Chapter 5: Sacrifices

Blitz (Hakari)

Friday, January 30, 2253; 12:00 P.M.

OS Front; 61W, 49.5S

Once again, the ground streaked past my cockpit. Andrew and Kira were engaging enemy planes. I sent bombs screaming down to kill Red Star infantry and vehicles. I no longer threw up when the men below me were splintered by a blast. The sight of blackened metal and skeletons were natural. The once beautiful green plains of Orange Star were slowly being turned into desolate, blackened, bloody, dead chunks of earth.

"Grave, they're retreating for now. Let's head back to base." Kira spun around and headed for Marina Airbase. I fell into formation with Andrew behind her.

"Hakari…Are you feeling alright?" I couldn't see his face, and the radio made his voice sound gravelly. I didn't respond immediately.

"I can't handle all of this stress. Sooner or later I'm gonna snap. I just know it." He kept his plane in line with ours. Then he broke off and zoomed ahead.

"Hey, let's race back! Loser buys dinner!"

"Hey! I'm broke! Wait up!" Kira punched on the afterburners and sped on ahead to catch up with Andrew. Inside my helmet, I smiled.

A little fun was just what we needed now. Tomorrow we would go on the offensive, and our bodies would be put to the ultimate test.

-Briefing-

Well, this is it. We are finally ready to counterattack. So far we've been on the defensive, but our navy has been fully repaired and our ground forces have been organized. You are to provide top cover. Let's get to the details.

Border City used to be our major defensive line. However, because of Red Star's surprise air raid at dusk on January 26, we were forced to relocate to Port Marina. We will now reclaim our lost city.

The 1st Battalion will drive down the center of the enemy's troops and spearhead the invasion into Border. Once there, you three will provide top cover by destroying any sniper and AA positions. Our local resistance squad at Border is currently awaiting allied entry into the city. Be careful not to fire on them.

Once the 1st has entered the city, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions will clean up any enemies from Marina to Border. Once the city has been secured, return to base to refuel and rearm. You may be needed to assist the clean-up efforts.

Our navy will head due west along the coast until it is south of Border City. From there, it will rain supporting fire upon any enemies approaching Border. You may not need to fly cover for them, but be ready in case we call upon you. If you are called to aid the ships, land and refuel on our carrier, the Phoenix.

That is all. Operation Reclamation will begin at 0800 hours tomorrow.

Blitz (Hakari)

Saturday, January 31, 2253; 8:00 A.M.

Marina AB; 60W, 50S

I remembered seeing the 1st Battalion drive out. Ten tanks, two AA guns, one artillery battery, no infantry. About 50 of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were infantry. They would be the ones to clean up the remaining enemy forces.

I saw the ships that comprised the OS Navy. Phoenix; a carrier, Titan; a battleship, Gryphon; a destroyer, Hydra; a submarine, Dragon; a cruiser, and Goblin; an intelligence vessel. They all set sail as one, a veritable myth, an invincible team of a single mind. The commander of the ships was a woman named Isaki Drake. She was born in Orange Star, from a mother from Yellow Comet and a father from Green Earth. She had unwavering faith in President Nell and General Ford.

"Okay, we're all set. Angel 2, 3, and 4, begin take off!"

Kira, Andrew, and I took to the skies once more. Today the blue skies were clouded, showing signs of rain. Below us, Red Star was entrenched and ready to assault our defenses as well. With gray above, and red below, we dove down and scattered the men and vehicles with machine gun fire.

"Grave, Kid, the 1st is moving out! Cover them! I'll take care of the enemy positions!"

"Roger!" Andrew broke off and flew back towards the 1st. He went behind their position and turned. He would stay behind their advance and drop bombs on any enemy who tried to attack them from behind.

"Roger!" I flew over the advance. I was to deal with threats to either flank.

"This is AWACS Hawkeye. Angel Squadron, you've got five bogeys inbound. Repeat, five bogeys inbound. Coming from vector 150. They're bombers!"

"What? Where are their escorts?" Kira sighted one and began to attack it.

"Uh…Shit! Angel 2, you have to get out of there! There are 12 fighters inbound to your position!" Our AWACS was nervous. "Angel 2, those are just decoys!"

"Yeah…only a few bombs on them, too. Shit. Grave, Kid, release your bombs! Drop them on the enemy and prepare for air to air combat!"

"We're not suited for that! And the 1st!" I shouted as a tank below me exploded.

"Forget them! If we go down, so does Orange Star! Air superiority is crucial!" Kira spoke from years of experience. "We're the most versatile and deadly part of the Army! If we go down, Orange Star loses the capability to operate on land against Red Star! Shit!"

"Agh! Pickle, pickle!" Andrew dropped his two napalm shells to the left and right of the 1st. Enemies were burned and sent flying from the explosions.

"Dropping! Now!" I let go the scatter-bomb. It sent shrapnel all over the positions in front of the 1st. Five tanks and the artillery remained alive.

"Alright, Angel Squadron, engage!"

Three against twelve. I remembered seeing the face of the enemy pilot just before I erased his existence from the world. An emotionless façade of a pilot's helmet. I felt no emotion as he crashed into the ground.

Demon of the Sky (Andrew)

Saturday, January 31, 2253; 8:20 A.M.

Above 1st Battalion; 62W, 50S

I remembered reading somewhere that long ago, there used to be a demon that lived in the clouds and sent them to destroy entire cities. It was dark, and its body and eyes were red, like the blood shed in the destruction it loved. The pictures were tattered and torn, and the book's pages were missing. I couldn't remember the title. But I saw the light. It came from…

A missile contrail streaked past me. The bandit behind me was very good, as his shots came uncomfortably close to my engines and cockpit.

"Damn, this one is tough! Grave, can you get him?"

"On him. Grave, Fox Two!"

I didn't look back, but my warning lights went off. But Hakari confirmed her kill.

I hadn't killed any fighters yet. Hakari and Kira had taken down four so far. Eight more prospective targets.

"Angel 4, Fox Two!" I shouted as the missile fell from my plane and rocketed at the oncoming foe. The explosion shattered his cockpit and instantly ended his life. The burning plane fell from the skies to add another crater to the dead ground.

"Leave. I'll take them. Get the ground units." That voice…I remembered it from the surprise attack. It was harsh. It was evil. The Red Star plane it came from had a single red dot in its cockpit. Azrael. The Demon Azrael. That was the dark red demon with the glowing red eyes. It faced the choir of angels in a match to the death.

"You'll all die, just like your friend back over the city. HELL AWAITS YOU!"

"You…" Kira growled and shot wildly at him. Bullets flew by his plane as he twisted and turned.

"He's an ace. No way we can beat him." I let my mind wander and saw my plane and Hakari's on the ground. I saw our dead faces, staring at each other. "Shit."

"Andrew, Grave, attack!" Kira was now the one in the crosshairs, desperately trying to avoid the demon's claws.

"…"

"…"

"Are you still-" Her plane caught on fire and spun out of control. "Captain…I…"

Kira's plane fell to the ground and splintered into raging balls of fire. Azrael only laughed and turned his red gaze to our helpless bodies.

"…" I said nothing. Below us, Orange Star forces were being pushed back, little by little. Above us, our AWACS screamed orders. In front of us, a red demon laughed and fired.