Disclaimer: I do not own Ace Combat or any games of the Strike series, though if I did, this story would be a game… I do however own any OCs that appear in this story (Naja is a character from Nuclear Strike)
[Lara]
I stood and watched Wolfgang leave the briefing room. What took him so long? The briefing couldn't have been that long. Günter stood beside me and was the first to speak up.
"Hey Wolfgang!" he said as he walked up to him. "It's me and Lara's turn now right?"
"Ja it is. I wish you luck and don't get scared in the desert, that's a order." He joked, "You'll be just fine Günter. Oh hey Lara."
Wolfgang then walked towards me. "I hope you two will be fine."
He looked somewhat forlorn. As if there was something bothering him. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm fine Lara. All's good."
"Wolfgang if there's something you need to tell me, well, just tell me. You can tell me anything." I implied, perhaps Naja was hitting on him?
"Lara I'm fine." He then walked up to me and whispered in my ear, "I'll tell you later. Nothing happened between me and Naja."
That was a relief. But what did she tell him that would make him want to act like this?
"Ok, Wolfgang, how about over dinner in Darnet City after we get debriefed?" I can't believe I just asked him out… But to see his face blush was pretty priceless.
"Yeah…uhm… sure Lara! Ha-ha." He gave out a nervous chuckle. He must like me in return. But it seems like we both forgot that Günter was standing right beside us.
"Hey can I come?" Günter nervously said, "And if you two got married, would that make me the uncle of your children?"
Whoa, I never expected that. I could feel my cheeks feel flushed and warm. Then, I looked at Wolfgang and he had the same reaction.
"Günter, ha-ha, I don't think we are going to get married." I said, giggling. "What do you think Wolfgang?"
"Yeah, Lara." He smiled lightly, "The idea is outlandish isn't it?"
"Yeah, and I suppose you would be an uncle if one of us got married." I said,
"Ha-ha, well Lara, you and Günter are next." Wolfgang informed as he started to walk away. "And Lara, I look forward to our 'date.' "He then winked and continued on. Leaving me standing here with Günter… ready for our briefing.
[Erich]
I was able to catch Wolfgang before he went off on his sortie. He appeared to be a bit happy for once. "Hey Wolfgang." I greeted him with a handshake. "I have decided to cool down."
"Oh hey Erich. Or should I call you David? That's good." He said as he stood beside his Super Flanker. "Something up?"
"Not really. Though there is something that still bothers me." I replied,
"What is that? Being flight leader, I feel it necessary to be somewhat of a counselor."
"Oh no, that's not necessary really." I said, I was still in morning, which is why I have been acting the way I've been.
"Don't worry." He winked, "You can tell me anything."
"It's about my Belkan War days. Remember the Golden Cormorants?" I was referring to Gelb 1 and Gelb 2 of the Belkan Air Force.
"Yeah there were three of them. I always wondered what happened to Gelb 3." Wolfgang held his hand close to his mouth pondering the third missing Cormorant.
"I am that Cormorant. Number three." I said as I remembered what happened the day that Directus was liberated by the Allied Nations. "We were flying near the Great Lakes state and then we were ambushed by several Yuktobanian MIG-29s. They were rookies and till this very day I can't believe that…" "That what, Erich?" Wolfgang said as he put his hand on my left shoulder.
"They shot me down after I shot one of theirs down. A couple of hours later, our comrades rescued me and gave me the news that Jager was killed. If only I performed a lot better than those Yukes, Orbert could still be alive today." I couldn't believe but I managed to shed a tear.
"Erich, you all were exhausted. I used to listen to battle reports all the time and how things were going on the Western Front. I wished I could've flown more, but after what our Government did to me, I was severely limited on what sorties I could fly. They stripped me of my entire honor. And I am pretty sure Orbert would be glad to have known that his two finest wingman survived."
"You're a good leader Wolfgang. But I am going to make a pledge."
I know what I am about to do. I will swear that I will never lose a wingman. To follow orders to the detail and become the Ace that lives for Pride and Honor. In which, I have always felt the Demon Lord of being quite the adversary.
"What is that Erich?"
"I have always lived by the Code of the Belkan Knights. And I can tell you have to."
"The ole Teutonic Knight's code? Yeah, why?" Wolfgang waited eagerly for me to announce my plans. The Teutonic Knights of Belka were the most honorable group that our nation has ever produced.
"I will vow never to lose a wingman and that to always protect the weak."
"You're a good man, Erich." He then shook my hand, "Für Gott dienen wir, jetzt und für immer. "
That is the old Belkan Teutonic Motto which means 'for god do we serve, Now and Forever'.
""Für Gott dienen wir, jetzt und für immer. My Friend." I replied and gave him a salute. "Good Luck on your Sortie Wolfgang. And do me a favor."
"What is that my friend?"
"Stop calling me Erich. Its David now."
"Alright Dave."
[Günter]
We sat down as quickly as we could to pay close attention to Naja. Apparently she would be briefing us for now on. The guard quickly dimmed the lights and walked quickly to dim the lights.
"Alright Scarface 2 and 3, your mission is to go into the desert region; destroy the enemy refinery and surrounding oil derricks. Doing so will severely cripple their supply infrastructure. Be careful we have had reports of several stealth units operating in this area of operations. Just remember the Golden Rule: be careful. Any questions?" Naja ordered she was very concise with what she wanted us to do. I do admit, I did shuttered at the word 'Desert.'
"Yeah I have a question." Lara piped up, "Why destroy it when we can recapture it with our troops?"
She made quite a good point. We could just perform support and let the Sotoans attempt to recapture it.
"Because Lara, our troops are busy on the front lines. I understand that recapturing the oil refinery would be the smart thing to do, but we are low on time. This could be the operation that makes us or breaks us. But here's something I can happily say."
I wonder what it could be...
"The Allied Nations from the Belkan War are going to start helping us with logistics!" she happily exclaimed, "The Belkan War is close to being over and Yuktobanian Premier Blukolin has decided that it's Yuktobania's job as a superpower to help out its neighbors that are involved with this rebellion. In turn Sotoa, Kaluga, Romney, and Valga are now members of the Allied Nations. "She said as the map zoomed out to reveal the world and Sotoa, Kaluga, Romney, and Valga being shaded in blue, alongside the allied nations of: Osea, Yuktobania, Ustio, and Sapin.
That was good for the Yukes to do such a good deed. I guess another name for the Belkan War now could be World War Two. Unlike the Great War of the 40s. Though I do feel great sorrow for my Fatherland. But it's not Belka's fault. The blame should be placed on my brother (Michael Heimoroth), Waldemar Rald, and the rest of his SS.
"So anyway people, you all are dismissed!" Naja said as the lights were brightened and the projector was turned off. "And tell Scarface 4 and 5 to come in. You know, Lorianna and David?"
"Yes Ma'am." I replied, quickly following Lara. That was a pretty quick briefing.
[Wolfgang]
"Scarface one your mission is to fly through the ravine. Engage any target with extreme prejudice. You will be ordered under radio silence. Commander Naja out."
Here I was flying through this damn ravine, though I'm glad it's in my Super Flanker. This has been my signature aircraft ever since I defected and she's been mighty good to me. But the gears were turning.
Not the gears in the aircraft, but the gears in my head. Who is Naja really? What is her allegiance? And what does Pops have to do in all of this?
To hypothesize: I think or would hope that Naja is telling the truth. That this 'Le Monde' guy really is dead and that this rebel force is nothing more than his band of goons that decided to avenge his death. Granted since Naja is a secret agent, she could very well be playing the cast of the villain in this little story. Though I can easily debunk that theory. I trusted Pops and since Naja claimed that she knew him, could that mean I have a possibility of trusting Naja? My mind is getting the head of me. I almost hit the canyon wall. Then I struggled to get my aircraft leveled out again. One mistake and that could be the end of me.
Then I saw a RAH-66 Comanche hovering around I would guess to be six hundred feet. Where in the hell did they get Comanche's from? I then aimed my rocket launcher and fired two rockets at the bird and one missed. "Damn it….." I said quickly and quietly before the second rocket hit the chopper right in the cockpit. No survivors.
The spaces here were hard to fly through. Confusing. Hard even. Since I blasted that helicopter, I've had numerous close calls with the walls of this damn canyon. Then I saw another helicopter and he fired his main gun at me. I then proceeded to roll three times to avoid getting hit and when I was about seven hundred feet from him, I launched 2 rockets and one hit him in the left wing and the other in the rotor blades.
I couldn't believe that Lara 'asked me to dinner'. Hell, my Belkan brethren launched an unexpected attack on her home country and I was the one that spearheaded the assault. But what am I to tell her of what I managed to accomplished? That I practically destroyed Oseans first line of defense? Again, asking myself more questions that need not be answered. She probably has something she wants to tell me is all.
The next two RAH-66s flew in a very tight formation so taking them out was quite easy as I launched a volley of five rockets. Two missed. I then continued at cruise speed and took a quick look at the radar. I was almost to the installation that I was ordered to destroy. The canyon then narrowed up a lot so I was forced to fly with my right wing pointed to the ground and barely made it through as I yet again almost ate the rocks. Then the massive enemy radar installation (which was a giant radar dish mounted to a building).
Then I proceeded to launch fifteen rockets at it. First the dish fell off onto the ground and from the cockpit I could hear the huge thud and metal grinding from where it landed. The other rockets that I launched right after the dish fell off wrecked the remaining parts of the building. My mission was complete at last. Then I climbed up at an angle of 60 degrees (at least that's what the HUD could tell me). Evidently, that installation controlled the SAMS in the area so now I can return to base in peace.
A/N: Next up is Lara and Günter's mission into the desert.
