Chapter 10
The gravity of the situation slammed into Eleanor with the force of a tidal wave. A civilian ship was trapped not only in a violent maritime storm but also in the path of a live military test range. If they didn't coordinate an immediate rescue and extraction, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"What's our ETA to their coordinates at maximum flank speed, Captain?" Eleanor asked, her mind already calculating the tactical variables.
"At current speed, twenty-two minutes," Henderson replied, his hand resting heavily on the chart table. "Which is roughly four minutes after the scheduled launch window opens. We can't reach them in time with the Vanguard alone. The heavy swells will tear their wooden hull apart before we even drop anchor."
Eleanor’s thoughts flashed immediately to the flight deck and the squadron of F/A-18 Super Hornets currently fueled and primed for patrol. She thought of Jake, freshly grounded from his penalty, now sitting in his ready room, waiting for orders. A bold, dangerous plan formed in her mind—one that required absolute precision, nerves of steel, and the very pilot she had disciplined only an hour ago.
"We don't need to bring the Vanguard alongside them, Captain," Eleanor said firmly, her voice carrying an absolute certainty that commanded the attention of the entire bridge crew. "We launch an immediate search-and-rescue chopper backed by two Super Hornets to act as visual spotters and weather buffer. We use the combat search-and-rescue team to winch the civilian crew off the sinking deck before the storm wave crests."
Captain Henderson turned his head, locking eyes with Eleanor. A tense, silent debate passed between them. It was an unorthodox maneuver—deploying fixed-wing fighters and a rescue helicopter into the teeth of a severe squall during a live missile alert.
"It's high risk, Commander," Henderson warned quietly. "If the weather breaks wrong, we lose our birds and our crew."
"If we do nothing, innocent lives are lost," Eleanor countered without hesitation. "And this crew was built for high risk. Let me run the operation from the flight deck control room, Captain."
May you like
Henderson stared at her for another heartbeat, then nodded sharply. "Granted. Execute immediately, Commander. Bring our people home."
Eleanor didn't waste a second. She spun on her heel, tapped her communication link, and raced back toward the flight deck control center, ready to put every lesson of discipline, trust, and leadership into ultimate practice.
