Disclaimer: Don't own and never will.
AN: Yes, I know that it's been a long time. Life keeps getting in the way and the muse is VERY uncooperative.
Colonel Weber of the Belkan Luftwaffe looked on with distaste as a dozen Messerschmitt 209 fighters landed at his airfield. Each aircraft bore on its tail a skull with a snake tongue extending from its mouth. He took in a deep breath and composed himself as one of the pilots removed his helmet and walked towards his office.
He was, at first glance, a handsome young man. His short dark hair was casually brushed and his features finely cut. The Colonel's teenage daughter had a crush on him (thankfully safely in Berlin with her mother) along with half the teenage girls in Belka. But there was darkness in his eyes that made the Colonel feel distinctly uneasy. And the rumours about how he behaved on the ground and in the air…
Falling in step beside him, a young woman with long wild black hair and wide eyes.
None-regulation long black hair, but this hardly seemed to bother Colonel Weber's superiors. One of the most sadistic pilots in service by all accounts, almost as brutal as the man she was walking with.
He adjusted his tie and swallowed as the two entered his office.
Lieutenant-Colonel Riddle, Major Bellatrix Lestrange, this is an unexpected surprise. We had not anticipated your arrival-"
"Until tomorrow. Yes I am aware of that," Tom said with a wave of his hand. "My squadron is however better used sooner rather than later. I intend to begin dealing with your problem immediately. I trust your ground crew can have our aircraft ready for a bombing mission in the next three hours."
"We don't have enough grou-"
"You will place top priority on servicing our aircraft, pulling whatever resources necessary to make them ready in time," he paused and gave the Colonel a charming smile. "Think of it as an investment. The sooner we can solve your problem with this Order of the Phoenix squadron, the sooner we can regain total air superiority over the Round Table."
"But what-"
"You know who this is?" Bellatrix demanded. "Do you know who you're talking to insect? This is the great and powerful pilot Lord Voldemort! His name alone brings terror to the enemies of Belka! You should be GRATEFUL that he graces your base with his presence!"
"Thank you Bella," Tom said calmly, before fixing the Colonel with a steely gaze. "No excuses Colonel. You know that I have the full backing of the Party behind me and you WILL do whatever's necessary to meet my demands."
"Yes sir. What abo-"
"All you need concern yourself with is that my squadron is ready for action when I desire it. All other concerns are irrelevant," Tom told the Colonel calmly. "High Command wants results, not delays and excuses. I intend to give them the results you cannot."
"Yes sir."
"Excellent," Tom said with a smile that sent shivers down the Colonel's back. "Then my squadron shall adjourn to the mess. Make sure the necessary arrangements are made."
As Tom and his companion left the room, Colonel Weber allowed himself a sigh of relief. Picking up his office phone, he dialled a number and barked out a handful of orders to the ground crew. The sooner they were off his base, the better!
Meanwhile, Bellatrix and Tom walked into the mess hall to a round of applause from his squadron.
"Good news my proud Death Eaters! In a few hours from now we will once again show the enemies of Belka that we are to be feared!" his squadron members cheered loudly at this and he paused for a moment before continuing. "The enemies of Belka shall be scattered like rats before the might of our wings! We shall show this pitiful Order of the Phoenix squadron that the Belkan Luftwaffe is the finest air force in the world and that we are its finest pilots!" He paused once more and smiled. "When we are finished, Osea and Yuktobonia will have no choice but to accept our rightful claim on Ustio and they will FEAR the day that we will come for them, for the day when Belka will stand tall once more and dominate as she once did."
"With you as our leader, we cannot fail my Lord," Bellatrix whispered with a smile. "Enemies of Belka beware indeed."
"My Lord, may we know where we are to strike first?" the aristocratic Lucius Malfoy asked and Tom smirked.
"I have a certain special place in mind. Somewhere that will draw their attention and spread an appropriate amount of fear. So stay sober, for we have work to do," he paused and nodded at Bellatrix. "A place I think you'll approve of in fact. But far be it for me to spoil the surprise."
At the back of the mess hall, a young man with greasy hair and a crooked nose sat and watched. He sat, unnoticed by his comrades as his fingers danced under the table. It was almost as though he was tapping to a hidden radio or recording device.
But that would be ridiculous. Who would be so crazy as to spy on Lieutenant-Colonel Riddle, the infamous Lord Voldemort?
HPACHPACHPACHPACHPACHPACHPAC.
In the skies above Godric Hollow Air Force Base in South Ustio, a pair of F-15C Eagles lazily circled as they waited to land. One was adorned with a picture of a stag, the other, a black dog.
"Hey Prongs, we all set for tonight?"
"Of course we are Padfoot. I for one, am looking forward to seeing you singing your lungs out. You're the famous rock star remember?"
"Hey, I was FIFTEEN!" Padfoot protested loudly. "It was the best way to annoy my stuffy, stuck up parents. You should have heard them!"
"He hasn't changed all that much since then," another voice chimed in, a somewhat calmer voice with a hint of amusement. "Back then it was being a wannabe rock star. Today, it's flying against the Belkan Luftwaffe. Same reason, different scenario."
"Hey, get off the radio Moony!" Padfoot snapped, his voice rising slightly as he spoke. "If I recall correctly, we all decided to join up together!"
"Pfft. Details, details," Prongs said teasingly. "Hey Moony, when are we getting permission to land? Feels like we've been waiting to land since forever."
"Air traffic control say that the runway is finally clear and that you may proceed to land," Moony replied. "Some idiot is getting an earful from the base commander about it. I can hear him from over here!"
"Course you can," Padfoot replied with amusement. "The Howler wouldn't be happy if he didn't have someone to yell at."
"You would know Padfoot, you would know," was all Prongs would say as the two planes began to land.
Once landing was complete, ground crews began to swarm over the aircraft and the pilots climbed out. Prongs, aka Captain James Potter was greeted by a young redhead woman in pilot's uniform who wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a very passionate kiss.
"Hey, no public displays please!" protested Lieutenant Sirius Black, aka Padfoot. "Not all of us are busy enjoying the bliss of a happy marriage!"
"If you're that desperate Padfoot, I'm sure Peter could be persuaded to dress up for you. And then there's that crazy woman, the one who keeps telling everyone that the two of you are a couple. I'm sure she wouldn't say no to marrying you," Remus replied with a smirk. "I'm sure you two would make a lovely couple."
"Hey what is this? Pick on Sirius day?" Sirius protested and the others exchanged wicked grins.
"Of course it is!" they replied in unison and Sirius threw his hands in the air.
"Universe, what did I do to deserve this? I'm Sirius-ly wondering," he asked and James rolled his eyes.
"Honestly Sirius, that one was old by the time we were ten. Haven't you got anything better?" James asked and Sirius smirked.
"You know you love the classics," he replied with amusement. "I'm the funniest man I know!"
"You know me," James pointed out and Sirius smirked.
"Like I said, I'm the funniest man I know."
"THAT sounds like a challenge," James said with a glint of amusement in his eyes. "You care to back those words up?"
"How about, the one who gets the most laughs out of the audience tonight at karaoke. Loser buys the winner a drink," Remus suggested and Sirius laughed.
"Done!" he barked and he held out his hand.
"Oh you are so going down Padfoot," James replied, shaking Sirius's hand. Lily merely rolled her eyes.
"You really shouldn't encourage them you know," she murmured to Remus, but she was still smiling. "Those two idiots are going to go all out you know."
"Why do you think I suggested it in the first place?" Remus replied, still grinning. "This is going to be fun. It's a shame Peter's still stuck out in the middle of nowhere though. He would have loved watching this."
"Hey cheer up. He's back tomorrow. That's what counts after all," Lily said and Remus nodded.
"Trouble is, those stuffed shirts in charge seem to think that we need someone to do moral boosting tours. Rally support for our neighbour in their time of need, yadda, yadda, yadda. Don't think those guys have a clue," James said with a slight hint of exasperation. "Instead of letting us get on with the job, we do all these public relations stunts to get people to support us."
"Comes with being this good looking," Sirius said with a smirk as he ran a hand through his hair. "All the ladies love us. And even some of the guys. We're almost like a boy band, only cooler."
"And what do I count as?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow. "Chopped liver?"
"Oh you're just an honorary guy. The pretty one," Sirius said blithely and Lily raised an eyebrow. James leant over and kissed her.
"If you're an honorary guy, then you're the prettiest one I've ever seen," he whispered to her.
And as the group laughed and joked and talked as they walked away, they had no idea the nightmares that lay in wait in their future.