sitting in the back of the Tomcat, she was busy with her straps as the skeleton ground crew worked on pulling all the ground power and stowed the ladder. Looking to her right, Mere saw that the other pilots were already in their planes waiting for the go-ahead. Each of their aircraft were weighed down by fuel tanks and armed for air combat. Flicking battery power on, she flipped a switch listening to the APU's hum as it spooled up to assist the batteries. Pressing the internal coms button she pressed her oxygen mask closer to her face.
"Trig, radio check."
"Hear you," he replied as he was prepping the engines for start-up and waited for the ground crew to give him the all-clear signal. Getting a thumbs up, he quickly checked the APU was idling before pressing hard on the brake. Pushing the starter, the spark plugs began to clack as the engine started to spin up. The RPM needle came alive as the engine spooled up. Mere twisted her head side to side looking at the edge of the cockpit for any obstructions listening to the first engine spool up just as Trigger ignited the second engine.
"Cannopy," she called but wasn't expecting to hear Trigger also call it at the same time. Leaning over to the right, she could see Trigger smirking back at her.
"Are you clear of the canopy?" he asked innocently while Mere just shook her head flipping him the bird.
"Clear," she echoed as she toggled the switch closing the cockpit, the roar of the engines muffling as the cockpit rocked forward and sealed itself. Pushing a few more buttons she keyed the radio again. "Sir Count, radio check."
"Receiving," he replied as the engines fell to a low idle. Glancing over at his Eagle, he gave a thumbs up back at them which she prompt returned before she turned to look towards the Mirage.
"Tabloid, on this frequency?"
"Hear you right as rain," Tabloid replied giving them a wave and a thumbs up. Rubbing her left arm, it left off a dull ache when the tower radioed in permitting Count and Tabloid to taxi followed by McKinsey's plane leaving Trigger last. Count went up side by side with Tabloid and the transport was now lining up for their own take off while they were holding short waiting. As Mere sat in the back, she lazily looked back at the base she was being held at. Her thoughts wandered a bit wondering what would become of this place after they've left. Maybe this will return to its prisoner roots and hold more POWs, it could also become home to the next batch of convicts. All she knew was that this was the last time she would want to see this damned place and she will do all she can to prevent herself from ending up in a situation like this. Perhaps even coming here taught her a good lesson to cool her head off.
Before long, Mere watched as the transport lumbered its way down the runway and into the sky. Soon after, the control tower radioed them. "Spare 15, this is the control tower. The runway is clear. Line up and take off when you're ready." Making her final checks in the back she gave Trigger the thumbs up. Pushing the throttle forward, the engines whined up before the thump of the afterburner kicked the back of Mere's seat as they began to roll down the runway. Mere counted the familiar bumps and imperfections in the runway getting to five before the plane rotated sailing into the sky. Looking off to the side Mere watched as the line of transports shrank as they climbed when the control spoke again. "Well, Trigger, Hotwire, this is where we part ways. I hope that you have better luck in your next squadrons."
"Same to you Harvey," Trigger radioed back as he gently rocked the wings of the Tomcat.
"Spare 15, takeoff confirmed. Altitude restrictions lifted. Godspeed to you two."
The hydraulics hummed to life as the undercarriage retracted and they continued to climb soon meeting Count, Tabloid, and the transport plane that was running a race track high in the sky. Moving to the right wing of the transport, Mere looked back down at the base watching as the large lumbering transports took off one by one followed by the small specs of fighter planes. All of which were vectoring in different directions. Turning back around Mere tapped a few of the gauges checking both fuel and their airspeed before relaxing in her seat. Flipping through her display in the back to the GPS, they were heading off to one of many checkpoints they were to follow heading to their designation. Given the speed the transport was keeping, this was going to feel like a long flight.
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Bulgurdarest, Eastern Usea
1030hrs.
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It's been nearly an hour and a half since they've taken off. Other than the occasional check-in on Count and Tabloid, the flight was generally quiet. Mere was counting her lucky stars that McKinsey was keeping his mouth shut for a large portion of the flight. Trigger was his usual quiet self only repeating the new heading to set the auto-pilot to. Mere on the other hand was flipped between the NAV system and the forward-facing camera to view the scenery around them. Of all the things that she'd thought she'd miss from being in the penal unit was the banter that the pilots usually had on their flight over or their flight back. Lamp or Weasel were usually the first ones to bring up a topic for discussion which then roped in either Magnet or Tabloid. Count would give his opinion before Weasel tried to rope in either Roofer, Utah, or Skunk getting a short response that then set either Full Band or High Roller off. Then either Trigger, herself, or Count would pick up the ball to toss it back at someone else before Bandog comes through and steals it away to shut them up. They might be separating now but the bonds they made, Mere will never forget. She hopes she'll at least be able to see them after the war.
"Roper-1, passing checkpoint 6," Bandog announced breaking Mere's train of thought. flicking to the NAV system again, they were in the final, yet most dangerous, stretch of the mission. "Trigger, Count, Tabloid, listen up. The order is simple: Kill anyone trying to kill the commander, even if they're one of us," Bandog's gruff voice ordered and Mere paused thinking if she'd miss Bandog as well. He was an ass at times... Well most of the time, but he did his job well. A good soldier that followed his orders. Even if the order would sour relations.
"Like how you killed Full Band?" Count challenged darkly.
"I told you, it was an accident," Bandog growled back at him. "So shut up."
"Oh, here we go..." Tabloid sighed a bit when silence fell over the coms again. Mere straightened herself in her seat, tightened the straps down, and started to power the radar and the HARM pod. She could at least get into work mode in the moment of quiet when McKinsey's voice suddenly sounded over the radio.
"Gimme that! I'll do the talking!" he snapped at someone in the transport plane and Mere just let out a sigh.
"Fuck..." she mumbled earning a light chuckle from Trigger up front.
"This is Base Commander McKinsey. I want you idiots to understand the gravity of this operation. my orders take priority. That's it." He went quiet as if taking a dramatic pause while Mere just rolled her eyes rubbing the ridge of her nose as she let out a yawn.
"Sure wish our cargo would shut up," Count voiced a thought Mere was having while Tabloid let off a laugh.
"How else will we know if the base commander is alive or not? That's Schroedinger's transport right there."
"I do not know if the cat is alive. Or dead," Trigger suddenly said on the internal comm with a light Belkan accent.
"To solitary you go...!" Mere tried to mimic McKinsey's voice when Trigger responded with a quick, "Shut up...!" earning a laugh out of her. Seeing a blip come up on her radar, she recomposed herself a bit. "Spare-15, I have some targets on our HUD and visual confirmation on some SAM sites.
"I'll bet they're packing a lot of anti-air weaponry," Count said as he looked down at his own radar.
"Well I'm in range, Greyhound times two," Tabloid announced as two smoke trails rocketed away from his Mirage. Expanding her tactical map, Mere glanced it over and started to chew on her lip a bit. Putting it to the smaller display, she got the HARM pod up and did a recount. Keying the radio, she voiced her concerns.
"Bandog, Spare-15, are you sure this is all the SAM sites they have?"
"Hey, it's just a few SAMs, don't freak out. Keep your shit together, Hotwire!" Count somewhat teasingly called out to her while Mere just rolled her eyes.
"Not the point, Count. I'm getting more pings on the HARM pod than what the radar is showing us."
"SAM site confirmed down. Stay alert though," Bandog announced as two smore plumes rose into the sky in the distance. "And you are right. What you see is what our spy satellites have picked up but we suspected the Eruseans might have camouflaged additional sites. You have just confirmed our suspicions. You won't know where they are until you're right over them so you'll have to get creative."
"Creative huh," Trigger mumbled a bit. "Tabloid, I trust you can take care of the ones that are known?"
"Already on it, Trigger. SLAM-ER away!" he cheered as he broke off to attack the other SAM sites. Trigger on the other hand was coming up with a plan. Looking at the smoke trail left behind from the destroyed sites that tried to defend themselves, he came up with an idea.
"Count, we should split up to cover more ground. Just like in Artiglio; troll around for some SAM sites or follow the smoke trails they leave behind. They must be pretty old systems if they're leaving behind this much smoke."
"Since when did you start ordering me around?" Count challenged causing Trigger to clam up a bit. He's always been trying to compete with Trigger since he joined the penal unit and didn't like how he seems to be trying to pull authority away from him. Trigger opened his mouth to respond when Count just let out a light sigh. "But I get it, it's a good plan. Now aren't you lucky you got someone in the back seat doing most of the search work for you."
"Oh lighten up Count. If we got some air threats incoming, I'll be relying on you," Mere chimed back in as she locked in on a SAM site. He went silent for a second but let out a light smirk, the sound of music could almost be heard in the background.
"Righto. Hah, they're painting me already. Oh, and that's a spike. Let's see what they can do," he confidently said as he broke off from the transport plane. Watching him break off, she could see small glints of light falling from his plane as chaff was dispensed. In the distance, Mere could see the missile coming screaming towards his plane pulling for him when it straightened out going for the chaff. She quickly focused back on her task as Trigger was closing in on a radar source the pod picked up when it gave them the shoot command. Pulling the trigger she felt the light thump of a HARM jettisoning from the plane when the booster ignited shooting the missile away and homed in on the radar signature. Getting a bit closer, it soon appeared on their map. A few seconds later, it soon disappeared in a rather pitiful puff of black smoke before streaks of white smoke started to burst into the sky.
"SAM site destroyed. Bandog, what's the picture like?"
"No new air contacts but there are additional SAM sites detected near your location. Keep the commander safe, I don't want to deal with the mess." Bandog barked at them again before the comms went quiet.
"Trigger, got another radar ping off to our left."
"I see it. Bringing her around," he acknowledges and gently brings the Tomcat around before getting in firing range.
"Spare-15, Ma..." Mere began to call out when an uncontrollable yawn cut her off. "Fuck, Magnum away," Mere sighed as the HARM was already off the rail when she finished getting a light chuckle from the other squadmates.
"I know this seems easy for you but c'mon Hotwire," Count commented with a light snort.
"Mission must be a reeeaaal snooze fest for her," Tabloid joined and Mere let out a sigh while rubbing her eyes.
"Honestly a bit bored..." Mere frankly responded as she locked up another SAM sit for Trigger to head towards. "You know, were you expecting our last mission together to be this easy?"
"Aaah, don't go around saying things like that, Hotwire. You know how Murphy is when you say things like this," Tabloid warned Mere. "You've already tempted fate enough times in the past few weeks."
"As cautious as ever, Tabloid. I'm sure things will be just fine since we've got our guard dog watching the skies for drones," Mere responded with a smirk while Trigger shook his head.
"Boring is good, Wire. Boring. Is good," he stated when the RWR started to ping a contact behind them. Her brow scrunched up as there wasn't a similar ping they flew over yet a new SAM site radar ping appeared on her HARM.
"Trigger, roll her over," Mere asked and to her surprise, she saw the plume of a missile launch. Feeling her heart rate increase, she calmed not hearing the RWR going crazy on a launch when Bandog came back over the radio.
"Spare squadron, Roper-1 is exposed to anti-air fire. Are you three doing this on purpose? Hurry up and find those targets!"
"Damn it, Trigger behind us!" Mere groaned as he rolled the plane over fully before pulling the stick back to pull the nose around pointing it at the ground target. Since the radar focused on the transport plane Trigger pushed in closer before the standard missiles could get a lock. Slinging it off the rail, the radar dish disappeared in a fireball destroying it. Without its guidance, the missile that was just fired started to fly in a straight line before self-destructing. This rotation of events continued on for the next few minutes as both Trigger and Mere hunted down the long-range SAMs while Tabloid and Count stuck a bit closer to the transport taking out any SPAA that was rolled out near the target. The Eruseans have hidden them better than they anticipated where one even managed to get a few shots off at the transport before it was quickly destroyed by Tabloid.
"Roper-1 has taken some damage, but it can still fly."
"Damaged?!" McKinsey suddenly scoffed. "Take out the god damned missile and there'd be no damage you morons!" he yelled at the pilots all the while the pilots just sighed.
"That... That wasn't even from a missile- you know what, forget it..." Tabloid groaned a bit as he went after another SPAA that rolled out. "Where do they even hide these things?"
"Just keep flying around and sling a missile at them when they appear. Just roll with the punches Tabs," Mere answered while he let out a groan when a there was a new ping on the RWR. Glancing up at it, she already missed the first signal as it was fading when it pinged again. "Ah, just got pinged with a fighter's radar."
"Confirmed. Bandits are closing in on the area. Determined hostile. Spare-2, move to intercept them. Spare-15, continue taking care of the SAM sites before they can fire at the commander. Be prepared to assist Spare-2 if needed."
"Well, time to show you what a real ace can do. Spare-2, moving to intercept," Count announced.
"You know, the General Staff Office seems to have the impression that you didn't kill Harling, Trigger," McKinsey suddenly said surprising Mere a bit. Pressing her helmet against the cockpit glass she craned a bit to try and see how Trigger was reacting. "The court at our destination has agreed to reopen and go through our case again. Successfully carry out this mission and it'll give a good impression."
"Just keep your head in the game Trig. With new information about those drones we fought, I'm sure they'll overturn it," Mere tried to reassure him and he nodded his head.
"Thank you for the words of encouragement. I know he's probably trying to get me to mess up. My head is still in the game... So are you gonna Magnum that target or not?" he slyly looked up at the mirror as they'd been in range of the SAM site for quite some time. The RWR started to light up as the site soon had a lock on them causing Mere to scramble firing off a HARM.
"My head's in the game too! Just defend now!" she yelled as it swapped over to a launch warning. Flexing her legs, she felt the g-suit inflate squeezing her legs as well as her abdomen as Trigger rolled over and dove away from the SAM site. Hitting the afterburners, they started to speed away from the missile when the RWR stopped screaming and the radar signature disappeared from the HARM's sensors. Pulling up, Mere watched as the missile sailed harmlessly under them in a straight line losing its lock on the fleeing Tomcat.
"Damn it, these are some slippery bastards...!" Count grunted out. "Trigger, Tabloid, you've got incoming!"
"I see them, moving to intercept," Tabloid responded as he pushed forward to intercept the two incoming fighters. Trigger also began to push moving in closer while Mere punched off their near-empty drop tanks. "I got the one on the left. Trigger, can you take the one on the right?"
"Since when did you start ordering me around?" Trigger asked a bit darkly causing Tabloid to choke up a bit and stumble over his words before he let off a laugh. "Kidding, kidding. Latching onto the right bandit."
"Ah jeez, just don't joke like that. It's not good for my health," Tabloid let off a nervous chuckle as he managed to push the plane's wingman off of the lead plane. Trigger soon was in the range of the MiG-29 when it slung a missile McKinsey before it had to go defensive as Trigger threw a missile right back at him. Pushing against the G's, Mere turned her body around tracking the bandit while in the background Roper-1 was maneuvering dumping their own countermeasures avoiding the missile.
"Bandog, get some more support here now! Just tell them I requested it!" McKinsey asked seeming a bit shaken up from the close encounter.
"There's no time," Bandog replied quickly but calmly, "Three aircraft will have to do for now. Spare squadron, finish off the SAM sites and the approaching enemy planes. One direct hit could down the commander's craft." Perhaps you could have asked for support earlier, Mere thought as Trigger pulled around hard getting the nose on target. Craning her head up, the enemy plane was just outside of their missile engagement zone almost teasing them that they were out of position. Mere continued to fight against the g's tracking the bandit when there was a sudden audible pop followed by a pssssshhhhh. The pressure around her thighs and calves began to lighten just before Trigger neutralized the tight turn as the fighter cut back too soon flying right across their nose. His finger twitched on the trigger but he didn't pull it as the sudden noise in the cockpit distracted him.
"What was that?" Trigger asked quickly taking a glance at the mirror back at his WSO before he rolled around and pursued the plane. Mere began to look down, her hands quickly checking the suit's connection to the aircraft finding it still secured she cursed under her breath. Air continued to push through the now ruptured G-suit when she made a split-second decision. Unplugging the suit, the sound went away before she gave Trigger a thumbs up, her eyes trying to smile at him.
"Air came undone a bit, I'm good! Just get back after it, Trigger!" she urged her pilot. She knew that things could turn for the worse if he wasn't flying at his peak. Holding on, she huffed a bit fighting the g-forces before Trigger pulled hard dumping their speed but pulling their nose up for some lead. Mere anticipated the move as the bandit came back into view but she wasn't ready for the lack of assistance the g-suit gave her. Pulling the trigger, the Vulcan rumbled to life spewing 20mm shells at the plane. He began to jink but slightly too late as a few rounds managed to impact the wing and the tail. A chunk of flap and part of the tail seemed to fly off injuring the plane and gave Trigger just enough time to finish it off with another burst.
"Splash on the fighter," Mere called sounding a bit strained.
"My bandits are down as well," Count huffed triumphantly when Tabloid called in last.
"Mine's ejected as well."
"Good, Count, could you watch over the transport now?" Trigger asked. "I still see a few radar signature blips on our HARM pod."
"And get tied down again?" he asked unhappy with the orders. "Tch, fine. But flying as an escort makes me feel like I'm leashed up like some loyal dog. I'll be happy once we're finished with this stupid operation."
"Escorts that go down do so in honorable service," McKinsey reminded him calmly. "Worthy of my praise."
"And think of it this way, we're nearly out of the AO so just hang in a bit longer," Mere chimed in as she and Trigger went back to trolling for SAM emplacements. With no other enemy contacts and with the help of Tabloid, the remaining SAM sites were quickly finished off. Only a few minutes later the transport was closing in on Bulgurdarest border. Even with the overcast day, Mere could make out cities and an airfield off in the distance as well as several allied units appearing on her HUD. What pissed her off a bit though was the fact that they were just sitting there watching the fireworks show. She can understand wanting to stay neutral in a conflict that doesn't involve them, but she couldn't wrap her head around the thought of watching their allies get shot at when they're within spitting distance of them.
"That should be the last SAM site destroyed. Spare-15, return to Roper-1 and assist Spare-2 and Spare-11 in dealing with the additional bandits that have appeared." Bandog ordered and the two complied as they dove into the furball that had formed. A few Erusean fighters had already turned back smoking while Tabloid was doing his best to keep enemies off Count's tail and Roper-1. Trigger leapt straight into the fight assisting where he could while Mere swapped from helping Trigger to keeping an eye out for any threat to Tabloid or Count. Pushing hard, Trigger quickly shot down two more aircraft and Tabloid damaged one other when the rest started to turn tail and run.
"Woooh, thanks for the save, Hotwire," Tabloid called as he formed up on Trigger's wing. "Didn't see that last missile."
"You good Tabloid?" Count asked as he formed up on Trigger's left wing scanning over Tabloid's plane not seeing too much damage. "Yikes! ... I almost forgot about the transport," Count said with an almost mocking concern while Tabloid let out a shaky breath.
"Don't just say something like that when you're observing my plane! I thought something was seriously wrong with it," he complained as the group formed back up near Roper-1.
"Oh, you're fine Tabloid. Barely a scratch. I'm sure the Scrap Queen will kill you for far less damage. Also, how much longer will this flight take?" Count asked quite annoyed how the mission was going. "This mission's cramping my style..."
"You're 15 kilometers away. Just keep your eyes peeled for any more threats," Bandog answered when McKinsey came back over the radio.
"Oh, I see the city now! Once we're over the border, we'll be safe. Can't this plane go any faster?" Taking up their positions around the plane again, Mere started to look at their remaining weapon stores in addition to keeping one eye on the RWR. They were low on HARM's but it seemed like the ground threat was over. Checking fuel they still had plenty in the tank which surprised her as she thought they'd burn through more than that once they entered combat.
"Hey... Are my eyes deceiving me...?" Tabloid soon asked.
"What is... Is that a wall...?" Count added perking Mere's and Trigger's attention. Looking out the pockpit, Mere confirmed Count's observation as there was a long sprawling grey line cutting through the lush greenery below. "They built a wall along the border. They're nuts!"
"They're imposing their independence on everyone. Like it or not," Bandog replied.
"What was that quote again... What borders do you see...?" Mere asked wracking her head.
"'Can you see any borders from here? What has borders given us?'" Tabloid corrected. "Maybe that Pixy guy would at least leave this nation alone. A well defined border to keep those they don't want out."
"Enough chatter. We're arriving shortly at the destination," Bandog cut back in silencing the other pilots. Pushing up her visor, Mere gently rubbed an eye as their work was over. "Trigger, I just want to let you know that it's a breath of fresh air having out here."
Count let off a scoff and Mere could almost hear him roll his eyes. "Oh, you hear that Trigger?"
"Oi, where's my praise then?" Mere growled back at Bandog.
"In our squadron, even the good pilots and WSO were criminals. At least you don't stink like them, Trigger."
"Oh fuck you Bandog. Even after I helped you," Mere sighed and even got a chuckle from Count.
"Looks like not all guard dogs have a good sense of smell," he said. "Trigger's got the worst criminal record out of all of us!"
"Well, that record was wiped clean like the rest of us. Mine smells nice and squeaky clean," Tabloid chirped in.
"And Count, you were convicted of fraud," Bandog suddenly pointed out and Trigger just shook his head even throwing up his hands as he couldn't do anything to stop the two from going at it.
"Save your sermons for someone who cares, preacher," Count snarled back at him.
"You wouldn't understand, Count. not until you take a good look in the mirror."
"Okay now ladies, break it up. I'd rather have you two leave on a good note of friendship and camaraderie-"
"Shut up, Tabloid!" both Count and Bandog shouted at Tabloid silencing the conversation. Mere could have sworn she heard Tabloid mumble something about stepping in and getting bit by two rabid dogs but she didn't press the matter. But it did achieve his desire to drop the conversation. Only a few minutes later did Bandog finally speak up again.
"We've arrived at our destination. Roper-1, report your situation."
"Oh, would you look at that! Support has kept me alive!" McKinsey said almost mockingly. "This is significant for all of our forces. I left my mark by proving the penal unit's abilities as a usable military force and-"
"All aircraft, caution. New radar contact detected!" Bandog suddenly cut McKinsey off getting the attention of all the pilots. sitting up, Mere quickly checked her tactical display trying to find anything new.
"Hey, hey, is it a missile? Plane? What?" Tabloid pressed Bandog.
"It's too slow and doesn't match Helios... Unidentified aircraft is approaching. They're fast. Real fast!"
"What?!" Count exclaimed as Mere pulled her visor back down and started to look around.
"Hey, more info on that, speed, direction, craft numbers! Something!" Trigger asked as he glanced down at the radar seeing nothing new on it.
"002, vectoring right to your ass!" Bandog announced and Mere quickly turned around to see a quick glint of an object barreling towards them. It seemed like only a single craft and it was a small spec in the distance only for the strange aircraft to shoot right past them and the transport. Pulling up, it started to spin as it gained altitude as if it was scanning for something.
"It closed in fast!" Count cried out as he slid out in front of the transport to protect. Tabloid quickly slid to the rear while Trigger pushed to the front off on Count's wing as they observed the craft.
"Small too! That doesn't look like a MQ-99 at all!" Tabloid pointed out as he stared up at the new bogey.
"Unknown considered hostile!" Bandog informed them and a new target marker appeared on their HUD. Quickly flipping a few switches on her left, Mere pressed the large red button jettisoning the remaining HARM missiles to lighten the craft further. Her fingers clenched on her control stick as she pushed air through her tensed lips preparing herself for the coming fight. "Respond to the situation! Protect Roper-1! Spare-15, engage that thing! Take down the bandit!"
"Hit it Trigger!" Mere urged him from the back just as the weird-looking craft nosed back over and dove. The afterburner's thump resonated in the cockpit as Trigger pulled the plane up into a climb going nose-on against the diving craft. Mere grunted feeling the g-forces press hard on her body as Trigger pointed the nose up at the incoming threat. Wiggling the control stick, Mere worked the radar getting a lock just as the enemy craft locked them in return. Pulling the trigger, a missile shot off the rail flinging itself towards the enemy craft just as yellow tracers zipped past the canopy. Working his magic on the stick and pedals, Trigger began to roll the aircraft around trying to dance the large plane away from the nose of the enemy when the missile exploded in a puff of black smoke. A split second later, the enemy aircraft zoomed right by them giving the WSO and pilot a good look at what they were fighting against all the while Bandog continued to give out orders.
"Spare-2, Spare-11, support Roper-1, and escort the craft to safety!"
"Wilco!" Count replied eagerly.
"Negative Bandog, I'm going to support Trigger."
"Spare-11, the base commander takes priority. Comply with your orders!"
"Tabloid, stay with Roper-1! This drone isn't like anything I've seen before!" Trigger encouraged him as he pulled the Tomcat around to pursue the enemy drone. Even as they stayed on its tail, the drone wasn't making it easy for them. Just as they got a solid missile lock, it suddenly threw itself around pushing it within their WEZ. Pulling lead, it suddenly changed direction throwing off his nose. Tightening his grip on the flight stick, Trigger felt this familiarity with this drone the longer her fought with it. Pushing the plane harder he was getting the feeling as if it was Mr. X they were currently flying against them. Getting a solid tone, Trigger pulled the nose up again putting the pipper on the target letting a few 20mm fly at him before he quickly pushed the nose down pulling hard negative g's as he flipped the cat around and launched a missile at it. It began to home getting close to the drone when it started to dump flares. The missile continued to home in before it diverted for a freshly released flare exploding. To their own luck, it was still close enough for the shrapnel to damage the plane. A thin line of black smoke started to trail off of one of its wings.
"Bandit hit, but it's still active!" Bandog announced.
"Trigger, keep that guy away from here!" Count said as he looked over his shoulder watching the dogfight continue.
"What is that thing?! Keep it away from our aircraft!" McKinsey parroted in a panic. "Spare-2, Spare-11, you two stay right here! Don't even think about flying off! I'll have your wings!" he threatened getting a sigh from both Tabloid and Count but nothing was said after.
Mere on the other hand was in for the ride of her life. Trigger kept twisting around the enemy aircraft pulling high-g maneuvers left and right to stay with it. It reminded her of when they fought against that ace back in Yinshi Valley. Up, down, and around they went twisting around each other trying to get a better position. With each maneuver, Mere continued to brace controlling her breathing to keep the blood in her head. The drone began to climb suddenly which Trigger quickly mirrored. Mere craned her neck as she raised her head keeping her eyes on the drone. As the world seemed to tunnel in around her, she flexed her calves fighting against the pressure. Keeping her goals in mind, the bandit broke the lock again forcing her to slew the radar around. Locking it up, the drone began to dive away forcing Trigger to continue the turn. Pulling a bit of a lead, Trigger fired another missile at the bandit. It continued to speed away before it quickly changed direction pushing into the clouds making the missile lose track.
"The bandit evaded a missile. How the hell did it manage that?" Bandog asked.
"I don't know, but Trigger's movements are insane!" Count excitedly said as he watched the dogfight from a distance. His grip on his flight stick tightened as he wanted to jump into the action yet hesitated as he couldn't see a good opening.
"How are you back there, Hotwire?" Tabloid followed up. Mere all the while just let out a grunt as Trigger went into another high-g maneuver. Her hooks became more labored as the g meter barely even dipped below 5 G's with each subsequent maneuver. Gritting her teeth, she continued to press breathing in as Trigger let up slightly before tensing her body with a, "hoo-." Holding it, for a second, the blood gave her brain some of its oxygen before she finished the, "-k" letting it recirculate. Even with her best efforts, without a g-suit, sustained 7-8 g's was taking its toll as the world seemed to darken around her. Her breathing became more labored as she fought against the g-forces but her body was slowly breaking down. Panting a bit, Mere struggled to brace herself as she tried to predict Trigger's own movements. Just when she thought he was going left, he pulled hard to the right. Bracing for a roll, he pitched up aggressively and then rolled over into a hard dive. It almost felt like he was beginning to mimic the drone's movements. Feigning as if he was following the drone's lead to get into a firing position, he quickly rolled the plane back around and pulled the trigger letting the Vulcan roar to life. Yellow tracers arced across the sky managing to score a few hits on the drone's body. More smoke began to trail the craft as the world around Mere continued to tunnel in slowly.
"Trigger scored a hit! Finish him off!" Tabloid cheered.
Trigger had quickly figured out the pattern of the bandit's movements where he could even catch it off guard and get some rounds on target. The damage he inflicted has caused the unknown to slow down to the point he was confident he would shoot it down. Sinking his teeth into the target he began to push harder as he continued to bore a hole into what he believed was a copy of Mr. X. This was his moment, this was the first step he would take to get revenge for what he did. "Trigger...!" Throwing the large aircraft around, he closed in on the target following it through a tight right turn. "Trig... I'm- N-Nngh…!" Dipping the nose for more airspeed, he continued to sustain the high-g turn seeing the perfect moment. "I'm…" Pulling lead, he pulled the trigger. 20mm high-explosive shells wracked across the drone's body before it burst into a ball of fire. "Sorry..."
Easing up on the controls, he pushed the nose down a bit to widen the turn and climbed before banking into a gentle turn getting a visual on the small craft. He stared down the small craft as it plummeted out of the sky burning. Letting out a shaky breath he seemed to scowl at the burning wreckage when it exploded scattering burning bits and pieces of the craft all over the forest below. "Serves you right," Trigger mumbled. It might not have been Mr. X, but this was a step forward and confirmed that he was improving.
"Bandit lost. Confirmed down. Clear skies all around," Bandog announced. "Spare-15... You did well."
"You hear that, Wire? Bandog gave us some praise," he chuckled a bit as he gently banked the craft around to join the Count and Tabloid. Pushing up his visor, he wiped some sweat from around his eyes and was expecting to hear a response but was greeted with silence. "Wire?" Glancing up at the mirror, all he could see was Mere slumped over resting against the seat's harness. "Hotwire!"
"Hey, what's with the yelling? Is she okay?" Count asked as he moved to get closer to the Tomcat as Trigger rejoined the escort. Pulling up on his wing, Count could see that Mere was slumped over in her seat. "Hey, the hell did you do to her!?"
"Nothing, she was responsive all up till now," Trigger argued when Tabloid joined in.
"Easy you two, yelling won't solve anything. If it's g-lock then it shouldn't be too life threatening unless she was that way for long periods of time," Tabloid reasoned calming the two down. "Trigger, do you remember when she was last conscious?"
"Uh... Maybe a minute or two before we shot it down?"
"Then she'll be fine... I think... Not a doctor, don't sue," he quickly added on when Bandog broke the radio chatter again.
"Wait, what now...?" Bandog sighed, a bit of worry creeping into his voice. "Four friendlies approaching."
"Allied fighters?" Tabloid asked.
"Not sure about you, but they better start talking if they don't want to be shot down," Count growled a bit. "And don't you fuck it up either, Bandog."
"Shut up, and let me talk," Bandog growled back at Count. "This is the Air Force Base 444 Squadron. What is your affiliation?"
Tabloid had moved a bit closer to Count's wing forming up on him, their tense nerves relaxing when they heard a cheerful and familiar voice respond. "That a guard dog I hear barking?" Relaxing in his own seat, Trigger couldn't help but smile a bit hearing the voice of Cyclops Squadron's leader. "This is your old friend, Cyclops 1." In the distance, Trigger could make out the outlines of four F15s approaching their position. Rocking the wings of the Tomcat, Trigger tried to rouse the knocked-out Wire, but all it did was flip her head to the other shoulder. Her chest was still rising and falling rhythmically so that put him more at ease.
"Cyclops Squadron! But... What're you doing here?" Bandog asked as the four Eagles linked up with the hodge podge group of escort fighters.
"Well, we were tracking an enemy prototype," Wiseman began to explain when he chuckled a bit. "Then it just went off our radar around some friendly fighters. I wouldn't be surprised if those dumbasses from your side were the ones who downed it. They are here, aren't they?"
"Right here, Major," Trigger responded but a bit distantly as the guilt began to dig into him.
"This is Base Commander McKinsey. Major Wiseman, I apologize on behalf of those assholes. They really screw up!" McKinsey suddenly snapped at them getting a groan from Tabloid. "They didn't listen to my order to stand down. I'm certain that they'll be punished for taking down the unidentified aircraft."
"Please, that unidentified craft showed hostile intent from the get-go," Tabloid groaned as one of the F-15s approached Trigger's wing.
"Trigger didn't do anything but follow your orders," Count growled coming to their defense.
"Hey, what's with your WSO? Is she good?" the pilot, Húxiān as he remembers, asked.
"I... G-locked her. Still hasn't woken up yet," Trigger said a bit glumly.
"Hmm... Commander McKinsey, if you would kindly accompany me back to my base, we'll answer any questions you have there," Wiseman cooly said after observing the situation. The four F-15s soon broke their tight formation forming up around the transport craft and Trigger. Count and Tabloid flew close on his wings while Cyclops took two aircraft per wing.
"Hmm... Actually, I'm grateful. Support was unreliable," McKinsey smugly remarked only for Trigger to roll his eyes.
"Respectfully, sir, I believe they've got promise," Wiseman answered. Checking his fuel levels, he made some quick math determining he'd at least make it to their base without running out. He burned more than he'd like in that dogfight but his eyes still glanced up at his WSO, hoping she'd at least wake up before landing. He wanted to apologize for ignoring his WSO and how he was blinded by revenge.
