Chp. 17: In the Jaws of The Beast
October 29, 2049
Over Southeast Sotoa
Luukas kept his Nosferatu steady as the radar picked up the remaining F-72. He reckoned today the mistress of fortune had smiled on them today.
"Naga 16 this is Talos 2-01, we're moving into the southern part of your engagement zone. Check fire; we'll take the remaining bandit." He radioed.
"Copy Talos...good hunting." The SAM's control center replied.
Luukas signalled to Junior Lieutenant Riku "Pine" Kaski and gently banked to the right. He finally got a lock at a little over 75 kilos out. The symbology on his HMD merged and he tapped the launch button twice.
"Talos 2-01, Arrows away." He reported.
Riku went hard right, crossing over his leader, and went tearing off to keep the Sabertooth boxed in. The enemy fighter immediately deployed countermeasures and broke into the attack. Luukas stayed on his current course, then came right to help his wingman trap the enemy fighter. Hopefully keep it from the border, where it might escape to relative safety. His missiles reached their top speed as he gradually went left of them.
"Talos 2 this is Naga 16, be advised that we have intermittent contacts at the edge of our radar. Possibly more F-72s." The same voice from before radioed.
"Do you have a bearing and distance?" Luukas demanded.
"Somewhere between 160 and 170. Range is at least 320 kilometers."
"Copy. Pine, go to higher altitude and keep an eye out. If any more bandits cross the border, engage at will."
"Will do, Lynx."
Luukas put his nose on the Sabertooth as it weaved erratically to defeat the incoming AP-13s. While it did, Luukas kept up his speed to close the distance. The F-72 caught wind of him charging in as it shook one of the missiles and reversed so it would be heading for the border again. Luukas went to full afterburner and, as soon as the F-72 seemed like he would shake the second missile, let his radar actively pursue the bandit again. The F-72 went left and started coming around to face him. Luukas nosed up and pulled back on the stick and throttles while the F-72 dumped speed and nosed down. Luukas tensed his muscles and rolled inverted, finally managing to spot the enemy fighter. He leveled out and stayed in a dive so his radar could get its lock back. The F-72 dumped another bushel of chaff and turned into him once more. He saw its wings extend outwards. Luukas went to the right, then reversed to put himself between the Sabertooth and its escape.
Luukas centered the F-72 in his HMD as the aircraft circled around, seemingly resigning itself to a fight. The F-72's wings went back as it increased speed, then it deployed flares to counteract the lock Luukas had been going for. He switched on his IRST in response.
"Pine, what's the status of those other bandits?' He asked.
"I have a solid track on enemy aircraft approaching the border, Lynx. Four bandits, all F-72s. Currently 290 kilometers out at an altitude of 7300." Riku replied.
"Baadal this is Talos 2, requesting additional aircraft to Naga 16's engagement zone. More bandits heading for the border, possibly a second raid."
"Understood Talos, standby." Their support A-100 replied.
Luukas's jet passed over the F-72 and ended up at its five o'clock high. He rolled inverted and nosed down towards the enemy aircraft, resting a finger next to the weapon select switch in case the Sabertooth pilot kept stringing along his AP-11s. The F-72 nosed up and once more tried to make a run for the border, and Luukas had grown tired of the trick. What, don't have the balls to fight your way out? He thought mockingly. His ECM warned him that the other F-72s were entering the outer part of their weapons range. The AI estimated they had about twenty seconds to get a shot off. Riku had pulled back so he could have time to lock and engage without slipping into Chakari.
"Talos 2 this is Baadal, friendly aircraft are inbound from 290. They report they are seven minutes out. Advise you clear the area if those bandits cross the border so Naga 16 and Chimera 4 can engage." His AWACS piped up.
Luukas gave a hurried acknowledgement and finally switched to his cannon. He edged his CFA closer and closer to the Sabertooth until he had a good angle. The F-72 broke right as he fired off a burst; Luukas followed, then pulled out of his attack as two of the incoming fighters got a fix on his position. He let off chaff and selected his AP-11s once more. The lone F-72 hurried off while Luukas joined his wingman in engaging the oncoming Sabertooths. Riku already had four missiles off and was turning to cover him as he let his radar do its job. Two of the F-72s turned directly towards him and fired off two AMRAAMs each. Luukas sucked in some breath and broke hard left. He yanked the stick in the opposite direction and aimed the nose skyward. More countermeasures, more maneuvering, anything he could think up to keep those missiles from having even the smallest chance. He made a feint to the right, then went left and nosed over towards the ground once more.
Three of the missiles went wide of his aircraft, rocket motors still burning away. The last one made an attempt to turn and follow him. Luukas upped his speed and banked towards the missile. It ended up below him, none the wiser. He searched the sky and spotted one of the F-72s diving at him. Luukas glanced forward, then let his HMD track the Sabertooth for a few seconds as he ascended and tried to predict what the other jet's next move might be. The F-72 turned towards him and the fight started to devolve into tail-chasing. The F-72 exited the fight before it could go on for more than a second. Luukas saw they were pulling back before reinforcements arrived. Luukas jumped at the chance and went after the F-72 that was running from him. He switched to the bandit's wingman as it turned to drive him off. One of his missiles picked up the guidance from the IRST.
"Talos 2-01, Dagger away." He reported as he pushed the launch button.
Luukas went left, anticipating the Sabertooth would probably fire an ASRAAM at him. He looked back and saw the AP-11 strike the left side of the enemy fighter as it tried to break and follow him all at once. The jet burst out of the fireball and its canopy blew away, sending two ejection seats into the sky. He reversed course and went looking for the fifth kill of his career, but the remaining bandits were pulling back. He looked at his fuel gauge and decided not to pursue. Their reinforcements, Basilisks, pushed them further south before they broke off to check out another potential raid going north. From well inside Chakari, Sharky felt anger bubbling up inside him as the others caught up. The second plane downed had been another Rosenthal crew…
What could Ah even say? Jed asked himself. Is "Ah love yah" even enough? Should Ah ask what boundary Ah pushed or somethin? The young man flushed behind his oxygen mask and tugged at it to let some of the heat out. He busied himself with checking the sky around him and making sure the S-4 they were escorting was still where he'd last seen it. Annie's F-24 was also where it was supposed to be, out on the edge of his vision. According to his GPS, they were some 600 miles from the Sotoan coast. Somewhere in that space was an Erusean carrier group. He checked his fuel and did some math, hoping they might find something before they had to hit up a tanker. They had maybe two hours before they had to turn around. Jed tried to think where the Eruseans might be. They couldn't dodge the good guys forever.
"Would it be too much to ask for them to trip up on EMCON?" He asked, eyes looking skyward.
Probably not the best prayer when you're trying to get out of manwhoring, but it was worth a shot. He finagled his mask again so he could sip some water and set his EHUD's magnification to maximum. He also set his EOTS to oscillate and took the chance shift in his seat. As his eyes turned east, his thoughts slipped back to the woman flying off his nine o'clock. Annie was, coincidentally, feeling the same way as him. Spend some time searching the skies and sea, then wonder about Jed. Unlike him, she was determined to make this work. They'd take it one day at a time if they had to.
"Hangman, Skull 3, be advised that Jacko 1-3 has detected a possible surface contact. Heading 020, 260 Miles. Request permission to close and verify, Hangman." The S-4's pilot spoke up.
"Copy Jacko 1-3, you're cleared to investigate. Skull 5 and Riffer 2 will be enroute once they've finished refueling." The mission's AWACS allowed.
Jed and Annie closed the gap slightly, then staggered themselves so one was high and ahead (Jed) while the other went low and stayed back (Annie). Jed let the data shared by the Wraith and his RWR paint the picture for now as they moved ever closer to the limits of the Pelican's radar coverage. The contact the S-4 had found seemed to have something else nearby. Jed pushed down on the right rudder pedal and aimed his plane in that direction. He instinctively checked to make sure his Marlins were ready.
"Tsun-Tsun, got possible airborne contact at 027, 220 Miles. Looks to be about 75 Miles northeast of that surface contact." He drawled.
"Copy, do you have a proper ID?" She replied, banking left of the S-4, then turning to the same heading.
"General behavior suggests a Fafnir. Skull 5, what's yer ETA on getting fueled up?"
"Skull 5-2 just hooked up and is receiving his gas now, Bronco." Bounce radioed.
"Hangman, Riffer 2 requesting permission to break from Skull 5 and assist Skull 3."
"Standby."
A second radar source turned on seconds later, this one much more powerful. The Pelican identified it as an TS-9E search radar, known as "Wallflower" to Osean pilots. The move had allowed the S-4 crew to determine they'd sniffed out a Loz-class cruiser. The news was followed by the Fafnir catching the trio of aircraft heading its way. Jed responded by requesting the E-12 paint the target for his AIM-152s. He let the weapons soak up the data the Pelican was passing along while Annie swept back and forth in search of Erusean fighters. He went to full military power and nosed up slightly.
"Tsun-Tsun, keep Jacko covered while Ah take a shot at that Fafnir." He radioed.
"Copy Bronco. Be careful." She replied.
Jed wondered if he sounded too...intimate when he assured her he would, but that embarrassment was drowned out by the fact that he had a radar lock on the E-04. He just needed to get into range. The plane turned away from him and began heading north as fast as it could. Jed mentally noted where the button to activate his radar was on his control stick. The RWR changed its tune as he seemed to be getting the attention of the Erusean ship.
"Heads up, that Loz just turned on their Lava Lamp!" The S-4 piped up, referencing the cruiser's KP-17 fire control radar.
Jed kept on course until he reached the very edge of the Marlin's range. Beads of sweat formed at the top of his forehead as he rested his thumb against the countermeasures switch. He looked at his EOTS's picture, then drew in a breath and went to full afterburner. The E-12's guidance was becoming less and less effective as he drew closer. Reluctantly, Jed switched on his own radar and held his breath. It took a few seconds, but the crap radar cross section of the E-04 did him a big favor.
"Skull 210, Fox 3." He reported the second he had a good lock.
He waited no more than a second (just long enough to ditch external tanks) before he turned left and yanked the stick back as hard as he could. The launch threw his entire world into chaos as the Lava Lamp singled him out. He deployed chaff and went for the deck. Annie instinctively turned on her radar to distract the ship while the Wraith's crew took advantage of its radar emission to ready their LRASMs (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile). A third radar source came on from parts unknown as every "magic" box inside their planes worked to keep the Erusean ship from getting a solid lock. Unsurprisingly, the ship's radar targeted aboth of the fighters, though its want remained exclusively on Jed. He looked in its direction and checked the range between him and it: around 180 Miles now. On the bright side he'd nailed that Fafnir, which he hoped meant an opening in their radar coverage.
"Hangman, Hangman be advised that Skull 3 and Jacko 1-3 have detected at least two surface contacts now, one Loz-class and a Barakuda-class. Jacko 1-4, Jacko 1-2, are either of you in position to verify and assist?" The Wraith asked.
"Copy 1-3, we're looking at your data now." One of its squadmates replied coolly.
"Hangman, request you get an EA-11 on scene if possible." Jed added.
"Noted, 3-1." The AWACS replied tersely.
Jed broked towards the cruisier, then moved away as he tried to break its lock. The cruiser launched two missiles at the fleeing Hellcat before he could. Jed deployed chaff and broke into the attack, only to get a second pair of missiles launched at him. Annie got a pair and so did the S-4, effectively leaving him all alone.
"Jacko 1-3, break off your approach and try again! Skull 3-2 will try and get you an opening." Annie spoke up.
"Copy." Was all the Wraith's pilot could say.
"Skull 3-1, what's your status?"
"Engaged...defensive...four missiles." Jed hissed through clenched teeth.
He yanked the stick back and tried the wildest maneuver he could think of on the spot. His whole body felt like it was about to be crushed into dust. The RWR beeped away in his ear incessantly, to the point he could barely hear his own thoughts. He only managed to catch snippets of the radio traffic. Annie was still alive, but Jacko 1-3 had taken a serious hit and was going down. The cruiser was still aware of his existence and relentlessly pursuing him as its SAMs hit their maximum speed.. Jed looked and spotted the first one arcing down to strike. He saw the second one not far behind; Jed drew a breath.
"Ah'm gonna haunt yer ass if y'all get me, Nikula." He sneered.
He deployed more chaff, went into full afterburner and nosed up. As he did, he weaved to the left, dumped more chaff and then came back to the right. He noted how much he'd deployed and cast out a few more bundles before he was certain enough. Hope the Lightnings are on it today He thought. The first missile passed by behind him and exploded. He felt the shockwave, then caught the second missile as it went off even closer. He pulled away as fast as he could, trying to hear past the RWR's panicking and pick out the sounds of other alarms. He forced his eyes down and saw nothing on his panels indicating his aircraft was damaged.
The third and fourth missiles came so fast he'd almost failed to realize it. He locked up his muscles again and started maneuvering, trying to inch his way back towards his wingwoman. He went vertical once more, then made a barrel roll that brought him into the horizontal plane and left the M10s without a target to climb towards. They made an effort to turn, using their cruiser's guidance, but the maneuver was too much at their speed. He watched one of the bullet-shaped missiles fly by well above him while the other kept going almost straight up into the midday sky. The cruiser kept on him, but the destroyer had backed off. Jed guessed Riffer was about to make their arrival clear. Maybe more accurately, he hoped they were about to make their arrival clear.
"Tsun-Tsun, Ah'm enroute to yer position. What's yer status?" He spoke up..
"Engaged offensive, two bandits." She replied.
"Copy Ah'm on my way."
Jed picked up a second pair of bandits at the rightmost edge of his radar and made a wide turn their way, wedging himself between Annie and them. Despite the warships still after him, he immediately went for a lock-on while Annie kept the first two away from her wingman. The two Basilisks split and bracketed her. She chose the leader and, as Skull 5 approached, encouraged them to take the other. She noted Jed's position as her APG-82 zeroed in on the F-03 opposite her.
"Skull 208, Fox 3." She radioed with a little edge in her voice.
As soon as she had fired, she called out to Jed and broke towards him. Jed went left after he launched his two Marlins and closed the gap until they were almost one in front of the other. He nosed up and barrel rolled while Annie went low and made a feint towards the jets he'd fired on. He ended up below her and pointed at one of the F-03s just in time for his first AIM-152 to catch it. Its wingman barely escaped the other before it turned and fired an AP-13. Jed banked hard right, reluctantly parting ways with some more chaff, and adjusting his grip on the control stick so he could go from Marlins to AMRAAM in a split second. Annie followed him as her first opponent was going down in pieces.
"Bronco, Glue and me just entered the fight. Riffer is in range and going for lock. Where do you need us?" Bounce spoke up.
"Keep that bandit nearest you occupied, and keep Riffer covered until they launch and are away." Jed replied as he looked over his shoulder.
"Copy."
"Bronco, third pair of bandits just hit the far edge of my radar. Break now." Annie added.
The two jets went in opposite directions. Jed worked the rudder pedals too in an effort to keep the cruiser off of him.
"Tsun-Tsun, where are those new bandits?" He gasped.
"Heading 024, 240 Miles out. They're booking it hard." She replied.
Jed nosed down and rolled again, checking his remaining fuel as he managed to get the Loz off him for a few seconds. They were going to need more than Skull 5 on station at this point. He twisted again and put his focus on the newest pair of bandits, switching positions with Annie every few seconds to remain unpredictable. Once more he found himself heading in the direction of the Erusean ships as they were slithering northeast now. The cruiser and its accompanying destroyer weren't lost to that fact, either. Jed maneuvered to try and break the signal. Halfway through, the Lightnings swung into action.
"Riffer 301, Brusier dash-four."
"Riffer 311, Brusier dash-four."
The Loz's radar signal slacked off again as the fourship of F-35s rippled off a wave of LRASMs. As soon as the weapons were off, the jets turned tail to escape the enemy ships' radars and weapons. Jed turned his nose back to the F-03s as he and Annie switched positions again. He fired his last Marlin, then switched to his AMRAAMs as the words "Fox 3" left his mouth. As he turned from the attack, he saw several smoke trails rise into the air from afar. None were coming for him at the moment, and he seemed to have dropped down the priority list. As his nose centered on the enemy aircraft again, he'd found they'd split and were dumping countermeasures. His Marlin missed its target by that much.
"Okay Tsun-Tsun, let's bracket 'em. Leader is yers." He spoke up.
"Copy Bronco." Annie replied.
She braced herself and went right while he went left. The Basilisks looked like they were going to fire, but abruptly broke off their attack. Jed and Annie went to a loose deuce and took up the chase, with Jed covering Annie while she went for radar lock. Her RWR spiked and drew her attention as a particularly powerful signal was coming from her eleven o'clock.
"Bronco, I just got a strong hit off my eleven. Do you have anything on your RWR?" She asked.
"Yeah Ah see it...Hangman be advised that we've got a major hit on the RWR here. Can y'all identify?" Jed replied, feeling his sweat growing cold.
"Copy we've got it...large surface contact at Heading 017, 270 Miles. Alpha Bravo this is Hangman, be advised we may have a fix on the Tanager II." The AWACS chimed in.
Jed almost immediately ordered Annie to close ranks with him and follow him back to the west. The RWR's tone changed as the Tanager's search radar began actively looking for targets to track. He looked over his shoulder to make sure she was with him, then yanked his aircraft into a hard 180. Just about every impolite word he could think of came tumbling out in both Lenish and Yuktobanian. The cruiser seemed to have dropped off the radar, though from the radio calls it was likely still afloat. Its search radar was also still going, but its fire control had slacked off. The destroyer was still searching, but it had apparently passed the job of air defense to the much larger ship. Through it all he could hear the AWACS issue some important orders.
"Hangman to Jacko 1, attention all Jacko 1 aircraft. Break from current pattern and head west with Riffer. Repeat, head west with Riffer. Skulls 3 and 5, cover their withdrawal."
As the cruiser and destroyer moved towards the Erusean capital ship, they tried once more to nail the two F-24s. Jed had given up cursing and decided to just run. Run as fast as those two General Electrics could push his Hellcat. He eased closer and closer to the waves with a considerably cooler Annie in tow. They fled to the relative protection of their fellow Daredevils, circling a few times after they were out of immediate danger. Jed looked back over both shoulders in search of smoke from the Loz but it was too far away. He reached up to lift his visor and noted with disgust that he was shaking. The young man dug around in his flight gear until he pulled out a bottle of lukewarm water and pulled off his oxygen mask. He took a long swig using his "throttle hand" and stuffed it back inside his flight suit. He then signalled to Annie and nosed up. The RWR continued to beep, albeit less ominously as the enemy ships and aircraft got further away.
Jed inadvertently held his breath as he circled one more time, then relaxed when he realized he was out of their reach. He rubbed his eyes, but he felt the smallest of smiles form. He'd gotten the message, and he was gonna repay his gratitude how he reckoned he was supposed to.