STATION 01: Engels airdrome - Training flight

"Private Lari Rostov, reporting for duty sir! I've only just been deployed to Engels and was not briefed that there would be a flight mission straightaway. If I could get directions to Logistics Area Six I shall prepare myself immediately and then return for further orders." 586th! Larisa had chanced upon the wrong squadron heading out! Best to remain professional and excuse herself the moment she could. There would be time later to make amends to Lieutenant Litvyak.

I a bit scrawny and timid, a young woman enters the depot. Standing nicely in line behind the others.
She seems quite small in figure, her hair looking tidy, but her clothes are stained with oil and grease. She is looking at the floor.

She breathes out for a moment longer than normal as she whispers under her breath.
"Service uniforms, flight boots, one week’s rations and directions to the trainee barracks. Service uniforms, flight boots, one week’s rations and directions to the trainee barracks."

"Captain Rashkov," Dasha said in surprise, nearly bumping into the tall logistics officer that had helped her back when she was fleeing her home town.

"Hello, Dasha. Maksim," the officer said, a half smile adorning. He was surely remembering the night Dasha had slept with him - the favor she paid to get her son on base. She wasn't ashamed of it; but she did feel a little guilty considering how recent her husband had passed in the war.

"I- I was just looking for you," she said, only half lying. In truth, she didn't know where to find him. She thought he'd be with the 288th, and she had intended to go there next, after getting something for Maksim to eat. Her own stomach growled, but she ignored it. "You said you would find a place for Maksim, yes?" She asked, hesitantly.

"Oh, yes! Of course! Of course. I have already secured a bunk for him, and a job!"

"A.. a job? He's only ten, sir."

"Yes, well, we need all the hands we can get, and his hands will work wonders on some of the engines we have to repair. Small hands like his can get in places others can't. And he'll be learning some valuable skills, Dasha. Think of all the help he'll provide Mother Russia, and he won't be better protected than in the heart of the base. And as a bonus, you can come see him - and me," he said with a smile and a wink, "- any time you want. Now, why don't you come with me, son, while your mother reports in to her commanding officer."

Dasha hugged her son goodbye, and quickly left to report in, following the directions Captain Rashkov gave her.

Along with the standard set of equipment, Captain Rashkov had slipped in a nice writing pen and some paper - something to allow her to write with and send letters to Maksim on those days when she couldn't see him. "What a thoughtful man," she thought to herself, and she smiled as she made her way to the training center.

Larisa didn't know whether it was wholly appropriate or not, but she proffered a quick salute to Lieutenant Litvyak before dashing out the same way she came, glad not to have to keep up the pretense for longer than necessary, but making a mental note to come back when she could, after sorting out the mess with the 588th. But first, supplies!

With the directions she found her way quickly to Logistics Area Six, blurting out as she entered "Private Lari Rostov, I'm looking for Masha!", but not yet sure which woman in the room she was addressing. "Lieutenant Litvyak of the 586th sent me for supplies." And waited to see who replied.

Galina waves to Larissa, anxious that she should catch up.

In the meantime she gathers what supplies she can. She is petite, so the male uniforms are especially huge. Determined as she is to show a brave face, she accepts the shoddiness of the equipment with good grace. But she is exasperated that the boots are not attached together*. What carelessness! She collects what cans and packets of food her short time allows.

She is now tired. She heads to the 586th 588th with her armfuls of shoddy gear.

"Thank you Sergeant Masha, Lieutenant Litvyak sends her regards." Litvyak of course said no such thing, but it didn't hurt for Larisa to make nice with Masha. Who knows, they might always need the help of logistics one way or another.

"Hello, I'm Lari! You must be one of the new conscripts here as well!" Larisa greeted the friendly wave by marching up to Galina and introducing herself, and joined her in digging through the stores. Apart from what she was told to acquire, she looked out for something, anything that would give her an advantage to impress Litvyak; perhaps there was something the 586th might need that she could unearth.

Once she found all that she wanted, she would head back to report to Litvyak first, before heading to the 588th.

Larisa found a suitable ill-fitting uniform very quickly, as well as the boots. The rations were stacked haphazardly along one wall; she grabbed a whole carton, intending to bring all of it back to the regiment, when she spied a small box, tucked away where it shouldn't be, behind the row of rations. She opened them to see, a couple of pairs of brand new leather gloves! She quickly opened the ration box to dump away half of the rations in order to hide the glove box within, fully intending to bring them back to Litvyak and her crew as gifts.

And that's when she saw it as she exited the storeroom from behind, the massive crate of an unassembled airplane. She tried to read the imprint on the crate to find out what model it was. This news was more precious than all the vodka in the world. Surely Litvyak would want to hear of this, perhaps the lieutenant would be interested to make a play for this aircraft.

She hurried back, exiting quickly past Sergeant Masha with a big thank you. She owed the depot sergeant, and would have to make it up to her someday.