Ch 2
Landing at Henderson field, Aang taxied his Corsair to a hanger to a hanger and opened the canopy. Feeling a pain in his right hand, he looked down and saw he was tightly holding the control stick.
Letting go, he climbed out of the fighter and walked a few steps forward only to collapse to his knees and vomit.
"Don't worry, Aang. Happens to all of us." Sokka said, picking him up.
"I feel woozy." Aang said.
"Nothing a little hot chow can't fix." Sokka said.
"Hey, Sokka. I have a question." Aang said, as they headed to the mess hall.
"Sure thing." Sokka said.
"Are the Japs sending woman to combat?" Aang asked.
"I've heard bits and pieces. Why?" Sokka asked.
"The red Zero. Literally painted blood-red. The pin-up is a large blue flame. Female pilot. Black hair, gold eyes. Sound familiar?" Aang asked.
"Lowden was right. You are one lucky son of a bitch." Sokka said.
"Who is she?" Aang asked.
"We don't know her name. But we know she's a triple ace. We've intercepted radio traffic, and she's called Azula. That could be her real name, or just a call-sign. She's one tough pilot. Hardly anyone survives her encounter." Sokka said.
"I should be dead. We were firing at each other every chance we got." Aang said.
"You must be a hell of a pilot." Sokka said.
"Azula." Aang said, eating his lunch in silence, contemplating having to fight her again.
"Heard you guys bagged some Jap bombers." A marine said, walking into the mess.
"We did. Stopped them dead in their tracks." Sokka said.
"Bob Leckie. First marine corps." He said, shaking Sokka's head.
"Should have been here when we first arrived. Japs forced our navy to retreat, and they just hit us with everything they got. We made them pay dearly for it, though." Leckie said.
"But we're winning, right?" Aang asked.
"We are. But the Japs are damn good fighters. We could be at war for years on end." Leckie said.
"Not looking forward to it." Sokka said.
"No-one is." Leckie said.
Aang left the cafeteria and headed to take a quick shower. The fight with Azula played thru his mind. The intense gunfire, his Corsair shaking from impact. Her face looking at his, like a predator about to claim its prey.
"Now that's a scary thought." Aang said.
Rabaul
Azula taxied her Zero into a hanger and climbed out of the cockpit. Being a veteran of the Japanese navy since 1940, she had been in plenty of fights. She only had 15 kills, now 18 thanks to today's mission, which ended in failure. The cactus air-force was becoming a major thorn in Rabul's side, and they couldn't be dislodged.
Heading to her bunk, she went thru the fight with the gull-winged aircraft. A new aircraft for their armed forces. Fuck. Unless we do something, we're screwed. A smile appeared on her face, as she remembered flying over him, flashing her malicious grin. She enjoyed the thrill and saw the fear on his face.
"One day, you'll be my prisoner. And you'll really know fear." Azula smirked.
Henderson Field
November 11
"Are my eyes yellow?" Sokka asked.
"What?" Aang asked.
"Yeah. I'm getting the hee-bee jeebies. Next thing you'll know, I'll start turning yellow from my ass to my face." Sokka said.
"It's hepatitis, Sokka. And none of us have it. We don't go out into the jungle and start fighting the Japs." Aang said, brushing his teeth.
"I'm dying, Aang. Look in my eyes." Sokka said, turning Aang around.
"I'd rather look into Azula's eyes." Aang said, and a silence was between the both of them.
"Lets just forget about that. But the way how this war is going, you'll be fighting her real soon. Just don't get into too much of a hurry." Sokka said.
"I won't." Aang said.
As night fell, Aang climbed into his bunk and slept.
Next morning, the air-raid siren was blaring loudly and woke everyone up.
"All pilots to your planes! All pilots to your planes!"
"What's going on?" Aang asked, as he ran to his Corsair, seeing the mechanics loading the plane with ammunition for his guns.
"Task force 67 is under attack! We're to stop the Japs from killing the fleet!" Sokka said, as he climbed into his Wildcat.
Aang climbed into his Corsair and started the engine. He closed the canopy and followed 25 fighters off the runway and towards TF-67.
"Something big is happening, isn't it?" Aang asked.
"Yeah. Something is." One of the pilots said.
The 26 aircraft split into two forces and headed to TF-67. The sounds of AA guns and aircraft noise was heard in the distance.
"Japanese Vals! Lets get them!"
Accelerating towards the beleaguered fleet, the fighters slashed right through the Japanese onslaught. Tracking a Val dive-bomber, Aang blew the aircraft to pieces.
"Get him, Aang. He's all yours."
Aang pulled up to the left as a Val dove right towards him, guns blazing. Aang pulled the trigger and sent a fistful of .50 slugs to the incoming dive bomber. The Corsair easily shrugged off the light 7.7mm bullets being thrown towards him.
Aang quickly rolled away as the flaming wreckage of the Val flew past his head.
Seeing a Val strafe a destroyer, Aang pursued and shot him down as well. Two Val's attempted to run, and Aang gave chase.
"Calm down, Aang. These are easy kills. No need to get over-eager." Aang said to himself, taking deep breaths.
Putting the gun sight on the left Val, he squeezed the trigger and watched as the bullets pierced the engine, tore the left wing off and sent the burning Val spiraling to the earth. Yawing to the right, he was met with a rude surprise.
The rear gunner pointed his machinegun at Aang, and sent a point-blank range burst right at the cockpit. The bullet-proof glass stopped the bullets, but it gave Aang quite a scare. Heavily breathing, he pulled the trigger and killed the back gunner. Thru the glass, Aang saw the rear gunner's headless body, slumped over his weapon.
Aang fired another burst, and the Val blew up.
"Never thought it would be like this." Aang said, as he turned around and headed back to the fleet.
The Val's were outnumbered and outgunned. Unable to achieve their objectives, they fled and were quickly destroyed by the American pilots.
"Good work, pilots. The fleet's in safe hands. We fly CAP until they reach port." Sokka said.
Aang joined formation, and thought about the rear-gunner. He could only imagine how it looked from his point of view. Seeing the plane next to him get shot down, and being faced with his killer eye to eye, seeing the large Corsair looming like a demon towards him. He fires his machine gun, but to his horror, the enemy is still flying. Now he fires his guns, and blows your head right off.
"Alright. The fleet's in the bay. Lets land." Sokka said, shaking Aang from his stupor.
I can't get shaken up from this. I'll be facing Azula in combat real soon. I wonder. Do you get afraid in combat?