The Demon's Song

by bluebellwren

As the Circum-Pacific War breaks out, Kathryn Hamilton finds herself burdened with responsibility and a legacy she never wanted. Torn between duty and expectations, she fights to protect her homeland and her allies as the ghosts of a fallen nation seek reckoning. Hailed as both heroes and demons, four wings must light the path to peace with an unquenchable blaze.

3. The Shorebirds

Chapter Two: The Shorebirds

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Sand Island Air Force Base, Ceres Ocean.
September 24th, 2010.
0854hrs.

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They were called in early that morning to report for a briefing, barely having been able to get breakfast in before a voice over the PA system issued the order. They said their goodbyes to Hans and Arrow before they all reluctantly set off out of the mess hall. All eight of them arrived before the base commander, greeted instead by Corporal Philip Cooper, better known in the air as the radio officer aboard their AWACS 'Thunderhead'. Most of the time he wasn't in the air, though, since usually they operated within range of Sand Island's control tower and he just did his work from there.

However, chances are, if they were expected to patrol Cape Landers today after the previous incident then Thunderhead would be joining them. Of course, Kathryn reminded herself to keep her curiosity about the nature of their mission to herself, remembering that Bartlett wasn't supposed to tell them about the attack. He may have been more concerned about them, but she wasn't sure what they'd do without him. He was the only leader they had left, after all.

Everyone chose to keep quiet, except for Chopper who would lean over or forward or back depending on who he wanted to talk to and make hushed conversation after Thunderhead had ordered they 'cut the chatter and be patient'. The only one that did not entertain him after that order was given was Dogma, but that was to be expected. Unfortunately, Kathryn wasn't much better as a conversation partner. After spending much of the evening talking with Nagase in an attempt to ease their nerves all it really did was make them more nervous, so she was busy trying to focus her thoughts elsewhere. It wasn't working that well.

Bartlett and Cruise sat in the frontmost row of seats, keeping to themselves for the most part. As far as Bartlett's attitude, his mood seemed better but he didn't look like he'd slept very well. Not that they got all that much sleep anyways, but you adjusted to a schedule like that after a while. He looked like he was running on fumes, and he downed what Kathryn was certain was his fourth cup of coffee that morning to prove it.

The door to the room was suddenly slammed close as Perrault arrived, Thunderhead instantly snapping at attention. Everyone moved to get up, but his grating, sour voice boomed out before they were on their feet. "At ease, people! But don't get too comfortable sitting on your asses!"

No one had to be told twice, dropping back into their seats without a word of protest. As Perrault headed to the front of the room, Thunderhead took the time to draw the blinds shut. The morning light streaming in was blocked out, engulfing the room in a depressing sort of darkness as Perrault logged into the blocky laptop on the desk and turned on the almost ancient projector it was hooked up to. From there they watched as said laptop was connected to the military's satellite system, displaying a dark blue map of the world with Osea highlighted in a lighter blue. For just a split second before the focal point was changed with a few swift clicks, Kathryn could have sworn Yuktobania was highlighted in red.

"It's a grave situation for all of us right now," Perrault said, though he didn't sound all that concerned. He took a seat, handing control of the computer off to Thunderhead as he did. "Let's hurry up and get this briefing started."

Thunderhead pinpointed Sand Island on the map off the coast of Osea's southwestern peninsula, clicking Cape Landers as well, the system lagging somewhat as it pulled up the coordinates of the selected locations. "An aircraft of unknown origins has entered Osean Federation airspace. All we've been able to confirm thus far is that the target type appears to be a strategic recon plane flying at a very high altitude."

He proceeded to further zoom into the peninsula, selecting the area as well as pulling up images from their radar and satellites of the area and aircraft as four arrowheads representing Sand Island's squadron were generated alongside that of the unidentified aircraft. Thunderhead explained, "Despite our repeated warnings, it continued to penetrate our ADEZ and was eventually fired upon automatically by Osean Coastal Defense Force SAMs as a result."

"So what's that got to do with us?" Chopper asked him, crossing his arms. "Sounds like the Coastal Defense took care of it."

"Because we believe one of our SAMs damaged the unknown aircraft, but did not destroy it. Our radar shows that it is gradually losing altitude and is attempting to egress feet wet towards the ocean," Thunderhead said quickly, not pleased by the interruption. All that was displayed now was the area of operations terrain and coordinates, as well as the arrowheads and their squadron's roster. "Your orders are to intercept this target and force it to land for identification. Do not fire upon this aircraft under any circumstances. Following its surrender and identification you will standby until further orders are transmitted."

"With the simplicity of the operation, I trust you'll be able to follow your orders to the letter," Perrault said from where he sat, looking over all of them with a scowl on his face. "Whatever you do, let's avoid causing an international incident before we have all of the facts. Dismissed."

Kathryn took a deep breath, Nagase and Clown both tensing on either side of her. They all got to their feet one by one, ready to get in the air. As everyone filed out of the room and into the hallway, Kathryn forced herself to give an awkward laugh. "Looks like a simple intercept. What could go wrong?"

"A lot more than you'd think," Nagase pointed out to her.

"You're gonna jinx us with that attitude, Nagase," Chopper interjected from behind them as he fell in step beside Clown. "Now could both of you please not remind me what we could be flying into? I'd like to stay in denial about all this."

Dogma snorted. "There's clearly a war brewing, no amount of denial will change that."

"Alright, all of you settle down," Bartlett said over his shoulder as they all marched down the hallways. Since he wasn't facing them it was hard to tell what might be going through his head without seeing his expression, but at least for their sake he tried to sound confident. "For now it's all simple and straightforward. No matter what happens up there, we're all gonna come back from it unscathed. And if you don't then you'll be lucky if I don't finish you off myself."

"Yes, sir," all of them called out, Kathryn, Clown, and Chopper being brave enough to let out a few chuckles at his comment. At least he was in a good mood, but that attitude would change when they were in the air and he switched over to his squadron leader mode.

But for now he seemed to be chomping at the bit to get in the air just like the rest of them. Kathryn, in spite of her nerves, allowed herself to feel a little excitement at her first real operation. They were trained to thrive under this kind of pressure after all.

---

Cape Landers, Osea.
1101hrs.

The four aircraft arrived in the airspace late in the morning, and looking down at the countryside below Kathryn could hardly believe that just yesterday this same area had been the site of a fierce battle. She wondered how Nagase and Dogma were holding up, figuring Bartlett had already bounced back after the events, though it wasn't like any of them had a choice. They would keep their mouths shut and carry out whatever mission was asked of them. Things seemed peaceful enough as they made their approach, though, with no visual on the target yet.

As they closed in on the airspace, Bartlett's voice rang out as he announced their location, calling himself by the personalized callsign he always used. "This is Heartbreak One of Wardog Squadron, we're entering the area of operations. We should be approaching the target before long."

"This is AWACS, callsign Thunderhead," Thunderhead announced his own designation, not that anyone really needed to hear it again. They all knew who he was, but better to keep things straight Kathryn figured. "Roger, Wardog. Bring the target to the ground, but do not fire at the target. Repeat, do not fire at the target. I can't stress that order enough."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it," Lieutenant Cruise said with an irritated sigh, speaking up before Bartlett could. "You act like we weren't at the briefing."

"And you act like we weren't fallin' asleep the whole time," Bartlett teased as most of them let out snickers of their own at Thunderhead and Perrault's expense. He quickly went back to business, addressing all of them, "You heard the man, nuggets. Think twice before you all go gettin' trigger-happy on me, alright?"

Nagase was the first to answer, taking a deep breath before she did. "Wardog 2, roger."

"Wardog 3, roger that," Chopper said only a second or two later, almost as an afterthought.

Kathryn didn't think to answer, seeing no purpose in it, so she hesitated and held back. They all knew their orders, she wasn't deaf, there wasn't any point in it. However when she heard Clown clear his throat behind her and Bartlett's voice following a moment later she mentally kicked herself and gritted her teeth as the Captain chose to call her out on it. "Wardog 4, helloooooo? Can you hear me back there, Kid? You better me markin' our tail, girlie, we're counting on you to watch our asses after all."

"Yes, sir, roger that," Kathryn said, then chose the moment to accelerate and pull up, taking care to avoid getting directly behind him. She heard Clown brace himself at the sudden motion. Once she was practically on top of Bartlett, certain she could have rolled over and been close enough to touch him, she casually asked, "Is this close enough for you, sir?"

"Smartass…" Bartlett said, almost sounding like he was smiling. "You're confident at least, but maybe use your head a little more, hmm? Just don't get separated from me."

"You want me to fly like this the whole time or…?" Kathryn more or less deadpanned, certain she was pushing her luck out there but waiting for them to tell her to back off.

"Very funny. Enough with the dumb stunt, you've made whatever point you wanted to. Just pull back already and wait for orders, would you?" Bartlett asked her, though he didn't sound nearly as annoyed as he probably should have. Maybe Kathryn wanted a reaction, maybe she just liked being a pain in the ass, she really didn't know why she'd done what she did. She was willing to follow his orders, though, easing off and falling back in her position in the formation.

Clown sounded as though he was suppressing an exasperated chuckle as he said, "Maybe do me a favor and take it easy on the crazy crap my first official sortie with ya, huh? I'd really like to go home today."

"Pretty sure she doesn't know how to do that," Dogma piped up, his voice surprisingly void of his usual scorn and holier-than-thou attitude. It wasn't amused in the slightest, either, but she'd take anything at this point.

"Man, am I glad you drew the short straw today instead of me," Chopper said, holding back a laugh of his own. He let out a forced, exaggerated sigh of relief. "Whew, I love flyin' with you, Blaze, you take the heat off me every time. It's nice not to be the Captain's only headache."

"You're enough of a headache for two, trust me," Alto said in an almost grave voice, but they all knew she was joking. In fact, Kathryn nearly snorted at the comment.

"Aren't you a real charmer? When did you decide to turn against me, huh?" Chopper asked in mock offense, as though she wasn't saying anything he hadn't heard from others a million times over.

"Second Lieutenant Alvin H. Davenport, zip it!" Bartlett snapped at him, interrupting their discussion. Using his full name and rank like a parent using their child's middle name to scold them. Chopper would be in trouble if he didn't watch it, not that Kathryn was in any position to talk. "You need a nickname, too?"

"I respectfully ask to be called 'Chopper', sir," Chopper quickly responded, slipping into the overly formal speech he used when he wanted to get on their superior's good side. However, his tone of voice shifted slightly as he went on, "I'm afraid I may not be able to respond to any other moniker."

"Hmm. Yeah, guess that does fit you well, huh?" Bartlett said slowly, as though they didn't have this argument every so often. He would often Chopper by his rank or name, leading to many corrections such as these. Mostly in the air he was willing to give in to it, but if he started to mouth off he got the full name and rank treatment. "Y'know, I've actually got a better name for you, but I'll keep it to myself. Okay?"

Chopper scoffed, almost sounding as though he was pouting. "Aww, cut me some slack, man. You do this every time I fly with you…"

Before Bartlett could answer, Cruise cut him off from the backseat. "Tally-ho, we've got company out here. Think you boys can knock it off for a minute?"

"Alright, let's get going," Bartlett called out, immediately setting the bickering aside and focusing on their task at hand. Kathryn looked down and sure enough on her display and no doubt on everyone else's the blip had finally appeared on radar, and in the distance she could just make out the dark outline of the aircraft attempting to retreat. As Bartlett banked and throttled up, Kathryn was right behind him, followed by the others. When she'd caught up to him, he called out to her, "Hey, Blaze, ease up. Remember, you're forbidden to fire until I give permission, you understand?"

Kathryn slowed her approach, flying instead on the Captain's wing where Chopper should have been as he instead lagged behind. She held back a sigh, figuring she should be used to extra precautions with her in the air. "You don't have to keep me on a leash all the time. I understand, sir."

"Good girl," Bartlett praised, though judging from the tone of voice he used it was meant as a joke. It sounded the same way Chopper praised his pet labrador, Kirk, so he must have been poking fun at her after her leash comment. Figures.

"You walked into that one," Clown helpfully commented over her shoulder through a smile, keeping his voice low, and she couldn't help but laugh even at her own expense. He was right, she should have seen it coming.

While the rest of the squadron made a slower approach, keeping their distance, Kathryn wanted a good look at this thing. A Blackbird, an aircraft designed specifically for the purpose of reconnaissance, slowly making its retreat with its cover now blown. The endless farmland below them wasn't of much value to anyone looking to invade, but the facilities that neighbored that farmland on the peninsula were a completely different story. McNealy Air Force Base and the Basset Space Center, though the latter was a bit further along the coast than where they were currently operating.

The aircraft looked unassuming enough, with a standard, sleek black paint job as its name would suggest. Kathryn tried to get as close a look as she could while maintaining a safe distance and without trying to seem confrontational, but it was difficult to see the markings on the aircraft clearly. She could just make out the faintest colors on one of the wingtips, orange and yellow sticking out rather well in spite of their size. There was writing on the opposite wing, likely the air force the aircraft belonged to, but she couldn't see what it said. Only a handful of countries had those colors on their flags, but none of them had any reason for beef with Osea. They couldn't jump to conclusions like that anyways, they just had to wait until they talked their new friend down to the ground and got this mess sorted out.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Bartlett called out, "Alright, where's Motormouth Chopper?"

"Wha –?" Chopper sputtered out through a breathy laugh, sounding almost startled by it as Alto snickered in the seat behind him. "That's your name for me? I thought you said it was 'better'!"

"You've got a knack for comic dialogue and you never shut up," Bartlett commented, talking slower and with a lower voice. Almost like he wanted to get a rise out of him. "Do you mind sending the surrender request for me?"

Chopper snorted, quick witted as usual with his response, "Oh, nooo, please, age before beauty."

"You're no fun! C'mon, consider it a favor," Bartlett said in mock offense. Kathryn and Chopper both had a habit of getting into matches like this with the Captain, and neither of them would let him get the last word in if they could help it. However, unfortunately for them Bartlett was just as stubborn. And he had seniority. Taking on a suddenly sheepish tone, he added, "I'm real shy around strangers, y'know…"

"Is it gonna get me in your good graces?" Chopper asked, though his tone was suspicious.

"Maybe, but you won't know until you try, will ya?" Bartlett said, and Kathryn could just imagine him putting on a sly smirk. It always worked to spur them into action on the ground.

Cruise seemed all around uninterested in the conversation. "With all this back and forth you could have sent the request twice, Jack."

"We'll do it if he won't," Clown volunteered himself and Kathryn before she could have any say in the matter, and she started to open her mouth to argue if not for the fact she almost wanted Bartlett's opinion of her to go up some. Assuming he wasn't just being lazy.

"Alright, enough, I'll do it! Sheesh…testing, testing…" Chopper said, quickly giving in the moment Clown offered up his and Kathryn's services in his place. He could be competitive when he really wanted, though not often. He cleared his throat, speaking now to the pilots of the aircraft in front of them. "Attention, unidentified aircraft, you're in violation of Osean airspace. Set your course for our beacon immediately."

"Good," Bartlett said, still sounding as though he was smirking. "If all else fails, maybe you can try to annoy them into surrendering."

"Uh…ahem," Chopper said, trying to maintain a formal and diplomatic attitude in spite of Bartlett's joke. It was probably killing him not to be able to throw a comeback at him right away, but he continued without any trouble. "We will then direct you to the nearest airfield for landing. Lower your gear if you understand."

Kathryn braked as the other three caught up, returning to her previous position in the formation as they awaited a response from the aircraft's pilot. The only response was silence on the other end of the line, followed by the aircraft banking to try and keep them off of its tail. Just as it did, Clown's voice broke through the silence right as an alarm sounded through the cockpit, "Heads up, we've got new contacts on radar. Thunderhead, what's it lookin' like up there?"

"Good eye. Warning, all aircraft, we have four high-speed bogeys inbound," Thunderhead quickly confirmed. There was a brief pause, likely as he went over the information as soon as he got it. "Approaching unknown aircraft bearing 280, altitude 6,000. Wardog, hold your fire until further orders are given."

All four of them banked in the opposite direction of the Blackbird, changing course to meet the newcomers head on and readying themselves for a fight if they must. Kathryn could feel her heart rate increase at the sudden warning, but when Bartlett spoke he sounded perfectly calm. As though this was just a minor inconvenience, leading her to wonder just how much of that was for show all for their sakes. "Crossing the border just to provide cover for their spy plane, huh? Well, that's some loyalty to their allies…guess there are some fighter pilots worth their wings out there after all."

"Yeah, but it's bad news for us," Cruise pointed out, and all Bartlett acknowledged her comment with was a brief 'hmm'. She had other concerns, though. "Enemy inbound bearing 280, head on. It looks like they've picked up the pace, so they should be intercepting soon…"

"So it would seem," Dogma answered her, sounding more anxious than Kathryn had ever heard him. He and Nagase had been so quiet through the entire mission, and Kathryn hadn't even noticed that Nagase had pulled ahead of the formation. "Edge, do you see anything?"

"Yeah. I've got a visual on the unidentified aircraft…well, barely," Nagase replied at a pretty normal speaking level given the circumstances. "They're closing in fast, everyone, keep yourselves alert."

"Nagase, get back on my wing," Bartlett ordered her curtly, and she responded by immediately slowing her aircraft. Once she had fallen back in formation with the rest of them, he went on. "Hold your ground, everyone, we're not gonna get pushed around by these guys. Not if I have anything to say about it. Remember, you aren't to fire until I say it's okay, got me?"

While everyone else had all responded, Kathryn found herself hesitating as her nerves began to get the better of her. If this was her first real fight, she would prefer not to give them a chance to shoot her. She wasn't interested in shooting first and asking questions later, but she also wasn't interested in dying. So, she looked for reassurance where she could. "Captain, are you sure about this?"

To her surprise, Bartlett didn't snap or raise his voice at her. He answered her calmly, doing nothing to add to the stress they were all under. "Don't worry, Kid. Just trust me. No matter what, we're all going home today."

There was that nickname again. He'd only called her that a few times prior to the previous afternoon, usually without thinking about it and rarely, but suddenly he'd taken to using it as though he was making an effort to use it. Still, for the most part he'd succeeded in reassuring her. Obviously, she was still nervous and her heart was still racing as her head threw worst case scenarios at her at a rapid fire pace. But Bartlett swore all of them were going back home, and the least she could do was trust him.

As they all throttled up to meet the unknown aircraft, Kathryn got a visual on four dark specks against the sky just before they were within range. Her HUD picked them up a few moments later, once they were close enough, but they still couldn't tell the aircraft type yet let alone what nation they belonged to. She hoped this would all turn out to be a big misunderstanding, but she knew it was stupid to do so. If it was one then someone must have screwed up big time. For now all they could do was ID the planes in front of them and cross their fingers.

Once they were within range, before anyone could make an attempt to make radio contact, Kathryn's missile alert went off in her ear and all four aircraft broke their formation as several voices shouted out to everyone to evade. She heard Nagase's voice first, "Watch it, missiles inbound!"

Chopper's voice sounded out at almost the same time. "Heads up, they're firing on us!"

"Blaze, move it!" Clown's was the only other voice she could hear clearly through the confused, abrupt chatter, and she didn't need to be told twice. She pulled evasive maneuvers, hoping Clown's order meant he was ready for the ride, and she rolled clear of the missile just in time. The missile warning cut off but she was still being tracked on radar, and she had a good feeling everyone else was as well.

Kathryn could feel herself shaking, whether from fear or anger she wasn't quite sure, but now that their formation was split the hostile fighters had chosen to go after each of them one by one. And while she didn't want to sit back and take it all she could do was try and break their radar lock on her, all four of them occupied with their own maneuvers as the enemy tried to keep them from regrouping. She grunted as the enemy fired on her again, making a dive for the sea and pulling up at the last possible minute to send the missile straight into the ocean.

Catching her breath, the bandit still on her tail, she snapped, "Thunderhead! Are you enjoying the show up there or what?"

Given the situation, she didn't think it was hard to catch her drift. Unfortunately, it almost seemed that Thunderhead was more worried about the safety of their new enemy than he was about theirs as he quickly responded, "Wardog Squadron, weapons safe! You are not authorized to engage the enemy, stand down and await orders!"

"Oh, come on! Those aren't blanks they're firing out there, you idiot!" Chopper answered, his voice breaking and making him sound more scared than frustrated.

"You expect us to just take this?!" Kathryn asked as she continued trying to shake the fighter on her tail.

"What do we have to do to get you to actually give us those orders!" To Kathryn's surprise it was Dogma that said this, usually the most eager to please any and all authority figures, but now he sounded scared and maybe even annoyed. It seemed with his life on the line as well as everyone else's he had other concerns.

"Jack! What are y–" Cruise was cut off when Bartlett finally managed to shake the enemy on his tail, making an abrupt, sharp turn in a different direction.

Once he was free he moved in to support the wingman closest to him, which happened to be Nagase at that moment, jumping on the enemy fighter's six o'clock and forcing it to break off of it's pursuit of Nagase to try and shake his lock. He was just as quick to react, Cruise having caught on to what he was doing and announcing as soon as he was in perfect position to fire. The missile struck the target, the pilot forced to eject as the aircraft fell towards the sea in a ball of smoke and flame.

All of it happened in the blink of an eye. As soon as his missile found its target, Bartlett barked out their new orders, "All of you, shut your mouths and fire back!"

"Captain Bartlett, you are in violation of direct orders!" Thunderhead said quickly, wasting no time trying to get the situation back under his control.

"Shove it, I'm not gonna watch any more of my pilots die!" Bartlett snarled in response, not wasting his time arguing with their AWACS anymore. "Heartbreak One, engaging!"

"Blaze, engaging!" Kathryn announced, her adrenaline spiking as she threw herself into a proper dogfight. She didn't waste any time, ceasing her evasive maneuvers and increasing her speed as she began to climb, braking abruptly as the enemy fighter moved to follow and putting herself in perfect firing position. Clown called out an order to fire as soon as she had the tone, firing as soon as she heard the order and downing the fighter in the blink of an eye.

Clown gave a victorious cheer, calling out the kill as the enemy pilot ditched his plane. "Whoo, Wardog 4, bandit splashed! Nice one!"

The others were quick to follow suit, Nagase pulling herself together next now that she was free of the bandit on her tail, moving to assist Bartlett as he rounded on the fighter that had been tailing him. As she moved to cover him she called out, "Edge, engaging!"

She worked with Bartlett to corral the aircraft, beating him to the target and taking the kill for herself, getting close enough to use her gun and informing Dogma she was switching over. Her machine gun fire took the wing out, the pilot not having enough time to evade after being so focused on Bartlett's whereabouts over Nagase. He gave her the advantage without even realizing it, but those two knew exactly what they were doing.

Meanwhile, Chopper was having less luck shaking the aircraft that went after him, falling back on the most standard evasive maneuvers in an attempt to shake him. Alto, the one watching their back up there, sounded desperate almost as she warned him, "Chopper, this guy's still on our tail, you need to do something or we're gonna be toast!"

"Gah – you think I don't know that?" Chopper replied, his F-4 easily a match for the enemy's MiG – as they now were close enough to identify – but he'd never been great at shaking targets. Not even during flight school. He was a good pilot, with just as many 'kills' as defeats to boast about, but that was the issue. It was always 50/50 with him, a gamble if Kathryn ever saw one. He grunted as he attempted to pull the same maneuver Kathryn had, but he couldn't get far enough away for it to work. "Shit, this man is one stubborn bastard!"

"Blaze, we're the closest, probably oughta lend 'em a hand," Clown said, craning his neck to get a better position on their allies. He was absolutely right, they were right there. Bartlett and Nagase moved to offer support, but she'd reach him faster.

"Hang in there, I'm moving to assist!" Kathryn called out, her words partially a warning to Clown as well. She turned towards Chopper's position and throttled up, approaching at an angle that would allow her to at least get the attention of the enemy fighter. Once she did that, the aircraft broke off from Chopper to evade and Kathryn worked to avoid allowing it to return to his six while Chopper regrouped. Although their enemy couldn't hear her, she still spoke under her breath to them, thinking out loud, "Yeah, just keep your eyes on me and we'll go for a ride…"

"Hey, you mind if I grab this kill, Blaze? I probably will anyway, y'know," Chopper said, less a request and more a statement as he came up on the enemy's other side, the two of them tailing the fighter in a way that didn't allow him to fly in any direction without one of them getting into firing position.

"Go for it, I got mine already," Kathryn replied, disengaging to allow Chopper to slide into firing position, speeding up and sticking close in case he needed her support. He did just fine, taking the chance as soon as he got it and firing, splashing the bandit without any trouble once he'd gotten the upper hand. Kathryn couldn't help but smile. "That makes one for each of us!"

"Good, nicely done, nuggets! You're doing good,'' Bartlett called out through a tired breath. "How are things lookin' back there, Dagger?"

The use of Lieutenant Cruise's callsign was rare, the two of them usually referring to one another on a first name basis. It appeared in the heat of battle he did it without thinking about it. Kathryn knew they had served together since the Belkan War, so maybe an actual fight brought him back to that time. She didn't really think anything of it as Cruise told him, "You guys might be getting another serving…got contacts on radar, looks like we've got four more inbound."

"Heh, how about that? Four against four…at least they're keeping things fair," Bartlett said with a short laugh.

"Wait, hold that thought," Cruise said quickly, her tone shifting slightly. She suddenly let out a sigh. "Wonderful. Scratch what I said, it's looking like eight."

"Damn, we jinxed it," Alto cursed, sounding genuinely disappointed and worried by the fact. "This isn't looking like our day, is it?"

"We didn't jinx anythin', the Captain did," Clown told her with an almost annoyed huff.

"I'm moving to intercept, I want these guys gone already," Kathryn said, banking and turning in the direction of the new groups of enemies. They'd be within range before long.

As she did this, Thunderhead cut in once more, sounding outright furious with them. "Negative, Wardog 4, maintain weapons safe and hold your position! Regroup and follow your previous orders, you are not given permission to engage!"

"We're outnumbered. The chances we make it through a fight like this is low," Dogma pointed out, almost sounding hesitant to voice his opinion. That wasn't like him. "If we're expected to fight we'd need more men on our side. Just stand down, this isn't going to end well."

Nagase didn't address him, speaking instead to Bartlett for some answer on what to do and who to listen to. "Captain? We don't have much longer to make a decision."

Kathryn could feel anger forming a knot in her throat, whether as a result of Thunderhead's insistence they stand down or her frustration at their enemy. She maintained her course, staying as calm as she could as she added, "I'm not going to stand by and let them kill us. We didn't start this fight, but we can sure as hell end it."

Bartlett didn't answer right away, but eventually he throttled up and turned towards Kathryn, who slowed as he approached to allow him to take the lead. Nagase followed just as he had told her to in the briefing, taking up the position opposite Kathryn. Bartlett, to Kathryn, sounded determined as he said, "Let's go. We're gonna shoot them all down, Kid. The rest of you, hang on!"

"Dammit, this isn't how I wanted to spend my morning," Chopper grumbled, having no choice but to follow them. No matter what they did it would be seen as a violation of orders. They could fight and go home by disobeying Thunderhead or they could turn and run by disobeying Bartlett, and neither option would guarantee survival. If they went down they may as well put up a fight. Almost dramatically, he let out a sigh, "If anything happens to me, let it be known that my only regret…is not being able to fly with a captain with a sunnier disposition."

"Y'know, you don't see it now but someday you're gonna be glad you flew with me," Bartlett said, though he sounded amused. He got no response from Chopper, which was rare, but he didn't antagonize him further. They had more pressing matters, given they were now within visual range of the enemy backup.

The four of them intercepted the eight enemy fighters head on, one of the flights of four at the same altitude as them, directly in their sights. Once within range they got a lock on them one by one, firing simultaneously without even meaning to, Kathryn and Bartlett's missiles taking out the lead plane and his wingman while the other two just narrowly missed their shots. As the two aircraft went down, Chopper let out a short whistle as he rounded on the plane he'd missed, Nagase doing the same. Kathryn climbed to chase after the other aircraft as they circled back around, Bartlett right behind her.

Nagase downed the fighter she'd missed previously, getting on its tail and getting another chance to fire. She immediately pulled her nose up to climb up and support the two of them, right as Kathryn broke off one of the planes in the formation. Nagase was right beside her, working with her the same way Chopper had to chase the enemy down. Kathryn got a lock on first, firing a missile but missing as the fighter released flares and rolled off to the side. She spat to herself and heard Clown groan behind her before she switched to her guns, Nagase having already broken off assuming the enemy would have gone down with that hit.

Closer to the ocean, Chopper used his machine gun to finish off his original target and quickly moved to assist Nagase and Bartlett, getting the enemy's attention without meaning to. One of them managed to split him off from Bartlett so it was a one-on-one match, and Chopper loudly groaned as he almost didn't manage to evade an incoming missile. The g-force was putting a strain on everyone, though he seemed especially affected by it. Still, they all had to grit their teeth and put up with it. They could rest once they were all safe.

At last he managed to shake the fighter, circling around just as the fighter did the same, the two of them going nose to nose. He fired as soon as he had a lock, Alto announcing him of the enemy's lock on him as warnings blared in the background. The enemy disappeared from radar as Chopper's missile connected, right before their guest had time to fire on him. He let out another groan, sounding out of breath. "Dogfighting sucks, man…my nerves are shot. I don't even have time to be afraid!"

"Speak for yourself, I'm barely hanging on back here," Alto said, sounding equally out of breath. Maybe even a little sick, but she was holding herself together. Her tone completely shifted as she took notice of one of the enemy wingmen on their tail. "Oh, for the love of! Chopper, shake this guy off!"

"Whoah!" Chopper evaded at the last possible second. "Damn, these guys are really mad now!"

Kathryn wasn't able to keep tabs on them for much longer, dead focused on the target in front of her. Everything else seemed to close in around her as if all that was left in the world was that fighter, and she started to wonder if it was tunnel vision or what was going on. Maybe it just seemed like that as a result of staring at the target on her HUD like her life depended on it. Technically, it very well could. The guy was pulling some tough maneuvers, but she thought she was keeping up with him just fine. Just a little further…almost there…almost…got you.

"You're in gun range, scrap 'im, Blaze!" Clown called out to her, snapping her out of whatever state she'd been drifting into.

"Firing!" Kathryn said aloud without thinking, sparing only a second to make sure her shot was still lined up before she took it, her grip tightening as she pulled the trigger. The faint sound of the gun could be heard from the cockpit as she fired, the shots shredding the engine of the enemy fighter. She broke off, certain he couldn't recover from it, and a few moments later the aircraft crashed into the ocean. She didn't know if the pilot ejected or not, she just knew the aircraft disappeared from her radar.

"Wardog 4, bandit down…" Thunderhead announced, grumbling the words out. Clearly he wasn't pleased by it, but he also still had a job to do. He'd been more or less silent this entire time, clearly knowing he was wasting his breath by trying to order them not to fire. There was no stopping them now, not until the enemy was chased off. "One unidentified fighter moving to exit airspace."

"Aww, what a shame. Too tired to party?" Bartlett asked with a snort at his own comment.

Kathryn jerked her head around, trying to get a view on all of her allies. Bartlett, together with Chopper, had taken on the enemy plane that jumped on Chopper following its wingman's death. Bartlett got in the finishing blow, splashing the bandit with one quick missile hit. The pilot couldn't recover the aircraft, punching out not long after. Nagase, along with the last remaining enemy fighter, had vanished but were still showing up on radar. It seemed that she had started to pursue and unknowingly she was just interfering with his retreat. It wasn't like her, never one to fight unless she absolutely must. A retreating plane wasn't the kind of target she went after.

"Nagase, Nagase, didn't anyone ever teach you not to get strung out so far pursuin' an enemy?" Bartlett asked, almost exasperated. No response came, not that she was very talkative, and his tone was a little harsher as he added, "Alright, the show's over Nagase, it's time to bring it back."

"Nagase!" Dogma's voice followed, an irritated snap suddenly bringing her back to the present it seemed. Not before the last remaining enemy disappeared from radar.

"Huh? I mean, Wardog 2, bandit splashed," Nagase said, sounding out of breath and startled with her response. No one else seemed to think anything of it, and Kathryn wasn't about to say anything. It wasn't until she realized how far out she was that she understood she'd chased down a retreating enemy. "I…shoot, I completely zoned out…if I knew he was withdrawing I wouldn't have –"

"Relax, it doesn't matter. The aircraft was still combat capable. He was bailing on his wingmen," Bartlett said to ease her conscience, though how effective it actually was remained to be seen. She said nothing as she slowly made her way back to them, Kathryn and Chopper returning to their previous positions. Bartlett didn't think anything else of it as she returned, moving on quickly enough. "Thunderhead, we got clear skies down here or what?"

"All unidentified aircraft destroyed. Everything is clear," Thunderhead replied, maintaining his composure but Kathryn knew he was just trying to keep things professional. He took a deep breath. "Wardog Squadron, RTB."

"Hmph, good. Everyone, this is your captain speaking," Bartlett addressed them now, ignoring how curt Thunderhead was being. He obviously wasn't concerned. All of them were alive, and Kathryn would consider that a success. He probably did, too. "Are you all alive? Good. Nice work, nuggets. Wardog 4, you still following us? You can all hear my voice?"

"Nope, sorry. Not a word," Kathryn said sarcastically before anyone else could sound off, earning a laugh from Clown in the backseat in the process. Chopper and Alto quickly joined in. While it probably wasn't the best time, she couldn't resist.

"Hey, perfect, that means you can hear me!" Bartlett responded, taking the remark in stride and maybe even sounding amused by it. She half-expected another retort to follow, but to her surprise he instead told her, "Well…to commemorate the fact we all made it out of that battle, I'm gonna let you keep your nickname. I think you've earned it. So from now on, I'm gonna call you 'Kid', no matter what. Got it? Good."

He didn't wait for her to answer, leaving her caught off guard and even a little confused. Kathryn wasn't sure how to answer, and she wasn't sure of the origin. She'd heard Pops call Bartlett that once or twice, but never exclusively, making her wonder if there was something she wasn't being let in on. But she'd clearly earned the Captain's approval, so who was she to complain? She smirked. "Guess I couldn't stop you even if I wanted to."

"Smart girl," Cruise answered for him, sounding as though she might have been smiling as well. Whatever the case, they were all too tired and relieved to still be alive to care about arguing anyways.

"Well, then, Kid, whaddya know? You must have done good out here," Clown said with a light, breathy chuckle. "I mean, gettin' praise from Bartlett and Cruise? That's a miracle by itself."

As their formation of four changed course to return to Sand Island, Chopper muttered under his breath, "Man, I swear…"

Whether he was expressing his frustration about the battle they'd been through or about their captain, Kathryn didn't know. As she was coming off her adrenaline high, she was just happy she was still alive to go home, and she had a feeling the same could be said for the others, too. The day dragged on as they flew home, left to wonder if they could rest easy or if this was just the start of their trouble.

---

Sand Island Air Force Base, Ceres Ocean.
1500hrs.

They returned to base, arriving at the briefing room after tending to their flight gear. Kathryn couldn't speak for the others, but the second that harness was off of her it brought about instant relief, though her body still ached from the fight. She wanted nothing more than to go to bed, though practically she knew there was still plenty more to be done before she could call it a day. At the very least, she was glad when they finally entered the briefing room and she was able to drop into one of the chairs there, her legs practically giving out underneath her. The others were quick to do the same.

One thing she noticed was how quiet the room was, the computer logged in even though neither Perrault nor her brother were there to operate it. Thunderhead was the only person there, having arrived long before them. He looked up at them all as they entered the room, his expression blank but his eyes giving away his annoyance. As they all took their seats he turned to the computer, crossing his arms as he put something in, telling them without looking back at them, "We received an emergency transmission from Central."

That was all he said to them before leaving the screen to relay the message for him:

To all Sand Island Air Force Base personnel:

1. All information regarding today's hostile encounter is to be classified. Under no circumstances are you to divulge the events to unauthorized personnel.
2. Captain Jack Bartlett is ordered to report to base headquarters and Lieutenant Colonel Perrault's office immediately.

They all turned to look at the Captain, watching him suck in a sharp breath and force himself to his feet, not bothering to protest or say anything about it. It was something that was familiar to Kathryn, having had the same reaction after being sent to speak with Allen. Once you've been reprimanded so many times you stop protesting, you just shut your mouth and take it up with the ones in charge instead of shooting the messenger.

While Thunderhead was a pain on the best of days, he was just relaying their orders to them. He wasn't exactly the one making them, nine times out of ten. That didn't make him any less of a pain but it did make it easier to tolerate him on the ground. He said nothing as he straightened up, having quickly shut everything down. He turned around just in time to see Bartlett exit the room, looking them all over before he did the same, the two of them heading in completely opposite directions.

Everyone else was left sitting in complete, awkward silence, unsure what to do. They were as good as dismissed, but after everything that had happened their return to base felt a little anticlimactic. Not that they were expecting some hero's return, but after tangling with so many fighters you'd think someone would acknowledge that something wasn't right. Chopper was the first to break the silence, echoing her thoughts, "Soooo…that's it, then? We don't even get a thank you?"

"We weren't supposed to engage them," Dogma pointed out, resting his head against his fist. He closed his eyes. "We're lucky enough that we're not the ones being reprimanded."

"Everyone else around here seems to know what's going on. Did nobody else see the way everyone was looking at us?" Alto observed, having noticed the looks everyone was giving them on the way over. Kathryn had noticed it, too, but she hadn't thought anything of it in the moment. "We're the only ones in the know about whatever is going on. You'd think they could at least address it."

"You see, that's exactly the issue," Cruise pointed out to her, turning around, looking over each and every one of them. "We're in the know but almost nobody even knows what the hell is going on. Those MiGs that engaged couldn't even be ID'd properly, not right away. If they go over our gun cam footage they'll be lucky if they got a clear look at them. But…just based on their liveries…"

Cruise trailed off, and Kathryn decided to fill in the blanks for them. There was only one country she could think of that could have those colors and have any kind of potential Osean connection. "The roundel I saw on the Blackbird looked Yuktobanian," she said, and everyone looked her way. "We've been allies for years, though. It doesn't make any sense."

"You're right, Kid, it doesn't," Clown said with a sigh, having quickly picked up her new nickname in just a few hours. "But what are we supposed to do about it?"

"Nothing. There's not a damn thing we can do," Cruise said, abruptly getting to her feet and heading for the door at a brisk pace. She exited the room, disappearing from view as she turned the corner in the same direction Bartlett had headed. Straight for the base commander's office. It seemed that the Yuktobania thought had crossed her mind, but something about Kathryn saying it out loud seemed to really get under her skin.

All of them sat there, unsure what to say after that. Once again it was Chopper that broke the silence, grunting as he rose to his feet. "Well, enough of that. I need to take Kirk out. Anyone up for a walk?"

"Not a chance. I'm ready for a nap," Dogma said, immediately declining and getting up from his own chair.

Nagase looked over at him as he headed for the door. She looked concerned, probably worried she'd overdone it earlier during the operation. "Are you sure?"

"Positive, you guys are exhausting," Dogma said, though not in his usual insulting way. In fact, with how pale he'd looked when they landed, Kathryn almost felt bad for him but she kept that to herself. As an afterthought before he left, he monotonously said to Nagase, "I'll see you around. Have fun."

"Well, guess he's taking that stick with him, too," Chopper remarked once he was out of earshot, not that he ever cared who heard him. Kathryn felt bad for how hard she snorted at the comment, trying to suppress a laugh. Everyone but Nagase was grinning, though she almost smiled. Chopper went on once he was satisfied with the response. "Well, I better go get him. If anyone else wants to join us just bring some sodas or something, we can call it an after sortie celebration or something."

Kirk's 'walks' could often become something of an event, because usually it just involved hanging out on the tarmac or in the hangars and playing lengthy games of fetch or keep-away depending on what mood Kirk was in that day. After the first week or so, you could pretty much see everything Sand Island had to offer, and so pacing the base became very dull. But when you have a dog that needs exercising and to use the bathroom you have to make do. As a result, Chopper was usually more than happy for any additional company. Kirk was, too, being a very sweet dog that was unfortunately confined to Chopper's quarters more often than not.

All of them acknowledged they'd heard what he said as he left, setting off for the crew quarters to go and get Kirk. The four of them that remained all had already decided what to do, anyways, and he probably knew that. Kathryn never missed the opportunity, loving animals too much to pass up a chance to pet a dog. Or exist around one. She missed her own pets, all left behind in her father's care in North Osea, and Kirk reminded her of one of the dogs they owned in her childhood. It was bittersweet if she thought about it too much, so she tried not to.

Alto and Clown were usually hit or miss on whether they'd join them on these walks, but today they both seemed in agreement. Clown stood up first, stretching out briefly until his back crunched before he said, "Well, guess I'll go 'n grab us some drinks."

"Do you need a hand?" Alto asked, not waiting for an answer before she got to her feet. She was about as considerate as Hans, always looking to help out in the most miniscule ways she could. One of the many reasons she was so well-liked. The two of them set off together, with Alto calling to Kathryn and Nagase, "We'll meet you guys at the hangars!"

They left, talking about something, though Kathryn had zoned their conversation out, looking instead to where Nagase sat staring straight ahead. She looked around, making sure they were alone before she said anything, but once she was certain of that she didn't hesitate. "What happened to you today?"

"Pardon?" Nagase furrowed her brow, looking over at her. She was one of the only people that Kathryn knew that answered a question she didn't understand or like that way, as opposed to a simple 'what'.

"I mean you chasing down that fighter like that. It wasn't your style," Kathryn said, keeping her voice low so no one passing by could hear her. "It was like you couldn't even shake your focus. Did you even hear Bartlett tell you to come back?"

Nagase was quiet for a few seconds, her face blank. Kathryn was just worried for her, and she was certain Nagase knew that. The look in her eyes wasn't anger, it was something else. Like the fear in her eyes after she came back yesterday. At last she took a deep breath and pulled herself together enough to answer. "I got caught up in the moment, that's all. Besides, you heard the Captain. That pilot was bailing on his allies…and anyways, he ejected."

"That battle didn't seem to sit well with you. It was like you were a ghost up there," Kathryn said, using the first comparison that came to mind. She'd been so quiet, which at first wasn't unusual, but half the time they were up there Kathryn hardly even knew she was there.

"I'm fine, I promise. All of this just…had me a little shaken up," Nagase said quickly, getting to her feet before Kathryn could press the issue. "Look, we're back alive and that's good enough for me. I'm going to go grab my book, alright?"

Kathryn didn't bother asking her if she'd be joining them as she hurried to their quarters to get her book. An old, worn copy of a children's novel, A Blue Dove for the Princess, that she almost always had her nose buried in during her free time. Either writing or reading, all Kathryn knew was that she treasured that thing and was trying to fill in the blanks where pages had fallen out. It was a lovely story, albeit dark for a kid's book. Kathryn remembered liking it once upon a time, though it was never as near to her heart as it was to Nagase's. They'd been able to bond over it at Heierlark when Kathryn was able to help her with some of the missing passages.

In any case, Kathryn guessed Nagase wouldn't be going out there with them. And if she was, she wouldn't be in any mood for a conversation. More likely she would be retreating to their room or to the crew room to be left in peace, to read and write and destress. Kathryn couldn't fault her for that, reaching her own limits and crossing dangerously into 'autopilot mode' as her family often called it. She could tolerate so much activity and conversation before she got overwhelmed by even the slightest thing, but the fresh air usually did her some good. Figuring Nagase was similarly overwhelmed, Kathryn was content to leave her alone. It was probably best for the both of them.

Left with nothing but an empty room, Kathryn sighed and followed after the others, shutting the door to the briefing room behind her as she stepped into the hall. No sooner did she do that before she heard Hans' voice over the idle chatter in the halls and looked up to see him hurriedly heading towards her, carefully evading various other base personnel on his way, a look of concern on her face she hadn't seen since the disaster that earned her her callsign. "Kathryn!"

She walked towards him, saving him the trouble of jogging a few extra feet, stopping as soon as they reached each other. He almost looked like as much of a mess as the rest of them did. "Hey, is everything alright?"

"Things spread fast around here. I heard about the dogfight from Pops," Hans answered, giving her a look as though it should have been obvious. He must have run all the way from the hangars, which would explain the state he was in. Though he kept his hair cut short, a few auburn strands clung to his forehead courtesy of his sweat. "You're all okay, right?"

"Spectacular," Kathryn answered flatly, recalling the debrief. If you could call it that. Hans gave her a confused look and she shrugged. She started walking towards the door, Hans following her quickly, and she continued. "It depends on your perspective. We're fine, we won the fight, it's just that…I don't know, something just isn't right. And I don't just mean armed fighters penetrating our airspace."

"Did you figure out who it was or no?" Hans asked her as they walked.

Kathryn shook her head. Even if they had a prime suspect, they couldn't jump to any conclusions. She waited until they stepped outside before she gave him a proper answer, taking a deep breath at the sudden shift in temperature. "Nope. Just some markings that probably aren't enough to go off of. It looked like Yuktobanian aircraft, but there's nothing concrete."

"Why would Yuktobania have any reason to spy on us? Let alone open fire on our aircraft?" Hans asked. While Yuktobania and Osea had been locked in a Cold War for some time, as soon as the Belkan War broke out they were willing to fight on the same side. It didn't make sense for either of them to turn on each other now.

"That's what none of us can figure out. And it's probably why we've been told to keep our mouths shut about it," Kathryn said, though she didn't think Hans was someone she needed to keep information from. She told him almost everything and he'd never betrayed her trust. A group of seagulls on the sidewalk cried out and took to the air as the two of them approached. "Everything about this is too weird. I can't shake the feeling that we have no idea what we've started."

"Maybe what happened today was enough to scare them off?" Hans suggested, though his voice wavered slightly in spite of himself. Kathryn didn't answer right away, lost in her own thoughts. She wanted to believe him, but her instincts told her otherwise. When she didn't answer, he brushed his fingers over the back of her hand to get her attention. "Kathryn?"

The gesture was one she was used to, but it caused a chill to rush over her. Most likely a lingering effect from the battle. She answered him, giving him a small, reassuring smile when she noticed how worried he looked, though not fully convinced things were as simple as he said. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

Hans was quiet for a few moments, looking over her face with an expression that told her he saw right through her. If he did, he didn't directly say it. Instead, he said, "If something like this happens again, though, promise me you're going to be careful."

Kathryn was about to answer him, but the sound of Chopper shouting at her cut her off, turning in time to see him flinging Kirk's frisbee towards her. "Hey, Kid! Heads up!"

She caught it on instinct, a few seconds later nearly knocked off balance as Kirk came barreling towards her, barking excitedly and launching himself towards the frisbee she now held. Kathryn was quick to recover, though the breath was knocked out of her, and she couldn't help but smile as Kirk now stood in place, looking up at her and barking as though he was demanding she throw the frisbee for him. Instantly, she switched to baby-talk to address the dog. "Do you want this? Huh? Is that what you want?"

Kirk fell into a play bow, still barking with his tail wagging. Kathryn turned and tossed the frisbee as hard and as far as she could, all of them watching as Kirk immediately took off after it, seemingly calculating his approach so he could catch it out of the air. He succeeded, leaping up and catching it with ease, trotting around as if to show off his victory before he jogged back towards them.

As Clown and Alto passed out sodas they'd gotten from the mess hall to everyone and Chopper broke into a dramatic retelling of the events of the operation to tell Hans what he'd been missing, Kathryn was almost able to let go of her worries even if just for a moment. But the feeling was a nagging one, and lively conversation wasn't enough to shake it. It almost felt like the peace Osea had maintained for all these years was about to fall apart. And all she could do was pray that whatever may be waiting for them in the future would be resolved quickly.