-x-

Legendary Aces

Chapter 45: Siege On Silvat

-Angels Above-


-Talisman-

Osean Paragon Base
1250hrs 4 February 2016 (Polaris Time)
2050hrs 4 February 2016 (Osean Base Time)

"Let this meeting of the Pandoran Leaders commence."

"Where shall we start?" Lily asked. "How about a report from everyone?"

"I'd like to start," Mom said.

Grandpa Charles acknowledged her. "Go ahead, Lieutenant General."

"My report is about the X-04," Mom started. "We have experienced several setbacks in its development. Speaking on the behalf of my development team here at the Paragon Base in northern Osea, we originally expected its completion to be in late December. As of yet, we have not been able to provide superior performance over the X-03."

"That is not entirely without surprise," the Erusian General stated. "The X-03 was far ahead of its time when it was completed, and still is. In terms of raw performance, disregarding weapons systems, the X-03 Dragon is only somewhat superior to the X-02 Wyvern. And I would know, having had supervised the development of the X-02 and studied in detail the development of the X-03."

"Indeed," Mom replied. "We have simulated several designs including, but not limited to, the F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, F-35, EF-2000, SU-27, SU-33, SU-37, SU-47, MiG-29, MiG-31, MiG-33, MiG-1.44, Rafale M, and even Yuktobania's recently completed PAK-FA project. We've even used the SR-71 and XB-70 designs to see if we can improve their service ceiling and speed to outmatch the X-03. We've also used the designs of the ADFX-01 Morgan, ADF-01 Falken, XFA-27, and other *unusual* models. We've performed design modifications to their structures to increase performance as much as possible, but nothing has proven a match for the X-03 Dragon. It has proven to be superior to everything in terms of offense, defense, speed, mobility, and stability. The X-03 can fly higher than the SR-71 and XB-70, and faster, up to Mach 3.5 as low as ten thousand feet, as well as out maneuver every aircraft I named off. With the restriction lock released, the X-03 can hit speeds up to Mach 4.2 at low altitude and Mach 5.1 at ultra-high altitudes above eighty thousand feet."

"Mach 5.1?!" the Belkan General was more than surprised, as was I. "That's a very outlandish claim, one I find impossible to believe. There are very few mission capable aircraft that can break Mach 3, none that can break Mach 4, and only a few non-mission aircraft that can. How can you stand there and claim the X-03 can reach Mach 5.1?!"

*Can my F-15P fly that fast?* I wondered to myself.

"I have personally flown and tested the full extent of the X-03's capabilities alongside Lieutenant Colonel Kye Akari," Liliana said. "Both of us reached Mach 5.1 at ninety five thousand feet. You should take note of the restriction lock that was mentioned. I should also mention that the president's personal transport, The Sleipnir, is also capable of speeds beyond Mach 4."

"Yes," Mom took over. "The restriction lock is there for a reason. Both Kye and Liliana went through extensive training before I allowed either of them to release the restriction lock. Flying at such speeds is improbable for most pilots. Speeds beyond Mach 4 puts an incredible amount of strain on the aircraft as well and will significantly shorten its operational life without extensive maintenance. The only other pilots I would consider allowing usage of the unrestricted X-03 are Aliana Venturi, Allison Bartlett, Layla Bartlett, Jack Bartlett, Yami Akari, Zen Akari, and York Ross, all of which are also among Paragon's top ten. There could possibly be two others."

"You sound arrogant including yourself," the Ustio General sneered.

Lily immediately reprimanded him. "Do not forget that Lieutenant General Layla Bartlett, call sign Cipher, is also known as the Demon Lord of the Round Table and is ranked number three in Paragon, behind only Kye Akari and Allison Bartlett. It was before your time, but perhaps you could ask your predecessor about her exploits in the Belkan War if you're unsure."

My eyes glanced over to Aunt Allison, who didn't as much as blink at the mention of her name, though she did speak up. "If I may interrupt... How about we not argue against the leading developer of the X-03 and pilots who have actually been there and done that. If you believe any of us to be lying or arrogant, then I would suggest you climb into a fighter jet and try flying through the Avalon Dam, Fortress Intolerance, Megalith, or the Sudentor Tunnel. And while you're at it, do it at supersonic speeds."

Aunt Allison could be scary at times. She rarely got angry or even irritated at someone, but she always put them in their place when she did.

"Regardless, we know the status of the X-04's development," Grandpa Charles said. "We can move on to another topic if Lieutenant General Bartlett has nothing additional to report on the subject." Mom only nodded at Grandpa to confirm she was finished.

"Allow me to raise the next topic," a female Belkan Major General spoke up.

"Ah, Major General Sarah Friedmann. This is your first time attending one of these meetings, if I am correct."

"Yes, General Bartlett, it is."

"What do you have for us?" Lily asked.

"As you know, I am one of the lead weapons developers at General Headquarters. Yesterday, we detected an unauthorized access to our weapons database, specifically our advanced weapons, as well as data on one of the aircraft capable of using said weapons. The XFA-44 data has been compromised."

Although she was somewhat distorted, I was still able to see a brief look of distress on her face.

"The weapons data included the ADMM, which is the ADM's upgrade, it included the EML, or Electromagnetic Launcher system, and it included the AECM, or Advanced Electronic Counter Measure system."

"Well that's not good," Lily said. "Have you been able to track down who accessed the data?"

"The hacker, assuming that's what it was, left absolutely no trace behind. The only thing we can confirm is that the data for the aircraft and weapons were copied onto a USB drive. Fortunately, without Pandora's super computer, the data will remain encrypted thus extremely difficult to access. It will likely take months to decrypt our data without a super computer. In the unlikely event that the hacker uses Paragon software to decrypt it automatically, we will be able to track it and remotely delete the stolen data. I already have trackers waiting for a signal from the stolen data."

"I have a feeling that's not everything."

"Correct. Due to a mishap, or some stroke of luck as it seems now, much of the data on the EML was deleted. Only visual images were left on file. I have not yet restored this data from our closed network servers, and unless the hacker is caught, I don't plan to either."

"In fact, don't," Lily said. "The EML is too dangerous to risk falling into enemy hands."

"Just what is the EML? I know what the acronym means, but what does it do?" I asked.

"It fires an ultra-high speed high caliber slug." General Friedmann explained. "Think of it as a sniper rifle for a fighter aircraft. It can destroy one aircraft and go straight through to another one if there's one in its line of fire."

"So it's a rail gun."

"Yes."

"I can live with the ADMM and AECM data being leaked, but in the hands of a skilled pilot, the EML extraordinarily dangerous," Lily said. "There's only a handful of pilots in the world who could go head to head with an ace pilot equipped with the EML, and that's including those of ours in the top ten. Save what's on Isle Pandora's closed network, I want all remaining data on the EML deleted."

"Of course, Supreme Commander Venturi."

"I have another question," I said with my hand raised. "You mentioned the XF-44. Isn't that skipping several numbers from the X-03 and X-04?"

"No," Mom answered. "Those aircraft are in a different classification. There is a reason why there's a zero in the designation. The XFA-44 falls under the standard experimental class while the X-03 and X-04 fall under the experimental Zero Class. The XFA-44 has great specs that would almost allow it to be classified in the Zero Class, but its stability isn't great. The Zero Class only accepts projects with no weak stats, which is why the X-04 has yet to enter the prototype stage."

"I see," I said. "So does my F-15P have a restriction lock?"

"Yes, though the F-15P's performance isn't as high as the X-03's. F-15P is capable of Mach 3 pre-release and Mach 4.2 post-release."

"You can discuss performance questions about the F-15P in private later," Grandpa Charles said, interrupting us. "We need to discuss other matters here. Does anyone else have any important information to present?"

"I must mention one more thing," Major General Friedmann said. "A quantum computer could decrypt our data quickly. By my estimates, it could be done in less than a week, possibly less than a day. Fortunately, just like with super computers, quantum computers are limited. There's only a so many in the world, and we know who has them." She grimaced, probably thinking about what I just thought of.

"Say it," Allison said, apparently thinking the same thing. Mom and Lily nodded at her.

"Apologies. I don't want to think of the possibility, but we must consider that the Grey Ghost might be the culprit behind the data breach and does possess the technology to decrypt our data."

"Yes, that is a very real possibility," Grandpa Charles said. "Major General, I will schedule a meeting with the President. This topic must be discussed directly with her. Hiroto, Layla, Allison, you two will participate as well. The meeting will be in person in Pandora."

"Of course," Grandpa Hiroto, Mom, and Allison said together.

"Yes, General Bartlett," Major General Friedmann said.

"Are there any other topics to cover before routine reports?" Grandpa Charles asked. I glanced around and saw that nobody was speaking up. "In that case, we will move on to routine reports from each base."

"One second," Mom stopped him and turned to me. "You should probably go now, Yami. It's going to be just boring stuff from here out."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Alright." I waved at Lily and both my grandfathers. "Bye Grandpas, Bye Lily. I'll be back on the Polaris... tomorrow evening...? I think... Time zones are stupid."

I left the room before any of them could say another word. By the time I got back to the bedroom, Takeshi had fallen asleep with one arm over Yuko. *Cute.* I smiled to myself and quickly switched into night clothes before slipping into bed with them.


Oured Guitar Shop
0530hrs 4 January 2016 (Polaris Time)
1330hrs 5 January 2016 (Osean Base Time)
1730hrs 5 February 2016 (Oured Time)

"I thought you had to be at the airport by 1700," Takeshi said while staring at a nearby guitar. "What about this one?"

"I don't like that brand." I was eyeing mostly Jackson, ESP, and LTD guitars. "Apparently, Mom told me the flight time for the base. We're four hours behind Oured, so it's only 1330 there. We still have a few hours."

"Momma! Momma!" Yuko hollered. She was a short way down the wall of guitars. "This one!"

I walked over to her and looked at the one she was pointing at. It was a pink Hello Kitty guitar. "Maybe it's a little to girly for me."

"But you *are* a girl, Momma!"

She had me there. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a beautiful blue sunburst LTD guitar. "I like this one."

"Pretty!"

"I thought you preferred the ones that look like the Gibson Explorer," Takeshi said.

"That's the EX series." I pointed over to the left where a few where hanging. "I like those 'cuz their easy to hold while sitting down. This one is just beautiful, and I'm not talking about its look alone."

"I wouldn't know."

I grabbed the card hanging off the top of the neck and took a look. "It's the MH-330 model. It uses ESP ALH-200 active pickups. Awesome! My custom guitar has active pickups, though mine are custom made. Still, though, I want to test this baby before buying."

"If you have a custom, why are you buying a new guitar?" Takeshi asked.

"My custom is at my house in Gracemeria. It sucks, but I can't just go get it with Estovakia controlling Gracemeria. When I go to Gracemeria I'll be doing something else..." My voice trailed off.

"I'll go find a clerk."

"No need," I pointed behind him. "There's one right there."

"Can I help you with anything?"

"Yes, do you have a Marshall JVM410H?" I hoped I wasn't speaking gibberish, though Takeshi just looked at me like I was crazy.

"Yes, I have one over here," the clerk said.

I picked the guitar up off the rack and followed the clerk. After a short setup and some fiddling with the settings on the amp, I flipped standby switch and played an A power chord. "That's just great."

"If you need any help, feel free to ask. I'll be nearby checking inventory on the guitar wall."

"Thanks." I played a few more chords and was already in love. I started playing the intro to Skin o' My Teeth by Megadeth.

"Yay, Momma!" Yuko cheered.

"That's awesome," Takeshi said. "Still a Megadeth fan I see."

I nodded and switched to playing Holy Wars. Pretty soon, another guitarist wearing a bandana over his face approached us and asked to play with me. He setup at the amp next to me and soon joined in. Apparently he was a Megadeth fan, too. We played a few songs including the full Holy Wars... The Punishment Due, Hangar 18, Symphony of Destruction, Peace Sells, and Tornado of Souls. The guy was pretty good, though he did fumble a little with his solos. I played the lead solos while he played the secondary solos.

"Wow, you're good Miss..."

"Yami Akari."

"Akari? You wouldn't happen to be..."

"Kye is my sister."

"I more of meant if you were part of the Akari family, rather than related to Kye Akari."

"Oh... yeah," I said. "Sorry, I'm just used to people asking if I'm related to Kye."

"Hey, I understand," he glanced at his watch, which was unusual for this day and age. I didn't know too many that still worn one. "Oh shit, my wife is gonna kill me. I'm sorry Miss Yami, I have to go!" He flipped his amp's standby up, laid the guitar down, and ran toward the door. He turned and hollered back before making it outside. "It was a pleasure!"

The clerk who had helped us came and cleaned up after the guitarist. He didn't complain at all.

"Would you like some help?" I offered.

"That's alright. He's always like this."

"So he's a regular?"

"Yeah. His band even rents our big practice once a month always on a Friday, and he comes in every so often when he's bored and plays."

"Oh, what band?"

"It's just a local band, but they are pretty popular around here. A recording company has offered them a contract, but they just want to play around here for fun. They never charge for any of their performances. The band's name is *Soul of the Dragon*."

*Is that right?* I mentally noted. "That's pretty awesome. I can't help but respect that attitude."

"They are some of the nicest people you'll ever see, too. The guy you just met is the band's leader, Red. They don't tell anyone their real names, but they all have color names. There's Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, and White. They always wear shirts the same color as their name, and they dye their hair to match their colors for concerts, at least the ones that don't naturally match. Red is the secondary guitarist and singer. Blue is the bassist. She's really good, too. White is the lead guitarist. She's better than Red at soloing, but Red has rhythm down pat. Green is the drummer. He doesn't talk much, but he's a nice guy. When he does talk, it's usually some proverbial phrase with a deep meaning. And Yellow is the keyboard master. She can do some pretty crazy stuff on a keyboard. In fact, I'd say she's the better at the keys than the others are at their respective roles, tied with White on lead guitar."

"I'd like to meet them someday, maybe jam with them."

"They'll be practicing here tonight, and they have a gig tomorrow night."

I held back a frown. "I'll already be on a plane to Emmeria by then."

"Emmeria? What reason could you possibly have to go there? They're at war!" the clerk seemed genuinely worried.

I didn't respond to that and only asked to purchase the guitar I picked out. I surprised him by paying in full with cash. I thanked him and picked up the guitar, which was stored away nicely in a gig bag.

Before we could leave, the clerk asked again about Emmeria. "Miss, you can't be serious about going to Emmeria, can you?"

I looked back to him and said with a somber smile, "That's why I'm going back. I have to save my country."

He was speechless.

"Momma flies airplanes!" Yuko suddenly cheered.

"You fly airplanes?" the clerk repeated as a question. "Like fighter jets or something else?"

"Yeah, I fly an F-15 in the 8th Air Wing, 28th Fighter Squadron "Garuda"."

"Yami, you shouldn't talk about that," Takeshi warned, but I waved him off.

"No, it's fine."

"Your secret is safe with me. I've been rooting for Emmeria since the invasion."

I chuckled lightly and smile at his reaction. "I just hope they don't make a big deal out of me like they did Kye," I offered my hand to the clerk and formally introduced myself. "Captain Yami Akari of Pandora and the Emmerian Air Force. I'm the leader of Garuda Team. Thanks for your help."

The clerk shook my hand and gave his name as well. "Kevin Jameson. I appreciate your business. Good luck in the war, Miss Yami. Make sure you come back for the Emmeria liberation discount."

I smiled. "Thank you." I saw Agents Jones and Johnson standing at the door out of the corner of my eye. I waved a goodbye to Kevin and lead Takeshi and Yuko toward the door where the agents were waiting.

"The General wants to have dinner with you before your flight," Agent Jones said.

"Yeah, I'm pretty hungry. When and where?"

"Right now at the White House," Agent Johnson answered.

"President Harling sure is nice to us," I said.

"He appreciates the work your sister has done for this country, and respects the work you are doing for Emmeria."

"Well said. Let's go."


Osean Paragon Base
0900hrs 4 January 2016 (Polaris Time)
1700hrs 5 January 2016 (Osean Base Time)
2100hrs 5 February 2016 (Oured Time)

The time came for me to return to Emmeria. Takeshi and Yuko were seeing me off at the runway. I gave them a smile and said, "Next time you see me, we'll be home."

"I'm looking forward to that, Yami," Takeshi said.

"You better save Emmeria or I'll come save it for you!" Yuko said.

I gave my daughter a salute and said, "Yes, Ma'am!" She saluted me back and gave me the most confident look I've ever seen.

I stepped onto the plane and headed back to Emmeria. I originally flew over in a commercial flight, but this time was on a military transport. *This sucks.*


-Liliana-

PFS Polaris
1420hrs 6 February 2016 (Polaris Time)
0220hrs 7 February 2016 (Oured Time)

When Princess Yami returned to the Polaris, she immediately went to sleep. She slept the rest of the day and on through the night. I guess that was her way of readjusting to our timetable.

She finally got up at about 0500 and started going through her workout routine. Just so she could catch up, when we went ashore at Ortara, she opted to run to the airport instead of riding. It wasn't a groundbreaking distance, but most wouldn't willingly do it, especially at the pace she ran. Most people are simply not able to run that distance at her pace. Our trait gave us a sizeable advantage.

"Why didn't you run with me, Lily?" she asked as soon as she caught up to the airport.

"I'm not the one that just had a week off. I've been training regularly, Twerp," I said.

"Hey! Only Kye calls me twerp!"

I smiled at her reaction. "Yes, Princess." I gestured for her to follow me.

Ghost Eye was inside his AWACS E-767 working on something when we approached him. He was focused on his work, so he didn't notice us until I cleared my throat. I did so rather loudly to make sure I got his attention.

"Oh, Talisman and Seraph," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"We're just out for a little stroll," Princess Yami chimed in while looking around at the inner workings of Ghost Eye's E-767. "You sure do have a lot of computers in here." She suddenly shot him a deathly glance. "You can play more than one pong at a time in here."

I almost couldn't hold myself back after what she just said. "How could can you say that with a straight face?"

She just raised her eyebrow at me.

"I could," Ghost Eye said. "But I think one at a time is enough."

"Ever considered Galaga?" I asked.

"That might be too much. Galaga takes more attention than Pong."

"Indeed. I have some data for you." I took a USB drive out of my breast pocket and handed it to him. "There's a single file on it. Just open it and it will automatically install the data onto your system."

"What is it for exactly?"

"It's authorization data for the Seeker missile. It will allow the Seeker to coordinate with your radar to pick its targets. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but since your plane is not a Pandoran craft, you need this data so that the Seeker's onboard control system will acknowledge your system."

"You didn't seem to need it last time."

"That's because we just used its wide radius mode last time. The Seeker can split into a maximum of twenty four individual missiles, but due to size constraints, it needs outside radar guidance. The F-15Ps can handle it if need be, but using an AWACS radar system will increase accuracy."

"Understood. What is the damage radius of the twenty four individual impacts?"

"Each one is enough to take out military vehicles and tanks in one shot. The missile was designed for to take out enemy units in mass without causing a backlash to our own units. However, as you saw in the last mission, it can also cause a massive explosion. That requires six individual missiles to resonate. Most of the damage comes from the explosive shockwave that the resonation generates, but there's still a sizeable standard explosion."

"So individually, they cannot generate a shockwave, but six clumped up can?"

"Right."

"That's some pretty crazy technology."

I couldn't help but smirk at his reaction. "That's Pandoran technology."


-Briefing-

"We've got a large unit of troops on the Rawllins Plain around the outskirts of Silvat Town. Those troops are isolated with no means of retreat, surrounded by enemies, and on the verge of total annihilation.

"With our substation as a focal point, the enemy is positioned a full 360 degrees around the troops, with intense attacks pounding away at our line of defense. If we could somehow manage to join up with our besieged forces there, we could considerably strengthen their position.

"This is where you come in. We need you to free up our surrounded unit, and eliminate all Estovakian forces throughout the Rawllins Plain. Captain Akari, would you like to add anything before concluding this briefing?"

"Yes. Since this mission takes place in a rather small area, but has multiple operations, we will not assign squadrons to anything specific except for Garuda Team. Talisman and Shamrock will approach from the south west and proceed to eliminate enemy targets with precision attacks starting with Operation A. They will be using the Seeker missile initially, then the ADM system afterward. Seraph and Shadow will do the same, but will start with Operation D. The mission is split into six operations, lettered A to F and arranged west to east, except Operation F which is slightly north of the others. Talisman and Shamrock will cover Operations A, B, and C while Seraph and Shadow cover Operations D, E, and F. That is all."

"Good. Every minute counts in this operation. So get out there and get things done."


-Talisman-
-Mission Start-

Rawllins Plain 43'18'21"N 58'52'18"E
1430hrs 07 February 2016

"All planes listen up," Ghost Eye commanded. "Our forces are completely surrounded over a wide area. We've got six sectors of operation to concentrate on. Use your radar to check enemy positions, and move out to each area."

"We'd better move!" Marcus added. "Our forced could get wiped out at any second now!"

"That's right. Our ground unit is on its last legs trying to keep them covered."

Marcus and I, as well as Lily and Shadow, were all flying high above the rest, at roughly fifty thousand feet. We wanted to fly straight to the thick of the action and get started as soon as possible. *It's a good thing we're flying straight to them. Judging by the looks of things, we don't have a second to spare.*

I heard an Estovakian radio transmission as soon as we entered the mission area. "Enemy forces approaching. Prepare to intercept."

"Sherpa Signal Battalion Leader here. Our entire line of defense is being effected by enemy fire! We've lost contact with Sector D-7!"

"Trench line E-13's been busted up pretty bad. Gavial Tank Battalion, can you get there?" I wasn't sure who that was.

"Can everyone call out the name of their unit when transmitting? This is Garuda 1 Talisman. I don't know your voices, so we need your unit name called out so we know who needs what and where."

"Roger. I'm the leader of Dragon Busters."

"Strigon 6 to all planes. Destroy all incoming enemy reinforcements."

"Strigon 11, roger. Those four planes are first on the menu."

"Strigon Team is here, too, huh?" I said. "This should be fun. You'll go hungry if you're we're first on your menu."

"Garuda Team, initiate close-range air support," Ghost Eye ordered. "Get out there and hit what you can!"

"So basically everything?"

"Bust some heads, Talisman! Take care of business!"

"A bird emblem... These guys are on our side!" some random Emmerian ground unit said.

"Thank God! They're here! Inform all units our reinforcements have arrived!"

"Just like that DJ was sayin'! Our angels are back!"

*I wish they'd call out their unit names like I asked.*

"Let's get it, Garuda 1," Windhover said. "Dancing with the angels."

"Garuda, is it?" the Emmerian ground soldier still didn't give his unit name. "We're countin' on you guys!"

"This is Stingray. Our field runway is under attack. Garuda Team, help us out if you can."

"This is Garuda 3, call sign Seraph. Help is in route."

"This is Grizzly Tank Battalion." At least the "Thank god!" guy gave his unit name, and it happened to be the unit in Operation A that I was starting with. I launched a Seeker missile before he continued. "Air Force, we've been closed in by enemy forces. Please help! We're completely surrounded!"

"Wait for it..." I said.

"Wait for support? We can't wait!"

"Just trust me."

The Seeker had already split into twenty four individual miniature missiles which were on route to the targets surrounding Grizzly, as well as some other targets nearby.

"What is going on, Air Force? We can't..." He cut off mid-sentence when every enemy unit that had surrounded them was taken out all at once. "What the..."

Not even five seconds after my seeker hit its twenty four targets, I saw another barrage of small explosions around the airport. Lily had taken action as well.

I compared the view of my Seeker to hers. *It looks much more impressive from a side aerial view.*

The Grizzly Battalion didn't skip a beat, even after the show I put on for them. "The path is clear! We're heading back to the east city! Take out all the enemy forces along the bridge!"

"Shamrock," I said.

"Roger." He understood immediately and fired two ADMs.

"Garuda Team took care of enemy forces at the rear at the rear. Grizzly Battalion moving forward!" Grizzly leader said just before Marcus's ADMs hit their targets.

"Command, can I take off now or what?! I'm about to get shot full of holes out here!"

"What are you waiting on? Get your plane into the air!" Lily said.

"I have to wait for takeoff clearance."

"Then let me outrank whoever the hell is taking so long to give you clearance. I'm Lieutenant General Liliana Venturi. Now get your plane off the ground! That's an order!"

"Yes ma'am!" The guy sounded half scared at Lily's response. She didn't like pulling rank since her O-9 rank with Emmeria came with her Pandoran rank, but now was a good time to do it. "Bolter taking off!"

I heard some explosions over Bolter's radio just before his transmission ended. I glanced over there at Lily's area and saw smoke lines from an ADM. Either she or Shadow must have finished things up at the airport just as we finished up over here.

"Air Force, Grizzly Battalion has safely moved to the rear. Thanks for your support."

"This should be easy for you guys. Ain't that right, Talisman?" Avalanched chimed in. "Looks like the airport is clear, too."

"The airport is clear," Ghost Eye confirmed. "Well done Garuda Team. That's two operations done in less than a minute."

"Did you hear that, Stingray? The air sweep is over. Take off!"

*No unit name, but he's probably with the airport staff, judging by his phrases.*

"Garuda Team, Stingray here. You never fail to impress. We'll be needing your help again soon."

"Garuda, I'm takin' you guys out for a cold one."

"Count me in, too! I've got a new reason to make it home alive."

"Careful Whipray, Sawfish, we still have a lot of fighting to do here," Stingray said.

"We'll see guys," I said. "I just hope you don't have ill intentions with getting us a cold one. Three of us are female, you know." I couldn't resist.

"Maybe," one of them responded, though he was obviously being sarcastic.

"Haha."

"This is Barracuda Armored Battalion. Can you read me? Requesting support."

"Shamrock, that's us," I said as I turned toward Operation B.

"The enemy radar vehicles seem to be providing ESM," Ghost Eye reported. It's not looking good."

"Seeker released," I said as I fired my second and last Seeker missile.

"Can any fighter battalions read me?! Enemy ground forces are closing in! This is Gavial Tank Battalion, requesting air support!"

"Garuda Team, back up Gavial Tank Battalion."

"We're already on it, Ghost Eye," Lily reported. "You should see a large number of targets disappear from the radar in a moment."

She somehow timed her second Seeker to my second as well. I flipped my plane to the side and watched as both took out a grand total of forty eight targets. At least I assumed it was forty eight. That wasn't counting Marcus's ADM fire over here.

"Shadow, I can finish things up here," Lily said. "Why don't you go play with the Strigon Team? They've been following us anxiously for a little bit now."

"Roger, Seraph. Splitting off," Shadow responded.

"The guntrain's taken some damage! Let's all hit it at once!" Swallowtail reported.

"I never thought we'd get through this alive," Barracuda leader said. "Air Force, our other guys need your help now."

"That's another operation completed," I said. "Let's hit C, Shamrock."

"I'm right behind you, Talisman."

"Fighter Battalion, we can't handle this alone. Requesting air support." I remembered that voice from a moment ago. It was very distinguishable. He's the Dragon Busters leader.

"Dragon Busters... What do we take care of first? The long-range guns or the tanks out in front?"

I fired two ADMs together, one aimed at the guns and one aimed at the tanks. "Windhover, how about both?"

"You and your fancy ADM."

"Shamrock, we've got company. You handle them while I provide support to the ground?" I said as I saw an incoming Estovakian squadron on my radar.

"I'm on it."

"We're taking air and ground attacks now! We're in the center of the Estovakian's range of fire!" Dragon Busters leader said.

"We're doin' all we can over here!" Lanner said. "Where the hell are our radar vehicles?"

"Doesn't matter," I said. "Windhover Squadron, you guys focus on aerial targets. I'll cover the ground."

"Are you sure, Talisman?" Lanner asked.

"Yeah, I got this."

"Splash one Strigon," Shadow suddenly reported.

"Strigon 10 is down! Those bastards!" one of the remaining Strigons said.

"That unit followed us here from Khesed. Keep your guard up," another Strigon added.

*Well, Shadow didn't join us until the landing operation, but close enough.* I suddenly had to dodge an incoming missile. "Whoa!" Another Estovakian squadron had joined the fray above Dragon Busters. "Lily, how's thing's going over there?"

"I'm still working on Operation E. It'll take a little longer since Shadow is playing with the fireflies."

"Fireflies? Really?"

"These Strigons are more like annoying bugs that ace pilots, though they are better than most other bugs. She'll have them done soon, I imagine."

"Splash another Strigon," Shadow reported.

"See?" Lily added.

"Emmerian scum. You're going down!"

"That sounds backwards given what just happened," I said. I temporarily turned my attention away from the ground assault to take out the one plane that wouldn't get off my tail. I pulled the same maneuver as with Pegas back at Bartolomeo Fortress. I basically did a quick vertical three sixty and was behind my target in seconds.

"What the hell what that?!" the Estovakian pilot said as I filled his plane full of holes, causing it to explode shortly after.

"I believe that is a 'boom'," I said, referring to his plane exploding. I turned back toward the ground and fired another ADM.

"This is Bird Eater. Everything's going according to plan."

"If you can bag some of these enemy fighters, we'll be able to up our support," Swallowtail said.

"Coming," Shadow muttered.

"Shadow, speak up," Lily said.

"Roger. I'm on the way to provide air support against enemy fighters."

"Good," I said. "Garuda Team, call out the number of your remaining ADMs. I have four left."

"I'm at four," Shamrock reported.

"Four," Lily said.

"Six," Shadow added. "Five." She must have just fired one.

"She just fired one at the fighters in my area," Lily added.

"The enemy line is down! Move forward!" Dragon Busters leader said.

"All enemy long-range artillery has been destroyed. It's a whole new ball game!"

"Operation E completed," Lily reported. "Shadow finished up the last few targets and has four ADMs left now. Moving on to Operation F."

"Alright," I said as I turned toward my next target. "I should be clearing up OP C soon."

"Sherpa Signal Battalion to all units. The enemy is starting to attack our substations."

"Someone please get over here now! Anyone!"

"Splash another Strigon," Shadow reported.

"That's three of the four. Keep going," Lily said. "The substation is in Operation F, so I'll cover them."

I glanced at my radar and saw that the sky was clear above Dragon Busters.

"We've almost got this place under control," Dragon Busters leader said.

"The enemy's control has been broken," Marcus added. "We can do this."

A few friendly A-10s came over to our area right as I was about to fire an ADM. I held off and watched as they cleared the rest of Operation C's targets using mostly guns and a few missiles.

*If we can snatch up that A-10 squadron for future missions, our ground attack capabilities will be significantly higher,* I noted. *Technically, the F-15P and X-03 is still superior thanks to the ADM, but those A-10s have better armor and higher caliber machine guns. With them on our side, we can focus more on anti-air combat.* I smirked at the thought.

"Garuda, Stingray, thanks to you guys we've got this place in check. You're a couple of real life guardian angels."

"Jeez. What about us?" Saker mumbled.

"Oh yeah, you guys... Your machine gun fire could use a little work," Dragon Busters leader laughed.

"Retreat now! We can't afford to lose the entire unit," an Estovakian ordered.

"Operation F completed," Lily reported.

"Thanks for the great air support," Sherpa leader added.

"We owe you a lot, Garuda Team." I didn't recognize that voice.

"Who are you? The one that owes Garuda," I asked.

"3rd Air Division, 4th Fighter Squadron. I'm Sky Kid."

"Red Baron."

"Blue Max."

"Splash final Strigon," Shadow reported.

"We're... not lost yet. Remember us, the fallen... The rest... is up to you," the Strigon said shortly before his transmission cut off.

*That was overly dramatic.*

"Seraph, Shadow, let's group up," I said.

"Roger."

"We've received a telegram from HQ Command," Ghost Eye reported. "You're to go after an Estovakian unit that's just started pulling out of action."

My radar suddenly updated with the new targets.

"I'm a lot better at chasing than being chased," Marcus said.

"All ground units are to spread out and close in on the Estovakian unit. Show no mercy," Barracuda leader ordered.

"Dragon Busters, roger. Time to get close and personal."

"Gavial Tank Battalion confirmed. The gang's all here."

"Sherpa Battalion roger. We've got your back."

"All planes, this is a hell of a dance! Keep up those nice moves!" Avalanche said

"Is this the dance hall? Looks like I missed out on all the action," Grizzly leader added.

"All forces, fight to the death for this land! Give them a taste of Estovakian pride!"

"I already told you it's more than we can handle!" an Estovakian pilot argued.

"We can't handle them alone! Where's Strigon Team?" another Estovakian asked.

"There's no pride in this," I said. "You lost the moment my team arrived on this battlefield. The only thing you're doing now is lining up your soldiers to be slaughtered. Your main forces are destroyed and the Strigon pilots in this battle were taken down by a single member of my team. I could understand pride if you had a chance at victory, but you're done. Garudas 1 through 3, wipe out ground targets with multiple ADM launches. Garuda 4, take out enemy fighters with the same performance. Wait until we get down to the enemy line."

"Roger!"

*That Estovakian leader pissed off the wrong person.* At full throttle, we caught up to our targets in no time. "Fire!"

A barrage of ADM missiles were launched. At two pods per plane and eight missiles per pod, that was a grand total of sixty four missiles.

Ghost Eye was almost speechless at the number of targets that just fell off the radar. He quickly regained his composure and reported. "This mission is going well. All forces, keep the pressure on."

"Of course we'll keep the pressure on. We're at war here!" Yellow Jacket said.

"Dance with the angels!" Sky Kid added.

"Launching missile! Time to dance with the devil, Stovie!"

"You shall live and die for Estovakia! Fight them with a will of iron!"

*Where the hell is this guy?* I zoomed in on my second screen to find the exact location of the Estovakian Field Command on my radar. I marked him with a circled red target and sent the data to Ghost Eye. "Ghost Eye, forward this data to Stingray and his buddies. Stingray, I want you to take out this target with the biggest, nastiest missile or bomb you've got. And while you're at it, have your squadron do the same."

"Roger that, Garuda."

I followed them and watched at the Estovakian Field Command was obliterated.

I smirked. *Asshole.*

"Field Command has been taken out?" an Estovakian soldier asked.

"That's right, we're done," another Estovakian said.

"Estovakia is not done here yet." I didn't recognize that voice. "Vega Squadron, begin systematic destruction of enemy forces."

"Garuda Team, destroy incoming enemy ace squadron," Ghost Eye ordered.

"Way ahead of you," I said as I headed toward the new enemy squadron flying Rafale Ms. "I'll take the leader."

"I got the one on the left," Marcus said.

"I've got the middle right," Lily added.

"Far right," Shadow took the remaining target.

I bolted toward their leader, pulled up, and flew over top of him. I pulled off another high G maneuver, though this time, I only turned one hundred eighty degrees instead of using a burst of thrust to push my plane around the rest of the way. I flipped up and was behind him before he even had a chance to turn. "Fox Three."

I watched as my missile hit the target. His plane twisted and tore into a ruin of scrap metal just before his fuel sparked and exploded violently, sending the heap of scrap toward the ground in a brilliant fireball.

"Target eliminated," Shadow reported.

"Mine is down, too," Lily said.

"Same here," Marcus said.

"Yeah," I added.

"This is Barracuda leader, the Estovakian ground forces have ceased fire."

"Roger that," Ghost Eye. "You are cleared to offer a surrender."

"Their battalion leader is approaching on foot with a white flag. I cannot see any visible weapons."

I flipped over upside down and watched as the person holding the white flag safely arrived at our forces.

"The Estovakian made it to our side," I said.

"You can see him from here?" Marcus said. "We're at four thousand feet!"

"Yeah. I have really good eye sight."

"I do, too, but damn..."

"The Estovakian battalion leader has confirmed a surrender," Barracuda leader reported.

"Confirmed," Dragon Busters leader said.

"Mission accomplished." Ghost Eye said. "Enemy forces have been eliminated from the mission areas or have surrendered. That's enough dancing for today. Time to get on home now."

"I could have danced a few more numbers," Marcus added.

"I'm still dancing here. Go ahead and leave without me," Sky Kid said.

"Don't give me that, Sky Kid! It's past your bedtime," Ghost Eye couldn't resist.

"You'd make a scary mother, Ghost Eye. But I guess we should be getting back," Windhover said.

"Hey, Stingray, don't forget to drop by for a drink sometime!" I said.

"Will do, Talisman."


-Post Mission-

"Our besieged unit is now free, and enemy forces have been annihilated or surrendered. Mission accomplished.

"Now that our unit has been freed, we are able to join up with them for a considerable gain in our land and air forces. This boost in power enables us to continue advancing east, to recapture our nation and tighten the noose around Estovakia's military.

"We now have an open path to Gracemeria. All pilots, best of luck.


-Emmerian Prisoner-

Interrogation Room, Gracemeria
1130hrs 10 February 2016

*Humph, who does this guy think he is? No way we'd ever lose to a bunch of guys like this.*

I had refused to give him any information. If he wanted it, he would have to get it somewhere else.


-Voychek-

"Enough, already. Take him away," I said.

"Lieutenant," the prisoner said as the guard started to escort him out of the room. "I've got a little piece of advice for ya. 'Go dance with the angels'!"

"Come on!" The guard forced him out of the door.

"Except I'll bet you couldn't dance your way out of a paper bag." The prisoner was obviously trying to insult me using my injury. Simple words from a prisoner would not be enough to taunt me, however.

*The prisoners are much different than before, they finally have some backbone and are brimming with confidence.*

*It must be that pilot they're all so fond of that is fueling the fires. Apparently, she fought her way through insurmountable odds to help her fellow soldiers.*

The next prisoner was brought in. As he sat down, he said that same phrase. "Go dance with the angels."

*Humph, another defiant one.*