WargamesIVa

Mansel's friend nodded. "The Stealths have to go through a little cross-training with UNSF Intel and the EDF as well. For those missions we don't ever get to hear about," he finished, also finishing his Root Beer and handing it to Mansel to refill. "I'm going to see. Will you be there?"

Mansel shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I have patrol duty in five days."

Brungess winced as Mansel refilled and handed his cup back to him. "Ewww...nasty business, having to do patrol after coming off leave."

"Yeah," Mansel agreed. "I know the Explorer-A has patrol duty too, later on this year, near the end."

"Big ships like us shouldn't have to do patrol?" protested Lieutenant Patterson-Mansel, who had came to sit next to her husband on a nearby kitchen stool. "We should be out..."

"Saving the universe?" Brungess finished after she could no think of anything suitable to say. "You can't do that every waking moment, Ontavia,"

"I know," she mumbled, feeling dejected. "But we can still try."
***

Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
10:01 SET
2197

"Alright, quiet the racket," said Captain Vaughn to the group of men, women, and aliens in the room. Instantly, the background buzz of different conversations erupted in thunderous applause, celebrating their former Executive Office's temporary return to the ranks of Stealth Squadron. Captain Murdock, the current XO of the Stealths, was on a hush-hush mission at the moment, so Captain Vaughn gladly took the opportunity to snatch up the chance to return to his first love: flying.

After a mintue of shouts and yelps of acclaim directed at Vaughn, the room finally quieted down. "Thank you for the applause," said the Captain. "I appreciated the kindness and warmth I've recieved today, but we have more important stuff to worry about. Seems as if we're in some kind of contest with some other bums that claim themselves to be pilots. Anybody heard of that?"

Once again, the room bursted with applause. "We can take 'em!" shouted Lieutenant Stephanie Steel.

"That's right," said Commander Skip Taylor from his position at the head of the briefing room, slightly behind and to the left of Vaughn. Now, he rose out of his resting spot and took the center stage as Vaughn retreated to his seat.

The briefing room was reminiscent of old college-style lecture rooms. The rows curved from one end of the room to the other, which swivel chairs attached to the bottom of the table that surved the Stealths no current purpose. Lieutenant Carsmite Anderson, the ninth Stealth, especially loved these seats and thier swivel features. Somehow, the idea of swivel chairs had not made it to Saturn, the building block of so many crucial UNSF ships, including the Explorer and the Stealth's current Lancer III fighter plane.

"It's us versus the Skylords, Blackwood's group," Commander Taylor continued, pacing back and forth across the span of a few feet. Like every other wargame, it will consist of a network via simulators. Last time, the Skylords came up with an unexpected plan to take out some of our weaker members and leave us more experienced pilots to be picked off by their full squadron.

"It is true that the Skylords are the best fighters the UNSF has. There is no need to fulfill your heads with delusions that we can hang them out to dry. We do, however, have the ability to beat them, though. We have something they don't... determination. Defeat these guys, and for a short period of time, we can be considered the best fighter squadron the UNSF has. Never before have the 177th Stealths been able to hold that title--the Skylords have held it for far too long. It's high time we stop being second best."

"I'm tired of being in the ladies room!" yelled Lieutenant Vladmir Vessey. The Russian's poorly timed outburst earned a few chuckles throughout the crowd.

"Keep in mind that this is only a game, and that we're all on the same side at the end of the day," warned Captain Vaughn from his place behind Taylor. "Don't make this a personal vendetta. We're not out for revenge; only a little recognition."

"We can't let the Skylords take us out like they did last time," Commander Taylor continued. "We're certain that they won't take the same approach as they did last time; the Stealths are smarter than that. What would be good was a look at some of their attack patterns and try to rule out what would and wouldn't work against us. Hopefully from there, we can elimiate a few tactics and prepare a defense against their possible ones."

"I'm ten steps ahead of ya, boss," decalred Lieutenant Stephanie Steel, producing from seemingly nowhere rolled up charts that Taylor hoped were some of the Skylords's flight patterns. The Intelligence officer for the Stealths had done good. It was rare that Lieutenant Steel provided them with bad intelligence.
***

Nellis AFB - Fighter Weapons School - Nevada
11: 45 SET
2197

The Skylords themselves have not forgotten their ten minute triumph over the Stealths. Their current domination in the Maple Flag excersise proved how deadly they where. The Skylords found themselves in yet another wargame, this time it was UNSF fighter squadrons versus the EDF fighter squadrons. Usually Maple Flag was held in the Northwest Territories of Canada or around Nova Scotia, but recent demonstrating by peace activists forced the wargames to be moved. As a final gesture of defiance and remeberance, the Skylords, while outbound just buzzed everyone of the activists still on the ground. It was the most notorious Skylord squad member, DaNasty, who coaxed the rest of the his squadron to join in going hypersonic across the ground right over the activists, effectively booming the poor civilians. Commander Jim "Dark Ace" Blackwood smiled to himself thinking back on that day when the final Stealth kill was called. He was suddenly jolted back into the world of the current, his RIO, Grande, had taken control from the back seat of the fighter they were both. "You awake up there Blackwood?" Grande asking under a grunt as he pulled back in the stick.

"Yeah, why you ask?" Blackwood slightly annoyed.

"You mean you didnt see that large pointy rock infront of you."

"What mountain?"

"Exactly..."

"Whats our situation now?"

"2 EDF fighters squadrons are gone now. Not many left. I think DaNasty is just about to finish off the last two from the remaining EDF squadron. Then the UNSF side effectively wins this wargame."

"Another victory for us I suppose."

"Nah, this was way too easy."

"I remember a phrase my dad said while fightin the Imps, 'If god's on our our side then who the hell could be on there's?' Just whose side is god on this time around I wonder."