Ace Combat: Angel Wings Chronicles
Invincible Fleet
Nov. 23, 2004
Disclaimer: I do not own Ace Combat or its canon characters, which are properties of Namco Bandai. Seraph and Cherub are my OCs.
Mission Briefing
Today is the day, people! The White Valley and her squadrons are joined in the order of battle of Operation Rough Seas. In conjunction with other ISAF squadrons, including those from our sister ship, the Fort Grace, we will be launching a surprise attack on Erusea's Aegir Fleet currently inside Comberth Harbor. This is the largest military operation since the relocation of ISAF's HQ to North Point, and if successful, will represent a change in the tide of the war.
Your targets are the fleet's warships and support facilities located in three primary locations: the docks and ships yards in the main Comberth Harbor, the munitions and fuel supplies in New Comberth Harbor, as well as the submarine pens to the east of the former two harbors. With their fuel supplies largely depleted, most of their warships will be unable to maneuver, making them sitting ducks for our airstrikes. However, given the ammunition they stored up for the invasion of our HQ, expect heavy anti-air resistance moving in. If we can destroy the symbol of Erusea's naval strength, it will severely hamper their maritime hold over the seas around Usea, allowing our forces greater mobility in future operations.
One more thing, Angel One. Since we are in a joint operation with the Fort Grace, you can expect competition from their top pilot. I believe he is yet another familiar face from your old flight school. His callsign is Mobius One, and his successes in destroying the enemy bombers at Rigley Air Base and crippling the Aegir Fleet's supply lines have also caught the attention of the higher-ups. While you both are pupils of the Phoenix, we in the 4th Fleet expect that you represent us well in battle, and not allow Mobius One to steal your thunder.
Now go out there, and reclaim the seas of our continent!
Thirty Miles South of Comberth, Payton Peninsula, 1150 Hours
"Attention all hands," Captain Liam's voice echoed from the PA over the White Valley's deck, "at exactly noon today, local time, we will be launching a full scale aerial attack in conjunction with our allies on the Fort Grace to destroy the enemy fleet anchored inside Comberth Harbor. The success of Operation Rough Seas will depend on our pilots' abilities to maximize the element of surprise, and our ability to keep them resupplied for a sustained assault. I expect all personnel to perform to the best of our battle experience. We've worked and sacrificed a lot for this day to come. Let's get out there and kick the Eruseans out of Comberth! Godspeed to you all!"
Seraph smiled as he stood by in his F/A-18F on the number 1 catapult. This would be his chance to strike a major blow against Erusea's military might. "About time," Cherub cheered as he stretched a bit, "I was starting to get stiff here!"
"Raise catapult pressure and blast barriers." Seraph heard the catapult whine as it increased power, with the blast barriers rising in conjunction. "Angel One, you are clear for launch," the carrier CIC said.
"Angel One, taking off!" With that, Angel Wings' fighter barreled off the deck and raised its nose towards the sky. The WSO looked back to see the other ISAF Hornets take off in sequence.
"Angel One, altitude restrictions canceled," the catapult controller called, "proceed to your mission. Good luck!"
"Roger that," Seraph rendered an excited salute.
"The Fort Grace jets are airborne," Ferris One reported. True enough, Seraph and Cherub saw more squadrons of F/A-18s soaring up to meet with them in formation. They all resembled the White Valley jets, save for one.
Seraph glanced over at the lead F/A-18C, a dark sea blue camo plane loaded to bear with four unguided bombs and two anti-ship missiles on the wings, two Sidewinders on the tips, and two AMRAAMs on the fuselage. The ISAF roundel was a lighter shade of blue, but still blended well with the color scheme. Last but not least, was the distinctive blue 'ribbon' insignia on the tail, which twisted to form the eight-like infinity strip.
"White Valley squadrons," a familiar, cool, professional voice came over the radio, "this is Mobius One of the 118th Tactical Fighter Wing, attached to the Fort Grace."
Cherub's eyes widened. "No jack, Seraph," he exclaimed, "it really is him!"
Seraph laughed aloud as he heard the callsign. He was the one to respond, "hey Ribbons! Remember me? It's your old friend, Seraph!"
"Angel One!?" Ferris One was taken by surprise at Seraph's sudden change in decorum.
Seraph just chuckled aloud, "this is Angel One of the 4th Fleet. It's an honor to fly alongside you, Mobius One."
There was silence for a moment, before Mobius One replied, "acknowledged, Angel One."
"Aw man," Cherub winced, "same old deadpan beat from the academy; hasn't changed one bit."
However, Seraph was undeterred. "Deadpan or not," he remarked, "he's going to learn to have a little fun with us, Cherub. Let's show him how we tear and burn." He glanced back at the blue Hornet. "You hear that, Ribbons," he egged on, "let's see who's the tip of the spear!"
Mobius One regarded his rival from Phoenix's flight school quietly from his Hornet. To him, Seraph was the same old maverick who made the academy a little livelier than was necessary. Ribbons himself was much quieter, preferring to let his flying do the talking instead. The mission was to destroy the Aegir Fleet at all costs, but Seraph had to go and make it a competition. Well, if so, then Mobius One was not going to let Angel One off so easily...
Comberth, Payton Peninsula, 1158 Hours
The combined carrier strike force flew for eight minutes towards the occupied port city, where their main opponent was still docked. There was no response from the Erusean defenders, largely thanks to ISAF Air Force planes launching pre-emptive missile strikes on their early warning radar facilities. It was not long before the carrier jets were joined up with F-16C and Mirage 2000 aircraft as Air Force reinforcements for the raid.
"Looks like the whole Navy and Air Force are here," Cherub commented, "what a party."
"Oh, not yet," Seraph shook his head with a grin, "the real party is keeping score with Ribbons. Just like our school days."
Cherub facepalmed. 'Not this again...' he thought exasperatedly. However, it did not last long as his console beeped. Cherub looked to see that an AWACs data link was available. "Seraph," he notified, "looks like we've got an AWACs for this op."
Seraph hummed in interest. He had not worked under an AWACs since Hermes had been shot down during the defense of Los Canas. "Patch through," he prompted. Cherub pressed on the digital command, and watched as their Super Hornet made connection.
"This is AWACS Skyeye of the 118th Tactical Fighter Wing." Seraph was a little amused at Mobius One having an AWACS asset specifically assigned to his squadron. "All ISAF fighter planes participating in Operation Rough Seas will be under my jurisdiction," the officer went on, "I'm marking out the designated attack points and all related targets."
Cherub watched as the radar was updated with battle data, including radar signatures of the enemy warships, their support facilities, AA installations, and their escort fighters. Of the missions he and Seraph participated in, this would be their most target-rich environment to date.
"Heh," Seraph chuckled, "now I know what I want for early Christmas."
"Angel One, this is Skyeye," the AWACS radioed, "you must be the Angel Wings that I've been hearing about."
"Yes-sir-ee," Seraph acknowledged in a friendly tone, "and now we get to see how well your Ribbon Fighter moves."
"Don't have too much fun," Skyeye warned, "and Mobius One is not as easy to beat as you think."
"Of course not," Seraph said as he wiggled his wingtips a little, "that's what makes it all the more fun!"
Mobius One broke his usual silence. "Angel One," he replied, "this is not the time for your definition of fun and games. Focus on the mission at hand."
Seraph chose not to respond to that, but smirked. With both the Ribbon Fighter and Angel Wings together in the same battle, it was a prime opportunity to see who was the ISAF top gun. As the clock hit midday, they were already over the outer edge of Comberth Harbor. The mission commencement signal popped up on Seraph's HUD as Skyeye gave the cue.
"Initiate attack," Skyeye ordered, "all aircraft cleared to engage any and all targets. Sink the 'invincible' Aegir Fleet while they're at anchor. Good Luck!"
"Mobius One, moving to neutralize enemy submarine pen." The blue Hornet turned northeast and went supersonic in three seconds. Seraph felt his aircraft shake from the sonic boom.
"Seraph-"
"I know Cheurb," the ISAF pilot stopped the WSO, "let's go blow up their fuel and munitions supplies. All White Valley units, support me!"
"Roger!"
"Switching to bombs."
"Let's rock!" Seraph threw his throttle forward, blasting through the skies at Mach 2. As he neared New Comberth Harbor, his HUD registered several targets, including the facilities and logistics vessels moored there, along with several patrol fighters.
"Target scan complete," Cherub reported, "just as we thought, this place is filled to the brim with supplies. With the density of fuel tanks and ammunition warehouses, it wouldn't take much to set off an inferno..."
"Talk about a firefighter's worst nightmare," Seraph admitted.
"Mobius One, commencing attack," the rival ISAF pilot radioed from his end.
"Mobius One, engage," Skyeye confirmed. The Omega, Viper, and Rapier Teams following Mobius One announced their shifts to attack formation as well.
Seraph then shook his head. 'Stay focused,' he reminded himself. "Angel One, engaging!" With that, he locked onto one of the oil tanks and fired. As the missile made impact, a massive fireball and shockwave shot up. The nearby tanks likewise detonated and set the surrounding buildings and vehicles on fire.
"Whoa," Cherub flinched from the flashes, "those tanks must have been at full capacity!"
"Angel One," Skyeye radioed, "confirmed hit on enemy facilities. This place is a powder keg, so be careful of secondaries at low altitude."
"Don't sweat it, AWACS," Seraph replied with a smirk, "Danger's my middle name."
Seraph's Super Hornet swooped down towards the harbor, as the AA guns positioned around the port opened fire. The radar warning beeped as the SAM launchers came online, aiming their missiles at the white ISAF fighter. "Careful Seraph, they're tracking us," Cherub warned. The missile alert spiked as several projectiles streaked up towards their fighter. Seraph was forced to pull up to avoid the missile barrage. As Seraph raised altitude, he was suddenly met with Erusean Rafale Ms that were out patrolling the Comberth skies opening fire with their cannons and missiles. "We've got company," Cherub exclaimed as Seraph began to merge into combat alongside the arriving allies against the enemy planes.
"Ferris Team, engaging."
"Delta Team, commencing attack."
"Zeta Squadron, attack formation."
The skies above New Comberth filled with smoke and explosions as ISAF tangled with the Erusean patrols. Seraph and Cherub maneuvered hard as the cockpit shook from the exploding shells of the flak guns. "This is the heart of the beast, Seraph," Cherub grunted, "intel wasn't kidding about their firepower!"
"Well, we've got the planes and battle experience," Seraph rebutted. As two Rafales sped behind his six o'clock, the ISAF ace hit on the brakes hard and made them overshoot. "Angel One, Fox Two!" Seraph launched two missiles at the Rafales, each one reducing them to flaming scraps as their pilots bailed out.
"Two enemy kills confirmed for Angel One," Skyeye read off, "that's some good flying there."
"Give me the next target, Cherub," Seraph prompted as he turned back towards the port.
"Roger that," the WSO worked on his radar, "let's hit the fuel tanks and cranes next to docked ships. We can take out their resupply and amphibious forces with a few well-placed missiles."
"Already on it," Seraph chimed as he armed his next salvo. His radar locked onto one of the fuel tanks next to the docks. He let a missile rip towards its target, striking and detonating the gallons of fuel inside. The SAMs and AA guns located next to the tanks were engulfed in liquid fire, melting them and blowing up their ammunition. The blasts even knocked over several of the cranes, collapsing them onto of the docked vessels, which were ripped into pieces. Not wasting time, Seraph switched over to another set of fuel tanks and warehouses and fired another missile. It was enough to set off one of the tanks and cause an explosive domino effect that lit up the other tanks and burned up the warehouses.
Seraph watched as several of the other allied aircraft struck their targets around New Comberth. Despite the Eruseans putting up a desperate defense with their aircraft, it was clear that ISAF had the element of surprise, and that the airstrikes were having their intended effect of destruction and destabilization. "Skyeye, confirming destruction of fuel and ammo supplies in the New Comberth area," he reported, "looks like the Erusean resistance is weakening here too."
"Roger that, Angel One," Skyeye replied, "confirming good effects on targets."
It was then that the radio cracked alive with another voice. "This is Mobius One," the other ISAF ace reported in, "submarine pens and vessels have been neutralized, moving to engage the enemy fleet in port."
Cherub was shocked at what he heard. "B-but that means he destroyed the submarines..." he saud, "in just around three minutes!" As he said that, Seraph looked out of his canopy to see Ribbons' blue F/A-18C soaring west towards the city at Mach 2. Realizing that he was falling behind, Seraph grunted and changed vector. He blasted off in Mobius One's direction.
"Seraph, there are still targets active in New Comberth," Cherub reminded.
Ferris One radioed, "Angel One, what are you doing?"
"Ferris, you and Delta got this one," Seraph replied as he went full throttle, "I'm going ahead to attack the main fleet with Mobius One." His Super Hornet rocketed after Mobius One's Hornet, which was already six miles ahead.
"Come on, Seraph," Cherub chided, "this is no time for games."
Seraph just chuckled, "I know, which is why we're going to take down the Aegir Fleet before Ribbons grabs all the kills."
The two ISAF rivals approached the main harbor and the city just beyond it. As they came into range, Cherub began marking multiple targets inside the port. "New contact," he reported, "I'm counting at least a dozen warships and thirty escort aircraft including F-14s and F-18s."
"Any signs of the flagship Tanager or the carrier Geofon, partner," Seraph inquired.
"Unknown," Cherub replied, "but stay alert." As he said this, tracer rounds fired up at Mobius One and Angel One from the enemy ships below, with flak shells blanketing the skies.
"Looks like you both have the enemy's attention," Skyeye remarked, "go give them a show they'll not forget."
"You can count on us," Seraph beamed, "keep your eye on us, AWACS."
"Mobius One, commencing attack." Ribbons executed a downward roll, allowing his Hornet to rapidly descend towards the water to evade the fleet's attacks.
"We've got company, Seraph," Cherub warned as the Erusean carrier jets moved to intercept.
"Not a problem," Seraph replied as he flew straight towards the enemy formation. The Erusean pilots fired their missiles, only for Angel Wings to surprise them with his maneuverability in rolling and speeding past them. Seraph promptly responded with two Sidewinders, which hit an F-14 and F-18 head-on. Seraph sped back around and pursued another Erusean. The enemy fighter attempted to shake Seraph, but the latter was clearly faster as he went for a gun lock. He let loose with a burst of gunfire, shredding the engines and blowing them up.
The Aegir Fleet frigates fired their CIWS at the approaching blue fighter piloted by Mobius One to no effect. He focused on one of the frigates with his bomb pipper, and released on of his iron bombs at high speed. As he pulled up, the projectile lodged itself into the side of the ship and blew up, bursting a gapping hole in it. Mobius One went into a straight climb, braking and twisting back down over a destroyer and releasing an anti-ship missile. The destroyer superstructure disintegrated in the blast as the blue ISAF Hornet leveled out and soared away.
Seraph managed to break away from aerial combat, and acquire a group of warships docked in a row. He lined up his sights for a cluster bomb on top of the ships. "Lights out!" Before he could release the canister, the ships were peppered with explosives before disappearing from his radar as they sank. Mobius One sped past Angel One, startling him. The blue fighter fired two AMRAAMs at two of the Erusean escorts, downing both at once.
"Mobius One," Seraph chided, "don't go stealing my kills!" He maneuvered away from the sunken ships.
"Stay focused on the mission, Angel One," Mobius One promptly replied as he shot down another fighter with his guns.
"Better up the ante, Angel One," Skyeye warned in a friendly tone, "looks like Mobius One is going to steal the thunder."
"Don't worry," Seraph reassured as he dropped a bomb on one of the docked destroyers, "he's not the only student of Phoenix flying out here."
The Aegir Fleet continued to throw up flak at the two ace fighters, which just sped past the projectiles while delivering their own blows with devastating precision. Even the escort fighters stood no chance, as anyone that tried to get a lock onto either one was sent pummeling down towards the sea. Notably, though, the blue fighter was racking up more kills than the white one.
"We're losing out, Seraph," Cherub said, "Ribbons is robbing us of thunder and lightning!"
"Hate to admit it," Seraph relented, "but Ribbons really is going to town on the fleet. I didn't think he was this good." The rumors of his rival and friend's exploits completely undersold just how skilled he had become. The tally was fourteen aircraft and seven ships for Angel One, while Mobius One racked up twenty-two aircraft and seventeen ships.
"Mobius One here," Ribbons reported to Skyeye, "Comberth Harbor facilities and warships neutralized. Angel One and I are proceeding to clean up remaining hostiles."
Cherub scanned his radar, doing tally counts with a data link to the AWACS. He even took the opportunity to scroll through the list of ships that were present in the harbor. Something did not add up; the fleet's capital ships Raven, Tanager, and Geofon were nowhere to be seen. None of the other ISAF fighters were reporting that they had been sunk either. "Seraph," the WSO reported, "it doesn't look like we got any of the Aegir Fleet's capital ships. They're not in port."
Seraph saw the data on the Aegir fleet. Several of the warship designations had been marked red for 'sunk', but Cherub was correct; the three main surface vessels of the fleet were still at large. "Skyeye," he inquired, "can you do a wide-area scan of Comberth Harbor? We're unable to account for warships Raven, Tanager, and Geofon."
"Roger, Angel One," Skyeye said, "standby."
As Seraph waited for confirmation, Cherub chimed in, "come on Seraph, don't disappoint the White Valley guys. Ribbons is going to cream us at this rate."
"I know," Seraph replied, "we'll just have to up our game and fly a little more aggressively to keep up with Mobius One."
It was then that a mission alert rang out over the coms. "Skyeye to all allied aircraft. Battleship Tanager and aircraft carrier Geofon are sailing due south of Comberth Harbor with their remaining escorts, including the Raven. They're attempting to escape the operations area. All units, close in and sink the enemy capital ships."
Seraph smirked to himself, seeing that the operation was still a go. "Roger, Skyeye," he affirmed, "Angel One moving to engage enemy flagship!" He vectored the custom Super Hornet towards the southeast and hit the throttle.
"Updating target and threat matrix," Cherub announced as he updated the information Skyeye provided. The radar screen showed the main fleet to be south of the harbor, moving towards the edge of the operations area. "Let's go get them, Seraph!"
As the two White Valley aces accelerated, Mobius One's blue Hornet came alongside them. "Angel One," he radioed, "it's not advisable to take on the fleet alone. Move into formation for a joint assault."
"Let's bring the heat," Seraph felt excited as he tapped on the controls for the performance limiters. Realizing what his pilot was doing, Cherub rolled his eyes and clutched the sides of his control panel. The nozzles on the white F/A-18F shifted as the thrust started burning a hot blue color.
Simultaneously, Mobius One flipped the switches on his own limiters. When he pushed his throttle to the max, the blue F/A-18C's engines burned the same bright blue, pushing the fighter past Mach 2. Upon seeing this, his rival, Seraph grinned. "Oh it's on now!" The two rival aces rocketed across the skies out to sea.
Seraph tensed his muscles and clenched his teeth as he took on the g-forces from his fighter's acceleration, ignoring the engine alarms and loud rattling of the cockpit. He glanced over to Mobius One's fighter. 'You and I may have graduated together at the top of our class,' he thought, 'but no way you're going to steal the show!'
It was then that the radar and HUD lit up with signatures. Locking onto one of them, Seraph grinned as it was identified as the battleship Tanager. It was right in front of the Geofon, with the Raven and several escort ships flanking it. "There they are," he remarked, "the heart of the Aegir Fleet itself!"
"I'm detecting aircraft launches from the Geofon," Cherub alerted, "and multiple enemy radar spikes. They're targeting us!"
"Let's tear it up!" Seraph gunned the throttle.
"Mobius One, targeting enemy flagships," Ribbons said as he rolled down towards the sea at high speed.
"Mobius One, Angel One, engage," Skyeye ordered.
Both ISAF aces raced on as the Aegir Fleet fired their SAMs. As the missiles streaked towards them, both Mobius One and Angel One zig-zagged across the water, throwing off their tracking. The missiles hit the water, causing plumes and columns to shoot up harmlessly around the ISAF pilots. The destroyers and frigates then opened up with their CIWS, tracers zipping past the jets but failing to hit.
"We'll take out the Tanager at the center of their formation," Seraph said, "they'll fall into disarray without their flagship."
"Roger, arming missiles," Cherub said as he armed more Harpoon missiles, "but we'll have to get past their CIWS to score a hit."
"Not a problem!" Seraph maintained course as he sped towards the battleship. The radar-guided guns aimed at his aircraft, but had difficulty tracking his speeding fighter. "Target in sight." As he closed the distance, the radar locked onto the Tanager with a solid beeping tone. "Bruisers away," Seraph said as he released two of his anti-ship missiles and pulled up. However, the Tanager's CIWS guns managed to acquire the missiles and fired at them. There were twin detonations midair that failed to scratch the ship.
Cherub grimaced as the radar showed negatives on the missiles. "Harpoons intercepted by CIWS," he reported, "no effect."
Seraph clenched his teeth. The Tanager was equipped with the latest generation of an Erusean-built FCS that made its weapons capabilities unmatched by the FCU Navy's own warships. 'They weren't bluffing at the briefing,' Seraph thought, 'Aegir's tougher than I thought.' He continued to dodge fire from the Tanager and its aerial and sea escorts.
"Angel One, Mobius One here," Ribbons called out to Seraph, "regroup around me. We'll attack the Tanager's escorts first."
Seraph shook his head. He was not going to have Ribbons order him around like that, but it made sense. However, he was determined to get the kill shots on the flagship in the end. "Let's turn and burn, buddy," Seraph relented, "Cherub, mark those escort frigates."
"Righto," Cherub said as he refocused their radar on the Erusean frigates. With the escorts as targets, Seraph dove back into the fray. "Lights out!" Seraph unleashed a volley at a pair of frigates. Their CIWS failed to vector in on the missiles, which homed on the superstructures and tore into the bridges.
"Two frigates sunk," Cherub tallied, "now we're getting somewhere!"
"Mobius One has sunk four frigates," Skyeye reported. Seraph deadpanned as he looked out. True enough, there were four more plumes of smoke as the Erusean vessels capsized and sank. Mobius One whizzed around like a ricocheting bullet, as the AA weapons tracking failed to keep up.
"Oh no, you don't," Seraph grunted as he switched over to yet another ship. The Super Hornet's radar spiked the large Aegis cruiser sailing close to the center of the formation, the Raven. "Without this ship, they can't guide in their missiles as effectively," Seraph muttered.
"Careful," Cherub exclaimed, "the Raven's got some formidable anti-missile and high-end missile capabilities!"
"Yeah, but we've got speed and skill on our side," Seraph retorted in a friendly manner as the Raven started throwing its firepower up at him. Seraph positioned his fighter above the aegis cruiser before spinning into a divebomb approach. "Ugh!" Cherub grunted as he grabbed the front panel handles for life.
As Seraph dove towards the Raven, the Erusean cruiser fired several missiles up at him. He simply threw the throttle forward and dispensed flares, causing the missiles to fly abreast of him. "Not so formidable now, are you," the ISAF Navy ace taunted as he fired an anti-ship missile down the center and pulled up, skirting the waters. The combination of high release velocity, gravitational acceleration, and high power missile thrust allowed the Harpoon to pierce directly through the bridge.
Cherub managed to get a glimpse back at the target, and watched as the Raven's hull and bridge bulge out before going up in a fiery conflagration, splitting the cruiser in two. "Yikes!" The WSO tallied the kill. "Skyeye, aegis cruiser Raven just bit the dust!"
"Roger, Raven confirmed sunk," Skyeye recorded, "impressive flying, Seraph."
"Thanks Skyeye," Seraph replied, "that's one capital ship for the White Valley's honor. I'm not going to simply fall behind Ribbons so soon."
"Then better pick up your fishing game," the AWACs encouraged, "your primary targets are still the Tanager and Geofon. Still plenty of them to catch."
"Sure thing," Seraph acknowledged as he dodged fire from an F-14, spinning around the enemy jet and shooting it out of the sky. He glanced out of his canopy, and saw from his HMD visor that there were still numerous aircraft on the Geofon's deck awaiting launch, while the Tanager was providing cover with its AA guns. The battleship/carrier duo were a formidable combination, difficult even for a skilled ace in a single fighter... unless...
"Mobius One," Seraph called out, "this is Angel One."
True enough, the custom blue F/A-18C came barreling through as it shot down two more fighter escorts. "This is Mobius One."
"Ribbons," Seraph addressed, "I know the both of us are competing for our respective fleets' honor, but what do you say we double team the Tanager and Geofon so we can share in the satisfaction? We'll catch them in pincer attacks and send them into Davy Jones' locker together. You game?"
There was a bit of silence, characteristic of Mobius One. However, the response was prompt. "Roger, a joint attack will maximize our weaponry and combat efficiency. Synchronize our maneuvers."
"That's all I needed." Seraph then glanced back at Cherub. "It's going to get real rough for a moment," he advised, "hang on to those handles."
"Sure," Cherub shrugged as he braced, "it's not like I've never been tossed around like a rag doll."
Seraph raised an eyebrow at that statement, but nonetheless took it as a 'yes'. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself. "Let's roll!"
Erusean Battleship, Tanager, Aegir Fleet Flagship
Captain Matias Torres had seen his fair share of unfavorable battle conditions during the 1998 Usean Coup, including that time where he had to shoot a rebel warship 30 kilometers away in inclement weather and barely succeeded. However, today was turning out to be an especially rotten day for both the Aegir Fleet and Erusea.
This morning was meant to be a mere fleet exercise with the minimal amount of fuel possible for the capital ships and their designated escorts to maintain basic combat readiness. Other than being more mindful than usual about the mission duration with fuel shortages going on, the exercise was a success, and Torres was to return the fleet to their base in Comberth Harbor. Just as the clock hit noon however, Torres and his crew were treated to the sight of smoke and explosions coming from the harbor, and ISAF fighter aircraft just decimating the place. It was the blue and white fighter jets that gave their fellow countrymen the most grief though, as just about every fighter sent against them just got swatted down. Knowing the battle was lost, Torres wisely commanded the fleet to head back south to escape, only for the blue and white fighter to pursue them.
Torres and his fellow officers watched in horror as the ISAF duo just ripped through their fighter and frigate escorts. Even the Raven stood no chance as the white angel-themed Super Hornet dove through its fire and ripped the ship in two with a single missile. With the force of the explosion, Torres was quite certain that anyone below the decks was already dead. "I need a full damage report," he ordered as he tried to keep his composure.
"Over half our escort ships have been destroyed," the radar operator reported in a shaky and frightened tone, "no response from the Raven."
"Our air cover is nearly gone sir," another operator chimed in, "there's just two enemy planes, but the blue one is giving us the most trouble!"
Torres grit his teeth, biting back a curse. "Get the Geofon to step up the fighter escort," he ordered, "provide cover as they take off!"
"Enemy planes incoming, two of them!"
Torres looked out the bridge, and true enough, the two uniquely colored enemy planes were gaining altitude above his ship. His eyes widened in realization... and perhaps for the first time in his ten-year plus career with the Erusean Navy... fear of what they were about to do. "Oh crud..."
"Captain!?" His XO looked at him with fright seeping into his tone.
"Those two are going to murder us!" Torres shouted, trying to push back on the dread, "bring the main guns online for anti-air! Don't let them get close!"
"The Tanager's main batteries are turning," Cherub observed, "they're targeting us!"
Seraph looked upon the large 16-in guns in the three triple turrets, and shook his head. "Doesn't matter how powerful they are if they can't hit us," he said.
"Targeting aircraft carrier, Geofon," Mobius One said. He then added, "Angel One, we'll fire missiles into the path of the Tanager's CIWS, then hit the Geofon's bridge and flight decks to prevent further aircraft launches."
"Sounds like a plan," Seraph concurred, "let's turn and burn!" He armed more missiles as he and Ribbons skimmed the water's surface at high speeds. The Tanager's main turrets traversed and fired several flak shells at the two fighters, which proved once again to be faster than the exploding fragmentation rounds. "On my que, Cherub," Seraph prompted, "after a feint attack of two missiles on the Tanager, focus our second salvo on the Geofon and its grounded aircraft."
"Roger that," Cherub acknowledged as he prepared the missiles, bracing for the crucial timing expected of him.
As the blue and white fighters closed the distance, Mobius One began a vocal countdown. "Launch in ten seconds... nine, eight, seven, six, five, four..." He armed his missiles. "Three... two... one... now." With that, the blue ribbon Hornet fired two missiles at the enemy battleship.
"Firing!" Seraph launched two anti-surface missiles in sequence with Ribbons' own. The Erusean flagship's CIWS was distracted with the feint missiles, giving both ISAF aces an opening.
"Targeting aircraft carrier Geofon," Ribbons said as he instantaneously shifted his lock-on towards the carrier.
"Angel One, Bruiser One," Seraph launched his other anti-ship missiles alongside Ribbons. This salvo streaked past the relatively scarce AA fire of the Geofon, the missiles hitting their marks on the carrier deck, conning tower, and aircraft unlucky enough to be topside. As the duo cleared the top of the carrier, several explosions ripped through the hull as munitions went off. The carrier began to list badly, causing the on-deck aircraft to slide and fall into the sea.
"We got the Geofon," Cherub announced, "Skyeye, tally that one up!"
"Carrier Geofon sunk," Skyeye confirmed, but followed up with, "Mobius One destroyed the target."
Seraph was a bit miffed at hearing that. Skyeye seemed to readily tallied kills towards his rival. 'Figures,' Seraph thought as he chuckled hard to himself, 'it's Ribbon's AWACs.'
"Stay focused," Cherub quickly reminded his friend, "we still have the Tanager to take out."
Seraph looked down at the battleship, which was still relatively unharmed with cannons blazing. "Guess they intend to go out blazing," he remarked, "let's not keep them waiting. How are we looking on weapons?"
"Only two Harpoons left for anti-ship action," Cherub said cautiously, "I don't know about making another run-"
"Good enough!" Seraph took their fighter into a hard turn back towards the Aegir Fleet flagship.
"Seraph, wait!" Cherub protested.
"If I can close the distance at high speed," Seraph muttered, "those two Harpoons will blow that battleship clean in two!" He gunned the throttle as the Tanager's AA defenses began targeting him. The shots landed wide as he weaved his way across the water, droplets splashing on his canopy from the misses.
"Cherub," Seraph prompted, "I'll give you control of the FCS. On my count, fire both missiles at the port side of the ship. I'll focus on steering us hard out of harm's way!"
"Copy!" Cherub pressed the controls on his panel to the FCS. His helmet display changed to missile guidance mode as he gripped the trigger on his joystick.
The Angel Winged fighter soared towards the Tanager at breakneck velocities, with Seraph and Cherub feeling the vibration from the enhanced thrust and explosions around them. Seraph tried to keep his vision and fingers focused as he timed his maneuver. 'Almost there...'
Tracers and flak from the Tanager continued to streak towards Seraph's fighter, which Angel Wings maneuvered ever so finely through the deadly barrage. "Five... four... three... two... one..."
"Bruisers away!" Cherub launched the remaining anti-ship missiles as Seraph banked left away from the battleship. Cherub watched as the missiles streaked towards their target. However, the CIWS and flak guns ripped into the projectiles, causing their payloads to detonate short of the ship.
"Attack failed," Cherub grunted, "they intercepted our missiles..."
Seraph frowned in frustration. Looking at his weaponry display, he saw that he was down to his two Sidewinder AAMs. "That was the last of our anti-surface weaponry," the Angel Winged pilot shook his head.
There was a sudden explosion as two more missiles followed Seraph's volley and struck the Tanager. The Harpoons blew massive holes into the side of the ship's superstructure and hull, causing the guns and launchers on the ship to fall silent as the Mobius One's blue-colored jet blasted by. He raised altitude as smoke billowed from where his missiles hit.
"Battleship Tanager sunk," Skyeye radioed, "Mobius One has destroyed the target."
A minute passed, before the 'Mission Complete' alert popped up across the local ISAF operation net. "Skyeye here, enemy fleet and harbor facilities confirmed destroyed... Mission complete, all aircraft RTB."
'Already!?' Seraph could not believe that the mission was already over. He and Cherub watched as the blue-colored Hornet vectored alongside their fighter, waving its wingtips as though in mocking triumph.
"Aegir Fleet neutralized," Mobius One acknowledged, "thank you for your support, Angel One."
Seraph sighed in resignation. "Roger that," he said. He then gave a slight smile for his friend. "And thanks for your help as well," he managed to express, "you make it back home safe."
"Roger," Mobius One acknowledged as he pulled away. As he did, one pilot broke out into song over the radio.
"O'er azure skies and emerald plains..."
Seraph then heard more pilots join in. "Where freedom and justice prevail..." He recognized it as the anthem of the former Usean Alliance of the 1990s. He glanced back at Cherub, who nodded. The Angel Winged crew themselves sang. "With courage and strength we'll fight to the end for liberty in our land!"
Cheers broke out among the triumphant ISAF forces as smoke rose from the former Aegir Fleet's ships. Despite his coming in at second place behind Ribbons, Seraph found it in himself to smile. They had struck a crippling blow to the Erusean Navy's sea and air power, and put an end to their offensive against North Point.
"All White Valley aircraft," Captain Liam radioed, "operation complete. Return to base."
"Copy that," Seraph acknowledged, "Angel One returning to base." With that, he changed his vector south, where the White Valley awaited him and the others.
Battleship Tanager
Matias Torres groaned as he awoke with a major headache. It was then that he felt sharp stings and cuts over parts of his body as he forced himself back into consciousness. He opened his eyes strenuously... and almost wished he had not.
The veteran Erusean captain stared at his flagship's bridge... or what was left of it. It was more of a charnel house, with completely shredded and sparking panels and controls, fires everywhere, and what seemed to be bodies... or parts of bodies. Correspondingly, a foul and burnt stench of death in the air invaded Torres' nostrils. "Ugh," Torres gagged on the horrific smell of the destruction of his bridge. He tried to stand up, only to feel a dead weight on top of him.
Torres looked down at his chest, and his eyes widened at the bloodied, charred corpse of his XO strewn over him.
"AAAHHHHH!" While he eventually had enough composure to order and direct precise evacuation procedures from his ruined flagship, a portion of his own self had shattered from the trauma of death, brought on by a single fighter in blue with a ribbon insignia...
Debriefing
The 'invincible' Aegir Fleet has been vanquished, along with all of their support units, facilities, and supplies in Comberth Harbor. Without their most powerful combat forces, the Erusean Navy's hold over the seas around Usea has considerably weakened. ISAF's air forces have delivered a decisive blow to the Erusean war effort, and give the Independent States a much needed boost in morale to begin to turn the tide.
The White Valley's air crews performed admirably in this operation, even though most of the credit has gone to Mobius One and his support squadrons. Better step up your game, Angel One, because you've got some serious competition now for the title of ISAF's top ace.
Standby for your next deployment, Angel One.
Agh, writer's block and cabin fever, the worst combination. XD
I finally am posting another chapter for the Angel Wings Chronicles. Sorry to be late readers! While the following isn't as large as I had hoped, I wish to thank those who have stuck by me this far, and I really hope to see Seraph's journey through the Continental War to the end.
Read, fave, and review as you please, and don't fall sick people.
God bless, and happy hunting! :D
P.S. - Anyone notice the Matias Torres cameo here? This was supposedly where his mad hatter obsession with death began, up until his cackling demise in Ace Combat 7. XD