Chapter Text
I always wanted to fly.
The first sentence that left her throat everytime anyone questioned her about life choices she made - be it school, hobby, or carrier - was "I always wanted to fly". June was a woman raised on a strong belief that if you want something badly, you should chase it. Dreams were meant to be pursued, and if a person does not dream, they might as well be a walking empty shell of a human.
The same answer echoed in commander Jackson's office. He wanted to know what brought her to this place, because it wasn't very common for a woman to bring an application letter to his desk. His sceptical gaze locked on her determined expression, while she struggled to contain her excitement.
- Chasing dreams, huh? - commander's lips tucked to the side as he restrained a mocking smile - A military is not exactly the american dream the euros usually go for.
June swallowed the urge to say something to that. She was known for her talkative personality, but now she had too much to loose if she didn't think this through.
Jackson, met with silence, took a glimpse at her questionnaire again. He seemed deep in thought, stroking his unkept beard, a sign of business of the past few days. The wooden desk squeaked under the weight of his elbows.
- You are french, right? - he asked without looking at her.
- Yes, sir.
- No problem with english?
- No, sir.
- What was the last machine you flew?
Now his eyes met hers, searching for any hesitation or anxiety. June was nervous, sure, but her nervousness came from pure ambition. She wanted this job; no, she needed it. And as she was standing an sttention in the middle of a simple, dim-lit room, being questioned like that, she had to fight her urges even heavier than usually. She felt like a bird locked in a tiny cage, unable to fully spread it's wings.
- It was... Raven, sir. Uh, sorry, Robinson R-44... Raven. - she could feel the fire on her cheeks as she struggled to come up with the name - not because she didn't remember it, but because she was in charge of so many flights recently that she lost the track of them at some point. Right after she came to the U.S. it was like a hurricane of events - she was thrown from one place to another; from school to school, from airport to airport. She was challenged, tested, and eventually, all of it started to mix inside her head.
It was crazy few weeks.
- Right... Was it the biggest you flew? - Jackson seemed unfazed.
- No, sir. It was Sikorsky. Um, Sikorsky, S-92...
- Superhawk. - commander's head bobbed in understanding - You were at PHI?
- I was attempting tests there, yes.
Commander let out a sound resembling a scoff. After that, he relaxed in his chair like he was having a nice conversation over a coffee. His attitude shifted, and June noticed it. The uncertainty inside her only raised, especially after his next words.
- I have a friend there. And, wouldn't you know, just recently, he told me about a blond haired frenchie who searched for work as a pilot, too.
She swallowed heavily.
- He told me he never saw a woman pilot like this before. - Jackson continued - Like her life depended on it. It was a bit wanky, yes, but the machine remained unscathed. Best time on the test in years.
June felt her shoulders drop just a little bit. She sensed a certain fondness in a way commander's voice softened. The tests she took there were challenging, but she was grateful for opportunity the PHI gave her - even if her visit didn't end too well.
- Could it be, that the frenchie was you, by any chance?
- I don't know, sir. - she fixed her posture, trying not to sound too proud in the next sentence she was about to say - Did your friend also mentioned that it was her that spotted a rigged control pannel just before the last test flight? And after she confronted the lead pilot there, she got dismissed?
- Yeah, well... That must have been quite a scene. - Jackson couldn't exactly restrain an amused smile that danced under his fingers while he stroked his beard - That pilot, I heard, is known for his... Very strong opinions about women in the field.
- He was outright sexist, sir. - she couldn't hold it back anymore. After she blurted the words out, she cleared her throat, hoping it would somehow hide her embarassment. Although there was no need for that, because the commander was very interested in what she had to say about the situation - but the job came first. He was all about business, and she was at the interview. There wasn't too much of a space for casual talk.
- The good thing is, KorTac doen't allow any form of sexism, homophobia, rasism and xenophobia in it's ranks. - it was obvious he remembered these statements by heart, as they carried additional weight for a black man sitting in front of her - We are proud of our multi-cultural teams and variety. It keeps the company growing.
June had to take a moment for Jackson's words to fully settle in her mind. The inclusivity in these fields were rare, and she didn't do much research regarding this issue before applying to each company. She just sent her applications and hoped for the best - so when she finally got a sliver of hope, she almost didn't believe it at first.
- Sir, does that mean...?
- Not so fast, frenchie. - his wide hand straightened before his face to stop her from jumping to sudden conclusions - I need you to take more tests. Physical tests. You know how the soldier training looks like?
- I... Might have an idea. - she answered with too much honesty, and Jackson's hopes faltered for just a fleeting moment. Future was uncertain, but he believed in giving people chances.
- Well, you are going to find out soon, then. - he scribbled something on her filled questionnaire, and then handed her a file with even more documents - Fill this out for tomorrow and bring to the office. Address is on the back.
June had to control the trembling of her own hands when she received the files - not because she was scared or anxious, but because of sheer excitement that filled her chest with warmth.
Right in the moment when she was supposed to express her gratitude towards the commander, a loud knock and a door opening caught attention of both. Their heads turned towards the figure of a large man that almost didn't fit into the door frame, standing awkwardly with his eyes wide when he realized he interrupted.
- Oh... Sorry, chief. I just wanted to-...
- It's alright, we just finished. - Jackson cut him off while looking at June knowingly. - Thank you for your time, Miss Jardin. See you in the next few days.
June didn't have the strength or time to explain how to pronounce her surname right - it was always a challenge for U.S. citizens, and she slowly started to get used to it.
As she collected herself and turned on the heel, the tall man stood on the side to let her walk through the open door. Taking a quick look at the man's face she noticed that he was hiding half of it behind the black sanitary mask. It was unusual view, but not that strange - maybe he is sick, she thought.
When the woman left the office, the man turned to the commander and saluted quickly, almost carelessly.
- Sir, sorry to bother. I got an update on A-Quebec mission.
- Good news, or bad news? - Jackson braced himself as he gestured the man to sit on the other side of the desk.
- Both, actually.
A heavy sigh filled the simple office of commander Jackson. He stroked his beard once again, with worry this time, watching his most trusted mercenary sit before him, ready to testify.
- Ok then, König. Let me hear it.