In The Air

The naval interceptor cruises at a comfortable 30,000 feet above sea level. The island city, our backup capital, has fallen. Now what? Backup to the backup? There's no way the bastards that couped out government is legitimate. Anger and rage boils up inside of me.

It's time to revisit an old flame. The voice of Karl says over a news radio Sophie has tuned into. Sophie, wherever you are, I haven't forgotten you or our family promise. Let's start a new life together and let peace flow between Elodia and Novemia. We can unite our countries, by uniting with each other.

I feel sick as I listen to it. You say that, then start a coup in Elodia. There's just no way it wasn't him. You know, especially as there are literal Novemian military units moving into Elodia uncontested right now? And go fuck yourself with the uniting countries bullshit.

Also, a political marriage, really? What is this, the 1700's?

"Hey, Alex?" Sophie says from the back. "I'm...sorry." She seems downcast.

"For what? You don't have anything to apologize for."

"You think this is my fault, don't you?"

"No?"

"You should. Because it is." I hear gentle weeping. 

"Hey, Sophie? Sophie?"

"I'm sorry." Sophie is crying. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't been known...if I hadn't been there..."

"Sophie."

"If I hadn't been born..."

"What?" I look at her, surprised. I can't say anything. My mouth is dry. And I can't speak. "That's not true. That's not true at all. I value you Sophie. I value you so much. More than you would know." What the hell are you saying Alex, that's weird! But I continue, hoping that it will cheer her up. "You're my everything."

"Huh?"

"And...and you saved me. Several times already." Sophie sniffles. "I know you think I'm brave, that I'm some knight in shining armor because I saved you from that plane, and am an ace but...that's just not true."

I pause.

"You saved me as well Sophie. And I'm not just talking about today. That memory, that...all that. That..." I stop. Something inside of me tries to stop a memory from being brought up. Something painful. Something that could save Sophie from her thoughts, but I can't bear to mention. "You know what? Forget about it. I'm not your perfect knight. I'm just a washed up child actor whose only good skill now is killing."

"Why does a knight have to be perfect?" Sophie asks, after a long interval. "You...do things, Alex. That's more than can be said of me. I'm the useless one." She chuckles, derisively. 

"You're not, Sophie." I tell her. "I...don't know how to say it. You're my angel, Sophie. You've kept me going through life. Even when I-" And there it is again, the memory that catches on the back of my throat. I can't say it. So I shift gears. "Besides, even if you weren't being targeted by that Vendreki creep, the war would have broken out anyways," I say. "Nothing's going to bring back the dead." Eagle Two. Eagle Nine. Gladiator Three. Gladiator Four. Boomerang Two. "Nothing...nothing..."

I feel like the bisected tanker I visited just this morning has probably joined them by now.

"Alex, are you okay?"

"Haha, work on yourself first." I say. "But...I've had a rough day." I look out the window. "I just hope Gavin and Kay are alright."

"Those are the two guys we met at the palace, right?"

"I hope they're alive. I hope the instructor is okay too. He was a jackass to me but...he also helped us. You know?" I can hear Sophie exhale as she puts herself deep into thought. "Sophie. I just want you to know that you mean everything for me. I probably wouldn't be a hero without you." I stop. "I probably wouldn't even be alive without you. So...at the very least, you've saved me." Sophie giggles, but I can see there's underlying sadness in her voice.

"I can say the same to you, Sir Alex." Now it's my turn to laugh. Sir Alex. I like it when she calls me that. 

I did save her. And for a moment, I don't mean in a badass way - though it totally was cool, but I'm reminded of the reason I'm in Paladin Squadron in the first place. 

We continue the plane ride in silence as we peer out the skies for a while.

"Five bogeys on radar." I say after what felt like hours. I turn back. Wait, that's not Jake in the back. The memory of Jake pulling his pistol out at me flashes in my mind.

"What's a bogey?"

"Unidentified aircraft. Bandits are confirmed enemies. And hostiles are bandits that are shooting at you." I say, giving Sophie a quick lesson through radio terminology.

"That sounds bad!"

"Could be. Could not be. I can't tell. Besides, I don't exactly have a RIO. But the bogeys aren't shooting at us, so I think we're in the clear." I relax. They're probably friendly. And even if they're not, they won't just randomly shoot at us without confirmation, so I can afford to chill for a moment..

"RIO?"

"Radar intercept officer. The backseat is for managing the heavy missiles on the plane. It's a naval term, the army air forces calls backseaters WSOs. Weapon system officers."

"I see." I look back and see Sophie craning her neck to try and get a sight of the planes.

"Don't bother. If they are hostile, they won't bother engaging until we're close."

Our planes draw closer. They're in visual range.

"Unidentified aircraft!" A voice from the radio says. "Identify yourselves immediately!"

That voice. Ballast? Holy shit. I hadn't thought of him in a while.

"Ballast?"

"Salmon?" I can hear some giggling from the other radios. "Geez man, I know you don't know this, but I go by Razor now."

"Wait, commander, what's the story behind Ballast?" One of the wingmen interject.

"Shut it. Alex, are you...friendly?" 

"Are you?" I ask. Ballast and his squadron are in short range army based fighters. At this distance, even with thrust vectoring, our naval interceptor is at a disadvantage. We're unarmed outside of our guns. "I don't want any trouble."

"Are you with the coup?" We're locked on. The alarm starts beeping. We're one button press away from death.

"Mr. Pilot, sir!" Sophie says, speaking up. "I am Princess Sophie Blackmond. I request you cease your uh...whatever it is you're doing to our plane!"

There is a pause. And then the radar lock stops.

"So it's true." Ballast says. "Alex is dating the princess after all."

"D-dating?" Sophie and I say, somewhat in unison.

"No? Well, that's a shame. I've heard from our ground troops that they think you're cute together."

"Do we?" I look back at Sophie, but she's silent. Somehow, I kinda like that. Yeah, so they consider us a cute couple, huh? "So B...Razor, where are you headed to?

"Getting orders from whoever controls our division, I suppose. I'm neutral to all this. I'll follow whoever my commander follows."

"Seriously?" I ask. "You bastard, they're trying to annex our country!" If I could see Ballast right now, I'd give him the beating I've always wanted to give that fucker. "They've murdered the Prime Minister-"

"Didn't you vote against that guy?"

"They're trying marry Sophie off to Karl so that he can use it as an excuse to conquer us!"

"Is that your real motivation, Alex?"

"I won't deny it's a part of it. But I'm a patriot, not like all the dumbasses trying to sell the Elodian nation over to some invading scumbags!" There is a pause.

"If what you said is true, then I'll investigate on the ground. But I don't know the details. And frankly, I'm taking a risk by letting you go. Be thankful for right now, Alex."

"Yeah well, fuck you Ballast. I've always wanted to say that." There's more laughing from the radio from his wingmen.

"I said, it's Razor." 

"Razor, Ballast, whatever. If you're so determined to head to Andilles, which I will remind you, is under siege right now, then go for it." You unpatriotic automaton. 

"Good luck, Alex." Ballast says, and he peels off, heading back towards the direction he was going to. "Aqua Team, on me!"

"You know him?" Sophie asks as Ballast's radar signature fades from our systems.

"Yeah. He was uh, kind of a rival, I guess." I'm not admitting to being bullied by him. That makes me sound weak. And I fought back. "Jackass."

Again, silence befalls our plane.

"Remember the instructor that helped get us airborne? We were in the same training squadron. So...yeah. I just hope he's fighting for the right side, regardless of how much of a bastard he is."

"I don't think he's doing anything wrong, Alex." Sophie says.

"What?" I turn around. "You're the princess, you can't just say that out loud-"

"I never asked to be here." Sophie says. "I'm not an angel. Maybe that's what you meant when you said you weren't a knight. But...it's different. I...maybe I don't want to be an angel." She exhales. "I don't know what happened between you two back in the day, and I won't pry. But at the very least...well, maybe he's doing something wrong. But in theory, most others...can't help it."

I'm silent. I'm not sure if she can see me, but I nod to her for her to continue.

"Maybe he's not just a traitor. Maybe he's afraid of making choices for himself. Maybe he's just afraid of consequences."

"Ah..."

"I'm sure you know him better than I do. But that's how I've lived my entire life so far. Everyone makes choices for you." Sophie sighs. "Not you though. I feel like I can be a bit more free around you...you know."

"I...I wish I could say something right now." A part of me wants to argue back, that while understandable, it's still morally indefensible to go along with evil. But then again, what do I have to lose? The last time I did, I was ten. Do I have the right to say that?

"You're not thinking I'm morally suspect, do you?"

"No. I'm thinking I am. Rules are made to be broken, I say." I reach out, my hands off of the stick. "But at the end of the day, I'm a slave to it. I'm a hypocrite."

"I guess you can count me into that." Sophie suggests as she reclines her chair. "Oh hey, I didn't know the chair did that."

"Maybe we can be hypocrites together." Sophie laughs.

***

We're getting closer to the border of Sapin now. As I do, I see several dots appear on my radar once more.

"Elodian aircraft!" The radio buzzes. "You are about to enter Sapinish airspace. Turn around 180 degrees immediately!"

"Sapinish aircraft, don't shoot. I have a civilian on board." Does...Sophie count as a civilian? I'm not sure, actually.

"H-hello!" Sophie says. "We're seeking a safe place to land in Sapin."

"Negative. I lack the authorization."

"Oh come on!" I say, but I can't complain. I know procedure. You can't just violate procedure.

Hmm, now I'm sounding like Ballast.

"Mr. Pilot, sir, can you not get authorization?"

"And get yelled at by my commander? Hell no." I actually snort at that comment. Despite everything, I feel like we just made major progress here.

"Hey, come on now. You know you'll get yelled at more if you shoot us down here, right? I'm Alexander Benoic, and behind me is Princess Sophie Blackmond of Elodia. I apologize for the uh, sorry state our nation is in, but you wouldn't want to cause a diplomatic row, would you?"

The Sapinish fighters converge around us, but they're silent now. 

"I assume this is good news, right?" Sophie says, excitedly. "Oops, I hope I didn't jinx that..."

"Alexander Benoic, huh?" The Sapinish flight lead finally speaks up. "Welcome to Sapin. By the way, I liked your role as young Samuel since day 1, unlike all of my other wingmen. So be sure to give me an autograph on the ground, alright? Oh, and Merry early Christmas, you two."

I grin.