Aces High #[nn]

In "The Way It Was," an aging World War I pilot shares memories of the skies with his grandson, reflecting on the brutal realities of war. Though modern planes have evolved, he reminds him that the cost—death, destruction, and sorrow—remains unchanged.

In the quiet moments before battle, newly assigned Lt. Pomeroy stands on the grassy field of Bar Sur Seine, watched but not welcomed by the seasoned pilots of the 37th "Blue Blazes" Aero Squadron. As tensions simmer and the squadron’s wary eyes follow him, a sudden attack from a fleet of Fokkers forces him to act—flying into danger not to prove himself, but to defend the field he now calls home.

In "The Mascot," newly arrived pilot Lane learns the strange, solemn duty of the squadron’s canine mascot—a dog who waits on the runway before every mission, a silent sentinel whose presence marks the fate of those who fly. As the war drags on, the dog’s quiet vigil becomes a quiet test of faith, loyalty, and the unspoken bond between men and the machines they trust.

In the skies over Europe during World War I, where honor and instinct often clashed, Lt. Horst Viegel flew with a disregard for the unspoken code that governed aerial combat. His defiance of tradition put him at odds with both enemy and ally, testing the fragile line between survival and sacrifice.

In the skies over war-torn Europe, Captain Warren, recovering from wounds, finds unexpected solace in the care of his nurse—only to lose her in a brutal air raid by the merciless Rustow's Circus. Driven by grief and fury, he demands to return to combat, not for glory, but for one final reckoning. When his plane runs out of ammo mid-mission, he locks eyes with Rustow—and chooses a final, desperate act of vengeance.

In the grim trenches of World War I, Burt dreams of escape—of soaring above the mud and chaos as a pilot in the legendary Lafayette Escadrille. When his chance finally comes, he inherits not just a fighter plane, but the locked belongings of Lt. Blackton, the man he’s replacing. The weight of that locker, and the secrets it might hold, settles on him as he takes to the skies.

In "The Rules," Lt. Dale’s unorthodox tactics as a WWI pilot clash with the fragile code of conduct upheld by both American and German flyers. When his actions push beyond accepted limits, the Germans respond in a way that forces him to confront the consequences of breaking the unspoken rules of aerial warfare.

In "Greasemonkey," Sgt. Warner, a former flight trainee turned ground crewman after failing out of pilot school, is haunted by the death of his best friend in a tragic accident. When a high-stakes mission threatens to send a base captain—whose young son died in training—into mortal danger, Warner takes matters into his own hands, stepping into the cockpit to complete the flight and honor the memory of the boy he couldn’t save.

In "The Green Kids," Major Caswell grapples with the mounting toll of his green pilots’ deaths, convinced his commander is indifferent to their lives. When Colonel Ross is suddenly relieved of command and Caswell takes the reins, he begins to uncover a deeper truth behind the losses—one that challenges everything he thought he knew.

In the skies over war-torn Europe, pilot Buddy carries a worn teddy bear named Happy not for luck, but out of habit—until he leaves it with a Red Cross volunteer to be repaired. When he’s called back to flight duty, the bear remains unfixed, but a hidden charm from his friend Pete makes its way into Buddy’s cockpit. The weight of that unseen gift begins to shape his fate in ways he can’t yet understand.

In "The Novice and the Ace," a young American pilot joins Squadron 9, where veteran aces are wary of facing a feared German opponent with over thirty confirmed kills. When the newcomer brings down the enemy plane and reveals the pilot behind the legend is just a boy who painted the kills to scare his foes, the squadron is stunned—especially when they learn their newest member is a real ace with a far greater score.

In "Spads Were Trump," Lt. Muller, the top ace in his squadron, is haunted by a mysterious German opponent known only as the Red Eagle—until a shocking revelation unravels the truth behind the enemy's identity. The story unfolds with tension and quiet intensity, probing the personal stakes behind the skies of war.

In "Ordeal," Lieutenant Stoner—seasoned flyer with 32 missions under his belt—faces a trial that tests him not with enemy fire, but with the one fear he’s never conquered. Forced into a situation that demands more than skill, his courage is put to the ultimate test in the skies above a war-torn theater.