A Simple Mission

"Why inviting me here all of sudden?", Lily was standing under a big oak at the shore of a small river on the edge of their current base.

"I love you Lily, please go out with me!", Alexis dropped on one knee, took her hand and looked her in the eyes.

"Why all of sudden? Are you joking?.."

"I am totally serious".

"You know!.. This came out of nowhere! I though you abandoned the idea… Urgh, let me think about it…", she was really confused by a sudden confession.

"Of course, I will ask you again after the next mission", he stood up and left.

"You!..", she wanted to finish the phrase, but stopped herself and just watched him leave.

Today Alexis was flying a mission with comrade Hunch. He would normally take Lily, but he had a bad feeling due to the recent hunts for allied aces. And so he decided to take someone else. Why he asked Lily out? He though with all of the bloody fighting he may not get another chance. If she turns him down, he will try again before the next mission.

He went to the commanders office to check the details.

"It is a simple reconnaissance mission. You will need to check for enemy artillery around the small village of Paul’s Lot. Our forces will be attacking in that area and we need to know how defended it is", Alex showed him a map and marked the location with a pin. "Two fighters should be enough for the mission, we do not want to draw to much attention. This area is not heavily defended as it is of low strategic value, but high command wants to use it as a position for the new long-ranged artillery. So we do not want to alert the enemy for them to send extra forces there".

"So we just need to evaluate the defences and get back?"

"Yes. If you are attacked by any significant force, do not try to fight and just get back".

"Roger that!", Gruel took the map and when asked. "Any info on an enemy ace?"

"Not much, unfortunately. He does not seem to be someone sent from the Far Eastern front. Seems like he was fighting in the South till recently, but got transferred here. We could not get any other details, but our spy said this guy seems to be a big deal with fifteen to twenty three individual kills, though there are rumours he got into a beef with his command. Though, these are just second-hand rumours, they may be exaggerated.

"At least it is something. Thank you, Boss, I will go prepare for a mission".

Yesterday Alexis also got some schemes from the researcher and spent all evening analysing them. It was hard to crawl through all of the scientific lingo on the paper, but he got a general idea of how it may work and what are the drawbacks. He was still unsure if it will help fighting the enemy ace, but he had a chance at least.

Gruel decided to train a bit first and went to a shooting range. When he practiced his teleportation skill in the hangar. It was still far from perfect, but his timing improved bit by bit.

He still had about an hour before the departure so he decided to check his plane. Hunch was still not here and the hangar overall was pretty empty. Only a couple of mechanics were repairing an aircraft in the corner.

When looked in the cockpit, he saw a paper package on the pilots sit. When he opened it, he saw a white scarf made from parachute fabric with some simple green flower embroidery in the corner. There was also a short note inside: «Consider it a late birthday present and good luck charm. Lily».

"I am not the only one who can surprise here, it seems", he mumbled under the nose and wore the scarf.

They arrived to Paul’s Lot without trouble. The village was pretty small, but had an enemy base.

"Not much in terms of artillery here. I see a couple plus four tanks and one mobile air defence. The next base is distant enough to send the reinforcements on time if we attack here", Hunch looked over the base and reported.

"Yes, but the territory nearby is a pretty open field, it is advantageous both for us and the enemy. Should we fly a bit further?"

"Wing-leader, two enemy fighters on the horizon. They have not spotted us yet".

"This is not good. But if there are just two of them, we can fight".

"Roger that! Your plan?"

"I will draw their attention, you hide in the clouds for now. I will lure enemies here".

"Yes, sir!", Hunch went up in the clouds, while Alexis launched in the direction of the enemies.

They hesitated at first after seeing his plane, but decided that two on one is fair enough and attacked him. He rapidly turned and went in the opposite direction. The pursuers followed. Just when they dived into the cloud, he gave a signal to Hunch and a barrage of earth needles went into their direction. One fighter got his right wing damaged, another one abruptly scattered to the left. Alexis made a loop and tried to attack them from behind.

"Support me again from the top while they are confused. Attack in thirty seconds".

"Yes sir!"

Alexis shortened the distance and started preparing a fire spell.

"Now!"

"Yes!.. Damn, I got attacked from behind! The tank is damaged!", it was Hunch's voice in the radio.

Alexis managed to damage the second fighter and the enemies fled, but when familiar craft with three stars dived from clouds following damaged Hunks machine.

"Damn! Get back to the base, you cannot continue the fight in this state. I will take care of him!"

Alexis launched a barrage of fireballs at the enemy craft. It dodged all of them and switched his attention to Gruel.

«We’ll see how good you are», Alexis started looping in the air trying to get to the best position to shoot the opponent. But that ace kept up with him.

They attacked each other again and again, but both sides only sustained minor damage. On just another loop Gruel felt the enemy preparing another incarnation, his aura fluctuation was a bit stronger this time. «Trying to daze me, huh? Lets see if I can counter it.»

Alexis tried to defend himself from spells at the same time avoiding the enemy fire. «Damn, I cannot keep up with his multicast!», he dodged a new round while preparing a block, but was barely on time. And mental punch arrived. «Damn, in this case…»,  Alexis removed his scarf and dropped it on the sit, as he was sweating, and hastly made an incarnation…

"Inna, have our guys returned?!", concerned Lily ran into the hangar.

"Hunch just landed, he has his tank shot".

"And Lex? What about Lex?!"

"Still in the sky".

Crushed «Jac-11s» was found a few days later, when allies took Paul’s Lot. No remains of the pilot inside, only a burned scarf and broken magical pistol. Investigation decided that the body got obliterated due to a magical explosion. Captain Gruel was announced KIA.