16 November 2033 – Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia

“We should be used to moving by now,” Sabrina said.

“Yeah,” Tom laughed, dropping a box marked ‘F-22 Manuals’ onto the floor with a thud. “But at least you’re only moving between divisions of the same squadron, thankfully, not bases this time! We don’t have to change houses when you finish your training!”

“Whatever …” Sabrina said, rolling her eyes. “It’s not like we’re moving to GERMANY or anything …”

“Uh, we were younger and had less stuff,” Tom told his wife. “The Air Force paid for that, too!”

“Still, these are sweet quarters!”

“I have to admit that they are …”

“‘Rank hath its privileges …’”

“I have heard that one before, yes …”

“Well, Tommy, let’s check out the master bedroom again now that we’ve cleaned.”

“You’re a pervert …”

“Well, it does take one to know one …”

✦       ✧       ✦       ✧       ✦

Major Sabrina Knox-Jones snapped to attention as her current and future CO entered the room. Lieutenant Colonel Kian ‘Grease’ Wells introduced Sabrina and Lieutenant Colonel Caldwell as they passed the 71st’s junior pilots. Sabrina thought Caldwell paused in front of her longer than he had the others, but she might be overthinking things.

Caldwell looked over the squadron’s dayroom again before leaving with Colonel Wells. His gaze fixed on Sabrina before we walked out. This time, she wasn’t overthinking.

“What was that about?” Sabrina asked.

“That guy hasn’t met anyone as good-looking as you,” Ross ‘Dough Boy’ Daugherty said in a low tone. “Tom scored there, big time!”

“Would you stop, Dough Boy?” Sabrina replied, rolling her eyes and lightly slapping him on the shoulder. It was a typical exchange with Dough Boy, one of the many who had grown to think of her as a big sister. Her annoyance, though palpable, was playful.

“Hey, I’m just sayin’, Raikou …”

All the others in the FTU treated Sabrina like their big sister, so she was used to the jokes. That didn’t stop her from punching Dough Boy in the shoulder. That seemed to be her favorite spot with others, and she learned that mainly from her Aunt Heather.

Rank didn’t mean much in the 71st Fighter Squadron. Not as much as it did in some other places, anyway. Under Colonel Wells’ command, the squadron had prided itself on a more relaxed, almost family-like atmosphere. Sabrina could still remember the early days when she arrived at Langley. Grease’s leadership had set the tone for everything. Everyone had treated one another like equals – to an extent.

Sabrina had been at Langley for nearly thirteen months, transferring from Edwards and the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron. She finished being a student at the FTU last month. She’d taken the online Squadron Officer School course but hadn’t found time to attend the in-person course at Maxwell AFB in Alabama. Sabrina didn’t tell her husband much about her workday, and Tom was smart enough not to ask.

Sabrina couldn’t deny that the change after Grease left would be jarring. Colonel Campbell’s arrival had already shifted the squadron’s tone, and with Grease’s departure, things seemed to have become more formal, less friendly.

Kian Wells’s departure as the commander of the 71st wasn’t exactly welcome. Grease was a good commander in addition to being a crack pilot. He and his family were also good friends. One thing he did before leaving, however, was to make Sabrina one of the B-course flight commanders.

“Sir, not that I won’t be glad to get back to flying more regularly, but why do this now?” she asked before Grease left the 71st.

Kian Wells looked around, making sure the pair was alone.

“For some reason, I don’t feel good about this guy, Sabrina,” he whispered. “Watch your six, Raikou!” With that, he carried the last box out of his office.

Kian Wells’s departure had impacted the squadron’s mood and left Sabrina uncertain about the future. As much as she appreciated the opportunities that a leadership change usually brought with it, his tight control over every move felt … wrong.

Six months had passed since Grease’s departure. Sabrina taught the newer officers about the F-51 aircraft as the squadron took on the latest additions to their fleet.

The rest of the 1st Fighter Wing was transitioning away from the old F-16s and was now flying primarily F-51 Mustang IIs and F-22 Raptors, with a few other fighters mixed in for good measure. Even the vaunted Thunderbirds were flying F-51s now.

Despite the impressive capabilities of the Mustangs and Raptors, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being set up for something she wasn’t ready for, for an impending confrontation that loomed on the horizon.

The couple shook off any bad feelings, and Sabrina and Tom made their next big purchase: a used Piper PA-47 in charcoal gray with bright white registration numbers. They ordered two fifteen-gallon tip tanks installed, giving the jet a nineteen-hundred-mile range.

While inconvenient, Sabrina and Tom housed their new extravagance at an executive airport about thirty-five minutes from Langley AFB. The airport was past the Norfolk Naval Station and on the southwest side of Chesapeake Bay. The jet's range would allow easy trips to all parts of the country except the West Coast without refueling or needing to fly commercially.

✦       ✧       ✦       ✧       ✦

Colonel Campbell was undoubtedly a bit stiff when Colonel Wells introduced Sabrina. ‘Major Knox-Jones’ this, and ‘Major Knox-Jones’ that … It was never ‘Sabrina.’ Sabrina couldn’t get a good read on him.

It took a few weeks, but the mood at the squadron office also changed. The loose, easygoing atmosphere Grease had fostered only took about a month to crumble completely, and Sabrina was surprised it had lasted as long as it had.

It hurt when Lieutenant Colonel Artie McDaniel, the operations officer, retired from the 71st a week after Grease Wells transferred out of the squadron. Campbell’s friend, Lieutenant Colonel Jack Singleton, took over as operations officer. He assigned missions to the flights in a seemingly random order that made no sense to Sabrina or the other three flight commanders. They followed orders but logged them, just in case.

Six months after Grease Wells handed over command of the 71st to Campbell, Chief Master Sergeant Jim Hudak reported for duty. The trio of the two colonels and the new chief master sergeant seemed to click, and the 71st became an even more oppressive workplace.

Sabrina quietly appraised General Cunningham. Grease Wells had warned the man about his replacement on his way out. Sabrina chafed at going outside the chain of command, but this situation felt unusual.

Sabrina’s relaxed relationship on the flight line, especially with the mechanics and other ground crews, also became tenser. Chief Master Sergeant Hudak always seemed to be around, but he demanded a more formal tone from ‘his’ NCOs and lower enlisted members.

Sabrina was home, watching TV and trying to decompress after another week. All the troubles at the Air Force Base were forgotten when she got a call from her brother, Alex.

“Kiddo, are you watching the news?”

“About the small plane that crashed in Hartford?”

“That was Mom and Dad’s airplane, Sabrina. They were coming back from a fusion convention in Atlantic City. They were also meeting up with Dr. Sacha there.”

Sabrina sat up straight.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?”

“They’re alive, Sabrina, but unconscious and in critical condition,” Alex said. “How soon can you and Tom be ready to go to Hartford with me and my family?”

“FIVE MINUTES!”

Alex chuckled despite the situation.

“It might take me a little bit longer to arrange things. Call General Cunningham. I’ve got a bad feeling about Campbell. You need to be ready when we get there in a few hours.”

Sabrina didn’t hesitate. She called Tom at work and explained the urgency of the situation. They were packed and ready to fly to Hartford in the blink of an eye.

Sabrina said little while holding Tommy’s hand as they flew to Hartford the following day. The journey felt like it took hours, but when they finally landed, it was still early enough to make their way to the hospital. Keiko and Jeff Knox – her parents – were in critical condition, unconscious from the plane crash that had left them in a state Sabrina couldn’t fully comprehend.

Hartford-Brainard wasn’t the large international airport Bradley in Windsor Locks had become, but it was closer to the Swift River Valley if her parents wanted to visit Grandma and Grandpa Knox. Her parents had flown out of Hartford many times. Getting in and out of Hartford by car wasn’t great fun, but it was a straight shot south from Springfield, Massachusetts, on Interstate 91.

I-91 was on the western bank of the Connecticut River, which passed just to the east of Brainard. Getting an airplane in and out of Brainard was more straightforward, too.

From what Alex was able to learn about the accident, the pilot suffered a heart attack (cardiac arrest) just before their parents’ plane landed. There was no co-pilot to react, recognize, or otherwise take over the aircraft before it veered off to the east and crashed nose-down into the field to the east of the runway just before it reached the trees along the Connecticut River. The pilot died in the crash.

As far as their parents … their lap belts weren’t enough to keep them safe, and they slammed into the walls and ceiling of the aircraft during the crash. The responding ambulances took them to the closest Level 1 Trauma Center.

After a safe landing on the re-opened Runway 2/20, a large rental car and the driver took Alex, his family, Sabrina, and Tom to the hospital. There, Keiko and Jeff’s kids awaited news from the surgeons as Keiko and Jeff Knox lay unconscious. While investigating the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cordoned off the area east of Runway 2/20.

Seeing both of her parents with breathing tubes in their throats made Sabrina break down. She hugged her brother, Alex, before hugging Ryan, who was also there visiting. The staff wouldn’t usually allow so many people to be in the room with their two patients, but they were willing to make an exception this first time. Everyone else left the room while Ariel stayed with Sabrina. The staff continued to ignore the extra person in the room. Summer snuggled up to her step-grandfather, with whom she had connected.

Sabrina kept General Cunningham apprised as the ACC commander but didn’t worry about keeping Colonel Campbell updated on events surrounding her parents. The general told Sabrina to worry about her parents and that the ACC office would protect her job as much as possible. Later that weekend, Sabrina and Tom returned to Virginia.

Campbell, Singleton, and Hudak kept the pressure on the members of the 71st. The carefree, easy-going working relationship her squadron used to have with all the other members of the 1st Fighter Wing (maintenance, weather, munitions, other fighter squadrons) had slowly eroded. At the same time, she was gone, dealing with her parents’ injuries and prognoses. They were both still unconscious.

The next few weeks were a blur. Sabrina and Tom made multiple trips back to Hartford, staying in and out of the hospital, trying to make sense of the terrifying situation they had been thrust into. At the same time, things were deteriorating at Langley. As the tension increased between Sabrina and her commanding officers, she wondered if they even understood her situation.

Sabrina tried to remain strong as her parents’ condition remained unchanged. She continued to keep the ACC apprised of her situation, but she was still haunted by the growing pressure from Colonel Campbell and his team. The 71st wasn’t the same anymore. The family-like camaraderie she once cherished was fading, replaced by an oppressive atmosphere that seemed to tighten with each passing day.

Sabrina and Tom returned to Hartford the following weekend. Ryan and Alex, along with their families, were in the room when the trauma doctor told them they had done everything they could for Keiko and Jeff. It was time to discharge them from the hospital.

According to Ariel’s information, transferring Sabrina’s parents to a rehab facility near Enfield, Massachusetts, rather than a facility near Hartford, would better serve them. Dr. Sarawat looked less than thrilled, but he noted that both parents had been extubated and agreed that having all the Knox children visit their parents more often would be beneficial in the long run.

Ariel showed Ryan and everyone an upscale facility in Amherst that the elder Knoxes could transfer to, allowing Ariel and Ryan (and Summer) to visit more often. The transfer would likely happen within the next few days. Sabrina and Tom returned to Virginia again. Her schedule wouldn’t allow them to visit her parents in their new place until the following weekend, but they made arrangements either way.

Visits to the ‘new’ rehab place over the next few weekends didn’t produce any results. The rehab staff was good, though. They were attentive, knowledgeable, and caring, and they got to know all of the Knoxes on a first-name basis. It was nearly six weeks before Sabrina heard the sound she’d hoped for.

“Sabrina?” came the croaking sound.

“DADDY!”

It took an extreme effort on Sabrina’s part not to crush her father with a hug.

“What day is it, Princess?”

“Saturday,” Sabrina answered, “but it’s after the 2034 New Year’s. Your accident was on a Wednesday back in November, and you and Mom have been unconscious since then.”

“Is your mother awake?”

“Not yet, Daddy,” Sabrina answered while a tear tracked down her cheek.

“Her vital signs are good,” said a female voice. The nurse, Christine, had answered. “Unfortunately, she won’t wake up until her body is ready.”

“And that could be within the next ten minutes, or ten years from now …” her father said.

“Very true,” Christine answered. “There’s no way to know.”

It was another three days before Keiko woke up, almost three months after the accident. Both of the parents stayed in the rehab in a double room. It was unusual for males to bed in the same room as females, but this couple had been together for over thirty years, so the rehab staff made it work.

Both of her parents had broken at least two appendages each. Jeff added some ribs to the mix, and Keiko added one of her arms. All of their injuries had eventually healed, but their muscles had atrophied while they were unconscious. Rehab would take a long time. Sabrina and Tom returned to Virginia once more. General Cunningham had retired the previous week. Sabrina didn’t think of it then, but her protection from Campbell’s antics was gone.

Sabrina took another young lieutenant up for her first B-course flight in the F-22 the week she returned to Langley. Sabrina admittedly had a soft spot in her heart for female F-22 pilots, but this one was nearly at her level. Sabrina smiled under her oxygen mask as the newbie followed her lead and matched her maneuvers well.

“You looked good up there, Lieutenant,” Sabrina told young Nola Chen. “You didn’t seem to have any mistakes when trying to match what I was doing up there.”

“The Raptor and I seem to click, Ma’am,” Nola Chen said with a shrug. Sabrina smiled at the new pilot.

“You sound like I did back in the day. I still say that about myself when I fly the F-22.”

“You weren’t holding back on me just now, were you, Ma’am?”

“There’s a fine line between holding back on a student and pushing them too far when you’re an instructor, Lieutenant. I wasn’t holding back, but I’ll be sure to push a little harder next time we fly together.”

“I’d appreciate it if you do that, Ma’am. Gotta see where the edge is up there, you know?”

Sabrina understood perfectly. Sabrina spent more time away from the base, visiting her parents whenever possible. She’d just returned from a weekend visit when she got a call from General Cunningham. The general had always been one of her supporters. She wasn’t sure if his retirement had made him more of an ally or a ghost. His voice, however, was unmistakable when it came through the line.

“Sabrina, I know things aren’t going well at Langley. I’ve heard some rumblings, and I need you to know that I’ve got your back. It might not mean much now, but if you need me to step in, I will.”

Sabrina was quiet for a long moment.

“Thank you, Sir. But I think Campbell’s just about made his mind up. I’m just trying to finish this FTU class without getting too messy.”

“Be careful, Major. Sometimes, the higher-ups forget that the people on the ground – on the front lines, so to speak – are keeping it all together. You’re more valuable than they realize.”

Sabrina didn’t say anything. She’d heard words like this before, but they didn’t change anything. The wheels were already turning, and she wasn’t sure there was any way to stop them.

“Can I give you one piece of advice?” Cunningham asked, his tone gentler now.

“Of course, Sir. Please, go ahead.”

“Don’t let them break you, Sabrina. Don’t let anyone tell you who you are. You already know what you’re capable of. Remember that even if they try to take it away.”

She had no answer to that. She just hung up the phone and sat back, staring at the ceiling, lost in the uncertainty of it all. She tried to keep her head in the game, but her parents' condition kept creeping in. On one flight with Lieutenant Chen, Sabrina drifted too close as she worried about how her parents' rehab was going. She corrected and reestablished her distance from Chen, but it was noticed in the ground command center.

On one other flight, everything went fine in the air. But after she landed, Sabrina nearly ran over a ground crew member she hadn't seen because she was thinking about her parents again. Colonel Campbell called Sabrina into his office later that week. Singleton and Hudak were present.

“Major Knox-Jones,” Colonel Campbell said in his usual business-like and unfriendly way, “your continual trips to visit your parents and your constant thinking about their conditions are causing problems.”

“Sir?” Sabrina answered. “My parents nearly died in a plane crash two months ago! My job has been getting done like it did before the accident!”

“I’m afraid I disagree, Major. It will take some time, but I, Colonel Singleton, and Chief Master Sergeant Hudak will start all the necessary paperwork, eventually separating you from the United States Air Force.”

Sabrina stood there stunned. Was the colonel telling her she had to choose between her family and the Air Force? The Air Force, as much as she loved flying, would lose every time.

“The latest B-course started flying this month. I want to finish the assignment I’ve got with that class first.”

Campbell didn’t look pleased, but he agreed to it.

“Very well, Major. The current class will fly for four more months. When that assignment ends, your active time in the Air Force will end. That will finish up in the middle of October.”

✦       ✧       ✦       ✧       ✦

Sabrina barely remembered the drive back to her assigned house. When Tom came home from work, she stopped short upon seeing Sabrina’s blank stare.

“Sabrina?”

His wife looked up at him from the couch. She still had that blank stare.

“Campbell’s gonna force me out. In the middle of October, he says. After the current class finishes flying.”

“WHAT? Can he do that?”

“I’m sure he’ll couch it as a ‘medical dismissal’ or something like that …”

“Isn’t there any way to fight this?”

“I used the current B-course flying thing to buy me some time. It was all I could think of.”

The house felt more uncomfortable now, even though the air conditioner was running full blast against the mid-July Virginia heat. Sabrina sat motionless on the couch, her eyes fixed on the far wall. Her fingers were loosely gripping her phone, but the screen was dark. It had been hours since the meeting with Colonel Campbell, yet everything about the conversation felt like a blur.

Tom stood by the doorway, still in his suit for work, looking like he had entered a foreign world. He wasn’t used to seeing Sabrina like this: frozen, silent, as though the weight of something unspoken had settled on her chest. He put his bag down and stepped closer, sitting beside her and pulling her into his arms. Sabrina barely reacted, but after a moment, her head rested on his shoulder.

“I can’t believe he’s doing this.” Tom’s voice was low, but a tremor of disbelief was running through it.

Sabrina shook her head, but no words came. The reality hadn’t fully sunk in yet. She’d always been able to keep her head in the game and focus on the mission, no matter the stress or adversity. But this? This was different. The very foundation of her identity was at stake. She wasn’t just a fighter pilot – she was part of the Air Force, part of something much more significant than herself.

Her family, the one thing that had always been constant, had just been through hell. Now, they were slowly recovering. And she was being told to choose between them and a job that had been her life for so long.

“I’m sorry, Sabrina.” Tom’s voice was full of sympathy. “I know how much flying means to you. I just … I don’t get it. They can’t do this. Not like this.”

Sabrina nodded absently, but she was already reviewing the meeting details again. Colonel Campbell, his eyes cold and unwavering, hadn’t given her an inch. The change had been palpable when her name came up in the squadron. He’d made it clear that her time was limited, regardless of how much she tried to make it work.

“Do you think we can fight this?” Tom asked, his voice softer now.

“Maybe.” Sabrina’s words were slow and deliberate. “But I’m not sure how much I can push back without making things worse. I’ve been gone so much these last few months, and now, with Mom and Dad still recovering, it’s like they’re using that against me. Campbell is using it against me.”

Tom let out a frustrated sigh.

“He’s making you choose between your family and your career. That’s –” he stopped himself before saying anything he might regret. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t need me getting riled up right now.”

“It’s okay,” Sabrina whispered. “I’m just … I’m tired. I'm tired of trying to keep it together when everything’s falling apart. I haven’t even had time to process what’s happening with Mom and Dad fully – what’s really happening. Now this? It feels like one more thing I can’t control. One more thing slipping away.”

Tom kissed the top of her head, pulling her closer.

“We’ll figure this out. You’re not alone in this, Sabrina. I’m here. We’re in this together.”

But Sabrina knew it wasn’t that simple. She didn’t know if she could fight the system … not when it seemed like every corner was closing in on her. She’d spent years building a reputation, proving herself, and climbing higher in the ranks. And now, it was all slipping through her fingers in one instant. Her heart ached for the loss she could already feel.

✦       ✧       ✦       ✧       ✦

Over the next few weeks, Sabrina threw herself into the work she had left. She could still teach, fly, and lead the B-course students with the same precision and focus that had defined her career. But the cracks were starting to show.

Campbell ensured that every interaction was strained and formal. He kept pushing the envelope, testing how far he could make her bend before she broke. Every meeting with him left her feeling more minor and more insignificant.

Lieutenant Colonel Singleton and Chief Master Sergeant Hudak were no better. Singleton had always been the distant, no-nonsense type, but now, with Campbell’s shadow looming over her, he seemed to relish every moment of the power shift. Hudak, who had once seemed like an angry force in the squadron, was now just another cog in the machine, helping Campbell tighten the screws. Sabrina had heard whispers that they were both pushing for her to be dismissed earlier than planned, and that only made her more determined to hold her ground for as long as she could.

Every day felt like walking a razor-thin line between doing her job and not losing the last shred of respect she had for the institution she loved. The squadron wasn’t the same anymore. The camaraderie that had made it feel like family was gone and was replaced by a suffocating tension.

By the time the last month of her assignment rolled around, Sabrina had begun to feel the walls closing in. The B-course students were starting to fly more confidently, and the course was winding down. She still had moments in the sky where she felt free, where the world below could fade away, but the pressure was unrelenting. Each day felt like it could be her last in uniform. She could only pray that when it came time to leave, she could do it with her head held high.

Her phone buzzed as she packed up her gear after a particularly grueling flight. It was Tom.

“We need to talk,” the message said.

Sabrina felt a chill run down her spine. She already knew what was coming, but a part of her still held onto hope. Still, she grabbed her things and left the hangar. When she walked in the door, Tom was waiting in the living room, his face serious. He didn’t speak, but the look on his face told her everything she needed to know. Sabrina sat down beside him, taking a deep breath.

“So,” she said, breaking the silence. “What now?”

“The whispers are starting around the base. And not just in the active-duty areas, either.”

“And? We knew they were going to start before my last day …”

“Just hold it together, especially around Campbell and company. Don’t give him any ammunition.”

✦       ✧       ✦       ✧       ✦

Lieutenant Colonel Campbell spread Sabrina’s separation paperwork on his desk in front of her. The paperwork was dated 15 November 2034, a month from now. Lieutenant Colonel Singleton and Chief Master Sergeant Hudak also stood in the office. They looked like they were gloating.

Colonel Campbell’s signature was already on the paperwork; hers was the last thing needed to finalize the separation. Sabrina numbly signed the paperwork and stood back up, stone-faced. Colonel Campbell smiled when she did so – a creepy smile.

“Major, do you remember a first-class cadet named ‘Devin Fairhaven’ from your days at the Academy?”

Sabrina looked at her (now former) commanding officer. How did he know that name?

“I’ve waited a long time for this day,” the colonel said as he smiled at the separation paperwork. He looked back up at Sabrina, a cold mask settling over his face. “Devin was my half-brother.”

The words were like a knife through Sabrina’s heart.

“Our mother had me before my father died, and she married Devin’s father after that. That’s why we were half-brothers. More like brothers in the traditional sense, actually.”

If it was possible, Colonel Campbell’s look turned even colder.

“When he got tossed out of the Academy, he went into a tailspin. He drank himself to death within five years. I couldn’t touch you when I wasn’t your CO, but once I came here, I made it my mission to ruin you.

“I tried to toss you out on your ass today, but you’ve got about a month of leave time left, and the 1st Fighter Wing commander wouldn’t agree to that. So, you’re technically on terminal leave until the middle of November.”

Colonel Campbell came around the desk and got right in Sabrina’s face.

“Devin and I grew up together,” the man snarled. His breath was terrible. “He was my baby brother.” The colonel paused again. “You’re done, Knox! You better be out of your assigned housing at the end of that month, or I’ll find a reason to bring you up on charges!”

Sabrina stood at attention like a cadet and saluted Colonel Campbell. His response reminded her of the Academy Commandant of Cadet’s reaction.

“Get out of my office, you has-been! DISMISSED!”