Sunday Snippet: X-Ray Tango

Wow. June flew by in a wild blur. Half the year is gone and I'm kind of wondering where it went. July and August are going to be fairly busy with some time off in each month that I'm not quite ready for but probably need to recharge.

Didn't get as much television watched this week. I struggled to get through a new-to-me show and probably won't finish it.

I watched an episode of The Snoopy Show and finished the first season. All in all, an enjoyable watch. I'll start the second season this week.

The show I struggled with is Resort to Murder. I think because it got a somewhat slow start and the pacing is slower than I like. I might revisit this one at a later date.

Watched another episode of Silent Witness and liked where it ended up. The story took a somewhat expected twist and I loved it.

Caught another episode of Classic Who. The daleks are up to their usual insane plots and I kind of like Ace as the new companion.

Finished the first season of Most Terrifying Places in America. Oddly, the next season is three and I can't find a second season … so there's that weird twist.

Almost finished with the first season of The Mandalorian. This show makes me happy. I haven't decided if I'm going to go right into the second season or if I'll wait until the third one is ready to launch. Stay tuned.

Caught another episode of The Hardy Boys and enjoyed it a lot. Things are getting very twisty and turny and I'm here for it. Looking forward to the next episode.

Thought I finished the first season of The Babysitter's Club, but I have two more episodes to watch. I started episode nine and look forward to seeing what Camp Moosehead has in store for the group.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from X-Ray Tango, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Kellan Gates and Josh Robertson do not get along, constantly vying for top position in their squadron. But when they're transferred to another ship, Josh is targeted by a former nemesis that uses program X-ray Tango to keep Josh in check, which fires up Kellan—no one is allowed to give Josh a hard way to go except her.

And a sneaky peek…

Kellan entered quarters to find a memo packet addressed to her on the table. "Wonder what this is?" She broke the seal and slid the missive out, her gaze quickly scanning the text.

 

Lieutenant Kellan Gates, you've been selected to be part of a two-person contingent to undergo a temporary assigned duty on the Achilles battlecruiser as part of an interunit exercise to aid and assist pilots from becoming complacent. See attached file for date and time for briefing and the second member of the team.

 

She flipped the page over and read the name of the other person. "Oh, hell, no." She took off to find her fellow pilot. "He'll be even less happy than I am."

Josh. Of course. Who else would they send but the top two?

She found him in the rec area and slapped the paper on the table. "Have you seen this?" She plopped down on the chair across from him.

Josh gave a nod. "I have. And I put some feelers out to find out what type of crew the Achilles has." His shoulder lifted. "Haven't heard anything back yet."

She folded her arms across her chest. "Tell me you're not happy about this."

He shook his head. "I'm not. We've got too much going on right now. Transferring to a different ship to avoid complacency? Who has time to be complacent when we're running drills, flying patrols, or engaging with the enemy?" He made a disgusted sound.

Kellan relaxed a little. Who knew she'd find common ground with Josh and end up on the same side for once? Actually felt pretty good.

A chair screeched across the floor and Brian Spatz, one of the engineers, sat down with them.

He leaned forward. "Heard you're asking for the down low on the Achilles. I've got a buddy who served on her until four months ago. What do you want to know?"

Since Josh made the move, Kellan bit her tongue to keep from peppering Brian with a million questions.

Josh lifted his chin. "The general attitude and vibe would be a good start. Then, if you've got any dirt on the pilots and command staff, fill us in." He rested his forearms on the table and motioned for Kellan to huddle up.

She scooted her chair closer and listened carefully to Brian's rundown. The good news? The Achilles had a solid reputation for being friendly and filled with a top-notch crew. The bad news? The pilots could be prima donnas. Kellan grimaced. She loved a good rivalry but hated fierce competitiveness.

Brian lowered his voice. "And watch the CAG. He's got a rep for being a massive dick. Word is he plays favorites and puts his little pets in charge of the squadrons and gives them plum assignments."

Kellan rolled her eyes. "What's his name?" She'd be referring to him as Captain Asshole in her head.

Spatz frowned. "Hm. Something like two last names. Barnhill or maybe Bradford."

Josh grunted. "Bradford. Taylor Bradford."

The name sounded familiar but she couldn't place it.

Brian gave a nod. "Yeah, that's it. Sounds like a real charmer." He shoved his chair back. "Hope that helps."

Kellan gave him a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Spatz. Keep the lights on for us, yeah?"

His lips quirked. "Always do. We'll shine 'em extra bright when you two come back." He lifted a hand in farewell and ambled away.

Kellan directed her attention to Josh. "Wanna tell me what put the nasty look on your face?"

I love a good rivalry that turns into something more and Kellan has no idea how soon she'll see Josh in a very different light.

 

That's all for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye