[IC] Shadows of Steel - An Ace Combat inspired Fighter Jet RP

[Rhona W]

Scott looked over the briefing notes on the tablet he held one last time. The objectives were all relatively simple and straightforward, as was the mission itself. But he was experienced enough to know that it was always the simple ones that caught you out, and knew better than to expect anything to go as planned. The old axiom was 'no plan survives contact with the enemy', and with an enemy like Elysium, that was even more the case.
Flying and fighting a mission didn't have him nervous. Even with whatever weird and wonderful terrors Elysium might decide to throw at them, that was just combat. A series of actions and reactions, responses to things that other people were doing. What had him really nervous was that he was going to be commanding a squadron. It wasn't the first time commanding people in combat. He'd lead flights before, and been in charge of a strike here and there. But actually being in official, executive control and command of a unit... yeah, that was something that made the butterflies flying B-52's in his stomach do loop-the-loops.
He'd read all the files on the people he was going to be in command of; their records spoke for themselves and he was proud to have such accomplished men and women under his command. Doing them and their careers was going to be a big ask, but it was something he'd have to deal with. He'd passed the psych and profile interviews, and the paperwork was filed: it was too late to go back now. He forced the doubts out of his mind as he saw the time tick over at the top of the tablet computers' display. He rolled an eye down the list of names and glanced toward the door, waiting for the first of his new unit of aviators to arrive into the carriers' briefing room.

[Whoami]

Blue Eyes to Blue Skies

(Mood Music)

Riley stared at the horizon where the ocean met the sky. The transition was almost invisible, save for the sudden break of a few errant clouds. It was beautiful, and it truly relaxed Riley. As her eyes traced further and further into the sky, the brilliant blue hue deepened until it was so dark that stars could just barely be seen. This was the view from so high in the sky, and Riley was addicted to it. Ever since she first flew, Riley found herself distracted by the majesty. On clear days, it was the blue gradient as she climbed. On cloudy days, it was breaching the floating white sea and seeing the rolling waves of slow moving airborne vapor. On stormy days, Riley would stare in awe at the towering black clouds as chaos and turmoil was unleashed within and below.

On foot, the sky seemed so... depthless. A cloud was just a two-dimensional image plastered on a blue canvas. A storm was just a grayish black blob that warned people of its arrival. To them, the blue sky was nothing spectacular. For pilots, everything becomes grander. Clouds are no longer just an object in the sky, but terrain to navigate both in depth and in height. Their structures were all unique, each cloud presented a different challenge when navigating around in combat. Titanic storm clouds can be seen from hundreds of miles away in the sky, and they can tower so high that they can't even be flown over by most planes. Storms were as impassable to pilots as land is to sailors. While doable, such things were ill advised. Riley found that the skies were far more dynamic than she ever anticipated.

"Captain Asher? Do you read? Come on Asher, talk to me. Hey Northstar!" a voice spoke loudly over the radio.

Riley was swept out of her reverie, making her jump a little in surprise. "Northstar, go ahead." she replied hurriedly.

She turned her head off to her starboard side, seeing a pair of CF-18's flying in formation off of her wing. The name under the canopy read 'Captain 'Whiskey' Thompson'. She could see the other pilot making a hand gesture as he spoke, "Did you doze off or something, Northstar? That's not like you."

"Just taking in the sights. When was the last time we flew somewhere that wasn't a warzone?" Riley asked.

"Good question, Northstar," there was a pause, "I never really thought about it."

Riley nodded. During her time flying in K.W.II, the view was always stained with pillars of black smoke, engine trails of maneuvering fighters, and bleak skies of looming monsoons. Beyond that, Riley was often far too preoccupied with not getting shot down to really take in the sights above Korea. "Too long then," she said to Magic.

There was a long moment of silence as they flew. Riley tried not to distract herself with the view, and instead focused on the readouts of her HUD. She double checked the map in the laminated leg pocket, making sure she was still on course. It wasn't much longer until a small black streak could be seen coming over the horizon. "There it is."

It was the Grey Ghost, Shadow Flight's floating home away from home. She heard a breath of relief through the radio. "Finally. I've been holding in a piss since we lifted off from Eglin Airforce Base."

Riley chuckled, "I told you to go before we took off. But I firmly remember you saying there wasn't any need since we'd be landing in an hour." She looked back at the CF-18 Magic was flying. He was making a 'yapping' gesture with his hand.

"Yeah yeah. Hindsight is twenty-twenty alright." he said.

Riley grinned, "Hm, I kind of like that one. Maybe Hindsight should be your new nickname."

Another voice chimed in, the pilot of the other CF-18. "I am all for that! I'll make sure it gets painted on his fuselage when we get back to base!"

"Oh no, you shut your mouth, Trap. Nobody is rebranding my baby." Magic said with some exasperation in his voice.

With the Grey Ghost in visual range, it wasn't long before the traffic controller aboard the ship radioed them. "Unidentified aircrafts, this is the ADCS Grey Ghost, you are entering restricted air space. Identify yourself and state you intent, over."

Riley responded quickly, "Grey Ghost, this is Captain Riley Asher of the Canadian Air Force. I have transfer orders to Shadow Flight aboard your vessel. Requesting permission to land."

There was a pause for a moment, but the voice eventually returned, "Captain Asher, please transmit your orders immediately, over."

Riley did so, and a few seconds later, the traffic controller continued, "Captain Asher, this is Grey Ghost. These orders are for one pilot, but we are seeing three planes. Clarify your intent, over."

"Grey Ghost, my squadron OC assigned two fighters to escort me to the R.V. They need to land, resupply, and will be then immediately departing, over."

There was another long pause before Riley got a return, probably just the command team of the ship looking further into Riley's flight plan, which thankfully had information on her escort detail. "Confirmed, Captain Asher. Permission to land has been granted. Flight deck crews are ready to receive you, over."

"Understood, Grey Ghost. Making my approach now, over."