Vera was flying her ninth and last bombing sortie for the night and landed safely on the airfield. The sun was starting to rise, and the black edge of night gave way to the misty rays of another day.
As Vera stepped out of her plane, Rimma advised her that the base commander requested her presence immediately.
Tired from bombing for ten straight hours Vera shrugged and headed to the command dugout. Inside, the base commander was sitting around a wooden, plank table and another uniformed officer was sitting next to him. She saluted her superior officer and the general sitting next to him. “Comrade Senior Major Korkavic. Comrade Senior Captain Vera Zhkov reporting as requested.” The major returned a formal salute, but the general looked the other way, with no return salute.
“You are to ta
