Chp. 32: Assassin

November 14, 2049

20 Miles North of Kinglane

Captain Ethwar Nathwani was awoken by the whistle of an artillery shell as he slept on top of his Arjun 2. He jolted awake as the explosion erupted in the middle of one of his platoons. He wiggled out of his sleeping bag and crawled onto the back of his tank for immediate cover. When the next explosion went off, he scrambled back up and maneuvered down into the tank's turret. He pulled on his tanker helmet and secured the front of his anti-spalling vest while the rest of the crew busied themselves. He activated his radio and closed the hatch when a round landed much closer.

"All Puma Leads this is Puma Central, muster your crews and check in." He commanded.

His three platoons checked in very quickly, as did his deputy and the rest of his command section. They all knew about as much as he did, but it was easy enough to assume they were being prepared for an attack. Mathwani opened his map book and checked what was starting to gnaw at him. The Chakarians were supposed to be in defensive positions, not attacking. The enemy force ahead was supposed to be two understrength battalions of mechanized infantry and some reservists. Audacious bastards He thought. With his tank ready, he keyed the intercom and then switched to the radio without pause.

"Driver, move us to our forward battle position…All Puma Leads, Puma Central is moving to forward position. Occupy battle positions and report anything you see to Puma Deputy. I'm going to try and reach Bronze Central."

The tank rolled out of the dug-in position and went slightly left. His deputy, Lieutenant Dhand, moved in the opposite direction as they gained speed and cleared the way for the two Bolero jeeps and LPTA cargo truck to move up behind them. They reached the edge of a slight depression, where two box-shaped holes had been dug out for the tanks. The Captain switched between his periscopes and his thermal viewer for a minute before deciding to try and radio the battalion command post.

"Bronze Central, this is Puma Central, requesting a situation report." Nathwani asked.

"Puma Central, Bronze Central is getting reports of heavy artillery bombardment in all sectors. Hold…contact…"

There was a pause while the radio automatically jumped frequencies to avoid the jamming.

"...Hold position and await contact. Air support is inbound."

The radio began to switch again, so Nathwani simply acknowledged and returned to his company's frequency. His displays showed him that the rounds landing had at least knocked out the transmitters on several of his tanks. The infantry just ahead of him were helpless as they tried to find any cover in the tall grass and subtle hills. There wasn't even a dried-up creek bed to hunker down in; just the foxholes they'd dug or the insides of their Abhay IFVs. The captain opened his hatch as the explosions seemed to taper off and shift away. He could see the smoke trails from rockets filling the sky above. It was far from over, he felt. He ducked slightly as an Abhay was ripped open by an explosion, tossing man and metal about. The ringing in his ears faded to the sound he'd come to hate: wounded men screaming.

"All Puma elements be advised, enemy aircraft incoming. Deploy smoke and only maneuver if needed."

The Captain sank back into the turret as a dozen Tunguska anti-aircraft vehicles pushed forward. Through his viewer, he could see more smoke. No, this was dust he thought.

"All Puma elements be advised, enemy vehicles approaching our front! Fire two rounds each, then move to the infantry's line of defense and engage at will." He ordered.

The control panel for the Arjun's countermeasures came to life and told Nathwani that they'd been targeted by a laser designator. He simply made sure it was still set to automatic before he turned his viewer in the direction of the threat. A pair of aircraft rose into view, then flashes erupted from under their stubby wings. The two aircraft split and deployed countermeasures before his supporting Tunguskas could do anything. Nathwani zoomed in and caught a glimpse of their roundels. Osean attack helicopters! He realized in alarm. One of them swung back and fired two more missiles before backing off. Nathwani saw two more transmitters disappear from his display. He clenched his teeth and keyed the radio. As he scrambled to determine who was hit, the first silhouettes appeared from afar. They were Osean M7 main battle tanks; he keyed his radio to make his report and request reinforcements. With the losses they'd taken, his company wouldn't be able to hold on very long…

The Osean-Lenish counter-offensive had been expected, but the attack of Osea's 10th Corps against the Erusean-Sotoan left flank still hit hard. Hard enough to take away some of the units gunning for Kinglane. The bulk of responsibility would shift to the right flank moving along the coast. In fact, in response to the developments inland, the Sotoans had moved up their next push south. For the 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, though, it had little bearing on their overall role. The Bronze Guards simply had new targets they might be called to attack. Or targets that received newfound priority, since they were part of the defenses around Kinglane. Luukas privately decided that attacking these targets was somewhat…distasteful. You wouldn't hear him admit it, though, especially as the intelligence officers seemed to be looking for scapegoats more and more. They won't find any in the 87th He thought. Not unless they want a mutiny…

His CFA-44 was configured to be as stealthy as possible as he snaked across the plains. All his weapons were internal, and he'd launched without any external tanks or a conformal tank on the centerline station. His EOTS guided him through the titanic cloud front moving from the Kupurris to the plains. Even the slightest sound from his AI or RWR had his attention immediately, but every time the transmission was from a source completely unaware of the Nosferatu sneaking its way south. He received fresh data from four more CFAs streaking high above, working with an ER-211 to pick out the transmission sources they were looking for. Two large signals were transmitting about 200 kilometers away from his position. He started looking at the intermittent signals he was getting as he moved through his latest turn and found a break in the clouds. The big one was what caught his eye.

"Mithril this is Talos 2-01, we've spotted what appears to be our target. Strong signal at the following coordinates, please verify." Heinonen radioed. Luukas kept his ears tuned but took that chance to switch to his AP-13s.

"Copy, that appears to be your target. Second target is 60 kilometers to its west." Their E-787 replied.

Luukas selected both of those positions for his GPA and used that as an adhoc guidance to the targets. If their AWACS was correct, then he would be heading straight for an Osean E-14. One had always been covering this corner of the frontlines, making it difficult for Erusean and Sotoan aircraft to get around enemy defenses. That made the taste in Luukas's mouth feel a bit less bitter. He hoped it might scare the Oseans back a little with how much they valued their AWACS platforms. He nosed up to peak over the top of the low clouds, then sunk back down the moment he was satisfied. He drew in a breath and rolled inverted to do the same below. When he was upright, he checked his RWR again. There were more contacts now, and Mithril had the answer.

"Talos 2 this is Mithril, target's escorts are turning towards you. We have four contacts on radar at 205, 185 Kilometers and maintaining Level 7400. A third pair is closing in on the targets."

Luukas lowered his visor and raised his altitude to just above the clouds. He looked to the left and right, where the rest of Talos 1 emerged. Part of the pressure pushing down on the redheaded pilot today was that he'd been placed in command of the central element. Heinonen had recommended it as another chance for him to prove he was worthy of making Major. Krill closed the distance and took a trailing position while Yak and Lunar did the same off to the right. Without having to say a word, his wingman followed Luukas as he nosed up again and increased the throttles. He looked at the distance on the RWR and keyed his radio.

"Activate your radar and engage at will, Talos 1-02." He instructed.

Luukas did the same and his RWR let him know that his radar had been detected by the E-14. His screen told him that the big aircraft was leaving its patrol pattern and heading south, behind the cover of its escorts. Talos 2, their engines at full power, were moving to block the enemy aircraft from his flight. According to the returns he got, they appeared to be Dassault Hailstorms. They stayed at the forefront of his mind as he pulled back on the stick again and started locking onto the Grandline. He adjusted slightly right to get their other target, an EC-46 Athena battlefield management aircraft. Krill went wide so he'd get a shot at the Athena before it could run too far. The ER-211 switched to running interference on the Grandline. As if to make sure the caged animal wouldn't escape Luukas thought with a grimace.

"Talos 1-01 and 1-02 be advised, two more bandits just showed up on radar. They're down low, Level 215, and approaching fast from 179." Mithril warned.

"Talos 1-03 has radar contact. Two bandits at 179, 70 Kilometers and closing; they're ours." Yak declared in an icy tone.

"Negative, stay with Talos 1-01. Talos 2 will take those bandits." Heinonen interjected.

"Copy…Talos 1-02, Arrow away." Luukas replied.

He turned as soon as the AP-13 had cleared his nose and switched to his AP-11s to protect Krill. He crossed over above his wingman and put the contacts Yak and Lunar were closing with. After a few seconds, he turned further right and cleared Krill's tail while he banked to the left. Luukas's RWR told him that at least one of the Hailstorms had turned its attention his way and was closing. He increased his throttles dramatically and swept his radar over the sky where the E-14 had been. This time he bolted upwards with Krill in tow while their second half stayed in the clouds. Luukas rolled and came out of his climb as they broke 11,000 Meters above sea level. Krill stayed in near-perfect formation as they used the E-787 to close in on the E-14.

"Mithril this is Talos 1-01, do you still have the first target on radar?" He asked.

"Talos 1-01, first target deployed countermeasures and is still a factor. Its radar is off for now, but we still have a good idea of its position. Maintain current heading." The AWACS replied.

"Copy, Talos 1-02 push it up!"

Luukas went into afterburner, using his descent to gain even more speed. The two Nosferatus leveled out and started crossing the remaining 70 kilometers in leaps and bounds. Luukas's systems warned him constantly of sources that were catching glimpses of his jet with every kilometer he covered. He snaked briefly to delay their picture, and the ER-211 switched to jamming the fighters' radars accordingly. Still, two of the now six bandits were committed to them and approaching fast. Once more, Yak declared them to be "his".

"Copy…Talos 1-02, fall back and keep an eye on those bandits. You are cleared to separate from me if they become an immediate threat." The Captain instructed.

"Understood." Krill replied quickly.

Luukas searched his brain for knowledge on the Emmerian-built fighter as it ceaselessly tried to pin down the source of his radar. He moved his aircraft straight towards the source, nose-to-nose, any time it started to seem like a lock was close. He also had to divert his attention in the general direction of the E-14 every few seconds. After a few turns, he again went into afterburner to close the distance. He also ascended again and rolled inverted to search the sky for his target. He spotted a large white shape against the plains and guided his nose onto it. The jetliner-shaped E-14 turned away, which did nothing to hide its massive radar cross section. Luukas grimaced again, then turned on his radar. He deployed two bundles of chaff to defend himself and kept tracking the AWACS. The second he had a lock, he treated launching a second missile as washing dirt off his hands. He then turned as the Hailstorms entered missile range.

"Talos 1-01, go for the second target! I've got these two." Krill assured.

"Standby, one of them has a lock on me." Luukas shot back.

There were now six bandits, he thought; likely more out there not using their radars. He maneuvered against the one that'd gotten the drop on him as it fired two MICA-RF missiles at his jet. He deployed chaff and again maneuvered to try and minimize his radar returns. He craned his neck and searched for the missiles and the fighter that'd launched them. He could see two bright lights in the dawn sky, slowly growing bigger every half-second. He deployed chaff again and went head-to-head with the two MICAs for no more than an instant. His heart stopped just as long before their radar lock faltered. Luukas broke away as fast as he could, but they reacquired him. He did the same to make them falter again, and when they were much closer he broke away. The two missiles flashed by, but as he came back towards the Hailstorm, he saw it was practically in front of him.

The Hailstorm's two intakes seemed like a gaping maw trying to swallow him. He responded by quick-firing one of his AP-11s at the offending sight.

"Talos 1-01, Dagger away!"

He rolled over towards the ground, close as it was, and tightened every muscle in his body. He went through with the roll and ended up maybe 100 meters or so above the plains. Luukas let out a ragged breath and pulled back on the throttles so he could turn around posthaste. His body protested against being thrown back into such a state of punishment, but he clenched his teeth and swallowed the discomfort. The Hailstorm had come around, displaying the blue diamond of the Emmerian Air Force on each wing. A country that he'd never considered he'd be up against, and one that had little business in this part of the world. All the same as another Osean, Chakarian, or Len He thought.

"Talos 1-01 this is Talos 1-02, bandits are moving to regroup. Check your fire to the north." Krill warned.

"Understood, Talos 1-02…Talos 1-03, are you able to engage that EC-46?" Luukas replied.

"Negative, we're engaged with the second pair of bandits." Yak stressed.

Luukas didn't really think about what he did next, so much as he followed his instincts. He switched to his cannon and yanked his Nosferatu into an ascending left. He increased the throttles again and fired a burst at the Hailstorm before cutting back on the throttles. He jerked right and selected his remaining two AP-13s. He selected both the fighter and the battlefield management plane, keeping himself firmly behind the former even as it reacted to his moves. The Hailstorm broke hard right, so he kept trailing as much as he could afford. They were both starting to scrape the edge of controlled flight. This low, Luukas was gambling that the Emmerian would hopefully be more spooked than him. Nonetheless, he increased his speed and tried to level out. He looked all around as the missile meant for the EC-46 achieved lock, and fired the instant he had a tone.

"Talos 1-01, Arrow away." He declared.

He decided to fire the second, which the radar had automatically redirected once the Hailstorm was gone. He saw the Hailstorm turning back into him and diving down. Luukas slid the throttles evermore forwards as he climbed and saw flashes go past his canopy. He went into an ascent away from the Emmerian as he pulled out of his dive, and then reversed again to try and catch the Hailstorm before it was done with its move. The enemy aircraft, smaller and more nimble, passed by below him. Luukas grunted, then extended from his opponent and tried again to get his nose on him. He saw his wingman insert himself into the space between him and the other Hailstorm. The Emmerian jet nosed down as Krill seemed like he was going to try and ram him. Instead, Luukas's wingman dumped his speed so he could get the bandit into his forward quarter.

The other Hailstorm made an attempt to get on Talos 1-02 in response, and Luukas did the same as things turned into what the Oseans often called "doing the Tom and Jerry". He switched to his cannon and immediately raised Krill.

"Talos 1-02, be advised that my bandit is settling in on your six. Suggest you break right so I can get a clear shot."

"Sranje! Copy that, 1-01."

He broke off as the Hailstorm behind him fired another MICA, likely a heatseeking variant. Luukas nosed up about a meter or two, then pulled back the trigger. His cannon made its distinctive "knocking" sound and hurled 30mm rounds at the enemy jet. He saw a few sparks on either side of the tail before the Hailstorm pulled hard left and decelerated. Luukas grunted, tensed himself, and pulled back as hard as he could on his stick. He rolled right, then yanked the throttles back. The Nosferatu made as tight a turn as it could, bringing its pilot to the very edge of blacking out. As his vision returned to him, he pushed the throttles forward and searched for the Emmerian jet.

"Talos 1-01, what's your status?" Krill called.

"Still engaged with that second bandit…your tail is clear!" Luukas breathed.

"Copy!"

"Talos 1, Talos 2-01 has two additional bandits and is pushing towards your position." Heinonen radioed.

"Copy Talos 2."

At the same time, Luukas finally spotted the Hailstorm. He kept it in the center of his HMD for a few seconds. Long enough to switch to his last AP-11.

"Talos 1-01, Dagger away!" He barked.

Luukas stayed on his current path so he could keep regaining the momentum he'd spent. The Hailstorm carried through with the turn it was in; Luukas banked after him when his airspeed was above 350 kmh. He looked back to see the Hailstorm trailing fire as it lost its right rear quarter. He came around to make sure the kill was final and searched for any other immediate threats. Despite being in the midst of a furball, his fellow Nosferatus seemed to have the other bandits tied down. His RWR told him that he was being tracked by another unfriendly radar, though. The source revealed itself to be far, far to the south and heading towards them. Another came on at the same time, then two more showed up instantaneously. His AI classified the systems as being the CAPTOR radar systems of Tempest F.3s.

"Mithril, confirm targets one and two are down." He radioed.

"Targets are down or no factor." Mithril replied.

"Copy…Talos 1-02, what's your status? I'm looking to rejoin you."

"Talos 1-02 is engaged offensive with that other bandit. Bandit is damaged and turning south." Krill replied.

"Talos 1-01 has radar contact with multiple new bandits, Heading 180 at 120 kilometers and closing. Altitude unknown at this time but they appear to be Tempests." He reported.

Luukas kept on his current course until he spotted Krill and the other Hailstorm, then slowed and turned to do the same trick he'd done before. Almost immediately he looked around and hailed his second half.

"Talos 1-03 and 1-04, can you disengage to keep those Tempests at bay? Talos 2?" He asked.

"Talos 1-03 can engage from long range but Talos 1-04 is engaged neutral with a Hailstorm." Yak revealed.

"Talos 2 will take the bandits. Talos 1-01, and 1-02, advise you disengage as soon as possible." Heinonen intervened.

Luukas acknowledged his new orders and Krill took the first chance to launch an AP-11 that he got. Luukas turned with the Hailstorm the minute it broke and forced it to reverse. The missile easily followed and, forced to stay left, the Emmerian aircraft was hit. Luukas went high to clear his wingman's tail, then turned off his radar and dove for the ground. The warning signal changed as he slipped back into the relative safety of stealth. He looked back over both shoulders to make sure he was clear. He was unsurprised that he saw two clusters of smoke and fire on the horizon. He didn't dwell on it any longer than he had to.