nothing will happen to them, but once we’re safe and able to put you in front of a firing squad.” before Spigot could finish what he was saying a line of strafing fire cut up the court yard getting everyone to run into the shelter. As they reached the shelter Baloo peaked out the door and saw the FW 109 flying overhead.

“Where did he go?” Baloo asked, as he looked for Shade in the sky. In the air Shade was flying in the cloud coverage slowly emerging as he heard the sound of other planes in the area, as he lowered from the coverage he saw the enemy fighters below and leading them was one that made his blood boil, in front of the small group was a pitch black 109 with a reaper painted on the nose. The next two had bright red noses, indicating that these two must have been pretty good to want people to see them so badly, and three following behind nothing special but then again Shade only wanted one out of the entire lot. As Shade took aim he targeted one of Von Biege’s wing men and opened fire, knocking the enemy fighter out of the sky before he even had a chance to defend himself.

“SCATTER YOU FOOLS WE GOT ENEMY FIGHTERS COMING FROM ABOVE!!” Von Biege yelled, and sending all the other fighters scattering.

“Sir, this is red wing 2, I see the enemy fighter, permission to knock him out of the sky?”

“Teach that arrogant punk what it means to shoot down a member of Reaper flight.” Von Biege replied as he watched his other wingman fly after Shade getting on his six. Von Biege watched as Shade tried to loose his wingman with amusement knowing that his wingman was skilled at following enemy fighters.

“So you want to play follow the leader.” Shade said, as he smiled, and dove down towards the ground. “Come on follow the leader.” sure enough red wing 2 followed Shade towards the ground pulling up just as Shade did before him.

“NO YOU FOOL GET OUT OF THERE HE’S LEADING YOU INTO A TRAP!!” Von Biege’s words came too late as he watched the Thembrian ground forces open fire and shot down his other wingman. “He was playing with him, he knew what he was doing all the time. TRIAD I WANT THIS PUNK OUT OF ARE AIR SPACE NOW!!” On the ground Baloo watched as three fighters went after Shade, keeping a close eye on the action.

“Come on Kiddo you can do this.” Baloo said, as he kept a close eye on the action above while holding Rebecca and the kids close knowing that if Shade failed their chances on this day turning out well would drop. Baloo watched as two of the fighters dropped away keeping a close eye on their movements as well as Shade and his shadow. “Come on kid you got to have a few tricks left.” as Baloo watched the other two planes started to come as Shade from different directions and almost looked like they would have a perfect cross fire on the lone P-51.

“Alright kiddo you got one coming in at 2 o’clock, 10 o’clock and 6 o’clock thinking you can pull off are little trick?” Barbra’s voice rang in Shade’s ears as he remembered this kind of scenario during many flying lessons. In a flash Shade pulled the stick into his gut, hit full bottom rudder, and then threw the stick full forward once more. From bother Baloo and Von Biege’s points of view it looked like the plane itself just stopped in mid air, as its nose dropped down, the plane twisted counter clockwise, and fell for a few seconds before it leveled off, but while this was going on the three planes that were about to trap him slammed into one another, each of their pilots looking at what had just happened, and not at what was about to happen.

“He just did an inverted vertical reverse.” Baloo said, as he watched in awe. “Now where did he learn to fly like that?” Back in the cockpit Shade could hear his friends clearly they were with him 100% and with them by his side he felt like he could take on the world.

“That’s it kiddo, your making us so proud.”

“Hey don’t pat him on the back just yet Barb, we still have Von Biege to deal with… and he’s coming up fast.” at Julia’s words Shade looked into a rear view mirror and could see the black 109 coming up on him.

“You want me Von Biege come and get me.” with that Shade pulled up into the thick cloud coverage smiling knowing that Von Biege would soon follow, as he looked into his rear view he could see the black 109 starting to come out of the clouds and he started to bank hard left, Von Biege saw the bank and soon followed as both pilots kept banking they got to a point that Shade could look up and see Von Biege just as Von Biege could look up and see Shade both pilots stared at one another waiting for the other to make the first move, both knowing that the slightest mistake could spell the end for them. On the ground Baloo kept looking up at the sky wondering what was going on not able to see past the cloud coverage.

“Daddy, is Shade going to be O.K.?” Molly asked, as she looked at Baloo from her mother’s arms.

“Sure he is button nose.” Baloo smiled at Molly and look back at the sky.

“Yeah, he can handle himself Molly, I mean don’t you remember how well he took care of those flying junk piles when we were in the plane with him.” Kit asked, as he smiled at Molly.

“I remember you yelling at him a lot, it was funny you started to turn red.” with that Kit started to blush getting Molly to giggle slightly. “Like that, you turned red like that.” As Rebecca looked at Kit she smiled and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I was just scared that something might happen to Molly, and all he said was that it was a logical transaction, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” Kit said, as he lowered his head and then felt a small hand on his head, as he looked up he smiled at Molly who was looking at him.

“But he also said you’re going to make a good big brother.” Molly smiled as she looked at Kit who only looked away and up at the overcast sky. Up in the sky Von Biege motioned to his mike and then signaled Shade some radio settings, as Shade did as requested he heard Von Biege’s voice once he dialed in the setting.

“Can you hear me?” Von Biege asked, as he looked at Shade.

“I can.” Shade and Von Biege looked at one another for a minute before Von Biege started to speak again.

“I must say I’ve never seen a pilot fly like you, may I at least ask your name.”

“My name is Shade, you killed four women that meant the world to me at one time.” Shade didn’t speak with a growl, he didn’t try and hide his voice as he kept his eye on Von Biege he could see the shock on the older pilots face.

“A child? My men have been shot down and out smarted by a child?”

“Not any normal child Von Biege, I don’t fly alone up here, those women that I spoke of are here with me, here and now listening to us speak, they have helped guide my hands this day, and they have helped me to obtain victory.”

“I see… tell me child these women you speak of, who were they?”

“They were the Night Witches.” with that there was silence from both pilots, for several minutes as they kept looking at one another.

“I hate to shoot down such a talent, but you’ve chosen your side, we are enemies.”

“That we are Von Biege.”

“Then let us finish this.” with that Von Biege pulled a slightly tighter turn getting Shade to dive below the clouds and Von Biege following close behind.

“Here they come.” Baloo said, as he saw Shade’s plane emerge from the cloud coverage with Von Biege close behind. “The reaper is on the kid’s tail.” as the other watched on they saw as Shade kept diving towards the ground. “He’s trapped if he tries to pull up Von Biege is going to fill his plane full of lead, and if he doesn’t pull up.

“We’re going to need a spatula.” Kit finished as he watched as the planes got close to the ground.

“Baloo there has to be something we can do, Shade’s just a kid there’s no way he’s a match for that monster.” Rebecca said, in a low whisper making sure that no one else could hear.

“We don’t have a choice Beckers, we don’t have a plane to get up there to help him.” Baloo explained as he tried to comfort Rebecca, then turned back to the action. “He’s on his own.” the planes got closer and closer to the ground, until they reached 400 feet when Shade pushed the stick forward while tracer rounds passed inches above the canopy of his plane, as Shade started to fly upside down he smiled Von Biege pulled up from his nosedive. “That’s it kiddo keep him on his toes, do things he’s not expecting.” Baloo watched on as Shade now got on Von Biege’s tail and the two started to get lead on a merry little chase close to the ground.

“Why isn’t he shooting he has the perfect shot.” Kit asked, as he saw how close Shade was getting to Von Biege.

“He doesn’t want to risk it.” Baloo said, as he watched on himself. “Any stray bullet could hurt one of the Thembrian ground troops.”

“But if he doesn’t shoot how is he going to win this?” Baloo turned to Rebecca and smiled at her.

“Don’t worry Beckers he’ll win, no question about that.” As Baloo turned back to the action his face turned worried as he noticed that Von Biege was staying too high out of the