Hey everyone! Here I am again with the next chapter I promised. So then, sit tight, and enjoy.
By the way, kilts are not included with the chapter so don't ask.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE SPYRO UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.
Chapter 10: Deja vu: A Rushed Deployment
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Josh sat in his office looking at the half-done painting before him. In the free time he'd had since sinking the Whirlwind, he had been painting the portrait he had promised Carver, one of the sailor machinist mates who had been killed when the shell ripped through the hull.
In the foreground was the dock on which all but the now deceased crewmen stood on before the Interceptor, looking whole and ready for battle. In the background was the city of Awa, and in the clear blue sky above the vessel, he painted the clouds and faint outlines of the six men who died in the engine room that day.
He still needed to add facial details to the crewmen on the dock and paint the ship and background but the outline, marks, awards, and rigging was complete. He had penciled the entire thing, checked it, then inked every single line in the art. Feeling his right hand beginning to cramp, he took a break and then stood by the window which, mentally, he decided was a bad mistake.
There, in dry dock, sat the Interceptor, or rather what was left of her. During the night, a water-tight door gave way and flooded the stern half of the ship. The stern was now completely submerged and work crews were busy cutting the superstructure apart while divers were trying to float the rest of the ship so that she could be towed out of Sanijo port to the Breaking Yard for scrapping. Not that he ever expected her to sail again anyway. The shell that struck the ship hadn't just disabled her engines, it had broken the keel, a literal deathblow for any vessel.
The keel is the backbone or 'spine' of a ship. Even on more modern metal vessels, a broken keel means the ship will not stand up to the rigors of sea travel. Not even welding or grafting a new keel in place could work because the weld could give way and the ship could break in half or worse just come apart without warning. One of the reasons the Anoziran Navy, which utilized what they called 'spliced designs', never sailed in extremely rough weather.
Josh and his officers had gone before a military council three times already to explain the battle in detail. Naturally they though him a hero but at the same time he lost his ship, his first command, in his second major sea battle. Because of his rank and the reputation of his family, he was allowed to keep his personal office by the ship berthing. Though he felt it more of a punishment than a show of respect. In the distance, while he scanned Sanijo Port, he could see a group of ships being fitted for deployment. Destroyers, cruisers, and escort carriers. A task force that, he knew, would need an escort to reach their destination.
Going to his chair and sitting down, he flexed his hand to get the cramps out before he started again. His ears caught the faint footsteps on the floor in the hallway and saw a shadow stop outside his door and knock.
"Enter."
The door opened and Josh's eyes went wide as his little brother, Bertram, came in. Another reason for the surprise was that Bertram now had Captain's bars on his uniform instead of Lieutenant. Bertram caught his brother's expression and chuckled.
"Caught you by surprise too, eh? They announced it right out of the blue. I was being promoted for actions in the Retorinc siege. That your ship Josh? Sheesh, I thought you joined the Navy not the Sub Corps."
That remark got Josh's attention and he turned and growled at his brother, something he'd never done before, not even at his most angry of times.
"She's not sunk...that's battle damage." Bertram noticed the tone and realized he'd struck a nerve and stopped.
"Sorry. How many?"
"Six dead. Four instantly, one drowned pinned under a piece of debris and another drowned trying to save him. Six more wounded while fighting fire. The needn't have died if I had kept my speed up but I wanted to make sure the torpedoes and shells were hitting their marks. They may not dismiss me but they sure as hell aren't going to let me command another ship." Bertram looked at the painting he was working on and noticed the faces of the crew in the clouds.
"These men?" Josh nodded.
"Every single one of them was no older than you. Kids, practically. The senior engine machinist says not to blame myself but it's damn hard not to. As Captain, I am responsible for the safety of the men and women under my command. When one of them dies, it's because I failed them."
Josh looked at the painting again then looked to the half sunk ship in port and sighed.
"She going to be broken up and scrapped when they salvage her. The round broke the old girl's back. She'll never sail again. I want to complete that painting before my crew is broken up and they're all tranferred to vessels going into active duty. I'd wager most of them are going to that group of ships over there that are gearing up for deployment. Speaking of which, Bertram, why are you here?" Bertram looked at the model of a battleship on Josh's desk and shrugged.
"Transferred. Command says they need me in Avalon. Took my beautiful P-29 and assigned me and my squadron to an escort carrier. Gave us some CF-24s that are supposed to replace ours but these aircraft are little more than crates. Hell they're just all metal P-10 biplanes that had the upper set of wings removed and the frame strengthened."
Bertram grimaced when he remembered the papers and the orders within to surrender all current aircraft to R&D and report to Sanijo.
"They wouldn't even let us keep the cannons we scavenged from our previous kills stating that 'it would make the planes too heavy'." Josh nodded.
"They're right though, a carrier isn't like a an airbase, our fleet carriers only have a deck length of about five hundred feet. On them you could launch a cannon-laden fighter like your modified P-29. These escort carriers are only three-hundred twenty feet which is the bare minimum for most single engine take-offs. Navy carrier planes sacrifice armor and firepower just so that they can take off and fly. So don't expect any miracles up there." Bertram grunted and turned away making Josh laugh, then he returned to his brooding.
"Still though; Avalon. I wish I could go with you but unfortunately I can't fly a plane." Bertram shrugged.
"You could transfer to the Dracocorps. We've got a dragon carrier going with us."
"Now why would he want to do that? He's not in trouble or anything."
Both Josh and Bertram jumped at the new voice and then saw, of all people, Reyson Havvers, standing in Josh's door alongside a Navy admiral Josh didn't recognize. It was the Admiral who had spoken and he was smiling and holding a folder.
"Joshua de Launces, pack your kit, and prepare to ship out." Josh saluted but then faltered.
"To where sir? And under who?" The Admiral laughed and handed him the folder.
"To Avalon, lad; and under no one but yourself. Admiral Reede made quite the case for you. He said it was your tactics and plan that allowed them to sink the enemy ship. The loss of the Cyclops and the loss of its entire crew was not your fault. You are, however, recieving a new XO who should be arriving shortly." Josh looked at the Admiral in surprise.
"What did Walker do sir? I've never made a bad report of him, he's been an outstanding XO, I've even recomended him for his own command."
"That's what has happened Commander. Ensign Walker is now Lieutenant Walker and has been assigned a new Raven-class heavy destroyer, the RNV Aurora. He has been placed under your command." Bertram understood immediately and looked at his brother with a wide-eyed expression. Josh then caught the gist of it and he too, went wide-eyed, much to the humor of the Admiral.
"Yes, you have been promoted Joshua, from Lieutenant-Commander to Commander. You have also been placed in command of the naval squadron that will escort the carrier force to Avalon. Your command vessel has also arrived. I came to bring you to the dock so that you may see her for yourself."
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Josh couldn't hold his excitement. On the way, they had bumped into Walker who joined them as they walked down the docks. On either side of him were destroyers and destroyer escorts, light cruisers, cruisers, even a few battlecruisers and battleships. Finally they stopped before a ship that Josh, to be honest, had never expected.
Before him, at anchor, was a Superior-class battlecruiser. A battlecruiser was a ship that had the firepower of a battleship but the speed and armor of a cruiser. It was built to go into battle and inflict grievous harm to the enemy as well as keep pace with modern carriers and shield them from most surface and aerial threats. At that moment, a familiar whistle sounded and he saw Master Chief Barnes on the deck, wearing his dress-blue uniform, whistle in hand. The man turned and in a loud clear voice that echoed shouted the call.
"Attention on deck! All crew to the rail!"
Josh saw the faces of many he knew from the Interceptor appear and many he didn't know and sharply salute to both him and the Admiral beside him.
"Commander, this is the RNV Beowulf, she looks like a standard Superior-class but in fact she's been modified. Her engines are more powerful, her armor is thicker, and her guns are eleven point five inch bore instead of ten inch bore. I had the dock work around the clock to get her ready for deployment as she is just in from her test run and hasn't been assigned a full crew or Captain yet for shakedown run. That's where you and your crew come in."
Stepping aboard the ship, Josh saw his old crew beaming and the new crew looking expectantly to him. Most likely the old crew had told them stories about him and they wanted to see if there was any truth to them.
(Nothing bad, I hope. In any case, I suppose I'll have to work just as hard as the next to gain the trust of my new crew.) A short cough got his attention and he looked back to the Admiral who looked serious but couldn't hide a partial smile.
"If you are finished daydreaming Commander, I was about to say that there are five ships under your command. The first is Lieutenant Walker's vessel, Aurora. I am also assigning a Judge-class cruiser, RNV Minotaur, two new Aquila-class destroyers, the Solent and the Minerva, and the Auger-class escort carrier, RNV Bastion, on which Wing Commander Havvers, here, is assigned. As soon as the escort carriers are ready and their crews and pilots assigned, your squadron will link up with two more groups and escort the carrier force to Avalon. Now then, I will take my leave to let you get familiar with your new ship and crew." The Admiral turned and nearly ran over Bertram who he acted like he'd just realized he was there and jokingly scowled.
"Captain Launces, don't you have a 'navy crate' to inspect? In fact, Walker, don't you also have a ship and crew of your own? Both of you, get moving!"
Move they did as Bertram all but sprouted wings and leapt down the gangplank and ran towards the nearby escort carrier, Cochise, while Walker vaulted down the gangplank and ran the opposite way to the Aurora which, Josh was pleased to note, was moored almost right next to the Beowulf. Then the Admiral turned again, this time, his face more gentle and stoic.
"By the way Commander, that portrait you're making? I'd like a copy of it when it is done... my son was Machinist Mate Carver. From the letters he sent, he was glad to have served under your command. Don't let his death, and the deaths of those other brave lads, be in vain."
Joshua nodded and gave a salute as Admiral Carver departed. In the distance, Josh heard guns fire as the burial ceremony for Carver and another man who were both natives of Sanijo began.
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On board the RNV Cochise, Bertram arrived to see his squadron having lunch and were also conversing with a group of pilots whose insignia he'd never seen before. It looked like a circle divided into three sections: Blue, Red, and Green with gold outlining. Another group nearby had a box pattern with red and white sections. The Wing Commander, Janice Nells, one of the very few female pilots and even fewer female aces, came up and nodded to him, a cup of coffee in her hand.
"Noticed the new arrivals, huh, kid? Those with the circle are pilots from Tullinar. Tullinar fell early in the war to a joint Callinar/Damoneni invasion. These few brave souls managed to escape internment and now fight alongside us. They're called 'Jagdflieger im Exil', fighter pilots in exile. Their homeland conquered, they now fight with us for the sake of liberating their homeland. The King has assured them that once the threat to Avalon is finished, the fleet will then focus its efforts on Callinar and then liberate Tullinar. Hopefully with help from Praetoria." Bertram walked to the nearby coffee pot and got a cup and then rejoined her.
"The others?"
"Pilots from the Nevoran Aerocorps. Since Nevora still uses biplanes they've been issued Syllian CF-24s. Heh, they keep oogling their planes as if they were their wives." She kept chuckling as she departed and went to her quarters on the women's part of the ship.
Bertram chuckled half-heartedly. Naturally his squadron, being carrier nuggets and all, would be issued the obsolete planes while the more experienced pilots got the more advanced planes. Wingleader Nells and her squadron, for instant, were all issued the newer CF-29s, which, though armed with a mixed armament of two machineguns and two cannons, had the power and speed to take off of a escort carrier deck with no problem.
Silently he came up and sat down by Ayatane and sighed.
"Despite our accomplishments in Retorinc, everyone here still thinks we're nuggets." Ayatane shrugged then motioned to the Navoran pilots.
"At least they acknowledge us. The Navorans are mainly ignored because they haven't so much as lifted a finger since the Straits War. They only came here because their leaders see the threat posed by Damoneni. Their nation is almost entirely landlocked except for a narrow three-hundred mile stretch of coastland that is barely fifty miles wide with Espan's northern half blocking it off from mainland Navora." Bertram got up and went to the chow line but none of the sailor paid any heed to him. Annoyed, he sat back down.
"Trying to get something here is like trying to herd cats: impossible."
Bertram felt an object 'twump' on his head and grimaced when he realized it was Sahna's tail that had hit him.
"Sorry Sahne."
"Please be more careful with your words wingleader, any other cheetah would have hit you with something other than their tail." Ayatane sighed at this and shook his head.
"Honestly Bertram you really have a tendency to put your foot in your mouth don't you?"
"What can I say? I come by it honestly from my Father." At that moment, Jake laughed and raised his cup high.
"I'll drink to that, Cap!" A shout, predictably, echoed from across the room.
"Sergeant Havvers! No booze on duty!" The remark was so sudden that Jake coughed, sending a cascade of very hot coffee down the front of his shirt and onto his pants.
"Gah! For crying out loud, it's coffee! Coffee!"
"Maintenance bay, now!" Bertram laughed at the Air Boss' remarks and looked at Jake.
"Now you're in it." Jake nodded sullenly as he rose, shirt and pants stained black from the coffee.
"Yup."
At that moment, an alarm rang out and the Captain's voice came over the PA system.
"Attention all hands! Attention all hands! Deployment has been pushed up! Repeat: Deployment has been pushed up, prepare to sail immediately!"
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Josh had been in the middle of organizing his quarters when his radio officer came in with a message to him. Josh looked at the message and then back to the radioman and nodded.
"Inform the XO to go to the bridge, confirm the message with HQ then return to your post."
"Aye, sir!" The radioman saluted, turned, then ran towards the XO's quarters. Josh set the hardwood boxes that held his unfinished painting and tools on his bed and set off at a run for the bridge.
At the same time Josh reached the bridge, he turned to see his new XO coming up the other hatch. Both saw each other and Josh gasped.
"E-Ensign Roberts?"
Ensign, or rather, Lieutenant Anne Roberts, the woman who had survived the Lemuria and had given him the idea about sinking the Whirlwind using gas pockets, stood before him, though not the meek, timid woman he had seen in the briefing but a woman ready to recieve and issue all orders. Beside her stood Master Chief Barnes who looked glad to see both him and Roberts. Barnes then saluted and smiled broadly.
"Commander, I'm glad to introduce you to my daughter, Anne Roberts." Josh looked at him then to Anne who blushed slightly but kept her stoic behavior.
"Estranged, sir. Mother divorced him three years before the Lemuria incident."
"Aye, because I was no longer a 'hero' and getting on in my years." Josh smiled and then nodded.
"Well, Lieutenant, I am glad to see a familiar face for an XO. Now then, I assume the radioman showed you the message?"
"Yes, sir. Last night Warfang was betrayed by the gnorc forces and has been besieged from both land and sea. Vessels from Damoneni have engaged and badly damaged the Praetorian Guard Fleet. Only the timely attack of our old S-class subs in the area halted the attack. By order of Fleet Command, we are to deploy immediately and rush to Warfang. Once we are near Warfang, all escort carriers will launch their planes to begin the counterattack." Josh nodded and then keyed the speaker to the radio room.
"Radioman, signal the Aurora, Minotaur, Solent, Minerva, and Bastion and inform them to set sail immediately. We are to take up the forward escort position of the carrier force and we will be going at full speed. XO, take us out of port."
"Aye aye, sir! Hoist anchor! Engines ahead one-third. Set course out of port." Josh nodded and then looked to the navigator.
"Bring us to the rendezvous point to gather our squadron and meet with our charges. Then chart our course to point two where we meet with the other squadrons, then plot our main course to Warfang." The navigator nodded, picked up his tools and set to work.
"Aye, sir. Charting course now." Josh turned to the XO and then thought of something.
"XO, the Beowulf is equipped with scout planes, correct?"
"Yes, sir. Along with us, the Aurora, and the Minotaur each have one P-17 scout plane. We, however, have two. The Bastion also has scouts but they are full carrier planes."
"Do the pilots on board have any experience hunting subs?" Anne faltered for a moment and then one of the new crewmen spoke.
"Yes, sir! The MacDaniel brothers both piloted anti-sub planes and also were part of the Port Air Defence before being assigned to us." Josh nodded.
"I want them in the air, now! When I last deployed, Callinar had three subs waiting to ambush us. This ship is not armed with depth charges so I am relying on our scouts to find and sink any threats out of port. Have Aurora and Minotaur launch their scouts as well." Anne saluted and walked to the bridge PA system.
"This is XO Roberts to Ensign Lee. Orders from the Commander: Launch both scouts immediately and have them patrol the airspace outside the port."
"This is Lee, I copy. Tell the Commander to cover his ears." Josh looked to Anne curiously when all of a sudden a loud bell went off throughout the ship along with Lee's voice.
"Attention! Attention! Lieutenants Ian and William MacDaniel report to your planes immediately for outer port patrol. Repeat: Ian and William, get to your planes for outer port patrol!"
"Ancestors, that was loud! I bet he woke up the whole port with that!"
"That's a battlecruiser for you sir. No more runners as the ship's just too large. Radios and sirens get more attention that way." Josh nodded then checked again.
"Radio the Aurora, Solent, and Minerva and tell them to exit before us. Before you say anything about protocol or tradition, I want to make sure the seas are sub-free before I risk the escort carriers, our ship, or any of our other vessels. Destroyers are tailor made for anti-sub combat." Anne nodded and relayed the orders.
"This is the Sanijo Port Authority to RNV Beowulf, why are you launching your scouts?"Josh picked up the radio and keyed it.
"This is Commander Joshua de Launces, no need to worry, it's just a precaution."
"Port copies. We'll launch our scouts to assist as well. Thanks for taking the initiative."
"Not a problem, Port. Beowulf, out."
With everything in hand here, Josh stepped out onto the starboard observation wing of the bridge and gazed back at the catapult that launched the two scout planes. One was already up in the air and flying a CAP around the ship. Josh saw the catapult begin to steam and the second floatplane shot off the catapult, engine running at full speed, and pitched up and joined with the other before heading out towards the mouth of the port.
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Lieutenant Ian MacDaniel and his twin brother William had always wanted to join the Navy, see the world, explore uncharted corners, meet new people and cultures. When the Navy formalized and made public its new plans for a Naval Air Force, him and his brother were among the first to sign up. The brothers grew up in Hartsford, a small town that was split across the Savanin River in the middle of Syllia everybody called 'the Highlands'. Because of the Highlands own unique culture, a lot of things that seemed normal to a Highlander didn't quite mesh with the Navy, but Ian and his brother did anyway just for the heck of it.
Such as wearing a kilt at all times, even while flying a plane.
"Sweet Mother! Me nethers are colder than a well digger's arse!" Ian sighed as his brother came over the radio.
"Grendel-One to Grendel-Two, if you're cold then shut your canopy! Or at least cut your radio off so that I don't have to hear ya!"
"This is Beowulf, we can hear you down here Grendel Flight. How's the weather up there?" Ian chuckled and gazed at the sky.
"Ah, it's a wonderful sight up here Lieutenant. A wee bit cold but otherwise quite pleasant."
"Wonderful. So, anything out of the ordinary?"
"Wait one."
Ian jammed hard on the rudder pedals and flipped the P-17 Scout over in an inverted position and looked at the sea through his canopy.
"Nothing looks out of place. A see a fishing boat that's slipped its moorings and is floating off eh...wait, no that's a couple out for a romantic getaway no doubt."
"What's their position brother?"
"Wha?! Now how the bloody hell would I know? I'm not some peeping tom to watch a young couple making whoopee on the sea!"
"I meant their map position you buffoon! Their location!"
"Oh! Well, then they're about a half mile out from the twin spires and...hold the phone. I see something. I'm going in for a pass."
Ian corrected his plane and dove where he saw a shadow on the water. He slowed his engine and looked out at the water and saw a shadow under the water.
"This is Grendel-One to Port, any subs in the area?" Ian pulled up and began to circle as the radio was silent. Then.
"That is a negative Grendel-One! Negative! We have no allied subs on patrol out of port. We are scrambling our planes." Then William came over.
"And we're engaging!"
Ian spared a moment to watch as his brother's plane went into a steep dive and released his depth charges, pulled up, and broke away before he hit the surface. Ian clicked the safety off his weapons. The radio came on and he vaguely heard someone, he guessed the Commander, say something about deja vu. Two explosions shot geysers of water into the air but no debris. Ian couldn't help but curse at William's rotten aim.
"That's a miss! I repeat: no impact!"
"Damn!"
"This is Grendel-One, engaging!"
Ian dived his plane down towards the shadow and released the charges. Pulling up he turned and looked back in time to see two more geysers shoot up from the water.
"Dammit! I missed as well, this thing is deep! Probably kissing the bottom in this area and moving at a snail's pace."
"This is Eagle, en route from Aurora, along with Falcon from the Minotaur, allow me."
The pilot from the Aurora dove, brought his plane to where his left wing was over the bow of the shadow and his right wing was over the stern and let the charges go. He pulled up and barrel rolled in between the twin spires and leveled out just as the charges exploded and threw up a geyser of water as well as some debris, a fireball, and a cloud of smoke. Ian scowled.
"That's a direct hit! You bloody showoff!"
"I heard that Grendel-One. This is Eagle, target destroyed. The port mouth is clear."
"Port copies, thank you Eagle. Oh, and thank you two as well Grendel Flight." Ian grimaced and angled his plane back towards the Beowulf which had already prepped its cranes to pick the seaplanes back up onto the deck.
"No fair."
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(at Warfang)
Flaire launched another fireball at a gnorc siege engine that was attempting to breach the walls. In the distance, she could see Lord Spyro fighting a gnorc general who called himself 'Doctor Shemp'. Lady Cynder was with him, Lord Ignitus was fighing alongside Lady Magothera against the gnorc forces attempting to rally to their general. Flaire could also see the traitor, Gnasty, surrounded by his minions and barking out orders to them.
(It would be foolish to attack him while he's so well defended.) Flaire thought.
Then she saw something out of the corner of her eye and dodged at the last moment and gasped at what she saw. A huge creature, easily as big as an adolescent dragon, yet covered in black fur and black feathers that changed to red at the tips. She saw the Syllian dragons fighting these creatures with bloodlust and murder in their eyes. Even the normally stoic and calm Shimmer had a furious look.
A Syllian dragon near her was fighting one of the things and it almost had him. She breathed a breath of her blue flames and set the creature ablaze. Much to the Syllian dragon's relief and he managed to slash its throat with his tailblade.
"Thanks for that. Bastard almost had me." Flaire looked at the creature and snorted.
"What are these things?" The dragon had a sick, disgusted look on his face as he gazed at the creature.
"We call them Dread Griffons. We Syllian dragons can just barely tolerate normal griffons, but these...these monsters we have an inate hatred for. Unlike regular griffons, these have developed a taste for human and dragon flesh and take particular pride in smashing and devouring dragon eggs and hatchlings. If any of these creatures get through, it's our eggs and our young they will go after first."
Flaire felt the urge to retch but she held it back. These creatures would kill and eat hatchlings? She mentally made a note to bathe each and every one of these things in hellfire when she found them. No mercy, no remorse, no holding back.
She heard a screech and saw another dread griffon, this one was bearing down on Lord Spyro, who didn't see it coming. She shot into the air like a dragon possessed and launched a 'hellfire fury' that incinerated the attacking dread griffon as well as several others that were closing on her. A group of dragons she recognized flew towards her. One she immediately recognized as her father, Flame.
"Flaire! Are you alright?" She nodded.
"Dad, listen to me, these things are called dread griffons. They kill and eat humans and dragons alike. You must send a wing to keep these monsters out of the city!"
Flame paled, no doubt thinking of Ember and grandchildren. Flaire's brother, Ash, was nearby and also attacking the dread griffons relentlessly. Nearby and even higher up, human and gnorc fighters engaged one another in relentless action. The aircraft were moving too fast to see them clearly yet she would occasionally see an enemy aircraft burst into flames and fall from the sky. From the human planes, occasionally a white sheet would appear with the pilot dangling from above. Depending on how close they were, dragons would swoop in and save the helpless humans and fly them to the walls.
As Flaire turned to attack more gnorcs and dread griffons, a loud screech filled the air and they saw Doctor Shemp vanish in a gout of flames with Spyro and Cynder standing victorious over where he fell. Flaire looked to Gnasty whose expression changed and became one of anger. He waved his club around and muttered something that sounded slightly off. He then fired a green beam of light upwards which suddenly arced and struck Cynder before anyone could react. Flaire watched in horror as Cynder was slowly encased in crystal. When the crystalization stopped, she was still as a statue.
A roar the likes of which nobody, not even Gnasty, would have expected, came from Spyro as he tore into the sky and angled his flight at Gnasty Gnorc.
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(meanwhile, somewhere over the ocean)
Lance Corporal Kay checked his gear for the sixth time in the flight and mentally went over his checklist again.
(Carbine...check, loaded. Pistol...check, loaded. Combat knife...check.)
He looked at the pack before him and mentally pictured the piece of canvas held within. He had only been with the Imperial Airborne for a few short weeks but in that time he'd learned about the risks and dangers the men of this group faced. It was certain death if the plane came under fire before they reached their target, certain death if their parachutes failed to deploy, certain death if the enemy strafed them in their parachutes. He heard a rustling and saw the Sergeant stand up and face the thirty men stuffed in the plane like sardines.
"Listen up! We will be landing at Lookout Island to refuel before heading the rest of the way in. We do not expect an enemy presense so a jump will not be needed. On the off-chance the shit has hit the fan, we will be jumping into Warfang. That's right into the city. I know most of you here are fresh from training and do not know how to do an urban jump. There's only one rule in that situation: don't hit anything that looks like a building."
Kay chuckled weakly at that as did the other 'greenies'. No matter what happened, tomorrow would be a very interesting day. He sighed and decided to dose off while a few more active members of the group began singing the Airborne Hymn as the engines of the large transport plane and dozens more like it in formation roared through the night sky.
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Geez! Cramp! Many finger cramps! Alright, for those of you worrying, Cynder is not dead. Recall the first ever Spyro game, Gnasty Gnorc encased the dragons in crystal and it was up to Spyro to free them. Besides, I really don't feel like getting my head handed to me for killing such a beloved character, plus, that's just not my style.
Anyway, so, Bertram and Josh are now united and are coming to help, the Dread Griffons have made their first ever appearance, and now you know why Syllian dragons hate dread griffons so much. :D
Also, the reference to the pilots from foreign lands is rather simple. In the Second World War, pilots who escaped from Nazi occupied Poland and Czechoslavakia were recruited into the British RAF and flew numerous missions during the Battle of Britain. I know there were other squadrons from France, Belgium, and other lands but I don't know their squadron numbers. Poland was the 303rd and Czechoslovakia was the 310th.
FYI: "Aces in Exile" is a song written by the metal band Sabaton which praises the pilots of these foreign lands.
"In all of history, never before was more owed to so few."-Winston Churchill.
The 'Airborne Hymn' I mentioned is the song 'Blood Upon the Risers', an American military change-up on an old Civil War battle hymn that...'vividly' explains the risks of a paratrooper and the consequences if his parachute fails. Ouch.
Next Time: Aces over Avalon: A Hero Falls.
(A/N: No it does not mean a main character will die. Get your minds out of the graveyards. Sheesh, bloodthirty lot you all are.)
You know something? A kilt is a lot more comfortable than I thought...
Please review.