Stick With Trigger, And You'll Make It

Give Me Tone, Give Me Tone

The morning was welcomed not with a blaring alarm, but a slight breeze coming through my barracks room. I sat up from my bed and shivered as the wind nipped at my bare chest. Wait, since when do I sleep without at least a bra on? I realized that not only was I topless, I was completely naked?! I looked down to my bed, and there laid Faun. He was sound asleep and I could only assume was also naked.
"Jesus," I mumbled. As if on cue, Faun started to stir.
"Trin..." he mumbled before sleep took hold of him again. I giggled a little as I quietly slipped out of bed. I was used to feeling hungover at this point, but that didn't mean I needed to look hungover today. I walked into the bathroom for a shower and found myself staring at the mirror. We must've gone a little farther than just sleeping naked together, since I had little marks basically all over my body. The water washing over me felt great. After my shower I put on my flight uniform and walked out to the hanger that held the F-16's alongside all the F/A-18F's that Golem Squadron flew. Brownie was in there with Boggard and Footpad. The woman was currently conducting push ups while the other two watched.
     "So, you just gonna let the woman do all the work?" I asked with a smirk.
     "We did a push-up challenge against her and she's still going. I got 53, Boggard got 67, and I lost track of where Brownie's at," explained Footpad.
     "73..." said Brownie, counting her own push-ups. "74..." she went back down after that number, but after struggling to get back up, she finally gave in.
     "Not bad Dutch," I said. Brownie stood back up and flipped her ponytail back.
"Kinda odd that this young-buck outdid you two experienced boys," she jokingly jabbed at them. The two male pilots both roll their eyes, before standing up in a huff. They snapped to attention, and so Brownie and I followed suit. We turned around as Knocker walked into the hanger.
"We're gonna do some training flights today. We've gotta stay sharp when we go up against those drones again," said Knocker. I saw Faun walking up to us in his flight gear, and was hoping I wasn't blushing.
"Sounds like fun, what's the exercise?" Asked Boggard.
"Teamwork in a Dogfight," said Knocker. "Two of you will pair up against one of the others to try and take them down."
"Alright, I get a shot at shooting down the boss today!" cheered Footpad.
"Sadly no. I will be handling everything here on the ground and I've already determined the teams and targets," explained Knocker. Clown walked in with a notepad and tossed it over to Knocker.
"I'm actually getting to fly then?" Asked Faun.
"Yes. First team is Boggard and Footpad, your target is Clown," announced Knocker. "Flight preparations have already been made. Clown will sortie first and then Team 1 will sortie five minutes after. Go now." The three pilots all ran to their aircraft and began their pre-flight checks.
"Alright, so I guess it's us three next then?" I asked.
"Right, Team 2 is Brownie and Faun. You're the target Trigger," said Knocker. I nodded as Knocker walked up to the control tower. Faun walked over to me with a smile on his face, seemingly trying to hide it.
    "Alright you two, spill," said Brownie.
    "What are you taking about?" I asked.
    "Faun over there is grinning like a fool, and you seemed pretty happy to see him this morning. I know you two went out for drinks last night, so spill," she reasoned. God damn she's smart.
     "It was just drinks, nothing else," said Faun. Him and I damn well knew that's not all that happened, but we weren't gonna broadcast that all over the base.
      "Yeah ok, then why is Trigger walking funny?" Asked Brownie. I quickly took a few steps around in a circle, making sure I actually wasn't walking funny. Brownie belted out laughing as I basically confirmed her suspicions.
     "I can't believe that worked!" She laughed.
     "Yeah, well that doesn't prove anything Veronica," said Faun.
     "Except for the fact that I saw you two go into Trigger's room, and not come out, so I know there was more than drinks," said Brownie with a smile.
     "Sorry Faun, but I'm not holding back in this exercise now," I made clear.
     "Don't sweat it, just make sure you tag her first," he said with a smile. "But, I'd like to raise the stakes a little bit."
    "And how are we gonna do that?" I asked.
    "If I shoot you down, drinks are on you next time. If Brownie shoots you down, you buy us both drinks," he explained.
     "Ok, but if I shoot both of you down, then Brownie can't give me any shit and you will owe me a dance Faun," I said with a smile.
     "Second flight, prepare for training combat," announced Knocker. "Same take-off pattern. Target gets a five minute head start." I ran over to my fighter and got all my gear on quickly.
     "You're on Trigger," both of the pilots agreed. Within minutes I was taxiing to the runway.
     "This is Mage 2, requesting permission for take-off," I announced.
     "Mage 2, permission granted, operation ceiling is 10,000 feet. Once you reach 5,000 feet the hard deck becomes 500 feet," announced Knocker.
     "Control, permission to nullify hard deck?" I asked. Silence came over my comms for a moment.
     "Granted. No hard deck."
     "Copy. Mage 2, taking off," I announced. I took off down the runway and into the sky, straight towards the string of islands ahead or the base. I disappeared behind them and just flew around for a moment while listening to comms.
    "Alright Team 2, you're clear to taxi. Target is Mage 2. Line up your nose and wait for tone to signify a kill," said Knocker. I swiftly turned my aircraft back around and made a large loop back to the rear of the runway. I looked up the runway and saw Brownie and Faun flying in formation at a steady altitude. I managed my throttle and got directly beneath them so their radars would have a tough time spotting me.
     "Golem 2, do you have anything on your radar?" Asked Faun over comms.
     "Negative. She might've circled back around the base to try and take us out quickly," said Brownie. I flicked my comms off for a second so they couldn't hear me.
     "Nah, I think I'm gonna play with you guys first," I said with a smirk. I strapped my oxygen mask to my face and turned my comms back on. I punched the throttle and tore the stick upwards to point my nose straight up at the two F/A-18's. I turned sideways to give myself clearance as I soared straight between them. The two pilots broke off in opposite directions as I turned back and away from them.
     "Holy shit!" Exclaimed Faun.
     "Was that fucking Trigger?!" Exclaimed Brownie.
     "Good morning aviators! Let's get this shit started!" I boasted. I turned back around to try and line my nose up with Brownie.
     "Golem 2! Bandit behind you!" Yelled Faun.
     "Roger! Evading!" She responded. Her aircraft rolled out of my sight just before my I could lock on. I took off after Brownie, and looked back as Faun took after my tail.
     "Get her off my tail!" Ordered Brownie. I pulled up on the stick and dropped my throttle, forcing Faun to overshoot. He broke off to the left as I predicted, and it put me right in line with Brownie, I was outside lock on range so I had a gap to close, but now Faun had to catch up.
     "I can't shake her!"
     "C'mon tone, sing for me," I mumbled. Just as I was about to lock on, another fighter flew in front on me and stole the lock on.
     "Dammit! Faun you're dead," I said.
     "Forget it! Keep fighting or you owe us both drinks," said Faun. I kept chasing after Brownie and trying to get a lock. Brownie turned her aircraft towards the archipelago of small islands near the base. I quickly followed Brownie into the island chain,
     "You're not gonna shake me Brownie," I taunted her.
     "I don't need to shake you, I just need to make you break off," said Brownie. She made a very quick left turn, almost belly landing on the island. I quickly took the stick backwards, pulling me up to avoid the island. Brownie curled around the island fast trying to get back on me before I could start aerial maneuvers again.
     "Not today Dutch," I mumbled. I jerked the stick over to the left and back, and cut my throttle. As the engine slowed down I started to fall back over, punching the throttle again I took off back towards Brownie. Both the lock on and lock on warning tones blared as Brownie and I soared past each other.
"Dammit!" Both of us exclaimed. I quickly pulled the stick to level out my aircraft and pointed it back towards the air base. Brownie pulled up to my wing and takes off her oxygen mask.
     "Hell of a chase Trigger," Brownie congratulated. We made our way back towards the runway in formation with Faun, then landed one by one, with me taking up the last touchdown. I opened the canopy to my F-16 as Brownie and Faun came over to me, Knocker and clown close behind.
"So what's the final score commander?" I asked as I took off my helmet. Knocker let out a sigh as he clicked his pen.
"We're still trying to determine that. You both locked on so quickly that it may as well've been the same time," Knocker said.
     "What can be said with no doubt is that you two are some great pilots. Brownie's use of terrain and your agility Trigger, are both excellent," Clown complimented us. It felt good to have our skills recognized without being in a briefing.
     "So, who wins the bet then?" Brownie asked me. Faun set a hand on Brownie's shoulder and an arm over mine. Knocker and Clown simply walked away to report to the base commander, and probably since they felt that an after action review would just be ignored.
     "I'd say the only one who lost outright was me," Faun said.
     "Then how about we treat it like we both won. You can't give us shit Brownie, but I owe you both a round at the bar," I suggested.
     "I think I can live with that," Brownie agreed. Brownie turned and left the hanger, leaving just Faun and I to ourselves.
     "Really wish I would've gotten my shot at you," Faun said. I chuckled a little before leaving a kiss on his cheek that sort of broke his train of thought.
     "You'll get it next time, but I'd worry more about that dance you owe me," I said with a smile. "But, I do think I owe you a drink, don't I?"
     "Tomcat Hanger sound good again?"
     "It's the only bar here,"
     "Just making sure," Faun said. I chuckled a little before heading back towards the barracks.
     "I'll see you tonight Golem 5," I called back to him. Faun shot me his sweet little smile and I couldn't wait for another drink. I still couldn't let this be too much to handle though. The next sortie could come any time now and this war certainly wasn't gonna slow down anytime soon. But I'll take what I can get as long as I can.