Area 88: Dogfighters
By: Ominae
Rating: T
NOTE:
All characters of Area 88 are under the copyright of Kaoru Shintani, TV Asahi and Group TAC. I exclusively own the rights to the character Paul Yeung.
Disclaimer: Sorry for the late posting, been busy with Mercenaries on PS2, watching You're Under Arrest Specials and prepping up for research papers in my class. So here's another chapter for you Area 88 readers.
Summary:
With the acquisition of Shin's Northrop F-5 from McCoy, Area 88's ace mercenary pilot is now back in action. But things are getting a bit rough as rebel forces have shifted their targets from Area 88's freelance fighters to the base's vulnerable supply planes. Can the base's mercenary personnel pull themselves and find a way out of this problem before it's too late? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.
Note - Any underlined name in this story indicates that an aircraft has appeared for the first time in any chapter with its detailed specs at the end.
Chapter 12: Supply Crisis
Journal of Paul Yeung, ex-Captain, Philippine Air Force
Day 10, Asran
A major problem has been developing in Area 88 for a day now. Just a few minutes after I got up from sleep in the barracks, word from mouth within the pilots today was that the rebels have strategically changed their priorities in their order of battle. Though they still consider Area 88 and the people inside as targets, they've decided to stage blitzkrieg attacks on the base's supply line. This "line" was vital to the base as they are the ones responsible for delivering our basic supplies from the needed black gold aka oil to the ammo and missiles for our jets.
This was a smart move. Within days, our stocks have been dwindling so much that only a handful of fighters are able to be commissioned for use against the rebels. Unless we find a way to get ourselves restocked with our supplies, it looks like the guerrillas are going to win this civil war...
What do we do now?
Airspace, Outskirts of Mountains, Asran
"Double Echo, this is Cork Bottle. We have flies, do you copy?"
Two Lockheed Hercules C-130 aircraft were flying at night within Asranian airspace, presumed to be carrying needed supplies for a certain isolated Royal Asranian Air Force (RASAF) air force base.
From a distance, three MiG-17s were flying fast towards their intended target.
One of the C-130's pilots made a quick radio transmission to its destination. "Encountered enemy at Sierra-27. Enemy is currently engaging our convoy in combat. Requesting reinforcm--"
"They're to our right!" informed the C-130's co-pilot.
The three rebel MiG-17s opened fire on one of the C-130 planes with its NR-23 cannons, firing until it's tail made contact with the 23 mm bullets and bursted to flames.
The pilot got scared on the fate of his comrades and went back on his radio.
"Requesting reinforcements! Double Echo, do you copy?"
One of the MiG-17 was flying straight to its next target from below.
"This is Cork Bottle!"
Soon enough, the first MiG-17 was joined by the other two and together, attacked the second C-130 with its N-37 cannons.
The pilot now realized that help was not coming and decided to play out his fate.
"This is it! We're doomed to die in this damned civil war!"
After the 37 mm bullets from the N-37 cannons made contact with the hull of the second C-130 transport aircraft, the pilot and co-pilot's vision became black after seeing a flash of yellow and orange.
It never changed color again.
Airspace, Desert, Asran
Two jets, consisting of Kim Aoba's Harrier and Kitori Palvanaff's Mirage flew above the Asranian desert sky, which was part of Kitori's practice session of flying with another friendly jet. It was part of her integration into Area 88's all-male freelance team. Kim took charge of Kitori's aerial training as part of the princess' basic navigational training courses.
"The oasis you can see ahead of us doesn't dry out, even in the summer." A small oasis connected by a river was pointed out by Kim to the black-haired woman. "So the approach to the west, that's the goal."
Kitori, looking tired from inside her Mirage, retracted her helmet's visors. "Right." She then stared into the oasis' water since a bright sparkle appeared and reflected the sun's rays.
"However," cautioned Kim. "it's hard to spot when there's a new moon. So I'll lead you to another point..."
"What a pretty oasis." beamed Kitori, staring at the water from the Mirage's cockpit. "I want to hop into it and wash off this sweat right now."
"What! Good thing Paul warned me about that one." Kim blushed on hearing Kitori ranting over his radio channel. "Be serious! I recognize your abilities. But at Area 88, I'm your superior."
"Superior?" frowned the woman, not liking what she had heard from the young mercenary. "You?"
"Yes!"
What Kim did not know that Kitori had a mischievous glint in her blue eyes.
Back in Kim's cockpit, he began to relay another set of instructions for Kitori to follow. "The next point is usually used for..." Kim now noticed that Kitori's Mirage was following. "Where did she go?"
"Kitori?"
The young boy looked at the sun, its rays were forcing him to partially shut his eyes from staring directly at it. Then, Kitori's Mirage appeared from above Kim's Harrier, as if she was dropped from the sun.
"Kitori!"
Kim moved his control stick to the right, narrowly avoiding a near fatal collision with the feisty woman's fighter.
"What are you doing all of a sudden?" reprimanded Kim, asserting his superior tone on Kitori. Her plane came from below Kim's and the two staged a dogfight chase with one another with Kitori pursuing Kim from the rear.
"What are you trying to do?"
The long-haired woman did not utter a reply to her "superior", still commencing the chase that would have been a rival to Tom and Jerry.
"At least you've got turning ability."
"If you wanna play that way..." grunted Kim, not wanting to play with Kitori's games any longer. He accelerated his jet further away from Kitori, getting farther and farther away from her sight.
"Don't get all too hot..." mocked Kitori, seeing Kim's threats as a challenge.
"All right..." When Kim stared at his console, he noticed that a red light had been emitted for a few minutes. "Am I being locked on for a missile?"
"Your claws are weak." Kitori still carried on the chase with Kim, wanting to gauge him for herself.
"Don't get so close to me."
Kitori's Mirage then flew at a moderate speed with Kim's Harrier, their cat and mouse game finally over.
"Looks like my superior's all talk." boasted Kitori, who grinned inside her seat for scaring the heck out of Kim. "That'll show the pipsqueak who's the real boss."
Kim deactivated the AAM warning light from his console and watched Kitori fly back to Area 88 on her own after removing his oxygen mask from his helmet.
"She'll never learn."
Warehouse, Area 88 Base
"Hey, old man!"
"Give me a break!"
McCoy's PX warehouse was in business as usual. But he was not in the mood for selling, since the pilots were cursing and yelling at him.
"What am I suppose to do about it?" barked McCoy, fully irritated with the wave of complaints that he had received from his so-called customers. "This is the third time the fuel shipment's been shot down. The fuel's just not getting here."
"Even so," suggested Greg. "raising the fuel's price all of a sudden is just greed, old man."
"You don't wanna pay it," sneered McCoy. "just stay on the ground."
"If we can't fly, we can't do our jobs." A pilot in his middle '30s wearing a red jumpsuit smacked his palm on McCoy's warehouse counter, trying to defend Greg's point.
McCoy fought back against the man's argument. "Then why don't you shove your own gas in there instead?"
"What did you say?" The man snapped and raised his fist to punch the scrounger.
"Hey dummy!" Paul jumped from behind and restrained the man by performing a headlock on him; left arm on his neck and right arm over his right shoulder. "Punching him won't do you good." The man struggled to get out of his grip.
"He's right!" Greg went in front of the pilot in order to prevent him from doing anything stupid.
"Anyway," explained McCoy. "none of the supplies you ordered will get here. Get out of here."
"What?"
"You nuts?"
"You're kidding me?"
"We're closed for the day." McCoy went to the sliding door leading to his personal office and flipped the sign from "Open" to "Close".
"Hey, wait a minute!"
"Old man!"
"You can't do that!"
McCoy slammed the sliding door in front of the mercenaries, ending their pleadings with him. Paul removed his arms from the restrained pilot and left on his own from the warehouse while the other pilots stayed for a while, complaining to each other.
Commander's Office, Area 88 Base
Saki looked at the runway from his office window, witnessing several fighters preparing for take-off. The planes ranged from F-14s, Harriers to Skyhawks.
"This sortie will be pretty much the last we can pull off." said Roundell, who stood in full military attention behind the scarred officer. "I believe the tank is almost empty..."
"And the pipeline?" inquired Saki, wanting to get to the details. "Let's hope there's some good news to Roundell's explanation in my office."
"It'll take another month to restore it."
Outside his office, two McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom jets had taken off after making their run on the runway as Area 88's fuel supply was about to run out soon.
Jet Hangar, Area 88 Base
Kim, now alone in his personal hangar space, was crouching near his British Aerospace Sea Harrier FRS Mk. 1
"Fuel pump... fuel pump..." Kim scavenged two crates of metal parts for a compatible fuel pump that he needed to use for his Sea Harrier.
"Interesting pose."
He didn't notice Makoto and Rocky were behind him, taking a picture of him.
"I think we'll call it The Garbage Picking Stranger." grinned Makoto.
"Make sure to put that in big, bold words." chuckled Rocky.
Kim frowned at the two men and turned his back on them, still searching the crates for his needed things.
"If I take it apart and only put in the parts that are in good condition, it can still fly."
"That's an admirable mindset." said Makoto. The two SO reporters walked forward to see Kim at work.
"I'm not good at making money." insisted Kim, not wanting to be flattered by either Makoto or Rocky.
"But you're making some big cash out there." emphasized Rocky, pointing him thumb to the empty airstrip behind them.
"I can't buy the latest stuff like Shin and the others can." interrupted the turbanned boy. "Besides, if I put it together well enough, it'll work even better than the real thing."
"A Jaguar and a Vulcaneer..." Kim held two small curved pump pipes with his gloved hands, holding them near him before attaching them together. "I wonder if it will stick..."
"Last time, you put Sparrow parts in that Harrier... What are you doing this time?" McCoy casually walked towards Kim's parked Sea Harrier.
"A fuel pump." Kim held the attached Jaguar and Vulcaneer pump pipes with his right gloved hand. He went on to explain his thoughts to the old man.
"I wonder if I could raise my output by about a 100 kilos with this..." He showed a red object that he had scavenged on his left hand.
"I don't think that'll work." objected McCoy, putting his knowledge of mechanical parts to the test.
"I see..."
Makoto whispered to McCoy's ear. "Hey, old man. Can the newest weapons be like that?"
"What?" answered McCoy, grinning after hearing what Makoto had said. "In the end, planes really are like handmade things." He looked at Kim's Sea Harrier and explained Kim's actions to the two reporters.
"Kim's Harrier will work twice as well as the original Royal's."
"Is that even possible, old man?" questioned Rocky, a bit impressed with McCoy's thinking.
"You need to cover up for lack of skill with effort and cleverness..." Kim held up another metal thing on his hand. "What's this?"
"My calculator!" beamed McCoy, finding one of his lost objects. "Did it get mixed up in there?"
"His calculator? Why would he lose it in a pile of fighter jet parts?" Rocky scratched his head in mere confusion.
"It's made in Japan." observed Kim, looking at the calculator for the name of the manufacturer's home country.
"Maybe I could use it for a radio?" wondered Kim, showing McCoy his lost calculator.
"Nah, it's not good for that." said McCoy, not agreeing with his idea. "The thing tacks on an extra number to the end." He took the calculator away from Kim's gloved hand.
"Here. I've still got one." McCoy showed Kim a jar of strawberry jam.
"What! No way?" cringed the young mercenary, not showing any kind of interest towards the jar. "I'll have to pass for this month."
"What's wrong?"
"The fuel price went up, didn't it? I need to save money where I can..."
"Darn..." McCoy scratched his head in frustration. "You're the only one who'd buy something like this."
"I'll take it." Makoto had his hand pointed on the strawberry jam jar.
"You will?" McCoy didn't expect Makoto to get the jar from him. "You?"
"Makoto, are you sure you know what you doing? I mean, that is a jar of strawberry jam." Rocky was now more puzzled with his colleague instead of Kim.
"Of course I know what I'm doing, Rocky. Anyway, how much?"
"50 bucks."
"50? For a jar of jam?" Makoto felt a painful shiver coming on his spinal column.
"Old man! That's a crime to sell a strawberry jam jar at 50 bucks." roared Rocky, finding McCoy's offer to be way too outrageous.
The white-haired PX warehouse manager maintained his position. "Go complain to the guy who's shooting down our transport planes."
Makoto and Rocky sighed with defeat, there was no way they could convice McCoy to lower the price.
"Here." Makoto told an American 50 bill from his vest, held between his index and middle heard McCoy chuckle before swiftly taking the bill from the reporter's hand.
Makoto took the opened jar from McCoy's hand and dipped his index finger before putting it inside his mouth, tasting the contents.
"This is way too sweet!" Makoto now didn't like the jar and wished he had kept the 50 dollars before giving it to McCoy. "Here Rocky, you try it."
Rocky did the same; he dipped his index and tasted the strawberry jam in his mouth. "Jeez! I do like sweet food, but this is too much!"
"No refunds."
Makoto and Rocky saw McCoy walking back to his PX warehouse, satisfied that he made a simple and small transaction with the reporters.
"What do we do with this?" Rocky showed his colleague the now opened jar. "We can't throw this thing away."
"I have an idea." Makoto took the jar from Rocky and resealed it before calling for Kim.
"Kim!" Makoto threw the jar to the turbanned freelance pilot. Kim saw the jar flying towards him and caught the object with his hands.
"That's definitely for kids." Makoto and Rocky ran outside the hangar to follow McCoy.
"What do I do?" sighed Kim, removing his glove from his left hand after biting on his gloved middle finger before he opened the strawberry jam jar. He dipped his index finger inside and tasted it.
"It's good." Kim smiled, satisfied with the taste of strawberry jam for the first time.
"Hey, Kim."
The boy held his head up and saw Paul Yeung walking towards him, wearing his dark brown pilot jumpsuit.
"You got some time?"
"Yeah. Is this about what you've told me the other day."
Paul grinned. "You bet. I want to tell you a pretty good strategy for you on using the Harrier pretty well."
Kim smiled at his friend and mercenary comrade. "I'm all ears."
"I don't want to fly with Kim."
Kitori leaned against the wooden barrier of another jet hangar, her jumpsuit shirt tied to her waist while drinking water from her plastic water thermos container, leaving only her sleeveless shirt on. Shin Kazama was performing rountine maintenance on his Northrop F-5.
"For one, his skills suck." rambled Kitori, telling Shin that Kim shouldn't be a freelance pilot in Area 88. " And his intuition isn't all that good either."
"Even so, his wings have survived this far." Shin rushed to the defense of his young comrade from the accusations of the female rookie.
"I could have flown with Paul instead." shrugged Kitori. "But still, he has good luck."
Shin removed his gloves after he completed his maintenance check on his F-5 and frowned at Kitori's words.
"You can't get by with just luck in this world." He replaced his work gloves on his toolbox.
"Wait!" hollered Kitori, not wanting to be alone in the base. She watched Shin walking away from his parked F-5, back facing Kitori's.
"You could at least look at me once in a while!"
Her voice faded away from Shin's ear, disappointed for her lack of faith in Kim.
"Hey, wait!"
Airspace, Desert, Asran
"Tango Blue, wind two-six niner and 6 knots."
"I'm sorry, but I'm really low on gas! Let me down first!"
One of the returning McDonnel Douglas A-4A Skyhawks had sustained a critical hit, possibly from enemy fire. The plane was drifting further and further down to Area 88, despite repeated warning from the control tower.
"I'm cutting it really close as it is!"
The A-4A Skyhawk was dangerously about to land near Area 88's main runway and its control officer was warning its pilot to land somewhere else.
"Larry, you're off course! Redo your approach!"
A loud voice came through the control tower's radio communications net.
"Shut up, I'm telling you I don't have time for that!"
Mickey's intervention came in through the radio patch. "Larry, ditch your bombs!"
"I paid a ton for these things! The hell am I gonna throw these things away!"
"Larry! It's impossible! Give it up, Larry!"
Larry screamed with all his might, trying to fight off the impossible after seeing his fuel gauge drop to empty.
"Pull up!" implored Mickey, doing his best to save his fellow mercenary.
Runway, Area 88 Base
It was too late for Larry; Larry's A-4A Skyhawk slammed down on the runway and screeched through all the way. An explosion took place after landing.
"Oh no!"
One of the control tower officers saw the events through his binoculars.
It was hopeless now. Larry is now dead from the explosion, but his flaming Skyhawk was still coming hard and fast until it hit a bunker.
With that, it bursted into flames and black smoke. Everyone had witnessed the explosion. Heck, even Saki and Roundell were astounded to see what had happened just right now.
McCoy ran out to the runway after seeing the explosion. He began to cringe after seeing the Skyhawk slam itself into the destroyed bunker.
"My god!" He began to clutch his white hair with fierce strength like a little boy who had lost his teddy bear. "You know insurance doesn't cover stuff out here!"
Above the skies of Area 88, Mickey's Grumman F-14 Tomcat and the other jets still flew overhead, in shock over what the heck was destroyed down on the runway.
Combat Situation Room, Area 88 Base
A radar officer was on the phone, apparently studying some blips on the radar screen. He had bad news to inform Saki.
"Big Sammy has picked up an enemy formation."
Commander's Office, Area 88 Base
"How are our anti-air missiles?" Saki decided to plan on ahead for any attacks against the base since supplies have not been replenished.
"They haven't been resupplied since last week's attack." Roundell explained, sounding a bit negative with their situation at hand after replacing the phone back at its cradle.
"I see. We must act at once or this base is doomed!" Saki cringed internally after hearing Roundell's answer, but decides to act on another task.
"Gather the pilots immediately."
"Yes sir."
Airspace, Asran
Approaching the outskirts of Area 88 are a squadron of Soviet-made Mikoyan Gurevich (MiG)-21 fighters. What they were protecting was the biggest nightmare of a base with little to no supplies and armaments.
Two Tupolev TU-95M bomber planes, heavily loaded with bombs ready to be dropped on their adversaries.
Yes, the situation of Area 88 and their mercenaries are looking grim right about now.
Briefing Room, Area 88 Base
"What's gonna happen?"
"Don't know."
"Heard some rumors that the Big Cheese may want us to fight back?"
"How?"
Loud chattering from the various mercenary fighter pilots came abuzz after almost all of them had been assembled in the briefing room, impatient about the problems facing Area 88. Kim and Kitori were sitting in the bleachers.
Shin, Mickey and Paul were leaning on the walls, waiting for their famed commanding officer to arrive.
"He's here." Mickey saw Saki and Roundell entering the briefing room.
"Show time." Paul murmured.
Saki stood in front of the pilots, hands down on the podium. Roundell stoodnear his side.
"Everyone, our situation is perilous. We have little fuel and almost little to no missiles or ammunition."
For once, Shin, Paul and Mickey leaned a bit from the wall in order to see if they were hearing things right from Saki himself.
"We've got even worse news. Big Sammy has sighted an enemy formation heading this way that includes 2 large-scale bombers. We must react immediately."
At his words, a lot of the pilots began to sweat profusely, seemingly scared on the upcoming opfors that were coming towards the secluded air force base.
Greg stood up and grilled Saki down to the specific details.
"How many planes can we send up with our remaining fuel and weapons?"
This question now became the bombshell; the pilots held their breath and looked at their commanding officer for answer. The three aces (Shin, Paul, Mickey) also stared at Saki, wanting to get a good answer from himself.
Saki gave himself a deep breath, not knowing what the reaction of everyone would be when he tells them of the answer. "They'll be in for the biggest shock of their lives." When he replied to Greg's legitimate question, a loud collective gasp came from all the pilots when they heard how many pilots can be mobilized at a short time before the bombers would strike.
"Three."
Chapter 12 END
Glossary: Aircraft/Helicopter data
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
General Characteristics:
Crew: Four to Six, two pilots with others on various crew positions
Length: 97 ft 9 in (29.8 m)
Wingspan: 132 ft 7 in (40.4 m)
Height: 38 ft 3 in (11.6 m)
Wing area: 132 ft 7 in (40.4 m)
Empty: 83,000 lb (37,650 kg)
Loaded: 72,000 lb (32,650 kg)
Maximum take-off: 155,000 lb (70,300 kg)
Engine: Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, 4,300 shp (3,210 kW) each - (x 4)
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 329 knots (610 km/h)
Range: 2,050 nm (3,800 km)
Service Ceiling: 33,000 ft (3,800 m)
Rate of climb: Unknown
Wing loading: Unknown
Thrust-to-weight: Unknown
Armament:
None, for obvious reasons
Users:
Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela
