<div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/f/f3/Max_Cosarina_-_Macross.jpeg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Lt Maxine "Max" Cosinara<br/><strong>Callsign:</strong>Phade<br/><strong>Date:</strong><em>Flashback</em>02 March 2032<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Moon Base Aluce Hangar/Airspace<br/><strong>With:</strong>Lt Cdr Zilkin Kaverosky, Closed<br/><hr/><br/>Max watched with curious interest as Zilkin walked into the hangar bay.  He seemed at ease with the procedures for these training flights, yet curiously distant.  It wasn't a surprise to Max.  Zil had always been very careful about letting anyone know that he had been physically involved with his wingman.  He didn't show any deference towards either of them in public, but made up for his lack of attention in private.  Her tingling body was evidence of that.  She could only grin and shake her head when she watched him go straight for his fighter.  The 5's had been loaded with pods on the wing pylons designed to simulate weapon shots and register targeting telemetry between each fighter.  The bases simulation system would also collect the data, recording shots and kills as both pilots maneuvered.  In the cockpit they would see weapons engage targets, but in reality no weapons ever left the aircraft.<br/><br/>This mission wouldn't necessarily be about combat, it was about them.  Zilkin and Max had always had a way of pushing each other, of testing each other's limits.  While Zilkin had been assigned to a VF-5 unit after he left the training, Max had been put in a situation to help out with training and test and evaluation of the 5's capabilities.  There were things the fielded units didn't know about the 5's that the instructors did.  Max wanted to spend time with Zilkin and enjoy sharing flight time with him.  It had been how they'd met, it was only fair after what had happened the previous night that they seal their connection with a flight.<br/><br/>Max jumped up her ladder into the cockpit.  Her crew chief handed her helmet after she strapped in.  "Aluce Control, Valkyrie 02 and 03 ready for launch."  Max called over the communications net as her cockpit closed and her fighter was pulled forward into the airlock area.  The training callsign would match up with what was on the flight roster she'd coordinated with the OOD earlier in the morning.<br/><br/><em>"Copy Valkyrie 02, launch procedures enabled.  Once airlock doors are clear you are clear to launch."</em>The voice over the comm system simply repeated the same procedures every pilot knew and had worked with since they'd began flying from the base.  Zilkin's fighter moved up beside hers as he reported his ready his status.<br/><br/>"I'll be the judge of how ready you are Shin!"  Max retorted with a soft smile and a nod across at her lover as the large airlock doors opened before them.  The black of space and the barren expanse of the moon's surface spread out before them.  The slow run up of the 5's engines vibrated the fighter as Max pushed up the afterburners.<em>"Valkyrie 02 and 03, clear to launch.</em><br/><br/>The call freed the launch release system that held both fighters in position as their engines pushed up.  But once the release system engaged, both fighters shot into the deep of space before them, followed close by bright plumes of fire.<br/><br/>"Hell yeah!"  Max yelled as her veritech accelerated into the deep dark of space with Zilkin close behind.