Chapter 14
Cascadia
Federation Air Force Base "Eglin"
1 year later
January 9th, AC 432
"Vanguard, we have a special sortie for you," Commander Mckay said, powering up the briefing software. "There are some unnatural times, and these times call for unnatural circumstances." The map zoomed in on Cascadia, now sporting some light turquoise hues.
"As you heard from a couple of hours ago, Cascadia has officially declared its succession from the Pacific Federation because of alleged claims of us using Cascadian resources like cordium to expand our war machine, which is false. They used the same claim that Oceania used when we went to war years ago. Now, it is time for the Federation to stay fully united in this time of crisis. We cannot let this insurgent rebellion get out of hand. We managed to retaliate and push them back, but now they have locked us in a stalemate thanks to their air force. We need to push the Casdianas back. So here is the mission for you." He paused to clear his throat. "Vanguard, you are to ambush a contingent of the Cascadian Air Force at one of their airbases near the border. We are not commandeering this base since it is too remote to serve our purpose. You are to annihilate this base's air defenses and pave the way for a bomber squadron to crater the runway to that it remains inoperable and that it doesn't interfere with our operations. Be aware of their pilots. They may seem like rookies, but they are not to be underestimated." Katrina nodded and got up to leave with Twister and Peppermint.
"Oh, and one last thing," Mckay said. "Your AWACS is away with other squadrons that are conducting another operation to open up a second front into Cascadia, so for the time being, you are stuck with AWACS Argonaut. We expect much of you in this trying time. Dismissed."
X
"Vanguard 1 to Base Command, we are on station and ready to begin," Katrina said, powering on her weapons. This time, in place of the two gunpods on her outer wing pylons, there lay a stack of UGBS-3s (Unguided Bomb, Small, Triple Volley). Twister and peppermint were also similarly armed.
"Copy that, Vanguard," Mckay said. "I'll let Argonaut take over from here." There was a crackle of static as the radio frequency changed.
"This is AWACS Argonaut," a gaunt and serious voice said. "You are now under my command." Katrina caught a glimpse of an FC-8 slide into position. Unlike AWACS Alamo, this aircraft was in standard Federation colors, with a white body, Federation markings, and the words "Federation Command" printed in bold lettering.
"Roger, Argonaut," Katrina said. "Vanguard, fall into position."
"Yeah, yeah," Twister said as they slid into a diamond formation with Twister and Peppermint flanking Katrina, with Argonaut behind them. "Just make sure Pappy Bird behind us doesn't fall victim to a Cascadian ambush." When Argonaut didn't respond, he said "Jeez, this guy is a tough nut, don't you think, flight lead?"
"Yeah," Katrina said, as they flew over the mountains acting as a natural border between the Federation and Cascadia. "But tighten up, 2. Just because this isn't another Alamo doesn't mean you can go shoot your mouth off."
"Touche," Twister said, chuckling. They flew in silence for a few more hours until Argonaut interrupted the silence.
"Vanguard, we are coming up on the base. They haven't seen us yet, so use this opportunity to strike."
"Copy that, Argonaut," Katrina said, sliding the visor over her eyes and initiating the HMID. "Vanguard Squadron, engage!"
They peeled off and shot toward the base. Katrina highlighted a row of parked planes and loosened a couple of bombs. They impacted the poor souls below and reduced them to scrap. The air raid alarm sounded soon afterward and reacting to the surprise attack, a pair of Cascadian F/C-16s shot down the runway and into the sky, the glow of the sun bouncing off of their missiles and their dark green paint scheme and white nose cones. They turned to engage them, the one in the lead loosening a standard missile. Katrina's finger was on the flare dispense button even as the cockpit and Peppermint ordered her to evade. Once the missile had been dealt with, she activated the gunpods and shredded the F/C-16 to dust with a quick gun burst, narrowly avoiding the stray debris.
"Holy hell, Comet!" Peppermint cried as he pulled out of a gun run, leaving behind smoking hangars and fighters in their wake. "That was too close!"
"Yeah, but I evaded the missile, so who cares?" Katrina said, as she narrowly avoided a burst of anti-aircraft fire as the base's defenses came online. "I'm going back for another pass. Take out that triple-a for me, will you?"
"Copy that, flight lead," Peppermint said, rolling back using his AOA Limiter and taking out a few AA guns with a gun and bomb pass. He then looped behind the remaining F/C-16 which had tried to take a potshot at him and gunned it down.
"Vanguard, this is Argonaut." The sudden transmission from the AWACS almost wrecked her concentration as she pulled out of a dive on an AA gun.
"Go ahead, Argonaut," she said, looping back and strafing an F/D-14 that was taxiing and the control tower.
"The bomber squadron, callsign Romeo, is 5 mikes out. Take out any AA and interceptors before they arrive."
"Like we haven't been doing that already, dingus," Twister said, firing a missile at another AA tank and blowing it clean open. "That was the whole point of this mission in the first place."
To her surprise, Argonaut didn't appear fazed by this rebuttal. "Continue with the mission, Vanguard 2, and I might not include this in the mission report."
"Seriously?!" Twister cried, now to Katrina. "This guy sounds like he is dead inside! And bribing me to shut up during the mission?! How low can you get?" He broke off and dumped flares to avoid a missile.
"Just shut the hell up and continue with the mission, Vanguard 2," Katrina said, smiling from behind her mask. She selected her last two bombs and dropped them over the main complex, reducing it to worthless rubble.
"Argonaut, this is Vanguard 1," Katrina said, pulling away from the smoking base. "The base has been destroyed. The runway is vulnerable. Send the bombers in."
"Roger that, Vanguard," Argonaut said. "Romeo Squadron, you are cleared to proceed. Make sure that nothing is left standing." There was a dangerous leer to his voice as he said that. "Copy all, Katrina said, taking out the last AA gun with a quick burst from her cannons. "Vanguard, exfiltrate. Clear the way for Romeo."
They soared away from the smoking base as the 4 ship fight of F/E-15 Strike Eagles flew over them and dropped their self-fragmentation bombs onto the runway, rendering it useless. Even if there was a slim chance that a fighter survived, they wouldn't be able to use the runway now that it had pockmarks and anti-personnel mines scattered all over it.
"Yeehaw!" Twister cried, seeing the massive explosions that were blooming from the runway. "Now that is a fireworks show!"
Katrina laughed, seeing the pathetic base being reduced to slag. "Good job, Vanguard," she said. "Dinner's on me tonight, them. All aircraft, RTB."
X
"Thanks to your efforts, the base has been reduced to slag, and so has the Cascadian response," Commander Mckay said. "Vanguard, again, we expect much of you in this time, but until then, get some rest. We have an equally important sortie for you guys soon. Dismissed."