OCC FRONTLINE BASE
AREA UNKNOWN
Ellen's POV
Those EDAF dogs didn't know what was about to hit them. Our new large bore railguns had starting bombarding the cities and key positions under their control. We may have been knocked but we were refusing to go down without a fight.
And before this fight was over, I was sure to strike down that pale blue jet, who was messing with my mind and had cost the life of our comrade and ace, the emperor.
If only lead had let me go on the mission over Kotor.. we wouldn't have lost him.
However in truth, no one rivalled my full fury.
"1st SQAUDRON REPORT FOR IMMEDIATE BRIEFING"
I quickly dashed to central control, meeting up with Albert and the numbskull Pierre Gallo who were already, the former glaring at the latter in a cold stare. Pierre may be a prodigy but he was too young, naïve and egotistical for my liking. Completely artificial skillset.
"Oh look who's here! The doll who's still a slave to her emotions!" Pierre jeered as I sat down. Albert sighed in annoyance and muttered under his breath "His arrogance pisses me off…"
I however could top that purgatory comment "Lay off me you lab rat."
Pierre's smug face turned sour "why you…"
The almighty voice of Navigator bellowed through the room.
"ENOUGH. CITIZENS, THE EDAF ARE SUFFERING GREATLY THROUGH OUR REPEATED ATTACKS ON THEIR BASES. IT IS OUR OBJECTIVE TO CRUSH THEM BEFORE THEY MOUNT A COUNTER ATTACK"
I smirked, knowing that they would possibly some hapless attack that would warrant my skills.
"HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THE EDAF HAS DISPATCHED A BOMBER CONTIGENT TO STRIKE ONE OF OUR RAILGUN BATTERIES. IT IS BELIEVED THEY WILL BE ESCORTED BY THE DELTA COMPOSITE SQUADRON"
I tensed at the mention of Delta. Pale blue would almost certainly be there.
"YOU HAVE ALREADY DEALT WITH THEM ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. TODAY IS YOUR CHANCE TO BRING THEM DOWN. TO GET TO THE RAILGUNS THEY WILL HAVE TO PASS THROUGH MARINOR CANYON. OUR NEW PHI GUN AA DEFENCE SYSTEMS WILL KEEP THEM WITHIN THE CONFIDES OF THE CANYON ALLOWING YOU TO CHASE THEM DOWN AND DESTROY THEM. CITIZENS ALBERT AND DOLL, YOU WILL LEAD THE 8TH WING ON A PATROL AROUND THE CANYON. CITIZEN PIERRE, YOU WILL ESCORT A BOMBER CONTINGENT THAT WILL DIVERT THE ENEMY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE PREPERATIONS FOR THEIR ARRIVAL. I WILL BE EXPECTING RESULTS, DISMISSED"
Pierre whistled "Should be an easy job, distracting those bozos while I blast 'em all to hell- why do they always hope? And fear? They should really ditch these crude emotions…"
I rolled my eyes and proceeded to the hangar along with Albert.
As I began to climb the ladder up to my plane, a hand pulled me back. I scowled and looked back to see it was Albert, who had an empathetic look on his face.
"Hey, don't you zone out on me today, I want to catch the blue jet as much as you do"
I pouted and tugged my hand out of his grip, and began to strap myself in.
Ken's POV
AREA OB-42
APPROACHING MARINOR GLEN
Nomad's voice broke the monotony of the flight, riling me from my near sleep state in the cockpit.
Since we had been on constant standby from the first attacks from what we know knew where massive railgun batteries, the squadron had been sortieing every hour it seemed, fighting off incursions and nuisance attacks.
Maybe it was their strategy to whittle us down by relentlessly harassing our lines, depraving us of a reprieve, so as to reduce our effectiveness in combat.
Even from my point of view, it was working. I started nodding off from time to time on long flights.
Engagements however could perk my senses any time. An enemy is an enemy, no more, no less.
I listened in to the bandit calls Nomad was now broadcasting, throttling up to move to a better position.
"Counting five bombers.. one fighter."
Ruth sounded incredulous at this statement "only one fighter.. are you sure?"
"Yes, no mistake, only one fighter on radar."
"How do they think they're dealing with? One fighter for five bombers!?" I had to admit it was quite strange.. were they suddenly undermanned ? or had they gotten overconfident?
My RWR sounded off, indicating six signatures at 12' O clock, straight ahead. Sure enough the radar displayed six bandits, five Tu-160s and one MiG-35F Fulcrum. The radio crackled into life, as the arrogant and egocentric voice of an OCC ace mellowed out, a guy who I was none too pleased to see or hear again.
"Ha Haa Ha! Think one's not enough! One fighter sure, but I'm the pilot! No matter how many you got, you can't take me down!" Pierre reversed his course from an escort position above the bombers, his plane glinting in the sunlight as he released a volley of missiles, my RWR buzzing in response. The squadron broke formation, evading the enemy fire and advancing toward the bandits. Rick, John and Ruth sliced through the enemy bomber formation, downing four of the bombers with short range missiles. I acknowledged the kills, watching as Jamie followed suit, releasing a long burst of cannon fire from his Mk IX spitfire, tearing into the fifth bomber. The Tu-160 lurched upward, as the left engine bank exploded, tearing off the port wing as the metal bled fire and oil.
I moved in to engage Pierre, quickly acquiring a lock on his wildly jinking fighter, and launched two missiles against him. He quickly pulled up, slamming on the brakes as his aircraft tilted around at near stalling speed into a Herbst maneuvere. I pushed the stick down slightly to avoid his aircraft nearly taking off my tail as he rocketed back toward me firing his gun.
"Not a chance, I'm an ace! And you don't wanna mess with me!"
I looked over my shoulder and spotted Pierre's aircraft surrounded by Rick, Alex, Jamie, Ruth and John, encircling him like a bull in a china shop.
One after another my squad mates launched missiles at him at close range, hoping to make an impact with one salvo. My eyes widened as he evaded them all, pulling up sharply and kicking the rudder around so that the aircraft went nose up and slid backward in the sky.
No pilot could survive the crushing G forces of that move! But then I remembered he wasn't entirely human.
Human or not, however his aircraft had limits, and right now he had run out of energy dancing around like that, so I quickly turned back around, acquiring his aircraft which had now slowed down.
I locked on and fired two missiles, which exploded under the tailfin. Pierre's plane was left spiralling toward the plateau.
"How? How can this be happening to me? Dammit, shit! Piece of junk! Damn plane letting me down again! Not the time to die, punching out!"
I sighed in relief and formed up with the rest of the squadron. Five minutes later we were at the base of the canyon. My flight controls began to shake, signifying turbulence in the air. I circled my eyes around the canopy, looking out at the clear blue sky. Wherever this turbulence was coming from, it wasn't the weather.
Nomad's voice came over the radio.
"Nomad to all units. Wind speed is picking up dramatically, drop into the canyon now! All Anaconda units, maintain defensive perimeter. All Viper units, join up with Bravo team and spearhead through the canyon."
The 1st element broke off as we descended into the canyon walls. Up above the rim the air was now blowing fiercely, like a hurricane. I realised the new Anti-Aircraft weapon the enemy had deployed must create massive currents of wind, meaning the only safe place to fly was within the canyon itself. I felt as if we were being lead into a trap. I maintained a tight grip on the stick and flew low and slow, treading carefully.
WIND VALLEY
NAVARONE CAMPAIGN
MARINOR GLEN
AREA OB-42
MODE REC
I caught sight of Bravo team as we moved deeper into the canyon. Their sleek X-36s moved through the maze in a line formation. I shook my head as I passed over their planes. So far this so called "ace" composite squadron had proven themselves to be big talk but no walk, as every sortie they had with us had resulted in them getting shot down in two minutes flat, with little or no regard as to the threat posed by the OCC's fantastic but deadly weapons. Each time the appeared on the scene with new aircraft, hoping to decimate the competition. However the only competition they found was with ejector seats!
"Python 1, you're too high!"
"All Python units have been destroyed"
"Python 1 has lost IFF contact.."
"Python 2 and 3 have been shot down.."
I allowed myself to smile deviously as I thought back to those previous engagements. It almost seemed funny how many times they had been shot down; they definitely would have earned the skull medal by now.
Nomad again came over the radio.
"Target is the anti aircraft weapon at the far end of Marinor canyon. Watch your altitude, and don't pull up above the canyon. You'll be taken out by AA if you do."
Python crew, being the headstrong bunch of misfits that they were, immediately sped up and breached the altitude limit.
"What are you stooging around for, let's roll!" Idiot. When would he realise that kind of attitude would get you killed?. When the heroes go off stage, the clowns go on.
Nomad frantically warned them to lower their altitude. "Python 1, you are too high! Break low!"
David smith, lead of Bravo, was having none of it "There's nothing to worry about up here!" he then however regretted his decision.
"wh.. what? The controls.. Arrgggh!"
"what.. whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" the Leclerc twins started screaming as their aircraft too became slaves to the wind.
I craned my head upward and watched as first Python 1, and then 2 and 3 were flung about and then swept away like rag dolls, slamming into the canyon walls.
I immediately however refocused my attention on the way ahead as my controls became stiff with the plane drifting right. I looked over and saw giant exhaust ducts which were blowing air around with this tight crawlspace. My eyes darted about as I regained control, steering against the force of the wind, gently nursing the throttle.
"what!? The plane's being blown around? Watch it, everyone!" I shouted into my headset.
John couldn't care less
"That's a joke! You've just gotta go where the wind can't" I narrowed my eyes as we cruised round inside the canyon, encountering more exhaust ports and rock clefts, forcing us to weave about wildly in a loose formation, my eyes periodically acquiring Ruth's F-15E and John's Su-27SMK within my peripheral vision.
I guided the stick gently, trying to avoid the canyon walls, air turbulence and a mid-air Collison at the same time. It was almost a sensory overload in my book.
As the canyon widened a bit, I picked up enemy chatter coming from further up.
"Airblasting programme in full mode."
"hmm. How'd it perform?"
"Radar reports three aircraft eliminated."
"Not bad. Contact the 8th wing. Tell them to close in from behind."
"yes sir."
"Now they're trapped!"
What!?
Ellen's POV
I flew at the rear of the formation, Albert in the lead as we approached the mouth of the canyon. I spotted bandits up ahead, probably a vanguard for protection. There was an odd diversity though in the formation: I spied a VTOL X-32, an YF-12 and an old P-51. I smiled as I instantly knew these were aircraft as the delta squadron. I gained lock and fired on one of them, the rest of the squad following suit with me. They evaded our shots and scattered manically. The fools…
"Leave those old farts. Our targets are up ahead." Albert ordered sternly.
I hmphed as closed up formation as we entered the canyon, my eyes narrowing as I knew that the blue jet must be up with the others.
"This is Storm. Entering hot zone"
Ken's POV
Nomad's voice confirmed my fears.
"Watch your 6'O clocks, bogies incoming fast!"
I pushed the throttle forward, tightening the space within the canyon walls as my controls became stiffer pushing against the air and the wind buffeting against my aircraft, in other words threading the eye of a needle going 600 miles per hour.
Albert's voice filled the comm, seething with rage.
"Delta..!"
"I've been waiting for this! Time for payback! First the Kotor Stronghold! And then revenge for the Commander!"
I inwardly sighed. This was the trap I was expecting. I had to reach the end of the canyon quickly- there was no way I could reverse direction.
"No prisoners! Your enemy is delta! Storm to Cyclops crew. Watch your altitude and waste lead bandits!"
"Copy!"
"Doll remain in backup but keep the bandits in your sights"
"Roger" that voice made me freeze. It must be Ellen! This just got worse and worse. I twisted and turned round the narrow path, all the while my engines screamed for a clear airflow. The wind and air currents meant that applying full power was more than they could handle. I pushed downward with the walls closing in around me, trying to salvage some calmer air. I heard on the radio that Albert's squadron was having difficulties too at least.
"wind? The plane'll be swept away!"
"watch the wind! What a heap of junk, what were they thinking of?"
I eventually emerged with the others at the end of the canyon, which opened up in a ring shape. On the rims I could clearly spot the massive AA weapons, which reminded me of giant windmills, with large fan blades mounted on stilts. I looked at the long range radar and spotted Albert's squadron moving up through the canyon where we just were. I tried to gain some altitude to get the advantageous position but the winds in close proximity to the weapons pushed my aircraft back down into the canyon. With nothing else for it I pushed the throttle up into afterburner, curving a flight path below the rim in a tight circle.
Albert's voice on the radio broke the monotonous rhythm of my flight routine; he was speaking directly to me.
"I wanted to meet you too, Mr blue…"
I responded in kind "You again?!"
"It's time to finish this!"
I decided to go along with it. "It's you're call, tough guy! Come on!"
I spotted him moving into the canyon mouth as I came around, followed by two MiG-29SMTs and a J-10, which must've been Ellen. He sped up, contrails licking his wings as he zipped around in a tight bank, almost sticking to the canyon rim.
"I've had enough of you! I'm taking you down!"
I played to his ego, knowingly enticing him.
"Are you gonna bark all day, little doggie, or are you gonna bite?"
That must've ticked him off.
"You piss me off beyond all belief!"
Yep.
"You won't win with that attitude" I responded calmly, not phased at all by his anger.
"The outcome is obvious, you will lose." Albert said silently in a dark seductive voice.
"We'll see about that.."
"You..!" He managed to pull in behind me and launch a missile, I dodged it, pulling In toward the middle of circle, lagging left to let him pass in front of me. I then reversed, getting behind Albert as he leaned on the stick, struggling to throw off my aim whilst avoiding the canyon wall. I noticed that the one of the MiG-29SMTs had pulled abreast of Albert's Su-47, I acquired this bandit, quickly locking onto him and sending him down and out with a missile.
Ruth and John flew over my canopy as I closed in on Albert, and in record time I gained a firing solution on his plane. Abruptly he pulled in towards the centre on full burner, but this allowed me to cut across his flight path with my gun, bullets pelting the engines and ripping the tail from the plane.
"What!? Dammit! Eject!"
"Storm.. you….you'll pay for that!"
My RWR blared in my cockpit. Turning my gaze over my shoulder I spotted the J-10 slightly above and behind me, easily within firing range.
I barrel rolled and skidded right, trying to throw off the pilot's aim. However my evasion was interrupted by a voice on the radio which made my blood run cold.
"That blue jet pilot.. the one who's always chasing storm!"
There was no doubt about it. That WAS Ellen's voice!
"that voice… it is Ellen!"
"Storm hadn't given clearance but you're going down!"
I appealed to her through the radio, trying to break through her mental shielding.
"It's me Ken!"
She responded in a confused, indignant manner "you.. you're trying to confuse me.. why?!"
I sighed, trying again "don't you know who I am?"
"Why… why do I feel so strange when I'm around you?"
Seeing as begging wasn't an answer, I decided to try it the other way.
"Or maybe you're just an OCC trick!" this scenario sounded more appealing to me at this point in time than it did previously. Maybe it was because she was trying to kill me.
"What.. are these feelings I'm having?"
She was hesitating. I had to strike while the iron's hot, and yet part of me still didn't believe it.
"I can't tell.. Ellen.. is it you?"
"Tell me now.. or I'll swear I'll kill you!" she wasn't backing down at all.
"Don't shoot! Ellen.. you're not my enemy!"
She locked onto my aircraft, forcing me to snap roll and execute a pitchback. She launched two missiles whilst I was in the turn but their tracking was lame, spearing off in a straight line.
The J-10 moved out in front of me, frantically bobbing up and down trying to evade within this tight bowl. This proved fruitless as I easily locked on and fired my last Air to Air missile, which exploded above the target, sending the tail spinning off into the ground.
"what! This is Doll, ejecting"
I breathed a momentary sigh and then craned my head around, searching for Ruth and John. And explosion towards my two O' clock drew my attention, as I spotted one of the giant windmills suddenly rear up and topple over, the blades ripping up into pieces as they dug into the ground.
Scanning the area I spotted Ruth pulling away from an attack run. Moments later I caught sight of John gunning for another one of the weapons. With two precise bursts of rocket fire he destroyed the supports, the weight of the gun pulling against the roaring fan causing the rock ledge underneath to crumble. The construct fell into the canyon like an avalanche.
Averting my eyes from this I acquired the last weapon standing, firing two air to surface missiles into the supports (the only guided weapons I had left) sending the last of those giant windmills into the ground, out of control.
"Damn! What is our army doing! What!"
"this is the end…" the enemy communications cut off suddenly as I formed up with the rest of my element. The winds soon died down allowing us to climb out of the canyon.
"Nomad, all targets destroyed, now setting a course for home plate" Ruth reported.
"Roger, we have a clean slate, you are cleared to return to base" Nomad responded.
As I mused about the events of the mission, I started to think that if it was Ellen in that J-10, maybe I could pull the trigger. However I pushed down such thoughts almost in an instant, knowing I would never forgive myself I if killed her. But what if she couldn't be freed from the brainwashing she probably had been given? What if she killed me first? I didn't know at all.
The flight home was deathly silent.