CH. 7: AIR RAID
-27 Sept. 2010
When they landed Captain Bartlett was MIA. The rescue copter didn't find the forty-two year old pilot. They only saw the retreating enemy spy vessel and it was assumed that he had been captured. When they returned from St. Hewlett the three Wardog pilots were questioned by Perault. He went easy on Chopper and Nagase but was not subtle in his suspicion of the captain. However, Blaze was not so fortunate. "Captain Jack Bartlett is not a spy, if that's what your insinuating, sir," Blaze rose to the defense of his mentor.
"Maybe," Perault snapped. "But in case you haven't noticed, we're at war."
"This is supposed to be news to me?" Blaze asked rhetorically.
"Watch it mister, Lt. Colonel Ford is flying down from the mainland."
'Oh great, Ford.' Ford was another one of those bureaucratic racists who treated Blaze like elephant shit. Much like Perault.
"It seems that he's agreed to a promotion for you," Perault sneered. "Second Lieutenant Beagle and the AWACS crew seem to hold you in good regards, too. I can't imagine why," he just had to put in that blow much to Nagase's disgust. "Since you commanded the squadron in battle with average skill it seems appropriate to give you the rank of First Lieutenant." He picked up a small black box and tossed it at Blaze like it was something vile. "Now get out of here. Dismissed." The three of them turned and exited the office.
'That fat ass wipe,' Blaze grumbled to himself as Nagase helped him fit the silver bars to his shoulders in the lounge. "I'm probably going to be put behind a desk when Ford arrives."
"I hope not," Nagase said as she handed him his old gold bars, "Sir."
"Don't call me that," Blaze moaned. "I don't feel like celebrating. In fact I don't feel like a leader at all." Nagase pulled up a folding chair and sat in front of him.
"What's wrong?" She asked, concerned for his well being.
"Forget it, it-it's nothing," he tried to shrug it off. It didn't work.
"Don't give me that macho crap, Blaze," Nagase scolded. "What's wrong?" He let out a sigh in frustration.
"Well…when I saw…those flames on the gulf…" he looked out the window. "It reminded me of…the night my folks died."
"Oh."
"I'm not afraid of fire. It's just that…it was the plane I shot down that did it."
"It wasn't your fault, Blaze." Nagase assured him. "Don't think about it too hard. We need you up there. You did real good today, Blaze. I'm proud to be your wingman. I wouldn't have it any other way." He looked back at her and smiled.
"Thanks, Edge," he said patting her on the head. "I feel better now." He really did. He was still getting used to the whole squadron leader thing but the encouragement from her was what he needed. The alarms that blared an hour later were not.
XXXXX
As the air raid sirens blared and red strobes flashed Blaze comically stumbled out of his room in grey sweats as he tried to strap his boots on. Nagase ran out of her room down the hall from him pulling on her OD trousers in addition to her white tank top. "Come on, Blaze!" She shouted as she jumped over him. "Quit playing around!"
"Yes, dear!" He shouted after her as he got to his feet. "Hold your horses!" They pulled their G-suits over their casual clothing before grabbing their helmets and rushing to their parked jets. As they did so they noticed Chopper was the only one of them actually in his flight suit. "Mount up!" He ordered them. "Skip standard procedures; just spin up your engines and get airborne!" Enemy fighter aircraft were already dancing with the current CAP in the skies above them.
"The turbines won't start up," Chopper bitched in the plane in the front. "Come on, come on, come on, come on!" Finally his plane started to roll out followed by Nagase's and then Blazes. The allied planes continued to fight the enemy and were losing. Blaze looked over to see an allied plane crash into jets parked next to the hanger. "WHOA!"
"Holy shit!" Blaze swore as he saw a chunk of shrapnel fly just above his cockpit as they taxied to the runway. More shrapnel bounced off his bird and he prayed nothing would get sucked into either of the engines.
"The Captain's spare plane is still in the hanger," Nagase remembered.
"Leave it," Pops said as he brought his plane out of the hanger. "Once you're airborne get as much altitude as you can. Don't let them bounce you from above." Nagase and Chopper both took off at the same time while Blaze positioned himself on the runway.
"Blaze scramble," the tower ordered as Blaze punched the afterburners. His jet raced down the runway and took to the air just as the enemy fighters turned back around. It was then that Blaze realized that they were the only friendlies in the air.
"Split up," he ordered, "Take it to them."
"Roger!" Nagase responded. For a split second Blaze pictured Nagase sitting in the cockpit in her tank top and the straps of her g-suit and seat hugging her frame tightly. He shook the image out of his head and entered the fray.
"I see you managed to make it up," Pops observed as he taxied to the runway. "Is your plane alright?"
"Aside from a marred paint job she's purrin' like a kitten," Blaze responded as he down a MiG with his cannons.
"I see. I guess keeping it in good standing has paid off for ya," Pops bragged to no one in particular.
He turned hard to engage the MiG-23 closest to him. The sky was littered with MiG-23's, 27's and even Tu-22M3 Backfire bombers. "Enemy bombers approaching the base," Nagase called out.
"Shoot them down!" Blaze ordered. "If they knock out the base we're finished!" He and Nagase turned to chase down the bombers while Chopper covered them. They raced past the bombers as they exploded from missile strikes. The two pilots turned in opposite directions to select other targets.
"This is Wardog Leader," a new voice called out, "Lt. Col. Ford. What's your current status?"
"Heh, here comes his highness from the mainland now," Chopper chuckled.
"We under attack and stretched thin, sir," Blaze responded as he maneuvered behind a bandit.
"I trust you can hold the runway until we arrive?" Ford inquired with skepticism.
"We'll give them hell, sir," Blaze responded as he sent the MiG to a fiery grave.
"Right, protect it at all costs," Ford said though he didn't really have to.
"Use the water to put out the fire!" A base officer ordered over the radio. "Keep it away from the ammo dump!"
"Bomber down!" Chopper called out as he shot down another Backfire.
"Bandit in gun range!" Nagase called out as she fired into an SU-25 Frogfoot attack plane ripping its starboard wing off. "Pops is taking off," she said as she passed the runway.
"Look at the hanger!" Chopper called out. Blaze looked to see a lone F-5 pull out of the last intact hanger. It was Bartlett's spare plane. "Who the heck pulled that out?"
"This is Grimm," an adolescent voice replied. Down in the Captain's spare plane a nineteen year old rookie trainee in greasy coveralls and helmet taxied the plane down the flight line. "I was in the hanger helping out the mechanics. I'm taking off."
"The hell you are, you're not even out of replacement training yet," Chopper argued. "Isn't there anyone else around?"
"I didn't see anyone."
"There's no choice," Blaze argued.
"He's right," Nagase agreed. "Be careful, Grimm. I'll cover you."
"More bandits inbound!" Blaze called out. "Chopper, follow me, we're going to cut them off! Edge, cover Grimm."
"Roger,"/"Affirmative," both of them answered in synch. Blaze and Chopper turned right into a flight of MiG-29's that joined the attack. Blaze downed one with his guns immediately as Chopper blasted one with a sidewinder.
"Alright I'm airborne," Grimm said when his plane took to the air. "This is Airman First Class Grimm, callsign Archer. I'll be joining the Wardog Squadron."
"Stay alert, Grimm," Blaze ordered. "Don't hesitate to call for help if you need it."
"Roger," Grimm replied. Nagase and Blaze paired up to go after another fighter while Chopper led Grimm after another.
"Blaze, fox two!" A sidewinder blazed through the air and consumed the target in a ball of flames.
"Archer, fox two!" Grimm fired his first shot of the war and it was dead on; the missile impacted in the aft area of the MiG and sent it toppling downward.
"The Lt. Col. is on radar," Nagase announced as his plane approached Sand Island from the north.
"This is Wardog Leader. Sand Island, I'm out of fuel. Request clearance to land," Ford said hiding the 'request' as an 'order'.
"Negative," the tower responded. "We're still under attack!"
"Wardog Squadron, cover me while I land," Ford spoke up as if he didn't here the last transmission.
"What are you insane?" Chopper screamed over the radio. More bandits were coming in hot.
"Second Lieutenant Davenport, is that you?" Chopper replied 'yes, sir'. "I'll be sure to right you up after I la-." He didn't hear the warning from Blaze or his cockpit about the missile. He was too busy being a bureaucratic jarhead. Blaze saw the ball of flame that indicated Ford was dead.
"The Lt. Colonel's gone down!" Chopper declared.
"Split formation," Blaze ordered, "take the bandits head on!"
"More bombers incoming!" The tower cried out to the squadron as they broke up to fight the four MiG-29's and two TU-95 Bears.
"Chopper, Grimm, you guys deal with the bombers," Blaze ordered.
"Roger."
"Nagase, it's time we earned our pay, buddy," Blaze said as he led her around to engage the fighters.
"Right behind you, Blaze," Nagase confirmed.
"Sorry you had to get paired with me, Grimm," Chopper chuckled to the new guy. "I'm a hard guy to fly with."
"Yes he is." Blaze agreed.
"Edge, fox two!" She downed another fighter as the three others circled around. "I've got two missiles left!"
"I'm down to one," Blaze said. "There they go!" He called out. "They passed beneath us along the starboard side. Go get them, Nagase, I'll cover you."
"Right," she complied as she dove after the bandits. They lined up behind one as she took a lock on it. "Hard lock! Fox two!" She fired a sidewinder but the enemy pilot shook it off. "Damnit!"
"Forget it, Nagase," Blaze said to her. "Don't let him go." He turned to see the other two MiG's circling around to get behind him.
"I'm on him, Fox two!" This time her missile took the plane down.
"Break right!" Blaze said as he pulled them both into a turn to maneuver around one of the MiGs. "Got him," he took position behind the MiG and locked on. "Goodnight." He dumped his last missile which transformed the fighter into a ball of flame.
"One bandit left," Nagase called out. "Blaze!" She cried as she saw the plane dive down on him, guns blazing. Blaze felt his plane shudder as 30mm bullets hit his plane.
"I'm hit! I'm hit!" He called out as his port engine began to fail. "Port engine is gone!" He shut it down as he fought to control his plane. The rudder peddles were vibrating a bit; he must've took a hit to his tail. "Get him, Nagase!"
"I'm already on him!" She said as she chased after his attacker. 'You're going to regret that,' Nagase growled to herself as she fired her guns into the cockpit of the last fighter. "Bandit down."
"Chopper, Grimm," Blaze called out to them. "Report."
"The bombers are down," Chopper replied as they formed back up. "Grimm nailed one good."
"All bombers confirmed destroyed," the Tower called out. "The other aircraft are withdrawing."
"Was my flying alright?" Grimm asked nervously as the flight entered the approach pattern.
"Not bad at all, Grimm," Blaze replied. "I think I'll keep ya around."
"Thank you," Grimm chuckled.
"Let's get a welcoming party going!" Someone in the tower cheered.
"Better put that on hold," Blaze said. "My rudder is acting funky." He looked back to observe his plane. "Yeah, it's tore up good. And I'm flying on fifty percent power." He checked his gauges. "And the hydraulics aren't looking hot on the port wheel. Sand Island, I'm declaring an emergency."
"Take it easy, Blaze," Nagase said flying ahead and above him. "I'll guide you in. Ease it down."
"Got it," he made his turns and other movements slow and deliberate. "Lowering gear, I just hope that wheel stays on." All three wheels came down and Chopper passed under Blaze. The plane began shuddering some with the increased drag and burden on the remaining starboard engine.
"You're looking good, kid," the loud mouth called out. "Just hang in there." Blaze lowered his speed as Nagase led him to the runway.
"Now, set it down gently, Blaze," she coaxed him. "Don't take any chances with that wheel."
"Good idea," Blaze replied sarcastically. His plane kept trying to snake from side to side and was still vibrating like a Jack Russell Terrier on speed. But he managed to guide her down to the ground.
In fact he barely felt the ground meet rubber when he touched down. He deployed the emergency chute and slowed to a halt as emergency crews raced out to his plane. They made sure the gears were okay and the tractor pulled his plane into the surviving hanger. The other pilots landed without a hitch. "Whew," Blaze said meeting up with them outside the hanger. He looked over the group.
Chopper was the only one in his flight suit while the others wore either casual clothing or dirty coveralls. Grimm was wearing light blue coveralls with oil grease and muck smeared on it. Blaze was in his light gray sweat pants, leather jacket and looking very unkempt with his black issue boots over the sweats. He had to keep himself from staring at Nagase. She had sweated a lot during the engagement and now her tank top stuck to her well endowed and unobjectionable chest. Although she still had a sports bra on, her sweaty attire left little to the imagination. As he turned to lead them back inside he finally spoke up, "What a weird day."