Time for Galm Team to mingle with Sanya. Although I still have to deal with Eila's anger about being put inside an ammo crate for some time.
Minna: And all it took was a reviewer calling Sanya 'ugly'.
James: Not to mention you're F-22 being shot down in the process.
Don't remind me. I can't blame him. Now, reviews.
Colonel AmiruddinArifSulaiman: To Amirah, you're the Commander of the SAS, and the 'Lady of Knives'. I'm sure the operation will succeed.
Gamerman22: No problem. I'm sure that every author who are writing Strike Witches stories have a pure dislike to Maloney. And you'll get you're A-10 Thunderbolt soon. Question is when? You'll find out.
dontShootMeh: I'm sure that's your favorite aircraft. Another reviewer wanted to see the aircraft. I'll try to put it in. And yes, Operation Battle-Axe is a failed British operation. Whereas in Strangereal, the Allied Forces are successful because of Galm Team's appearance.
Thorthemighty321: One reviewer wanted to put in Eurofighter Typhoons as well. I'll see how it goes. Since Galm and Crow disappeared, I'm sure ROT is the only elite squadron left aside from the other Ace squadrons. Well, when AWWNB has risen, they're the only ones good enough on behalf of the Allies and Belka altogether.
Anonymous Guest: Glad you're liking the story so far. And after seeing those Neuroi Gulf War pictures, I can think up of anything creative.
Gropau25: Congrats on your promotion. And it's fine for my F-22. I was just focused on trying to get Eila to calm down. All I can say about the GSG-9, they're just as deadly as the SAS, but not enough against the Spetznaz. As for the SAS for not assassinating Air Chief Marshal A******, I'll leave it to Amirah at the last bits.
Amirah: He's right.
James: Hey, Amirah. When did you get here?
Amirah: I'm just here for an appearance. After all, he gave me to 96.
Minna: Anyways, onto the story.
XXXXXXXXXX
Chapter 4: We're the Same
Cipher's P.O.V.
It was around nighttime after we departed from London. After reuniting with Crow Team, I was thrilled to see them again. At the same time, Pixy and I are now part of the SAS, or Special Air Service. They are commanded by Amirah. She's nice enough to allow us to join their ranks, even though we're flyboys. I flew next to the JU-52 where I caught a glimpse of a visibly angered Major Sakamoto. I saw Minna talking to her in a calm tone.
"They seem to be enjoying their time." I mused to myself. I thought about the two proposals made by Maloney and Claus. Maloney's offer was very tempting at first, but when Amirah said that his project included the power of the enemy, we refused and took up Claus' offer instead. Sometimes, I regret joining a Spec-Ops group, but hey, the former brought in the Neurois power to humanity's fold. And right now, we don't get to be called up until something big will happen. Just then, I heard someone singing. It's very nice. So nice that I… that I… I nearly slammed my head on the flight controls, just as Minna radioed me.
"Cipher?" I heard Minna as I jolted myself up "What happened to you?"
"Sorry Commander. I just dozed off after hearing someone singing. It sounds soft and cute. Do you know who it is?"
"That's just Sanya." Minna answered "It means we're near the base." Sanya flew next to the JU-52 as I saw Yoshika waving to her. Sanya then flew next to my plane as I waved to her also. She blushed a bit before descending into the clouds. I radioed Minna inside the aircraft.
"Sanya's a little shy, isn't she?" I asked
"She's a very nice girl. A good singer too, wouldn't you say?" Minna asked
"So I heard." I answered "I almost fell asleep as a result."
"Really?" Minna asked "I don't remember any reports about Galm Team being sleep-deprived."
"We mainly get deployed during daytime missions. Only the operation at the Glatisant mountain fortress is a night time raid." Sanya then stopped singing as everyone wondered why the Orussian singer stopped.
"Is something wrong, Sanya?" Minna asked
"Someone is watching us…" Sanya quietly answered
"What is it Sanya? I can't hear what you're saying." I said
"Sorry, Cipher." She answered "An unknown aircraft is approaching from the direction of Sirius."
"Eagle Eye, can you track it?" I asked
"I'm looking at it now." A minute later, Aaron found out his results. "Sanya's right. A Neuroi is approaching the transport plane coming in at high speeds. It's much faster than the one Shirley rammed into a few days ago."
"Aaron, please don't remind me of that scene." I reminded him as I groaned. A few seconds later Aaron reported in.
"Neuroi just disappeared from radar."
"A stealth model?" I asked
"It's in the clouds." Sanya answered "It can't be detected with the naked eye."
"So we got a fast mover and a stealth model. Do you know its intentions?"
"I don't know, Cipher." I looked inside the transport as Yoshika started to panic. Minna brought up the idea that the Neuroi may be targeting the transport, which the Striker Units are not present.
"Cipher, Sanya" Major Sakamoto said "The Neuroi may be targeting the transport. Buy us some time until reinforcements can arrive. Avoid engagement to the best of your abilities you two."
"Oh, and Cipher." Pixy said from within the aircraft. "First time for anything, right?"
"Yep. Time to start my resume as a night fighter." I flipped the safety for my missiles and my Vulcan cannon off as Sanya flipped the safety off on her… rocket launcher? I don't remember any witch being that heavily armed. From my view, she's wielding a nine-barreled rocket launcher. Pretty big for a small girl.
"Aaron, stay with the transport and monitor our progress." I ordered
"Don't push yourselves too hard, okay?" Minna asked
Sanya looped skywards as I followed suit. She has something green sticking out of her head. It turns out that it's her ability, just like what Minna said. She seems to be laying down as her antennae started to pick up the target. She opened her eyes as she leveled herself upright and fired at it.
"I'll help you out." I fired my Vulcan cannon at the clouds, whereas the rockets wielded by the Orussian Witch destroyed a portion of it. "I'm not sure if we're hitting it."
"It's not attacking back?" Sanya asked quietly as she continued to fire, trying to hit the Neuroi
"I don't see it." I complained as we continued to attack it. Unfortunately, none of the attacks hit it.
"That's enough you two." The Major said "Come on back."
"But it's still…" Sanya panted as she observed the clouds. I decided to help her a bit.
"Eagle Eye, anything out there remaining?"
"Nothing that I see." He answered "It may have disappeared or may have noticed us intercepting it."
"But I agree with Sanya." I answered back "It's still out there."
"No use bud." Pixy said "But you two defended the transport. Now, regroup. We're almost at base." I looked at the Orussian witch, who looked sad after not failing to destroy it.
"Hey, cheer up." I assured her "I'm sure it will show up again." She said nothing as we landed back at the base.
XXXXXXXXXX
We disembarked the aircraft as the Major ordered everyone to gather in the common room. I turned to Minna who just left. "Minna?" I asked the Commander "Do you know what's wrong with Major Sakamoto earlier? She looks… irked."
"The Allied brass said that they're cutting the budget for the Witch Corp. Commodore Galland was firmly against it at first, and so did many leaders of the Allied Forces. Unfortunately, much of the funding is used for the war effort, because we're the ones producing the results."
"That's just great." I was indignant "Osea is like that also. But now that the Belkan War may be over, Osea may be the ones taking all the riches."
"That's how warmongers are." She answered in a calm tone "From what Major Sakamoto said, they said that the only thing they see is their own position. We may fight for peace, they only see what can be accomplished and take it amongst themselves."
"I think Wizard One may be right after all." I lamented "Much of the war is focused on a small, round table, as leaders tried to make the biggest share while the others just leave with little or nothing. For me, PJ and Pixy, it's different."
"How different?"
"We fight for peace. We don't mind the leaders' decisions one bit. We just want anything that can make the peace last." I answered "To be honest, it's a good thing the Neuroi invaded."
"Why?"
"Otherwise, you might fight against each other, trying to conquer territory until the leaders come together just to make arguments over who gets what."
"Just like a world war." She commented "Otherwise your world may be like ours."
"Just be happy that your world is united, unlike mine who's fighting is all over the place."
"But you're a good man, Cipher." She comforted me with her fleeting smile "No pilot has been like this to us, Pixy also. And I don't mind what you think about. We're on the same page, and our world is like something that you've never realized."
"Yeah. I guess you're right." We looked at each other as I blinked twice as we looked away at each other "Well, this is…"
"You… want to go to the common room, now?" She asked
"Y-Yeah, let's just go."
XXXXXXXXXX
Minna and I entered the room, still flustered while everyone else, aside from Francesca who was sleeping, are discussing about the new Neuroi that appeared.
"Then, does that mean no one saw the Neuroi but Sanya this time?" My ersatz sister asked
"Aside from me who helped, then yes." I answered
"That's because it was hidden in the clouds and wouldn't come out." Major Sakamoto said
"Cipher, Pixy?" Barkhorn said, "Is there something like that Neuroi?"
"Only thing that comes close is a stealth model." Pixy answered
"What's stealth?" Yoshika and Lynnette asked
"Stealth is a concept where any aircraft or object is hidden without giving any indication to the enemy, whereas a friendly force can see you on radar." I answered
"Are your aircraft stealth?" Yoshika asked
"It isn't." Pixy answered "There are four types of aircraft known to have stealth capabilities. Three from Osea and one from Yuktobania."
"The two Osean craft are Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor's and F-35 Lightning II's, Northrop Grumman YF-23 Black Widow II's, and Yuktobanian Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut's. Those two superpowers have stealth technology that can be hidden from the human eye."
"But what about Sanya's antennae?" Barkhorn asked "She picked up the Neuroi signal with ease."
"I think her antennae is just as powerful compared to the other night witches." Minna answered "With her singing, it helps us guide us to the base and can help pinpoint where the Neuroi is located."
"Well, that puts stealth out of the question." I smirked as some nodded "But that Neuroi is still out there. It can pose a threat."
"I'm with Cipher on this one." Pixy said "There's no telling when that Neuroi will appear. Either in training or in the dead of night."
"Which is why I'm putting Galm Team on night fighter duty." Minna smiled
"Wait, Commander, I'm in the night fighter position too?" Pixy asked
"You remembered what happened to Cipher, right?"
"Yeah, he almost leaned his head over the flight controls and nearly slept." Pixy answered "I'm not sure if he's sleep-deprived."
"Surprisingly, it was Sanya's song that nearly put me to sleep." I looked at the Orussian witch, who is sitting by the piano, and still looking down. "But somehow, it felt nice and sweet." That brought the attention of her as she heard that someone other than the witches liked it.
"Oh. Thank you, Cipher." She said sweetly
"It's no problem at all." Minna then turned to Yoshika next.
"Miyafuji, I'll be assigning you to the night squadron along with Sanya and Galm Team." Yoshika was shocked
"You have experience from the latest battle after all." Major Sakamoto reminded. It's true. Before breaking off with Sanya, Yoshika witnessed the entire fight while inside the JU-52, albeit staring it in awe while the panic remained.
"But I only watched it from the-" I watched Eila walking up behind Yoshika while she volunteered to joint us four, making us a five-unit squadron. Sanya walked up to Eila and Yoshika and apologized.
"I'm sorry. I let the Neuroi get away…"
"Huh?! No, that isn't what I meant." Yoshika said as her head was continued to be pushed down by Eila's strength. I felt sorry for Sanya, yet, I'm worried for her well-being.
XXXXXXXXXX
The next morning, everyone was at the kitchen where today's meal is… blueberries. Let that sink in. You know, I think night fighters have the easy life. Just so long as they have stealth at their side.
"Oh, blueberries!" Perrine looked at a bowl full of them. "But why so many of them?"
"My family sent them." Lynnette answered as she brought in another bowlful. "Blueberries are good for your eyes you know." I looked at Lynnette after swallowing a spoonful.
"Really now?" I asked intriguingly as Hartmann rapidly ate her share
"I have heard that nighttime pilots in Britannia eat them often." Barkhorn said
"Hey, Pixy?" He turned his head "Have you ever wonder if any nighttime pilots back home eat these?"
"I have no clue, buddy." He answered as he continued eating. "Man, it's been a long time since I had these."
"I can ask my family to send in some more shipments, Pixy." Lynnette suggested "Maybe you can bring some in case you've found a way to go back."
"That's nice in all. But, I've been thinking. Should I rather stay here where everyone is united, or go back with buddy to fight a bogged down war where fighting for peace is relatively impossible to come by?"
"That's… A pretty good statement." I watched as Francesca told Yoshika and Shirley to show their tongues. They did so as Francesca revealed hers. All three of them had their tongues colored violet. A second later, they laughed it off. I just smiled and shook my head. "Days of my youth." I soon watched as Eila crept up from behind Perrine as she gripped her mouth, revealing her violet mouth. Pixy watched it also as we tried our best to conceal our laughter. To make things worse for her, the Major walked by, completely disregarding Perrine's… new look.
XXXXXXXXXX
After breakfast, the Major told us to go to bed for the night flight. Thing is though, while the three girls are placed in Sanya's room, Pixy and I got the same treatment, though in our rooms, and covered up the windows. To pass time, I decided to tire myself out, by listening to some music. Pixy allowed me to borrow his, since he told me to get some shut eye. The first track that I heard at the start was a piano, and finally a woman began singing.
Seijaku ga machi wo tsutsumu yoru ni
Furisosogu shiro
Kazashita tenohira ni
Fureta shunkan ni toketeku
Hakanai hitokakera
I'm starting to enjoy this. I can't believe that Pixy has included a Satsuman song into the mix.
Oto mo naku tsumoru
Hikari wo atsumete kimi wa warau
Ima donna oto?
Kotaetatte kimi wa
Mou nani mo kikoenai
There was a knock and it opened, revealed to be Sanya. I removed one of the earbuds and paused the song as Sanya walked in. "Is there something you need, Sanya?"
"I can't sleep, Cipher." She answered softly "Sorry if I'm dressed like this." She was wearing a bra and panties, but she's young and at least I'm not blushing.
"No, it's fine Sanya." I answered "So, why're you here?"
"Eila and Yoshika are awake." She answered "They're currently busy with Eila's Tarot Cards."
"Tarot Cards? What are they?"
"They are used by mystics and occultists, for those who can read the future. Eila's ability is Foresight, meaning she can predict the enemy movements and avoid Neuroi fire. That's why she brought these."
"If she has Foresight, doesn't she use a shield like you in combat?" I asked
"She doesn't. But thanks to her ability, she practically dodges it with ease."
"I don't know if that sounds dangerous or suicidal." I lamented
"It's Eila." She answered "She can go through with it." She looked at the music player. "What is it you have there?"
"Oh, this?" I showed it to her. "This here is a music player. It can play numerous songs in one go, with the exception of playing it again. Pixy lent it to me before he slept. I'm using it right now to make me sleep."
"Is it working for you?"
"Not yet so far." I lent one of the earbuds to her. "You want to listen?" She happily nodded as I lent one earbud as she attached it. I hit play again as the song continued.
Kurushii tte itte kure yo
Samishii tte itte kure yo
Mukae ni iku donna tokoro e mo...
Ikanai de yo doko e mo
Oitekanai de...
Bokura zutto futari de hitotsu darou...?
"Father, Mother…" I heard her say. She started shedding tears.
"Are you okay?" I asked as I paused the song.
"My father and mother are missing. I can't remember the last time I saw them." She answered
"What happened?" I asked while I wiped Sanya's tears
"When I enrolled into the Orussian Imperial Air Force, I can't make contact with my parents. Last I heard of them was that they are somewhere past the Ural Mountains. I was busy in Stalingrado, I lost track of them."
"Sanya. I'm sorry." I apologized for asking
"It's fine, Cipher." She said "One day, I'll be reunited with them. But your song, it has a piano in it."
"Hmm?"
"I studied in Vienna for music before the Neuroi invaded. Before the war, my father used to play me a song whenever it rains. It reminded me of my family, wherever they are."
"At least you're strong Sanya." I complimented "That song may be a link that they may be still alive."
"I hope so." She yawned cutely before she laid down next to me. "Can you continue that song?" I nodded as the song continued, before we slept peacefully.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Hey, Cipher." I woke up to find Pixy standing at my bedside "Time to wake up."
"Is it evening?" I asked
"I don't know, you tell me." He answered "Also, I see you have a guest." I woke up to find Sanya sleeping peacefully. Just then, we heard steps as it revealed to be Eila, looking really pissed.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH SANYA!?" She screamed
"I did nothing. All I just did was that I allowed her to listen to music from Pixy's music player, talked to for a few minutes and then she just slept beside me." I answered "If you want, ask her." Sanya then woke up slowly.
"Eila." She started speaking "Why are you here?"
"I'm here because a certain someone is sleeping with you." She snarled
"Actually," she yawned, "I'm here because you and Yoshika were talking while I entered Cipher's room. It turns out that he allowed me listen to some music of his."
"How did it sound like?"
"It sounded like from Miyafuji's country."
"I see but still…" Eila walked up to me, with an evil smile. I have completely bad feelings about this.
XXXXXXXXXX
Eila walked with Sanya and Yoshika, whereas Pixy is looking at my face, complete with a red slap mark. Hey, don't blame me if a thirteen-year old yet cute Orussian witch gets in a bed with an eighteen-year old pilot. To top it all off, let's add in an overprotective Suomus witch with a nasty slap. Man, it stings. It feels like I'm going to have this mark on my face for a long time. Yoshika hanged back a bit and removed the slap mark on my face.
The entire fighter wing gathered at the table, where the lights are completely dimmed. Needless to say, from Lynnette's perspective, she said that pilots have to get used to the dark environments. Thing is though, our F-15's can illuminate the night via control panel's and lights from our wings. The thing I'm more into now is…
"What kind of tea is this?" I asked
"It's marigold herbal tea." Perrine answered with etiquette "It's said that this can improve your eyesight too."
"First blueberries and now tea." Pixy mused "What can you girls come up with next?"
"There is a shipment coming in from Fuso tomorrow." Major Sakamoto answered "Trust me, I'm sure that some of you will like it or not."
"But, isn't that an old folk myth?" Lynnette answered
"How rude!" Perrine snapped "I'll have you know this was passed down from my grandmother's grandmother's grandmother's!"
"S-Sorry…" Lynnette sheepishly apologized. I tried it and, I got to hand it to her. It does taste good.
"This isn't half bad." Francesca popped up next to Yoshika and Lynnette, asking them to stick out their tongues. They did so, but, according to Francesca, she said it's boring. I looked at Sanya, who is sticking her tongue out a little. I think she doesn't like it. Well, I can't say it in front of Perrine, or else I might end up with another slap mark. Pixy didn't seem to mind it. But I can't shake the feeling that something that night pilots eat or drink cannot be good.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Eila, Sanya, Miyafuji," Minna said from the control tower "You'll takeoff first. Galm Team will take off next." Pixy and I waited in the cockpits of our aircraft. The three witches took off while holding Yoshika, mainly because it's her first night flight. "Galm Two, you're up first."
"Roger." Pixy then lined up with the runway and took off. It was my turn next as I took off also. It was raining when our craft took off, as we catched up with the three witches. High above the clouds, where it was raining, the midnight sky is very beautiful. At Glatisant, we only found ourselves in pitch darkness. Here, however, it all changed. As Yoshika thanked Sanya and Eila for bringing her, I pulled up next to the Orussian witch.
"Is this your first time in a night flight, Cipher?" She asked
"Close. It's my second." I answered "But still, it looks really nice out." She nodded as we patrolled the black night.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Uh… Little buddy?" Pixy asked while he's eyeing a shot glass. "What is this?"
"Lamprey liver oil." Yoshika answered as she carried a container "It's full of vitamins and good for your eyes."
"Since when?" He asked as Hartmann took a sniff at the substance.
"It smells kind of fishy."
"Well, it is fish oil." Barkhorn commented "Flavor doesn't matter as long as it's nutritious."
"You sure about that, Captain?" Pixy asked questioningly "I have one too many bad feeling about this stuff." Perrine just laughed at it
"That's Miyafuji for you. What a truly rustic choice." Perrine continued to laugh at Yoshika's poor choice, until Major Sakamoto intervened
"Actually, I'm the one who brought it." She stopped laughing because she didn't know that it was the Major who brought the container along, not Yoshika. Pixy and I tried to suppress a smile while Perrine panicked as she drank out of the shot glass. The result? I think I heard her glasses shatter. I looked at Pixy, who's next to try it. He did so, but…
"Damn… Stay down… Stay down…"
"I take it you don't like it?" I asked
"I don't like it infinitely." The other witches voiced their displeasure. Francesca, Eila, Hartmann, and my ersatz sister didn't like it one bit. Shirley said that it tastes like an engine oil she tried and Sanya just looked at it. My turn now. I was doubtful at first.
"They used to force me to drink this when I first joined." Major Sakamoto honestly said "I was at a real loss."
"I completely sympathize…" Perrine answered while she tried to keep herself stable. I looked over at Minna who finished hers.
"Refill please!"
"Make that two!" We waved over. Pixy was surprised.
"Why on Earth do you like that stuff?! This is horrible!" Pixy was livid
"For your tastes yes. For me, however, I'm actually fine with it." I answered. He sighed as he brought up something.
"Ripped bikini from a Liberion Witch." He smirked
"DON'T REMIND ME!" I screamed
XXXXXXXXXX
Minna's P.O.V.
I asked Pixy to be on the ground with Mio and I for the night. For Cipher, I paired him up with Sanya. So far, the two got along nicely. Right now, Cipher was helping me organize a few papers. We are done soon afterwards as I made tea.
"You know, Minna, I'm not really a fan on night fighting. Well, history wise."
"That's why they are not much known to the public, Cipher." I answered "We have night fighters of our own. They are like Sanya, but with different pilots and Witches."
"I'm pretty sure that there is a stealth fighter in the mix, I guess?"
"We do." I answered "But it's undergoing tests." I poured tea into both our cups. "Does your world employ night fighters?"
"We do have all-weather fighters." I answered "Thing is though that our world is advanced than yours. That means we incorporate stealth into the mix now. That way, in the night, the enemy won't see us, but we see them."
"I'm pretty sure the Neuroi have that suggestion also." I said while Cipher drank "Can your Eagle handle stealth upgrades?"
"Osea is looking into it now." He answered "They're developing an F-15SE Silent Eagle. There are two versions of it. One is the S variant, like our fighters, while the SE variant is like the Strike Eagle, a two-man jet capable of doing air-to-ground missions."
"Your world is fascinating with aircraft." I commented
"Well, I'm sure the Witches are fascinating too. Mainly you for being the first witch I've met in person, aside from Yoshika." I blushed instantly
"And you're the first pilot I've been able to communicate with. I'm glad that there are some pilots who sees witches as humanity's last hope."
"You're the Commander. And you're a capable witch. That's all I can say about you." I chuckled as the sun is about to disappear for the night.
"Speaking of which, today is Sanya's birthday. And from what Major Sakamoto said, it's also Yoshika's birthday." I said to Cipher
"Really." He said intrigued "Do you have any plans for the two?"
"We are planning that the day after, we can have an off-day and celebrate. We'll also use the time to get Sanya gifts. I've already brought one for her."
"Too bad I've already know this now. I don't have enough time to get her a gift."
"It's okay, Cipher." I assured him "I decided that you and I will give the same present over to Sanya. That way, you have a present for her too." He smiled at my idea.
"Good idea." We looked at the clock and it figured out that it was time for him to sortie. "Before I head for the hangar, what are you giving to Sanya?"
"Simple." I pulled out some piano books. "Since she studied as a musician in Vienna, I might as well give her some songs to play whenever she wants. Who knows, maybe when the war is over, the two of us might perform together."
"That sounds nice." He said "Maybe, when this war is over, I might see you perform."
"I sure hope so."
XXXXXXXXXX
Cipher's P.O.V.
"Sorry if I can't join you up there tonight, buddy." Pixy said from the tower "I'm going to act like AWACS Eagle Eye tonight and act as your reporting officer."
"You got the easy part, Larry." I said "At least you have to stay on the ground during the night. You're just recovering from the Lamprey Liver Oil." I retorted
"Says the guy who just saw Shirley's ripped bikini." Pixy smugly answered
"Dear God, NO!"
"All right. Shutting up now." Pixy said as he saw the three witches take off. "Alright buddy, your turn." My jet throttled down the runway as I climbed into the night sky once again. "Altitude restrictions cancelled, Cipher. Have fun." As I joined the three, Yoshika said that today's her birthday as well. It's a good thing Minna told me earlier, otherwise, I would have panicked because I didn't have time to get a gift.
"Why didn't you tell us before?!" Eila complained
"My birthday is also the day my dad died." Yoshika answered
"What happened to him?" I curiously asked
"I'm sure Larry-san knows. But since you've been talking to Commander Minna on the first day, I'll tell you. My dad died due to an experiment gone wrong. It took the entire building with him. The military didn't uncover the details of his death, until a few years later, where I received letters from him."
"Yoshika, forgive me for asking." I apologized
"It's alright, Cipher-san." She answered "Things have been so hectic that I've forgot to mention it."
"You're so dumb." Eila retorted as she pulled up next to Yoshika. "At times like this, it's okay to push happy things to the forefront."
"Huh? Has it really?" She asked as Sanya flew next to the two
"Yeah!"
"Miyafuji, Cipher, listen closely." Sanya said as her antennae picks up a frequency. We heard a few scratches in the frequency until some old wartime songs are clearly heard on our intercoms.
"Sanya, you can do that?" She nodded as she flew close to my jet.
"Another part for having an antennae is to pick up radio frequencies from any radio in or out of the country. The sky is calm at night, so you can pick up signals from far-off mountains or the horizon."
"Really?! That's amazing!" Yoshika said happily "I didn't know you can do that!"
"Yeah." Sanya answered "I always listen to it whenever I'm flying at night."
"I thought that was our little secret." Eila said
"Sorry. But tonight's a special exception." Eila just went along with it as she dove into the clouds as Yoshika pulled up alongside the Orussian Witch.
"What's wrong?" She asked
"Well, you see, it's also Sanya's…" I heard Pixy on the intercom
"Bad news, Cipher." Pixy said "On Aaron's E-3, radar has picked up the Neuroi from two nights ago. It's coming in fast as well." I then heard a song that is completely deformed. It sounded like someone clawing a chalkboard with their fingernails.
"AGH! What on Earth is that!?" I yelled
"Cipher!" The three pulled up next to me as I pulled off my helmet in flight. "Cipher-san, are you okay?" I breathed rapidly, trying to regain my senses.
"I'm not sure. What on Earth was that?"
"Cipher, girls. I got word from Commander Wilcke that the sound you three are listening to is a Neuroi's voice."
"How can that be? Neuroi don't talk. They just screech." I logically asked while putting back my helmet.
"Apparently, it's playing Sanya's song. The one that we heard while coming back from London two nights ago."
"Cipher, Sanya." Minna ordered from the tower. "Return to base."
"We can't see them." Major Sakamoto said "Under these conditions, there's no telling where they are. Pixy, what about the AWACS' Radar. Is it still functional?"
"Hardly." He answered "I'm trying my best to break through the interference. But the Neuroi out there is frying the radar."
"I see." The Major said "The Neuroi's target is…"
"It's you, Sanya. Get out of this airspace. Hurry!" I ordered, but Sanya just hovered.
"Escape, you three!" Sanya ordered as she quickly ascended to intercept the Neuroi.
"Sanya, wait!" The Neuroi fired off a beam as it managed to get a hit on her left Striker, causing it to disintegrate with ease. I watched as the beam nearly sliced off her leg. "Sanya!" The two witches flew up while I fired my Vulcan cannon. "Show yourself, you coward."
"It disappeared from radar again, buddy." Pixy said
"Damn!" I flew up to find Eila holding Sanya.
"You idiot!" Eila snapped "Why are you trying to do it by yourself?!"
"I'm the enemy's target." Sanya answered "There's no question about it. Get away from me… If you stay with me, you'll…"
"No way, Sanya." I answered "You're trying to act like my ersatz sister. There is no way on Earth, am I going to see you fall."
"But, Cipher…"
"It doesn't matter." I retorted back "Think about what your family would say when they see you go through like this. And on your birthday of all things."
"How did you know…?"
"Minna told me about it." I answered calmly "And I don't accept a birthday as a death day. Sanya, you have us. You aren't alone in this." I then watched Eila wielding Sanya's weapon.
"What are you going to do?" Yoshika asked
"Give me the enemy's location, Sanya. You too, Pixy." Eila ordered
"Pixy, try to clear the jamming from the radar." I ordered "Eila is using Sanya's antennae, so look where it is, and I'll try to help shoot it down."
"Roger."
"That thing isn't you." Eila said "It may be all alone, but you aren't alone. It won't beat us." Yoshika nodded as I head off to intercept.
"Pixy, where is it?"
"We're tracking it on radar." He answered "So far, nothing has come up, but it's heading straight for you."
"It's on a contact line on Vega and Altair." Sanya reported "Approximate distance of 3,200."
"It's coming fast, Cipher."
"Sanya, I'll lead it towards you." I called out while diving into the clouds. "On the count of three, pour it on it."
"You're going through with this?" Both Sanya and Minna asked
"Trust me." I assured the two "Being targeted by other craft is always in my specialty."
"Try not to push yourself, Cipher." Minna said as I searched for the Neuroi. Inside the clouds, it feels dark. But, out of the blue, I saw a flash of red.
"Oh my-" I jinked right as the beam missed. "I see it. I'll lead it towards you now." I turned right as another laser was fired. I can already feel the heat of the Neuroi laser, from inside my cockpit. I can see some holes in the clouds.
"You're nearing the girls, Cipher." Pixy radioed "Whatever you're going to do, do it fast." I checked my radar as I saw the three girls.
"Okay girls, on three." My threat warning rang through as Eila aimed Sanya's Fliegerhammer. Reacting quickly, I turned left as the Neuroi that was chasing me is now heading straight for them. "Three!" Eila fired rockets as it became damaged.
"There it is!" The Neuroi charged at them just as Eila discarded the Fliegerhammer. She brought up her machine gun and fired.
"Eila! No! Run!" Sanya cried out
"There's no time for that!" Eila replied as she kept firing. Bits and bits of the Neuroi are getting chipped off, but it's not enough. Yoshika then opened up her shield, to give the girls cover. "Good idea, Miyafuji!"
"It's okay." Yoshika said "I know we can win."
"This is what a team is all about." Eila continued to fire. I circled back around as Sanya wielded Yoshika's weapon.
"We're with you Sanya." I called out. "Fox Two!" I fired my arcane missiles as the combined machine gun and missile fire completely destroyed the Neuroi. Just then, the Neuroi's voice is no longer heard as it's replaced with Sanya's song.
"I still hear it…" Eila said
"How come? Didn't we beat it?" Yoshika asked
"We checked it on radar, little buddy." Pixy answered "It's destroyed, but all we're hearing is a piano playing."
"No, this is my father's piano…" Sanya countered as she revved up her remaining Striker.
"It's coming from somewhere in the sky." I said "You think it may be her parents?"
"No, maybe not." Eila answered. Yoshika and I got confused. "Today is actually Sanya's birthday. Or maybe yesterday to be precise."
"It means that you have the same birthday as hers, Yoshika." I answered "We just haven't have the time to do so."
"Then yours is the same as mine?" Yoshika asked Eila
"Wouldn't it be natural for someone who loves Sanya to celebrate her birthday?"
"Wait, are you two…?" I felt heat rushing towards my face.
"It's not like that, idiot."
"An idiot?" I asked. I looked at Sanya as she started to radiate pulses in the sky. I smiled under my breather as I radioed her. "Happy Birthday Yoshika. You too, little buddy."
"Little buddy?" Eila asked
"What? Pixy has one. That doesn't mean that I can have one also." I answered back
"But just keep your hands away from my Sanya!" Eila ordered. "Do that and I'll slap you to kingdom come."
"Okay. Relax, Eila." I answered as we finished our night flight.
XXXXXXXXXX
We had that party today as everyone took a day-off, aside from me and Pixy doing a bit of recon before it began. While the other witches, Aaron and Pixy are busy talking, I brought this opportunity to talk to Sanya. She is currently eating some cake, as I sat down next to her. "Hey, little buddy."
"Hi."
"Enjoying the party?" She nodded
"It will be nice if I know that my parents are alive." She said
"I'm sure they are, Sanya." I assured her. "If they see you, they'll be very happy to see that you're still alive." I then realized something. "I forgot to say 'Happy Birthday' to you, Sanya." She shook her head
"It's fine, Cipher. You and I are gonna get along just fine. Buddy." She giggled as I smiled. When it came to present opening, we got various gifts for both Yoshika and Sanya. When Minna and I gave ours, she was speechless. It was one of the songs that she is currently playing and much of it represents Tchaikovsky and others like Orussian songs to wartime music. She's happy that she would be able to play it on the piano once more.
XXXXXXXXXX
A while later, I went with Minna to Yoshika's dad's gravesite. "This must be Yoshika's dad, right?" Minna nodded as I placed flowers that Yoshika received from her family. "Wish your daughter a 'Happy Birthday'. She would still be happy to see you once again." I looked at the epitaph as it said, 'Use you're powers to protect everyone.' I silently nodded at that phrase.
"Cipher, we need to revise our understandings about the Neuroi." Minna said
"About what had happened last night?" I asked "I hope they listen. If not, then there goes the world. You know, I have a good feeling that there are many brass members that know more about this than you girls and us pilots."
"I guess we'll have to stay sharp then." Minna answered as we headed back to base. "Cipher, do you ever wonder if any other pilots knows you're here?"
"I have no clue." I answered "It may be impossible for any squadron to come to your world." Little did I know, is that an old enemy of mine will appear.
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En route to Avalon Dam, Mund Valley, Belka
Osea-Ustio Border (Formerly known as Area B7R)
December 31st, 1995
ROT Team, B.A.F 2nd Air Division, 52nd Tactical Fighter Squadron
"AWACS Xiphos to ROT Team, come in." A grey-bodied and red-nosed Typhoon zoomed across the famed airspace Belka fought to protect.
"Lieutenant-Colonel Detlef Fleisher, ROT One, copies. Come in."
"ROT One and Two, remember, you are to pierce through former Belkan airspace B7R en route to Avalon Dam." Xiphos said "Remember, we're now part of the Belkan Bundeswehr under jurisdiction of the Allied Forces. Head over to Avalon Dam and take out the V2 facility underneath."
"ROT One, copy." Detlef then looked at another Typhoon, which had been painted with a solid black body and the distinctive red nose. Her name is Angela Waechter, and she's now used to be ROT Two and has known the Lieutenant-Colonel after the entire team was shot down and killed. She worked her way up to Major and flew with him at the Northern Front. When word got out about the war ending and the 'World with no Boundaries, Detlef had a mix of reactions. One, he's angry over Belka surrendering to the Allies. And two, he sees that the terrorist group is trying to annihilate the world, including Belka.
Angela, being born in Recta, studied in Belka, and joined the Belkan Air Force afterwards. Detlef looked at the aircraft she's flying in. "That aircraft skin of yours is different compared to the entire squadron. I'm sure that the terrorist group will fear you."
"It's not my fault if a certain commander of mine told me to customize my aircraft in a different color." Angela answered as her black-bodied aircraft flew nxt to Detlef's.
"I've fought him here during the opening stages of the war." Detlef remembered
"Who? You mean the 'Demon Lord' that everyone talked about?" Angela asked
"That's him." Detlef answered "He may be a mercenary dog and an enemy, I seem to respect him highly. I really wanted to see him and talk about a few things. The problem is, is that he went missing after 'Operation Battle-Axe'."
"You're wondering where he is now?" He slowly nodded as Xiphos gave them a message.
"ROT Team, you have incoming aircraft. Four in all."
"They're Osean." Angela said
"This is Wizard One, ROT Team has entered the net." Detlef knew that voice. It belonged to one Joshua Bristow, the brainchild of the organization he founded.
"This is Wizard Five, roger. Let's begin."
"There's four of them, sir. Wait, there are stealth fighters mixed in. They're coming at the front." Angela analyzed
"They have no sense of honor." Detlef said coldly "They've fought for their country, and this is how they repaid them? ROT Two, time to hunt some Osean defectors. Down them all!"
"ROT Two, roger. Heil Belka!" The two aircraft dove into the eight Osean aircraft, en route to Avalon Dam. Little did ROT Team realized, that they will meet Galm Team… in another world.
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This is by far the longest chapter I've ever written. Now, you may be wondering why put ROT Team into the mix. Well, it is because I have people asking me to add the Typhoon. And only team I know who wielded Typhoons are ROT. For Angela's craft, the black-body and red-nosed aircraft looks a little menacing. Reminds you of something? Next chapter will be another filler, before the events of EP. 7. So, be prepared for the oncoming storm. Well, not really, since the chapter afterwards will mainly focus on Minna and Cipher.
For bringing in the song Cipher heard, it's sung in Japanese. Thing is though, I can't find the Strangereal equivalent of Japan. Closest one may be Sotoa, but I decided to go with a fictional country called 'Satsuma'. For those who do not know who Satsuma is, I'll put it in briefly. They supported the Imperial Court during the Boshin War against the Shogunate. I would say, its place may be located near the island which looks exactly like New Zealand. Oh and 'Soundless Voice' is by Valshe. I do not own it.
Amirah: So another filler chapter starring the two you've featured.
Exactly, Amirah.
Minna: And the next chapter afterwards centers on me and Cipher. (Her face starts to heat up)
Again, Minna let it go through piece by piece first.
Minna: Alright. So, see you in the filler chapter, readers.
