"Speech/Intercom"
"Thoughts"
"Raido"
DATE-MAY-15-2019
LOCATION-FORT GRAYS AIR BASE
FILE-015-TR
CLEARANCE-LEVEL-YANKEE-WHITE
"Ah, Fort Grays where all hope comes to die." I thought to myself as I climbed down the ladder of my F-16C and took a look around. There were several ground crew milling around across the way by a group of F/A-18Es and two other craft covered with around to set my helmet down I saw another Viper being Fueled up and the ground chief jogging up to me.
"Hey you're the new pilot right?" he asked as he held out his hand.
"Yeah I'm Second Lieutenant Wood" I said, taking his hand and shaking it.
"Good if you'll follow me, I'll lead you to the briefing room." He said turning and starting to jog off toward the main base.
Blinking in confusion I jogged after him. "What do you mean the briefing room I thought I needed to see the base commander first ."
"Yeah normally you would but IUN Hq wants some pilots to head up to the space elevator to be part of the celebration of the partial activation of the elevator, and our little base got picked."
"That seems odd, why have me go I just landed on base?"
"Yeah well the base commander wants as many birds as possible to look better, ever since he's been assigned here he's been looking for a way off base,"
"And schmoozing up to a former president by giving him a good airshow is going to help?" I asked raising an eyebrow as we passed by some officers whispering something about radars.``
Stopping in front of a door he said."Yup he's pretty desperate to move up, but anyway this is the briefing room head on in and I'll go give your bird a check up."
Nodding in thanks I slipped into the room and took a seat near the back. It was a standard setup screen and podium in front with four rows of three on both sides. Inside there were already twelve people inside with only five having the green fighter pilot suits, and the rest in gray for cargo pilots." Ah now that our last member has joined us we can begin the briefing." The man at the podium said.
"As most of you know the Space Elevator just became partially active and as part of the celebration ceremonies we have been selected for a flyover at Harlings speech, This is going to be a multi-day thing so-" before he could continue one of the officers from the hall came rushing in. "Sir we have a problem."
"What is it, lieutenant?" The Major asked with a sigh "New orders from command radar site Charley has gone silent, and all available Fort Grays aircraft are to scramble and set on an intercept path for the craft we believe is responsible." As the Major grabbed the flies in the officer's hand there was a loud explosion from the harbor and the sirens started going off.
"Shit all aircraft scramble, I want those transports off the runway take off and head to a mainland base, the rest of you get airborne and take out the threat." As the rest of the pilots rushed out of the room the Major turned to me. "And you new kid your getting a baptism by fire apparently get going your going up too."
With a quick yes sir I ran out the room and followed the other pilots out to the exit and made my way toward my bird that was still being refueled. "Hey I'm going up, how much fuel do I got?" I asked the crew chief who had welcomed me.
"You have about three quarters and no reserve but you are fully loaded on munitions, you got your AIM-9s and your secondaries are AIM-120s(4AAM)." He said as I ran around doing a quick preflight and helping pull the safety pins. " Oh also we got your Munitions replication system (MRS) back online, and also touched up your emblem." he added as he pointed to the tail of my bird.
As I climbed the ladder to the cockpit I looked at the tail and saw my emblem a fox holding a revolver in his mouth and it looked like it had been freshly painted. "Well at least I'll go up looking fresh." I said as I sat down pulling my helmet on and going through the start up list as they finished securing the fuel caps and started moving the equipment away.
"Now one thing be careful your altimeter seemed to be acting weird when we ran the diagnostics, oh and one last thing come back down safe." The chief said as pulled the ladder away and motioned for me to start the engine. Giveing a thumbs up I finished the startup and closed the canopy. Moving toward the taxiway I ran through the last of my cheeks and finished by hitting the master arm and tuning into the combat channel on my coms I called the tower." " Tower this is Foxtrot-Golf-Fifteen. Am I clear to take off?"
"Foxtrot-Golf-Fifteen, Trigger your callsign Mage 2 verify and read back over."
"Trigger copies Callsign Mage 2."
"Mage 2 once you're on the runway takeoff and head direct north your flight lead just took off, once you're in the air switch to channel 5 for AWACS support."
"Mage 2 copies head direct north after takeoff and channel 5 for AWACS, Mage 2 beginning takeoff now." The second I hit the main runway I put the throttle to full and began the climb up and made my way toward the blue dot my radar had pinged as Mage 1. As I got near the other Viper It pulled off and reformed on my left wing.
"Trigger this is Mage 2 Clown im your flight lead but for now you take the lead, there's a bomber dead ahead of us lets see what you got."
"Copy that Clown beginning approach." I said as I started slotting in behind the Tu-95 it would be simple to get a missile lock but MSR didn't have unlimited missiles so I decided to stick with guns for the moment. Lining up the shop I called out "Guns Guns Guns!" I watched as the rounds hit the right wing and sheared it off.
"Good job, that's one for Trigger."
"This is Golem 1 our bombers are down as well, good job Mage."
"Good job all flights this is AWACS Skykeeper entering airspace we got another flight coming in where's the Albatrosses Flight of fighters?"
"Golem 2 here they got the Albatross on the first run she's not sending any birds up."
"Brownies right Skykeeper we are all you got."
"Copy that Knocker, Mage form up with Golem and take out the bombers coming in from the North east. I'm counting four bombers and three escorts."
"Mage you take the bombers, Footpad and Boggard you two form up and get the close escorts me and Brownie will get the last escort."
"Copy that, Trigger use thoses 120's get them all in one pass."
"Got it, I'm moving in behind for a clean shot." The moment our targets were assigned I full burned past the bombers and cut throttle and turned to get in behind them and brought up the multi-target missiles. Once I had the 120's set I waited for the computer to get the locks. "Come on lock." I thought as the last bomber just wouldn't lock-on, untill. "Fox three Fox three." and like a work of Osean magic all four missiles hit and we had four less bombers to worry about." " Mage 2 splash four."
"Skykeeper conforms four down and Golem splashed all escorts, wait we got two more flights inbound."
"What are we looking at Skykeeper?"
"The flight to the west looks like three Tu-95, one Tu-160, and four escorts, while the south flight is just two 95's."
"Affirmative Clown form up with us and lets get the main group the rookie can handle the two and rejoin."
"Copy that Knocker, Trigger you got this but be careful and watch your altitude you got low on that last run."
"Sorry sir, my altimeter is going in and out but i'll watch it." I said as I broke formation and headed south taping my altimeter as it just spun. The approach on the bombers was easy without any escorts so I came in for a high and fast approach and took them out easily. It was as I turned to return to the others shit got real. "Mage 2 breaks the right missile inbound."
"Shit where did he come from?" I called out as I banked right and saw the missile fly past.
"He must have been hugging close under those bombers. I didn't see his blip till now."
"Take him down, Trigger you got this."
"Im working on it but this guys good, he's flying a red MiG-21 and im seeing alot of kill tallies on it."
"Just focus kid we would help but we have our hands full."
"Copy that Knocker.'' With a deep breath I brought my focus back on my opponent just in time to roll out of another missile lock. For them to have a MiG he sure could make it dance. I couldn't get any clean shots on him, but I also managed to dodge all his missiles and it didn't appear he liked to use his cannons. "Goddamint how the hell am I going to take this asshole out i've tried everything I guess I try this new move.'' Now I say a new move when in reality it's a simple move made from pure panic. It starts as a split-s and instead of leveling out from the curve down you pull straight up. As soon as I pulled up on the stick he shot past clearly expecting a normal split-s and couldn't adjust. " Mage 2 Fox two Fox two." I called out as I got a lock finally and watched as they hit and turned the MiG into a ball of fire.
"Alright im showing Mage 2 bandit down and all bombers down."
"Yeah, the last of the escorts are turning for home."
"Affirmative Golem 1 i'm showing the airspace clear all craft can begin lining up for landing,"
"Copy that Skykeeper and good job Mage and Golem. I'll see you lot in the debrief."
So Fun little tidbit the altimeter bit came from my playthrough of this mission for this chapter my altimeter in game glitched and only showed 100ft the entire time.