Simulated Dangers Still Hurt.

Posted on Sat Sep 22nd, 2018 @ 4:35pm by

518 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: The Emerald Road
Location: Hanger Training Section

Luthar stood at the doors to the Hanger Bay where contained within was his squadron of fighters, pilots and assigned techs. His arm was bandaged from a knock it took when he stepped out of the simm, missed the step and banged it on the ladder, to quote the Doctor that treated him, it was a heavy blow but flying was what he was trained to do, when he was in the cockpit of his fighter he felt more at ease. When the doors opened he saw everyone hard at work, preparing for combat that the Commodore had assured them was coming. During his downtime he'd spent long hours thinking about life with Amanda and actually putting thought to paper on marriage venues, colours and guests.

Initially he went unnoticed, he was fine with that as it gave him time to look around, then his eyes fell on his own prize craft. Being fueled, stripped of munitions but while they were in weapons storage they could be fitted quickly.

As with any pilot there runs the chance they get attached to what they fly, the adage of 'look after your gear and your gear will look after you' was pretty cemented in the squadron and the engineering readouts and maintenance reports showed it.

"How you holding up?" One of his techs asked.

"Me? Fine I guess, little tender Doc said Im still good to fly, should have been paying more attention" Luthar indicated with his good hand his injury.

"It's alright, we have even touched up the paint where you scratched it, so its all good."

Luthar's paint scheme was nothing special, black paint on every leading surface so that from head on, it was all black. All the squadrons fighters had this scheme including the Jack of Spades on tail fins, thus earning them the nickname 'Black Jacks'. He was lucky to bring some of them over when they transferred. "Assemble the pilots, we need to be ready to scramble."

"Will do." The tech walked off to carry out the order.

Luthar walked over to the assembled pilots. "Hey." He said softly, then berated himself for the word, hardly a time or situation that 'Hey' seemed suitable. To his surprise though they greeted him warmly, from what he could pick up from the chatter between them they had not heard a word about how he was doing after he was shipped off to Sickbay.

"Good to see you not broken, you had us worried for a while there. We waited to hear something from Sickbay but with everything that is happening ship side."

"Yeah." Luthar answered.

"So what's the word?"

"Soon we will scramble to combat, I know this mission has been dicey at best but its not our jobs to question the orders, just to follow them. So I'll keep this short and simple. No heroics, remember your training and come back safe."

"What we up against?"

"Unknown yet, we will find out no doubt before we launch but when those doors open, I want us wheels up and ready to go before they finish opening."

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