LEG 10: HTKJ → HTIR (Kilimanjaro → Iringa)

Mission Type: Long-Range Remote Sector Objective: Transport personnel across extended distance

Story: The climb out is smooth, Kilimanjaro fading behind you as the terrain stretches endlessly ahead. For a while, neither of you speaks. Not because there’s nothing to say—but because it doesn’t feel necessary. Eventually, she breaks the silence. “You ever have a flight that sticks with you?” she asks, still looking out the window. You nod slightly. “Yeah. A few.” She exhales quietly. “I had one early on,” she says. “Different pilot. Similar aircraft.” You glance over, but she doesn’t look back. “We were pushing weather we shouldn’t have been in,” she continues. “He thought he could stay ahead of it.” A pause. “He didn’t.” The cockpit feels smaller for a moment. “That’s why I watch everything,” she says. “Not because I don’t trust pilots… but because I’ve seen what happens when things go wrong.” You adjust your heading slightly. “Fair enough,” you say. She finally looks over at you. “You’re different, though.” You raise an eyebrow. “Good different?” A small smirk. “Still deciding.”