Cast between Worlds
Chapter 2; Without a backwards glance.
Eight years later
Three years of training in Colorado Airbase's officer training college, two years of flight specialist training, a year of special operations training and then two years of black ops missions in South America and now the twenty-four year old Harry Potter was the most bored man alive or at least he felt it.
The British Military had arranged for his transfer to America, he'd been given a dual citizenship and had been given permission to join their Air force and after three years had graduated at the top of his class with an honour award for excellence. At nineteen he had been rated as a Second Lieutenant and went into a Flight Specialist and discovered that his love of broomstick and glider flying translated to jet craft. He became one of the best pilots in the American Air Force and held many of the records for dog fighting and time trials.
After two years of training and simulated and real bombing runs across the world he had been drafted into Special Ops. training and had trained for a year before being assigned to police parts of South America, particularly the Amazon rainforest where his manipulation of the weather came in handy. Now as Lieutenant Potter he was crawling through the Jungle after spying on one of the drug gangs' base of operations. The kind of place that they hid their drugs or kept their prisoners before ransoming them off or killing them.
It had been the same thing for the last two years, spying on facilities before reporting on them. Sometime he would then get a second to help him take it out or they'd send in a crack team to wipe it out or occasionally he'd get sealed orders telling him to call his power forward and wipe the place off the surface of the world. That only happened though when the facility was in plain view. He'd killed an American citizen in league with a gang of terrorists that way by creating a twister that had wiped out his house in the middle of the city of Brasilia.
His latest target was a group that was getting very lucky with its captures and ransoms. Four of the last five major political people from Europe and the United States had been captured and one of them killed. It stunk of an inside job to Harry so he had taken extra care to keep his own movements secret and left as much as he could out of his reports.
Even so when he got back to his own hideout in Manaus within the Amazon rainforest he was more than irritated to find a small note jotted on a post-it note in his room. It was a 'to arrange a meeting' note. He sighed before slipping out. Supposedly his contact would be at the local café-pub all afternoon waiting for him.
He walked into the café-pub with an air of uncaring. He had set up shop in the large town since he didn't need a cover and could operate freely without worrying about being noticed. The place was filled with tourist, humanitarians and 'business men'. He sat at the bar and ordered and apple juice. The barman gave him a strange look but gave him the desired drink. He drunk exactly a third of it in one gulp and then placed it on the table turning it slightly with his left hand in slow circles. All part of the code described in the note. He saw the agent before he'd even stood to speak to him. The look of recognition of the code was enough to gain his attention. The man was about his height but older with slightly messy black hair and gleaming eyes. To Harry he stuck out like a sore thumb, luckily the man had taken the appearance of a tourist so it wouldn't matter to anybody else.
He downed the rest of his drink and left the bar heading out into the sugar fields that surrounded the town since they would hide them from sight from anyone else, even those in the fields. He waited for the man to catch up to him before turning slightly and more obviously looking searching the man with his eyes. "The gun on the floor please." He said simply.
The man did as he was asked though he didn't seem to like it. Harry copied the motion with his own gun and then smiled slightly. Both knew that the other had a knife on them but neither would demand the other to completely unarm themselves even if it was protocol. "You Potter?"
"Yeah." Harry replied. "Who are you?"
"Name's Sheppard. I have new orders for you." The man said sounding like he'd rather be anywhere else than here being a courier. Harry took the orders and read them other.
"You seen these?" Harry asked disgusted. The man nodded though he didn't know why Harry was so upset about them. Their orders were to sneak into the base and rescue the Royal Air Force pilot that had been captured two weeks before. It was a ridiculous when Harry could just decimate the place and then rescue him or her quietly.
"What's your problem with them? They seem straight forward to me?"
"I haven't reported that I think somebody high up is working with them for a profit. This could be a trap to get two more hostages." Harry explained waving the orders in the air.
"That's a bit of a leap." Sheppard pointed out.
"You haven't seen their base of operations. It's impenetrable for just the two of us and I said so in my last report." Harry told him.
"Maybe they don't think you're experienced enough to know what is impenetrable or not." Sheppard suggested.
"You don't strike me as an idiot Sheppard so don't try to act like it."
"Watch it, Potter."
"Ranks don't count out here," Harry retorted. "I've been in this area watching them for the last six weeks. I know what I'm looking at."
"You think this is a trap?" Sheppard asked.
"I think there's some guy in the Pentagon that is working with these guys to feed them information on possible victims and then gives them warnings of possible incursions." Harry explained. "That's the only way they could build up like this without somebody in the Pentagon doing something."
"Either way we can't leave someone in there. We have to at least try to get in there." Sheppard pointed out.
"Fine but we do it my way."
"And what is your way?" Sheppard questioned.
"I go in and you watch. With that kind of defence one will be better than two and if I get captured then you can have the proof you need." Harry told him.
"You could be tortured." Sheppard pointed out.
"I've been tortured before in worse ways." Harry told him remembering his bout of the Cruciatus curse.
Sheppard gave him a sharp look but agreed to the plan. He might be the senior but Harry had the experience with this particular gang. The only thing that they were worried about was Harry being killed before they could get in a bigger force to deal with the place.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Two days later
Harry crawled up to the outskirts of the perimeter fence in the dark of the moon. The base didn't have electrical power so they didn't have perimeter lights so he and Sheppard had chosen to wait and make their move that night. Sheppard was harnessed into a tree almost half a mile away with night vision goggles filming every move that he made. If this went sideways they at least have the proof they wanted that there was somebody calling illegal shots in Washington.
Harry cut through the barbed wire fence and crawled through. He waited on the outskirts of the low light from the nearest building and listened to Sheppard's whisper in his ear. "You've got nobody on the scopes. Nobody on watch at all. This isn't right. Pull back."
Harry ignored him; he couldn't answer without risking somebody hearing him. Sheppard's voice was back in his ear. "I told you to pull back!"
Harry paused but started to edge backwards. Before he could move though ten men burst from the nearest building with night vision goggles and before he knew it he was held tightly by three of them. A man before him that he recognised from his own photos as the leader pulled a gun and shot him in the leg. He cried out in pain and just about heard Sheppard's shout in his ear when somebody struck him in the back of the head and he saw white.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Some time later
Harry woke with a soft groan but with years of training he didn't move. He wasn't tied up, not even his hands but the shot wound on his leg was only bandaged with a scrap of shirt, probably not even by his captors. He couldn't believe he had been right.
That ambush was too precise yet the way they had moved suggested they'd been lying in wait for something to happen but not when. And since Sheppard hadn't called in to report the plan that was exactly what they had expected. He just hoped that Sheppard had called for help and made a noise about it or the high up traitor would be able to squash it. If he'd managed to order two to take out an impregnable fortress of men then he was perfectly capable of doing much more.
"Harry, are you ok?" A familiar voice rang in his ears and he almost had a heart attack of panic as he heard it.
"Michael!" Harry sat up and looked around assessing the room that he and his old school friend were trapped in. Another man was propped up against the wall but by the look of it he was a local and was very much dead if the smell had anything to say about it. "How did you get here?"
"I was shot down from a recon plane over Uruguay." Michael told him. Harry realised that he must be the RAF officer that had been reported captured by this group.
"Well you're in central Brazil now." Harry told him making his eyes widen dramatically at the revelation. "What have they done to you?"
"Nothing worse then that gun shot wound they gave you last night." Michael told him. "I'm the first Brit they've had so they're being careful about how they treat me."
"Treatment that I don't think will carry over to me." Harry sighed. He detailed everything he knew about the men that were holding them captive as he unwound Michael's temporary bandage around his GSW or gun shot wound and poked and prodded it to check for infection. He then tore off a strip of his own shirt and tied it around the wound carefully. By the end of the story Michael to furious. His own capture was too precisely timed to be anything but a trap and only somebody high up could have done it.
They quieted and pretended not to know each other as they heard footsteps coming up to their hut. The door opened roughly and they were both grabbed and dragged across the bright grounds outside to another hut. Harry wondered if help was on the way yet or not. He knew a tactical Black Ops. Team was stationed in Brasilia but it all depended on whether Sheppard had gone straight to them or sent a report off to the Pentagon. Harry hoped he had Sheppard's personality right otherwise he'd be dead before help arrived, if it arrived.
Harry saw white as he was chucked onto the floor carelessly and Michael came down on top of his stomach with all due lack of grace. Harry groaned as a foot met the side of his head and he felt blood start to slide down his face.
'Something's not right here.' Harry thought as he looked around the room, blearily making eye contact with Michael who looked dazed but not as worried as he should be. They just didn't train Pilots like Black Ops. Specialists so he didn't know something was off about the situation.
Harry's first clue was the lack of any torture equipment, no wires, no tools, nothing. Harry braced himself as he was pulled to his feet and found himself facing a South American man.
"I want the location of the tactical group. Now!" The man told him in simple English. Harry glared, the man knew far too much about their tactics. Harry refused and answer even as one of the others kicked Michael in the chin, probably dislocating his jaw. Blood seeped out of the side of Michael's mouth; he'd bit his tongue or his cheek. "Where is your partner? The one sent to aid you."
Harry met his glare with a stoic look before finding his face planted into the ground as a baton smacked into his shoulder blades. Harry coughed up a bit of blood but pushed himself back up onto his knees. "It doesn't matter, it's only a matter of time before he reports in and we get told where he is hiding."
Harry saw Michael's eyes widen at the confession. The man had just admitted that he had been set up by somebody in the Pentagon. The man stepped forwards and twisted his boot into Harry's leg, right over his bullet wound. Harry bite back a cry as the tissue was torn apart around the wound but he refused to scream.
"Tell me what I want to know." The man repeated almost gently before pulling a gun from behind his back. Harry's eyes flashed black for an instant and Michael tried a weak smirk as he realised what was happening. "Very well then." The man said rather oblivious to what Harry was doing.
The darkness vanished from his eyes as the man squeezed the trigger. Harry couldn't hold back the cry of despair as he friends body was thrown backwards as the bullet caught him straight in the heart. Harry watched as the life faded from his eyes.
The six men in the room began laughing but the laughs only fuelled his rage. His eyes went pitch black and the room went dark as the grey clouds he had already formed went black. Cries erupted from the outside of the room as the men turned to look at him with shocked looks as they met his black eyes. Electricity sparked off of him sending the two holding him back into the walls. Harry pushed himself up to his feet before everything went to chaos.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Helicopter above the Amazon Rainforest
Sheppard flew low over the tree tops towards the base as the sky darkened horribly; he'd never seen the weather change like this before. "Looks like we've got some bad weather closing in, guys." He spoke through his microphone to the six men geared up behind him. He'd taken Potter's advice and contacted the tactical squad directly so it couldn't be countered by Potter's spy.
"Is that a twister!?" One of the men's voices gasped in his ear. He spun his head to look around and saw that the clouds were reaching down from above to meet columns of dirt and leaves spiralling up from the trees. He looked around and counted.
"We've got three heading for the base." Sheppard spoke into his microphone again. The helicopter bucked wildly as winds buffeted it as lightning lit the sky striking the trees and ground.
"Mission's scrubbed, Major!" Sheppard flinched, he'd known as soon as he'd seen the weather that he'd have to divert but he had hoped.
"Affirmative Colonel." Sheppard replied.
"Don't sweat it, Major." The tactical team's leader told him. "We'll put down in Manaus and scope the area. If your guy's still alive we'll find him."
Sheppard nodded to himself before swinging the helicopter towards the south-east.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Base
Harry had painstakingly dragged Michael's body to the tree line before going back in to search for the other prisoners. There were none so he waited at the sidelines as the area was devastated by his tornados and lightning strikes. He was fascinated by the twisters that he had created. They were far more powerful then anything he'd created before and they didn't seem to want to fade either.
He turned away as the storm began to weaken and spread out into the normal weather systems creating strong winds and rain across the area and he began to lug Michael back through the trees. According to his watch it was nearing sunset by the time he was found. Two figures in combat clothing appeared out of the trees and pointed their P-90s at him.
Harry gently lowered Michael's body to the ground before facing them more squarely though he wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep for a week. His beating and the gun shot wound were taking their toll on him and he was glad to note that they were definitely American. "Lieutenant Potter?" One asked.
He nodded before staggering to his knees in relief. A strong grip caught him around the shoulders and he dimly noticed Sheppard appearing from somewhere. "Who's that, Potter?"
"Michael Greyley. Royal…" He muttered before his throat closed up.
"Don't worry, Lieutenant. We'll make sure he gets back to England." The first man told him.
"Sheppard?" Harry lifted his head to find them man. "I got a name."
Sheppard perked himself up and turned to the first man. "Colonel, we have a name of a traitor in the Pentagon working with the criminals here to capture operatives."
"Good work. It just became your job to not let anybody get near him until he's able to give testimony." The Colonel ordered. Whatever was said after that was lost to Harry as he fell into a deep sleep.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Colorado Military Hospital
Harry had spent a week recovering in Brasilia before being flown to England for Michael's funeral. He had said a few words, propped up on his crutch, as the man that had seen him die though most of it was classified. He'd spent the night with Michael's family who he knew from Christmas' and summer holidays when he was at Vixcom and then on his few opportunities for leave after going to America.
After that Harry was flown to the Pentagon to give a report to the Pentagon and with the confession he had gotten from his torturer whilst the building was burning down around them was enough to put a man away for a very long time. After that wearying week he'd been sent to recover in the main Air Force Hospital in Colorado Springs near to his own college.
Two months and he was getting so bored of his stay that he was tempted to try an escape even though he didn't have anywhere to go at the moment. He had an apartment in Colorado Springs but he hadn't been there in almost two years. There was a knock at his door and two men walked in, a Colonel and a Captain.
Harry stood up quickly and snapped off a salute. Ever since he had been deemed healthy he had taken to wearing his uniform again. "At ease Lieutenant. My name is Colonel Patrick and this is Captain Bennett, we have new orders for you."
Harry accepted the orders quietly dreading another stint in a jungle somewhere. A small smile slipped onto his face as he read the destination, Kodiak; Alaska. An airfield. "Do I get to fly again?" Harry asked before quickly adding the 'Colonel' to it.
The Colonel gave him a stern look but nodded all the same. "I've only been authorised to give you the basics here but you'll be involved in a trial run of a new fighter plane. Captain Bennett is to become your wingman and will go out there with you."
"I don't understand, he's my wingman?" Harry was confused, why was a Captain his wingman when he was a rank lower.
"You are his senior. You're to be promoted to Captain for your classified work predated to the events in question." The Colonel explained, Harry was astonished. "You are two of our best pilots and are both perfect for these new systems. You'll be given the schematics once you board your plane but then you are to speak of it to nobody. You leave in three hours. Good evening and good luck. Both of you."
The Colonel left and Harry sagged into his chair with an explosive sigh rereading his orders in his hand before tucking them away. "Captain Potter, are you ok?"
Harry took a few moments to realise that he was being talked to but then he turned to Captain Bennett with an apologetic smile and a gesture to the chair across from him in his little room. "It's just been a while. I've been stuck in Secret Ops. for two years trying to get them to let me into a squadron but I've always been rejected."
"Why did they do that?" Bennett asked him. "According to the files they let me read you're a natural in anything aircraft you're given. Top of your class as well."
"It seems they think I'm a natural for crawling through bushes too." Harry quirked up his lips in a smile. Harry stood up and grabbed a bag from under his bed before turning back to Bennett. "I'd better pack. Since we're exactly the same rank you'd better call me Harry."
"You are still my senior but sure. As long as it doesn't get me in trouble." Bennett smiled and took Harry's offered handshake. "The name's Iain."
"Any idea who else we've got with us?" Harry asked.
"Um…two lieutenants just finished pilot specialisation. I've got their files. We can read them on the way to the airport if you want." Iain explained as Harry packed. Harry nodded gratefully. He didn't want to go into this without a clue.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Kodiak Airbase
As they came into their landing Harry could help but take in the airfield's large but thin runway nestled into the mountains of the island with its hangers and bunkers built into the actual sides of the mountains. The control tower was on one of the ridges while there was nothing else on the valley floor that told it as an airfield except of the taxi ways and a couple of large C-5 Galaxies and an old C-141 Starlifter. They stayed in the plane as it taxied off the runway and into one of the larger hangers and then finally were directed to carry their luggage off the carts and into a waiting area.
They spent a few moments neatening themselves out, or in Harry's case covering his messy hair with his cap. They didn't have to wait long before a Major walked into the room. She was in her early thirties at first glance but Harry knew her instantly from her pictures in the college he'd attended. Major Samantha Carter, an astrophysicist with a huge reputation for her work, which was classified and Harry didn't have a clue what it was.
He saluted her smartly as did Iain and they introduced themselves. "Did you read over the specs on your flight?" She asked them.
"We skimmed it, Major." Iain nodded knowing she hadn't expected them to read every word of it.
"I'm here to fill in the gaps and open your eyes to a truth you can't begin to imagine." Major Carter told them with a strange glint in her eyes. Harry wondered if she knew about the Wizarding World and if this had something to do with it. If that was the case though somebody should have already mentioned it to him. "Please follow me and I'll introduce you to the other half of your wing before we get started."
They followed her deeper into the complex until they came to a small lecture hall with six seats and a large view screen. There was already two people in there. A female and male Lieutenant who looked fresh out of school to Harry who knew that his appearance told people that he was older than he really was. Especially in the last month since his friend had been murdered in front of him and then the two weeks of physiological evaluation.
The two Lieutenants saluted the three senior officers and Harry joined in the return before letting Major Carter take over the introductions. "Captains, this is Lieutenant Clare Fields and Alex Carlthorpe. Lieutenants this is Captain Iain Bennett and your squadron leader Captain Harry Potter. I'll let you all get acquainted better on your own later but for now we have much to cover." She motioned for them to take seats before starting. "This project is already four weeks behind schedule since we had trouble getting a suitably skilled squadron leader and then he was temporarily taken out of service."
Her gaze settled on Harry and he flinched slightly, she obviously knew about Michael and his capture and torture but he didn't look forward to telling his new squad about it as well. "The Pentagon decided it was in everyone's best interests to postpone the start date until Captain Potter was back on full duty and it was again possible for us to assemble the best team of pilots to pass through flight training." She told them all before looking at the two Lieutenants. "You're inexperience in actual combat flights will not be an immediate problem for us since both Captain Potter and Captain Bennett have combat experience and we decided that with these new systems it would be best to start from scratch."
"Before I continue I need you to all sign and date these forms to get you the correct clearance for what I am about to tell you." She moved across the line handing out forms and it was evident to everyone, including a shocked Major Carter, that Harry's was an extension on an already top level clearance. Major Carter got an odd look in her eyes obviously curious about what secret Harry was already in on that she didn't know about. Harry drew the form towards him and signed against his name. It was a clearance for a different branch of secret operations. A sister branch of the branch that dealt with Wizarding matters. "Good. We'll begin by showing you where this new technology has come from."
She backed into a seat behind them and the lights dimmed as the screen flashed to life. An older man's face came onto the screen with what looked like a huge circle behind him. "Good day gentlemen, ladies. My name is General Hammond of Stargate Command." The General greeted them though it was a recording. "Under normal circumstance you would be standing where I am now for this briefing but as I am sure you have already been told time is spare. I am going to brief you on the nations best kept secret. The device you see behind me was discovered in 1924 in Egypt. We discovered its use only eight years ago when a team worked out how to work it."
The device began to spin and Harry leaned forwards in his seat with curiosity. "This device is a piece of Alien technology thousands of years older than the human race on Earth. With it we can travel instantaneously through an artificially created Wormhole to any planet with a similar device in this entire Galaxy." He paused to look behind him and Harry's eyes were drawn to the device as it stopped spinning and a huge wave of what looked like water burst from it. Harry's first thought was magic but then he noticed the large electrical conductors and monitors. He felt his eyebrows disappear under his cap. "And we do it by simply stepping through that."
The screen froze and Major Carter stood up and walked passed them to the front. She looked at each of them and saw pale and amazed face on three of her audience but only a curious look on Captain Potters. She decided she'd have to keep an eye on the squad leader. "For the last seven years we have been exploring the Galaxy with the use of this Stargate and although we have made powerful enemies we have also made allies." She told them.
"And it's these allies that have given us the technology for these planes we are supposed to pilot?" Iain asked. Harry had to hand it to him, he adapted well.
"That's correct. These four planes are far more advanced than anything created on Earth until now and will work alongside a larger fleet of space capable craft and ships." She told them.
"Ships?" Harry raised an eyebrow at her.
"There are three types of working space capable craft." She stepped to a pedestal and clicked on the laptop sat there. A picture appeared on the screen of a fix-wing plane with curved wings and two seats. "This is the F-302. A fighter capable of travelling beyond the speed of light and designed to counter our enemy's small combat craft." The screen changed again and a huge ship appeared on the screen with what looked like ten decks and rather large engines. Harry didn't want to have to guess how much that had cost the Americans. The Major was speaking again. "The BC-303 called the Prometheus is a large battle cruiser designed to combat the enemy's larger mother ships and has proved capable of it in trials."
Harry head the emphasis on the trails part of that sentence. Obviously Earth hadn't been seriously threatened from space since its creation. Harry remembered back to his schematics. "Where do the Vipers fit into this, Major?"
"Why don't you tell me, Captain?" The Major challenged.
Harry glanced at his new squad and frowned in concentrations bringing everything from the schematics into this new landscape. "I'd guess their engines, not needing fuel of the kind we are used to, can be relied upon to protect the planet. Their speed would allow for record breaking circumnavigation either within the atmosphere or in orbit and their Switchblade wings reduce its profile in combat in space or for aerodynamics in atmosphere but give it the option for high manoeuvrability in air." Harry took a breather and looked at the Major to finish.
"The idea for the X-304's is as high speed bombers of defence against inbound aircraft." She concluded with a nod to him. "You'll have the rest of today and tomorrow morning to get to know each other and read through the flight control manuals and specifications before your trial run tomorrow."
Iain held up his hand and Harry grinned at the childish action. "Major, if you don't mind me asking, but have these things ever actually been flown before?"
She grinned at them all. "No, Captain."
"Oh great." Harry muttered sarcastically. "From Jungle to graveyard in one dramatic high speed crash."
"Don't you mean supersonic speed crash, Captain?" Lieutenant Fields asked cheekily.
"Oh yeah, so fast we wont even feel it." Harry grinned at the Major with a glint in his eye.
"Captain Potter. The base commander would like to see you privately before you're allowed to your own devices." Major Carter told him. "I'll leave the Lieutenants to show Captain Bennett to his bunk and show you the way myself."
Harry actually gulped as he followed her out of the room, replacing his cap and straightening his blue uniform jacket as he went. He cast a quick look at Iain and the two Lieutenants before the door closed behind him.
The one star General's office was simple with a view out over the valley. They had had to take a long elevator ride up through the mountain to reach the control tower's building where the office was housed so the view from the window was amazing. You could see the whole Island from their vantage point.
"Thank you Major Carter, do you mind waiting in the hallway?"
"Of course not, Sir." Carter saluted and left the room.
"Captain Potter, congratulations on your recent promotion though I doubt the circumstances were what you had in mind." The General greeted him. Harry shook his head slightly but didn't move to speak. "I have full clearance Captain Potter so I know about your more interesting skills and I've seen the satellite photos of the Amazon Rainforest four weeks ago."
Harry got the idea where the conversation was going. "I promise you General that I have no intentions to call up any weather patterns anywhere near to this airfield."
The General nodded. "The President assured me you would say that but I wanted to here it myself. We can't afford anything to go wrong here, there are too many higher ups looking for something to shut this project down." The General told him. "It's why they suggested a younger team to head it up. They hope that your combined inexperience will stunt the project."
"With all due respect General." Harry started. "Both myself and Captain Bennett have far more experience with experimental aircraft than most Colonels and the Lieutenant Fields and Carlthorpe were the best in the class in flight training."
"That was exactly why you were picked for this task. If anyone can do this it's you." The General told him. "I would consider it a favour if you and Captain Bennett took Lieutenant Fields and Carlthorpe under your wings and looked out for them until they find their feet. Especially in combat runs."
"Of course, General." Harry nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Excellent Captain Potter." The General nodded. "Also I have been allowed to let you in on something to prepare you. I was told you didn't appreciate surprises or overdone acts of praise. Hence why you don't where your Military Cross."
"It isn't designed to be worn on an American Air Force Uniform." Harry told him bluntly. He'd been awarded the British Military Cross for his defeat of Voldemort but the reason was only listed as 'for service beyond the call of duty.'
"Yet you have permission from the Queen herself to wear it do you not, I believe she actually presented it to you personally." The General smiled at him at his modesty. "I'll request that you wear it when you are presented with the Air Force Cross in two weeks by the Chief of Staff when he comes to view the X-304 Vipers."
Harry almost forgot to be polite as his mind reeled. "I don't understand Sir."
"The President and Joint Chiefs agree that your lack of regard for you own safety in bringing the traitor to justice is worthy of the Air Force Cross." The General gave him a small smirk. "The presentation will precede the display. You're dismissed Captain Potter, and remember what I said; Kodiak likes its weather just the way it is."
"Understood, Sir." Harry told him before snapping of a smart salute and backing out of the room. He walked passed Major Carter as he muttered under his breath about being 'nobody's bloody saviour.'
"Most people are happy to receive the Air Force Cross." Major Carter leaned in to tell him as they entered the elevator to take them back to the accommodation levels. Harry almost glared at her but then remembered their respective ranks. Not only did he now have the Military Cross with the Royal coat of arms on the ribbon to commemorate that the Queen herself had presented it to him with her public blessing but he'd have to wear the second highest Award that an American Air Force Officer could achieve. If he didn't hide soon by the time he retired they'd find a reason to give him the Victoria Cross and the Medal of Honour as well. He shuddered at the thought.
"I'm not most people, Major." Harry told her. "It'll be odd enough that I have a British Military Medal on my uniform let alone the Air Force Cross at twenty-four."
"You must have done something worthy to receive them." She told him.
"What, ferret out a politician?" Harry asked her with raised eyebrows.
"Your file says that you risked your own life to stop him from continuing and you were lucky to escape that storm especially with the body of a British Pilot so he could be buried at home." Harry winced at the mention of Michael. "What's the matter?"
"He was my old school friend." Harry told her bluntly. "We were friends ever since we were fourteen."
"Oh, I'm sorry." She struggled around for another topic before settling on something that had confused her as soon as he had mentioned the Military Cross. "How could it be that you were awarded the Military Cross? You have to be in the British military to get that."
Harry shrugged. "I am British." She looked at him strangely. "I have a dual-nationality and since I was part of the RAF when I earned the Cross the Queen gave them her blessing to give it to me."
"I bet your uniform looks strange with only two high-class Medals on it." She smiled at him with amusement.
"There is a UN conflict medal on it as well." Harry shrugged.
"UN conflict medal?" She was truly confused now. "How could you have one of those? You're too young to have been in a conflict."
"Sorry, Major. Classified under both countries." Harry told her with a shake of his head. "Sorry ma'am."
She seemed to struggle internally before making what seemed to be a major effort to forget the topic so that it didn't annoy her. The elevator chimed and the doors opened saving Harry from the slightly tense air that had followed the blunt end of their conversation.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Harry stood silently in his best uniform with its two medals and their associated ribbons. It amused him that he was rather a big mystery to most in the audience of senior officers and politicians that had arrived for the 'display.'
They'd spent two weeks of almost sunrise to sunset exercises to learn their way around the crafts and even though they had kept to daytime operations and simple exercises without any combat parts it had still been exhausting. They had been given yesterday afternoon to recuperate and now they were ready to go.
Harry stood shoulder to shoulder with Iain on the right flank of his squadron. Clare and Alex stood on the other side of Iain all in their best uniforms so they could be introduced to the crowd. Harry had come to know Captain Iain Bennett as simply Iain and as long as they weren't doing anything formal the two Lieutenants kept their first names. Harry found it was for the best since they had only a short time to become a close-knit team.
Harry turned his eyes away from the glaring June sun to look at the speaker as he changed track. "I am also honoured to be able to double this occasion to honour a brave soldier who went beyond the call of duty to make our country safe from enemies both outside our borders and within." The General of the base stepped back and the Chief of Staff took his place.
"Captain Potter risked his life to end a major plot between a militant faction in Brazil and a member of our own government. Their attacks cost three American and two French charity workers and a British Air Force pilot their lives. He withstood situations some of us never have to imagine and returned the body of Flight Lieutenant Michael Greyley; Royal Air Force, while escaping a dangerous situation." The Chief of Staff took a moment to gesture Harry forward and he broke rank and walked slowly toward the man. "In recognition of his devotion to the well-being of both America and Britain we award Captain Harry Potter with the Air Force Cross for displaying extraordinary heroism in action against an enemy of the United States."
The Chief of Staff accepted the medal from one of his aides and then turned back to Harry. He stepped forwards and Harry saluted him. He pinned the ribbon of the Cross next to the Military Medal on the opposite side of his classified UN conflict Medal and then returned Harry's salute. Harry nodded to him before walking back into line to wait out the rest of the presentation.
It was a further forty minutes before the speeches were finished and the group broke up for an hour and a half long meet and greet session while Harry and his team went to suit up and do their pre-flight checks.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Two hours later
The four planes sat at the far end of the runway with their engines offline and their pilots waiting for the control towers ready. The officials were all seated in a viewing balcony half way up the mountain and would migrate up to the ridge top to view their stint of aerial acrobatics.
"Remember guys, nice and easy. They're only politicians, we're not here to push the envelope just to impress them." Harry told his squad, Viper Flight, even though he knew that the control tower was listening to his words. "Confirm pre-flight checks satisfactory."
"Viper 2, checks complete. Ready to go." Iain's confident voice came crisply through his headset. Harry knew that the control tower would now have routed the audio to the balcony to keep their audience aware of what was happening.
"Viper 3, checks complete. Ready to go." Clare told him, she was nervous but she hid it well.
"Viper 4, checks complete and ready to go." Alex reported with a final air to his voice, his confidence boosted by his squad's crisp answers.
"Kodiak, Viper Flight is ready for ignition." Harry waited patiently for a whole ten seconds of silence imagining everyone on the balcony talking at once as the Control Tower asked the Chief of Staff for permission to start. Harry thumbed the Flight radio that linked the four Vipers together. "This is why I hate politicians." He grumbled to the others who laughed in response. He clicked back onto the Control Tower and spoke again. "Kodiak, Viper Flight is awaiting orders." He said with a roll of his eyes.
The response was a bit faster that time and Harry smirked into his oxygen mask as he pulled it up and clipped it over his face. "Viper Flight you have a go for ignition and launch on your own time."
Another voice broke in. "Good luck, Viper Flight." Harry recognised the voice as the Chief of Staff.
"Viper Flight." Harry spoke as he tilted his fingers near the ignition switch. "Ion system start on my mark. 5...4...3...2...1...Mark."
He flipped the switch and then pushed a button on his console and a low hum reverberated through his Viper as the engines charged. A bar on his console began to rapidly fill as it reported the power in his engine. It quickly reached the critical mark about a fifth of the way up the bar and the Viper shuddered as the engines flared to life. All four lit at the same time and the air behind the Vipers shimmered with energy as the Ion engines disrupted the air.
The flared ever brighter as more power was put into them. They'd only need forty percent of their power to lift of since they were using the runway and not doing a vertical take off and they soon had it. Harry dulled the power build up so that it held at fifty percent power and then glanced at his side screen which gave him the statistics for all four planes. His own took up the top left corner of the screen with a green outline of the plane with the wings tucked in so it looked like a triangle. Iain's was next to his own with Clare and Alex's below their own. All displayed the same thing.
Harry glanced out of his window firstly at Clare on his left wing and then out to the right at Iain's plane and then Alex's.
"Rig for control flight." Harry ordered before thumbing a switch on the console. The plane barely twitched as the perfectly weighted wings span out to the sides and backwards until they formed a shallow V shape against the main body of the plane and just forward of perpendicular. He glanced at the screen again and saw the diagrams change shape so that all four displayed the open winged form. "Chocks away." Harry said with a small grin as the four planes smoothly started rolling forwards speeding up faster and faster.
It only took the planes a few hundred metres to reach take off speed but all four of them keep at an altitude of a metre as they took in the landing gear. Just as they got in line with the balcony Harry smirked into the microphone. "Viper Flight to cruise power." All four instantly boosted their engines and the four planes shot forwards with phenomenal speed. Whilst not their fastest speed it was far faster than anything else was capable of and within a second they were pulling up and had disappeared over the ridge line at the end of the runway.
They kept low for about five minutes before Harry led them in a slow arc around to the south of the island. Even at cruise speed they travelled almost one hundred miles travelling at just under twelve hundred miles per hour. At their speed they could travel the entire circumference of the equator of twenty-five thousand miles in just twenty hours but if they activated their swarm logic and combined the squad aerodynamically with their Ion drives at full power their could achieve the same distance in a third of the time going at three thousand miles per hour.
They wouldn't be doing that today though, they had only come out this far so that the officials would have the time to move up to the ridge. "Let's give them something to be happy about shall we?" Harry asked the others. "Course 345 degrees, swarm formation."
Whereas they wouldn't go to full power since they'd be hard to see he still wanted to show them that they could actually fly since so many didn't have any faith in their abilities. He settled on his new course at a thousand feet and Iain tucked himself carefully behind and to the side of his right wing with Alex behind and beside him. Clare settled opposite Iain on Harry's left wing.
Harry decided to change the given route for some fun and to show the officials what the planes could do. "Rig for high speed."
Instantly the four planes changed shape as their wings pulled themselves slowly into the sides against the force of the wind. He clicked on his flight radio to talk to them all directly. "We'll split up over the runway, normal pairings, rig for high control as we exit inner marker and regroup at outer marker bearing 200 from Kodiak."
"Roger Flight Leader." Iain replied and Harry got identical replies from the other two. They flew in quickly and rocketed low over the ridgeline, their engines almost silent but still the effect of breaking the sound barrier was evident as the loud sonic boom shocked their audience. They broke formation as soon as they were passed the airport and headed off in different directions as they opened their wings to circle back around to Harry's designated position on the normal entry route for landings.
Harry figured he'd give them a view of the top of the planes and as expected it was an awe inspiring sight as they spun through the valley wing tip to wing tip up the far slope.
They did a few more passes including a vertical dive in pairs and a slow pass at barely sustainable speeds before the control tower gave them permission to come in to land.
Harry clicked on the microphone. "Kodiak this is Viper Flight, permission for vertical landing."
"Permission granted, Viper Flight."
Harry directed the four planes around along the valley until they settled in a line along the runway as they came to a halt with Iain in front of him and Clare and then Alex behind him. They turned whilst they were still in the air and then extended their landing gear and brought the ships smoothly to the tarmac with barely a jitter.
"Kodiak, this is Viper Flight on the ground and powering down." Harry thumbed his own engine cut off and glanced to the side to see a message appear on all four statistics screens as he was informed that all four were shutting down. Harry pulled off his mask to see two buses heading across the grounds towards them. Obviously the officials had come down to the runway to see them land. "Oh great." Harry muttered to himself as he shut off the console lights and popped his canopy.
He unclipped his harness and pulled himself up out of the cockpit and after twisting the ladder release three rungs extended from the side of the plane so he could lower himself down to the ground. He unclipped his support vest that his microphone leads and telemetry were linked into and slung it up into the cockpit for the techs to deal with.
He met up with the others in front of his plane just as the two buses pulled to a halt and started to empty. The Chief of Staff along with the Base Commander and Major Carter began walking towards them along with a Colonel that Harry didn't recognise.
"Very impressive, Captain." The Chief of Staff shook his hand after Harry saluted him and the General. "May I introduce Colonel Jack O'Neill of Stargate Command? He is the leader of the flagship team which includes Major Carter here."
"Colonel." Harry saluted him smartly.
"Very cool flying out there Captain." The grey haired Colonel grinned at him childishly. "You all looked very natural up there."
"At those speeds, Colonel, you cant be anything but a natural." Harry told him with a small nod of thanks to the compliment. "As I am sure you know from experience."
The small compliment wasn't lost on the man and his lips twitched. Harry turned slightly to eye the 'suit' that was poking around his Viper. "I see you feel the same way about politicians as I do then, Captain."
Harry turned back to look at the Colonel in surprise that he had been so obvious. "Only when they are too close to the equipment I need to rely on." Harry cast another nervous glance over his shoulder at the thirty odd officers and civilians looking around the planes and being directed by the technicians who cared for them. Harry felt a little better when he noticed that the techs were keeping an eye on the civilians. He looked back to see O'Neill smirking at him.
"I feel exactly the same way." O'Neill told him. "Well how about some food, I'm hungry."
Harry glanced at Major Carter with a raised eyebrow but she just rolled her eyes at her senior's disregard for rank. Harry's team got onto one of the buses along with the others to return to the mountain leaving the civilians and other officers to learn what they could about the Vipers.
In all it was a complete success. They'd begin combat drills in three days and then it would start getting interesting.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
End Chapter
A/N; If anyone wants to know what the planes look like just think of the Talons from Stealth.