Battle Fire #1

"The Gambler" follows a young Air Force pilot with a compulsive gambling addiction who faces a moral reckoning when his bomber is damaged during a bombing run over Germany with multiple engine failures and hydraulic leaks. As the stricken aircraft loses altitude approaching the White Cliffs of Dover, the pilot must decide whether to bail out with his crew or attempt a dangerous landing, ultimately choosing to ride the bomber down to protect his men's chances of escape. "The Captain Was a Coward" depicts a military officer who abandons his patrol during combat when they encounter enemy mortars in an ambush, leaving his men pinned down before he deserts to save himself and later claims they are all dead. American soldiers discover an ancient stone idol in a temple and use it as cover during a firefight against enemy forces, after which the narrative notes that the idol's protective power transcends centuries.