#loadmaster

[george-number-3]

me and my friend are making tf ocs and they're so funny. my friend has a super cool decepticon army cargo plane that's huge and well designed, and i have an autobotrecolor of my dad's old 2009 prius that was on its deathbed for YEARS and sometimes it just died for no reason and you had to pray. they become lovers at some point. forbidden romance! the plane's name is loadmaster and the prius's name is checklight.

also they're in a most g1 some idw lore au(?), mostly bc 1) it's funny and 2) i cannot keep track of everything i'm gonna be 100% with you. the only thing that makes this easier is that these two characters are supply people that mean little to nothing in the grand scheme of their overarching sides 😭😭

[sudden-stops-kill]

enyo

[ninermike9m]

Hello young souls, . We hope this message finds you well on this lovely Friday (Salam Jumaat Barakah). Friday holds a special place in our hearts at ninermike9M Malaysia, as we pay tribute to the remarkable women in aviation across the globe, particularly in Malaysia. We honor their bravery, tenacity, and dedication to the aviation industry. . #9Mwomeninaviation #womeninaviation . Today, we want to introduce you to Mdm. Asnura Anuar, a talented young woman currently serving as a Licensed Loadmaster at MYJET Xpress Airlines. Her outstanding work in the aviation industry is a testament to her passion and determination. . We invite you to connect with Mdm Asnura Anuar on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/asnura-anuar-10b78616a/ and join us in recognizing the valuable contributions of women in aviation. . Below is our email interview with her: . 1. What is your responsibilities as Licensed Loadmaster ? In the world of aviation, a loadmaster's responsibilities extend far beyond mere mathematical calculations to determine the optimal placement of cargo on an aircraft. In addition to this critical task, loadmasters are also responsible for ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers, as well as securing dangerous goods and participating in airdrop operations. . As integral members of the aircrew, loadmasters must be prepared to fly to various destinations as part of their job duties. Throughout my own experience as a loadmaster, I have flown to numerous locations, including China (MFM/SZX/NNG), Sabah (BKI/TWU), Brunei, the Philippines (MNL), Labuan, and Vietnam (SGN). . Click on our bio to read more about Mdm Asnura Anuar amazing story! 😍 . Cheers 😎 ninermike9M Malaysia #9Mgreen #9Myoungsouls #aviation #avgeek #aircraft #airport #aircraftengineer #lae #airbus #instaaviation #instaplane #fly #aviationdaily #aviationgeek #loadmaster #caam #malaysiaairlines #malaysia #airasia #fireflyz #malindoair #boeing #maswings #kerjaya #maukerja #lepasanspm (at SkyPark Subang Terminal) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpBdiKgBJCz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nullnvoid911]

Tech. Sgt. Zane Lemons performs loadmaster duties in the C-130H wearing the full CBRN protective ensemble with the JSAM SA M69 at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in MD.

Dr. Mohamed Mughal / USAF, September 10, 2024

[divine-valley]

Incomplete

They come slowly.

In drips and drabs…

One.

Two.

Two.

One.

One.

Three.

One.

Two.

Never a full set. Never four. None of them are a complete pod, all stragglers.

Much like him they wait. They stand still and look of into the distance and wait. They must be counting as well. Some are lucky. Some approach others and they fall into step toward the gunships.

Still there is no complete set.

Slowly the others leave. In silence. Heads bowed as they turn their backs to the red wasteland that surrounds them on all sides.

Still he waits.

There is still a chance for two of his brothers to return to him.

He had watched Akaan go down with his own eyes. Through the lens of a sniper scope.

How does he know it was Akaan?

It could have been one of the thousands of others who wore identical armor to him...he knew. He knew the brother he was raised with. Knew his walk, his run, the way the gripped his DC.

He knew his brother was dead.

They had all been separated in the chaos, no proper leadership, no one to turn to.

Attack, attack, attack.

They were not made for frontal assault.

All the training, all the skills carved into their bodies gone to waste. The purpose Akan was made for will never be realized. Something heavy lays at the bottom of his stomach as he kepts his head forward.

The loadmaster calls another arrival of a ship. He does not move. He will stay as long as it takes.

More figures appear in the distance. Clad in white though there's a shine of something.

Of silver.

One.

One commando among them.

The closer the lone commando comes the more he recognizes.

The stride of his tired walk, the swing of his hands, the tilt of his head.

Right, left, right, left, bounce, right, left, right, left, bounce.

At long last his body has a reason to move. Despite the exhaustion that is so deep in his bones somehow there is still a drop of adrenaline.

Strangely enough this is familiar. Always the last to complete training. Always the last to leave a room. Always the last to fall asleep.

The last to be greeted by their brothers.

Trio.

His arms stretch out, his helmeted head meets his Trio's.

"Hex...Akaan?"

"Akaan is dead." The words just come out. They need to come out.

Trio grows still only for a moment.

"Hex might be on the Implacable. Probably couldn't stand this heat any longer."

They both know Hex wouldn't be there waiting for them. He would have never have left without them...but the thought is nice. The lie is a comfort. They fall into step, shoulder to shoulder. Usually Akaan walked between them with Hex leading the way. That will never happen again.

Now it will be the two of them.

There is one commando still waiting. He watches them as they pass. For a second he thinks to reach out, to offer...something. A word of sympathy, an invitation to join them.

"Rip,"

He hadn't realized he had stopped walking. Trio's voice beckons him to keep going and so he does.

They board the ship in silence. At this moment...there's so little to say but so much to talk about.

They are alive, they won the day but they are now incomplete.

[icemavs]

homecoming

Bradley is finally home (explicit, 4.4k, ao3)

Bradley woke up to the loadmaster on the C-17 telling him that they were close to landing in San Diego and he needed to get in his seat. He pulled himself off the cold floor and cranked his neck to the side to get all the cricks out before buckling himself back into the jump seat. Sleeping on the floor of a C-17 wasn’t his favorite thing in the world, but if it meant he could get home to Jake early, then he would take it over the bunks on the ship any day.

His tenure in Japan was over quickly, just a few stops at three different bases to impart some knowledge on the pilots stationed there and then he could go home. Bradley had been attached to one of the squadrons on the Lincoln in the past, so it was easy for him to jump in for a couple months to get him out across the sea. Plus, it was always fun to see Coyote and the other guys and fly with them for a few weeks.

Japan was one of his favorite places to go on a deployment, he enjoyed the western Pacific much more than the Mediterranean. Even though the weather was usually better in the eastern Med, the amount of green he saw in Japan and the Philippines was no match. He loved the amount of outdoors stuff he could do – hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, and so much more – and the food was his favorite. They didn’t stop in Okinawa very often with the carrier, but he would travel down there to talk to the Marines sometimes, and his favorite ramen place was on the island. He even had his picture on the wall after trying and finishing a bowl with the highest spice level. Japan was also special to Bradley because that’s where he had met Jake for the first time.

They both were on the same carrier, but different squadrons, so they didn’t interact too much outside of sometimes flying together. One day, they were mission planning and trying to get the same airspace despite there not being enough room for both flights to happen there. They met in one of the briefing rooms with their instructors to talk about who had precedence, but the discussion turned to an argument between Jake and Bradley and almost turned to blows at one point. Their instructors had to pull them apart to keep them from ripping the other’s head off.

Once he had gotten back to his own squadron’s briefing room, Bradley had felt the anger simmering just under his skin and he was trying to get his breathing to return to normal. At the time, he was sure it was just anger, but as the years went on the lines got blurred. They worked with each other a few more times after that, nearly crossing paths at TOPGUN the first time. It was probably for the best that they weren’t in the same class, it may have ended badly for everyone involved. When they eventually ended up on the mission together with the rest of the team, the uncomfortable tension that filled every room they were in came to a head one night in the showers. They had started yelling at each other and were eventually standing nose to nose when Jake leaned forward and pressed his lips to Bradley’s. Bradley was surprised right away, but his body caught up before his brain and he pushed Jake against the shower wall. Before he really registered it, Bradley was on his knees faced with Jake’s cock hard and hanging in front of him. The rest of the time before the mission and leading up to the present day had flown by.

The plane jumped from turbulence and Bradley was jolted back to the present day. He grabbed his backpack from the floor and hugged it to his chest. He was exhausted but so happy to be home. Being away was part of the job, but it never got easier. It was nearly torture being away from Jake and his mom and Mav and Ice for so long, even though it was only a couple months and not a year at a time like it used to be. A few long minutes later, the C-17 touched down at North Island and Bradley could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He heaved his backpack onto his shoulder and stepped down onto the flight line. The San Diego air was warm and thick with the March rain that must have just fallen. When Bradley stepped into the hangar, he was hit by a warm force from his left side that nearly knocked him off his feet.

“Oof!” was the surprised sound that escaped his mouth. He turned his head to the side and saw it was Jake. Looking just a bit farther, he saw his mom, Mav, and Ice standning near the door smiling as they watched Jake ambush Bradley.

When Jake peeled himself away, he looked up at Bradley with a smirk on his face and a slight blush dusting the tops of his cheeks.

“Bradshaw, as I live and breathe,” Jake breathed out when he’d composed himself a bit more.

“Jake, you look good, baby,” Bradley said to him.

“I am good, I’m very good.”

Bradley just laughed and stepped forward to press a kiss to his lips. It was heated and full of everything Bradley had wanted to say to Jake about how much he missed him while he was gone. Jake made a small sound Bradley pushed his tongue into his mouth. When he pulled away, Bradley leaned forward a bit more to whisper in Jake’s ear. “We have an audience now, but just wait until we get home,” he said. Jake shuddered under Bradley’s hands and the blush on his face grew to a deeper pink. He grabbed Jake by the hand and started walking toward the others. “Hey, everyone, I missed you guys,” he said to the group. Bradley hugged his mom and gave Mav and Ice a firm handshake each.

The group stood around and chatted while they waited for Bradley’s bags to get unloaded off the plane. Bradley told them what he could about his trip, mostly for his mom’s sake since he would tell Ice and Mav more about it later when he eventually got back to work. When it started to look like his bags would be a while, the rest of the group left Jake behind to wait with Bradley. He waved goodbye with the promise of getting lunch with them the next day.

Shortly after, it was just Jake and Bradley standing in the hangar while some supply troops unloaded the cargo. They were standing close enough to each other that Bradley could feel the heat coming off Jake’s body. Their silence was comfortable, as it usually was, but this time it was charged. Bradley had been half hard since he kissed Jake, and he assumed Jake was in the same boat.

Jake cleared his throat. “So how was the flight?” he asked.

“It was fine, a little bumpy over Washington, but overall not too bad. I’ve had worse,” Bradley said. “I’m ready to be home, though,” he finished with a wink in Jake’s direction.

“Uh huh, I’m sure you are.” Jake smiled at Bradley, but there was an underlying message in his smirk. Once that Bradley was sure to enjoy later.

All Bradley could think of once they’d fallen back into their comfortable silence was taking Jake on the floor of the hangar where they stood. He was ready to deal with the consequences of his knees on the concrete if it meant he could get his hands on Jake. Bradley’s bags were finally unloaded off the pallet and he was allowed to leave, Jake in tow.

The car ride started silently, Bradley allowing Jake to drive the Bronco because two months of driving on the opposite side of the road was something that took some time to snap out of and he really didn’t want to get into a car accident. Instead, Bradley let his hand wander over to rest on Jake’s thigh as he drove them down the highway. Jake’s breath was steady as they conversed casually about the weather and how much it had rained that day. Bradley moved his hand slowly up Jake’s thigh and massaged the muscle gently and Jake took a sharp breath.

“Bradley,” Jake warned from the driver’s seat when their conversation had waned.

“Yes, Jakey?” Bradley said innocently with a smile on his face.

Jake didn’t say anything more and just shook his head. They kept on like that, Jake driving in relative silence with his eyes locked onto the road and Bradley’s fingers gently squeezing for drawing circles on the inside of Jake’s thigh. Based on the cadence of Jake’s breathing, Bradley could tell that he was incredibly turned on, but so was Bradley. He moved his hand up slightly to start massaging the space next to his dick. Jake’s mouth dropped open with a small gasp but he kept his eyes forward. Bradley could feel that he was rock hard in his shorts and he smiled to himself. Knowing how much of an effect he had on Jake without having to say anything was making Bradley just as turned on as Jake was. Jake shifted in his seat but still kept his thoughts to himself.

After just a few more minutes of Bradley torturing Jake, they pulled into the parking lot of their apartment building. It was a quick walk up as they had opted to leave Bradley’s large bags in the car for the night and just take his backpack with his essentials inside.

As soon as they were through the door, Bradley dropped his backpack on the ground and locked the door behind him. When he turned back around, Jake was already on his way down the hall to the bedroom. Bradley laughed out loud to himself and kicked his shoes off.

When he got to the bedroom a few short minutes later, Jake was sprawled out on the bed in just his tented boxers with his arm thrown across his face.

“You’re going to be the death of me, you know,” Jake said without moving.

“Why’s that?” Bradley asked as he bent down to shed his flight suit and crawled into bed in just his t-shirt and boxers. “Because I’m just so charming and lovable?”

“Yeah, that,” Jake replied with a snort.

Bradley finally sat down next to Jake and rested his hand on Jake’s stomach. Jake still didn’t move, but his chest jumped with a silent gasp. Bradley laid down beside Jake and started pressing kissing along the side of his neck.

“You’re not allowed to leave me anymore,” Jake said with a sigh. “I can’t do phone sex and FaceTime sex and whatever forever. It’s never gonna be as good as the real thing.”

“You’re right, it’s not,” Bradley told him between kisses. “But every time I get off in my hotel room, it’s with your name on my lips.”

Jake groaned and rolled onto his side to press his lips to Bradley’s. His hands started to roam around Bradley’s body, grabbing hold of anything he could.

“God, Bradley, you kill me,” Jake breathed. “I tried using my fingers most nights but it just wasn’t enough. I need you so bad, Bradley.” Bradley captured Jake’s lips in another kiss, but this time it was more heated than the first.

Bradley rolled Jake over onto his back and crawled on top, trapping Jake’s hips with his own and holding Jake’s arms above his head. He licked his way into Jake’s mouth for a few minutes and held him steady.

“God, I missed you too much,” Bradley said. “Maybe you’re right, I can’t go on deployments anymore, no matter how short.” He paused. “Unless you come with me next time.” Bradley leaned down to kiss Jake again.

Jake pulled back before their lips could meet. “And have to get away with either fucking in a tiny bunk or having to not get fucked while you’re right there for a month while we sail?” Jake scoffed but paused and actually thought about it for a moment. “Actually, yeah that could be fun. Like old times.”

Bradley laughed but ground his hips down into Jake’s at the same time. Jake groaned and threw his head back. Bradley took advantage of the opening and leaned down to suck a mark onto Jake’s neck.

“Fuck, Bradley, I’m gettin’ real desperate down here,” was all Jake could force out while Bradley continued to grind his hips and suck on his neck.

“I know, baby,” Bradley said into Jake’s shoulder. “Soon.”

Bradley worked his way down, pressing kisses along Jake’s torso as he moved. Jake squirmed underneath him, clearing feeling a bit more ticklish after not being touched for two months. When he got all the way to where he wanted to be, Bradley quickly rid Jake of his boxers and moved to kiss the area around his cock, now that it was free. Jake’s cock stood tall, precome pearling at the tip like it most likely had been for several hours at this point. Bradley pointedly ignored it and decided to take Jake’s balls into his mouth instead, one at a time, while a free hand grasped at Jake’s chest.

“Bradley, fuck, please, come on,” Jake begged from his spot on the pillows. “Please.”

“You’re so good for me baby, you’re so patient,” Bradley said.

Finally, Bradley got his mouth where Jake wanted it. Jake let out a long, loud groan, and Bradley smiled to himself. He was still in his boxers and t-shirt, his own hips grinding against the bed uncomfortably in the position he was in but he couldn’t help it at this point. Jake was the perfect size in his mouth, not too long, not too thick, but still thick enough that there was a little bit of a stretch on the corners of his mouth. Bradley loved the way Jake tasted, sweat, salt, and something earthy mixed with the cologne he wore that smelled like the ocean.

Jake brought a hand down from where they were still resting above his head to land in Bradley’s hair. Not gripping tightly, just resting, guiding. Bradley slowly began to bob his head, taking a little bit of Jake’s length at a time, with his hand wrapped around what he wasn’t covering with his mouth. Jake was making the most beautiful sounds, almost like he was trying to stay quiet.

Spit was gathering at the sides of Bradley’s mouth, his jaw was getting tired, but he wasn’t a quitter, he was going to make Jake come more than once tonight if he had anything to say about it. He sped up, his mouth now able to replace the length his hand had previously covered, and Jake’s breathing began to speed up as well.

“Fuck, Bradley, please don’t stop,” he cried as his grip in Bradley’s hair got a little tighter. Bradley moaned around Jake’s cock in response and he knew how the vibrations felt to Jake. “Bradley, Bradley please, I’m gonna come, please.”

Bradley didn’t slow his movement, just kept his pace and continued to work Jake through it when he finally came down Bradley’s throat. Bradley swallowed every last drop, the taste was like heaven on his tongue after waiting for so long, and kept shallowly moving his head up and down the length while Jake’s breathing slowed.

Jake didn’t say anything, his arms moved back to cover his eyes the way they had when Bradley initially walked into the bedroom.

“I missed you so much, Jake,” Bradley said as he peppered kisses on Jake’s thighs. “Thought about you every night, on and off the ship.” He tapped Jake’s side in a silent ask for him to turn over onto his stomach. Jake complied with a soft groan and lifted himself onto his knees, already anticipating where this was going. “Imagined you on your knees for me in the shower the second I got to my hotel in Tokyo. Had a picture of you spread out underneath me in my big hotel bed while I ate you out and then fucked you into the mattress.”

From his position behind Jake, Bradley could see Jake’s not yet soft cock give a small twitch of interest at that statement.

“You want me to eat you out?” Bradley asked. “Open you up with just my tongue and then fuck you?”

Jake moaned and pushed his hips back. “Please, Bradley, anything, just fuck me already.”

“Tsk, tsk, so needy tonight,” Bradley scolded jokingly.

Bradley sat up on his knees and grabbed a handful of Jake’s ass in each hand. He kneaded the muscle for a few seconds before leaning forward.

He exhaled a soft puff of warm air around the tight ring of muscle and Jake shuddered. Bradley licked a stripe up from the spot behind Jake’s balls to his hole with a flat tongue just before really diving in. He speared his tongue and got to work.

Jake must have opened himself before he picked up Bradley in anticipation of something like this so he was already pleasantly loose and ready.

“Oh fuck Jake, baby, did you open yourself up for me already?” Bradley asked.

“Didn’t want to wait anymore,” Jake breathed. “Wanted to get this show on the road,”

Bradley laughed a bit before dropping a glob of spit onto his fingers in lieu of wanting to grab more lube. He started with just one finger alongside his tongue and Jake cried out as he planted his face into the mattress.

“Bradley, please,” Jake moaned.

“Tell me what you want, baby,” Bradley replied, pulling back. Without waiting for an answer, Bradley added another finger and hooked the two to press into the spot he knew would make Jake shiver. Jake moaned loudly and tried to drive his own hips into the mattress but all he made contact with was empty air. Bradley crooked his fingers once more and got the same result.

All at once, Bradley pulled his fingers from Jake’s hole, earning himself a loud whine from Jake. Before Jake could say anything, Bradley replaced his fingers with his tongue. He knew it wasn’t what Jake wanted, but he had waited months to get his mouth on Jake and he wasn’t about to wait any longer. Soon Jake’s whine was turned to heavy panting and Bradley had saliva running down his chin. His hands grabbed handfuls of Jake’s ass and his back was arched just enough that his cock grazed the bedspread. After a few minutes of licking his way into Jake, Bradley couldn’t wait any longer. Bradley pulled back and flipped Jake onto his back, resulting in another whine from Jake.

“You ready, Jake?” Bradley asked, even though he already knew the answer.

“Yes, God, yes, please Bradley,” Jake breathed. “I missed you so much, I need you in me so bad.”

Bradley reached over to grab a bottle of lube from the nightstand and then situated himself between Jake’s thighs. He leaned down to press a kiss to Jake’s lips. He meant it to be light and quick, but Jake drew him in. The kiss was heated and hungry, Jake bringing his hands up to twist in Bradley’s hair and his legs wrapped around Bradley’s middle to pull him closer. Finally, Bradley was able to pull away, albeit reluctantly, and a string of spit connected their mouths.

“God, I missed you, too,” Bradley whispered with a smile.

Jake grinned right back at him as Bradley leaned back farther. He sat back on his heels and squeezed lube onto his cock. As he lined himself up with Jake’s hole, Jake let out a long, high-pitched moan when Bradley made contact. Bradley sank in slowly, just an inch at a time, keeping his eyes trained on Jake’s face to make sure he was comfortable.

“Hurry the fuck up, Bradley,” Jake said through gritted teeth.

That answered that question, and Bradley pushed in farther. Jake was so, so tight and he felt so, so hot around Bradley. The time they spent away from each other always made the first time back feel that much better, no matter how many times they did it. Bradley relished in the feeling of Jake around him and sank in the rest of the way slowly.

“You’re so tight, baby,” Bradley told him. “You feel so fucking good.” He started to pull out slowly. “Missed this so much.” He punctuated the last word with a quick push back into Jake.

Jake gasped as Bradley began to work himself in and out at a steady pace. His hands were searching for something to hang onto, alternating between the pillow behind his head and the sheets underneath his body, but Bradley could tell neither did the trick. Bradley gave Jake a light tap on his hip to get his attention and then held out his hand for Jake. Bradley spread Jake’s legs a little farther apart so he could lean forward to hold Jake’s hands above his head. From this position, Bradley could easily lean down to give Jake small kisses along his neck.

They stayed like that for a while, Bradley steadily thrusting himself in and out of Jake while kissing up and down Jake’s neck, with the occasional peck on the lips, and Jake hanging on for dear life, searching for the one thing he wanted most. The only sound in the room was their heavy breathing supplemented by the slap of skin on skin.

“Bradley, please,” Jake started after a bit.

“Please what, baby?” Bradley asked him.

“More,” was all Jake said.

Bradley got the message and sped up slightly. He took both of Jake’s hands into one of his own and brought the other down to grab Jake’s ignored cock from where it lay between their bodies. As soon as he did, Jake cried out with each thrust from Bradley. Bradley fisted Jake’s cock in time with the snap of his hips, the slide made easier by the stream of precome coming from Jake. He knew Jake was close, and Bradley was too, but he didn’t care about his own pleasure until Jake got his.

Not too long after, Bradley could feel Jake tightening even more around him and trying to tell Bradley what was coming but not able to get out more than a few nearly silent whimpers. Bradley kept going with his pace and a few short second later, Jake was clenching down around Bradley and throwing his head back in pleasure. Thick white ropes of come painted Jake’s chest and Bradley’s fingers.

Bradley tried his best to work Jake through it, and did almost till the end, but the tight heat of Jake’s hole became too much. Before he knew it, his hips were snapping erratically and he finally gave one last weak thrust and his hips stalled, his own orgasm hitting him hard. Bradley saw white around the edges of his vision and fought to keep himself upright as he reached the end. After a bit, he finally slowly pulled out of Jake and watched a bead of come follow his cock out of Jake’s hole. He scooped it up with two fingers and gently pushed it back in. Jake groaned at the sensation but didn’t protest.

Beneath him, Jake was quietly whimpering and trying to slow his breathing. Bradley carefully collapsed onto the bed next to Jake. He ran a few fingers through the come on Jake’s chest and brought his hand to his mouth to lick it clean.

“That was nice, Jake,” he said.

Jake huffed a small laugh. “Nice?” he said incredulously. “You fuck me within an inch of my life and all you have to say is ‘nice?’”

Bradley laughed and pulled Jake’s face to his own to press a gentle kiss to his lips. It was slow and soft, different from how the rest of the night had gone. Jake moaned a little when he could taste himself on Bradley’s tongue still, and Bradley deepened the kiss just slightly.

When Jake finally pulled back to suck in a breath, his eyes were half-closed. “‘M sleepy, B,” he said quietly.

“I know, baby,” Bradley said. He started to move to head to the bathroom but was met with a hand on his chest, holding him down. “I’m grabbing a washcloth to clean you up, honey. So you can sleep without having to get up.”

Seeming satisfied with this answer, Jake moved his hand and allowed Bradley to complete his task. Bradley walked quickly over to the bathroom, ran a washcloth under warm water, and hurried back. When he saw Jake, he was sprawled out the same way he’d been twice earlier that night, star-fished and with an arm thrown over his face.

Bradley walked over and gave Jake a few gentle taps to get him to roll over. Once he did, Bradley quickly cleaned him up as much as he could, but he knew Jake would complain about the come in the morning.

After tossing the washcloth in the direction of the dirty clothes basket, Bradley climbed back into bed and pulled the mostly clean comforter over the top of the both of them.

“Missed you so much, Bradley,” Jake said quietly. “Don’t want you to leave anymore.”

Bradley’s heart tightened. He hated leaving Jake, but he loved his job. It was hard being away from Jake, but the homecomings were always so great. He figured he would just talk to Ice about getting shorter trips or making sure Jake could come along. It wasn’t always Bradley leaving either, Jake would often get sent on the same type of deployments. The distance was tough and the homecomings were just as good, but the time apart wasn’t any easier. Plus, if they got to travel together more, they could fuck and fuck around in more places.

“I won’t have to leave you again for a while, baby,” Bradley told him. “And I’m here now.” He wrapped an arm around Jake and Jake settled into Bradley’s side. I love him, Bradley thought suddenly, though not for the first time.

“You’re here now,” Jake repeated into Bradley’s chest. He pressed a small kiss there and not long after, he was sound asleep.

I love him, Bradley thought again and again until the exhaustion from his trip and the rest of the evening caught up with him and he fell asleep, too.

[roseaesynstylae]

Star Wars: Republic Commando: Hard Contact, Chapter 1

"Republic Commando 1136 studied every face in line waiting to board the gunships.

Some were helmeted, and some were not, but -- one way or another-- they all had his face. And they were all strangers."

While I do not feel particularly friendly toward Karen Traviss, I will give her credit for her skill in writing military-related topics. She used to be a journalist, or so I hear, so that tracks.

"The loadmaster turned to him. He was one of the very, very few outsiders whom Darman had ever seen working with the Grand Army, a short, wrinkled Duros with a temper to match. 'Are you embarking or what?'

Darman continued wiping his helmet. 'I'm waiting for my mates.'

'You shift your shiny silver backside now,' the loadmaster said irritably. 'I got a schedule.'

Darman carefully brought his knuckle plate just under the loadmaster's chin, and held it there. He didn't need to eject the vibroblade and he didn't need to say a word. He'd made his point."

I'll forgive this one. Darman's just come out of an extremely stressful situation, training or no, and I'm pretty sure he's subconsciously aware that the rest of his squad is dead. Small wonder he's reacting badly.

I'm making note of this because of certain moments in future books. (Jaing's gloves, anyone?)

"The field of barq flowed from silver to ruby as the wind from the southwest bent the ripening grain in waves. It could have been a perfect late-summer day; instead it was turning into one of the worst days of Etain Tur-Muken's life."

Etain, honey, you have no idea.

"'I got bottle of urrqal. You want to have party?' He had a remarkably large vocabulary for a Weequay, all of it centered on his baser needs. 'I fun when you get to know me.'"

Either Etain has some prejudices she needs to sort out, or Hondo is an exceptionally well-spoken and eloquent member of his species.

"'...later, but right now, di'kut, I need you to...okay? Or I'll cut...'"

This is purely to kick off the Di'kut Count.

Di'kut Count: 1

"'I'm Fi,' he said, and held out his hand for shaking. 'So you lost your squad too.'

'Niner,' RC-1309 said without taking the proffered hand."

I just wanted to show Fi and Niner's introduction.

Main post

[jpitha]

We Need a Ride 7

Part 6 Part 5 Part 4 Part 3 Part 2 Part 1

As the Abyssal Plains approached the Mt Baxter, everyone started to get a feeling for just how large the human colony ship was. Abyssal Plains was large themselves, but they were only a dropship. This was on a whole different level.

As they passed through the docking bay gates, they saw that there were already hundreds of ships of all different sizes inside Baxter already. A riot of colors and shapes, each one was different and unique.

"I feel a little out of place in here." Abyssal said "Everyone is all fancy, and I'm just a plain old dropship."

"Oh Abyssal, I think you're great!" Cereni said, trying to cheer them up. "I bet nobody here can carry as much as you are carrying, and I bet most of them can't go into atmosphere either!"

"I suppose you're right." Abyssal said, sighing. "I wonder if I should look into a new paint job."

They were directed to a large platform in the rear of the docking bay. Abyssal set down gently, and as soon as they opened their bay doors, people rushed in to start running checks on the trucks and offloading them.

Chloe stood. "It's time to finish our job. Let's go check on our passengers and make sure they're offloaded safely. Come along Sohpie, Cereni." and walked out without checking to see if they were following.

"Better go along with her." Abyssal said. "You want to see what all this fuss has been about, don't you?"

"Oh Abyssal, thank you for all your help!" Sophie said. "Please keep in touch, I'd love to meet with you again!"

"Me too" Cereni agreed. "Don't be a stranger in our part of space!"

"I'll keep it in mind, when I'm next in the area. Thanks again for the stellar loading Cereni. I meant it when I said if you ever want to sign on to be my loadmaster, I'm happy to have you."

Cereni's fur rippled and she flicked her tail, a nod. "See you soon then!" and they both went to catch up with Chloe.

Outside of Abyssal Plains, it was much colder, and the air was thin. As they walked onto the bay they could see the vapor in their breaths condense into clouds as they breathed out. Cereni's fur puffed out to help keep her warm; an ancient instinct. Sophie didn't have fur, but she got gooseflesh as her body tried to do the same thing.

As they stood and watched, shivering they saw the unloading. A truck would back out and the door would open. Inside was dozens of people standing perfectly still and upright. A technician would connect a line to a jack behind their ear, and their eyes would flutter open. Most awakened without trouble, but some were clearly scared and worried about where they were. Someone, a therapist maybe, would talk to them, explain where they were and lead them over to another room.

Cereni walked over to where the newly awakened people were going. It looked like a reception area. A person wearing a blue uniform would wait until the room was full, give a small speech explaining what was going on and what was going to happen to them, and they'd be gently escorted out, and the room would fill again and the cycle would start over.

Cereni walked back to where Sophie and Chloe were standing. "So, what is going to happen to them?" Cereni asked.

"There is more than enough room here for anyone that wants to stay." Chloe said. "There is also ships departing for other colony worlds and starbases every day. People can pick where they want to go, and head there as soon as a ship is going that way."

"What about people who want to go back to Spruces?" Sophie said. "Do they know what happened?"

"They are being told yes." Chloe offered "But, for now, we're going to keep Spruces off the table. Maybe when we've gotten this whole thing...straightened out, we're start over there, but for now, I think it's going to stay empty."

"Those poor people" Cereni said. "They were packed into trucks, shut down, and then awakened in a strange place and are being told their home was destroyed and they can't go back."

"They are all on our side" Chloe said firmly. "They understood the risks when they signed on to live at Spruces. It was necessary."

"Chloe, are you trying to convince us, or convince yourself?" Sophie said, while watching a person break down crying after being told what happened. The therapist was trying to console them, and led them into the reception room.

"I need no convincing." Chloe said, "I know what I did, I know that it was the right choice. That doesn't mean it was an easy choice, or that I don't feel bad about the collateral damage. I made the choice and I will live with it." She turned away from the unloading. "Come. It's time to find a ship to get you home. This is no place for BIs. We have the environmental systems set to bare minimums, you won't be comfortable."

As they turned to leave, Sophie waved at the Abyssal Plains one more time. They blinked their landing lights in response.

As they walked, Cereni spoke up. "Chloe. You do realize that the next time you ask for our help, we're probably going to say no. We saw this through to the end, but you didn't trust us and not only that, but took advantage of our friendship to get what you needed."

"I still disagree with you taking the Baxter and using it for yourselves without even letting any human authorities know it's been found." Sophie agreed. "But, I give you my word, I'll keep quiet about it."

"Mine as well. "Cereni said. "I think what you're doing is important work, but I don't know how much I agree with your methods."

"You don't have to agree." Chloe said, not turning back to look at them. "But, I am thankful all the same that you came along to help. I don't think I could have done it without you. Thank you for that."

The three of them headed deeper inside the former human colony ship to arrange for transit for Sophie and Cereni to head home.

****

And that's that. I had the idea for a more AI-focused story not long after I nailed down some of their details, and I got the idea of using an old dropship to land on a hostile planet to rescue people while driving home one day. I let the characters tell me about who they were and what their ideals were, and I really wound up liking Chloe. She'll probably appear somewhere else.

This is the longest thing I've written in years, and it's been even longer since I finished a long form story, so I'm pretty proud of it. There's lots wrong and lots that I don't really like, but you can't edit forever. It's all part of the process. Thanks for reading! I know my shorts and silly interactions get more notes but I really like doing the longer stuff, so thanks to those who stuck with it!

But wait, what's that? a Coda???

Here comes Coda 2!

Okay, Now, I'm done.

[tealingual]

Airport vocabulary in Finnish

Lentokenttä, lentoasema - airport Lentoliikenne - air traffic Lento - flight Vaihto - transfer Lippu - ticket Koneeseennousukortti, tarkastuskortti - boarding pass Passi - passport Viisumi - visa Lähtöselvitys - check-in Turvatarkastus - security check Rajatarkastus - border check Tulli - customs Matkatavarat - baggage Matkatavaroiden noutoalue - baggage reclaim Matkalaukkuhihna - baggage carousel Palvelut - services Palvelupiste - service point Informaatiotiski - information desk Myymälä, kauppa - shop, store Ravintola - restaurant Kahvila - café Käteis(nosto)automaatti - ATM cash machine Valuutanvaihto - money exchange Postilaatikko - mailbox Matkatavaroiden säilytys - luggage storage Löytötavarat - lost & found Lounge - lounge Työskentelypiste - workspace Lastenhoitohuone - baby changing facility Autonvuokraus - car rental Sähköpistoke - power socket Internet, WiFi - internet, WiFi Vessa - toilet Terminaali - terminal Portti - gate Matkustajasilta - jet bridge Rullaustie - taxiway Kiitotie, kiitorata - runway Asemataso - apron Lentokonehalli - hangar Ilma-alus - aircraft Lentokone - airplane Matkustamo - cabin Rivi - row Käytävä - aisle Istuin(paikka) - seat Matkatavarahylly - cabin compartment, hand-luggage compartment Turvavyö - safety belt Viihdejärjestelmä - entertainment system Turvallisuuskortti - safety card Oksennuspussi - sickness bag Happinaamari - oxygen mask Pelastusliivi - life jacket Hätäuloskäynti - emergency exit Käymälä - lavatory Ruuma - cargo bin, luggage hold Lentoyhtiö - airline Allianssi - alliance Miehistö - crew Kapteeni - captain Perämies - officer Matkustamohenkilökunta - cabin crew Lentoemäntä - flight attendant (female) Stuertti - flight attendant (male) Lentomekaanikko - flight engineer Lastaaja - loadmaster Lentäjä - pilot Purseri - purser Matkustaja - passenger Matkustusluokka - travel class Ykkösluokka - first class Business-luokka - business class Turistiluokka - economy class Lentää - to fly Vaihtaa - to transfer Matkustaa - to travel Tehdä lähtöselvitys - to check in Nousta koneeseen - to board the aircraft Noutaa matkatavarat - to reclaim baggage Nousta - to take-off Laskeutua - to land

[baronneutron]

PT-19 Patrol Bomber

Concept: A Star Wars version of a B-17 (or B-24 or B-25) combined with a PT Boat built by Koensayr Manufacturing. A Purpose built bomber of similar size to a light freighter with a crew of a dozen or so, very little free space.  Its a Fast Attack Vessel with a primary role of bombing and assault with secondary roles as Recon, SAR, and as a Picket ship.  The goal was to make something that looked as little like a Corellian ship as possible. 

One of the key concepts is that this is purpose built, it is not a modified or converted light freighter.  The backstory I have in mind is that it is created by Koensayr Manufacturing, but that perhaps its major sub-contractor was SoroSuub and after the first line was produced there was a breakdown in the contract between the two companies.  For this reason, there aren't many of these, but perhaps the talented and innovative engineers of the Rebel Alliance got their hands on the plans and have been able to produce some more.  However, these are expensive to build and maintain, so they are fairly rare yet highly sought after by Rebel leaders.  These ships are over-powered and over-gunned and take a talented crew to maintain and operate. 

Weapon systems and equipment include:   - 6 Quad Laser Cannons (tail, nose, dorsal, ventral, port, and starboard)  - Proton Bomb system (like the TIE Bomber)  - Either Concussion Missiles or Proton Torpedoes (forward facing)  - An Ion Cannon (forward facing)  - an excellent ComScan suite  - On board is perhaps a medstation (but not a full medbay), tight packed quarters, some storage but not alot of space for extra cargo, a small crew "lounge" which serves for dining and recreation

Crew Compliment of 12:  - Pilot/Capt (1): Experienced pilot and leader; an Officer  - Co-Pilot/XO (1): also an experienced pilot and leader just typically less experienced than the Captain; an Officer  - Tactical (1): experienced warrior to coordinate all weapons; a Warrant Officer  - Bombardier (1) : the most important position on the ship, the whole reason it exists; an experienced Petty Officer  - Quartermaster (1): Astrogation assistant, ship systems control, Comm-Scan, Damage Control, loadmaster; an experienced Petty Officer  - Engineer (1): ship's engineer, backed up by the Quartermaster and gunners in emergencies; an experienced Petty Officer  - Gunners (6): all have a 2nd position: asst. engineer, asst. bombardier, damage control, medic, etc; Junior Enlisted - Petty Officers

Commissioned by me; art by Colourbrand

[dirtgh0ul]

groendyke daughter or loadmaster son

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Samaritan's Purse President and CEO Franklin Graham dedicated the new facility. Measuring more than 62,000 square feet, the response center includes a 55,000-square-foot hangar, office space, and the capacity to facilitate a wide range of aircraft maintenance activities. It is staffed by 21 people, including pilots, flight engineers, loadmasters, maintenance personnel, and additional flight support staff…

[aggravateddurian]

Freerunners!! for wip game

Thanks for the ask!

Freerunners is an original speculative fiction universe devised and written by me!

Freerunners is set in our future (approx. 2470), in a galaxy where humanity fell into a dark cyberpunk age, but managed to pull itself out with the unlocking of a future among the stars. It shares a timeline with my other original speculative fiction universe, Subsurf.

The story blends elements of cyberpunk (notably: cyberware, evil corporations ruining peoples' lives, vexes: a technology similar to braindances, but more inspired by BTLs from Shadowrun, and the whole high tech, low life feel of the universe), moderately hard science fiction like The Expanse and makes concessions towards unrealistic tech like jump drives for the sake of the story.

Full detes below the cut:

The story itself follows the crew of the Independent Contractor high-endurance courier ship 'IC Isthmus' as a simple cargo mission to deliver a replacement rocket engine to a Capellan intelligence officer (Moses Marcellus Booker, who I have always imagined as being played by Idris Elba, so screw you CDPR I thought of it first!) drags them into a complicated series of interweaving and competing interests and designs between the galactic powers.

The crew of the Isthmus comes from a variety of backgrounds. Some have clear inspirations, others are completely original creations.

Captain Connor 'Truck' Pearce - a war veteran and the captain of the Isthmus. Fiercely protective of his crew, and dealing with PTSD after losing his arm during the war. He's a native of the United Arcturian Colonies.

Zoe Alvarado - a former scrapyard techie from the ass-end of the resort planet Paraiso, who learned to fly from her grandma before being recruited by Truck. Chief inspirations: Avril 'Scrap Queen' Mead (Ace Combat 7) and Judy Alvarez (Cyberpunk 2077). Citizen of Paraiso, a free planet under Arcturian protection.

Jaidyn Armas - a webcrawler (net specialist, think netrunner or decker) from Paraiso's largest city, New Emerald. She worked as a net technician in New Emerald's biggest brothel for a while. She joined Truck's crew when Truck and Zoe helped her escape a deadly situation. Jaidyn and Zoe are in a relationship. Chief Inspirations: Valerie Ocampo-Gonzalez (Cyberpunk 2077 OC). Citizen of Paraiso.

Noah 'Chief' Rodriguez - a loadmaster, and a former Warrant Officer in the United Republic Space Force. He was Truck's first crewmate, having joined him after working a stint with Truck for Transstellar Spaceways. Noah is in a relationship with Cory Morgan, another crewman. Citizen of the United Republic of Earth Colonies.

Cory Morgan - a space nomad. He's a webcrawler, or at least, has the cyberware to be a webcrawler, but his true speciality is in astrogation. When he's not keeping the FTL computer running, he's arguing with Jaidyn about nerd shit. Citizen of the Commonwealth of Capella.

Isiah Larson - a former Capellan Navy medic who joined the crew on Terra Nova. Larson is a snarky, quippy man, who uses humour to put people at ease, a talent he picked up during the Capellan war with the Star Rakers, a large nation of pirate space nomads.

Slate - Slate is... Slate. She's a 6'7" beast, equipped with state of the art combat cyberware and has been bioengineered for peak physical performance. She is known for her husky, monotone voice, and her freakish combat performance. Only Truck could accidentally recruit a supersoldier. There's one problem, she can't explain how she got the way she was, or even who she is, because her memories are sealed behind some kind of neural lock technology. Isiah believes that she might be a corporate weapons experiment, given much of her cyberware is produced by Kagiyama-Soryu.

Chapter 1 'Disengage' is finished, but is stuck in editing hell. Chapter 2 'Replacement Parts' is about 10% finished. I'll be posting these soon.

All things Freerunners can be found on by sideblog @durianwritesoriginalfic, or by following the original setting: freerunners tag.

[witchyfashion]

Best Horror of the Year, Vol. 1

An Air Force Loadmaster is menaced by strange sounds within his cargo; a man is asked to track down a childhood friend... who died years earlier; doomed pioneers forge a path westward as a young mother discovers her true nature; an alcoholic strikes a dangerous bargain with a gregarious stranger; urban explorers delve into a ruined book depository, finding more than they anticipated; residents of a rural Wisconsin town defend against a legendary monster; a woman wracked by survivor's guilt is haunted by the ghosts of a tragic crash; a detective strives to solve the mystery of a dismembered girl; an orphan returns to a wicked witch's candy house; a group of smugglers find themselves buried to the necks in sand; an unanticipated guest brings doom to a high-class party; a teacher attempts to lead his students to safety as the world comes to an end around them...

What frightens us, what unnerves us? What causes that delicious shiver of fear to travel the lengths of our spines? It seems the answer changes every year. Every year the bar is raised; the screw is tightened. Ellen Datlow knows what scares us; the twenty-one stories and poems included in this anthology were chosen from magazines, webzines, anthologies, literary journals, and single author collections to represent the best horror of the year.

https://amzn.to/46GHmTO

[c-130hercules]

The U.S. Air Mobility Command is expanding the limited-aircrew employment concepts it has been exploring with aircraft like the KC-46 Pegasus to include the C-130J Super Hercules. The initial plan is to get select C-130J pilots and loadmasters trained on exactly how a flight utilizing only one of each would be executed, which will include the loadmaster helping the pilot fly the aircraft. All of this is part of an effort to prepare Mobility Air Forces for emergency scenarios where a threat or series of factors would require reduced crew operations.

Aircrew from the 61st Airlift Squadron participate in one pilot-one loadmaster simulator training at Little Rock Air Base, Arkansas, Feb. 16, 2023. Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Maria Umanzor Guzman

....

While aerial refueling operations with a limited crew present a number of different challenges than one pilot-one loadmaster tactical airlift flight, both concepts are aimed at ultimately providing the Mobility Air Forces more flexibility and operational independence. In a time of war, airfields, bases, and aircraft stationed there will become static targets for enemy missile attacks, making it critical for those platforms and their operators to have the ability to get in the air with their fuel and cargo as quickly and safely as possible. The pace of sustained conflict operations and even the supply of aircrew during a prolonged war are also factors that could impact the relevancy of these new tactics.

....

[thearchaeologicalwitch]

When I was on active duty in the schoolhouse for Loadmasters, they would beat you over the head to know your "Warnings, Cautions, and Notes". A "Note" was a safety suggestion that you could flex because -in certain circumstances - you may have to work around it. A "Caution" was more inflexible. You would have to have a damn Good reason to break that rule and be prepared for the consequences if it backfired. "Warnings" were non-negotiable. You break this rule. You have no business being on an airplane. You are willfully endangering your crew, knowing what you're doing is wrong. The blood is on your hands.

Homes are expensive because of landlords hoarding them for profit, not because of regulations.