FLIGHT DECK, USS ESSEX CVN-88, JAPAN

JULY 30TH

5:00 AM

Time had run out, it was time to leave the machines and take them into combat. A screaming siren signaled all the mechanics to stop immediately and take the planes to the elevators to launch them into the sky. Everyone put their tools on the ground and circled around, checking to ensure nothing was out of place. The pilots were called into the Ready Room to explain the details of the mission. Momo as my mechanic would stay next to my plane until takeoff, so she stayed behind.

Before the meeting, we were urged to go to the dining room for breakfast. An extensive breakfast, full of eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, ham, and sausages, a big feast for everyone, or rather the last supper of those sentenced to death. It's no secret that warriors are superstitious and full of customs that are supposed to get them back home. Never mention that you will marry after the war, stain your shoes with blood, the photo of your loved ones on the helmet, do not eat apricots under any circumstances, whistling at night, saying the "R" word, do not use a lighter between three people. One of them is the pilots' breakfast, a banquet full of food for a long day. But never with dessert, ice cream of any flavor you want, for those are only given upon return, to the survivors of the battle as a reward. And they must eat it all whether they are hungry or not, in honor of those who did not return to taste it. The pilots always pass by mentioning to each other that they are coming back to sit and eat ice cream as a friendly way of saying don't screw up in the battle and come back alive.

All the pilots aboard the aircraft carrier ran into the Ready room, a room that looked more like a classroom than a tactical room, only that instead of students there were highly trained military personnel and the teacher was an admiral with a long history behind. It is located on the level just below the runway. Pilots come here before each flight mission and are briefed on the plan for the next mission they will undertake. I couldn't believe I was back in this same room again, the last time I was here, in this same place was the day I died in the battle of Norway. After that I promised I would never make the same mistakes again, and yet here I was, doing something stupid again.

Commander Mark, who was in charge of the USS Essex carrier group and responsible for the lives of all those present, led the crowd. He was highly regarded as a leader, and strategist, and had a successful career in the war, although he had also experienced some defeats. Known as a war hero, he was respected for his fearless and aggressive attitude. It is possible that in the future, someone with his qualifications and background could become the President of the United States. Despite being older, he still had all his hair and could pass for a younger man if he took better care of his appearance. He always wore his classic navy uniform, even though those around him did not care about his attire.

"Okay, here we go again"

"As you already know in a couple of hours the Dandelion Air Fortress will catch up with us and attack to sink us"

"To avoid this we have decided to launch a desperate campaign to attack them instead before this happens"

"Someone has volunteered to destroy the ship's shield energy fortress and leave it open to conventional attacks"

"During this time all of our planes will attack with a single objective"

"To bring the huge plane down from the sky"

"If we succeed we will be able to force the enemy to have a conventional naval battle"

"One with a real chance of victory"

"We believe that Dandelion is still flying over the island of Okinawa while waiting for the Imperial Wunderland naval fleet to approach so that the two can launch a combined attack"

"This is a mission of complete air superiority"

"But there are still reports that a faction of insurgents are establishing themselves on the island and have anti-aircraft missiles in possession, so be careful not to get too close to the island."

"That's all, good luck gentlemen, may the angels take you back home"

After talking, everyone got up and moved to the next room, the Paraloft, where all the ship's pilots' equipment is stored. I went too, but as usual, because of my body, there were problems. First of all, the height, the uniforms are made for adults and not for children, something logical in reality, so I simply put it on over my casual clothes I had brought. At least the Nomex anti-g suit was standard issue and was worn over the top of my clothes and my big hips meant I had enough room to hold it in place, plus it had just enough water to get my tail through, so I was saved. The survival vest was no problem and neither was the gloves. However, the LPU, better known as the float vest, was too big for my height and too tight for my large chest, and I had to choose between the harness for the parachute or the vest, and although fighting over the sea without a vest is not a good idea, falling without a parachute is worse for a pilot. The last step was the helmet, as all of them are personally delivered to each fighter pilot, which means that there was not one I could borrow. I had to ask the manager if there was any helmet in the warehouse of a pilot who died, he took me to the place to look for it, I found several, but among all, there was one that I recognized immediately and I took it without hesitation. It was a white helmet with a red bird symbol, It was supposed to be a sparrow, but the colleague who drew it said it was too small and weak, so he drew a phoenix instead. It was pretty beat up and on the back, it had the word "HUNTER", this was my helmet, the same one I fought with during the Continental War.

[https://i.imgur.com/hEr8us3.png]

After that, it was time to establish the order of departure of the planes. The first to leave would be the small drones piloted by my daughters, they would do reconnaissance, trying to confirm the location and number of enemies, then a reserve squadron would leave, they would not participate in combat, they would stay here protecting our fleet from any attack, as it is standard that there is always a group of planes in the sky watching the carrier. Next are the tankers, which will also fly close to the fleet and refuel the fighter planes. Then the AWACS planes, planes that have a huge radar are in charge of indicating enemy contacts, missiles, ships, whatever, and perform command and control of the battlespace. Finally, finally, the fighter planes, the ones that carry the weapons and fight, our planes are much faster, maneuverable, and with more weapons, but for that reason our fuel consumption is high, so it is the plane that can last less time in the air, although it can be longer periods with the use of tankers.

And right at the end of that long waiting list was me, because the others didn't trust a girl, and I don't blame them, they are aware of how stupid I looked next to them. Some of them are betting that I won't even make it to take off, the flight control, hearing their protests, put me at the end in case that happened, so I wouldn't disturb the take-off schedule and I could repair the damage before they came back to rearm. Since I had enough free time I went down to the Well dock where Levia would depart.

For obvious reasons my mother had the whole place closed so that no one would see that Levia was a mermaid. In the place were she, my mother, and Tamamo, who were surprised to see me because they thought I had already left. I told them I was just coming to say goodbye.

I take the bomb and check it a bit before handing it over to her.

"All right listen, west of here is the island of Okinawa"

"The giant airship should be flying near it"

"Below it should be the ship that is sending energy to it"

"If there are several look for the one with a pillar of light or the one that looks the most different from the rest"

"It is probably in the center of several ships"

"You must place this bomb in the center of the ship, where it will receive the most damage, where if it doesn't sink it at least it will stop giving energy to the giant plane"

"It has several suction cups, stick it to the hull of the ship, press the red button and enter the code 7355608, remember it well, 7355608"

"When you finish entering the number this light bulb will flash twice"

"You have 5 minutes to get as far away from the ship as possible because it is the countdown of the bomb"

"After that all you have to do is get back to this ship"

"That's what this GPS is for, it tells you where to go"

"In case something goes wrong go to the island and swim near the beaches at night and signal if you see us"

"If even that doesn't work swim around the island and find a weird hole near a ravine"

"That used to be a power plant that they didn't complete, stay close to it and we'll get there eventually"

"I don't intend to leave here without you"

"West, strange ship, put the bomb in the center and 7355608"

"Okay, I've got it"

"We will probably arrive shortly thereafter"

"Things will get ugly up there, so please stay away from there or swim very deep"

"It is also possible that you will find submarines, they are a large type of boat that operate underwater, that is their purpose, they are not sunk"

"There is no way of knowing if they are yours or theirs, so leave them alone"

"Just pretend you are a shark and they won't do anything to you"

"If you find more than two try to warn us because it means that the enemy also has sub sharks and we must know immediately to stop them"

"If you could mark where in the GPS and what form they would have it would be excellent"

"But it is optional, remember that we mainly need you to place the bomb"

"Can I get a kiss goodbye?"

"Okay, fine, but hurry, I have to go back upstairs"

I approached her and gave her a kiss on the cheek, even though just after I heard a loud noise above us, it was one of the fighters taking off. I took my things and turned around to return to my plane, although Tamamo was standing near the door, watching me.

"Whether you do it to save us, for Erina or for revenge, please don't do anything too dangerous"

"I'll be praying all this time for your return"

"Please come back safely"

"Of course, that's the idea"

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

I also kissed Tamamo goodbye and hugged my mother. After that I went back up the stairs back to the Flight deck, where my plane was already waiting in the parking lot, Momo was next to the plane checking possibly for the eighth time that everything was ok. As I was walking there someone grabbed my helmet from my hands looking like he wanted to steal it. I turned around wanting to beat the bastard to death, but in his place was my sister, it was her who was holding my helmet while she was watching how they were preparing one of the planes to take off.

RHC8uDb.jpg [https://i.imgur.com/RHC8uDb.jpg]

"What are you doing here?"

"The Flight deck is closed to everyone except the people who work up here!"

"I am the boss's daughter"

"Someone lent me this red jersey and let me through"

"....."

"....."

Maria was quite quiet and contemplative. She was acting quite strange

"Is everything OK?"

"Is there anything bothering you?"

"...."

"This all feels strange this time"

"...."

"Different"

"...."

"I'm afraid something will happen this time"

"...."

"Different?"

"In what way?"

"Actually this is what I used to do before."

"Different from the kind of problems that usually happen to you"

"The Cesar I've been living with for the last few months, the weird girl who seems unstoppable"

"...."

"You usually get into trouble and usually solve it by making it look easy"

"You always had help from the other girls because you were close to them, the goddess, the madwoman, the engineer"

"And you always had that giant sword at hand to stop everything"

"Every time something happened, I always felt that for sure you had some hidden card, a way to get out of that situation easily"

"But this time you won't be fighting with any of that"

"It's just you and the plane, no help, no magic, no weird powers"

"It feels like this time you're not special"

"As if you're just another soldier among the rest"

"And my mind feels like this time you...you....."

"BBBBBUUUUUAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

My sister really started to cry in front of me.

"There, there, it's all right"

"Don't worry, don't worry"

"..."

"Everything is going to be fine"

"...."

"If there's one thing I've done more than anything else, it's been this"

"I feel like I can finally fight the way I like to fight"

"...."

"Plus a pilot has a much better chance of getting out alive"

"If the plane fails, all I have to do is jump out of it"

"Plus Momo has modified the cockpit armor quite a bit"

"But what if something happens this time?"

"The last time you flew was the day you died!"

"What if ..... what if this time it happens!?"

"This time I don't think I could bear to hear the same news again after we got our family back"

"The first time I got the news I didn't care because I hated you, for leaving my mom and I abandoned, I didn't love you"

"...."

"But now that I know what really happened, and after all that we have been through, and all that you have helped us with, it would be so unfair, it would still be so unfair to me"

"It would be so unfair, I still haven't paid you back for all you have done, for all you have helped me with"

"Everything will be fine"

"...."

"I'm not doing this so that someday you will pay me"

"I am doing this because someone has to do it, and it is a man's duty to protect his family even if it kills him"

"There is no greater honor for a man and a warrior than to protect the people you love"

"I couldn't live with leaving all of you behind to save my life, I'm not going to stay behind and hide"

"...."

"Besides, this way I feel that I can pay a part of my eternal debt"

"To those who died protecting me on the battlefield, those who sacrificed themselves to stop the dragons and have a better future"

"...."

"The real burden is on me for wanting to do this despite how much you don't want to"

"So let me rather apologize to you"

"I am so sorry"

I hugged my sister tightly as a farewell

"Hunter!?"

"Where is Hunter!?"

"Tell him it's time for him to get on his plane and make his final checkout!"

"Well, that's me, they're calling me"

"See you later Maria"

"Please wait for my return and we'll both have a nice ice cream together."

"...."

"Okay, please come back with us safely"

Maria took the helmet and put it on my head, then tried to smile a little and waved her hand as a final farewell and turned back near the door to watch me take off and leave.

I returned to my plane where Momo was waiting for me to receive my approval for her work.

I for my part returned to my plane where Momo was waiting for me to receive my approval of his work. First I looked around the plane to make sure everything was in good condition, with no damage to the airframe, wings, tail, and tires, trying to look for any apparent damage. After that, I climbed the ladder to the cockpit, where Endless was waiting for me, took the first seat, and checked my cabin. I had to check that the plane's systems were working properly as well as the buttons on the dashboard. I also had to check the fuel level, and test the radio, the navigation system, and the emergency ejection system. After all that and giving the go-ahead to my mechanic I had to start the engines and warm them up, which would allow me to see if the modifications that Momo made would make the engine work properly. Everything was fine and I had the green light, I just had to wait my turn in the shuttles.

The aircraft carrier is a hive of activity as it prepares to launch several planes into the sky. On the deck, a group of the ground crew are rushing to complete their tasks, fueling the planes and attaching weapons and equipment. The pilots are getting into their planes, checking their systems and donning their flight gear. As the carrier begins to pick up speed, the deck begins to pitch and roll, adding to the sense of urgency. The ground crew signal to the pilots, indicating that they are ready to go. The first plane roars down the deck, its engines roaring to life as it gains speed. The other planes follow in quick succession, their afterburners glowing as they accelerate down the deck. As the planes lift off the deck, they soar into the sky, their powerful engines propelling them upward. The aircraft carrier continues to launch planes, sending them into the air one after the other. The deck is a blur of activity as the planes take off and the ground crew move on to the next aircraft, preparing it for launch.

xjEpOHj.png [https://i.imgur.com/xjEpOHj.png]

A curious thing is that all the flight deck crew has quite different colored clothing, which serves to identify which person is in charge of which task during takeoff and landing operations. The green jerseys are worn by the aircraft directors, who are responsible for directing the movement of aircraft on the flight deck and in the landing area. They use hand signals and flags to communicate with the pilots and the ground crew, and they ensure that the aircraft is positioned correctly for takeoff and landing. The yellow jerseys are worn by plane directors they are also known as the shooters, as they are the ones who give the final take-off signal. They are also Aircraft Handling Officers, they are responsible for such things as assisting with the movement of aircraft on the flight deck and helping to coordinate the overall operation of the aircraft carrier. The red ones are worn by the crash and salvage crew, who are responsible for responding to emergencies on the flight deck. They are trained in firefighting and damage control, and they are prepared to respond to any accidents or incidents that may occur on the carrier. The purple is worn by the aircraft handling officers, who are responsible for refueling aircraft prior to takeoff. There were also the whites, which are medical personnel, Landing Signal Officers, Air Transfer Officers, and visitors from outside the normal operations. The blues are known as the coffee boys, they are the novices trying to learn the trade. They are in charge of the elevators, chains, messengers, tractor drivers, and mainly observe and learn.

My nerves were getting the better of me waiting for my turn. Momo was standing next to the plane talking to me on the radio to pass the time and trying to relax a little. The yellow vest finally pointed to my plane, indicating that the time had come. The angel said goodbye to me and started walking towards maria to also watch the takeoff. I carefully guided the plane to the catapult hitch, shortly after I lowered the canopy. Last check of the plane, the pre-flight checks, the director tells me to check the left flaps, I move the lever and they start to move, the green vest checks that everything is ok and gives his approval, then the process is repeated and we check the other side. The last thing was to turn on the HMD helmet visor, where the HUD of the plane would be, indicating important information such as direction, speed, altitude, remaining weapons, and the artificial horizon. The final part was to check the triggers of the weapons, to make sure that everything fires when it should, both the Vulkan machine gun and the missiles, as well as the countermeasures. I wave my hand with my thumb up to indicate that everything was ready to take off, behind the plane a huge metal plate appears to protect from the fire of the engines. The director raises his hand indicating me to turn on the afterburner to gain as much momentum as possible, the engines are at full power. The yellow jacket crouches down and signals the exit, incensing the moment of take-off.

[https://i.imgur.com/xqBUDT5.jpg]

My heart is pounding, my hands are tingling, and my chest is heaving. I never thought I would live this moment again, not after the accident and after retiring from the army. The green light flashes on the control panel in front of me. It's time to go. I nod to the aircraft director, who gives him the signal to launch. I thumb the switch that will ignite the plane's engines and the catapult, the plane roars to life.

The plane lurches forward as it is launched from the aircraft carrier's catapult. The G-forces push me back in my seat as the plane gains more and more speed, its engines roaring as it hurtles down the deck. I have to fight to maintain control as the plane lifts off the deck and into the air. all in less than two seconds, but full of torment and adrenaline.

As the plane climbs higher and higher into the sky, I can feel a sense of exhilaration wash over me. I look down at the aircraft carrier below, the deck a blur of activity as the next plane is prepared for launch. I take a deep breath and smile, knowing that this is exactly where I belong, to my kingdom, the sky.

I control the plane to join in formation with the main group already en route to the battle. More and more planes approach and start to fly together. Among the planes there is one that catches my attention because it is quite different from the rest, because although his plane was the same as the others, this one had a peculiarity with which I start to laugh, another old tradition in the navy.

[https://i.imgur.com/KZer28p.jpg]

According to Army law, if a pilot lands on the wrong carrier the crew must treat the pilot as an honored guest and treat him with the utmost respect despite his mistake. But the same law does not apply to your plane, with which the crew retaliates and makes sure to send you a souvenir home that you will not forget to make sure you landed on the right carrier. Which means scratching his plane as if it were a public bass, and they don't let the pilot wash his plane so he has to come back with it for his buddies to see and notice the mistake he made.

I was surprised to ask who the idiot was, only to be told that it was Rick Hunter, one of the Skull Squadron pilots who fought alongside me against the dragons.