Ace Combat : Shadows of War
Final Chapter
As Jessica was searching through the contents of the cd she comes across an audio file, she looks at it for a moment before scrolling the mouse over it and clicking on it.
It takes the computer a moment to launch a proper audio device to play it, as it starts up the first five seconds of it are silence. Then a voice could be heard, "This is Alteric Jeske, if you are listening to this one of two things has happened. You either found this among the remains of my dead body and managed to have the code, my congratulations it that is the case. The other thing is you are someone that I trust with my life, well with either case there is a tale I must pass on to you." There is a moment of silence and a small noise that sounds like Alteric clearing his throat, "During the last great war ten years ago, there was a lone mercenary pilot that went by the codename Demon Lord. That mercenary pilot was me, though the name demon lord was not originally mine. Though it will probably be lost in the history books, my original codename was Beowulf. I earned the codename Demon Lord as I swept across the skies, destroying all who opposed me and the forces of Osea." There is another few moments of silence, joined by with a small laugh. "I still cannot believe it has been ten years, I really was starting to believe that I would not have to participate in anymore wars for Osea. When I first agreed to rejoin the air force I thought I did it a little hastily..." There is silence for several moments, "...but that was until I met her, the her is a young woman named Jessica Meyer. She is one of the only good people in this war, her heart is too kind to be caught up in this conflict. That is why I have taken it upon myself to end this war by any means, if I fail I have to apologize to Jessica...and I hope she can find true happiness..." There is silence and the audio file ends.
Jessica smiles as a couple tears roll down her cheeks, she closes her eyes. "I will find happiness when we are finally able to be together..." She says softly, she then opens her eyes looking at the monitor. She looks lovingly at a picture with him in it, she reaches up and gently wipes away her tears. "He has always been so handsome." She says softly looking at the picture, she spends the rest of the night looking over all the pictures and files.
There is a knock at her door, she looks over at it and slowly stands up. When she gets to it she unlocks it, when she pulls it open she can see Andrew standing there.
Andrew looks at her, "Hey...what did you do, stay up all night?" He asks looking at her.
Jessica nods her head some, "Yeah...I..couldn't sleep last night.." She says softly, she decides to keep the fact that she met Alteric from him.
""So where did you disappear off to for so long?" He asks looking at her.
She looks down some, "Its all in my report, you can read it in there."
Andrew sighs some looking at her, he slowly reaches towards her face.
Jessica takes a step back moving her head away from his hand, "Please...don't.." She says softly.
He slowly lowers his hand down, "Alright...well I just came to tell you that command has given us the day off."
She nods head some, "Alright...thank you.." She then slowly closes the door, she turns around and leans up against the door closing her eyes. 'If Alteric hadn't shown himself...I may have given in to Andrew's advances by now...' She thinks to herself.
Jessica is walking down the hallway holding onto the cd case, she comes to a doorway and knocks on it. She looks around some as she stands there, waiting for the person on the other side of the door to open it.
When the door opens she can see Mark standing there, he looks at her. "Ah hello Jessica...is something wrong?"
She shakes her head, "No...is Kimiko here too?"
Mark nods his head and steps off to the side, Kimiko could be seen sitting on the bed. She looks over at Jessica, a questioning look on her face.
"Can I come in? I need to show the two of you something." Jessica asks softly.
Mark nods his head, "Sure, come on in."
Jessica moves into the room, "What I am about to tell you cannot leave this room."
Mark looks at her as he closes the door, "Alright, you've got my word that I won't tell anyone."
Kimiko nods her head, "Yeah, I promise whatever you tell us won't leave this room."
Jessica looks at them, "Alright...first things...Alteric is still alive.."
Mark and Kimiko look at her, "What..? Really?" They both say at the same time.
Jessica nods her head, "Yeah...I was surprised to find out too, well lets get to this." She says holding up the cd case, she moves over to their computer and slides the cd into it.
After Jessica showed them everything on the cd the two of them were left silent, "I can't believe it...we were flying alongside Demon Lord all this time, no wonder he felt so powerful..." Mark says softly looking at the screen.
Kimiko looks at Jessica, looking like she is near crying. She moves in close to Jessica quickly and hugs her, "You are so lucky to have a guy as great as Alteric interested in you, now if only he was more open with his feelings towards you like my guy is towards me." She says softly.
Jessica smiles some hugging her back, "Yeah I know...once this war is over we will be able to be together." She says softly.
Kimiko looks at her and nods her head, "Yeah...whenever this war be over...however, is anyone's guess." She says softly.
"I know...and the waiting is going to kill me.." Jessica says softly.
Kimiko looks at her and hugs her tightly, "Well you have Mark and me here to help you."
Jessica smiles hugging her back, "Thank you both so much." She says softly.
Mark smiles looking at her, he slowly reaches to her. Resting his hand on her back, "Of course Jessica, we would do anything for you." He says softly.
Jessica looks over at Mark and smiles, "Thank you."
Less then a full day later Jessica is woken up by the blaring air raid siren, she sits up and rubs her eyes some. She looks over at the window, she can see that it is dark outside. "What's going on...?" She says tiredly, she moves the blankets off herself and gets up out of bed. A short while later after she was dressed, she heads outside. She looks around some as she sees other pilots running towards the main courtyard, she heads off towards the main courtyard too. When she gets there she finds that Kimiko, Mark and Andrew are already there. She looks down some, 'This feels all too familiar..." she says softly to herself, she looks up as she gets by the other three.
Before she can even ask about what's going on, the base commander moves up onto the stage. "There is a massive aircraft heading towards this base, we do not know if they intend to attack us. However we are not taking any risks, everyone will be sent up immediately. Everyone dismissed."
Jessica, Kimiko, Mark and Andrew all run towards their hanger. Jessica looks at the others, "That must be the air fortress."
Mark nods his head, "Yeah but why would they be passing over our base..."
Jessica looks at him then forward, she stops suddenly her eyes going wide. She looks at the others, "I think I know what they have in mind...we must hurry." She says as she starts running again.
By the time they get suited up and out onto the runway the air fortress is already over the base, as it flies overhead, the small unmanned fighters fly around it.
The four of them look up at it as it flies overhead, Jessica looks forward and pushes her throttle forward. Her jet rushes down the runway and takes off into the sky, the other three follow her. "Everyone keep your eyes open and don't let those drones get on your tail." Jessica calls out to all fighters.
Everyone calls out roger as they all head in closer to the sky fortress, the unmanned drones moving to engage them. As the two sides engage in combat, it doesn't take long until bullets and missiles can be seen streaking across the sky.
After nearly a half hour of fighting leaves both sides with losses, but the air fortress has lost over 80 percent of its unmanned drones. While the Osean forces have only suffered 30 percent losses.
Shadow Wolf's fighter is lowered from its hanger, "Engage them now Shadow Wolf, you must buy us a few more minutes." Alteric opens his eyes as he hears the voice, "Roger...I shall give you the time you need." He reaches to the flight stick grabbing onto it, "Shadow Wolf engaging." His jet drops from the holder and he pushes forward on the throttle, his engines roar to life and he barrel rolls straightening himself out. He pulls his jet around heading towards the Osean forces.
Jessica looks at Alteric as he flies towards them, 'I should have taken up his offer, that way I could be flying at his side right now...instead of against him...' She thinks to herself, she looks at the other three some, then forward. "Kaizer Squadron engage...target that sky fortress."
The three of them look at her some, "Roger that." They call out, the four of them push their throttles forward.
Alteric flies forward, shooting past the four of them. He narrows his eyes some as he targets a nearby Osean fighter, he flies in close and fires off his gun. Clipping the one tail flap, doing enough damage to force him to return to base. Alteric continues to fly around disabling all the other fighters.
A few minutes later the sky fortress reaches its mark, "We have reached our mark, launching missiles now." Two large missile bays on top of the sky fortress open up, then two large cruise missile looking missiles take off from it.
Jessica, Kimiko, Mark and Andrew all try to get to the missiles to take them out, but a combination of AA Guns and SAM missiles keep them from them. Jessica pulls away from the sky fortress looking up at the missiles, unable to do anything about them. She then looks over towards Alteric, "Alteric, please I know you can do something about those missiles."
Alteric looks over at her and deactivates the voice shifter, "Jessica I already explained to you, this has to happen. The death of a few will prevent the death of many."
Andrew looks over towards Alteric's jet, "So you really are alive.." He says softly.
Jessica's hand clutches the flight stick tightly, "No Alteric, I know you really don't really believe that..." She says softly looking down, "Please you must stop those missiles...those people never did anything wrong...yet you are going to punish them." She says softly.
Alteric looks over at her as he flies, "Jessica..."
The officers on the main bridge of the sky fortress look at each other, then they look over at the weapons controller. "Target that woman's fighter, bring her down now." The one man says to the young man sitting there, the young man looks back at him. He nods his head, "Yes sir." He looks back at his controls and targets Jessica's fighter, when he gets a full lock he fires off some SAM missiles at her.
Jessica looks back quickly hearing the missile warning, she looks forward as she punches her throttle to full. She arcs upwards into the sky, she starts dropping chaff. "Alteric...please you must stop those missiles...don't let those innocent people die..." She says as the missiles draw in closer to her, her chaff stop all the missiles but one. The missiles comes up behind her and strikes her engines, she lets out a small cry as she holds onto the flight stick tightly as he plane started to plummet to the ground.
Alteric watches helplessly as Jessica does her best to outrun the missiles, "Jessica!" He yells out when he sees her fighter hit, he looks down clutching his hand tightly. He sits this way for a few moments, he then slowly looks up he reaches forward and starts to key in something into the keypad in his fighter.
"What are you doing Shadow Wolf?" One of the soldiers on the sky fortress asks him, upon hearing this the two officers look over at the soldier. "What is he doing?" The soldier looks over at them, "I'm not sure sir...it looks like he is activating the auto-destruct code for the missiles." The officers look at each other then back at the weapons controller, "Quick bring him down."
Alteric soon finishes keying in the code, he then looks over at the sky fortress. "I already know you are targeting me and you can try,, but I will make you pay for what you have done to my love." He hits the enter key then high above the clouds two massive explosions can be seen, momentarily turning the night into day. He grips his flight stick tightly and pushes his throttle forward, just as all the SAMs on that side of the sky fortress fire at him.
The two officers clutch their hands tightly, "Damnit...get the next set of missiles ready." One of the soldiers nod his head, "Roger sir." Deep within the sky fortress, a second set of missiles are loading into the launchers.
Alteric cuts around the missiles, the missiles try fruitlessly to lock onto him. "You'll never hit me with those." He calls out as he darts around the missiles, he lets loose one of his cluster bomb missiles. It strikes the side of the sky fortress, wiping out all the SAMs and AAs on one side of the sky fortress. He pulls up shooting around behind the sky fortress, SAM launchers and AA guns fire upon him.
"Sir, he's moved around behind us." The radar man says, the officers look over at him. "What?! No he's going to try and take out our engines! Launch all unmanned fighter now!" The one officer yells out.
Alteric pulls his fighter around, he looks ahead seeing all the unmanned fighters. "Those won't stop me!" He yells out as he fires off another cluster bomb missile, the missile hits around the center of the group, wiping out over 75 percent of the drones. He punches forward.
Deep within the sky fortress the mechanic is looking at the wiring console, he sighs some rubbing the back of his head. "Well I guess this is one debt I won't be able to collect on." He takes a tight grip on the large monkey wrench in his hands, "I just hope you can live together in happiness with that girl you told me about old friend." He then raises his arm up and drives the wrench into the panel, he turns his head covering his face with his other hand as sparks fly from it. He hits a few more times before lowering his arm back down, he looks at it as sparks flash off it. He sighs some and tosses the wrench off to the side, "That should blind them some...alright old friend, blow this monstrosity out of the sky." He says softly as he reaches to his one pocket, pulling out a small flask with whiskey in it.
A couple of the soldiers on the bridge let out surprised cries, "What's going on?" One of the officers ask, "I don't know sir, all my systems just crashed..." One of them say, "So did mine..." The others cry out.
Alteric releases his last two cluster missiles, the two missiles arc towards the sky fortress and slam into the engines. The engines falter and start to die, Alteric looks at them and narrows his eyes. "I will strike you out of the sky!" He yells out as he hits his throttle to full, activating his afterburner.
The three of them look up, they watch as Alteric attacks the engine. Then watch as he then hits his plane to full, they watch helplessly as his jet slams into the engines. Killing the engines completely, black smoke starts to billow out of the engines. The massive aircraft starts to fall from the sky, small series of explosions ripple throughout the sky fortress. It keeps falling until it slams into the side of a mountain, it erupts in a massive explosion. Turning night into day once again, for a longer period of time. They look away from the blast, after it clears they look around some. Mark then radios back to base, "This is Kaizer wing, we have successfully taken down the sky fortress. We have two friendlies down, send rescue at once."
"Roger that Kaizer Wing, sending rescue now. The rest of you RTB immediately." The tower says to them.
Mark looks at the other two some, "Roger that...Kaizer wing returning to base now."
As Jessica slowly opens her eyes, all she can hear is a light beeping sound. She looks around some as she opens her eyes a little more, she soon realizes that she is in a hospital room. "What happened...where am I?" She asks softly, she tries to sit up but lets out a small cry falling back to the bed, as a sharp pain kicks up in her side.
"You shouldn't try to move, you'll just end up hurting yourself more." Kimiko says walking from the door over to her bed, she sits down in a seat next to the bed.
Jessica looks over at her, "Kimiko...what happened?"
Kimiko looks at her as she reaches over and rests her hand on Jessica's hand, "Well after you were hit you managed to bail out before hitting the ground...but you still hit the ground hard, your right arm is sprained and you bruised a couple ribs."
Jessica nods her head some, looking up at the ceiling. She then looks around some, "Where's Alteric?" She asks softly looking at Kimiko.
Kimiko looks down closing her eyes a little.
Jessica's eyes go wide, "No...please no...don't tell me he's gone.." She says softly as a tear rolls down her cheek.
Kimiko looks at her and shakes her head, "No...but the doctors don't know if he is going to make it though..."
Jessica looks at her, "W...What...? Where is he?"
Kimiko slowly stands up and moves around the bed, she moves over to a hanging curtain and slowly slides it back. As she moves it back Jessica can see Alteric laying in a bed, the monitors next to the bed letting out a low beeping noise.
Jessica sits up slowly, closing her eyes pushing through the pain. She opens her eyes looking at him, "Alteric..." She says softly, she then looks at Kimiko. "What happened to him?"
Kimiko moves over to her sitting down next to her bed, "He fired off a couple of his cluster bomb missiles into the engine of the sky fortress, then slammed his jet into it. We all thought that he had sacrificed himself to bring it down, but we later found out that he had actually bailed out. However he bailed out too late and when his jet slammed into the sky fortress, the explosion knocked him out. The doctors think he woke up enough to pull his parachute cord, but he was so close to the ground that it only minorly slowed his fall." She then looks down some, "Upon hitting the ground he broke his right arm, both his legs and nearly all his ribs, he had a lot of blood in his lungs. The doctors did what they could...they say its up to him if he survives..." She says softly.
Jessica starts to move her legs over the edge of the bed.
Kimiko stands up and stops her, "No, stay in bed. You'll make yourself worse."
Jessica looks at her, "I don't care, he needs to know I'm here for him...he has to live." She says looking at him, as tears start to roll down her cheeks.
Kimiko looks at her and sighs some, "Alright, but stay in bed...I'll roll his bed over closer to your's."
Jessica looks at her, "A...Alright.." She says softly laying back on the bed.
Kimiko moves over to Alteric's bed, she crouches some reaching under it. She releases the wheel brake and starts to move it over closer to Jessica's bed, she stops a little over half way. When she sees the wires and plugs start to get pulled too much, she looks over at Jessica. "This is as close as I can get him...I'll have to move you bed too." She crouches down and locks the wheels.
Jessica looks over at her and slowly nods her head.
Kimiko moves over to Jessica's bed and does the same for her bed, she then carefully moves Alteric's hand over some. "I moved his hand closer so you can hold onto his hand."
Jessica looks over seeing what she was talking about, she then carefully takes hold of his hand. "Thank you Kimiko.." She says softly closing her eyes.
Over the next few weeks Jessica's condition became better, while Alteric's stayed pretty much the same. Jessica spent most of her waking hours talking to Alteric, talking about whatever she could think about talking about. She was hoping that her voice would get through to him, hoping to wake him.
One day Jessica is talking to him, sitting on a seat holding onto his one hand with both her hands. "When you wake up we can start planning for our family, so you have to wake up soon..." She leans forward resting her head on his arm, "I was thinking that we have at least one daughter and one son. What do you think?" She asks softly.
"I think it sounds like a good idea..." Alteric says softly, as his eyes slowly drift open.
Jessica sits up suddenly looking at him, "Alteric! You're awake!" She cries out excitedly, as she moves up closer to him hugging him.
Alteric closes his eyes letting out a soft pained moan, he gently wraps his arms around her. "Of course and I've heard every word of what you said, you helped me to stay grounded in this world." He says softly.
Jessica looks at him, "R..Really?" She asks softly.
He nods his head some, "Yes, I loved hearing your voice. I also cannot wait till we get married."
A red tint goes across her cheeks, she smiles and kisses him deeply on the lips.
He closes his eyes kissing her back as deeply, he holds the kiss for several moments before breaking it. "I love you so much Jessica, I will never leave you." He whispers into her ear.
Jessica smiles as she closes her eyes resting her head on his chest, "I love you so much too Alteric, I will always remain at your side as long as you'll have me." She murmurs softly.
He smiles as he gently kisses her forehead, "Then we will be together forever."
Thirteen Years Later
Alteric and Jessica are standing out in front of the hanger their squadron called home for several months, so many years ago. Alteric looks up at the sky some, Jessica looks over at him.
"So how are you feeling today ya old war dog?" She asks with a slight smile on her face.
Alteric looks over at her, "Well truthfully, quite good." He reaches to her and gently takes her hand into his, as he does that the sunlight flashes off the golden bands on their fingers.
Less then a couple months after the fall of the sky fortress the Yuketebonia forces surrendered completely, their statement was... "Anyone who has pilots that could take down such a powerful aircraft, is one we don't want to be enemies with." The world has known only peace because of that fateful night, as one could guess Alteric and Jessica got married. Thirteen years to the day, he proposed to her in the hospital. The very day after hearing the news about Yuketebonia's surrender, he told her the day that they both can leave the hospital is the day they can get married. Less then three months after he told her that, after working with every last bit of his energy everyday. Jessica and him were married, the two of them have lived together in total happiness.
Jessica smiles looking up at him, "I am glad to hear that my love." She whispers softly.
As they are standing there a young girl, who looks to be about 11 years old. She runs right up to them, she jumps up onto Alteric wrapping her arms around her neck.
Alteric looks at her and smiles as he gently wraps his arms around her, holding her up. "So are you and your brother having fun exploring around Mommy and Daddy's old base?"
She smiles looking up at him, "Yeah, so was this where you and mommy first met?"
Alteric nods his head, "Yes it was darlin', this hanger here was where our jets were stored at." He says looking at the hanger.
She looks up at him, then over at the hanger. "Wow." She says looking up some.
Alteric looks at her and smiles, he leans in and kisses her gently on the forehead. "So where is your brother at Heather?"
Heather looks up at him, "He's over by the car."
Alteric and Jessica look over towards the car, as they do a boy who looks to be about 8 comes running over towards them. "Mommy...Daddy, can we go now?" He asks as he stops in front of them.
Alteric looks at him and smiles some, "Why you in such a hurry to leave Matthew?"
Matthew looks up at them tilting his head some, "I want to go play with Sasha."
Alteric smiles some hearing him, "Oh so you want to go play with Uncle Mark and Aunt Kimiko's child?" He then nods his head some, "Alright then, lets get going then."
Mark and Kimiko got married shortly after Alteric and Jessica did, they also had a daughter. Who is 9 years old. After the war ended and Kaizer wing disbanded Andrew went off on his own, he hasn't been heard from since then. It is unknown weither or not he's alive or dead.
Alteric gently sets Heather back down, "Alright then, lets get going."
Jessica looks at him and nods her head, she takes hold of his hand. Then the three of them head back to the car.
Once all of them are in the car Alteric gets into the driver's seat, he looks at them. "Alright, if everyone is buckled in, we'll be on our way." He waits until they have all buckled up, then he buckles up his seatbelt. He slides the key into the ignition and starts up the car, he then drives from the base back onto the main road. The four of them drive off to Mark and Kimiko's house.
End