Here, have this bonus chapter. I wanna wrap the arrival part before moving on to 'Trigger's Bizarre Operations' arcs. Yes, ARCS.
Now, let's continue 'Ace Conflict:Isekai Troubles'
1:20 p.m.
UNKNOWN DATE
UNKNOWN LOCATION
Trigger
The Osean Bigshot was lucky that his entire plane survived the lightning. If it didn't, he'd be falling from the sky like a bird losing its wings. He do what he can to keep it flying. Following the standard operating procedure, he made a double check on his flight instruments. Good thing the thunder didn't fry any of his electronics. Though the damage from the battle ruined his wing but good thing it wasn't terrible.
Trigger had never electrocuted by that kind of thunderstruck since Yinshi Valley. Not to mention, the color was slightly off as well. During the clash, he could clearly remember the lightning was red in color. Something that you don't see at all in your everyday life. He isn't an environmentalists or even some scientists so he wouldn't be able to tell.
When he was looking for the drone that engaged him, it was no longer with him. Trigger wondered if it crashed or that bastard was hiding in the storm waiting for the right moment to attack him. In the end, the drone didn't return and he assumed that it crashed or returned to its hideout. But even so, he can't let his guard down. There's gonna be a lot of breakdown with the high command about this ordeal.
With all that trivial matters dealt with, this left one question to be answered:
"WHERE THE FUCK AM I?!"
Trigger scanned his surroundings as he search for any landmark that could be use to determine his current location. Ever since he got out of storm, there was this long greenery scene below him and the skies well… Let's just say that there is big clouds forming up like the world is about to end.
"The fuck is that cloud?!" Trigger looked as he watches the weird black cumulonimbus cloud forming afar from his position. "Is that another storm? Fuck, I'm getting outta here. I ain't getting close to that thing ever again."
Rolling his aircraft, Trigger quickly flies further away from the clouds and into the clear skies and empty green scenery. Just as he needed to pinpoint his current location, he activated his GPS and input the coordinates to see his current position wondering if he crossed into Nordlands or back into Erusea. Though, everything is not up to his expectation once again.
"The fuck? Error? Is this thing busted?" His system didn't connect to any satellite at all. Pressing the buttons again, he booted and still the same result. "Come on! Did the lightning fried the console?" it was his initial assessment but if it did then the panel wouldn't be active right now. The panel and the instruments are working well and the receiver is OK. "Weird, command said that we wouldn't get the accurate position from the satellite but why isn't it connecting? Don't tell me the satellites' falling out of skies again?"
Trigger looked his surroundings hoping to see any landmarks that might confirms his current location as Nordlands or Erusea. With the vast greenery below he couldn't tell whether its either country since it could be any of them. But as long as he's far from the weird looking black clouds, Trigger won't be having bad day anymore.
Since the GPS is dead, Trigger still have the other option and its the old fashion way of asking for help: Radio distress call.
Believing that he's still in his old world, he turned the radio channel hoping that this would help him.
After a few set up and found a channel that is full of chatters of unknown language, Trigger was good to go. "Alright, here it goes…" he cleared his throat and spoke. "Air Traffic Control, this is Strider 1 of the Long Range Strategic Strike Group of Osean Air Defense Force requesting to land on nearby airstrip. I am bingo fuel and several damages are present on my wing. I just got out of storm and require assistance."
He repeated the same message through the channel hoping that anyone would notice.
"I Repeat, Air Traffic Control, this is Strider 1 of the Long Range Strategic Strike Group of Osean Air Defense Force requesting to land on nearby airstrip. I am bingo fuel and several damages are present on my wing. I just got out of storm. I REPEAT, this is Strider 1 of the-"Just as he was broadcasting, he saw several dots in the sky. "What the-" As is gets closer, the dots suddenly fired waves of laser onto him. "WHA?! SHIT! NOT AGAIN!"
Trigger pulled his stick and raised his altitude but the bogeys had already got behind him. He quickly pushed the throttle, reheating the engine and blast through the sky hoping to get his distance from the weird drones. Trigger flew as far as he can but the drones are not giving up. They sped up and once in range, they began firing their weird laser shots once again.
"FUCK!" Trigger breaks off as he pulls the stick hard to the right and to the left which makes all the G-force pushing him into the seat. "MAYDAY! MAYDAY! REQUESTING ANY ALLY AIRCRAFT IN THE CHANNEL FOR SUPPORT! I'M BEING ENGAGE BY DRONES! I REPEAT! ARGH!"
The F-15 spun around the sky and into the clouds with 5 drones following his tail. Gaining enough altitude, he flew into the fluffiest and thickest cloud hoping this would dissipate the laser shots. Boy, how wrong he was.
Just as he expected the drones to give up, hail of lasers swarmed him cutting the clouds across the skies followed by another shot of heavy concentrated beam towards Trigger's tail which he noticed in split second.
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Trigger couldn't believed it as he evade all the laser shots by flying into the clouds once more. "They can their shoot lasers through the clouds?! This ain't fair!" It was indeed baffling to him as his PSL pods couldn't shoot through the clouds. "The hell is with their armaments?! They should've nerfed that shit!"
The drone in their first encounter had to fly close to shoot him due to low visibility but he'd never thought that their laser would still work well with thick clouds.
"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! YOU LITTLE BITCH! I REPEAT, THIS IS STRIDER 1 OF OSEAN AIR DEFENSE FORCE! REQUESTING ASSISTANCE! I'M BEING ATTACKED BY SEVERAL DRONES! THEY'RE CHEWING UP MY PLANE! FUCK DAMN! I'M BINGO FUEL AND MY RESERVE IS RUNNING DRY!" Trigger called again, suddenly the hyper beam whizzed passing him blowing a chunk of houses down below. "FUCK, I'M ENGAGING!"
Trigger rolled off rightwards before spinning towards lower altitude, at this point he was flying with no direction as his compass was literally spinning like crazy trying to evade the incoming shots. At this point, he's 1200 feet in the air and the altitude keeps increasing and decreasing trying to find a way to outmaneuver but he couldn't. Its as if the drones had already anticipated his movements. As soonest he got into their sights, the drones' laser managed to hit some of the parts of his airframe. Thuds were heard and the alarm in the cockpit blaring out loud around Trigger's ear.
"God damn it! Just how the hell they can keep up with me?!"
The Osean began to fly at lower altitude by dropping as low as 600 feet trying to use the terrain advantage to outrun them. This was bad for him as it was not only gives a slight advantage to the enemy, this could also lead to engine stalling and crash on the ground. Not the best method when your plane is taking in 47% damage on the airframe. But for Trigger, he had to risk it. Using the small hills, buildings and trees as his advantage, the Osean ace weaved through the terrain avoiding their shots easily. The drones tailed him continuing their shots hoping to land on their targets but none of them managed to hit him. Instead, this made them to increase their speed trying to overtake Trigger in the next turn.
Seeing that the drones are in array and having a hard time trying to kill him, Trigger quickly hits his air brake and kicked the yaw while pushing the stick right side forcing the plane to slow down letting the drones to fly pass him. Seeing that he was right behind their six, the drones figured that they could at least shoot him while letting him following them.
But Trigger saw it coming, "Oh no, you don't!" he proceeds to avoid the lasers coming straight from his front until he creates enough distance. He had enough space to use his AMRAAMs but refuse to use it fearing it might destroy the missiles again. Instead, he switched to the PSL pod. "LASER, LASER!" Trigger said as he presses the button on his stick.
The PSL pod fires a flurry rounds of blue light towards the drones causing it to panic. The pod has a slightly lower rate of fire than this new drones but they are effective and deadly enough as some of the drones received damage where white holes were visible. The drones knew the hazard and tried to break formations.
"You're not getting away!" Trigger screamed as he kept the nose of his F-15 pointed towards the drones. Blasting another flurry hail of lasers, three of the drones was shot down instantly. "HELL YEAH! CONFIRMED THREE KILLS!" Just as he was celebrating, something caught his sight. The drones that he killed disintegrated into snowy white flakes and disappeared into the air. "Huh, what the?"
At this point, Trigger wondered if he had started hallucinating due to the long flight and being electrocuted by the lightning earlier. He was pretty sure that the drones should be burning into pieces while falling into poor children playing at the yard, not disintegrated.
Occupied by the weird phenomenon, Trigger soon took hit. Loud thud and alarm wailing once again as the F-15 took damage from the laser hits. This time, it was right at his fuselage.
"Fucking hell, I'm an idiot! Better focus on killing these bastards, first!"
The F-15 increased the altitude to 1500 feet trying to get on top of the drones giving a slight advantage against them. But the drones are getting smarter, they are directly flying behind him and getting them off his back would take a lot of effort. Lowering the speed, Trigger rolled right and pulled high-G turn so he can get the drones to pass him again and at that moment, he can pull them into scissors formation and score it when he has a window to spare. But the drone, like a weird being sharply turned in the mid air and intercepted his high-G turn shoot several bursts onto his left vertical stabilizer and along his left wing. The alarm warned him endlessly and his control panel is lighting up like a disco ball. The plane took 68% damage and smokes are coming out of his wings.
"God damn it! I should've flown the F-22!"
With that kind of agility, the use of Post Stall Maneuver would be useful to counter their nimble flying but he wasn't sure if the QAAM would be able to beat the multi-directional laser attacks.
Trigger glanced to see his pursuer again and this time, the laser hits the right fuselage hitting exactly on the engine. The plane was already at 78% damage with right engine is losing power instantly.
The HUD within the helmet kept warning him. Not only he had damage to the left side along with right engine, he also lost the left PSL pod which rendered useless.
"Damn it!" Trigger pulled the stick sending the aircraft to gain more altitude but with power losing, he couldn't gain speed and altitude. He was just sitting duck waiting to be shot down. "No, I ain't going down just yet!" Using whatever he still has, he switched to M61 Vulcan and tries to line up his sight against the surviving drones.
Trigger increased the speed, turning in a sharp loop trying to follow one of the surviving drones. Once the he gained enough distance, he fired his cannon blowing some of the drone's airframe into pieces.
"Come on, give me that little kiss on the cheek!" Trigger controls the stick while evades the laser shit from his tail. Any nuggets would panic and would be unable to think straight if they were in this situation, they would be dead by now. Keeping his nose up, the drone finally entered his crosshair and fired.
The firepower of the 20mm round smashed the drone's armor and it blew into white snow flakes instantly after taking enough sufficient damage.
"TAKE THAT YOU BASATARD!" It was too early to celebrate because there is a last one on his tail. "Alright, let's get this you son of a-?!" Just as he tried to go for high-G turn, the plane stalled. "What the?!" The HUD warned that engine 2 have completely lost its power and fuel is dropping further than ever. "Fuck!"
Trigger knows the hazard, if he tried to pull a high-G or trying to increase the power, not only the engine would be overworked but it would rip the damage wing causing him to spin out of control. Trigger was literally sitting duck, the plane can't take more damage than it already has. Is this how its gonna end? With him ended by single drone? The Osean literally hates himself to think that a drone would defeat him one day.
As the drone charges its hyper beam, the drone was littered with bullets punching through its fuselage before exploding into white flakes.
"Wha?!" Trigger was stuttered, "Did the drone just got wasted?!" he looked around to find any signs that could be his savior. There wasn't a single plane in sight, he checked his radar only some small dots to the east of his position. "Is it the Nordlands? Eruseans? Or Oseans?" He turned his plane lightly towards the dots on the radar.
Looking towards the direction where the shot came from, several dots could be seen. They seem to be flying in 'V' formation. He knew that no drones would be flying in such formation.
"Finally, reinforcements…" The Osean lets out a sigh of relieved. "Maybe I should buy them something to drink when I landed…" As the dots approaches him, he finally saw a glimpse of the aircraft. But then, he realized something was off.
As the dots entered his view, he could see their silhouettes starting to get clearer. It has a shape of a… human? 500 meters, 400 meters, 300 meters and eventually, 100 meters. The silhouettes began to take form and every second they gets closer, they started to resemble the shape of a human. Trigger even wondered if the lack of oxygen in his brain causing all of this but no, the oxygen tank is still left intact and still supplying to his lungs. Eventually, they gradually getting closer and his mind wasn't playing tricks at all. THEY WERE HUMANS! FLYING AT THAT ALTITUDE! SOMEHOW!
"Wha… What?! What the fuck?! What the fuck?! What the fuck?!" Trigger stuttered having no words to describe what he's seeing right now. Several girls around him with weird propeller thingies covering their legs and they were armed with firearms in their hands. He couldn't see it clearly but they had some animal ears and tails?! "What the fuck?! What the fuck?!"
He panicked, having not a slightest clue on how to tackle this situation. Trigger have faced many adversities aside from fighting superweapons and make sure to use everything he learn in the flight school and survival school to his best including interacting with civilians when shot down into unknown territories. But this? This is literally out of book, none of them has any plans or procedure what to do when meet with bunch of girls that are heavily armed with propeller leg thingies and sporting an animal feature arrives and occupied your plane. Hell, he even wondered if this is a dream or actually a purgatory. He even wondered if he's already dead.
Just as he was trapped in his confusion, a single knock on his canopy brought him back. Trigger turned his head towards the knock and saw a young woman in her early 20s flying by his canopy, waving at him with a smile on her face. She had a long slick dark hair, a face that any men would fall for. Her flight jacket along with that tight pants she's wearing definitely fit her slender body. The way she looked at Trigger, not a single malice or even hint of threat could be seen in her eyes. Then, there's the animal ears and tail protruding from her body parts. Trigger had to admit, it kinda looks cute on her. Like every other girls, she was armed and have those weird leg propeller thingies strapped to both of her legs. While he was captivated by her features, the woman pulled out a paper from her breast pocket and stamped it straight to the canopy.
Trigger looked onto the paper that was freshly crumpled and something was written on it.
136.7MHz
He knew what it meant. Trigger switched the radio channel hoping to communicate with… whoever they are. Once that was done he raised a thumbs up to the woman next to him where she simply nodded and distanced herself from the plane. After a few seconds, the radio came to life with a voice of woman. Not surprising since all of the squadron members are made up of girls.
"Unidentified aircraft, this is Karlsland Empire's 3rd Fighter Squadron. State your callsign, affiliation and your purpose or we will engage you for trespassing no fly zone."
Trigger quickly keyed in, "This is Strider 1 of the 124th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the Osean Air Defence Force. My squadron is affiliated with Long Range Strategic Strike Group and we are on our way home towards Osea until a storm hits us and got me separated from the rest of the team."
There was a brief silence, Trigger swore something was off. Then, the radio crackled again. This time, it was less formal and less friendly.
"IS THIS SOME SORT OF A JOKE?"
"C-Come again?" Trigger stuttered wondering if he said something weird to piss off the woman.
"Strider 1, you have violated war time law and flying in no fly zone under Karlsland territory and you expect us to believe that you just flew out of storm? Not to mention, you claimed to be from a country called 'Osea'. Did you drink before flying?" The woman sounds pissed off than ever.
But what worried Trigger was the word 'Karlsland'. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
"Look, I don't know what you're mad about but we can talk about this..."
"Listen here, you-!"
"Major, I'll take it from here." suddenly, a new voice entered the chat.
"General, are you-"
"Yes, take lead and maintain formation. I'll handle the talk."
"Yes ma'am."
The chatter soon followed by some Belkan-ish language talking among the girls before the radio fell into silence again. Then, the woman who flew by his canopy from earlier approached him once again keeping the same smile on her face though her eyes was showing worries.
"Strider 1, you have several holes on your aircraft. Are you holding up?"
"I think. I got like 20 minutes top until the fuel depleted. Say, she called you General. Are you really a General?" Trigger asked wondering if they're just playing around.
"Yes, Yes I am. Major General of the Air Force in fact." the woman replied politely, Trigger can feel that he can get along with this woman.
"Well then, may I have your permission to land on your airfield, General?" Trigger replied, for some reason he felt a little bit relaxed with her despite being General.
"Permission granted." the woman reached out towards her communicator and speaks in her language once again. There seems to be some sort of debate but the angry woman from earlier just give up and obeyed. "Alright, we'll lead you to Aachen. Its a 15 minutes flight. Once we land, let's have a little chat, shall we?"
"Roger that, General!"
Trigger flew alongside the girls with his battered F-15 towards their destination, Aachen. Throughout the flight, he couldn't keep his cool down as more questions keeps appearing in his head wondering if this is one Belka's latest military plan? Especially those leg propeller thingies, and those animal ears! Are they some modded human? If so, why animal features? Is it some weird fetish by the scientists who modded these girls? Even so, he couldn't let his thought wandering elsewhere when he has to keep his eyes on the panel as well. The plane is starting to lose power. Even the lights on his panel are lighting up again.
The flight was quiet but that soon ended when they reached Aachen. Trigger could see the airfield and based on the situation, it seems full of propeller driven aircraft for some reason but he wouldn't be sure until he lands.
"Alright, I've told my girls to provide top cover for a moment. Strider 1, tower says you're clear to land."
"Roger, preparing to land." Trigger thumbed up towards the General and the woman waved as she distanced herself away from his aircraft. Looking back at the airfield, he doubted the length of the runway would be sufficient but he needed to land immediately, so no complaints. "Strider 1, on final approach. Deploying flaps." The air brake opened right behind the canopy, "Deploying landing gears."
As soonest he flipped the switched, there was no response instead there was a message on the interface. "What? Ah fuck!"
The woman heard his cursing, "What is it? Talk to me."
"I'm sorry General, but do you mind checking my landing gears?" Trigger prayed that it wasn't malfunction but just some false error.
The woman flew close to him again and monitored his underbelly, "I see no joy on your landing gear."
Trigger was starting to worried, "Ok, hold it." he flipped the switch again. "Do you see it now, General?"
"Negative. No joy."
Just as he needed, the timing is just worst. "General, looks like I have a mechanical failure. My landing gear won't deploy. Its probably busted. I'm proceeding with emergency landing."
"Negative. You are not permitted, there are several aircraft on the runway! Get out of the plane!" The woman suggested but he couldn't risk busting his plane when its still in good condition.
Though, he doesn't know if they are friendlies or enemies. He was torn whether he should land or bail out of the aircraft. He looked around the canopy. To his left, there is a small town with buildings and to the right of the airfield, wide green plains stretches beyond but bumpy and it was close to a barn. After assessing the situation, it was decided that he'll land the plane.
"Strider 1, bail out now!"
"Negative, General. I'm landing this bird over that plains!"
"Are you mad?!"
Trigger smirked, "Maybe I am!" Trigger rolled his aircraft and turned his bearing towards the wide plains next to the airfield. He could heard the General sighed and passively requesting for something through the radio. After reaching the wide plains, he began the belly landing procedure. "Alright, here goes nothing!"
He dropped the aircraft's speed and deployed the airbrake enough to not allow the plane stall mid air. He controlled his plane slowly descending every feet. As soonest the altimeter reads 100 feet, warning alarms told him to pull up. He ignored and continue to push down the nose until the belly touches the ground. 50, 40, 20 and…
SCREEEECH!
The F-15's belly made a screeching sound as it touches the could feel the shake as it grinds the ground. His canopy was filled with both dirt and dusts thanks to nose that was churning out the ground. Despite he managed to touch the ground, the plane haven't stopped entirely. The momentum from the leftover speed drives the plane forward taking time for it to stop. Trigger deployed his airbrake trying to put the plane into halt right before he could smash through the abandoned barn.
Right in the cockpit, Trigger was relieved that the belly landing succeeded though the alarms wailing and the lights from the panel annoyed the hell out of him. Well, at least he made it and still alive.
"Shut the fuck up." Trigger said weakly as he turns off the panel. He then proceeds to undo his safety harness strapped around him before reaching out to cockpit handle to unlock it manually. Using all his strength, he lifted the canopy and stepped out of the plane. He quickly fell on his knees as soonest he touches the ground. "Finally, mother earth."
Trigger scans his surroundings, he could see the ground leaving a long ground crushing mark with some bits of his planes scattered throughout the plains. He didn't seemed to realized that his left wing literally shredded off. He bet that it ripped off because it couldn't handle the stress from the drag. The missiles were in terrible condition, he might have to ask them dispose it since it might bring risk factor.
Trigger looked up to the sky and remembered Count in the last mission. He smirked and chuckled as he looked into the sky.
"Wished you could've seen that, Count."
Just as he stood up trying to balance himself, several shadows loomed over his head. Trigger turned his attention towards the heaven and he saw them. The girls with plane leg thingies were hovering above him and his wrecked plane. Looking at their eyes, they were not that happy for some reason. Either it was his reckless emergency landing or he's not very welcomed here. Looking at their finger, they definitely lacked trigger discipline or they really just want to gun him down right now. The General was among them, she slowly lowered her altitude. Like the girls, she was displeased though lack the desire to kill like the rest of her subordinates. Soon, the girls with plane legs landed followed by the woman herself.
"That was reckless, Strider 1." She said disappointingly albeit lack the anger, "You could've died."
Trigger lifted his visor and eyes the general with beaming energy in his eyes. "Eh, I've been into worse situation than this." This reminded him of when he landed the wrong way at 444th base back at Tyler Island, that shit was funny. "So, may I know who am I talking too?"
The displeased look was changed with a smile, not mocking or even arrogant. Just a warm smile.
"Major General Adolfine Galland of the Imperial Karlsland Air Force. And you?"
"Captain Derrick Wolfe of the Osean Air Defence Force's 124th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
The two shook their hands. It was at least what both a fighter pilot and gentlemen should do when they meet a woman with looks and high rank should do. For him, it seems first contact seems to be going smoothly. But that soon shattered when Adolfine had other plans for him.
"Well then, Captain. Welcome to Karlsland." the woman named Adolfine paused for a moment and then, she continues. "And therefore, Captain Wolfe, you are hereby under arrest by Imperial Karlsland Armed Forces for breaching the regulations under war time aviation law for flying in no fly zone and suspected of intruding Karlsland military airspace."
As soonest she finished, her underling instantly aimed their muzzle towards Trigger nonchalantly.
"Eh?" Trigger froze.
Adolfine maintains her smile and her tone remain unchanged, "Hope you're happy for a long stay in Karlsland, Strider 1."
With this sudden turn of events, Trigger then realized what this meant :- he was a prisoner of war... Of SOME COUNTRY HE NEVER HEARD OF.
It was at this moment that he knew HE FUCKED UP.
With that, the whole prologue and intro is done. Time to move on into the main arc!
Done a little edit here, I decided to name him Wolfe because you know... His emblem? Well at least he has a name now. Also, the plane egress scene... Ugh, I just can't find reliable source at all for proper procedure including the belly landing. That was cringe.