Ace Combat: Skies of Deception
Chapter 1:Skies of Deception
Hello, I'm AurelianAce, and this is the first chapter of my fanfic. I want to dedicate this fanfic to my beloved friend Alba. Without her support and patience this story wouldn't have been possible. It comes without saying that all trademarks, names, locations, brands, songs and characters belong to their respective owners. Ace Combat, of course, is property of Bandai Namco. Without anything else to say, let the story begin...
Aubrey Base, Aurelia, October 10th 2020, 12:30 Hours
One single glance was enough to notice that Ángel Román was no ordinary fighter pilot. He was not very muscular, but he was no weakling either. His face showed a scar on his right cheek and he sported a mohawk hairstyle. But those were just the least shocking of his features: he had also been promoted to Captain and squadron leader in just 14 months since his arrival. But everyone in the base knew almost everything about his past, a past so dark that he preferred to leave it in the shadows, and no one showed any interest in talking about it either, as it would only bring trouble among the pilots...
-Captain, we've got briefing in 15 minutes. Please get ready for it.
The voice of Rick López, one of his wingmen, pulled Ángel off his train of thoughts. He put his flight suit on and looked at the Aurelian flag on his left arm. Its colors made him feel calm for some odd reason.
10 minutes later, he arrived to the briefing room. He was met by the cheery Rick, the old and proud Roy González, the young and cunning Ignacio Wellington and the stern and secretive Alan Bellanco. Those 4 pilots and him were the last 5 remaining pilots of the Aurelian Air Force since the beginning of the Aurelian-Leasathian war 10 days ago. They were still taken aback by the sheer strength of their military and their blitzkrieg tactics, that allowed them to take over 95% of Aurelia in ten days, and, judging by their aggressiveness, if they didn't do something soon, they would take over the last remaining air base of their country.
Five minutes later, Eugene Solano, the young radio operator, arrived for the briefing. Despite having arrived on April, he was still called "the new guy" by most of the pilots. He turned the briefing screen on and began speaking without too much confidence:
"Um... OK, let's begin the briefing. Operator Eugene Solano. I'll be keeping you up to date.
We've got news that and invading Leasath squadron has taken off from the Puna Plains en route to an attack on our position, Aubrey Base.
From their perspective, this attack is the final nail on our collective coffin.
After all, this is the only base that hasn't fallen under their control.
I guess we can consider ourselves lucky. It looks like the enemy has gotten a little overconfident and sent only a small attack force.
Gryphus Squadron, prepare for launch immediately. Fly around the mountains and avoid enemy radar.
Oh, I forgot. The enemy squadron consists mainly of bombers supported by several fighters.
Please protect this base and destroy the enemy bombers.
If everything goes well, we should get the upper hand on the enemy in this area.
All right, please prepare for launch. Let's pay back the Leasathian forces with at least one defeat.
One final thing, during combat, my code name will be Crux. I will keep you up to date on the battle situation, so please pay attention to your radio."
The five pilots stood up and left for the hangars. Ángel advised everyone to equip the F-4Es only with gun ammunition, standard missiles and SAAMs, because the bombs would be unfitting for an interception mission. After receiving clearance from the tower, Gryphus Squadron took off and flew to the mountains.
Aubrey Base, Aurelia, October 10th 2020, 14:00 Hours
Gryphus 1 was leading the formation, on the pilot seat of a F-4E Phantom II, Aurelia's oldest fighter in service. It had been serving since the late 90's but, thanks to upgrading programmes, they had been able to keep them almost fully operational to this day. However, the main reason for them using this aircraft was that there was nothing else to fly. It was not too much later that the telltale silver glint of a Tu-95 "Bear" bearing the Leasathian Air Force emblem was sighted.
-Crux to Gryphus Squadron. Maintain your present course. Do you see the enemy formation on your radar?-asked Crux.
-Read you loud and clear! We're coming on the enemy from behind. Just like we planned.-answered Roy(Gryphus 3), while Gryphus 1 engaged the bomber shooting one missile to the bomber and destroying it with his plane's guns.
-You can let the escorts go. Just make sure you take out all bombers.-advised Crux to the squadron.
-We'll show them what we've got. After all, we're Aurelian pilots. Isn't that right, Captain?-cheerfully asked Rick(Gryphus 2) to Ángel(Gryphus 1).
-Excuse me, Gryphus 2... please use codenames during the mission.-ordered Crux, his voice a little bit shaky.
-Understood.-answered Gryphus 2.-Jeez, this new guy does everything by the book. Don't you think, Gryphus 1?
Before Gryphus 1 could answer, Ignacio's(Gryphus 4) voice was heard over the radio:
-WHAT? Ho..., ho..., hold on a second. The city is being BOMBED!
-Unbelievable!-groaned Alan(Gryphus 5), disgusted by that act of cruelty.-There are no military facilities in that city!
"How dare they bomb a city full of innocent civilians? Haven't they got an ounce of honor or what?"-thought Gryphus 1 while he destroyed a JA-37 Viggen with guns. Before being shot down, however, the unlucky pilot was able to warn his allies:
-The enemy! They snuck up from behind.
-What? Where the hell did they come from?-by the time the other pilot answered him, it was too late.-What are you doing? You shouldn't be wasting ordnance.-he then asked to one of the bombers that had dropped the bombs.
-Relax! We're just going to bomb some base in the sticks, right?-answered the pilot, almost laughing.-There'll be more than enough ordnance left to finish the job.
-"Some base in the sticks"? Are you talking about OUR base, you ungrateful pile of shit?-hissed Gryphus 1, shooting the other two enemy planes down before moving to the rest of the enemy squadron, this time attacking the Bears with SAAMs. As they were not very maneuverable, hitting them was a piece of cake. Although the missiles didn't shoot them down, they were strong enough to cripple the bombers.
-Another one has been shot down.-said a Leasathian pilot, talking about the second bomber.-Where the hell is our escort?
Gryphus 1 saw that, this time, the escort fighters would fight back.
-OK, Gryphus 3, 4 and 5, please take "care" of those obnoxious fighters.-he said.-Gryphus 2, you and I will take out the bombers.
-Gryphus 3, roger.
-Gryphus 4, affirmative.
-Gryphus 5, roger. You'd better know what you're doing.
-OK. Gryphus 2, take out those two bombers. We'll share the rest of them.
-Gryphus 2, roger. Fox 1! Fox 1!-he said, launching a SAAM to each bomber. This time, they were ripped apart and disintegrated.
-We're sitting ducks up here! Hurry up and shoot them down!-said another bomber pilot to the escorts. Despite their best efforts, other two Viggens had already been shot down by the Aurelian pilots. This time, 4 MiG-21-93 "Fishbed" had entered the fray and engaged them.
-Gryphus 2, go and help the rest of our squadron.-ordered Gryphus 1.
-But you will be left alone against those bombers!-objected Gryphus 2.
-Don't worry about me, but about our squadmates. I'll take care of the bombers. It will be easy.-answered Gryphus 1.
-OK. Just be careful.
-You too. If you need any help, just let me know.
After that, Gryphus 1 attacked the bombers while his squadmates engaged the enemy MiG-21s.
-You did it. Good job!-cheered Gryphus 2 after Gryphus 1 shot down a bomber.
-How about it? Did you get a kill?-asked Gryphus 4 after the other one was shot down.
-Target locked. Fox 2!-said Gryphus 3 popping off a missile to a MiG-21 and shooting it down.
Before long, all the escorts and 6 of the 8 bombers were shot down.
-How many aircraft are left?. Somebody please respond!-frantically asked one of the enemy pilots.
-Behind us! Break! I said they're behind us!-answered the other one.
-"And the prize for Mr Obvious and his wingmate is... being shot down by Gryphus 1."-thought Gryphus 1, sneering. He launched one SAAM to each bomber and then gunned them out of the sky.
-Aubrey Base, this is Gryphus squadron. Requesting permission to land.-said Ángel afterwards.
-Gryphus 1, this is Aubrey Base Tower, you are cleared to land. Thank you for protecting our base, Gryphus squadron.
-"Not at all. That's what we're here for."-he thought.
-Yee-haw! Take that! Bagged every last one of them. Didn't even break a sweat.-boasted Rick.-Gryphus 1, what do you say if we head to the capital and take her back right now?
-Relax, Gryphus 2. We're almost out of supplies, and we can't just head to Griswall yet.-answered Ángel.-Not that I don't wish to drive the Leasathians back to Leasath.
Puna Plains, Aurelia, October 10th 2020, 14:10:32 Hours
The skies seemed to be clear. Suddenly, blue ripples waved through the skies. They faded to reveal a gigantic black aircraft that bore several missile bays on its top and a huge disc on the bottom. It opened one of its bays and fired a large grey missile.
Meanwhile, near Aubrey Base
-I'm willing to bet anything they got scared and ran away.-joked Ignacio.
Ángel's answer was interrupted by Eugene:
-I've got a reading on radar. Something's coming in at high speed... It's a missile!
-What? Where? Where is it? Answer me now! EUGENE!-shouted Ángel, fearing for the safety of his squadron.
-The Puna Plains! The missile's coming from the Puna Plains!-answered Eugene. The next thing he said froze everyone's blood:-The Gleipnir!?
-Hey, that'd better not be what I think it is...-said Roy, trying to get any fearsome thought out of his head. But Eugene said the very thing that broke the camel's back:
-It's an SWBM(Shock Wave Ballistic Missile)! Get out of there NOW!
-Where should we go? Where is it coming from? How far is it?-asked Alan, scared for one of the few times ever.
-It's no use! We're too late!-answered Eugene.
Saying that the next second hell broke loose was the understatement of the century. Ángel had pulled down in a desperate effort to dodge the attack at the last second. Unfortunately, his squadmates couldn't. A blinding light illuminated the sky, followed by an earsplitting shockwave and deafening explosions. What Ángel saw after recovering the sight was gruesome. He could see four fireballs that were fighters a few seconds ago, and it didn't take a genius to be sure about the terrible fate of the pilots.
-Gryphus 2! Come in, Gryphus 2!-shouted Eugene, in a vain effort to get an answer.-Gryphus 2! Gryphus 3! Anyone!
-CRUX!-shouted Ángel, on the verge of nervous breakdown.-This is Gryphus 1! I'll try to land. We'll meet at the briefing room!
Aubrey Base, Aurelia, October 10th 2020, 14:20 Hours
After landing and taking his plane to the hangar, Ángel ran to the briefing room, the events of the last minutes racing through his mind. He bumped into Eugene, who was pale as a ghost, and trembling. However, he had a job to be done:
The mission was... was a success. The destruction of the enemy bombers will help to keep an enemy invasion of Aubrey Base at bay. However, we also suffered serious losses. This... there's no way anyone could ever call this mission a success... I'm sorry; I couldn't do anything to save them. So that's the super weapon that Leasath used to take over all of Aurelia in only ten days. Who could have imagined that they possessed such destructive power...?
Aubrey Base, Aurelia, October 10th 2020, 14:25 Hours
Ángel went back to his room, still haunted by the memories of the four pilots that didn't make it to the base because of the Gleipnir.
The Gleipnir.
That name made him have hideous nightmares most nights. That name reminded him of the loss of his family and his girlfriend, and now it had even taken his new friends away and shattered the peaceful country he lived in.
Ángel opened the door and stepped into his room. There were posters of all kind of fighters, and a poster of Queen, one of his favorite bands. He walked to his desk and saw two photos: one of his family and one of his squadron. Those photos showed happy people that had vanished forever. Ángel opened his desk's drawer and picked up a necklace that had another photo; this time it was him and his beloved girlfriend. He remembered her warmth, her kindness, the beautiful moments he spent with her... Every feature of her was almost from a whole different world, and thanks to that heinous airborne fortress and a selfish dictator he would never see her again.
He then turned to his dartboard, where he had pasted a newspaper.
It had a photo of Diego Gaspar Navarro, the dictator of the "Democratic Republic" of Leasath, a man who utterly despised Aurelia, and most of his countrymen were too ignorant and desperate to keep their families and themselves alive to oppose him.
-"If the Devil exists, this asshole must be his butler."-thought Ángel, glaring at the photo. Enraged, he picked up his knife and threw it to the dartboard, hitting Navarro's forehead-"THANKS TO YOU, I'VE LOST EVERYTHING I LOVED, AND AURELIA AND LEASATH HAVE BEEN DRAGGED TO A WAR THAT NONE OF THEM WANTED! HOW MANY INNOCENT LIVES WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO REALIZE THAT YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A BLOODTHIRSTY DICTATOR THAT RUINED BOTH COUNTRIES IN FAVOR OF YOUR OWN SELFISH PROFITS? ANSWER ME, BASTARD!"
Ángel knew that the likes of Navarro would never care about any other living being but themselves. He had to deal with that kind of scum since elementary school. He swore that, if he had any chance of getting him back, he would give Navarro a well-deserved, gory and painful death...
Well, that's the first chapter. I hope you liked it as much as I did. I spent hours writing this at night. I had to upload the prologue in DeviantArt because it is not part of the story, but rather a guide, and since the name Nemesis94 was already taken, I use the name AurelianAce both here and in DeviantArt. Google it in case you have any doubts about the fanfic. Also, there will be flashbacks of Ángel's childhood and adolescence and Genette's scenes. Good luck and take care. See you next time