[IC] Shattered Steel - An Ace Combat/Project Wingman/etc inspired aircraft-based RP

[Damo021]

Amelia Schön

Amelia had managed to get some well needed shut eye, sadly for not as much as she wanted however as she was not the early bird type despite her profession. Still it was better than nothing considering the events of the night before. She felt restless so the plan was either go sneak of somewhere for some me time and deal the excess energy or go ham in the gym.

The gym was where she decided to go, the plan was to go work up a sweat and appetite, then go clean herself up and grab a bite. She headed to the gym in a sports bra and shorts, before she would do anything she needed to do some warm ups beforehand to prep her muscles. She preferred to do cardio and light weight lift exercises, it was usually her go to. Upon entering she noticed one of her squad mate powering away with some weights and decided not to disturb her the time, preparing a treadmill for use to do some cardio.

Catching her slightly off guard, her squad mate had come over to introduce herself, it was always good to meet new people right? Especially ones you’re more likely going to work with for quite some time. She was distracted though, her squad mate was like tall, really tall. ‘She is one tall ass bi…. stop staring, stop staring’ her inner thoughts rang out in her mind. “That’s right! Thank you, your shooting was like top notch, your err... Peacenik right? Nice to meet you” she said offer out her hand for a shake.

Looking down at her arm though, Amelia’s tendency to speak before thinking won over immediately. “Oh my god, you like have like a metal arm dude, that is so awesome!” in her excitement she ended up touching it, it didn’t feel how she expected it to. “This totally makes you a bad ass in my book” she said smiling with a bit of excitement. Her inner thoughts then kicked on once more. Her mind raced of how stupid she probably just sounded and probably just offended the woman also, considering she had no idea how she ended up with said prosthetic, her mind immediately imagined herself getting totally choke slammed through the treadmill, so she retracted her hands, it was like her mind raced through all the emotions once. “My bad”

@Smike

Freyja Svensdotter

Freyja unfortunately didn’t get much sleep; yesterday was just… where could she even start to process? The squad has lost several planes, lost a pilot, others got injured, found saboteurs and had another one of their own hospitalized after a fire fight. To say the least, it was a very tough time for the team mentally and physically. Still she barely knew anything of her squad mates other than what could be shown on their files and as such she decided to simply compartmentalise the events and lock it away. probably a bit harsh but she couldn’t afford to get distracted should they suddenly need be needed for a mission, on a good note, at least Kat should be back with them today after getting cleared. It was nice to have a little chat with her and Fuka.

Freyja had spent the morning going for a jog around the base, enjoying the time alone to clear her thoughts, after a while, she would go back to the female barracks and clean up before getting dressed into her working uniform, her dark blue shirt having the patches of shattered steel and her squadron on it, along with her rank etc. it felt appropriate to at least look professional she thought to herself, she also tied up her hair into a ponytail, slapped a pair of aviators hanging from one of her pockets for the when outside.

She made her way to the base’s mess hall, it looked much better than it did after last night chaos, she decided to get her a pretty decent if yet simple healthy breakfast, having herself an avocado toast with boiled eggs, she also had to get a coffee for that little bit of a boost, she found herself a place and sat down, not even getting disturbed by the guys that gave her crap the other day. She was enjoying the moment before no doubt Scott will be calling them in at some point the day.

[@anyone]

[Hyperion338]

Both Liam and Emily were on the tail end of a long flight, having flown all the way from the main base all the way to Malta, which had taken roughly ten hours with the two refueling points and navigating five different Flight Information Regions before finally approaching the airport. The flight had went flawless, with the Tonka handling the expanded ferry range exceptionally well.

Liam looked at his watch and knew they would be coming in to land at the airport in a few minutes. He figured that he'd better wake Emily up before they land otherwise they'll be asking him why his WSO is still asleep during the landing procedure. "Hey Circuit, Earth to Circuit. We're going to be landing in the next couple of minutes." Harry said before switching his radio to talk to Malta Tower.

"Malta Tower, this is Steel four-four, established ILS runway 32." Liam said over the radio. Malta Tower responded, giving him current wind direction and speed before telling Liam that he was cleared to land. "Cleared to land, runway 32, Steel four-four."

Harry lowered flaps and landing gear while gradually reducing throttle as the Tornado accurately tracked both the localiser and the glideslope until they reached the decision altitude. After confirming visual of the runway to Emily, he disabled the autopilot and guided the Tornado to the runway manually. Before touching the tarmac, he flared his Tonka slightly before touching down rear landing gear first before gently lowering the front landing gear onto the runway. He then slowed the Tornado down to taxi speed and left the runway, taxiing to Shattered Steel's flightline and parked it.

Liam made sure to turn the radar off and render it safe before leaving the cockpit. Maybe they would have a chance to get some shut-eye before they had to go back up.

[Smike]

Fuka Nakano

The new girl, Amelia, was staring at her. Fuka responded in kind, a faint smirk playing across her face as she put her arms behind her back and stood up straight. "I'd be lying if I said you were the first person to eye me up." she snickered."I guess it's lucky that we'll be working together, gives you all the time you need to dissect me."

She nodded to confirm her callsign, extending her hand to shake-only to watch bemusedly as Sparrow seemed to suddenly realize she had a prosthetic. Fuka raised an eyebrow as Amelia gushed over her 'metal arm', the reaction more in line with what she expected from kids than adults.

"I'm glad one of us likes it." she noted dryly. "For me it's a real pain in the ass, but I guess it beats having only one hand.

And then, as suddenly as it bubbled up, the excitement disappeared, self-consciousness rearing its ugly head and driving Sparrow to the ground. Fuka, unsure of what else to do, patted her on the shoulder.

"You're fine. I just didn't expect all that enthusiasm this early in the morning. Anyway, you're on the younger side for a combat pilot; how many years have you been flying?"

It seemed sensible to change the subject.

[Kensai]

<Snipped quote by Kensai>

Scott was spared having to relate his story, or reply to Ximena's other comments, as Aurelie arrived and immediate set to business, albeit with a charm and energy that was a pleasure to see in action. He nodded as he listened to her words, looking at the pictures as Ximena slid them over closer to where they both stood. As the frenchwoman finished her summary and Ximena chimed in, he nodded again.

"I agree with your assessment, Chevy. Combined with the results of searching through the belongings of our would-be saboteurs, it seems like they'd planned to knock out our air defences, and then launch an amphibious assault spearheaded by the helicopters and likely with air cover from their more capable aircraft".
Scott slid some other papers aside and moved some photos to where they could all see them, showing aerial views of what were clearly airbases with busy aprons and a lot of activity.
"These are from a recon satellite, taken within the last twelve hours. It seems like the Libyans are moving a lot of their air and naval assets to the northern part of the country, barring some for keeping their borders secure. Seems to me that this is a prelude to a larger offensive as well."
He shifted the photos around and laid out a blow-up of one of them, centered on a number of large, boxy aircraft.
"I'm particularly concerned about these - Tu-22 Blinders. They're old aircraft; sure. But they can carry very long range missiles, and a heavy bombload to boot. With a screen of fighters, they could prove to be an issue, and even attack southern Italy, let alone here. And, it seems like command agrees with me, as we've been tasked to conduct strikes on those airfields and naval bases as a preliminary move to an N/UN assault. But, we can't move against them until we've eliminated the immediate threat to our own safety, which is the forces stationed at Lampedusa and the AD protecting them. However, in our favour; we have a new plane and its' crew arriving-" He checked his watch "- any time now to bring us up to numbers even more. Kitten is also on her way back from the hospital, and both her and my aircraft are ready for action."
He picked up his tablet and tapped the screen, sending the information on the newly arriving pilots and their aircraft so that they others could see it.
"As for the question of how we should approach this, well; the risk may be higher for making the assault while the helos are grounded due to the air defences, but Jefe is right; the risk of damage to the facilities and infrastructure here is much less, and we're better off making the first move and seizing the opportunity while we have it than waiting. We at least know where their air defences are located thanks to the recon flight you and Peacenik pulled off, which gives us an advantage in mission planning to take them out"
A firm smile settled on his lips as he nodded across at Aurelie.
"What's your thoughts, Captain? I think we stand a good chance if we split into two sections with one focused on the SEAD mission and attacking the airfield at Lampedusa, while the other takes care of the helicopters on Linosa and any naval shipping that's escaped the port. I'd like you to command one of those flights".

@Rhona W

Aurélie favoured Scott with a crooked smile that had broken hearts on three continents. "Mais oui!" she said. "We shall seize the initiative. I would be honoured to lead the SEAD flight. My Papillon is ideal for that mission, and I would like on my wing the lower observable members of the squadron. If possible - " she thought for a moment, then snapped the names off from memory " - Valkyrie with her Gripen, Sparrow with her Typhoon, and one more."

She switched her gaze to Ximena. The smile was still on her lips but it no longer reached her eyes. Blue like the skies when you burst through the clouds. Holding the contact a moment longer than comfortable or polite.

"That one more, I would like to be you, Lieutenant Huang. I most eagerly await to see what you can do in your Raptor."

[Rhona W]

Aurélie favoured Scott with a crooked smile that had broken hearts on three continents. "Mais oui!" she said. "We shall seize the initiative. I would be honoured to lead the SEAD flight. My Papillon is ideal for that mission, and I would like on my wing the lower observable members of the squadron. If possible - " she thought for a moment, then snapped the names off from memory " - Valkyrie with her Gripen, Sparrow with her Typhoon, and one more."

She switched her gaze to Ximena. The smile was still on her lips but it no longer reached her eyes. Blue like the skies when you burst through the clouds. Holding the contact a moment longer than comfortable or polite.

"That one more, I would like to be you, Lieutenant Huang. I most eagerly await to see what you can do in your Raptor."

@Kensai

As Aurélie turned that smile on Scott, he could see why it had broken those hearts, she was stunningly beautiful and her mind was as sharp to match. However, now was not the time to dwell on that, and he returned her charming smile with a wolfish, handsome grin of his own as she continued building on their planning session, nodding in agreement with her choices, and that grin spreading further as she singled out Ximena for her part of the op.
"All excellent choices, and appropriate ones for certain," he paused as an alert came up on his personal tablet, giving a satisfied nod as he read the message, looking up at the others in the room with a smile settling on his lips.
"And adding to the good news; our latest recruits have not long touched down. As soon as they've got their crew rest, we can brief this sortie and get going".
He looked over the charts and pictures once more with a glance as he mused, looking back up to Aurélie with a firm nod. "With you taking the stealthier side of the squadron, I'll lead Peacenik, Kitten, Calico and Griffin and Circuit - our new arrivals in their Tornado - on the attack against the helicopters and any remaining naval assets that have got out to sea. Speaking of our new arrivals, they should be here to introduce themselves shortly".
Scott ran a hand through his sandy-blond hair, eyes flicking up toward the ceiling as he put some numbers together in his head.
"Let's see... time now is oh-nine-thirty. Griffin and Circuit require a minimum of eight hours uninterrupted rest... seventeen-hundred hours". He tapped fingers against his chin and mused a few more moments. "Preflight mission briefing, preflight checks; add another three hours... Brief at eighteen hundred, wheels-up for twenty-one-hundred hours, giving us an opportunity to attack as darkness is starting to fall. Should give us a chance to catch them as they're just starting to relax and swap personnel onto overnight watches, giving us something of an element of surprise. I'll send it out to the squadron. Good work, Chévy, I knew selecting you as 2IC was a good move," he said with another smile, before picking up his tablet and issuing the relevant orders to the rest of the unit.

@Kensai, @Hyperion338, @Smike, @Damo021, @Finetales

[Hyperion338]

Griffin and Circuit had signed themselves in and been assigned to their rooms. Circuit was exhausted, having just finished her first long distance flight with only thirty minute rests every couple of hours. Griffin was also exhausted, but was in a better state than Circuit, so after getting themselves settled in, Circuit went to have some actual sleep while Griffin chose to introduce the pair of them to his new squadron leader in her absence. But first, he needed caffeine. It would keep him up long enough to do this and then he could crash.

Griffin looked around to see if there was a coffee machine or a vending machine. He managed to find both, but the coffee machine was broken, so he looked at the options in the vending machine. He saw the standard Red Bull and hoped that wouldn't be his only option. He looked lower down and found the original Monster, which was a lot better than anything Red Bull had to offer. He put his ID number into the machine, picked the Monster and watched as it dropped into the bottom of the machine. He reached in, grabbed the can and walked off towards the briefing room.

After taking a few swigs, he let himself into the briefing room and found two figures standing there looking over their tablets. "Erm, hey. I'm Griffin. Just reporting in. Circuit would be here as well but she's knackered."

@Rhona W @Kensai

[Kensai]

Aurélie's expression turned grave, taking on the air of a venerable matron. "Ça suffit!" she hissed at Scott. "When you praise my work, you praise yourself for picking me. That is no praise at all, but boasting. Je suis déçu."

And almost as if summoned, the new pilot entered the briefing room, looking rather the worse for wear from his long flight in. Aurélie turned from Scott to face him, one hand smoothing back her ponytail - it would have flicked back an errant hair, but Aurélie did not permit errant hairs in her coiffure.

"Bonjour, Lieutenant Smith," she sniffed, using his name rather than his callsign. Her gaze flicked to the can of Monster in his hand. "If you require stimulants, ask the mess boys to make you some coffee, the way Captain Bouchard has it. They do not have the knack of it quite yet, but anything is better than that sewer water you have there."

@Rhona W@Hyperion338

[Hyperion338]

Griffin looked at the can of Monster in his hand and took another swig. "If it's navy strength, brilliant. If not, it won't do nothing for me." Griffin said to the French woman as he stepped further inside the room. He'd certainly seen worse for briefing rooms, having done briefings in muddy fields back home. His days in the RAF College had its ups and downs.

Griffin didn't know how he would handle the heat in Malta. He had considered filling his flight gear and clothes with ice packs, but he figured that might be too much. Problem is, he only wore dark clothes, so he might have to forget about wearing hoodies for a while. At least he'd brought his aviators so that he doesn't get blinded every morning.

Griffin remembered that there would be his first mission soon, hopefully a couple of days away so he could get some rest, but he was still curious as to what it was. "I was told we'd be going wheels up again in a few days. What's the job?" Griffin said as he took another swig of his Monster.

@Rhona W @Kensai

[Rhona W]

Aurélie's expression turned grave, taking on the air of a venerable matron. "Ça suffit!" she hissed at Scott. "When you praise my work, you praise yourself for picking me. That is no praise at all, but boasting. Je suis déçu."

@Kensai

Scott gave an irritated and exasperated sigh and shook his head at Aurélie's rebuke to his compliment, balling his fist; but didn't answer immediately as Smith entered the room, instead nodding to him with a smile and a nod to Chévy's comment.
"Captain Bouchard is right; get yourself squared away and be sure you and your WSO get some rest while you have the opportunity. We're going to be getting into the thick of it in a few hours, and I'm going to need you and Circuit ready and able"
He gestured to Yuna and Ximena, and pointed them toward the new arrival.
"Calico, Jefe; why don't you both give Griffin the tour and show him around. Captain..." he hesitated a moment, looking to Aurélie, and then sighed, shaking his head. "...Never mind. Dismissed".

As soon as the others had stepped out of the room and moved away, he likewise left. He had paperwork and reports to file and complete, requests to submit and other such mundanities to be taken care of as part of the mission planning. He could have completed them there, in the control room, but at that moment he didn't really want to be there. The rebuke to his well-meaning, well-intentioned and genuine comment at the success of the planning session and the comfortable ease he'd felt in working with Bouchard had disappointed and upset him more than he'd thought. There hadn't been a chance as yet to connect with any of the squadron's members, and so far, it had been a taxing, stressful, painful (physically and mentally) and gruelling first couple of days of command.
Scott felt wiped out, mentally and emotionally as a result, and as he paused at the entrance to the HQ, he leaned heavily on the door frame, wiping a hand over his face, and holding it there for a moment, before it dropped and he stared out, trying to marshal his thoughts and sort through the tumbling mess of them, before he forced himself back into motion, heading to find somewhere quiet to sit and do what he had to. There wasn't much else of a choice; he needed to keep going.

@Kensai, @Hyperion338, @Smike, @Finetales

[Finetales]

Yuna Xu

Yuna watched Scott and Aurélie discuss the forthcoming mission with interest. She wasn't sure what she thought of Chevy yet...while the Captain clearly knew what she was doing, to Yuna she had that uniquely grating French haughtiness that Yuna detested. Still, Yuna elected to keep her instincts at bay and withhold judgment until she had talked to Aurélie directly, and seen her lead a flight. She wondered why she had felt almost defensive when Aurélie singled out Ximena in a particularly loaded way. But ultimately, Yuna didn't dwell on it and focused on what was left of her coffee.

"With you taking the stealthier side of the squadron, I'll lead Peacenik, Kitten, Calico and Griffin and Circuit - our new arrivals in their Tornado - on the attack against the helicopters and any remaining naval assets that have got out to sea. Speaking of our new arrivals, they should be here to introduce themselves shortly".

@Rhona W

"Helos and boats, eh?" Yuna commented. "I suppose some target practice would be nice."

Just then one of the new arrivals walked in, and Aurélie addressed him straight away.

"Bonjour, Lieutenant Smith," [...] "If you require stimulants, ask the mess boys to make you some coffee, the way Captain Bouchard has it. They do not have the knack of it quite yet, but anything is better than that sewer water you have there."

@Kensai

God... Yuna thought, mentally rolling her eyes. Day 2 and she's already pissing me off. She'd better be a damn good flight lead.

Fortunately, the new arrival seemed much more her speed. She liked Brits, they knew how to party.

"Calico, Jefe; why don't you both give Griffin the tour and show him around. Captain..." he hesitated a moment, looking to Aurélie, and then sighed, shaking his head. "...Never mind. Dismissed".

@Rhona W

HA! I'm not the only one, she thought. This would have to be discussed over drinks with Ximena and/or Scott.

"On it, boss," she replied to Scott, and then walked up to Griffin, gesturing with a head tilt for Ximena to come with her as she did so. "Hey Griffin, I'm Calico," she said as she extended her hand offering a handshake. "You get breakfast yet? I can take you to the mess hall if you like. Then we don't have to see the other super exciting parts of the base on empty stomachs. I need another coffee, too."

@Rhona W @Kensai @Smike @Hyperion338

[Hyperion338]

Griffin looked at the Singaporean woman and reached out his hand to shake hers in kind. At the mention of breakfast, his stomach growled. "I haven't eaten since yesterday morning. Long flight. A proper fry up will sort me right out. I'll follow you." Griffin said as he held the door open for Calico and Jefe.

He hoped the mess had everything for a proper fry up. Sausages, bacon, eggs sunny side down, beans, hash browns, mushrooms with a bit of toast on the side was how he had it. He'll ask about a navy strength coffee once he was there and then rush in before he would be needed for the briefing.

The thought of a fry up and proper coffee reminded him of home. He was a lot closer to home in Malta compared to the Bahamas, if it wasn't for the heat. At least he could vent cool air into his Tonka while he was airborne, so he would be alright. With Circuit being Canadian, she would probably appreciate the cool air as well. This amount of heat should be criminal.

@Finetales @Smike

[Smike]

Ximena Huang

"That one more, I would like to be you, Lieutenant Huang. I most eagerly await to see what you can do in your Raptor."

@Kensai

Le Chevalier's gaze was intimidating, yes, but Ximena didn't mind pretty women staring into her soul. She looked back unblinking, the inhuman pink of her rise giving her shark-toothed smile an uncanny quality.

"Well it doesn't get my blood up like a dogfight would, but SEAD against backwater yokels? Consider it done, mon capitaine."

The French rolled off her tongue like a marble, Ximena enjoying the way it sounded. She didn't know exactly what she had done to warrant such scrutiny- it was probably her reputation for less-than-military bearing- but a challenge like that would not be ignored.

She'd show the little coq gaulois how a Raptor fought.

"It's a shame I won't get to see Meow Flight throw down," Ximena nodded to Yuna. "But I'm sure you can protect the Kitten as she lumbers about in that hog of hers."

The snippy little frog took compliments about as well as Ximena had expected, the ex-spy's eyes flicking from Chevy's scowl to Heartbreak's clenched fist. Her first instinct was to make the situation worse, and had the new guy (well, the newest new guy) not shown up Jefe might not have been able to stop herself. She only just managed to keep her mouth shut as Scott greeted the Brit- good God, another one of them?

Maybe that's why Bouchard was so pissy-sticking a Frenchwoman in a team full of Windsorites was like dumping a muzzled dog in a pen full of cats.

"Sure thing. See you later then boss man, boss lady."

She honestly had no idea where the canteen was, she hadn't eaten anything since the sandwich she had scarfed down on the flight over. Hopefully Yuna knew the place better than she did, because Ximena was following her.

"You missed a lot of fun yesterday, a real clusterfuck of a thing. There was a cell of saboteurs in the mechanic bay and we had to clear them out ourselves. CQC bullshit, like we're marines or something. Hell of a thing, and a hell of a lot of fun."

@Hyperion338 @Finetales @Kensai

[Finetales]

Yuna Xu

"It's a shame I won't get to see Meow Flight throw down, [...] But I'm sure you can protect the Kitten as she numbers about in that hog of hers."

@Smike

Yuna chuckled at "Meow Flight." "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get to run with us cats soon enough. We have nine lives, after all."

Griffin looked at the Singaporean woman and reached out his hand to shake hers in kind. At the mention of breakfast, his stomach growled. "I haven't eaten since yesterday morning. Long flight. A proper fry up will sort me right out. I'll follow you." Griffin said as he held the door open for Calico and Jefe.

@Hyperion338

She honestly had no idea where the canteen was, she hadn't eaten anything since the sandwich she had scarfed down on the flight over. Hopefully Yuna knew the place better than she did, because Ximena was following her.

@Smike

Fortunately, Yuna had found the mess hall the previous night, so she knew where she was going. There were 3 priorities for her in any deployment: a place to sleep, a place to eat, and a place to drink...not necessarily in that order. As she began leading Griffin and Jefe down the halls towards the mess hall, she idly chatted about the mess hall, to both of them. "I mean, it's not going to blow you away, but it gets the job done. I've certainly had much worse. Think good hotel breakfast level, you know? It's really not bad, no matter what the Captain says."

"You missed a lot of fun yesterday, a real clusterfuck of a thing. There was a cell of saboteurs in the mechanic bay and we had to clear them out ourselves. CQC bullshit, like we're marines or something. Hell of a thing, and a hell of a lot of fun."

@Smike

"Can confirm," Yuna chimed in. "Was a hell of a way to be introduced to the squadron. Definitely more fun than most first days. A little room clearing as a warm-up? Yeah, I'll take that any day over signing papers." She gestured to Jefe as she continued. "And when you have Jefe here raining hell on that LMG, it becomes even more fun. Well, except for your ears."

The trio presently arrived at the mess hall. "Here she is," Yuna stated, immediately making a beeline for the coffee machines.

@Smike @Hyperion338

[Hyperion338]

Griffin smirked at Calico's comment about the French woman. He knew the food would be good enough for him if she hated it. "That's because they don't offer complimentary baguettes with every meal or three course meals with snails as the starter. They make actual food that everyone else eats." Griffin said, half jokingly. When it came to cheese, then French knew what they were doing. Unfortunately that didn't extend to the rest of French food.

He finally got to the mess and noticed it didn't look much different to the mess back home from his RAF training days. "It's just like home this." Griffin said shortly before Calico ran off to the coffee machines.

He took another swig of his Monster before heading over to the kitchen. He asked about the fry up and the navy strength coffee for later. The cooks actually rejoiced at being at asked proper food for a change and agreed to do him a quick fry up. They would even prep a navy strength coffee before the next op for him. The cooks even mentioned how horrid the French woman's coffee was, so Griffin made a mental note to steer clear of it.

[Smike]

Ximena Huang

Well, it definitely looked like a canteen. From the most exclusive college to the most run-down insurgent camp, cafeterias had a look to them. You could clean them as much or as little as you wished; any space designed to feed many people quickly and efficiently had the area of a feeding trough.

"I give the French this: unlike the British and their wayward colonies, they can make food that's worth a damn without being drenched in grease. Give me a tartine over navy beans, any day of the week."

Baked beans, sausage, French toast, bacon, and fried eggs- was it any wonder Westerners were fat? They ate breakfast like they were all construction workers!

She followed Yuna over to the coffee machines, finding exactly what she expected: shit. They said free things tasted best, but that seasoning only made the brew palatable.

"You think they're going to let us off base still?" she asked Yuna, sprinkling a pinch of salt into her coffee. "Or did our friends in the mechanic bay ruin that?"

Ximena was hoping to prowl more, by herself or with someone else. She didn't feel comfortable in a base until she had made a full accounting of the nightcrawlers near it.

[Rhona W]

Scott found his way to his 'office', such as it was. In reality, it was a store room that had been cleared out and a folding desk and chair put in, along with a satellite coms link. Additional chairs had appeared, and he suspected the Maltese personnel had been accommodating the mercenaries from Shattered Steel as best as they could by acquiring things, as and where they could. The fact the room had managed to accommodate the squadron and a few extras the night before was probably evidence of that.
He closed the door behind him and settled into the chair, powering up his secure laptop.
He stared at the screen as the machine started up, and let out a long sigh.
While this was his first official command, where he had the rank and the responsibilities that entailed, as well as - supposedly - the responsibility, it wasn't the first time he'd been in command.
The gruelling, agonising slog of the surviving Marines and Sailors across had been the first time he'd been responsible for people's lives, had to make decisions that affected the lives of people, and give orders to people. It hadn't always been perfect or gone well, and there'd been times he'd had clashes of personality. There always were, and those had been the most tiring and frustrating - just like they were now, and how it was niggling him again.
That annoyance, combined with the frustration and annoyance of the previous 24 hours was starting to weigh on him, and he felt like he was struggling to push through it all at the moment. The fair-haired pilot pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose, eyes closing as he exhaled, leaning on the desk.
I need to sleep, he thought to himself. And I need to rest. Or else I'm going to lose my temper, and lash out. And that'll just make things worse.
He leant back, looking up at the ceiling tiles but seeing nothing, letting his mind roam freely for a moment and trying to let go of the frustration and tension he felt.
It had barely been 48 hours, he had to keep reminding himself. Two days wasn't enough time to get to know the people under his command, or start to build any friendships or bonds. Especially with all that had been thrown at them so far. They'd been put into action off the gate, and he hadn't even had time to actually speak to any of them, outside of a professional capacity.
And it wasn't like any of them - that he'd seen so far, anyway - weren't competent. So far, they'd all shown themselves to be exceptionally so, and more-than able to follow orders, as well as showing initiative, and doing the right thing when it was needed.
That was something he was pleased to see. Anything else... well, that was yet to be seen. Perhaps yet there'd be time for moods and attitudes to thaw and walls to come down or edges to soften, and they'd start to get along better... He sure as hell fucking hoped so, or else he'd be the one requesting a transfer to a new unit.
But first, he had to file the mission plans, and update command on their situation. With a grumble, he set to typing.

* - * - *

Kat squinted in the bright, mid-morning Mediterranean sunshine as the breeze ruffled and streamed through her messy black hair. She was relieved to be out of the hospital, and even more so that no lasting damage had been done to her spine. The doctors had given her a shot of anti-inflammatorys for the bruising, and by the morning it had cleared up, other than a slight residual ache, which they'd prescribed some strong, over-the-counter painkillers for.
Now, she sat in the back of a convertible that Traveller and Showgirl had come to collect her from the hospital in. She'd been surprised when the helicopter crew had turned up in the cherry-red car.
"I still want to know where you got this thing from", she called out loudly to the pair in the front. They exchanged glances, and a grin passed between Brigitte and Miles, before the woman driving laughed out; her laughter as musical as the rest of her voice.
"Although," Kat continued with a wry smile creeping onto her own face. "With that as an answer, maybe I don't".
"I'm glad your injuries were not more severe," Miles said, turning in the passenger seat to look back at Kat, his words flowing out with the smooth, mellifluous French accent behind them. "I think we are about to become very busy, and all of you combat pilots will be needed".
Brigitte laughed and called back to her as she weaved the car expertly around a truck ahead of them, no doubt hauling some of the off-loaded supplies from the convoy. "And our handsome Colonel needs his right-hand woman around. He is lost without you, you know. I can see the pining look in his eyes without you around to occupy them~"
"Oh shut up, Showgirl", Kat huffed and folded her arms across her chest, pouting as she kicked the back of Brigitte's chair. "Sco- Colonel Valentine and I aren't like... that. And you know it".
"But of course she does, mon doux petit chaton. But teasing you about it is so much fun though!"
Kat didn't reply, instead she gazed out of the side of the car as the airport came into view. She was relieved to see the place looked intact and active. She'd heard about the activity overnight that she'd missed out on and had had mental images of burned-out wreckage and bullet-riddled buildings among cratered tarmac, but it seemed like her imagination had run wildly away with her.
The convertible pulled up to the gate, and all three showed their ID's and were let onto the base after a quick examination of the vehicle. As they pulled away, Miles turned back to her and asked where to drop her. Her stomach provided the answer, and she asked to get out at the mess hall; reporting to Scott could wait until her belly was full, and she'd review the new orders her electronic flight book had been badgering her about while she ate.

As she stepped into the mess hall, Kat's senses were greeted by the low-level buzz of voices and activity. The late-morning time had gathered a small crowd of late diners and others seeking a metabolism boost from sugar, caffeine or carbs, and the kitchen was pumping out the smells of lunch preparations. The remnants of breakfast's offerings stocked the cafeteria-like counters and the tall, amazonian pilot took a tray and started to help herself to stocking a plate, not really paying too much attention to her surroundings as she lost herself in a haze of idle thoughts.

[Finetales]

Yuna Xu

"That's because they don't offer complimentary baguettes with every meal or three course meals with snails as the starter. They make actual food that everyone else eats."

@Hyperion338

"I give the French this: unlike the British and their wayward colonies, they can make food that's worth a damn without being drenched in grease. Give me a tartine over navy beans, any day of the week."

@Smike

Yuna chuckled to herself as Griffin and Jefe continued talking about the merits of British and French food. Griffin and Chevy would have lots of material to banter at each other with...the French and the British having it out for each other was in their blood. Yuna could tell that she would be hearing many a snide remark from one about the other, if not straight up arguments. And although Yuna overall preferred French cuisine to British cuisine, she felt she'd probably end up rooting for Griffin on account of Chevy's grating French haughtiness. That said, if Griffin came after French wine, Yuna would have something to say about that.

For the time being, she let Griffin and Jefe discuss it as she finished making her coffee. While it was by all accounts pretty low-grade coffee, that's what she was used to drinking at her various deployments throughout her career, so she didn't mind. After all, coffee was a tool, not a pleasure. A tool that would have her fully invigorated by the end of this cup...or maybe the next?

"You think they're going to let us off base still?" she asked Yuna, sprinkling a pinch of salt into her coffee. "Or did our friends in the mechanic bay ruin that?"

@Smike

Yuna turned to her drinking buddy at her question, her eyes widening a bit in agreement. "God I hope so," she replied. "We rode by a ton of spots that looked promising last time. Plus, if I can't get away from these hotheads once in awhile, I'm gonna be counting down the days until we're shipping out of here." Yuna thought for a moment. "...Actually, I'm gonna try to find that out right now," she decided. "I'll be back when I have an answer. Don't have too much fun without me!", she said in a sing-song way as she turned around, stopped to grab one of the last wrapped breakfast burritos left, and walked out of the mess hall in search of The Answer. She assumed Scott would probably know, but maybe it was down to the base staff. Either way, she had a vague idea of where she might find them, so she aimed in that direction and began wandering the halls, alternating between taking a bite out of her burrito and a sip of her coffee.

Eventually she reached the closed door that held her CO's name on it. The thin door being what it was, she could hear sounds of typing from inside. She hoped she wouldn't be bothering Scott, but maybe talking to someone less...antagonistic...would improve his mood. She could tell he had been frustrated when she left the planning room earlier. But he also might have The Answer. Yuna figured it was worth a shot either way, especially as so far Ximena was the only person she'd befriended in the squadron, and it would be nice to get familiar with another face. She tucked her partially-eaten breakfast burrito under her right arm (whose hand also held her coffee), and gave three healthy raps on the door with her now-free left hand.

@Smike @Hyperion338 @Rhona W

[Rhona W]

Scott had about finished up his reports, and hit send just as Yuna's smart knock-knock-knock sounded on the door. He tapped the mouse button and called out "It's open!" in a firm voice, looking toward the door to see who had come calling. When it opened and Calico stepped in, he smiled at her and nodded.
"Calico," he said in greeting. "Come in, take a seat. What can I do for you?"

@Finetales

[Smike]

Ximena Huang

"Pilots and ego go hand in hand," Ximena noted wryly. "Like barnacles and ships, or fleas on a dog. Where one goes the other follows."

Herself very much included. It came with being the best.

"Right, good luck."

Off Yuna trot, back to Heartbreak presumably to make sure their outdoor privileges hadn't been revoked. It was going to be rough going if everyone was confined to the barracks for the foreseeable future, and Ximena wasn't sure she could stand the thought of staring at bunkroom walls.

Lucky for her then that something more interesting to look at came wandering in.

Jefe hadn't yet met Kat, but there was no mistaking her after reading her file. The dark tint of her sunglasses gave Ximena the freedom to look her comrade up and down, and she liked what she saw. Almost impossibly tall and covered in scars, with broad shoulders and a mighty warrior's build, Kat was a foot and a half taller than Ximena and strong enough to lift and break her over a knee. Ximena would never confine her to herself to have just one type, but Kat was undoubtedly one of her many.

She fell in alongside the eyepatched giant, grabbing a tray and beginning to fill it without much regard for the menu.

"Nice to see you walking so soon. Couldn't miss the action, huh?"

@Rhona W @Finetales

[Finetales]

Yuna Xu

Upon Scott's call of "it's open!", Yuna opened the door to find Scott at his laptop, clearly getting the boring part of this gig out of the way.

"Calico," he said in greeting. "Come in, take a seat. What can I do for you?"

@Rhona W

Yuna sat at the available chair nearest to Scott's very fancy folding desk, and set her now-empty coffee cup and partially-eaten breakfast burrito down in her lap.

"Hey, Heartbreak. I know you're the CO and supposed to be extra professional and all that, but somebody's gotta check on you and see how you're holding up once in a while. Especially after last night, and...whatever that was a few minutes ago." Yuna chuckled, before continuing. "Can't imagine us assholes make your job easy."

@Rhona W