This is something I originally posted on , figured I might upload it here as well. Updates might run a day or two behind the version over there.
"Goddamn it Chopper! Bail out now!" The cries of my flight leader and wingmen fought with the cacophony of alarms and warning tones that were sounding off in my cockpit. Already I was starting to loose hydraulic pressure and engine power. My controls quickly grew sluggish as they fell back onto the undamaged hydraulic reserves, providing me with the barest ability to move. I could still turn, climb and descend, but I wasn't going to be dogfighting any more.
BANG! WWWRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...
Damnit, one of my engines just flamed out. At least this baby can fly on one engine. If F-15s can survive a flight with an entire wing missing, I'm sure I can make it on one engine. That's the story I've heard at least, about that Ustian mercenary pilot. Brought back his F-15 after a dogfight with most of his right wing missing? If he can do that, I'm sure I can keep this bird in the air a little longer. Just can't ditch it out over these houses, don't want it falling and killing a family.
"There's nothing but houses down below, I can't leave this plane yet." I kept looking around, but with my lower altitude and damaged cockpit, I couldn't see any place safe to eject. "Hey Kid, you see any place I can drop this plane?" I was hoping that Blaze, Nagase or Grimm could find me a place from their vantage points up high. I waited for a response from Blaze, but got no reply. A check on my fading radar indicated that he was caught between two Yuktobonian fighters and couldn't spare the time to reply.
"The stadium, Chopper. Can you hear me? Drop it into the centre of the stadium and bail out. Do you understand?" Nagase's voice was starting to crackle, I couldn't tell if she was getting emotional or if my radio was starting to fail as well. I looked around and saw the stadium to my left. I should be able to make it from this distance at this height with only one engine, provided nothing else fails on the way.
"Roger, good idea. Gives me some hope that I just might make it." As I started to turn my crippled bird towards the stadium, I remembered that they were still evacuating the civilians from the stadium. Last thing I want is for my aircraft to go off and kill our own people. "I'd better wait for the crowd to evacuate some more, though."
Once I started my approach on the stadium, I make a quick checklist of what I still had alive. GPS and INS, dead. IFF, dead. Radar, dying. Pressurisation, dead. Weapons release system, dead. Multifunctional displays, dying. Radio, starting to fail. Counter-measures, dead. Basic navigational instrumentation, still functional. I still had the barest of functions, but for all intents and purposes I was an F-15-shaped, jet-powered, self-propelled glider.
"All enemy stealth fighters destroyed. We've also called back the allied fighters." AWACS controller Thunderhead informed us over the radio. I checked the radar screen to confirm his statement, and got to watch as it fizzled out of action.
"A little too late, man. There goes the radar. My circuits are toast." I couldn't help but notice how glum I sounded when I said that.
"Look, forget about it Chopper, just bail out. Please, bail out!" Nagase was all but crying out, I could easily tell how distressed she was over the noise of the alarms and interference on the radio. I looked to the left and saw that the stadium was much closer now, and that I was much lower to the ground too.
"This is Thunderhead. Captain Davenport, are you all right?" I pointed the nose of my wounded aircraft towards the stadium and started my descent.
"There's the stadium. I'm dropping the plane over there." I secured the master arm switch to safe, out of habit, and ran a final check over my critical functions. To my horror, my ejector seat and canopy jettison system had now decided to stop functioning.
"Roger, now get out." Nagase's voice was still shaky, but had regained most of its calm confidence. I shook my head, knowing that my next words were going to smash through whatever barriers she and the rest of my team had risen. I noticed that Blaze was being very quiet for the time being, he hadn't said much throughout the mission unless he needed too.
"I can't. The electrical system's all messed up. The canopy won't blow. Ejection seat's not working either." I rested my head against the seat as my altitude started to rapidly decrease. I could faintly hear sobbing over the radio, but it didn't sound like Nagase, or Grimm for that matter.
"Alvin." It was Blaze. He was the one sobbing.
"Kid?" He never used my first name unless it was serious, like if I was to be reprimanded or something.
"Thanks for being there on my wing, for watching out for us." His voice was starting to break, something I had never heard before since our days back during flight training at Heirlark.
"Thank you for being my flight leader. It's been an honour." I could see his jet above mine, so I threw him a last salute. I wasn't sure if he had seen it, but I felt it was suitable as a last farewell. I tightened the straps on my seat, making sure I was strapped as tight as I could to my aircraft.
"Don't give up Chopper! Keep trying! Chopper!"
I chuckled as the stadium filled my disabled heads-up display.
"I'm gonna miss that voice." As I said those last words, the grass of November City Stadium grew ever closer. Steeling my nerves, I turned off my radio, closed my eyes and waited.