A pilot's life

Posted on Thu May 4th, 2023 @ 7:12am by Captain Addison 'Rico' Leyton

Mission: Season 6: Episode 2: Survival
Location: Camp Frozen Hell
Timeline: MD04 1300 Hours
783 words - 1.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Leyton walked out of her tent and into the bitter cold, as she pulled the hood over her head. A few people were milling about the camp. Activity outside was still restricted to as needed basis. She had heard about the attack on Ensign Miraj--she couldn't belive someone would savagely beat the young woman like they had. Letting out a sigh that caused a cloud of breath vapor to form from the exhaled air.

Leyton made her way to her WSO's tent and saw a sight that stopped her in her tracks. Reclining in a lounge chair outside the tent dressed in a bikini of all things was her WSO, Lieutenant Talas. 'Crazy Andorian,' she thought as she continued her approach, casing the antennae on Talas' head to begin moving at her approach. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"I'm working on my snow tan, if you don't mind," Talas replied with a huge grin as she looked up at Addison.

"Well, gear up, we're scheduled to perform a security patrol in thirty minutes," Addison stated with a jerk of her thumb.

"Yes, finally back in a Gryphon!" Talas said, smiling as she stood up from her chair. "Be out in a few minutes," Talas said as she moved to enter her shelter.

"Alright, I'll be on the flight line, getting the fighter warmed up," Addison said as she watched Talas enter her shelter.

Turning to walk to the flight line, the wind seemed to go right through her coat. A few minutes later, she walked up to her Gryphon Attack Fighter. The ground crew were keeping the electronics warm as she removed her coat and climbed the extended ladder into the front seat, storing her coat into the small storage compartment and donning her helmet. Her body shivered as she began to the preflight warm up, thankful as the fighter's environmental systems began to produce warm air, providing much relief to the bitter cold.

Seeing movement out of the corner of her eyes, Addison watched Talas approach the fighter, now dressed in her flight suit and gear. "This is the only thing I will allow to interrupt my snow tan time," Talas said, chuckling as she climbed up into the cockpit, sliding into the rear seat behind Addison.

Addison finished strapping herself into the fighter as she lowered the canopy.
As the canopy sealed and pressurized, the two fell into the routine of going preflight systems checks. Touching a panel next to her throttle, Addison powered up the engines.

"Weapons and defensive systems are in the green. Sensors are up and running," came Talas' report.

The ground crew chief flashed a thumbs up from his position before backing away as Addison returned the gesture indicating all was good. She then keyed her comm to flight control. "Tiger Three to Flight Control, we are cleared and waiting for launch clearance. Requesting rapid climb ascent."

"Flight Control to Tiger Three, You're cleared for launch on the pad," came a young man's voice over the comm. "Skies are clear for the moment. Request for rapid climb, granted."

Addison accelerated forward, taxing to the shuttle pad and clear of people and the cave. Addison applied power to thrusters while pushing forward lightly on her main throttle. The Gryphon shot upwards, as Addison pulled back on the flight stick, bringing the fighter into a vertical position as the inertial dampeners did it's best to negate the 20 Gs to 5 G's as the Attack fighter climbed past 20,000 feet.

This was what it meant to be alive to Addison. The thrill of flying as the fighter passed through the planet's upper atmosphere and into low orbit.

"Hell yes!" Talas exclaimed from the WSO seat. "That was awesome!"

"I miss the ol' girl," Addison said as the locked onto the hull of the USS Elysium and increased speed to half impulse.

The hull of the Elysium soon came into view as Talas studied the sensor readings. "Hope she can get us home," Talas said somberly.

"We will," Addison replied as she slowed to one quarter impulse as they came over the dorsal saucer section of the Elysium. "The hull is looking better already," she said, looking at several new pieces of hull plating that had been damaged during the incident.

Several engineers could be seen on the hull in EVA suits as well two worker bees came into view carrying another piece of hull plating. Addison returned a wave from one of the engineers on the hull as she passed by.

Pulling her Gryphon to the ventral side of the Elysium, spotting more engineers on the hull, Addison silently hoped she was right. Hopefully they would be back home--sooner than later.