A/N: FINALLY! The fic that many readers have called the best AC5 fanfic ever written is back! I repeat! This story is NOT dead! Sorry it took so long. I just had to get back into the game after training in the Navy and such.Plus I had to completely rebuild my fanfic database after my old computers original hard drive clonked out on me. But in any case, The Champion of the Razgriz is back with the adventures of Blaze, Edge, Chopper and the rest of your favorites from AC5. Now on to the show!

CH. 16: CAUGHT IN A JAM

-02 Nov. 2010

There was no rest for the Wardog. The four Osean aces had no sooner woken up before they were informed by Hamilton that they were needed over Yuktobania again. Chopper, as always, was the first to speak his mind. "For crying out loud man! Can't we get a break once in a while? Is that too much to ask?"

"What's the chore this time?" Blaze asked Hamilton as the pilots ate what breakfast they could.

"Our ground forces reached the opposite end of the Bostok Peninsula around midnight. As a result much of the Southern Yuke Army forces defending the peninsula were cut off. Those forces are now being withdrawn in a massive airlift."

"If those forces are able to regroup they'd be a formidable hazard to our forces," Blaze saw where this was going.

"Right," Hamilton nodded. "Your planes are already being fitted with as many air-to-air missiles as they can carry. Also, be forewarned, the Yukes may have jammer craft with them."

"Well," Blaze sighed. "Let's get to it."

As they were walking out to their planes Blaze noticed Nagase seemed a little down cast. "Something wrong?" He asked her.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I just don't understand why we'd invade Yuktobania when things were just starting to calm down."

"Well, like you said. We lost our one trump card when the Arkbird's laser was disabled. When that happened we lost our equal footing. So our only option was to get a way to negotiate from a position of strength. At least, that's my theory." Nagase nodded. She understood what Blaze was getting at, but she was still confused. "Listen; don't worry about that up there. Let's do our job and trust in the President."

"Alright, Blaze," Nagase nodded. "Let's get to work." They then mounted up and took to the sky once more.

XXXXX

At just after six in the morning the four Wardog pilots arrived at the ambush point over the Dresdene province just ahead of the front lines. The ground beneath them was nothing but rugged mountains with a few small towns in the valleys. In the larger town to the north there was the Dresdene People's College of Engineering. But that was ruled off for the military as no fly territory. It was a civilian facility with no ties to the Yuke war machine and therefore not a legitimate target.

"Chopper," Blaze grumbled at the rock fanatic. "I've told you this already. I'm not a Sky Kid fan. I wouldn't know 'Face of the Coin' from 'Back of the Coin'."



"Due to current circumstances," a recording of General Howell's voice sounded off on all frequencies as part of the PsyOps part of the campaign, "we've been forced to set foot on Yuktobania with weapons in hand. However, out true enemy here is the Yuktobanian military who started this unjust war."

"Transport squadron dead ahead," Blaze called out. "Wardog, weapons free. Engage."

"Roger. Archer engaging."

"Edge engaging."

"Whoops. Chopper engaging." The four pilots then cued their AIM-120 AMRAAMs and locked onto separate planes. Once they had solid locks they fired. A moment later the four medium range missiles hit their targets and four transports were ablaze. That's when the radar started acting up.

"Whoa!" Blaze snapped when he noticed his radar. "Hold fast! Something's wrong with the radar." Dozens of blips appeared all over the area.

"There's way too many signatures," Chopper agreed. "Kid, Nagase, how 'bout you guys?"

"No kidding! I never would've figured that out," Blaze shot back.

"There!" Grimm called out. "Lt. Chopper, jammer aircraft!"

Sure enough there was a TU-22MP EW jammer plane flying at high altitude. "I see it, Nagase, Grimm, you two go after the jammer."

"On it, Blaze." Nagase confirmed as she and the junior pilot climbed to engage the jammer.

"Chopper," the Captain called to Wardog 3. "Let's fly ahead and see if we can't find any others."

"Right behind ya, Kid." The flight broke into their respective groups and raced to their targets.

"We wish to work hand-in-hand, harmoniously, with the citizens of Yuktobania for this operation."

"Report from Bjely. Picking up something on radar." A Yuke pilot announced. Blaze figured they were talking about Wardog.

"Blaze," Nagase called out. "We took out the jammer. But the radar is still jammed."

"There must be another active electronic jammer," Thunderhead deduced.

"It's got to be mixed in with all those fake blips," Blaze said. "We've got to find it."

"Hey, Kid!" Chopper announced. "Looks like we've got bogeys."

"Are you sure? Could they be fakes as well?"

"I don't think so."

"Let's turn and check it out. Edge, you and Grimm keep looking for that jammer. But watch out for fighters." With their radar jammed they'd have no way of know what might be actual fighters or decoys.

"Roger, Captain."

"Coming into visual range," Blaze said as he and Chopper aproached the possible bogeys. Suddenly he got a missile warning.

"Missile! Break!" Chopper cried out as he dodged a missile along with Blaze. That proved it.

"Turn and burn, Chopper! Engage at will." Blaze turned maneuvered to engage a fighter.

"Kid! Watch your six!" Blaze barely had time to break and turn to avoid cannon fire from a Fulcrum.

"Where'd he come from?" Blaze asked rhetorically. 'Damn, radar jammers. Can't see shit.'

"I've got him Blaze!" Chopper said rolling in. "Bring him right." Blaze did just that. "Fox Two!" Chopper's sidewinder snaked out and blew the offending MiG apart. "Yeah! That's a kill!"



"Another bandit, below us," Blaze spotted. "I'm going after him."

"I got ya covered." Blaze rolled in and lined up behind the MiG. The enemy pilot made a hard left but Blaze kept with him. But the enemy pilot kept moving, not giving him an easy target.

"Can't get a lock! I'll have to get him the hard way." He thumbed his control to guns and brought his sight to bear. "Firing!" 20mm shells soared from his Vulcan cannon and tore through the MiG's engines.

"Kid!" Chopper called out. "There's a transport. Three o'clock high!" Blaze looked and sure enough there was a real IL-76 transport right there. "I'm going after it."

"Roger, I'll cover you." Chopper shot down the transport with a sidewinder. The port wing buckled from the hit and the cargo plane began spiralling slowly towards the earth. "Alright. Let's see if we can't rejoin Edge and Grimm."

"Got it."

"Therefore," the recording kept playing. "I ask you, citizens of Yuktobania, do not fear us, but rather join us in…"

"Hey, Kid," he said to the Captain. "You think it's going to be that easy?"

"Maybe. But I doubt it." Blaze said lowly.

"Blaze," Nagase called to him as they neared. "We spotted the jammer but we're heavily engaged with enemy fighters."

"Hold on," Blaze said. "We're coming." He and Chopper then kicked in their afterburners and raced into the dogfight. "Locked on!" Blaze called out when his AMRAAM tallied a bandit. "Fox Three!" The missile leapt from his plane and raced out to the fighter. "Bandit down!"

"Captain!" Grimm called out. "There's too many of them! They're all over me!" Blaze spotted Grimm with three Fulcrum's on his tail.

"Hang in there! I'm rolling in." Blaze dove down and lined up behind a bandit. "Fox Two!" his sidewinder raced ahead towards it target. "Bandit down!"

"Edge, engaging!" Blaze looked to see a trail of cannon fire take out another MiG.

"Nice one, Edge!" By this time, Grimm had been able to swing around behind the third bandit on his tail.

"Archer, fox two!" He was all over him. "That's a kill!"

"Good job, Grimm!" 'He's getting better.'

"We've got to find that jamm…" Nagase's transmission was cut off by screeching. In a bolt of panic Blaze looked, thinking maybe she was hit. But her plane was intact and there were no bandits in sight.

"Enemy…jamming waves…" Thunderhead's voice was fading in and out. "Interference…"

"Wardog! Switch to alternate frequencies!" Blaze repeated twice hoping they'd hear him. As he was cycling through his channels, all jammed, Blaze heard something.

"…leader…" Blaze quickly switched back thinking it maybe his squadron trying to reach him. "…units, proceed as planned."

'What the hell is this?'

"Damnit…" He heard Chopper growl. "Even ou…dios…can't…"

"Heads up!..." Blaze heard on a ground to air frequency. "…us!"

"Hey, Kid, yo…th…pre…n the Air…?" Blaze couldn't make out what Chopper was saying.

"Chopper! Say again! I repeat! Say again you last!"

"It's…jammed!" Grimm cried out.

"ECCM! Restore communication link!" Thunderhead called out once the radio jamming was cleared.

"I've got the jammer!" Chopper called out. "Engaging!" Chopper dove down firing his cannon. The shells clipped off the starboard wing and the jammer spiraled down and into the mountains.

"Jamming is cleared!" Blaze called out when he noticed his radar was clear. "Wardog, resume the attack!"

"Roger!" The four pilots turned, regrouped and resumed their attack. Within a few second three more transports were blown to pieces.

"The Osean planes are firing on a school packed with civilians!" Blaze heard over the radio and froze. "They're at the engineering college!"

'Wait…' Blaze's thoughts slowed. "What was that?"

"Whoever's violating orders," Thunderhead called out. "Cease fire immediately."

"What idiots doing that?" Chopper asked as Blaze and Nagase fired AMRAMMs at more distant transports. Chopper and Grimm followed suit a moment later.

"Attention units operating in sector Charlie Omega, attacks on civilians are forbidden!"

"That's right near us," Grimm noticed.

"Hell, that's where we're supposed to be operating!" Chopper agreed.

'This isn't good.' Blaze suddenly got a very bad vibe.

"You see those idiots anywhere?"

"No joy," Grimm replied.

"This is Edge. I'm not seeing any aircraft like that either. Are you sure?" Nagase agreed. "Multiple casualties! Get an ambulance over here fast!"

"They sound sure," Blaze replied. "What the hell is going on?" Blaze asked as he dropped another transport with his cannon. He then rolled in and engaged another flight of MiGs. He got a lock on the lead fighter and fired another Sidewinder. "Bandit down." The second MiG climbed and turned away only to be taken out by cannon fire from Nagase.

"Damnit! The Osean bastards!"

'But we didn't do anything!' Blaze wanted to scream bloody murder right there.

"This is Thunderhead. Wardog did you engage in an attack on a civilian facility?"

"What!? Hell no!"

"Roger. So you're sure you didn't do this?"

"Yes I'm Goddamn sure!"

"Why would we do that?" Chopper asked. "Weren't you watching from up there?" Grimm and Nagase took out two more transports with sidewinders.

"Don't break formation," the Yuke commander ordered. "Your primary mission is to escort the transports." Blaze took out the last transport of this group.

"So we're just gonna watch them die?" Blaze paused. His conscience was doing back flips. On one hand he had orders to destroy all the transports. And on the other he knew someone, Osean military or not, was attacking a civilian facility. A clear violation of international agreement.

"That's what I hate about…" Chopper cried out. Blaze looked at his radar. There was only a small group of transports left. And a good number of enemy fighters between them and Wardog. But they were too busy engaging Wardog to cover their people on the ground.



'Son of a bitch!' Blaze cursed inwardly. But he already made up his mind. "Wardog! Disengage!" He ordered over the squadron frequency. "I repeat, disengage and head south fast!" He turned to lead them away."

"But…wait!" Grimm called out as he turned.

"Blaze!" Nagase cried out. "What are you doing?"

"Stand by," Blaze said as his formation formed back up. "Thunderhead, my gauges are showing I'm on bingo profile," he lied. "I don't know if it's a faulty gauge or not. But I'm bringing my squadron home."

"Captain, you do not have authorization to return to base." Thunderhead replied.
"We've already dealt heavy damage to their force and we're running low on missiles. And there are too many fighters between us and the remaining transports." That part was true. "I can't risk it."

"Roger, Wardog," Thunderhead relented. "Mission Complete. Return to base."

XXXXX

"Blaze," Nagase called to him as they flew over their front lines. "What's going on? Why did we break off the attack? We had the momentum."

"Someone was murdering innocent civilians," Blaze said unsnapping his mask. "And the Yuke fighters couldn't protect them if they were engaging us."

'So you broke off the engagement to allow their planes to go to the rescue,' Nagase put the pieces together. "And your fuel?"

"Looks like it was just a faulty gauge," Blaze chuckled. "It's reading good now. But it wasn't a moment ago."

"Well," Nagase smiled. "That's good to hear."

Once they had landed the Wardog pilots were immediately met by base security. Hamilton was there too. "You've been ordered to report to Central Command HQ at Oured," he informed them.

"Why?" Blaze growled as an SF took his and his wingmen's sidearms.

"A Yuktobanian university was attacked in your area of operations," he explained. "You'll be debriefed and interviewed at Oured." He then handed them wardrobe bags. Their class 'B' uniforms. "A transport is being readied right now. And you four are not to discuss anything until after you're interviewed." They'd been gagged and all but arrested. Blaze didn't reply he just marched off towards the C-130. His fellow pilots followed.

'This is not going to be a fun trip.' The Wardog Captain growled inwardly.