unlikely pilot [collins]

prologue

'why does war happen?'

   as her plane slowly started to point its nose down towards the ocean's surface, she cast her eyes up to the rear view mirror and see her attacker would follow her down. she closed her eyes knowing that sooner or later that if she doesn't eject then there would be no way out of her situation. if she were to survive the impact of the crash she would be in too much pain to move, inevitably drowning. she had to eject now or she would die. the career she had always wanted, the career her father helped her build, the career she has worked so hard on would come to a sudden halt. she looked up and opened her eyes looking at the spitfire's mirror to look where her attacker was. she caught a glimpse of the enemy plane lining up to fire another round of bullets into her beloved plane. at the rate she was going down she couldn't even swerve out of the way. she tried frantically to level her dying spitfire, her pride and joy speeding closer and closer towards the ocean's surface. yes, she was at high altitude but that could all change if she doesn't glide safely she will smack into the ocean.

gunfire was heard behind her. she didn't flinch or even look back. why should she? she had other problems to deal with. she was midway through her crash landing procedure so she couldn't afford to look away even if it was for a second.

"what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

   her eyes darted to her right. a friendly spitfire banked next to her, its angle of decent less drastic than hers.

"fortis one, this is none of your business."

she went back to flicking switches, checking gauges and making sure her plane was level.

"you're ejecting now!"

"why? as if i could get out of this alive! that luftwaffe will pick me out of the air like a fly."
the calmness in her voice was evident. she had already come to terms that her death was unavoidable.

"i know you! you can get out of this!"

"farrier, i told you to head back and what did you do?"

"greenfield listen to me!"

she look darted her vision to her right again, seeing her squad member looking back at her before breaking their formation. the desperation in his voice made her question.

"for fuck's sake i thought i'd gotten rid of you, you bastard come here"

she heard him mumble on the radio. she followed his plane with her eyes, checking her rear view mirror and seeing farrier chase down her attacker. the smoke coming from her plane's tail caught her attention.

"dammit, why me?" she flicked a few more switches before opening her windshield to get ready to eject. she checked her surroundings one more time, taking in the calmness of the ocean, her hair free flowing in the wind and the freedom of flying. she shut her eyes and couldn't help but smile at the tranquility of the situation despite death being so close and war looming over her.

rapid gunfire and an explosion ripped her from her trancelike state, she lunged forward gripping the yoke of her plane and fell into a state of panic. the noises around her became more aggressive. she looked to her left and saw the burning wreckage of the luftwaffe that was tailing her, fall out of the sky like a meteor and plunge deep into the ocean; extinguishing it immediately.

"fortis one, mark his location."

"that's what you think about first? no thank you or anything?"

"fortis one, mark his location that's an order."

"yes ma'am"

she sat back in her seat and looked out to the wreckage again. that could've been her. she closed her windshield abruptly. she gripped the plane's yoke tightly and sighed. she pulled back and began to climb high above the clouds.

"fortis leader, what's your location."

"up."

"you'll waste more fuel."

"that, unfortunately, is not my priority right now."

she looked to her left again and saw fortis one, farrier, cut through the clouds and join her in formation. she smiled lightly, she was glad that at least someone survived this ordeal with her.

suddenly a heavy rumble was heard.

"did you-"

"stay at this altitude, your fuel is at 10 gallons. continue heading to the target. i'll investigate."

"yes ma'am"

she flew through the clouds back to where to ocean was visible, a medical vessel also popped into view. as her gaze followed the vessel from stern to bow, her eyes shot up to the bomber making its way to attack the vessel. by this point there was smoke starting to enter her cockpit, she knew if she didn't act now then either a single life would be lost or an entire unit will be wiped out.

"fuck sake!" she screamed and pushed the throttle hard down and went towards the bomber. yet again she opened her windshield slightly, this time not to eject but to get rid of the smoke.

she positioned herself so that the bomber was heading directly towards her. she placed her hand delicately over the fire button. no woman should be doing this. no woman should be taking lives at the rate she was. she pushed her thoughts aside. this was her job. she signed up for this.

the roar from the stream of bullets escaping the barrel of her spitfire was enough to grab farrier's attention, she thought.

the bomber evaded her onslaught and headed away from the vessel. the brief ceasefire gave her time to bank right and target its engines, only then will she be able to think about what to do with herself.

yet again she pushed on and pressed the 'fire' button on her yoke aggressively. she knew that the only way to beat this bomber was to be harsh. never in her life had she taken on something so large and been this disadvantaged.

flames began to erupt from the right engine of the bomber as her direct hits land and seep into the bomber. her reaction is keep pushing the bomber that is already spiralling out of control and into the ocean.

"greenfield! pull up now!"

she glances around panicked, realising this is the end. her plane had turned into a fireball, smoke was engulfing her and the ocean was awaiting to slap her plane out of existence into pieces that are unrecognisable.

"mark my location."