Here's Part Two, Ace Combat Counterstrike. Continues from where Ace Combat Zero: Liberation ended.
On May13th, 1995…" Brett Thompson reported as the camera panned over several views of the war-torn capital with Allied aircraft flying top cover for tanks and infantry. "Ustio was finally liberated. The tide of war was about to change dramatically."
"The true nature of the war begins from this point forwards." Thompson's voice was played over the sounds of cheering coming from the clips of the Ustio capital after the attack. "Accounts vary depending on the article and source. Everyone is a hero, and a villain. And no-one knows who is the victor, and who is the aggressor. And what is peace? All questions commonly asked about any war in history. As the battlegrounds move to Belka, he is also thrust into the middle of this war."
The image changed, and now it showed a map of how territory changed hands as Ustio was liberated.
"This is where my interests also shift, from the war to him."
It was night by the time the two exhausted mercenaries, Cipher and Foulke, landed their iconic F-15C Eagle fighters at Valais Airbase, a small Ustio Air Force base situated deep in the mountain range to the south of the nation. As soon as the cockpit opened on the blue-winged fighter that Cipher occupied, ground crew dragged the unlikely hero out of his seat and cheered him and his wingman. The two mercenaries who had brought a country doomed to Belkan hegemony back from the brink and played a major part in the liberation were treated like heroes. Even the survivors of Hunter Squadron, the A-10 pilots who conducted insane suicidal attack runs at Belkan vehicles in support of the ground forces cheered and praised the pilots who grinned and wearily stumbled towards the debriefing room with the pilots involved in the mission, where a Lieutenant General waited to congratulate them all.
"Belka's Ustio-branch headquarters has fallen. Ustio has been liberated." His loud, deep voice was enough to keep the two mercenaries awake. He turned around to pick up a large green glass bottle from the table behind him. "I just received a vintage bottle of Chateau Boloise for the Galm Team. It's a hard-to-find cabernet. Perfect, I'd say, for celebrating an occasion such as this."
Both Cipher and Foulke stood to accept the gift from the base intelligence officer whilst the room clapped. "Drinks are on us!" Foulke whooped, which attracted more cheers from the room.
That night, nobody slept. The entire base, save for the security personnel who were busy manning gates, radar and AA defences, were in the bar, drinking and partying to their heart's desire. Cipher was content to sit in a corner table away from the main activity and sip at a large glass of the red wine given to the mercenary team. He'd made sure to bag some first before his wingman offered it out to everyone else. Every now and again, someone would come up and congratulate his efforts and request that he join in with the drunken dancing. He'd thank them and politely decline the offer.
Somebody cleared their throat. Cipher looked up from his solitaire game and saw Crow Team's number One standing by the empty seat. "Do you mind if I…" The man gestured to the seat.
"Not at all." Cipher shuffled the pack of cards into one deck and placed it neatly on the table. "Wine?" He picked up the almost empty bottle.
"Beer." Crow One raised his own glass. "Can't beat a bit of the old beer."
"All the more for me." Cipher refilled his half-empty glass. Both men laughed.
Crow One picked up the cards and swiftly dealt seven cards to them both. "Ever played a bit of Blackjack?"
"A bit, but I'm not the greatest player in the world." Cipher looked at his hand and arranged the cards. "I never actually got your name…"
"Jack Ryan." Ryan placed a three of diamonds on the table next to the deck. "And yours?"
"Cipher." The mercenary played his turn with a diamond. A two.
"I know that." Ryan picked up two cards. "I mean your real name."
Cipher put down a king of diamonds and sipped his wine. "I have never used my real name for as long as I can remember."
"So why Cipher?" A black king was played.
Cipher thought hard. "It was a mercenary name I used in the past." He replied. He played a black jack and grinned as Ryan's face fell. "It just stuck."
Cipher's grin faded as the other mercenary also played a black jack, turning Cipher's attack against him. "That's fair enough." Ryan said.
"So how did you get with the other two?" Cipher referred to the other Crow Team members as he picked up ten cards.
"It's a long story." Ryan picked a card from the deck.
"We've got a long time." Cipher looked at his cards and played a five-card streak.
Ryan whistled at Cipher's move. "Well it was a while ago, about 1990 I think." He placed a seven of clubs. "Two was in his final year of university, and Three was about to finish High School."
Cipher placed a card as he listened, to which Ryan placed another.
"We met during an airshow one year in San Salvacion." Ryan continued. "We got on well, and decided to do the same the next year. And the next."
A few more turns were played, until both men were down to three cards each.
"By the time Three graduated from High School a year later, Two had finished his degree in aerospace engineering. We joined a flying club, got scouted by the ISAF Air Force and joined, flying the F-16." Ryan drank a bit more of his beer. "We decided that flying patrols day after day was a tad boring, so we took off in search of our own work."
"The aircraft…?" Cipher asked.
Ryan swallowed another sip of beer. "We…permanently borrowed them from the ISAF Air Force." He admitted. "We're not all 'law-abiding' by any measure."
"Neither am I, my Eagle used to belong to the Yuktobanian Air Force." Cipher said.
Both men laughed.
Ryan played a six of clubs, to which Cipher countered with a seven and eight of the same suit and topped it off with the ace of spades.
Ryan tossed his hand face up on the table. "Looks like I'm beaten." He downed the last few dregs of his drink and stood. "It was nice talking to you…Cipher." He smiled and walked away.
Cipher looked down, the ace of spades staring back at him. Was he Ustio's ace of spades? He shook the thought out of his head, shuffled the deck and finished his wine before disappearing to his room. He barely had time to shower and get into bed before tiredness overtook him and he fell into a deep sleep.
Routine began again the next day. Up at seven for an eight o'clock breakfast in the mess before a morning brief. There was nothing on for the Galm Team until later, so Cipher and Galm headed to their hanger where their planes were waiting for their daily check for wear and tear.
"So how much have you earned?" Foulke spoke over from his fighter, parked behind Cipher's. Due to heavy snow, they had moved inside sheltering from the precipitation.
"Overall?" Cipher called back, not looking up from his work in the cockpit. It was cold enough in the hanger with the doors open to see his breath swirl like flames from a dragon's mouth, but a lot warmer than being pelted by wind and snow.
"Yeah."
"About ¥20,000" Cipher mentally counted. He heard Foulke whistle. "What about you?"
"Much the same." Foulke said. "Really rolling in the cash now eh?"
Cipher laughed. "How much were those fighters we were talking about?"
Cipher heard a spanner fall to the ground and a thump as Foulke dropped from the wing of his jet and walked towards the small office the mercenaries had found the other day, built onto the side of the hanger. "I'll take a look."
Looking through his deactivated HUD, Cipher watched the Crow Team across the taxiway as they worked on their own aircraft. He could hear them laughing and the sound of classic Osean rock music reached his ears.
"Foulke, why don't we have a radio?" He called through to the office.
"Dunno." Foulke replied. "I could try and get my hands on one if you like?" He came back holding an old looking notebook.
"What's that?" Cipher questioned.
"It's a notebook." Foulke replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he flicked through it. "I have some contacts in some other air forces in case I needed a new ride...ah! You can get your hands on a second-hand Gripen from the Royal Emmerian Air Force for fifteen thousand Emmerian dollars, which is about...seventeen and a half thousand Ustio zollars."
"Gripens are old..." Cipher muttered.
"Still quite a versatile jet though, Better I'd say than a standard Eagle." Said Foulke. "That's the cheapest deal I can get. Erm...there's a few Sukhoi aircraft going from the Erusians for..." His face screwed up in concentration as he worked out the exchange rates. "Twenty six thousand zollars."
"I'm not a huge fan of MiGs or Sukhois." Cipher climbed out of his cockpit and shivered. "Where can I get a brand new jet from? I don't trust second-hand aircraft."
"You'd be looking at prices of at least a couple of hundred thousand zollars." Foulke replied. "For the top end jets, that is." He followed Cipher into the office where the flight lead pulled out a list of jets currently operational around Strangereal.
"Apparently I can get a MiG-21bis for ¥8,500." Cipher grinned.
"Phantoms are only ¥14,000." Foulke referred back to his notebook.
"Not a bad aircraft." Cipher said. "It can carry loads, but it's not as manoeuvrable as I'd like."
"I know what you mean." Foulke dropped the book in a drawer. "It's early days yet; we may still earn enough to get us something good."
Cipher slumped into a battered leather office chair. "What are you planning on doing after the war?" He asked his wingman who was leaning against the doorframe.
"I'm not sure." The Belkan replied. "I've always relied on there being a war somewhere to offer my services. I guess I'll see what pops up. You?"
"Same here." Cipher said. "Y'know, this is the only time in my mercenary years that I've not been part of a much larger flight. I always got teamed up with six or eight others. But never just one."
"I know the feeling." Foulke nodded. "How long have you been a mercenary for?"
"About eleven years." He replied. "My first assignment was with Yuktobania which wasn't the best."
"And your second?"
"I'll tell you when it's over." Cipher grinned. "But so far? Not bad at all."
Three days later, the call came through for Galm, Hunter and a new A-10 squadron known as Altir to meet in the briefing room. The intelligence officer's happiness had shed off, and he looked worried. When he began, Cipher understood why.
"Intelligence has reported that Belka is developing nuclear arms and V2, a weapon of mass destruction." He began. All the jokes and laughter from the Ustio pilots stopped. The lightness in the air was replaced with heavy tension, as the sudden reality that there was still a war going on hit them. "The Allied Forces' top brass has decided to send troops across the Hydrian Line into Belka to check for nuclear arms and secure resource interests."
The map on the screen zoomed in on a section of Belka. It was a hilly area, with deep valleys and steep drops. "Centred on the ruins of Glatisant, the Hydrian Line, Belka's long line of defence, stretches seven hundred kilometres from Osea's southern border to the border of Sapin. Situated on the peak of Mount Ivrea, the ruins of Glatisant have been transformed into a modern base, with anti-aircraft artillery and a powerful defence system. The Galm Team's mission, along with Allied Air Forces, is to launch an aerial strike on Glatisant, opening the door for our ground troops."
Cipher saw the size of the base, and wondered how he was going to cover the entire base.
"In all probability, this will be an extended operation." The Officer stated the obvious. "You will be able to refuel during the latter half of the mission. If you're low on fuel or weapons, temporarily withdraw from the battle and return to base. Good luck."
Everyone turned to leave. Cipher turned to Foulke and asked "What's Glatisant?"
"It used to be a castle back in the medieval times, when Belka was a nation ruled by great knights." Foulke answered. "After the tradition was lost, the castle fell into disuse and was ruined by weathering and the odd earthquake."
Cipher nodded to his ground crew and began to issue requests for bombs, as did Foulke. Once the planes were armed and the pilots were happy, they began to taxi. They were the last to take off, joining the sixteen attackers in the greying sky.
"Nuclear inspection, huh?" Foulke muttered once the pack of Allied aircraft had entered the combat airspace. "What a joke!"
The Ustio aircraft had been joined by a similar sized force from the Allied Forces. The aerial strike force now numbered twenty five aircraft of varying types. The Hydrian Line was more uneven than Cipher had imagined, the valleys were deep and stepped. The mountains were tall and steep. The landscape was dotted with dark greens and greys, and the lashing rain wasn't helping the impression.
"It's hell out here…above and below!" An Ustio pilot commented.
"Begin operation." Eagle Eye said. "Attack Glatisant and open up a path for our ground forces."
Two A-10 attackers from a Yuktobanian squadron painted in a green and black camouflage broke away and dived to investigate what probably used to be a tiny village on the mountainside. A flare popped up above the medieval settlement and AA weapons opened up, catching the foreign jets by surprise.
"Break!" The aircraft split to avoid SAM fire, but both were hit and fell to the ground.
Two more began their attack run, Ustio origin this time, and fired long range missiles instead at the Surface to Air missile launchers.
"They're here!" a Belkan officer shouted down the radio. "Commence firing!"
The SAM units were quickly disposed of by the Ustio jets from Hunter. Cipher spied a set of four tunnels in the mountainside and informed the attackers.
"Roger we see 'em." The Osean attackers replied. "We're beginning our attack run." A set of four attackers broke away and went to attack. The first wave of missiles streaked from the formation but proved ineffective.
"Fire a missile into the hole!" One of the Ustio A-10 pilots attacking the AA defences in the settlement advised as the Osean jets as they came in for a second attempt.
"There's Area Gate." Foulke said. "Sector E."
Cipher looked, and saw a small kite-shaped castle atop the mountain they were attacking. His HUD and radar picked up anti-aircraft guns on top of the four turrets.
"Galm Two, lets wake them up and draw their attention away from the attackers." Cipher engaged his afterburners and dived towards the castle with Foulke close behind. They screamed over the Belkan fortress and banked as the AA guns opened up.
"Hunter, now!" Cipher ordered as he evaded the bullets. He watched as Hunter's A-10's returned fire with their 30mm guns and made light work of the guns. Cipher saw miniature explosions inside the building as the excess ammunition went off.
"This is Area Gate, a fire's broken out inside!" A Belkan commander informed.
"Well done, Sector E has been taken care of." Eagle Eye said. "Now take the other sectors!"
Cipher looked to his clear thigh pocket where he had placed his map. Five sectors had been identified, one in each corner and one big one in the centre. Each squadron had their own objectives and they split, going their separate ways.
"We'll go to Sector C." He told Foulke. "Let's follow Hunter."
"Copy that." His wingman formed back up on the mercenary's wing. Hunter Squadron's eight A-10's were flying low, following the deep valley that lead them to their target. "Dam I'd pay to be in their position."
"How much are you offering?" A member of the Ustio attacker squadron joked.
"Heads up, another settlement." The squadron navigated an S bend and came to the valley's end. Cipher's HUD picked out a few AA weapons below, but it was the main sector that caught his attention.
Sector C was obviously based on the main castle of Glatisant. Walls and towers dotted the mountain's summit but Cipher's vision was locked on to the massive cylindrical stone tower in the centre. According to his radar, it was filled with AA guns.
"Uh-oh." He said quietly.
"That's one way to put it!" Foulke agreed. The two Eagles of Galm Team split apart as countless guns opened up and spewed bullets in their direction.
"It looks like an ocean of bullets coming at us!" Cipher exclaimed as he pulled a wide, shallow bank around the mountaintop, the inexperienced AA gunners unable to hit him with their weapons.
"Then we'll have to just sail through them!" Foulke replied. Cipher looked around and saw his wingman's red wing on the other side of the summit. "I'll draw the enemy's fire so you can get a clear shot!"
Foulke banked harder and swooped in low and at near supersonic speeds. As predicted, the AA defences tried to hit the famous mercenary whilst Cipher and Hunter Four both flew in and loosened bombs at the massive structure. The explosion threw dust, stone and dirt into the air, thwarting any attempts from the Belkan AA weapons to lock on to them.
"That's half of it done." Cipher said as he looked back.
Almost all of one side of the tower had collapsed into a pile of rubble, leaving the other standing. The AA guns though, had been silenced as members hurriedly evacuated the structure, least it collapse.
"Good work!" Hunter One praised. "Now let's finish off the resistance in Sector C!"
"I thought you'd never ask!" Hunter Four, the only female pilot, replied.
"Galm One to Hunter One, we'll give you some air cover." Cipher offered.
"Roger, keep the skies clear for us." Hunter replied.
With Foulke on his wing, Cipher loitered around the hill.
"Visual identification in this weather is almost impossible." Foulke muttered. "Guess we'll just have to rely on good ol' radar and IFF."
Cipher looked out into the greyness around him. "Nothing to see out here anyway." he replied and looked down at his radar. "I've got two pairs of possible bogies on radar."
"I've got them too, they're keeping their distance."
"I guess they don't want to bail out in this weather." Cipher laughed. "How's it going Hunter One?"
"It's...interesting." The Ustio veteran replied. "The Belkans are being sneaky and not firing until we're not looking. We can't pinpoint their locations to get a good shot with cannons. But we're winning...slowly."
"Galm Two to Galm One, it looks like one of the pairs are taking their chances." Foulke advised. "Ten o'clock high."
"Copy that." Cipher turned and Foulke kept on his wing as if he was held there by an iron bar. "You are cleared to engage, five miles remaining."
"Solid copy Galm One, Galm Two engaging the one on the left."
The two fighters appeared on Cipher's HUD before he could spot them himself. "MiGs" he muttered into his oxygen mask as he increased his airspeed and climbed to meet his challenger. The Belkan patrol split, so the mercenaries followed their respective targets. He banked hard right to follow the Belkan as he pulled a U-shaped turn and tried to shake the F-15 Cipher flew.
A sidewinder locked onto the heat from the exhaust pipes of the MiG-29. With a call of "Fox two!" Cipher launched the projectile and shot down his first enemy aircraft of the day.
"Splash one, he was a rookie." Cipher reported. "Talk to me Foulke."
"I've got this one."
Another white parachute joined the first, slowly drifting into the mountain range.
"I wonder if they'll get picked up?" Foulke wondered.
"Radio signal here is stronger than in the Round Table." Cipher reminded. "I'm sure a chopper will be over when we're gone."
The two jets reformed and continued their patrol, circling like raptors over their territory.
"Hey, Galm One…no hands!" Foulke played with the trim and placed his gloved hands on his canopy, his fighter staying obediently in the bank. The flight lead grinned and shook his head slightly in amusement.
"What's the position of that second pair of bogies?" He asked, scanning the skies for anything and relying on his wingman to check the radar.
"Keeping their distance." Foulke replied. "Guess they don't want to try their luck."
"Get away from that tent!"
"I can't hit them, they're too fast!"
"Keep firing!"
Cipher switched to the intercepted comms and listened as Hunter wreaked havoc below.
"Where's our air support?"
"This is Eagle Three, they've got those dammed mercenaries flying top cover!"
"Dammed mercenaries…"
The mercenary flight lead chuckled to himself.
"This is Galm Two, we've got a third pair joining the second." Foulke warned. "They're coming in from the east."
"Understood, keep me posted."
"Wilco."
"Hunter Four break right!" Someone yelled. Cipher looked rapidly at the battle below and spotted a white trail of smoke and an explosion of flares from Hunter Four.
"Don't die, you still owe me money from poker." Hunter Seven deadpanned.
Cipher had to laugh at that one. Even in the face of danger, the Ustio A-10 squadron still maintained a light-hearted approach to things.
"Galm Two here, the Belkan fighters are approaching from the east and the north." Foulke informed.
"Roger, break and engage the east pair. I'll take the northern group."
Foulke tightened his circular path to bank around in a U turn while Cipher continued at the angle he was in, increasing thrust. If the Belkans wanted to split them up, so be it, but the job wasn't any easier for them.
As Cipher came out of his bank, he spied the three jets at his twelve high. Switching to his AMRAAMs caused his HUD to identify and lock on to both targets and he resisted the urge to fire. He did a quick mental calculation and figured the missiles would miss. With a sigh, he switched back to sidewinders.
The opposing MiG-29 Fulcrums split and went opposite directions. Cipher growled in annoyance and took the one which had banked off to his right. He applied afterburners to quickly close the gap between them and engage, keeping an eye on his radar to check the positions of his prey's friends.
The beeping of his radar turned into a drone as his sidewinder locked on. He fired and the missile quickly dispatched of his target with little trouble. Cipher pulled a hard turn to his left, scanning the skies for the other two Belkan aircraft. His eyes picked out one coming below him at his seven low, but couldn't locate the other. He glanced at his radar.
"Hunter, heads up." He warned. "One's got past me."
"Roger that, I see 'em." Hunter One replied. "Hunter Three, check your six!"
"Where the hell did he come from?!"
Cipher would've gone to help, but he had a more important issue to deal with, the Belkan attempting to get on his tail. He snapped his Eagle into a quick roll and pulled hard on the control stick to swing his jet around, popping flares in the process to evade the missile fired at him.
"Jesus Christ..." He heard the Belkan swear. "That's some crazy manoeuvring!"
Cipher saw that the MiG couldn't match the agility of his modified fighter. He was easily able to twist around onto the enemy's tail and shoot him down with gunfire.
"Splash two, Galm Two give me a sitrep." He pointed his aircraft in the direction of Hunter and sped to aid them.
"Splash three, I'm headed to the guy who got past you."
"Solid copy."
Cipher came to the mountaintop where upon he instantly began to engage the sneaky Belkan pilot attempting to take Hunter Three. The A-10 pilot was doing all he could to keep the MiG from claiming him as a kill, sliding his attacker through spaces between castle turrets, low over walls and with sharp turns.
"Hunter Three, come right, help me engage..." Cipher ordered. The A-10 complied and the mercenary saw his chance. A sidewinder later and the fighter tumbled the short distance to the rocky floor. A few seconds later, Foulke soared overhead.
"Forty percent of enemy forces are under our control, it's time to rock and roll!" Eagle Eye. "All aircraft, eliminate Glatisant!"
"Galm Two, I'm getting close to bingo fuel." Cipher reported, looking at his fuel guage. "How's you?"
Foulke was back on his wing. "I'm in the same situation."
"Eagle Eye, this is Galm Team. Permission to RTB to refuel and rearm?" Cipher asked the AWACS orbiting above the combat airspace.
"Roger that, you are cleared to RTB. See you boys later."
The two mercenaries turned towards the border and cruised all the way back to Valais, where upon the ground crew rapidly refuelled the two Eagles and had them back in the air within fifteen minutes of landing. By the time they returned to the Hydrian Line, the battle was almost over.
"Eagle Eye, this is Galm Team." Cipher reported in once they entered the combat airspace. "We're back, miss us?"
"Welcome back Galm Team." The AWACS humorously replied. "Sectors A, C and E have been taken care of, head to Sector D to provide cover for Hunter."
"They've opened up a supply route; they're flying in and out like crazy!" A Belkan officer exclaimed
"Wilco." Cipher turned his fighter westwards and flew at 10,000 feet to where the Ustio attackers repeatedly harassed two massive stone towers on the small castle they found there. By the looks of things, their job here was almost done. It took little effort for the mercenary ace team to finish off what little fighters were left.
"Glatisant's attack powers have been neutralised!" Eagle Eye whooped. "Mission complete, all aircraft return to base."
Cipher and Foulke turned back towards Ustio, sliding into Hunter Squadron's five o'clock high.
"Hmm, did something just flash?"
Cipher peered round at his wingman. "Uh, that's a negative Galm Two, perhaps just a glint off your canopy?"
"I'm not sure; I think I saw a blue flash…probably nothing." Foulke sighed.
Hunter was trading jokes and comments with the other attacker squadrons from Osea and Yuktobania about the counterstrike. The Allied Forces had successfully pushed Belka onto the defensive, the tides had turned. The Ustio pilots were eager, and morale was high. Now was the perfect time for the Allied Forces to go on the offensive.
Cipher smiled behind his mask. Things were going to get rough.
The briefing room was alive with chatter before the Lieutenant General was able to silence them. "The operation was a success, Glatisant has fallen." He opened the debrief with what the pilots called a BFO, a Blinding Flash of Obvious. "The Allied Forces have broken through the Hydrian Line, bringing the battle to Belka."
His tone grew more serious. "I must inform you, however, that while you were on your mission, we received a report that the squadron attacking from Ustio's border was wiped out by a mysterious attack. We are currently investigating this incident."
Cipher glanced at his wingman as they left the briefing room, who gave him an I told you so look. He just rolled his eyes and headed to the mess along with the rest of the pilots. It was time for dinner, and the mission had made Cipher hungry.