“The nest is stirred.” A suppressed voice came from the radio.

I pushed the button and responded.

“Copy that, Rapier. Keep up the good work.

Unlike you two, they do work.” I glanced at my two sloths pushing the cleaning rod back and forth.

It was hard to tell at first glance what is the current state of the gun, and since it was the fastest to diagnose, we started with it. I hoped that the unexpected blast in the gun barrel was because the bore evacuator got torn apart, and thus we MAY not need to replace the entire f*ing thing.

Aside from all sorts of wonderful things, like broken tracks and equipment, we also needed to restock on fuel and ammo, perform maintenance, and repair this nightmare.

‘Sigh’

I looked at the battlefield, and the allied troops that were piling dead bodies into mass graves. The counterattack resulted in retaking the forward positions, but it did revert the siege back to where we started from.

While I was contemplating, I noticed how my back was no longer scorched by the sun, and a shadow hanged above me.

“What is this wonderful scent?” I heard Valencio’s chuckle.

“Those who don’t work won’t eat.” I glanced at the contents of a hotpot.

“Even the duke who saved you?” (V)

“Yeah. Especially the duke whose assault happened way too late.”

Valencio pretended to be dejected, sat by my side, and looked at the fortress.

“We may have succeeded in crushing their hopes of escape, but what are we going to do about the ones who are still inside?”

“Even a rat pushed into a corner would fight a cat. Do you have any plans?” (V)

“I have my ways of persuasion.”

“You do, but is it valid in the current situation? Even with the iron wagon being like this?” (V)

“Don’t you look down on us. As I said, I can be very persuasive…”

“Starting the turbines.”

A blow of compressed air from a service truck hit the engine, and in a moment the hangar was filled with howling. The same procedure was done on the other side of the cockpit.

People were walking around a jet fighter, and performing the pre-flight inspection. When the payload was safely secured in the belly of the beast, the technical crew chief gestured the pilot.

The technical personnel finished the preparations, and the control tower gave a green light to go.

“Copy, Tower. Rex is rolling out.” The pilot pushed a button to close the canopy, after which the hangar was cleared of everyone but two: the pilot, and a guy who will be guiding the plane out.

The pilot performed the last check and gave thumbs up to his guide. The response was a signal with the glowing sticks.

‘rrrrRRROOOOO’

Rex’s jet fighter slowly rolled out of the hangar and proceeded to the taxiway.

“Rex, this is Tower, stop.” The fighter gently stopped in front of the main way, and an old propeller plane passed. There was another plane following it, but the Tower ordered to go ahead.

When Rex finished turning, he immediately got a call-out from the fighter behind.

“Thanks, mate! Love the dust!” The pilot behind said sarcastically.

“Sorry, Sugar. Can’t help it.” The pilot could only answer stiffly. There was no way those engines could give even less thrust.

Today’s job was a piece of cake, but Rex was having butterflies in his stomach. Not only it was his first combat sortie, but also the first chance to show his mettle. It was impossible to do here, with all sorts of craptastic restrictions being in place, as well as the stockade waiting for the troublemakers.

The two fighters had to stop in front of the runway while the plane ahead was taking off, but after the Tower’s blessing the duet rolled out and prepared to burn.

The pilots exchanged glances, and even through the helmets they could imagine each other grinning like kids who got their hands on daddy’s big toys.

“Rex, Sugar, this is Tower, you are clear for take-off. For God’s sake, don’t engage the afterburners right in my airspace. Do you copy?”

“Copy that, Tower. We’ll do what we can.” (R)

Just as the Tower requested, the afterburners were not engaged… until they contacted departure.

An hour later the flight of two was in the Capital airspace.