300 Seconds: “Wombat! Wombat! Wombat!”

Nevada Jane Arlow

As I climbed out of my fighter (it was more like exhausted lurching, truth be told), I could hear them all chanting my callsign, even through my helmet: “Wombat! Wombat! Wombat!”

What had I done to deserve it? Things had been moving so fast…

When my feet touched the deck, I felt hands gripping me, steadying me, pulling my helmet and other gear off. I could hear my best friend and wingman’s voice in my ear, her accent amazed. “I’ve never seen anything like that! How in the Seven Hells…?!”

And then the sound died down, like turning off a tap. “Well done, pilot,” said the voice of the Jedi Master. “Clearly, the Force is strong with you.”

110 words/22 WPM