Mission 3: Rescue.

[Iyuli, Special Economic Zone of Russia. 1500 hours. June 2, 2019.]

Goodfellow: "Bone Arrows. We are now commencing the hostage rescue operation."

Bertz: "This is Lieutenant Bertz, Marine FAC. I'm currently flying en route to our goal point. We've got no defense against anti-air fire. Requesting you subdue all hostile forces in our flight path. I'll be counting on you, pirates."

Goodfellow: "You heard him. The commando forces' choppers are en route. Support the commandos until they reach the suspected holding point for the hostages. First up, destroy any and all enemy installations in their flight path. Time to get to work."

Reaper: "Roger that."

Viper: "Viper to Bone Arrows. Keep an eye on your altitude while you're striking the ground targets."

Omega: "Omega, roger."

Bronco: "Bronco, roger."

Reaper: "Reaper, roger."

Goodfellow: "Viper, you back up the rookie."

Viper: "Yep."

Reaper: "Fox Two."

Viper: "Time for a little mano-a-mano flight training. Call it 'Viper's Ace Seminar 101'."

Reaper: "Ground target destroyed."

Viper: "Hey, rookie. You got any air-to-ground special weapons loaded? If you do, try 'em out sometime. They're pretty useful. If you got 'em, might as well use 'em, eh?"

Reaper: "Sure thing."

Omega: "That's your sage advice?"

Viper: "Can you shut your yap for half a second? Everything in due time."

Reaper: "Fox Two."

Goodfellow: "Installations confirmed destroyed. Head to the next objective."

Omega: "Omega to Goodfellow."

Goodfellow: "Go ahead."

Omega: "I heard the aerospace center op we were on wasn't forced on us by the UN so much as we forced our way into the op. Is that true?"

Goodfellow: "Well, I wasn't about to give up on a good payday."

Omega: "It's just money, money, money all day with you, isn't it?"

Goodfellow: "We need that money to purchase new aircraft. There's a guy in our force who keeps getting shot down…"

Reaper: "Ha, good one!"

Omega: "Yeah, yeah, guilty as charged."

Viper: "Zip it, guys. I have visual on our next target."

Bertz: "15km to destination, keep us safe."

Reaper: "Installation destroyed."

Goodfellow: "Enemy installations in the area destroyed. Proceed to the target point."

Viper: "All right, time for 'Viper's Ace Seminar 102'."

Reaper: "I have visual."

Viper: "Rookie, watch the data on your HUD. Enemies with a dotted-line container around them are blocked by the terrain. You can't hit 'em from where you are. Reposition yourself and attack from another direction. Slow and steady wins the race, and all that. You could also try dive-bombing the target from above…not that you're good enough for that yet."

Reaper: "Roger that, Viper."

Omega: "Boy, keep that up and we're gonna have Viper Jr. on our crew soon, huh? The last thing I need is Viper and his clone yelling at me in stereo."

Viper: "Oh, I wouldn't expect a clone. Aces come in all shapes and sizes. Right, Goodfellow?"

Goodfellow: "You could say that."

Reaper: "Firing."

Goodfellow: "Enemy facility destroyed."

Bertz: "1km to destination. We appreciate the help, pirates."

Omega: "Huh? Radar blip from behind, responding to IFF. Allies?"

Slash: "Move."

Omega: "Whoa!"

Reaper: "Cool jets."

Edge: "Edge to Slash. The 'pirates' got in ahead of us."

Slash: "Yeah. Thanks for the opening act. We'll take over from here."

Viper: "There they are. I see the single lines on their backs."

Omega: "Pfft. Stupid modern-art emblems…"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "This is the UNF-affiliated AWACS Sky-Eye. I'll be directing combat ops for all active aircraft."

Goodfellow: "This is Goodfellow. We're commencing tandem operations. Sky-Eye will take over command of all Arrows units."

Reaper: "Roger that."

Slash: "All Ridgeback units. Ignore these clowns and proceed with your mission as normal."

Reaper: "Hey, who are you calling clowns?!"

Goodfellow: "Destroy your targets before those elite fools can get to them. They're gonna take all our money."

Omega: "Copy that. Your worst nightmare, huh?"

Reaper: "I need the money as well."

Viper: " 'Viper's Ace Seminar 103'. Rookie, you gotta be hungry. Whether you're 'elite' or not means nothing. You perform in battle, you get to reap the rewards. That's just how we operate. Never let 'em take your prey."

Omega: "Let's go, Reaper."

Reaper: "Let's show 'em."

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Locked on."

Bertz: "This is Lieutenant Bertz of Marine Forward Air Control. We have SAMs stationed in our path. Requesting fire support!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Sky-Eye to all units. Secure the helicopters' LZ. Destroy the anti-air missile sites."

Slash: "Ridgeback here. Wilco, Sky-Eye."

Omega: "Don't let 'em get that."

Reaper: "I'm trying but they're too fast."

Viper: "Data link lost!"

Viper: "SAMs are dangerous. If you see one fire, take evasive action immediately."

Reaper: "Missile! Evading!"

Bertz: "Hurry up! We're gonna get shot down!"

Reaper: "Fox Two."

Reaper: "SAM destroyed."

Omega: "How many SAMs do we have?"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Three in all. Engage and destroy."

Reaper: "Firing!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "First enemy SAM site destroyed."

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Locked on."

Reaper: "Fire."

Omega: "Watch your aim."

Viper: "Nice kill."

Slash: "Sorry, pirates."

Omega: "Whoa, hands off, man."

Reaper: "You ain't sorry."

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Fire."

Reaper: "Enemy facility destroyed."

Reaper: "Missile launched."

Reaper: "Hit."

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Second enemy SAM site destroyed. One SAM site left."

Slash: "Oh, you're still there? Huh. I figured the 'Grim Reaper' would've been off to his next target by now."

Edge: "I'll take that."

Viper: "Hey. I don't need any babies stealing our candy."

Edge: "Shouldn't you be in a retirement home by now?"

Viper: "Heh. Good one."

Slash: "Edge, quit wasting your time with those guys."

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Carry out the operation at once. All airborne flights, there's only a few enemy installations left. Continue to engage."

Reaper: "Fire."

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Anti-air missile sites offline."

Bertz: "Thanks for the help! Commencing landing! Go, go, go!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "All airborne units, watch over your area and destroy the remaining enemy hotspots."

Reaper: "Roger that, Sky-Eye."

Bertz: "Landing complete. We're going in! Collins, move Bravo Team to the rear!"

Collins: "Roger!"

Bertz: "Alpha team en route!"

Edge: "Call 'emselves 'privateers', huh?"

Slash: "Curious about the pirates, Edge?"

Edge: "Nah. Was just expecting more from 'em."

Slash: "Yep. Just a bunch of irregulars. Try not to mess up the pace here, all right?"

Reaper: "Well, us 'irregulars' will be better than you guys."

Omega: "Ugh. They beat us once in kill count and now they think they run the place…Maybe I just felt like taking it easy against these wimps, y'know?"

Viper: "Omega, don't ease up on me. They may be weak, but that doesn't mean you can afford to slack off."

Slash: "You just never shut up…"

Reaper: "Ugh."

Slash: "All Ridgeback units. This might be a cakewalk, but stay focused."

Bertz: "We're inside the target facility. Facing light resistance. Proceeding forward."

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Sky-Eye, roger."

Bertz: "This is Alpha Team. Approaching target room."

Bertz: "Storming in!"

Bertz: "What?"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Lieutenant Bertz, status report."

Bertz: "Ugh! We have no prisoners in sight. Repeat, no prisoners. The entire facility is unmanned!"

Reaper: "What?!"

Omega: "So this was all for nothing?"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "What?!"

Reaper: "What the heck?!"

Reaper: "Whoa!"

UNF Squadron Pilot: "Aagh!"

UNF Squadron Pilot: "I'm hit! I'm bailing out!"

UNF Squadron Pilot: "Nngh! I can't hold it!"

Goodfellow: "What was that?!"

Viper: "What the heck?!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Javelin squadron, Saber squadron, do you copy? No!"

Omega: "Someone explain what the heck's going on!"

Slash: "Stay in formation! Keep focused on your surroundings!"

Goodfellow: "Some kind of high-explosive shell?!"

Viper: "That can't be the end of it! They're gonna hit us again!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "This is Sky-Eye! All units, we've got something flying in at supersonic speed! It's coming at you from long range! Lower your altitude!"

Omega: "What's he want us to do, burrow underground?!"

Viper: "Darn it! Into the canyon! That's the only way!"

Reaper: "Get low and stay low."

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Commando team, stand by where you are! Anyone in high altitude is an open target! Move it!"

Reaper: "Oh geez, let's get outta here!"

Goodfellow: "Arrows, all units! Follow Viper into the canyon!"

Slash: "Ridgebacks, follow me. I'll mark out a route."

Edge: "Right behind you."

AWACS Sky-Eye: "You'll be open to hostile fire at high altitude. I'm restricting your altitude to 800m (2600ft)."

Viper: "All flights at higher altitudes, descend into the canyon now!"

Omega: "Rookie, stay calm! Watch the altimeter on the right of your HUD!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "We think the previous attack came from a railgun."

Reaper: "What?!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Second wave of fire imminent. All units, proceed through the canyon and escape this airspace."

Omega: "Yo, rookie! Don't fall behind Viper!"

Reaper: "Got it, Omega!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Second wave of hostile fire detected. Sending estimated point of landing and blast zone to all units. Get out of the blast zone before my countdown hits zero!"

Reaper: "Here they come!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Five, four, three, two…Impact!"

Reaper: "Ugh!"

Omega: "Hey! They're firin' at us in the canyon, too!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Be advised, the railgun blast disseminates flammable gas into the atmosphere, triggering a large secondary explosion. This blast may cause damage, even at low altitudes. Once you see the initial explosion, get away from the site immediately. Work your way around the secondary explosion!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "Incoming blast!"

Reaper: "What power!"

Reaper: "Tina…"

Reaper: "Almost there!"

AWACS Sky-Eye: "You are now clear of the airspace. Enemy fire has subsided. Removing altitude restrictions."

Omega: "Whew! Not gonna deal with THAT again."

Goodfellow: "Arrows, all units report. Rookie, you still alive?"

Viper: "Bone Arrow flight fully accounted for."

Omega: "What in the heck WAS that?!"

Goodfellow: "I don't know, but when I hear 'railgun', one thing comes to mind…"

Viper: "Yeah…"

Slash: "We would've been out quicker if these pests could actually keep in formation. Slash to Ridgebacks. We're going home."

Edge: "Roger. Se ya pirates."

Omega: "All business, huh?"

Goodfellow: "Viper, sounds like you got a good pupil there."

Viper: "Copy that. Better get 'Viper's Ace Seminar 104' ready. It's gonna be a lot tougher than the last three."