Ace Combat: Brave New World
Chapter 1:Red Letter Day
DISCLAIMER: Comes without saying that Ace Combat is owned by Bandai Namco. Everything else is owned by their rightful owners
AN:Hello again. I'm AurelianAce, and this is the sequel to Ace Combat: Joint Assault. I'm putting OC in the character tags again, for the same reason as in the previous fanfic. Since this is a sequel to Joint Assault, there will be spoilers for my previous fic, so I highly recommend you to read it before this one. That being said, enjoy the fic...
Martinez Security Private Hospital, San Diego, U.S.A, July 15th 2016, 17:45 Hours; Weather: Sunny, few clouds
Marlene Davenport, a red-haired, green eyed woman entered the hospital's waiting room, shellshocked. The events of that day had been traumatic for everyone in the area of the incident. If she had been told that a simple, by-the-book training mission would spiral to such a tragedy, she wouldn't have believed it, at best.
In the waiting room, sitting in three different chairs, were her three wingmen: Hansel Foulke, a muscular German with brown eyes and wavy, short brown hair, who was rubbing his temples restlessly; Yolanda Vásquez, a Spaniard pilot with long, black hair and sapphire eyes, staring at the floor with a very grave expression; and Arthur Bartlett, a blonde British ex-RAF mechanic with grey eyes, who fidgeted nervously.
The three of them turned to Davenport when she entered the room.
-"How's he doing, Marlene?"-asked Foulke, fearing the answer would confirm his fears.
Davenport took a deep breath, and answered...
Martinez Security's HQ, San Diego, U.S.A, July 15th 2016, 11:30 Hours; Weather: Sunny, few clouds
Marlene Davenport was resting in an hammock, staring into the sky. The days after the end of the Golden Axe Plan Crisis had been plagued with an abnormal monotony. She missed taking to the skies, even if it was for just a routine flight, but Frederick Burford, her boss and a friend of her late father's, had talked her against doing it until Hansel Foulke returned. Foule had been injured during the mission after saving Davenport from a vicious attack from Milosz Sulejmani, who had defected both to Valahia and the Golden Axe Plan Private Army, and had tried to kill them both.
Davenport also missed being with Foulke. Even though their first moments had been marked by mutual disdain and hate, they had eventually grown close enough to become a couple, only just the day before Davenport almost lost him. Davenport had been since sitting idle, letting her Su-57 PAK FA catch dust in the hangar the whole time.
That day, Burford had to leave to San Francisco for some "business", and only some support staff remained on the base, along with a few soldiers and Davenport herself, who was relaxing near the hangar where her Su-57 rested.
-"Damn, it sure feels bad being here on the ground."-Davenport mused.-"Wonder if Burford is getting new recruits for the Antares squadron anytime soon. If Hansel takes too long to recover and I don't get any wingmen I might had to take a leave of absence until things get sorted out."
Preocuppied by her thoughts, she didn't notice the person approaching her until she had their face right above hers.
-"Hey, Marlene, Guten Morgen!"-said the person, who was a young man with wavy brown hair and brown eyes.
Davenport recognized him instantly. She sprung off her hammock and hugged Foulke tightly, almost crying in joy, as Foulke hugged her back.
-"Hansel, I've missed you big time!"-she said, after they stopped hugging.-"Just why the hell didn't you tell me you'd be checked out of the hospital today?"
-"Actually, I've just been checked out this very morning."-said Foulke, as he scratched the back of his head in a sheepish manner.-"It was Burford who picked me up. And before you blame me, he wanted this to be a surprise for you."
-"Oh, great, yet another secret Burford keeps from me."-Davenport sighed in defeat.-"Did he actually had anything to do in San Francisco or what?"
-"Yep, he did."-replied Foulke.-"We've got a briefing soon, by the way."
-"Really?"-said Davenport.-"Have we got a new mission?"
-"Actually, no. We've got some new recruits to train that will joint the Antares squadron."-said Foulke.-"One of them turns out to have been a former member of an aerobatic team in Western Europe, while the other is just an ex-mechanic with zero flight hours."
-"Guess someone's going to need some basic flight lessons."-said Davenport.-"It kinda takes me back."
-"To when we first met?"-asked Foulke.
-"Yeah. I hope it turns better than the last time, though."-replied Davenport.
-"Hey, at least I'm not going to be an asshole this time."-stated Foulke.-"I'm still trying to make up for that."
-"You don't have to."-said Davenport, wrapping her arm around Foulke's shoulder.-"Neither of us knew better back then. And I was referring to the fact that the Valahia flew on our airspace when we were about to begin our training exercise with the SDF and the Navy."
The two pilots headed to the main building...
Martinez Security's HQ, San Diego, U.S.A, July 15th 2016, 11:32 Hours; Weather: Sunny, few clouds
Arthur Bartlett, an ex-RAF mechanic, was sitting on one of the chairs of the briefing room, taking glances at the only other person in the room with him, a woman with long, black hair and blue eyes. The woman was resting with her back against the wall, opposite to the three large windows that gave a full view of the base's large runway and the nearby coast. Bartlett thought that woman was the most beautiful girl he had seen in his life, but he was too shy to even talk to her. It had been like that since they left the San Francisco airport, where a man named Frederick Burford and another man called Hansel Foulke had picked them both up and taken them to the base. The woman, who was called Yolanda Vásquez, had a staggering aura of pride and self-confidence. Apparently, she was a very skilled pilot, while he was just about to be tested whether he would be allowed to fly, or just tasked with maintenance duties.
His constant glances were not unnoticed by Vásquez, who eventually got tired of him looking at her.
-"¿Qué miras?"-she asked, with an irate tone.
-"Huh?"-Bartlett asked.
-"I asked you what you were looking at."-repeated Vásquez.-"It's rude to look at people the way you've been doing until now."
-"I'm sorry."-stammered Bartlett, looking at the floor embarrassed.
-"Yeah, that's it. Keep your eyes to yourself, rubito."-said Vásquez, not bothering to hide her disgust.-"By what I could figure out, you're not even a pilot."
-"I know. I'm here to learn."-said Bartlett, turning back to Vásquez.-"I've been a mechanic my entire life, but that doesn't mean I can't become a pilot."
-"If you're trying to make me laugh, at least tell a decent joke."-replied Vásquez, not taken aback.-"Flight skills are not something you can acquire in a single day. And in your case, an entire lifetime may not be enough."
Bartlett turned his back to Vásquez, deeply hurt. Vásquez didn't bother to apologize to him. They spent the rest of their time in silence until the door on the back of the room opened. A black man in his early 50s walked in, followed by a brown-haired man and a red-haired woman. The black man walked to the far end of the room while the other two took contiguous seats. Vásquez sat down afterwards.
-"Attention, Martinez Security M42 squadron. I'm Frederick Burford, and this is your briefing for the next mission."-said Burford.-"This is a training exercise for our new pilots, Yolanda Vásquez and Arthur Bartlett. Vásquez is a former member of the Spanish aerobatic team Patrulla Águila, so her flight training is covered. However, Arthur Bartlett lacks any experience of flight, so he's going to need both flight and air combat training."
Bartlett heard Vásquez huff in amusement, and the red-haired woman whisper something to the brown-haired man, who nodded in response.
-"This is also a great chance for our new flight lead. Marlene Davenport, for your outstanding actions during the Golden Axe Plan crisis, you've been promoted to squadron leader."-said Burford.
The red-haired woman's face showed an expression of surprise.
-"Well, thanks, Burford."-said Davenport.-"I'm still convinced that Foulke deserves it more than me, though."
-"Nonsense, Meine Liebe."-replied the brown-haired man.-"You managed to shoot Sulejmani down. Something I'm sure I would have failed at."
-"We still took down two Varcolacs each."-said Davenport.-"That makes us even."
-"Not if you count Olivieri in."-retorted Foulke.-"I heard about you taking him down, too."
-"OK then, Antares 2."-sighed Davenport in defeat.
-"For this training you'll be flying the next aircraft: Foulke, Vásquez, you'll pilot MiG-21-93 Fishbeds, and Davenport, you'll be flying with Bartlett in an F-4E Phantom II."-continued Burford.-"I know the F-4E is not as good as other aircraft owned by Martinez Security, but for now we'll suffice."
-"Understood."-said Davenport.-"To cover both air-to-air and air-to-ground training, I guess we can choose SAAMs and UGBs for the Phantom. Foulke could carry SAAMs along with the QAAMs, and Vásquez could carry GPBs instead of the SAAMs. That way we can train against both a multirole/attacker and an air superiority fighter."
-"You're thinking like a true squadron leader already. I guess your plan involves Foulke and Vásquez playing the role of aggressors in the training."-said Burford.-"I'll be at the control tower, to give you further instructions and warning in case something happens. To all of you, good luck and godspeed."
The three pilots and the rookie left the room, heading for the hangars that housed the aircrafts mentioned during the briefing. The F-4E Phantom II, which had a brown and two-tone green paintjob with black radome and silver white underside, was already being fitted with the UGBs and SAAMs. The MiG-21-93 Fishbeds, one with a white paintjob and black radome, and the other one with a three-tone desert brown camouflage and grey nose radome, were already fueled and armed.
-"Bartlett, come here."-said Davenport.
Bartlett headed towards Davenport.
-"I know you might feel intimidated, but this is easier than it seems."-she said.-"I'll be right behind you, and I'll take control in case something goes wrong."
-"When something goes wrong."-quipped Vásquez, who overhead the conversation.-"By the way, I'm calling dibs on the white Fishbed."
-"Actually, Fraülein Vásquez, your MiG-21 is gonna be the brown one."-said Foulke, pointing to the other MiG-21-93.-"Not because of personal preferences, but for the fact that the white one is loaded with SAAMs, not with GPBs. You're going to take some air-to-ground training too."
-"!Me cago en la puta!"-swore Vásquez.-"At least I hope it turns swiftly."
-"First, I understand enough Spanish to know that you need some bleach to clean that mouth."-replied Davenport.-"And second, the Fishbed is agile enough to avoid basic missiles. So agility is not a concern."
-"So, how is this training mission gonna go, Marlene?"-asked Foulke.
-"First off, I'm going to give Bartlett here some lessons in basic maneuvers and air combat."-said Davenport.-"When we've finished, you and Vásquez will join in for the rest of the training. The idea is just the same Burford had: you take the role of the escort, and Vásquez will try to attack the designated target and counterattack in case Foulke is defeated."
-"Well, I guess I'm getting to bomb something today."-said Vásquez.-"That guy looks like he couldn't hurt a fly, let alone shoot anything down."
-"I hope, for our squadron's own good, that your behaviour in the air makes up for your rudeness here on land."-warned Foulke.-"Last thing we need is a lone wolf in the Antares squadron."
After wearing their helmets and flight suits, Bartlett and Davenport sat on their respective seats of the F-4E. With guidance from Davenport, Bartlett taxiied to the runway.
-"Antares 1, Antares 4, this is Burford."-said Burford from the tower, when the aircraft got to takeoff position.-"Wind 070, at 5 knots. You're cleared for takeoff."
-"OK, Bartlett. Check flaps, wheel brakes and engines."-said Antares 1.
-"Flaps are deployed, wheel brakes engaged, and engines running on standby."-replied Antares 4.
-"First off, it comes without saying that we need to take off before anything else."-said Antares 1.-"You'll need to reach a speed of 150 knots to take off, and for that, you'll have to set your aircraft's engines to full afterburner after you disengage the wheel brakes. Once you take off, retract the landing gear and flaps, unless you want to experience the "wonders" of a belly landing on an F-4E."
-"I got it."-replied Antares 4.-"Disengaging brakes and applying afterburners."
The F-4E's engines roared to full power, making it pick up speed. Once it reached 150 knots, Antares 4 took off, and retracted both flaps and gear.
-"A perfect takeoff, but that's the easy part."-said Davenport.-"Now, disengage afterburners, but keep the engines at about 65 percent power. We don't neet to waste our fuel, and you're not trained for air refuelling."
Antares 4 decreased engine power.
-"Just for the record, how familiar are you with flight mechanics?"-asked Antares 1.-"As in how an aircraft moves."
-"Well, I had a friend of mine that snuck me into the RAF's flight simulators once in a while."-said Antares 4.-"So, some experience, but not the real deal, if you follow me."
-"Better than nothing then."-replied Antares 1.-"To freshen things up a bit, let's go through the most basic movements. Roll over to the left."
Antares 4 rolled over, pulling the flight stick to the left until they were flying upside-down.
-"Good. Now roll back up to the right."-said Antares 1.
Antares 4 complied, rolling the F-4E back up.
-"Now, turn to heading 090."-said Antares 1.
Antares 4 rolled to the right and pulled back toward the air base.
-"As you may have noticed, your airspeed dropped while you turned."-said Antares 1.-"We're going to leave the consequences of an excessive loss of speed for later. Now turn right to heading 180."
Antares 4 followed Antares 1's instructions, and turned right until he was heading south.
-"Now, ready to try something potentially lethal?"-said Antares 1.-"You're now to experience a stall. Before that, increase your altitude to 12000 feet. Increase speed and pull up until you reach an angle of 70 degrees."
Antares 4 pulled up and climbed until the F-4E was at the specified altitude.
-"Now, decrease speed as much as you can and pull up."-ordered Antares 1.
Antares 4, trembling, followd Antares 1's orders. Soon afterwards, his aircraft started shaking and fell down, the alarms blaring inside the cockpit.
-"Don't freak out!"-shouted Antares 1 over the alarms.-"Just increase speed and level your plane!"
Antares 4 desperately tried to level the F-4E, managing to recover from the stall at an altitude of just 900 feet.
-"Good, you've managed to stall the F-4E without getting both of us killed, something I'm very thankful for."-said Antares 1.-"Now, have you grasped the basics of flight?"
-"Yes, ma'am."-said Antares 4.
-"Very good, let's move on to air-to-air combat."-replied Antares 1.-"Antares 2 and Antares 3 will be taking off soon, and start their respective training session. The first one will involve live fire, so we're going to use dummy targets for this part. Afterwards, we'll move on to a DACT session."
-"A Dissimilar Air Combat Traning, right?"-said Antares 4.-"It sounds simple enough."
-"But before that, you'll need to learn how to use your aircraft's weapons."added Antares 1.-"There are many types of weapons, and you'll eventually have to master all of them, but for now, we'll focus on the weapons this plane's carrying: standard missiles, semi-active air-to-air missiles, unguided bombs, and of course, guns."
-"For that matter, you'll have to head for the target range."-said Burford.-"Antares 4, head to the designated area. It is marked on your radar."
Antares 4 looked at the radar, which showed the target range to the north of the base. He turned until he was heading in that direction and increased speed to reach it sooner. Thirty seconds later, he was near the target range.
-"Let's try standard missiles first. These missiles carry heat-seeking warheads that track both airborne and ground-based targets, and lock on to them at a range of 1 mile. There are four targets, two dummy blimps and a couple of jeeps on the area."-said Antares 1.-"Take them out with the missiles."
Antares 4 switched to standard missiles, and attacked the blimps first. He found it relatively easy, since the missiles had no problem tracking the blimps. Attacking the jeeps was a bit trickier, since he had to pull up after he destroyed both.
-"Fantastic. Now, before we go on with the special weapons, you need to get some training with the most basic and versatile weapon every warplane can count on: the gun. Sometimes you'll be too close to use missiles of any kind, so you'll have to take down your target the old-fashioned yet reliable way."-said Antares 1.-"Shooting blimps would be like strafing, so for this part we're going to shoot down a couple of drones."
-"There is a couple of X-47Bs flying towards the target range. They're unarmed and they're flying a predictable path, so you don't have to worry about them shooting back or evading you."-said Burford.-"Stay relaxed, and you will make it."
The two X-47Bs flew in a straight line to the west. Antares 4 got behind them in a matter of seconds, despite the aircraft's lack of agility.
-"Now, align the gun reticle with the target and pull the trigger to shoot the drones down."-said Antares 1.
Antares 4 complied and shot down the first one. At that moment, the other one broke hard to the south.
-"Hey, that one just split!"-he complained.
-"Never believe that an enemy is easy to fight."-said Antares 1.-"Follow the drone and shoot it down."
Antares 4 followed the drone. Thankfully, it was drastically slower than the F-4E, so it was easy for Antares 4 to catch up with the drone, align the gun sights on it, and shoot it down with a short burst.
-"Well done. At least you can react to an unexpected turn of events without breaking too much of a sweat."-said Antares 1.-"Now, let's move on to the special weapons. First off, the easiest of them, the unguided bombs. As its name suggests, this weapon is an unguided air-to-ground bomb with just the basic properties. But that makes it more versatile than other air-to-ground weapons. You can drop them even under heavy jamming, so they don't require a lock-on for an effective use, they're useful against virtually everything, and don't cause as much collateral damage as the cluster bombs."
-"Antares 4, this is Burford. There are four buildings, a couple of old tanks and two APCs on the target range for you to destroy."-said Burford.-"Destroy them before you go on to the next exercise."
Antares 4 switched to UGBs and attacked the designated targets. It took four passes and the eight UGBs to take out the eight targets, but Antares 4 managed to destroy them all swiftly.
-"Like a true professional. Now, let's move on to somethin a bit trickier."-said Antares 1.-"Antares 3 is going to simulate a bombing run on a handful of objectives in the target range, and Antares 2 will act as an escort. Your mission is to intercept them."
-"Wait, this is a live fire exercise."-said Antares 4.-"What if I kill them?"
-"That's the correct question. But don't worry. All you have to do is switch your weapons to simulation mode."-said Antares 1.-"Your plane's computer will simluate the launch of the missile without you wasting a single bullet or missile. For this exercise, we'll use an air-to-air missile, the semi-active air-to-air missile. This missile is very accurate and has a long range, but there's a catch: once you switch to it, you'll see a small circle on your HUD. That circle is the area where the missile can track the target. If it gets out of there, the missile stops tracking the target and it won't hit unless you get the target inside the steering circle soon enough."
-"Understood."-said Antares 4.
-"Antares 1, this is Antares 2."-said Antares 2.-"Antares 3 and I are on the way. Antares 3, remember to set your air-to-air weapons to simulation mode. Last thing we need is to lose a squad member before they get proper training."
-"OK, I'm on it."-said Antares 3.-"Just don't expect me to go easy on him."
-"Remember, I'm the escort, and your role is the attacker's one."-replied Antares 2.-"Unless I get "shot down", your mission is to use your GPBs on the specified targets. Don't pull anything stupid."
-"Understood."-said Antares 3.-"Try to lose against him, if that's how this is gonna be."
-"Antares 4, you have to take down both the escort and the attacker. Of course, the escort will fight back, and so will the attacker should you defeat the escort."-said Antares 1.-"Use any air-to-air weapon you need to, but keep the systems on simulation mode."
-"Roger that."-said Antares 4.
-"Antares 3, don't worry if you're defeated."-said Antares 1.-"You'll still be able to continue your training once the interception simulation is over."
-"Fine by me, because he's not going to."-replied Antares 3.
-"Let's get this started, people."-said Burford.
-"Antares 2, roger that."-said Antares 2.
-"Antares 3, entendido."-confirmed Antares 3.
-"Antares 4, engaging."-said Antares 4.
Antares 4 switched to SAAMs and headed towards Antares 2 and Antares 3, who were heading towards the target range from the southeast. Antares 2 broke off and counterattacked, switching to SAAMs to "attack" Antares 4, while Antares 3 kept flying towards her targets. Antares 2 locked on to Antares 4 and "fired" one of his SAAMs.
-"Antares 4, break!"-ordered Antares 1.
Antares 4 rolled to the right, applied full throttle and pulled to avoid the virtual missile fired on his, while the alarms blared inside the cockpit. Soon, however, the "missile" lost track, despite Antares 2's best efforts to keep the F-4E within the SAAM's reticle.
-"By the way, Antares 4. Remember that the MiG-21-93 has the advantage in close-quarters dogfights."-said Antares 1.-"Make sure Antares 2 or Antares 3 don't get too close to you, or you'll be in for a bad time."
Antares 4 used his SAAMs to fire back at Antares 2. However, Antares 2 managed to evade the virtual missile with even more ease than Antares 4. At that moment, they were too close for either of them to use SAAMs effectively, so Antares 4 switched to standard missiles, and Antares 2 to QAAMs. The marginally shorter range of the QAAMs was compensated for its incredible maneuverability, which allowed it to keep up with even the most maneuverable aircraft if they weren't quickly evaded. And the F-4E was among the least agile aircraft in the world. Antares 2 got behind Antares 4, trying to get within range of his QAAMs. Despite that, Antares 4 made use of the F-4E's best asset: speed, which allowed it to outrun most aircraft, including the nimble but slow MiG-21-93. Antares 2 tried to keep up with Antares 4, but his MiG-21-93 was not capable of keeping up with the F-4E. Shortly after he got out of missile range, Antares 4 pulled up to lose speed and make Antares 2 overshoot. Antares 2 tried to slow down, unsuccessfully. Antares 4 locked on to Antares 2 and "fired" two missiles, "hitting" Antares 2.
-"Well, you actually managed to take out the escort, but it's too late for you to intercept Antares 3."-said Antares 1.
Antares 1 was right. Antares 3 had actually managed to bomb her six designated targets, at the only expense of her full load of GPBs. To make things worse, Antares 3 changed course and headed towards Antares 4.
-"Now, let's see whether you are worth your salt or not."-she said, grinning.
Antares 4 was at a very disadvantageous position, having bled a lot of speed, and Antares 3 had covered a lot of ground before he could react. A virtual QAAM, fired at close range from twelve o'clock, hit him.
-"Seems like I was right. You are just a pilot wannabe."-said Antares 3, despectively.
-"Calm down, Antares 3. When all's said and done, we're all on the same side."-said Antares 1.-"Don't judge the kid on his first fli..."
-"Hey, Antares 1, is my radar acting up?"-asked Antares 2 suddenly.
-"Why are you saying that?"-replied Antares 1.
-"Because I'm tracking eight faint blips on radar to the northwest of the base."-said Antares 2.-"And judging by their apparent speed, they're not civilian aircraft; also, they're heading right towards the base."
-"Something's brewing up."-said Antares 1, concerned.-"Antares squadron, let's go south to identify these bogeys. Weapons safe, but be ready to switch them to free."
-"Understood."-replied both Antares 2 and 3.
-"Burford, this is Antares 1."-said Antares 1.-"Are you tracking these bogeys?"
-"Affirmative, Antares 1. This is giving me a bad vibe."-said Burford.-"It's like back at Midway."
The Antares squadron was flying back to base, ready to meet the unidentified contacts, when things took a turn for the worse.
Antares 1 was the first to see the flight of bogeys, which was comprised of eight planes, and her heart froze. Had they not been painted in jet black, she would have sworn the Antares squadron's nemesis had resurrected and come back with an otherworldly thirst for vengeance.
-"VARCOLACS!"-she screamed.
-"What?"-asked Burford.-"I thought you guys destroyed the four ones."
-"Antares 1's not wrong, sir."-said Antares 2.-"It's eight GAF-1s, and they're heading right towards the base! You need to evacuate, SCHNELL!"
-"All planes, weapons free on all unidentified aircraft!"-ordered Antares 1.-"Don't let those planes hit the base!"
Antares 4 and Antares 2 used their SAAMs to attack the GAF-1s on the rear end of the flight, firing on one of them each. However, the targeted aircraft evaded the missiles. To make matters worse, the four GAF-1s that were closer to the base used their LACMs to attack the base's buildings and anti-aircraft defenses. The hangars, most of the AA guns and SAM sites, and even the tower were engulfed in heavy explosions.
-"Scheiße!"-swore Antares 2.
-"Oh, God no!"-gasped Antares 4.-"Those bastards just blew up the tower! With Burford inside!"
-"Hostia puta, ¿qué coño ha sido eso?"-shrieked Antares 3.-"Those were not conventional air-to-ground missiles!"
Antares 1 was shocked. She was certain that she had seen Frederick Burford, her boss and her late father's friend, die in that surprise attack.
-"Antares squadron, those unsightly pricks have already done too much damage."-she said.-"Make sure they don't hit the runway, or we're cooked!"
-"How are we supposed to do that?"-asked Antares 2.-"Both you and I know how slippery those aircraft were, and we had an F-22 and an Su-57 to counterattack. Now we have a single F-4E and two MiG-21-93s."
-"And to make matters worse, I haven't even fought one of those "Varcolacs" in my life, let alone the wannabe!"-added Antares 3.
-"I know, but we have no choice."-said Antares 1.-"If we try to run, we're dead."
-"That's a good point."-said Antares 2.-"Guess we're engaging then."
-"Damn right we are."-said Antares 1.-"Antares squadron, take down those Varcolacs."
The Antares squadron attacked the eight GAF-1 Varcolacs. Antares 4 switched to SAAM, while Antares 3 and Antares 2 switched to QAAM. Antares 2 and antares 3 headed towards the flight,firing their QAAMs. Despite their best efforts, they only succeeded in making the GAF-1s break away from the base and abort a second attack. Antares 4, on the other hand used another SAAM to attack the GAF-1s, but their maneuverability allowed them to evade the missiles. The GAF-1 Varcolacs fired back, with the three pilots barely evading their attacks. For over five minutes, neither side made any progress. Eventually, Antares 2 managed to get behind one of the GAF-1s, fired two QAAMs and managed to hit the bandit with one of the missiles. The GAF-1 exploded, since the aircraft was not made to endure that amount of damage.
-"I got one!"-boasted Antares 2.
Antares 3 was just as lucky, managing to shoot another GAF-1; however, she shot it down in a different way: she got behind the enemy, and fired her MiG-21-93's guns. The bullets shredded the GAF-1, and sent it spiralling towards the ground.
-"¡Uno menos!"-said Antares 3.
Antares 4, however, was not as lucky. He was being chased by two GAF-1s, and his maneuvers were not enough to shake the enemies off.
-"I can't shake them!"-cried Antares 4.
-"Antares 4, just do what you did with Antares 2 before."-said Antares 1.
-"Those are not MiG-21s!"-said Antares 4.-"I didn't even know these planes existed until 6 minutes ago!"
-"Well, these new planes are gonna shoot us both down if you don't act soon!"-replied Antares 1.
Antares 4 sighed in defeat. He desperately tried to shake off the two GAF-1s, but they kept glued to his tail. Finally, after two more grueling minutes of evasive maneuvers, Antares 4 was just 300 feet from one of the GAF-1s.
-"Now, hit the brakes and pull up!"-screamed Antares 1.
Antares 4 did exactly as he was told. The GAF-1 closest to him overshot, and Antares 4 was in a good position to fire missiles. He switched to SAAMs and fired two of them. The GAF-1 was hit by both missiles and disintegrated.
-"I got it!"-said Antares 4.-"I didn't think I could pull it off."
The remaining five GAF-1s retreated, flying towards the Pacific. However, the damage was already done. Most of the hangars, including the one where Antares 1's Su-57 was held in, had been destroyed, and most of the buildings still standing were seriously damaged. Ground vehicles of all classes and helicopters were nothing more than charred metal piles, and the tower where Burford and 6 more people were in was nothing more than a pile of rubble standing 13 feet tall.
-"They're leaving."-said Antares 1.-"Not a second too soon. Let's land."
The three planes landed, with Antares 2 and Antares 3 landing first, and Antares 4 landing later with help from Antares 1. The four pilots jumped out of their planes and dashed towards the debris of the tower to help the rescue team to get the personnel of the tower out of the rubble.
A couple of them were already dead. Four other officers were badly hurt but conscious. Soon afterwards, they managed to get Burford out of the rubble. He was badly wounded and he wasn't breathing.
A group of ambulances took the wonded to Martinez Security's private hospital in San Diego. Davenport, Foulke, Vásquez and Bartlett followed them in a green jeep of the Martinez Security Ground Forces.
-"How could this happen?"-asked Davenport, who was driving the jeep.-"The only existing units of the GAF-1 model were supposed to be those used by the Varcolac squadron, and you and I shot them all down, Hansel."
-"Beats me."-answered Foulke.-"All I know is that when I realized it, those eight planes were already heading to our base."
-"But from the northwest?"-asked Bartlett.-"That means they came from the mainland. Not only that, but they also headed to the ocean, instead of going back to wherever they came from."
-"Well, there's not much we can do about it, rubito."-replied Vásquez.-"Mr Burford is in critical condition and apparently, the base was bombed to near oblivion. We're very lucky the runway was intact."
It took the group ten minutes to reach the hospital. Burford was put on a stretch and carried to the emergency room. Davenport, Foulke, Vásquez and Bartlett took different seats in the waiting room, were they waited for four and a half hours, expecting a turn for the worse, before a bald doctor with black eyes summoned Davenport to an adjacent room.
After a couple of minutes, Davenport returned, pale as paper. The three pilots stood up.
-"How's he doing, Marlene?"-asked Foulke.
-"Comatose."-said Davenport, after taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.
Foulke swore, Vásquez puffed, and Bartlett sank down back to his seat.
-"The doctor told me that Burford was very lucky today."-added Davenport.-"He also said that if he had spent just one minute more under the rubble, the surgeons wouldn't have been able to save him. Even now, Burford is walking a thin line between survival and certain death."
-"Dammit!"-said Bartlett.-"This is just too much."
-"So, we lose not only our base, but also our commanding officer?"-said Vásquez.-"¡De puta madre!"
-"Are you for real?"-asked Davenport.-"I don't think this is something to be happy about."
-"I'm not."-replied Vásquez, dryly.-"That expression is also used when things take turns for the worse, like now. In those cases, it's said with a shitload of sarcasm."
-"Figures. Things weren't this bad since the Golden Axe Crisis in San Francisco."-said Foulke.-"Before the Navy came in and helped us out."
-"And we still made it by the skin of our teeth. To add insult to injury, we lost your F-22."-added Davenport.-"And now, I also lost my PAK FA in that attack."
In that moment, an officer of Martinez Security approached them.
-"Miss Davenport, Mister Foulke, Miss Vásquez, Mister Bartlett, I've got bad news."-said the officer, whose ID badge identified him as a man surnamed Sartoris.-"According to the recent reports, Martinez Security has lost almost all of their aircraft in the recent attack. Only the planes you piloted were able to be saved. To make matters worse, 99% of the company's arsenal has been either destroyed or damaged beyond repair, we've got 27 casualties and 45 wounded of diverse severity, and the ground forces are only capable of small-scale operations. I'm sorry to bring the bad news, but someone has to do it."
-"Don't worry, Brian."-said Foulke.-"You only did what you had to do."
-"By the way, Miss Davenport."-added Brian Sartoris.-"An USN officer has requested a meeting with you and your squadron. It seems very important."
-"Thank you for the heads-up, Sartoris."-said Davenport.-"Where is he?"
-"Outside, waiting for you."-answered Sartoris.
The four pilots headed outside. There, wearing a suit and escorted by a couple of Navy soldiers, was a man with white hair and blue eyes.
-"You two must be Marlene Davenport and Hansel Foulke, I guess."-said the man in the suit to both Davenport and Foulke.-"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with either of the other two."
-"Yolanda Vásquez and Arthur Bartlett."-said Foulke.-"They just joined our squadron today."
-"By the way, who are you?"-asked Davenport.
-"I'm Admiral Jonathan Overbeck, of the 4th Fleet."-said the man.-"I heard about your reputation, Miss Davenport. Not that it matters any longer, though."
Vásquez and Bartlett thought they heard both Davenport and Foulke's fists clenching.
-"But that's not what brings me here."-said Overbeck.-"As you already know, unidentified aircraft have attacked your base and rendered it effectively inoperative."
-"Unidentified, you say?"-repeated Davenport, in disbelief.-"I guess you're not familiar with the GAF-1 Varcolac, then."
-"The matter is that they managed to get in and out of US airspace without being spotted until the very last moment, and shortly before they left territorial waters, they vanished."-continued Overbeck.-"We've got reports that they rendezvoused with an unknown fleet and left to the east."
-"So, the USN wants to intercept and destroy that fleet and the planes, right?"-guessed Davenport.
-"Yes."-answered Overbeck.-"I guess it would be a nice opportunity for you guys to get some work until you get to recover from the debacle."
-"As little as I'm keen on the Navy, I'm not going to say no to that."-said Davenport before turning to her wingmen.-"What do you guys think about this?"
None of the three pilots made any objections.
-"So it's official then."-said Overbeck.-"A Blackhawk of the USN will pick you guys up tomorrow at 10:00 hours. I understand you guys need some rest after today's events. See you guys tomorrow."
After that, the three USN members left.
-"I have a bad feeling about this, Marlene."-said Foulke after Overbeck and his escort were out of earshot.-"I know we have to get back at those bastards somehow, but we're going to need to be extra careful on our next mission."
-"I understand, Hansel."-replied Davenport.-"One of the things my mother taught me is that if something sound too good to be true, either it is false or has some sort of string attached. But we can't let this attack on Martinez Security slide. If we do, the people who were killed today would have died in vain."
-"You don't trust the Navy?"-asked Vásquez.-"They're offering us a chance to get a job and an opportunity to take the other five planes down."
-"I was dishonorably discharged with false charges after an officer tried to rape me, Vásquez."-said Davenport.-"So, go figures."
-"Wow, that's heavy!"-gasped Bartlett.-"And they expelled you and not the bastard that tried to rape you?"
-"Well, I killed that asshole when things took a turn to the left."-replied Davenport.-"Not only was that self-defense, but he also had it coming."
-"And despite that, they still pinned the blame on you, huh?"-said Vásquez.
-"Just because she was the daughter of an USN pilot who was at the wrong place at the wrong time."-said Foulke.-"Sins of the father, except the father was more a victim of sin that a sinner himself."
-"There are some that were against my discharge, but the fact that they took their sweet ass time to raise their voice against it does not help them earn my trust."-said Davenport.
Pacific Ocean, 350 miles east of U.S, July 16th 2016, 10:30 Hours; Weather: Sunny, clouded
As promised, Marlene Davenport, Hansel Foulke, Yolanda Vásquez and Arthur Bartlett had been pickep up by an UH-60 Blackhawk, and carried to a Gerald Ford-class carrier, which was escorted by a couple of Aegis destroyers, four frigates and a couple of submarines. The carrier also had a plethora of fighters and helicopters ready to be deployed in case they were needed.
What none of the pilots of Martinez Security M42 Squadron knew was that they were heading directly into a deadly trap...
First chapter of Brave New World. First off, a belated Merry Christmas, and a not-so-belated Happy New Year, everyone. This chapter took me a bit longer than expected to write, and I also chose to keep some things a secret, for the sake of spoiling the rest of the story. Kudos to those who find the references to Star Wars Death Troopers and Left 4 Dead 2 in this chapter; they're a bit obvious if you think about it. Good luck and take care. See you next time