Posted by Major Eleanor “Iron Lady” Carnegie (Pilot, Blue Squadron Leader) in Main Sim - Fighter Hangar
=A= Alert One… Alert One… I repeat… Alert One… Alert One… Ready Squadrons to your craft… the clock is running=A=

As the alert sounded and the lights over the hanger switched from white to blue, the shift in the Hangar Bay was noticeable. It was like a well oiled machine, or a choreography that had been practiced time and time again. First, it was the massive influx of people coming into the Bay, then the floor sprang to life as orders were given, crews prepared their craft, pilots did their pre-flight checks and finally, the first twenty-four Templar-class vessels were taken out onto the flight deck.

From the sidelines, the squadron crews of the vessels that were not set to launch with the first wave, readied their craft just in case.

Already on the deck before the alert sounded, Eleanor rushed to her craft, swallowing the last bite of her toast.

=/\= Carnegie to Sentinels. Get your flight crews ready. Let’s show the Tempies that we can be just as fast! Carnegie out. =/\= The soft playfulness of her tone went through, trying to defuse any sort of nervousness that came with the situation, especially from the newer pilots in the squadron.

She was half way through putting on her EVA flight suit when Price arrived in a nervous jog. “Morning Ma’am.”

“Morning Badger. Busy morning, it seems like!” She said with a smile, before taking her old Earth specs off, giving Chuck a thumbs up and climbing up the ladder and into the Lady of Steel’s cockpit. Price didn’t take long to follow and sit at his Sensor Ops console.

As Eleanor fired up her console, calls were starting to come in.

=/\= Sentinel 3, ready and on standby =/\=

=/\= Sentinel 2 to Lady of Steel. Ready to go. =/\=

=/\= Yarmin to Carnegie, Charlie Flight is ready and waiting for orders, Ma’am. =/\=

As she ticked off her pre-flight check list, Carnegie turned around to face her crew. “Where’s Sloan?” She asked Price who looked around, and seeing the Flight Engineer’s spot still vacant merely shrugged, muttering something about a date. Eleanor pressed her lips together in a mix of annoyance and worry. He was never late.

With everyone at the ready, Eleanor watched the Tempies wistfully through her cockpit’s viewscreen. The fighters were beautiful birds and the speed and clockwork precision with which they were readied was an incredible sight to behold.

“Still thinking about whether you should have yer eyes cloned?” The familiar voice came with a soft squeeze of her shoulder. Eleanor turned, relieved to see her Flight Engineer.

“What took you so long, Doc?” After the relief, the annoyance was visible. “The whole squadron is ready except for us! How do you think that’s going to look?” Especially with her recent promotion, Carnegie felt an added weight to her shoulders, and the last thing she wanted was for Command to think she couldn’t do her job.

“I’m sorry, Eleanor, I overslept.”

“I don’t care, Sloan. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Wow, this promotion really put a stick up yer ass. It was a 20 second delay!”

Eleanor, with her finger halfway to sending the green light to the CIC, turned in her seat.

“And clearly yours didn’t. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you James, but you’re a Captain now and I need you to act like one! I don’t care how many women fell on your doorstep just because of your new bars. You’re here when you’re supposed to be. Is that clear?”

Sloan, clearly not used to being on the other side of Eleanor’s wrath, looked back to his console. “Aye Ma’am. You’re right. I’m sorry Ellie. It won’t happen again.”

Finally tapping her console, Eleanor sent the green light to the CIC. The Sentinels were ready to go.

Tapping her commbage she gave the final call. =/\= Blue 1 to CIC, Blue Squadron is green across the board. Standing by for orders. Blue 1 clear. =/\=

Maj. Carnegie, Blue Squadron Leader

The Launch Boss replied to Blue 1 almost instantly. =A= Welcome to the party Blue 1… you Sentinels don’t mess around, do ya?=A= Silvia said with a smile. =A= You all just knocked 14 seconds off the Big Bird Readiness Record and beat the last two of Red plus a straggler from Green… Well done Ma’am. CIC Clear =A=

About a minute later, the voice of the Olinski’s CAG echoed through the All-Craft channel, his voice bearing a smile Ellie would recognize immediately. =A= Good morning Aviators, this is your Captain speaking. I applaud you all on your outstanding performance thus far. As soon as we have more information on mission parameters, I will pass it along. As of right now, we will remain at Alert One until cleared by the Bridge or we launch. In the event of an un-briefed launch, Red and Green squadrons will establish a CQB perimeter around the Olinski at 10K meters fore & aft. Blue Squadron will move Recon units onto the launch lanes as soon as Red & Green are clear. Blue 1, you & Blue 2 will take point port & starboard respectively at 2,500 meters with Blue 3 & 4 mirroring you to the aft. Be as noisy and flashy as you want Carnegie… we’ll watch your back. Blue 5 through 12 will move into launch standby once you all are clear. Heads on swivels people… we don’t know what’s out there… but they’re going to know when we arrive on the scene. Squadron leaders, blast doors will stay sealed until launch authorization comes from the Bridge or here in CIC. You see the door drop, be ready to punch it. Good hunting. CAG Clear =A=

A couple moments later, Ellie received a short… one line text on her private data channel. Two minutes and forty-one seconds. Not bad Ellie… trying to impress the Old Man I see. ;)

Dawkins, CAG