A/N: Consider this a test draft, if you guys like it, I will see if I will continue it. Here's the setting: I'm basing this one of the Strike Witches: 1991 Universe that has been created by Ogitsune (Ankakecya-han). Any characters that are his work are accredited to him and I have no place into claiming such characters (will add disclaimer beforehand). So here goes, wish me luck and please enjoy the story!
The golden sea spanned for miles on end, the only distinguishing features were the oil fires that were spewing thick black smoke into the air. Out of the gaskets spewed orange flames that turned the area around it into a charred heap. The lone desert fox scampers about the sand before stopping suddenly, its ears perking up. Quickly, it retreated into its burrow as the sands began to shake, almost as an earthquake was about to make rifts in the earth.
The wheels making a path in the sand, the M998 Troop carrier sped across the open desert.
"Look at all this fucking sand man, this makes Arizona look like pre-school sandbox."
"You went to school?" The cabin erupted in laughter.
"Screw off Kerns."
"Simmer it down Jackson, you're from Phoenix, what sandbox are you talking about."
"Yeah whatever." The laughter and jeers ceased and the cabin became silent again. As the Humvee continued its path, the men of the 24th Special Tactics Squadron looked on as the same golden landscape seemed to stretch beyond the horizon. Suddenly, the Humvee came to an abrupt halt and sand kicked around the cabin. The sudden stop awoke any members that were asleep and the men began to pile out and set up their equipment. These men were JTAC's and their mission tasked with vectoring allied airstrikes onto Neuroi concentrations, wherever they were.
"Allen, what's the status on comms?" One of the lieutenants asked. Allen turned the dials and gave the thumbs up.
"We got a clear connection sir."
"Good, alright boys, we're goin' be here awhile so make yourselves comfortable."
"LT!" One of the airmen shouted. The lieutenant snapped his head back towards the call.
"What?"
"Sir, you've got to see this." The expression on the airmen's face looked grim, gesturing to the men behind him, the lieutenant followed, rifle in hand. The group reached a dune that they climbed over but stopped at the peak. There were two other men from the group already keeping watch as the lieutenant approached them.
"What do you got?"
"See for yourself." The airmen said, handing over his laser range finder. The lieutenant looked through the eye piece at the flat area ahead.
"My god," He said sullenly. "There's hundreds of them." Handing back the rangefinder, the lieutenant got up speedily and turned back to the truck, his men that came with him following close behind. "Allen! Get on the net and inform command; confirmation of Neuroi ground presence in map grid 31424, requesting strike package immediate!"
"Yes sir!" Allen got on the radio and began relaying the orders back to command. "Shogun, Shogun, this is Ninja 1-1 how copy?" Over the dunes, walker and flyer types sat idle in the desert sand, some parts began to turn jet black as the Neuroi began to 'assimilate' the area. Allen turned the dials while throwing his voice into the microphone until he got a response.
"Reading you five by five Ninja 1-1, what's your status?"
"Confirmation of Neuroi ground presence in sector, break. Map grid 31424, requesting strike package, authorization code Sierra Two Oscar Five Five Zero Niner over."
"Standby Ninja, wait one," After a slight pause, the voice on the other side came back, sterner than ever.
"Ninja 1-1, tasking you over to Airborne Warning and Control System Top Hat. Coordinate and vector friendly strike packages entering the sector and neutralize the hostile ground units, command out." Allen turned back to the lieutenant and shouted.
"LT! WE GOT AUTHORIZATION!"
"Guide 'em in Allen." The lieutenant responded in his gruff tone.
"Ninja 1-1, this is Airborne Warning and Control System Top Hat, commencing elliptical pattern around your grid holding at angels 30."
"Top Hat, Top Hat, request ETA on friendly strike package."
"Friendly victors are inbound from the south-east, bearing 1-6-0, holding at Angels 5, ETA 3 Mikes. Callsign is 'Balk' and you have a flight of 4 witches prepped for CAS, will inform once they enter the AO."
"Roger that Top Hat, Ninja is standing by to direct."
Somewhere, over the desert sands….
"Ammo check?"
"Good here."
"Topped off and ready."
"M134 is spinning, let's do it already."
"A little too excited there Akagi?"
"Quit teasing me Jen, I would like to make it back before the sun falls and I didn't bring my NVG's."
"Hush up guys," Henrietta told her squad mates as she grabbed her headset. "Top Hat, Balk is arriving on station at the AO, dropping to Angel's 2 and going to maintain a holding pattern."
"Belay that Balk, drop to Angel's 2 and standby."
"Uh… Roger that." Henrietta shot a glance of confusion to Alisa who had the same expression. Beside Alisa flew Jennifer and Akagi, both of which were adjusting their eyepieces.
"Balk, patching you through to JTAC's on the ground, callsign is Ninja 1-1, they will be vectoring CAS runs on hostile positions how copy?"
"Balk reads five by five, patch us through." Static stirred as the channels were changed but another male's voice appeared on the other end.
"Balk, designating priority one target, Neuroi ground column heading due west, bearing 2-8-0, and target is painted and friendlies are marked with strobes."
"Copy that Ninja 1-1, changing approach vector to the 2-8-0 and prepping for gun run." Henrietta turned to the girls behind her. "Alright ladies, time to make the big bucks." Henrietta was the first to peel off, followed by Alisa, then by Jennifer and Akagi. The droning sound of their A-10 striker units could be heard from the JTAC's stationed on the ground. Henrietta made a sharp turn and right in front of her was a large black tower that protruded out of the ground. Looking through her eyepiece, she locked onto the structure and fired. 700 Rounds of 7.62 shredded the Neuroi's exterior, Henrietta pulled away and made a steep climb before getting back on her headset. "Ninja 1-1, requesting BDA on previous run"
"Hostile suffered major structural damage, I can see that the core is exposed."
"Nice, Alisa, it's your turn." Henrietta watched as Alisa pulled off and began making her attack run.
"Balk 2 is engaging target." Alisa swooped low over the ground before pulling up slightly, her eyepiece zeroed in on the core which was located at the top of the tower. Once again, a fusillade of 7.62 impacted the core, causing the tower to shatter into white flakes.
"GOOD EFFECT ON TARGET!" Allen shouted in elation as he saw the tower explode.
"Good shooting Alisa, Balk's 3 and 4, we are in a free fire zone, cite enemy targets and engage at will." Henrietta announced.
"YES MA'AM!" Soon the two witches descended and began their attack runs, all the while, Henrietta and Alisa swooped in and out of each other's turn, firing their mini guns away at the neuroi targets below them. Over the dune, the lieutenant observed the carnage.
"Well hot damn…." He said suddenly. "Remind me not get on their bad side, airmen."
"Roger that sir." One of the men replied, rather amused.
The cyclic revolutions on the M134's continued on for what seemed to be forever, every single sound was the hum of 2000 rounds being spit out all across the hot sands. Finishing off a large walker tank, Henrietta shook around a bit, the canister on her back was emitting a rattling sound, usually the sign of depleting ammunition.
"Girls, ammo check!"
"Only got a burst left in me."
"Barrels are hot and I'm dry."
"Gun's jammed."
Henri got on her headset. "Ninja 1-1, we are Winchester and will be egressing out of the AO, how copy?"
"Copy that, thank you for the show Balk flight." Henri giggled lightly before gesturing to her witches to follow her. "Top Hat, Balk is disengaging and we are egressing to the 1-6-0."
"Balk flight roger, keep on alert, UAV's have spotted Neuroi fighter launches."
"Can you tell what direction?"
"Negative, contacts dropped off radar just as soon as they launched."
"Damn, keep me posted."
"Roger that."
Akagi noticed the concerned looks on her superiors face. "Something wrong LT?" Henri feigned a small smile and waved her hand.
"Nothing, I was just thinking about something." Knowing that she wasn't going to say anymore, Akagi thought it best to cease right then and there.
"Hey LT, what's going to be for dinner when we get back?" Jennifer said with an unusual cheer. Henri shot a fleeting glance at the brunette before sighing and turning her head forwards. The group remained relatively quiet throughout until Henri broke the silence.
"Perk up girls, we're entering the blue-zone, dinner is just around the corner." Henri announced, from her peripheral view, she could see Jennifer do celebratory barrel rolls. "Tower, Tower, this is Balk Flight, requesting landing clearance."
"Balk flight, landing pad is clear and you are green for approach, welcome back lieutenant."
"Thanks." With the air base in sight, the witches flew over and pointed their strikers down and began to decelerate. The large 'H' painted onto the tarmac was getting larger and larger as they got closer, soon they could see the aircraft marshaller wave around his batons as he directs the witches onto their launch units.
Disengaging them, the four walked out onto the tarmac just as a Humvee rolled up to greet them. The man in the driver seat turned to them and greeted them with a warm smile. "Welcome back," He said in a southern Liberion tone. "What did ya'll bag this time?"
"Towers, tanks, walkers, those things of the sort." Alisa replied sharply.
"No damage?"
"Not even a scratch!" Jennifer belted proudly.
"Hm…. Well that's less work for me, get in." The man gestured the witches to get in, which they did. He turned and smiled again. "Where to?"
"DFAC" Henri replied quickly. Content with the request, the man shifted the gears and the Humvee drove off onto the road, falling in line with a small truck convoy. The base was alive with activity, helicopters were idling on the pads and fighter jets were taxiing to their take-off positions. The Humvee continued on the road as men ran in formation for exercise, shouting out their cadence as they drove by. The truck passed a rather imposing ceramic wall which just stood in the middle of the base, around it were the flags of Liberion, Karlsland, Fuso, Britannia, and Arabia, all arranged in a semi-circular pattern. In the middle was the slab, on it were inscribed the words.
Dhahran Air Base
End
Characters
Henrietta Von Holle
Age: 18
Unit: 71st Joint Tactical Wing
Striker Unit: Republic A-10A
Nationality: Karlslander
Rank: 1st Lieutenant
Alisa Franziska Addleman
Age: 17
Unit: 71st Joint Tactical Wing
Striker Unit: Republic A-10A
Nationality: Karlslander
Rank: 2nd Lieutenant
Jennifer "Shooter" Davenport
Age: 17
Unit: 71st Joint Tactical Wing
Striker Unit: Republic A-10A
Nationality: Liberion
Rank: Master Sergeant
Nicole "Garand" Akagi
Age: 16
Unit: 71st Joint Tactical Wing
Striker Unit: Republic A-10A
Nationality: Liberion/Fusoan
Rank: Technical Sergeant
Terms:
JTAC: Joint Terminal Attack Controller- Directs action of combat aircraft in close air support from a forward area close to the strike zone.
NVG: Night Vision Goggles.
Angels: Another term for Altitude
DFAC- Dining Facility
A/N: Something completely new! Hope you guys enjoyed this experimental story, please leave feedback! It's much appreciated!