Nick Raiden Joined the R.A.F. at 18 desperate to get away from home and controlling parents, School at the time was not for him, he wanted adventure and travel. The military was a draw for him, he was not good at making friends, so the Vietnam films he grew up on and the brotherhood shown in the films, enticed him to find that belonging. Joining as an engineer he found himself back in school, which seemed to fit him now. The regimented days took away the flighted thoughts and distractions and brought focus. Nick learned fast and excelled throughout his training. His first Squadron was an eye opener for the home bred lad. The squadron was built up of an eclectic mix which he found hard to crack, being new sometimes it was hard to mix in. He found his frustrations and formed a few friends but never really fit. he knew he was meant for more than turning spanners and keeping the aircraft up. During this time Nick matured, he let go of the wandering mindset and started to look into where he could improve his lot.
Nick's engineering background made him think logically, which is how he approached his next move, he applied for flight school. This would put him at the tip of the spear and gain recognition and the brotherhood he so desperately wanted to be part of. It took a lot out of him, he was now trying to impress people far more educated than him, that looked down on him because he came from the rank and file, this developed a hardness within him, a sense of what is right. He fought his way into the close knit groups that occupied flight school, sometimes having to stand up for himself and those in the ranks that they looked down on. He could not let some things stand.
Nick left the school a pilot, not a fast jet pilot like the rich hotshots he fought with daily, but a helicopter pilot. He left for his new squadron before he heard them laugh about it.
He had made it. Pride was a new feeling for him, one which made him feel good. He joined the Squadron eager to learn and did well, he was immediately accepted by the other pilots, they seemed to understand the plight he had been through to get there as most of them had come through the same way, he had found his Brothers.
Nick had been a pilot for 15 years when the Pandemic started, he was leading his Pilots on cold manoeuvres, being part of the "Winter" Flight of the squadron. Norway as always in the autumn was their playground. Learning how to land in powdered snow and coping with the whiteout, extreme cold weather and helicopters do not mix. The times they spent in Norway was usually a mix of extreme cold and a lot of beer.
This year was to be different.
September of 2020 The Flight received orders to report to Nyheim to assist PLIKT in the movement of assets around the country. This was not unusual to assist a host nation, they had done this many times before. This to Nick seemed a veiled request. He kept note of what they were transporting where, also who. The lockdown was causing problems with the locals and he found himself moving more troops than relief efforts. At this time Nick realised that they would not be returning home anytime soon, the reports from home were just as bad. Nick's flight became the airbourne trucks for PLIKT, he was being worked hard every day. His repeated requests to move the flight home were denied.
The late fall of 2021 brought the whole story home to him, the pandemic was out of hand, they were now moving vaccination canisters around the area trying to stem the spread, Nick no longer called home, his whole focus was on stopping the spread. The flight started to lose people, Nick isolated with just his crew as he watched his Flight dwindle to just a handful, he was losing the brothers he had found and been with for years, it tore him up to see them fall.
On the 30th of October Nick took off as usual to transport doctors and research analysts to Oslo, normally a routine flight, but not this time on the way back his co-pilot fell to the Virus. The loadmaster reached over and grabbed him to get him out of the Heli, still speeding through the night sky, they fought, the last thing Nick saw was both of them fall from the door out into the snowy air as the co-pilots gun went off.
The bullets went through the floor hitting the fuel tanks. Nick continued on trying desperately to get back to Nyheim, the fuel gauges sitting beyond red as he made it over the border into Nyheim district as the engines finally gave in and starved.
The heli finally came to a stop on its side, Nick climbed out battered and bruised but somehow unharmed. He was now alone, cold and away from the safety of his camp.