Legendary Aces: The Legend of Razgriz
Chapter 24: Closure
As the demon sleeps, man turns on man
His own blood and madness soon cover the earth
From the depths of despair awaken the
Razgriz Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light
-Blaze-
I woke up pretty early the next morning. It wasn't until after I got out of the shower that I remembered taking one before bed. I looked at myself in the mirror and thought to myself. 'Really? Did I just do that?'
I blamed it on the solo mission. The mission was short, but damn I hated it.
The others were still asleep, so I made my way to the kitchen and fixed a bowl of cereal. Cereal wasn't very filling, though, so I had to eat two bowls.
Just as I finished washing the bowl and spoon I used, my mom popped in.
"Hey, there you are." She said. "I checked your room, but you were already gone."
"What's up?" I asked.
"I had your grandfather make a phone call after you went to bed last night."
"To her?"
"Yeah. She's on leave right now and will be for the whole month."
"Would it be possible for me to go visit her?"
"You're supposed to be dead." She said. "We both are, actually. We can't let you go."
"Right..." I said. "Well..." My phone started ringing and cut me off. "Hello?"
On the other end, I heard a familiar voice. "Hey, Kye! I'm so glad you're okay! I'm on my way!"
-Briefing-
Analysis of the surveillance photos taken on the previous mission revealed tactical nuclear weapons of the same type used by Belka in the war fifteen years ago.
These weapons, hidden in the mine, are about to be retrieved and deployed to the two aggressor squadrons in Osea and Yuktobania.
The President has made his decision.
Destroy the entrances to the mine before the next nuclear weapon is moved from the shaft, and bury those weapons of evil inside for good. This mission will be carried out with the usual formation. You'll need powerful and numerous weapons on target to destroy the rock face above the entrance.
-Mission Start-
-Blaze-
Mt Schirm 30'16'54"N 222'04'57"E
1312hrs. 12 December 2010
"Today will be easy since we don't have to worry about any radar." Grimm said. "Right, Captain?"
"Easier, yes, but no excuse to go easy." I said.
"Of course, Captain!" Grimm said.
"Well said." Snow added.
As we entered the mission area, I glanced at my radar to get a feel of where the targets were. Several odds and ends targets littered the map that needed to be taken care of before the rock bed.
"I can't believe the Captain flew around this place all by herself..." Grimm said. "Just thinking about those nukes that are buried up ahead gives me the goose bumps.
"Those nukes are exactly why the Belkans have lowered themselves to sneaking around, pitting two countries against each other." Snow said. "You give a man enough weapons, he'll start to think he's more powerful than he really is."
"I'm sick of seeing all this hatred everywhere we go." Nagase added. "We can't let those nukes reach the battlefield and fuel more hate. I won't let it happen."
"You know, I'm sick of this war enough as it is." Chopper said. "I can only imagine how much worse it'll get with those nukes."
"That's what we are here for." I said. "The Belkans are gonna think twice about it if they get a next time."
I started giving directions on targets. We systematically wiped out half the targets in the area in under five minutes.
"How you doing, Blaze?" Pop asked. "I tell you, nothing beats flying in perfect formation with your comrades. In the past I flew alone, to do battle against my own country. But look at you. You've got all your friends here. Don't you think so?"
"Not quite." I said. "There's one missing."
"We'll get him back." Pops said.
"I know we will." I said. "I'll make damn sure of that."
As we made our way toward the airfield up ahead, we took down every target in between. We sunk gunboats, blew up watchtowers, took out a few AA guns and SAMs... everything. Our ADMs were great for multiple targets. We didn't even have to touch our missile reserve.
"To tell you the truth, the thought of nuclear weapons just terrifies me." Grimm said. "Do you think they've already carried out nuclear weapons?"
"I sure hope not." Chopper said.
"There's no telling." I said. "We just have to destroy that rock bed and hope they haven't, or at the least if they have... cut them off from the rest."
"Yeah."
"I've never liked being in Belkan land like this." Nagase said. "The air just feels heavier around here."
"All the more reason to get this over with and head back." I said. "Speaking of heading back... I have a surprise for you guys."
I piqued their interest.
"What is it, Captain?" Grimm asked.
"A visitor!"
"Who's comin'?" Chopper asked.
"You'll see!"
"Is it her?" Nagase already had an idea.
"Yep!" I said. "She should get there before we get back. I haven't seen her in months! It's gonna be... WHOA!" A missile flew by my canopy. I barely managed to evade it. "Whew! That was close." My heart was racing.
"Captain, are you okay?" Grimm asked. He sounded frantic, and with good reason.
"Nothin' like a missile flying by your canopy to get your blood flowing." I said. A four-plane formation was hot on my trail now, but none of them had any chance against me. I out-maneuvered them and shot all four of them down in one motion using an ADM.
"Good shot, Captain." Grimm said.
"I'm just glad I didn't get fried by that missile." I said. "Heads up guys, look what's ahead."
"We're over the target area." Snow said.
"The Grabacr are already gone." Grimm reported.
"They must have already taken away some of the nukes." Nagase said.
"Maybe we were too late..." Pops said. "Let's destroy the mine entrance anyway."
"You see that rock bed above the entrance?" Snow said. "Shoot at that."
"You probably won't be able to bring it down in one shot." Pops said. "Keep on attacking until it crumbles. Understand?"
"Yep." I said.
"Good. I'm counting on you, Blaze. The bedrock looks to be very thick. Focus your attacks and keep at it."
"Roger that." I said. "You got that, gang? Everyone is free to fire one of their burst missiles. See if that does it in. Wait, I see bogeys on my radar."
"Here they come." Snow said. "Should we split up and take care of them?"
"Yeah." I said. "Nagase with me. The rest of you blow up that bedrock. Use your weapons at your own discretion. Snow, you're in charge of team two. Chopper, Grimm, back him up."
"This is Swordsman, roger that." Snow said.
"Roger, Kid."
"Roger, Captain."
Normally, Nagase and I would have no trouble taking on a few fighter jets, but we weren't their targets. The trick was to keep them off the boys so they could blow up the bedrock.
"Uh... the nukes won't blow up if we shoot them, right?" Grimm asked.
I hadn't thought about that. I didn't know. Judging from the silence, nobody else did either. I put the thought aside and kept fending off the enemy fighters.
"So the nuclear weapons have been lying here dormant for fifteen years." Grimm said.
"Even I remember the horror of those nuclear explosions fifteen years ago." Snow said. "How can they still do this?"
"I can't imagine why the Belkans would want to use any of them again." Grimm said "I guess Belka isn't a thing of the past, huh?" Snow said. "No time to be brooding over that right now, we've got a mission to carry out."
Snow, Chopper, and Grimm fired their first round of burst missiles at the rock bed. Luckily, after the first round, the enemy fighters turned and flew away.
"They are retreating." Nagase said.
"They probably didn't know what to think about the burst missiles." I said. "Nagase, you fire one at the rock bed real quick, too."
The rock bed was already in bad shape. A burst missile from Nagase and another from me was all it took to finish it off.
"Rock bed destroyed." Nagase reported. "That cave will never be opened again."
"We've finally sealed in those nukes." Grimm said.
"But there are more Belkan nukes out there." Snow said.
"That's what we're here for." Chopper said. "We just gotta find 'em and stop the Belkans from using 'em."
-Post Mission-
Mission accomplished. Thanks to that rock avalanche, the mine entrance is now sealed off and the tactical nukes have been removed as a threat to the world.
Intel has lost track of the nukes they already removed, but it is certain that the weapons sealed in the mineshaft will never be deployed.
-Blaze-
Base Crew Quarters
1945hrs 12 December 2010
"All clear?" I asked.
"Everything checks out." Mom said. She had a pair of overalls on with oil stains all over. I couldn't help but suppressed a giggle. "What's wrong?
"Mom, you're so dirty." I said. "You smell like oil."
She put an innocent looking face, walked over to me, and over exaggerated sniffing. "You reek of body odor, so I don't wanna hear it."
"Hey! I had to sit in a cockpit for a few hours. It got hot!"
"Mhm, and I had to do maintenance on your planes. Come on, let's go to the bath. Knowing you, you've probably only used the showers since you got here." She said.
"Yeah, yeah, I suppose. I'll go get Nagase, too. She would probably like it." I opened the door to the hallway adjacent to the hangar and saw my team waiting there for me. "Hey, guys, what's... Oomph." Somebody hug-tackled me to the ground.
-Yami-
"Kye!" I shouted as I jumped over to hug her, accidentally tackling her to the ground in the process.
"Yami!?" She said. "You're late, missy!"
"Sorry! I had a distraction back in Emmeria."
"I see. Well can you get off?" She started tickling me.
"EEYAAA!" I couldn't help but scream. "That... ahahaha... tickles!"
The others in the hallway burst out laughing at us. Two of them helped us up.
"So is it true?" I asked. "Is... mom..."
"Psst... are you talking about me?" I heard a voice behind me. I knew who is was.
"MOM!" I quickly turned around and was pulled into a hug.
"Hi, sweetie." She said. "I've missed you."
"You're alive!" I felt the tears running down my face. I couldn't believe it. "I haven't seen you since I was eleven!"
"Happy twenty second birthday." She said. "And happy twenty fourth birthday to you, Kye."
"You're birthdays are on the same day?" Chopper asked.
"Nope." Kye said. "Mine was two days ago. My twerp sister's birthday is today."
"Yeah, we always celebrate on the same day." I said. "I thought Kye was dead. Her crash in November City was on the news even in Emmeria. You could imagine how happy I was last night when grandpa called me and said otherwise."
"It's a good thing you're on leave." Kye said. "How long can you stay here?"
"I'm on leave until the second week of next month. I can stay the whole time. Well... I say leave, but really it's supposed to be a joint training thing set up by grandpa."
"I'm kind of surprised you're even here, though." Kye said. "This is supposed to be a secret base."
"I didn't even know it existed until grandpa told me about it." I said. "He told me I couldn't say anything about it to anyone either. My superiors in Emmeria think I'm at the airbase on Kirwin Island."
"What if they find out different?" Kye asked.
"They won't." Mom said. "The General and I made sure of that. The commander of Kirwin Base has already reported your arrival to your superiors."
"You are really pulling some strings for me." I said.
"Well of course! How else would you be able to visit your dead sister and dead mother?" Mom said. "Enough of that. Everyone needs introductions."
"Right." I said as I turned to the others. "Republic of Emmeria Air Force Second Lieutenant Yami Akari, callsign Talisman. Pleased to meet you!"
"Osean Air Defense Force Captain Kei Nagase, callsign Edge."
"Osean Air Defense Force Captain Alvin H. Davenport, callsign Chopper. I prefer to go by my callsign."
"Osean Air Defense Force Captain Hans Grimm, callsign Archer."
"Osean Maritime Defense Force Captain Marcus Snow, callsign Swordsman."
"Maritime? So you re a Navy Captain. You outrank your captain!" I said.
"Snow could pull rank on me if he wanted." Kye said.
"I would never do such a thing." Snow said. "I'm plenty happy flying as your wingman, Captain."
"I'm happy to hear it." Kye said.
"We all know who Kye is... little Miss Lieutenant Colonel thanks to her posthumous promotion, though I'm not even sure if she gets to keep it." Mom said.
"I was wondering about that."
"It doesn't really matter here. You might as well be a General when on this base." Mom said. "I suppose it's my turn."
"You're Kid's mom." Chopper said. "We know who you are."
"Not what I meant." Mom said. "I am Lieutenant General Layla Bartlett, callsign Cipher."
"They already knew your callsign and Demon Lord title, but I didn't even know your rank." Kye said.
"Yep." She said.
"Hmm." Kye said. "Well, are you ready to go hit the bath?
"Yeah."
"Yami, Nagase, you should come, too."
"I could use a soak." Nagase said.
"I've been sentenced to showers since I entered the military." I said. "Sounds nice."
"It's a real bath, too." Mom said. "Like we had at the mansion when you were kids."
"Really!?" I asked.
"Oh, also. You are all going to report to the hangar tomorrow for flight training."
"Training?" Kye asked. "Do we really..."
"You are coming, like it or not." Mom said. "Yami could use your help."
"Why don't you? You're better than me."
"I can handle myself." Yami said. "I've been training a lot the last few months."
"Well then, let's see if my two daughters can get the better of me in flight." Mom said.
She caught everyone by surprise, even me and Kye.
"That's right. I'll show you how a real ace flies."
(A/N): So, Kye's younger sister, Yami, has come to General Bartlett's secret base. She is still in training, of course, and will not be making any sort of major impact on the missions in this story. Her time will come in the Emmeria / Estovakia war in 2015. All the same, Layla Bartlett, or Cipher / Demon Lord, will also not be making any sort of major impact on the story missions since she already had her time in the Belkan War.
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