Rouen Air Base
Normandy, Europe
June 24th, 437 AC
10:09 PM Local Time
Jay's hands moved immediately, flying through the darkness to reach for the pistol lying on the nightstand next to his bed. Meanwhile, his other hand yanked the sheets off his body. As he felt the grip of his pistol in hands, Jay jumped to his feet, flicking off the safety and charging the last few meters between himself and the figure shrouded in shadow. Except as he pressed the gun to their forehead, he immediately realized it was Cyborg, whose hands were already up.
"Woah, easy there, Samurai. Just me," he assured the mercenary.
Jay forced a heavy exhale out past his lips, lowering his gun and putting the safety back on. "Sorry, boss- old habit, I guess."
"This whole thing's really got you on edge, huh?" Cyborg asked with a slight smirk.
"You could say that. After all that shit with the Peacekeepers, it just feels like all I did was put a target on my back- on everyone else's, too," he admitted as he set his pistol back down on the nightstand.
"We put the targets on our own backs, Samurai. We're mercenaries. It comes with the territory." Cyborg's eyes lit up as a thought crossed his mind. "Anyway, I'm here to tell you we need you for an op- I hate to drag you back in when it's so late, but we're spread thin."
Jay yawned, stretching out his arms until their joints popped. "Well, I doubt I was gonna get much sleep anyways. I'll go grab Nyx and meet you at the briefing room."
"She's already on her way. I ran into her just before I found you. Now, let's get moving, shall we? The sooner this gets done, the sooner we can both hit the hay."
The two men began making their way through the barracks, and as they rounded a corner, Jay began to realize just how cramped the base was getting. Soldiers were sleeping in the halls- some without even a mat beneath them. What few belongings they had with them were scattered around as well. It was beginning to be a struggle just to avoid stepping on something or someone. It wasn't much better outside either, but the command building seemed to be clear enough- for the moment, at least.
"Alright, we're here," Cyborg announced as they stepped into the room. "Let's get this underway." He walked up to the front to stand beside Verreaux and a handful of other officers while Jay sat next to Nyx.
"Samurai, Nyx, firstly, I apologize for calling you both in so late. I know you've both been on a lot of sorties recently, but we don't have a choice." Verreaux leaned over the keyboard on his desk and began bringing up the briefing software on the screen at the front of the room. "A few months ago, we were made aware of the existence of Plant Gamma, a secret Icarus Armories research facility that's been mobilized on the Mediterranean Ocean. We've been trying to track it down, but until now we've been unsuccessful," the general explained.
"After Cascadia, Icarus Armories started working exclusively for the Federation government, blocking the sale of their products to anyone else. As such, hindering their progress would be a significant blow to the war effort," Cyborg pitched in.
Verreaux nodded in agreement. "But there's more to it than that. Icarus are the ones that developed the Hydra cruisers. If we can raid this facility, we can not only slow them down, but we can gain all kinds of useful intel- especially on the Hydra cruisers. In fact, we could potentially even find out how to destroy those things once and for all."
"But didn't you say we don't know where it is?" Jay asked. "How are we supposed to raid the place if we can't even find it?"
"A few hours ago, one of our patrol boats saw the facility, along with its accompanying fleet, docking in a Federation shadow port to refuel and resupply," Verreaux replied. "They've since left, but our patrol boat is tailing them from a distance and keeping us up to date on their location."
"We've already diverted Ritari from their original objective to board the facility and grab what intel they can. They're currently on route in a small boat. But we need to make sure we get there first to clear the way for them." Cyborg brought up a map of the AO, marking out Ritari, the facility, and the ships around it.
"We?" Nyx echoed.
Cyborg looked at the two mercenaries with a smirk. "That's right. I'm gonna be tagging along with you two for this one. After all, someone's gotta keep you from getting into trouble."
Jay shrugged as he got to his feet. "Well, the more the merrier, I guess. Now let's hurry up and get a move on. If we wait any longer, I might just end up asleep in the cockpit."
Plant Gamma
Mediterranean Ocean
June 24th, 437 AC
11:00 PM Local Time
"Well, well, well, look who got dragged back up into the air. And to think, you two kept rubbing it in my faces that you were done for the day. Almost like it's karma, or something."
Nyx rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, put a sock in it, Stallion. I'm too tired to be dealing with you."
Stallion replied with a scoff. "How do you think I feel? I've been babysitting just about everyone in a dozen places at once, and unlike you pampered smartasses, I haven't gotten a break," he teased them.
"That's because our work is a little more physically exerting than sitting in a chair all day yelling at people. We're actually putting our lives on the line," Jay chimed in.
"Hey, do you have any idea how much shit I coordinate for the coalition? I'm an HVT for the Feds. If anything, I've got more of a target on my back than the rest of you," the AWACS defended himself.
Jay was about to give out another retort, but Cyborg cut him off. "Alright, alright, that's enough, you three. Let's tighten up. We're entering the AO now, Stallion. Can you patch Gray and the boys in?"
"Already done, boss. Say hi Ritari."
"Been a while since we've done an op together, Cyborg- not since Audessum I don't think. You ready for some good old-fashioned piracy?" Gray asked. "We've got eyes on the facility and the fleet guarding it- man that thing is huge. You guys certainly have your work cut out for you, I'd say."
"Boy, I'll say," Stallion agreed. "Knight 1, Templar 1, you've got carrier-borne aircraft coming up to meet you now. You're free to engage. Now try not to get shot for a few minutes. I've gotta babysit Eagle and Mustang for a bit."
"Alright, Samurai, I'll lead. You stay on my wing and follow me in. Let's blind these bastards."
Jay drifted toward the left side of Cyborg's VX-23, following his gradual turn to face the enemy aircraft head-on. As they closed the distance between themselves and the bandits, six F/E-18s appeared on their HUDs. Neither side changed their course, and they got closer and closer until they were finally in range. Jay let off a salvo of MLAAS at the nearest two fighters, forcing them to break off and dump chaff that lit up the night. Meanwhile, the other four kept going, and now it was their turn to go on the offensive. All four hurled STDMs at the two mercenaries, and while Cyborg launched flares, Jay opted to outmaneuver them instead.
"How we lookin', Nyx?" Jay asked as he pulled up hard into the air, trying his best to get a visual on the missiles with no luck.
Fortunately for him, his WSO had the view that he needed. "Not yet, not yet, aaaaaand… now- break right!"
Jay's hands moved instantly, yanking the stick to the right, and tightening his grip as the g-forces shook the plane. In the middle of his turn, he saw the smoke trails of the two missiles careening toward them. Despite their best efforts, though, the missiles couldn't turn fast enough and lost their track instead. With their tail clear of threats, Jay and Nyx straightened back out to see three of the bandits trying to regroup and take them down. However, they happened to be in the perfect position for Jay to fire another salvo of MLAAS. This time, they didn't have time to evade, and all three were shot down.
"You still doin' alright there, Boss?" Jay asked, already turning to regroup with his wingman. "We're about to give you a hand. Just hang in there."
Cyborg chuckled. "No need, Samurai," he assured the mercenary as he activated his AOA limiter, drifting through the night to gun down the last F/E-18. "That's the last of the bandits for now, but we'll have more on us soon if we don't take out that carrier."
Jay glanced briefly toward his radar map and turned in the direction of the fleet. "Right, we'll draw the fleet's fire and try to take out some of the smaller ships. You knock out that carrier."
"Great, more getting shot at," Nyx grumbled sarcastically. "I should've stayed in bed."
Samurai lowered his plane slowly, leveling himself out about a hundred meters above the water. The anti-air on the ships began spurring to life, meaning he had to do this right. After taking in a deep breath through his nose, he pushed the throttle all the way forward, lighting his afterburners and speeding ahead. He sunk back slightly into his seat as the Super Hornet picked up more and more speed. Meanwhile, Nyx was already locking onto the defenses of the first cruiser. Jay's finger hovered over the trigger on his stick, and the moment the tracking tone went solid, he squeezed it four times in rapid succession. Four STDMs flew off the rails, and a barrage of gunfire followed them in. Explosions ripped through the hull, and as it began sinking into the sea, Jay pulled up hard, coming a little too close for comfort to hitting the vessel as it sank. However, the remaining five ships in the fleet weren't in any hurry to meet the same fate. Missiles, AA fire, and railguns all surged toward the mercenary, who answered flares and just enough maneuverability to put some distance between them.
"Quite the light show you're putting on up there, Samurai," Gray commented.
Nyx grunted. "I'm up here too, y'know!"
The SOF leader chuckled. "Right, sorry Nyx. Anyway, we're using the chaos to slip past the fleet. We're up right beside 'em and they're none the wiser." There was a brief pause before he spoke up again. "Say, am I the only one getting déjà vu here? What's this op reminding me of?"
"Caribbean Heist," Cyborg answered as he made another gun run over the carrier. "Except it's way cloudier tonight than it was back then."
"Caribbean Heist?" Nyx echoed. "I don't remember that."
Jay cracked a smirk as he pulled back around, firing STDMs at one of the LCS's. "Before your time," he told her, letting out a brief burst from his canon to sink the second ship. "Actually, if my memory serves me correctly, that was one of the first missions I flew as leader of Templar."
"And if my memory serves me correctly, you were such a bundle of nerves that literally everyone on that sortie had to bail you out at least once," Stallion chimed in with a teasing tone. "You had to spend so much money buying drinks for everyone that you could barely afford ammo for the next mission."
Jay heard Nyx snicker behind him and rolled his eyes. "Ah, piss off, Stallion, nobody asked you," he replied with a smirk. "Thought you were busy babysitting Eagle and Mustang."
"I was- they told me to tell you 'Hi' by the way- but now you've got my full attention," the AWACS replied. "Now, let's finish this and go home. Ritari, what's your status?"
"We're pulling up alongside the facility now," Gray reported. "We'll start sweeping through the lower decks and grabbing any intel we can before working our way up."
"Copy that, Ritari Actual. Alright… Knight 1, Templar 1, keep hammering that fleet until they're sunk, but keep weapons safe on the facility, we don't wanna risk damaging anything Ritari could find."
"Say no more, Stallion. We're on the case," Cyborg assured him as he fired two STDMs at the carrier to finally finish it off.
After narrowly avoiding a railgun shot from one of the cruisers, Jay pulled back on the sick, turning up and around to face the ship. They were both facing the same angle, meaning the Federation cruiser was all but helpless to do anything but watch as Jay dove down on them, passing over the whole ship with a single gun run that left all their defenses destroyed. Once the ship was pacified, he made a sharp loop back around to finish it off with a pair of STDMs.
"ALCON, be advised, we're picking up electromagnetic signatures rising across the board," Stallion warned the group. "Looks like Icarus is gonna give us a light show."
"Sure sounds like it from in here," Gray confirmed. "We're hearing all kinds of strange noises from the upper decks. I'd go and check it out, but we're pulling all kinds of valuable intel from these servers."
"Good, then stay there," Cyborg ordered. "The mission comes first. Samurai and I can deal with any speedbumps Icarus tries to throw at us."
"You and I have very different definitions of what a 'speedbump' is, Boss," Nyx replied sarcastically.
As Cyborg sank the cruiser he'd been harassing, he and Jay quickly converged on the last ship escorting the facility. They tried their best to stop the two mercenaries with everything they had, but all the railguns, AA guns and SAM launchers they could fit on that ship weren't enough to keep Jay and Cyborg from stripping them of their defenses one by one until the ship, like the rest of its fleet, was on its way to the bottom of the sea.
"Cyborg, Samurai, those EM readings are getting stronger. Stay in position near the facility. If shit goes south, we've gotta make sure Ritari has an exit window," Stallion ordered. "Speaking of which, what's your status, Gray?"
"We're still pulling all the data we can, but those sounds we're hearing are just getting louder- wait… I know that sound. I think they're getting ready to launch something."
As Jay circled around the facility, he tilted his wing slightly down to get a good view of the place. He squinted through the darkness, positive that he could see some kind of light on the main deck. But just before he could figure out what it was, the light lurched forward, speeding off and into the sky. It was a jet.
"There! See it boss?" Jay asked, already turning to follow after it. Once more he peered through the dark. He could make out the basic figure of the thing- thanks mostly to the light coming from its exhaust- but it didn't look like any plane he'd ever seen. "Just what the hell is it?"
Cyborg chuckled. "I guess Icarus has been busy. Got anything for us, Stallion?" he asked as he followed Jay's lead in chasing after it.
"Negative, I'm not getting shit from this thing!" Stallion replied. "Some kinda test platform or prototype is my guess. I'm sifting through the data Ritari's sending me, so I'll let you know if I get something. For now, though, blow that thing out of the sky."
Jay smirked. "With pleasure, Stallion. Let's see what this thing can do." He looked over his shoulder. "Nyx, you got a track on it?"
Nyx's initial response was a frustrated grunt. "Trying to. If this thing wasn't so damn fast, I'd nail it myself. You're gonna have to bring us in close, Sam'."
Suddenly, another voice spoke over an open channel- a voice that sounded all too familiar to the mercenaries. "Well, well, well. I'd recognize that Samurai emblem anywhere. Good to see you high and mighty Paladin pricks are still kicking- means I get the pleasure of shooting you down myself."
Jay's eyes widened in surprise. "Holy shit, no way…" he grumbled.
"Needle, you goddamn sleezeball!" Nyx finished his tought. "Paladin's own little reject finally came up for air, did he?"
"Ahh, Nyx. I'd say it's good to see you, but I've never been one to lie."
Nyx scoffed. "First of all, that's bullshit. I don't think you've said a single true statement in the entire time I've had the displeasure of knowing you. Second of all- and I can't believe I'm saying this- I think I'm actually agreeing with you for once. It truly is awful to see you again. And third of all, how's your jaw, jackass?" she asked, slipping into a sarcastic tone effortlessly.
Jay grunted as he made another turn to keep up with the unknown fighter. "Hey, Nyx, keep 'im talking. The dumbass seems to be putting more effort into his comebacks than he is in flying- typical Needle," he groaned, rolling his eyes as he chased after the fighter.
Nyx grinned from ear to ear, brimming with excitement at the prospect of being able to mock him endlessly. "Y'know, we all made fun of you for being such a deplorable human being that you managed to kicked out of the Paladin Mercenary Corps of all places, but now that you're on Icarus's paycheck, I suppose it makes a lot more sense now. You must really be going for the douchebag of the year award."
Jay craned his neck up and then around to keep an eye on Needle's plane as it pulled straight up, bleeding off all its speed and drifting through the sky before subsequently speeding off in the opposite direction. He felt his body protest under the weight of the g-forces as he tried to follow after him, but by the time he was even halfway through his turn, Needle had already circled back around and was already on his tail, spraying gunfire that left tracers flying over the Super Hornet's wings with hardly an inch of clearance between the two.
Needle scoffed. "Oh please. You lot kicked me out because I wouldn't contribute to your delusion of thinking that you can change what your born as. Sorry, Nyx, but unlike the others, I understand that you'll always be a man."
Jay heard Nyx growl under her breath. "Eat shit, Needle. If we weren't flying, I'd come over there and break your jaw again. You can't change who I am, so either accept that or keep your idiocy to yourself."
Jay heard the alert from his instruments and instinctively looked over his shoulder to try and see the missile coming toward him. Without a visual on it, though, he had no choice but to turn away and hope his flares did the rest. As he arced through the night sky, he not only saw the missile go wide, but also Needle closing in on him. He had the two of them dead to rights, but fortunately, he broke off at the last minute as Cyborg chased after him with guns, forcing the experimental fighter on the defensive and giving Jay an opportunity to collect himself.
"The Paladin Mercenary Corps is driven by more than just a lust for fame and fortune. You never understood that. We're family, and since you don't seem to care about anyone or anything that's not money, you get to hold the exclusive title of being the only person to be kicked out of Paladin," the mercenary leader jumped in.
"Ah, speaking of delusion, it's the King of Hypocrites himself," Needle replied with a chuckle. "Cyborg, you of all people should know that mercenaries aren't capable of being good, honest soldiers- you and Stallion both. You saw what happened to Cascadia and what it's become. That is the true nature of all mercenaries. The sooner you accept that, like I have, the better."
"What, by killing anyone and anything just so long as you get paid?" Jay asked. "You'd be no better than the Federation."
"You're right, Samurai; I'm worse- and so are you. It may take some time to realize it, but you'll figure it out eventually."
Jay did his best to tune him out, but Needle had a voice that was remarkably effective at getting under everyone's skin. Suddenly, the missile tone started beeping, causing Jay to look down at his radar and realize that he was within range for an STDM. Nyx was already on the case, guiding the Super Hornet's eyes through the darkness until they had a lock on whatever this plane was. Jay fired a missile without so much as a second thought. And although Needle evaded it with ease, he did so in a way that put him in position to pass right by Jay and Nyx, allowing them to get off a quick burst of cannon fire at him.
"Aha! I've got it!" Stallion finally spoke up again. "Needle's flying an old Icarus Armories prototype that never made it to mass-production," the AWACS explained. "Designation: X/F-30. Codename: Skyshard." The information on Jay's HUD promptly updated. "This thing's built for high maneuverability to take out high-value targets- an ace killer."
"Let's put that to the test, then," Jay decided. "You thinkin' what I'm think', boss?"
"The old Bait and Hook. Let's do it," Cyborg decided, already breaking away from the fight to get some distance. "Keep him busy for me, you two."
"C'mon, Needle. Is that really the best you've got?" Nyx taunted the pilot. "I mean, I knew you were using this plane as a crutch, but I thought you'd be able to put up at least a bit of a fight. Why don't you show us a good time already?"
"Oh, you want a dance, Nyx? I'll gladly oblige," Needle rebutted. Moments later, a strange light started shining around the plane, finally allowing a good view of the X/F-30.
Jay looked over his shoulder at his WSO and scowled. "You just had to say it, didn't you?"
Nyx shrugged. "Wouldn't have been any fun otherwise- you of all people oughta know that."
A loud boom echoed through the night, causing their airframe to shudder as a railgun beam shot out from the Skyshard. Jay only had a split second to react. His hands moved instinctively, and the plane rolled to the side, only narrowly avoiding the heat trail from the railgun. Suffice to say, he and Nyx now had Needle's undivided attention. Missile alerts beeped incessantly as Jay rolled to one side, followed by the other. Finally, he pulled up and looped around. After making a head-on pass with the experimental fighter and somehow staying intact, he cut back on the throttle and pulled back on the stick as hard as he could. The Super Hornet groaned in protest, but ultimately obeyed as it pulled through the air and wound up on Needle's tail.
"Any time would be nice, boss!" Jay insisted as he waited for Nyx to find a lock.
Cyborg responded with a chuckle. "Oh, Samurai, how little faith you have in me. Knight 1, Fox 3!" he called out, launching four MLAAs in rapid succession.
Jay pushed the throttle all the way back up to full, lighting his burners and chasing after Needle as he went defensive. Chaff lit up the sky, and as the first two missiles went wide, Needle's plane lit up once more. He was turned to face Cyborg head on, and he had the mercenary leader dead to rights. Fortunately, in his haste to evade the missile he'd fired, Needle bled off enough speed that Jay and Nyx could get in close- close enough to fire on him.
"He's locked, hit the bastard!" Nyx called out as the missile tone went solid.
Jay's finger was on the trigger before she was finished speaking. Four STDMs launched through the air and collided with the X/F-30. Rather than firing a shot toward Cyborg, the now damaged railgun chose to dispel its energy by imploding- which was something that the rest of the plane didn't respond well to.
"Dammit!" Needle cursed, alarms blaring in the background. Despite his plane rapidly speeding toward the sea, he managed a laugh. "Well played, Paladin; but I hope you realize that this doesn't change a thing. Sooner or later, you'll realize that I was right. It's only a matter of ti-"
Nyx let out a heavy sigh. "Thank god. If I had to listen to his obnoxious-ass voice any longer I might just punch out myself."
"Got a confirmed splash on Needle- serves the bastard right," Stallion muttered.
"That was one helluva light show, you three," Gray chimed in. "Was a nice distraction to help us slip away, too."
"So, how'd we do?" Jay asked. "Did we get the data on the Hydra cruiser?"
"Honestly? It's too early to tell," Stallion replied. "I don't think you guys realize the metric shitload of data Ritari just lifted. Even when you ignore the encryption on most of this stuff, it'll take a few days to sort through it all- maybe even a week or two."
"Perfect," Nyx muttered. "More hurry up and wait. Now, can we go home already? I'm exhausted."
Cyborg chuckled. "Yeah. I'm right there with you, Nyx. After the day we've had, I think we've earned some time to sleep in- especially you, Stallion."
The AWACS let out an indignant huff. "You're damn right. Now let's go already, before I fall asleep at my station."