Chapter Four: The Hero's Fall
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Gunther Bay, Usea.
June 6th, 2019.
1800hrs.
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The sky was a dark shade of orange, the sun a fiery ball sinking below the horizon. Dark, scattered clouds moved slowly with the wind, still hanging in the air after a recent storm and blocking a lot of the view. Putting that aside, there were moments where the clouds would break and Naomi was able to just barely make out the impressive sunset. She knew she wouldn't have a lot of time to enjoy it, though, so she tried her best to relax on the way.
Ahead of her, the space elevator lay waiting for her arrival, and with it the Erusea's radar network and anti-air weaponry. They had the Arsenal Bird on their side, an unfair advantage in any situation. No wonder Osea had constructed two of them. Air superiority was an important asset in almost every war, and those that possessed it were most likely to come out victorious. Osea had a nasty habit of building massive, destructive aircraft and not keeping a close enough guard on them.
Obviously that wasn't the only thing they were terrible at guarding. They lost the space elevator for starters, which was one of the first things Erusea's forces moved in on once the war started, they lost both Arsenal Birds, making things risky for the pilots in their air force, and to top it all off, they lost their former president. The man was well respected among the Osean citizens and among other countries, such as Yuktobania and previously by most of Usea.
Former President Harling was known best for his actions before, during, and after the Circum-Pacific War. The briefer had referred to him as the 'hero' of the war, but Naomi didn't quite share that sentiment. She remembered reading the articles on the pilots from Sand Island, and then remembered many books and articles referring to the Ghosts of Razgriz. A flag with the squadron's emblem flew in Oured Park. Whoever the Razgriz was, that's who had ended the war and brought peace to Osea for a solid nine years. Harling contributed, yes, but was he really as great as everyone believed?
A voice jarred her from her thoughts. It was Sky Keeper, his voice as light and calm as ever as he addressed her. "Trigger, how you feeling out there, kid?"
Naomi took a moment to respond, trying to decide the best way to phrase it. "Better than I thought I would, but I'm still nervous," she admitted at last, eyeing her radar and doing a once over of all of her controls. Pre-flight checks had taken forever as she wanted to be thorough, but Naomi was not any less anxious being out on her own. "I'm glad I've got you looking out for me, Sky Keeper, but I miss the others. I've got a bad feeling about this, honestly. What if I screw up?"
Sky Keeper didn't answer for a few seconds. "You'll be fine. I'll talk you through it to keep your mind off of the mission," he reassured her. "Nothing's slipping past me this time around." Naomi couldn't help but smile at this. "Alright, you're entering the operation area now. You need to maintain radio silence. We'll be able to radio you, but you are not permitted to make contact, understand? If you're spotted then the mission's over. Stay out of the enemy radar and keep your cool out there. Oh, and use of weaponry is also forbidden. Unfortunately, it'll give you away. Sorry about that, Trigger."
Naomi nodded to herself, diving to a lower altitude to get out of the clouds, which had become thicker. She had to bite her tongue to keep herself from talking. She never realized until then just how much she relied on communication. Talking to herself was also an option, but then she feared she'd sound crazy, even if no one was there to hear her. Sky Keeper radioed her again, "Okay, you're now officially heading up the Harling rescue mission. The success of this relies on you and your performance. Good luck out there."
She let out a deep breath. Screw it, she thought. Talking to yourself never hurt anyone. Worst that could happen is I wind up crazier than I was when I accepted this dumb mission. "No pressure there, eh Sky Keeper?" Naomi muttered to herself, keeping her eye on the radar so she didn't get caught in the enemy's radar. So far, everything was going just fine. She could only pray that things continued this way.
As she executed her first turn, bringing herself out of the clouds and through the narrow opening in the radar network, the space elevator became barely visible. All Naomi could see of it was the upper half reaching high into the sky, through the atmosphere as it was said. A part of her wondered why Harling had been there. He was inspecting it, sure, but why? It looked safe enough for its intended use, and there wasn't any reason for it to not be in working order. Just what was its purpose anyways?
"Trigger, you're a third of the way to the rendezvous point," Sky Keeper spoke at last. "Good job, but remember to stay focused." Naomi banked left at the last minute, barely missing the radar, having lost her focus for a second. Funny how Sky Keeper said that in the nick of time. She was struggling to keep her plane on course, the gusts of wind providing resistance and causing her to waver in the air.
By now Naomi had a clear view of the Space Elevator through the clouds and she was able to see its base and most of its shape. The sun setting in the background made for a stunning sight. She found herself surprised by the…elegance it had. Only having seen pictures, seeing it in person, even at a distance, made it far more impressive to look at. "Stay focused," she reminded herself. "You can't get caught up in staring at that thing. It's the cause of this whole thing if you think about it. I still don't understand why Erusea thought it was a threat. It doesn't look like a weapon…"
The wind was less of a problem now and she was able to move with little to no trouble. Below her, just a couple of hundred feet between her plane and her ocean. Naomi worried that if the plane got too jerky from the wind, then she'd lose control and crash into the ocean. She had a serious fear of drowning, and if she wasn't killed on impact and didn't blow up, then that's how she'd end up. Shuddering at the thought, she gained some altitude. It wasn't much, just enough to set her mind at ease as she went on.
"You've got two directions you can take here. Either one should work, so just go with your gut, Trigger," Sky Keeper told her. Naomi checked her radar and then looked out to her right at the position of the space elevator, choosing her path from there. Following up on his promise, Sky Keeper began to talk to her and keep her calm. "Don't worry, we're watching over you." She had to admit that talking to herself, however little of it she had actually done, was starting to get to her.
"You're making good progress, Trigger. You're currently halfway to your rendezvous point." Sky Keeper's voice was growing more and more positive. The anxiety Naomi was feeling was slowly ebbing away. "Look, I won't lie, but you're going to be on your own for a while out there. Just you and your radar. But just know that we're all pulling for you. You'll make it through." Naomi continued on her path, worrying she'd lose the communication when she flew into some thick clouds. Everything around her was brown and fuzzy, her only form of vision being her radar.
After holding her breath for a few seconds, she finally emerged from the clouds just in time to make a turn. She was almost to the space elevator, if she could just keep it up for a few more minutes. The mission was almost complete. Everything would be smooth sailing from there on out. It was all moving so quickly. By now the space elevator was so close she could touch it, but she wasn't out of the maze yet. "You're three-fourths of the way there," Sky Keeper informed her. "It's been a long flight, but you're nearly home. Keep it up!"
Naomi took a deep breath and closely monitored her radar as she made another turn. Mentally trying to prepare herself to jump into the fire once she arrived, unsure how much anti-air resistance they'd have, she was relying on muscle memory and her reflexes to fly at this point, giving some short directions to herself. Level out. Go to the left. You're to close to the right…you're gonna get caught —
"You know, Harling is…still the president in my eyes," Sky Keeper put in, his tone now more subdued than it had been previously. "He's the one who ended the war, built the space elevator, and launched a spaceship from it." Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. The launch wasn't a secret, in fact, she was pretty sure the OBC did a report on it and it was a big deal for a while. One of Osea's first deep-space missions, there for exploration. "Despite all of his success, Harling always remained a humble hero. I'll do everything I can to help you and the rest of Golem and Mage save him. Lend me a hand, Trigger…"
"I already am," Naomi huffed out, making sure not to actually radio him to respond. At this point, he was getting too deep. Last thing she wanted to do was have him go all Faun on her and get into some philosophical monologue while she was trying to focus. She was almost there and starting to wonder why the Eruseans were so paranoid that they'd have this ridiculous network set up. It wasn't that hard to maneuver through either.
"Rendezvous point dead ahead!" Sky Keeper called out. "Just a little further. Hang in there, alright?" Naomi looked at the radar, seeing a small opening that she would just barely be able to fly through. She made a sharp turn and leveled out, keeping her plane straight and heading directly towards the space elevator. Finally able to gain some altitude, she pulled up to around seven hundred feet and awaited further orders from Sky Keeper. "Trigger, the first stage of the mission is clear. Don't celebrate just yet, though. The real fight's about to get started. Radio silence is now lifted. The auxiliary craft will be arriving shortly. You're cleared to engage."
Several blips appeared on her radar, clustered around the space elevator. "Finally!" Naomi let out a sigh of relief, overjoyed that she was finally able to talk. Gosh, I sound like Alvin. In all honesty, how does Samantha deal with it? Making a dive for the first AA gun, she fired two missiles at it once she got a lock. "You have no idea how much willpower that took. I mean, it wasn't too bad, but it really sucks when no one can hear you. Really glad we all have you, Sky Keeper!"
"As happy as I am to hear that, Trigger, you need to focus on taking out the anti-air weapons around the space elevator and spend less time talking to me," Sky Keeper replied. "We have to secure the landing zone for Sea Goblin, otherwise the mission will fail. They aren't going to be able to make it with this much fire, so work more and talk less." Naomi nodded and took out a SAM site followed by another AA gun. "Target down. Nicely done!"
The Eruseans made themselves seem somewhat paranoid. First they had a ridiculous, difficult to navigate radar maze as Naomi was now calling it and then they put up a dozen anti-air weapons around the elevator. Did they not trust their own military or something? Shaking her head slowly, she pulled herself from her thoughts when she missed one of the AA guns and pulled back around to fire at it again. "Getting kinda lonely out here," Naomi said to anyone who would listen. "When are the others gonna get here?"
"Trigger, sorry 'bout the wait," Clown's voice came on in response. "Took us a while to catch up with ya, but the cavalry's here!" Naomi grinned, still working on eliminating the targets.
"Golem Squadron," Knocker adressed his men. "Trigger jumped through the fire. Now it's our turn!"
"Understood," Footpad replied. "We'll be there shortly, Trigger, just hold on a few minutes longer."
"Roger that, Footpad," Naomi said, working one target at a time. She should have chosen a different plane, one equipped with anti-ground for its special weapons, but she chose her trusty F-16 instead and she was paying the cost. The ground crew gave her the option of several other planes, the F-14D had been an option, but for one it wasn't much better suited for Air-to-Ground than her Falcon was. That and Clown and Knocker shot down the idea, stating that it was risky enough to put one pilot at risk and that they didn't want to send her in with an WSO.
"Gotta let you all know, I'm not up to a competition today," Boggard radioed to his wingmen. "Trigger, I'm letting you know this because I don't want you to overdo it out there."
"Har-har," Naomi gave a sarcastic laugh. "Funny guy." As Naomi continued to work on taking out the AA guns and SAM sites, Sky Keeper ordered Golem and Clown to destroy the enemy before they could respond. Gargoyle Squadron was also on its way to provide support, but they didn't say how far out they were. "Mage 2 to Sky Keeper, when is Sea Goblin's ETA?" She pulled up just as she hit another AA gun and turned to find the next target.
"Sea Goblin will arrive shortly," Sky Keeper replied. "About five minutes at the most. Eliminate the hostile anti-air before then." Naomi flew close to the ground, taking out the last of the weapons and then pulling up as they exploded. Sky Keeper's announcement quickly followed. "All SAM sites down, and all anti-air guns destroyed! Nice work Trigger, the landing zone is now secure. Sea Goblin, you're cleared to land."
Naomi circled around the elevator as Sea Goblin announced their approach, no longer having the risk of being shot down hanging over her head. In the distance, Golem Squadron and Clown had finally arrived, keeping a close formation. She was taking the opportunity to examine the elevator. It was an interesting shape that resembled a triangle. The main elevator formed a straight line all the way into space and the. Naomi flew through the four Posture Control Systems — that's what they were called according to the blueprints she saw during the briefing, anyways. Maneuvering through them, she began a climb alongside the windbreak, curiosity getting the better of her.
"This thing is…really interesting…" Naomi said to herself, eventually breaking off from the windbreak and turning her plane in the direction of the rest of her squadron to regroup. Flying in formation while they awaited further orders, she spoke to the others. "I could see why Erusea would feel as if Osea was trying to take over with that thing. It's impressive, but I don't see how it's a threat."
"It isn't," Clown replied matter-of-factly.
If he wanted to say more, he wasn't able to. Sky Keeper's voice had an edge of anxiety to it as he said, "Multiple bandits have been detected over Selatapura harbor. They're container launched UAVs! Golem, Mage, move in to intercept them. Keep them away from Sea Goblin at whatever cost!" Naomi followed the others towards the city just a short distance away.
"Shit, not these guys again," Knocker spat out once the drones had shown up on radar. It wouldn't be long before they'd be in visual range of them. "Alright, listen up! I want everyone stick close together and watch the others back. You get shot, you and your wingman pull out while we cover your retreat. Everyone's comin' home today, got it? Stay alert and you'll be fine." Although he was stern enough to allow no argument, nobody was willing to present one. Knocker was right. He didn't want to lose anyone else, as evident by his resistance to send Naomi on her own, and he was going to do whatever it took to get them home and complete the mission. It was difficult to not admire that.
Sea Goblin began their landing as Golem and Mage flew towards Selatapura to intercept the UAVs. "Sea Goblin here. Going up to meet our two VIPs." At least they were able to land safely. Now all there was to do was keep the UAVs off of Sea Goblin's tail. Naomi looked back at the elevator, flying along the bridge that led to the mainland, but she was too far away to see anything other than a moving black dot as it lowered to the ground.
"The rescue craft is tagged on," Sky Keeper announced. "Initiate the rescue. Golem and Mage, the rescue craft is defenseless on the ground. Destroy all hostiles before they're able to reach the elevator."
"We owe you guys for this," one of the soldiers from Sea Goblin radioed. He sounded on the younger side in comparison to the guy that had previously been communicating with the pilots. "Thanks to the pilots that took out the anti-air stuff around this place. I'm sure the president will be real grateful for all of your hard work. I know we are. I just hope we all can make it out of here…"
Clown sighed, "It's been a long journey, but you're on the home stretch. You'll be in and outta there in no time at all, we're gonna see to that." He and Naomi split off from Golem and went for the containers on the far side of the group, leaving Footpad and Boggard with the ones towards the center, and Knocker and Faun went for the ones at the far right. They'd have the mission complete in no time if they kept it up.
"I'm having Gargoyle Squadron stand by at the elevator while you all take out the containers," Sky Keeper explained to them in his best mix of a serious and reassuring tone. "Don't worry about the UAVs that are already launched. Gargoyle can handle them." Naomi sighed and dived with Clown to get a lock on the nearest container, blowing them up before it could launch any more. The went along the shore, taking out as many as they could, one by one.
"This is Sea Goblin," the rescue team's leader spoke again a few minutes later. "Heading over to the ex-prez's location now!" Several UAVs had already launched and immediately zipped past the squadron heading for them, heading directly towards the space elevator with the intention of taking out Sea Goblin. As the leader of Sea Goblin radioed again, the sound of air whistling as a missile approached could be heard, followed by a muffled explosion, "UAVs are approaching fast — damn, they're firing! Take cover! Get behind that container!"
"Wasn't Gargoyle Squadron supposed to be standing by?" Faun, who'd been silent up to that point, demanded in what was almost a snarl. Naomi looked at her radar and the only thing she saw by the elevator was Sea Goblin's craft. Faun must have done the same thing she had, because he suddenly yelled at Sky Keeper, "Shit, where the hell are they, Sky Keeper!? Somebody's not doing there job and we've got our hands full over here! Tell those idiots to get off of their asses and get over here!" Rarely had Naomi heard him so angry, but his demeanor had changed ever since Brownie's death. She hoped it wasn't something she would have to get used to.
The radar beeped suddenly as four new blips appeared. Gargoyle 3, who'd assumed command of Gargoyle Squadron following the death of their leader, announced their arrival. "We were running a little behind schedule," he said calmly, as if he wasn't at all bothered by Faun's outburst. "Our carrier was attacked by some more of Erusea's drones and we had to take care of that before we could get out here. Engaging now." The explanation didn't seem too impossible, knowing Erusea's recent tactics of attacking the weak, but Faun let out a snort of disbelief over the radio, muttering something like 'yeah right'.
A few of the UAVs began to disappear from radar, but they were still working on taking out all of the containers and many had launched most of the drones they were carrying. It was becoming overwhelming for everyone, and Naomi had a hard time not engaging the drones, as they offered a brief distraction, flying around as if taunting them before banking towards the elevator. But she reminded herself that the flow would end if they took out its current source. "There's too many," Gargoyle 4 commented. "We aren't going to be able to take all of them on our own."
After what felt like ages, they took out what they believed to be all of the containers and Knocker ordered, "Everyone return to the elevator and give Gargoyle a hand. We can't afford to fail this mission." Naomi hit the afterburners to catch up with Clown, who'd already started back that way. Footpad and Boggard had formed up beside her, whereas Faun was remaining close by Knocker. In their ears, Sea Goblin was continuing to report their status, frantically returning fire at the UAVs.
"More UAVs are approaching the space elevator," Sky Keeper said urgently. "Stop them before they get there…shit, there were more containers than we thought…updating your IFF!"
"This is getting insane…" Naomi felt pent up frustration surfacing and a knot forming in her throat. Suddenly it wasn't looking as hopeful as she previously thought. She turned back to the city and the containers now appearing on her radar. Take out the source. Just to make sure she wasn't needed elsewhere, she asked, "Knocker, what do you want me to do? Handle the containers or deal with the drones?"
"Trigger, you take out the containers we missed. Footpad, Boggard, you two take care of the approaching UAVs." Knocker had quickly assessed the situation and formed his plan, though Naomi had already begun attacking the remaining containers. "Clown, Faun, the two of you remain with me and continue assisting Gargoyle in supporting Sea Goblin!" A chorus of 'yes sir' followed almost instantly.
"Ex-prez identified!" another soldier from Sea Goblin announced excitedly. "Behind the gantry crane! Mr. Harling, stay right there, we're coming for you!"
"Alright, great!" The knot in Naomi's throat wasn't as tight after she heard them say they found Harling. A spark of hope. "Be careful out there and bring him home, guys!" She hoped the encouragement was at least mildly helpful. Maybe it would give them some mental motivation, who knew? Firing two missiles, she took out what she was desperately praying were the last of the containers. "Sky Keeper, this is Mage 2. Containers are destroyed. Is that all of them?"
"That should be the last of them," he answered. "Help the others take down the UAVs, now. Sea Goblin's still taking some hits."
"Speaking of Sea Goblin...How are you guys holding up down there?" Naomi asked them, wanting to know their progress. She climbed up to engage a drone that was on its way to the elevator, directly in front of her. She wasn't too far away herself, and was close enough to get a lock on it. Keeping a lock on it was the difficult part, as it began to weave and dodge and twist through the clouds. Naomi was really getting tired of them. Slippery little bastards...
"We're not doing too good…" At last, Sea Goblin responded. "Jacob's been hit…he was the leader…he's…he's dead." There was a pause, likely as the team returned fire to the drones, then he came back on, "We've almost got him…awww, shit. Incoming rocket!" Another whistle of air, an explosion, and then the transmission cut to static. Naomi continued to fire at the drone she was still chasing, trying not to lose her focus. Were they…dead? They'd been lucky before, maybe it missed them?
"Sea Goblin! All survivors! Respond! Is Mr. Harling alive?" Sky Keeper asked, having lost his calm composure for just a moment. Naomi couldn't help but give a bitter laugh at his words. They didn't care about the rescue team at all. She probably should have figured this out from the start, but all they cared about was Harling, and by extension, Sea Goblin. If they died, Harling was either captured or he died with them. Of course, it was understandable why they needed him, being such a diplomatic person, but they could easily achieve peace without him. Why did she feel awful for thinking that? It's not like she wanted him or anyone else dead.
"They got the chopper and Sierra 2!" yet another new voice from Sea Goblin shouted over the radio. "That was thermobaric!" There was yet another pause as they continued to fire at the attacking drones. Naomi had just managed to shoot down the one she had been pursuing and was now trying to locate another one. "Shit, another rocket!" Sea Goblin's transmission cut out for the last time. Naomi's stomach dropped and her throat tightened. This was it. There wasn't anything they could have done. We weren't fast enough...
"Damn…" Sky Keeper spat.
"They're swarming," Clown pointed out. Naomi wasn't able to see him, but she knew that their squadron was having a difficult time keeping close together. "There's no way we can provide adequate cover in this. They're relentless!" Naomi was trying to focus on one drone at a time, but she kept losing them and it made her wonder whether every time she managed to hit one, it slipped away and let one of the others take over for it. It made it so they were difficult to down, but surely they weren't that smart? It's not like they were animals or something. They were programmed to act this way, so somebody had the foresight to prepare them for situations like this, right? That seemed unlikely.
"This is Colonel Johnson…er…do you copy?" After silence from the ground and rescue team, Naomi had assumed that they were dead, and it sounded as if the radio being used had been damaged, causing a fair amount of static. Colonel Johnson must have been the officer that had accompanied Harling to the facility and hid him when the attack on the elevator happened. That made sense, and it also meant that it was likely Harling was safe and alive, so maybe there was still hope for Sea Goblin after all. "I am with President Harling. The rescue unit is down, along with the soldier who had this radio. It…it was unfortunate that such a thing happened…but no matter what, I will get Mr. Harling out of here..."
"Sir, we feel the same way," came Sky Keeper's tired response. He was still holding out hope, though, as evident from the fact that he didn't sound completely defeated. "We'll figure something out. Is there anything around the elevator that could provide transportation? A truck or a car, perhaps? Not the safest option, but it could get you across the bridge and into the city." Golem and Mage all formed up, and together they managed to take out the remaining drones. That should buy them some time before Erusea sent more in.
"That's the first thing we set off to find when the rescue team went down and the firing stopped. We've just found an Erusean transport craft," Johnson replied. The static was starting to clear up, making it easier for them to understand him. It wasn't a perfect connection by any means, but it was improving. "It's engines are on and it should be able to fly." Naomi wondered just how they were going to manage that. The briefing didn't tell them what branch the colonel was in, they didn't even tell them his name or what he did. How did he intend to fly? She doubted Harling knew how to, even then, Johnson probably wouldn't allow it.
"I heard you were in the air force, Colonel. Can you fly?" Of course the AWACS knew more than they did. Sky Keeper always had to relay the information, because apparently the pilots that were actually in the war and fighting, all while HQ sat behind their desks all safe and sound, were too stupid to ever get any information. If this was how everything was going to go, she wanted out.
"And imagine my surprise when the briefing doesn't tell us about any of this shit," Naomi said to her squadron mates bitterly, but Knocker and Clown both shushed her, offering no response other than that. Frustrated, she remained where she was and tried to patiently wait for their next orders. Gargoyle Squadron had already taken some damage and withdrawn, so she had her fingers crossed that enemy reinforcements didn't show up. It would be like Chopinburg all over, no reinforcements and nobody to cover a retreat should they be forced to withdraw.
"It's been a while, but I can fly better than Mr. Harling can. It's like riding a bike, right?" Johnson was trying his best to lighten the mood and sound positive and confident. It was obvious that he was also trying to keep a professionally cool demeanor as well. "The craft's in good condition. If I can figure out the controls, I should be able to get it in the air."
"It'll do." Sky Keeper said softly, then he cleared his throat. "All squadrons be advised. The call sign is Mother Goose One. I've sent the information via the data link. Be sure to keep them out of your line of fire."
"Mother Goose One?" Johnson scoffed. "That's the best you can come up with?"
"Someone from HQ sent it in," Sky Keeper explained calmly. "They got the idea from a major that served in the last war under Harling's command. It's quick and easy to say, so it'll have to do."
Naomi sighed, starting to get tired of flying around and doing nothing. Right now all they were doing was waiting, and it was becoming monotonous. "Sky Keeper, the area's clear. All UAVs have been splashed and all containers destroyed," she said, keeping her annoyance in check and not allowing it to spill into her voice. "Mother Goose One is safe to take off whenever they're ready. Although I'm in no authority to say so, I'd appreciate it if we could hurry up and get this show on the road."
"Getting antsy, are we Trigger?" Faun asked her. Not in a taunting way, in a genuinely curious and concerned way. "You just sound a little impatient. You've been pretty quiet up until now, so what gives?"
"Well, this entire time I've been thinking, and honeslty, I've got a really bad feeling about this," Naomi replied, carefully looking out of the canopy and out at the bay, surveying the area and checking her radar frequently. "That was all too easy than what we've previously dealt, don't you agree? It doesn't seem right. I feel like Erusea wanted us to get this far…there's something up their sleeves, but I don't know what it it. I mean, think about it, all the other times they didn't hold back. They sent almost everything they had. But now they just leave their containers undefended and launch off some pathetic drones?"
"It was far from easy, Trigger," Knocker said to her. "These weren't a step up from the last drones, but they still offered a challenge." He paused, as if thinking about everything she'd said and picking apart her argument. "You have a point about that strategy, though. I find it a little odd that they only have a few out here, ready and waiting, but they might have just been secure with their radar network and didn't think anyone would penetrate the airspace."
"Maybe you're right, but it all feels off." Naomi bit her lip nervously, not having enough room in her cockpit to really fidget with and calm her down. Squirming to adjust herself in the seat with limited mobility, she glanced warily out towards the cloud cover and the sunset. "I'd still keep an eye out just in case. That way if they've got another hand to play then we're ready for it."
Sky Keeper radioed them again, ending the discussion. "All aircraft, former President Harling's transport is ready to take off. Be ready to provide cover should they be in any danger. Mother Goose One, you are cleared to take off!"
"All right, Mother Goose One taking off!" The sound of the transport's whirring as it gained altitude muffled Johnson's voice. "Mr. Harling wants to extend his thanks to you beforehand." The aircraft appeared on radar, and Naomi was able to just barely make it out as it began to climb up, a visible dark spot with the elevator in the background. Further off in the distance, Gargoyle was returning from resupplying and refueling.
"Let's save that for when we're all home safe," Sky Keeper said. "Mage Squadron, Mother Goose One is heading south. Provide support for them."
"Wilco." Naomi and Clown both replied, splitting off from Golem and flanking Mother Goose One to act as escorts, ready to take out anything that tried to harm Harling. Naomi dared to think that everything would turn out exactly as planned, but no sooner did she think that than several unidentified blips appeared on the radar. She sighed. I should have expected that. Damn those Eruseans.
"Sky Keeper, bogeys on my radar!" Knocker shouted, alerting their AWACS of the arrival of the unknown, likely enemy aircraft approaching. "Bearing 220. Any idea what they are?"
Sky Keeper replied almost instantly. "Sighting confirmed as MQ-101, forerunner for the Arsenal Bird!"
"Ah, so the big bird is comin', huh?" Clown growled, inching closer to form a tight formation around Mother Goose One. "C'mon, Trigger, let's keep 'em off of their tail. Time to remind 'em that goose ain't in season right now." Naomi glanced at the transport, then back out at Golem Squadron as the broke off of the tail end and started to fly out to where the UAVs were.
"Mage, protect Mother Goose One and shoot down any UAVs that try and get close to them. Golem, intercept the UAVs! Shoot down as many as you can!" Sky Keeper barked out the orders. Naomi looked down at her radar, seeing the UAVs closing in fast. Golem was nearly close enough to engage with them, they just had a short ways to go.
"Golem 1, wilco," Knocker spoke through gritted teeth. "That last battle taught me a lot about those a-holes. Golem 2, Faun, don't stray off on me. Always maintain element, understand?"
"Wilco," Faun said. "Forming up! Boggard, Footpad, get over here!"
The frustration returned and Naomi's grip tightened around her control stick. Her index finger was hovering over the fire button. Why couldn't she go out there and help them fight? Instead, she was left with Harling's plane, escorting him out of the area. But Golem wouldn't be able to handle all of the UAVs on their own. She didn't want a repeat of Brownie's death. According to her radar, the UAVs were managing to slip through. Naomi grinned. "This is Mage 2. I'm breaking off to intercept UAVs approaching Mother Goose One."
"Roger that, Mage 2. Take them out." Sky Keeper told her firmly. Just as she said she was doing, she broke away from Mother Goose One and took off after the stray UAVs. They were fast, but she'd been held back enough to want to catch it. She had motivation to get it down. It zipped down, towards the ocean, then pulled abruptly out of its dive as Naomi followed it. Reacting fast, she executed a high-G turn and followed it up into the clouds. As it twisted about, evading her lock, Naomi tried to predict its movements. This was a challenge. At last she locked on. Not wanting to risk losing it, she wasted no time and pulled the trigger. The UAV attempted to evade the missile, but the first struck its target, slowing it down as the last one finished it off. "Trigger, enemy UAV down! Nice work, just be sure to keep it up."
"They're after me…damn…" Footpad broke away from the formation, trying to lose the drone on his tail. Relentless, the UAV pursued him, matching him move for move, not letting up on him. "I can't shake this guy! Trigger, I'm coming your way. See if you can get this bastard off my tail!" His plane banked to the left, away from the space elevator. Naomi hit the afterburners to meet him halfway. He shot past her, drone close on his tail. Naomi turned sharply so she was on the drone's tail. "I'm gonna dive and then climb. Get him when he pulls up after me!"
Naomi lowered her speed to get herself ready and avoid a collision. Footpad's nose dipped down and he started his dive, the drone following as expected. He flew above the surface of the water before he pulled up sharply. The UAV followed his every move, aware only of its target and not at all concerned with the position of any of Footpad's wingman. Naomi was at the ready and as the drone began its climb it put itself right in the crosshairs. She got the lock and fired, not daring to pull away out of fear that she'd lose her position and have to chase it down. It was too slow to react and the missiles hit right where they were intended. The drone was nothing more than a ball of flame and smoke falling to the water below.
"Yahoo! Nice job!" Footpad cheered, circling around and joining up on Naomi's wing. "Remind me to give you a high five when we get back to base!" Naomi grinned and gave him a thumbs up before the two split off from each other to take on a new enemy. Footpad joined up with Boggard and Gargoyle 3 to chase down one of the UAVs while Knocker and Faun were flying beside Gargoyle 2 and Gargoyle 4, each of them taking on their own enemy.
"Damn it, he got away!" Gargoyle 2 groaned. "Mage 2, take care of him for us!"
"The way they're acting is ridiculous," Naomi said as she turned towards the swarm that was mostly blocked by Golem and Gargoyle. Doing as she was told, she worked on picking off the strays that were slippery enough to get past the eight fighters and continue on their way to Harling and Johnson. "They're singling out Mother Goose One. It's like the only reason they're even bothering with us is because we're trying to stop them!" The drone was pulling evasive maneuvers as Naomi came up on it, trying to get to Clown and Mother Goose One rather than fight with her. It succeeded in escaping, two others coming to its aid to distract Naomi. "Shit! Mage 1, Mother Goose One! UAV incoming!"
"Mother Goose One! UAV on your tail, take evasive action!" Sky Keeper ordered. They were almost out of the combat zone, if they could just get a little farther. Clown was doing his best to protect them, but the drones were bound and determined to fire at Harling's aircraft.
"I hear you, but this isn't exactly a fighter." Johnson sounded out of breath. "I'm doing the best I can, here." Golem and Gargoyle Squadron had separated, losing most of their formation as more and more UAVs flew in. They began to swarm like vultures, forcing everyone to break off from one another and engage. Johnson sighed, "And just when things were starting to look better for us…not to worry, Mr. Harling. Everything's going to be just fine."
Naomi formed up with Clown, chasing the UAVs away from Mother Goose One and into the clouds as a distraction. Golem Squadron fought along the edge, the main defense for Mother Goose One. "Mage 1! Clown! There's too many of them out here…they're like wolves…" Naomi was starting to feel overwhelmed and flustered. Back and forth, up, down, left right. Memories from Chopinburg and of Brownie's demise began to creep up. She didn't even see Brownie go down…why was she affected like this? "Shit…I'm having difficulties focusing in this mess…"
"Trigger, just relax and worry about the here and the now," Knocker advised.
The clouds blocked her view of the others, but the radio chatter that went on proved they were still alive. Gargoyle Squadron sounded as if they were talking in some sort of code. "Gargoyle 3, where's the signal?" one of the pilots from Gargoyle asked their new leader. Naomi noticed that they weren't calling him Gargoyle 1, which she found odd. They'd already found someone new to fill the number three position in their flight, but still referred to him as 'three'? Naomi understood herself and her squadron mates as not used to it, but their own pilots? It was always likely they hadn't given up on their leader as quickly as the IUN had given up on Brownie.
"Gargoyle Squadron, stand by for my order," Gargoyle 3 said firmly. What order? What was going on? Naomi followed Clown and a pair of drones out of the clouds, no longer able to corral them there. Gargoyle Squadron wasn't participating in the battle any more. Where had they gone?
"But without the lighthouse…I mean the harbor, they won't be able to get home." Gargoyle 2 spoke hesitantly. What were they talking about? Naomi tried to get a look at Mother Goose One, on its way to safety, but the drones were like a flock of birds, nearly impossible to see through. Gargoyle Squadron on the other hand, was approaching, regrouped and not slowing down, perfectly visible even at a distance.
Someone from HQ bitterly responded to Gargoyle 2. "Don't worry about it. That ship isn't ours." What ship? Were they referring to the aircraft Harling and Johnson were on? No, they wouldn't call it that. They were stupid, but not that stupid. I hope.
"Mage 2, evade!" Clown shouted in her ear. Startled, Naomi became aware of a drone on her tail. Grunting, she rolled sharply off to the side, the UAV shooting past her, not expecting the change in direction. "Get your head outta the clouds, Trigger! Fight back or get yourself killed!" Cursing herself as Clown finished chewing her out, she took out the UAV that had been on her tail, then tried to eliminate some of the ones swarming around Mother Goose One and the elevator, dividing her time as best as she could.
HQ began to speak again, only to Gargoyle Squadron, not bothering to let their other allies in on whatever plan they had. Sky Keeper was being awfully silent as well. Did he know what was going on? Or what was about to go down. "Gargoyle, change radio frequency," came the order from headquarters. After that, Gargoyle's chatter ceased, leaving everyone mildly confused. No one dared speak up about it, since nothing had happened yet. It was probably nothing important, otherwise somebody would have told them.
"Mother Goose One, what's your status?" Knocker asked tiredly, giving away his exhaustion with his tone.
"This is Mother Goose One, here," Johnson replied quickly. "We're about to leave the airspace. Keep your fingers crossed." Naomi switched to special weapons as he said this and got close enough to take out the three drones chasing after the transport. Satisfied that they were safe for the time being, she turned back to the group and tried to keep them away from Mother Goose One like they'd been working on.
Suddenly, HQ and Gargoyle Squadron's voices returned to the radio. "Gargoyle, it's time," HQ said in a menacing way that sent chills down Naomi's spine. Tensing up, she continued to engage and looked around wildly every chance she got in order to try and get visual on Gargoyle again. She'd lost them…Where'd they go? Damn it, what are you morons about to do?
"Attention, Gargoyle Squadron. Babel. Babel. Babel." Gargoyle 3 shouted. The squadron emerged from the clouds in perfect formation, facing the elevator. "Gargoyle 3 to Babel!" Naomi wondered briefly who 'Babel' was supposed to be. She didn't have much time to wonder, because 'Babel' responded and Gargoyle opened fire on the swarm of UAVs. Not wanting to risk friendly fire, Naomi pushed down and slipped out and to the edge, away from the intended targets. All four planes fired at once, each missile hitting its target. As the drones exploded, one missile had nothing to hit except for the elevator in front of it.
Golem Squadron climbed to a higher altitude to regain their formation, followed closely by Clown and Naomi. "Sky Keeper! Do you want to tell me what the hell that was?" Knocker shouted, clearly sharing Naomi's confusion and annoyance at the lack of communication. "And is there anything else you don't want to give us a heads up about?"
"Gargoyle did their job, plain in simple," Sky Keeper replied flatly.
"I figured, but why weren't we informed about it, genius?!" Naomi could practically picture the anger on his face. Knocker was really pushing it with the authority lately, not that Naomi could really judge him on that end. She wasn't in the mood, but probably would have attempted to tear up Sky Keeper for withholding that info from them. There wasn't much they could do about it, unfortunately.
"It's simple." Clown stepped in to answer Knocker's question. "The IUN can't coordinate between branches, as usual. God, I don't even know why they bother having anybody running this shitshow anymore. No difference with or without someone calling the shots if you ask me."
"Gargoyle, report." HQ ordered.
"HQ, one hit was scored, the rest were intercepted by UAVs." Gargoyle 3 replied casually, almost disinterested. "The elevator's windbreak took a scratch, nothing more…" Then HQ simply went about like nothing happened, ordering them to continue maintaining air superiority. Not that they'd been helping much to begin with.
Naomi tensed again, her hand tightening around the control stick. One hit was scored? The elevator was the target? "What the hell, you sly, worthless bastards!" she spat and jerked her plane back towards the elevator, chasing down a drone to curb some of her anger at them. Naomi didn't plan on letting up on them. "We've been working to protect the president and reclaim this goddamn elevator and you dumbasses go and try and blow it up? God, and here I was thinking you were actually doing something useful for once!"
"Trigger, it's time to calm down!" Clown ordered, trying in vain to keep the situation from escalating.
Ignoring him, Naomi continued after the drone. She fired two missiles as soon as she got a lock, letting out a loud growl of frustration and anger as the drone dodged. She kept on its tail, refusing to let up on it or Gargoyle. "You're all — apparently — about as useful as your damn leader was over Chopinburg! You guys must like doing the Erusean's jobs for them, huh? Why don't you just shoot down the president while you're at it! I'm sure HQ wouldn't mind too much!"
"Trigger, that's enough!" Clown snarled at her, a hint of disbelief in his words. She ignored him, planning on saying more, but he refused to let her say another word as Gargoyle protested her outburst towards them. "Foulke, you need to shut your mouth before I send your ass back to base." That got her attention. She fired at the drone abruptly, the missile hitting it, but she was too shocked that Clown had used her real name. Or part of it. "Now...calm down and keep your thoughts to yourself until this mission is over and just focus on those goddamned UAVs, understand?" Naomi didn't respond, so he repeated it in a harsh, dark tone to get through her thick skull, "Understand?"
"Yes, sir…" Naomi murmured, relaxing her shoulders, feeling the tension all throughout her body to the point that it was affecting her flying. She had no choice but to shut up and fight back.
"Honestly, Turner. I thought you and Pierce would have straightened out your smart-mouthed rookies by now," a member of Gargoyle sneered. It was true, she had been way out of line, but Naomi wasn't allowed to retaliate no matter how badly she wanted to. She bit her tongue and continued to work, something she thought Gargoyle was incapable of. "Really. At least our squadron has respect for one another and our allies."
"Hey, why don't you assholes back off?" Knocker snapped. "We've dealt with it and she's not bothering you anymore, so can it already so we can focus on our jobs!" Naomi chuckled to herself as the Gargoyle pilots stopped talking to them after that. They all had more pressing matters to deal with, resuming their bobbing and weaving through the clouds after the UAVs that continued to swarm even after their significant losses.
"Mother Goose One has been hit!" Clown announced suddenly, taking down a UAV before he turned towards the aircraft as if to check on it.
"Colonel Johnson, respond!" Sky Keeper called. When no response came, he gave a deep breath. "Mage Squadron, assess the situation."
Clown broke away from the fighting and maneuvered around Mother Goose One to get a good look at the aircraft. "This is Mage 1, I have Mother Goose One in my sight. The cabin's fine, but the cockpit's not looking so good. I don't know how much longer we can keep going like this."
"Colonel Johnson, are you okay?" Sky Keeper asked calmly.
It was a decent wait before the colonel responded. When he did, it was obvious he was in considerable pain, "Don't worry about that…just send help this way…" He broke off, grunting in pain. "I'm sorry. Just get Mr. Harling out of here…please…" Johnson went silent after that. Damn it. They were so close. They'll never make it with just Harling on board…all of this was pointless, just like I thought. Naomi clenched her jaw, continuing with her orders to keep the drones away from Mother Goose One. Harling was still on board and had a small chance to survive. Maybe it wasn't all for naught.
"Mother Goose One, respond!" Sky Keeper raised his voice slightly. "Mother Goose One!"
"Sky Keeper, should we continue providing cover for Mother Goose One?" Clown asked, laying low and waiting before he jumped back into the battle.
Perhaps a little flustered and taken aback by the question, Sky Keeper replied, "Yes, of course! President Harling is still alive and we're going to do whatever we can to get him out of here. Colonel Johnson's effort will not be in vain." His words were bolder and far more determined than usual. Naomi admired that. If only she could feel as hopeful about their current situation as he did. The two squadrons continued to do their job, the tensions high. Sky Keeper spoke up again, "Wait…Mother Goose One is turning! What's going on?"
Naomi, who'd been chasing several drones in and out of the clouds, pulled out and turned towards the elevator in time to see Mother Goose One veering back towards the elevator. "What the hell…Sky Keeper, they're turning back for the elevator!" Naomi said. Nervously, she tried to get in contact with the transport. "Colonel Johnson…uh…Mr. Harling? Ugh...Mother Goose One, status!" Whoever was in control tried to respond, but the radio was far too staticky for anyone to make out what was being said.
"It's flying at a steady altitude. Any idea who's at the controls?" Clown asked.
"It's not the colonel," Sky Keeper answered. "Mr. Harling's the only one on board. He's piloting the craft. Mother Goose One respond!" Harling either couldn't reply or was ignoring the order. "Mr. Harling, please respond!" There was growing desperation in the AWACS voice as he tried in vain to get Harling to give them his status.
A transmission came from Mother Goose One. The static made it difficult to understand clearly, but it was the president's voice. "I…protect…elevator…relying…it." It made no sense, and Naomi tried to fill in the blanks caused by static, but to no avail. All she could understand was that Harling was going to try and protect the elevator. The 'relying' and 'it' part were difficult, but maybe it had something to do with what HQ mentioned to Gargoyle? And the spaceship Harling launched? Something strange was going on.
"We can't protect him if he decides to stick around here. Those UAVs are going to be on him like a pack of starving wolves on a deer!" Clown spat at this. Mother Goose One was heading directly for the elevator, pulling weak evasive maneuvers. There wasn't much he could really do with zero training in a slow, damaged aircraft. "This is all going to shit."
"My sentiments exactly." Naomi tried to keep the bitterness towards her previous scolding out of her voice.
"Now's not the time to freak out, fellas," Knocker told them. "We've still got a job to do, so let's do it! Keep your mind focused!" There he goes, preaching about focus again. Easy for you to say, Knocker…Naomi thought scornfully, but followed through anyways. The UAVs, as expected, began to swarm around Mother Goose One. Naomi and Clown hurried to the former president's aid, carefully aiming at the drones.
"Mr. Harling, we're not giving up on you! The UAVs are approaching Mother Goose One. Take them out now, Mage Squadron!" Sky Keeper ordered them.
"Let's go, Trigger," Clown said. "Get these bastards outta here!"
While Clown went farther out to get the ones approaching, Naomi spotted one directly on Mother Goose One's tail. She hurried after it, aiming as carefully as possible. Or so she thought. She got a lock. "Mother Goose One, turn 180 degrees and exit combat airspace!" Sky Keeper's order went ignored by the president. Naomi maintained her lock on the drone. She had a chance and she took it. Firing at the drone, she saw what she thought was another missile incoming out of the corner of her eye. Where'd that come from? "Trigger!"
Her missile hit the drone, or so she thought. But then why did Mother Goose One take the hit? "Mage 2!" Sky Keeper and Knocker's voices both echoed in her ear. It felt as if someone had just punched her in the stomach as she watched Mother Goose One slowly explode, losing altitude and falling to the ocean. Oh my God, no…Her eyes widened in disbelief. That couldn't have been me. That wasn't me, I didn't kill him! Did I?
She felt her entire body shaking and her eyes stinging and starting to get watery. Was she about to cry? It felt like it. This wasn't usual. She hated this. Had she not been as accurate as she thought? Had she fired to soon? Too late? It seemed impossible...
What have I done?
Author's Note: I debated adding this in after having a note in the last chapter, but I'd just like to apologize again for taking so long to update. As I said in the last AN, real life can be a pain sometimes, but I blame my lack of motivation honestly.
The next chapters are going to bring in some changes to the plot and my own deviation from canon. I was finally able to start playing the game for myself, and I'm loving it and have LOADS of ideas and inspiration. The next chapters shouldn't take as long for me to write, so expect another update soon!
Please let me know of any typos or screw ups that might have slipped through my editing. My apologies if wording became redundant as well.