The sun was just starting to rise over the infinite blue horizon when Lieutenant Junior Grade Mara Panzinger stepped onto the flight deck of the USS Valor. The early morning light bathed the aircraft carrier in a golden hue, casting long shadows over the flight deck's bustling activity. Dressed in her Navy Working Uniforms—Cammie pants and a neatly tucked green skivvy shirt—Mara took a deep breath, savoring the familiar, salty tang of the sea air. It was a ritual for her, a moment of stillness before the chaos of the day began.
As she walked across the deck, the flight crew members she passed straightened and offered sharp salutes. She acknowledged them with a nod, her expression focused.
"How are ya doing, Lieutenant?" a shooter called out as she approached one of the F/A-18 Super Hornets.
"Good as ever," Mara replied, her tone clipped but not unfriendly. She moved with purpose, eyes scanning the aircraft with the practiced eye of someone who had been in the skies too many times to count. She knew these planes intimately, every bolt and rivet, every potential point of failure that could spell disaster.
After a thorough inspection, she descended below deck, heading for the officer's chow hall. The smell of hot food greeted her as she grabbed a tray and selected something small to start with. She found a seat at an empty table and began eating slowly,. As she ate she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Well hey there Lieutenant." A feminine voice said and a woman in dark blue Navy cover-all's sat beside her. "How is my honey pot doing?"
The Lieutenant looked at the woman and chuckled.
"Remember not to call me that in public." She said "But I'm good." She said.
The lady nods and giggled "Ma'am Yes Ma'am" She joked.
The Lieutenant smiled and continued to eat and glanced to the lady.
"So Alice, how'd you sleep?" She asked.
Alice shrugged "Better than last night Mara." She responded.
Mara gave a nod and kept eating. After they had finished her food, a Flight Operations Officer walked into the Chow Hall.
"COBRA! FOXTROT! GARGOYLE! CAYOTE! Report to Pre-Flight Briefing now!" The Officer yelled.
Almost immediately Mara and Alice rushed out and went to dawn their flight gear. Followed by two other aviators.
They soon found themselves in a dimly lit briefing room, the hum of the ship's systems barely audible beneath the low murmur of tension. Commander Josh Alexander, the ship's Air Group Commander, stood at the front, his face stern under the glow of the tactical display.
"Two unidentified bogeys have been picked up on radar, roughly a few hundred miles northeast of our current position," Commander Alexander began, his voice calm but edged with urgency. "I'm sending the four of you up to intercept. We don't know if these bogeys are hostile, so proceed with extreme caution."
The aviators would give a nod before being dismissed. The first ones on deck were Mara and Alice. They went through the pre-flight checklist and then got in, loading onto the catapult.
Mara was in the front seat meanwhile Alice was in the backseat of their F-18.
Mara glanced off to the side at the Flight Deck shooter. She gave her hand motion to show she was ready.
After the shooter had cleared everything, he knelt down and pointed towards the bow of the ship before he shot off the aircraft. The catapult activated and Mara throttled up and took off. "Voodoo-01 to Iron Shield, be advised we're airborne." Mara said into the comms.
"Copy that Voodoo-01, Voodoo-02 is on the catapult 2 and getting ready to be sent off." The ships ATC Tower said.
Soon both fighter jets were airborne and were enrooting to intercept the bogeys.
Within moments they were approaching the Bogeys at high rates of speed.
YOU ARE READING
Between Two Wings
Romance"Between Two Wings" by P. Davis --- Lieutenant Junior Grade Mara Panzinger was born to fly. But in the unforgiving skies over hostile waters, a split-second decision leads to a catastrophic loss that will haunt her forever. But someone appears on th...
