The cool desert night air whispered across Ara’s sleek fuselage as she taxied out of her sheltered parking spot at Nellis Air Force Base. The stars were a dazzling array overhead, a canvas of distant lights guiding her as she prepared for takeoff. She could feel the weight of the day’s missions and sorties pressing on her, a heaviness that seemed to cling to her every rivet and panel.

Ara’s engine roared to life, the sound a familiar, comforting rumble that resonated through her. Yet, tonight, even that sound felt muted, as if her own spirit was too subdued to truly revel in the power she wielded. She launched into the air with a grace and precision that was second nature to her, but her heart wasn’t in it. She needed to escape, to fly alone, to find clarity in the solitude of the night sky.

“Goddess 16. Contact Nellis approach on 127.65”
The tower said as they handed her off to the next air space controller.

“127.65 for goddess……. 16” she replied back in a slow and very saddened voice. Only amplifying what it was she felt.
The desert stretched out below her, a vast, empty expanse that mirrored the emptiness she felt in all her systems. The mountains and canyons, bathed in the soft glow of the moon, seemed to welcome her into their embrace. She flew low, weaving through the canyons with a precision that came from countless flights, exercises and mock dog fights, her thoughts as turbulent as the air currents she navigated.

“What is wrong with me?” she pondered, her mind racing as fast as her engine. “I should feel alive up here, in the place I love most. But instead, all I feel is this overwhelming sense of...Dreed.”

She thought of Ryan, her pilot and her partner in every sense. He understood her better than anyone, and yet, even his presence hadn’t been enough to shake this malaise. She wondered if he noticed, if he could sense the growing pain within her. He was always so attuned to her, his touch on her controls gentle yet firm, his voice in her comms a steady anchor.

Ara flew higher, leaving the canyons behind as she soared into the open sky. The stars seemed closer here, almost within reach. She wished she could feel their warmth, their light, something to chase away the shadows and deamons creeping into her thoughts.

“Maybe it’s the pressure”, she mused. The endless missions, the expectations and the training. But it’s more than that. I love flying, I love serving, but... something’s else is the issue .

She banked left, starting her journey back to the base. The solitude had given her some clarity, but the answers still eluded her. As she descended, the lights of Nellis and Las Vegas came into view, a beacon of familiarity and comfort. But even then, she couldn’t shake the possibility of consequences waiting for her since she technically went up unauthorized.

Touching down with a gentle thud, Ara taxied back to her sheltered parking spot. As she powered down her engine, she saw Ryan walking up her, his face etched with worry. He approached her, his hands brushing against her nose cone and other sensors like her AOA probes in a gesture that was both intimate and reassuring.

“Ara,” he said softly, his voice carrying over the gentle hum of her gyros spinning down. “Are you okay? I was worried when I was told you’d gone out alone.”

She let out a sigh, a sound that was more mechanical than human, but he understood it nonetheless. “I don’t know, Ryan. I just... needed to clear my mind.”

He nodded, his expression softening with understanding. “Talk to me, Ara. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

She hesitated, searching for the right words. “I feel... disconnected. Like I’m just going through the motions. Flying is what I love, but lately, it feels... empty. I don’t know if it’s the stress of not being a good enough aggressor anymore or if this pending deployment is shaking my every fastener”

Ryan stepped closer, his hand resting on her fuselage. “We’ll figure it out together. You’re not just a fighter, Ara. You’re so much more, and I love you for that.”

The warmth of his words seeped into her, a balm for her troubled mind. She felt the weight lifting, just a little, as she leaned into his touch. “Thank you, Ryan. For listening and being here.”

“Always,” he replied, his voice a promise. “We’ll get through this, I promise.”

As the night wrapped around them, Ara felt a flicker of hope reignite within her. With Ryan by her side, she knew she could face whatever lay ahead. For now, that was enough.