"De Jure"
0800hrs. 22 December 2010
Bright Hill
Briefing
Since his rescue on the ninth of this month, the President has attempted to reveal the truth about the war. However, the Osean government, still run by Vice President Appelrouth, has censored his speech, calling it "enemy propaganda". At the same time, Yuktobania has been increasing its attacks. If we are to bring about a peaceful end to this war, the President must enter the Osean capital himself.
The Sea Goblin helicopter team will carry the President into Bright Hill, in Oured. It is likely that enemy forces – of Osean, Belkan, and/or Yuktobanian origin – will put up strong resistance. Razgriz, your job is to escort Sea Goblin and protect the President at all costs.
DATA NO: 25-
OPERATION: NECROMANCY [1]
DATE:2010/12/22
TIME: 0400HRS
AREA: BRIGHT HILL | OURED | -
LOCATION: 03°57'35" N, 232°15'31" E
Phase I
Time limit: 15 minutes
• Protect SEA GOBLIN from enemy attacks.
• Destroy all indicated targets (TGT).
The sun was still low in the sky when we arrived over Oured. The golden sunrise over the crystal blue waters of Oured Bay was breathtaking. The President's residence, Bright Hill, was silhouetted about ten miles to the southeast as we entered the combat airspace.
Kestrel (Pops) « Razgriz, you are now over the capital city of Oured. Begin the operation. They're going to be sending up fighters once they notice you. »
Sea Goblin « Ten miles to the drop point. »
We could hear the air raid siren announcing our arrival while the taller buildings, dotted with anti-aircraft artillery, launched their ordinance. Of course, despite being the President's personal air squadron and launching from the Third Fleet's flagship, we still weren't transmitting a valid Osean signal to the AA system.
Grimm « The air raid siren? I guess we ARE invading the city. »
Nagase « It's not an invasion. We have the President! How can they be so stupid? »
Kestrel (Pops) « Relax. I hear you can manage yourselves against a few planes. Just protect that helicopter. »
Blaze « Yes »
- Harling « Thank you for your support. »
Blaze « No »
- Nagase « Don't worry Blaze. I'll cover you. »
Blaze « … »
- Grimm « We'll be okay. »
- Nagase « Yes, Blaze, we'll be fine. »
Awoken by the siren, several waves of hostile Osean aircraft took off from the local airstrip and launched themselves at us. I called out to the squadron to split up and engage while I outmaneuvered the F/A-22A in front, launching two missiles into its fuselage. That plane in smoke, I looked around for my next target. I could see an incoming squadron of four and quickly switched to my Tomcat's XLAAs, taking them all out at once. Despite our efforts, we were still outnumbered.
Harling « All Osean military units, this is President Harling, Commander-in-Chief. Please stand down. »
Appelrouth « President Harling has joined the enemy. All forces, engage and destroy. We will not back down! »
Snow « He seems such a changed man from before the war. »
Harling « In all the years I served with him, I never could have foreseen this. »
Sea Goblin « Five miles to the drop point. »
Even as they were ordered to attack their official commander-in-chief, one of the Osean planes joined called out on the radio:
Friendly Osean Squadron (Bermuda 1) « Osean planes! This is the 73rd Tactical Fighter Squadron Bermuda 1. Don't you realize what you're doing? That's the President! Are you blind? Please, stand down. »
Enemy Osean Squadron « Bermuda has turned over to the enemy. Shoot them down along with them. »
Appelrouth « All units, shoot down any aircraft that disobeys its orders. »
As if the sky wasn't chaotic enough just by the sheer volume of planes fighting us, we now had shifting of allegiance amongst them. The new allied pilots drew enough of the heat from the enemies that we could play cat rather than mouse in the dogfights.
Nagase « They're firing on each other! How could they? »
Snow « Their hatred has gotten the better of them. »
Grimm « We need to protect the planes that join us. »
Harling « Bermuda and all units that move to support us, thank you. »
Kestrel (Pops) « Razgriz, several of the Osean fighters have defected to our side. We are updating your IFF. Avoid firing on our new allies. »
As he said this, several of the aircraft, including Bermuda 1, turned blue in our HUD. By this point, waves of Belkan S-32s and Su-37s were inbound from the north. They quickly merged with the few remaining Osean aircraft and began to fire at us.
Kestrel (Pops) « Belkan aircraft approaching from the north. Razgriz, engage. »
Belkan Squadron « We can't let the President make it into Bright Hill. This war can not be ended. All units, shoot down that helicopter! »
Enemy Osean Squadron « But these are the Razgriz we're dealing with! »
Appelrouth « Focus on the chopper! The President mustn't make it! »
Friendly Osean Squadron « Razgriz, it will be an honor to fight with you. »
Sea Goblin « One mile. »
Harling « Appelrouth, why are you doing this? »
Appelrouth « Vincent, you've always been too naive with your dreams of peace. We must defeat Yuktobania! »
There were just a few planes left when Sea Goblin landed at Bright Hill, and they were quickly dispersed by us and our allies.
Phase II (Mission Update)
Time Limit: 10 minutes
• Destroy all indicated targets (TGT)
Sea Goblin « We've arrived at Bright Hill. I'm escorting the President inside. » Appelrouth « Dammit! The President made it! »
While the Sea Goblin team landed at Bright Hill, a new squadron, Grabacr [2], in its four S-32s, had entered the airspace from the north.
Nagase « Roger, Sea Goblin. I'm picking up some new enemies on radar. »
Kestrel (Pops) « It looks like Ashley and his crew. Blaze, you've got to take down Grabacr. »
Snow « Where'd they fly in from? »
Nagase « Never mind that. We can't let them get in the way of peace. »
Bernitz « The Ghosts of the Demons of Razgriz… so it is true. You're still alive. »
Appelrouth « Grabacr, it's over. Cover my escape! »
The Vice President was escaping Bright Hill in a helicopter. The chopper was marked on the IFF as a neutral target, just as the SR-71 was in Operation Lagoon.
Kestrel (Pops) « The Vice President is trying to escape the area in a helicopter. »
Bernitz « You think you can just come in here and "save" everything? This isn't some fairy tale! Be ready to suffer defeat at our hands! »
Harling « Razgriz Air Command Squadron, as much as it pains me to say this, you have my permission to engage that helicopter. »
Blaze « Yes »
- Grimm « Are we really going to do this? »
Blaze « No »
- Nagase « Mr. President, are you sure? »
- Harling « Yes… Yes, I'm sure. »
Blaze « … »
- Harling « I don't like this either. »
Kestrel (Pops) « Roger. Blaze, engage. »
The IFF was updated such that Appelrouth's helicopter was now targetable.
Bernitz « Grabacr leader to all planes. We must protect that helicopter. »
Grabacr Squadron « Your victories end here! We will swat you down! »
Nagase « Grabacr, you're blinded by your hatred! »
I again switched to XLAAs and quickly launched a volley at the Grabacr, but the aggressor squadron wasn't having any of it. I angled my plane to dodge the incoming missile and ended behind the third plane in the squadron, which I quickly defeated with a pair of missiles.
Grabacr 3 « I'm sorry, captain. »
Appelrouth's helicopter was taking advantage of the air battle to hightail it out of the combat airspace, but, since fighter jets are faster than helicopters (which also aren't great at dodging missiles), it was dispatched of quickly with one of my remaining XLAAs. The anger in his voice was satisfying.
Appelrouth « Dammit Razgriz! We're going down! »
Returning my attention to the remaining planes, I found myself being engaged by two of them while Nagase, Grimm, and Snow were targeting the third. Performing a maneuver that I'm pretty sure doesn't have a name, I fired a pair of XLAAs into the backs of the S-32s as they passed in front of me, their metal bodies now on fire as they plummeted to the ground.
Grabacr 2 « The demons! »
Grabacr 4 « I can't believe it… »
One left: Ashley Bernitz. He seemed pretty fired up with the defeat of the rest of his squadron. His problem was one of over-extending in desperation.
Which didn't take very long. He was flying in a straight line, trying to catch up to Nagase.
I came up behind him, uncontested, and fired two missiles, four XLAAs, and a round of gun fire.
Bernitz « You won't get away with this, Razgriz. »
Kestrel (Pops) « All Grabacr planes down, though they all bailed out. »
* MISSION ACCOMPLISHED *
Kestrel (Pops) « All remaining enemy forces are retreating. Mission accomplished. »
Harling « Thank you, Razgriz. Now we can bring about a peaceful end to this war. »
Grimm « But what about the Vice President? »
Harling « … What he did was treason. I don't like it any more than you do. This protects him from the dishonor of being named a traitor. »
Snow « Do you agree with that, Blaze? »
Blaze « Yes »
- Snow « Of all escape mechanisms, death is the most efficient. [3] »
Blaze « No »
- Snow « A man whose life has been dishonorable is not entitled to escape disgrace in death? [4] A reasonable claim, I suppose. »
Blaze « … »
- Snow « I agree it's not an easy call. Silence is safer than speech. [5] »
Kestrel (Pops) « Either way, it's over now. Not to change the subject, but the Andromeda has picked up another message. All OFS Kestrel units, return to base. »
Debriefing
President Harling has successfully been reinstated at Bright Hill, despite strong resistance from multiple military groups, though several Osean air force squadrons did move to support the operation.
Vice President Appelrouth's attempt to escape via helicopter was also interrupted. Upon further investigation, we have found that Appelrouth died in the helicopter crash. Official reports say that his helicopter was struck by a stray missile during the engagement with the 8492nd Squadron. Razgriz Air Command Squadron is not under official investigation for his death.
In addition, during the previous operation, the Andromeda picked up another transmission from Captain Bartlett – 18007130 – consisting of a time and a radio frequency. Report to the bridge of the Kestrel at the appointed time.
Notes
- Updated 24 February 2017, adding much of the prose.
- Original version cross-posted to r/acecombat/comments/5v9v86/ac5_mission_25_de_jure_fanfiction/. You might find some interesting discussion over there.
- Admittedly, it's a weird blend of trying to remain within the context of the format of an open mission like you see in-game and trying to actually tell a story. Like, Blaze is narrating, but he doesn't have any lines except the yes/no/- dialogues we would see in AC5 and I've included time limits and mission objectives, but, ultimately, this is supposed to be a story.
- Obviously, Razgriz is flying their canon F-14D Tomcats, okay?
- Yes, "He was flying in a straight line" is a reference to AC04. Let's move on.
INSPIRATION
This mission is inspired by SlyCooperFan1's Everything Wrong with Ace Combat 5 YouTube video. In the cutscene in which President Harling boards Sea Goblin to return to Oured, Albert Genette says:
The President broadcast his voice repeatedly, in an effort to reveal the truth to his citizens and soldiers. However, the central government, now run by the Vice President and his Generals, censored all of it, calling it "enemy propaganda". And Yuktobania, their enemy, wasn't about to stop fighting, either. The President needed to enter the capital himself, with his Marine Force.
To which Sly responds:
And not us?! I know Bartlett's about to ask for help in a moment, but that would have been the coolest mission ever! Escorting Sea Goblin and President Harling into Oured, taking down the Osean warmongers defending Bright Hill… maybe even killing the Vice President in the process. Why didn't we get that mission?
You know, Sly, as much as I hate escort missions (8, 14, 15, 16, 20, 25, and even 18 to some extent, as well as 1, 2, the beginning of 17, and 19 as follow missions), I'll accept back-to-back escort missions for the two kidnapped world leaders. This would be a cool mission.
[1] Which is designed to tie into (1) the Razgriz fairy tale of "... and then it dies. However, after a period of slumber, Razgriz returns", (2) the similar idea of Harling being reinstated, and (3) the Hrimfaxi's line « Are the Oseans using some kind of black magic? »
[2] Yes, Razgriz fights Grabacr in M25 "Heartbreak One" (the next mission). But seeing as Ofnir was assigned to Yuktobania (and we just fought them in M23), I thought it would make more sense to fight Grabacr here and Ofnir in M25.
[3] "Of all... most efficient." ~ Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887), American clergyman and social reformer
[4] "A man... disgrace in death." ~ Lucius Accius (170 BC - c 86 BC), Roman poet
[5] "Silence is safer than speech." ~ Epictetus (c 50 - 135 AD), Greek-speaking Stoic philosopher