yellowthirteen | The Sixteenth Sortie [Voice, Action]

The Sixteenth Sortie [Voice, Action]

[Voice]

All right, I've been doing some thinking. Dunno when another draft is gonna come up, but one thing that's always been a real problem for us in the draft are individuals who don't know how to fight or are unable to getting pulled into the conflict, or people that do who are outclassed by the members of the Third Party. This is a problem that needs to be fixed, and we obviously can't count on the Malnosso not sending the vulnerable into combat zones.

...So here's what I have. I'm looking to form a squadron of fighter pilots with the aim to give some of these folks something to do, give them a chance to fight back if they want it. You don't have to be a non-combatant to join, either. If you think you might be worth more to your allies up in the air flying a plane, then you're more than welcome to inquire.

Nothing's set in stone yet. Don't know if this is even going to happen, and there's no promises we'll even get the aircraft we'll need. But damned if it isn't worth a try.

...You may be wondering who I am to suggest something like this. My name is David Jordan, Major in the Federal Erusian Air Force, commander of the elite 156th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and Ace of Aces for Erusea during the Usean Continental War. I know what I'm talking about. And I'm one of the best there is in this line of work. For those who are interested, I will say this up front. Expect this squadron to maintain a high level of discipline and you will be expected to be diligent in your training. I will not be an easy instructor, because it is your lives on the line. Hot-shots and loose cannons will be dropped from the unit, no questions asked.

If anyone is interested or has questions, inquire here, or visit me in person at Good Spirits this evening from 18:00 to 21:00.

[Action]

[As stated in his message, Yellow 13 will be sitting in Good Spirits in a fairly visible table during the allotted time. He actually doesn't have alcohol with him, and while his guitar does rest next to him, very rarely will he pick up and play it. Though if it goes too long without someone stopping by, he might very well play a tune.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Well, that's different from the other ideas to fix the issue with the drafts that she has heard.]

May I ask how you expect your training to be of use if the Malnosso deny you and the members of your squadron a plane? Even assuming they feel generous and intelligent enough to concede that, how are you planning to deal with them providing aircraft you're not familiar with?

It may not be a problem for you, specifically, given your curriculum, but for a trainee who may have just a month of experience, and that's being optimistic, it won't be the same to pilot a fighter or a bomber. It won't even be the same to pilot a fighter SPAD A.2 model than a F-16.

((ooc: Assuming that the development of military aircraft in DB is similar as our Earth, specially since despite the spaceships and all at times Toriyama liked to draw pretty realistic F-16 planes being destroyed.))

The first question is simply out of my hands. So far they have not denied me access to the planes I have specifically requested, but I cannot say that they might do the same for a whole squadron. That's why I issued the warning that aircraft might not even be handed out when the time comes. People have to be willing to accept it as a possibility. It's just a reality of war.

In part I answered your second question with the first. Considering Malnosso logistics works on requisition, it is unlikely that they will provide an aircraft that was not specifically asked for.

And yes, you are correct. Many aircraft have significantly different handling characteristics, especially from era-to-era. I am most skilled in operating fourth and fifth generation fighters. The Fourth generation includes aircraft like the F-16 you mentioned, and the SU-37 Terminator, the aircraft of choice for my old squadron. The Fifth includes aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor and the SU-47 Berkut.

It certainly is, but that's not what I was asking exactly. What I mean is if you will provide any other type of training, like basic use of a rifle, for example. I don't mean to drag you or your idea through the mud, I think it's a good idea and probably far more realistic that some of the ideas I've heard to fix the issue. But as you word it, it sounds as if you're basically saying that if the Malnosso aren't bastards and give you the requested aircraft, those people will be able to do something in the drafts, otherwise they will still be the same defenseless, unable to fight, bunch they are now.

[She laughs at his explanation about aircraft.]

Yeah, sorry, you lost me a bit there. Military aircraft isn't my thing, though I know some basic stuff about it. Ask me about civilian aircraft and I'll make your head spin, but I've not done my homework for military aircraft.

You're talking survival, escape and evasion, and combat training. Of course. Every pilot is expected to be able to handle themselves should they be forced to eject in hostile territory. Naturally, the training for being a pilot will include this.

I've handled a G36 while on the ground during the jungle draft, but I'm by no means the foremost expert on ground-based warfare. Most of my training is about evasion and stealth. There are others who would be far better suited than I am to teach direct combat training.

[He does smile at the remark, and taking a leap here.]

You a civilian aeronautical engineer, Miss?

You should specify that then. Remember that this place holds people from many worlds and environments, I doubt all the people here will even know what aircraft is. And even some that know it may think that pilot training revolves only about piloting things.

Evasion and stealth are always a good bet for those who aren't able to fight, anyway. Knowing how to fire a gun helps as well for it.

[She smiles at the question.]

Among far many other things, actually. I've built, fixed, improved, designed and piloted more civilian aircraft than I care to remember, but that's not my only job or my specialization.

[But given how she's a genius and where she works and the things she does it's quite probable she has titles and the like that would show that.]

Trust me, it all would've come up in orientation. It would've been a surprise. Think of it... as a test of their dedication to the craft.

[He snorts a nostalgic laugh.]

Hell, that's just how we did it in Erusea.

[He keeps that smile as he continues, though.]

Sounds like you're quite the multi-talented individual.

Oh, is that so? That's good, sorry for doubting you then, Major... Or should I say Commander? I never know how to call you guys with your many military ranks and positions.

[And Bulma laughs lightheartedly at that before she adds in a teasing and pleased tone.]

Say 'genius individual', it's shorter and it has been used on me several times since I was young.

"Major" is usually what's customary, but if you'd rather not bother, can't say I blame you.

[He shakes his head and fails to contain a chuckle.]

I see. I'll keep that in mind. Though having your actual name would be better, I think.

Major works for me. At least your army doesn't use colors for names and ranks.

[If only she knew.]

Aww, you think? But I like how 'Miss genius' sounds!

[Can you hear the pout in her voice? Can you? It's gone as she laughs again though.]

Oh well, you introduced yourself first after all. Bulma Brief, civilian, vice-president of Capsule Corporation and actually unofficial president in functions as well because my father keeps getting distracted with the animals.

No, though we do use colors for squadron designations. More convenient for when you're dealing with radio chatter in mid-battle.

[And now she does.]

Nice to meet you, Miss Brief. Your work must keep you very busy at home.

[Because running a company is insanely hard work, after all.]

But that's a whole color for several people, right? Nothing like General Blue or Major Red.

[Mixing the Red Ribbon's ranks, see how much she cares about them. Though she probably should care more given they were warned about a revenge plot...]

It has its moments. I'm not a stranger to boredom, though, but that's just because a girl can't keep working non-stop all the time without having some fun. Unfortunately getting said fun can be complicated... Still no boredom I've ever known can compare to what I feel in this place, really.

No, nothing like that. Just squadrons. My squadron, though officially named "Aquila Squadron," is more commonly referred to as Yellow Squadron.

[He laughs.]

I can imagine. There's not much tech here, and there's definitely no way to run a real business or even invent much of anything either. Anything much more complex than a kitchen appliance has to be asked for... yeah. Not the most exciting place in the universe.

Yellow Squadron, huh? Still good enough. Though Aquila Squadron sounds more impressive, besides yellow is a terrible color most of the time. And not one I would recommend to wear to any kind of battle.

[Because, come on, yellow just screams for attention, even more than a giant bulls eye painted on you.]

So true. What do you guys to be entertained here, exactly? The drafts, experiments and kidnappings fill time but I would prefer to not relay on those to be entertained. Then again seeing the amount of children around I suppose they don't need much to not be bored.

Believe it or not, the sight of the yellow wing tips our fighters had was enough to frighten and demoralize the enemy. You build up enough of a reputation, and even yellow becomes intimidating.

Me, I go to the bar, play guitar, watch movies and try to keep in shape. Spent some time learning the magic from this place too.

Oh, no, no, don't get me wrong. Yellow is a very intimidating color by itself, anyone proudly wearing it anywhere must be full of confidence and be really good at their job. And not the kind of confidence that's built over nothing, those guys don't have the brains to pick up yellow as their color.

Magic, you mean that filial magic thing with the spirits, right?

Yes, exactly. I've been in contact with a handful of the spirits so far. Surprisingly practical.

Hmmm...

[Bulma hums, thinking. She may believe in dragon balls and legends and chase them to use their powers and all, but that's just like using a remote. She uses a tool to make magic, she can deal with that, but any other form of magic isn't something she's very comfortable with.]

How is it exactly? You contact them and make a contract or something? And they are summoned when you call for them?

It's a little more abstract than that. In my experience, you can actively try to seek them out... or wait for them to contact you. Nala and Sona's voices I came to hear over time, while I actively sought out Kipinn.

And what they teach you is how to manipulate their respective elements through yourself. You don't summon them, exactly.

[Yes, she can see how it's useful and all but... Definitively not her thing.]

I see, it's not really my type of thing, unfortunately.

[Maybe if she gets terribly bored... No, probably not even then.]

I know I sure felt useless during the last draft even though I do at least have skills with healing. Is this something that truly can be learned by anyone?

I won't lie to you, flying an aircraft is tough and requires a lot of time and dedication to learn. And not everyone will be able to do it. Do you have any experience with modern technology such as computers? If so, that will help immensely.

If not, I'm still willing to teach you, but it'll be very difficult and take a lot of time. Just know that if you want to try, you have to give it everything you have.

No, I have no experience with that sort of thing. Even the devices in the kitchen of the community buildings here were strange to me. But I definitely don't want to be a bother to anyone if I get sent again.

[He had steeled himself for this possibility. A lot of people in Luceti hadn't had experience with technology, so he figured he'd be working from scratch with a lot of recruits. That's fine. In a way, it's better, because they don't have to unlearn anything.]

I see. Well, that doesn't disqualify you. A lot of people have similar problems here with technology, but I'll start putting together a course on how to utilize the computers in fighter planes.

If it proves to be too much of a problem, we can always go back to using planes that don't have them at all.

[He would much rather not do that, as the older propeller planes would be far more vulnerable than modern fighters, but given what he has to work with, he's willing to accept the possibility.]

I will definitely do my best to learn. Lack of effort is definitely not a fault of mine.

[He likes that attitude. If she holds up through how tough it'll be, she might have the makings of a good pilot.]

Good. I'll expect nothing less. Can I have your name, Miss?

My name is Tia. It is a pleasure to meet you.

Likewise, Miss Tia.

Do you have any questions for me, considering you're interested in this?

I admit, I don't even know what to ask quite yet because I know so little.

Alright. Well, why don't I start with something simple. I know you said the stuff in the kitchens was foreign to you, but have you seen an airplane before?

Nope. But from what you said, I can make a guess that it is a device that flies like a bird. And that definitely would be an advantage when the Third Party can fly and we cannot.

[He switches the feed over to video, him pulling out a model of an F-15 Eagle (http://www.f15model.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/F15-ocean.jpg).]

Yes, it is. This is a small model of one of many varieties. ...This one can't fly, and it's a fraction of the size of a real plane.

Aircraft like this soar through the air, and if you can believe it, they can travel faster than sound.

Doesn't traveling that fast do harm to a person though?

And how big is the real thing? I'd imagine it must be large for a person to fit in there.

[He points to the glass canopy at the front of the plane, bringing the model close enough that hopefully she can see the seat inside it.]

Inside the cockpit here, a person is safe from most of the dangers of that kind of speed. It an still be intense on the pilot, but if they are properly trained, they can deal with it better. Aircraft are usually designed with the pilot's safety in mind.

And aircraft can be very large. If you can see the seat in there, that should give you an idea of how big they can be.

Wow, that must be as large or even possibly larger than one of the Five Great Dragons!

Great Dragons? Can't say I've seen one of those. ...Seen a dragon zombie before. Can't call that one of my better days.

Ah, the Great Dragons are the gods of my world. Definitely nothing like a zombie. The monsters of my world are quite fearsome and definitely take strong warriors to defeat.

I already know how to fly, but I've never been drafted.

Even if you get all the people who want to be pilots here, how do you get them into the draft? And even then, from what I understand, the Malnosso don't always give fighter jets or helicopters; even if you can pilot them. As you said, one of the biggest problems is that they take people who don't know anything about war. Honestly, they have a bit of a sadistic streak. One pacifist almost always gets drafted.

I'm curious though, you really intend to teach it without the equipment here?

Ma'am, we do have the means to teach people how to fly here. Doesn't even take too much. Wouldn't be making the offer if we didn't.

[He's of course, referring to the Battle Dome since its upgrade.]

It's not about forcing our way into the draft, it's giving people a role there if they happen to be. Or at least, a shot at one. As it stands, it's better than those people sitting on their hands doing nothing.

All right, all right, don't get your panties in a twist.

Jeez, army types are always so bossy when they feel like they have to be big men in control.

What kind of machines did you say you flew in that Usean war of yours?

[He'll just ignore that first part.]

I flew the Sukhoi SU-37 Terminator, an advanced variant of the SU-27 Flanker. But I do have training flying several other fighters such as the F-35 Lightning, AV-8 Harrier, and F-15 Eagle.

[Whistles softly...] There were only two of those even converted... You do like to the fly with the big boys, huh.

And here I thought you weren't even from my world at first...

[He chuckles lightly.]

I do. Though as it would happen, if you're from Earth, I'm not from your world. ...However, the world I am from shares so many similarities to it, it's startling. The surface of the planet is very different, but human development and technology syncs up almost perfectly to Earth's history.

The difference is a lot of military hardware is proliferated, and planes that were only test vehicles and tech demonstrators on Earth are full-fledged warplanes on mine. The SU-37 is an example of that. In my world, they're a main-line fighter for the Erusian Air Force's elite squadrons. The SU-47 Berkut is also progressively seeing deployment in nations around the world.

[...This is a man who definitely has done his research on Earth's history of aviation.]

Is that so?

It sounds fascinating. Is that the latest fighter pilot technology in your world?

So far.

No, my country is developing a more advanced fighter than that at the moment. As far as my research indicates, there's nothing quite like it on Earth.

I see. Any autogyros?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The Sixteenth Sortie [Voice, Action]

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[Voice] ooc: sorry for delay, was at comic con

[Voice] No worries, I've been derping anyway

[Voice] Awesome