World War K (Conclusion: "The Return": An introduction to The Final Stand, and The Authors Note)

[DarkOwl57]

Attention all. This is going to be my chapter for the week. Reason? I'm going to Colorado tomorrow, and I'm not gonna be able to bring my laptop there without giving the TSA a heart attack every 3 seconds. I'll be gone from Thursday to Monday, but I promise, you guys'll get some good cold-hard battle-to-the-death fights in Chapter 5 and beyond. Sound good? Good.

[Just Jim]

Oh, wow... awesome! Great chapter... even if it a very bias opinion... hehehe  

Thank you so much!  And Emiko in a CGI suit??? (so that's how she does the floating thing...) Too funny!

On 7/21/2017 at 3:21 PM, DarkOwl57 said:

hahahahaha. My inspiration was from that State Farm commercial with that girl getting the car with the business guy losing everything on his.

This is one of my favorites as well.. the timing between the two is hilarious! 

[DarkOwl57]

Quick note: Sorry about the writing. I mashed together an excerpt I made plus something I wrote last night, plus what I'm writing now, with vacation planning happening, and my sis watching World of Dance in the background. I hope y'all enjoy!

Chapter 5

The Accident

     When Val drove up, Angelo was leaning on the side of his car, a smug look on his face. "First," He smirked, looking directly at Piper. Before Piper could deck him, Emiko rolled in. "We've arrived!" She smiled, before someone else stepped out of the car. "Don't forget about me!" Chibi exclaimed, running into the restaurant before anyone could react. "I guess that's our cue," Val said, going in.

     The place was astonishingly beautiful, with ornate decorations and tables setting a very warm area. "Wow," Val breathed as the others walked past her and to their table. "Usual, Luke," Piper said to the waiter as they sat down. "And for you?" He asked Val. "Oh gosh.... You guys have a burger?" Val asked. "Like just a cheeseburger. Double cheese please." As if this order made any sense, the waiter went off to the kitchen.

     "So what brings you around here, Val?" Chibi asked as she sipped her soda. "Well I could say the same to you Ms. Murder-Poofer," Val smirked in reply, making Emiko and Chibi laugh. "Oh gods I love the Green Screen," Emiko chuckled. "I love how well the editing came out," Piper added. The Green Screen comment sparked something in Val's head. Tarkin. He'd flip for an autograph. And here he was with the stars of the cast.

     "Hey, I'm wondering.." Val started, before Angelo smirked. "Autograph?" He pulled a marker out of his pocket, while Emiko grabbed a postcard that had Saga of the Emiko Station's title picture and a shot of the entire cast. "Alrighty guys, chip in," Piper said, signing the card with a flourish. Less than a minute later, everyone at the table had signed the card, and Val put it in her pocket. "My friend is gonna freak out," She said.

     The conversation went back and forth, with it going from the show, to how being in a real fighter jet felt like. A few fans came up to the group and took what was called a "selfie," which sounded really weird. The cast seemed cool with it though. Without warning, Piper grabbed Val's phone and held it over the whole group. "Smile!" She said, snapping the picture of the entire group. I've just been selfie'd, Val thought, grabbing her phone back, realizing Piper had posted the "selfie" to social media.

     "Holy moly this thing already has 50 likes!" She exclaimed. While Val was shocked at the amount of likes on the photo (It was well over 500 at this point), the waiter came with the food. Val's burger looked delicious, as did Angelo's steak, Piper's burger, and Emiko's and Chibi's lobster. "Nice Sea-bug," Piper smiled. "This is so good," Angelo said, motioning to the waiter. "Complements to the chef, as always," He said. "Same for me," Piper chewed. "And me. Best homemade taste ever." Val agreed. It was the cheese. The cheese did it.

     The 5 absolutely devoured the dinner, and when it was time for dessert, everyone felt full as could be. "Des-" Val began, before her phone buzzed. Gene had texted. Isn't WK over by now? GET BACK HERE!! "Ugh, Gene needs me. See y'all later?" Automatically, a chorus of no's rose up. "Tell him your wheels got stolen," Angelo suggested, resulting in a swift punch in the arm from Piper. "I'll drive you home," Emiko smiled, and Piper nodded.

     "Drive safe!" Chibi shouted as Val left.

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

     Valentina bobbed her head in time to the radio as she drove down the highway. The drive back from Bahmuto City was a long and boring one, but it was scenic nonetheless. In the daytime that is. At night the warped and old trees looked like monsters in the shadows. The National Kouncil was boring, but hanging out with the Emiko Station crew was fun. Angelo's a riot, Val thought, remembering how he kept on purposely screwing up the takes and making the backstage film crew laugh. He screwed up at least 30 takes, Val remembered. Or was it 31? Surely that take he pulled Val onstage didn't count.... Yeah, it's 31. The song ended, and a talk-show came back on.

     "Welcome back to 'Tell me more,' your favorite game! Caller, what's your guess?" The host asked. "POTATO CHIPS!" Val shouted at the radio. "Is it.. Potato Chips?" The caller asked. "Aw sorry that's not it. Thanks for calling! Caller 2, what's your guess?" There was a moment of hesitation. "Candy?" The second caller asked. "Sorry, it's not candy! Here's the answer: A goat walked into a convenience store and started eating peanuts. Thanks for playing.. Tell Me More! See you you all Tue-" The host said before Val clicked the radio to change the station.

     A goat eating peanuts... Val thought to herself. Now I've heard it all. She started singing along to the song, and thought about the KSC. Triop was most likely bugging Davis about Slavisnia's MIG program, Tarkin and Jim were probably talking about Emiko Station, and Bryson (Along with Paddy, his partner in crime) was definitively planning a prank on all 4 of them, most likely involving a pie.

     The KSC was insane these days, with the recruits turning everything to heck every time Valentina turned her head, and veterans helping them (Or at least some of them. Yeah, I'm looking at you Paddy). The only time they weren't destroying the place and staying in line was when Val threatened them and yelled.

     Valentina wasn't worried though. Gene could handle them. Even if he couldn't, Haydi could shout and rant at them with as much force as Val could. Val chuckled as she remembered the time Jeb spilled coffee on Haydi's shirt. For every square inch of a stain, Jeb had to run a lap around the entirety of the KSC. Or get ranted at for the rest of eternity.

     Jeb. That infuriating smile. His infectious laugh. His insane pilot skills. Snap out of it! Val chastised herself. Just thinking about.. Him felt like a stab in the gut.

     As Val was thinking about this, she saw something dart across the road. "WHOAH!" Val shouted as she yanked the wheel right in avoidance, making the wheels squeal in protest. Was that a platypus?! The wheels of the car spun, and Val desperately twisted the wheel in an attempt to regain control.

     What happened next was a combination of rotten luck, physics, and even rotten-er luck. The highway dropped out a little bit, lifting the wheels off the ground. Due to the cars aero, the car was flung up into the air, somersaulting it nose over tail. Please hit the ground wheels first, Val prayed. No such luck. The car slammed into the ground spoiler-first, followed by the roll-cage and the nose. Then, as if the crash wasn't bad enough, the car began flipping at over 60 meters per second. There was a flurry of white-hot sparks, smoke, molten-hot oil, and a screaming noise that was probably coming from Val. The car landed roof-first again, and then there was only blackness.

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

     Val mumbled as she opened her eyes. There was something dripping out of the rear of the car, and the cockpit was illuminated in orange. She noticed red and blue lights, and her being upside-down. I should probably get out of here, Val thought. Her hands were refusing to unbuckle herself. Hmm.. Val thought, her brain moving at the speed of honey; Slow, and dull.

     Then, a loud metallic ripping noise and a whirring sound began tearing at the right side door. However, before Val could see who her rescuer was, she blacked out again.

...

     When Tedgas Kerman rolled up to the crash site, his first thought was "There's no way the driver's alive". The canopy was crushed beyond recognition, the right side door was mangled, and there was a tiny oil fire in the engine compartment. Still though, he grabbed the Jaws, hoping the body would be recognizable, if not for the family's sake. Car wrecks, especially high-speed crashes, were the worst for the first responders.

     Tedgas ripped open the door, and pulled out the body. When he set her down, he noticed she was a military officer. Crap. Military funerals were never easy. Heck, no funeral was easy, but the military funerals were the worst. As Tedgas was contemplating what could have happened, he noticed the victims chest moving. Once. Twice. Holy mother she's alive.

     "Kathuna! Call Daliana and tell them they're getting a patient! Rodsey! Get a stretcher!" Tedgas barked the orders out, grabbing a first-aid kit. Her face was cut up, she was covered in crud and grime, but she was somehow against all odds alive. Barely, though. Rodsey the Paramedic ran over.

     "I'm getting a pulse.. It's not strong but it's there," He said, carefully haying the victim in the stretcher. "Careful. Judging by the breathing patterns I'm gonna say she's got a broken rib, a busted lung, or both," Tedgas cautioned. "Good catch Captain," Rodsey said. "Dundin, get the neck brace. Jeddas, grab the board. We gotta get her as stable as possible," Rodsey commanded. The two ran over carrying the equipment, panting from the sprint.

     The next 5 minutes was a mixture of tearing Velcro, curses, and sweat. "IS ANYONE GOING TO PUT OUT THE FREAKING ENGINE FIRE?!" Tedgas roared as an ember almost lit the neck brace on fire. Then, the victim's eyes popped open. She immediately turned her head and started coughing, gasping for air.

     "At least we didn't need the neck brace," Dundin muttered. "Who are you?" She asked. "Helpers. Now rest up," Jeddas replied. The victim pondered the answer for a moment. Her face was covered in black grit, and a thin streak of blood trickled down her face. Seemingly satisfied with the answer, she fell back asleep.

     "Nice work Jeddas," Dundin sighed, re-strapping the neck brace. "We good?" Kathuna asked as she walked up to the group. "Hang on," Tedgas replied, grabbing some gauze and medical tape. Making sure her face wasn't too much of a mess when Daliana got to her, Tedgas wiped the oil and grit off her face and patched up the nosebleed.

     "There we go," Tedgas said. "Ready, 1. 2. 3!" Rodsey lifted the stretcher up with the help of Jeddas. They carted her over to the ambulance. "Where are you taking her?" Tedgas asked. "Rolling Hills Medical; They've got a helipad. We'll take her to National City via chopper," Rodsey answered. "See you later!" Tedgas waved as the doors slammed. Please survive...

...

     Val woke up again, and was blinded by bright white lights. "Am I dead?" She muttered. The paramedic inside the rear compartment with her rushed over. "It's okay," She whispered. "You're not dead." Val groaned. "I feel dead," She bluntly admitted. She coughed, and the medic gave her an oxygen mask.

     "Thanks," Val muttered. "What happened?" She muttered, feeling drowsy. "Your car crashed," The medic explained. "And we're going to make you better." Before Val could ask how the car was, however, the medic flipped a switch on the oxygen box, and Val fell asleep.

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     Val finally woke up 3 days after the wreck. She could remember a few moments- being carted into the OR, seeing a couple recognizable kerbals in the room- but her first full moment of consciousness was then. She felt awful. Breathing was difficult at best, there was a really scratchy bandage wrapped around her entire midsection, her face felt raw, there was a stiff board on her back along with a neck brace, and an IV stung her wrist. Crossing her eyes to see her nose, Val noticed there was a bandage. What the heck?

     Haydi was sitting at the foot of the bed (Checking her phone), Meg was wrapped up in a sleeping bag, and Gene was also asleep, hugging Meg. How romantic, Val thought. There were a few more sleeping bags on the floor and in the chairs, so Val guessed there were a few more kerbals camped out in the hospital room.

     "Hey," Val croaked, sounding like someone was pinching her nose shut. However, the noise was loud enough to be heard, startling Haydi. "Val!" She whispered, rushing over to give Valentina a hug. "Ribs, watch the ribs," Val groaned. "Sorry!" Haydi cringed, releasing Val. "Where's everyone else?" Val whispered, trying not to wake Gene and Meg. Before Haydi could answer, though, Paddy burst into the room, holding a bag of fast food.

     "We have arrived!" He shouted triumphantly. Immediately, Meg shot up into a standing position, only to trip on Gene. Then, a loud clang! rang out and Val's bed shook. "Ow," Maxxy groaned, crawling out from under the bed. "Ditto," Meg agreed, getting up. She nudged Gene, who stayed sound asleep.

     "Shall I?" Paddy asked, holding a cup of water. Meg nodded. Paddy tipped the drink 180 degrees straight down, and ice water poured on Gene's face. "SPLURG!" Gene spat the water out. "SERIOUSLY MAN?!?" Gene demanded from a Paddy who was bent-over laughing, clutching his stomach. Then, Tarkin gave her a bag. Val looked inside, and saw barbecue ribs.

     "Poor, poor taste," she frowned, throwing the bag at Tarkin. "Hey Triop ordered!" Tarkin protested. "Give me the bag," Val said, before throwing the ribs at Triop. "Glad to see you're back, Colonel," Tarkin laughed. "Oh, I got something for you," Val said, trying to remember where she put it. "Check the right pocket of my jacket," She said. Triop, who was closest to the coat rack, reached in. "Sweet," He whistled, before throwing the photo like a Frisbee toy to Tarkin.

     "Are you kidding?" Tarkin exclaimed as he saw the photo. It was the title screen of Saga of the Emiko Station, and it was autographed by the entire cast. "This is amazing! When did you get this?" Tarkin held the photo like it was a sacred statue. "I stopped by the s-" Val started before a coughing fit started. "Ow," She muttered after it stopped. "I stopped by the studio after Kouncil."

     "Now," Val said, clawing at her neck brace. "I'm not spending my hospital visit. With my back. Against a board!" She threw the neck brace off the bed and narrowly missed Maxxy. Then she tore off the neck brace and used it as a pillow. "No-" She started before she ripped the nose bandage off, wincing as it tore at some raw skin. "Now, what's up?" She asked.

     "What happened?" Gene asked. Val began explaining what she could remember. "Well, I was driving along, and something ran across the road. I swerved to avoid it, and I don't think I hit it. But, the road dropped out and the aero started flipping me. I remember.. Rolling a couple times.. Then I passed out." Gene nodded like this confirmed his suspicions.

     "How fast were you going?" Thompberry asked. "Uh.. I don't know. I was going about two-thirds on 4 Cylinders. I think there may have been a warning sign that I missed when I avoided the platypus," Val admitted, making Jim choke on his drink. "A what?" He asked. "A platypus. Like in your story." Jim smirked. "There's no such thing as a platypus. We made it up as a joke," Jim explained. "Well it was either a platypus or a ginormous rabbit," Val argued before a doctor came in.

     "How's it going Colonel?" He asked, looking over his clipboard. "Like a dump truck and a bulldozer used me as a punching bag," Val admitted. "Fitting, considering the responders thought you were dead when they pulled you out of the car," The doctor said. "Any pain?"

     "It hurts to breathe," Val replied. "And this bandage itches." The doctor nodded. "Well we'll release you in a couple days," He said as he checked notes. "And.. You'll need to wait about 4 or 5 months for the rib itself to heal- most likely 5.. And then a 3 month rehab process." WHAT?! "8 MONTHS?!" Val screeched. "Or 7," Christina added, not helping the situation at all. "I've got a war to fight!" Val shouted at the doctor. "I can't be lying in bed for 8 months. It won't work!" The doctor sighed. "We're going to try to get you into physical rehab as fast as we can."

     "We've got a rehab unit," Gene said. "We can do it there." Thank you, Gene. "Well okay then. We'll give you the specialist, and you guys supply the facility." The doctor began walking out. "Nice talking to ya." When the door closed, Val muttered "That makes one of us." 8 months away from a plane. How in the world was this supposed to work?

41 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

 

Thank you so much!  And Emiko in a CGI suit??? (so that's how she does the floating thing...) Too funny!

How else are these "Humans" supposed to exist?

[Just Jim]

Oh, wow.....  

I'm out of likes... you have a couple coming as soon as...

[MiffedStarfish]

But, but Val's sweet ride!

Goddamn platyabbits...

[DarkOwl57]

11 minutes ago, MiffedStarfish said:

But, but Val's sweet ride!

Goddamn platyabbits...

Yup. Curse the platyabbits..

[qzgy]

I'm personally surprised kerbals can get injured. Before, I thought kerbals were binary - Poofed, or absolutely fine and dandy.

[MiffedStarfish]

How did she break a rib if she's wearing her indstructible spacespuit that can survive drops from orbit?

[Just Jim]

44 minutes ago, MiffedStarfish said:

How did she break a rib if she's wearing her indstructible spacespuit that can survive drops from orbit?

Ask the platy-rabbit... lol.... 

[qzgy]

1 hour ago, MiffedStarfish said:

How did she break a rib if she's wearing her indstructible spacespuit that can survive drops from orbit?

You know, I bet it was cause she wasn't wearing a helmet

[DualDesertEagle]

I finally found the job that suits me best!!! That is, if u need any more fighter pilots.

 

And I've converted an F-22 to a freakin' VTOL and managed to land it on the astronaut complex's porch, so I'm damn sure I can fly a regular F-22 more than just fine!

 

I would give u a demonstration of my flying skills right there at the KSC, but my laptop is about as powerful as a rotten apple (pun intended) and thus unable to handle both the avionics and the OBS cameras, so a flight of a remotely controlled F-18 in a video game called "real life" is gonna have to do the trick:

 

[qzgy]

Hey, so if anyone (val) is looking for a new sports car, can i interest them in one of these?

The one on the left is a pure no nonsense speed machine. Also hard to control. The one on the right is super stable, and has a very good pilot survivability rate due to the enclosed cockpit.

[DarkOwl57]

On July 27, 2017 at 8:45 AM, MiffedStarfish said:

How did she break a rib if she's wearing her indstructible spacespuit that can survive drops from orbit?

*grabs book of writing stuff* uh.. Injuries injuries...... Ah here it is. Plot.

Also, I'll make sure to get back on the writing trail. Colorado is so pretty this year though so I'm enjoying every bit of this. God I need this vacation XD

[DualDesertEagle]

21 hours ago, DarkOwl57 said:

*grabs book of writing stuff* uh.. Injuries injuries...... Ah here it is. Plot.

Also, I'll make sure to get back on the writing trail. Colorado is so pretty this year though so I'm enjoying every bit of this. God I need this vacation XD

No reaction to my job application?

[DarkOwl57]

Alright, back from good old CO, and now back on the writing. Time to reveal my ADHD million-track mind!

So I was playing Need for Speed and driving the Ford GT, so I thought "Hey! I'm like an American James Bond!" And then I thought about how cool it would be to add into the story, so boom. Valentina's gonna get a James Bond car. #DealWithIt

[MiffedStarfish]

Val's car is more important than the war! Will it have an ejection seat too avoid Platabbit-related injuries?

[DarkOwl57]

6 minutes ago, MiffedStarfish said:

Val's car is more important than the war! Will it have an ejection seat too avoid Platabbit-related injuries?

hahahahaha. Don't worry. Plenty of warring to come. As for the car, it'll have Kitanium. (Basically structural plates with edited .cfg files)

 

[DarkOwl57]

Notice to everyone: I'm working on the screenshots for Chapter 6. I would have been working earlier today, but Football just started up, so I'm gonna be waking up at around 4:45 in the morning, working out until 11:30am-ish, and then throwing my tired-a body at a computer for however many hours I have left in the day. But for now... I.... need.... a...... na-zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[DarkOwl57]

Ah sorry. Life has been.... Hectic. At best. I'm getting almost no sleep, Football is a mess, the weather is deciding that since we're outside for 4 extra hours, it needs to be 100 degrees and sunny, and on top of THAT, my KSP's bugging out. I know I'm gonna sound like a whiny little brat for saying this, but I just want to have time to do what I want!

Anyways, you guys don't want to here about my life. Here it is.. Chapter 6. (Note: No pics again; KSP got waaaaaay too laggy and I didn't have the time to fix it.)

Thanks to @Azimech for making the Lambo Mashup, without which, this chapter probably wouldn't have a main focus point.

(Authors note: I based a lot of the stats off of the 2018 McLaren 720S, but the Azimech creation is the exterior.)

(Authors note #2: If anyone guesses what song Val's singing in the car, tell me and you'll either get a character in the story, or a cookie.)

(Authors note #3: If anyone wants to see a real corkscrew flip with an all-fours landing, go here)

 

Chapter 6

The Lambo

Time: 2 Months, 1 Week later

     Valentina grunted as she landed from what seemed to be the thousandth chin-up. "That felt good," She said as she clapped her hands, heading over to the treadmill. "You really shouldn't be trying thi-" The instructor warned, before Val muttered "Shut up," and started up the machine. The brace scratched a bit when she moved her arms down, but the pain seemed to be abating for the most part. Whether it was her determination, or some stellar genetics, the rib that was supposed to take 4 to 5 months of healing took only 2, and Val had started rehab 5 days before.

     "Heyoo," Jim walked in as Val put on a sweatshirt. "I've got Christina's replacement here." A young kerbal walked in. He was a little bit taller than Christina. Really muscular too. Slender, but not thin. Definitely did athletics in school. "Ben, meet the unofficial queen of the KSC, Valentina Kerman." Jim gave an extravagant wave, like those people on the game shows. (And here before you is your brand new car! *Cue wave*)

     "Hi," Ben gave a polite smile as he shook Val's hand. "Welcome to the KSC! I'm normally in a plane, but gravity got angry with my car," Val joked, before pointing menacingly at Jim. "Call me Valentina again and I'll smack you," She warned. The 3 chatted around, before Gene walked in. He opened his mouth, and his face contorted as if he had just bit into a lemon.

     "Oh gods! Who's the onion?" He exclaimed, pinching his nose. "Gee, thanks," Val muttered. "Ah.. Well that's a problem," Gene said, biting his lip. "What's up?" Gene hesitated, but continued on. "Well, our tech guys have been working on modifying a vehicle. And you're the only one who can test this individual model." A vehicle? Me? With the injury? Oh please let it be a car! A million thoughts raced through Val's head. "Is it a car?" She blurted out first. Gene smiled. "Yes, it's a car. More specifically, it's the 77l LamboX. We've made some.. Minor tweaks." The LamboX was one of, if not the most sought-after cars on the market. It was worth over 1.7 million funds, and even then, only 500 were ever produced before the war.

     "I'll be back in 20 minutes!" Val squealed in delight, before sprinting out so fast, it was almost like a cartoon where you could see the dust cloud pop up. "I think she's excited," Jim laughed.

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     Val walked out of the Astronaut Complex, and saw Gene standing at the crosswalk to the flagpole. "Ah good, you've arrived," Gene smirked. "Ready to begin?" Val rolled her eyes, and, with an exasperated "Duh," walked over. Gene hit a button on a tiny little chip, and Val heard the almost-silent sound of an engine starting up. Before she could ask, the re-designed "X" rolled up in front of them. "It's self-driving?!" Val asked in shock. "Partially. We recommend using the self-driving feature for a maximum of 500 feet. After that it gets a bit.... Interesting," Gene replied. "It's really good if you want to either make a show at a party, or not walk in a parking lot."

     "Anyways. This is the 77l LamboX, recreated by us here at the KSC. On the outside, it's practically the same, except for that front splitter," Gene pointed to the new lip at the grinning mouth of the super-car. "However, the real change is on the inside. Step in," Gene said, walking around to the other side of the car. The doors opened up like a bird raising it's wings, and Val smiled at how quiet it was. Glancing inside, Val saw beautiful, hand-crafted leather seats, a digital dashboard, and a steering wheel similar to a Formula K race car. She sat down, and the seat seemed to cradle her back and sides, and the console had 2 cup-holders, an array of different buttons, and, of course, the infamous seat warmer controls. Above the console was the touchscreen panel, which could show everything from a map to the radio station you were on. The dash was similar, with the speed, fuel, temps, remaining miles, current MPG, direction, and weather reports for the next 45 minutes. Then there was the steering wheel, which was filled with loads of buttons. In about 10 seconds, Val read a dial that changed the suspension modes (Sport, Regular, Sport+, GP, and Track), Windshield Wiper controls, toggles for the dash and touchscreen panel, and an ominous orange button. In other words, it looked really expensive.

     "Wow.." Val breathed, making Gene smile. "6.2 Litres, Turbocharger, almost 650 Kermpower, 8-gear transmission, Paddle-shifters on the wheel, V12, Electric and fuel-driven, Over 60 meters per se- Hey!" Gene rattled off stats, before Val accidentally bumped the radio button. Deciding to make lemonade out of lemons, she began singing along. "You break me down, you made me a b-" She sang along, before Gene muted the radio. "As I was saying. 60 m/s before the test driver backed out out of it." Val was impressed. "Where did they test it?" She asked. "The USK's sand flats," Gene replied. "Wuss," Val scoffed, turning her eyes back to the dash. There's so much stuff! "Let's drive around for a bit. I'd recommend the R&D complex for now; plenty of tight corners to mimic the city," Gene said. Val turned on the headlights, which had a blue tinge to them. "Xenon?" Val asked with a smile, while Gene nodded yes.

     They drove under the bridge, and then went around the really tight left-hander that was almost impossible to hit in a race car. However, in Sport mode, the steering was nice and responsive. As they turned the corner, a drone started shooting at the car with two .50cal turrets. "Whoah!" Val exclaimed, shifting the car down into reverse and got under cover. "Wait... I'm not.." She muttered. "Dead? Don't worry; it's bulletproof glass," Gene explained. "Hit the orange button," He said, pointing to the ominous button under the horn. Val tapped it, and a computerized voice said "System Armed," While the dash showed a 20mm Vulcan Turret. "No. Way."

     Val cautiously drove up, and a bright orange glow of pure evil and destruction shot out of the front, just under the windshield base. The "target" got obliterated, and the system shut down. "Oh my gosh this is amazing!" Val grinned, driving forward. As she was thinking about the pure awesomeness of the car, a flash of yellow lit up the car, and a huge BOOOM!!! sounded, making the car rock on it's suspension. "What in the?!" Val exclaimed, shutting down the engine and getting out. The left side had a hole the size of a watch face in it, but other than that, it was perfectly clean and streamlined.

     "Kitanium," Gene explained. "Stands up to 10,000 degrees and up to 2000 meters per second of impact." What the actual heck?! Over the next hour, Val accidentally shot an interns car, found the call button, launched a rocket, bumped the front nose on a building, and pushed the car so hard on her impromptu race course that she did two spins and a corckscrew flip, landing on all fours. Eventually, they went back to the Astronaut Complex and got out.
     "Wait.. Is this mine?" Val asked. "100%," Gene said. "Here's the key." He tossed her a square chip about the size of her palm. Val did a little happy dance, spinning around. Then, an idea struck her. "I've got a favor to ask..."

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3 Days later

     Piper shivered as she stepped out of the cab, decked out in winter apparel; Scarf, wool-knit sweater, boots, gloves, tiny hat- the works. She held a tiny steaming cup of coffee, which was doing a marvelous job of warming her hands. Winter's definitely here, she thought as she saw a couple flakes of sleet floating down to the ground. Not paying attention, she began walking to the set. Then, she bumped into something very solid. "Ow!" She bounced back in shock, looking at what was occupying her parking space.

     It was a sleek supercar, and it looked more fit for a road course than the actual road. It had a large front splitter, and it's front cover was slanted for extra downforce. What's it doing in my space? Piper ran to the front and saw the note. "Call me. -Val." There was a tiny little chip and an arrow pointing to it with the word "Key" at the base. Piper whipped out her phone and started the call.

. . . . .

     Val was blasting down the highway when the touchscreen alerted her that there was a call coming in. She waited for a few seconds, and then hit the green accept button. "Hel-" She started, but a high-pitched screaming noise filled the car, through the small yet really high-powered speakers. Val waited for what felt like a full minute, and the screaming stopped.

     "I think you like it," she laughed as Piper gasped for air. "Are you kidding?! It's amazing! How'd you get it?" Piper demanded. "Well, long-story-short, I basically badgered Gene into making another one," Val slyly explained. "You shouldn't have!" Piper said. "Well-" Val tried to argue, but Piper interrupted. "No, really. I'm never going to learn all of these buttons!"

     "Oh, don't worry about the big orange button; we got the Machine gun out of there. And I'm 90% sure they took the ejector seat out yesterday," Val said. "Machine.. Gun.... Ejector Seat?" Piper asked in an uncertain tone. "Yeah. Just don't tug the steering wheel too hard."

     "Uh.. Okay. I'll make sure to stay away from that wheel," Piper joked, before hanging up. Val chuckled as she thought about how jealous Angelo would be. As she was thinking about that, Val felt her stomach drop out from under her, and the Anti-Lift system kicked in. Val slammed onto the brake, and the wheels locked up and the car slowly skidded to a stop. She stepped out, and looked around.

     There, on the ground, there was a long trail that looked like someone had dropped a shovel on the ground and gone 200 miles per hour. Then, a few hundred feet after that, there was a spaghetti trail of black tracks, stopping at a dirty brown puddle. The crash site..

     As she remembered the crash, a low rumbling passed overhead. Either an M-13, or a K-1, escorting mission, she thought, before looking up. There, she saw 3 of the old but trusted fighters, escorting a large bomber. These mental games were fun. It was always keeping her on her toes. Then, she heard thunder in the distance. Amazing how much thunder sounds like artillery, Val thought as she got in the car.

     However, halfway across the world, artillery was all they were hearing....

[MiffedStarfish]

...The names Bond, Val Bond...

Val isn't doing the wartime economy any favours, is she? She's cost them 3.5 million dollars on nice cars while refugees are probably running out of supplies and overcrowded. 

(The closest match I found to the song is Imagine Dragons "Believer.")

Edited August 14, 2017 by MiffedStarfish

[DarkOwl57]

4 hours ago, MiffedStarfish said:

...The names Bond, Val Bond...

Haha someone gets it!

4 hours ago, MiffedStarfish said:

 

Val isn't doing the wartime economy any favours, is she? She's cost them 3.5 million dollars on nice cars while refugees are probably running out of supplies and overcrowded. 

Well in behind the scenes deals, I'd like to think that Gene told the government that they were developing a new concept multirole fighter  (Also, when you think about it, how many planes did Gene wreck during Civil War? 2? 3?)

(The closest match I found to the song is Imagine Dragons "Believer.")

Ringa ding ding ding!! Victory to the Starfish clan!

[MiffedStarfish]

4 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

developing a new concept multirole fighter

well, its got freaking machine guns, it probably could function as a MBT at a push...

4 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

Ringa ding ding ding!! Victory to the Starfish clan!

YAY! Do I get a prize?

[KerBlitz Kerman]

On 8/14/2017 at 3:03 AM, MiffedStarfish said:

YAY! Do I get a prize?

Victory and anything else would be bad for your ego.... has anybody built Val her KARMAS??!!

KillerAutomatonReapingMannedAero-Stuff.

It's a thing she can deploy mid flight capable of serving as an escape pod or an tethered support or even can be dropped in mass to annihilate enemy tanks. 

Cues @drew m's hostile AI idea for KARMAS

[MiffedStarfish]

My ego is hungry though...

[DarkOwl57]

Okay, so Chapter 7. Good news: I think it turned out pretty good. Bad? No pics again. Sorry! But listen; School is taking up my time from 7am to 7pm, and I can't stand keeping the chapter in my pages doc without letting y'all see it. So yeah.. Enjoy this 3360-word whopper!

 

Chapter 7

Battle of Kursk

Time: 9:40 (2140 Hours)pm (EEST)

Location: Kursk; Border between Kerthenia and Kruola

 

    The explosion rumbled ominously, knocking loose some dust from the ceiling. “That was closer than before..” Sanson muttered, staring up at the old yellow lightbulb that they were using for illumination. “Yeah.. Sounded about.. 3? 4 miles?” Shepcas asked in reply. “Let’s get back on topic guys,” Dewey said, drawing their attention back to the map.

    “So the enemy is planted here,” Dewey pointed to a tiny red X in the mountains. “Here,” Another X. “And here.” Dewey pointed to the largest X, signifying a massive group. “So reinforcements are expected to be here tomorrow, but at the rate the enemy’s shelling us…” He trailed off as an explosion ominously finished the point for him with a dull rumble.

    “We can take ‘em boss,” Vanessa chewed her gum with a rifle strapped to her back. “Just tell us where to go.” Dewey shook his head. “That’s the problem. We have no idea where any of the enemies are. I know you guys are the best in the business, but a .50 cal ain’t gonna do squat against a tank.” Vanessa glumly nodded and stared at the map. “Why don’t we call in air support?” Sanson suggested. “We could ask for a Predator Drone to wipe out some of the enemy vehicles and learn where everyone is.” Dewey sighed. “Though I do know a WW pilot, I asked for recon almost a week ago from one of the closer Air Force groups. However, their bosses figuratively shot it down. I could ask Val if she could send someone or something over..”

    “Val? As in Valentina Kerman? The fighter ace?” Vanessa asked. “Yeah. We went to school together back in the dark ages,” Dewey chuckled. Even though he acted and almost looked younger than most of his subordinates, he was old enough to be some of their parents. “Aw come on man; you’re making me feel old!” Shepcas protested with a playful shove. It was true though. Sanson and Vanessa were only in their mid-20’s; just out of the academy. Then, there were the two oldies; Dewey and Shepcas. One plus side of being on the older side was that the youngish solders eyes lit up when he told stories of the First Great War.

    “So to recap, we are gonna call in air support?” Sanson asked. “I guess so,” Dewey sighed, staring at the map again. “Everyone, brief your troops, good luck, and get to sleep as early as possible; we’ve got a big day tomorrow. Meet back here at 0600 Hours tomorrow morning for a pre-battle briefing.” The 2 left, but Shepcas stayed behind.

    “We’re gonna get slaughtered; aren’t we?” He asked Dewey. “Don’t speak like that!” Dewey said in an uncertain tone. “I didn’t ask for a lecture; I asked how badly this is going to go.” Shepcas coughed. “You okay?” Dewey attempted to change the subject. “Answer the question,” Shepcas again coughed, grabbing a glass of water from the table. Dewey sighed, a sad expression on his face.

    “In all honesty.. There’s a really good chance we’re not going to win this thing,” Dewey sighed. “We’ve fought odds like this before! Remember that one football game? It was us against the Yellowjackets. W-“ Shepcas tried to encourage Dewey, before he sourly replied “We had to forfeit when Bello got food poisoning and Sansey broke his arm.”

    “Ah. Yeah that’s right.. Not the best example.” Dewey threw the pencil in rage, and sat down. “We’re screwed!” Dewey shouted, not caring who heard him. Just then, the tiny phone started ringing. “Could you get that please?” Dewey asked in a groan. “Having a slight panic attack.” Shepcas patted him on the back and walked over. “3rd Army HQ; Colonel Shepcas Kerman speaking,” He said, tapping his feet on the wood floor. “Uh huh. Mmhm. Alrighty. I’ll tell him.” Shepcas covered the receiver and said “It’s for you Major Panic.” Dewey groaned and went over to the phone, holding back a monster headache.

    “Unless you’re a doctor about to prescribe painkillers, there had better be a damn good-“ Dewey growled, before he cut himself off. “Oh, General! Sorry sir; we’re kinda in a pickle he-. WHAT?! Now?! Well what do you want me to do? But sir! We ca-… I ca-.. But-… Fine; What do we do? Sir, we’re pinned down in Kursk, which, in case you didn’t know, is- We’re outnumbered! Well I’d know that if we could get an aerial survey. Yes sir. Thank you sir. Good night.” Dewey gently sat the phone down, before roaring “DAMNIT!!!!!” And throwing the phone as hard as he could.

    “Pleasant conversation I presume?” Shepcas asked, picking up the half-ruined device. “Not. Even. Close,” Dewey muttered, grabbing some headache medicine from his bag. “Turns out, HQ forgot to tell us that the reinforcements got held up, and won’t make it.” Shepcas’s mouth opened in surprise. “So what’re we supposed to do?” He asked. “We keep to the plan. Attack by tomorrow at the latest.”

    “This is a deathtrap,” Shepcas replied, dejection and resignation on his face. “Get a good nights sleep.. It’ll probably be our last.”

 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Time: 10:00 (2200 Hours)pm

Location: KSC

 

    Val had just pulled in when a corporal ran up. “Phone call for you, Colonel!” He panted. “Who from?” Val asked as she grabbed her coat from the car. The first hints of winter were already setting in, and tiny flurries of sleet were stinging her face and being generally annoying. “Colonel Dewey Kerman; 3rd Army.” Dew? What’s he needing? Val thought, walking into the Admin building. She saw the phone on the reception desk, and grabbed it. “Val here,” She said. “Val. Hi. Listen, I’ve got a favor to ask,” Dewey said in a slightly rushed and panicked tone.

    “Straight to the point. What’s up?” Val asked, leaning against the wall. Dewey spent about 5 minutes describing the problem, and was out of breath as he finished. “So you need an aerial scouting run?" Val asked. “No; we’ve got that covered. We just need a bombing run sent in.”

    “Sounds easy enough. Let me get in touch with some old generals; I’m sure they owe me a favor or two for something,” Val said. “Thanks. I’ll pay you back; I promise,” Dewey said, before handing up. I’ve been hearing that a lot recently, Val thought as she began dialing up the number.

 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Time: 6:00am (0600 Hours), The next day

Location: Kursk

 

    “Morning,” Vanessa yawned, holding a cup of coffee from the local café. They were in the same room, and only one thing had changed since the previous night. The map, which had had only a few circles, was now covered in dots, lines, marks, and info. “Someone’s been busy,” Shepcas said. “We got the survey info about 3 hours ago; I’ve been planning since then,” Dewey explained, studying the map with a red marker in hand. “Alright, so let’s get started. Everyone, come on in.” The group of 4 circled the table.

    “So first off, Sanson,” Dewey started. “You’re leading the artillery, correct?” Sanson nodded. “Unless I got transferred last night.” He gave a nervous chuckle. “Good. You guys will create a perimeter of Kursk. Place guns every half kilometer, and have each gun be at least 2.5km away from the nearest neighborhood.  You guys are gonna be the wall against any forces that try to advance. And hit any targets you can; no matter what. I expect that those Kerthenian artillery guns are going to put up one hell of a fight.” Sanson nodded. “Time to blow crap up,” He smiled, rubbing his hands together. “Clash of the Titans,” Vanessa muttered. The old EE’s artillery guns were world-renowned and feared by everyone. The only other nations that could even come close to challenging the East’s weapons were the NSK and the USK.

    “Vanessa. Snipers need to camp out on the mountains right here.” Dewey pointed at the map, where a red circle was. “There you can get the best view with minimal enemy line of sight.” Vanessa nodded. “And what about the regular infantry?” She asked. “We’re going to split up the infantry into 3 groups. Group 1 will half-flank from the north, and hold station. Group 2 is going to be the main force, which is going to basically stand there and draw the enemy infantry out. Group 3 is going to preform a full flank from the north, and they’ll push the enemies out of their position. As soon as you give the command, all 3 groups are going to light em up.” Vanessa grinned an evil smile, similar to someone who had a perfect plan to get away with robbing a bank. “Perfect.” She said, also rubbing her hands.

    “And Shepcas. You’ll be with me in the tanks,” Dewey said. “Battle plan?” Shepcas asked, studying a long straight line heading West. “Our group is going to make a direct charge, but we’ll have another group split off and flank them around the South. It’ll be hard for a single-barreled tank gun to shoot two targets.” Shepcas nodded. “Everyone, take these maps. I’ve made these master copies, and the digital copies for the separate divisions. Second-in-commands get the master copies as well. Everyone below gets maps limited to their separate task.” Dewey handed out the folded-up pieces of paper. “So for example, I give Jonny a master copy, but everyone below gets just the infantry map?” Vanessa asked, studying the map. “In theory, yes,” Dewey asked.

    “Any other news?” Sanson asked, putting the map in his shirt pocket. “I called in air support from the 56th Air Corps last night. I timed this out so that they’d start a bombing run the second we start our advance. Hopefully everything’s going to go to plan.” The room was silent, as everyone looked around. There was a tense atmosphere, and the adrenaline was starting to ramp up. “If there are no more questions, let’s rock and roll!”

 

…

 

    “Are the Cruise Missiles armed?” The captain asked, staring over the operators shoulder. “So far, so good sir,” The operator replied, printing off a sheet. “And if we were to launch now, when would the missiles hit their target?” The captain asked, grabbing the sheet as it printed. “In about 2 minutes.”

    “Exact time?” The captain demanded. “Anywhere from 1 minute, 45 seconds at the closest to 2 minutes, 5 seconds at the farthest target,” The operator said, checking the stats. “Good. Make sure they’re armed, and prepare to fire on my command.” The captain left the computer room, and the orderly began reading the sheet, making sure everything was good.

 

**Official Transcript**

 

Ship: USS Tigershark

Time: 0613

Location: Bay of the East

 

Subject: Weapons Guidance

 

Slot 1

Status: Full

Weapon: CR-15 Cruise Missile

Weapon Status: Armed

Engine: Warmed (500º and rising).

Guidance: Primed

Target: Selected

Target Location: 10.213km Northwest of Kursk

ETA to Target: 1m, 56.3s (116.3s)

 

Slot 2

Status: Full

Weapon: CR-15 Cruise Missile

Weapon Status: Armed

Engine: Warmed (501º and rising).

Guidance: Primed

Target: Selected

Target Location: 11.525km Northwest of Kursk

ETA to Target: 2m, 3.6s (123.6s)

 

Slot 3

Status: Full

Weapon: CR-15 Cruise Missile

Weapon Status: Armed

Engine: Warmed (510º and rising).

Guidance: Primed

Target: Selected

Target Location: 9.785km Northwest of Kursk

ETA to Target: 1m, 46.7s (106.7s)

 

Slot 4

Status: Full

Weapon: CR-15 Cruise Missile

Weapon Status: Armed

Engine: Warmed (520º and rising).

Guidance: Primed

Target: Selected

Target Location: 12.011km Northwest of Kursk

ETA to Target: 2m, 4.9s (124.9s)

 

Slot 5

Status: Full

Weapon: CR-15 Cruise Missile

Weapon Status: Armed

Engine: Warmed (550º and rising).

Guidance: Primed

Target: Selected

Target Location: 10.510km Northwest of Kursk

ETA to Target: 1m, 56.5s (116.5s)

 

***END OF TRANSCRIPT***

…

    “Alright guys and gals, you’ve got your marching orders. You’re the UK’s best, and you’re all here for one reason: To unleash a good old can of whoop-S. And these guys? They’re pushovers! Now, let’s show these guys how we do!” Vanessa stuck her arm up, and the sniper battalion raised their guns. “1,2,3!” Vanessa shouted, and the snipers replied “BERETS!” And got in their jeeps to get into position. Over about 5 feet away, the massive group of infantry was in a football-style huddle.

    “Who are we?” Jonny asked from the center of the huddle. “INFANTRY!”

    “Who are we?”

    “INFANTRY!”

    “WHO ARE WE?!”

    “INFANTRY!!!!!”

    “ALRIGHT! LET’S SHOW THESE PUSHOVERS WHAT WE ARE!” The infantry cheered loudly, and ran off to fight. Jonny walked over to Vanessa. “I think I did pretty good,” He chuckled. “Especially for someone who has never been in a huddle before.” Vanessa stared at him. “Never? Not once?” She asked.

    “Nope. I hated even the idea of being in a mass of sweaty, smelly high-schoolers with minimal clothing,” Jonny replied, staring at the mountains as if he could see the enemy tanks. “I agree with you there. You ready for this?” Vanessa asked, holding up the butt of her rifle. “’Til the end of time,” Jonny said, clicking his rifle to Vanessa’s; similar to two people toasting the other. “Let’s do this thing!”

 

…

 

    “How big do you think this is going to be?” Shepcas asked as they rode out to their tank units. “Ah, probably just us. Heck; I’m not even sure if the air support’s coming,” Dewey admitted, looking up at the sky. “Ah I don’t know about that..” Shepcas answered with a smile, also looking up. “I think that this is gonna be a big ‘un. And I think we’re gonna win this thing.”

 

…

 

    “Alright guys, let’s do this!” Betrid smiled as they spooled the engines up on the runway. “I finally get to shoot some punks!” One of the other pilots said, making everyone laugh. “Here comes the Air Corps!” Danny laughed as they took off. Straight towards the largest battle on the continent.

 

…

 

    “We’re in position, boss,” Vanessa whispered into the mic. “Copy. Sanson?” Dewey asked. “We couldn’t be dug in harder if we were nailed to the ground,” Sanson replied. “Alright. On my mark. Ready… CHARGE!!!”

    And that’s when everything really hit the fan.

 

…

 

    As soon as Dewey gave the advance command, a swarm of 5 cruise missiles shot overhead, a mere few feet above the tanks. They blazed past the advancing army, and slammed into the mountainside. Even from almost 4 km away, the drivers could see the shockwaves from the explosions. But then, the mountain face crumbled, avalanching and swallowing up at least 6 or 7 tanks, 10 Jeeps, and a tent.

    “That was close!” Dewey shouted as they continued driving forward towards the remaining vehicles. “You’re welcome,” Jackson Kerman said from the USS Tiger Shark, a Great White class Battleship. 

    Over about 4 km away, Vanessa was picking off targets with her rifle. “We could use some help he-“ She said into the radio, before a ground-shaking explosion took out an entire cluster of baddies. “That works!” She exclaimed, before heading back to sniping. Immediately, the theme of the Air Corps was being sung at max volume on the radio. Vanessa looked up, and saw over 50 planes of all shapes and sizes; Bombers, Fighters, Attackers- Single engine, bi-engine- Mk. 1, Mk. 2, Mk. 3.

    However, they weren’t alone. Coming from the West, there were almost 45 planes heading to engage the United Coalition planes. Vanessa, taking a pot-shot, aimed at an enemy bomber. She pulled the trigger, and the engine exploded into flame as the plane fell to the ground. “Haha!!” She laughed, before turning her sights back down to the surface, picking off enemy after enemy after enemy. Then, Vanessa felt a searing, tearing pain in her shoulder, before blacking out.

 

…

 

    “Watch that-“ Dewey shouted, before a loud explosion shook the tank. “Direct?” Shepcas asked. “I don’t think. If it was direct, we’d probably be seeing daylight by now,” Dewey answered. Their tank had already taken one direct hit from artillery; no telling how much she had left in her now.

    “Well good. That really felt like-“ Shepcas began, before an artillery blast knocked a hole the size of a kerbal in the wall. “Oh no.” Then, time seemed to slow down. Dewey saw the red-hot shell coming. It passed straight through the hole. It drove itself directly into the gun mount. The ammo exploded, ripping the tank in half. Dewey was slammed against the front half of the command section, and felt a spinning, slamming motion as the tub he was in flipped wildly out of control.

    When it finally stopped, Dewey fell to the ground face-first into the grass and mud. Then, he saw the rear half of the destroyed tank. Sherm. He got up as fast as he could, but fell back as his leg gave out. With only one objective in mind, Dewey got up, and limped over to the tank.

    “Sherm!” He yelled as loud as he could before inhaling a cloud of smoke and going into a coughing fit. He yanked off a large panel, and saw his friend- an I-beam laying across his chest. Then, he felt something wet and sticky flowing down his face. I must have a cut, Dewey thought, before he passed out.

 

…

 

    “Yeahoo!!!” Jack N. Kerman shouted in glee as an enemy F-19 bit the dust. And then ate grass. And mud. And assorted bits and pieces as the plane slammed into the ground. “Nice one Newkirk!” Robby shouted. “God this -16 is amazing!” Jack laughed, pulling a sharp 6-G turn to loop onto another fighter.

    “On your tail!” Jan shouted from behind him, and Jack saw a couple bullets spray over his cockpit. Then, a huge explosion rattled the cockpit. Before Jack could react, the plane he was chasing dove down in an attempt to strafe friendly tanks. “NO YA DON’T!” Jack shouted, and he went inverted to dive down and chase it in a vertical pursuit.

    He popped off a couple of quick bursts, and ripped off a horizontal stabilizer. Without this added lift, the enemy plane slammed into the ground; nose-first. Jack lifted up, and just narrowly missed eating grass. “YEEAHAHAHA!! THAT WAS AMAZING!!” He exclaimed, pulling up and going after the next one.

 

…

 

    “Let’s light ‘em up!” Kinch shouted, inverting the G-87 and diving to the ground; an action replicated by the other members of the 85th Air Wing Red Eagles. The -87’s all pulled out of the dive about 50 meters above the surface, and armed the Mk-82’s. “On my mark.. 3.. 2.. 1.. NOW!” The bombs all released at the same time, and thoroughly decimated an artillery gun.  “Nice one! Now let’s get-“ Kinch started, before a hail of bullets began raining down on top of them. “THEY’RE BEHIND!!” He shouted, before his plane exploded into bits on the biggest battlefield in the history of Kerbin.

 

…

 

    “How come we always hear about these things when it’s too late?” Paddy asked from the lounge. “We did not learn about it ‘too late’,” Val replied, much to the protests from the other pilots. “I just didn’t want to send you guys into battle without being prepared!” This created a predictable uproar.

    “Not prepared?!”

    “You’re joking!”

    “We’ve been training for months!”

    “It’s not like we can’t fly..”

    “COOL IT!!” Val shouted, silencing the group. “Now. The reasons I didn’t want to send us over there. One; Our training is nowhere near what it should be for an across-the-world battle. I know you have been working as hard as possible, but it’s not good enough. Two; You’d be flying halfway across the world, and if we are going to do that then you’re going to need to be at the top of your game at all times. And Three… I don’t want to miss a good fight.” The pilots groaned. “Besides! It didn’t sound that big; A minor skirmish at best. I’m sure they can handle themselves just fine.”