Author's note: Watching "Strike Witches" anime encouraged me to fantasize stories in this setting, which did not happen to me for quite a while. The first SW fantasies were breaking canon plot line, so I abandoned that. But then I felt like writing down some "episodes" that look close enough to a story or an anime series, if it were filmed as anime. And while I do already have a long enough story in my mind, it's mostly unwritten yet.
This one is the first of the "episodes" written so far. It is also the only one translated into English, at this time (as you may have guessed already, English is not my native language).
Writing does take some effort, and translation takes much more of that. So before I make any further plans (such as translating the continuing episode, translating the Wing short description and Witches' biographies, writing more episodes...), I need to at least know if someone reads and likes this.
This episode is not the chronological beginning of the whole imagined story, but it can be totally read on its own. If someone likes it, please let me know if it's worth working further on the story. Also, feel free to leave your comments, critics, questions etc.
- Unauthorized visitor -
...
He felt something was wrong, quite suddenly. One would think there could be nothing to worry about on a common day, amidst deliberate ordinary routine, in the heart of the airbase bathing peacefully in summer sunlight. But his instincts, well-developed at frontline, never failed him since, and someone's alarmed glance he caught with his back flashed troublingly in his mind.
A trouble, here, now? What could have been wrong then?
There was someone's troubled glance, but no one calls him. And there seems to be nothing unusual around. No alarm sirens. No motors roaring, no patrol cars rushing, no standby fighters taking off. Sentries are watching calmly at their posts, the airfield is idle, there is no fussing and running around, everything is as usual and as it should be.
It appears, he himself is the culprit of someone's silent alarm.
But he is just strolling along the base structures. Why would that alarm anyone? Could there be…something wrong in that hangar he is approaching?
The young man, fit and sporty, dressed in military coveralls, kept a calm and relaxed look on his face, hiding his alert from anyone who might see him. Walking leisurely, he turned to the broadly opened gate of the Striker Units hangar.
...
- Wow! Crazy! This is great! - a small girl's ringing voice echoed under the high vaults of the hangar, criss-crossed with lattice trusses and girders. The voice itself was echoed by staccato of child's footsteps, - someone was scurrying from wall to wall, until finally stopped at striker units parking apron.
- Quiet, will you! They'll hear us! – one could clearly tell how the other girl's voice, definitely older, makes its best to be heard by someone intended to hear, and not to be heard by anyone else. Quite a funny thing to hear. Absolutely inappropriate at a military base, unfortunately.
- Oh this one's yours right? It's so cool! The best one here!
- I told you to be quiet already! Yeas, this one is mine. "Spitfire" Mk IX.
- It's derived from conventional "Spitfires", right?
- Right. This one is modified though...Well, it's generally better than the standard ones.
- And I love that paintjob! It's the prettiest here too! Wow, and this is the picture of your familiar, isn't it?
Only the two girls were inside the hangar. One of the girls, dressed in Britannia air witches uniform, was standing by one of the launcher units, clearly nervous. Another girl, looking much like her lessened copy, was hopping about and around her. She gazed exultantly at the row of striker units fixed in their launch slots. Most of her attention, however, was aimed at the unit right in front of her.
- Annie, please show me how you put it on! Or how you call it? For flying, you know...
- Jen, it's really not the best idea now. We are taking enough risk as it is. Sometime later?
- Oh please, Annelle, it's just for a minute! Will it really take any long? – the little girl squished her hands, staring at the pilot girl pleadingly. The older girl didn't waver too long. Wasting time in a doubt was just as dangerous, after all.
- All right! I'll do it real quick, and we are out of here, okay?
- Sure! – the younger girl assured, without being too precise about whether she agrees with both parts, or just the first one.
The witch sighed and quickly put her shoes off. Deftly she climbed the platform and turned around, holding the rails before putting her legs into unit slots.
- Now, watch... – she started, looking up at the smaller girl. And then out of the corner of her eye she noticed something new, in the hangar gate. Someone she noticed, that is.
She looked further up and froze, feeling how ice-cold terror wave rises inside her. And how that wave of terror grows bigger and floods her as the incomer starts his way right up to the girls. The younger girl turned around hastily as she heard the steady steps of a stranger, then looked back at the older girl and grasped that something irreparable has just happened. The little girl drooped, no longer expressing a radiant delight, but a frightened expectation instead.
The incomer was older than the pilot girl, albeit not too much. While she was fourteen, the guy looked no more than twenty. Worker coveralls, no distinctive insignia, just the Wing emblem on his shoulder, same as the witch had on her uniform. He didn't look like a thing to fear, really. His impassive gaze took his time to quickly and tenaciously scan the hangar space, inspecting the modules, other equipment, and the frozen girls themselves.
After a short pause, the fellow glanced expectantly at the witch who convulsively straightened herself up at the platform.
- Lieutenant Allison?
- Ye...Yes sir...G-good day...Sorry, sir... – the girl pushed out of her, mixing words with choking breaths, as she struggled with the panic attack, which urged her to hide, run, do anything but the only thing she could afford right now – which was to stand upright, motionless.
The "sir" turned and looked straight into the younger girl's eyes for the first time. His glance was calm, and inspecting, and questioning, and demanding – all at once.
Eleven, maybe twelve years old. Cheap shabby clothes – olive shirt, dark green pants. Clearly a re-do from military uniform, lots of civilians wear such clothing these days. Not too stylish, but very practical for plain everyday activities. Worn out boots...And pilot goggles, too big for the girl, hanging loose on her thin neck.
The girl startled, but kept looking back, expectantly, if timidly.
- I am group captain Solo, the one in charge of this Wing and this base, - the fellow introduced himself in a voice tranquil but powerful. – Who are you?
The girl had to recover her breath upon hearing that. Group captain...Highest officer here...Oh dear!..They didn't simply get into a mess, they simply did get into a worst mess ever! This group captain looks somewhat fake though. No fancy uniform, no hat, no brass and stuff. The girl found the strength to answer almost without stammering:
- Me, I am Jenny Allison, sir, I am younger sister of Annie...I mean, lieutenant Allison! Please don't scold her, she won't do it anymore! It's all my fault! We didn't do anything though, honestly!
The "fake" group captain kept examining the girl for another minute after she went silent, as if waiting for her to say something else. He gasped quietly once or twice, as if he, too, had to recover his breath.
The young girl cast her eyes down, glancing awkwardly at her sister as the latter recovered herself. The pilot girl finally got down from the platform and was standing at attention in front of the group captain, trying to keep her head high, though she was clearly expecting scolding. Naturally, it was not the first time in their lives that the girls stood guilty in front of adults, which included not only their parents. But this time was far more serious than anything before. Jenny could sense it very clearly.
Hearing no further comments from the girls, the group captain sighed, clearly showing his discontent this time. He moved, walking past the girls, and jumped into the platform's niche, where he sat casually, leaning himself against the striker unit fixed inside.
- Put your shoes on, lieutenant...
The witch "unfroze" and quickly put her shoes on. She then straightened herself again, facing the group captain, but he waved his hand slightly.
- At ease! Speak up already!
- Err... – the girl hesitated, taking a less formal look. – What do you want to hear, sir?
- Well, start with why your little sister is here, and what you two have been doing here, perhaps? – the group captain's tone, and his pose, were not as official as before. But Jenny felt that the most dangerous part was yet to come.
Ann clearly felt the same. But there was no choice, so with a downcast look, the pilot went to speak.
- Excuse me...I mean, I'm sorry, sir! But, you see, my little sister here is so fond of aircrafts. And she has long dreamed of looking at them! So... – the girl went silent.
- She wants to visit our "neighbours" then, - replied the group captain in a flat voice, still looking at his vacillating subordinate keenly. – There's lots to see out there. These here are striker units though, not aircrafts.
- You see, sir! – the younger girl mustered enough courage to intervene, which at once drove all the attention towards her. – I love everything that flies! Airplanes, airships, even balloons, and the striker units, they are so…extraordinary, and my sister flies one, too! So, I really love all flying machines…except for neuroi, of course.
- Are you, by any chance, a witch yourself? – inquired the group captain softly. He clearly liked the girl's explanations.
- That would be great, but... – both sisters spoke in unison, thoroughly embarrassing each other. At length, Ann continued – She may, of course, still manifest her powers later, she's still eleven after all, but so far, no signs...
- I see, - group captain nodded slightly. – I suppose, you wish to become a pilot?
- I don't know what to become yet, but I'd sure want to fly... – murmured the girl, looking away again.
- She's been dreaming about it for long, - said Ann sadly, trying to forward the conversation to the safest path possible. – Her whole life! But she could only see airplanes from afar, and us witches are really hard to see from the town. I only wished to show her the machines, for just once, for a minute...We did not mean anything bad, sir. But I understand my guilt...
- How did you come here? – the tone of the question was mild, but it made Jenny shiver suddenly.
- We...I grabbed Jenny and jumped over the fence, sir, - the witch lowered her head and locked her arms behind her back, crumbling her fingers awkwardly. – That fence is not too high, sir, you know that...
- I know. I do also know, that there is at least a half kilometer of clear land all around the base.
- We...sprinted while the sentry looked away.
- So you sprinted for half a kilometer? – confirmed the group captain calmly. – But every spot is seen from at least three sentry posts. All the sentries were looking away while you sprinted?
- Yes...I believe so, sir.
- And nobody saw you at the base, too, all the way to this hangar. This is bad. Too bad, lieutenant.
- Wh...Why is this too bad, sir? – murmured the witch, hesitating to look up. Her sister seemed to do her very best to become totally invisible.
- The first reason, lieutenant, is that you left the base without any authorization, as you ran for your sister and then back, according to your own words. The second reason is, with such security anyone can walk around the base. And this is dangerous, you know, if not outright harmful. This is a strategic military facility after all, not a children's playground. By the way, where is the hangar attendant?
- He's gone somewhere, sir!
The group captain frowned disapprovingly.
- Not only did he go out, he went out for too long, taking all the technicians with him, and leaving no sentry here! And you and your sister have picked quite a fortunate time to come in! To say the least.
- I...It's my fault, sir.
- Your fault is, - continued the officer in a gentle, but accusing tone, - not just bringing a civilian here, even a child. You also lie to a superior.
The young witch quivered, opening her mouth, but said nothing, only blushed in despair. Trying to look away, but not too much away, she uttered into space:
- I, I did not...Did not mean it, sir.
- You don't want to mention the person who helped you get your little sister in here, - added the group captain, shaking his head. Almost paternal sorrow felt in his voice. – You think you are acting honourably towards that person, or persons. How do you think you are acting towards the sentries and patrols that allegedly failed to see you, though? Just so you know, their names and posts are all listed in schedule, and those liable to punishment will be found very quickly.
Ann blushed even more, her eyes, cast down, glistened with tears. Jenny realized suddenly she had no idea about how they punish people in the army. The guilty ones are given to do some nasty jobs, it seems. And there is arrest, too?
- And how do you estimate this acting of yours towards your commander, and, in the end, to me as the one in charge of the base, lieutenant Allison?
- You are right, sir, - the girl could no longer hide her shaking, sobbing voice. – I am very sorry...I have nothing more to say. Forgive me!
- "Forgive me!" – grumbled the officer, sitting up. – Who do you think you are speaking with, and where – at home with your dad?
- I am ready to bear...the well-deserved punishment, sir! – cried the girl out, making her best to not choke with her tears, which sprang from her eyes already.
Group captain hopped off the platform and strolled along it, finally looking away from his nervously shivering subordinate. Jenny shuffled aside, trying to stay away from his look.
- I hope you are. You will have time to be ready though, because we'll discuss this later. You did not elaborate much while answering my questions, so I'll repeat: what – exactly – are you both here for?
- But I did tell you – we came to take a look at the aircrafts, striker units...Nothing else, sir. – The girl breathed deeply, driving away her tears.
- But I did see how you were going to engage your striker unit. – Group captain Solo turned around and walked back, as he continued to speak, - Well, since I'm already here, there's no reason to leave this whole thing as it is. So...
He turned again and headed to the wall telephone. The officer has evidently thought over many things already, and has taken some decisions. At this moment, Jenny would never have thought of him as a "fake group captain".
As the group captain got on the telephone, a sequence of brisk orders followed, for numerous recipients.
Transport craft is to be ready to take off in twenty minutes. Hangar attendant and his tech team are to get back to their work place. Operation control is to be ready for a training sortie. Informing everyone concerned...
Using this moment, Jenny rushed to hug her sister.
- Annie my dear, please forgive the stupid me for all this! If only I knew!
Her sister returned the hug, trying to comfort her, and smile.
- You thought families handle their kids in a strict manner? Well see now how it goes in adult's life!
- What happens now though?
- Honestly, I don't know. Nothing too good, I fear...
The girls moved away from one another, and drew themselves up, - the group captain had done all his talking and was walking back to them. His face was as impassive as before, but there was no question in his eyes anymore – only determination, which meaning was yet unclear to the girls.
- Lieutenant Allison!
- Sir! – the witch snapped to attention.
- You are due for a training sortie immediately. I shall be your tech assistant. Your task is to reach air training zone, altitude five hundred meters, and await for further instructions. Standard equipment, set one.
- Yes sir! – yelled the girl out, still utterly confused.
- Visitor Allison! – group captain looked at the younger girl. Only then did she understand it was her he was addressing. – From this moment and until you leave this base, you are under my command and responsibility. This means you are to be close to me, do whatever I say, do nothing unless I say you may. For any violations you leave the base as soon as possible. Is that all clear?
- Yes sir! – replied Jen, trying to speak like her sister did.
- Then stay, let's see…over here, and watch. Don't step any closer to the launcher units, and under no circumstances be anywhere between them and the gate!
- Yes sir... – the instructions were simple and clear, and the girl stood where she was told to, watching. Now her sister and group captain perform her striker unit check-up, for some reason reporting all their actions aloud. Then Annie completes the check-up, reports no problem, and climbs on the launcher unit again. She is clearly still uncertain what is happening, but the witch engages her striker unit in a routine manner. Light-blue glow flashes and lights the girl's naked thighs, then fades down. Ann shuts her eyes in a visible effort, as her magic intensifies, and cat's ears, sandy-reddish in colour, manifest on her head, along with a wiggling cat's tail behind her. Steady humming was heard from inside the unit nacelles, growing louder.
The group captain was already standing at control panel of launch platform, clicking some buttons and switches, reading the indicators.
Jenny looked around, noticing how several technicians enter the hangar, one by one, through various doors. They looked confused, but intrigued, and kept at a distance, scattered all around. Glancing at the young girl curiously, the guys watched the launch.
A loud coughing sound drew the girl's gaze back to the platform, and everything else around her ceased to exist, - her sister started the engines. With a bit of smoke exhaust, the unit stuttered almost like an automobile, but that stuttering quickly turned into impressive growl. Blades emerged, flashing and rotating, merging into shining disks and a light-blue magical circle expanded beneath the witch.
Jen saw a similar thing before, her sister showed her the shield. But everything else...It overwhelmed all her thoughts and feelings, all girl's attention was aimed at motors growling louder and her sister getting ready for a flight. It was so...She just couldn't drag herself away from this sight, no matter what else happened.
Ann and the group captain exchanged some phrases, sinking in the engine roar. Finally, Ann drew herself up, checking swiftly her pouches, then lifted her machine gun casually, as a wooden toy. Jen could rather read it from her lips, than hear her sister shout out:
- Lieutenant Allison, taking off!
Group captain replied something inaudible, and pressed a large button releasing the striker unit. Jenny lost her breath completely, seeing as her sister bows forward, but falls not, and instead moves to gate smoothly, hovering above floor, as if carried by an invisible force. The witch winked at her sister as she passed by, and the younger girl raised her hand in an awkward salute.
Annie looked away and boosted her engines a bit, heading straight for the open gate. In her mind's eye she could still see Jenny's enormous eyes filled with excitement. Never, ever before, did her younger sister look at her like THIS! Not when Ann, exercising her early magic, amused herself and her sister with simple magic tricks; not even when she skillfully raised her shining magical shield in front of them...For just a moment did their eyes meet, and yet Ann already bathed in such a sea of admiration, that she felt as if wings spread wide behind her shoulders. Wings even stronger than her majestic striker unit.
Jen wasn't sure what to do, as her sister hovered out of the hangar, but at that moment, someone touched her arm.
- Let's go! – Group captain's voice said, and Jen readily moved on. She'd actually run, forgetting all the instructions, if the officer didn't hold her arm, apparently foreseeing her state. Jen did not care about his hand or where he led her, her gaze caught her sister and never let her go. Ann did not spring into the air right outside, as the girl was expecting. The witch was still hovering low, taxiing to the airstrip. Jenny knew aircrafts do so. Thinking of aircrafts, she realized the engine sound she was hearing was somehow different from "Spitfire" engine sound she heard before. She only heard it from a large distance though. Besides, the striker unit has two engines, maybe that is what makes the difference?
The witch turned gracefully, hovering at the end of the airstrip. Her all movements still felt like an improbable, impossible miracle to Jen. A human being hovers in the air, moves wherever she wants, almost dances like a flying ballet dancer! Sure, it's magic what makes it possible, but still...so wonderful!
Taking a small pause, the witch finally ran accelerating. Jen forgot how to breathe, once again, watching closely how the pilot girl runs closer, faster, rushes past her, with a blast of air and mighty roar of engines, speeds away above the airstrip...And then she is carried up into the sky, higher and higher into the deep blue abyss...
- Come on now! – Jen barely hears the group captain's voice; she only drags her gaze from her sister, as she flies away, when the girl herself nearly falls stumbling, not looking where she steps, with her head still turned back. She would surely fall, had the group captain not held her carefully. – Don't fall now, and get moving, we have your sister to catch now.
- What...Catch her?! Oh...
A transport airplane was towering in front of them, a DC-3, as Jenny knew. A technician approached, a bit older than the group captain, holding some kind of notebook in his hands.
- Is she ready for flight yet?
- Yes group captain! No pilot is here though...
- That will be me.
- I see, - the technician looks at the girl, but halts his questions, and looks back to group captain. – Well then...
The adults walk around the craft, inspecting it carefully, checking ailerons, flaps, propellers, landing gears, tail...Same kind of inspection as for the striker unit, albeit longer. Well the aircraft is much bigger, too!
- Do you always do that? – Jenny could not hold that question inside her. Her sister was not seen in the sky anymore, only her engines could be heard in the distance.
- Sure thing! – replied the group captain in a serious tone. The technician just gave her a chuckle and a patronizing look, as if she didn't know anything.
- Any flight is a serious and dangerous event, and the machinery is never ideal. Even when you have everything checked and prepared, emergencies are possible. So you want to prepare and prevent all you can, before anything happens. You'd better remember this if you wish to be a pilot!
Jen nodded silently. She was not quite fond of lectures, even about flights. Maybe such details were really important, but they were not particularly exciting.
- You'd better remember this anyway, really. Good for any job! – further advised the group captain, putting his signature in the notebook.
- Good flight!
- Thank you. Jen, welcome aboard! Ladies first, - group captain smiled, pointing her at the open door at the side of the airplane. For airplanes, they call it a hatch though.
Even though the girl was eager to be with her sister in the sky, she could not help but slow her pace down, walking up the cargo cabin. For the first time in her life she was this close to an airworthy airplane, even inside one! Even the air was different here, full of technical odours. Nowhere else did Jenny breathe an air like this, and she presumed no other place would have that air, really.
- Take the right seat! – prompted the group captain, as Jen entered the pilot's cabin. The girl seated herself in the pilot's seat, too big for her slim self, feeling as it goes up beneath her, so she could look outside with greater comfort. At this time her all attention was drawn to the inside of the cabin though, with all the gauges, switches, levers, buttons and other equipment unfamiliar to her spreading around for her eyes to behold eagerly. The girl who, as she believed till now, was seriously into anything that flies, began to realize, how little did she know, in fact, about aircrafts. She only recognized some of the instruments, and it took her long time to even find them on the instrument panel.
On an impulse, she grabbed her pilot's goggles, which her sister grandly presented her before they were in the hangar, and tried to put them on. The strap was hanging loose, and the girl felt lost for a second.
- Let me help with this… - she felt the man's fingers fiddle with the strap skillfully, fitting the goggles to her head. – There you are…
There was a surname written on the strap with a black marker pen. It appears these goggles were lately a property of one of the Wing's DC-3 pilots. Solo was yet to find out whether this was a gift, or theft.
But right now the group captain just took his seat and started to prepare the plane for flight. The girl watched as his hands performed a swift, smooth cycle of motions resembling a magical ritual. Mechanical clicking of switches and levers, following most of his actions, echoed pleasantly in her ears, making it even more mesmerizing. She startled and felt the plane vibrating as the first engine started off, and then the second one…Deep, trembling roar filled everything around her, and inside her. Jen felt powerful vibrations rolling through her body, it was so much different from just hearing motors roar from a far distance. The girl sit astonished, flooded with new feelings; and the world around her was not going to wait till she settles with it, and threw more and more new impressions onto her. She saw group captain gesturing through his window, heard his voice, faint in the engine roar, then felt the airplane moving forward and shaking even more, as it rolled on the concrete taxiway. Perplexed, Jen was looking at structures, parked airplanes, people working around them, all passing by, as if she was seeing them the first time. Well, she actually was looking at the world for the first time from inside a moving airplane! It was like looking from a moving car, albeit the feeling was much stronger!
The airplane came to a halt at the end of the airstrip. Suddenly the group captain stood up and reached for the girl. It startled Jen for a moment, but the guy only strapped her to her chair. He fastened all the belts as tight as possible, but being designed for adults they did not hold her quite tight. The man sighed and crowned Jen with the pilot's headset, which sank her even deeper into her personal abyss of excitement. There she is, sitting in the airplane ready to take-off, goggles and headset on her, just like a real pilot! Even patting the striker units in that hangar the girl could not imagine something as great as this coming her way!
The group captain strapped himself in his seat. He did not use a headset though. Instead, he was wearing a round box in his ear. A witch's transceiver?! But was it not intended for witches only?!
The girl opened her mouth wide in surprise, but then she heard a crackling hiss in her own earphones, and a voice called:
- ATC, this is Solo. Mike-five, thirty-seven white, on the runway, requesting take-off, over.
Click, a moment of silence, then another click and a new male voice, shaded by a slightly different static noise:
- Solo, Mike-five, thirty-seven white, this is ATC, you are clear to take off, over and out!
The roar of the engines filled with increasing power, the airplane pressed itself to earth slightly, like a runner before a running start. Or a predator preparing for an attack leap. Every moment the girl felt it's reached its limit, the vibrations pierced through the airplane even harder, the roar was growing louder, deafening her. But finally the group captain released the brakes, and the aircraft dashed rolling forward, with its speed increasing frighteningly fast…
Jen realized she was scared. For so many times in her life she dreamt of going up into the sky, and now, at this moment, she was scared. A mighty force was carrying her forth, powerful, uncontrolled by her, and now she didn't think of all those pre-flight preparations and check-ups by meticulous adults as of something stupid and unnecessary. Because, this heavy beast is not going to stop just because someone wants it at this point, and she sits here, pressed hard into her pilot's seat by mighty acceleration rather than by seatbelts, right in the head of the rushing beast! And this nose…aiming down into earth?! Ah, that's the tail rising from ground! Somebody save me!
Yet again today, the girl held her breath as the aircraft's running vibrations halted abruptly, and instead she felt like something lifts her higher up, without stopping. It was like her dad lifting her up, but he could only lift her as high as his arms could reach, while the aircraft was going up non-stop. This was the most exciting feeling she experienced so far! No matter how exciting were the things she faced today already, they all happened over there, back on the ordinary ground, and now it's the sky! She is actually flying!
Jen squeaked with delight, looking out into her window. She looked just in time to see the landing gear moved inside the engine nacelle, - she'd definitely be frightened, feeling how something buzzed and bumped inside the airplane. She watched how the earth smoothly leaned towards her, as the aircraft rolled right, climbing. She felt her fear fading away, leaving her for more pleasant feelings. She ignored voices, occasionally chattering in the earphones. With eager interest, the girl looked at the airfield going down and away from her, fields around it, forest and river, the sea and the distant city …
There! Something moving in the air caught her eye and never let it go, making her forget the rest. It comes closer, she can see a human figure wielding a striker unit! It's a witch, her sister!
- Lieutenant Allison! – hearing her sister's name, Jen pressed her earphones to her head, listening to the radio chatter. – Commence aerobatic exercises! Remember the safety rules, but try to stay in view of the aircraft's starboard.
- Copy that! Commencing exercises! – reported her sister's voice, so familiar, and yet sounding in so special a manner now. And Jen watched her sister move away again, accelerating, and then…
Words fail you, when time freezes, all irrelevant sounds and feelings fade away, as you watch a winged machine dance across the sky, reeling in every direction, rolling and viraging, spinning and zooming up, stopping in the middle of the air, diving into the earth, so distant yet so dangerously vast, pulling up and spinning again…The watching girl breathed "Ah!"s and "Oh!"s out, spinning in her seat, nearly breaking loose from her seatbelts, she would flatten her face with her goggles against her window if she could reach it, she yelled and pointed at her sister grooving through the air, as if she wanted the whole world, every pair of eyes out there to gaze at her sister and feel proud! She actually wanted that, in truth! If only their parents were here, and her friends, her buddies, whole school, and whole town! If only they could see everything she sees! See how Annie, her witch sister, a combat pilot, rushes past the aircraft, zigzagging and spinning around! Thin white stripes would now and then emerge from the tips of her wings and reel out behind her, creating intricate aerial fretworks, dissolving gradually and contrasting with sky and landscape.
Sometimes Jenny could see two other witches, who flew at some distance beneath them. Group captain explained her that these were her sister's wingmates, and they are there as a precaution. He assured the girl that it was nothing more than a standard safety practice. Jen was not too worried with precautions though. Her mind would already tell her that flights are not all about joy and careless fun, as some commoners might think, but the abundance of new, astonishing events and sensations gave the girl no time or desire for thinking too much about such things.
Time might have halted for Jenny, but it was still a reality in the world around her. Ann completed her exercises, and fell smoothly into formation by their starboard, so that her little sister could take a good look at her. The girls glanced and gestured to each other, Jenny even attempted to speak via her micro, but Ann would not hear her. Group captain caught Jenny's questioning eye, but only shook his head.
The airplane rolled, setting its course for landing. The witch escorted them, shadowing their maneuvers, with a bit of delay. She tried her best, but group captain could see that the girl still lacked proper experience in group maneuvering. Jen, on her part, was seeing her sister as some kind of celestial deity, soaring marvelously in the skies.
Again chattered the radio, requesting and clearing their landing. Again mechanisms buzzed and bumped as the landing gear was extended. The mighty roar of engines quieted down, rumbling moderately, the ground was coming closer steadily. Jenny could not choose whether to watch her sister, still flying by the starboard, or look through the front window, where she could see the base and the airstrip, still in a distance. The other two witches were not seen anymore, they followed somewhere behind.
In the end Jen stared forward and gripped the wheel inadvertently, watching the ground leap onto her. She felt the wheel trembling, as the pilot handled the plane with confident skill. Then he quickly flipped two central levers beneath the instrument panel, and the aircraft jolted as its gear touched the airstrip. From this moment, it was like taking off, but reversed, - the plane, shaking heavily, slowed down second by second, engines roared moderately, the girl shook in her seat, not being pressed in it anymore. She couldn't help but squeal in delight, as her sister appeared again in front of the aircraft and a bit higher up. The witch flew ahead of them, flying backwards as she rested her gun on her elbow, and saluted with her right hand.
That was a stunt Ann invented herself; she proposed it for meeting guests at their airbase, especially VIPs. She practiced this stunt herself, with her commanders and other girls watching carefully. The idea did not take flight, eventually, but the girl would play her tricks occasionally, meeting the landing aircrafts with her "special stunt". As long as these were their own aircrafts and their own men aboard them, the commanders shut their eyes to this. And this particular occasion really demanded some fancy show for her little sister, who could still reach no limit to her excitement and delight, no matter how overwhelmed with them already...
Ann rose higher and flew away in the end, as the airplane slowed down enough to taxi its way to the parking place. Jen wiggled impatiently as the plane was taking a proper parking position, as then engines were going down, and as group captain fiddled with the controls again, shutting down plane's systems. Finally he unstrapped himself, released Jenny and moved her towards the exit. Jen stepped down the cabin awkwardly, feeling how stiff and wobbly her own legs are. That too was something new for her.
Even as she stood on the ground, the girl could clearly feel how earth waves and goes up and down beneath her, smoothly. It was impossible, but it was what her body was feeling. The feeling was abating, though. Feeling dizzy, the girl turned her head slowly, looking for her sister in the sky full of engine rumble. The witch was just landing, descending and slowing down smoothly over the airstrip, till magical circle shone under her. Hovering on her magic circle, the witch turned masterfully to the hangar, which group captain and her little sister were approaching.
The officer took the girl's arm again, just in case, while her sister hovered by into the hangar, waving her hand. Annie headed straight for her platform, slowing down in the last moment, grabbed the rails, stopping herself, and shut down the engines. The magical circle disappeared and the unit touched the floor with its landing wheels. The pilot girl pulled herself up the platform deftly, and turned around to pull the striker unit into the parking niche…and there she froze awkwardly, leaning and staring into her little sister's eyes. Jenny stood motionless by the platform, like some kind of worshipper by a pedestal of her deity. Not so unfitting a comparison for that moment, it was.
The awkward silence was broken with the group captain's quiet chuckle.
- All right, Annie, come down to your sister, leave the job for technicians! They had such a long, uhm, "lunch break" today, after all…
Guys in coveralls, trying not to meet the eyes of their superiors, bustled around hastily, fixing the striker unit on the platform, connecting wires and hoses, checking and recording indicator readings, and examining the unit. The young pilot hopped down and immediately received a tight hug from her sister. Ann passed her hand over the little girl's head and shoulders, feeling uneasy with all the busy work around, and hesitating to raise her eyes to the group captain, who stood there waiting patiently…for now. Finally, Jenny moved away from her sister, turned around and bolted upright, saluting to group captain.
- Group captain Solo! – the child's voice rang cracking over the hangar, hushing the hustle and bustle around. – Thank you so very much for everything! I promise to NEVER violate your base again! But…
The girl's voice broke and faded as she felt everyone around looking at her.
- Please, just don't expel Ann…Lieutenant Allison, because of me! She...She flies so great, she would not…
The girl lost herself and cast her eyes down, standing still, locking her hands in embarrassment. The group captain was silent. Technicians hushed, looking away and working on the unit, or on something else. Two other witches, who just returned from their flight, stood confused in the hangar gate. The girls were not looking at anyone, but it was stupid to pretend they were not there at all.
- Come! – commanded the group captain at last, and headed for the gate. He nodded thankfully to the girls there, but said nothing, and turned to the headquarters. Ann and Jenny followed, hesitant to speak, waiting for what the officer had to say next.
If the guards who were on duty at the base checkpoint had seen the little girl before, they did not give it away in any way. Either it was not them who helped Ann get her sister inside, or the guys were brilliant actors. Neither will save them from upcoming trouble, unfortunately…For now, though, group captain just stopped at the checkpoint, turning to the girls.
- Jenny Allison! It was a pleasure to meet you, - he bowed slightly to the confused girl. – Although, the circumstances under which we met today, are not good at all. We shall all do our best to never let that happen again, right?
- Yes, sir… - sighed the girl.
- Lieutenant Allison! I'll have a duty car dispatched for you shortly. Use it to bring your sister home, and get back. And make it quick, you have a lot to do today still.
- Yes, sir!
- As for your guilty act, - as long as some details remain unclear, it's not the time for a disciplinary action. We will return to this matter later.
The group captain used the checkpoint phone to give all the necessary orders, and then went away to attend to other matters, leaving the sisters waiting for the car. Whatever the girls whispered to one another, remained between them…
...
First off, the group captain returned to the hangar, where the technicians were still working on the striker units of other witches, who returned from their safety mission. The group captain had a word with the hangar attendant, then moved slowly along the row of the platforms.
- I just remembered something here. It happened back on the frontline… - he spoke, without looking at anyone, as if addressing everybody at once. – A pilot brought his little brother to show his fighter airplane. He showed the boy around, had him sit in the cockpit, the usual things, you know…
Technicians went gloom and quiet, working. They smelt trouble.
- Well I'll cut it short. Soon there was a combat with neuroi, and that aircraft had its wing crippled into little more than a sieve. The pilot had to land on a field. As he tried to lower the pitch, the lever jammed…
Group captain reached the end of the row, and walked back.
- It was later found, that a small coin fell inside the lever slot. It was found, naturally, because the pilot managed to save himself, and the craft. With that crippled wing and his propeller jammed in a high pitch…Luckily the neuroi got distracted from him. Few get that kind of luck…
Gloomy silence hang in the hangar. Group captain sighed and stopped in the middle, looking into the ceiling.
- That cursed coin fell out of the boy's pocket, apparently, as he climbed out of the cockpit. They could hear some noise, but saw nothing.
Solo looked down at everyone present.
- Many of you have served for a good while by now. And were on the frontline. I'm sure you have your own stories to tell...Anyone wishes to add another story to his collection, something about a crashed witch?
No one answered him.
- Today, an unauthorized visitor was here. For some unfortunate reason, no one was watching as she was hurling all around the platforms and striker units. Now that it so happened, we must run a full re-check on all of them, right now. Sergeant…
- Yes, sir, - saluted the attendant sadly, but agreeably. – That's right. We'll do.
- Report me in the evening.
The attendant saluted again, feeling quite clearly that it was not just about a simple report. It does not take a genius to understand that the unit hangar does not simply go empty in the middle of the working day …
The group captain nodded back and left the hangar, leaving the renewed hustle and bustle behind him. He had some more talking ahead of him, barely pleasant, but necessary.
He visited the commander of infantry company who was in charge of guarding the base. He described, briefly and without details, how an intruder gets inside the base, and what might happen to hardware, personnel, officers, and the company commander personally. Leaving the office the group captain could already anticipate a lot of unexpected events coming for the grunts. It's not up to him personally to seek for negligent guards, but other soldiers will surely find them. The necessary point will be made, one way or another.
He congratulated pilot Dawson with his new goggles. It's a shame he lost his old ones. The cost of personal equipment, if lost for evident negligence, is taken from one's wages as penalty. But the pilot rose to the trouble – his old goggles appeared decommissioned as long as three days ago. Making a mental note of the guy's foresight, the group captain headed to the base commandant.
Commandant Morris appeared to be more than just informed already about the incident, - he seemed, in fact, to know not less than the group captain himself. Solo only filled him up about his actions after the Allison sisters left.
- Thank you sir. But I believe I should take some action on my part as well, because of all this. If you don't mind.
- Of course. I rely on you, commandant.
The group captain liked this smart fellow, aged twenty-five, at first sight, though he never was quite sure about his estimation of people. Solo was not quite an expert in human psychology, unfortunately. He had to compensate that with knowledge, authority, and a good choice of people whom he could rely upon in uncertain situations. So far, the commandant never let him down.
- But, I actually wanted to share some other ideas, - the group captain went to the main reason why he visited the commandant. – This occurrence prompted me an idea to organize a special event on our base…
...
- A tour?! – girls choired in unison.
Group captain smiled, looking at the witches as they sat in their chairs, put in a semicircle in their briefing room.
- That's right. As you all probably know by now, the little sister of our lieutenant Allison visited our base today...
Allison looked down, embarrassed, bombarded with her mates' quick glances. Of course they knew already. News spread fast among girls. But this was the first time the commander announced the incident to everyone openly, so they had to react.
- So… - continued the group captain. – This made me think of some local folks here, who, just like Ann's sister, for some reason have an interest in aviation. Someone dreams to be a pilot. Someone is fond of machines. Someone has a relative in an aviation unit, et cetera. We can announce the event, gather a group of visitors, and give them a tour on a chosen day; just show them around the base, tell them what can be told to civilians, arrange a dinner in our canteen…For those who wish, a DC-3 will be allocated to fly them over the base, the city. Sergeant Dawson here already has dealt with civilian visitors, including children. I'm sure his crew is up to this simple task…
Allison blushed again. Did group captain pick Dawson on purpose? This surely was not a mere coincidence. Oh and what about herself then?! He did promise, as he said, to "return to this matter later"!
- It is an extraordinary event for us here, of course, but I'm sure we have all the necessary resources and people to perform this. The first thing we need is the tour guides for the visitors. I think lieutenant Allison will be one of them…
- Uwaaah?! – Annie sprang up. She has been sitting on pins and needles already, expecting some kind of trouble, but this was something she never expected.
- Ann has some experience doing tours too, - went on group captain as if nothing happened. – And this is not the first time she generates an idea regarding public relations. I think she is a fitting candidate. Squadron leader! Tomorrow I want your considerations regarding the other candidates for tour guides – I expect we will need three of them in total, for the whole event, plus we'll have temporary assistants in places where the visitors will be. Commandant will meet visitors as they enter the base, and he will see them off, too; I will try to be around, whenever possible. Of course, the duty and exercise schedule will need to be re-planned for the date. The exact day is yet to be approved, but it will happen soon enough.
- Sir! – recovered Allison her power of speech at last. – I know I am to be punished, but I'm not sure I will handle the duties of a tour guide!
- Lieutenant, your punishment will be decided upon by the commandant, as the access control violation is under his jurisdiction. And of course, your direct superior will have to approve it. As for the event, won't you like to be a tour guide? Won't you be able to show the people around, answer some questions? You did a good job today. And of course, you won't be alone there.
- Well, sir, it's one thing to guide one person, and a hoard of civilians is another thing entirely… - murmured the girl doubtfully.
- Perhaps, if we search among the whole Wing personnel, there will be more people with fitting skills for this, - said the group captain, looking at his girls attentively. – But, the whole town knows this is a "flying witches" base here, so to say. They'll come to visit the witches, you know. Will it be the right thing to do, to appoint as tour guides some operators, or canteen attendants, or anyone else, but not yourselves?
The girls thought over this, looking at each other. There were no objections anymore.
- Well then! – group captain flapped his hands over the desk and straightened himself up. – The command office will handle the organization. Commandant has some people in mind, they will make an announcement, print the copies, and so on. We'll contact the town authorities, agree on the date and arrange transportation. Our services will be prepared. And, one more thing here. During the event, two pairs will be patrolling the airspace, on a shift basis, and we'll have two more pairs ready to back them up – that includes tour guides. Neuroi have their own plans, and we can't risk the civilians, should any danger come our way.
- Yes sir! – nodded the squadron leader. – But what if we have all the four pairs patrolling in turns? Thus we'll have shorter patrol periods and save our energy.
- Day patrol is much less tedious than a night patrol. Patrolling in shifts makes it even easier. These two pairs will rest on the next day, while the other two pairs will remain completely combat-ready – given they have no need to sortie on the previous day, - explained the group captain. – The plan you proposed has its merits, but in that case all the witches will lose some of their energy, and no one will be fully combat-ready on the next day. Maybe one pair, but one pair in full combat readiness is not enough…And let's not forget about the night patrols. Naturally, the night witches will rest during the event. Lastly, we still need those tour guides on the ground.
- I understand...
Solo nodded, with a sympathetic approval on his face, though a bad taste remained inside him, just like every other time when the young squadron leader showed her inexperience. He'd hate the girl lose faith in herself. He himself wished to fully trust the leader, who would not only lead his girls in flight and combat, but also manage all their matters on the ground. Squadron leader Orlova was an excellent pilot, a skilled fighter, and a trusty combat leader, but she still lacked experience in organizing things, not to mention administrative affairs…But, on the other hand, no one is ideal.
- Excellent, my ladies. Let's do this! That will be all. Dismissed.