"Some Kind of Arrival"

Posted on Thu Jul 23rd, 2020 @ 6:48am by Captain Sandy "Ghost" Shannon

Finally getting settled in her office, Sandy replicated a large hamburger, fried, peach cobbler, and sweet iced tea, and ate greedily. She was hungry and tired from flying 6 hours to the Sunfire.

Computer Open Personal Log.

Once I got my orders finalized, I tossed my flight bag and meager possessions into the second seat of "Lightening 1" and launched my valkyre from the base. I had 6 hours of flight time ahead of me and I prayed it would be uneventful if there was such a thing. I knew one thing however, if there would be any problems it would be about 3 hours out.

Sure enough, as I live and breathe, I ran smack dab into an aerial dog fight between three Maquis and five Orion fighters. If there is one thing I hate, it is the odds, and in this case it would go to the Orions. The Maquis were out numbered and out gunned and basically out maneuvered by these quick little mosquitoes picking and dodging in and out. Well what could I do, but announce who I was and why were they fighting. With the answer I got made my mind up and I went after the Orions. It didn't take me long to dispatch three Orions before the others ran with their tails between their legs. Getting much thanks on the part of the Maquis, I resumed my Trek to the Sunfire.

Finally, three hours later I saw her docked, whoa I thought, that's some bird. Doing a fly by, I took a good long look at what was to be my new home. She was beautiful, sleek and when I saw the bay doors open, a challenge crept into my mind. How about I fly inverted, and then rotate 180 degrees and land her. By the time I had finished thinking about it, I had a devious grin on my face. Sandy, I said, this is either gonna scare the shit out of the bay flight crew or get me a reprimand for doing the stunt. Well I didn't see the other shuttle approaching before I started my landing. Had I seen the shuttle I probably would not have done it but......

I was approaching the bay doors, and suddenly rolled upside down and entered about 500 feet before I rotated right side up. That's when I saw the shuttle! Pulling up about three feet from the top of the roof of the fighter bay, I had to do a half turn port, missing a bulkhead, and finally coming straight down, pin point on the parking space intended for my fighter. I have no idea how the hell it got done but I know I sent the crews scattering and probably scared the hell out of who ever was in the shuttle. Talk about entrances.....

Computer end log.

Sandy was chuckling still as she remembered the shocked faces of the crews as they fled. She was sure to get a chewing out from the captain, but you have to be prepared to do stunts like this to get your ships back to your mother's bay doors. Something she had to do on many occasions along with talking pilots to shook up to land their own fighters on the flight deck.

Lt. Sandy "Ghost"Shannon
CAG
USS Sunfire