Frontline News.

This will indicate foreign language.


Four and a half days later, a small squadron of Skystrikers from G.I. Joe's Asian branch is on a training flight. The lead jet's pilot looks over his right shoulder. "Trainee 5, you're drifting too close to Trainee 4, nudge the stick right a little. Copy?"

"R-Right. Correcting now, Tailspin*; sir." He hears over his radio before a second voice speaks.

"Sir, i think i just saw something left of us dive between two clouds a second ago. Over."

'Tailspin' looks to his left, but sees nothing. "Are you certain, Trainee 2?" He asked after shaking his head. The other pilot mentions also seeing a slight black trail where it was. "Tailspin here, one of my flyers reported a possible plane going down nearby... anything on radar? Over."

"Acknowledged; we have been getting something, but it keeps vanishing. Have your squadron return, and we'll send back up. Over and out."

After landing and refueling, Tailspin takes off again with Azimuth* following. "How far is it to the site?" Azimuth asked him. "Over."

"About 26 miles from here, west of the La Perouse strait, so watch your six. Over."

"Go, GI Joe., Over and out."

Once they reach the location, they check the small islands below them for several minutes until Azimuth notices a small black object embedded in a toppled tree with other black and orange pieces near it, and calls it in. "Tailspin, I'm seeing some debris on the third island, whatever that trainee of yours saw must have crashed here." When Tailspin makes his approach from the other side of it, he sees a debris trail with a twisted wreck at the end of it. "Whoa... what is it?" Azimuth asked him.

"No idea, it's not in our records."

Before landing however, the two notice a ship approaching; one with a Soviet flag on it. "Attention GI Joe aircraft, you are in presence of Soviet property; depart immediately or we shoot you down."

Azimuth responds angrily. "These islands are in Japanese waters, you're not setti-" Only he is cut off.

"Oh, you misunderstand, we raided Cobra base where pilot made escape; unknown jet was damaged in process, is why it is now scrap metal."

Tailspin nods to himself before replying. "You understand that we still have to report this, Capt..."

"Captain Todorov**; and you will report, over formerly secure channel, that we have taken all wreckage."

"...We accept." Tailspin said, and slammed a fist on his knee.


Later, Tailspin and Azimuth return to their carrier, where Feedback* informs their C.O., Top Notch*, who passes the description to Col. Sharp. "Very well, We'll do what we can to dig up whatever the Soviets found out about that aircraft; Col. Sharp out." He tells his foreign counterpart, then shuts the screen off.

"Breaker, get me the C.I.A. director."

"Yes sir...You, uh, suppose that jet's been over the base, Col.?"

"Even if not that particular one, it's probable; damn, we'll have to increase our radar range as well." Col. Sharp replied, and left to inform Duke, Flint, and Beachhead.


Chapter nine.

*Made up codenames.

**O.C.