The Razgriz
Note: The first playable mission of the game, SHOREBIRDS, is here! Since the game regenerates the missiles I think I might keep that function but still retain a level of realism. Its Ace Combat after all, you run out eventually.
Ch. 2: SHOREBIRDS
"Hey Grandpa, watch this" says a young Garret as he does a cart wheel for his grandpa.
"Well done Little Man, well done" claps his grandpa. "I used to be able to do those y'know." His think Ustian accent rings thru the living room.
"The last time you did one you broke your hip too" says Grandma Silvia as she sets down 5 cups of tea.
"Yes well, it was fun all the same, wasn't Little Man?" Garret laughs because he was there last year when it happened. Although seeing Grandpa Fredrick in the hospital wasn't fun because Garret thought he was broken in half. But they made up for it by playing games and telling stories.
"When are my parents coming? They never miss tea time."
"I'm sure they will be here soon. And I have never seen a 10 year old like tea as much as you.."
She was cut off by a major explosion, people running and screaming outside.
Charlie and Angelica burst through the front door out of breath with fear on their faces.
"The Belkans are coming. They are taking no prisoners" said Charlie as calm as possible.
"We need to leave…" but Angelica and Charlie were thrown down when a grenade exploded just outside the door. Fredrick ran to pick up his daughter and son-in-law but froze in his tracks as a rifle was pointed at him by one of the two soldiers. Sylvia and Garret ran for the bedroom as Fredrick was gunned down in front of his daughter who slowly got up only to find her dead father lying in front of her. She barely felt the bullets hit her and rip thru her adding to the already bloody mess that covered the living room. She didn't feel the ground as she hit but she did see her husband scream for her as two rounds entered his skull.
In the backroom, Sylvia knew they had been seen so she hid Garret in a closet under a pile of clothes and told him to be quiet and cover his ears. The Belkan soldiers entered the room calmly and asked her where the boy is.
"He's gone. Ran."
"Good" said one. He Spartan kicked her to the ground and stuck his FN FAL muzzle in her mouth and blew her a kiss.
"Let's torch the place. But first tea." Garret was still hiding in the clothes when the Torcher came. Garret could smell the smoke. He peeked out the clothes, saw the coast was clear but as he entered the hallway to the living room, the Torcher spotted him and fired his flame thrower at him.
Blaze woke up covered in sweat. That dream haunted him since that fateful day. For 15 years, the only people he could trust were friends that he knew without a doubt he could trust. He was a loner thru school but he always Cipher and his family. He hated himself for being half Belkan. They were doing no wrong and the town his grandparents lived in wasn't causing any trouble. The Belkan army wanted to just strike fear and hatred and they did. He knew he couldn't hate them forever. Aunt Cynthia helped overcome his fear and anger with her faith in God and he believed to. But it still haunted him.
Blaze: 430 am. This is insane. It's been months. And my first night here, it comes back.
Blaze got up, left, and went out to the beach after showering.
Blaze: God, I know you have a purpose of some sort, but it does it have to have the dream included? I can do without it, right?
Back at base, Kei was just getting and found her bunkmate missing. After showering and dressing, Kei opened the door exactly as Blaze was and after a quick exchange of good morning. Blaze spoke up.
"We got briefing at 730. I checked the planes. We're flying F-5's. That's all I got. See you in a bit."
Kei: He's troubled.
She found Chopper in the cantina tearing thru a slice of bread and jam. His hair slicked back and a bit heavy on the aftershave.
"We got briefing at 730" she said to Chopper who waved morning to her.
"Yeah. Blaze was just here a while ago. He seemed on edge, no pun inteneded."
Kei chuckled a bit. "Yeah. He seems off. I'm gonna go find him."
Kei spent the next half an hour trying to find Blaze. She grabbed some toast and a friend egg and went to the briefing room where Colonel Orsen Perrault, Sand Island Base Commander as well as the world's fattest man, was waiting with a silent Blaze sitting in the back with his eyes closed.
Kei saw Blaze and approached him.
"It's alright Kei, I'm awake." Blazed smiled at her as she sat next to him. The rest of Wardog squad, Chopper and Bartlett, came sat down.
Perrault got their attention before the briefing came up.
Another aircraft of unknown origin has entered Osean federation airspace.
We have confirmed the target type as a strategic recon plane flying at very high altitude.
Despite our repeated warnings, it continued to penetrate our ADEZ,
and was fired upon by Osean Coastal Defense Force SAMs.
We believe one of our SAMs damaged the unknown plane,
but did not destroy it.
Radar shows that the aircraft is currently losing altitude, and is attempting to egress feet wet
towards the ocean.
Intercept this aircraft and force it to land for identification.
Do not fire upon this aircraft until further orders are transmitted.
Perrault retorted, "You have your orders. Get out there and happy hunting. Dismissed."
It took Blaze all his energy to stay calm. Finally he got to fly. He approached the No. 15 F-5, with red flames that he painted on. The paint has just dried and is good to go.
Bartlett asked the group, "Who painted the No. 15?"
Blaze responded as he ran up to his CO, "I did."
Bartlett smiled, "Nice art. Fits your call sign." Bartlett rounded up the three pilots for a preflight chat.
"We have 15 minutes before launch. Lets run through our checks as quick as we can and meet up on the runway in 8 minutes. Got that?"
"Roger/Yep/Yes sir" came from Edge, Blaze, and Chopper respectively.
Chopper went to Edge finally asked Blaze the question, "Where did you disappear to?"
"I told Chopper about the briefing and went to go check on the paint, then went to the briefing room. For a big man, Perrault walks nimbly, or rolls quietly. Either one."
"You had me worried sick. And this morning you looked pale. You alright?"
"Yeah, it was probably the briefing. I am now. Come on, No. 2 is parked next to mine."
Blaze helped Nagase into her plane before getting into his. He kicked on the engines.
Blaze: Listen to them purr. He saluted the ground crew and taxied to the runway.
"Blaze," sounded Chopper.
"Yeah?"
"Already set to go? Flights checks done already?"
"Yep. I get up early to sort them out." Blaze laughed quietly.
"Well ok then. I guess you look out for your plane right?"
"Yes I do. It protects me, I protect it."
"Ok enough talking, let's get airborne" radio's Bartlett, in his F-4G, as he leads Chopper and Nagase the runway. "Ready to go kid?"
Blaze gives the thumbs up to Bartlett in the cockpit.
"This is tower to Wardog. You are cleared for takeoff."
The four jets take off in a roar and head south for Cape Landers where the unidentified aircraft was flying.
As the squad is making the final approach, AWACS Thunderhead comes on over the radio and reissues orders to group. Bartlett comes on the radio.
"Remember, don't fire on the craft. Got that?"
"This is Edge, roger."
"Chopper, roger."
Bartlett waiting for a third roger comes up again.
"Wardog 4! Can you hear me? You still backthere kid?"
"Yes sir, I am."
"Good. You sound confident."
Chopper replied, "I'm glad you took the short straw today."
"2nd Lt. Davenport, zip it" says an irritated Bartlett.
"I respectfully ask to be called Chopper captain."
"It does fit, I got a better…Tally ho. We're sharing the sky." The squad moves in behind the east heading craft.
The squad spots a pitch black SR-71 trailing smoke and slowly descending.
"Where's Motormouth Chopper?" chuckles Bartlett.
"That's the best nickname you got for me? Sad man, sad."
"Mind sending the surrender request for me?"
"Why me?" asks an astounded Chopper.
"'Cause you talk to much."
Chopper gives the surrender request when Blaze sees that he's been given the bird as the 71 banks hard to the right .
"Hey, Captain Bartlett, you sure I can't shoot it down? I've been giving the universal piss-off sign."
"Haha, that's a good one kid."
"This is Edge. There's something on my radar." Just then Thunderhead announces that 4 bogeys are approaching from vector 280.
Bartlett comes on. "Let's go be hosts to our guests." The weather has started to grey and has started to rain. Even in the rain, the unmistakable flare, as missile is fired towards them, is seen.
"Heads up, they're firing!" screams Chopper.
"Wardog, weapons safe" responds Thunderhead.
"Wardog, this is Bartlett, engage."
"Wardog, I said weapons safe!" radios Thunderhead.
Bartlett yells back, "SHOVE IT! I'M NOT GONNA LET ANYMORE OF MY PILOTS DIE!"
The fight goes on. Planes weaving thru the clouds.
"This is Wardog 4, second enemy down."
"This is Edge. Bandit on the captains tail. Bank right…Now!" Kei fires off two missiles and the MiG-21 to the sea,
"This is Blaze, third down. Second wave incoming, turning to engage."
Bartlett: The kid is good. Real good.
"This is Blaze. Four…down."
"I got one!" yells an excited Chopper failing to see the one shooting at him. Soon Kei comes to his rescue.
"Chopper, your six is clear…oh no!"
Another Mig-21 has latched itself to Kei's 6 o'clock and the cockpit was riddled with bullets and covered in the blood of the dead pilot as Blaze cleared her butt.
"That makes 5. Ace." Blaze says calmly has another flight of four Mig-21 enters into the fray. The leader was already taken out by Blaze in a head on pass.
"6."
Bartlett/Edge/Chopper: What? No way!
Bartlett lined his F-4 behind an enemy that was coming left and down out the clouds in front of him.
"Fox 2!"
"This is Thunderhead. Bartlett, that's a confirmed kill."
The last two MiG's were dealt with by Blaze and Nagase because kept talking over the radio making himself a prime target but also making the enemies easy pickings too.
"This is Thunderhead. Picture clear. All hostiles are down. The spy plane crashed. Search and Rescue on their way now. Blaze congrats on becoming an ace. And on your first flight too."
"Yeah Blaze. You were a natural out there" expressed Nagase. "It was amazing."
"Yeah man, you were on you're a-game today" Chopper said flying next to Blaze and gave him thumbs up.
"You did your thing today to Chopper. You weren't half bad" said Blaze as he returned the thumbs up.
Kei could only smile. Bartlett knew that Blaze was going to be huge someday.
"Ok gang. Let's head home."
Sand Island Dinner time
Blaze walks into the cantina looking for his crew. He finds Kei and Chopper sitting with Grimm.
"Hey, what's up gang?"
"Here, sit" as Kei scoots over. "Chopper was telling Grimm about the battle today. Where were you?"
"I took a nap. I didn't think I would be this drained from flying. I'm going for lemonade. Anyone want something?"
Kei looked up, "A lemonade as you."
Chopper and Grimm already had their drinks as they continued talking. Blaze left for the drinks. Kei got up and followed Blaze.
"Talking to much over there?"
"Yeah. Blaze?"
"Yeah."
"Can we go somewhere else? I want to talk."
"Sure Kei. I know a spot. I was there this morning. I'll lead. And grab a couple towels, it's a bit sandy."
Back in Pops' hangar, Albert Genette, a resident reporter, was talking to Bartlett.
"Who do you think is covering up the battles?"
"The only thing across that ocean is Murska Air Base. Yuktobanian territory" Bartlett sighed.
"But Osea and Yuktobania have been allies since the war 15 years ago. What went wrong?" asked a concerned Genette.
"I don't know, but I'm willing to bet that they have hotlines ringing off the hook upstairs trying to sort this madness out. Ha, I feel bad for you Genette."
Genette chuckled. "It's alright. I'm here you lot. It's a lot more fun here than on the base. I believe that your story, Wardog's story, could very well be what I'm looking for."
"Yeah, well, leave out any parts with anyone crying" Bartlett chuckled.
Pops came from the back after inspecting a plane with three orange soda's in hand.
"Don't let the captain here fool you Genette" as he handed each man a bottle. "The good captain here hates this more than anyone. Used to have a lady friend over there. That explains his emblem on F-4's nose."
Bartlett smiled a bit as he opened his soda.
"Cheers."
"Cheers." "Cheers."
The West Beach
Kei and Blaze were starting to unwrap the day's events. Blaze really didn't think he deserved the credit he got. Flying was its own reward. They talked about politics, places they have been, and family.
"So Kei, what about your family? Where's your brother?"
She paused. "Dead. You heard about the Collins Air crash a few years ago?"
"Yeah, I do."
"My brother was on it. We were about to start our third year of college when he took a trip to southern Ratio with his girlfriend. The plane got caught in a storm and it went down."
"I'm sorry Kei. I…I…didn't know."
"You're the first to know. No one knows. That's why I fly. I felt so helpless. I couldn't do a thing except go to school. I wanted to help the families. I didn't want another person to feel my pain if can be prevented."
"You feel scared, helpless and alone. And I'm willing to bet that you were mad at the pilot and the airline too."
"Yeah, how do know?"
Blaze stopped and stared at the sea.
"My parents and grandparents died when I was 10. It… it… it wasn't fair…" Blaze trembled. "Let's go back to the room. It's gonna take time for me to open up on this."
Kei: I'm here for you Blaze. You're becoming my best friend.
