Chp. 32: Endangered Species
March 15, 2024
Altaria Bay, Osea
"Today, President Reyes endorsed the proposal at the United Nations to negotiate a ceasefire and conduct an independent investigation into the possible deployment of chemical weapons by Verusa. A statement released by the Department of Defense stated that it has reason to believe the Veruseans were attempting to transport such weapons to the Shimoji Islands…"
The news report was carefully covered by the sound of relaxing calypso music coming from a boombox near the doorway to the cafe patio, where Misaki and Ekaterina enjoyed one of the first truly pleasant days of the month. A week of rainstorms had been chased off by pale blue skies, warm sun and a soft ocean breeze. Misaki planned to see if she could catch Eric on Skype so they could enjoy the sunset here together. Before that, it'd been imperative that she and Ekaterina make haste to The Coast Parlor. It was an eatery made for such a day. An older woman left the quieted TV behind and skillfully carried two trays of drinks through the arched doorway.
"Two strawberry lemonades, the blackberry crepe and a slice of apple cinnamon cake?" She asked, ever proud of her culinary skills.
"Correct indeed." Ekaterina said, bouncing a bit in excitement as she waited for her crepe.
"Not a minute too soon, Charity! The smells coming from inside were really begining to torture me." Misaki added.
"Well that just means it's all worth the wait. You gals enjoy."
The two assured her that they would be devastated if they didn't enjoy the fare, Kat especially. The two left their conversation on pause for a brief time while they tended to their hunger and thirst.
"As I said before, this is a good sign for things to come. I am praying it means a long, kind spring and summer will be coming. Lots of flowers, many lazy days at the beach…I cannot imagine leaving town with Marky if it stays this nice." Ekaterina observed. She paused to eat some of her crepe before she watched a few cars go by.
"Maybe I should invest in a new swimsuit?" She asked, only partly serious.
"What would that bring the total to? Six?" Misaki asked. Kat gave her friend an indulgent grin as she tended to her lemonade.
"Seven, one for each day of the week."
"And Mark hasn't insisted on one as his favorite?"
"He has two, but one is not meant for public functions."
Kat innocently averted her eyes while Misaki gave her a look that seemed to say little more than "well then", but didn't have much to be surprised over. The apple cinnamon cake warranted the same reaction, but no less delight than it usually did. It was a habit, or maybe rather a luxury, she'd never made an effort to leave behind when she was "the rich girl" back home. Cakes, pastries, parfaits and the like…all served with exotic teas from all over the West Pacific Region.
"One of these days we'll need to go back to Shizukana and visit the teahouse there. Very authentic experience." She remarked.
There was enough confidence in her voice that Ekaterina didn't even bother to ask if the establishment would be there a few months or a year from now. Misaki, personally, had felt she'd hit some kind of milestone emotionally when it came to the war. She acknowledged the new developments relayed by the news, but kept herself calm. She relied on a gambit many had and still did: when you saw the edge of the abyss, you often backed away. That calmness would be vital in keeping those around her from panicking.
"Maybe this time we should include James and Otome? I really wish we could've met her." Ekaterina replied.
"I hope she likes tea." Misaki replied. There was a brief pause, but it wasn't long enough to sour the mood.
"Well then, all we need to do now is wait." Ekaterina said, raising her glasses.
"Hear hear." Misaki replied, raising her own to toast with her friend…
Limp Bizkit was a band Eric almost never listened to, and would never admit to enjoying, but he had a bad habit of getting songs he never really enjoyed stuck in his head. Usually it was the chorus, and in this case it was from the band's song "My Way". Bruh, a bit more accepting of their sound, had been playing the song at the duty desk. All the while trying to convince Stickler what should and shouldn't be in the video after this cruise. It was the kind of song that many a cruise video from the generation before him used, alongside a variety of other early-00s rock. The kind of stuff that made them all try to make their embarrassments and other such occurrences during highschool look cool or nostalgic. When it was suddenly funny that you got pantsed or you were cool for being awkward and confused. All the way to the coast of Verusa, though the sparse clouds, he found himself bobbing his head a bit as the chorus ran on loop in his head. He craned his neck to check for ground fire that his RWR wouldn't sniff out as the strike's Iron Hand element entered hostile airspace.
"Hardwire, Shogun 1 is feet dry at this time and proceeding to IP with Daredevil in tow." McGavin radioed.
"Roger Shogun, good hunting." The strike's Hawkeye replied confidently before returning its attention to the CAP.
Eric, head still moving a little, broke to the right with Blank loosely following. He pushed forward a little more and turned on his jamming pod to help make as much electronic noise as could be broadcast. He looked back to make sure Blank was still with him, then looked to his GPS as they sprinted further and further into unfriendly skies. The other two pairs of Thunderhawks kept their distance while the Growlers filled in the gaps between each arm of the multi-mile arrowhead. As had been the case before, the Veruseans didn't meet them at the coast. According to Eric's charts, there were two bases with fighters in range of the airport at Luan-Fahn. Recon had shown the place was still a local hub for air travel, but thankfully that wasn't a foremost concern. The HQ-9s and HQ-61s were supposed to be far from the ramps and terminals; the guns and short-range missiles could be anywhere. If they became a problem, he reminded himself.
"Daredevils, start the music...Shogun we'll switch tunes when we start pinpointing those Flap Lids or Clam Shells. Want us to jam the tower's radar as well?" Daredevil 4-1 radioed.
"Not at this time, Daredevil; stick to the SAM radars."
"Will do, Shogun."
The pairs split and headed for their individual approaches. Eric and Blank's route would take them over the city's northeastern sector. Despite the risks, Eric stayed high while his wingman slithered along and over the terrain. The EA-18 accompanying them became his new wingman as it stayed close to its protection. Eric checked his GPS again and looked in the direction of one of the bases defending the city. Based on what he knew, as soon as the strike was detected they could likely scramble fighters and have them on station over the city in ten minutes. They'd been told there was a raid by the Harling's aircraft that was supposed to tie them down, but he wasn't seeing any sign of it. That didn't cover the other base or Luan-Fahn either.
"Shogun, Daredevil be advised that we're picking up bandits near the target area, likely on CAP. Advise you avoid approaches on Headings 045 and 135." The Hawkeye chimed in.
Eric looked back at the Growler and signalled for him to follow the Thunderhawk down a few thousand feet, just to be in a better spot. The CAP pushed ahead, making their presence known to the Verusean fighters while Eric and his lot reached the outer edge of their weapons range. Eric selected his AGM-88s and then turned on his radar to draw some attention while the Growler waited for someone to take the bait. They had a customer almost immediately as an HQ-61 battery laid eyes on them.
"Dardevil 4-3, got a Fire Dome painting me. You got a fix on him?" Eric radioed as he ditched his wing tanks.
"Roger I've got him...be advised we're gonna have to either come around or orbit to keep him pinned. Your call, Shogun 1-5." The Growler's pilot replied.
"...Orbit, 4-3...Shogun 1-6, that Fire Dome is yours. Check along that ridge for him."
"Shogun 1-6 roger." Blank replied.
Eric cut to the left and rose above the Growler as it found a suitable place to orbit. He came back, sweeping around the jammer's rear quarter to ward off any threats that might be sneaking up. In the meantime Blank ascended and eased his nose onto the heading the Fire Dome's emissions were coming from. The system picked him up and, like the other two in the flight, tried to burn through the jamming and fire. Eric craned his neck as he circled the Growler again as the radar tried to zero in on him.
"Shogun 210, Magnum!" Blank called assuringly.
As soon as he'd said that, the RWR cut in to warn Eric that the HQ-9s at the airport were looking for everything and anything in the air that wasn't squawking the right codes. The tone faltered and warped before it became steady. No less than six missiles lifted off in the direction of him and his compatriots.
"Shit...SAM launches! Dardevil follow me! Blank, get a shot if you can!" He called as he pushed his throttles forward.
Eric deployed chaff and dove in front of the Growler so it could rejoin him. The move pushed them closer to the city, and in an effort to get below the effective altitude of the HQ-9 drew them into the domain of a second HQ-61 battery in a valley between the ridge and Luan-Fahn. Eric caught sight of it when clouds of smoke curled up from the forest. He broke hard right and gave one of his HARMs a good whiff of the Fire Dome's signature. He dove down, down as low as he dared, and pulled towards the two threats as they closed. He then snapped away again and corkscrewed upwards to shake the weapons. The SAM site was already looking to shoot at him again, even if it was at knife-fight range. Eric pulled back on the throttles and swung in the direction of the site.
"Shogun 208, Magnum!" He called.
Eight miles was spitting distance for the AGM-88, but that also meant that the radar had less than no chance of escape. It also meant that the radar was a fiery explosion only seconds after launch. Eric pulled hard right and ascended away from the SAM site, then joined Blank as he slid behind his lead and took up position off his eight o'clock. They split again to attack the launchers and what appeared to be a backup radar. With now low-level threats presenting themselves, Eric allowed himself and Blank one gun run each. Their CBUs would best be served elsewhere against more important targets. He slowed and winged over. The F-21 wobbled a bit as he wrestled it into a good angle and ran a short burst of rounds into a second radar trailer and a support vehicle. Blank made his attack seconds after along a perpendicular axis before they started towards the city proper to help the others.
Despite a lack of threats within reach, three batteries of CSSA-1 guns were chattering away with airburst shells to keep the Osean aircraft above a certain altitude over the city. That suited Eric just fine; the SAMs the guns were hoping to help were going to be dead anyways. His RWR detected airborne radars far, far in the distance; a check-in with VF-123 revealed that the newest Verusean jets joining the fight weren't unnoticed. Eric still remembered his own two AMRAAMs, though.
The SAMs at the airport seemed to be just as happy to go head-to-head with the Iron Hand element. True to the Yuke design they copied, the HQ-9s were racing hard to keep up with and beat the electronic interference bombarding its sensors. For brief instances, it seemed like the jamming was nonexistent. Eric could feel himself twitch every now and again as he waited for what seemed inevitable. Finally, one of the batteries at the edge of the airport painted Eric through the jamming and launched two missiles his way, then four at the Growler.
"Daredevil 4-3, Shogun 1-6, break break break!" He called.
Blank rolled to the left towards the CAP and a flight of J-11s, diving down towards a gap in the guns' barrage. The EA-18 broke to the left too, then snapped in the opposite direction. Eric strained to keep him in sight while also trying not to get blasted to pieces by the same SAM battery. He barrel rolled and dove down for the cityscape. He felt his aircraft shake as the first and second missiles arced over. He sucked in a long, relieved breath as they missed. His eyes caught something reflecting off his visor and he looked "up" to see the buildings approaching fast. Following some very ungentlemanly words, he rolled upright and skimmed the upper reaches of all those AA guns as he rolled again, the second HARM having found a suitable target. A shockwave someplace far behind shook him just enough that he was looking back after he'd fired. The ugly remains of the Growler they'd been with were tossed over Luan-Fahn's city center. Eric checked twice and saw two chutes.
"Daredevil 4-3's down, Dardevil 4-3's down. Got eyes on both chutes...both chutes." Eric reported. They were going right into the heart of a major city, but they appeared to be alive.
Sweat pooled under Eric's chin as he turned his plane towards the HQ-9's fire control radar. He gained some altitude and then rolled over to give the HARM a straight run onto its target. He unknowingly held his breath as he pushed the button under his thumb.
"Shogun 208, Magnum!" He said quickly.
He switched to his two CBUs and ordered Blank to keep his distance as they tried to avoid other defenses around the airport. The whole point of the transpiring attack sat along the western annex of Luan-Fahn International Airport: 24 H-6K Badgers. Alongside it were more guns and (what remained of) a battery of HQ-7s. The destruction of both HQ-9's primary fire control systems meant they were all that remained between the Osean Navy and another sizable chunk of the VPAF's bomber force. Eric looked back to his left and laid eyes on one of the H-9 sites. McGavin must've been too, and his voice came onto the airwaves.
"Strike Lead this is Shogun Lead, be advised we're gonna work over those HQ-9 launchers, make sure they can't see more use. Watch your approach and egress, how copy?" The Commander spoke up.
"Roger that Shogun, good hunting." The lead F-35 pilot replied.
"Copy that...Stickler we'll take the southeast site...Saber, Blank you take the northwest , Frosting you provide overwatch."
The Weapons O and one of the squadron's newest pilots zoomed upwards while Eric and Blank reunited. They'd apply the plan they'd gone over in the briefing: one pass, three-second separation. Eric turned his plane around and put his nose on the left half of the site. He leveled out at 2,000 Feet, dropping flares in steady intervals, and kept his throttles pinned forward. At the last minute he pushed it to afterburner to make sure he'd go screaming out of the attack as fast as possible. He dipped his nose only slightly to ensure that the bombs would go down and pressed the button. With a howl and a "bombs away!" He pulled up and broke hard left in search of any guns or HQ-7s that were trying to get him. What he saw wasn't a ground-launched weapon, but another aircraft. A camouflaged J-8 became apparent against the grey and white of the airport.
"Wall, Frosting! I've got a bandit at my seven low!" He reported.
"Roger Saber, we're in!" Wall assured.
The Finback fired two PL-9s at the Osean and broke away. Eric went to manual control for the flares and pumped more out as he snapped to the right. The lead PL-9 lapsed into a position outside his turn but corrected. Eric pulled the throttles back and snapped to the left, using the speed he'd built to avoid getting overtaken by the heatseeker. He nosed up with the hope that his fellow Ronin were coming and clenched his teeth as the first missile exploded somewhere behind him. He rolled his plane and dove, weaving through flak bursts until he was certain the second PL-9 had lost him. Eric was almost immediately grabbing some sky to get away from the guns and short-range missiles.
He looked back again, then the other way in search of that J-8 or any friends it'd brought along. He spotted the bandit, then one of his fellow Thunderhawks on him. He kept moving away from the dogfight to give them space. He performed a very gentle wingover to see if he could get a fix on how his bombing run had gone. The large blot of smoke and dust seemed to tell him pretty well, and hopefully that was solid payback for Daredevil 4-3. He spotted a second J-8 (also camouflaged) aimed at the egress routes the F-35s would take. He checked his fuel (and considered how lucky he was feeling today) before he committed to the bandit. At this range he selected his gun and slingshotted around to try and catch the interceptor before it could do anything. He caught it as it jumped a pair of F-35s and drew it off with a quick burst from his M61. The Finback went into the vertical and hit its afterburners.
"Blank I'm engaged with a bandit; what's your fuel state?" He radioed as he turned to follow.
"Nearing Bingo...you need assistance?" His wingman reported.
"Keep my six clear until you gotta bug out."
Eric kept above the F-35s and warned them to turn around and get out of the area as soon as possible. He cut hard left and almost immediately leveled and nosed up in pursuit of the J-8. It went to the right, westward, and he moved to cut it off. A second burst from its cannon drove it back to the left and Eric placed himself firmly at its four low. The enemy fighter was alone as the rest of the Thunderhawks buzzing about Luan-Fahn. He drove the J-8 back to the east, Then moved inside its turn as it tried to break left and turn around again. The Verusean fighter nosed down and headed for the sporadic tracers and shell bursts of the AAA. Eric kept his distance to see if the Finback would really dive into that maelstrom or if he was just playing chicken. The Thunderhawk felt more like a falling leaf than a fighter.
The J-8 leveled out and seemed to accept that it would have to fight its way out. The two jets passed over the city with the J-8 trying to slow enough to bring Eric in close. Eric slowed as well and banked on his better performance at low speed to win the day. He saw this as a chance to nail the J-8 before he ran too low on fuel. He tilted his plane to the left and led the Finback long enough for a three-second burst. It was long enough to do visible damage along the spine and engine exhausts. Eric sacrificed a little bit of his remaining energy to keep rounds going into the enemy jet, then reversed and pushed his throttles up to extend and escape. He didn't have enough rounds to keep firing, anyways. He joined Blank as the fellow pilot was joining a flight of F-35s leaving the area. The two slid into a proper loose deuce and checked each other's planes as they followed the rest of the force out of the area. Eric lifted up his visor and felt a bit of relief. Something in him felt very enthused. Like this was more the position the good guys should be in; another solid victory and the Verusean war machine further eroded.