CROSSFIRE - Atlantis DSV - New Cape Quest

commander of Fighter Group Four from the carrier Constellation was perhaps long overdue,
serving as Fleet Admiral Riley‟s theatre commander for all fighter operations in the eastern
Pacific, but there could be no doubt that like Hitchcock before her, the fleet was losing one of
the best pilots it had ever seen.
Banick pulled his ball cap out of his back pocket and put it on peak-first as he had
always done since taking command of the Commonwealth. It was a small thing - and a
change since he had been on the Atlantis. There he had always put it on from back to front
as Captain Ainsley had done, but in hindsight, it was uncomfortable and awkward as it had
forced his hair forward on to his brow. Truth be told, this was one of probably thousands of
things that had changed about James Banick since that time. Now it seemed like another
lifetime ago, and he couldn‟t be happier to be rid of it...
He repressed a scowl at that singularly unpleasant thought as he saw his XO round
the corner of the hangar and quietly slipped through the crowd to salute the captain in his
ever-understated way. Commander Ryan Callaghan had fallen in to the role of Executive
Officer like a hand in an old glove, and it was a wonder to Banick that he hadn‟t held the
position much sooner than he did. Callaghan had been perhaps the one constant in Banick‟s
career that hadn‟t tried to change, and that too made Banick happier for it.
Banick noticed the folded piece of paper in Callaghan‟s left hand, and he hadn‟t even
finished raising his eyebrow when the XO had handed it to him, his lips pulled in to a tight,
thin line. “I have a distinct impression you‟re going to love this,” he said under his breath and
with no attempt to contain his sarcasm as he looked around the hangar.
Banick unfolded the leaf and scanned down the page slowly – his eyes growing ever
narrower as he did so. He was silent for several long seconds as he reread the message not
once, but twice to be absolutely certain it was clear. It was, and he sighed loudly as he
slipped the page back to Callaghan and ran a hand over his unshaven chin.
Callaghan smiled as he saw this, and tried to hide it before Banick caught his eye. It
was too late, and the Captain‟s eyes told the question before his tongue did. “Something to
add to this, do you?”
Callaghan stopped trying to hide his roguish grin and simply shook his head. “That
thing you just did. He did it as well.”
“Don‟t even fucking try it, Ryan,” spat Banick with venom. “I already have to find a
new Wing Commander, don‟t add XO to the list.”
Callaghan‟s brow furrowed. “Ouch. Language, sir. You‟re in a touchy mood today.”
“I wasn‟t. But this changed that pretty quickly. When did it come through?”
“Just now,” said Callaghan, folding the paper away in to his pocket. “It came straight
from the Constellation herself. Fleet Admiral Riley also requested that we send Raptors and
a shuttle to escort him here.”
“What, the Constellation‟s run out of fighters, now?”
Callaghan paused at that, and gave Banick his best sceptical smile. Banick stopped
too, and closed his eyes as he shook his head. The bitter truth of the matter was that most of
the fleet was running out of fighters, and commanders were getting increasingly hesitant to
spread them any thinner than they already were. “Right. Yeah, I keep forgetting... Alright.
Fine. Arrange it with the FOC, and prepare one of our launches.”
“Sir, we can‟t send them through Alliance lines, they‟ll have to take the Bering Strait.
That‟s a three and a half thousand mile haul.”
Banick turned, and stopped half-step to give Callaghan an icy stare. “Then I suppose
you‟d better send the Rapiers. They‟ve had enough downtime as of late to get their hours
back up.”
Callaghan paused, not quite believing his Captain‟s disregard. Finally, he nodded,
and watched as the Captain disappeared down the corridor. The XO felt another presence
beside him, and turned enough to recognise Commander Dustin Coyle. “What was that all
about?” the fighter pilot inquired.
Callaghan shook his head, and was already walking down the hall when he replied.
“Two-birds, Stones and Roadrunner... Have them report to the pilot‟s briefing room in five
minutes.”
- 46 -