Chapter 16 – Dessert Arrow
November 19, 2010 0547hrs Sand Island AFB
I was deep in a quiet slumber on the couch in my room. As soon as I was done eavesdropping on Kei and my sister yesterday, I returned here to catch up on some much needed sleep. My fatigue hit me like seven ton truck once I saw Kei step off of the plane that brought her back to Sand Island. The couch in my room wasn't comfortable to sit on but for some odd reason, it was extremely comfortable to sleep on. I was woken up by the sound of the door to the room closing and it startled the crap out of me to the point where I fell off the couch. It was fumbling around in the dark, trying to find the lamp. Once I found it and turned it on, I noticed that I was alone in the room. I quickly ran to the door and opened it to look down the hallway and see if Kei was there, but just like the room, I was the only one there. I went back inside my room and got ready to start the day.
I went for my morning run and all I could think about was Kei. I thought back to the note I wrote on the picture I gave her and I started to wonder if she believed it. The more I thought about it, the faster I ran. I was in a full sprint by the time I was three minutes into my run and I didn't stop. I didn't know why I was sprinting or why the thoughts of Kei drove me to do it but I kept running. The only thing that snapped me out of it was the sound of someone running up behind me. I looked back to see someone jumping and they landed on me, causing me to fall to the ground. I scrambled to get back to my feet but whoever tackled me wasn't letting me get up without a fight. They clung to my back and when I was finally able to get a good enough grip on them, I flipped them over my shoulder and they landed on the ground in front of me.
"Jeez, Anthony, I thought you might've lightened up by now," exclaimed Amanda.
I was surprised to see it was her and I helped her get onto her feet. My sister and I would always go running together every morning when we were younger and she would always outrun me, no matter how hard I tried. Amanda and I got along better than any other siblings that I knew from my old neighborhood and everyone thought it was because the Curtis attack made us closer when in fact, I suggested to her that we should be friends when we were younger. Odd, isn't it?
"Did you have to tackle me like that?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's not every day that I'm able to relive the good ole days with my brother," said Amanda.
"Yeah well, I miss those days too. Anyways, how did things go with Kei?" I asked.
Amanda rolled her eyes when I asked her that and she refused to tell anything because of her oath as doctor and patient confidentiality. No matter how much I begged and pleaded for her to spill it, she refused. I already had an idea of how everything went, but I still wanted to hear it from Amanda. The only thing that she did tell me was that Kei found out the Yukes knew Wardog as the 'Demons of Razgriz' from the group of enemy soldiers that she captured. We continued running together and we caught up on what she's been up too. I was surprised that she was a licensed physician after only four years of medical school but I guess that's just how things worked on Strangereal. Amanda hasn't been able to get a hold of our mother because she didn't want her to worry that she's been deployed to the front lines to help out the troops and that she's been exposed to the dangers of the frontline fighting as well. Finding ways to communicate with loved ones on the frontlines in war is also extremely difficult. I was just as surprised and I was very worried that she'd go back there if she was called upon.
"I can see why you didn't tell mom," I said. "I'd be just as worried."
"Well, how do you think mom and I feel knowing that you might not come back from a mission?"
"Come on, you know I've been trained for all of this. I can take care of myself," I said trying to reassure Amanda.
"Yeah but you also have to worry about the others in your squad too. I know that you'd sacrifice yourself to save them," she said.
She was right and that's what worried her the most. I was one of the only family members she had left in the world and she couldn't afford to lose me. We went to the gym after we were done running and we saw that Kei was in there doing her leg work out. Damn, that's a nice view. She had a bandage on her left arm and I had no idea what it was from. I wanted to go up to her and ask her how she was feeling but I didn't know how to talk to her anymore. Come on, Antonio! You can't sum up the balls to talk to your potentially soon to be ex-girlfriend? I decided to make an attempt to talk to Kei today but I was still nervous as all hell. I walked up to her while she was doing he squats and I stood beside her.
"Hey," I said softly and she turned to look at me.
"Good morning, Captain," said Kei.
I felt my heart sink a little when she called me 'Captain' and I couldn't hide it. She knew that she'd been promoted to Captain and that she didn't have to address me as formally as she used to. "How you feeling," I asked.
"I'm fine, a little sore from yesterday but I'm okay for the most part."
"Good, good. I'm really glad you're back in one piece," I said trying to sound caring. I wanted to say more and show Kei that I was really glad that she was back safely but no words came to mind. I also wanted to apologize for what happened the morning she got shot down. "Listen, I just wanted to tell you….."
"You don't have to say anything. I deserved what you did to me and I paid for my mistake during my last mission," said Kei, trying to avoid the subject.
"No, you didn't," I said. "I shouldn't have done any of that to you and I should've been the one who got shot down…."
"Do even go there! How could you try and do that to me?" retorted Kei and I sank my head down. "How could you attempt to sacrifice yourself so that you could save me? Why would you try and force me to break a vow that you know damn well means a lot to me?"
I didn't know how to answer her, nor could I bring myself to look at her. I knew Kei would bring up this subject sooner or later and I knew I'd never be prepared to argue my reasoning good enough for her to understand. I could only hang my head and look away from her. I could only think of one thing to say to her.
"Other than it being one of my responsibilities as a flight lead, why else would I try and save you?" I asked softly and I walked out of the gym. I could've argued with her longer, but it wouldn't have gotten me anywhere so I left it at that. I had to give her some space until she was ready to talk to me again.
1418hrs
Michelle and Kyle had returned to Sand Island from leave and I avoided Michelle all day. The base was pretty quiet and some of the ground crews started a game of football on the field between the main runway and the flight line. There was more than enough room for a full on game and everyone who played didn't hold anything back once they heard that we were tackling. The base didn't have any pads or protective sports gear but that didn't stop us from playing rough. I was surprised that no one got seriously injured after the first half with the other team playing as hard as they were. I was clothes lined twice and tackled off sides too many times for me to remember. I was the quarterback for my team, which consisted of Chopper, Grimm, Erica, Kyle, Adam, Mariah, DaVaughn and a couple other people. We were losing by a two touchdowns and my team wasn't holding out so well because of the heat, dehydration, and the physical beating we were taking, but Pops was able to bring us out some water, snacks, and bags of ice from the mess hall so we could take a break from playing.
"I've never been beaten this bad in football before," said Chopper.
"Yeah, because you got Erica and Mariah playing with us," joked Kyle.
"At least they've been able to stop the ball from reaching the in zone, unlike some people who are afraid to get their hands dirty," I said looking at Chopper
"Hey, I fractured my wrist when I was in middle school and as much as we get called on to go off on mission; I don't want to make the brass worry," snapped Chopper.
"Would you rather be grounded because of a broken wrist, or risk your life trying to complete another impossible task the brass set up for us?" asked Erica.
"Hmm, I see your point. Alright guys, I'm going to give the remainder of this game my all. Who's with me?" cheered Chopper and the others grunted in agreement.
"What's going on?" asked a voice from behind.
We all looked back to see Michelle standing behind us in her workout clothes. She was smiling as she looked at all of us and I was trying my hardest not to show how pissed off I was at the sight of her. Oh God, this is the same feeling I get whenever I see Becca. I noticed that she was wearing the same kind of workout pants that Kei wore to accent how nice her legs looked, however Michelle's pants made me notice how incredible her ass looked. Chopper noticed that I was staring and nudged me to snap me out of it.
"Kid, you really need to pull yourself together. It's only a matter of time before Nagase gets out here and tries to win you over," whispered Chopper.
"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked totally befuddled.
"Watch, I give her eight minutes before she decides to join us," said Chopper.
"Who joins who," I asked even more confused.
"Sure, I'll join you," said Michelle.
"Great, maybe we'll be able to pull out a win during the second half," said Chopper.
I was in a state of pure frustration and I was so close to slapping Chopper upside his head for letting Michelle join our team. I was thinking of ways I could royally screw him over and I decided to keep passing the ball to him. We all finished up or halftime snacks and got back on the field where the ball was placed. The other team was twenty-three yards away from our in zone and I honestly didn't care if we won or not. My team was on defense and I was bent on hurting someone and getting some pay back for what the other team had done earlier.
We all set up on the line of scrimmage and took our positions. My focus on the other team's quarterback was so intense that when their center snapped, I had already sacked the quarter back within a couple of seconds of him getting his hands on it. I did this during the first three downs and by the time we had gotten to the fourth down, I managed to drive the ball back nine yards behind the first line of scrimmage. I could tell that Chopper was starting to worry that he might've drove me to the point of seriously injuring someone, and he was right. I was still planning on screwing over Chopper but then I thought about screwing over Michelle at the same time.
It was our turn to run the ball and I took my place behind Adam who was our center. I hiked the ball and started looking for Chopper and Michelle. Chopper was already in the open and Michelle was being covered by two defenders. I was about to throw the ball to her but I couldn't bring myself to do it, so I threw it to Chopper who was able to make his way a couple yards towards the in zone before he was violently tackled to the ground. Mariah quickly ran over to Chopper to make sure he was alright and helped him onto his feet.
"Are you alright?" I yelled.
Chopper was bent over trying to catch his breath before he gave me a thumb's up to let me know that he was alright. Not good enough. We all took our places at the line of scrimmage and I waited for the perfect moment to snap the ball but when I looked down, I saw Michelle squatting in front of me, waiting for me to say 'hike'. Focus, don't look at her! Michelle looked back at me with that creepy-ass smile of hers and I sarcastically smiled back. I hiked the ball and everyone scrambled to break through the defense. I took a few steps back and my eyes were looking for Chopper and Michelle again, but they weren't in the open. The other team's quarterback made a rush for me and I ducked just in time for him to miss his grab at me and he leaned on me in a way that caused him to flip over me when I stood back up. The quarterback had the wind knocked out of him and I used the moment to try and make a run for it. I saw an opening and ran through as some of the other team members tried grabbing onto me and bring me to the ground but I was able to get through just fine. I ran as fast as I could towards the in zone with the ball in my hands, but just when I thought I was in the clear, someone side swiped me and I fell to the ground hard. As I lay on my back, I tried pulling myself together and figure out who had tackled me. My vision was blurry for a couple seconds and then it cleared up enough for me to see Kei standing over me. Shit, she's gonna be on me like white on rice. Kei just continued looking down on me for a couple more seconds before she walked off and asked the other team if she could join and they let her. I was still mad but now I was in a state of confusion and aggravation at what Kei was trying to do.
"I told you she'd come," said Chopper as I made my way back towards the line of scrimmage. "I was a couple minutes off, but she still came."
"Alright, wise ass, what's she going to do next?" I asked.
"Well, she'll either be coming after you or Rockford and take out her frustration on one of you, depending who she most pissed off at."
"And you know this how?" I asked as I got into position.
"I don't know. This is all just theoretical, Kid. I don't know everything," said Chopper.
Michelle took her position in front of me again and I looked at Kei who was livid at the sight of Rockford and I, so I thought I'd test Kei. Michelle snapped the ball into my hands and took off past the defense. Others were in better position but I decided to throw her the ball anyways. Michelle caught the ball and Kei blindsided her with no hesitation. Holy hell, that was freaking awesome! Michelle started rolling on the ground, writhing in pain as Kei got up and walked away. I know how bad it must've hurt but I was trying my hardest to try and hold back my laughter. Damn, I'm messed up in the head. Mariah ran over to Michelle to help her to her feet and checked to make sure she was alright. Michelle walked back over to the line of scrimmage and took her position again. She was trying to get me to notice her, and notice her I did.
"The ball is coming your way again, Rockford," I whispered.
Michelle looked back at me in terror when I told her I was giving her the ball and the other team all turned their attention on her. I hiked the ball again but instead of handing the ball off, I decided to run it again when I saw my opening. I managed to make it past the required ten yards before I was tackled by Kei, only this time she wrapped her arms around my waist and spun me to the ground which didn't really hurt, but it did catch me off guard. As soon as I was on the ground, Kei let me got and immediately made her way back towards her team. I was honestly expecting her to at least drop kick me and break a couple of ribs, but I was glad she didn't. I picked myself back up and returned to the others of my team to continue the game. We all huddled to go over the next play and I told them I was going to hand the ball off to Michelle.
"What? Why," asked Michelle.
"Because they're less likely to tackle a girl," I said trying to be smart.
"Yeah but they've got Nagase to worry about that!"
"That's why the rest of us are going to try and give you a clear line to the in zone," I said looking at everyone else on my team.
"Alright, fine, I'll do it," said Michelle and we took our positions.
I shot a glance at Kei who was glaring at Michelle. Adam snapped the ball to me and I handed it off to Michelle. I watched as everything unfolded into chaos as Michelle started to run towards the in zone and Kei started running towards her. My team was trying their hardest to run interference but Kei was too nimble for them. She was side stepping, jumping, and sprinting towards Michelle and when she was within reach, Kei lunged and ran her right shoulder into Michelle's abdomen. I never gave much thought about Michelle because I didn't like her the way I did Kei, but after that last tackle, I couldn't help but worry. I was about to head over and check on her but then I thought about it for a second. If I went over there to check on her, then Kei would probably think I had something with Michelle. If I didn't go, well, then that looks bad on me because Michelle was still a member of my team.
"That's it! I'm done," shouted Michelle as she got up off the ground and threw her hands up as she walked off the field.
"What's wrong, Rockford? Afraid you might break a nail or am I just that much more of a woman than you?" mocked Kei.
"Fuck you, Captain Nagase!" shouted Michelle as she continued to walk off the field.
"Why ya gonna threaten her with a good time?" said Chopper
I was trying hard to keep myself from laughing but I couldn't help it. Michelle looked back at Kei and it seemed like they were about throw down. Kei was smiling back at Michelle because she knew she hit a nerve. Michelle turned back around and started walking towards Kei. Everyone else on the field was on edge, waiting to see what would happen next between the two of them. I was just as curious because I knew if anything happened, I'd have to be the one to break it up and with all the tension between the three of us, things could get out of hand quickly. Michelle stood inches away from Kei's face and I could see that they were arguing about something. Kei had an evil grin on her face and I could tell that Michelle was about to flip out even more.
"Ladies, I'd like to try and finish this game sometime today," I shouted.
They both looked over at me for a couple seconds and then back at each other. I didn't know what they said to each other but they both started running back towards their teams and took their position. We continued the game and Kei and Michelle were at each other throats. They only went after each other and everyone noticed it. Neither of them stayed down after all the hits they took and they just kept on playing. It was the last minute of the game and everyone on both teams were pretty bruised up, but not as badly as Michelle or Kei. Michelle could hardly walk after Kei dove in front of her and knocked Michelle's legs out from under her. Kei, on the other hand, was having a hard time moving her hand after Michelle 'accidentally' landed on it. I could only look at the both of them in awe with all the abuse they've taken and wonder what was driving them. I honestly didn't think it was about me anymore and that it was now about their egos'.
"Are you okay, 1st Lieutenant?" asked Grimm.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I can keep going," said Michelle, breathing heavily.
"Bullshit, you're about to collapse from exhaustion which brings up my next question; why are you and Nagase only going after each other?" asked Chopper.
"Yeah, I've noticed that too, even before you said that you quit, Nagase went after you pretty hard," said Adam.
"Is there something you'd like to share with us, Rockford?" I asked giving her the stink eye and everyone else did the same. Michelle could only look back at us because she knew that we knew there was something going on between her and Kei.
"I don't like her," said Michelle.
"Why not, is it really that important to prove that you're better than her?" I asked.
Michelle looked at me in astonishment and I figured that I hit a nerve. She didn't say anything and turned to walk off the field. Everyone had enough of beating the hell out of each other also, so we all called it a draw. I walked over to Kei to ask if she was alright but she just scoffed and walked off. I was starting to get pissed off with the way she was treating me and I could only stand it for so long. If she keeps this up, then not only is this going to lead to our break-up, but complications within the squadron.
November 25, 2010 0530hrs Sand Island Briefing room
I had practically moved out of my room and left it to Kei because of the way she's been acting towards me for the past five days. Whenever I tried talking to her, she practically brushed me off and it still wasn't clear to me if we had broken up or if we were on a 'break', which to me still meant we broke up. I've been sleeping on the couch in the crew room and no one really seemed to notice that I was always there, but I didn't care if they did. I would've spent the night in one of the other spare rooms that were available but they were occupied by pilots from two other squadrons who were sent to Sand Island to support a major offensive that was planned for today. Yesterday the brass flipped a coin to decide which operation we were going to support like when they decided for us on the 7th when we had to destroy the ammo depots. I wasn't thrilled at all when they told us to call it in the air but it wasn't like we had much of a choice.
The mission for today was to support a major offensive that was going to take place in the Jilachi Desert. A bomber squadron was going to attack an enemy field HQ to the north of the AO while a tank battalion was going to push towards an airfield towards the west. I was put in charge of telling where and how the other squadrons were going to operate. The squadrons that came in the other day were going to help us provide CAS for the entire operation so that we weren't stretched too thin like when we supported Operation Footprint by ourselves at the beginning of the month. The details of this mission reminded me of the time I had to support the ISAF advance through Whiskey Corridor, however this time I wasn't going in alone. Once the briefing was over, Colonel Perrault dismissed us and as I was about to head out the door, he called my name and pulled me aside from the others.
"I know that tensions are high within your group and I honestly don't care what's going on, but I suggest you keep your girlfriend and your WSO in check," said Colonel Perrault.
"I'll take care of it, sir," I said.
"You'd better; otherwise I'll have to find a replacement for them both."
Colonel Perrault let me go and as I headed towards the hanger, I kept thinking about how he knew about Kei being my, for the moment, girlfriend or if he was joking. If he did know, then I was honestly shocked to see that he didn't seem to care. I was even more surprised when I realized that lately, he hasn't been riding my ass about every little screw up I committed. Is he finally starting to warm up to me or does he know something that I don't? It was really starting to make me worry because a couple of my teachers in high school acted the same way. They'd be totally unreasonable for a while and then they'd chill out. But just when I start to like them, they'd completely go ape shit when I'd least expect it, so I expected this from the Colonel.
I met my team in the Hanger and I chose everyone's plane. Kei and I were going to fly our F-15s armed with four sidewinders, four AMRAAMs, and two external fuel tanks. Chopper and Grimm were going to fly their F-18s with two sidewinders, eight AMRAAMs, and an external fuel tank. The other two squadrons were going to fly the two A-10s, two F-22s, and the four Typhoons that they brought with them. As we all waited for the ground crews to arm our planes, I decided to wait outside by myself again while the others got familiar with the other two squadrons. It was still dark outside and the sun wasn't even visible yet. I was sitting on the bench, alone in my thoughts about what we might encounter when I was brought back to reality when Michelle sat next to me and leaned her head on my shoulder. What the hell is she doing?
"Did you need something?" I asked as I nudged my shoulder to get her head off of it.
"No, I'm just wondering what you're doing out here alone," she replied.
"I'm thinking."
"What about," asked Michelle.
I didn't say anything and I scooted further down the bench. Michelle only looked at me and she knew I was mad at her for all the drama that's happened in the past week.
"Are you mad at me?" she asked.
"You tell me," I said as I glared at her. "Honestly, what could I be mad about?"
"Alright, I see where you're going with this. Just so you know I did it for your own good."
"How is all of this drama supposed to be for my own good?"
"You know there are regs against fraternizing in the Osean military and you need to be focused on keeping the rest of us alive while we're on mission," she said.
"You don't think I know that? I could be charged with treason if my superiors found out about us, but I still went ahead and had a relationship with her anyways. But thanks to your stupid ass, I might be over between me and her," I said.
"Treason," she asked baffled
"I'm not part of the Osean military. I'm A US Marine assigned to an Osean Tactical Fighter wing until the President merges all remaining forces from Earth with Strangereal's militaries."
"So you'd risk a dishonorable discharge and time in prison for her?"
"Damn straight. She's the only woman who's worth everything to me, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone get in the way of that," I snarled as I glared at her.
"Wow, and you think you can get away with this?"
"You think I won't? I expect for them to find out about it sooner or later and when they do, they won't stop me from loving her."
Michelle looked at me with eyes that suggested that she longed for me. "Why can't I find a man like you?"
"Maybe you're just not looking hard enough," said and I got up to leave. "You're staying here today, and from here on out, you'd better mind your own damn business."
"Alright, fine. I'll stay out of your business," said Michelle.
I was uneasy about her leaving mine and Kei's relationship alone but I had to do something to make sure. I remembered that Kyle had told us that he had a crush on Michelle and I figured I could work with that. But first, I have to find some way for them to get them together. When I got back inside the hanger, I noticed that the ground crews were about to start arming mine and Kei's planes.
"Hold it," I yelled and the ground crews stopped dead in their tracks. "Captain Nagase and I are going to fly single seat F-15s. Please, make it happen."
Everyone looked at me, wondering what I was thinking but then they just decided to do what I said. Kyle seemed pissed off beyond all reason as he headed back towards the locker room and I followed after him. He took off his flight gear and started putting it away when he noticed me.
"A bit upset that I'm not risking your life, aren't you?" I asked.
"That's one way of putting it, why did you switch it up at the last second?" asked Kyle.
"Two reason: One, I didn't want to fly with my RIO today and two, I figured that I'd try to hook you up with her," I said.
"Why me," asked Kyle in confusion.
"Because I know you like her and who knows, she could start to like you."
"But sir…. I can't. I don't even know what to say to her."
"You'll figure something out, but I need you to try and talk with her," I said. Crap that was a poor choice of words.
Kyle paused for a second and then he looked at me like he knew I was trying to work and angle. "What's going on?"
I was pushing for him to get to know Michelle and I was being palpable about it. I really didn't want to tell Kyle about the situation I was in but if he was going to try and make a move on Michelle, he had to know. I told him about how Kei and I were dating and that I didn't know where I stood with her and how Michelle was involved. He seemed to understand and with a little more of the right kind of persuasion, he actually decided to go for it. That's when Chopper came in, asking what the holdup was.
"Don't worry about it. Is everything ready to go yet?" I asked Chopper.
"Almost, the other squadrons are still loading up but we're all set to go," said Chopper.
"Alright, get the planes out onto the flight line and tell the others to get ready to launch," I said and Chopper headed back towards the hangers. Once he was gone I turned back towards Kyle. "Alright, here's hoping that everything goes well for you."
"Thanks, Captain, I'll see you when you get back" said Kyle and with that, I headed back outside.
1050hrs Jilachi Desert, Yuktobania
We rendezvoused with the rest of the allied forces once we arrived in our AO. The desert below was covered with scattered circular crop fields and roads that connected the farming communities together. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky and sun was shining brightly over the area. I was getting a headache just by looking at everything.
"Man, this is ridiculous. I can't believe they chose our next mission with a damn coin again!" cried Chopper.
"This is Thunderhead. Captain Davenport, how many times do I have to tell you to cut the chatter?"
"Thunderhead, this is Razgriz three, roger that," said Chopper sarcastically.
"Alright people, Wardog and half of Nemesis squadron will provide top cover for Viking squadron as they commence their bombing run on the field HQ. The other half, along with Legion squadron will provide CAS for Hawk division as they head towards the airfield," I ordered over the radio.
Everyone acknowledged and we all split up. The two F-22s from Nemesis squadron joined our formation and we all climbed to 17,000 feet to provide top cover for the B-52s. They were flying at 15,000 feet and they changed their heading to start their bombing run. The thing I liked about these bombers was that they kept the tail gunners, unlike the US military back on Earth.
"Nemesis element to Wardog leader, sorry we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Volt and this is my wingman, Marauder. It's great to finally fly with ya'll."
"Likewise, Volt, we'll try to leave you some fighters to shoot down if we run into any," I replied.
We held in formation above the bombers as we continued towards the target. Chopper started talking about how he wanted to fly an F-22 for the next mission. I actually considered it for this mission but with the unreliable oxygen system and its small payload, I decided against it. The guys from the Nemesis element said that their ground crews were able to correct the problem and I asked them if they could send the information to the ground crews at Sand Island. Even though I didn't trust the F-22, I had to admit that it was extremely fun to fly.
"Blaze, this is Birdy, I got multiple enemy contacts dead ahead. They're headed straight for the bombers."
I looked at my radar and spotted the blips on the screen. There was a small formation leading a larger formation and I could tell what their strategy. The leading formation was going to try and draw us away from bombers and clear the way for the larger formation. I have to plan this carefully.
"Edge, Chopper, prepare to engage the first formation. Nemesis flight, use your stealth advantage to attack the larger enemy formation from above and behind. Grimm, you and I will hold formation and stave off any enemies who break through. All weapons are free," I said.
"I hate to be thinking like this, but I can't help feeling like we're being used again…" said Chopper.
I knew Chopper was talking about the brass and I could see his point. Everyone in the military is being used. This operation was just another attempt to force Yuktobania into submission through this war of attrition. Chopper and Kei bounced the first enemy formation from above but they broke off to lure Chopper and Kei away from the bombers. As I looked at my radar I saw the larger enemy formation starting to break off in all directions as a result of Nemesis's surprise attack. Grimm and I held formation as we continued to watch everything unfold into a fur ball. I could see the explosions of the enemy planes in the distance and eventually the radar started to clear up of enemy radar signatures but then I noticed a pair of blips that were heading our way at high speed. They had to be MiG-31s because no other Yuktobanian airplane could move that quickly.
"Nemesis fight, I'm picking up two enemy radar signatures headed for the bombers at high speeds. Break off and intercept them before they get to the bombers. We'll take care of the other enemy fighters," I said.
Volt and Marauder both broke off to engage the MiGs and I saw the remaining enemy radar signatures rejoin formation and head back towards the bombers. I wanted to maintain our altitude and get the jump on them from above, but that would give them enough time to get within missile range of the bombers. I had to make sure that Viking squadron got to their target with minimal casualties.
"Grimm, maintain altitude and go on ahead. I'll meet these guys head on and once I shoot down the first enemies I see, attack them from above," I said.
I dove down in front of the bombers and sped on ahead. The first enemy fighters got within range of my AMRAAMs and once I had tone, I fired all four of my radar guided missiles at them. I saw the blips on my radar scatter and a few second later, I saw four of them vanish. I continued to watch my radar and saw that another four blips disappear. Nice work, Grimm. As Grimm continued to dive into the formation, the enemy planes broke formation and started chasing him.
"Edge, Chopper, I need you both back here to cover these bombers. I need to help Grimm," I said.
"Hang on, Kid, we're on the way," said Chopper.
I sped forward and got within visual range of the enemy formation and saw that they were all gunning for Grimm. He had four Su-27s following him through his hard twists and turns. I could heard Erica breathing heavily as she tried to stay conscious through all the maneuvering. I latched onto the trailing enemy plane and followed him into a descending spiral that Grimm had led them into.
"Grimm, put that thing into a split S and continue your evasive maneuvering from there," I said.
Grimm rolled over and performed a slip S with the enemy fighters followed him through with me close behind. I was able to pull enough lead on trailing enemy plane and fill his left engine with enough lead to send him into an uncontrollable spiral towards the ground. The next enemy fighter in line pulled into a climb and tried to throw me off by rolling so I couldn't get my gun to bear on him, but I was able to send a missile up his tail pipe with ease. Two down, two to go. I continued following the enemy planes that were tailing Grimm. They were slowly gaining the advantage over him and I had to do something. Grimm pulled into a hard left turn and gave me a window of opportunity to clear his tail. I fired a short burst into the lead plane's right wing and he broke off. I continued to chase the last enemy fighter but he eventually broke off from Grimm's tail too. I looked behind me to see the lead Su-27 chasing me. I didn't waste any time trying to shake him by pulling into climbing left spiral and then nosing over into a descending spiral after one roll at the peak of my climb. I then quickly reversed my direction and barrel rolled into position behind the enemy flight lead. I can't believe that worked. I'll call that move the 'sewing needle'. I was following the enemy plane as he tried jinking unpredictably so that I couldn't get a bead on him. He finally tried to shake me by pulling Pugachev's Cobra, but I didn't think he expected me to pull the same maneuver and fly wingtip to wingtip with him. Nor was I expecting his plane to burst into flames while we were suspended in the air like that. As I came out of the maneuver, I saw Grimm's F-18 shoot past me and loop up and over and fly into position on my right wing.
"Nice shot, Grimm. I was wondering where you went," I said and we both headed back towards the bombers.
We saw Nemesis element streak by and head back towards the bomber formation to continue their escort. Chopper and Kei were already in the middle of the bomber formation waiting for the rest of us to join on them, but just as Grimm and I were about to join the formation, we got an urgent request for help from Hawk Division. Shit, we're going to get stretched too thin.
"Volt, take Marauder and help those guys out. We'll radio you if we need help," I said.
They both peeled off and headed for the Tank Battalion while Wardog maintained formation. The bombers tightened up their formation and I assumed more enemy fighters were inbound. I kept my head on a swivel but I couldn't see anything. The sun was too bright and I felt like my tinted visor wasn't doing enough to keep the glare out of my eyes so I pulled out my sunglasses again and put them on under my helmet.
"Kid, those things are going to get you killed if you keep wearing them while we're on mission," commented Chopper.
"Well, at least I'll be able to see my death coming," I said sarcastically.
"Uh, Captain, I got more enemies on radar. They're headed this way," said Justin.
"Dammit," I said under my breath. "Chopper, Grimm go high and engage the enemy fighters. Edge, we're going to engage them head-on so stay close."
Chopper and Grimm both broke off to gain altitude while Kei and I pushed on ahead. We were closing on the formation of twelve enemy SU-35 BMs and MiG-35s pretty fast and I acquired a lock on one of the enemy planes. The pilot I was aiming at popped his flares too soon and I was able to send a missile his way with less interference from the flares, but they forced my missile to pitch up and sail through the canopy of the enemy MiG but it didn't explode. When the MiG rolled over into a dive, I assumed what happened to the pilot and it made me sick to my stomach when I thought about it. Kei fired a missile at one of the other enemy fighters and blew it to hell and back. I was expecting the enemy formation to scatter and engage us from multiple directions, but they didn't and they continued towards us.
"Blaze, we won't be able to move out of the way in time," shouted Kei.
"We don't have a choice, just blow on through," I said.
The enemy formation closed in on us and opened fire on us with their guns and missiles. They flew by us inches away from our planes and just as we were about to fly by each other, more of the enemy fighters burst into flames as a result of Grimm and Chopper's attack. I'm glad that worked. We quickly dispatched the remaining enemy fighters and as I filled another Su-35s with bullets, I noticed small black plumes of smoke surround us in the sky. Where did all this flak come from?
"This is Viking 1; we're taking too much fire from below. It's only a matter of time before they land a lucky enough hit on one of us."
I started to scan the ground, trying to find out where the AA defenses were but all I could see were the circular crop fields scattered on the ground. I pulled out my binoculars and started scanning the crop fields and spotted a single flak gun in the middle of one of the fields. I nosed into a dive and strafed the field. The incendiary ammo from my gun blew up the ammo stockpile and ignited the surrounding vegetation. I saw the Yukes on the ground trying to escape the flames but they were soon surrounded and started suffocating from the smoke. I hope they have another way of escaping a death like that.
"Wardog, I'm detecting another formation of enemies coming from the north. Intercept them before they get to the bombers," said Thunderhead.
"Wardog, Hawk Division is in some serious shit over here. They're taking heavy losses from air strikes and we're too tied up with enemy escort fighters to do anything about it. We need support over here!" shouted Volt.
Shit, what do I do? We're already stretched too thin. I was having one of the biggest dilemmas of my career as a fighter pilot and this choice wasn't easy to make. If sent some more people to help the tank battalion, then the bombers would easier for the enemy planes to pick off. If Wardog held its position, then the Hawk Division will be wiped out.
"Chopper, Edge, Grimm, get over there and help them out," I said defeated.
"But what about you, Kid?" asked Chopper.
"I'll be alright. Just get over there and help out Legion and Nemesis squad. I'll hold back here and protect the bombers."
"But, Blaze…" began Justin.
"I don't want to hear it. Just go!"
"I feel like a waiter taking orders in a packed restaurant," muttered Grimm.
"Yeah someone please put some roller skates on my feet," replied Chopper
I saw my teammates' planes break away from the bomber formation and head for the allied ground forces as I continued to make my way towards the enemy formation. My mind was racing when I saw them come into view and for some reason I was expecting to hear Michelle scream at me for trying to involve her in what she would think was another one of my 'suicide attempts'. I was gripping my necklace as I said a small prayer and prepared myself for a hard fight. I barreled through the enemy formation and pulled into an Immelmann turn to engage them. I counted six enemy fighters and I engaged the first MiG-29 that I saw. He didn't see me diving on him and I unloaded a barrage of bullets into his right wing which caught fire and forced him to break off his attack. I looked behind me to see three of the remaining MiG-29s following me closely as I pulled into a climbing right turn. I wasn't as concerned about them as I was about the other two that I couldn't see. I came out of the climbing turn and pulled into a series of hard left and right turns, trying to shake my pursuers while I was looking for the other two MiGs. I finally saw one of them heading for the trailing B-52 and the tail gunner open fire. I rolled over and dove on the MiG. At the speed I was going, along with the short distance between me and him, I only had a split second to line my target up and fire on him so I could still try to evade the enemies on my tail, but somehow I was able to land a couple hit in the cockpit and stop his attack. As I continued to dive past him, I pulled up into a climb and saw the other MiG firing on one on the B-52s. The bomber was trailing smoke from two of its inner most engines on the right wing. I started to put my F-15 in to a climbing spiral towards the MiG and I brought my gun to bear on him. I was losing airspeed rather quickly and I would soon be in perfect position for my attackers to shoot me down. I'll worry about that later. I put the MiG in my gun sight and opened fire on his plane. My bullets must've punctured his fuel tanks because the MiG disintegrated in midair, but then I realized the danger I was in from in front and behind. The remnants of the enemy plane started falling towards me and I applied full throttle to my plane to try and gain some kind of maneuverability so I could get out of the way. Come on girl, move! I was finally able to gain enough speed to maneuver out of the way of the falling debris, but one of my pursuers wasn't paying attention. As I watched the flaming wreckage of the MiG fall past me, I saw one of the enemy pilots who was chasing me, slam into it. The other two MiGs broke off their attack and separated from the fight. I continued to watch them as they flew away and circled back to attack the bombers again. Not this time.
"Viking 1, what's your ETA to your target," I asked.
"Approximately five minutes. Don't let us down, Blaze."
Thanks for the vote of confidence, asshole. I got into position behind one of the remaining MiGs and I could tell that this guy was scared because of the way he was flying. He would pull all these unpredictable high G maneuvers that would quickly exhaust any pilot. Most of them were negative G maneuvers and those were even worse than positive G maneuvers. I wasn't really even following him. I was flying far enough behind him to give him the illusion that I was glued to his tail but I was actually flying lazily after him. It wasn't until the pilot leveled out from an inverted barrel roll that I decided to shoot out his right engine. I pulled up alongside the MiG and I could see the pilot struggling to bail out. I could see that he was trying to blow the canopy off, but it wouldn't come off. I could see the fear in his eyes as he looked at me, hoping that by some miracle, I would help him. Mercy is what makes us human. I pulled out my flash light and signaled him in Morris code to duck inside his cockpit and I could tell that he was surprised that I was trying to communicate with him, but he did what I asked. I flew ahead of him so that my wingtip was right by his canopy and then I nudged it hard enough to break it off. The Yuke pilot lifted his head up and realized what I had done. I looked at the pilot one last time and I glared as I saluted him. No sooner did I peel away from him did the final MiG try and bounce me from above. I snap rolled to the right and the MiG shot past me. I dove after him and tried acquiring a missile lock but he was maneuvering too violently for my missile to successfully track the enemy plane so I had to use my gun but even that was going to be challenging. The Yuke pilot would turn hard in one direct and then quickly reverse directions just when I almost had him in my sights, but he screwed up when he tried barrel rolling over me. His maneuver cost him a significant amount of air speed which I was able to take advantage of. After I shot passed him, I pulled into Pugachev's cobra to bleed off my airspeed and lure the Yuke pilot into a trap. As I expected, he tried to maintain his position behind me by slowing down even more and his plane nosed forward into a stall. I came out of the cobra and dove after the MiG for the last time. He was in a flat spin stall and I noticed that he wouldn't able to pull out in time. The pilot ejected and I peeled away to head back towards the bombers. Everything seemed calm for now but I knew it wouldn't stay that way for long.
"Wildcat, I need a sit rep. What's going on over there?" I asked.
"Everything's going smoothly on our end. Hawk Division is five miles away from their objective and the remaining enemy forces are starting to fall apart," said Justin.
"Good job, everyone. Wardog, if things are settled enough, regroup on me," I said. "Thunderhead, are there anymore enemies on long range radar?"
"Negative, Blaze. The skies are clear for now."
I rejoined the bombers and looked over the B-52 that was trailing smoke from two of its engines. The damage didn't look that bad and the bomber seemed like it could make it back to the secondary base we were supposed to land at to refuel for our return trip to Sand Island. All the bombers were accounted for and I was surprised that they were all still able to push towards their target. I looked ahead and saw the Yuktobanian Field HQ come into view.
"Target in sight, Viking squadron assume attack formation and open bomb bay doors," said Viking 1.
I flew to higher altitude so that I didn't interfere with the bombing run and the rest of my team soon rejoined me. The bombers were almost in position to drop their payload but then they came under heavy AA fire.
"Wardog, we're going to have to run interference for the bombers. Try and take out some of those AA guns if you see an opportunity," I ordered.
We all dove for the deck and headed towards the Field HQ. I could see the ground troops scattering on the ground, trying to save themselves from Viking squadron's imminent bombing run. Once we were over the Field HQ, I ordered my team to disperse and strafe the AA positions. The troops on the ground started throwing up small arms fire and RPGs at us. We were all trying to weave through everything while trying to avoid crashing into each other at the same time.
"This is Viking 1, bombs away!"
We peeled away from the Field HQ as Viking squadron's bombs rained down on their target area. I looked back to see the bombs impact the Field HQ and explode into brilliant flashes light and huge plumes of black smoke that would put Michael Bay to shame. The soldiers on the ground were being flung all over the place as a result of the shockwaves. Everything looked gruesome down below with the soldiers bleeding out all over the ground. I wish I didn't have to take part in things like this but I knew what I had to do in order to end this war. I thought the president would've peacefully ended the war by now, why hasn't anything been done?
"Direct hit on enemy HQ. Repeat, confirmed bull's-eye on enemy HQ!" exclaimed Kei.
"This is Viking 1, bombing run on Field HQ complete. No point in sticking around. Let's go home."
"Wardog, this is Nemesis squadron, we're low on fuel and need to RTB. You and Legion squad are all that's left," said Volt.
"Copy that, do you think you could escort the bombers out of the area first?" I asked.
"Will do, Blaze. Take care," said Volt.
"Alright, Wardog, let's head over and help out Hawk Division," I ordered.
We broke away from the bomber and headed for the ground forces. The flight over towards the ground forces was a small breather for all of us and it gave me a chance to realize how hot it was. The sweat on my forehead was dripping into my eyes and seeping into my oxygen mask. I took off my oxygen mask and my sunglasses to wipe the sweat off my face. I was about to remove my helmet to wipe the sweat off from the rest of my head, but then I remembered that the engines were on. Now I remember why I hated flying in the desert. And why doesn't this F-15 have air conditioning? I was really missing the plane I flew for most of my missions while I was working with ISAF and I really wanted to be flying it right about now so that way I could stay cool while I was flying for my life. I took off my flight gloves, rolled up the sleeve of my flight suit, and wiped the sweat off the inside of my oxygen mask.
"I feel like I'm in a sauna. I've probably lost a good gallon of sweat by now," said Chopper. "I'm going to petition the Osean military to install climate control in all combat vehicles."
"Why should we get special treatment when guys on the ground don't?" I pointed out.
"The desert heat is robbing the ground forces of their mobility," said Kei.
"Will we complete the mission in time at this pace?" asked Grimm.
"I doubt it. We'll probably run out of fuel before the ground forces complete their objectives," I said.
We increased our throttle and sped towards the ground forces. They were still a ways off from the airfield and they were still prone to enemy attacks. I was really starting to wish that we had some way to carry more ordinances on our planes. If the engineers were somehow able to shrink the sizes of missiles and bomb but retain their lethality, I would've been totally okay with that. Plus that would've been so awesome. But we barely had any weapons left and I was afraid we'd run out of ammo completely before the mission was over. I was down to two sidewinders and my gun while everyone else was down to one or two missiles each and their gun. This day just continues to suck. We joined Legion Squadron as they flew further ahead of us to scout for more enemies.
"Can you find your brother's position on the battlefield, Grimm?" asked Chopper.
I had forgotten that remnants from the 1st and 2nd Army Battalions from Operation Footprint were taking part in this operation as well. I was glad that they made it this far in the war, but part of me knew it came at a cost. I couldn't help but think about how many people didn't make it up to this point and I started wondering about Grimm's brother. What did he think of all this?
"Sir, we can't pick favorites. Everyone down there needs our help," said Grimm.
"Fine, then everyone down there's your brother," said Chopper.
I wasn't expecting a response like that from Grimm, but I could understand his point. Knowing myself however, I would've probably tried protecting my sister if she was down there. We spotted more enemy fighters headed our way and Legion squadron engaged them. They were good and I felt my ego die a little as we watched them fight. I felt like I had to show them how Wardog took care of things but covering the ground forces took priority.
"Thunderhead to Wardog, I'm detecting another enemy formation heading towards the ground forces from the north. Intercept them before they do any more damage to Hawk Division."
"Edge, you're with me. Chopper, Grimm, stay here and protect the ground forces in case any enemies brake through," I ordered and they all acknowledged.
Kei and I got within visual range of the enemy formation and saw that it was a formation of unescorted Tu-95s. Kei engaged the trailing element while I attack the lead bomber and his wingman. I dove below the bombers, reversed my direction, and climbed to engage my target from below. I targeted the bomb bay with my gun and fired on it, causing the Tu-95's payload to go off. I was a couple hundred yards away, but the explosion was enough to rock my plane and the other bombers enough for us to fight and regain control of our aircraft. I saw one of the other bombers' wing bend violently but it didn't break off. It was bent upward but somehow the bomber was still airworthy and was staggering lazily to the right. I could tell the pilot was trying to maintain control by the way the ailerons, elevators, and rudder were positioned, but the pilot wasn't able to do much else. I disengaged the bomber and watched as Kei followed my example by targeting the bomb bays of the last two bombers. Only the crippled bomber was left and I saw that the crew bailed out. At least those guys are safe.
"Why did you let those guys go?" asked Kei.
"Who are they going to kill?" I replied and I turned to head back towards the ground forces.
Chopper and Grimm were still holding formation over the ground forces as they continued speeding towards the airfield. We were finally within visual range of the objective and Legion squadron started to strafe the aircraft that were parked on the runway. I didn't know how these guys were able to keep up the pressure like this but it was impressive. I even started to wonder why we haven't heard of these guys before.
The ground forces had finally reached the airfield and I could see the soldiers pouring out the back of the APCs and storm their objective. The Yuke soldiers setting up defensive positions and started firing on our allies. We didn't waste any time trying to thin out enemy resistance by performing strafing runs on enemy positions. The Yuke soldiers scattered in disarray which made it easier for our ground troops to dispatch them. I could see the remaining Yuke pilots on the ground trying to make a run for the remaining planes that were parked on the flight line, but we disabled the fighters before they could strap themselves in. The attack on enemy airfield turned into a turkey shoot and our ground force soon took over the area.
"You're the same as ever, huh, Nagase. Nothing ever gets you down," remarked Chopper.
"Yeah….. Thanks," said Kei sarcastically.
I didn't know what Chopper meant by that because Kei's flying didn't seem that different than usual. Our synergy might've been a little off but we were still able to carry out our mission with no problems, until we got a mission update from Thunderhead. Another large formation of enemy aircraft was detected entering our AO and Thunderhead was able to determine that it was a pair of enemy AWACSs accompanied by tankers and more fighter escort. Their objective was to establish air superiority over the area and repel our forces back. I figured it wouldn't take us long to sort everything out with Legion Squadron helping us out.
"Wardog, this is Legion 1. We're low on fuel and ammo; we're not going to be able to do much good out here anymore."
Dammit. Legion squadron broke off and headed back towards their base. We were all that was left and I called for a weapons check. I only had two missiles left and I was running low on ammo for my gun. I had less than a hundred rounds left and that wasn't enough to damage a tanker or an AWACS, but we didn't have much of a choice. We all pressed forward towards the enemy formation and within minutes, we had visual on the enemy planes. I ordered us to split up into two elements with Kei being my wingman. The AWACS and tankers were escorted by MiG-29s, MiG-31s, Su-27s, and Su-35s. We all met head on and flew through the enemy formation as they fired on us. I banked right to try and engage one of the tankers, but three of the escort fighters were already tailing Kei and I. Kei didn't break formation because she knew that I'd still be in trouble if she did.
"Edge, keep going while I clear our six," I said but she didn't reply.
I didn't bother repeating myself because I've just about had it up to here with her. I pulled the airbrake and barrel rolled behind Kei and the three enemy planes that were chasing us. Once I was behind them, I quickly filled the cockpit of the trailing plane with a short burst from my gun and watched his plane roll over and head for the ground. I didn't waste any time latching onto the next enemy plane and filling his left engine with another burst from my gun and send him into a left spiral, trailing black smoke and fire. I was about to fire on the last enemy plane when Kei pulled my favorite maneuver to get into position and steal the kill. That moron!
The only reason I told Kei to keep going while I cleared her six was because I knew there would be more enemy fighters on our tail after I took care of the first three planes that were chasing us. Then I would've ordered Kei to clear the next group of pursuers, but when Kei maneuvered behind the last enemy plane, she had made herself a perfect target for another group of enemies to attack her. Alright, I've had it with her, this is strike one. I looked behind us to see three more enemy fighters diving on us and I quickly flew behind Kei's plane to draw them off. If she got shot down now, then I'd be the next one to go. Then Chopper and Grimm would soon follow. I dove for the deck with all three of the enemy fighters chasing me. As I leveled out, I was turning too hard for them to get a lock on me and I started looking for a way to get away from them but I couldn't do it without Kei's help.
"Edge, get over here and clear my tail," I said urgently.
I looked back to see Kei's F-15 dive towards me, but she was coming too fast. She was going to overshoot and miss her only shot to clear my tail. Maybe I could still use this to my advantage. I hit the afterburners and gained as much speed as I could, but it gave them a perfect chance to fire on me with a missile. I had intentionally put myself in this position in the hopes that Kei would try to pass in front of them and distract them long enough to make my move. I continued to watch as Kei swooped in and targeted the flight lead. Perfect! Kei fired a burst from her gun and managed to hit him a couple times before she flew past him. I seized the opportunity and hit full right rudder while snapping the stick to the left. I was still heading in the same direction from when I leveled out but my nose was pointed fifteen or twenty degrees to the right of my flight path. I had executed a skid and it set me up to perform a barrel roll that would allow me to dive away from my pursuers while making it impossible for them to mimic. I performed the maneuver and dove for lower altitude to catch up with Kei, but she quickly reversed direction and started climbing towards the enemy AWACS. I pulled into a super high G turn that was enough to make my wings buckle a little and I had to strain to keep myself conscious because my G suit didn't do much good in a ten G turn. Damn, that felt great.
"Chopper, are you alright?" asked Kei.
I looked back to see Chopper trying to follow my maneuver to try and clear my tail while Grimm cleared his six. I was getting jealous that they were more cooperative than me and Kei, but I guess I was partially to blame because I did pair myself with her. I needed her to get her act together so that way we could all live to see the end of the war together.
"I guess I'm more delicate than I thought. I was fading out for a while there… but I'm still good," said Chopper.
"You sure," I asked.
"I'm alright, Kid. I might not be as tough as you but I'm still able to fly."
I turned my attention back towards Kei who was attacking the tanker from below. One of the escort fighters was in the middle of refueling as Kei attacked it. She fired a stream of bullets into the main fuselage of the tanker and managed to sever its hose. Jet fuel started spraying out of the tanker and it left cloud of the flammable liquid suspended in midair. I waited for Kei to get clear of the tanker before I made my move. One of the enemy AWACSs was flying within close proximity to the tanker, along with several other escort fighters. Once Kei was clear of the enemy formation, I fired a burst from my gun into the cloud of fuel and watched it ignite. The tanker was the first plane to become engulfed in flames, followed by the refueling escort fighter. The AWACS was also caught in the explosion and the second AWACS tried flying through the cloud of flames. After a few second of in disappearing into the fire, I thought that it was destroyed as well, but I saw it emerge from the smoke cloud, covered in dark ash.
"Man, Kid's skills are well beyond my reach already," said Chopper.
"It's not that hard, you just have to be faster than the other guy," I replied.
"Yeah, like this," said Grimm as he unloaded his gun into an SU-35 and executed Pugachev's Cobra to get behind another plane that was pursuing him. Grimm came out of the cobra and sent his last missile into the enemy plane's fuselage.
"Not bad. Aren't you glad I taught you everything you know," said Chopper.
"Well, maybe half of everything," said Grimm.
"Wait, so what about the other half? HEY!"
"Focus people. We're not out of the woods yet," I said.
We all regrouped in formation, but I noticed that Kei was missing. Where is she? I hailed her over the radio but she didn't answer. We all started scanning the sky and Grimm spotted her flying against a custom painted white and light blue MiG-31 that was running circles around her at high altitude. How was he able to fly an interceptor like that? He was outmaneuvering Kei like he was flying a Su-37 and I knew it would only be a matter of time before this pilot was able to corner her. I ordered Grimm and Chopper to take out the enemy AWACS while I helped out Kei. I climbed up to meet them and got within gun range as the MiG got into position for a missile shot on Kei. I fired my remaining gun ammo at him and saw my bullets strike the right air intake. The pilot broke off his attack and sped away out of range. I didn't bother chasing him because I wouldn't be able to catch him.
"What are you doing? I was about to shoot him down," exclaimed Kei.
That's strike two. I didn't bother answering her because I knew she was wrong. With the way MiG pilot was flying, Kei would've been shot down again and I wasn't going to let that happen. I looked on ahead and saw the MiG turn around and head back towards us. I tried locking onto him with one of my last two missiles, but I wasn't fast enough. I pulled into an Immelmann turn and the MiG pilot pulled the same move. When I reversed direction, I noticed that we were in an inverted rolling scissors and I couldn't help but think that I was falling into a trap. He couldn't hold this maneuver without him stalling first and any experienced pilot knew this, but he wasn't slowing down. In fact, he was gaining altitude and speed the more I followed him. I continued chasing him past 65,000 feet and I had no intention of letting up. He was too far for a missile lock but I figured that I should still try to keep my position behind him, but then I felt my plane shudder violently. Shit, that's what he was doing. He led me to higher altitude so that I would stall and I started cursing myself because I should've known better than to follow him into this kind of fight. I fell for it when Yellow 13 pulled the same trap and I told myself I wasn't going to fall for it again, but I did. My F-15 began to fall out of the sky and it took me five, agonizing seconds for me to recover. I dove for the ground but the MiG pilot was closing in on me at high speed. I snapped the stick into my gut, after I turned off the angle of attack limiter, and forced my plane into another stall. The MiG shot past me but not before he landed a couple hits on me with his gun. I nosed forward and started chasing him as he dove for lower altitude but I broke off and kept my eye on him as I held position at higher altitude so that way I could keep my speed up and stay with him, but he made the mistake of trying to climb up to meet me. I dove on him and I acquired a missile lock on him, but before I could fire it at him, he burst into flames just seconds before I saw Kei shoot past me and do a Victory Roll. Well, at least the threat is gone.
"Chopper, did you take out that AWACS yet?" I asked.
"We're out of ammo, Kid, and I'm not looking to ram my plane into this sucker to shoot him down," said Chopper.
I was fed up with this entire operation and the lack of other available allied aircraft. I only had two missiles left and knowing AWACSs, they'd easily be able to thwart my attack. I lined up behind the enemy plane and fired one of my missiles at it. The AWACS launched a set of flares and threw off my missile's guidance system. I locked on again and fried my last missile, hoping the pilot wouldn't be able to react in time, but he did. Another set of flares was launched and now we were all out of ammo. I could feel everyone's frustration and I wasn't in the mood to stay on station any longer. I pulled in front of the AWACS so that my engines were pointed directly at the plane's cockpit. I looked in my rear view mirrors and saw the cockpit glass shatter and the pilots shield their faces with their arms. I didn't want to do what I had to do to bring down this plane but I didn't have any other choice. I hit my afterburners and the heat from my engines literally cooked the Yuke pilots alive. I wanted to throw up the more I thought about what I had just done and I knew that this would be another moment in war that I wanted to forget. I had gained some more distance from the enemy AWACS and I looked back to see it's left wing dip down and fall out of the sky.
"I'm telling you, Kid can single handedly turn the tide of this war. It's almost scary," said Chopper.
"I've done it before," I muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing, let's just get back to the rally point so we can refuel and head back to Sand Island," I said and we all headed out of the AO.
1208hrs Allied Controlled Yuke airfield
We arrived at a Yuktobanian airfield that was under the control of our allies, not far from our AO. It was still located in the Jilachi Desert which meant that we had to deal with the heat a little while longer. Air Command couldn't get a tanker to us so they ordered us here to refuel and relax a little before he headed back towards Sand Island. We parked our planes on the flight line and started walking towards one of the buildings to grab some chow while the ground crews worked on our planes, but as Chopper started talking about the day's events, I noticed how Kei just seemed vexed when he mention the last enemy pilot that she had shot down. I was walking behind the rest of them and I was glaring at Kei through my aviators as I continued to listen to what was being said.
"Kid would've had that ace if Nagase hadn't interrupted the fight," said Chopper.
"Well, Nagase was having a hard time keeping up with that enemy pilot before Castillo got involved," said Justin.
"I would've won without his help," said Kei.
I stopped dead in my tracks because her remark was the last straw for me to tolerate. She was full of shit when she said that and she knew it. It was one thing to try and shake off the thought that she was about to die but she was fooling herself into thinking that she could've gotten out of that situation alive. I grabbed Kei's arm and started walking towards one of the empty hangers close to the flight line.
"Let go!" said Kei sternly and the others turn around to look at us.
"Get the hell out of here," I barked as I glared at the rest of my team.
No one said anything because they could tell that I was mad. I continued to drag Kei towards the hanger and when we got there, I turned her towards me and let go of her. I was fed up with her attitude and I was going to straighten her out, even if she finally decided to tell me that it was over between us. I snatched off my sunglasses to reveal just how mad I was.
"Look, I know that you and I aren't on the best terms right now but the least you could do is acknowledges that I saved you ass today," I said.
"I didn't need your help and I'd appreciate it if you weren't so worried about me," retorted Kei and she turned to walk away.
That's strike three. I grabbed Kei's shoulder and she turned around to shove my hand off of her. I grabbed her arm again and forced her against the hanger wall to show her just how I wasn't done with her yet. Kei tried shoving her way past me but I forced her against the wall again. She finally realized that I wasn't going to let her go and she didn't bother looking at me, but I really didn't care if she did. All I wanted her to do was listen to what I had to say.
"I want you to get one thing straight, Captain Nagase. I am your flight lead and it's my job to look out for you and the others just like they look out for me and you! I've lost count of how many times you've ignored my orders or did something that endangered yourself or the others and I'm fucking tired of it!" I shouted. "If you don't want to be a part of this team anymore, then just say the word so that I can transfer you to another squadron and get someone more reliable to watch out for the rest of the team!"
"How about you rotate yourself out so that way I don't have to deal with a light lead that's untrustworthy," snapped Kei.
I was appalled that she accused me of being untrustworthy and she could see just how shocked I was. Sure, I didn't tell my team who I really was and there were still things that I was keeping from Kei. The only reasons I didn't tell her was because I was under orders and because it would scare her. I was still Wardog's flight lead and the others didn't seem to have doubts about me. Kei was the only one who had a problem with me and I was pretty sure that Michelle had gotten under her skin. Kei was emotional about everything and she was a little bit compulsive, like me.
"Only you think that I'm untrustworthy and by the sound of things, me hiding who I am isn't all that's bothering you," I snapped back.
"Rockford isn't what's bothering me anymore. While I was trapped behind enemy line, I had all the time in the world to think, and I only thought about you," said Kei.
"So what the hell is the problem?" I asked angrily.
"How am I supposed to trust anything you say anymore? You've lied to all of us about who you really are and you're still hiding things from me. I don't know what's true anymore and I'm not sure I can take any more of your lies and I sure as hell….."
I didn't let Kei finish her sentence before I decided to go for broke. I grabbed Kei's face and kissed her for possibly the last time. I wanted to try and convince her that I didn't want to lose her, but if this didn't work, which I doubted it would, then at least I could finally move on with my life and become the empty shell of a man that I use to be. I pulled my head back to look at Kei with sad and frustrated eyes. Kei could only look back at me, wondering what the hell I was thinking when I made my move. I could only continue look at her as she looked back at me and just when I was about to turn away, my eye caught sight of the necklace I gave her when we got back from leave. I hid my surprise and I braced myself in preparation for what might happen next…. I was so glad that what I thought might happen, didn't come to pass. This was totally unexpected.