A/N: FYI people. I just enlisted in the US Navy and will soon be leaving for Boot Camp. So don't expect an update anytime soon. Thanks for the reviews and keep on reading. And now, on with the show…

CH. 15: THE WAR CONTINUES

-30 Oct. 2010

The mood at base was subdued compared to the previous week. The reason: the power generator for the laser on the Arkbird was sabotaged by explosives smuggled in a supply shipment. As a result, Osea's secret weapon was rendered useless. Nagase was depressed about it because that meant any hopes of the President negotiating an early end to the war was gone.

And to make things worse, Perault seemed to be even grouchier than normal. He and Hamilton kept having secret meetings with intelligence and senior officers who flew in. Blaze tried to find out what was going on but was stonewalled at every turn. Resigning the argument he returned to the crew room where he found Nagase on her couch as usual. Blaze pulled his Aviation Times from his leg pocket and began thumbing through the articles. "Well, Grunder Industries' stock is up two hundred points," he commented. "I guess they have something to be cheerful about."

"At the expense of wasted lives," Nagase added.

"They can't help what other countries do to us," Blaze replied. "We're just their customer and right now our demand is on the rise compared to a few months ago."

"I guess your right," she nodded, returning to her book.

"On the plus side," he added, "I can actually get some peace around here without all those reporters hanging around. I just don't understand why those talking heads think they're so special."

"I wish I knew, Blaze. But, like you said, not all of them are total jerks." She closed her book and swung her legs over to face him. "Genette still wants an interview with you."

"Well why hasn't he said anything?" Blaze asked dumbly.

"He respects your privacy and doesn't want to spoil your image of him by asking for one."

'Well I'll be damned,' Blaze said to himself. "Next time I see him I'll look into setting one up."

XXXXX

After sitting in silence in the lounge for a few more minutes Genette entered to get a snack from one of the machines. "Hey, Genette," Blaze called out to him and stood up.

"What is it, Captain?" Genette asked stopping in front of the machine.

"I noticed that you had video tapes of interviews with my pilots."

"It's no big deal, Blaze," Genette explained. "I'm not even going to release them until…"

"It's alright," Blaze held up his hand. "I was just wondering why you didn't ask me for one."

"Well, you didn't seem to warm towards the other reporters. And I figured you didn't want to talk about your past."

"I don't," Blaze admitted. "But I think you would be respectful enough to ask decent questions. That's why I'm agreeing to one."

"Oh!" Genette beamed with excitement. "Well, when can you get around to one?"

"Tomorrow or the day after would probably be best," Blaze replied. "I'll met ya here around, noonish?"

"Works for me, Blaze," the journalist nodded. "And thank you."

"That was…unexpected," Nagase said as Blaze returned to his seat.

"Well, I figured that if the guy has been holding back on asking for an interview for so long he must be worth it."

"True."

XXXXX

-31 Oct. 2010

However, the interview would have to wait. First thing the next day Wardog was ordered to partake in simulated land attack missions in support of amphibious operations. They were loaded with blue painted inert practice bombs and they ran practice bombing runs on the keys south of Sand Island. Perault insisted that they work at it until they had it mastered. And then he requested that they do it at night as well.

"What the hell has gotten into him?" Chopper asked after they got back from their night run. "Why are we working on this whole bombing thing now?"

"Two guesses," Blaze replied since he didn't know the whole story. "One: he wants us in the air as much as possible so that we're out of his hair. And two: there's going to be an invasion of Yuktobania coming up."

"What!?" Chopper shrieked. "Why would we want to invade them? We've already forced them back and they've seemed to back off."

"I'm just floating theories," Blaze said as they walked up the steps to the locker room. "But it makes logical sense. There's going to be an amphibious landing coming up soon, maybe even in the next couple days. And we'll be providing close air support for it."

Sure enough, when they exited the lockers they were met by Hamilton. "Get as much rest as possible," he advised them. "You're going to need it." And with that he walked off.

"Yep," Blaze nodded. "We're invading Yuktobania sometime tomorrow."

'But…why?' Nagase moaned inwardly.

XXXXX

-01 Nov. 2010

'This is bullshit,' Blaze said to himself as he led Wardog through the pea soup weather. "This is Wardog Lead," Blaze called out over the radio. "We have the beach in sight. Awaiting target coordinates."

"Roger Wardog," the ground commander replied. "We've just landed and we're taking heavy artillery fire from coastal batteries to the east."

"Confirmed, targeting artillery. Wardog squadron, weapons free," the flight broke and raced towards the target.

"This is Company B," a ground unit called out. "Commander, we have the beachhead bunkers in sight."

"Stand by. Wait for some air support."

"Targeting artillery position," Nagase called out as she cued up one of her AGM-65 Maverick missiles.

"Take it out, Edge," Blaze ordered.

"Missile away!" The high speed ground attack missile rocketed towards the target. As the squadron banked away the battery was silenced as a column of flame lit the sky.

"This is Archer," Grimm called out, "Landing beach in sight."

"Look at all those ground forces," Chopper commented. "How could the President authorize an escalation of the war like this?"

"Air squadron!" The ground commander called out. "Those bunkers have us pinned down. Take them out while we flank them."

"Roger," Blaze replied. "Alright Wardog, everyone pick a bunker and lock on." They turned perpendicular to the beach as each pilot selected one of the four coastal bunkers. "Ground forces, stand by. On three. One…two…three. FIRE!" Four Mavericks leapt from beneath the Wardog F-16's and arced towards their targets. In the span of less than two seconds four bunkers exploded and caved in under the air attacks.

"Direct hit! Pilots that was perfect! All units, charge!"

"Did you know?" Grimm said as they passed overhead. "My older brother is down there."

"What?" Chopper snapped. "Why didn't you say so before you idiot? Where is he?"

"I don't know; they all look the same."

"Air squadron, we've got trouble. We've got a flight of ground attack planes flying in from the west and rocket artillery is raining down on us from the fortress!"

"They're being directed from somewhere," Blaze said. "Chopper, Grimm, you two take care of those attack planes. Nagase bomb those rocket launchers. I'm going to see if I can't locate where they're directing those artillery strikes from."

"Be careful, Blaze," Nagase said as the squadron broke off.

As Blaze raced along a mountain ridge he found and strafed a radar array to blind the enemy. "Radar destroyed," Blaze said as the dish collapsed and tumbled down the slope. 'That ought to dampen their firepower.'

"Blaze," Nagase called out a minute later. "I knocked out another artillery battery but I can't get close to the rocket launchers. They've got SAMs all over the fortress."

"Alright, get back to the beach and cover the ground forces," Blaze said. "I think I see where they're directing those artillery strikes." He dropped down into a narrow ravine, skimming past another bunker. "I'm going in below those SAMs."

"Air support!" The ground commander shouted. "I need air support! Those bunkers are murdering us!"

"We'll take care of it," Chopper said as he and Grimm rolled in for a combined missile and strafing run.

"There it is," Blaze spotted the control tower. He pulled back on the stick and targeted the control tower with another Maverick. "Missile away!" He fired as he kicked his afterburners in. He pulled away as the missile slammed into the tower and knocked it over. The burning tower must've fallen onto an ammo dump because the next thing Blaze knew a fireball followed his plane up into the air. SAMs came up after him but combined with his hard turns and chaff they failed to track. He pulled away and headed back for the beach. As he finished the turn he spotted a Mi-24 Hind attack chopper. He quickly lined up and took it out with a short burst from his cannon. After dodging another SAM he targeted a bunker and fired his third Maverick, neutralizing it. He raced over the crumbling structure as the ground troops moved to secure it with their APCs.

"Amazing," Nagase said inadvertently over the radio. "I don't think I'll ever be as good as Blaze."

'Modest girl,' Blaze grinned to himself.

"This is the ground commander. The operation is proceeding smoothly. Preparing to assault the fortress."

"Wardog, weapons check," Blaze ordered.

"I have one 'winder and one Maverick," Chopper replied.

"Same here, Captain," Grimm added.

"Blaze, I've got no more Mavericks and two air-to-air missiles," Nagase informed him.

"Roger. Nagase, take the rear and watch out for fighters. Chopper, Grimm, you guys target the fortress bunkers. I'm going to hit their motor-pool."

"Roger that, kid," Chopper agreed. The pilots turned and dove for their respective targets. Nagase flew behind and above them keeping an eye out for fighters. As the bunkers exploded she spotted two Su-27 Flankers approaching from the north.

"Missile away," Blaze called out as he fired on the motor-pool. Tanks, trucks and armored vehicles exploded as he broke the sound barrier passing over the concrete walls of the fortress.

"These Sand Island guys, rock!" Someone on the ground cheered.

"Blaze!" Nagase shouted as she noticed the Flankers approaching her captain. "You've got two bandits on your six!"

"Damn!" He turned to avoid a missile and cannon fire. "Get them off me!"

"I've got your back kid!"

"Enemy positions silenced," the ground commander called to his units. "We're infiltrating the fortress."

CLANG! Blaze flinched as he heard a thirty millimeter shell ripped across his port wing. "I'm hit but not bad!" He called out.

"Blaze! Break right!" He looked up in time to see Nagase flying right towards him.

"SHIT!" He did as he was told as Nagase fired a Sidewinder into the lead Flanker.

"Bandit down!"

"Nice one, Edge!" Blaze laughed at her ballsy move. "There goes the other bandit! Rolling in."

"Commander," a ground unit called out. "We can't go any further. That last bunker is spitting rockets, machine guns and cannon shells like some dragon!"

"Hold fast!" Blaze called out. "Blaze, fox two!" He fired one of his sidewinders but the Flanker shook it off. "Damnit!" He broke right to stay with the more agile fighter. As he got into a firing position he was too close for his last missile so he unleashed a volley of cannon fire into the twin engines. Fuel lines erupted as the pilot ejected right over Blaze's plane. "Bandit, down. Returning to the fortress."

"Hurry up," the ground commander called out. "We won't last much longer under all this fire!"

"Locked on! Missile away!" Blaze fired but as the missile hit it failed to completely destroy the bunker. "Damn. That thing is tough." He banked to avoid another SAM until the launcher was destroyed by a tank on the ground. "Wardog, on me!" The four pilots rejoined him. "Prepare for strafing run. Fire into the front of the bunker."

"Roger, Blaze," Nagase agreed. They formed up in a straight line and aimed their cannons right into the bunker's face.

"Fire!" Four streams of 20mm cannon fire raced towards the bunker. Most of the shells hit harmlessly on the reinforced face and ceiling of the bunker. But a few shells managed to slip through the long firing port and ignite the ammo stored inside. The resulting explosion forced the pilots to turn hard and climb away and destroyed part of the wall.

But the explosion and raining concrete didn't phase the tanks and armored personnel carriers down on the ground. Only a few seconds later, the ground forces had secured the beachhead. "Whoa, yeah!" The ground commander cheered. "They're never gonna call us losers again!"

"Cheerful guy," Blaze commented as his flight formed back up to head back to base after refueling.