How do you explain a day to remember to someone who was taught to forget the fallen? This is the problem that faces Terresa Cole y Nakatoma.

Battle platform Ryuk, Eastern Ocean, Planet Hades.

Colonel Raven Nevermore walked the line of aerospace fighters with the eye of a true professional. The woman knew her aircraft. She left nothing to chance. Her squadron knew better than to question their Colonel. The woman had no problems with handing out ‘additional training’. Usually to be supervised by her. They had learned over the last few months the woman was a stickler for more than just the regs. She was a flat-out bitch for safety.

“Excuse me ma’am. But may I know what you’re looking for?” The flight deck Petty Officer asked her as she passed the seventh Claymore fighter of her squadron.

“Let’s just say that I don’t want any problems today.” Raven told the young woman as she stepped toward the last aerospace fighter on the flight-line. “Has Chief Warrant Officer Dunleavy worked out any kinks in the new FB-11A2T tandem?”

The young Petty Officer looked over at the only FB-11 Claymore on broad the Royal Battle Platform to have a backseat. Even though this fighter is normally only used as a trainer for new pilots it was still just as heavily armed as its combat cousins. It was also the only FB-11 on Ryuk that wasn’t painted in the colors of the six combat squadrons. It was painted in the colors of the Royal family. Every last Petty Officer watched in wonder as it was first brought aboard the Shinigami platform.

The Petty Officer looked back to the Colonel of the 777th Fighter Squadron. “The Phoenix is ready to fly ma’am. If there is anything wrong with that bird Chief Donleavy would have found it and fixed it. Ma’am, don’t take this the wrong way, but she fell in love with that bird the second she laid eyes on her. More than the rest of your squadron fighters.”

Raven just chuckled. “No offence taken, there Petty Officer. Personally, I’d have been happy with her just being her normally prickly self.”

The Petty Officer gave the enigmatic colonel a questioning look then asked. “Ma’am, can you tell me who that bird is for? It’s not like we get raw untrained recruits aboard Ryuk.”

Raven just chuckled at the Petty Officer’s comment. “I want you to think about our current Empress Petty Officer. Do you know how hard it is to get that crazy woman to let someone else fly her around? Hell, our Emperor is just as bad at times. For a ground pounder. He would rather jump out of an Assault Shuttle than let it land with him still on board.”

Raven pointed over at the FB-11A2T. “That monster is a compromise between them and their security forces. That is the reason for the rear facing twin forty-millimeter pulse laser battery.”

“Wait a minute ma’am. Are you saying that bird is for the Royal Couple?” The Petty Officer couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“That is exactly what I’m saying, petty officer. Our Empress is one of the finest pilots there is in all of the Empire. Never doubt that for a second. She is the only pilot to have ever beaten me. Remember she is the pilot to down the Amazon’s Black Witch. And she did it not once but twice. From what we were able to gather she also damaged Calisto’s KV-81 in their first encounter to the point that Calisto was forced to retreat. And she did that in a light weight P-36 Lightning.” Raven’s voice at taken on a note of memory and wistfulness as she spoke of the Amazon War and the birth of two legends.

“Ma’am, is it true that Emily Calisto had close to one-hundred victories?” Like everyone else in the Royal Navy the young petty officer had heard of the stories of the Black Witch, Flight Leader Emily Calisto and her deadly all black KV-81 and how she just disappeared at the end of the last war.

Raven knew that this question was dangerously close to revealing much of her past. But she couldn’t lie to the young woman. “Emily Calisto had more air-to-air victories than any other pilot in the last war. With one exception. The Silver Eyed Witch, Terresa Cole.”

The Petty Officer cringed at hearing Raven call the Empress a silver eyed witch. No one had called the Empress that in a long time. Everyone knew that the Empress is a Claymore, but no one dared to degraded her. Following the last war the Claymore Death Dealers were no longer considered too dangerous for regular units. The Emperor and Empress had both instituted changes within the military to end the discrimination against Claymores.

“Um… Ma’am, I know that it is not my place, but” Raven chuckled and cut the young woman off from completing her statement.

“Petty Officer, the Empress earned her nickname of the Silver Eyed Witch. She took what was once a derogatory term and made it her own.” Raven looked down the length of the flight line. “Oh, her callsign may be Glinda, but she is no good witch of the north. Not when she is behind the stick of a fighter. That woman is pure death on the wing.”

“Is that why you push the members of your squadron so hard ma’am?” the Petty Officer asked Raven bluntly.

Raven sighed. She looked over at the young woman and asked. “Petty Officer Hatcher, what do you know of the birth of my squadron?”

“Just that they were founded during the war with the Amazon Collective. They were also the first of the so-called Claymore pilots for the Death Dealers.” The young woman answered wondering where the Colonel was going.

“They were a rag-tag group of Neo Texas crop dusters that came out of nowhere to tear the vey heart of a military power that was five times their size. A rowdier bunch of outlaws, gamblers, and drunkards has never been outside of their number. They all owe their planet’s freedom to the Empress. But understand one thing Petty Officer Hatcher. Their loyalty to the Empress is unsurpassed, even by the Hellhounds.” Raven’s words drove deep into the heart of the young woman.

“Why didn’t they go back home when the war was over?” Hatcher asked.

“Like all Death Dealers they became citizens of the Empire, Hatcher. This squadron is their home. Don’t ever forget that.” Raven turned and looked out at the open skies over the flight deck. “Just as they never forget their brothers and sisters who never came home.”

Their conversation was put on hold with the arrival of Terresa and James Nakatoma. The Royal couple and current rulers of the Human Empire. Both were dressed in flight suits and carried helmets. Hatcher noticed that the flights suits for the couple matched the one that the Colonel was wearing.

“Good morning Colonel. Have you completed your inspection?” The young woman asked with a sly and yet knowing smile. It was not the Empress Terresa who stood before Colonel Raven Nevermore. It was Colonel Terresa Cole, pilot, and former commander of the Lucky Fools. “Are we set to fly old friend?”

“Once you complete your walk around, we’ll be ready to fly, Colonel.” Raven answered as she gave the couple a salute. “At least this time I’ll have a chance at the win. You’re the one who is handicapped this time.”

Terresa turned serious. “Hate to burst your bubble Raven. We wouldn’t have much time to playing today. This is all formation flying. We got a duty to perform.”

Raven snapped to the position of attention and saluted. “Yes ma’am. The men and women of the Seven-hundred-and-seventy-seventh know the deference.”

“At ease, Colonel. No need to go all formal on us.” Emperor James told her.

As Raven relaxed her stance, she gave her Emperor a thoughtful smile. “I only have one question about today’s fight operations. Why are we splitting the squadron up if we’re not training?”

“We’ll need the two halves for two separate formations. The first is the Missing Man, and the second is the Flying Cross.” Terresa explained the reason for splitting the escort squadron in half. With twenty-one pilots and fighters there was more than enough to do both formations. When you added in the Empress and her fighter that made for a total of twenty-two fighters.

“We only need five birds for the Missing Man and six for the Flying Cross, Terresa. Why take out the whole squadron?” Raven had slipped into the friendship that came from long hours in the air with another pilot. It was two Colonels talking not subject and ruler.

“There are two separate memorials taking place today. One on the eastern continent and the other on the western continent. Even with the addition of drop tanks it will be pushing the limits for the birds.” Terresa explained.

“Ma’am why are we doing these flyovers if it is putting the squadron at risk? It’s not like the local DPF can’t perform the duty.” Raven was confused. She just couldn’t understand the need for these ceremonial flyovers.

“Do you know what today is, Raven?” James asked quietly. Raven just shook her head no. “Today is Veterans day. A day set aside just to remember Veterans of all wars. Both friend and foe alike.”

“Is there a place for someone like me?” Only James and Terresa knew the full story behind the woman in front of them.

“All soldiers are welcome. And all has been forgiven. That is one of the reasons we honor this day.” Terresa explained for the woman she had first fought against as the enemy and then came to regard as a friend. “Out there in those cemeteries lie our honored dead. Today we do this in their honor. It is the least that we who survived can do in remembrance.”

“I will not fail you, MY Empress.” Raven swore with all of her honor. “Please time goes short. Perform your walk around.”

Terresa just smiled and headed over to the FB-11A2T. As his wife performed her preflight inspection James stood by Raven. “This is a special day for her Colonel. It shall be her first official act as Empress.”

“Sir, you and the Empress have been married for a year now. How can today be her first act as Empress?” Raven was truly confused by James admission.

“Until today every event she has attended was planned and scheduled by my mothers. Today is all her idea. That is why she is so worried about everything going according to plan.” James knew that he could confide in Raven.

“Then the Lucky Fools will get the job done. Like we always say. If you want it done right the first time. Send in the Fools.” Raven gave James a quick salute. “She’s about done sir. Time to amount up.”

“Indeed it is, Colonel. See you when we get back.” James retuned the salute. “We’ll share a bottle of good whiskey and toast missing comrades.”

“Then to absent comrades sir.” With that Raven headed down the flight line giving orders to the squadron to mount their fighters. At each fighter she stopped and saluted the pilot. “To absent comrades. Mount up.”

When she reached her fighter, Raven saluted her Crew Chief, and mounted her fighter. As Chief Donleavy strapped her in Raven looked up at the woman. “To absent comrades Chief.”

The Chief was surprised to hear this from the biggest mystery woman in the Squadron. “To absent comrades ma’am. Bring her back in one piece.”

“Setup the ready room with a six pack of beer for each member of the squadron. When we get back we’ll all left one to those who are flying with the angels.” Raven order her Ground Crew Chief.

“They’ll be on ice and waiting ma’am.” Chief Donleavy dropped down the ladder and signaled for the engines to be started.

One by one the twenty-two fighters rolled down the flight desk and into the skies over Hades. As the last one off the deck Raven Nevermore quickly took up her position off the left wing of the FB-11A2T. Once everyone was airborne the squadron broke into half. Each half heading for their assigned destination. As they flew Raven Nevermore thought about her past. The woman the Empire knew as Emily Calisto and the blood that stained her hands from that terrible war. As she flew in the lead position for the Flying Cross over Fiddler’s Green Raven Nevermore finally laid to rest Emily Calisto.

“To absent comrades. Rest in peace Emily. You gave me a chance at a new life. You are gone but you are not forgotten.”

As has become my own tradition on this day this story is for my lost but not forgotten brothers. Today is a day to remember those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. To friends and foes alike. Raise a glass to fallen comrades. Roll out Ghost Riders!