Page 109 of Aviatrix

I exhale. “He was my first love. Back at the Academy.”

“You don’t think this is all… a little fast?” Her tone isn’t judgmental. Just curious.

“Maybe,” I admit.

Maybe if the world wasn't on fire, things might be different. But I don't want to waste any more time. Not with my life. Not with Eli. If he’s gone, if all we had were these last few days together, then it was worth it.

She sighs. “He is pretty cute.”

Yeah, he is. But I can’t think about that right now.

I glance down at her. “You’re going to be okay.”

Amber stares back at me with Lark’s blue eyes. “Yeah.”

“And if you need me?”

“I’ll find you.”

I squeeze her tight, then let her go. She heads one way, I head another. Gary should be ready.

Sure enough, he is.

I cross the south hangar with my head down, heart pounding. Gary stands by VAL, peering around anxiously.

“Do your inspection fast,” he warns. “Jones just left the control room and I don’t know how long we’ve got. I’ll give you the coordinates once we’re airborne.”

Quickly, I circle VAL, running through the pre-flight checklist out loud to keep myself focused.

Landing gear. Nose cone secure. No frost. No leaks. Nacelles clean. Panels secure. Control surfaces free and secure. Tires look good. One step at a time.

I climb the ladder, two rungs at a time, and slide into the pilot’s seat. The canopy seals with a soft hiss, and VAL comes alive, panels lighting up around me like stars blinking to life.

“We have to get out of here unseen,” I tell her quietly, while she brings everything online.

“Affirmative, Captain Kinley Quay,” she replies, her tone unusually hushed. A good sign. She understands the need for silence.

Gary taxis out ahead of me, and I fall in behind him, pulling the throttle forward just enough to follow. No chatter. No spotlights. We slip out into the afternoon light like ghosts.

Once we’re off the ground and climbing fast, Gary kills his link to base comms. His voice crackles in my headset, raw and urgent.

“Nova, you there?”

“Here,” I confirm. “Send the coordinates.”

VAL intercepts the data and overlays the route. I engage the stabilizers and glance over as Gary’s ship draws closer, flying tight, his wing nearly brushing mine.

“We’ll stay off radar in tandem,” I tell him. “VAL, engage Stealth Mode.”

“Stealth Mode engaged,” she confirms. The hum in my cockpit softens, and the HUD dims, minimizing emissions.

We cut through the air in tense silence. I catch Gary watching me through his canopy, his face full of concern. His ship rides low. Deliberate. Protective.

“I’ll be fine,” I radio.

He exhales, but doesn’t respond.

We follow the jagged terrain for twelve minutes. Trees giving way to snow-dusted cliffs and charred earth. Smoke still curls from the tree line in lazy gray ribbons.