Blackronin

[B]July 13, 1940[/B]

[I]"What were you doing before you became a pilot, Cael?" "I was working in communications, sir." "You don't have to sir me here, Cael... But you've requested a transfer for pilot training?" "No sir... aaah, Joachim..." "What? How come?" "I was sent to test my vision... I had some problems of... ah... headaches and the Medic Officer said I had excellent vision and that people like me were what the air force needed and soon I was in Pilot's School..." "God! I see... How many hours do you have?" "One hundred, Joachim..." "In Spitfires? That's good." "No... In total... In Spitfires I have twelve hours, including ground training..." "Good lord! I see..." "You'll be my second. Keep yourself glued onto me always. Always! And if you loose me in combat get straight back home." "Yes sir."[/I]

Stupid! Stupid! How stupid can one be? As soon as I heard the Squadron Leader saying "Bandits at ten o'clock level" I turned. And I lost Blue Leader. I almost panicked and quit and moved back home the way Joachim said I should do. Then I've heard Andrzej's voice. "Blue leader, Blue three is eager to engage. Should I cover for him?" My mouth was so dry I couldn't speak. "Blue two, You keep up with the squadron. I´ll bring Blue three back." "Roger, Blue leader. I'll attach myself to Red Section." And then I saw three of them coming at me.

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"This is Blue leader. Blue three, acknowledge." My hands were trembling. "This is Blue three. Acknowledging." There was a pause. "I'm coming to you. Do you see bogeys?"

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I almost laughed. I was feeling completely alone. "Yes, Blue leader. Three bogeys coming at me." My voice sounded much calmer than I felt. "Listen Cael. Try to evade them and then face them. Try to face them always, do you hear? I'm closing in on your position."

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I almost asked him if I could dive and get back home... But I knew that he was coming... I've tried to remember what I have learned, but my head was empty.

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The enemy fighters were coming in my direction. In my mind I could hear my instructor's words. "The first three minutes are critical. A rookie that can survive his first three minutes becomes a pilot." Right. When shall I start counting?...

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I´ll try to gain height advantage. "Blue three! What are you doing?!" "Trying to gain height advantage, Blue leader." He cursed. "No. No. No. No time for that! Evade them and then try to face them!"

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"Yes sir!" Height still seemed key here. There they come. If I can't go up then I'm going down!

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"That was a good idea, Blue three. But be careful. Don't overdive or your engine may stop." I know that! Everybody is speaking about that... "Yes, sir."

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"You've done well! I'm almost there." Now... Turn right to face them. My hands are so sweaty...

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What are they doing?! Ah! There he is. "I'm seeing you Blue leader!" Why does he have a red nose if he's Blue leader?

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"Here am I being fired against, yes. Keep turning right."

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"You've hit him, sir!" Maybe he's as good as they say he is. "I've hit him in the tail... But that's not enough to get out of here in one piece, Blue three..."

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"I've got two coming back at me, sir." I hear him laughing. "Not the best move on their part, Cael. Maybe they're rookies..." ..too. He doesn't say it, which is good in a way.

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I looked back. They were coming at me. "They're on my tail, sir!" And his voice was now very comforting. "And I'm on their tail, Cael. Keep turning."

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I felt my plane shake with the damage it took. He must have seen it. "How are you faring?" I sighed. "Took damage, but I'm fine, sir."

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"I've hit one of them. He's turning away from you! You just have to worry with one of them now." As if that was a great consolation...

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Joachim was able to take off one of them from my tail and the other one didn't turn as hard as I did. I searched for the third one and he was still far.

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Maybe I could do something different now. Gain some altitude... Blue leader was too focused in his prey to direct me...

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"You've made a half-loop?!" Did he have eyes in the back of his head?! "Yes, sir... To be able to face them, sir..."

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He didn't reply, focused on taking down one Fritz...

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The Fritz was in a bad spot, but the other two were coming back to get us. "Cover me, Blue three. But don't do anything too fancy." "Yes sir. There are two of them coming at us. Which one shall I attack?" "One of them!" Oh! How precise...

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But he was precise... I almost couldn't take my eyes from him as he chased the one-oh-nine.

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He hit him again and the plane shook and went down.

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"Congratulations sir! Great sho..." He interrupted me. "Don't look at me. Look at the enemy fighters!"

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I tried, but the plane going down mesmerized me for a few seconds...

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Then I pushed the nose of my Spit up, trying to gain some advantage again while I saw Joachim completing a slip-S...

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He was below me and I for once was above everyone. I looked up and behind me and felt proud that I checked that.

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I fired against the incoming enemy fighter. "I've missed!" He laughed. "To be able to miss it is a privilege. It means that you are alive."

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And then we got all close and friendly. "There's one coming at you, sir!"

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"He missed!"

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I laughed, a kind of manic state overtook me. "But you didn't!"

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"They're escaping sir!" He laughed. "No they aren't. They're retreating and we will do the same."

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"Squadron leader? Do you copy, squadron leader?" "Yes, Joachim?" "We're going back to base." "And the duckling?" "Doing well, Kyte!" "Take him home then..."


[B]In This Scenario:[/B]

This was my friend Fenko first WGS game.
I asked her if she wanted to join me in a scenario for my campaign as I explained her the rules and gave her a rookie pilot.

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We agreed (her suggestion) that I wouldn't explain her any rule during game. I could use the radio but only to give her orders as a pilot and section commander. Such a brave girl!
The scenario took its time but it was fun, fun, fun.