first line Prompt #127 - First Line

[comicfan]

“Just how many more times can you do that?”

[JamesSavik]

“Just how many more times can you do that?”, the Weapons System Officers cracked over the intercom into Rials headphones as the F/A-71 Tornado came to rest after the jolt from the arrestor gear.

 

Lt. Rials went over his post flight checklist. He switched off the fighters main systems and turned the reactor to stand by. He keyed the intercom mike and said to his weapons systems operator, "Until I get killed or they fire me."

 

Ensign Wells, his WSO replied, "Swell. Let me know if you are ever feeling particularly suicidal so I can punch out."

 

Rials said, "Fair enough."

 

The flight deck machinery hauled the attack fighter into the squad bay and when the rest of Diamondbacks were recovered, the doors closed and the bay pressurized.

 

As soon as the atmosphere was restored, the deck crew swarmed out into the bay to take care of the fighters and help the crews debark. Rials disabled the safety and pulled the canopy release. There was a slight hiss as the pressure equalized.

 

The deck crews pushed a maintenance access ladder up to the fighter and the crewmen reached in to help the crew unbuckle, unstrap and get out of the fighter. After very long patrols the men had to be carried out but Rials and Wells were up and out in no time. Wells was carrying the ships flight recorder.

 

The crew Chief asked said, "Any complaints?"

 

Rials said, "No Chief. You guys do a good job taking care of her."

 

Wells shook his head.

 

The Chief said, "Then report to the squad room for debrief. Scuttlebutt says you guys saw something new out there. What did it look like?"

 

Wells said, "Not much after you put a nuke in it."

 

The Tornado pilots and their WSOs trudged up the stairs to the pilots briefing room where the CAG and his deputy were waiting to debrief them.

 

Wells handed the flight recorder off to the Deputy CAG and the pair took a seat.

 

As the other flights landed, the conference room began to fill up. The pilots of other craft on the raid began to file in: the single seat superiority F-70 Hurricane II, A-70 Warhammer attack fighters and EW-72 Aurora electronic warfare craft. They all filled up the room while the Deputy CAG downloaded the flight recorders and took the best images of the new enemy ship to pass on to intelligence.

 

Commander McDonald stood and said, "All right gentlemen. That was some damned fine improvising out there. Would flight leader Rials care to narrate?"

 

Rials stood and said, "We jumped into the SH-3380 system using hyperspace projectors. It took a few minutes for all of the ships to arrive and then we formed up to make our run. The enemy ships were well out of visual range. Apparently they noticed our arrival and the fleet made a short jump across the system. That's when we saw the new ships. They are big, even by enemy standards. I designated them drone carriers because drones were boiling out of the ships as soon as we saw them. They didn't take time to form up. As soon as they launched from those ships, they came right at us."

 

McDonald asked, "We assume they are like the enemy drones that we're used to:. they home in on you and smash into you."

 

Rials said, "That was my assumption. My problem was that there were many more drones than we had missiles. I ordered our formation to turn around and run from them."

 

"You ran from them?"

 

Rials said, "Yes. Had we tried to take them on nose to nose, they would have wiped us out. We turned around and hit burners. Of course they followed. Our formation speed maxed out as about .17C. They were pursuing at .225C and were catching us. When they got directly behind our formation, we dropped all of our chaff. When the enemy drones impacted the metal shards at .225 of light speed, it tore them up."

 

The Deputy CAG, Lt. Rivers asked, "How many drones were destroyed?"

 

Rials said, "The attack computer indicated some number over seven hundred. There were eight of those big drone carriers so I'm guessing they carry about a hundred drones each. We can go faster of course but we know that relativistic effects distort our perception. I'm guessing that's why they just kept coming. They couldn't see what was happening to the ships in front of them."

 

"Once we disposed of the drones, we made an attack on the enemy fleet using a mix of standards and nukes. We overloaded their missile defenses and destroyed the enemy fleet in detail."

 

McDonald said, "Excellent work Flight Leader Rials. This is exactly what I want out of my pilots: the ability to think on your feet and improvise. Use what you have and more often than not, you can think your way out of trouble. Dismissed. Rials, Wells- please hold up a moment."

 

McDonald had a quiet word with his Deputy and then motioned for Rials and Wells to come over.

 

The pilot and his WSO approached the CAG not knowing exactly what to expect.

 

McDonald said, "I meant what I said gentlemen. I liked what I saw tonight Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant."

 

Rials said, "But sir, I'm just a Lieutenant and my WSO is just an Ensign."

 

McDonald grinned and said, "Not anymore. I'm putting you up for the Alliance Star. You just waxed eight enemy carriers and their battle group. They'll probably name that maneuver after you."

[comicfan]

I think you wait for these first lines just so you can twist them into something really wild, James. Damn thing is they are always such a compelling read.

[JamesSavik]

I must admit that I'm writing to prompts "in world" of stuff that I'm working on. (Operation Hammerhead in this case).

 

It gives you another slant and gets the "motor" warmed up and running.

[comicfan]

Okay I finally got around to writing this one.

 

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/comicfan/thepromptyousay/8

[Andy78]

Here's my attempt https://www.gayauthors.org/story/andy021278/andysshortstogaprompts/26