Jaakko notices Tippy far ahead of him, but is too exhausted to call or run after her, or so he tells himself. He continues his march, trudging to the crew rooms, pilot bag in fist, helmet held by the chin. His harness jingles from time to time.
Its too much like Taiton, he reasons. He remembers Gantevir, the first squadron he was assigned to some three or four months before Taiton. One that was less than a year old, in fact. Jaakko remembers the FOB airbase hastily constructed in the deserts outside Taiton, an insufferable, hellish construction of sand and rock, prefab buildings, plywood constructions, it's single short runway, concrete barriers made into bunkers in the case of shelling.
Jaakko remembers the personnel. Embittered veterans who would not associate with him, bitter from being moved around to create new squadrons, weary of getting close to the new guy. He remembers the 'veterans,' men and women who had been new at the time the squadron was created. They looked down on new arrivals for no reason in particular, he recalls.
He remembers the hazing and infighting. Jaakko makes the connection between his experiences and Eremit's.
He remembers the first night they were briefed on their operations for the week leading into the Battle of Taiton. Surge operations, two sorties a day, for almost a week.
That's how Svirask feels.
Gantevir would lose so many personnel that it would be disbanded, and it's only survivors immediately moved to the closest squadron, Mjolnir.
It feels like Taiton.
Jaakko finds himself before the door of the barracks, mistakenly. He gets through the door and trudges towards his room to collect his things to clean up. He glances at Ellie and an unfamiliar face, but being out of it, doesn't react. He looks upset.
Poll