Fly Away - a fighter pilot story

Chapter 1 - Here Comes The Sun

Soft music is played in the background. The sound of billiard balls hitting each other echoes through the bar. I hear the joyful exclamations of people who are playing darts and have hit the bullseye or beat their competition. I am sitting in the closest bar to base, where I will be at for the next three to four weeks depending on how much I fuck up while being here. I am surrounded by other military personal. Most of them are enlisted.

Sighing, I look down at the bottle of beer between my hands and start to turn it. Why was my father so set on getting me here? It doesn't really make sense to me. The orders stated that I would be an assistant instructor for the SFTI program or to most people known as "TOPGUN". I would be here to teach them dog fighting and defensive techniques against surface to air threats.

I go over the conversation with my father again and again, trying to find information that I might have missed. But I'm none the wiser. In the past twelve hours all my efforts to find out why I am here and what the purpose of it is, were in vain. I even stressed the point, that I haven't even finished the instructor course, but their opinion was, that I am ready for it.

In the end, I had no choice but to comply with the order. After all I am not the person right now, who can ask for things and get them granted. I am currently the black sheep in the U.S. Air Force. A pilot that isn't able to fly. Dead weight to the system.

"What is a beautiful woman like you doing alone in a bar like this?", a man on my left says to me and I cringe inwardly. Really nice pick-up line dude...

I suppress a snark comment when I glance in his direction. He looks like he is a boy right out of high school, but the beer in his hand, tells me he must be at least twenty-one. He is wearing his NWU. Enlisted. Two green rows. Airman apprentice. This clearly must be a joke.

"Can I buy you a drink, gorgeous?" I notice him looking me up and down and at this point I regret not wearing my own uniform. However, if I had done so, there would be a big red arrow hovering over me with US Air Force officer attached to it and I would have gotten more attention than I would have liked. Drinking wouldn't have been an option as well as I am not allowed to consume alcohol while wearing a uniform off-base. Taking care of this guy might not be as bad after all.

"First of all, who says I am alone. Second, I don't want you to buy a drink for me, I am capable of that on my own. Third, leave me alone, I am not interested." Instead of walking away in defeat he leans casually against the counter and grins. That's all I needed. A soldier who doesn't understand no. What have the new ones been taught these days?

"Ah a woman with spirit. I like that.", he grins, and I take my thumb and point finger to put it onto the root of my nose to pinch it slightly together.

I particularly chose this spot to be as far off as possible from everyone else in this establishment. Until now I enjoyed myself in my solitude. I was able to think. But this guy gets on my nerves. Fast and hard.

"I think I have made myself clear.", I say annoyed, as he doesn't leave.

"C'mon don't leave me hanging. If we spend some quality time together, I might show you the aircraft I am working with.", he says with a grin and probably thinks he gets me with that. Some dumbass bimbo would have thought that he is implying that he is a pilot. Whereas I know that he is not.

"That's what you are here for, aren't you? You are looking to someone who will bang you senseless and get you the benefits of the military.", he continues, and I raise my left eyebrow in disgust. He is one of the worst soldiers I have ever encountered. Cocky bastards are nothing new for me, but this guy and his attitude are unsettling. I am about to give him two pieces of my mind, when I hear a deep voice behind me.