Until Fairer Skies Beckon

by totallynotabrony

Chapter 4

Rainbow lay in misery on the rickety bed. The metal frame was rusty and the springs squeaked at every movement. There was no mattress, just a folded blanket.

Other beds in various states of disrepair filled the small bunkhouse. Not all of them were in use. All of them were disgusting. But compared to what Rainbow was feeling, it mattered little to her. She wasn’t sure if she was hungry, hungover, or suffering from dysentery. Maybe some of each.

The members of the Flyers Club had hosted celebration of Rainbow’s first mission. It wasn’t good booze, and it wasn’t even really a party. The alcohol was locally made, and poorly. The company was…well, part of the company. Even if the group of pilots kidnapped by the UTA did feel some kinship from the shared circumstances, they were all still in it for their own selves. Pug made that clear, still fuming about Lightning taking credit for shooting down the helicopter.

Rainbow, remembering the circumstances that led to her abduction, had taken exactly one sip of the offered beverage. Not that the taste would have inclined her to keep going. And yet, here she was in bed.

She slowly sat up, head swimming, and guts doing something quite a bit more energetic. It was almost enough to distract her from the new bug bites that had appeared all over her body overnight.

This was her third day in Talongo, and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take. Not that Rainbow would have wished this on anyone, even her worst enemies, but she really wished her friends were with her. They could make anything more bearable.

They must be worried sick about her. There was no way for her to even tell them she was alive.

Rainbow’s cell phone had been taken, if it even got service here. The jets had only low-powered radios. There were no phones or computers available to any of the pilots.

Presumably, there was some kind of long range communications ability in the heavily guarded headquarters building on base. That was likely also where they kept the maps which Rainbow could use to find out where she was. It seemed obvious now why they’d gone on a combat mission with only vague directions and little fuel. Everything the UTA did was designed to trap her. She had no idea where she was, and if she deviated from the planned course even a little, one of her supposed wingmen would shoot her down in the hopes of getting their own terms of servitude reduced.

Rainbow heard jets landing outside and walked to the door. Two MiGs, an Alpha Jet, and the L-39 were taxiing off the runway after a mission. Rainbow decided to go see who they were.

Look at her, trying to make new friends. Rainbow still had trouble putting complete faith in any of them. Not even Kiel, who’d told her the others would stab her in the back given the opportunity.

She desperately wished to be with her friends again.

The planes turned off the taxiway one by one and dispersed to go back to their respective hangars. One of the Fishbeds turned into hangar four. It was Kiel’s plane, then.

Rainbow wasn’t sure why the MiG-21 was called “Fishbed.” Well, she knew why, because the US Air Force needed something to nickname it, but that didn’t explain why someone had picked that.

She kept walking. The next MiG down the line had its canopy open. As she got closer, she saw it was Stratus Jade.

Further down the flight line was the L-39. She’d flown with this pilot the previous day, but whoever they were, they hadn’t shown up later. Rainbow stopped and waited as the pilot climbed down.

He took off his helmet, showing tan skin. His hair looked good sweaty. He was somehow cleanshaven, and it did wonders for his jawline.

“Hi,” she said. “We haven’t met.”

“You were Six yesterday, right?” he said. There was something in his voice, perhaps a touch of Spanish.

She nodded. “I’m Rainbow Dash.”

He offered his hand. “Striker Cyclone.”

He even smiled. Rainbow consciously avoided dwelling on it. She said, “Striker, huh?” making conversation.

He nodded. “Fits me pretty well, I’d say. I was playing football before I came here.”

“Soccer?” He had Rainbow’s attention now and it had nothing to do with his looks. “Do you have a ball?”

“Well, it’s almost a ball. We play sometimes. The guards sometimes try to play us.”

“Count me in,” said Rainbow. “I’m always down for soccer.”

“Football,” he corrected gently, though the way he smiled he might have found it amusing. He turned back to his plane. “I have to finish post-flight here, but stop by sometime, yes?”

“Totally,” she said. “Good to meet you.”

Rainbow turned away, walking further down the flight line, though for the first time since arriving she found herself wishing for more conversation.

The pilot of the Alpha Jet was just getting out as Rainbow approached. From the shape of the flight suit and the dreadlocks revealed when the helmet came off, Rainbow could tell it was a woman. She was still surprised as the pilot turned to face her. Part of it was the face tattoos. Part of it was how she grinned like a predator when she saw Rainbow.

“Rainbow Dash,” she said, drawing out the words. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“I didn’t think there was that much to hear,” said Rainbow. She’d only been on base for three days. “Who are you?”

“My name is Pantera Prowl, though you can call me ma’am, or mistress.”

Was she serious? Rainbow honestly couldn’t tell. She laughed and tried to hide it as a cough.

Pantera turned as a man came hurrying over. “Afua, there you are. Two more.” She pointed up to where six small white skulls were painted below the cockpit.

Rainbow stared, and then glanced at the rest of the jet. The weapons Pantera had gone out with were all gone. There was a bloom of soot around the muzzle of the gun port.

Turning back, Pantera grabbed Rainbow’s hand. “Walk with me.”

Still creeped out, but with no reason to say no, Rainbow went. Pantera’s hands were covered with several rings and bracelets.

“Let’s talk about you,” she said.

“Why do you care?” Rainbow asked.

“Would you ask your friends that question?”

“Are you my friend?”

Pantera looked at her. “Friendship is magic, you know.”

Rainbow stopped dead, staring.

Pantera smirked. “What, don’t you believe in magic?”

Comments

[TitaniumTao]

Is this a crossover of area 88?

[totallynotabrony]

8259468
No.

[VampDash]

Hm...... interesting I will admit.

[Neece]

I wonder if Rainbow knows she has one of the best planes possible for this kind of environment and role.

So, that ending certainly threw me for a loop. In this AU, did everything with equestria happen? If so, that makes it all that much more interesting.

Anyway, have a like!

[Scorch215]

8259476
It sort of sounds it since the long description is the plot of Area 88.

[totallynotabrony]

8259716
I know. Which is why I put a disclaimer in an author note on the first chapter.

[totallynotabrony]

8259691
The light CAS, yes. Most everything else, not so much.

[Neece]

8260520
How so? Wait, is it a Tucano (EMB 312) or a Super Tucano (EMB 314)? If the former, yeah, not that good. Though I doubt they'd have access to a actually modern plane. Even if at "only" 900k.

[Profesionalac]

8260520
A saw MIGs in the picture a 21 and 17(?).

[totallynotabrony]

8263158
The center plane in the picture was supposed to be a -21

The swept wing plane on the right was intended to be the Hawker Hunter

[totallynotabrony]

8260566
Regular Tucano. Yeah, the Super has its guns built in and doesn't need pods.