CH. 10: BRIDGE OF PEACE

-03 Oct. 2010

As the four Wardog pilots were briefed at McNealy Nagase almost choked on the irony of the mission; they were to protect the mass driver as it launched a laser cannon up to the Arkbird. The Arkbird, an orbiter spacecraft, was built to help in the construction of an international space station with Yuktobania. The mass driver at Basset Space Center was also built to assist in that venture. It was called a "Bridge of Peace". Now this "Bridge of Peace" was being used to retrofit a once benign craft into a super weapon possibly more dangerous than the Scinfaxi, the Yuktobanian Super Submersible Carrier that was responsible for the decimation of the Third Fleet the previous day.

"Twenty minutes to launch!" The controller for the mass driver called out as the four pilots circled the space center.

"How are you guys holding up?" Blaze asked over the squadron channel.

"Just peachy here, kid," Chopper replied. "It's nice to be in warmer climates again."

"A fuse for my plane's radar had to be replaced," Grimm replied flatly, "But I'm good now, sir."

"That's good to hear," Blaze nodded as his mask dangled off to one side. "How about you, Edge?"

"I'm fine," she replied lowly.

"You sure?"

"Well…I don't think I need to voice my opinion about this launch. I'll just protect it as ordered."

"Okay," Blaze knew precisely what was eating at her. After his many discussions with her, Blaze figured Nagase was disgusted with the thought of using the Arkbird as a weapons platform. "Just stay on my wing, then. And, think of it this way. If we can use the Arkbird to balance the tide and end the war so soon after it started I'm sure the President will order the dismantling of the laser. Hell, best case scenario, we could be kicking back with Yuke pilots in the lounge by next week."

"I hope you're right," Nagase said solemnly.

XXXXX

"Three minutes to launch," the controller announced on the radio as the pilots patrolled the coast. That's when a series of blips came onto the radar; transport planes. There were four of them, Ilyushin Il-76MD transports.

"Halt the countdown!" The air controller ordered. "Enemy aircraft incoming!"

"Break and engage!" Blaze ordered his squadron. "Weapons free."

"We've got them on radar!" The air commander announced. "A large formation of transport planes and a squadron of fighters."

"I see the fighters," Grimm announced. "MiG-29's inbound hot!" As the MiG's swooped in towards the Wardog squadron the transports split and began dropping large packages.

"Blaze!" Nagase called out. "They're deploying airborne tanks!"

'They're planning to capture the base?' Blaze was confused. "They're going for the command center and the mass driver! Chopper, Grimm, you two deal with the fighters! Leave to tanks to me and Nagase!"

"Roger!" The four of them echoed.

"Breaking right…now!" Chopper and Grimm broke off to take on the enemy fighters as the squadron leader and his wingman dove for the tanks.

"Make your bombs count, Edge," Blaze told her. "If there are any left when we're out we'll switch with the others."

"You got it, Blaze," she nodded in her cockpit. "Targeting southwest group."

"I'm going for the northwest…"

"This the Security Force!" Someone below cried out. "We can't stand up to those ACV's! All we have are Molotov… GYAA….!" Blaze looked through his HUD to see a BMD-1 ACV destroy a security pillbox with its 73mm gun. He climbed up and dove in on the moving tank. He lined up a spot ahead of the tank in his HUD and depressed the bomb switch.

"Pickle!" He called out as he banked away. He didn't see the bomb hit but heard the ground forces confirm the kill.

"The enemy has broken through the northeast sector!"

"Hey, Kid," Chopper called out. "We've taken care of those MiGs! Me and Grimm are going after those tanks!"

"Go get them!" Blaze affirmed.

"Blaze," Nagase flew up next to him. "There are more ACV's beyond that ridge!"

"Let's get them before they get any closer!"
"Right!" The two of them banked low over the ridge as small arms fire from the tanks was shot up at them. They turned around and lined up behind the tanks as they entered their bomb runs.

"Aim the bombs uphill of them," Blaze ordered. "Even if they don't hit they'll cause the tanks to fall down that steep hill."

"Roger." The idea worked. They each pickled two of their bombs directly ahead and uphill of the company of tanks. Some were destroyed in the blasts and others were sent tumbling downhill, knocked out of commission. The surviving crews would certainly become POW's.

"Chopper, Grimm," Blaze snapped as they climbed back up. "Report!"

"We're good, kid!" Chopper answered. "We managed to bag a few more transports before they could deploy any tanks."

"Good work."

"It's not over yet," the air commander chimed in. "It looks like the enemy has abandoned the ground attack and are sending bombers."

"Wardog! We're going after those bombers!"

"You got it, Captain," Grimm confirmed. "They look like cruise missile platforms."

"We're restarting the countdown!" The controller announced as they began the launch cycle.

"They're also sending ground attack aircraft!" Nagase added. "Su-39's!"

"The bomber's are almost within range." Blaze noticed. "Chopper, Grimm, you two go after those bombers! Don't let them launch those missiles! We'll cover you."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Chopper agreed and the squadron broke once more.

"Enemy attack planes, four miles ahead," Nagase reported her radar picture. "Five thousand feet."

"Same here," Blaze confirmed. "Looks like they're in a dive. Head for the deck, maybe we can lead them off and get the jump on them."

"They're maneuverability will be better at low altitude."

"But they're not designed for dog fighting," Blaze mentioned. "Just like our A-10's they're Achilles heel is air-to-air combat."

"Right, dead ahead. Let's go, Blaze."

"Weather team, go…"

"They're splitting up," Nagase noted as the Frogfoot attack planes split high and low. "Look's like a combined strafing and guided bomb attack on the main facility!"

"You go high, I'll go low!" Blaze ordered as they split up. Blaze dove for the three low flying Frogfoots and Nagase climbed high. "Locked on," Blaze tallied the lead plane, fox two!" The sidewinder leapt off its wing and tore the wing off the enemy plane as the other two broke off.

"I got one, too!" Nagase announced. The next Frogfoot fell to Blaze's cannon with smoke billowing as its pilot bailed out. The third one however weaved among the support towers of launch pads as Blaze chased after it.

"One minute left!" The controller announced as Blaze got a lock on the fighter. "Have a safe trip!"

"He's firing!" Blaze shouted as his last sidewinder leapt off his Falcon and turned the plane into a ball of fire. "Bandit down!"

"We're okay," The control room reported. "Just a hole or two in the ceiling. We're okay."

"Kid!" Chopper frantically called out as Blaze noted the three burning wreckages of the other planes. "The bombers are down but three missiles are inbound for the mass driver!"

"I've got them!" Hannibal spotted them on his radar. He was close, virtually directly in their path. He was out of missiles but he still had his Vulcan cannon. He turned sharply and kicked his afterburner in. "Come on!"

"All systems go!" A controller announced. "Proceeding with launch!"

As Blaze neared the missiles he eased up on the throttle and the final countdown began. "20…19…18…"

"Missiles approaching!" Blaze called out as he lined up. They were spread out and would be hard to hit. But he had scored the highest rank on Heirlark's gunnery range. "I'm firing!" He then unleashed his cannon on the missiles, throwing out hundreds of high explosive twenty millimeter shells. All he would need would be one shell per missile to hit to knock them out.

"4…3…2…1…LAUNCH!"

As the unmanned SSTO rocketed down the electromagnetic mass driver two of the missiles were destroyed. The flurry of shells from Blaze's plane continued to snake towards the third when he heard a dreadful silence from his cannon. He froze as the shells stopped flying.

"SHIT!" He cursed as the cruise missile flew over his fighter.

"Passing checkpoint two…passing checkpoint three…"

"Mass driver hit by cruise missile," the controller announced. Blaze looked back to see the plume of smoke and fire billow directly ahead of the SSTO.

Miraculously, the shuttle was moving so fast that it skipped the brutal gap in the rail and continued along the mass driver until it was arched upwards and launched into orbit.

"Whew," Blaze exhaled as he disconnected his mask. The enemy was withdrawing and the launch was a success. Barely. "That shouldn't have happened," he groaned as the flight control crew cheered over the radio.

"Blaze?" Nagase asked as she and the others flew along side his plane.

"I missed," Blaze grumbled. "I missed!"

XXXXX

When they landed Nagase learned why Blaze had missed. His cannon hadn't jammed and he didn't exactly miss. His cannon had merely run out of ammo. It was no fault on his part; he couldn't help how many rounds he had. "Don't eat yourself up about it, Blaze," Nagase told him as he sat on the flight line at McNealy. "It was bad luck that your gun ran out of ammo."

"And it was God's handiwork that covered my ass," Blaze grumbled.

"Are you always like this?" Nagase asked, placing a hand on her hip. "Kicking yourself in the ass every time bad luck rolls around?" Blaze nodded his head. He knew what she was getting at.

"Sorry. But…"

"But what?" His wingman asked. "You're worried that the higher ups will use it against you? Try to twist the facts so they can give you the boot? Well don't. The Mission Commander of the launch gave you the highest praise." That he hadn't heard. Blaze looked up at his gorgeous wingman in surprise. "Yeah. He said that if you weren't given a medal for what you did then Central Command, and I quote, 'doesn't know their ass from a donkey's'."

"He actually said that?"

"And the base Colonel agreed," Nagase smiled. "Not all the higher ups are a bunch of elitists." Blaze smile as he stood back up.

"Too bad he's not our base commander," he shook his head. "Oh, boy. It's going to be along flight back."