Prologue
Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.
The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1
March 1, 2021, Griswall, capital of the Federal Republic of Aurelia.
A lone pilot walks along the sidewalk of the Aurelian capital.
He was 19 years old, stood at 5'10, had short black hair, fair skin tone, intense blue-gray eyes and athletic build. He wore navy blue jeans secured by a belt, short-sleeved white shirt, a charcoal gray jacket with the Aurelian Air Force logo on it and black shoes with blue trimming.
His name is Kyle Masterson a.k.a. Gryphus 1, the hero of Aurelia. Last year, he took part in a conflict that would've been the end of the country had it not been for his actions.
Due to its unique geography, Aurelia is an interesting country.
Located in South Osea and the southernmost country of the Osean continent, Aurelia is connected to a peninsular territory connected by its neighbor Leasath and northern lands of mainland Osea. It's divided into three major states: North Puna, which has northwestern Aurelia, Lenal County, which spans most of the eastern, central and northern territory and two unnamed states, one covering the lands of North Puna and a second one further south spanning the southern tip of the country. Aurelia is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Aurelian Sea to the east.
The western, northeastern and southern coasts are mountainous while the rest of the country is mostly made up of plains. Much of Aurelia has an arctic climate due to elevation but it changes in different directions becoming temperate in the isthmus, semi-arid in the center of the nation and subarctic in the southwest, extending to arctic in the austral areas south of the mainland. Because it is one of the closest countries to Antarctica and the Antarctic Circle, it controls several oil fields of the island chain of Terminus Island which is vital to Aurelia's economy. What's intriguing about the Southern Hemisphere is that its seasons run backwards.
In October 2020, Aurelia's neighbor Leasath invaded the country, capturing 95% of territory in just the span of ten days thanks to the assaults from Leasath's Gleipnir, a massive airborne fortress capable of sneaking into territory with its Optical Camouflage System and using Shockwave Ballistic Missiles (SWBM) for multi-range attacks, a Shock Cannon on its belly to destroy any ground or sea targets and conventional ordnance to defend itself. With this unique arsenal at its disposal, Aurelia couldn't mount a counterattack. Leasath eventually took over Griswall and used Gaiuss Tower, the tallest building in Aurelia as their headquarters. Ironically it was also a symbol of peace to Aurelia.
The air base stationed at Cape Aubrey was the only thing not under Leasath control so a squad of B-52 bombers were sent to take care of it. Gryphus Squadron was able to shoot down the bombers and the air base survived but their victory was short-lived because the Gleipnir deactivated its Optical Camouflage to launch an SWBM from the Puna Plains. The warning came too late and Gryphus Squadron was wiped out with Gryphus 1 and 2 being the only survivors the latter's plane was severely damaged but still flyable. The images of the squadron's destruction were displayed to the citizens of Cape Aubrey and some news articles claimed resistance was futile as the last of Aurelian soldiers surrendered. However, one pilot wasn't going to let this go unanswered.
Following the near-take over of his home country, Kyle was seething with rage. In the wake of his squadron's demise he swore to exact revenge on the man who had orchastrated this invasion, Leasath's commanding officer Diego Gaspar Navarro. But Kyle needed to drive the Leasath invaders out of Aurelia.
The first step was capturing a base at the Puna Plains, destroying B-52 bombers and C-5 transports stationed there and the headquarters. The mission was a success and Aurelia used it as a resupply base for the next phase. He went on to retake Port Patterson, sinking cargo ships en route and destroyers escorting them. With this phase complete, Gryphus Squadron moved to retake Santa Elva as part of their mission to liberate Griswall.
The Davis Unit, an Aurelian special force unit was stranded at Stand Canyon after being cut off from the main force while heading for Santa Elva. Despite being under the constant barrage of SWBMs, Gryphus 1 rescued the Davis Unit. The downside is that this allowed the Miller Unit to capture Port Patterson. Angered by this move, Gryphus 1 turned around to retake Port Patterson taking out the Miller Unit without damaging the fuel complex they were using to shield themselves. After destroying most of the unit, the 3rd Artillery Devision entered the city. However, they weren't ready and fell to Gryphus 1's wrath.
He next received word that shipments of supplies were heading for Santa Elva via Kingshill, no doubt intending to replenish the ammunition the Gleipnir used on him at Stand Canyon. Upon arriving at Kingshill, Gryphus 1 discovered there were decoys among the formation the real transports were flying at lower altitude because the payload exceeded the Maximum Takeoff Weight. The decoys made it to Santa Elva but not the real targets.
Santa Elva came at last and using his very sharp eyesight, Gryphus 1 was able to make out the shape of the Gleipnir even with it cloaked. Shooting his F-22's gun, he was able to damage the Optical Camouflage System enough to render it useless. Next came the destruction of the SWBM, conventional weaponry and the Shock Cannon when the captain of the airborne fortress intended to use it on the city. The Gleipnir crashed into a river and exploded. Gryphus 1's actions spur the Aurelian troops to rejoin the fight and made him be feared by Leasath, earning the title "Nemesis".
Days later, Griswall was liberated after the destruction of the Mason Cannon guarding the Gaiuss Tower. Soldiers joined the celebrating citizens yet Diego Navarro escaped, heading for the Danern Straits.
During the closing days of the war, the reason behind the war became clear. Aurelia was Leasath's largest benefactor of aid, especially after the bloody civil war it experienced in 2019. However Diego Navarro twisted the truth, calling it "years of exploitation". He used the Aurelian War to amass enormous sums of money to fund development of a secret stealth Leasath fighter named Fenrir. The Aurelian Air Force mobilized to destroy Fenrir and its research facilities on Sentry Island now called Archelon Fortress before Navarro could complete it. There were two routes to the island.
A group of Leasath ace pilots known as the Alect Squadron were heading for Archelon Fortress through the Danern Straits and a new weapon being developed at Cobalt Cave. Gryphus 1 realized that both posed a serious threat but he could only choose one. He decided to head for the Cobalt Cave to stop development of the new weapon, sinking the cargo ships and destroying the research facilities there. A Leasath scientist taken into custody by the Aurelian Navy SEALs revealed that the cargo was a High Powered Microwave weapon that was to be mounted onto Fenrir.
A Leasath naval fleet was making its way toward Archelon Fortress and was annihilated by the joint efforts of Gryphus and Falco Squadron.
Arriving at the fortress they were greeted by the Alect Squadron piloting the fully functional Fenrir, they provided a tough challenge with their Optical Camouflage and reflexes. However, the tide of battle turned when an amphibious unit captured an electrical transmitter and opened the gates for Gryphus 1 to destroy it. With their power supply destroyed, Fenrir was now exposed and quickly fell victim to Gryphus 1. The amphibious unit continued on to explore the fortress and discovered a fifth Fenrir taking off before they could stop it. Flying through the fortress's front gate, Gryphus 1 destroyed Fenrir as Archelon Fortress began to collapse due to C-4 charges. The unit was able to recover a Fenrir prototype as they left.
Upon conclusion of the war, Diego Navarro fled Leasath and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Prior to returning to Cape Aubrey, Kyle was interviewed by Albert Genette, the journalist sent to cover the war. He told Genette his thoughts on the war and how he passionately hated hot weather.
Breaking out of his reminiscing Kyle sits on a bench in a park. A mother passes by with her daughter.
The girl said, "Look Mom, it's Kyle Masterson!" She waves at the country's hero with a smile, her mother giggles at her child's bubbly behavior.
Kyle waves back and they approached with the girl showing him her Santa figure.
Good O' Saint Nick stood on a surf board wearing red trunks, sunglasses, his hat and bag in one hand while extending the other as he rode the small wave attached to it. The figure also bore the emblem of the Southern Cross, the other nickname Kyle gained. The emblem was the form of a cartoon bird holding two constellations connected in the form of a cross.
The girl beamed, "Look, Kyle! I got this Santa figure as a Christmas present last year and it even bears your squad emblem!"
Kyle smiled, "That's nice, little one."
The energetic youngster asked, "I'm a big fan of yours so is my Dad! We are grateful for you liberating Griswall. Will you be there to protect us?"
Kyle nodded, "Of course. Aurelia's my home!" The mother tells her child they have to go and the girl waves good-bye to the Aurelian pilot.
'Navarro, where are you hiding?' Kyle venomously.
Footsteps bring his attention from gazing at the sky.
In front of him was a young man around 17 years old, stood at 5'8, hazel eyes, moderate skin tone, shoulder-length brown hair and lean build. He wore charcoal gray jeans secured by a belt, white shirt covered by a black jacket with the manufacturer company logo on it and red shoes with blue-white stripes. His name is Alex Irvine, Kyle's wingman.
Kyle asked, "Yes, Alex what is it?"
Alex rubbed his neck sheepishly, "I know you're enjoying your alone time but I got word from Eugene that we received a mission from HQ. They didn't give him any details but it sounds pretty urgent."
Kyle stood up, "Well, let's get moving."
Alex nodded, "Right!" They head for Cape Aubrey, a peninsula in southwestern Aurelia.
Entering the briefing room, they are greeted by some of its staff and their AWACS, Eugene Solano.
Eugene is a young man who turned 20 earlier this year, stood at 5'6, maybe 5'7, gray eyes, short black hair and a toned figure. He was having weight problems when he transferred to Cape Aubrey but thanks to diet and exercise, he was able to slim down. His attire was tan pants and button up shirt of the military.
They all take a seat.
The base commander, "Thank you for coming, men. I know I'm ruining your post-war vacation but HQ has received an emergency transmission from Intelligence. It seems Diego Navarro has decided to come out of hiding to avenge his defeat you guys delivered last year. He's been amassing an enormous air force with soldiers still loyal to him and are preparing to strike Aurelia. We need you to attack them. His air armada is making its way through the Pacific Ocean, we believe their target is Port Patterson. Judging by the speed and time needed for mid-air refueling, we calculated the armada will reach Port Patterson within 72 hours." Kyle's eyes turn deadly at the mentioning of his eluded prey's name. Well, one of two. His other target was staying under the radar for the time being.
Alex asked, "How was he able to build such a massive strike force being miles away from his homeland?"
The base commander replied, "The country he fled to had a massive naval force with enough aircraft carriers to launch an invasion. Our satellite detected the aircraft taking off from their carriers, the exact layout of the enemy formation is unknown but I do know you will be entering a nasty dogfight with a man hellbent on revenge. To sort of even the odds, Falco and Aquila Squadron will be joining you in this battle. Make sure Navarro's plan ends in failure like you did last year. Dismissed." The assembled pilots head off to the changing room.
Kyle changes into his special g-suit. It was colored black, had gray armored plating around the torso, arms and legs, made of titanium melted down and reforged in a repeated cycle that ended with a highly durable armor plating that surpasses tank armor and keep corrosion resistance. The suit itself was made of thick fibers designed to be tough and withstand punishment brought on by fire or decay over time.
The plating on the arms were modified into wrist gauntlets for combat. The right plating houses twin razor-sharp, serrated wrist blades mounted in parallel and forged out of titanium and depleted uranium that can easily cut through wood, ice, skin, muscle and bone. The left one was a miniature computer that controlled the cloaking device, rendering the user invisible to all normal means of detection such as thermal, night or regular vision. However the cloaking shorts out when exposed to EMP or submerged in water. The device can be re-engaged once the effect wears off or when the wearer removes himself from the water. The computer also controlled multiple visions for the user. The four visions include enhanced normal vision, thermal for tracing heat signatures, night vision for pitch blackness and modified x-ray vision that picks up the heartbeat of cloaked people or to see behind walls. The drawback is that the suit weighs 168 pounds, however a well-conditioned person can compensate for this.
The helmet was a lighter shade of black and had a demonic design straight out of a horror movie with the dark visor wedged in the demon's jaws and can withstand gunfire ranging from pistols to RPGs. Its overall design was intent on making the enemies shit their pants.
Kyle tests the wrist blades to make sure they're working right. The blades' maximum length was 18 inches but he preferably kept the length at 10 inches and 6 inches wide. He grabs a twin-bladed glaive with the blades retracting into the base of the hilt and extend with a squeeze of the hand and his trusty M9A1 Beretta pistol. Kyle places the gun in its holster and the glaive in a sheath mounted on his right thigh.
Alex said, "Are you ready to go, Captain? I want to repel this invasion force and head back to Aurelia for my vacation."
Kyle nodded, "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's get moving, Alex." He puts his helmet on and they head for their fighters.
Kyle moves his F-22 Raptor into takeoff position on the runway, doing a systems check while waiting clearance for takeoff.
The control tower operator said, "Gryphus 1, you are cleared for takeoff."
Kyle responded, "Roger, tower. Gryphus 1, taking off!" He pushes the throttle to afterburners, the stealth fighter picks up speed as it rolls down the runway and Gryphus 1 pulls the joystick toward him to get the jet in the air and retracts the landing gear. Gryphus 2 takes off, followed by Falco and Aquila Squadron.
3 days later and couple of mid-air refueling, the Aurelia fighter squads spot the silhouettes of the enemy.
Alex gasped, "Good god!"
Kyle commanded, "Gryphus 1 here. We have found the enemy formation."
Crux said, "This is Crux, I'm picking them up on radar. The formation was composed 40 fighters and 20 bombers. The bombers are not showing up, however."
Gryphus 1 explained, "Must be using stealth bombers, most likely F-117s."
Their AWACS ordered, "Crux to Gryphus 1, you are free to engage the enemy. Shoot down as many enemy aircraft as you can then go after the stragglers." The Aurelia pilots attach their air masks to the helmet.
Gryphus 1 leads the charge, switches to XLAAM.
Gaining four locks he fires the missiles scream through the air and destroy the targets, turning them into fireballs that alerted the rest.
A pair of Su-37s break away from the formation to go after Gryphus 1.
Hearing the missile warning Gryphus 1 pulls a hard right turn that shakes off the missile and gets behind the enemy fighters, he gains a lock then fires two standard missiles. The lock on alert doesn't the young pilot who turns left to avoid rounds from the MiG-21's cannon. The rounds keep coming but Gryphus 1 performs a barrel roll so that they fly past the F-22 without leaving a scratch on its frame.
The enemy wondered, "Who is this guy?"
His wingman gasped, "That's Nemesis!"
The first enemy pilot grinned, "This must be our lucky day! If we can shoot him down, not only will our boss give us a medal he'll build a statue in our honor." He gains a missile lock and fires the missiles follow the Raptor's IR signature, the heat generated by the engines.
The stealth fighter's maneuverability proves too much for the heat-seeking missile as the projectile spins around before exploding. Gryphus 1 dives to the right and executes a hard left turn, his armored g-suit countering the force of the turn.
The third enemy pilot said, "He avoided my missile! What's he got? Eyes in the back of his head?" 20 enemy fighters gang up on the hero of Aurelia however their superior numbers proved useless as Gryphus 1 lives up to his nickname and downs each one with lethal precision. He gets behind the MiG-21 that shot the heat-seeking missile at him and shoots an AIM-9M Sidewinder at him.
The pilot's eyes widened, "When did he-" He doesn't get time to finish because the missile obliterates the craft.
Behind his helmet, Gryphus 1's eyes resemble the darkness of the abyss. These arrogant fools think they can attack Aurelia? Not as long as the Gryphus Squadron's around!
Aquila Squadron is able to take down the fighters protecting the bombers with the help of Falco Squadron, paving the way for Aquila to down the stealth bombers. They hear the missile alert going off and they look frantically to see where the missiles are coming from. They look up in time to see the objects hurtling towards them and their lives are extinguished in an instant. The enemy aircraft was a modified Su-47 built for stealth.
The Su-47 pilot turns her attention to the F-22 Raptor piloted by Gryphus 1.
Gryphus 1's eyes detect a flash coming from the distance which turned out to be the Su-47 reflecting the Sun off its dark body. The two stealth fighters pass each other and the Su-47 turns hard to the right and gets behind Gryphus 1 this makes the Aurelian ace pull evasive maneuvers. The two attempt to gain a lock on the other but they keep shaking it off. Gryphus 1 spots another flash coming from his 9 o'clock and he firewalls the throttle sending his F-22 at that direction. The enemy pilot from 9 o'clock has enough time to gasp before an XLAAM turns his jet into a fireball.
The Su-47 fires its cannon at Gryphus 1 but the pilot executes a somersault to get behind the enemy fighter. Acquiring a lock he fires a heat-seeker and the Su-47 pops flares to confuse the missile. Getting closer he fires his aircraft's 20mm M61A2 Vulcan Gatling gun and the rounds skid the enemy fighter's left wing. He follows his target as it turns hard left.
Gryphus 2 leads a flight of enemy MiG-29s toward the ocean, they break the sound barrier and he pulls up sharply missing the water by mere inches. The trailing Fulcrums don't pull up in time and crash into the ocean with the force of 400Gs killing the pilots instantly. Gaining altitude Gryphus 2 fires his aircraft's gun at the underbelly of the target, the rounds quickly tear the enemy's airframe apart and he releases chaff to jam the radar of a XLAAM launched by the Su-47. The Raptor banks left to shake his pursuer but the enemy mirrors every movement.
Gryphus 1 said, "Gryphus 2, when I count to 3, bank right as fast as you can I am to attack from above. Ready?"
Gryphus 2 nodded, "Yes, sir!"
The 19-year old counted, "1...2...3, bank now!" Gryphus 2 banks right and the Su-47 pilot is taken by surprise at the move.
Gryphus 1 arms his last heat-seeker and waits for the lock to turn red. Soon it does.
He called out, "Gryphus 1, Fox Two!" Pulling the trigger, latches holding the missile let go and the projectile screeches to the Su-47's heat trail.
The enemy pilot looks up and screams just before the missile ends her life.
Down on the ocean, the enemy fleet watches the battle through a screen and it was not going well for them.
The captain of a cruiser rubbed his goatee, "So this is the infamous Southern Cross. His skills are truly impressive. To down that many planes without taking a hit is a testament to his abilities."
The admiral was livid and said, "Our invasion force has been destroyed by that demon! We've got no choice! Prepare the new missile!"
A radar man objected, "Are you crazy? It hasn't been tested yet! We don't know if it'll launch! I strongly recommend not going through with this!"
The admiral barked, "So? This is the right time to test it! Target Gryphus Squadron and fire the missile. Now!" The missile launcher on the cruiser's bow aims at the Aurelian squadron's location and the new missile's booster ignites, sending the missile on its way.
Crux alerted, "Gryphus Squadron, my radar has picked up a surface-to-air missile heading your way!"
Gryphus 2 said, "What? Which vector is it coming from? Answer me now, Eugene!"
Their AWACS reported, "Vector 340, 6,000 feet and climbing."
Gryphus 2 exclaimed, "I'm out of missiles! My gun's down to 90 rounds!"
Gryphus 1 examined his weapon layout, "I have no heat-seekers, one XLAAM and 100 rounds of my gun left." He spotted the missile coming into view, "We don't have much choice, do we? Alright, I'm switching to my remaining XLAAM." He patiently waits for the lock to turn red and fires.
The two missiles head for each other and the ensuing explosion creates a rapidly expanding fireball. It envelops Gryphus Squadron and Crux's AWACS.
Gryphus 2 said, "I'm too young to die! I still have a lot of goals to meet!" He along with Gryphus 1 notice a change in the fireball.
Its color changes from orange to aqua green and its shape morphs into a wormhole and begins transporting them to another dimension.
Gryphus 2 asked, "Why is this something out of a science fiction movie?" The fireball dissipates and Gryphus Squadron was nowhere to be found.
The admiral on the enemy cruiser believes the missile has done its job. He was only half right.
A/N: Prologue done.
What's up, my faithful readers? This is an Ace Combat/Vandread crossover challenge issued to me by Redstar Henry. This time around it involves Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception for the PSP. The routes mentioned here are the ones I take in the game. Just wanting to point that out so that no one gets confused.
Here former Leasath commanding officer Diego Gaspar Navarro looks to exact revenge for the defeat he sustained at the hands of Gryphus 1 during the Aurelian War.
The armored g-suit Gryphus 1 wears is based off of Darth Vader's suit and the armor, weaponry and technology is based off what the Predator uses. Reason why will be explained later.
Read and review.
Stay tuned for chapter 1.
Vader 23A
