Enid read over the letter she’d received via back channels. Sarah O’Connor is invited to wedding of Edward Cross and Amanda Smith. She pulled a box out of her pack and started going through the contents. She picked up a photo of her and her longtime wingman Mustache.

Finally getting married to her. Guess he must have retired finally.

She opened her chat program and logged in as Sarah. She sent a message to Mustache. She typed: Finally making an honest man of yourself hmm? He responded almost immediately: Are you coming? She smiled at her computer and typed: Only so I can halt the wedding and say I protest because you’re not good enough for her. :D There was a pause, then: I’m glad, it’s been too long. Btw, you have a wiki entry. Gotta go, Amanda’s making a fuss because I’m talking to my work wife. See you in October. He sent a link. Enid clicked on it.

Enid stared at a picture of her alter ego, Sarah O’Connor. Decorated Pilot, Medal of Honor Recipient and Modern-Day flying ace. There was a whole entry for her on the wiki. It was her in a flight suit on the deck of an aircraft carrier. She remembered the photo well it was shortly after the attack on the North Korean Nuclear sites. She frowned as she remembered the night it happened. It was the reason she joined Naval Intelligence and eventually retired.

Enid picked up the medal of honor and sighed at it. She hadn’t heard Violet walk in.

“Holy shit, is that an actual medal of honor?”

“Yes.”

“Is that yours?”

“Yes.”

“How did you get it?”

“Shot down twenty-one planes in one night.”

“That was you?”

“Yes, it was me.”

“Tell me all about it, please?”

Enid motioned to her screen and started to gather up her keepsakes.

“Read the wiki.”

“I don’t want to read some wiki page, I want to hear it from you, mom three.”

“Mom three?”

“Yes, my birth mom was mom one, Eyre is mom two, and you’re mom three.”

Enid chuckled and slid the wooden box into her pack.

“Come on Mom three, tell me, please?”

“I have homework.”

“Which I will totally do for you, if you tell me the story.”

"Are you sure you want to make that commitment?"

"Yes, tell me."

Enid frowned at Violet.

“Did anyone ever tell you that you are pushy?”

“All the time.”

Enid sighed and started telling her the story.

Pacific Ocean – 2022 – USS George Washington

Enid stood on the deck of the USS George Washington. Her hair currently blonde hair was blowing in the wind. She had her flight helmet hooked under her arm. She could see Okinawa in the distance and let a wry smile cross her lips

Hey there old friend.

She hadn’t been back for a few years. She still kept in touch with her Miko, and Nobuyuki’s kids. As with most mortals she’d known in her life he had passed a few years ago. Lung cancer. She hooked her hand under the flight helmet. She already knew someone was coming. Her gift. She glanced back when she heard the boots on the flight deck.

“Reaper. What ya looking at?”

“Okinawa.”

“I thought you were looking for the sun set.”

Enid turned and smiled at her wingman.

“Very funny, Mustache.”

“I thought so. Ready to walk the deck and do preflight checks?”

Enid nodded and walked beside him, and the flight deck crews and the rest of the squadron. The pair then returned to their fighters. She kneeled down and checked her gear. Visually confirmed her ordinance. She checked the hook. Ensured the engines were clear of debris. Ensured all the flight surfaces were undamaged. She smiled at the shiny new F-22N. Finally, she looked up at the newly painted words on the plane’s fuselage by the cockpit. ‘Commander Sarah “Reaper” O’Connor’ along with several hash marks counting twelve She hadn’t picked the callsign. She had originally been Princess. After shooting down ten enemy combatants it was changed on her, to her old title. One she had tried to distance herself from.

Hope that number stays that total tonight.

She pulled her helmet on and climbed into her cockpit. She continued her pre-flight checks. They had fifteen minutes before the air force bombers they were going to escort were in range. Her squadron was an interceptor squadron. Relatively new, with a new name, Broadsword. Their new mission was more air to air then was commonplace in the last quarter century. New enemies, new tactics, or so her CO had told her when he handed her the assignment to command the new squadron. She saw Mustache looking at her through his cockpit. She gave him the thumbs up which he returned. His voice came through the radio.

“How did I end up in your shit outfit? Are these even Navy planes?”

Enid chucked.

“This is the part where I tell you to mind the radio chatter.”

“Get a full bar and all of a sudden you’re a prude.”

She looked over the instruments. She was no F-18 that was for sure.

“Better apologize to your ride, they’re sensitive you know.”

“Sensitive my ass. These are air force planes that had an N slapped on them”

“They are better air to air then the F-35’s, they were made special for us. Be nice to them.”

“I still don’t see what was wrong with F-18’s.”

A new voice crackled on the radio.

“Cut the chatter one and two. You’re up.”

Enid responded.

“Aye Sir.”

She looked down for the thumbs up from her deck crew and started checking the flight control system. Checked her ordinance levels. She felt the jet jerk as the deck crews moved her into catapult position. She smiled to herself. She loved this almost as much as landing. She felt coldness of death sweep over her as the sun fell below the horizon. Once again, she could feel every part of her body. Felt her every dead cell at her beck and call.

Not going to be fair if they try to resist tonight.

She watched her deck crew and saw the countdown start. She powered up her engines ready to punch it to get off the deck. She saw the go sign and hit the thrust and felt the catapult fling her fighter forward and soon she swopped off the deck in the aptly named raptor. She saw Mustache launch shortly behind her and form on her wing. Within a couple of minutes, she had her entire flight on her wings. Soon there would be two flights in the air. Her flight was already climbing and accelerated to catch up with the slightly ahead of schedule bombers. She took up escort position and radioed the lead bomber.

“May we lead you to your table?”

“Good to see you.”

“Are we still go?”

“We are still a go.”

Enid’s second flight joined them shortly thereafter. During the briefing they were told this was the biggest coordinated air action since World War 2. She saw a squadron of smaller air force fighter bombers join up. She took the time to check her fuel reserves. Everything was looking good to go. Another three wings of air to ground fighters joined up along with two wings of air force interceptors. All of them launched from Japan. They weren’t told much else. Her system started updating with target information now. She blinked. It put the target between south and north Korea and some sites in North Korea. There target seemed to be inside North Korea proper. Whatever it was they were going to be in the thick of it. Her radio came to life.

“Are you seeing this Reaper?”

“Yes, now cut the chatter. Get your head on straight.”

She opened radio to her wings.

“Expect a warm welcome. Fly smart, earn your pay, The service gets home, got it? Confirm then radio silent until we are whiskey tango foxtrot.”

She heard a everyone with respond with a roger. The entire flight flew radio silent. She knew Mustache was not happy. She’d heard it in his voice. She’d love to reassure him but he was a big boy. As a poor substitute she cut her speed and took a position directly next to him and dipped her port wing giving him a nod and thumbs up. After a few minutes he returned the signal. She pulled forward and shut down her lights as the rest of the flight did the same. She saw the stealth bombers accelerate ahead and two of the Air Force stealth interceptor wings join them.

Good luck. Should have called Eyre. If I’d known. Not going to die but might end up fighting my way out of North Korea.

She frowned when realized her pack was in her locker on the ship. Her HUD flashed indicating it was there turn. She flicked her lights three times, indicating her flight was to follow her down and intercept and the other was to fly closer escort. She accelerated downwards and was met by fires burning in the distance and tracers from anti-aircraft fire. Her targeting systems lit up like it was Christmas. She saw what her plane was identifying as MIG-29s. Dozens of them on an intercept course. She opened up her radio to her squadron.

“We are Whisky Tango Foxtrot boys.”

She accelerated to intercept the first group of them. Deciding to avoid missiles for the moment to maintain her stealth. She focused on the lead group of planes and knew that her people were heavily outnumbered, so she cheated. She wiped her flight’s existence from their minds. They would patently ignore them until engaged, even when their planes were screaming at them, they were under attack they would assume it was a malfunction. She had never done this before, but she’d never had her men outnumbered five to one before. It was a stretch of her abilities to cover so many and it wouldn’t last long.

“Jamming their lead flight. Won’t last long take them down with guns, save the missiles.”

Her flight did as they were ordered, and she watched as her squadron took out five planes and she took out two. The other three jets in that flight and the second flight started reacting now. Her mental cloud had vanished with the deaths of their compatriots, and it hadn’t been cheap on blood either she wouldn’t try it again.

“Weapons free.”

The dog fight, referred to as a furball by some, because there were thirty jets involved, probably the largest dog fight since World War 2, began in earnest. Her flight was only slightly outnumbered now that her second group of fighters had joined them, along with the two bombers they had been escorting which started dropping a rain of bombs. The ground lit up beneath them. Her squadron was doing well for themselves up until one of the MIGs got a lock on a bomber with their missile and she watched Domino fly in front of it when chaff failed, and his plane exploded in a fireball. She narrowed her eyes and found the source. She accelerated and dove on him her guns flared to life, and she shredded the cock pit. Her plane barely held together with the G’s she had just pulled but it being nighttime she felt none of it in her own body. She swooped upwards the planes warning sounds complaining that she was risking a black out and she took out two more in swift succession. Later, in the after action reports the Russian ‘volunteers’ and North Koreans would refer to her as the American Devil. To her squadron she more then earned her callsign Reaper that night. She wasn’t unscathed at the end of the battle. Her cockpit was shattered, and she’d taken three full on rounds to her chest and her flight helmet had been hit, but she didn’t care. It didn’t slow her down. As her pilots were shot down one by one, she retaliated in kind. By the end a third of her flight was KIA, she had destroyed twenty-one of theirs and finally pulled out when ordered too because her fighter was running low enough on fuel the carrier was almost out of range. The bombers had made it out with some damage. Her ferocity had pushed her plane to the point that even without the battle damage it was likely a write off if she could land it at all.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Reaper, ready for approach.”

“Reaper, your fighter is showing all sorts of red. Maybe you should ditch.”

“She’ll land. Give me a runway.”

“Aye ma’am.”

Enid lowered her landing gear and lined up with the deck.

Stay together girl.

She slowed her speed to one hundred knots, which was the lowest she could go in the Raptor and felt the deck beneath the wheels and the plane jerk as the hook caught the line. She heard something fall off the plane she gave a sigh of relief as it stopped. She pulled her helmet off and saw blood on it, the injury had healed a while ago. She wasn’t sure how to explain it all, she probably should have ditched given the circumstances.

Damn you pride, you just had to land the plane didn’t you to prove you could.

She tossed her helmet down to the crewmen who was looking at it and then back to her in awe.

“This took a direct hit.”

“Guess it was built to last.”

She watched them pull her plane to the side and lower it below the flight deck. Medics were rushing up to her and she waved them away.

“I’m fine.”

She glanced down at herself besides some blood from her previous head wound and a bit on the front and back of her flight suit you would be hard pressed she had been injured at all. She didn’t bother getting changed and just walked straight to door labeled C&C it was guarded by two armed marines who acknowledged her presence but didn’t salute not much of that happened on ships of the line. Unless it was a formal occasion. She walked straight to the ops commander who nodded to her, then saw the blood on her head.

“Commander you should get that looked at.”

“After I know the status of my men. Did any of them get out?”

He shook his head.

“No beacons Commander.”

Enid frowned. Bowman, Domino, Regret. She’d hand picked each one of them for her squadron. If she hadn’t of, they might be alive. The ops commander seemed to figure out what she was thinking.

“Not your fault, Commander. You did your best and so did they, we were just outnumbered. Go get medical to look at you before the Admiral sees you. After debriefing drinks are on me. Twenty-one kills in one sortie, you’re going to be a legend.”

Enid gave a nod before walking out of the room.

I wasn’t good enough, I lost men.

She headed to berth and started cleaning the blood off her head and out of her blonde hair. She looked at the three holes in her flight suit. The rounds had pierced her chest and went right through as she’d assumed. She put on her second flight suit and went down to her plane. It was off to the side and had a bunch of the techs scratching their heads as they looked at what was left of it. She heard them talking.

“How the fuck did she land this?”

“Better question is: how is she not dead. She pulled enough G’s to crack the frame.”

She heard another voice join the Techs, it was her wingman, Mustache.

“That’s easy, she’s a legend.”

How right you are buddy.

She made her presence known by approaching the group. They stared at her as she approached.

“So, can you fix her?”

One of the techs laughed.

“No, you broke her good.”

Enid ran her hand along the smooth surface of the stealth interceptor. She could see where the frame and coating had cracked and broken. The landing had finished what she started in the dog fight. It was barely held together with wires and two of the frame struts. Mustache spoke behind her.

“They’re going to put it in a museum you know. Commander Sarah “Reaper” O’Connor downed twenty-one enemy planes in one night with this F-22N Raptor.”

“Maybe they should add: Was too busying killing enemy fighters to save her subordinates.”

Everyone looked at the deck.

“What were we even doing there?”

Enid sighed.

“I have no idea. Attacking North Korea directly is like kicking a hornet’s nest. They must have had a really good reason. I hope they did, we lost people.”

She took one last look at the plane.

“She was nice while she lasted.”

“You were right, they’re good planes, got us home.”

Enid nodded.

“It is all we can ask for.”

She sighed and walked off leaving the flight crew and Mustache looking after her. She heard Mustache speak again.

“Never seen anyone do what she did in a plane. They’re going to be going over her flight recorder for years.”

Enid closed her eyes as she stood by the open elevator shaft where the planes would come down the newly risen sun shining on her. She took a deep breath and thanked whoever was looking out for her that the sortie had happened at night.

Guess I’m not going to get the bullets out of the cockpit at all.

She started towards her Squadron’s ready room. Time for the post flight debrief. She went into the maintenance control and puled out an action form. She started filling it in while her pilots filled in. Broken frame. Control panel damage. Canopy damage. She put the form in the list of maintenance request. She assumed it with amuse someone. She walked into the ready room and saw the three empty seats. She frowned. As she took her spot at the front her squadron one by one stood up and started clapping for her. She motioned for them to sit down. When they did, she saw the ships XO standing behind them, he was leaning against the bulkhead arms crossed. He gave her a nod. She nodded back then looked to her squadron.

“We had no idea what we were flying into today. Brief said reason was secrecy. Now we know why. You all did very well. Our escorts made it out in one piece. We had minimal losses and you all accounted yourselves well. I’m sure we’ll be doing further debriefs in the future once we have flight recorder data to see where we can improve. For now, take some time to unwind. Nothing is on our docket at the moment, Air Force is taking over the rest of the current mission. Mustache, you’re in charge of wing two now. Dismissed.”

She shook several hands as her squadron filed out and to their bunks and possibly the ward room. The XO approached her after the room was cleared. Captain Dennis was near retirement, and his grey hairs showed it. Enid had flown under his command for most of her career. He looked her up and down. He was a good commanding officer when he was in charge, but had been assigned here under the Admiral with the rest of her squadron a few months ago. He seemed more relaxed then he usually was, likely the reduced stress. He didn’t seem terribly put out by being an XO at this stage in his career.

“Reaper, CO wants to see you.”

She nodded.

“I expect he wants an explanation on why you broke one of his planes.”

He smiled.

“I’ll see you in the wardroom later. Good work kid. You made us proud.”

“Aye sir.”

He nodded and walked out of the room. Enid lingered there her hand touching each of her lost pilot’s seat. She frowned and headed up to the CO’s office. Admiral Birken was not a patient CO. She knocked on his door and heard him shout.

“Enter.”

Enid opened the door and found him sitting behind his desk eating breakfast. It reminded her she probably should see about eating something. She stood in front of his desk hands folded behind her back. He looked up at her.

“At ease Reaper. Have a seat.”

Enid relaxed and sat down.

“Have you had a chance to eat yet?”

“No sir, I have not.”

“Can’t have that.”

He picked up his phone and pressed a button.

“Steward, I need a breakfast in my quarters ASAP. Bring a pot of coffee too.”

He hung it up and looked Enid up and down.

“Commander, do you realize you just beat the record for confirmed kills in a day? It has stood for almost eighty years. You are a quadruple Ace in a day.”

“I did not keep count, sir. I was more concerned about our mission and my men.”

“Commander, I need to tell you, when they put a woman in charge of one of my squadrons, I thought they were crazy. I know you were already considered an ace, but you have wiped away any of my reservations about your posting, and now I’m probably going to lose you.”

There was a knock at the door and the Admiral granted them admittance and a steward placed a breakfast down in front of Enid.

“Thank you.”

“No problem, ma’am.”

He left and the Admiral poured himself a cup of coffee and then one for Enid. Enid took several bites of her meal and then spoke.

“I know I should just keep my mouth shut, but why did we attack North Korea Admiral?”

“President is going to make a speech today to cover that. We’re basically eyes only until then, but I’ll tell you this much. We lost sixty people last night and from what I know we saved many more lives.”

“Aye sir.”

“Commander, I have lost people in combat myself. I know what’s going through your head. We can’t control the battlefield; We can only do our best to minimize casualties. You did what you could last night, hell you shot down twenty-one planes. Some after you took a hit that cracked your flight helmet. No one is blaming you for their loss. They’re thanking you because without you less would have made it home.”

“Aye Sir.”

Enid finished her breakfast.

“Now onto why I brought you up here. You didn’t report to medical bay after the mission, until they clear you, I’m revoking your flight status.”

Enid’s eyes went a bit wider.

“I’m fine sir.”

He tapped a tablet at his left.

“Your flight recorder says you pulled enough sustained G’s that you should be dead, and you cracked your plane’s frame. It isn’t even supposed to be able to let you do that. I wanted this to come from me. You’re a hero commander, hell you’re a legend. But you’re also human. Go get yourself looked at so I can put you back on rotation.”

“Aye sir.”

“I used to be a pilot, and I used to think I was invulnerable too. I know what it’s like Commander. Dismissed.”

“Thank you for breakfast sir.”

Enid left after he gave her a nod. She sighed heavily. No windows in medical here. She would have to use more blood, force a heartbeat. She frowned and headed too Medical. She focused and forced her heart to beat as she had only done a few times before. Her skin felt warmer, more human for a brief period, but it wouldn’t last for more then a few hours. As soon as she walked in, she was noticed by one of the ship’s doctors, Commander Aaron James. She knew him well because they had been on a few dates.

“Commander, where have you been?”

“CO wanted to dress me down for not showing up here right away.”

“You pilots, always think you’re so invulnerable. Sit down on the bed. Admiral wants you on flight rotation again ASAP.”

He checked her eyes then her pulse. She ensured it was a steady sixty beats per minute. Her medical training ensured she knew what a doctor would look for.

“Any pain or dizziness? Difficulty breathing?”

Yes, I’m dead, I have to put effort into it.

“No, no, like I told the Admiral I’m fine.”

“No signs of a concussion.”

“Get undressed Commander.”

“I’m not that kind of girl, Commander.”

“Very funny.”

“Isn’t this a conflict of interest since we’ve been on two dates?”

“Well I’m the only doctor on board who isn’t also a surgeon, so I’m what you get.”

Enid started to pull off her flight suit.

“I usually don’t get undressed until the fifth date. You’re ruining the surprise.”

“Don’t give up your day job, Sarah. I saw the flight recorder data when they asked me to take a look at you. What were you thinking?”

Enid frowned and sat down in her navy issued underwear and bra. Aaron looked her over pressing here and there.

“Any pain here?”

“No, I’m fine, really.”

He checked her pulse again. Then hooked up the blood pressure machine.

“Isn’t that a nurse’s job?”

“They’re in surgery.”

“Someone I know?”

“No, we are doing some overflow for casualties.”

Enid nodded.

“I can’t see anything wrong with you Sarah, I’m going to give you a go for non-combat flight status but I’m going to suggest he send you to Okinawa for MRI, CT scans before you’re cleared for combat missions.”

“Really? Aaron?”

“Really. You got shot in the head. You pulled enough sustained G’s that you should be dead. If only one of those were true I’d send you to shore for more tests, but you managed both at once. I guess this means the third date is off then?”

“No, you’re doing what I would do if I were in your shoes, Full work up is indicated in head injuries and I could have damaged my heart with the G’s. Put myself at increased risk of stroke. More high G maneuvers could risk further injury and death.”

He shook his head as Enid started pulling on her flight suit.

“Sometimes the way you talk makes me think you’re a doctor in disguise.”

“Maybe in a previous life I was a pediatric surgeon.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me, what did you study in college?”

“Computer Science.”

He nodded.

“I would have guessed actual science, or pre-med.”

Enid shrugged.

“Too easy.”

“Too easy she says. See you Friday?”

“If I’m back from my doctor ordered trip to Okinawa.”

As she left he said a little too loudly.

“Goodbye Commander.”

She shook her head.

“Have a good day Commander.”

*****

Enid sat in her dress whites. She’d just received her Medal of Honor and was waiting outside the office of the Naval Chief Staff. He had requested her presence. She glanced down at her watch. Eyre was waiting on her to celebrate. Enid hoped they could do it before dark, she wanted a drink and she wanted to feel it. This was too much attention. The Admiral’s aid spoke up.

“He’ll see you now Commander O’Connor.”

Enid nodded and stood up. She walked in the room and saluted. The man behind the desk was her former CO, Admiral Birken. He’d been promoted shortly after the North Korean Air Offensive.

“At ease Commander, have a seat.”

Enid sat down and put her hat on the seat beside her.

“Look at us now? What a difference six months makes. Congratulations on the Medal of Honor, you more than earned it.”

“Thank you, Sir. What did you need me for sir?”

“Commander, I asked you here to offer you a job, CAG of the George Washington.”

“Sir, that’s a captain’s billet.”

“Generally, yes, but your performance as a pilot has impressed command.”

“Sir, there are more qualified officers then I can count on my hands for that position, I have another two years before I can even legally be promoted to Captain.”

“The president is the one who asked us to consider this assignment.”

“And the Naval Command agrees with him?”

“You wouldn’t be here if they didn’t.”

“Of course, the president also said give her any job she wants. I had assumed based on your assessments and history of overachieving you would jump at CAG.”

I want to, damn I want to.

“Sir, I am also mature enough to admit, I am not ready for it. I was actually considering a request for transfer to Naval Intelligence something land based, get out of the squadrons.”

“Naval Intelligence? Sounds like a waste of talent to me.”

“Sir, if I’m being honest, my eyes are not what they once were, between the head injury and the G’s I’m fairly sure in a few months or a year I won’t pass my eye exam. Doctors say I’ll need glasses soon, might even lose my sight entirely at some point in the future.”

“I see.”

“I was hoping to, transfer to Naval Intelligence do a desk job for my last year of mandatory service and get honorably discharge to avoid a medical discharge. Just so all my cards are on the table.”

“Commander, thank you for being so candid with me. I will approve a transfer to Naval Intelligence for you. That being said: I am not revoking your flight status until such time as it is medically recommended. If things heat up with North Korea again, I will not hesitate to put you on the flight deck of a carrier again. You ordered to keep up with minimum flight hours and simulator hours to maintain active flight status.”

“Aye, Sir.”

“Dismissed Commander. Go celebrate.”

Enid picked up her hat put it on and saluted the Admiral and left the office. She had a bittersweet smile on her lips. On the one hand, she loved flying off of carriers, on the other hand, she’d drawn way too much attention and a switch and eventual retirement were in her best interests. Even if they weren’t what she wanted.

*****

Violet had hung on Enid's every word. She paused for a moment at the end then she spoke.

"I only have one question, those planes aren't supposed to let you harm yourself, how did yours?"

Enid shrugged.

"I knew they could handle more then 9 Gs so I hacked it and set the limit to fourty"

"Jesus."

"I pulled 20 G's max"

"Still how did that not turn you into paste?"

"That's not how G's work."

"Why did you quit?"

"Too much attention."

"Do you miss it?"

"Of course I do. Anyway about that homework you're going to do for me, its for Religion class."

Violat groaned.

"I tried to warn you."

Violet grabbed the sheet of paper Enid was holding out and walked off frowning. Enid chuckled and looked back at her Wiki page.