Chapter 9

"The offer"

Melinda – Truth is, I don't really know if I could do it. Would I be able to recon two areas at the same time back and forth? When it came to my mind, indeed I thought it was stupid. Sometimes… it's either faith or stupidity that lets us be successful for once. For the first time, I wanna see if it works. We're already taking about half an hour of travel. Good thing we're fast while most of us used etherjet strikers, all except Gina and Fye but they're able to keep drafting behind us to gain speed which doesn't change our travel time at all.

Just before we arrived there, we talked a bit.

March 20, 1963… 1022 hours…

Melinda was still in her F-18 form when she shape-shifted back to her human form. Deciding it was the right time, she flew just parallel to Julie who was at the front of the formation. Julie took notice of Linda and glanced forward noted she was there.

"I hope it's important."

"It won't be a waste. After all, I was the one who volunteered for the crazy plan, I thought I'd talk to you about something."

"And what's so important that part of my focus would go to our conversation?"

"Simple: As much as I want to keep staying with you guys to get order done after Australis is liberated, I wanna start looking for more phantoms. It's like Ezmee, only I might not come back at all."

Julie winced at the idea. "What are you talking about?"

"Kelvin talked to me about an offer I couldn't refuse, knowing I'm looking for others like me too. He told me much more about what phantoms are, and they're very different. He thought very much of this war that would get ugly and there was a need of manpower to combat the Neuroi too. The phantoms are uniquely incredible, he told me."

"And he's thinking of using phantoms like you to fight?"

"Actually… I was the one who thought of it first. Nobody knew the significance of phantoms and how exactly they'd be helpful. They can be random, but they're more to our favor since they're convinced they don't want to lose this world for themselves. I got a new life, and I wish to use it well: I'll protect this world from these invaders myself if I would have the nerve. But at this day and age, I need to act smart. He told me with my encouraging vision of gathering phantoms, he wanted me to be the main foundation of an upcoming battalion enlistment."

"A battalion?"

"It's the only thing we thought of and I thought I'd tell you. It's a big responsibility."

"Yeah… but why you?"

"That's what I wanna know for myself, Julie. I know I'm capable, but it's how I got to be chosen to make that big enlistment to many people the real question. Nonetheless, I don't care. I've been used by the brass before. I don't mind going through that again."

"You're talking about League Intelligence and not just a certain agency going through the war. They're not only good at getting information but they get things done whenever they're willed to. They're equaled to a military brass after all."

"Yeah. Just how would things change when they change their name? United Nations is the actual name and it was made since 1945 in my world."

"I know. They'll change the name to that in '67."

"Four years later?"

"I don't know what the agency would be after that. Would they dissolve? I'm worried about it. If the war isn't finished by then, what would happen?"

"That's another worry to add up. Hehehe…" Linda then heard a hum of etherjet strikers beside her and it was Esmeralda herself flying beside them. "Ezmee?"

"Yeah. I couldn't help overhear the conversation. So you're moving out too?"

"I am. And why not?"

"You'll be a great addition to the 45th and should be a good asset if not a member."

"I'm fine just the way I wanna be. Besides… Phantoms need to find their way. I look for the ones who get useful, fighter or not."

"It sounds like you got through this before."

"I have… through some intelligence training, I guess. Back when I was still living in my world, my boyfriend Hawk told me to choose whatever I wanna go for. I got the options for either being a fighter pilot or just an intelligence officer. Actually, I went to being a pilot and being his partner in a unit for the Super Hornet, but I also got to make up for intelligence training while I'm at it anyway. It gave me a good education of management for resources, finding certain information I need, even how to get people in order… like in a battalion. I don't know if it's enough. But with how it's gonna go from my mind and with some additional help, I could make a battalion stand firm. Kelvin's an agent who believes in me too."

"Could you tell me a little more about that?"

"Yeah. Why not?" Melinda smirked at Ezmee. "Maybe Julie would get jealous."

"Fuck you." Julie snorted afterwards. "Just tell us already."

"Fine. Actually, it started after that muffin thing."

"Oh? Ufufu…" Julie giggled at those thoughts.

FLASHBACK…

March 18, 1963… 1010 hours…

Julie was standing in her office with a surprised look in her eyes. She was clearly seeing Linda holding a nutty muffin, and it seemed tasty. "Williams? That's your handiwork?"

Linda smirked and brought out a candle before sticking it in the middle of the muffin. While it's in place, she brought out a lighter and lit it up with its flame going out. She pointed the flame to the candle's string before it was finally in place. "Happy Birthday, Major."

The Xingiet witch approached Linda holding the muffin. "What… is this?"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard of a muffin. Have you?"

"Uh… No."

"Sure… maybe you like moon cakes better."

"Ha-ha." Julie annoyingly laughed. "Nice try on the moon cake joke but I do like them. But I hope your 'muffin' changes that."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Of course it is. Now hand it over." Julie was handed over the muffin before she blew the candle's flame off. "Annoying. Candle for a muffin?"

"Don't like a personal touch?"

Julie then removed the candle off the muffin. "I thought you 'Americans' like it simple and dull."

"Oh? You're terrible."

She examined the muffin and it seems delicious. 'I'll just have to see if it is.' And with no doubt, she neared the muffin to her mouth and bit of a little of it. The bread seemed soft and warm. 'It's newly baked, huh?'

"So… how is it?" Linda asked with curiosity and it was responded with Julie biting a bigger portion of the muffin. 'Whoa… does she like it? This is exciting.'

"Hmm!" She took her time with chewing it and swallowed what's in her mouth. She gasped in surprise of Linda's work. "This is great! You really know your stuff, Williams."

"You're welcome."

"Oh… I haven't thank you, have I?"

"No need! It's your birthday too."

"Yeah…" Julie then formed a smile when she glanced from that muffin, to her. "Thank you… Melinda."

"It's no biggie, Major. You're a sister as I know it."

"Really? I could just promote you."

"Huh?! No, no… It's okay. I need a promotion just because I remember your birthday!"

"Sure about that? Hehe…" Julie then took another bite off the muffin given to her. "Hmm… This is good."

"I gotta get back out. A little thing called a 'patrol' is next on my agenda."

"Then I'll wish you luck, Sergeant. You're dismissed then."

"Thank you." Melinda then saluted Julie, then leaving her behind in the room still finishing off that muffin, leaving a happy Xingiet birthday celebrant.

But as Linda was already outside with the door closed behind her…

"Hey." Kelvin called out while he was waiting near the door. "Greeted her?"

"Yeah. You should have seen her face… She was awestruck with the muffin I baked. Thanks for the help."

"No problem. Listen… I gotta talk to you."

"I know. You wanted to offer me something I couldn't refuse, huh?" Linda calmly walked towards him with a glare and stopped just in front of him. "So what is this offer and what do I get from it? If it's just a lot of hurt, then I'll be happy to leave."

"Like I'd do that. Follow me." Then he led her outside of the barracks and was walking towards a hangar with some crates in it just to lose the witnesses. "Alright, here's good."

Melinda looked around, and the area seemed empty. "Okay… what is this about?"

"It's something related to you. You told me once that you wanted to find others like yourself from other worlds or universes, right?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say universes, but that's still the point. What are you saying?"

"I think I wanna shed light on you on something League Intelligence has been planning. See…"

"…You want me to help you find other phantoms too?"

"Yeah."

"Sure. But why me?"

"How'd you know anyway?"

"I know because I got a gut feeling about you minding my business more often. And seeing you also witnessed what I can do, I can be considered dangerous to you. When Julie told me about your way of perceiving things with detail, I figured you might have seen me as someone dangerous."

"Touché. And you think I'm the only one now?"

"Of course not. That's why I asked you: Why me?"

"Honestly… your guts… your intelligence… your determination… It's something to match an agent's. More than that, there's also a good future coming from a shifter witch. It's rare we get one actually."

"You're saying as if I'm special. I'm sure everyone is. Maybe I'm not different."

"You're still humble even after I said you're unique."

"Maybe."

"Still… Linda, you're capable. And if you know you could make the best effort to find them, what's your next move?"

"Of course I'd convince them to help us all out. This freaking Neuroi war is starting to scrape us off and we can start getting to counter-attacking at a better rate if they help. Actually… we'll be better off taking out large targets belonging to the Neuroi."

"I couldn't agree more."

"You plan to do that too?"

"Why not? First off, their lives have passed from them. The next thing they need now is another objective, or purpose. And right now, the world they live in is in a war against an alien species we can't simply stop. And I think with your help, we can make things better. We just can't rush things though."

"I understand. Sure it'll be a longshot, but it's worth a try."

"You know what I think would be better for you?"

"What?"

"…for you to manage the phantoms yourself."

"Whoa?!"

"No, no… It's just for the initial battalion enlistment. There are other officers in your command who you could instruct with orders too."

"Whoa… hold up… You didn't tell me about managing a whole battalion…?"

"We got no others to step up. The military is about to get on with managing them with their regular staff, but we have to beat them to it. We're not affording a confusion from the phantoms that'll be a cause for them turning down their assistance for us. We gotta find a good phantom who's knowledgeable about commanding them. And since you're a phantom yourself, you'll immediately be considered the same as they are, giving all of you a similarity… at least one."

"…that we're all phantoms."

"Right."

Linda had to think about what to answer, since this was a big step. 'Is he really serious? He's saying I should really lead a battalion to kick things off? I understand after that would be management for the duration of the war, but this is crazy.' "I gotta be honest, Kelvin. This is crazy."

"Sure it is. Have you turned down a strategy like that before?"

"Oh… you mean like… daring someone?"

"Huh?"

"I mean… trying something different for a change would mean a great experience, I guess. By daring someone, I meant myself. When I was heading for another fighter jet for a head-on collision while, I dared him to hit me with his plane. He didn't, and he turned just before my wingman was able to take the jet down. What I did was something crazy, but effective. You're asking me to try something like this when I know I could be given bad remarks too."

"But unlike daring stuff like that, you can still make choices in your command, Williams. It's your choice if you wanna make things unique for yourself even if it's unorthodox on your methods on getting things done. You know yourself. That's what counts."

"Okay."

"Look… I'll let you think about it."

"No. I got an answer… now."

…END OF FLASHBACK.

"And I said yes." Linda was looking forward while flying as she continued on her story. "He told me the other details of it too, and that's when I've learned that I have another rank while managing the phantom army I make. It seems at that level, I could be equaled to a Colonel."

"Nice…" Esmeralda couldn't believe her ears.

"You're lucky you got this opportunity then." Julie considered Linda's story legitimate and it was indeed as she said that Williams had luck. "You'll do fine then."

"I don't know, guys. It's not hopeless, but it's not encouraging either. I'll be commanding a large force in the future and I'll be responsible for it too. I'll be judged. That's for sure."

"Their remarks are useless if there's no logic, Williams." Julie answered with a calm tone. "You… will be fine. If not, then keep assessing what you did and correct those actions. You can make up for mistakes too."

"I hope you're right." Linda groaned. "Uggh… This is gonna suck." And with her internal beeping she heard in herself, she looked forward, knowing Kimberley Plateau is up ahead with an airbase visible from afar. "There's the base. Should we contact them?"

"I'll do that." Julie then put her fingers in her ear and used her earpiece. "This is Major Julie Mao of the 45th Joint Fighter Squadron, arriving shortly in less than one minute. What's your situation?"

"Major! BZZZT! This is, BZZZT…! We have an incoming… BZZZT…!" Julie was hearing a lot of static.

"Damn it. It must be a jamming signal."

While Julie was analyzing the transmission, Narumi's antennae rang red and gasped. While looking to her right, she saw fast flying objects coming in. The black figures turned out to be Neuroi jets. "Oh… 3 O'CLOCK! Eight Neuroi jets are inbound and fast!"

Esmeralda then saw the figures fire off repeating beam rounds at the squadron's formation. "Not on my watch!" Her eyes glowed yellow before she morphed her body in her Neuroi form. She pointed her assault rifle and Buster Cannon at them before making a shield in front of her. The repeating beams hit her shield just before she made a little incision through the shield with her Buster Cannon and fired a salvo of automatic beam-rounds to counter-attack. "Here they come!"

Julie knew it was escalating fast. "ENGAGE THE NEUROI! They dare to attack us?! Don't leave a single one behind!"

Giraud smirked and cocked her AKM rifle. "Let's do it!"

Narumi nodded. "I'm right behind you!"

"Montesano, lead Giraud and Fye and take on four of them. Williams, Harley and I have the other four! GO!"

"ROGER!" The other three responded before Ezmee led Giraud and Fye.

Harley was then flying parallel to Julie. "What now, Major?"

"Obviously… we show them what hell is like." Julie then glanced from Harley to Melinda. "Ready?"

Linda licked her lips before showing her white eyes. "So, I'm not?" She then shape shifted into her F-18 aircraft form. "I'm ready."

"Good. On me!" Julie then led Harley and Melinda before she saw the eight Neuroi jets splitting into halves while Ezmee's team took on their four targets. "They just split into two teams! Don't let a single one slip by us! Kimberley Plateau must be defended!"

"ROGER!" The other witches responded as they engaged the Neuroi.