"Yeah, though I fly through the valley of the shadow of death... I fear no evil ... for I fly the biggest, baddest, meanest, fastest fighter in the whole valley."
-Anonymous-
Ch.7 A Reaper Is Born
-May 13, 1995 approx 1700hrs-
No sooner had we gotten to the ground, did we learn the liberation of Ustio was to be the next day. Operation Constantine. The airborne had opened a huge hole towards Directus, and the fruit was ripe for the picking. We were immediately briefed and launched at noon on liberation day, and were anxious to get the job done. Especially Vixen and myself, being Ustians, wanted our homeland out of the battle-zone as quickly as humanly possible, so the carnage would no longer able to harm our families.
We were flying in formation at 35,000 feet en route to Directus from the South following the Crescere River. Pixy and I led the group, and Halo Team was a few hundred meters behind in a finger-four. Vixen and I had painted big Ustian flags on the underside of our planes, so that the people on the ground knew we were at last, coming home. The great black, red, and white flag gave me a sense of pride, mainly in myself, and my friends. We had turned this war around, and soon my home was going to be free again.
"Finally, we're doing it Cipher," Vixen said over the comm.
"I know, it's been too long already. It's going to feel good when this is done."
"Alright everyone, this is AWACS Eagle Eye. I've marked the targets on the scope. The assault will commence shortly, at 1715."
"Roger Double E. Preparing to engage," I said as I toggled the master arm, as the weapons board lit up in front of me in the Widow's cockpit. "Alright, to keep each other safe, we're going to split the forces up. Vixen, Zero, Rainman, you're with me. Buzzard, Lobo, you're with my pal Pixy over there."
The planes re-organized themselves in the sky, and I was now leading a finger-four formation.
"Target are aligned right along the river, and in the city center," I said looking over the radar layout.
"Roger," Zero called, "Want us to engage separately?"
"That's an affirmative," I said looking out in front of the Widow, just catching the skyline of the city, "Gives the gunners a harder to hit target. You guys go nuts, and I'll keep the fighter cover off of you."
"Don't slack off, Cipher," Rainman said stoically, "This shit is getting serious. We're going to need your help."
"Really, only now? Just do your job Rainman, I got ya."
About a mile out of Directus, I gave the call for watch synch.
"Alright, ready for mark. 3, 2, 1, mark!" I clicked my watch and we were now ready. "For Ustio!"
A chorus of yells came in over the radio, and the three grey XL's around me split off to begin their attack runs.
"Eagle Eye, keep me posted on any fighter movement," I called setting my radar for wide range.
"Roger Galm 1, we have something coming in now. Looks to be at your two o'clock, two fast-movers."
"Galm 1 copies, engaging."
I banked right and went after the fighters. As I closed in, I saw the bogies were Mig-29's. I grinned.
Upgrades.
I jinked back on the stick, trying to draw the fighters up after me, giving them a flash of the Ustian flag. They immediately responded by coming after me and launching some of their long range ordinance at me. I continued to climb, the altitude marker on my HUD flashing by at a ridiculous rate. I eventually cut the speed-brake, and the widow shuddered to a halt. The Red Devil then silently fell, and turned to meet the Belkans coming right at it. The gun made its grumbling voice heard, and managed to strike the leading Mig right in the intakes, and put it out of commission. I stormed past the second Fulcrum as he reversed to keep on the chase. I rolled and pulled into a High-G Immelmann turn and was already facing his guns once again. I let a sidewinder go out of the internal bay, and the 29 was quickly vaporized.
"Targets down, Eagle Eye. Sit-rep on operation, over."
"Roger Galm 1, ground attacks and operations are proceeding smoothly. We're also picking up enemy transmission reporting that a HVT is egressing from the combat zone in a Chinook. Location assumed to be near the city center."
"I copy, I'll check it out."
I banked to the right and lined up to pass right over downtown. I had only been to downtown Directus once before. I was 5 years old, and my father and I went to go see the old Dom, which towers high over the city. It's one of the few old symbols of medieval Ustio still standing after a thousand years. In that chapel lies the most famous bell in the whole country, the Freedom Bell, and little did I know it was about to ring for a long time today.
I picked up my monocular from my cubby to the left of my seat, and sighted it. I started scanning Directus from East to West to see if I could catch sight of the helicopter. My eye passed over the main skyscrapers, and towards West side, I saw the double-rotored copter high tailing from the capital. I quickly put the scope away and engaged afterburner to go after it. I selected my Slammers, and put myself right behind him, coming from the East. As soon as I entered range, I let one out, and it darted towards the little speck in the distance. After about three seconds, it made impact, and the Chinook lit up like a firework.
Wonder what the hell they had on that thing, I thought as I wiped my visor off with a cloth. "HVT is down, Eagle Eye."
"Eagle Eye copies, good work Galm 1. We are picking up a emergency request from the ground forces. There's a Warthog strafing the troops over in the hills on the North-East side of town. Can you intercept?"
"Roger Eagle Eye. Are there no other aerial threats on screen?"
"Roger, Galm 1. Scope is confirmed clear, over."
"Galm 1 copies all, proceeding to intercept."
The Warthog was raining depleted uranium lead over some Osean Abrams tanks in the rolling hills. It was rather unopposed in its attack run.
I quickly changed that.
I gave the Widow the juice and performed a Split-S turn, and I was right behind the A-10 in an instant. I fired my 20mm cannon, and managed to score some hits on the bird, but he quickly reacted, turning off to the left, and going low, to try and draw me to the dirt and out of my comfort zone. I didn't give him a chance to do so. A Slammer was released and sent the Warthog down into the Crescere with a big splash.
"Warthog's down, splash one."
I then heard the bell from the Dom ringing loud and clear. The people were fighting back, finally. I could see from the air the Belkan ground troops retreating, chased by mobs of Ustians. They were starting to take over some of the Belkan hardpoints downtown. I made a pass over the city, and I could see them cheering up at my plane. I rocked the wings in reply, and did a barrel roll over the center of the city at Barkhorn square where the capital building was. There was a huge crowd gathered there.
"Hey Vixen! You done?"
"Yeah, we just mopped up, what's up?"
"There's a huge group of Ustians at Barkhorn square, want to make a team pass over?"
"Uh, yeah! I'm coming right now."
She formed up on my right wing, and we leveled out at about a thousand feet to make the pass over the square. We came from the south again, and throttled up right as we hit the edge of downtown, making a sonic boom. The big marble square in the center of town finally came into view.
"Pass then burst!" I ordered
"Roger!"
We gave max power as we passed over the square and the thousands of people in the square were on their feet. We then turned off in our respective directions, and climbed hard into the burst maneuver. The crowd was having a ball. But then, everything changed.
"Galm 1! Eagle Eye here, I'm picking up two more planes on the scope. They're coming in hot from the north, heading 340. Keep your eyes open, Galm."
"Shit! Buzzard, get Halo out! Now!" I shouted over the comm.
"I copy! Guys let's get to the rendezvous!" Halo's number one said as he got his wingmen into formation.
Vixen quickly split off from me, and Pixy immediately took her place.
"Ready to roll buddy?"
"You got it," I said looking at the radar, and I was seeing small specks moving fast from the radar signatures in our direction as my missile alert was going off. Those were long range missiles, and that meant they had some serious firepower, and some serious wings.
"Halo, you better be moving! I'm counting several missiles coming your way!" I ordered.
"I know Cipher, I hear the warning!" Buzzard snapped, "Get your asses in gear guys! We are leaving!"
We easily avoided the missiles with a quick climb and roll over the projectiles. I was livid. How the hell did they miss these bogies? The battle zone was supposed to be clear!
"No use in thinking that way Erich", I muttered to my self as I readjusted my visor and gave myself a knock on my helmet, "You didn't get this far complaining."
We kept on and eventually the Belkan fighters were in view. They were SU-37 Terminators.
"Let's roll," I ordered.
"They picked the wrong guys to mess with!" I heard Pixy reply.
We dove from our vantage point and launched the attack. Directly over the two birds, I fired my gun at the tail plane of the formation, but I made a rare mistake and missed.
Get your head together, Erich!
I dove left and low. I pulled hard back on the stick to climb and keep on the chase. Right as I completed my turn I saw one of the Terminators come right at me, and fire his gun straight into me. A few rounds streaked into my wings, and he quickly climbed off to my right, but at that moment I saw the markings clearly on the Terminator. Yellow lines on the wingtips and tailplanes. This was Gelb squadron, no doubt. One of the best units Belka currently had deployed on the Ustian frontline. They had hundreds of combat sorties, and many kills between them. It was going to be a fight to the death.
I stamped on the brakes and pushed the Widow hard in pursuit. I kept the power on to get up close and personal on him. But then the Terminator unveiled a trick he had up his sleeve. I saw a missile come right off his pylons and straight back at me, with no turn. I was forced to dive under him to avoid the missile.
"Pixy, these guys have reverse-mounted missiles. Be careful!"
"I gotcha buddy!"
I climbed again, at almost a 90 degree angle to tail him again. I launched a Slammer, but again it didn't hit the mark as he rolled and leveled out above me, right as the missile was about to reach him. I closed the gap again, and just as before he fired another reverse mount. I barrel-rolled quickly and the missile shot just over the Widow's belly, and luckily didn't explode at the engine. Guess those heat-hiding stealth intakes saved my life. He dove low and was heading back in the direction of downtown and into the city's skyline. I didn't let him out off my missile lock, and followed him through the buildings. I could hear the roars of the crowds in the streets.
They were cheering….. for me!
An uncontrollable grin appeared, and I howled with joy. I had him! I had this guy!
I soon closed the distance between me and the Gelb, and put him right in the hot seat. I kept my missile lock on, and frequently took shots at him with the cannon to make sure he didn't get away. We were all over the sky, turning ever which way, and it was a merry spectacle.
"Pixy," I shouted while going through another hard G-turn, "You still good over there?"
"We're jousting back and forth. It's…"
I heard a loud knock over the radio, and I was immediately punched out of my placid state.
"PIXY! Talk to me!"
"I'm…ok, buddy."
I turned again after the Terminator, not trying to be distracted by the conversation. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. Worry about my wing-man and talk to him, while flying against one of my toughest opponents.
"How bad?"
"Bad enough. I need to go back."
"Alright, just make sure he doesn't get you when you ex-fil."
"That shouldn't be too hard. He's already peeled off and is heading your way."
"Shit. Oh well, at least you're not too bad."
"Yeah, take care of yourself, buddy."
"I'm not dead yet."
"Then make the most of it. This is Galm 2, I'm leaving the combat zone for the rendezvous, over."
"Eagle Eye copies," I heard the AWACS call as we passed through the city's skyline again.
Now I had both to play for. This would be a moment to define myself.
I went to the afterburners as we went out of the city again, into a high degree climb. I let loose with a sidewinder, and the little missile was determined to recompense for all the planes that fell at that Terminator's hands. The Gelb turned hard to my right out of the climb, but this time he had jumped too early. The sidewinder followed him cleanly through the maneuver. I saw the white contrail make it to the Belkan fighter and impacted off its left wing. I came up right behind the wreck as it spiraled out of the air, and a ejector seat rocketed out of the bird's brain.
Right at that moment, as I relished the kill, I looked in the rear-view mirror. Death was right behind me today. The other Gelb had seized the opportunity. He had gotten on my tail and fired his cannon straight and true. The shots penetrated through the Widow's hull, and a ricochet of one of the cannon shots went right through my left elbow.
"Oh crap! Crap, crap, CRAP!"
I couldn't control my muscles as I slumped forward against the stick. I slowly glanced over at my left arm, and there was a hole right in the middle of my elbow, about the size of a quarter coin. The Widow was falling rapidly at about 600 mph, and I knew I had to get back up. The pain was absolutely excruciating. Every inch I moved, felt like a mile. I rammed myself up in the ejection seat. I grabbed the stick tight with my right hand, and centered myself to get in-line with the HUD. Right at that instant, I lost all of the feeling of pain and of fear. I was ready to finish this fight. The other Gelb Terminator was circling above me at about twenty thousand feet at my 7 o'clock. I screamed in pain as I forced the Widow over that in direction. The girl wasn't going to let me down, and I wasn't going to let her down. I couldn't let my friends down. I couldn't let Pixy down.
The Gelb was clueless to the fact that I was even still up. In a strange coincidence, my misfortune was a great benefit. I turned the knob for my missile salvo setting to jettison. I was going to fire everything I had left at him. He would have no idea what him. I closed in. I was going to fire as near to him I could. I was only about 2000 feet out when I depressed the button for the missiles on the stick. Three Slammers shot out from the internal bay, along with a single sidewinder. The Gelb finally realized his plight, and desperately tried to evade, but it was too late. He managed to avoid the first Slammer, but the next one erased the space where his engines were. The Terminator went into a flat spin, where the next missile impacted into the nose. The cockpit then detached, and moved up and over the fuselage. The last missile, the sidewinder, then finished off the airframe at the rear. Right where the cockpit was now was gliding over. The warhead exploded, catching the remaining fuel alight, and it shattered the separated cockpit into pieces. In an slowed frame of time, I saw the body of the Gelb, of a fellow pilot, vanish in the explosion, right before my eyes. It was a haunting sight.
I leveled the Red Widow at about 32,000 feet out over Directus. I detached my oxygen mask, and turned my head up to the heavens, where the night was beginning to show itself. I caught glimpses of the stars, and I cried. I wasn't crying tears of joy. I was crying tears of sorrow. What I had done had been deserved, but in my mind it was also cruel. To die in such a way was a true evil and misfortune. I didn't want to die like that, my body erased over some wasteland. I didn't want my name to come home in a letter to my family as M.I.A. or K.I.A.. It was at this time my mind shifted. I no longer wanted to kill. Shoot down, yes. But blatantly kill, no. I was angry for what they did, but I would of done the same thing in their shoes. We were all people. There was no reason for all this.
I popped my visor up, and I wiped the tears from my eyes with my right hand. The adrenaline was starting to wear off as the pain from my left arm came rushing back. It hurt. Oh god, it hurt.
"Eagle Eye can you hear me?" I called quietly.
"Yeah Cipher. I hear you."
"I just wanted to ask something, what's your name?" I asked solemnly.
"Huh?"
"I never heard what your name was. I never really ever thought to ask before."
"Oh. It's Ed. Lieutenant Ed Rodgers."
"Good to meet you Ed. I've been shot through the arm, and I need to get back. Is Directus safe?"
"That's a roger, Cipher. Ready to go home?"
"More than ever. I need a rest."
"You sure as hell earned it. I'll catch you later."
"See you around Ed."
I banked the Widow to the south, and I headed back to Valais. I formed up with the guys about 15 miles out of the city. Halo Team were quick to voice their congratulations. None of them had heard about what had happened to me.
"Dude! You kicked some serious ass, man!" Lobo shouted with glee over the radio.
"Yeah!" Buzzard called, "You showed those Belkan pigs the what for!"
Pixy slowly positioned his Eagle back in formation next to me, and immediately saw the damage.
"Cipher! You okay? Are you hit?"
"There's a good size hole right through the bone and the muscle in my left elbow, it's clean though, I think. Not much blood. It's kind of weird that I can stick my finger through my arm now."
"Erich! Are you ok?" Vixen said her voice quavering.
"Yeah, it's just a little war wound."
"Damn it Erich! That doesn't sound like nothing!" She shouted angrily.
"Well, let's just get home alright?"
We all hit the throttle and got on our way.
-Later that night May 13, 1995 2300 hrs-
"Jeez! Take it easy Lothar!"
"I'm trying!" My mechanic spat back as he helped me out of my harnesses. Everyone was gathered around the Red Widow. They were all trying to see what had happened to their invincible ace. Lothar finally got me out of the saddle and, this surprised me, he carried me out of the plane by himself. He got me over to the waiting ambulance and helped the medics get me into a litter. "That better?"
"Yeah," I jided with a small grin, "Thanks."
The ambulance sped off to the field hospital on opposite side of the runway from the hangars, which now that I saw it up close, it was huge. The medics rushed me inside. As they rolled me to operation, the head doctor came over, some some spook called Dr. Richter, and after a look at the wound, told me I was going to need amputation. I was going to lose my left fore-arm and most of the elbow. I was really angry, I kept shouting at them to find a better alternative. I tried to get up multiple times from the litter to try and make a run for it, but they kept pushing me down onto the litter. I kept asking for them to find some other way, but Richter shot all hopes down. He repeated that it was too late, and the infection was going to be fatal if it wasn't done. I had no choice. I tried again to fight back, but they knocked me out with anesthesia.
-Several hours later-
I opened my eyes, and I was blinded by the bright lights of whatever room I was in. Well not a room, it looked more like I was in a hangar. I readjusted myself in the cot, and lied back with my right arm and left stump, which was in a sling, above the covers. I realized I couldn't twiddle my thumbs anymore.
"Just when you had the going good Erich, you fool. You just, HAD, to find a home in the Air Corps!" I muttered angrily to myself.
I looked over to my right at the nightstand. On it was my black-leather flight jacket, and my uniform. I could see the holes in the middle of the left sleeves on both of them. I winced at that. All around me I could hear voices, but I couldn't see where they were coming from since there were blinds surrounding my little area.
A couple of minutes later, Richter came back in. He pulled up a chair at the front of my bed and sat down. I looked around again at the blinds and shook my head. Guess being invincible was a priceless image for the troops.
"How are you feeling Herr Hauptmann?"
"Not too great, considering you just chopped my arm off!" I shouted angrily.
"Please Herr Hauptmann!" he quietly replied back, "Keep your voice down, there are many others here who need rest desperately."
I gave myself a mental slap and asked, "I'm sorry, Doctor. How many do you have here that you watch over?"
He sighed. I finally got a good look at him. He had a pale, oval face, and extremely white hair, that surprisingly hadn't fell out. It was neatly trimmed. He took off his thin rimmed glasses, and stared right at me with his green eyes.
"About 350."
"What? I had no idea there were this many here at Valais," I replied quietly.
"We are over-encumbered by the load. Unfortunately, right now, with Directus still considered on red alert, we are the only confirmed safe location for the Ustian wounded. The hospital is desperately low on supplies, we haven't had a restock in two weeks. We barely had enough medicine and gear to save your life."
I let out a deep breath.
"Thank you, Dr. Richter. I apologize for my behavior earlier. I can only imagine what you have to go through everyday. And please call me Erich."
"Your welcome, Erich. I have some people here to see you. Are you up for some visitors?"
"If it's my squadron mates, then yes," I answered giving a sly smile.
"Alright Erich, I'll let them in."
He quietly went through the dividing curtains again, and I heard a voice in the distance say, It's alright. There was a chorus of boot steps pounding in the ground, and they quickly made it to me. Pixy came through first, and told the others to wait. He grabbed the chair at the front of the bed and brought it over to the right side of the cot, and took a seat. He looked over where my left arm used to be, and winced.
"You alright, buddy?"
"I'm not dead yet."
I held my only hand up and he grabbed it.
"Good, we still have a war to finish."
"I doubt they're going to ever let me up in the air again," I moped, "Guess my days are finished here."
"Hate to disappoint you, but you're going to be back in line soon. There's no reserves left. We are all the Ustians have got. I heard they're getting a new interceptor squadron together, but they won't be ready for another month. So, you're still in command."
I sighed, "When's the next operation?"
"You're not going to like it."
"Just go ahead and tell me. I hate people hiding things from me."
"About three days."
"WHAT?!"
"Yup. The invasion of Belka has already begun. They sent in the Stratofortresses a few hours ago to hit the border defenses. "
"Mein Gott," I muttered.
"Well buddy, I'll leave you now. The others really want to see you."
He quietly walked out and the gang came in, immediately shocked by what they saw. I gave them a whole description of the dogfight, and what had happened at the field hospital. They were amazed at what I had survived, and they weren't the only ones. A newspaper from Directus had been forwarded to us by some of the ground crew, and it was the latest edition of the Ustian Belde. The front headline read,
DER ROTE USTIAN TEUFEL(THE RED USTIAN DEVIL)
Underneath it was me in the Red Widow destroying the last plane of the Gelb. The article talked about the whole operation from the people's perspective. Several citizens had said that I was the greatest Ustian hero ever. I chuckled at that, and I tucked it under the covers of my bed. We chatted for a few more minutes, and eventually they all said their goodbyes and left to get some shut-eye. Except for Vixen.
She sat in the chair where Pixy was before. She silently stared at me.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," she stammered, blushing ever so slightly.
"Come on, Vicki, something's bothering you."
"Nothing's bothering me, you should be more worried about yourself."
"I'm fine. I'm all fixed up now. I'll be flying within the week."
"No you're not, you lost an arm! You could of been killed! There's no way you can fly now!" she stammered and shouted at me.
"So you were worried about me!" I chuckled.
She sighed, "Yeah, I was. So what? We watch out for each other. That's what we always do. It's the creed."
"I know. Today really tested me. I even cried after it was all done."
"Why?"
"We've tarnished this world with conflict. The world's foundations are set by conflict. Without war, our modern society can't exist. It just pains me that we need war to change things now. It's like that old saying, Osea's always been at war with Yuktobania."
"Yeah. It's a shame Erich. You'd think these countries fight for real reasons, but in the end it's all a game. They throw our lives away for things that will never affect out lives. It only affects the top guys, who make money off our blood."
"We're forced to fight our former brothers. I can't stand the thought. Some of my friends who I flew with as a kid, could be on the other side of me in the air, and I'll never know it."
"Unfortunately Erich, there's nothing we can do about it. We even volunteered to do this work."
"I didn't volunteer for this hypocrisy. Well, I'm done talking about that. Depresses the hell out of me."
"I know, you didn't get this far complaining," she softly laughed as a small smile appeared on her pale face.
I looked over at Vixen and she was just looking at me, and I was just looking right back at her. Her blue eyes were as bright as the summer sky, and were remarkably clear. She had grown her blonde hair out a little and had it in a pony-tail now, and it looked nice on her. I smiled at Vixen. She smiled back.
"Do you mind staying? I'm still a bit on edge." I asked her.
"Of course not," she said as she held onto my only remaining hand.
I lied back in the cot and closed my eyes. I needed to get some sleep. It was only getting worse from here.
Glossary:
Dom: German for Cathedral.
Barkhorn Square: Reference to Gerhard Barkhorn, the second most successful ace of all time, who scored 301 kills on the Eastern Front with the Luftwaffe during WWII. He also flew with "The Black Devil" himself, Erich Hartmann.
You had to find a home in the Air Corps!: A reference to a recurring joke in Battleground(1949). The line goes,
"[while being bombarded by German artillery during a driving blizzard]
Holley(played by Van Johnson) :We've had good deals before, but this is the best one yet. This is great. I don't ever wanna go back. I found a home in the army."
Osea's always been at war with Yuktobania: Reference to the famous line in George Orwell's 1984. "We've always been at war with Eastasia."