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“He’s having a long； hard think； Marquall。 What did you need？”
“A guy’s just turned up in the hangar。 Says he knows you。”
“Hello； Jagdea；” said Viltry。
“The Emperor protects！ Viltry？”
She hurried to him and shook his hand。 He looked like hell。 Unshaven； his clothes dirty and torn；
and he’d lost a lot of weight。
“Viltry； it was posted that you were dead；” she said。
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“So they keep telling me。 The Munitorum refuses to believe I exist。”
“But your machine did go down？”
“Yeah。”
“Your crew？”
Viltry shook his head。
“I’m sorry。”
“By the time I got back to Theda； everyone was leaving。 I jumped on a barge； wound up here。”
“Where’s the rest of Halo Flight？”
Viltry shrugged。 “Don’t know。 I was talking to a Navy crewman down in the food line； and he
said he thought a Phantine outfit was stationed here； so I came to see for myself。 I can’t pretend I’m
not disappointed you’re not Halo； but it’s good to see a face from home。”
“What are you going to do？” asked Jagdea。
“I don’t know； exactly；” he confessed。 “Even if I do find out where in this theatre Halo’s been
posted； I don’t stand much chance of rejoining them。 Until the Munitorum acknowledges my
existence； I’m not eligible for transit back to my outfit。 I’m… stuck。”
“Not necessarily；” said Jagdea。 “Do you want to fly？”
“Well； yes。 If I can。”
“You’re fit。 You’ve done tours on Thunderbolts too； right？”
“Yes。 Bree； what do you have in mind？”
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DAY 268
Lucerna AB； 07。30
A clear day over the desert。 Fine； bright； light conditions。 Slight crosswind。 He opened the throttle
and the big； brutal Imperial plane climbed effortlessly。
Ironic； Kaminsky thought。 Conditions had been just like this that day he’d—
The last time he’d flown。
“Make your track four…one…six；” the vox said。
“Copy that； Lead；” Kaminsky replied。
“And keep an eye on your auspex。 The dial top right of the screen…plate adjusts gain if you need
better resolution on a merged return。”
“Got that； thank you。”
Kaminsky pushed the stick over gently； depressing the rudder bar。 Good response。 The
Thunderbolt was everything he’d imagined it would be。
“Contacts！ Ten o’clock！” the vox suddenly chimed。
Kaminsky glanced round； saw the flash on the auspex。 Nothing in visual… No； there it was。 A
glint of sunlight off metal； hard and high up。
He started to climb again。 The bat came down sharply； screwing out of its dive。 He thought he’d
paced the intercept well； but the hostile had gone under him。
“Break！ Break； or he’ll have you！”
“Trying！” Kaminsky responded。 He made a violent left…hand roll。 It was right on his tail now。
How the hell had it managed that？
“Break！ Break！”
Tone warning。 He was locked hard。 “Holy Throne！” he cursed； and tried one last twist。 The bat
began to fire。 Kaminsky’s Thunderbolt exploded。 The stick went dead。 So did the sky。 Blansher slid
back the hood。 “Bad luck；” he said。
“I was stupid；” Kaminsky said。 “It was a basic mistake。”
“You’re still getting used to the bird。 Thinking too much about the controls and how they
operate。 It’s natural。 Once the mechanics become so familiar you don’t have to think about them；
your mind will be freed up。”
Kaminsky nodded。
“Besides；” said Blansher。 “I know you don’t have much experience of vector…thrust aircraft。
Vectoring gives us all sorts of tricks we can play in the air。 The bat got you just then because it
viffed out under you。 And if you’d done the same； you’d probably have evaded。”
“I know；” said Kaminsky。 “But it’s difficult not to think in terms of forward motion。
Sidestepping； stopping… that sort of thing doesn’t seem natural。”
“It needn’t be that dramatic。 Just a little touch will put a slight non…ballistic behaviour into your
performance。”
Blansher glanced at his chronometer。
“You’ve been in the simulator rig for two hours。 We can take a break if you like。 Get some
breakfast into you。”
“How many times have I died in those two hours？” Kaminsky asked。
“Six；” Blansher grinned。
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“Let’s try it again。”
Lucerna AB； 07。43
“Commander？ Commander Eads？”
Jagdea ran to catch up with the man。 They were crossing a busy gantry walkway deep in the
heart of the base。 Tannoy announcements kept booming out； and personnel jostled and hurried past。
“Commander Eads？” Jagdea said。
The man turned； his head cocked。 “Who’s calling my name？”
She’d been told he was blind。 Look for the blind officer； several people had said。 “My apologies；
sir。 I’m Commander Jagdea； Phantine XX。”
“Are you indeed？ And why were you after me？”
“I was hoping to talk to you； sir。 Get some advice。”
“About what？”
“Pilots。 I’m looking for pilots to replace losses in my flight。”
“Then surely you should be talking to Navy reserve；” he said。
“I started there。 Navy reserve has no one airworthy。 The handful of able pilots who have come in
with the evac have already been assigned to Navy flights。 So I asked the Munitorum for lists of
airworthy Commonwealth pilots here on Lucerna。”
Eads chuckled。 “You can’t do that。 Navy doesn’t take pilots from the PDF。”
“Because the Navy believes it is an elite service and chooses to draw only on its own。 I know。
That’s what the Munitorum officer told me；” Jagdea said。 “The thing is； the Phantine XX isn’t Navy。
It’s Imperial Guard。 An aberration； but one that permits me the scope to recruit from the PDF if I
choose。”
Eads shook his head； amused。 “The Navy won’t like that。”
“The Navy can lump it。 The precedent is already well established； thanks to a priest who—Look
I won’t bore you with the story。 The point is； I have the list of Commonwealth fliers。” Jagdea patted
a fat folder under her arm。 “I was told you were the man to ask about recommendations。”
“Can we walk and talk？” Eads asked。 “I’m due on shift at Operations at eight。”
“Of course。”
They moved away off the gantry and along an equally busy rock…cut corridor。 Jagdea noticed
how even the most hurried…looking personnel they met respectfully stood aside to let Eads pass。
“You know the men。 You had command at Theda North。”
“Before the Navy arrived。 I’m afraid I can’t read your lists。 I left my code…reader behind in the
haste to evacuate。 I’m lost without it。”
“I could read out the list to you； sir。”
“As I said； my shift starts at eight。 Maybe later； commander。”
“With respect； sir； time is very short。 Is there no one you can think of？”
The main hatch into Lucerna Operations lay ahead of them。
“Well； there is one。 Good pilot。 I know he’s here because he came in with me。 And I know for a
fact he’s done simulation time orienting on your machines。”
“That’s a good start。”
“His name’s Scalter。 Frans Scalter。 I recommend him highly。 He works Operations too； but he’s
not on this shift。 Someone can track him down for you。”
“Thank you； sir。 Can I come and find you later？ Run through the lists？”
“Of course。”
They’d reached the doorway。 Jagdea could hear the frantic chatter of the busy Operations floor
beyond the hatch。 Juniors ran in and out with data…slates and chart reports。 A young man was
standing by the hatch。 He seemed to be waiting for Eads。 He looked somehow familiar to Jagdea。
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“Good morning； Flight；” he said to Commander Eads。
“Call that a salute？” Eads replied。 “Ready to go； Darrow？”
“Yes； sir。”
“I’ll expert you later then； commander；” Eads said to Jagdea； then allowed his junior to lead him
away into the hustle of the Operations deck。
Lucerna AB； 08。30
They stood on an observation platform high amongst the island cliffs。 It was a fine； clear morning；
though the wind was strong and tugged at their hair。 A hundred metres below them； the sea crashed
in against the foot of the pink crags。
“Almost romantic；” said Beqa。 “The sea and the islands。 My family took me on holiday to the
Midwinters when I was young。 Me and Eido。 We stayed on Salthaven。 There are beaches there Eido
loved it。 That was before the war really took hold； obviously。 A time when holidays were something
that people did。”
“One day； I’ll take you on a holiday。 I promise。” She smiled at Viltry。 “Don’t make promises
you can’t keep。”
“No； really。 I mean it； all I’ve got to do is defeat the enemy； and we can have all the holidays we
want。” She shook her head； amused。 “So you say they’ve found you a job？” he said。
“In munitions prep。 The senior who assigned me seemed impressed by my skills。 All those long
night shifts at the manufactory weren’t a waste。”
“That’s good。”
“I start this afternoon。”
“You haven’t said anything about the way I look；” Viltry said。
“I’m trying not to think about it。 It’s difficult； because you’re very handsome in that new
flightsuit； all shaved and groomed。 You’ve found your squadron； haven’t you？”
“No；” said Viltry。 “But I found a Phantine unit here that needed a pilot。 Fighters； would you
believe？ That’ll take some re…learning。 It’s called the Phantine XX。 Umbra Flight。” He showed her
the insignia pins and badges on his new flight coat。
“Very nice；” she said； and looked away at the sea。
“I have to fly； Beq。 It’s what I do。 They need every pilot they can get right now。 I would be
failing the Throne if I didn’t do this。”
“I know。”
“And maybe when the war’s done here； I can apply to leave the service and stay here with you。”
Beqa Mayer smiled。 “The war is never done； Oskar。 If it finishes here； a fine pilot like you will
be needed somewhere else。 They won’t let you leave。 You’re a resource。 They’ll keep you flying
until the enemy finally claims you。 Remember what I said about promises you couldn’t keep？”
“I’m sorry；” he mumbled。
“It’s all right。 Really。 We’ve had some time。 It’s been brief； but very sweet。 I thought I’d lost
you once； and the Emperor allowed you to come back。 I couldn’t go through that again。 You fly。 I’ll
be proud of you。 That’s all that needs to be said。”
The wind had picked up again。 She shivered。 “That blasted old coat of yours；” he snapped。 He
bent over his kit bag and pulled out his ragged Halo Flight jacket。 “Take this。 It’s a bit battered and
torn； I’m afraid； but it’s got a fleece lining。”
He put it over her shoulders； then pulled her close。
“Thanks；” she said； pressing against his side。 She rested her head on his chest。
“You’re right；” he said； gazing at the view。 “It is almost romantic。”
There was a boom like the end of the world； and eight Thunderbolts slammed up into the air
from a hangar in the cliff beneath them。 The throaty roar of the formation’s afterburners shook their
diaphragms。
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As the planes climbed away； they both laughed。
“Until something like that happens；” Viltry said。
She kissed his cheek。 “To hell with them。 We can make our own romance。 You go and fly；
Oskar。 I’ve told the Emperor to protect you。”
Over the Midwinters； 14。10
Umbra Flight was barely up when they spotted the air battle。 To the west； the pale green sky was
bright with flashes and tinged with smoke。 And it wasn’t the only battle。 Wings from Onstadt were
coming in on a major fight to the east； and everything Viper Atoll had was lofting against a
thousand…bomber wave heading out across the Sea of Ezra towards Limbus。
“Umbra； rise to four thousand；” Jagdea ordered。 She had four machines with her： Marquall； Van
Tull； Cordiale and Viltry。 Viltry’s first flight。 She had sensed his nerves as he’d run to his bird。
Umbra Flight had already been up twice that day。 A full flight sortie at 09。00 hours that had
lasted two hours and seen them turn back a ninety…plane bomber formation with me help of three
Lightning wings out of Tamuda MAB。 Three kills—Ranfre； Del Ruth and Jagdea。 Then Del Ruth；
Ranfre and Zemmic had gone up just before noon with Blansher as lead； and had a short but
ferocious duel with the top cover of a Hell Talon formation。 Zemmic and Blansher had scored kills；
but they’d been grateful to see the 56th coming in to help break the wave up。
All four were now on refit turnaround and Blansher was spending time coaching Kaminsky。
Blansher was patient； but he seemed to have doubts about Kaminsky’s talent。
“He’s getting the basic layout of the Bolt； but he refuses to relax；” Blansher had