Wings of Fire Ch. 06

Without missing a beat, the men hopped to and began helping with shifting the planes to the flight deck elevators to be ready for launch. James rushed over to his plane and started going through the pre-flight checks that were required. As he was doing so, Ernie Jr. hurried over, with James' flight gear in hand.

"Here, bud! You're going to need all of this!" Ernie told his new friend.

"Thanks! You going to stay here on the airship?" James wondered.

"Well, yeah! I don't have any flight experience, so me going up isn't in the deck of cards," Ernie replied.

"Did you want some flight time? My plane is a two-seater, with the front seat being the pilot's seat and the back seat for the navigator. So, if you wanted to come up and get some experience, you're more than welcome to do so," James offered.

"Wait, wait, wait! Are you saying you want me to go up with you, as your navigator??" Ernie Jr. asked, his eyes lighting up at the offer.

"If you are any good at navigating and reading the land, then yeah. Grab some flight gear and suit up if you want," James told him.

"How long before you complete your checks then head to the flight deck elevator?" Ernie asked, excitement lacing his voice.

"Five to six minutes. Be ready in that time and then come and give me a hand in getting this thing over to the elevator," James told him.

Ernie was off like a shot, which made James chuckle as he went through the list. While there was no hurry to finish quickly, James wasted no time in going through everything. Just as he completed his checks, Ernie hustled up in a full set of flight gear, carrying a pair of helmets. He also bore both his own basket hilted blade and James' katana, offering James his weapon, which he took.

"Didn't have to get these for the flight," James stated.

"It's always good to have a hand to hand weapon close by, in case things go bad for whatever reason up there," Ernie Sr. rumbled as he walked up behind his son.

"True. Old Vlahos did say it was handy to have something as opposed to nothing when up in the air," James agreed, remembering the lessons of his mentor.

"I know that Jr. here is excited, but make sure the boy comes back in one piece, or you'll have to deal with a good deal of... unpleasantness from me," Sr. told James seriously, as he helped the boys with guiding the plane to the elevator, now that every other plane was on the flight deck.

"Don't worry, sir. I'll bring him back safe. Don't want to have you or Mama Rae angry at me for him not coming back," James replied earnestly.

"Good boy. I'm glad we see eye to eye about the matter," Sr. said with a smile.

"Don't worry, dad! James is the one who will be flying. I'm the navigator today," Jr. told his dad.

"Good place to start when it comes to learning about flying! Be safe out there!" Ernie said to his son as the elevator took them up to the flight deck.

"Always, pop!" Jr. shouted back as the elevator took them up topside. The elevator continued on, then clicked hard as they stopped, now on the flight deck. A group of men hurried over to the pair, taking over the guidance of the plane to catapult.

"You two might want to hop inside and get prepped for takeoff!" one of the men told the pair. "Also, set your radios for frequency one-zero-nine! It's what we use to communicate during flight!"

James nodded as he hopped into the cockpit and Ernie into the navigator's seat. After sealing the canopy, James then took Ernie through the basics of navigation, giving his friend a brief crash course on it. He kept his eyes around him though, as the man who had given him the frequency was lining them up with the steam catapult.

While he hadn't ever done a catapult based takeoff, he was familiar with the concept. He waited until the man had locked them into the catapult and was clear of the plane before turning the engine over. Once he had done so, James gradually increased the throttle to where he was at full flight speed. The moment he was there, he called in over the radio to clear his takeoff with the tower.

"Airship tower, airship tower, this is... Phoenix, ready for takeoff," James said over the radio.

"Phoenix, this is Vengeance tower, you are go for takeoff. Signal the tech for launch," the radio crackled in reply.

James looked over to where the tech was standing and received a cautionary thumbs up. He returned the thumbs up and fired off a quick salute as he held onto the stick. Not even a second later, both he and Ernie could feel the G-forces pressing down on them as the catapult launched them into the air. James kept the plane level until they cleared the airship deck, then he pulled up slightly, heading towards where the other planes were flying.

"WAAAAAHHHHOOOOOOO!" Ernie crowed. "I knew that flying was supposed to be great, but this is something else!!! Is it always like this??"

"Takeoff is always something that gives you a rush! You get used to it over time, but it never gets old!" James chuckled, as he remembered his first time flying. It was heady the first time you went up. Sure, it did subside the more you went up, but the need and want to fly always stuck with you.

"Phoenix, climb to join us up here in a loose formation," came a familiar voice over the radio.

"Copy that, Swoop. Climbing," James responded as he took the plane higher. There were a few clouds out today, which made it easy enough to spot the other planes. James got to them, then slowed down to match their airspeed.

"I'm here. So, what's the plan?" James wondered.

"Today, we're going to test your skills as a pilot, and see just what that fancy plane you got there can do. Since you've got no guns, you're going to be our rabbit today," Swoop told him.

"Rabbit?"

"Like hunting. A rabbit isn't the hunter, he's the hunted. We're going to switch to our paint guns, so can see who hits you and how often," Swoop stated.

"Paint guns?" James asked.

"Our planes are loaded with two kinds of guns. Live guns are for actual engagement, whereas paint guns, which use a type of paint loaded into a cartridge, are used to see who hits you in a practice fight," Ernie explained over the radio.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Ernie! You're serious about learning how to fly, ain't you?" Tex wondered.

"Damn straight I am!"

"Anyway, you have only one job in today's training exercise; evade all incoming fire. Now, since you're new here, we'll give a twenty second headstart, so we can see if we can catch you and hit you. You ready kid?" Swoop asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," James replied enthusiastically.

"Go!"

"Hang on to something, Ernie!" James told his navigator.

He then pulled the lever and tucked his wings back, giving him a more aerodynamic profile. There were a few exclamations over the radio about how James' plane changed shape. Those sounds only got louder as James hit the throttle to full power, surging forward away from the pack.

"Holy shit!!" Ernie yelled as James put the pedal to the metal and hopped forward with all due speed.

"You got that right, Ern! Better start moving kid, because we're after ya!" Swoop called out, as he gave the go ahead to begin their pursuit.

"You said I'd have twenty seconds!!" James complained.

"That was before I knew that plane could move that fast! Better get to evasive maneuvers, kid!" Swoop told him.

"How close are they, Ernie?"

"I'm lookin', I'm lookin'!" the man called out as he turned in his seat, trying to get a visual. "I got them! They're coming at us on our five, six and seven!!"

"All right! Hold on!!" James bellowed as he started banking and rolling, doing what he could to throw off their pursuers.

"Oh, damn!! I'm really glad I don't get airsick!!" Ernie called out, as he craned his neck to keep a watch on their tail. "They're still back there, but they seem to be having a tough time keeping up!"

"Dammit kid! Stand still!!" Bullet griped as he flew in hard, trying desperately to put Jim in his sights.

"Now where's the fun in that?!?" James fired back with a laugh. In answer, several rounds whizzed by James' plane, getting close, but missing him all the same.

"Shit, that was close!!" Ernie replied, having seen the paint rounds go by him just a few feet from the canopy.

"Yeah! This calls for some drastic maneuvers!!" James hollered as he put the plane into a screaming dive, easily outdistancing the squad. They passed through a large cloud bank and vanished from sight. Swoop and the rest of the squad were hot on his heels, racing through the clouds, hoping vainly to catch him. When they emerged out from the clouds, James' plane was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit!! Where did he go?" Bullet groused, looking everywhere but not finding the man anywhere.

"Where the hell did he go?" Tex asked, amazed and angry that Jim had evaded them.

"Hahahahahahaha! Check your six boys!" James answered. As one, the whole squad turned their heads for a moment, then sighed as they saw that James had dropped in behind them, having a clear shot on their tails.

"Damn, kid!! That was some quick thinking!!" Eagle Eye told James in congratulations.

"Aye, it was! OK, that's enough of this game for now. You win! You've proven that you can fly and that your plane is wickedly fast! Iron Wolf taught you well," Swoop told him as a way of conceding this dogfight.

"Well, thank you! I appreciate the vote of confidence in my skills!" James told them graciously.

"All right then. Let's do some other drills and tests. I want to truly see what that plane can do! You ready to try some evasive turns and such?" Swoop asked.

"Damn straight!" James replied.

"OK, we're going to set up—" Swoop got out before he was interrupted by another pilot.

"Excuse me sir, but we have a situation!!" came an unfamiliar voice.

"What is it, Jukebox?" Swoop asked.

"Just picked up a distress call, over on channel one-one-two! Sounds like someone's in some serious trouble!" Jukebox called out.

"Squad, go to frequency one-one-two!" Swoop ordered, and they did as he commanded. James had turned to the channel and heard what Jukebox was talking about loud and clear.

"—repeat, this is Pathfinder Nadine Forestwalker! I am under heavy fire from unknown bandit planes! I am on heading two-three-zero, about forty miles southwest of Salem, and I need assistance!! Is anyone out there??" a woman's voice called out desperately.

"Salem? We're not too far from Salem! About the same distance!! She has to be close by!" Ernie called out as he checked the map he had in his seat.

"You're right! Wait... there! Two o'clock low!!" Eagle Eye told everyone, and they craned their heads to get a good look. In the distance, they could make out the shapes of five aircraft, all moving at high speed, with one out in front, trying to evade the other four.

"It won't take them long to overtake her! What are your orders, sir?" Bullet queried, directing his question at Swoop, the squadron leader.

"I'm not sure if we should intervene, but—hey kid, where the hell do you think you're going?!?" Swoop roared as he saw James put his plane into a dive, heading for the distant planes.

"I'm going to help! You lot may be mercs, but I can't just let someone die if I can help it!" James retorted, punching his plane to maximum speed.

"You don't have any guns, kid! You'll get yourself killed!" Tex told him.

"Just because I don't have guns doesn't mean I can't help! I might be able to do something and bring down at least one plane, somehow!" James called back.

"Dammit! Squad, form up and switch to live guns!" Swoop commanded. In seconds, the paint guns were retracted into their recesses while the live guns came out and locked into position. They then followed James as fast as they were able, hoping they could reach both him and the Pathfinder in time.

"James, are you fucking crazy?!? We don't have anything to shoot with, and we won't get there in time!" Ernie admonished his friend.

"Yes, we will!" James said with steely determination.

He then flipped a few switches and pressed a button, bringing additional cylinders in the engine online. This was an addition that James had designed into his plane, which was to give it an additional burst of speed. He had designed it for quick boosts, rather than prolonged use, and was glad that the Marino men had incorporated it into his plane. James had done a check back on the airship to ensure it was sound. While it hadn't been tested, he felt now was as good a time as any.

"Oooohhhh, shhiiiiiiiiiittttt!!" Ernie yelped as they raced towards the Pathfinder and her pursuers, frantically hoping to get there in time. James brought his plane as low as he could go, kicking up any dust, debris, or anything that was loose on the ground. A small cloud had started forming behind him, which is exactly what James had wanted.

"Pathfinder Forestwalker, you called for assistance?" James called out over on her frequency.

"Who is this?? Identify yourself!" she snapped.

"James Brighton, callsign, Phoenix! I have a plan that will see those bastards chasing you go down, but I need you to hit the deck, then pull up when I say and not a moment sooner!" he barked.

"What??"

"Check your nine o'clock!" he told her. The woman did as he said and she saw the dust cloud that was getting closer and understood what he was planning.

"Copy that! Hitting the deck!" Nadine replied and she dove, getting as close to the ground as she dared. The bandits that were on her tail followed her down, not wanting her to get away. They were oblivious to James or the other planes coming in, as their sole focus was on getting the Pathfinder that was trying to elude them.

"OK! Three... two... one... PULL UP!!" James bellowed. Nadine pulled up hard, going almost straight up. The enemy planes were surprised at this, but then couldn't think of anything else. James raced by right in front of them, bringing the dust storm he'd kicked up, blinding them and forcing the planes to pull up.

"Pathfinder Forestwalker, bank left! You've got incoming friendlies who'll keep you safe! All right boys, let's get 'em!" Swoop called out, giving the squad the go ahead to engage. As their focus was on the Pathfinder, the enemy planes didn't see the Crimson Sky mercenaries until they were almost on top of them. Guns blazing, they dropped in on the bandits, cutting down three of them before they even had a chance to respond.

The fourth plane had some sense as he banked right, trying to put some distance between him and the oncoming planes. As his buddies spiraled toward the ground, he pushed his plane hard, trying to stay out of the range of the Crimson Sky's guns. He was lucky that he moved when he did, as Swoop and the rest of the squad didn't have a shot.

This didn't matter though, as a few seconds later, James flew right in front of him, going at full speed. The pilot panicked and pulled up hard, away from his intended course, before he realized what he was doing. The man cursed as bullets from the Crimson Sky mercenaries found his plane and ripped through his wing, cutting his momentum. As the man crashed to the earth, he popped his canopy and bailed, clearing his plane as it careened down.

"By the spirits! Thank you for the assist! But... who are you?" Nadine asked as she eyed the squadron of planes.

"We are soldiers of fortune, belonging to the group known as the Crimson Sky, ma'am," Swoop told her.

"Huh! Didn't think mercs would intervene without being paid first," she commented off-handedly.

"As long as we do get paid, we will happily blow any scum out of the skies that terrorize good people, ma'am," Swoop fired back. Nadine thought about this and it made sense. While she disliked mercs in general, the fact that they were willing to jump in and help her out raised her opinion of them a bit. She hoped they would be willing to help out with the recent troubles plaguing the people of this land.

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Dane landed on the ground a few miles from where his plane had crashed. The Flash reactor hadn't ruptured, as he'd managed to shut it down while he was pulling up into enemy gunfire. His friends hadn't been so lucky, as all three planes had flattened the local trees and bushes upon impact. Seeing his friends die like that angered the man, and he stared up at the flying planes hatefully.

While Dane knew there was nothing else to be done right now, he swore that he would see these men and women pay with their lives! Huffing in resolution, he gripped his pistol tightly and started moving away from the crash, towards where he knew the rest of the Flintlocks were based.

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That's where this chapter wraps up, with more to be coming soon! Now that our heroes are settled into their new home, and are in a new land, many changes are inbound! Not only with James, but with Laura and Ottilia as well! On top of which, there is much to be done about this new threat that had popped up in Indigenous Lands! What becomes of this new force and what part do they play? Stay tuned to find out!!

Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read my work and I do hope that you've enjoyed it! I'm open to constructive criticism and will seriously consider any suggestions made about various story arcs. Please feel free to rate and comment on my work down below. If you like what I write, don't be afraid to follow and share, though your views, ratings and comments are quite enough for me.

In the meantime, this is C.H. Darkstrider, signing off to grab a beer and some quality time with the wife! ;) You will attain whatever you most desire, as long as you believe in yourself. Cheers!