Chapter 18 - The Secret Fighter Jet

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While Maverick and Enterprise are having a great time with Sec. Metcalf and his wife Karen. Somewhere in a deserted airbase in Las Vegas, Nevada. A fighter pilot and his ground crew are dismayed at the results of their training. The jet he is flying is a hypersonic fighter jet. The F/AX-120 Black Stallion. A jet that can make a big difference against the Sirens.

 A jet that can make a big difference against the Sirens

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????: Ugh! I just don't get it. How in the world is thing said to be hypersonic? I can't even get past mach 8.

????: It will take a reckless hotshot fighter pilot to fly that thing Snake.

Snake: I can agree with you on that one Marcus.

Marcus: I heard from scuttlebutt that the project is going to be shelved.

Snake: Well there's nothing else we can do about it. I can't get it done. I'm sure no one else can.

Marcus: Such a waste if it's left out here in the desert.

Snake: Yeah. This thing will be eating a lot dust. And become useless.

Marcus: I wonder if he could fly this baby.

Snake: Who?

Marcus: Lt. Cdr. Wilfredo Fernandez. Call sign Maverick.

Snake: Maverick? Who is he?

Marcus: He is a reckless hotshot fighter pilot. Scuttlebutt says that he was grounded by his C.O.

Snake: Grounded huh. On what basis?

Marcus: He made a high speed flyby at the ship's air traffic control tower.

Snake: Just for that he gets grounded? Kinda small infraction for him to be grounded.

Marcus: Well not if you have done it six times. That's how he was grounded.

Snake: Holy shit! Six times? Man I couldn't even pull it off even if I got permission.

Marcus: Well scuttlebutt says that he did it without being given permission to do a flyby.

Snake: Man I envy him right now. I wonder what he is doing right now.

Marcus: I don't know. But something tells me that he could be dating a girl right now.

As Lt. Charlie "Snake" Monroe and his chief mechanic Marcus Anderson continue to discuss about Maverick. The other ground crew continue to work on the hypersonic fighter jet. A few days after their final test flight. The results was still lower than what is expected. The entire project has been decided to be shelved. However the aircraft is ordered to be sent to Azur Lane headquarters a week after the project has been shelved. Process of delivery is place under wraps. Any information about the aircraft and the transfer to Azur Lane is kept secret from the media. Everything is going well according to plan. The jet is now being secretly placed on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Which is currently docked at Newport, Virginia. Not a soul is allowed to talk about their secret cargo. It's placed inside the hangar together with its spare parts. It's now sailing towards Bremerton, Washington DC.

Meanwhile back in Washington DC, Maverick and Enterprise are now leaving the restaurant while saying their goodbyes to Sec. Metcalf and his wife Karen. They hail a taxi cab and order the driver to take them back to the hotel where they're currently checked in. They decide to go to sleep early and prepare themselves for the long trip back to Azur Lane. As the former hotshot fighter pilot goes to bed. He is bothered by what his ex-girlfriend said to him earlier. He knows that Audrey is the type of girl who never gives up easily. He was lucky that she didn't see through his lie about losing the loving feeling. For he is now beginning to fall in love with Enterprise. Once again he takes out the picture of him and Samantha from his bag. Maverick quickly kisses the photo and goes to sleep. As he falls asleep in his hotel room. The USS Theodore Roosevelt is now sailing out of Bremerton, Washington DC. It passes by the Statue of Liberty. The officers and crew look at Lady Liberty for one last time. They know that it will take them another five years to get back home. Many of them are on their first tour of duty. While the others are veterans of previous conflicts around the world.

Time Skip:

Maverick and Enterprise have just checked out of the hotel. While waiting for a taxi. Three military humvees appear from on the other side of the hotel. Then they stop in front of the former hotshot fighter pilot and the ship girl. A soldier steps out from one of the three humvees. He immediately salutes Maverick while calling him out.

????: Lt. Cdr. Fernandez sir!

Maverick: (Salutes back.) At ease soldier. What's your name?

????: Sgt. William MacNumara sir!

Maverick: Alright Sgt. MacNumara what do you want from me. And who ordered you to pick me up at at this hotel?

Sgt. MacNumara: Me and my men were ordered by defense secretary Metcalf to come here and pick you and Miss Enterprise up sir. And escort you back to Henderson Naval Airbase sir.

Maverick: I see. So the old man still cares for me. Anyways I will take you up on the offer. It looks like there are no taxi cabs at this hour.

Sgt. MacNumara: We will carry your luggage for you sir. In the meantime you and Miss Enterprise can ride in the other humvee.

Maverick: (Opens the door for Enterprise.) Go ahead Entry, ladies first.

Enterprise: (blushes) Thank you Doodzki. I didn't know that you're a gentleman. (Gets inside the humvee.)

Maverick: (Gets inside as well.) Like I said earlier. I'm like my ancestor Willy. I maybe a reckless hotshot fighter pilot. But I am a gentleman by nature. (Looks out the window and signals the army sargeant to move out.)

Sgt. MacNumara: (Gets inside the other humvee.) Alright! V.I.P.s are good to go! Let's roll out Pvt. Peterson.

Pvt. Peterson: Yes sir!

The three humvees move out and head straight to Henderson Naval Airbase. While they are on their way towards the base. The ground crew pulls out the Boeing 737 that Maverick and Enterprise boarded on with one of the Huffers. They position it at the tarmac and start it up. The pilot and his co-pilot check out all the instrument panels and controls. Including the aircraft's communication line. Thirty minutes later the former naval aviator and his entourage arrive at the base. Two navy ground troops manning the guardhouse stops them in front of the gate. Sgt. MacNumara shows him his ID and points to the second humvee. The guard sees Maverick and immediately signal his partner to open the gates. At a push of a button, the steel gates open wide enough for a single vehicle to pass through. They continue to move towards the tarmac where Maverick's plane is waiting. After a few minutes they stop in front of the plane. The soldiers get off their humvees and start carrying Maverick's and Enterprise's luggage into the Boeing 737. Afterwards Maverick and Enterprise get off their humvee and proceed to the aircraft.

Sgt. MacNumara and his men decide to give him one final salute. After that the former hotshot fighter pilot and the ship girl board the aircraft. The pilot and his co-pilot taxi the plane towards the runway. He then radios the tower for permission to take off. Upon being given the green light to take off. The pilot revs up the engine and proceeds to take off. As soon as they are airborne, Maverick once again takes a nap. Enterprise does the same thing and rests her head on Maverick's shoulder. In her mind, she doesn't want the moment to end. Meanwhile the USS Theodore Roosevelt is now in international waters. The precious cargo that it is carrying is under tight security. No one is allowed to go near it. Except the ship's special guest passengers. Five different persons who will assist Maverick in operating the hypersonic fighter jet. In their minds, they know that he might be the one to make the Black Stallion to reach mach 10.

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