801 TTS Airbats is a romantic comedy about an all-female aerobatics team in the Japanese Air Force. The plot centers around their struggle to gain acceptance in a male-dominated profession, and a love triangle between the mechanic, Isorugi, and the two top pilots, Miyuki and Arisa. It's a fun anime, light-hearted, not too deep. This story is my attempt to add a little something. Hope you enjoy!

--------------------------------------------------B----------------------------------------------

Memo to Captain Kinishi, Commanding Officer, 801st Tactical Training Squadron (a.k.a. Airbats)

From General Hidetori, Commanding Officer, Central Command.

Orders follow. Authorization Delta 9 X-ray.

Effective May 1, 20--, the 801st TTS is temporarily reassigned to the Fourth Attack Squadron of the Malaysian Air Force pursuant to the East Asia Friendship and Military Cooperation Treaty. You are to provide training and advice in air combat maneuvering to local pilots, in full cooperation with local military authorities. Assignment is for three months, with possible one-time extension for three months.

End of message.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Captain Kinishi spoke into the phone in his deep voice. Master Sergeant Sayuki entered, and the captain waved her in, obviously wanting her to hear what was happening. "Sir, it's about these orders….Yes, sir, I realize that. It's just that given the situation over there, is it wise? … Yes, sir….Well, sir, may I suggest a minimal complement…. I'm thinking two pilots, plus our mechanic…Sir, I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist…. Well, sir, I can't be sure, but I believe it's very possible that all of our pilots are sick… Yes, sir. The flu. All of them are sick in bed, and even if they recover soon, it's doubtful the flight surgeon will clear them for operations anytime soon… Sir, I believe that two of them are worse off than the others. If they could be allowed to stay here and recuperate, the other cases don't seem that serious…Yes, sir. … Very good, sir… That's right, sir. I can go, with two pilots and our mechanic… Yes, sir…. Thank you, sir." He hung up the phone with a sigh.

"What's up?" asked Sayuki. Kinishi handed her the orders, and she read them. "Are they serious?" she asked, looking up from the memo.

"Serious as stomach cancer."

"Isn't that country in the middle of a civil war? Did you remind them of that? I think there was a rebel air strike on the capital just last week."

"You heard me on the phone just now. And that's exactly the same conversation I've been having all morning with various commanders and generals. They want to show solidarity with our southern allies, and they're going to throw the Airbats into the wringer to do it." He looked at Sayuki. "At least I got them to agree to a minimal complement. Sergeant, I need you to stay here."

Sayuki didn't like that idea. "Sir, with all due respect, perhaps I –"

"No argument, Sergeant. I need you here, to protect our interests and make sure they don't forget about us. You're the only one I trust to hold the fort here. When that three months is up, I want the Airbats coming home, understand?"

Sayuki stood at attention. "Yes, sir," she said, with a tone that indicated she didn't like the order, but saw the reason for it.

"Good. I'll have Sergeant Yohko stay here and help you." He looked out the window again at the flight line, where his two best pilots, Miyuki and Arisa, were doing their pre-flight checks with the mechanic Isorugi's help. "It would seem that the rest of us are going to war."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One month later.

It was quiet in the pilot's ready room. Not the gentle relaxed quiet of friends who were comfortable enough with each other that they felt no need for talk, but rather the tense, oppressive quiet of two people who were trying hard not to say anything because a conservation would only lead to an argument.

Miyuki and Arisa tried to relax while working hard at ignoring each other. Miyuki was reading a maintenance manual, and Arisa was intently playing her hand-held video game. Miyuki heard the beeps coming from the game as Arisa defended an electronic Earth from alien hordes, and sighed. "Arisa," she said. When her teammate didn't respond, she repeated it, louder this time.

Arisa replied this time, though not taking her eyes or hands from the game. "What?"

"Do you mind? I'm trying to read."

"Hey, if you don't like it, you can leave."

Miyuki sighed again. Generally, she was a pretty easy-going person, but Arisa had always had a way of pushing her buttons. When Isorugi joined their unit, their rivalry for his affections had made matters worse. And maybe it was the humid climate down here, or maybe it was the isolation, but lately Arisa had seemingly been even more belligerent.

The training had been going OK, but there was still a strong anti-Japanese sentiment among the soldiers, and Arisa's attitude didn't help. A few days ago, this had almost caused a fist fight between her and one of the Malaysian pilots. Miyuki had managed to calm things down, but the tension was still there.

The door opened, and Captain Kinishi came in. A big bearded man, he dominated the room, making it feel a little claustrophobic. His mood did nothing to assuage this feeling, either. "That arrogant, full-of-himself jerk!"

"What's wrong, sir?" asked Miyuki in the sweetest voice she could manage, hoping to calm her boss down.

"Take a look outside the window." As Arisa and Miyuki did so, he said, "See your planes?"

Arisa looked at their Kawasaki T-4s on the flight line. "Wait a minute. Are those gun pods under our wings?"

Kinishi nodded. "Twenty mike-mike. The base commander insisted. He wants all planes armed and ready for combat, including ours."

"Well, did you tell him we're here for training, not combat?"

"I did, repeatedly. But he said that his planes were out on strike missions, so we had to take over air defense duties."

"Well, if that's the case, we should be in the air. Let's go, Arisa."

Their commander stopped them. "No way. You're not making yourselves targets. You're not flying." The door opened, and Isorugi stepped in. Unfortunately, this put him right in the path of the commander's wrath. "Sergeant, where have you been? I called for you ten minutes ago!"

After snapping off a quick salute, Isorugi explained. "Sorry, sir, I was working on that old Dragonfly in the hanger. I'm pretty sure the problem is a bad fuel pump, and—"

"Never mind that! Sheesh, don't you have enough to do taking care of our own planes?"

"Yes, sir! Sorry, sir! You said you wanted me to remove the gun pods, sir?"

"Never mind that now. The base commander wouldn't budge, and my orders are to give 'all respect and cooperation to the local command structure.' Which means that the gun pods stay on the planes. But so help me, those planes are staying on the ground!"

"Hi, Isorugi," said Miyuki in an even sweeter voice, and was rewarded with a smile from the young mechanic. She ignored the venomous look from Arisa.

The captain, who hadn't noticed the exchange, went on. "You know what the base commander said to me? He said that the Japanese are a people in love with peace! What do you think of that?"

No one was particularly eager to answer. They were saved by the sudden wailing of sirens all over the base. They went outside to see the local base personnel running towards the slit trenches or anti-aircraft implacements. Kinishi grabbed one of the men and asked what was happening.

"Are you deaf? It's an air raid! We got incoming rebel planes!" The man shook his arm loose from Kinishi's grip and went on his way.

Arisa looked at Miyuki, who nodded. They ran off towards their planes, followed by Isorugi. As they get into the cockpits and started their engines up, Isorugi checked the pods under the wings. Assuring himself that they were well attached, he removed the chocks from the wheels. The commander ran up. "What are you doing?" he asked, as the planes began to move.

Isorugi tried to push his commander out of the way. "Sir, we'd better get to shelter!" he shouted over the roar of the engines.

The commander stood his ground. "Sergeant Mitaka, Sergeant Haneda, shut your engines down and get out of those planes!"

Miyuki looked at her commander and tapped her earphones, indicating she couldn't hear what he was saying. The commander shouted again, but realized the futility of further argument right now and let Isorugi usher him away as the fighters taxied to the runway. Miyuki radioed Arisa. "Ready to take off?"

"I'm not sure 'ready' is the right term for what we're about to do, but let's go." The two fighters roared down the runway and into the sky.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading! The next chapter should be up within two days.