Work Of Fanfiction!

Wings of the Protector

Imminent Threat.

"First of all," said Misato as Shinji, Rei, Asuka, and Touji sat down in the private briefing room, "Let me welcome you two informally to Mobius Squadron, Asuka, Touji." The two pilots nodded. "Now, let's get on with what we've got to do. ISAFHQ finally seems to have read Sun-Tzu's Art of War. Namely the passage: 'The best defense is a strong offense', or something like that. Seems that yesterday's raid was the eye-opener." She pushed a button on a remote she had in hand. A satellite picture of an airbase came up behind her. "This is Rigley AFB, and it used to be ours." Another click and the view zoomed in on a specific section of the tarmac.

"More Bears," breathed Shinji.

"Lots more," agreed Misato. "Rigley is filled with those things. It has become the proverbial knife to our throat. We're making a raid to break that blade. Rigley is of no value to us anymore, and even if it was, we don't have the troops to recapture it. You are to provide CAP for the raid. Make no mistake, we will be outnumbered. Our attacking force will be composed of six F-16Bs and two TNDs.  We were able to scrounge up four Mirage 2000s to help you in your mission. And Touji, the folks at Sukhoi, have been nice enough to convert a SU-35 into something approaching a SU-37 for your use. It's got the rear radar and vectored thrust, but the engines aren't as good, and the airframe is a little weaker."

Touji grinned. "Good. I never liked that Typhoon anyway."

Rei frowned. "What opposition are we facing?"

Misato sighed. "Ground defenses, not much. We haven't seen a single SAM emplacement, and only three flak guns. Lighter caliber triple-A, maybe eight sites, all manually operated. Not a big threat. But as for fighters, when they captured Rigley, they captured four F-4s and four F-5Es. We've also seen six Mig-21s parked on the ramp. That's the good news. The bad news is that they have a full squadron of Mig-29s, two F-15Cs, four SU-35s, and Yellow Squadron has been spotted in the general vicinity a couple of times."

"Fuck." It was amazing how even the tone was on that single word. The redhead shook her head. "And you're sending us and four Mirages up against that?"

"To be honest," said Misato, "I think this mission is a stupid risk. We should be striking this place with cruise missiles. But cruise missiles are for surgical strikes, and this base is supposed to be flattened. Sorry."

Shinji and the other stood up. "Let's get to it. SkyEye, get the AWACS in the air."

Shinji finished fastening on his new full-body G-suit. He checked his emergency radios and the .40 caliber H/K USP hanging under his left armpit. Not standard issue, but a hell of a lot better gun than the 9-mm Berretta that they gave you. Knife, shroud cutter, water bottles, flares.everything checked out. And weighed down. The emergency gear on his harness alone would be murder in a high-G turn, but it was a hell of a lot better than hitting the ground with nothing. Thankfully, most of the emergency gear was in the bag that hung under him after ejection. Shinji took his helmet out of his locker and tucked it in the crook of his arm. "Mobius 2, are you ready to go?"

Rei stood up and grabbed her helmet. "Ready."

Asuka checked that all the pins on her 'zero-zero' ejection seat were taken out. It wouldn't do to eat a missile and have your plane turn into your coffin, complete with free burial. She turned around and watched as he did his walk-around. Obviously, nothing was out of the ordinary, as he climbed up the ladder and settled himself in the seat.

Rei ran her hand along the AIM-9X Sidewinders mounted on the inboard pylon as she walked under the wing to her cockpit. The short-range missiles would be her main weapons in air combat. She looked over to see Shinji climbing into his fighter's cockpit.

Touji made himself familiar with his new cockpit. It seemed the boys down at Sukhoi were nice enough to arrange it to be not entirely unlike the EF's cockpit. He'd have to write them a nice 'thank you' note.

Shinji connected his mask to his fighter's O2 supply and brought the fighter alive around him. As he closed the canopy he looked over at Rei, flashing her a 'thumb's up' and a grin. He thought he saw her give a small smile. His hands locked the canopy and it was time. "Mobius 1, two lit and green."

"Mobius 2, two lit and green."

"Halo 10, ready to fly."

"Viper 9, let's get this show on the road!"

"Mobius Detachment 1, requesting clearance for take-off."

"Permission granted, Mobius Detachment. Good hunting!"

Four dissimilar high-performance fighters roared into the sky.

"SkyEye here. Mobius 1, you are in command of all air-superiority fighters. I am in command of overall operations. Thunder 1 is in charge of the air-to-ground side of this op. Flash Flight should be joining up with you any minute now."

Shinji nodded and pressed his mask to his face. "Roger that, SkyEye. Mobius Detachment! When the Flashes join up with us, we break into wing pairs and spread to 1000 meters. Remember, the Flashes are flying Mirages, so most of the heavy lifting's going to be our job."

"Mobius 2, copy."

"Halo 10, copy."

"Viper 9, copy."

"Mobius 1, this is Flash 1. We're coming up on your eight-o'clock," said an obviously female voice.

"Copy that, Flash 1. Break into wing pairs and spread to 1000 meters between pairs."

"Roger that, Mobius 1. Flashes, you heard the man!" The little arrowhead shaped fighters broke off from their diamond formation and moved apart. Asuka's element had already moved off, and Shinji didn't need to glance in his right mirror to know that Rei was glued to his four-o'clock.

Shinji was just fastening his mask when he got Misato's call. "Strike force is joining up with you, Mobius 1. Five minutes till feet dry. Entry into estimated danger zone, two minutes."

"Thunder 1 here. Nice to have you with us, Mobius 1. Keep those fighters off our backs, wouldja? Tempest Flight sends their thanks too."

"Roger that. All CAP fighters, weapons free!" Shinji suited action to words, flipping all the toggles and finally the big, red 'MASTER ARM' switch. "Mobius 2, are you ready?"

"Affirmative."

"You get first crack at them with your 120's. After that, try and make sure they make sure I don't get shot down." Shinji loosened his grip on the HOTAS, then tightened it back up.

"Mobius 1, this is SkyEye. Bandits inbound. By the RCS's I'd make them to be our old fighters and the Fishbeds."

"Hell. Mobius 2, Halo 10, take the Phantoms and Tigers down with your AMRAAMs. Flash 1, do you think you guys can handle the Fishbeds?"

"No sweat, Mobius 1."

"Right. Fire!"

"Fox 1!" called Rei as her four AIM-120 active radar missiles kicked loose of their mounting rails and shot off at the Tigers.

"Fox 1!" Asuka's missiles arrowed in at the Phantoms. "You know it's unlikely that all of those will hit."

"Right. Flash Flight gets the ones that are left."

"Ahh," said Flash 1, "Kill board standing, up!"

"Splash two F-5Es," called out Rei.

"Splash three F-4s. Those things maneuver like cows of a greased hill."

"Cow on a greased hill? Where'd you come up with that one, Halo 10?"

"Shut up, Viper 9."

"SkyEye here. Looks like Rigley is launching more bandits. Six of them. Can't tell you what they are."

"Thunder 1 here. I'm going to sow a little confusion in Rigley. Pickle!"

"Tempest 1. Substation destroyed. That ought to turn some lights off."

"Flash Flight, engage! We'll meet you when we're done here, Mobius 1."

"Roger. Mobius Flight, go to active radar." Shinji reached forward and flipped on his radar. Looks like the -15s and -35s."

"No joy, still no visual contact," called Touji.

"Tally ho!" exulted Asuka. "Bandits at 11 high!"

"I see `em," answered Shinji. "Mobius Element will take the SUs. Mobius 1, engage!"

"Mobius 2, engage!" 

Shinji only dimly heard Touji and Asuka's 'engage' calls as he and Rei kicked in afterburners and bounced the formation of SU-35s. The Erusian fighters scattered, perhaps not cleared to fire yet. No matter. Shinji brought his plane around in a gentle turn, dropping throttle, and lined up on one of the enemy fighters. He toggled for 'guns' and pulled the trigger. His Ghs-37 spat depleted uranium slugs into the poor Erusian fighter's right wing, very nearly ripping it off. The enemy pilot tried to break hard right, but the stress was too much and the wing flew apart. Shinji watched as the pilot vaulted to safety on a pillar of fire, riding his ejector seat to the 'silk elevator'. No more time to watch! He snap-rolled and hauled back on the stick, kicking in a little vectored thrust to flip him out of the way of the wingman's fire. Tracers ripped into the Sukhoi as Rei triggered a two-second burst from her M61A1. "Thanks, Mobius 2." Shinji switched over to standard missiles and brought his nose onto another Erusian, firing as soon as he got the tone in his headset. "Fox 2." The IR missile arrowed into the fighter broadside, the detonation snapping the -35's back. "Scratch two Erusians. Mobius 2, how you doing?"

"Finishing this one now." Shinji turned his head to see the ACTIVE spitting tracers into the last enemy Sukhoi. The fighter exploded.

"Good, form up on me."

"Roger."

"Halo 10, how are you and Viper 9 doing?" asked Shinji.

"Fine and dandy. Heading towards Rigley."

"Flash 1 here. We cleaned up the last of the vintage fighters but we lost Flash 3. He ejected, but."

"Roger. Don't think about it now."

"Tempest 1, here, making our run. Looks like the Fulcrums are launching. We got two of them, but you'd better make your run soon, Thunders! Pickle!" 

"Roger. Mobius 1, we need some cover!"

"Got it. All CAP fighters, go to best speed. Get there yesterday." Shinji pushed his throttle forward, outboard, then forward again. Fuel sprayed directly into his exhaust, boosting his fighter to its maximum speed.

Two strange looking fighters streaked in over the control tower, shattering the glass with their sonic boom. As the controllers watched, stunned, a F-22A flew low over the tarmac, its cannon roaring. The line of slugs walked along the concrete and hit a fuel truck right next to one of the Bears. With a dull thump, the truck exploded into a fireball, breaking off the outboard two-thirds of the right wing.

"That was a nice fireball!" exulted Asuka as she shot away from the airfield

Shinji looked at the inferno, then at the other bombers. "Tempest Flight, the bombers are being fueled. Aim for the fuel trucks."

"Roger that. These Fulcrums are pressing us pretty hard though. Can you get them off us?"

"Right." Shinji banked his fighter and arrowed in on the furball. It looked like the Tempests had taken another one down, but lost two of their two-seat Falcons. They needed to get the pressure off, and fast. Shinji smiled wolfishly and toggled over to his four QMAAMs. Fast it would be. His fighter's computer could only handle two missiles at once in the IR/AR/SARH mode that gave the best kill potential, but it would be well worth it. He targeted the nearest Fulcrum and launched the first, before retargeting and taking the second. "Fox 4!" He closed the missile bay to make sure he didn't fire more of the precious missiles. With Yellow Squadron spotted in the area, he might need them. Guns it would be till those missiles hit.

"Fox 2!"

He glanced in the mirror just in time to see Rei launch a pair of -9Xs. The advanced Sidewinders shot in at the four-plane element that was menacing Tempest 1. He nodded and hit the afterburners.

"SkyEye here. Splash one Mig-29 Fulcrum, Mobius 1. Mobius 2, splash two. The QMAAM's still on the tail of the Fulcrum though."

"Copy that." Shinji got a beeping tone in his headset.

"Hard enemy radar spike. Splash second Fulcrum."

Shinji saw a contrail blossom under one of the Mig's wings. "SHIT!"

"Mobius 1!, Break! Missile, missile!"

"I see it, Mobius 2!" Shinji reefed his fighter over hard left and dove, popping chaff. This missile tried to follow, but its powerful engine was too much for it's tiny maneuvering wings, and it overshot the Berkut. Bastard. Shinji flipped over to his normal AAMs and swept around behind the Mig. "You're mine." As soon as he got the tone, the missile dropped off the rail and shot forward. "Fox 2!" The Fulcrums pilot was obviously very goon on his defensive flying as he popped four flares and broke hard right and upwards, dropping his throttles to idle.

"The wingman's firing!"

"Flash Flight, engage!"

"Nice to see you," gritted out Shinji as he dropped his throttle and pulled the hardest turn he could. He clenched all the muscles in his lower body. "Hooook," he forced out, trying to increase his G-tolerance. It and the full-body G-suit worked this time, letting him keep his consciousness as he broke out of the way of the Fulcrum's wingman's missiles. He punched the countermeasure button on the throttle five times, dropping five flares to further confuse the missiles.

"Fox 2!"

Shinji flicked his eyes up to the right mirror to see one of the Mirages harassing the Fulcrum that had launched the missiles. "Thanks! Mobius 2, where are you?" He lined up an IR missile shot on a Fulcrum and pushed his joystick's thumb button, giving the Erusian pilot something to deal with. "Fox 2!"

"Engaged with a wingpair. I could use some help! Your nine-o'clock!"

"I'm coming!" Shinji banked hard left and locked another of his missiles onto the trailing Fulcrum. "When I tell you, dive hard for the ground, so this thing doesn't acquire you!"

"Roger."

Shinji closed the distance. "Now!" He fired the missile as the ACTIVE shot towards the ground. "Fox 2!"

"Mobius 1, good kill!"

"Huh?" Shinji watched the missile streak in at the Mig. "Oh, the other shot. Four missiles left." He switched to his Gsh-37. "Scratch one bandit!" he crowed as the missile hit the enemy fighter, blowing off its dual tails and ripping the rear of the engines apart. The pilot ejected.

The other Fulcrum was following Rei's ACTIVE extremely well. An excellent pilot, outside of the fact that his SA was firmly stuffed in his lunchbox. As Rei wove in between hills, just 75 feet off the ground, `burners blazing, the Erusian stuck to her tail as if he was following rails, pulsing 32-mm cannon fire at her. Up until the point that Shinji's Berkut dove in on him, cannon spitting death. Shinji smirked as the fighter came apart under the hailstorm of 37-mm slugs. "Your tail's clean, Mobius 2."

"Thanks." Rei brought her fighter back up onto Shinji's wing. "That should be all the Mig-29s. I saw Viper Nine catch one."

"Tempest 2 here. I've taken over command of Tempest Flight. All AAA knocked out. Thunder Flight, make your run."

Shinji watched as the pair of TNDs swept in low over the airfield, dumping anti-runway and anti-personnel bomblets onto the tarmac. "Thunder 1 here, airfield neutralized. All objectives complete. Let's get out of here. Tempest Flight, form up on me. We're going home. RTB."

"SkyEye here. I've got incoming bogeys. Guessing on Typhoons. Most likely hostile. Looks like eight of them. Intercept them."

"Roger that. Flashes, how you doing?"

"Not to good. I just lost Flash 2, and Flash 4 is having engine troubles. I'm good though. Got a Sparrow left."

"Good. Fire it into the closest enemy fighter, then support H10 and V9."

"Roger. Anyone seen `em yet? I got a radar contact, but nothing else."

"No joy. They might be flying low."

"Contact is splitting. Taking the shot. Fox 1!"

"That's a kill! Splash one!"

"Tally-ho!" yelled Shinji, "Bandits at 11o'clock low! CAP, engage! Fox 2, Fox 2!" Missiles streaked out from the oncoming bandits, and the ISAF fighters fired back. The two sides broke from their formations, desperately evading missiles.

"Viper 9 here! I've taken a little damage, nothing major though."

"Halo 10. Missing a chunk of tail, but still flying."

"Flash 1. I'm clean."

"Mobius 2. Damage to port-side engine."

Shinji was still trying to evade the missiles the EF-2000s had lobbed at him. He used the vectored thrust to slew out of the way of the missiles, then chopped his throttle and fired off a huge spread of countermeasures, diving for the ground. The missiles all lost him. "Mobius 1, clean." He lined up a shot on another of the Typhoons. "Fox 2, bitch!" The missile leapt off the rails and slammed straight and true into the EF's wing. "Scratch one."

"That's three kills. Five more left."

"So let's kill `em! Fox 2!" yelled Asuka as she expended her last missile on the perfect tailpipe shot the Erusian pilot presented her with. "Four more."

Flash 1's Mirage twisted through the sky, locked in combat with one of the Typhoons. Proving the old adage: "It's not the crate, but the pilot who flies it," she planted her last two Sidewinders in the rather expensive fighter. "Winchester." Out of ammo. "Flash 1, disengaging. Three left. Oh fuck! Someone get this guy off me!" A Typhoon had latched onto her tail, trying for a gun kill. Someone really needed to teach the Erusians about SA. Touji ripped the fighter apart with 32-mm cannon fire as Asuka took care of the one on his tail.

"Winchester. Disengaging"

"Winchester. Disengaging."

"Mobius 2 here. I'm on the last one."

What happened next could only be attributed to an amazing Erusian pilot and the malfunction in the ACTIVE's canards. As Rei turned to get into lead pursuit, the ACTIVE's canards locked up for just a second, enough to unbalance her and let the Erusian pull around onto her tail. "Oh shit."

"Fox 4!" Shinji stuffed a QMAAM up the Typhoon's air intake, also dumping the last of his cannon shells into the fighter. "Scratch one! All hostiles destroyed. You okay, Rei?"

Rei let out a shuddering breath. "Yes, Shinji, I'm all right."

"Congratulations everyone. Head on home."

Hah! Done! Well, next on Wings of the Protector is a 'on the ground' interlude. You'll just have to wait to see what happens.