Lucas could feel his hand clenching up into a tight fist. After what happened with Vortex, he swore that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to anyone in his squadron ever again. Yet, here he was, practically powerless as one of his youngest pilots was about to get court-martialed. Lucky didn't deserve this, but it seemed as though the top brass already had their mind made up. Lucas felt as though this was his fault somehow. If he had gone to deal with the containers at Farbanti instead of Lucky, maybe they wouldn't be in this situation. Lucas looked over to Charger to try and read his thoughts on the situation. He had furrowed his brow, and his eyes displayed a sort of anger. It was clear that he felt the same as Lucas did.
They had been waiting in silence for several minutes before the prosecutor finally spoke. "Now then, Lieutenant Atkinson. Will you please start us off by recounting what happened on the morning of May 16th?" he asked.
Lucky nodded shakily. It felt strange hearing Lucky referred to using his real name. "Well, uhm." Lucky cleared his throat. "My squadron was performing a night raid on Farbanti in an attempt to keep the war from starting," he explained. "There were six pilots, including myself, in my squadron, and another six pilots in another squadron. Their mission was to seize air superiority while we engaged targets on the ground and covered our ground units." Lucas could see beads of sweat rolling down Lucky's forehead.
The prosecutor nodded. "I see, and then what happened?" he asked.
"Well, things were going well at first, but then we saw drones launching from containers on the ground. So, we split up, half of us destroyed the containers on the ground, and the other half took on the drones."
Lucas tried to steady his nerves. Despite the considerable pressure Lucky was under, he was doing a commendable job. Although, he wasn't quite sure if it would end up making a difference.
"And then the incident in question happened?" the prosecutor guessed.
"I was moving in to destroy one of the last containers. I was locked on, but just as I fired my missiles, my HUD glitched out for a split second, and my missiles went crazy." Lucky paused, taking a moment to collect himself. "It wasn't until our CO said where my missiles hit that I truly grasped what had just happened."
The look on the prosecutor's face turned from one of intrigue to one of skepticism. "So, you're saying that your missiles just randomly went into a civilian area and a friendly ground unit?"
Lucas' anger quickly returned. He didn't believe him. What motivation would Lucky have to lie? Couldn't the prosecutor tell that he was telling the truth?
"Yes sir, that's exactly what happened," Lucky said with a level of conviction Lucas never expected to come from him.
The prosecutor nodded. "I see… the defendant is excused, and I'd like to call Lieutenant Conley to the stand."
Charger straightened his posture and faced the camera. "Right here, sir," he quickly answered.
"Now. I've read the operation reports, and from what I've gathered, it seems you lead the group of fighters assigned with taking out these containers. Is that correct?" the prosecutor asked.
Charger nodded. "Yes, sir. Vortex and I have been with each other for a long time, so when we split up, it's usually me that leads the second group," he explained.
The prosecutor's brow furrowed. "I see. Although, in the future, please refrain from using code names and stick with rank and name," he said sternly.
Charger nodded again. "Of course, sorry, sir."
"Now, tell me what happened from your perspective," the prosecutor said.
Charger took a moment to gather his thoughts and find the best way to say them all. "Well… I was having a bit of difficulty taking out the containers since I had quite a few drones behind me, but I was managing. At least, I was until I took a hit from one of the drones. My instruments were all okay, though, so I carried on. That's when I heard Lu- er… Lieutenant Atkinson cry out in shock. I tried to see what the issue was, but I couldn't get close enough until our CO already told us."
The prosecutor nodded along as Charger told his side. "So, you're saying you didn't see the moment that Lieutenant Atkinson fired the missiles that killed an Osean ground unit and an unknown number of civilians?" he asked.
"That's correct," Charger answered.
The prosecutor's eyes narrowed speculatively. Lucas could practically see the gears turning in his mind. "And tell me, did you experience this 'glitch' in your HUD that Lieutenant Atkinson described?"
Charger shook his head. "No, sir," he replied.
Lucas glanced at Charger. Usually, he had a lot more to say. Then again, so did Lucky. This whole situation had put everything on its head. Lucas understood why, but that still didn't mean that he liked it. He would've preferred things go back to the way they were before, before the war, and before all this.
"Thank you. That's all the questions I have for you at this time," the prosecutor said. "Now, I'd like to ask some questions to Captain Haynes."
Lucas took a deep breath in and out to steady himself. He didn't want to lose his composure. "I'll answer whatever questions you have for me," he said calmly.
"Can you start by giving me your recollection of the events that transpired?" the prosecutor asked.
Lucas nodded. "Certainly. Although I'm sorry to say, my account is like that of Lieutenant Conley. I had my hands full dealing with the drones when suddenly I heard him scream, and that was it."
The prosecutor again narrowed his eyes, so Lucas braced himself for some question that was just him summarizing what Lucas had just said. "So, you're telling me that neither you, Lieutenant Atkinson's squadron leader, nor Lieutenant Conley, the leader of his 'team' at the time, were near him when this act occurred?"
Lucas worked his hardest to keep himself from looking visibly angry. "Yes. In the sky, it's often necessary to split up to cover more ground," he explained.
"I see. Now, if I may ask, how would you describe Lieutenant Atkinson overall?" the prosecutor asked.
Lucas paused for a moment to think of what to say and wonder what he was up to. "Not only is he an exceptional pilot, but he's a good kid. He's got a good heart, and he always knows how to make all of us laugh. My squadron truly wouldn't be the same without him."
The prosecutor looked down at something on his desk. "I don't suppose we could get testimony from the other three pilots in your squadron. Lieutenants White, Patton, and Kidd?"
Lucas shook his head. "No, they just got back from a combat operation a few hours ago, so they're resting." It probably wouldn't be a good idea to have them here anyway. Diamond and Magic probably would've lost their cool easily.
"I see… Have you ever heard Lieutenant Atkinson express any sort of disdain for either the Osean or Erusean governments?"
Lucas narrowed his eyes. It felt like he was setting up for something, but what? "No. He rarely speaks negatively of anything now that I think about it."
The prosecutor remained silent for a moment, thinking about something. "Now, I'm sure the jury is wondering what motives someone as innocent as Lieutenant Atkinson would have to do the things he is accused of." He looked straight into his camera at Lucky. "Tell me something Lieutenant, your mother's name is Valerie Atkinson, correct?"
Lucas narrowed his eyes. What did Lucky's mother have to do with anything? He looked over at Lucky to see his reaction, only to notice him looking more tense than before. "Yes, that is her name," Lucky answered.
"Well, are you aware of the fact that she is a pure blooded Belkan, and she also served in the Belkan Army?"
For a moment, Lucas just felt stunned more than anything. He had a hard time wrapping his head around what he just learned. Lucky was Belkan? Out of everyone he knew, Lucky was the last person Lucas would suspect of being Belkan. Lucky's eyes displayed a level of anger rarely seen from him.
"As I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone. Belka is responsible for detonating seven nuclear weapons in their own cities, so if that's inside the realm of possibility, who's to say this isn't?" the prosecutor asked.
"My mother immigrated to Osea, and my father was born and raised in Osea, just like me!" Lucky snapped. "I'm not Belkan, I'm Osean. I always have been, and always will be."
"Now that reaction, doesn't quite match the description of Lieutenant Atkinson that Captain Haynes provided for us. Perhaps there's a reason for that," the prosecutor said.
Lucas slammed his fist on the desk. He couldn't take this anymore. "Maybe that's because you're going after his family and making him out to be some sort of monster!" he snapped. "Lucky is a great pilot, and he has a great heart. He would never do something like this. You bastards are just looking for someone to take the blame!"
"That's enough, Captain Haynes!" the judge, who had been mostly silent up to this point, intervened. "I won't ask again."
"Uhm, your honor," someone else said. "There's someone from the OIA requesting to be added to the call."
The judge was silent for a moment before finally grumbling something inaudible to Lucas. "Fine, bring him in."
Another portrait appeared on the screen revealing a younger man with short, curly hair and glasses over his brown eyes. He had bit of a goatee as well. He was wearing a simple dress shirt and tie. "Hello everyone, my name is David North. I'm an OIA analyst from Advanced Weapons Analysis."
"Tell me what exactly a weapons analyst has to do with a court martial?" the judge asked impatiently.
David adjusted his glasses. "My work has led me to a conclusion about Erusea's capabilities, but I learned that an Osean pilot was being court-martialed because of what I learned, so I decided to step in and clear his name."
"And what would this information be Analyst North?" the judge asked.
"After Erusea's declaration of war on Osea, I learned that they managed to hack into half of Osea's military satellites. These satellites manage, among other things, our radar and missile tracking. Meaning what Lieutenant Atkinson described would've been possible. Not to mention, my reports for when this satellite hack took place line up almost exactly with Operation Quick Fists."
The look on the prosecutor's face turned from one of triumph to one of anger, and Lucas was reinvigorated with a sense of hope. Now, they had a chance.
The trial carried on for another hour or so. By then, Lucas was starting to get sick of it. The jury had split off for a while to come to a verdict, and everyone was anxiously awaiting their return. Lucas was nervous, but he had hope that Lucky would be found not guilty, which is more than he started with. Charger also seemed nervous, although he didn't appear to the extent that Lucas or Lucky were. Finally, the jury returned.
"After reviewing the evidence brought before us, we have found Lieutenant Sean Atkinson not guilty as charged," they finally said.
Lucas and Charger both hugged Lucky, and Charger ruffled his hair a bit. When this trial began, Lucas had no hope. He thought he had failed, and Lucky was going to get sentenced. And yet, here they were, celebrating Lucky's innocence. The call ended shortly after and the three pilots all sat together for a moment.
"Real talk though, kid. How come you never told us you were half-Belkan?" Charger asked.
Lucky sighed and hesitated for a moment. "That's exactly why. I didn't want people thinking less of me because of where my mother came from. So please, do me a favor and don't tell the others, okay?"
Lucas smiled at him. "Sure, Lucky. We understand, and if that's what you want, we'll respect that."
Lucky looked up at him and gave Lucas a look of gratitude. "Thanks, Vortex."
"Don't worry about it. Now come on, I'm sure the others will be over the moon to hear the news," Lucas said, standing up.
Luckily, the rest of the pilots in Nexus Squadron were already together in the mess hall. It didn't take long for them to spot the three of them and they all immediately ran over to hear the results.
"And? What happened?" Diamond asked.
Lucky looked at them and grinned. "They found me innocent on all chargers," he said happily.
Diamond was the first to wrap her arms around him in a tight hug, and the others did the same, even Lucas. For the first time since the war began, all of them felt genuinely happy, like nothing could possibly go wrong. Of course, things didn't tend to go well for them. They all jumped in their skin at the sound of a blaring alarm over the intercom.
"This is a code red. All pilots, report to the briefing room immediately. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill," Waller's voice sounded more panicked than Lucas had ever heard it.
Immediately, every broke into a sprint as they made their way to the briefing room.
Waller's first reaction to seeing Lucky was one of skepticism. "I assume the trial is over then?" he asked.
Lucas nodded. "He was found not guilty," he explained.
"Well that's perfect timing, because the mechanics just finished repairs on all the planes last night, so that means you'll be going back to your regular formations," Waller said, nodding to the Meteor Squadron pilots who were just entering. "No fancy briefing today, enemy fighters are inbound, get your asses in the air and take them out."
Without another word, all twelve pilots made their way toward the hangar.
Lucas felt a wave of euphoria as he settled himself in the seat of his F/A-18. It had been weeks, nine days to be exact. But now that he was back in his plane, he felt like nothing could stop him, especially with his team at full force again. Domino and his team had just taken off, and now it was their turn. Slowly, Lucas and Charger rose up to the flight deck on the elevator. They taxied over to their positions and waited.
"Nexus 1, Nexus 2, you're cleared for take-off. Go get them," the control tower told them.
"Wilco, Nexus 1 and 2 taking off," Lucas replied. With that, his plane shot forward with the help of the catapult, and before he knew it, he was airborne for the first time in nine days. This must have been what Diamond felt like during her first patrol. Lucas turned in the direction Meteor Squadron was heading and followed them at a slower speed. Not long after, Poet and Magic formed up behind them, and Lucky and Diamond brought up the rear. With everyone in formation, they accelerated as fast as they could to catch up to Meteor Squadron.
"Waller, this is Meteor 1. There's two squadrons of enemy fighters on their way to the carrier, but we're already engaging them," Domino reported.
"Good work Meteor Squadron. Nexus Squadron, what's your status?" Waller replied.
Lucas saw Meteor Squadron and the enemy fighters appear on his HUD. One squadron of Su-34s and another of MiG-31s. "We've got visual contact now, engaging," he answered. "Alright everyone, let's drive them back," he told his squadron.
At that, they split up and engaged the enemy. Lucas set his sights on one of the Su-34s that was getting a little far from the rest, and Charger followed him. Out of the corner of his eye, Lucas spotted Diamond going full speed toward the group of MiG-31s. She quickly took one of them out as she approached and dove down to the water, only to pull up again and get behind another plane's tail. Lucas had to admit that Diamond was certainly an excellent pilot, and her time flying under Domino seemed to do good for her. As soon as he had a lock on his target, Lucas fired two missiles at the Su-34. The pilot didn't have a chance to maneuver, and was quickly engulfed in flames.
"Well, it certainly took you long enough," Domino said in a jesting voice.
"Couldn't let you have all the fun, Domino," Lucas replied with a chuckle.
He was about to provide another quippy remark, but a missile alert in his cockpit cut him from his thoughts. Lucas quickly pulled all the way up until he had made a complete U-turn. After rolling his plane around to be right side up again, he saw his pursuer pass above him. Without hesitation, Lucas did another U-turn and found himself right behind the Su-34. This time, he opted to fire a QAAM, destroying the plane in one shot before he turned his attention elsewhere.
"Hey Magic, mind getting this guy off my tail? I've almost got the one in front of me," Poet requested.
"Don't worry, I'll get him off your back for you," Magic replied.
Lucas couldn't help but grin from ear to ear with a sense of pride. His whole squadron was in top form, and they were going to give the Eruseans hell. He locked onto the last Su-34, only for a missile to come from behind him and destroy it first.
"Hey!" Lucas said indignantly.
He looked over his shoulder to see who it was that beat him to the kill, only to see Charger fly over his head.
"Sorry buddy, you snooze you lose," he said.
"Tch, whatever. I'll get you back for it," Lucas replied.
"All aircraft, radar shows no sign of bandits. RTB," Waller told them.
"Good work out there everyone," Domino said. "Now let's get back in time for chow."
Author's Note: Wow that chapter was way longer than I thought it would be. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed it. I switched from Google Docs over to Microsoft Word and oh man am I feeling the difference. Word is so much better for longer stories like this. The story is progressing quite nicely. Just one more chapter and then it'll be time for "The Big One" (you all know what it is).