Chapter 1: Bird of War
Elise rolled her shoulder as she flicked a few of the switches inside the cockpit of her plane, doing one last check before looking down at the doctor. She raised her eyebrows as the older man waved up at her, beckoning her down and out of the craft. With a sigh she opened the canopy and slid out of the pilot seat, dropping down to the hanger floor and pulling off her helmet. Her normally long brown hair tied into a bun had been left messy by the helmet, something she was more than used to by now. The new G-suit on the other hand, had left her feeling tense. It was still a little too stiff for her liking, but that wouldn't change until she really broke it in.
Walking over to the doctor she noticed that for once he didn't have his usual smile on his face. Instead he was wearing a frustrated frown that highlighted his age, something that only his grey hair and beard tended to give away. Dr. Scott Tennent was well into his late forties, and while most men Elise knew around that age like to dye their hair its original color, the doctor liked having it grey. He would joke how it gave him 'character', he would joke how it garnered him respect. He would joke about a lot of things. In fact if it wasn't for the white lab coat, and the brilliant mind he had, most people wouldn't be able to guess he was a scientist. As she approached him he shooed away one of the technicians, rolling his eyes before he turned to her with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry Elise, looks like someone forgot to reset the configuration." The doctor said, shooting a dirty look over at the same technician. "We'll have you up in the air in a few minutes. I'm sure you're eager to get back up there."
"Well maybe just a little." Elise shrugged, smirking as her eyes darted back and forth between the sky outside and her bird. A bright white delta wing fighter with blue lining the edges of the nose and wings. Underneath the main frame were the air intakes of the twin engines, and on top of the frame were the pair of outwardly angled twin tails. Proudly painted on the tails was a light blue bird, talons extended as it flew forward, the word Garuda written underneath and ERU written above.
"Take all the time you need Doc." Elise smiled looking up at the plane. "It's still a prototype after all, I can wait a few minutes before takeoff."
"Oh it shouldn't take them more than a minute." He added, pushing up his glasses "Now then, we'll be finishing our weapons tests today. I know you said they're working fine but I'd like to make sure. No point in eventually turning this thing over to the combat groups if they can't fight."
"We'll still be keeping one for ourselves right?" Elise asked hopefully, she was barely a member of the military as it was. The only reason she was flying was thanks to the Research Unit here, of course half the other pilots they tested washed out after nearly crashing the Doctor's pride and joy.
"You know for one so young you sure to get attached to things rather easily. Aren't kids supposed to be all fleeting when it comes to new toys?" The doc chuckled "Of course we will, there are still plenty of things this platform can test. We still need to make it more accessible for less capable pilots after all."
"Well forgive me if I hope it takes a while." She shot back "So we're just testing standard weaponry today right?"
"Yes yes, just the standard AAMs and AGMs." He nodded "Nothing fancy today I'm afraid, though I get the feeling you don't quite—"
A familiar booming sound tore through the air, cutting the doctor off as it echoed throughout the hangar. Though it sounded far off, Elise was holding onto a small bit of hope it was closer than she thought.
"I don't suppose one of our missiles went off by accident?" She asked, shortly before an alarm blared overhead.
"Somehow I don't think so." Tennent replied as the sound of engines kicking off filled the air. Hardly a second later a uniformed man burst into their hangar, his eyes locked on the pair as they glanced outside and saw the smoke rising in the background.
"You, in the air, now." The man said, pointing at Elise with a commanding tone that did little to settle her nerves. "Form up with the rest of our fighters."
"Now hold on just a moment." The Doctor said coming to her aid "We are a research team, and this plane is barely combat ready. We don't even know the situation."
"I barely do myself, but were under attack." The man all but growled, refusing to back down "Orders from the Joint Chiefs, Garuda in the air ASAP along with the rest of our birds. Get moving."
He left without another word, storming out of the hanger and down the runway, probably to give more of the same orders.
"Damnit." The Doctor said, stepping in front of her and putting both hands on her shoulders and looking her dead in the eye. "Elise listen to me, I don't know what's going on but the regular forces can handle it. Just fly safe and don't put yourself at risk."
"Y-yeah, I'll be fine." Elise breathed in trying to steady herself as her eyes drifted back to the smoke outside. "But just in case, what weapons were we loading up again?"
"Sidewinder and Griffin missile systems."
"Got it, I'll be okay Doc." Elise insisted as she slowly made her way back to the plane. "I can do this, I can do this." She added to herself as she climbed back into the cockpit.
"Do be careful will you?" Tennent added as he stuck his hands in his coat's pockets. "One of a kind you know."
"I'll take good care of her." Elise nodded as the hanger doors opened further to let her out, closing the canopy as she slipped her helmet back on.
"I wasn't taking about the plane, captain." The doctor chimed in over her com system.
"Thanks, I'll watch myself out there." she smiled lightly, moving to the runway as a pair of jets formed up behind her and she switched to standard coms. "Garuda 1 Talisman, taxiing to runway, ready for takeoff."
"Garuda 1 you are cleared for takeoff." A new voice echoed into her ear. Anything else was drowned out as she gunned the throttle, accelerating down the runway and pulling off the ground. Normally it filled her with joy to pull up and tear into the sky, but for the first time in her life Elise was filled with dread as she saw the dozens of other fighters forming up into attack positions as she climbed towards them. Leveling her plane and holding position she stared at the smoke rising from her home city of Gracemeria, heart dropping as she caught sight of aircraft marked as hostile sweeping over the land.
Dad….
"Garuda 1 you do not have a wingman." The voice called her name, bringing her back into focus.
"Negative, I'm ERU." She called out as her hand tightened around the flight stick.
"Let's see…." The voice trailed off "Shamrock? Shamrock are you alone too? Very well, as of now you're Garuda 2."
"Okay Ghost Eye." A second voice crackled to life, Shamrock she guessed. "So I'm Garuda 2 huh? Garuda 1 I've got you're back."
"Roger that, I'm Talisman." She responded, giving her Tac-name as she saw an F-15 flying up behind her. "A pleasure."
"Likewise, no time for introductions now though." Shamrock chuckled "Go ahead and I'll follow your lead. Never was good with directions anyhow."
"Garuda Team you are authorized to engage any hostile aircraft above Gracemeria." Ghost Eye relayed orders to them.
"Roger that, moving to intercept." Elise responded before diving instinctively. Her gut taking over as her eyes honed in on the marked aircraft. Her mind reeled as she realized she actually was moving to intercept the nearest ones, eyes going wide with how natural it all felt.
"May the Golden King smile upon us." Shamrock chimed in happily as he followed her lead.
I'm hoping he does a little more than smile right now. Elise gulped as her mind started racing, she was panicking now. She knew she shouldn't be moving towards the enemy, she should just be backing away and letting the regular forces handle this like the Doctor said. Her hand started pulling her aircraft into a turn to move away, almost completing the maneuver before she saw a large bomber in the distance. And its bomb bays open.
Whatever sense of fear she had, whatever doubts and worries, evaporated as the first bomb dropped. She gunned the throttle, pulling her plane up and over before looping down onto the bomber's tail. She didn't even wait for a missile lock, instead she opened fire with her gun. The heavy rounds tore into the hostile aircraft, and fire streaked from it as the bomb bay exploded sending the plane plummeting down below. As the first bomber fell, the one in front of it came into view and Elise's radar clicked as it achieved a missile lock.
"Talisman, Fox 2." She called out, loosing a missile. Her lower weapon bay popped open, dropping a single Sidewinder anti air missile that streaked towards her target. She didn't even wait to see it blow. She was more than close enough and the bomber wouldn't be able to evade in time. Another explosion rocked the air as she banked right, a single enemy fighter coming into range of her guns. She barely registered pulling the trigger as it streaked by, her eyes scanning for more bogeys.
"Garuda 1 downed an enemy!" Shamrock called out happily, reminding her of his presence. "Nice shooting."
"We've got an ID on the invaders." Ghost Eye broke into open coms "We're engaged with the Estovakian military."
"The Estovakians?" A new voice rang out.
"Their economy's been in shambles for years, looks like they finally snapped." Another one answered.
Estovakia? Elise recoiled at the revelation. Let's hope they don't get a good look at what I'm flying.
"So those bastards think they can barge into someone's house without even calling first?!" a final voice answered.
"Unbelievable huh Windhover? I say we teach em a few manner before we kick em out." Shamrock chuckled.
The familiarity they all addressed each other with was hardly lost on Elise. These pilots all knew one another, she was the odd one out. Plane and all. She felt out of place enough as it was, but now even more so. It was a strange thought to have as more missiles streaked from her plane into bomber after bomber. She hadn't even realized she was still shooting this whole time, and a quick look across the city showed not a single bomber in the sky.
"Garuda 1, Talisman. All bombers taken care of." She spoke calmly into the com, her voice steady despite the shaking of her hands as she fought back against the anxiety building in her at how easy it had been to shoot them down. She was a test pilot for God's sake, she was never supposed to be in combat.
"Hot damn, who's the new girl?" A voice chuckled into her ear as she formed back up with Shamrock.
"Good work, you should be able to hold down the…" Ghost eye started trailing off "What's this? Missiles?!"
Elise's alarm blared as she all but felt the air rip apart in front of her. She pitched the plane up sharply, G's tearing into her body as she turned away just in time for the space she was flying into to explode in a storm of fire. More explosions burst around the sky above the city, and Elise watched in horror as some of the aircraft marked as friendly disappeared from her HUD.
"Enemy cruise missiles incoming!" Ghost Eye shouted to all planes as Elise pulled another high G turn to evade being blasted apart.
"Those are no ordinary cruise missiles!" Another pilot shouted back, Windhover if she heard Shamrock right. "Evade like hell if you want out of this alive!"
Hardly a second later Elise's warning system flared up again, a new missile locking on to her as she rolled her plane over to dodge. Glancing up as she hit the airbrake she caught sight of a squadron of black and red Sukhoi fighters as they screamed through the sky above her. The squadron broke apart a second later, the one in the lead turning back towards her and gaining missile lock again. Staying in her roll, Elise turned the plane downwards diving towards the bay and leveling out just over the water. She hit the throttle, accelerating rapidly as she saw the Sukhoi pull in behind her on radar.
A missile shot out from under her pursuer's wing, and Elise barely banked in time to avoid it. She turned towards the now ruined King's Bridge, flying between the support cables in an attempt to shake him. In a surprising turn of events the bogey rolled, angling its wings and flying along the bridge's road as she passed back and forth through the supports.
"Holy shit!" Shamrock cried out into the com "Hang on Garuda 1, I'm moving to support!"
Elise looked up and spied her wingman diving to intercept, completely ignoring the bogey on his tail. A dark colored Sukhoi from the same squadron as her pursuer was following close behind him as Shamrock dived.
"Negative! Negative!" She shouted back at him "Check your six!"
She heard him gasp as his fighter suddenly veered off, the bogey following him slowly as it tried to match his maneuver.
"I'll handle this one, form up with a nearby ally for now!" she ordered, pulling her plane up and ignoring the G's as started gaining altitude.
She banked right as a different missile warning flooded her ears and another cruise missile detonated directly in her path. The explosion nearly scrapped the bottom of her fighter, but she managed to level out in time. Her relief was short lived as her radar showed the bogey once again gaining on her.
Rapidly getting sick of this game, Elise pitched her nose up instantly. Combined with her low speed from the climb and subsequent turn the aircraft briefly stalled out as she went vertical. She watched the Sukhoi shoot passed her as she nosed back down, instantly gaining target lock and firing. Her Sidewinder missile burst from her weapons bay, screaming through the air as it raced towards its target and impacted. Catching the Sukhoi mid bank it exploded on his tail, scarring the plane. Elise watched it fall, spinning as it plummeted to the ground. What surprised her the most was how just as she thought it would crash into the water, the pilot managed to recover. It pulled out of the spin and started gliding towards the now ruined highway just passed the King's Bridge.
Elise briefly considered going after him to finish the job, but one by one the black and red Sukhois broke off their targets and dived to cover what had to have been their leader. They formed up protectively around him as he performed a belly landing on the freeway.
"This is Ghost Eye to all planes. Air defense command has ordered an evacuation." Their AWACS informed them, more than a hint of regret in his voice "You've been ordered to give up Gracemeria. Break away from this airspace and head west."
"Are you out of your mind?!" Windhover raged "We can't comply with that order!"
"We are militarily at a huge disadvantage." Ghost Eye argued "Follow the order and head west."
"This is Avalanche, were not going anywhere!" another fighter called out as Elise formed back up with Shamrock.
"Would you listen?! It's only temporary." Ghost Eye shot back "The plan is to withdraw, meet up with forces from each area, then regroup for a counterattack."
"No wait!" Elise shouted into the open com.
"We can't afford to lose all of you, follow the order." Ghost Eye insisted
"This is Garuda 2 to Garuda 1," Shamrock started sadly "we really should get out of here."
"Just a moment!" Elise fired back, flipping to the ERU's com network "Doctor, are you safe?"
"Well yes but—" Doctor Tennent crackled to life.
"No buts, are you safe or not?" She cut him off.
"Yes of course, I was going to say this transport is far from comfortable." He explained "We were the first ones out once they gave the order for non-essential personnel. All our gear is with us, your locker included."
Elise let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, relief finally taking over as she turned west.
"Good, good. Thanks doc." Elise sighed "See you at the rendezvous."
"Roger that, I'll want to hear how everything held up once you're safe." He added, and Elise could her the smile on his face as he spoke.
"Don't worry, we'll be back soon." Elise heard Shamrock speak up as the broke away from the city. Elsie nodded, even though no one else could see it. Hold on dad, I won't be gone long.
Two midair refuelings and arguably the longest flight of his life later, and Marcus Lampert was more than ready to touch down for the day. He'd be lying through his teeth if he said he wasn't disappointed with the idea of pulling out of Gracemeria, but he was even more so when the kept flying all the way to Khesed, setting down in Campagna airport. When the order to evacuate came down he didn't think they'd be pulling this far back. But there was little he could do, and at the very least the damage to the residential districts looked light when they left the capital.
"Garuda 2 Shamrock you're cleared to land." Ground control confirmed as he watched his wingman, or wingwoman really, touchdown and start taxiing to one of the hangers. She hadn't been very talkative on the trip to Khesed, then again who had been? Even still it was all he could do not to ask her about the strange plane she was flying. Clearly new, probably a prototype aircraft. Given the skills she showed off during the attack she earned the right to pilot it.
"Roger that, Garuda 2 coming down." Marcus confirmed, extending his landing gear and slowly touching down on the runway.
"Shamrock was it?" a new voice echoed into his ear. "This is Doctor Scott Tennent. Since you're part of our squadron now, you'll be sharing our hanger."
"Doctor?" Marcus asked "Uhh, yeah I guess so."
"Now while I've been assured there is enough room for both craft, I'd prefer it if you not get in our way." The man went on. "We have to run a few tests on our plane after all that stress."
"Yeah you got it." Marcus said, confused
"Yes well, thank you for having our pilot's back during the engagement." The doctor sighed "Welcome to the Emmerian Air Research Unit."
Well that explains the plane. He realized quickly, that pretty much confirmed it was a prototype. He would've been surprised it had been sent up had they not been invaded so heavily.
As he slowly followed his wingman to the hanger, he caught a glimpse of the inside as her aircraft was backed in. Technicians as well as a few people in lab coats were scrambling to get things set up as she slid in. The moment the craft came to a halt they started hooking up cable after cable to it, and a few people started furiously typing away at the consoles they were linked to. Talisman still hadn't left the cockpit, and seemed to be assisting them in some way from inside. Pulling his F-15 tight against the far wall to give them room, Marcus leapt out of the cockpit and started walking over, getting a better look at his new squadron leader's craft. To say he was stunned by it would be an understatement, it was incredible up close.
"See, this is why I didn't want to push it into combat for another year at least!" a familiar voice shouted over by one of the consoles. Marcus turned to see an older looking man with loose grey hair and a grey beard readjust his glasses. He was practically fuming as he typed away at a console.
"We're lucky it's so well built! We still have days' worth of data to pour over and they push her out there so soon?" Doctor Tennent exclaimed
"Look on the bright side sir." A technician said hesitantly "We have plenty of new data to factor is as well. Combat data that will prove—"
"Very useful yes." The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I'm also concerned for our test pilot you know!"
"I'm fine Doc. A little shaken, but I'm alright." A female voice rang out, Marcus found his eyes glued to the flight suited form walking toward the doctor from the plane. His first thought was how short she was, a full head and a half shorter than he was, as if she was still growing. But when she removed her helmet all he could think was how young she was. Brown hair, plenty shades lighter than his own, stuck to her face from a light sheen of sweat. A face that was clearly younger than every single pilot he had ever met, female or not.
She can't be much older than Jessica. He thought, mind wandering over to his daughter back in the capitol.
"Talisman I take it?" He asked, stepping forward and trying to keep his face passive as he wondered why on earth a girl her age was flying for the air force.
"Yeah, Shamrock?" she checked, turning to face him.
"Yes ma'am." He smiled jokingly, extending his hand "Lieutenant Marcus Lampert."
"Captain Elise Sterling." She introduced, shaking his hand.
"Captain?"
"Perks of being with the ERU." She shrugged, "Especially as their only pilot."
"Yeah I guess." He chuckled, hiding the inner turmoil he was dealing with. God how old is she? "Been with them long?"
"A couple of years." She told him "I'm twenty by the way."
"I uhh, I didn't ask." Marcus tilted his head.
"You didn't have to, I know that look." Elise sighed "Everyone who finds out I'm flying wonders how old I am."
"I'm just surprised is all, you're younger than just about every pilot I've ever met." Marcus admitted awkwardly.
"And more skilled too." Dr. Tennent spoke up, humming as he continued working at his console. "That's why we had to scoop her up so fast, we needed someone with the skill to really put this bird through her paces."
Marcus's eyes drifted back to the aircraft in question. Now that he knew it was a prototype for sure, he couldn't help but wonder more about it.
"I gotta say, this thing is impressive." He whistled "You really know how to maneuver it too. Who came up with this thing?"
"Well although I can't claim all of the credit, most of it does fall to me." The Doctor added
"He's being modest." Elise smiled "The original design was stolen by Air Force Intelligence from the Estovakians. But the Doc modified it so much it might as well be a different aircraft."
"The Stovies huh?" Marcus thought, suddenly grinning at the idea of them being shot down by their own design. "What's it called?"
"Well they like to call it the CFA-44 Nosferatu." Elise explained "But since all it does half the time is take up space the Doc wanted to it the Tenant."
"Wouldn't that mean he's practically naming it for hims—"
"Yes, yes it would." She sighed cutting him off.
"So what do you call her?" he asked, getting the feeling she had a better name.
Elise smiled at that question, looking up fondly at the craft.
"The F-44A Dove."
A/N
And so it begins.
Welcome to the latest fic, mostly a fun little thing to work on when I've got burnout.
Suppose I'll start with the biggest question: why? It's actually fairly simple, Ace Combat 7 came out a while back and Ive always loved the franchise. Unfortunately my access to the games has declined thanks to younger me not taking good care of discs. Damn you younger me. But fortunately AC6 was given out to people who pre-ordered AC7 like I did, and I couldn't help but replay it. I have to say though, it's story is not my favorite that belongs to either 4 or 5. And as always I can't help but feel the reason for that is the lack of a voiced protagonist.
I know it's designed to help immerse the player better in the game and make it feel like you are the main character, but I feel like it doesn't do any favors to the story. The player's attachment to the story is, in my eyes, meant to come through the stories shown by the other side characters. But until the very final mission nothing those characters do actually affects the player. And all it does is give you intel on your final target. Meh. That isn't to say I don't like those stories, but I always got this "why should I care?" feeling.
So the first thing I decided to do was remove the voiceless main character. Duh, can't have a story without one. But I also warped Garuda 1 heavily. For one thing she is fairly young and not part of the standard air force. This was intentional on two parts, the first of which being to explain why Garuda 1 is so skilled in the air. Fans of the franchise will notice I gave her the most overpowered plane in the entire game, combined with her skills from test flying a next generation aircraft for two years and I felt that would explain why Garuda comes out of nowhere to dominate the air war. But also since it's a "prototype" craft there are going to be issues with it over the course of the story.
Of course one of the main reasons I made her so young was because of the relationship I have planned between her and her wingman Marcus "Shamrock" Lampert. I always felt Shamrock was meant to be the player's bridge and connection to the stakes of the war as much as the cut scene characters. He's supposed to be your partner, your friend. But we barely get more of a glimpse into him other than: his family, his desire to take back his home, and his belief in Garuda 1. I always wanted that relationship to be built up a bit more, so I aged Shamrock a few years so that Talisman reminds him of his daughter. This way I can build their relationship in a different way, while keeping certain core concepts in.
And to make a more concrete story, I've decided to flesh out a couple more characters and add one of my own. Well two really if you factor in my changes to Talisman making her essentially on OC. But the Doctor and her will be the only real OCs in this story. I'm not sure if I'll go into the stories with the mother and daughter from the game, or the tank team. I'll definitely being doing things with Pasternack and Voychek since they are much more critical to the story in my opinion. Pasternack especially will get more flushed out.
So yeah, I hope you enjoy this crazy ride I've got planned. Even if players of the game have a roadmap to the major points in the story.
In the meantime; comment, critique, tear my work apart and point out all the glaring flaws if you feel like it. Just try to be constructive, I can't fix anything if all you do is slam it. I'l see you next time!