Chopinburg, Usea
May 30th, 2019
The four F-16Cs of Mage Squadron soared above the clouds. As they entered the AO, they received a transmission from Sky Keeper.
"Mage Squadron, this is the situation. Golem and other base's squadrons already joined forces and are engaged. You guys will arrive right in the middle of the action. Mage Squadron, eliminate all bandits in the current airspace. We have the upper hand, but that doesn't mean we can ease up. Good luck."
"Mage 1. Wilco," replied Clown. He then proceeded to contact Knocker. "Mage 1 to Golem 1. Thank your lucky stars."
"Looking good, Mage Squadron," Knocker responded. "Keep up that pressure."
"Trigger, Faun, time to show the other guys that we get wet, wild, and do dirty, dirty things."
"Once you hit one of them, stick to them like glue," advised Knocker. "Don't let them out of your sights, even in the clouds."
"And so," Clown told the two rookies, "your first hunting season begins."
"Roger that, boss," replied Faun as he launched a missile at a Erusean F-4E. "Let's get em, Trigger!"
"After you, Faun." Alex locked onto another F-4E and took it out. He proceeded to bag an additional F-4E before setting his sights on an F-16C.
"Four remaining," stated Sky Keeper.
Alex engaged the F-16C in a prolonged series of maneuvers.
"Three remaining"
He got a lock and unleashed a pair of missiles, turning his opponent into a ball of flame.
"Nice kill," complimented Clown.
"Is the enemy command insane?" remarked Zeus, a member of Skeleton Squadron . "Why aren't they pulling out?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Alex noticed Ashley shoot down another F-16C.
"Golem 2 just knocked one down," she announced, gleaming with pride.
"This right here is what we call a learning experience," said Knocker.
"Roger that."
Alex continued to look for more enemies to shoot down before Sky Keeper came in over the radio.
"Our radar shows no sign of bandits. You're in the clear."
"I haven't even broken a sweat," said Clown.
"They have to be crazy to pick a fight with us!" observed Zeus. "A rabid dog would know better!"
Suddenly, Alex began receiving a missile alert on his HUD.
"Missile incoming!" Knocker yelled. "Evade!"
"Break! Break!" shouted Clown.
"Wait," said Sky Keeper. "What the hell?"
"Caution! Missile!" Brownie warned.
"Caution! A large aircraft is approaching!" stated Sky Keeper. "All aircraft, stay alert!"
As Alex and his fellow pilots fought for their lives, the Arsenal Bird appeared in the distance. The enormous propeller-driven aircraft unleashed dozens of MQ-101 UCAVs, which began buzzing towards the Osean forces.
"UAVs closing!" shouted Zeus.
"We just learned that Erusea is utilizing the Arsenal Bird." said Sky Keeper. "Those bastards. They had that thing combat ready this whole time."
"Enemy has a radar lock!" Ashley's voice was frantic. "I can't get a lead on these bandits! They're dodging everything I throw at them!"
Clown tried to reassure Alex. "We'll live through this, Trigger!"
"These guys won't go down easy!" remarked Footpad.
"Trigger, break! Now!" Ashley warned.
Alex dodged a missile from one of the UAVs.
"All aircraft, destroy the Arsenal Bird!" instructed Sky Keeper.
"We're up against that thing?" one of the other pilots fretted. "God help us."
Alex engaged a UAV in a dogfight before taking it out with a missile. He then locked onto another UAV and brought it down with another missile.
"Golem Squadron, take out Big Baby Huey!" ordered Knocker.
Alex shot down two more UAVs.
"These bandits are fast as hell!" remarked Ashley as she chased down a UAV, spraying it with fire from her autocannon.
"Skeleton 1! Check Six! Commander!" yelled Zeus.
"They got me!" Skeleton 1 went down.
"Damn. Skeleton 1 lost. Skeleton 2, take over command."
"Status?" Knocker asked Sky Keeper.
"Verifying the situation," the AWACS replied.
"Golem 2! Missile! Evade!" Boggard warned Ashley.
"Evading!"
"This is Golem 3, Golem 2's hit!"
Alex's heart raced.
"Status report!" shouted Knocker. "Shit! Golem 2, do you copy?
"This is Golem 2. Instruments still appear to be functioning okay."
"Skeleton 3! Break! Break!"
As he launched a pair of missiles at the Arsenal Bird, Alex saw Zeus get hit.
"Skeleton 3 is lost."
Alex watched as what appeared to be a halo appeared above the Arsenal Bird.
"What the hell?" said Sky Keeper. "Caution! All aircraft stay alert!"
Suddenly the halo expanded into a spherical force field, destroying the missiles that Alex had launched at the Arsenal Bird and taking out one of the two surviving fighters from Skeleton Squadron.
"Controls are out! I'm breaking up!"
"Skeleton Squadron is down. We've had too many losses." said Sky Keeper. "All squadrons, command has ordered a complete withdrawal. Leave the operation area immediately."
"Brilliant observation!" responded one of the pilots. "If they'd noticed earlier, more of us would've survived to hear it!"
"Save your chatter for the debriefing!" Sky Keeper replied. "Golem and Mage Squadrons, give our allies some time to escape."
"Wilco. But Golem 2's hit. Gotta send her back." Knocker radioed Ashley. "Golem 2, head back to base."
"Continuing the mission. Still got my wings," Ashley responded. "Trigger doesn't need to fill in for me. I'm back, and-"
"You won't make any difference up here. Get back to base and cool your head."
"Copy that! Returning home." Ashley was seething with frustration.
Alex locked onto a UAV and launched a pair of missiles. The drone dodged the first one but the second hit.
"The longer it takes, the worse our odds of getting out here are," remarked Knocker. "Machines don't get tired."
"Retreating aircraft, leave the AO," Sky Keeper instructed the other fighters. "Allies will hold off pursuit."
Alex destroyed another UAV.
"Golem Squadron, Mage Squadron, hang in there and come back safe."
"Copy that, Sky Keeper," Alex replied.
Alex shot down two more UAVs.
"This is Gargoyle 1. Leaving operation airspace with Golem 2."
"Retreating aircraft, prepare for combat! It's a bogey! Gargoyle 1, Golem 2! Engage now! Attack!"
An Su-30 with orange wing tips moved in on Ashley and Gargoyle 1.
"One bandit! Su-30!"
"Gargoyle 1, caution! Missile!"
"He's fast! It's like he-" Gargoyle 1 was shot down
"Sky Keeper. Gargoyle 1 lost."
"What the hell…?" responded Sky Keeper. "Golem 2, status report!"
Alex could hear Ashley struggling to breathe as she engaged in a life-or-death struggle with the enemy aircraft.
"Just talk to me!"
"I'm against... an Su-30! Orange wing tips! I can't shake it off. It's matching me move for move!"
"Golem 2, stop dogfighting and run!" instructed Knocker.
Alex radioed Sky Keeper. "This is Mage 2. Request permission to divert and support Golem 2." He peeled off and began heading towards Ashley's location.
"Negative, Mage 2! We need you to hold off the UAVs!"
"Are you kidding me?" Alex was pissed.
Faun chimed in. "Sky Keeper, Mage 1 and I have the drones covered. Let Trigger help Brownie."
"Alright. Permission granted."
Alex sped towards Ashley's location, his F-16 at full afterburner. He was hoping to reach her before it was too late.
"Golem 2, this is Mage 2, I'm on my way."
Unfortunately, Alex's words didn't seem to calm Ashley.
"I'm dead meat." She performed another 9g turn, desperately trying to stay alive. "I'm scared!"
"Brownie, break off!" urged Knocker. "Let Mage 2 deal with the bogey!"
Less than a minute later, Alex saw Ashley's F-18 and the Erusean Su-30 on his HUD. He was out of long-range missiles, which meant he had to get closer in order to assist.
Alex attempted to radio Ashley. "Golem 2, what's your status? Status report!"
"He's a predator." Ashley's voice reeked of fear. "The weak get eaten."
"Golem 2, get a hold of yourself!" said Knocker. "Get away from the enemy!"
Alex locked onto the Su-30 and unleashed a short-range air-to-air missile. The enemy plane dodged it with ease.
"Mage 2! Support!" Ashley had become increasingly hysterical. "Somebody! Support!"
The Su-30 flew behind Ashley's F-18 and opened fire with its autocannon, causing her engine to burn. It then broke off and began heading east.
Alex was enraged. "Eat a Sidewinder, you bastard." He chased after the Su-30 and let loose another missile. This one scored an indirect hit.
Alex, thinking he had neutralized the enemy, went back to check on Ashley. He flew his F-16 to her side and attempted radio contact.
"Ash, you okay?"
There was no reply but he could hear her breathing. Her aircraft had sustained horrific damage and she was rapidly losing speed and altitude.
"Talk to me, Golem 2!" Alex watched as Ashley's F-18 continued tumbling towards the ground.
"Alex…" Ashley choked back a sob, "I'm sorry."
A moment later, Alex saw Ashley's F-18 slam into the forest. Tears began to drip from his eyes.
"Sky Keeper, Golem 2... lost."
"I said what I had to say," remarked Knocker as Golem and Mage Squadrons flew back to base.
"About what?" asked Clown.
"Not a girl who'd retreat. Just not in her DNA."
Clown tried to reassure Knocker. "That was the right decision at the time."
"No." Knocker sighed. "I should've never let a fledgling like her out of my reach to begin with."
Alex spoke up. "The fault is mine. If I'd taken down that bogey faster, she'd still be with us."
"Well, at least you tried," Faun pointed out.
"And I failed. What does that say about me?"
Clown tried to console Alex. "Don't beat yourself up over this, Trigger. You did what you could."
Nobody spoke for the rest of the journey home.
Fort Grays Air Base, Usea
Alex was lying in his bed. He had gone to bed early, having been exhausted by the events of the day, but was unable to sleep. He kept on thinking about Ashley and was continuously asking himself the same question in his head: Why couldn't I save her? He remembered what they said to each other two weeks earlier, after she'd kissed him for the first time:
"Why did you do that?"
"Because I may not get another chance to show you how I feel."
Alex began to tear up again. He wiped his eyes with a tissue.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed. He picked it up and saw that Knocker sent him and the other pilots from Mage and Golem a text message.
Go to the hospital immediately. It's Brownie. She's alive but in critical condition.
Knocker was pacing around the lobby when Alex and the others arrived. The look on his face was one of stress and concern.
Alex noticed that two of the pilots from Skeleton Squadron were also in the room. Both had been treated for minor injuries, presumably from being shot down and ejecting earlier.
He walked up to Knocker.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"A CSAR team retrieved Brownie and transported her here. Doctors say she lost a lot of blood and is unconscious. She's in surgery right now."
Alex nodded. "Okay."
Clown was the next to speak. "Is there anything we can do right now?"
Knocker shook his head. "Nothing. All we can do is hope and pray that the surgeons do their job."
While waiting for news, Alex overheard Boggard chatting with one of the Skeleton Squadron pilots. Apparently, he and his WSO had spent several hours hiding from Erusean Army patrols in the rainforest. They were extracted by the same CSAR team that recovered Ashley from the wreckage of her F-18.
Finally, the head surgeon entered the lobby. Alex, Knocker, and the others walked up to him at the same time.
"Is she going to be okay?" Knocker asked.
"We've managed to stop the bleeding but the prognosis is not good. She suffered major damage to her vital organs due to the blood loss. Her chances of survival are limited. For now, we'll be keeping her in a medically-induced coma. She'll undergo additional surgery in a hour."
Alex spoke up. "Can we see her?"
"Sure, right this way." The doctor led them down the hall and into a room.
Ashley was lying on a hospital bed. She had tubes inserted into her nose and mouth, which were attached to a ventilator providing her with oxygen. Her neck had been stabilized with a cervical collar.
Alex walked up to Ashley's side. He reached out and gently caressed her cheek. The other pilots stood silently and watched.
After a few minutes, the doctor returned, accompanied by a group of other surgeons.
"I'm sorry but you need to leave. Her operation has been moved up. We need to prep her for surgery."
"Okay," Knocker responded. He and the other pilots began heading out into the hallway.
As the last of his comrades filed out the door, Alex leaned down. He kissed Ashley on the cheek, before joining the others outside.