Arnos the Airman

Lasnile, Vullanese Empire

It is now the year 1841 in the Vullanese island of Lasnile. War was just declared between the Vullanese Empire and the Vestrisian Union of the Vestrisian Republics. Vullan was not alone in this war against the Vestrisian Union. Vullan allies such as Nymres, the Kingdom of Vidothra, Gontrella, Muskalla, Arqolith, Vodwania, various states, and the vast land of Ossus. He knew they had other allies except their names slipped from his mind. That was mainly because he never heard of their names and they were part of some larger empires. Fighter Pilot or Airman Arnos Bennius adjusted his jacket and gloves while the crews prepared the aircraft.

Inside the hangar were forty or so aircraft and seventy pilots getting ready to engage the Vestrisians in the skies. Most of these pilots never flew a plane except for thirteen of them including Arnos who became an ace in a recent conflict against Al-Dadoria. It is not because they had no training on how to fly these new recruits were pulled out of their training to refill the ranks and learn from combat. The Al-Dadorian conflict was a brief conflict that only lasted three months. Vullanese Priests and their bearers entered the hangar. All the pilots, officers, guards, crews, and of course the slaves lined up. Each one of them got down on one knee as the the religious men approached. In their decorative religious robes the priests performed the ritual of praying to their god for safety and protection from death. Arnos was never religious since he saw the most devout followers and pilgrims die horrible deaths. When the priests finished the pilots raced to their aircraft eager for action.

He rushed to his bird shaped X-75 Seahawk that had two guns, a nice cockpit, a fine engine, sturdy wings, good tail, and a nice paint job. Climbing in he nearly kicked one of the hangar crew members who was at the bottom of their caste system. He started up the engines at the same time as his fellow pilots. Arnos switched ever thing on and put his helmet on ready to fly after the Vestrisians. Their leader Squadron Captain Nicholas Parson-Mannius' voice emerged in the intercom.

“Listen up airmen this will be a quick briefing. The Vestrisians have sent a wave of their Lacothah bombers escorted by their small one man Basilisks. We are not the only squadron flying after this wave. My advice men don't feel pressured....” Mannius' voice went on about their mission before their aircraft began to take off. In groups of five their new Seahawks took off from the runway, climbing up in altitude. At a space of half a mile in between each group the Vullanese airmen made lift off then formed up in positions. Arnos heard the names of his fellow airmen report their names for duty. He heard the names Penrose, Ratigez, Agrippe, Graydogson, Black, Joris, Vortus, Imanius, Grakus, Nethersole, Anvils, Steelius, Concore, Fordwill, and Kenns along with other names before he himself reported in.

Several minutes of flying brought them over the landscape of Lasnile. Much of it was fertile green fields in the northern parts full of green grass, and rolling hills. In the south it was dryer and full of savanna and beaches. The island had plenty of towns, villages, and a score of major cities. To many Lasnile was flowing in much needed resources to sustain a population. Some say there were more people on this island than all of Castaria. Those rumors are just exaggerations yet many like to believe that. Arnos returned his attention to the skies with his wing mates around him in attack formation. He could see them approaching the seas while flying. It was as if they were in a dream. They passed several clouds with most of the clouds still above them. He felt at peace just sitting in the cockpit watching the clouds go by and the sea come closer as Lasnile went under him. Arnos recalled their mission briefing as he saw explosions and shooting dot the seas below. The explosions and firing appeared like small fire flies or sparks from this distance. A battle occurred in between two islands divided between the Union and their glorious Vullanese Empire.

His squadron, along with five other squadrons of aircraft, were to engage the Vestrisians and stop them from bombing the last defense on one portion of a particular island that still held on, Vullan's half of Izvar. The island next to it, Mothgar, was overrun months before 1841 started. In the middle of the year 1841 the longest portion of Vullan's half of Boathrin Isles was being overrun. Izvar's loyal defenders at her very end were holding on for dear life. As one single unit their squadrons moved southeast by 120 degrees towards the Vestrisian lines. Arnos looked around him at the gathered aircraft. More than two hundred and more Vullanese airmen flew in a formation that forged a blade shape.

For an hour the flew onward in their formation to the portion nicknamed the Drooping Earlobe that was now the last section of Vullanese territory on that island. When they came within twenty miles of their destination the wave of Vestrisian aircraft could be seen along with the smoke from flak and AA guns. All the black smoke made it appear more like a dark cloud with flies all over it. Several planes fell out of the formation from all the flak and AA fire. Arnos watched this wave of Vestrisian aircraft head towards their target as he and his squadrons flew at full speed. He gripped his steering while placing one hand over the unlocking latch to his aircraft guns. A minute passed before the two forces met in the air. Every one of his fellow airmen were surprised to see these large Lacothah aircraft were really troop carriers that already dropped their load. Scores of Basilisk 94's came zooming towards them firing rapidly on them. This forced them to break formation and engage the enemy in a dogfight.

“Okay Arnos you can do this.” Arnos said to himself flying to the left to get a good target. “You've done this before in a different war.”

As he veered left bullets and aircraft flew all over the skies. He did not know if they were winning or losing. The only thing he sees now is a single Basilisk that shot at a fellow airman. Arnos gave chase trying to get a good lock on him. In pursuit he fired a few shots that missed. He fired again hitting the tail. His shooting did a little bit of damage, but not enough to bring it down. Arnos pressed on the trigger letting loose a huge spray sending the Basilisk crashing down. His next target was harder as it moved performing what looked like a dance. Persistent he went after it shooting wildly until the craft went down.

As he searched for a third target he heard voices and screams along with shouts. Each voice came from his own squadron who were engaging the Vestrisians. It hit him all at once just hearing the continuous yelling, chatter, and screaming that he must have drowned out during the fight. Since the engines were close and there was a lot of noise going on it would be hard to hear voices. Mannius' voice entered his ear over the intercom.

“Bennius, Bennius, Arnos Bennius fall on me, fall on me!” the Captain roared at him through the intercom.

“Captain sir, with all do respect that will only make us a big target!” Arnos argued sending a few sprays of bullets at D-5 that roared away from him. He maneuvered his own Seahawk around as much as the wind and the altitude would allow him. Several craft took shots at him. He felt the impact and heard it as well as his craft jolted a little from the hits.

Having to move around in search of a safe position was near impossible. In the midst of his flying around he caught glimpses of enemy and ally falling from the sky with smoke coming out. By the time he found his fellow squadron in a formation the Vestrisians were already gunning them down. This was all Mannius' fault who wanted to stay in formation. That did not matter anymore, because the Vestrisians had deceived them, outmaneuvered them, outgunned and out manned them in the skies.

Only twenty or so of his fellow airmen survived the dogfight. They now had the D-5's in pursuit picking them off one at a time. It as a small force whereas the rest flew back to base to refuel. These aircraft may have been beasts but there was still a way to shoot one down. Just as he got them partially in his sights his Seahawk was hit by three Basilisk 94's. Smoke and fire appeared on his plane as it began to fall to the world. He acted quickly preparing to parachute out of the aircraft. Before ejecting the allowed a few moments of falling then pulled the eject lever and he was out.