Dogfight - Aftermath

Posted on Wed Aug 17th, 2011 @ 7:19am by Major Maxim Kamarov & Lieutenant James Holbridge & Major Patrick Smith

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Beginning - Range

"Smith to all Valkyries. Lead group defensive perimeter, Black flight search the area. Bounty Hunters 7 and 8 get back and escort the rescue craft." Smith flicked his fighter back to full power and put on its main lights. Blasting off from the asteroid he rushed towards the site of the accident.

"Control tower Scramble all craft for defence of the base. I'm not taking any chances."

=/\= Roger that Captain. All Pilots to your craft =/\=

Looking at his scanners he saw the wreck ahead with the two tiny blips for what he hoped was the crew. As he approached and got a visual he flipped upside down to bring his cockpit just overhead and idled beside them. "Your alright guys?

Jim opened his eyes and looked around, seeing that he was still in outer space. "I'm good, skipper. What about, Politician?" SIlence met his request, then Jim looked at the lights on the younger man's suit. Jim saw his backseater and tried to propel himself over to him. Jim finally oriented himself and let loose a puff of oxygen, propelling himself towards the body of his WSO. Jim saw the cracked faceplate of the helmet and the large eyes.....Politician was dead. Jim quietly reached over to turn off the suits survival subroutines. "He's gone, Paddy" Jim said quietly

Patrick lent forward in his cockpit and put his heads in his hands. "Dammit," he said quietly. "Jim what happened?"

Jim nodded as Smith's fighter passed overhis and Pol's location. "I don't know what the fuck happened, Paddy...one minute I'm flying high and fast next minute I'm in a cracked ship! Who's the marble-headed sonofabitch who hit me?"

Smith check through the sensor logs. "From what we can see." He paused. "No-one. Don't worry mate. We'll get the guy who did this. Let's just focus on getting you back home."

Jim's jaw tightened. The starbase fighter wing had a serious problem if there was a saboteur loose. "Meet ya back at base. Paddy," he said, very quietly.

Patrick heard the pain and anger in Jim's voice. And he felt it himself as well. It was his first casualty in command of a fighter wing. As the rescue craft approached Patrick jerked the fighter left to right in salute of his fallen friend and headed back to the base.

On board the rescue shuttle, Jim ripped off his flight suit and threw it in the corner. He sat down on the bench and put his head in his hands, tears flowing freely from his eyes Pol was a good kid! Why did it have to be him? One thing was for certain, whoever did this was gonna pay and pay hard and bad!
Climbing out of his cockpit Patrick moved with purpose. Walking straight to the command room he discussed with the staff and looked at the bases logs. There was definitely no weapons fire. "Send a message to the Major. Tell him the fighter was... sabotaged and that all craft are grounded until they are inspected." He turned to his engineers. "Unfortunately you guys can't dismantle them. It'll have to be the fleet staff who do it."

Tapping an intercom button to all the scrambled fighters Patrick broke the bad news. "All fighters are RTB. Say again all fighters are RTB and are grounded until inspection is completed." With that he turned and walked from the room and headed towards sickbay where Jim would be getting his once over from the medical staff.

MARINE COMMAND CENTER

An orderly had just handed Maxim the dispatch about the sabotage. "lock down the Marine and Flight Decks until further notice!" Maxim ordered. "Clear all inbound traffic from the base! All outbound traffic will hold until further notice! Get the orbital defense platforms online and set to passive! Sgt Maj Woodard, get down to the Flight Deck and get me an initial assessment. I'll contact Commander Zeferino and brief her as to what has happened so far. When the admiral calls wanting to know why all space traffic has stopped, tell him we have a situation and we are investigating!" Maxim hit a control. "Kamarov to Holbridge, what is your condition, son?" his voice was thick with concern.

=^=I'm okay, major. However, my backseater is dead and my fighter is fucked!=^=

"Let's watch our mouths over open channels, captain," Kamarov said sternly. "Once you get aboard, you will be escorted to Medical for a checkup. You will then be returned to your quarters pending the investigation."

=^=Aye, sir. =^= The reply was tired, defeated.

Kamarov turned to Captain Fulton. "You can run interference for me when the admiral calls down, wanting to know why in hell we locked the MCC down. I'm going to have a talk with Holbridge and Smith. You have the deck." Kamarov strode away, vanishing into a turbolift.

Smith got to medical as Jim was arriving. "Hey man how are you?"

"I've been better," Jim said shortly.

"Well the Major has locked everything down. No one is going anywhere until the investigation is complete. Do you have any ideas who could have done this?" Smith asked. It was certainly a troubling issue and he hated the idea that it could have been one of his own pilots.

"Not a clue, hoss! There's a whole wing full of suspects!" Jim said irritably. "Sorry, I'm just a lil upset about losing Politician. He was the best WSO I had."

"He was one of the best I've ever worked with as well. Don't worry. We will get the ass who did this," Smith replied, his face showing the determination of the statement.

The door to the medbay parted to admit Major Kamarov and Captain Fulton. "What happened out there, captain?" Kamarov asked gently after reading the charts.

"My wing exploded, sir," Jim offered. "I don't know how or why. I lost my backseater," he added softly.

Kamarov nodded in sympathy. "You are off the schedule. Captain Smith, secure from lockdown and begin an investigation into this incident. Keep myself and Admiral Wegener in the loop."

K amarov left to speak with Smith and Amanda leaned close to Holbridge. "God knows you flyboys try hard, Jimbo, but you should have been a regular Marine!"

"Fuck you!" Jim replied hotly.

"Enough!" Kamarov shouted. "Fulton with me!" Kamarov swept out of the medbay, a chastised Amanda Fulton in tow.

Smith shot a sideways glance at Jim trying to hold back the smirk from Amanda getting chastised. "Going to head on here Jim. I'll meet with security now and start the investigation. I'll keep them off you for as long as possible." He walked to the door and turned. "The service will be as soon as we get the autopsy completed. All the trimmings." Hanging his head in both anger and sadness Smith left the Sickbay heading to security. This would be fun to explain.

Jim's anger simmered as he hopped off the bed. Whoever did this had better pray I never find him!! he thought to himself.

a JP by

MCPT Patrick Smith
Head Flyboy

&

MCPT James Holbridge
Soon-To-Be-Retired Fighter Jock