Here there be Tigers! (Open)

[Ian Galloway]

[Holodeck Four]

Ian arrived at the holodeck a few minutes early to make a few changes to the program for Jus'draal's progression.

"Computer, resume Galloway Tiger One at level two."

"Program ready."

Ian returned to the dusty AVG airfield at Kunming and waited for his wingman to arrive.

[Jus'draal]

[Holodeck Four]

Jus'draal was in the holodeck doors at two minutes after the allotted time.  On her hip was a rather wicked looking dagger.  Just in case.  She had attempted to leave her quarters with a bat'leth but after abot ten steps realized that there was no room in the Tomahawk cockpit fr so large a weapon.  Therefore she had settled on the dagger.  It could be strapped to her hip.

"Good afternoon , sir."  She gave a sharp toothed smile to the Lieutenant Commander.  ""Are we going far from Konming?"  She asked.  "Will we go far enough to find 'General Tso'd chicken?  I tried 'chinese food' last evening.  It was interesting and pleasantly spicy..."

Personally she thought the sauce had merit, it would be quite good on fresh live gagh.

[Ian Galloway]

[Holodeck Four]

Jus'draal was in the holodeck doors at two minutes after the allotted time.  On her hip was a rather wicked looking dagger.  Just in case.  She had attempted to leave her quarters with a bat'leth but after abot ten steps realized that there was no room in the Tomahawk cockpit fr so large a weapon.  Therefore she had settled on the dagger.  It could be strapped to her hip.

"Good afternoon , sir."  She gave a sharp toothed smile to the Lieutenant Commander.  ""Are we going far from Konming?"  She asked.  "Will we go far enough to find 'General Tso'd chicken?  I tried 'chinese food' last evening.  It was interesting and pleasantly spicy..."

Personally she thought the sauce had merit, it would be quite good on fresh live gagh.

[Holodeck Four]

Ian tried to keep a straight face because he knew how important it was for a young ensign to feel validated, but this was one time he simply could not stop from laughing out loud.

"Lass, please forgive me for laughin', but there is so much wrong with that statement about Chinese food that I couldn't help myself."

He wiped a tear from his eye and managed to stop chuckling, but he couldn't stop the broad smile as he explained gently to the young woman that he'd grown quite fond of for her interest in something so important to him.

"General Tso, isn't a real person, at least nae so far as the dish is concerned. Funny thing about most 'Chinese' food, is that it was never eaten in China. The bulk of what we call 'Chinese' food was created by Chinese immigrants to the United States, but it is a tasty dish.

"However, today is goin' ta be a big test fer you Lass. In the frame of the program, today is 23 December 1941. Nae the first time the Flyin' Tigers engaged the Japanese, that was three days ago. Several Tomahawks jumped some unescorted Japanese bombers and shot them ta ribbons. Today though, ah yes, today is the first time the Tigers met Japanese Sally bombers escorted by Nate fighters.

"The program is set at level two, thus the opposition, but at this setting, we still have the advantage. The Nate, while an agile little boogit like all Japanese fighters is nae a match fer a P-40. We have the advantage of speed, firepower, and ruggedness. Just remember what I told ya, stick to divin' attacks, never try ta turn with a Japanese fighter at low speed. You can out turn them if'n you are at speed...in this case, 300 miles per hour or better, below 250, they will eat you alive."

Ian clapped his hands together with unmitigated glee.

"Now let's mount up. China is dependin' on us!"

With a massive grin, Ian headed for the Highland Gal without another word.

[Jus'draal]

[Holodeck Four]

Jus'draal gave Ian a mystified look, "You say that like it is a fate worse than death.  The best way to eat food is live, clearly!"

She chuckled, taking her turn at humor.  She was just getting her helmet settled into place when his command came.  She nearly dropped the clipboard with her flight plan on it but recovered and vaulted up onto the wing of the You Are A Weirdo.  She had done some research, buzzing the tower was not exactly commonplace, but neither did it normally bring about being called a Wierdo, it bought names like Maverick or Iceman.  She had seen this in a documentary called Top Gun, although in that film the planes were more advanced.  She had trouble though reconciling why one would want to be named for a bovine.  Normally one did not consider being named for a food item to be positive.  Well unless one was named for General Tso, he was a General after all.  She was privately very disappointed that he was not a real person.

In the cockpit now, Jusa revved her engine and took up a position on a parrallel runway to Galloway's.  She had been studying the theory of quick mobilization.  If she timed it correctly, the turbulence caused by his passage would not affrcther take off, but nor would hers, his.  But, it would put them both in the air within seconds of each other.

She waited until he had rolled a quartr of the way down his ruway before starting off herself, she was roughly four hundred feet behind him when she pulled back on the stick nd the bird was aloft, without the annoying hop type jump beforehand.

She thumbed the microphone and roared out, "Let's croak us some Nathans!"

[Ian Galloway]

[Holodeck Four]

She thumbed the microphone and roared out, "Let's croak us some Nathans!"

[Holodeck Four]

Ian chuckled at Jus'draal's comment as he pulled the Highland Gal into a steep climb. He leveled off at 10,000 feet along with the other planes of the AVG and began scanning the skies for the Japanese force. The Flying Tigers were up in force this time, 18 planes and it wasn't long before the group leader, "Tex" Hill called out contact.

"Bandits 12 o'clock low!"

Ian had to slide slip his plane to see the formation below him, but there it was, some 60 bombers, mostly 'Sallys' escorted by at least two dozen Nates.

"This is it guys," Tex transmitted. "break into pairs and concentrate on the bombers. Remember, there are Brits in Buffaloes down there as well. Good hunting!"

At that point, the AVG formation broke up and started their dives. Ian transmitted to Jus'draal.

"Stay within 50 meters. Keep your eyes open. Don't try and turn with the fighters below 250 miles per hours. If you get in trouble, split-ess."

Ian then picked out a Sally at the rear of the formation, and began a hard banking dive that would bring him in on the bomber's tail.

[Jus'draal]

[Holodeck Four]

Ian chuckled at Jus'draal's comment as he pulled the Highland Gal into a steep climb. He leveled off at 10,000 feet along with the other planes of the AVG and began scanning the skies for the Japanese force. The Flying Tigers were up in force this time, 18 planes and it wasn't long before the group leader, "Tex" Hill called out contact.

"Bandits 12 o'clock low!"

Ian had to slide slip his plane to see the formation below him, but there it was, some 60 bombers, mostly 'Sallys' escorted by at least two dozen Nates.

"This is it guys," Tex transmitted. "break into pairs and concentrate on the bombers. Remember, there are Brits in Buffaloes down there as well. Good hunting!"

At that point, the AVG formation broke up and started their dives. Ian transmitted to Jus'draal.

"Stay within 50 meters. Keep your eyes open. Don't try and turn with the fighters below 250 miles per hours. If you get in trouble, split-ess."

Ian then picked out a Sally at the rear of the formation, and began a hard banking dive that would bring him in on the bomber's tail.

[Holodeck Four]

The buzz of the Highland Gal's piston driven engine changed as she banked and started her dive.  Jus'draal counted ten and then made a similarly banked dive.  She watched as the tracers, white hot phosphorous rounds streaked from the nose of the diving P-40 toward the much largerJapanese Bomber.  A pair of the Nates were on him in a moment, Jus'draal was just high enough and far enough back that she as able to pour a quick burst into the back of one of them as her wing nearly clipped it on her way past, she rolled left and with the engine screaming protest came back up toward the other Nate, while the Sally's crew searched for the Tomahawk that was riddling it with lines of gunfire.  After what seemed like forever the guns on the Bomber opened up, but it was clear they had no idea where Galloway were.

"Bogey on your six, Panda One!"  She yelled to him, realizing noone had told her the call sign for today. 

[Ian Galloway]

[Holodeck Four]

The buzz of the Highland Gal's piston driven engine changed as she banked and started her dive.  Jus'draal counted ten and then made a similarly banked dive.  She watched as the tracers, white hot phosphorous rounds streaked from the nose of the diving P-40 toward the much larger Japanese Bomber.  A pair of the Nates were on him in a moment, Jus'draal was just high enough and far enough back that she as able to pour a quick burst into the back of one of them as her wing nearly clipped it on her way past, she rolled left and with the engine screaming protest came back up toward the other Nate, while the Sally's crew searched for the Tomahawk that was riddling it with lines of gunfire.  After what seemed like forever the guns on the Bomber opened up, but it was clear they had no idea where Galloway were.

"Bogey on your six, Panda One!"  She yelled to him, realizing noone had told her the call sign for today.

[Holodeck Four]

Ian pressed home the attack on the Sally and had the satisfaction of seeing the bomber burst into flames. However, before he could celebrate, he felt the Highland Gal shudder from the second Nate's fire.

"Mo Chreach!" Ian snarled and followed his own advice and broke into a split-ess that the Nate could not hope to follow. Using the speed from his dive, he pulled the Highland Gal into a screaming climb. This brought him underneath and on line with one of the smaller 'Ann' bombers. He was going too fast for a sustained burst, but he fired a quick snap shot and thought he hit the Japanese plane.

Once back back to 8,000 feet, he looked around frantically for his wingman.

"Panda Six, this is Panda Five where are you?"

Ian kept his plane changing direction and altitude as he searched, because he knew if there was one thing you never did in atmospheric combat was fly straight for any length of time.

[Jus'draal]

[Holodeck Four]

As smoke stained the sky from the burning hulk of the sally, the You Are a Wierdo burst through the wall of smoke, chasing the remaining Nate upward, the lighter Japanese airframe rolled into a steep climb trying to escape the oncoming firepower of the Tomahawk.  Jus'draal let her guns speak just once, acquitting herself admirably she thought in Curse Warfare, albeit off the radio and in Klingon.

As she rolled out of the climb she looked around for Galloway and realized he was below her by nearly sour thousand feet.  She noted the decided cold up here and sheepishly reduced her altitude, "Panda Five this is Panda Six, coming down to meet you. "

She checked her fuel gage, it was then she noticed her dwindling ful pressure.   "Panda Six, I'vegot afuel pressure problem..."  This seemed like a bad time to be having this paricular issue, but she wasn't going to keep it a secret.

[Ian Galloway]

[Holodeck Four]

As smoke stained the sky from the burning hulk of the sally, the You Are a Wierdo burst through the wall of smoke, chasing the remaining Nate upward, the lighter Japanese airframe rolled into a steep climb trying to escape the oncoming firepower of the Tomahawk.  Jus'draal let her guns speak just once, acquitting herself admirably she thought in Curse Warfare, albeit off the radio and in Klingon.

As she rolled out of the climb she looked around for Galloway and realized he was below her by nearly sour thousand feet.  She noted the decided cold up here and sheepishly reduced her altitude, "Panda Five this is Panda Six, coming down to meet you. "

She checked her fuel gage, it was then she noticed her dwindling ful pressure.   "Panda Six, I'vegot afuel pressure problem..."  This seemed like a bad time to be having this paricular issue, but she wasn't going to keep it a secret.

[Holodeck Four]

Ian looked around and saw that despite their efforts, Rangoon had taken a pounding. The Japanese we fleeing east and the AVG was scattered, it was clearly time to go.

"Let's get back to base, you probably have taken a hit to your tank. Here's where self-serving tanks are worth their weight in gold pressed latinum, you take lead, Ill drop back and cover you. Last thing we need is you having to bail over hostile territory."

Ian waited until Jus'draal was ahead of him and the two headed for their landing strip some 40 miles away.

[Jus'draal]

[Holodeck Four]

Jus'draal wasn't sure the fuel to distance ratio the P-40 got, she usually just relied on the fact Galloway took off first and decided when they would land togive her adequate fuel.   She figured as long as the engine was running it should use the same fuel however much speed she called for.  therefore she pushedthe throttle to gain airspeed, the sooner she got back to base she reasoned the sooner she could get the plane on the deck safely.

"Rogerm Panda Six leading the way home.  Did we win sir?"

She had seen one Tomahawk go down, the robust air frame caught in crossfire of two fast reacting Nates.  But clearly the bomber formation had taken considerably more damage.

"Self sealing tanks?  Somehow they allow the iercing to feed the engine remain open though?"  She wondered out loud. "Airspeed two hundred fifty em pee,aych."  That word on the speedometer looked odd, it had no vowels.  "Meters per hour?"  She guessed uncertainly.

[Ian Galloway]

[Holodeck Four]

The two P-40s touched down and as soon as they were parked and chocked, he jogged over to his wingman's plane.

"The first meeting of escorted bombers versus AVG in strength was a success for the Flyin' Tigers. We lost three P-40s for eight Nates. I fudged things things with the Sally kill, but if the game was 100% factual, it wouldn't allow fer any input from us, which would nae be so fun."

As the two walked, Ian called for the exit.

"Computer, save and end program."

Pulling off his flight helmet, Ian smiled at his partner.

"You have any interest in goin' from Ops ta Conn, you let me know Lass. I could use someone like you ta replace that git Solluk who bailed on me ta go engineer on me."

[Jus'draal]

[Holodeck Four]

"Excellent.  You fudged it by more than that.  Panda Two called out sighting of the, other bomber you hit ditching as you touched down."  She grinned as he gave her a hand down from the wing of her Tomahawk.  Now that she was out of the bird she could see a trickle of some fluid running down the fuselage.  The smell of the gas was probably worse than the actual damage.

She reached up and patted the nose of the plane, just above the tiger shark's eye.  "Good Weirdo."  She chuckled as she followed Galloway out into the corridor through the exit arch as the scene disolved to the familiar Holodeck grid.

"I do appreciate to offer sir.  Flying like this is alot of fun.  But when you're at the conn, youneed a solid voice at Ops.  I'm your girl there."  She grinned,  "Besides, someone has to keep the Chief honest."

[Ian Galloway]

[Holodeck Four]

"Excellent.  You fudged it by more than that.  Panda Two called out sighting of the, other bomber you hit ditching as you touched down."  She grinned as he gave her a hand down from the wing of her Tomahawk.  Now that she was out of the bird she could see a trickle of some fluid running down the fuselage.  The smell of the gas was probably worse than the actual damage.

She reached up and patted the nose of the plane, just above the tiger shark's eye.  "Good Weirdo."  She chuckled as she followed Galloway out into the corridor through the exit arch as the scene disolved to the familiar Holodeck grid.

"I do appreciate to offer sir.  Flying like this is alot of fun.  But when you're at the conn, youneed a solid voice at Ops.  I'm your girl there."  She grinned,  "Besides, someone has to keep the Chief honest."

[Holodeck Four]

Ian frowned in mock anger as he replied.

"You can't blame me fer tryin', serves me right fer lettin' Solluk go ta engineerin' school. Bloody traitor. It's what I get, but I'll see ya in the bridge Lass."

Ian then headed for his quarters to change into the proper uniform for his shift.

[Jus'draal]

[Outside Holodeck Four]

"No sir, Can't blame you, I am incredibly talented, I know."  She tried to keep a straight face as she buffed her nails on her flight jacket.  She headed toward the Junior Officers' quarters where hers were, shared with another ensign.  There she chnged as well into her more modern uniform.

Unlike the previous two days today she had a later shift because of how the schedule had worked out.  She had checked the schedule, department heads must share them or something.  For the first time this wee she was scheduled for a Bridge Shift.  She usually only got one as the absolute most junior Ops officer, but how had Galloway known?  It was almost spooky.

She decided it was time to try General Tso's gagh.  She headed for the Officers' Mess, hoping the staff there wouldn't sk too many questions.  Upon reflection she also hoped they had live gagh, not the replicated carcasses.  If they had it she decided she would take some for Lieutenant Commader Galloway, she was positive he'd enjoy it.  How could she be wrong?

[Ian Galloway]

[Senior Officer Quarters]

Ian entered his quarters and made a beeline toward his closet, but he was less than halfway there when the door chime sounded.

"Bloody hell!" He snarled. "Enter."

When the door opened, Ian's anger instantly vanished as he knew he was in trouble.

"Ian. Nathaniel. Galloway. If you think you are going to run off to that stupid holodeck program again, you may just want to rethink that idea if you want to see me again, outside of sickbay, which I might just send you to myself."

Ian wilted under Lieutenant Jessica Fellows' withering expression.

"Is there anyway I get out of this room alive?" Ian replied without much hope.

The stunning raven haired woman's expression softened...slightly, before turning into a mischievous smile.

"It depends on how well you grovel and what you do to make up for the fact that you are spending your free time with another woman."

Ian looked chagrined as he replied.

"Well, I suppose I should start with saying I'm sorry. Next, I guess I need to introduce you to Ensign Jus'draal. I know you have no interest in the program, but I've finally found someone that gets it. However, I admit, in hindsight, my time in the holodeck does look suspicious. I do have to meet Jus'draal to let her know there is a change of plans."

Jess frowned and sighed.

"No, if you made a commitment, I'm not going to have you resenting me for having to miss it. So, I suppose it's time for Nurse Fellows, RN to make her first appearance in Kunming."

Ian smile lit up the room and he crossed to Jess and gave her a passionate kiss.

"I knew there is a reason I love you."

Jess arched an eyebrow and gave Ian a hard stare.

"Only one reason?"

Ian chuckled.

"Only one at this moment, but I'm certain I will think of many many more before the night is out."

"Good answer, now I suggest we get changed." Jess purred in response.

"Aye Lass. That we should."

[Holodeck Four]

Ten minutes later, Ian and Jess entered the holodeck and sauntered over to the operations building to wait for Jus'draal.