Chapter 4: New Threats

The Trio circled the destroyed airfield. "How are we supposed to land!?" said Sapphire. Lance looked over his shoulder and radioed in. "Tomcat Island, this is Lance...we need to land...what happened?!" A muffled voice came over the radio, it was Dawn again. "Lance..? Hello..? I can try and get a rescue crew to clear the runways," The microphone flickers, "How much fuel do you have left?" Lance looked around in the cockpit, "Enough, I'm sure...we refueled when we recruited Sapphire." down below hangars were smoking at debris was beginning to be cleared. Silver commented on how it seemed the airfield appeared untouched. It was an odd sight thought Lance, why had this unknown enemy attacked the hangars? and most importantly where is my father?! According to Dawn, after Lance and Silver had left for the airbase, the island had a several unknown radar pings appear on screen. The base had not of been informed of any other United Union aircraft visiting the base. "It all happened so fast," she stammered over her words, it appeared she might be choking up. Lance tried to comfort her, "Look it wasn't your fault. I don't think anyone on base, or the entire military was prepared for unknown enemies to blow our base to pieces..what about my father where is he?" Dawn could not answer this question, it all happened so fast first a flight of A-7D Corsair II flew over. They came in low in a dark camouflage, they dropped their bombs and one of the A-7 was noted firing his cannon. After the bombing run a group of helicopters had landed near by where Phoenix was last seen. Men in special ops clothing stepped out of the CH-53. "Dust flew everywhere, three men jumped out of the helicopter, two crew members tried to get away with Phoenix but they were shot..Phoenix on the other hand was kidnapped." said Dawn.

"Well, what happened next? Where did they take him?" Silver said. "We were evacuated from the buildings. Everything outside was either on fire or smoking it was difficult to see...I assume they took them back to their base." Dawn replied, she seemed shaken up from the events earlier. "we need to find him! We just can't leave him with kidnappers!" exclaimed Lance. "We can't today, its going to be impossible to try and find these guys today. They are probably long gone..." Dawn shot back on the radio, "Sorry Lance, we are trying the best we can."

Sometime Later...

The damage on the base was in ruin, damage crews had begun the construction of the hangars. The base Phoenix had been kidnapped in had been burned. It appeared that who ever took him wanted no evidence. The blaze had spread to the F-14 in the back, the prized fighter had been destroyed. Ignited fuel exploded in the hangar lighting the whole structure on fire leaving no trace. Meanwhile investigations had begun in the intelligence office, crews began to clean up the base as agents worked with both the United Union and the Tomcat Island detectives. After repairs had been made to the hangars, the crews on the base were able to send reconnaissance aircraft to search for any unknown vessels or aircraft that could be looming nearby. The professor approached Lance on the efforts to find his father, "I have been instructed to resume my position has head of this base in your father's absence. Two RQ-441 VR drones have been sent out to patrol the surrounding area."

Technological advances at the Tomcat Industries has allowed for safer ways to use a pilots ability. The RQ-441 was a high tech reconnaissance drone used by the United Union for the search of missing personnel either on the ground or on water. Although drone, it was not entirely robotic, Tomcat Industry had installed a high tech 360 degree camera placed on the belly of the drone. This gave the drone almost a complete view of the ground below. However, this allowed for vulnerability from above as there was no camera installed up top. This issue was dealt with however with the RQ-441's altitude ceiling being much higher than even the most advanced interceptors, making it almost impossible to reach during initial testing. The use of Virtual Reality headset allowed drone pilots to have view and angles that a traditional monitor based screen might not show on screen.

"We have clouds in our flight path professor, I'm not sure if this will affect visibility." One of the pilots sitting at the table replied. His whole body seemed to bee in sync, his hands moved flawless with no buffer in the way he moved his HOTAS observed Lance. The professor walked over to a computer screen in the corner of the room. Displayed was a system of data being read back from the RQ-441s, ahead of the drones lay a patch of clouds that seemed a barrier for the visibility in the search. "Decrease altitude to below the clouds. We need to make sure we cover as much ground as possible." The pilots controlling the replied back, "10-4, decreasing altitude." Lance looked around the Drone Command Center. Tomcat Island had installed the building more inland near the residential areas. With such advanced technology the threat of it being spotted in a blended in area helps reduce its recognition. "I've got sight on a helicopter, identifying the make."Pilot 2 commented from his cubicle. Pilot 1 replied back, "I've got the data, its a CH-53 Sea Stallion."

A CH-53 Sea Stallion? Thought Lance, Didn't Dawn mention something like this?!"Can you get an identification on the country of origin? Asked the professor. "Negative" responded Pilot 2, "We are working on it." Lance took the professor aside and explained his sudden revelation, "Professor your granddaughter told me a Sea Stallion was spotted when the kidnapping and carnage occurred earlier. Do we have any idea where the enemies took off?" The professor turned around and took at his data on the monitor. "We have records of the helicopters leaving to the North from coastline. You two, where are you now?!"

"We are near the northern coastline boarder sir." Pilot 1 replied. Professor Phoenix looked at his map. "Continue to track, I need more information." The drones dropped down behind the helicopter trying to identify this unknown suspect. It appeared the helicopter had not noticed the drones drop in behind it, this was a relief for the drone pilots. This way they could get as much data they need and slip away back into the cloud cover just above. "Drone 1 is down! My camera is off!" cried Pilot 1 suddenly. "What!?" the professor he rushed over to the downed pilot's cubicle. "Pilot 2! Get eyes on drone 1 and get out of there!" The second drone dived out of the way behind the helicopter and rose back into the clouds. "It came from above sir! I cant see him in the clouds!" Drone 1 spiraled out of control, the VR headset's screen was black but outside the high tech robot crashed into the deep blue below. "It didn't give you a lock on warning?" Lance exclaimed. Pilot 1 took off his VR Headset, "I think who ever it was used guns, I figured my drone was ripped to shreds.", he stammered. Pilot 2 shouted from across the room, "Scratch that I've got a lock! Evading missile!" He grabbed the stick and forced it to the side as the video on screen did a barrel roll and a missile goes whizzing past.

"I know it sounds unconventional…" Professor Phoenix, "..but deploy flares and smoke screen, it may throw off the enemy." The RQ-441 had been experimenting with the use of a smoke screen as a way to remove itself from enemy sight and radar simulating the cover of heavy clouds. "Deploying Smoke Screen, flares on standby." Pilot 2 stated. The RQ-441 dropped a canister of smoke screen into the already cloudy scenery. The canister opened behind the drone shrouding the UAV in a thick smoke. "Pilot 2, direct the drone back to Tomcat Island, I cannot risk loosing more drones and money spent." The drone pulled up increasing altitude until it ws no longer in threat of the unknown enemy disappearing into the upper atmosphere. This left Lance puzzled, "Professor, I don't mean to be rude but your juts going to leave the helicopter alone?! What about the fighter that just shot down Our own drones, more importantly My father could still be alive on the helicopter we just can't leave!" The Professor pushed up his glasses and walked over to his data tables spread across several monitors and piles of paperwork. "Sidewinder.." the Professor began, "Since your father's disappearance I have taken control of operations here on Tomcat Island; and after recent events you can see how difficult that has become, so I ask you please trust our process. We are trying the best we can..believe me." He stood in front of Lance at the door, "Meet me in the intelligence office back on base, there is important information I need to speak to you about. I believe we have an idea on who is behind all this."

TOMCAT ISLAND INTELLIGENCE OFFICE

Lance walked down the corridor to the doorway at the end of the hallway back on base. At the other end of the door was the Intelligence Office. With every step thoughts raced through his mind on the recent events that have all happened so fast. In a side doorway popped out Silver, "Evening Lance," he began to walk beside him the hallway. "I'm guessing the Professor called you in here too?" Silver pointed towards the intelligence office. "Yes," Lance answered, "I just wonder who could be behind all this?! He questioned. Silver sighed, in a way that seemed to Lance, not even he had an answer to all this commotion. "Well I've heard rumors Lance..but whoever did this I'm sure the info is right behind these doors." Lance and Silver pushed open the large steel doors that led to the office, inside was the professor with a group of data scientist working individually on their own projects. Behind the professor lay a large information monitor with pictures on it containing the Ch-53 from earlier and the Drone 1's explosion.

"Gentlemen, I'm glad you could stop by." said the professor. "There is something very important I need you two to know." The professor turned around to the monitor behind him, "Earlier today while tracking a suspected Ch-53, Drone 1 was gunned downed by an unknown enemy aircraft, it has since been identified as a Mig-29, we believe he was stalking us from the clouds above. The cameras on the drones were vulnerable from above. As for Drone 2, he narrowly escaped from the use of his smoke canisters disappearing him from the line of sight." Lance interrupted the professor to ask a question, "Excuse me professor, do we have nay info on who causes this surprise attack?" The professor clicked the screen on the monitor and the data on the screen shifted to a new slide. "This is why I have called you two in here, Our research has determined the organized terrorist organization known as the "Avion Republic" is behind this. After the overthrow of the government in the once-allied country of Arctasia, it is rumored their unknown leader as set himself up as dictator and is commanding these attacks, including the attack on Tomcat Island."

"You don't think these terrorist are the one's who kidnapped my father?! Possibly he is out for ransom?" Lance exclaimed. The professor swiftly turned around and sternly replied "We assume that the Avion Republic is responsible, however we can't wait for a ransom note to arrive, Gentlemen I assign you a new order. In the name of counter terrorism and to free the people of Arctasia; your mission is simply this, destroy the Avion Republic. Our teams are working with the United Union military to find more information on where Phoenix might be located. In the meantime I suggest starting with the destruction of the aircraft factory base that creates the Mikoyan series of aircraft. We can't allow the terrorist to create any more aircraft to combat us with." A troubled expression appeared on the professor face, "We can't allow these radical guerrillas to get the upper hand. I'm afraid we are seeing the Rise of the Avion Republic…"

Will Lance, Silver, and Sapphire save the people of Arctasia and free Phoenix, or will the Avion Republic start their new world order?

Stay Tuned For Chapter 5 of Tomcat Combat Cruising!