Chapter 3. Evacuation.
"Holy shit they're where!"
"Where are the reinforcements?"
"Im tracking 3,4 no 5 tanks headed this way!" The frantic radio chatter buzzed in Ghost's ear as he and Mist tore through the sky towards the city.
"This is Phantom 1 of the 85th Hell flyers regiment on station for support" Ghost reported.
"Save the preaching kid we got a job to do!" Predator responded. Ghost spotted a pair of SU25s preparing for an attack run. He wasted no time launching 2 missiles at 1 of them and going guns on the 2nd. His missiles met their mark as did the bullets from Ghosts cannons.
"2 down Phantom 1 great work" Guard dog confirmed the kills happily.
"Welcome to the land of ace ship kid!" Predator sounded off happily. Ghost paid no attention. He glanced around and spotted a row of tanks heading towards the city square.
"Mist we need to take those tanks out ready your bombs" Ghost stated.
"Got it" Mist responded. They streaked towards the tanks and took there run the bombs slammed into the ground tearing through the tanks like butter.
"Whoever just took down those tanks you've got my thanks' ' A voice said through the radio chatter.
"Hell flyers listen up, we got incoming fighters that look like more Flankers" Guard dog reported.
"I got my hands busy with these tanks, we are taking them out but there are so damn many!" Zeke reported
"Hunter squadron listen up, Hunter 3,4,5 go assist streaker squadron, Seymour let's go say hello to those fighters shall we?" Predator responded.
"On your wing Predator" Ghost reported. There were 17 SU35s in total heading right for them. They were armed to the teeth. Ghost wasted no time; he latched right onto the tails of one of the Flankers and fired 2 missiles at it. The SU35 banked a hard right dodging them. Ghost followed the intense G forces pushed him against his cockpit seat. He was able to get enough of a lead on the flanker to use his guns; he squeezed the trigger unleashing a spray of gunfire that hit the flanker's wing, sending it spiraling out of control.
"Scratch one Flanker"
"Interesting move" An unknown voice said.
"Who said that?" Predator Asked sternly. There was a defining silence. Ghost paid no attention and proceeded with his attack. The flankers were no match to Ghosts Gripen.
"Command evacuation is going smoothly tell whoever's in the air to keep the good work" One of the ground units said.
"We can hear you loud and clear" Mist responded to him as they continued the attack on the Yuktobanian fighters. Ghost kept his composure; he knew the people in Farbanti needed him to keep fighting. Ghost's RWR suddenly began screaming at him; he looked behind him to see an SU47 sneaking up on his tail. Ghost panicked, pulling a hard right the G force pushed him into his seat, blood rushed from his head and into his legs. He kept his defense up as the SU47 kept up the assault.
"I got one on my tail, I can't shake him!" Ghost panicked narrowly evaded a missile that was launched at him.
"Not for long," Mist said confidently. Ghost heard a loud explosion behind him and saw Mists gripen shoot past the now burning wreckage of the SU47.
"Alright that's enough play, Regile squadron disengaged, I've got a target" A mysterious voice with a slight slavic accent ordered.
"No," Predator said horrified.
"Copy that Demon you got the con '' the supposed squadron leader confirmed. Ghost looked to his right as an SU37 sat almost 15 meters away he was able to sneak up on Ghost. The SU37 was painted black, it had a mouth filled with sharp teeth painted onto it, It had a set of red eyes as well, most noticeably were squadron badges. There were several squadron badges indicating squadrons each one had an amount of tick marks neatly arranged underneath them. The pilot of the SU37 looked over at Ghost and gave a shallow nod before rolling over Ghosts Gripen to the left and hitting its afterburners tearing through the sky towards Zeke and his squadron.
"How long has it been Zeke, 5 years?" the voice said again. Ghost went numb as he watched the SU37 streak towards Zeke and his squadron in a head on head.
"Not long enough, I thought Archange killed you, why are you still alive? '' Zeke asked as he and his squadron crudely formed up to attack the threat.
"Sometimes fate steps in to save the damned" The voice said again. "But will it step in for you is the question"
"Have my life you won't get away with this!" Zeke finished. Ghost watched as the SU37 slammed into the formation of Rafales as they scrambled after. The SU37 pitched its nose up as the Rafales launched their missiles in quick succession. The missiles couldn't keep up and detonated prematurely.
"I expected more of a fight" the voice said as the SU37 spun around on its axis, Ghost had never seen a plane move like this before. The SU37 let 6 missiles out, each one streaking towards a different one of Zeke's squadron mates.
"Shit its a trap evade!" Zeke said but it was too late the missiles each met their marks static and panic filled the comms as the pilots who survived now injured attempted to bail out of their burning aircraft. Zeke was able to evade.
"That's much better, may the best pilot win!" the voice said again as the SU37 tore through the sky down towards Zeke's rafale. Zeke was able to use his slow speed as an advantage and quickly maneuvered around dodging a hail of gunfire.
"What is this to you, some twisted game?" Zeke asked, keeping himself composed and latching onto the tail of the SU37.
"Hold fast Zeke, I'm coming for you!" Ghost said, hammering the throttle forward without thinking.
"Ghost no!" Mist yelled her voice was shaky with fear.
"Too late there he goes," Predator said, frustrated with the rookie pilot.
"Zeke, this is my kingdom. What good is a king if he can't defend his domain?" the voice said again. Ghost knew at this point this must have been the Demon ace.
"A kingdom with no subjects or court? No you're nothing short of a psychopath!" Zeke defied the Demons' reasoning.
"Your insolence will be what kills you!" Demon responded pulling another one of his weird axis turns, shooting to a hard right and getting out of Zeke's line of sight.
"I've never seen a plane move like that before," Guard dog said in awe. Demon pulled another hard turn getting onto Zeke's tail.
"Archange taught me many things, but he was always right about one thing"
"Hang in there Zeke!" Ghost reassured almost in firing range.
"Only the strong and the honorfull should fly, it's a damn shame that didn't save him" Demons plane released a missle that rammed straight into Zeke's engine igniting the fuel, his plane exploded and so the the comms unit as a defining static.
"Damnit!" Ghost yelled as his targeting system got a solid lock. Ghost let the missile fly right; it exploded right behind the SU37 as he moved just barely out of the way of the explosion.
"Oh shit!" Demon panicked as his plane rocked. "Well well well, got a fighter do we? Show me what you're made of!" Demon did an Aoa turn his nose moving towards Ghost's plane.
"Demon, you're low on gas, you should head home" another unknown voice said.
"Dammit I suppose you're right, you got heart kid i'll give you that" Demon said taunting. His plane shot forwards away from the fight.
"You're a bastard!"
"I'm no bastard, i'll be seeing you soon kid, stay alive until then please". Demon ended the conversation and exited the AO.
"Ghost you god damn dumbass! Are you okay?" Mist yelled angrily, lowering her voice relieved that he was okay.
"That was reckless kid" Seymour turned into the conversation. "You remind me of-"
"Mihaly…" Predator interrupted. "At Least when we first met him"
"I wasn't just going to let Zeke die!" Ghost rebutted.
"He was dead the second he was marked by him, there was nothing you could do" Seymour said again.
"Gentlemen, we are running low on mission time. Is there anything else you can do for the evacuation?" Guard dog asked.
"Most of the armor is down, but we've got IFVs deep in the city to close the evac sites to support" Predator responded.
"You to scared to get close?"
"If you want to drop a 2000 pound bomb on a evac site grab your own goddamn jet guard dog" Seymour said defensivly.
"Sorry, poor choice of words," Guard dog responded.
"They'll have to make do with what they have" Mist said biting her tongue
"This is bullshit" Ghost fumed, still shaking with a bit of fear.
"So goes war," Seymour said.
"Copy all, All callsigns mission accomplished we did would we could." Guard dog reported.
"So was that Him?" Ghost asked.
"Zeke and the Demon had a history," Predator said.
"Well that would explain why he marked him," Seymour said.
"Well we need to figure out how to deal with him regardless I've never seen anything short of a drone fly like that" Mist said.
"Me either, but that's impossible drones are banned in war now" Seymour responded.
"That's no drone, before he engaged I saw the Demons plane. He is a man and very much alive" Ghost reported.
"We can talk about this when we get home, come on hell flyers" Guard dog shut the small talk down.
"Are you okay Ghost?" Mist asked concerned.
"Yeah Mist im okay" Ghost reassured looking down out of his cockpit watching as explosions went off throughout Farbanti. A city on fire.