Chapter 18: Graduation Part IV
Naval Battle
Ashley sighed as she attempted to calm her nerves, thought of the upcoming battle plagued her mind as she did her best to banish them. Around her Wolf and Nick flew in formation with Wolf in the lead as the trio of aircraft flew CAP over the remaining ships of the 8th Naval Flotilla. Off to their left where the five interceptors of Terrier Squadron who were doing the same as them. On their right and slightly higher than their current altitude where the four fighters of Badger squadron. Both Terrier and Badger Squadrons had suffered severe losses in the course of the battle so far and so they had been tasked to defend the carrier Riptide and its escort fleet while Hammerhead squadron composed of ten strike bombers with anti-ship missiles attacked the enemy fleet. Dire Wolf team was going to support both efforts as their Arwing-X's where considered multirole aircraft.
Ashly looked down toward the 8th Naval Flotilla and could stop a grimace at the meager number of ships that remained of the once formidable fleet. The task force had been reduced to a meager ten cruisers, five destroyers, and of course the carrier Riptide. Meanwhile the enemy navy had three battleships, 12 Cruisers, and thirty one destroyers, supported by two carriers. The fleet's saving grace was that while the enemy had a significant number of bombers to attack them with most of their fighters were engaged elsewhere and thus only had 12 fighters to cover themselves from the bombers of Hammerhead Squadron.
"Riptide to allied fighters!" a voice broke over the comm. "We are approaching the enemy fleet who have positioned themselves at the mouth of the bay! The enemy is composed of four lines of defenses, their first wave is composed of four groups of bombers! Radar says they are inbound now from the North, North East, and North West! Terrier and Badger flights mover to intercept! Dire wolf maintain altitude and engage any that make it past them! Hammerhead as soon as the bombers are dealt with start your attack run on the enemy fleet! Target the ships closest to us and preference cruisers before destroyers! We need them taken down so are cruisers can hit the destroyers with impunity! Destroyer escorts concentrate on anti-aircraft actions!" the comms officer aboard the Riptide relayed.
"Confirmed Badger flight engaging hostile bombers to the North and North East. Terrier you take the North and North West bandits." Badger squadrons leader relayed as the two squadrons split off to intercept the enemy.
Ashley watched her radar as after a few minutes she saw the blips representing Terrier and badger squadrons merged with the blips representing the enemy bombers. "Damn" Wolf replied with a chuckle "Their bombers must be old Bass Diver's their slow and un-maneuverable. This is what happens if you have crap equipment folks, look at how easily they shot out of the sky." Wolf replied as he and the rest saw the blips representing ten enemy aircraft all cease to exist within the span of around fifteen or so seconds.
"I don't think they were expecting us to bring as many aircraft as we did." Nick pointed out, to which both Wolf and Ashley agreed.
"This is Badger, all enemy bombers shot down." Badger's leader reported.
"This is Riptide confirmed, all enemy bombers down. Badger and Terrier return to CAP positions. Hammerhead we have destroyed the first defensive line, you are cleared to attack the ships in the second line of enemies. We are detecting two groups of enemy ships composing of five cruisers and four destroyers each. Dire Wolf team engage any cruiser they may miss and watch out for their AA fire." Riptides comm officer relayed.
"Dire Wolf confirms moving to engage." Wolf replied before the three Phantoms banked down and right. After descending to an altitude of less than one thousand feet they leveled off well behind the ten strike bombers of Hammerhead squadron, who were flying lower than them.
Ahead of them the enemy ships came into sight as two clusters of nine ships each with the bigger cruisers out front in a v-formation and the destroyers tucked in right behind them.
"Hammer head lead to all Hammerhead craft. I want Hammerhead 6 to take Hammerheads 7 through 10 to engage the formation on the left. All others are with me to engage the group on the right." Hammerhead leader's voice relayed over the comm.
"Confirmed leader, Hammerhead 6 banking left." Hammerhead six replied as a bomber pulled left quickly followed by four other bombers.
Dire Wolf team stay with the right unit. Well engage any remaining targets there before we swing to the West and engage the left force." Wolf instructed to which both Ashley and Nick acknowledged.
(Enemy Fleet Commanders POV)
"Sir the enemies strike bombers just hit our second line!" The radar officer reported to his captain who also was in charge of the entire naval flotilla currently blockading the bay.
"Damage report!" the captain a male red panda with a gruff voice ordered.
"Sir Task force Sable has lost three cruisers and two of its destroyers! Task force Donahan has lost four cruisers and one of its destroyers! Enemy fighters are engaging them now!" The radar officer reported.
"Damn!" The red panda cursed before glaring at the ocean in front of the Aegis class battleship he commanded. "How long until we are in range?" he asked his gunnery officer.
"Thirty seconds sir!" the officer replied.
"Good fire as soon as we are in range and order all remaining ships of the second line to full back to our force, advise the carrier's that the second defensive line has been destroyed." The commander advised.
"Yes sir!" came the collective response of the men around him as the battleships guns began to rotate.
(Nick's POV)
"This is the Riptide were taking fire!" The panicked voice of the comms officer aboard the Riptide shouted over the comm.
Nick had just finished his attack run on the remnants of the enemy's second line when he heard the call. Dire Wolf team had sunk another two cruisers and three destroyers after Hammerheads successful attack, leaving only a single cruiser and two destroyer escorts to retreat to the third line. As Nick looked back toward the Riptide he could see large plums of water explode upwards of thirty feet into the air around the 8th Flotilla.
"It's the enemy battleships they must be in range of our fleet." Ashley relayed as two of their cruisers took hits that devastated their hulls causing them to stop and make preparations to abandon ship. This was followed by one of the forward destroyers taking a round that broke the vessel in two with a massive explosion.
"Damnit we need to take out those battleships!" a terrier pilot relayed.
Wolf decided that now was the time for someone to step up and take command of the situation. "All right listen up! We need those battleships gone so hammerhead will split into two groups and attack the battleships on either flank of the enemy's formation. Terrier and Badger flights will assist Dire Wolf in covering them from the enemy fighters over the third line. If you keep your speed up it should provide you with a better chance of avoiding the enemy's AA fire!" Wolf instructed hoping that everyone would accept his orders despite his lack of rank and reputations. Imagine his surprise when a response came almost immediately.
"Hammerhead confirms moving to prepare attack run."
"Badger copies moving"
"Terrier flight confirms new order moving to engage enemy aircraft."
Wolf gave a small smile which morphed into a smirk as his eyes found the eight enemy fighters over the enemy's second line. "Dire Wolf there are some fly's in Hammerheads way, lets show them why that's a bad decision." He chuckled as he pushed his Phantom into a climb to engage the bandits.
"HELL YEAH!" both Ashley and Nick replied with glee as they followed their leader upward toward the eight enemy fighters who were descending toward them. As the two groups closed rapidly with each other large puffs of anti-aircraft fire exploded all around them as the fleet below opened up along with orange streaks of machinegun fire. The three Phantoms braved through the onslaught before they and the enemy fires opened up with their guns as the two groups merged.
Soon the sky and ocean over the bay area turned into a raging maelstrom of fire and smoke as the usual clam sound of the waves was replaced with the sounds of naval guns, the roar of fighter and bomber engines, the explosions from burning ships, and the wails of the scarred and injured sailors on either side.
: Over Corneria City Star Port, two hours after takeoff:
(Brian's POV)
Brian glanced around the skies of the Star Port as laser fire streaked across the area. He and the rest of Saber flight had been duking it out with the enemy over the area for the last three minutes along with the rest of the Cornerian fighter pilots. Despite them being outnumbered a little more than 2 to 1 the Cornerian pilots where simply better than the enemy a fact that showed as the battle progressed and the number of enemies was witting down.
Saber flight itself was doing rather well, with Fate and Isme using their superior teamwork to rack up two kills each and covering the eithers back. Edmund also was proving to be flying well using hit and run tactics to shoot down three enemies while Brian himself had just shot down his third opponent of the day. Still thangs could be going better as none of the civilian ships had taken off yet. Apparently the civilians on the ground where proving difficult to musher into the ships as they were panicking. Then again having a raging aerial battle above your head will likely do that to most none military folk.
"This is the civilian evacuation ship Edith, we are full and preparing to lift off! Final countdown commencing!" a voice of what had to be the ships pilot announced as Brian saw one of the civilian ships power up and begin to gun its large engines.
"Confirmed Edith. All right everyone put the pressure on the bombers! Don't let them line up a shot on the Edith!" Came the voice of Captain Dersk, pilot of Husky 1 and its squadron leader.
Brian searched the area and saw that the eight or so bombers that where left where all being pursued by allied craft so he looked for a different target and soon found one in the form of an enemy fighter chasing after one of Bear squadrons pilots.
Pitching his craft over onto its right wing Brian pulled back hard on the stick as his craft pulled a high G right turn and banking onto the enemy's tail. Closing in on the enemy Brian locked the enemy Arwing and waited for the target to make a mistake. That mistake came when the craft banked shallowly to the right allowing Brian to get a large profile of the target and allowing him to send a burst of laser fire at the enemy. The four shots all hit the craft along its right side causing catastrophic damage and causing the craft's right side to explode leaving the burning left side to fall to the earth below spinning and trailing flames.
"This is the Edith we're airborne!" the ships pilot announced as the civilian ship pushed off the ground slowly before picking up speed and rocketing upward toward where the Kilo was keeping an escape route open.
"This is Husky leader to all Cornerian craft, the first transport is away! I repeat the first transport is away!" Dersk's announcement was met with many cheers over the comm as the Cornerian pilots redoubled their attacks emboldened by their success.
"This is the Civilian shuttle Solis we are lifting now!" The second transport announced as it rose and quickly joined the Edith as it ascended into the sky.
"This is Citadel to all Cornerian aircraft near the Star Port be advised, we are detecting seven unknown aircraft approaching from the North. Eagle squadron intercept." The control at Halva airbase reported.
"We see them engaging!" One of the Eagle pilots at the edges of the engagement reported. "Wait, what the- Shit! I'm hit, going down!"
"Missile! Break, brea-"
"Ahh!" Multiple screams came over the comm causing Brian to assume the worse. A thought that was proven correct as a new voice came over the comm. "This is Eagle 2, Eagles 1,3, 4,5,6, and 8 all down! Eagle 7 and I are all that's left! Enemy aircraft heading for the Star Port!" the panicked voice of Eagle two reported.
Suddenly a new voice broke over the comm. "This is Buzzard Leader target spotted initiating attack. Pitbull team take out that transport. Buzzard engage the target aircraft, kill those Shadow Team rejects."
Brian heard Wraith curse "Damn, all craft be advised it's the human squadron Buzzard. Their protecting a group of four bombers. Carful everyone their leader is named 'The Vulture' he's a quadruple ace and considered highly dangerous."
Brian swallowed nervously but steeled himself and streaked toward the incoming target. "Well time to see what all the fuss is about." He thought as he prepared to engage against his first real human opponent.
The seven aircraft he saw approaching turned out to be made up of two distinct groups. Firstly where three unfamiliar dark grey aircraft. The aircraft themselves where diamond shaped with the nose of the craft jutting out the front. The strange angles however suggested that these aircraft where somewhat stealth capable and combined with the two large engines situated on the back left little doubt that these three where human aircraft. (YF-23 Black Widow II) The second group was a small team of four Badger strike bombers. Brian knew that while not a fighter the badger aircraft where fast and nimble once they dropped their heavy ordinance, by no means an easy target.
"This is Storm engaging!" Brian called out as he dove to engage the enemy formation, hoping to quickly hit the bombers.
The enemy however appeared to have other ideas. As Brian dove upon them the enemy formation quickly split up with the bombers pulling away from one another to make them harder targets while the three fighters turned toward him likely trying to make him overshoot them. However that theory was blown out of the water when the three fighters not only turned toward him but did it so quickly that they also had a bead on him and began to open fire with some form of rapid fire laser cannon under their noses.
"Shit!" Brian shouted as he rolled and banked his aircraft to avoid the incoming fire and having to immediately abort his attack on the bombers. Much to his horror one of the aircraft, after passing him, pulled a spin snapping turn and was almost immediately on his tale. "This is Storm the enemy is highly maneuverable, I need some help!" Brian shouted over the comms as he did his best to avoid all the laser fire the enemy was throwing at him. He had tried to shake off his opponent but the enemy aircraft was almost unnaturally nimble and was easily able to keep him bracketed in their sights.
"This is Rook, I'm busy with their leader and cannot engage the bombers." Wraith reported from where he was trying to outmaneuver the enemy on his tale.
"This is Wraith, King, Fang on me where going to take them." Wraith called as he, Lucas, and Edmond Banked toward the rapidly approaching bombers who had broken through the allied fighters thanks to the third fighter engaging their allies.
As the three rapidly approached the bombers, Edmond's craft began to trail behind. "King you're slowing down what's wrong?" Wraith asked.
"Absolutely nothing human." Came Edmonds reply just before he released a missile directly toward Wraith's aircraft.
"Watch out lead!" Lucas shouted and even as Wraith watched Lucas's Arwing-X banked left into the path of the missile which impacted just behind the canopy before detonating. Lucas's craft was blown apart with debris striking Wraith's Phantom.
"DAMN!" Wraith yelled as his craft pitched toward the ground having lost both engines. "WRAITH, EJECTING!" Wraith announced as the canopy blew away from his craft and his seat rocketed away from the doomed Phantom as it spiraled into the ground. This also left the bomber unmolested as they fired their ordinance of two large missiles each at their targets.
The first two pairs of missiles rocketed into the third transport which immediately disabled it. Causing it to fall to the earth from where it was attempting to lift off. Brian knew that many of the 20,000 people onboard would not survive the crash as flames quickly spread across the wreckage. The Third pair of missiles impacted the fourth transport taking out one of its engines but not destroying the ship. The fourth pair impacted the Star Port itself insuring large amounts of damage across the facility's main terminal.
"FUCK! Citadel, Shadow 4 is EVA, and Fang is gone. Transport three is firewalled, and four has been heavily damaged. Also extensive damage to port facilities. We need back up now!" Rook reported as the tables turned over the Star Port.
Aaaannnnddddd Chapter! Well the next chapter will be the last one of this battle. Just FYI for you all after the next update I will put up two more chapters before I will end this ark and list this story as complete. This is mostly because I need a break from this story and need time for my motivation to continue it too return. The story will continue in the sequel so don't worry about it being gone forever. I will also update this story when that happens to let you all know the sequel is up to.
But for now hope you all enjoy this and the next two updates! So till next time remember to stay frosty and don't forget to review.