The darkness of the night hid the two like shadows. Their forms, mere mirages against the darkness, seemed to blend in with the hangar wall well. Their eyes searched out their targets; the uniformed soldiers walking toward them at a brisk pace, their HK G36 rifles slung casually over their shoulders. Two sets of eyes watched them as they closed in… until they passed.
The first shadow moved. It started to mimic the every move of the two men, stepping when they stepped and stopping when they stopped. Under the cover of night, only the light of a million stars and distance spotlights were supposed to help the two soldiers. The shadow edged closer and subtly pulled out a silver object. The small piece of metal gleamed through the night air as the shadow brought it up to the soldier's neck. Before the man had a chance to scream, the shadow attacked, slicing a clean cut into the soldier's neck before quickly moving to the second one. The man felt a hand clamp over his mouth and his head forced back. As the K-BAR moved over his neck, all he saw afterward was darkness.
The shadow twisted the body and began to drag both of them backwards; taking time to ensue no blood touched the uniforms. It edged the bodies back to the shadow's original position, where the shadows took time to relieve the dead men of their weaponry. The smaller second shadow lifted an AK and pulled back the hammer, loading a round into the chamber. It looked down at the larger shadow in confirmation. There was a brief silence, and then the smaller shadow pulled off its hood.
A spotlight passed over the area, but the guards would be too far away to see platinum blonde hair and piercing green eyes. Rena Davenport looked at the spotlight before nodding to herself and helping Rei Fukai with the uniforms.
Sky's Angels
--Angel Squadron
----Episode: 01
------Yukikaze and
--------the Super Sylph
"Pilots," Erick began. "Tomorrow night, you will embark on a dangerous mission."
The stern figure that composed Erick von Long stared down the four pilots dubbed "Angel Squadron", as he activated the holographic projection behind him. The four pilots stared as the projection came to life, wreathed in the shadows of the room wreathed in the shadows of the room wreathed in the shadows of the room.
Rena began to undress the smaller of the two soldiers. She ripped off the man's dog tags and stuffed them in her flight suit. Fingers working deftly, she started from the top down, a wave of embarrassment coming over her and causing her to blush slightly as she continued what she considered dirty work. Next to her, Rei Fukai systematically removed his victim's clothing. To him, it was just business… like everything else.
The projection showed a holographic map projection of something akin to an airbase, but with an army twist. Tanks were shown parked next to old Su-25s and even older MiG-21 jets from the Cold War era.
"This is your target," Erick said, his graying eyes focusing on the four pilots. "It is an old hangar complex in C3S."
"C3S?" echoed one of the voices. Leaning forward, a young man revealed himself in the light. The boy's hazel eyes stared with melancholy as he opened his mouth to speak. "Isn't that the location of…?"
"Yes, it is," Erick responded quickly. "The location that they are headed for as well. However, your operation will have nothing to do with them."
Rena finished taking the uniform off the man and proceeded to hide his body behind a stack of crates. Peering over the crates at Rei as he too dragged the dead soldier into the darkness, she began to take off her flight suit. She took off her gloves and grabbed the zipper between her thumb and forefinger, and then unzipped herself. Blushing, the girl quickly tossed the flight suit into the darkness and suppressed a shiver, reaching for the nearby uniform.
Rei, meanwhile, had already changed halfway. The young man stood in the man's uniform pants and his own sleeveless shirt as he paused to stare about the area. He quietly put his knife and pistol to the side and put on both the uniform shirt and flak jacket that the soldier had worn. Rei took the radio that the soldier owned and opened it, ripping out the batteries and tossing the radio itself in one direction, and the batteries in the other. A mistake with a simple radio could ruin the entire operation.
"Then… what?" asked the second young man. A slightly older man leaned forward, his blue eyes staring at his CO. The man wore Lieutenant's bars on his jacket, but he seemed to be acting just as nervous as the rest of the pilots. The young man scratched the scruff of a five-o'clock shadow before continuing, "It would seem that if that's where we're going, then it must have something to do with…"
"It does," Erick said, smiling. "However, your operation will take place here," Erick motioned toward the hangar complex. "In here is one of the enemy's secret weapons; something akin to the ADF-01F parts that they've been finding everywhere between all countries involved… even their own homeland," he paused, and took a breath.
"My informant," he continued, "tells me that in Hangar VKE-31, there's a hidden weapon – a fighter, to be exact – that's equipped with the latest in everything. He says that it's going to be the weapon of the future for them. It seems to be a counter to the EASA XF/A-27 that we found a few years back. However, unlike the ADF sister project, this one seems to be more contemporary than incredibly futuristic."
Rena tried to adjust the uniform, but the best she could do was managed to tighten the belt and tuck in the uniform shirt. The sleeves of the jacket went past her hands and the beret was too big for her head. Annoyed, the girl considered tossing it, but her feminine figure would already be obvious from close-up; might as well not make it from a distance as well, she reasoned. She stepped from behind the crates and saw that Rei was standing there, his back to her, politely waiting on her to finish. Taking another last look at her clothes and wrinkling her nose, the girl merely had to shrug and walked up to the older pilot.
"I think I'm ready," she said, looking at him with an expectant look in her eye. Rei nodded and looked back at her.
"VKE-3 is on the other side of the base from here; to reach it, we'll have to follow this route around these older hangars and toward… there." Rei pointed to one of the spotlights; the one farthest to the left. "That one is VKX-3." He stopped to think for a second. "If we follow these guys' original path, it should take us by that spot."
"But how can you be sure, Rei?" Rena asked. "I didn't notice their patrol route; you kind of killed them first."
"I know," Rei responded, staring toward the other side of the base. "But a lot of the guards' paths take them through here sooner or later. Toward our left, two more are just now making their way around the bend. Come on," Rei suddenly started, holding his G36 in both hands and walking off toward the right, deeper into the darkness but in the right direction. Rena took a minute to notice before gasping.
"Hey, wait up!" she whispered, hustling up next to him. She looked over her shoulder nervously before staring straight ahead and matching her step with Rei's. "So you're certain that this is the right way?"
"Almost," Rei said without looking at her. "Either way, we'll be safe until we reach the hangar, at least. By the end, we'll still have to gun our way inside."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Rena asked, shocked. She stopped. "What do you mean, gun our way inside?"
"Just what I said," Rei answered, not stopping. "Come on." He waited for Rena to scoff to herself before she ran up to him and resumed walking with him. "The resistance will be heavy, but I think we can manage."
"But… attack them?" Rena said, shaking her head. "Isn't there another way?"
"Not unless you can get another key to the hangar. It's top-secret, so I'm pretty sure they don't just hand those things out," Rena opened her mouth to retort, but she stopped, sighing in defeat. Despite what she wanted to believe, Rei was right; they would eventually have to fight. So long as it's not soon, then, she thought. As long as it's quiet, we're okay.
Rei, meanwhile, continued to watch the girl closely, despite looking straight ahead as they rounded a corner. Even though she was a capable fighter in the air, Rena couldn't hold a gun steady. Rei remembered the time back when the enemy invaded Bronze Gate One: Rei systematically took out soldiers with gunfire, while all Rena could manage was suppression fire; she had never killed a man directly, he realized. Always with M61s and missiles… but never with a gun, let alone a knife.
She was a burden, and that was a problem. If gunfire rang out, Rei believed that having to protect both Rena and himself would prove to be a hassle. He didn't know if he would be able to pull off both tasks while at the same time figuring a way to get into VKE-3. But he would have to try; he promised himself a long time ago he wouldn't lose Rena again, after last time, and that wasn't about to change.
It was up to him, but he wouldn't face it as a hero, a Knight in shining armor. He would face it as a Soldier; head-on for the target, stopping only that which got in his way. It would be how he would be forced to face this problem.
Rei looked back at his "charge" briefly, watching the girl as she seemed to stare off into the distance. The girl seemed lost in her own thoughts; a habit she had become prone too for a few months now. Rei knew what it was, even if she wouldn't admit it. Rena's brother, Alvin H. Davenport, had died during the Circum-Pacific War, protecting civilians from enemy fighters. He had fought to the last and died as a Captain of the OADF as part of the 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron, while his allies – the Wings of Sand Island - still lived to fight battles.
That is… until they were shot down… and became the Razgriz.
"Wings ablaze in majestic light…" Rei whispered. He had seen the pilots, of course; many members of the FA had at least seen the photos of them in which Erick had acquired shortly after sending them a shipment of F-14D Tomcats, currently on lease to the OFS Kestrel until the war was over. Of course, no one but the FA knew about the transaction; it was a covert operation, occurring in the Pacific one night between the FAS Sealance and a cargo ship working for the Razgriz.
But those were ordinary pilots, Rei thought as they reached the front end of the base. Spotlights passed over the two briefly, and both FA pilots tensed up… but the light merely passed over them without another thought. Rena breathed a sigh of relief before the two continued their trek. Rei wondered if those four pilots, who had fought against his homeland before discovering the true enemy, were flying over him right now.
Belka. The very name put venom into Rei's mouth. And now they were going to steal one of its weapons… and possibly use it against them. The thought amused Rei, though he kept his mind focused on the task at hand. He chanced looking around the area: now that they were within an actually dangerous area, he had to keep on his toes; a mistake here could mean the end of both pilots.
"Rei…" Rena whispered. "Do you hear that?" Rena had visibly tensed up; she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Rei broke out of his line of thought to look at the girl. Her eyes started darting around. "Listen… it sounds like…" But Rei could already hear it too; the sound of rotors spinning rapidly; rotary-wing aircraft – helicopters. Rei scanned the sky, and soon he noticed that the searchlights had also turned upward, their users also having heard the sounds of the rotating blades as well.
"Maybe… we should find cover," Rei whispered to himself. He looked around and spotted a nearby shadow; one dark enough to hide in. Tapping Rena on the shoulder, he pointed at the spot he had seen. Rena nodded and started off toward the spot, one eye in the sky. She slung her G36 around her shoulder and rolled up her sleeves slightly, giving her room to move. Slinging her gun back over, she made it toward the shadow and knelt, looking up at whatever it was that could come. Rei also made his way toward the shadow and put his back against the hangar.
"Perhaps it would be best if we-," Rena's words were cut short, as a torrent of gunfire suddenly rang out around the base. From above, nose-mounted guns on MV-22 Ospreys rained .50 caliber shells upon the small facility, sending troops scattering and those foolish enough to stand and fire back to an early grave. The rotary wings of the Ospreys were turned upward, and the three hybrid helicopter/planes lowered themselves in a triangle formation, spraying the area with gunfire. Rena screamed and jumped back against the wall next to Rei.
"This wasn't part of the plan!" she shouted. "Who are these guys?!" Looking up, Rei focused on one of the Ospreys as they were bathed in light from a dozen spotlights. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the flag under the left side of the canopy.
"…Osea." He said. He looked back at Rena. "Those guys are Osean troops. They might be members of the 1st Airborne Assault Division; they must've decided to come around the back way."
Sparks flew next to the two, and Rena dropped to her knees, clasping her beret tightly down around her ears. Marines started jumping out of the Ospreys on ropes, firing their assault rifles as they made their way down. From the open side doors and rear ramps, some soldiers loaded their M203 Grenade Launchers and fired at clusters, sending enemy troops scattering.
"We have to move," Rei muttered. Grabbing Rena by the arm, he lifted her up. "Come on, let's go!" Damnit, she's already a liability, he thought. She's going to get killed out here. Rei dragged Rena behind the hangar and let go of her. "Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay!" Rena shouted, glaring up at Rei and causing him to falter slightly. "I just got shot at!"
"Hey, you two!" a voice shouted. Looking up, Rei saw a trooper headed his way. "Get into the fight… wait a minute, you guys aren't with us!" The man's eyes locked on the small form of Rena. "Hey, enemy-," his words were cut off as automatic fire sprayed from Rei's rifle, downing the man where he stood.
"Damnit!" Rei shouted. He looked at Rena. "We've got to move!" Rena nodded and stood up as another blast of gunfire lanced at the two pilots. Both pilots sprinted and slid behind a tarp-covered truck. Rei put his back to it and peered around the corner. The soldiers had stopped firing, but he could hear them talking. "Reinforcements."
"What?" Rena asked, her eyes scanning the area right behind them. The sounds of gunfire between the Ospreys and Marines and the enemy still rang out loudly across the base; explosions from M203s rocked Rena slightly as she listened to them.
"They're calling for backup," Rei said, more to himself than Rena. Looking at the girl, however, he said, "We've got to reach that hangar now. If we don't, we could die here." Rena looked shocked, but nodded. She understood the place they were in, and the necessity to move. Standing, she threw off the beret.
"I'm ready!" she shouted. Rei nodded before ducking back behind the truck as another hail of gunfire rang out.
"On three!" he yelled back, jumping around the corner and opening a hail of 5.56mm rounds down the narrow alley between the hangar and the fence. He heard a scream and dived back behind the truck, just as bullets rang out from the alley. "One!"
Rena looked around for the safest route toward the hangar. Either way, they'd have to cross open field, but they had to make the best of it. Her eyes scanned the area for something.
"Two!" Rei shouted. He searched the uniform and found what he was looking for; a smoke grenade. Priming it, he tossed it around the corner as hard as he could. He didn't bother watching to see if it made it to a good spot or not. He shot a look at Rena, who pointed at what she was looking for; an old T-55 tank from the Cold War. It was big and provided enough cover for the two to decide their next plan of action. Rei nodded, and screamed, "THREE!"
The two ran for it, ducking their heads and bolting for the tank. From behind and to their left, both Osean troops along with their enemy fired upon the two running pilots, neither side aware that the other was in a way helping them. Rei and Rena both hit the dirt, diving for cover and hiding behind the tank itself. Rei peeked around the edge and noticed that both sides had temporarily ignored them and started fighting each other again. Rena looked out to their insertion point and noticed that there were sporadic bursts of light appearing every now and again.
"Looks like we're safe for a little while," Rei muttered.
"Yeah," Rena agreed. "At least for a little while," she looked around. "Now what's the plan?"
"…I have no idea," Rei admitted after thinking for a second. "But from here we have some thinking room," he paused.
"The hangar is a few buildings behind us," Rena said, ducking her head reflexively as she heard an explosion, followed by a screech of metal; peering over, Rei saw that one of the Ospreys had been destroyed. "So maybe if we can just run for it, we can make it before they notice that we've even left, get what we came for, and get out."
"Just one problem," Rei sighed, propping his gun against the tank and sitting down, laying back on the old vehicle. "That Osprey that was just destroyed created a nice, big pile of mess in the middle of the runway. We'll have to move it before we can go."
"Well… if it's like the Nephilim, there might be missiles already attached," Rena suggested, peering around the corner of the tank.
"Not likely," Rei countered. "If it's anything like when they found the ADF-01 prototype during the early days of the war, then it'll be completely unarmed; the complete version could be anywhere, even…" he paused to think. "Even with the Slaves, just like the Nephilim."
"…I would hope not," Rena whispered, closing her eyes and relaxing against the tank. "If Nodsri got hold of anything stronger than a Raptor, he could potentially be the most dangerous pilot in the skies, bar none," she held her rifle loosely in her hands as she looked up into the night sky. Staring, something caught the girl's attention. "Rei… is that a comet?" Rei looked up.
"It looks like a-," but his words were cut short as a massive blast assaulted both pilots' ears, cutting off anything else they would have heard. A shockwave rumbled through the area, shaking the very foundations of the hangars, along with those fighting; the reports of gunfire and explosions were no longer heard by the two pilots. Rena covered her ears and started screaming in protest. Rei cringed at both the shockwave and the screaming, and he too covered his ears.
But as the shockwave and sound faded, the sounds of gunfire picked up again, as well as the sound of more incoming craft; reinforcements, possibly for both sides. Rei looked up.
"We have to move again, Rena," he said. He paused, then looked down at the girl. "Rena?" Tapping the girl on the shoulder, he blinked as he watched the girl sink deeper into herself, whimpering. "Rena!"
A spark flashed around Rei's eye, followed by bullet ricochets. People were firing at the two again.
"Damnit!" Rei shouted, coming from behind the tank and opening fire on the enemy. His HK burst with five quick shells before clicking with protest; empty. Reaching down, Rei felt for another clip, emptied the gun, and reloaded with one swift movement, the new clip creating a satisfying "click" as it locked into place. Rei cocked the gun and came around the tank, firing at the guys from behind the alley while using the tank as cover, so the Osean troops couldn't fire at him as well.
"The mission will be dangerous," Erick said. "If you're caught, you could be killed, or locked into a delaying firefight. You can't afford a delay," he looked at Rei and Rena. "If you guys aren't out within the hour of being inserted, you could be locked into a three-way firefight."
"Damnit, Erick, why didn't I believe you?" Rei complained. "This isn't going to work; I need something more," ducking gunfire, Rei came back to Rena. The girl had her arms over her heading, blocking out the sounds. "Rena, I need your help." In response, the girl shook her head rapidly. "Come on, Davenport, this isn't the time to have a nervous breakdown!" He looked down at her, but Rena made no movement. Something incomprehensible came out of her mouth, but Rei couldn't understand. "What was that?"
"…" Rena looked up, fear in her eyes. "I'm afraid, Rei… terrified…"
"You've been shot at hundreds of times," Rei said, firing from around the corner of the tank and ducking back rapidly.
"But that was by missiles!" Rena screamed, glaring at Rei. "Not always by guns! Not by guns held by people! Never when I could look back at another human!"
"What's the difference?" Rei asked. He peered around the corner of the tank before sighing and reloading. "Missiles, bullets… it's all the same."
"No, it's not!" Rena shouted, pushing Rei. "A jet is impersonal! You just point and shoot! You never really see the pilot, never realize that you're killing another human!" she paused. "Most of our enemies have been computers up to this date, anyway! Jets run by computers!"
"Shut up!" Rei shouted back suddenly. Rena opened her mouth, but stopped. "Do you hear that?"
"A… whistling sound?" Rena asked. Rei nodded. "Just like when - duck!"
Rei and Rena hit the dirt as another blast of power fell from the sky. The shockwave seemed even more powerful than before, and some soldiers were blown clear backwards as they fought to stand on their feet.
"Okay, just what the hell is that?" Rei shouted.
-
In orbit above the Earth, it pointed.
Like a giant rail gun, the object rotated its center mass, its solar collectors collecting the stars' rays as it focused its energy to propel a single, incredibly large shell toward the Earth. The collectors spread out, and four large tubes opened up and spread out. The object stopped rotating long enough to point directly at the earth, locking onto its target far, far below. Electricity crackled along the object's body and within the barrel as the shell was loaded into the barrel.
In a single great recoil, the object fired; the shell shot down, screaming toward the Earth. It moved so fast, it split clouds with heat as it entered the atmosphere going Mach 19. Fire trailed its body behind as it zeroed in on the point on which it was to detonate. Complex computers tracked the object to its last seconds… when it finally detonated.
The SOLG-launched shell exploded, sending bright flares in all directions. A shockwave followed, stronger than a sonic boom, in all directions, in almost a hundred miles in every direction. The very explosion itself set countless objects on fire.
But as the flare faded, four jets streaked by. Black and red ghosts of the past, present, and future.
Their raven wings ablaze in majestic light.
-
"Is this a good idea, Captain?"
"I think so. All you have to do is follow me, Angel 3."
"…Yes, sir."
The two fighters came in under the radar, their gray forms mingling with the darkness of the city as they approached it from the east. The fighters came in slow, their pilots taking in the chaos before them.
Jets streaked around each other, firing missiles and unleashing hot lances of fire at each other. On the ground, huge defense towers fired surface-to-air missiles and threw hot lead into the sky at their opponents. The jets all had different markings; the white and blue of Osea, the red and yellow of Yuktobania… and the black, yellow, and white of Belka. The jets attacked both their enemies and each other, in a desperate bid for dominance.
"It's a massacre," Juan whispered, his young, shaky voice barely getting the words out.
"We've seen worse," Jonathan replied, his own confident voice eclipsing his friend's. "It's up to pilots like us to sort out this mess, Juan."
"I… I know," Juan said. "Wyvern, activate targeting sequence; set master safety off… attack speed." The switchblade wings of the fighter closed in as the Wyvern sped up and ahead of its counterpart; the F-14D Super Tomcat next to it. Viper pushed up the throttle and moved forward as the wings of the jet arched backward.
"Angel 2, engaging."
"Angel 3, engaging."
Both fighters flew up before diving over a hill and strafing a nearby gun tower with Vulcan shells. The tower exploded in a flash of fire as the jets streaked by, targeting separate jets. Juan locked on to an enemy Berkut and charged, using his jet's agility to fly behind and lock on to the jet with his Sidewinders. Without a word, he fired, ejecting the missile from an internal rack and sending it streaking toward the target. The missile collided and sent the Berkut up in flames.
Jonathan, meanwhile, had acquired an enemy on his tail. He ducked into the city proper, weaving his fighter around two skyscrapers. Behind him, the enemy Flanker acquired a tone and fired a missile. Cursing, the Angel flew twisted the flight stick upward, facing the fire-laden sky as he quickly found an escape route and exploited it. He jerked his stick left and narrowly twisted between two lances of gunfire. The Flanker wasn't so lucky, hitting the streaks of fire and shredding off his wings. Grinning, he began to seek out another target.
Juan ducked behind some buildings and came around, locking on to another gun tower that was trying to strafe a jet with gunfire and missiles. He clicked the trigger once and sent a Maverick on its way, the missile impacting against the face of the tower. The pilot flew in a wide arc around the wrecked tower, aiming for some tanks that were advancing along a bridge. Juan locked onto the bridge itself and fired his last three Mavericks, the missiles streaking toward the bridge and exploding along a critical point on the bridge. The structure caved in under its own weight, sending the tanks with it.
Viper had found himself tailed by another Berkut. Ducking back into the city, he weaved between two skyscrapers and dived for the nearby river, flying over a small dock with a strangely-configured destroyer resting there. Twisting his fighter's stick, Viper turned around and armed his two Mk 83s carried on his Tomcat's pylons. Arming them, he crossed over the recently-destroyed bridge and pushed the pickle button. The bombs released and went into a lazy freefall before impacting the hull of the destroyer, creating two huge holes.
The Ghost flew up into the sky before turning and setting his Wyvern to acquire a target with his Sidewinders. The smart-computer in the jet targeted a fighter on the tail of another, which ducked and weaved around the gun towers. Sucking a breath, Juan dived, opening fire with Vulcan cannons as he attempted to intercept the fighter. He pulled hard up, his fighter's wings flaring out in their open configuration as he skirted the road under the jet. The tail had caught on to him and started to chase him, flying amongst gunfire.
Juan stared down the fighter and armed his Sidewinders when a pair of missiles obliterated it, sending shards of shrapnel in every direction. A jet streaked by – an F-14D. Juan picked up its wing and together the two flew in almost perfect unison as they bore down on another set of gun towers. They both opened fire at the same time, cutting one in half while causing a second and third to go up in hot flame. Both Tomcat and Wyvern pulled up and out, causing Crystal to get a good look at his ally.
His eyes widened.
"Angel 2!" he screamed. "They're here! They made it to Sudentor!"
"Who?!" Jonathan shouted back, ducking under a stream of bullets.
"The Razgriz!" Juan replied, excited. "I've just seen Nagase, so the others must be nearby!" He paused. "I'm going to open a channel."
"No! That will compromise the mission, Juan!" Jonathan cut him short as he blew away another fighter. "Just keep the fight in Osea and Yuktobania's favor, okay?"
"Roger," Juan replied, slightly disheartened. He looked up at the sky, his head on a swivel. He caught the gleam on an enemy Flanker as it bore down on him. Calming himself, he once again found the skyscrapers to be a reasonable retreat point. He weaved around a large tower to come up and even with the Flanker as it leveled out and broke off the pursuit.
"Bad move," Juan muttered, his radar calling tone. A click of the trigger shot off the Sidewinder, which promptly detonated inside the Flanker's left engine. There was a flash of light as the jet exploded, the ruins plummeting into the river below. "That's another kill…" he looked up. "Wyvern, approximate number of enemy units in the sky, now." A holographic screen came up, blinking a rapidly changing number before coming up with a final number: 36.
"Damnit," Juan growled. "That's at least 3 squadrons," he opened a comm. "There's still a huge number of enemies left."
"I know that," Jonathan shot back. "But we - hey, what's that light?"
As Juan merged with Jonathan, they both looked up at the seemingly iridescent beam of light. The beam grew exponentially, becoming much bigger than a star. Juan's eyes widened as it neared.
"Break, now!"
Both Angels changed headings and broke off. A split second later, a massive explosion erupted, the sound erupting in all pilots' eardrums. A flash of bright white light blinded gun cameras and seared retinas; the only one not blinded was Juan as the light compensators in the Wyvern's cockpit dimmed the canopy to an almost black shade. He saw the shockwave as it ripped throughout the area, a literal distortion in the air as the blast ripped through the warzone. Fighters crumbled in the air or were knocked out of the sky, but many managed to regain control as years of experience had taught them.
And the Razgriz still flew.
"What the hell was that?!" Jonathan shouted, his ears still ringing.
"The SOLG…" Juan muttered. "Osea's hidden precision superweapon… it had to be that."
"But why would it fire on its own men?!" Jonathan shouted, regaining his bearings.
"Because it's not in her country's hands anymore," Juan said. He looked up. "It's in Belka's hands…"
"This is insane," Viper grumbled as he began to strafe another gun tower. "Just ridiculously insane."
"We were told it would be dangerous," Juan whispered as he watched the Razgriz. Fighters seemed to ignore him, as if he wasn't there, as he watched the four raven jets fly. "But not like this…"
There was a pause as Juan watched the fight around him. Osean fighters bore down on Belkan gun towers, their missiles blowing the tower away as a hail of gunfire ripped apart an Eagle piece by piece. Yuke ground-pounders strafed tanks and bunkers, bringing the infantry to its knees as the 1st Airborne Assault Division continued their operation within the facility, attempting to open the tunnel doors. Above him, a black and red F-14D engaged a MiG 1.44 in a close-range dogfight.
"A careful orchestration," he said to himself. "A battle between Belka and the world once more; on this battlefield, Belka's Aces are taking on the greatest heroes of all time. Those heroes, with their Final Reckoning, will end this war upon wings of black sheath…" he looked up at the "star" that was the SOLG. "No… in wings ablaze in light." he looked down and closed his eyes. "After a period of time, the Razgriz returns… this time, as a great hero," he smiled.
And as a second explosion ripped through the battle zone, his Wyvern was unaffected, the shockwave seemingly passing through his jet. There was a pause as the explosion faded, and the Wyvern tucked in its switchblade wings. The fighter dived and charged a gun tower…
-
空の天使: 天使の艦隊
Episode: 01 - Yukikaze and the Super Sylph
-
As the explosion faded, Rei and Rena moved again.
Grabbing Rena by the wrist, Rei almost dragged her behind another hangar as he fired behind them, taking down soldiers or scattering them from pursuit. He alternated fire between behind and in front of the pair until they reached a safe spot once more; this time behind an old truck. He went prone and peered around the vehicle and set the G36 to burst-fire. Aiming carefully, he took down two more soldiers before the clip ran empty.
"I'm out of ammo," he muttered, pulling out his K-BAR and the P90 he had been holding on to. "Rena, do you still have your rifle?" Looking down at the girl, once again hiding under her arms, he frowned. "Davenport, I'm talking to you."
"I… I lost it," Rena slowly admitted. "I dropped it after that first explosion… not like I was using it anyway," she took a breath. "We're one hangar away, you know that… just past this next one."
"I know…" Rei replied, standing up and peering around the truck. "It looks like they've forgotten about us in the meantime; if we're lucky, it will be a clean shot from here to the hangar," he looked at his ally. "Are you ready, Rena? Can you follow me?"
Slowly, the girl lifted her eyes and looked up at Rei, nodding slowly. Rei nodded back, ready to run… when the subtle click of a weapon seemed to stop time between the two.
"Hands up, both of you," an accented voice commanded. Rei raised both his hands into the air, while Rena managed to get to her feet and raise hers while leaning against the hangar wall. "You, drop your weapons," Rena stared at the uniformed Belkan soldier as he menacingly pointed his G36 at Rei. Slowly, Rei dropped the P90 and the K-BAR knife. Both fell to the ground with a distinct clattering sound.
"Now, turn around, slowly," ordered the Belkan. Rei slowly turned around, his eyes betraying no emotion; only the cold, hardened look of another soldier. Both stared at each other, the Belkan taking glances at the shivering form of Rena. The man grinned. "Who do you work for?"
"The organization I work for is…" Rei began. As he started to finish, however, Rei moved with a sudden burst of speed. He dropped to the ground and grabbed his knife and in one swift movement, hurled it at the soldier. The blade impaled into the man's neck, causing him to gasp and gurgle. The soldier grasped his throat in pain and collapsed to the ground. By the time he relaxed, he was dead.
Rei bent down and picked up his P90, glancing at it and frowning. "The safety is jammed," he muttered. He tossed the weapon to the side and picked up the G36 next to the body. "Damn things are so easy to break," he dropped the clip and checked the ammo before putting it back in place. "We'll have to go with this, then… ready Rena? …Hey, Davenport."
Looking over, Rei noted the girl's startled look and the blood stripe across her face; the Belkan blood of the soldier Rei had killed. Grabbing the girl by the wrist, Rei stood in front of the smaller girl and looked into her eyes.
"Rena," he said. "We have to get moving," Rena nodded, but seemed in a daze. Rei lifted a gloved hand and wiped off the blood from her face. "Come on, Davenport; don't lose it now," he whispered to the girl, putting a firm hand on her shoulder. Rena reached up and put a hand around Rei's arm, squeezing it and took a breath. She nodded quickly and looked into his eyes.
"Just a little further, right?" She asked him. Rei nodded his head: yes. "Then I can do it," she smiled in a sideways fashion before squeezing her other hand into a fist. Rei let go of her and took in a breath of his own.
"Then let's go," he said. "Ready?" Rena had already pushed herself off the wall and was behind the Angel leader. "Go, go now!"
At once, both pilots ran across open ground, down the back alley of the hangar. Rei saw three soldiers ahead of him and raised the rifle, firing on auto setting and taking out the soldiers before they could react. He ran ahead of Rena and dived, rolling and rolling up on one knee. He sprayed automatic fire at two soldiers guarding the hangar door, sending one running and pegging the other in the chest. Rena ran past him and up to the door, using the dead soldier's HK to shoot out and lights in the area, including the ones that illuminated the number "VKE-3".
Rei ran up to the girl and took her rifle while she pulled out a small hacking device; a keypad breaker. She attached it to the security device and let the machine do its work, using her own computer skills to assist in the computer hacking process. There was soon a snapping sound, and the door unlocked.
Rei wasted no time. He broke open the door with a strong kick, using his remaining ammo to shoot three soldiers standing around a tarp-covered jet. Rena ran in behind him and closed the door, locking it back and helping Rei shove a tool-laden shelf in front of it.
"Is that the jet?" she asked.
"It seems so," Rei replied, dropping the rifle and walking up to the jet. He grabbed the tarp and starting pulling on it. Rena walked up next to him and assisted, and together both of them pulled off the tarp with little effort.
What greeted them was a strange sight.
The jet was a deep blue in color, though a black stripe ran from the top of the nose to just behind the 2-seater cockpit, though these seats were housed in separate canopies, and the RIO seat was situated higher than the pilot's seat. Forward canards, navy blue with white tips, rested a little behind the second canopy, and under then ran a teal stripe (one on each side), that ran midway under the sides of the cockpits before running along the back of the fighter.
The wings were oddly-shaped as well; at first resembling standard wings with a delta influence, they suddenly angled downward near the ends. These wings were also navy blue, though a white stripe ran from the tip down the front of the wings before ending at where the wing met the fuselage. Something akin to a small tail was situated in between two outward-angled, white tipped tails, similar to a Hornet's but farther apart.
A radar pod was set as something like an actual tail from the jet. It was seated in between two large, angular engines. These engines were considerable in size, but they didn't look like they were able to vector thrust. Finally, under the wings, on pylons, a set of four missiles rested comfortably.
In short, it looked like a very capable jet, though Rei was wary to its actual ability. As Rena pulled up a nearby ladder, he touched the nose of the fighter with uncertainty, unable to make up his mind about it. Looking back at Rena, who simply shrugged, he climbed the ladder and pulled open the cockpit. As he entered the jet, he threw off the jacket and hat of the stolen uniform…
-
"They're going in!"
Jonathan and Juan watched as the four raven jets entered the now open tunnel. Exhausted and their fuel trickling away, the two Angels looked at each other.
"Now what, sir?" Juan asked the F-14 pilot. Jonathan simply shook his head.
"We won't know until Fukai contacts us," he admitted. "We'll simply have to wait until-"
"Pilots, this is AWACS Hijacker!" a shout came over the Angels' radios. "We have you on radar, do you read me, over?"
"AWACS, this is Viper, roger," Jonathan called.
"This is Crystal, roger," Juan confirmed.
"It looks like Angels 1 and 4 are going to be late," the AWACS operator told the pilots. "The both of you need to start heading back; a Kilo Charlie-10 is waiting for you about 50 miles on Vector 261, over."
"What happened to them?" Juan asked, his voice breaking.
"Nothing yet," Hijacker responded. "It seems that they're behind schedule. Rendezvous with the tanker along vector 261, that's all I can tell you."
"Roger," Viper said. "We'll meet the tanker along that vector; but are you sure about Fukai and Davenport?"
"I am," Hijacker replied. "We'll get word from them soon enough."
"Then our job is done for the day," Juan confirmed, looking at the battle around him. "I guess it's time to head home. Let's go, Wyvern; set throttle to full speed and drop the empty fuel tanks."
Both jets turned around the city of Sudentor, both pilots looking down at the houses and establishments. As both jets evened out, they first traveled along the river before turning due west, toward their tanker. Silently, both pilots wondered what happened to Rei and Rena to make them late.
-
Rena's hat fell to the ground. Her jacket followed a second later.
"This RIO seat is weird," she muttered. "If the canopy wasn't in the way, I could poke you."
"Very funny," Rei replied, flicking a switch. The canopies both started to close. Hanging on the joystick was a headset, which Rei picked up and put on. Behind him, Rena found a similar one next to the ejection handle. She put it on and tapped it a few times. Rei also tapped the microphone, but neither pilot heard the other. Rei looked around for some kind of switch, but only found ones that pertained to other things.
"I'll just turn the thing on, then," he said to himself. Rei flicked a few activation positions before pressing in the two "On" switches.
At first, nothing happened. After a few seconds, the three electronic screens in the dashboard of the jet flickered on, followed by one on either side of him. Behind him, Rena's forward and side screens activated as well. A slot on the side of both pilots' cockpits opened, revealing something akin to a keyboard inside it. The joystick moved slowly on its own for a second, and some of the electronic gauges in both pilots' cockpits went haywire.
In front of Rei, a holographic screen like a computer's activated, and a multitude of information scrolled across it before flickering off, then back on. A single phrase scrolled across the screen.
IDENTIFY PILOT.
Rei reached for the keyboard, placed it in his lap, and typed in his name: Fukai Rei. There was a pause as the computer processed the information.
PILOT NOT REGISTERED IN DATABASE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REGISTERED IN THE DATABASE? Rei typed the "Y" key and put away the keyboard. REGISTERING PILOT FUKAI REI. There was a pause as the computer seemed stuck at this screen for a few moments before suddenly a new phrase came up. SPEAK YOUR NAME.
Rei stopped, confused. He wondered briefly why a computer would ask him to pronounce his name, but he did so anyway. "Rei Fukai," he said loudly into the microphone.
The computer screen shut off again for a moment before coming back up… this time as a HUD. Behind him, he could hear the turning of the engines as they started up.
"It looks like we're live," Rena said into the mic. Rei heard it and looked back at her.
"You can hear me?" Rena asked. Rei gave a thumbs up before looking ahead. To his sides, the computer screens flashed multiple phrases and activation codes before stopping on a single line of code that both Angels saw.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MAVE: ACTIVE.
"…Mave?" Rei wondered. "What's that?" He was soon answered.
"What am I?" a female voice asked. "Can't you read? I'm Artificial Intelligence Mave, that's who! What kind of name is 'Rei Fukai'?" Rei looked around the cockpit wildly, looking for the source of the voice. To his and Rena's right, 2 computer screens popped up and revealed a small figure.
She looked like a schoolgirl from Comona, dressed in a gray and white uniform similar in style to the jet they were in. She had bright, teal hair and bright blue eyes. On her head was a beret, also in style of the jet, but emblazoned with the letters "MAVE". The girl smiled and waved.
"Hi!" she exclaimed, her voice much like a young girl's. "I'm Mave! I'm the computer intelligence of the ADFX-03, also known as Super Sylph!" she smiled. "Wow, you're cute, Mr. Fukai," she said.
"Um… okay?" Rei said uncertainly. The AI almost giggled to herself before "walking" to the other cockpit.
"And who are you?" Mave asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"I'm… Rena," the Angel muttered. "Nice to meet you, Mave."
"Feh," Mave responded, walking over to Rei. "So, you're the pilot of my home?"
"I… I guess so," Rei replied, unsure of whether or not the war had finally driven him insane and he was simply talking to himself.
"Well, Mr. Pilot, do you know how to fly a Sylph?" Mave asked.
"Well… no," Rei admitted. "This is the first one I've been in, Mave."
"It's easy!" Mave told him, smiling at him and tilting her head. "If you know how to fly, say, any Sukhoi-model jet, it's very similar!" She looked around. "Hmm, not much room to fly around here… say, wait a minute!" she glared at Rei. "Just who are you? You're obviously not a test pilot, and you're definitely not Belkan!" she pointed a finger. "You're… you're plane-napping me!"
"I'm not kidnapping you," Rei muttered. "I'm just taking you from people who mean to use you to kill innocent lives."
"And you're not, Fukai?" Mave shouted, tapping her foot impatiently. "I'm really sick of all you hotshot pilots trying to steal me just so you can 'save the world' or whatever. You know you're the third attempt?"
Rena sweat-dropped in the back seat, imagining other pilots trying to steal this jet and shooting themselves because the A.I. was annoying.
"That's not the point," Rei said back to the A.I. "I'm just doing my mission; I'm the only one in the FA that can pilot you."
"Just doing your mission?" Mave asked. "FA? What's that?"
"The 4th Erusian Mixed Air Unit, Freelance Alliance," Rei told her. "I am 1st Lieutenant Rei Fukai, member of the FA."
"Freelance Alliance?" Mave muttered. She paused and put a finger to her head, as if she were thinking. "Oh, so you're part of those Erusian nut jobs that fight wars all the time, aren't you?"
"Well… technically, yes, but Erusia is at peace right now, but we need you to stop another war from happening."
"Another war?" Mave echoed. "What war?"
"There's a man," Rena told her. "He calls himself Nodsri. He is a psychotic mastermind that seeks to destroy the world in the name of his 'father', which, according to his brother, is complete and total bullshit."
Mave stared at both pilots. "And you think you can stop him?" She asked the two. Both nodded.
"We wanted you because for one, Nodsri is incredibly powerful," Rei explained, thinking back. "I've seen him do incredible things; slice jets in two, repair his while it still flew, and kill people with no remorse; he's dangerous to everyone and everything," he looked back at Rena. "And for another, we need your help."
There was a pause by Mave. Outside, the sounds of war echoed through the hangar; explosions, gunfire, the screaming of dying men. Rei closed his eyes, and when he opened them, Mave was looking at him.
"I don't know why," she said. "But I believe you and her." She looked "ahead" at the doors of the hangar. "I think I'll allow you to take me on this little trip, Rei. But mind you," she wagged a finger at him. "I can control my body, so if you try to pull something, I'll take control and smash myself into the ground with you in me!" she paused, giggled, and shook her head. "Right, then; let's do this."
Rei and Rena nodded.
"I can't open the doors though," Mave told them.
"So I'll open them with something else," Rei replied. He armed two of the missiles on the Sylph and locked onto the door. He pressed the trigger and shot the missiles forward. The ensuing blasts took out the door and a few men standing by it. Grinning to himself, Rei pushed the throttle forward, slowly moving the jet forward. The fighter's nose peered out of the broken doorway for a second as both Rei and Mave looked around for anyone pointing their guns at the jet; so far, nothing.
"I'll control the Vulcan," Mave told Rei. "Just focus on the driving,"
"Roger that," Rei responded. Rena activated her radar screen to watch the battle. Immediately, four medium-sized blips appeared, coming at them fast.
"Rei, something on scope!" she shouted. "Four fighters, coming from… that tunnel!" She pointed at the tunnel in the distance. "…who the hell is crazy enough to fly into that tunnel?"
Her question was quickly answered as another explosion rocked the area, and four jets blasted out of it, one after the other. The first jet had some of its nose paint blasted off, except for one thing: the number 016, caught in the flash of light from the explosion.
"Rei, that's them!" Rena shouted. "The Razgriz! I know it is!" she smiled. "Do you think they know that we're here?"
"Probably not," Rei replied as he continued to drive forward, the Vulcan gun on the nose sporadically firing at Belkan troops in the way. "They have they their own mission, too, you know."
"…yeah, I know," Rena muttered. "So let's get this going, then! We need to get out of here, fast!"
"I know!" Rei shouted. "Mave, is there a quicker way to launch?"
"Well… kind of," Mave said uncertainly. She quickly killed another soldier as the Sylph rounded the corner to face the runway – as well as the burning wreckage of 2 Ospreys. "But you'll have to follow my instructions explicitly."
"Fine," Rei said. "Just tell me."
"Move the throttle to just under the A/B line," Mave ordered. "Then close the flaps and pull straight up on the stick." Rei closed the flaps and pushed the throttle up. He pulled back on the stick as the fighter quickly gained speed. There was a buckling sound as the fighter quickly nosed up, the engines pushing out enough thrust to lift the jet into the air… but not much more. The fighter hovered on its own thrust, mere feet from the ground.
"Now, full throttle!" Mave shouted. Rei closed the wheels and pushed the throttle as high as it would go. He and Rena were jerked hard into their seats as the jet went from hovering to over Mach 1.5 in less than 5 seconds. They left the hangar facility behind in the blink of an eye… and entered the realm of the sky once again.
Rena looked down at the clouds as Rei leveled out the fighter and started heading for the rendezvous point agreed on in the briefing; along Vector 261. Both pilots breathed a sigh of relief as Rei easily maneuvered the Sylph into a straight line. Mave commented on activating EMCON before disappearing from sight; though secretly, she used her cameras and gun scope to keep an eye on everything.
Rei leaned back and rested only the palm of his hand on the flight stick, the other on his leg. He looked up and the nighttime stars and the four black shapes that seemed to disappear along with the fading battleground.
"It looks like there were 2 successes today, Rena," he said.
"You think so?" Rena asked, her own mind lost in distant thought.
"Yeah…" Rei answered. "The Razgriz won their war… and we now have the means to win ours," he leaned his head back and lowered the throttle to cruising speed. "The tanker should be coming up soon…"
"I just got it on long-range radar," Rena cut in. "Looks like we're on our way home."
"Home…" Rei muttered. He looked ahead at the KC-10 in the distance, 2 jets escorting it with blinking red and blue lights. "Yeah… heheheheh."
"What is it, Rei?" Rena asked.
"Jack is going to be so jealous when he finds out about this thing," Rei laughed. He grinned and looked back at Rena. "It's almost worth fighting through a warzone to piss him off." Rena smiled at Rei, and Mave in turn simply wondered who the hell is Jack?
But as Rei flashed friendly IFF signals at the FA jets, he and Rena simply wished to sleep in their beds at Bronze Gate One…
…to dream for a quick end to the war.
-
Meanwhile, ditched in a valley, a Su-47 rested. Using his fighter as the insertion vehicle, Rei was forced to ditch it in favor of the Sylph.
A hand rested on the nose of the fighter, which was unceremoniously stuck in the ground along with the rest of the jet; the wheels had ripped out some distance backward. The hand went along the jet before stopping under the name of her owner.
1ST LT REI FUKAI.
There was a pause as the hand pulled away.
A scream cut through the night.
And a double-bladed sword impaled itself in the aluminum hull of the fighter, cutting through the name.
Anguished golden eyes stared into the sky.
To Be Continued…
-
(Music start)
(Various still shots appear. The first one is of the sea, the Sealance in the distance. The second one is of the deck of the ship; Rena stands on it alone. The third one is of Bronze Gate One from a distance. The fourth one focuses on the front of a catapult, where Rei stands alone.)
"Kokoro ni, chiisana, hana ga, saiteru…"
(More shots: a profile of Rena, smiling yet sad, as she looks out into the ocean; Rei, solemn and determined; Jack, standing in front of his desk, touching a pen capped with Belka's flag.)
"Kimi kara, moratta, karenai hana ga…"
(Michael petting his dog as he kneels, an F-15 flying behind him; Sasha wiping her nose, the snow rippling about her; Joseph watching the sky from a cliff face.)
"Shinjiru koto mo kowagaranai kurai,"
(Rei and Jack staring each other down, eyes glaring as a spark flies between them.)
"Tsuyoku nareta kara,"
(Rena giggling as Jack is smacked with Glen's cane; Rei and Erick talking, looking out a window.)
"Kimi ni aete, ureshikatta,"
(Rena smiling at the camera as she steps out of a swimming pool; Rei trying to push the camera away.)
"Tsunaida te ga, hokoridatta,"
(Rei and Rena standing together; Mave holo-standing next to her Sylph, smiling.)
"Ima wa betsubetsu, no sora magete itemo,"
(The Temnota pilots in a group shot, with Timerlane propping Rei up on his shoulders; an Air Ixiom shot with Mike and Cid at the lead.)
"Hora arukeru, hitori demo…"
(Sealancer group shot, Glen in the back and Jack in the front with a thumbs up; Mobius/Thanatos group shot, Sasha sitting on the ground and looking confused.)
(Closing shot; Rei and Rena, looking at each other, lips curled into smiles…)
(Music fades out…)
---
Next Episode:
"In the next episode of Angel Squadron, Erick finds out that Mark is trying to move equipment across the ocean, and sends the Angels after it. With the Black Adlers as their allies in this mission, nothing can go wrong… or so it seems. Tense action and a high-strung Osean make this mission a lot more interesting that what it should be!"
"Next on Sky's Angels: Angel Squadron – The Eagles and their Angels!"