Ace Combat: Strike
Prologue: The Collapse of the VSSR
A/N: This is technically a Strike Series xover. But there is no section for Strike stories. Strike is property of EA games. Ace Combat is property of Namco.
A/N2: If you submit a review saying that APC should be IFV, I'm going to get ticked off. It's my personal preference to use APC.
A/N3: I'm reserving the later T models for later chapters. The T-72 has been one of the real world's most commonly used tanks. While the T-80 and the T-90 have been made in small to moderate numbers.
"War. War: just isn't what it used to be. Terrorists and madman have developed a new world disorder. STRIKE will try to stop these wars before they happen." General Earl
St. Abernathy AFB West Osea
Date: 8/29/1989
Time: 1245 hours
Commander Lawrence 'Gunny' Hertzfeld watched as his AH-64 Apache was being fitted for weapons. As the mechanics finished working out the flaws with the 'Smart Armor' integration with the Apache, other crews were spending time painting over the Osean Air force symbols. Dark green spray paint was used to cover the insignias up. Lawrence's flight jacket was also stripped of his nametag and any insignia showing his affiliation with the Osean Air force. His ID was also given to the Strike High Command. Unbeknownst to Lawrence, Andrea Gray was standing behind him.
"So Commander, you up for the task?" the red haired agent said. She had hazel eyes and was a couple inches shorter than Lawrence, who happened to be 5 foot 9 inches.
"Of course Andrea." Lawrence said as he turned around to look at her in the eyes, "I wish you luck too."
"Thanks, but General Earl has asked me to 'cover-up' our upcoming operations. You did hear that the Verusean Soviet Socialist Republic is dying. The western territories have already declared independence from Cinigrad. The Cold War is ending." she said as she eyed the helicopter. Andrea was born in Oured to news reporters for the OBC. She graduated from the Rutherford University with top grades for all of her classes, well except for math. Her get it done attitude and her intelligence caught the attention of Strike right after she graduated.
Lawrence, on the other hand, didn't go to college but instead signed up with the Osean Air force right after high school. He came from a middle class family in the far northern part of Osea in a small town called Crownsland. He is only a year older than Andrea.
"Yeah, you know what happens when countries collapse." said Lawrence. "They...
"They often get pissed off people that want to revive their nation and get back at the supposed culprit." she said as she paced back and forth. "Of course in this situation, they want to get back at Osea."
"You took the words right out of my mouth." said Lawrence as he walked out of the hanger.
"Where you going?" asked Andrea as she started to follow him.
"To the barracks." he replied as Andrea stood there, watching him walk away.
(2 weeks later)
"Just a couple hours ago, 6 republics have declared independence from Yuktobania. These countries consist of: Romny, Valga, Verusea, Sotoa, and Kaluga. As you know, Romny and Kaluga were annexed by the Verusean Union right after the Tyumen Dispute, which cause chaos in the local area before the Yuktobanian army intervened. A couple of months later, the two countries along with an unstable Valga, were all annexed by the Verusean government. The only countries on the Verusean continent that remained independent were North and South Clauvis. North was communist and the South was democratic." said Andrea Gray over news broadcast, "Yuktobania still holds claim to its former territories and the stability is decreasing as debates in the splitting of the Red Army is still under fierce debate within the former mega power. This is Andrea Gray with OBC, bringing international news to the Osean People."
"Damn," General Earl said as he lit a cigar. "It's really going to hell over there."
General Earl has been with Strike for over thirty years (basically when Strike was founded) and never has he seen anything like this. Earl is a fifty-five year old hard ass that would do anything to protect the people of Osea. A graduate of the November City military academy, Earl is the founding father of Strike. During a visit with the Osean President, he requested that due to growing tension of the VSSR and the Osean Federation, that an organization be created to prevent the escalation of hostilities between the two nations.
"Sir, a huge sum of money has been withdrawn from a personal account in Wellow. We got a problem." said Dominic "Hack" Williams. A twenty six year old, Dominic Williams is a computer whiz that was thrown in prison for hacking the Osean Military Database. He claims he got bored so that's why he went snooping around. He struck a deal with Strike since they needed someone to manage Strike's center computer. In turn, Strike ordered Hack's prison to release him into Strike's custody.
"Whose account?" asked Earl.
"Someone called Yuri Vatsnesov," replied Hack, "Apparently he was a member of Varyag Special Forces Black Division. He had power similar to the Viceroy of the Kalugan Soviet Socialist Republic! He stole an entire weapons stash in Kaluga. He has a base located in North Kaluga. What you what to do sir?"
"Well he [Yuri] might try to resell these weapons to the highest bidder in the region. Get Commander Lawrence Hertzfeld on the phone; tell him to get his ass to the OSS Eaglin. We are leaving for Kaluga."
"Yes sir. Getting it done now." replied Hack.
(3 hours later)
"Welcome back Lawrence. Hope you enjoyed your holiday; it might be your last one for a while. I like you to meet your new copilot, Nick Arnold." said Earl.
"Hello there, nice to meet you Commander." said Nick. Nick was twenty-two and like Lawrence, joined the military right after he finished high school. "Ready to kick some ass?"
"Of course Nick." replied Lawrence.
"Good to see you two get along. Time is of the essence, pack your bags, we are going to Diremia. In north Kaluga." said Earl,
"Damn all the way out their?" said Lawrence as he looked at the map, "Won't we get caught?"
"No, we will be using a modified Sea Shadow. The helicopter will be placed on a helipad built in the ship. The boat itself has been enlarged to hold equipment necessary to maintain the chopper. However, due to the circumstances, the Kalugan government has authorized the deployment of Osean forces. However this deployment has been made in secret. Since the talks are still going on, they must not find out about us. Two Blackhawk helicopters have been sent to the area in order to help out the local population that is being terrorized by the ever growing Black division. They have two LZs created to help evac the civilians south of the region. The area itself is a hot zone. We have detected a medium large size force in the area and training camps have been confirmed but we don't know where they are. Heavy armor has been detected in the area, consists of T-72 heavy tank. APCs in the form of BMP-1, BRDM, and other forms of APCs have been detected. Moderate to heavy anti-air batteries have been detected in the area." said Hack as he showed a map of the region. "Large fortress to the north with a river flowing in the center. A village HQ has been confirmed. To the southeast lies an airport where Vatsnesov's main air force is." said Hack as he generated a map on the computer screen. "This is going to be tough. Hope you guys are ready."
"Hell yeah!" Nick yelled, "Me and Lawrence will take down anything those guys throw at us!"
"Damn we have to cut them all down?" asked Lawrence
"That's optional, remember we are here to find out what the hell is going on, not start an international incident." replied Hack. "I'll keep you informed once we enter the area."
"Alright gentlemen, go get some rest. We will be there at 1543 hours tomorrow and will begin Operation Snow Drift the next day." said Earl as he saluted his 3 men.
(Thirty minutes later)
"Well good luck Lawrence." said Andrea, "I hope everything goes well."
"Thanks Andrea." replied Lawrence.
"I have to go over their too, after you and Nick are done there, I have to go and make up a cover story." she said as she messed with her hair.
"Sounds tough." replied Lawrence.
"It's not tough once you get the hang of it. I have to let you go now, try not to get killed." she said as he walked down the corridor.
"See you later Andrea," said Lawrence as he walked through the door and lay down on his bed. "Why does it have to happen now?" he said out loud as the door closed.
Now we go to the hell hole. I hope we will be successful if not then the world's security will be at stake. What if they have nuclear weapons? Since we are dealing with a Black Level Varyag member, I'm not sure how we will do. One helicopter vs. one army, hope we prevail. Hell, do we have a choice? He thought to himself as he turned on a TV. Like all others on the ship it was tuned into the OBC channel. Other channels were locked so that if you wanted to turn the channel it would've been too damn bad. You would be stuck with channel 7 OBC.
"The western Verusean Nations have formed the Verusean Union with the aim of protecting themselves from Yuktobanian aggression. Kaluga, Romny, Valga, and Sotoa have agreed to sign the pact in order to promote peace, prosperity, and protection in the western half of the Verusean continent. 'This alliance was born from the old and will continue to live on. The Verusean Union will attempt to keep close relations with the Yuktobanian motherland.' said the Sotoan president earlier today. Breaking news! Yuktobania has created a alliance called 'The Commonwealth of Verusean Nations' which stated by the newly elected Prime Minister Dmitri Vastronovic 'We have learned our lesson with Communism and we will now seek to support this new alliance not by creating a non-communist VSSR but by respecting the various cultures that the VSSR consisted of. And the people [the cultures and ethnic groups] longing for independence.' Prime Minister Vastronovic has invited Verusea, Kaluga, Valga, North and South Clauvis, Romny, and Sotoa. North Clauvis denied the invitation while south Clauvis welcomed it." said a TV reporter.
"In other news, Osean President John Keeton IV has accepted a invitation by the Yuktobanian Prime Minister to discuss the future of Oseo-Yuktobanian relations. This meeting will take place next week, at the Yuktobanian Capital city Cinigrad."
Lawrence then turned off the TV. That provides some assurance. But anything can happen during that meeting. Whoever is behind the shadows pulling the strings, you better watch out. Strike is coming for you.