Aterran-Maxima
An Auraxian's Collection
Shadows AboveAs with any war, intelligence is a resource the same as any physical material. The ability to learn about your foes and yourself, further applying it to positively change the way an engagement goes on any scale is something drilled even into the most novice of leaders. During the war, intelligence gathering and application was a dedicated 24/7 duty for a multitude of members throughout the factions, spread across all ranks. Despite the size of Auraxis, the network databases for classifications of important military documents were 'spread' quite poorly, centralized in a series of higher security compounds. Data breaks were easily able to be monitored and rectified, or even sifted to false leads.
That didn't discount the usage of manual reconnaissance however, in fact, the ability to falsify info put pressure on each faction to fact check manually however they could. Written words were not good enough in the maelstrom of war, as battle lines and forces could change in a moment's notice. There were of course a multitude of manual recon tactics, but prime amongst them was a recon air squadron. Possibly the highest risk to reward ratio, a dedicated pass through of territory via aircraft could spot out and relay targets within minutes of entering hostile territory.
Most dangerous among these recon flights was a Blackout. A squadron of fighters would fly in suboptimal conditions, such as high cloud density or overcast rain. Masking the already low audio and engine contrails of the advanced fighters would give the pilots the availability to fly lower to the ground without directly alerting enemy forces. Furthermore to reduce detection of these long reaching flights was the usage of only short band squadron comms. If anyone attempted to detect the flight via radio or electronics, it would merely appear as static or burn off atmospherics from a storm.
It was not uncommon for a Blackout Flight to not return.
+ Breaker Transcript +
+ Blackout Reconnaissance Flight requested +
+ AOP Hossin Southeastern Grid +
+ FP Ziggurat and Mulac TPA +
+ 4th Fringe, 7th Wing, Eclipse Squadron +
The night time during Hossin could never be considered peaceful. The Vanu Sovereignty and the Terran Republic had long contested the backwater swamps of the jungle continent since the beginning of the war, to such an extent that rumor had it that during the initial unrest of the Auraxian populace the Terran Republic 'peacekeepers' had done more than a few black-ops to the outlying installations. The human population and its internal war was merely a guest here however. The wildlife had always held strongest here in the humid canopy of far reaching trees, from smaller insects that would bite at the skin to larger reptiles like snakes and even alligators.
The animals and fauna, while already dangerous were not the end of the problems for troops stationed on the southern continent, the real danger came from the partial seasonal monsoons which would ravage the area, near drowning portions of battle lines and submerging certain stations. These monsoons would of course last for several weeks, and fluctuate in severity as time went on. From light drizzle and over-casting clouds to flash floods and buffering winds, the monsoons would effectively stop ground warfare between the two factions, but in return air to air would become all the more important. Many a night the clouds would spark a sporadic level of red and purple glows as tracers and plasma fire was traded in the skies.
Tonight however, there would hopefully be no colors besides the residing gray and black of the natural kind. Command had called down a data brief for a flight squadron out of Zots Bio-lab, specially from the 4th Fringe Air Division, 7th Wing. The flight was to be one of the high risk Blackouts, demanded of Eclipse Squadron. The squadron's scythes had been outfitted with both external fuel tanks and high grade stealth systems. At 0100 ACT Eclipse Squadron had reached the third quarter of their flight, in motion to sweep westward on command over Mulac Foundry and into the main complex of the plant. Photography of the area below through Ziggurat and Nettlemire Gardens had revealed an increasing layer of ground defense measures specifically designed to keep the Sovereignty out. The Ziggurat in particular had been giving a series of high pulse electrical signatures, but without being right on top of the base it would have been impossible to decipher their true purpose. The flight had merely passed on, recording the bursts, and continued the mission.
As the flight turned westward, the sky grew even darker in the night as a new storm front rolled into the eastern coastline, resulting in low band radio frequencies among the pilots. They were high enough up to be essentially undetectable unless another flight team was virtually on top of them.
"Tilt up and sling yourselves with the wind inland, we'll run the currents over the engines for a bit before it gets too hectic." Eclipse Lead broadcasted over the shorthand, voice heavy with boredom. The squadron canted their wings and slowly eased their way into the turn, the winds carrying them toward Mulac's main complex. A few minutes passed before the next radio flair.
"Praetor, are you seeing this, right and below?" E-2 broke over the mic, and the flight swiveled to peer down through the clouds.
"We see E-2. That's a threat if I've ever seen one." Down below, a large consolidation of armored vehicles laid at rest in formation upon higher ground around the outlier of the complex. Many of them lacked the telltale sign of battle damage or even sustained habitat decay. These were fresh off the line. "Snap a recording segment and save it. Let's dip a bit lower and get as much as we can." The rest of the flight agreed, slipping into a lower section of concealment as they passed directly above Mulac.
"They just don't end, do they?" E-4 whispered over the mic, hesitation evident in his tone. Who wouldn't be, considering the Terrans had amassed a near unstoppable armored force on one of the worst vehicular continents on the planet. It would shock & awe if they simply rolled up the lattice all the way past Zotz. It would be a nightmare of a fight.
"The garrison at Zotz wouldn't be able to stop this." E-5 chimed in, her voice fearful at the idea of how many would die. She was more than right of course. Zotz would roll over at the amount of just armor, not to mention whatever infantry elements would be bound to assist.
"I'm calling the mission. Command needs to know about this." Eclipse Lead spoke, "Get up higher, we're going straight back." The squadron banked hard to the right, internal augers adjusting in time as the plasma engines cycled. Their altitude and speed raised as they slipped into the clouds above. Visibility however was quickly reduced to shadows in the clouds, and radio was the only way to keep track of each other. "Keep close, we're going to start broadcasting a link to Zotz as soon as we break the lines. Starting 0149, radio checks every five minutes."
"Who's on my right, topside here?" E-5 broke the monotony of the checks on the third trial. "Or am I just seeing things?"
"No one should be Prefect. You're seeing shadows." Eclipse Lead stated, "No one is up here with us, and unless you see an engine burn shouldn't believe otherwi-" He was broken off by a flare of static that made the pilots jerk in their cockpits.
"For all your enlightenment," a new voice snarled over the radio band, "You cannot see around you the truth." The winds howled fiercely, as if nature itself agreed with the words from the unknown.
"Tighten Wing, Tighten Wing!" Eclipse Lead yelled out, "Get eyes on and check in!"
"On your left Praetor, I've got four with me." Came the voice of E-2, vocal covered in steel.
"On your right, I don't have eyes on three though." Came E-5, her voice pitched in trepidation.
"Three, three, regroup with the squadron." Eclipse Thundered into the mic, but was quickly forced back by the return of E-3.
"Trying, he's on me though, I 'm almost with yo-" Whatever three attempted to say was suddenly cut off in a harsh burst of static. Worse still, off to the right of the wing an explosion blossomed in the clouds. The explosion did something however, highlighting the visual of three's mystery killer. A sleeker profile than most Terran flyers, it looked conical in the center, as if some slightly arched hill, back lit by four spreading legs like a weird insect. It was coming straight for them.
"Scatter!" was the only word that needed to be said as the squadron branched off, thrusters suddenly threw into max as bullets raced into the air around them. The unknown contact slammed through the clouds after them, choosing to chase after the closest flight member, E-4. Gaining rapidly, the unknown covered hundreds of meters within seconds, juking under E-4's erratic weaving to come up in his blindspot. A short burst, the sound of angry hornets rattled the air above the audio of the storm, and E-4 disappeared in a ball of explosive plasma. "Break contact, get out of the storm!" Eclipse Lead yelled, eyes wide as one of his wing members was obliterated.
The remaining three pilots slammed heavily into their controls, accelerators pushed to a near breaking point. Another buzz of fire creased the top of E-2's cockpit in the seconds that followed as the pilots collectively dodged as best as they could while retaining speed. The clouds became a spontaneous blur as the fighters moved as fast as they could back towards friendly territory. Seconds would pass with no incoming fire at their backs, before the unknown would release another crackling barrage of fire. Nerve wracking minutes slunk by as miraculously no-one was hit. They still had a long way to go back to friendly territory however.
A moment passed as Eclipse 2 & five dove right for a mere second, and Eclipse Lead lost visual. Within that singular second, the angry buzzing sounded again, and he barely had time to send out a thought before his craft was riddled by the fire. Thankfully it had only grazed him, and sheared a good chunk of his port wing off. The problem was now he was dropping in speed due to lack of stability.
"Eclipse." he spoke over the band, hesitant, "I've taken damage on my port wing and am losing speed." Concern flashed across his eyes for a second, before they glazed over in a steely gaze. "Continue the mission. Eclipse Two, you are now acting commander. Good Luck."
"It's been an honor, Praetor." came Eclipse 2 over the radio, the voice holding back emotion even as Eclipse Lead watched them pull away. He pulled hard into the stick and pivoted on his injured wing, spinning around to face the storm. Flicking a few dials he opened up the channel to be just above short range.
"It's just you and me now." he said into the air, "Know that I am Eclipse Lead, Praetor Nehlson." He waited in the storm, pulling his engines to a hover.
"It is good to know your name, to add to my tally Praetor." came the drawing voice of the unknown, "Know that you have the honor of facing The Falcon this day." The newly named Falcon approached out of the clouds, its sleuth barely detailed in the mists. A pregnant pause filled the air.
Then the sky erupted in fire.
Eclipse Two and Fire returned to Zotz Bio-lab un-pursued by the unknown target. As they crossed into friendly lines they transmitted access codes and began a direct upload to Sovereignty command. As soon as they hit the landing pads a direct debrief was held after casualty amounts were given and cold condolences were walked over. The two remaining pilots held their composure just long enough to be dismissed. Walking back onto the pad as their craft were put to dock they stood on the near edge, facing south.
It would be well into the morning, after sunrise, when they were pulled away by deck crew. The Vanu Sovereignty, with this intelligence was able to deter the Terran armored push from the south, barely pushing them back into the swamplands. The two pilots were awarded, with Eclipse Two being promoted to Eclipse Lead, and E-5 to E-2, alongside the respective funeral for the other three pilots. The two were interviewed respectively over the unknown contact that no-one had gotten a visual of, though a pending research request wasn't given to the pilots. The Vanu Sovereignty had won the day due to the actions of five brave pilots, though the remaining two wouldn't exactly agree that it was a victory.
