[quote=@Foster]
"Heard your bird would be serving refreshments. Got any for Clem?"
[/quote]

Diane was quick off the mark with a reply, grinning into her mask as she replied. "Lemme take a look back in the galley here Clem. I think we might have time to warm up the oven, over".

Before Ryan could cut in, more banter came quick and fast.

[quote=@Massasauga]
"Ranger 2 holding formation." She radioed. "Looks like I'll be your wingman. What gives, Major? Don't you have enough pretty women chasing after you in your life already?" 
[/quote]

Ryan laughed over the intercom as he replied. "Haven't you heard, Ranger 2? [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfJE_Sp7gZk]Women are like Voltron,[/url] the more you hook up, the better it gets".

The rest of the squadron caught up quick, and soon enough things turned to business. He listened to Ranger Three's message and replied with a firm, light and confident tone. What the pair suggested made sense; there was no point having them burn fuel by hanging around and waiting for the rest of them to keep up, and using his assets to their fullest was always the best idea. Plus initiative was worth rewarding, and he liked seeing it... when it was sensible, anyway.
"Roger, Ranger Three. Go for the CAP, we'll be chugging along down here while you keep your eyes open, over".
That said, he did increase the throttle, and altitude with it, climbing to the A-6's optimum cruising height and altitude. The old bird wasn't exactly quick, but she could cruise comfortably enough, even if it wasn't tearing up the skies. 

Ryan set them on the right heading and the flight proceeded comfortably for the next few minutes, before another voice called in on the channel.
"Good morning, Ranger squadron. This is AWACS callsign Cavalier, I'll be here giving you the heads up and keeping you all in contact with the ground team. So far they haven't reported any hostile activity, and no Yerrill aircraft have directly overflown their position, though I am reading a small number of intermittent air contacts in the area at low level. Will vector you in on the targets when you're within range. 
Meantime, I'm getting a tanker over to you boys and girls. Gotta keep you topped up. Stay frosty, over".
The AWACS controller had a chilled australian accent, and sounded laid-back as he spoke smoothly to them. His back and forth continued as the operator guided a tanker to rendezvous ahead of them. Eventually a gleaming spot in the clear skies resolved into a big KC-10 tanker, capable of refuelling either by boom, or by hose-and-drogue, like the majority of the squadrons' aircraft were equipped for. 

****

After clearing off the refueller, the rest of the flight stayed quiet, until the AWACS snapped into the channel with a more terse tone. "Ranger squadron, listen up - the Yerrill have suddenly got more active. Yerrill bandits have been positively confirmed by the ground team, and the bandits are flying an aggressive search pattern. We have a mix of high-speed contacts and larger, lower-speed craft; number twelve targets currently."

As the AWACS controller explained, the picture became clear; the bandits were split into two groups. The smaller, faster ones were remaining in formations of two. The four groups of high speed fighers were staying at medium-high altitude and sweeping the area in patterns centered around the larger, slower craft which were remaining solo and sweeping the ground, occasionally pausing it seemed. The ground team had reported the noise of machinery; it seemed the aliens were looking for them more earnestly at this point. Or for something, at any rate. 
The AWACs explained that the exfil bird was en route to get the survey team out of the area, but they'd need some cover against the bandits before they could do much. That meant it was time to earn their pay.

"Okay gang," Ryan called out, his drawl now undercut with an edge of steel. "Time to earn the big bucks by doin' the fun stuff. Ranger Three, Ranger Five; stick up high and harass the bandits. Two, you're with me down low, we'll scare off the big ones, and see if we can't harass the ground forces a little too. Let's go!"