STATION 01: Engels airdrome - Training flight

Despite her chafing feet, Galina is drawn to the bustle of the airfield’s flight line.

A squadron of Yaks are being armed and fuelled by a swarming ground crew. Fighter pilots swagger like heroes on the tarmac near their machines. She notes with pride that small red stars have been painted under several of the machines’ cockpits. Each denoting a downed fascist aircraft.

She watches a Pe-2 bomber taxiing from a hangar, marvelling at the noise of its twin engines. She has heard comparison with the Nazi’s wretched ‘Stuka’. But the fascists’ dive bomber, see sees, is inferior in every way to the ‘Peshka’.

Finally she catches sight of the area where the Po-2 trainers are parked. She smiles at the familiar sight of the gentle little planes. But, while mechanics swarm the futuristic-looking Yaks and Peshkas, nobody attends the biplanes. Their fuselages appear almost ragged from exposure to wind and rain, suggesting that they seldom find shelter in the hangars.

As she looks a burly mechanic passes her and smiles briefly.

"Comrade technician, can you point me to Logistics Area 6?"

She offers the fellow a Belomor, from a packet of cigarettes that she keeps only for the purpose.

Dash spies the supply depot and says to her son, "Come, let's see what they have." She couldn't actually buy anything; she didn't have any money or anything to trade - not until she was able to complete a few missions. But she could look. And ask for some directions. If she was lucky, she might run into that officer who promised some safety and work for her son.

The aerodrome was massive if it were merely a training facility, Larisa thought to herself. Even from the main gate to the nearest row of buildings was still another stretch of walking. The main runway bisected the entire airfield right across the centre, beyond which were the hangars for the various flight craft. Larisa barely made it past the garage before she realised just how many more clusters of buildings there still were to navigate. Common sense dictated that operations would be centred around the traffic control tower, barracks much further away towards the least busy section of the airbase. Still, even with elimination, that left so much more ground to cover.

A brainwave hit Larisa. There were so many fresh faces arriving at Engels. They would all have to report for supplies. She would simply follow the new recruits as they made their way to Logistics Area Six! She looked for all those who reported to the MP and were directed to collect their uniforms.

"Just a handful of petroleum jelly. The stuff you use to clean your hands of oil…"

With the crowd of people arriving, and Larisa not being the sort of person who typically followed the crowd, it was hard for her to simply go up to someone and ask for directions, preferring to figure it out herself while projecting an exterior appearance of confidence. This time though, it wasn't going to be that easy to cluelessly find Area Six in this vast facility. She was lost, and decided to head for the location with the most number of people heading towards it.

Galina is disappointed at the dollop of sludge that the mechanic dumps into her handkerchief. Is it soft--or clean--enough to help her chafed heels? She will apply it sparing first before offering to other pilots.

She senses the mechanic may one day require some recompense for his act of kindness. Some female attention perhaps, or some part or other from the training area. Hardly worth giving up one her precious ciggies for!

But at least she able to walk to Logistics Area 6 in reasonably good time.

As she meanders though the supply depot, Dash keeps a lookout for anything that could feed a hungry boy. She will go with hunger herself, but she wants to make sure that Maksim is fed before she heads off to check in.

"Yes I am!" Larisa snapped to and instinctively replied in the affirmative, not even knowing whether the officer in question was referring to the training squadron or the 588th as a whole. Best to always put one's best foot forward with a show of enthusiasm. Even if she were utterly mistaken, hopefully she would've exhibited confidence and assertiveness. "I am required to draw supplies from Logistics first. Is this not the correct location? I was directed here."

Galina thanks the mechanic, but tries to indicate that favours will not extend to anything immoral or unpatriotic. She also considers that she is an officer of the Red Army--this man an NCO at best. She watches the officer calling out Dasha and feels sorry for both women. But she indicates that she is ready to accept orders and does not reveal any emotion.

Dash quickly looks around, trying to see if there's anything she can grab for Maksim before that officer traps them into an unwanted conversation.