Ace Combat: Joint Assault

Chapter 5:Capital Defense

Tenryu Base, 16 miles southwest of Tokyo, Japan, December 1st 2015, 11:45 Hours; Weather: Sunny, scattered clouds

Marlene Davenport was reading in her room, Foulke was staring at the ceiling of his room, and Milosz Sulejmani, Daniel Oruma, Faryd Gaviria and Tolya Kiriakov were taking a nap when a PA broadcast summoned them to the briefing room.

Frederick Burford was already there when the six pilots arrived.

-Scramble, men! The Valahia have invaded Tokyo airspace again. They've also unveiled a new beast of an aircraft, which is a huge threat to Tokyo and the SDF.-said Burford, as he showed them a recent photo of a huge, black aircraft.-You will be each sent coded intel on this weapon. Take it out and halt enemy progress. Rigel squadron, Antares squadron, head out immediately!

The six pilots left the office.

-I'll be taking the Su-33.-said Davenport.-I'm not very fond of USN planes. They bring me back some nasty memories.

-As you wish. Not that I care anyway.-answered Foulke coldly.

The six pilots got in their planes. Sulejmani had already warned his wingmen that this could be the chance they were waiting for.

Minutes later, the Rigel squadron took off, followed by the Antares squadron and Burford's E-767.

Tokyo, Japan, December 1st 2015, 12:00 Hours; Weather: Sunny, scattered clouds

The Rigel and Antares squadrons were approaching Tokyo from the southwest. The SDF forces were engaged in battle against the Valahian units.

-The hostiles have already reached Tokyo. Head immediately north along the bay.-ordered Canopus.-The SDF are offering resistance but they are losing ground. Rigel and Antares squadrons, hurry!

The radio was saturated with the SDF's frantic chatter.

-Do you think we can get the SDF to back off!?-wondered Rigel 4.-They're stealing my kills!

-Negative, Rigel 4.-chastised Antares 1.-This is their country. We can consider ourselves lucky that they allow us to take part in this.

Meanwhile, Antares 2 took out a handful of Ka-52 that were taking out JGSDF's anti-aircraft positions.

-This is GSDF. Thank you for your support.-said Colonel Yamagami, who was among the survivors of the battle at Boso Peninsula.-Can you see the big one from up there?

-This is Canopus of Martinez.-reported Canopus.-Affirmative, we have visual.

Antares 1 and Antares 2 were the firsts to get a visual on the new aircraft, which vaguely resembled a B-2A Spirit, but much larger.

-Looks like it's different from what we faced before. Be careful.-advised Canopus.

-Hostiles reinforcements, believed to be PMC.-said a crew member of the aircraft.

-Ah, so that's the PMC squadron.-said a voice over the radio.-How interesting.

-None can stand against the Valahia. Bring the full force of the "Orgoi" against them!-said the captain of the Orgoi.

-Another flying monster. You gotta be kiddin' me.-said Rigel 4.

-You can say that again. First the "Spiridus", and now this!?-replied Antares 2.

-Hah hah, yeah!-chimed Rigel 2.-My kind of crazy!

-Mine too, hombre!-added Rigel 3.

-I'm going to enjoy this.-muttered Rigel 1.

-Try not to hog all the fun, Rigel 1.-said Antares 1.-I've been waiting for something like this to appear for a whole lifetime.

The Orgoi was covered in AA guns. It was also covered by a couple of CIWS on both the upper side and underside of its wings, controlled by a Fire Control Unit each.

-Watch for enemies defending the target.-said Canopus.

A group of six F-15C Eagles with a grey and brown camo and six MiG-31B Foxhounds with two-tone desert camo and graphite grey radome were escorting the Orgoi. Antares 1 and Antares 2 attacked them, switching to SAAMs and QAAMs respectively. Antares 1 attacked the MiG-31Bs, damaging them with the SAAMs. Antares 2 attacked the F-15Cs, shooting down two of them in her first pass. The four remaining F-15Cs tried to shoot her down, but failed when she got behind them and shot them down, two with QAAMs and two with her guns. Antares 1 shot down the MiG-31Bs he had crippled using SAAMs with ease, and took out the two remaining with his missiles and guns.

-Enemy defenders eliminated.-reported Antares 1 afterwards.

-Good. Now focus your attack on the large enemy aircraft.-ordered Canopus.

-Engine systems all green.-said the captain of the Orgoi.-Wipe out enemy prior to attack on Tokyo.

The Antares squadron attacked the Orgoi, firing missiles on the AA guns, but the missiles were intercepted by the CIWS guns. They tried to attack the CIWS themselves, but they were kept at bay by the AA guns' fire.

-Antares squadron, it'll take too long to deal with this piece by piece in the face of such firepower. Check the FCU displays on your HUDs. They indicate the hostile's fire control units.-reported Canopus.-Attack the FCUs and silence all the hostile's air defenses at once.

Antares 1 attacked the FCU on the top of the Orgoi, while Antares 2 attacked the one on the bottom. Once they took out the CIWS, they switched to XLAAs and XMAAs and fired a whole volley on the AA guns each.

-All AA guns have been destroyed!-reported an AA gun operator.

-Deploy the next wave!-ordered their captain.

-Very impressive. You have certainly caught my attention.-said a voice on the radio.-You must be the leader of the squadron who shot down my... little toy?

He was talking to Rigel 1, who didn't answer.

-I see... You are cautious too. I am Dumitrescu, of the Valahia.-said Nicolae Dumitrescu.

-Tech! What's going on here?-asked Canopus frantically.-How did he splice into our encrypted line!?

-My organization requires pilots with skills like yours.-said Dumitrescu.

-Hmph, headhunting in the middle of battle?-asked Rigel 1, amused.

-I can promise a better wage.-claimed Dumitrescu.-How about changing your allegiance?

-Hey, you, the Dumitrescu guy. Can you hear me?-asked Antares 1.

-I can.-answered Dumitrescu.-What do you want?

-I'm only going to say it once, so make sure you hear it loud and clear.-Antares 1 said. He then shouted at the top of his lungs:-GET OUT OF OUR FREQUENCY, YOU GODDAMN PSEUDO-COMMUNIST ASSHOLE!

-Whew, someone's got a temper!-said Rigel 2.

-Deploying flak guns!-reported a crew member of the Orgoi.

-Fire at will! Keep your distance from the enemy!-ordered the captain.

Six flak guns appeared on the top and the bottom of the Orgoi's wings and fuselage.

-Rigel squadron, come here and help us to take out the flak guns.-said Antares 1.-The sooner we end this, the better.

-Roger that.-answered Rigel 1, as he and his wingmen headed toward the Orgoi.

The six planes fired a couple of standard missiles each, taking out the six flaks. The Orgoi began to emit black smoke.

-The target's smoking.-said Antares 2.-It's taking quite a beating!

-No shit, Sherlock!-chastised Antares 1.

-All flaks have been destroyed!-reported a member of the Orgoi's crew.

-The PMCs are tougher than I expected!-observed the captain of the Orgoi.

After some seconds, eight AA guns were deployed.

-Deploying anti-air guns!- reported a crew member of the Orgoi.

-Show Tokyo the power of Valahia!-ordered the captain of the Orgoi.

At that moment, the Spiridus drifted to the left and pulled up at an unearthly angle.

-Woah, what the hell!?-said Rigel 2.

-Don't wanna get hit by that thing.-observed Rigel 3.

-Jeez, you gotta be kiddin' me!-said Rigel 4.

-What the flying fuck!?-said Antares 2, who had been forced to break away from the Orgoi when it started its maneuver.-How can they maneuver that thing like that!?

-Target has incredible aerial capabilities.-reported Canopus.-Avoid direct contact with it at all costs.

-It's a bit too late to make that warning.-said Antares 1.-Good thing I'm flying an F-14D.

As he said that, he fired his last XLAAs on the upper AA guns, taking them out.

-Damage is serious! Fire from sections four and seven!-reported a member of the Orgoi's crew.

-Put out the fire ASAP! It'll take more than this to bring us down!-said the captain of the Orgoi.

Antares 2 headed towards the Orgoi, switching to XMAAs. She fired two of them at the AA guns on the lower fuselage before the Orgoi broke away again. Antares 2 waited for the Orgoi to finish its maneuver before firing her last two XMAAs on the last guns.

-They got our guns again! It's no use!-said an AA gun operator.

Just a second later, Rigel 1 contacted Dumitrescu.

-The only thing I value is money, earned in exchange for enemy lives.-he stated.-Give us money, and more importantly, the taste of battle. Men, you with me on this?

-What!? No, of course not!-gasped Antares 2, shocked.

-Absolutely not, and, if you back down now, I'll let it slide as an innocent joke, Sulejmani!-warned Antares 1.

However, neither of them were prepared for the answers of Rigel 1's wingmen

-Yeah. Sounds like a fun gig.-stated Rigel 2.

-Exactly what I'm looking for.-added Rigel 3.

-Same here.-answered Rigel 4.

After that, the Rigel squadron broke away.

-Rigel squadron, what is going on?-asked Canopus.

-I believe we have ourselves a deal.-said Dumitrescu.-Fly to the south, I will contact you again, and I look forward to meeting you in person.

-Sulejmani! Rigel squadron! What the hell are you doing?-Canopus asked.-Return to base now!

The Rigel squadron kept flying to the south, paying no heed to Canopus' words.

-Sulejmani! Dammit!-Canopus shouted, as he punched the instruments' panel in frustration.

Antares 1 let out a dry chuckle.

-Isn't that obvious? They're defecting to Valahia!-he answered. The contempt in his words, especially when he said "Valahia", was palpable.-I can still shoot them down before they leave the area. Just gimme the order, Burford.

-"What the hell!? He's going to shoot down his former comrades without even batting an eye!?"-mused Antares 2, thunderstruck.-"They may be defectors, but they were our partners! Foulke, you monster!"

-Antares, I'll have HQ deal with the Rigel squadron! Just focus on the combat at hand!-Canopus said.

-As you wish.-Antares 1 replied. He seemed somewhat frustrated.

-Target has changed course.-reported Antares 2.-It's heading towards Tokyo Bay!

-Great. Continue pursuit and take them out over the sea.-ordered Canopus.-Don't let them get away again.

The Orgoi was fleeing to the east. Antares 1 and Antares 2 followed it to shoot it down.

-There are two outputs on the back end of the target's main wings.-said Canopus.-Destroy them!

The Orgoi, however, deployed a couple of SAM launchers under its wings.

-Deploy anti-air missiles, shoot those dogs down!-ordered the captain.

A couple of missiles were fired, one going for each member of the Antares squadron.

-Antares squadron, incoming missiles! Evade!-said Canopus.

The missiles followed the Su-33 and the F-14D with ease, but both Antares 1 and Antares 2 managed to dodge them.

-Those AA missiles have high-end tracking abilities.-observed Canopus.-Fortunately they're slow. Watch their vector and evade! Shouldn't be difficult for you.

Antares 1 fired on the Orgoi's SAM launchers with a couple of missiles, as Antares 2 took out its left engine with guns and a couple of standard missiles.

-Engine output failing!-reported a member of the crew.-We can't put out the fires fast enough!

-Is this... the end of Orgoi?-said the Orgoi's captain. For the first time, his voice was tainted with fear.

Not much later, Antares 1 took out the other engine, causing the Orgoi to fall into the bay as its engines exploded.

The Antares squadron rejoined the E-767 AWACS as they returned to their base.

-Confirmed destruction of large aircraft.-said Canopus.-Great flying, Antares squadron!

Tenryu Base, 16 miles southwest of Tokyo, Japan, December 1st 2015, 16:50 Hours; Weather: Sunny, scattered clouds

Frederick Burford had congratulated both Davenport and Foulke for their actions over Tokyo, but he kept blaming himself for what the Rigel squadron had done, stating that, as their commander, he had no one to blame but himself.

Also, in light of the attack, the international community was calling for worldwide anti-Valahia measures, but Burford stated that, even though he was sure that Martinez Security would be called on, after what happened in Tokyo, he was not sure how well they would be received.

At that moment, Marlene Davenport was heading for the gymnasium, where Hansel Foulke was training.

-Tell me, Foulke.-Davenport asked once she met him in the gym.-Are you really sure you'd get paid if you shoot down your comrades?

Foulke stopped his training when Davenport talked to him. Due to the training, his shirt was covered in sweat, and it was almost glued to his ripped body.

-Seriously, how much will it take for you to get it, you brainless bimbo?-retorted Foulke.-They were defectors! They chose to side with the Valahia!

-Even so, they were our friends! Our allies!-replied Davenport.-You can't just shoot them down like that!

-Even if they choose to shoot us down?-asked Foulke.-You are rather naive.

-You cold-hearted bastard!-shouted Davenport.-No wonder no one wants to fly with you!

-Truth be told, I'm surprised you didn't want to take them out.-said Foulke, slyly.-Especially knowing what you did in the Navy.

Davenport was thunderstruck by Foulke's remark.

-You'd better take that back!-she said.-It was not like I had another choice!

-No matter how you slice it, killing someone, no matter the circumstances, is the same crime!-replied Foulke.

-At least I can say that I had a reason to do it.-answered Davenport.-Unlike you.

-What the hell do you mean!?-growled Foulke, frowning.

-You know what I'm talking about!-Davenport said.-You are not called the "Angel of Death" for no reason. Right, "Todesengel"?

-So, that's how it's gonna be?-said Foulke.-You are comparing what you did to what happened during my years in Martinez Security?

-At least I had no choice in the matter.-said Davenport.-People said you were good, but to me, someone who can't even bring back his own wingmen alive is worth less than trash!

-You bark quite a lot to be such a little bitch!-retorted Foulke.

-What did you just say!?-growled Davenport, fuming.-I dare you to repeat that!

-You wanna make me repeat myself?-asked Foulke, snarling.-I said you bark quite a lot to be such a little bi...

*BAM*

Everything happened in hundredths of seconds. Marlene Davenport dashed toward Hansel Foulke and punched him in the left temple, making him fall to the ground.

-OK!-Foulke said, as he pulled himself up. Davenport had hit him hard enough to draw some blood.-No more Mr Nice Guy!

After saying that, he gave Davenport a flying kick, hitting her in the chest and making her fall on her back.

-Now you've done it!-she growled, as she swiftly jumped up.

The two pilots engaged in a fight. They punched, chopped, kneed, and kicked each other with chilling wrath. Neither of them could get the upper hand, however, but that didn't make them give up.

After a couple of minutes, Davenport managed to chokeslam Foulke to the floor. However, before she could punch the lights out of him, he rolled out of the way. Foulke jumped up and tried to kick Davenport, but she managed to block it, although she lost her balance in the process.

-STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!-shouted a voice from the gym's door, stopping both pilots dead in their tracks.

It was Burford.

-Why the hell are you turning on each other?-he said.-Now, of all times!

Neither Foulke nor Davenport replied. Both of them were panting and covered in bruises.

-This is not the time to be on each other's throat.-Burford said.-I was in the US Navy a long time ago. In one mission, my squadron and I were ambushed by a large flight of bandits, and even when we were requesting support to HQ, they refused. I don't know exactly when panic made us high-tail it out of the area and leave our comrades behind. I just know that eight planes were sent to that mission, and only two managed to survive the ambush. Now you've seen how bad things can get, and how quick they can get that way. Well, they can get a whole lot worse if we're divided!

Burford sent the two pilots to the infirmary, where they were treated from the wounds they had sustained during their scuffle.

On December 17th, the Conference of New Delhi was held. In that conference, the creation of a worldwide coalition to fight the Valahia was created; its name would be the International Union Peacekeeping Force, or IUPF. In order to help the companies involved in the coalition, the prices of planes purchase and rental dropped dramatically, which allowed Martinez Security to be able to purchase more advanced aircraft, some of them specialized in their roles. The main objective of Martinez Security, who had been admitted into the IUPF despite the defection of the Rigel squadron, was to destroy the Spiridus.


Fifth chapter. I hope you like this chapter. Kudos to anyone who finds the reference to Deep Blue Sea in this fic. Good luck and take care. See you next time