January first...
Midnight had just passed, and I sat with Dell clinking beer bottles as we spent some recreational time in the firing range creating our own brand of new years fireworks. (Of course, since I actually didn't care for alcohol I had a root beer instead but that's besides the point.) The two of us were blasting country music and shooting up targets for fun as we celebrated the new years our own way, the AMERICAN way.
Stories were told, laughs were had, and so much ammo was spent on the range that the floor to our right had a carpet of shell casings from the weapons we hadn't changed to caseless yet. There was just something satisfying about chemical firearms still, especially when it came to celebration. One time in Dell's increasingly drunken state he decided to try firing a fully automatic 20mm machine gun I had made and it nearly blew him over because the fool decided to fire it standing up, we both had a good laugh about it and the drinks continued.
Dell ended up getting hungry and had the brilliant idea of quite literally using the barrel of an Mg42 to cook food, wrapping the barrel in layers of tin foil and bacon before dumping an entire mag to heat it all up. When it was done, it was delicious. Nice and crispy with a hit of gun smoke. I roasted Smores with my fire and we partied until the early morning, singing Johnny Cash songs and dancing around, shooting six guns into the air like cowboys until Dell was tuckered out and I had to haul him to bed around 4am.
All in all, a rather fun night, and I looked forward to the time when I could actually set off an epic fireworks show that I wouldn't need to hide.
I walked out from the living quarters after putting Dell to bed, taking in the now bustling dry docks. It had taken a while, but my designs for the Intrepid were finally complete, and the huge carrier was now in production. The overhead crane set above the area was in motion as a veritable swarm of my new Construction Spectres and engineering operators clambered over parts of the ships frame. Entire sections were being built in different areas off to the sides before being moved by the crane into position, where operators and spectres would secure everything and mount it all together. The bottom third of the huge ship was largely complete, and the three brand new cold fusion reactors stood up almost like hydroelectric plants across the length of the ship, where shielding and safeties were being built around them.
They weren't online yet, and wouldn't be until after the ship was complete, but it was an imposing sight that filled me with glee. To see tangible progress on my ships, and to know that it would be complete by the end of the week made me ecstatic. In the drydocks around the cove, another two ships were in production, one of sharp and proud design, and one of large and heavy foundation.
The Johnston and the Texas. My Destroyer and Dell's Battleship design, named after two old US ships that we had our own respect for. I named mine after the sunken WW2 ship, commanded by one of the manliest men I've ever heard of that went out in a blaze of glory so proud even Saxton Hale would approve. The USS Johnston at the time of WW2 was an escort destroyer for a carrier group that was jumped by the central Japanese fleet, with the biggest battleship to exist, the Yamato in it.
The USS Johnston put up a valiant fight that would be told for generations, taking shells from the Yamato herself, and numerous cruisers before succumbing to enemy fire. The commander too, Earnest Evans, nicknamed 'Big Chief', took numerous hits and kept going in a display so heroic it deserves an action movie. In the first enemy barrage, a shell exploded behind the bridge and he took shrapnel, losing two of his fingers, but he refused painkillers from the medics and tore off his tattered shirt to continue command with his bare chest, directing fire as they took out a battlecruiser with torpedos and stopped an enemy charge on the carriers.
When the frontal guns and bridge were hit beyond repair, he ran down through fire and smoke to the rear end of the ship to yell orders at the ruddermen below decks and take command of the rear guns, waving to the captain of a sister destroyer, Samuel B. Roberts as they passed by. The Johnston was crippled and slow, fighting to the bitter end, but eventually the Johnston's luck ran out, and a shell hit the last remaining engine. Dead in the water, Evans called to abandon ship, and was never seen from again.
Commander Evans fought valiantly and helped save the majority of the outnumbered fleet of carriers he was escorting, dealing a massive blow against the enemy fleets. He was the first Native American to be awarded the medal of honor, and one of the few military men I had massive respect for. How the USS Johnston never sank earlier under the weight of the crew's balls is forever a mystery.
I could only hope that my destroyer could live up to the name, but I had no intention of letting it sink so easily. Rapid autoloading 8 inch guns made up the six turrets across it's decks, with numerous missile tubes along the center citadel and two CWIS turrets. Numerous 40mm Bofors cannons also existed along its decks, for targets too small for the main guns and anti air use. This new Johnston would have speed, maneuverability, and enough weapons to thrash well above it's weight class, should a similar scenaro ever be encountered.
As for Dell's design of the Texas, he had given it a complex honeycomb structure for its internals, beefed the armor with composite internal plating, and redesigned the planned 16 inch guns into 20 inch railguns, a larger caliber than even the Yamato had wielded, requiring a more powerful cold fusion reactor. The 3,400 pound shells were truly insane in weight and I had no doubt they would obliterate whatever they hit, and even if they didn't, I imagined the secondary batteries of 10 inch shells or the equipped missiles would.
The Submarine and my Missile cruiser were still in development, but I had no doubts they too would be completed by the months end. I might even end up building another three Destroyers for my escort fleet by the time everything is ready to roll out.
I could've sat there and watched the construction for hours, but I had other things I needed to check on, so I headed into the more electronic and robotics focused lab in the R&D wing. Each and every ship would be given their own AI in the form of a Command Spectre, and as an effort to make co-operation easier with any allies, they would closely resemble humans in appearance. These AIs would have bodies more reflective of androids, a close mimmicry of humans, yet no less capable than their spectre counterparts.
They were to be the premium of the crop, and I decided to use their designs for my other command units as well so that any cooperation between other allies would be smoother, and that they might be underestimated as 'mere humans' should any allies attempt to betray me.
For the Intrepid, I was designing a serious but flexible-with-the-rules female command unit with jet black hair, electric blue eyes and a black and blue service uniform that came with a long military style coat of the same trim. She would be the overall commander in charge of the fleet whenever I wasn't around.
For the Texas, I asked for Dell's input and we created a patriotic lookalike to the Soldier from BLU minus the helmet- an eager and somewhat crazy American with a love of overkill, but one that hid a seriously skilled tactical mind behind all his bluster. For style I gave him an intimidating uniform, fake cigar designed to mimic a real one, and a pair of aviators, giving him the look he would be spouting movie quotes and kicking ass in the future.
For the Johnston, I tried to personify the original commander as closely as I could, giving him dark hair, a serious and proud countenance, and a buff physique and epic mustache. Anything less than a proud and strong commander wouldn't do.
All three of those Command units were pretty much complete, currently shut off and standing to the side of the lab awaiting the time when I would awaken both them and their ships. The other two for the Submarine and the Missile cruiser stood next to the unfinished military command units in another area, still in a skeletal state as their designs and internals were yet to be completed. My eyes drifted from the robotic frames to a curtained off area.
Over in a corner all to its own in the lab and surrounded by some dust prevention curtains was a big and bulky device the size of an SUV that I had begun developing specifically to deal with one of my main objectives here on this world, specifically the death of Cure Elim, a sticking point I've pondered for a while. The truth was, I didn't want to face Cure Elim head on. The undead dragon was as powerful as Ainz, and he had a wild magic spell capable of absolutely deleting any enemy within his sight that didn't have a world item equipped. I knew he was sleeping somewhere down south in a mountain, but I didn't want to have anything resembling a fair fight against him, he was too powerful to risk that.
So, instead of facing him head on, I just had to use a weapon strong enough to both ambush him and completely obliterate him, and keep another ten shots ready if the first wasn't enough. And thus- The Hammer was born.
It wasn't a complicated weapon system, and it wasn't even brand new, but it hadn't been done before, for good reason. The idea had been around for decades, but in a world of peace and multiple nations, such a thing had never been allowed out of fear of its power.
Lucky for me- There was nobody around powerful enough to contest it here, and with portals, it would be incredibly easy to deploy.
What kind of weapon was it? Well, that's for me to know, and for others to find out only when it's too late to escape.
I looked away from the corner and towards a wall of computers where a big screen was mounted, showing an overhead map of the Baharuth Empire. Dots were moving across in sweeping lines, showing the progress and location of the train tracks I was building. Drone footage was used to survey and stitch together a map, which was used to direct a large group of what I dubbed 'workman' Spectres, groups dedicated to construction that looked human enough to fool from a distance but worked tirelessly and precisely at their tasks.
I had the feeling questions would be raised about them, but soon enough that wouldn't matter as I had plans to raid the floating castle and the Theocracy once the Intrepid could field aircraft, and after that not much else mattered, as I would have the power to do what I wanted without much contest. The biggest threats that I know of are the Theocracy, the Platinum Dragon Lord, and Cure Elim. Most others like the elf king don't count because they are tied up in other ways and I can deal with them easily. Ainz doesn't count because he isn't here yet to pose a threat.
Though, once Ainz is here, it will become a dangerous game as his underlings will no doubt attempt to overthrow or move against me unless Ainz orders otherwise, and even then they probably won't accept me, as I'd be a possible threat. Holding a presence on this world was of less importance to me than avoiding them as an enemy. Ainz and his NPCs hold plenty of world items that I'd be more than wary of, and they could kill gods, so even if I was to ascend to a power level above them, I cannot risk a fight without somehow ripping their items and power away.
Breaking their guild weapon might do tremendous damage, and prevent them from respawning, but it was a huge risk. They own the world item Longinus, and if they were prepared to bear the cost they could erase me from existence at the cost of erasing one of their own.
Death like that scared me, and there were far too many ways they could kill me, so I was more than prepared to concede this entire world to him if it came to it.
I shook my head. Enough depressing thoughts. I had time to kill while the ships were being built, and I had just the thing to both occupy my time and be productive...
I pulled a new token out of my inventory, one I had gained from a dungeon yesterday. Unlike the Boss challenge token, or the Speedrun token, this token had a face with several fighter jets in a pose and the letters DCS at the bottom, so I knew exactly what this challenge was, and while I had mixed feelings, I needed to try this. The potential rewards might just be too valuable for the Intrepid for me to pass up.
I snapped the token, and was whisked away.
[Now Entering- Digital Combat Simulator]
[Challenge Start!]
Opening my eyes, I found myself standing on an airfield in a slightly chilly and mountainous region. Various fighter jets from numerous countries were in use, everything from russian flankers and french fighters to american multirole jets. Activity was everywhere with some aircraft taking off, some landing, and several getting refueled and re armed by ground crews.
Yep, this was DCS World, one of the most realistic and hard-core fighter jet simulators out there. Expensive to play properly but there is nothing quite like it out there. I'm a little surprised the System would have a challenge of this game, since it's not a casual sim in the least. To fly these planes, or on occasion the helicopters, and use their weapons, you must know how to use them. It's a study Sim, meaning you need to learn how to fly them, how to use them, their weapons, and their limits. Lucky for me I know how to fly several different fighter jets and strike aircraft from my time playing.
"You the new pilot?" A voice called. I turned to look at an approaching ground chief, walking forwards with a clipboard and a few papers. I looked down at myself, noting my armor had been replaced with a flight suit.
"Looks like it, what's the situation?" I asked, taking note of the numerous anti-air munitions being loaded onto aircraft. The ground chief handed me a few papers, namely a map and some briefing material.
"It's a straight up mulcher out there, team deathmatch style. Got an aircraft in particular you want?" He asked, marking down some things on his clipboard. I studied the map intensely, noting the confirmed enemy placements as well as the mountainous terrain through the middle of the map. Looks like it was the mountains of Georgia, and I don't mean the state. Our side of the map was level terrain, and it seemed like all aircraft were engaging above the mountains that lined the center in a brutal dogfight that I wasn't keen on joining. On the other side of the mountains the ground was swallowed by an ocean where our enemies were. It looked like one or two carriers were over there in the ocean with an AWACS (massive radar plane that monitors enemy positions) patrolling above, just like our own was circling on our side of the mountains.
Hmm... Those mountains themselves might be very useful. A plan started to form in my mind as I studied a possible route I could take. A direct engagement in the woodchipper above the mountains was out of the question, far too risky as I knew I wasn't the best pilot and dodging missiles wasn't fun. But... maybe I could be a little sneaky and with a little luck, and a lot of speed I could deal a massive blow with one strike, and get away with it.
"Give me an F16-C, and load it with 4 AIM120s and drop tanks. Top it up, too. I need the fuel." I told him, handing back everything but the map, which I stuck to a pad on my thigh for reference. The chief nodded, writing more stuff down.
"We have a few you can use, they'll be in the hanger 3 down on the right. I'll get some boys to tend to whichever one you pick, just taxi it out onto the ready area. Do you have a callsign?" He asked, looking up from his clipboard.
I thought for a second. "I'll take Ascar 1-1." He nodded and put that down.
"Alright, that's all I needed. Good hunting, airman." He turned to walk away, reaching for a radio. I turned away too, jogging down the tarmac to hanger 3 as I passed by a few parked A10's that I looked longingly at. I loved the A10, and it was great for CAS and ground strikes, but I had no use for one here. Using a slow plane like that would just get me killed with all the much faster enemy air around.
Ignoring the urge to go out and take one anyways I moved to hangar 3 where four F16s were parked facing the entrance, all ready for rapid deployment. Climbing the ladder to one I stopped at the top and took a breath. I knew how to fly, and how to use one of these things but simulators never really prepare you for the real deal.
Well, no time like the present. I climbed in, removing the ladder by stuffing it in my inventory before strapping in. Everything looks familiar to what I'm used to, and some things are already ready and set. Time for startup.
Flipping on the Battery switch to Main Power, the cockpit comes to life around me as electronics begin warming up and lights begin to awaken. Flipping the starter to position 2, I watch the RPM gauge as compressed air gets blown through the engine until it reaches the 20 marker. The threshold met and the SEC light now out, I move the throttle lever into idling position, causing the jet engine to come to life.
Engine noise now filling the hangar, I strap on the helmet and close the canopy, locking it in place. I turn on a row of switches to my right and set the INS to the stored heading, followed by the flipping the altimeter and my hard point switches. IFF is set to normal, and the HUD turned on. Standby horizon is uncaged, and I use my right MFD, or Multi Function Display to transmit Link 16.
Next the altimeter is set to Electronic instead of pneumatic, the helmet mounted cuing system is engaged, and the ejection seat is armed. A few more switches and the Radar Warning Reciever is powered and armed, along with my jammer, chaff, and flare countermeasures. Alignment now ready, I set INS to Nav before aligning my helmet with a cross on the display to calibrate the HUD. Now with that all set, I'm just about ready to go.
I turn on the nose wheel steering and disengage the brake, nudging the throttle forwards a bit more than necessary to get it moving before dialing it back. The jet gives an initial lurch before settling into a steady speed at idle, and it suddenly hits me that I'm actually here, in this moment, piloting an F16. A nervous grin spreads across my face as I taxi my jet out of the hangar and over to the refueling and rearming area before applying the brake. Nearby ground crew come over to service it, towing the loadout I asked for on carts. They secure the weapons and attach the drop tanks before filling them with fuel, making quick work of things.
It takes a minute or two, but I wait patiently until they finish. Once done I'm given a thumbs up before the crew rushes off to another area where an F14 Tomcat just taxied in, carrying some battle damage. I give the other craft an approving nod before taxing over next to the runway, watching as a pair of F18s land in formation before taxing off to rearm.
Keying in with my radio, I call the tower. "Tower, Ascar 1-1, taxing to runway Zero Two, permission for takeoff?"
"Ascar 1-1, this is Tower, wait one Mike on that, We've still got incoming." A smooth and calm voice answers.
"Ascar 1-1 copies, I'll wait." I key off the mic and sit by until I see a Swedish Viggan coming in, debris from tree tops hanging off its empty weapons pylons. The 'flying dorito' comes in for a somewhat rough landing before reversing it's thrust, significantly slowing itself down before turning off the runway.
"Ascar 1-1, Tower, you are cleared for takeoff."
"Afirm tower, Ascar 1-1 out."
I maneuver out onto the runway and line myself up before pushing the throttle all the way in, getting pressed back into my seat as the afterburners kick in and the powerful jet roars. I use the nose wheel steering until I reach about 80 mph before turning it off in favor of the rudders, building up speed until I finally pull up at around 200, feeling the turbulence of the ground dissappear as I begin rising into the air with ease. I pull up my gear and check my flaps as I keep rising before starting to turn to the right in a sweeping curve, making my way for the mountains at low altitude. I was sorely tempted to go straight vertical in a combat takeoff and reach ten thousand feet in less than a minute, but I didn't want altitude at the moment, I needed to stay low for my plan.
Switching the radio to the AWACS, I key in and call for a warning radius. "Overlord, Ascar 1-1, Set tripwire 40 miles."
"Ascar 1-1, Overlord. Tripwire set at 40 miles." A female voice answers. Good, now I will get a callout if an enemy is detected within 40 miles of me. I check my datalink, noting the positions of my friendlies and the detected enemies before modifying my course even further to the right.
I get close and low to the mountains, and the RWR stops getting routine pings from the enemy AWACS as their signal gets broken by the earth between us. Now I'm invisible to the enemies unless someone else detects me on radar or I break cover and get detected by the AWACS.
I fly low at around 500 mph, weaving and dodging throughout valleys as I carve a path about three hundred miles south of the concentrations of enemies, avoiding detection as best I can. It's a slow, somewhat quiet flight, but I have a purpose for getting this far from enemy lines. I'm about ten minutes into my flight when I get a call on the radio.
"Overlord, Ascar 1-1, Tripwire. BRA- 041 for 38, 15,000 angels, hot. Type- F15." The woman from the AWACS radioed.
Shit. Enemy F15, 38 miles away at 15,000 feet, and to my... left, heading in my direction in some kind of flanking maneuver towards my friendlies. No nails, so I'm not seen yet, but they'll likely pass right by me in a minute. We're kinda far out here, should I take the risk and try to kill it?
Fuck it. Might as well score an easy kill. I can spend some more time in the mountains to ensure I lose anyone that decides to hunt for me. I keep an eye on the data link on my map as the enemy F15 gets closer, maneuvering through the mountains to both try and notch their radar and to get in position.
They get within 10 miles and I punch the afterburner, pulling up in a steep climb now barreling out of the mountains straight towards them, pressed back into my seat as the F16 climbs hundreds of feet in seconds. The RWR is now pinging again as I'm back on the AWACS' radar but it doesn't matter at the moment. I lock on with my own radar and the F15 notices, taking evasive actions and popping flares but it's both the wrong countermeasure and it's too late. With a call of "Fox 3!" I send an AIM 120 straight at them, well within range that the missile itself has reached 'pitbull' range, or the range where it can lock onto a target and I no longer need to guide it with my own radar.
I roll right and into a loop, getting pressed back into my seat with G forces as I pull away back down towards the mountains. The missile screams towards the enemy F15, slamming home within seconds and causing a fireball as it crashes out of the sky. I roll back upright and look over my shoulder, giving a cheer as I see the trail of black smoke. "Splash one, good kill." I mutter to myself before diving back into the valleys, losing the enemy AWACKS again before heading further south and west to conceal myself.
I spend another twenty minutes flying through the valleys of the mountains, flying so far away that the enemy shouldn't even be looking in my direction before I prepare myself for the next part of my plan, which will be considerably trickier.
Diving through a few more valleys, I enter open space and I'm greeted with the view of the sea in its entirety before I fly low, incredibly low to the water. I'm out in open air now so I need to move. I eject the now almost empty wing mounted drop tanks and throw on the afterburner, gaining as much speed as I can this low in the air. My RWR gets pings again as the enemy AWACS picks me up and the feeling of danger sets in.
I'm on a very strict and very dangerous run here. I have to stay beneath twenty feet from sea level to avoid enemy SAM launches from those aircraft carriers, and I have to outrun any possible pursuers that notice me and come running. I'm on the clock now, gotta keep going.
My RWR starts receiving nails and I curse as a circle in the corner of my HUD reveals it to be an enemy F18 to my rear. Someone must've noticed and decided to give chase. Checking my datalink, I'm lucky to find that they are just beyond 40 miles away. I'm faster than them and at the extreme of their missile range, so its unlikely they'll be able to catch me. My RWR starts beeping faster, warning me of a spike as they lock on but I have no choice but to keep going and hope that they are too far away for their missiles to reach.
I'm blasting over the waters as fast as I can go when I see something worrying. Those enemy carriers are ahead of me, off to the left of my path. To get to my goal I'm going to have to pass dangerously close to at least one of them to get by, placing me in their CWIS range...
Fuck. This will be close. My RWR changes from rapid beeps to a solid tone and I curse as it confirms the F18 behind me has launched a missile, but I can't do anything about it as any deviation to my height risks death by very deadly SAMs. My only defense is to keep running.
I worry my lip and keep a tight grip on the controls as a minute passes before the RWR goes back to regular beeps, greatly relieving me. I see a plume of white in the rear view mirror where the missile lost its speed and fell into the sea, thankfully not having enough fuel to get through the thicker air in altitudes as low as this to reach me. Another solid tone rings out and I tense slightly, but I'm feeling much better about my chances against the F18.
My worst worries are on the carrier off to the left I'm rapidly getting close to. I keep an eye on it as I get closer and closer, watching as it becomes more defined in my view. I keep a careful watch, adjusting my grip on the stick as I wait for the inevitable incoming fire.
I pass within seven miles and I suddenly see it, like veritable tide of tracers as a wide burst of fire gets thrown at me, as if someone threw a handfull of rocks and sand like buckshot. All I can do is nudge myself as close to the water as I dare and hunker down in the hopes my range and speed will mean not much gets to me.
Several metallic screeches and thunks sound out as bullets reach me, and I see one bullet glance off the edge of my cockpit, leaving a furrow in the glass. The metallic rain passes in less than two seconds, and I give a breath as nothing seems to have gone catastrophically wrong. The Master Caution is ringing out but no systems are reporting massive failures, and I'm still alive so I'll call it a win. I take a moment to look over my shoulder, noting almost a dozen glancing and full hits scored along my fuselage and two to my tail, but nothing vital seems to have been damaged and no fuel or hydraulics are leaking.
I'll take my luck and run with it, because now I'm close enough to make my play.
The carrier's CWIS fires another burst but I pull up into a steep climb over it, immediately noting several mud spikes as the carrier's SAMs begin locking onto me. Dumping flares and chaff aplenty, I'm now rocketing into the air right in the middle of both of the carriers, with less than 30 seconds to live if I don't do something quick and get back beneath 20 feet. I rise up 500 feet, then 1,000, then 1,500 quickly ascending towards my goal as I run full afterburn.
Well, no time like the present! Not enough time to select a target normally, so I point the nose of my F16 straight at my true target of this entire mission, The Enemy AWACS.
The propeller plane with it's massive radar dish is in orbit directly above the area, and I've timed it perfectly so that it's path is directly ahead of me. I gain a quick boresight lock with my radar and fire off two of my AIM 120s before going belly up and straight into a dive. My RWR is practically SCREAMING at me about multiple SAM launches and I can see several white smoke trails in the air as both of the carriers several miles away launch missiles directly towards me. It is now a race against time and my heart is beating furiously in my chest. My eyes are wide open in a mix of fear and attention, and there is now a hand shaped imprint on my metal control stick but I've still never had a bigger grin on my face. Thank you, Adrenaline, you sweet happy juice for making this terrible situation seem fun and exhilarating.
Numbers stream by in a blur on my altimiter before I pull up with a high G turn out of my dive, just in time to level out above the water. I nearly clip my wing on a wave before dropping my remaining fuel tank and booking it as fast as I can. I look over my shoulder, searching intensely before letting out a cheer as I see at least one of the two AIM 120s hit, sending the AWACS tumbling out of the sky. Several white plumes are sent up from the water in various places, marking the defeat of several missiles as their guidance systems ended up throwing them into the ocean in an attempt to intercept my earlier dive.
Hallelujah, I fuckin did it! I'm still on the run and the F18 is still chasing me but I fuckin did it! I just need to outrun them to the mountains and I'm home free!
Now that the enemy AWACS is gone, our enemies are effectively as blind as bats, limited to their own much weaker radars, while my team has complete battlefield awareness! Hell yeah!
Trying to keep the glee out of my voice and control myself, I key into friendly frequencies on my radio. "All stations, be advised. Enemy AWACS has been taken out, I repeat, Enemy AWACS is splashed. Good hunting." I key off and the radio chatter is filled with cheers and thanks as I recompose myself. I'm a little jittery from the adrenaline still but I feel incredibly accomplished.
That was incredibly risky, and I'm never doing that again, but damn does it feel awesome. It felt like such a 'gotcha' moment when I fired off those two missiles at the AWACS, and to get away with it? I honestly expected I'd have to eject and abuse the shit out of my abilities to sneak onto one of the carriers and steal a plane.
I let out a deep sigh and start to relax as I get close to the mainland and the mountains once again, dropping out of afterburner. The enemy F18 behind me is still too far away to do anything, and he has little chance of finding me now without the AWACS. I check my fuel to ensure I have enough in my regular tanks for a return trip before dipping into the mountains to fully lose my tail. My RWR becomes blessedly silent once again, and now I'm home free.
}x{
It takes me a little over a half hour to get back to base, and I'm almost on fumes by the time I do get back, but when I do, it's to much cheer as word apparently got around of my kill on the AWACS. With reduced enemy awareness, more F14 Tomcats were put into use as pilots and their co-pilots abused high altitude Phoenix missiles to score kills from as far as 50 miles away, while others had a much easier time of getting the drop on enemies. It seemed like our side was set to clean house now, and I was enjoying a brief stint on the ground while I had my F16 checked and repaired.
As fun as it was using the pure speed offered by the F16 and the advanced systems, I ended up putting it back in exchange for a simpler and more specialized russian SU-27 Flanker as I prepared for my next flight. With the enemy AWACS gone, I decided to take up my usual cloak and dagger method of fighting, using the mountains as cover and letting the SU-27's Thermal optics camera and medium range heat seeking missiles do a good job of letting me ambush enemies without warning to score kills.
Unlike with using radar, the camera on the SU-27 lets me lock onto enemies without warning them of my presence and launch heat seeking missiles, and when used in conjunction with the datalink provided by our AWACS I was able to score several kills as the day wore on. By the time the mission was finished and we were called back to base I had scored five extra kills through three sorties and was feeling proud of myself.
Upon returning to base, I landed smoothly on the tarmac and taxied over to the hanger I first got the SU-27 from, letting a small tractor driven by a ground crew member push it into the correct spot before shutting it down and hopping out.
[Challenge Completed- Digital Combat Simulator.]
[Objectives met-]
Kill more than 3 enemy planes [x]
Take off and land successfully at least once [x]
[Bonus Objectives met-]
Do not eject [x]
Damage or kill a special enemy [x]
Deal a crippling strike to enemy assets [x]
[Rewards- 15,000 xp, 250,000$, 5 Epic Gacha Tokens, 20 Common Gacha Tokens, 3x Design packs, DCS World Blueprint pack.]
[Level up! Lvl-42]
Nice, very nice indeed. Exactly what I was hoping for, some new fighter jet designs that I could put on the Intrepid.
[Now exiting- DCS.]
[Now Entering- Home Base, New World.]
The air around me shifted as the bustling airfield was replaced with the well known concrete and stone of my hidden base, the sounds of construction muffled but there, carrying through the walls as I sat down in a chair in the robotics lab.
That was kind of fun for a challenge. Flying the F16 and SU-27 through those valleys and mountains was rather nice, and it made me want to fly more often. I'd look into making a personal fighter jet in the future. For now, I'm going to open the Gacha tokens.
[5x Epic Gacha Tokens used!]
[Rewards-]
1x Tactical Old Spice
1x Companion Gem (Ruby Rose) RWBY
1x AWP (Neo Noir skin) CSGO
2x Familiar Gems (Epic quality)
Nice! Ruby Rose, the Red Reaper with super speed and a sniper scythe. And Familiar gems? I wasn't quite sure what they were but the name was self evident, I think. Hmm... wait. There's a thought.
Hey, System? What happens if I go to a universe that one of my companions is the main character in? Would there just become two of them or... what?
[That depends on the universe, and when the companion in question was plucked from their timeline.]
[For example, if you were to summon someone like Harry Potter and he wound up being his adult self, and then encountered the Harry Potter universe later on, it is likely you would encounter another kid version of him to keep the story events on track.]
[Conversely, if you managed to summon someone like Goku from when he was a kid, it is probable that if you were to encounter that universe the storyline would match his age unless too much would change from their absence.]
Huh. Useful to know. So, depending on exactly how old the Ruby Rose I summon is, it could affect the timeline of that universe should I ever visit it. That is a curious thing to think about. I pull the gem out, noting it's rich ruby color.
Well, let's see what the luck gods give us. Snap.
A red portal opens up in the middle of the room and I hear a faint yelling before the Red Reaper herself tumbles out in a flurry of rose petals, tripping and falling on the floor in an undignified heap. I raise my eyebrow, noting her slightly singed cloak as she stumbles to her feet, shaking her red tipped black hair out of her face and welding her absolutely huge scythe about before she starts to get a look around the room and realizes she's not where she was before.
[Observe- Ruby Rose, Lvl. 35. Thoughts- Confusion, relief.]
"What... where...?" She scratches her head, still not realizing I was there. Her eyes drift to a table in the lab where a prototype rifle is set and I see her silver eyes light up in both curiosity and fascination. She starts to make her way to the table but I cough loudly, freezing her in place.
She turns to look over her shoulder and straight at me, looking like a kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar. I raise an eyebrow at her and she flushes, taking up a sheepish pose.
"I'm sorry, I was just-fascinatedwiththegunandIreallylikeweaponsanddidyoubuildthese?Theylookrealllycooldoyou-" She rambled out in a rapid pace that even I, knowing her rambling, was surprised at.
"Hold up! Breathe! Calm down." I called, holding up a hand. She stops and nods, taking a breath before apologizing.
"Sorry! I just get so carried away with weapons. Ah... actually, where am I? I'm not sure how I got here!" She said, looking around the room better.
"Well, first of all, what's the last thing you remember?" I asked, noting her age. She looked about the same age as in the show, so she was possibly 15?
"Right!" Ruby said, slamming a hand in her palm. "I was fighting a guy with orange hair and a suit who was robbing the dust store I was in. I beat up his goons and chased him up to the rooftop, but he got into a bullhead and threw a dust crystal at me! He was gonna shoot it and blow me up and I just... pushed my semblance as far as I could go to run, everything turned red, and... here I am! Wherever... here is."
Damn, so I pulled her right out from the beginning of the show! That sucks, but at least she's got some skills for her age. This might screw up the timeline in RWBY though if I go there in the next few years. Ahh, well I should at least answer her questions.
"Well, Ruby Rose, I'm sorry to say, but you're quite far from home." I crossed my legs in my chair, giving her an apologetic look before pushing another chair her way to sit. She looked confused and worried now.
"How far? Am I in Atlas? And how do you know my name?" She asked, slightly wary now.
"You may call me Jeanne, and I am a sort of... Dimensional Traveler. As for how I know you, it will be kind of far fetched to believe, but everything is fiction somewhere else in the multiverse, just as I probably am, and just as you are. I know you from a fictional show in another universe." I explained. She frowned.
"What do you mean you know me from a show?"
I sighed. Perhaps Remnant's theoretical work and astronomy wasn't far enough along to think of the Multiverse. "Have you ever heard of the infinite worlds theory?" I ask.
"Mmm... Maybe. Something about alternate timelines?" She asked. I nodded in a so-so manner.
"Almost. I assume it was never properly given credit because Remnant never made it to space, but the Multiverse theory is the idea that beyond the edge of known space, there are an infinite number of universes, and an infinite number of worlds, and since there are infinite number of worlds, anything and everything is possible from exact replicas to your world with slight differences in the choices people make, all the way to other worlds with entirely different histories and powers, with different cultures and fiction, which makes it just as possible that out there somewhere is a place where works of fiction are true. Do you understand that idea?"
Ruby scrunched up her brow in thought before nodding. "I can kinda understand that, but... you're speaking like we're... not.. on... Remnant." She said with dawning realization. "I... You're saying I went so fast I traveled through worlds?!" Her eyes were wide in shock and she sat down in the chair.
I patted her leg in sympathy. "Congrats on being the first person from Remnant to visit another world. It's probably a lot to take in, I know, but at least with someone like me to help you, you'll have a much better time getting back. It's not the end of the world, because while my dimension traveling is usually random, there is a good chance I'll encounter yours in the future."
"So... I can see Dad and Yang again?" Ruby asked in a brittle but hopeful voice, silver eyes almost glistening with unshed tears. Aww... Poor kid, now I regret summoning her. Feeling my own mood drop, I stood up and brought her into a hug, rubbing her back. At first she was hesitant on what to do, but soon melted into my arms, burying her face against my collar.
"Of course you can see them again. I'll make sure of it." I assured. "It might be a few years, but I'll make it happen."
She looked rather somber at the idea and it was starting to make me feel sad to see her so sad. "Chin up, kid," I said, ruffling her hair. "Think of it as an extended vacation or something. Don't think about what you might be missing out on, think instead about what you're going to be able to bring back and show them! Items and weapons from different worlds, even powers! Did you know Magic is real here?" I ask, shaking her shoulders gently.
She pulls back some and I see a bit of the light return to her eyes as she sniffles a little. "Really?" She asks. I smile at her, holding up a ball of flame which captivates her attention.
"Really. I'll tell you what. You seemed pretty interested in my prototypes. I'll even take you on as an assistant if you want to help me build weapons~" I offer, and her eyes regained a lot more of her spark.
"You would do that?" I nod, and she gives me a beaming megawatt smile that lights up the room.
I smile at her enthusiasm and snuff out the magic flames, leading her over to show her the rifle she was looking at before. It was nice to see her so happy, her enthusiasm was a real breath of fresh air compared to the seriousness I usually take life with. I've known her for less than ten minutes and already I think I'd kill for her.
Ruby was a smart kid, I had no doubts she would go far if given a good education.
Wait. How do I explain this to Dell?
}x{
So... as the early morning turned to day, which turned to lunch time, Dell finally woke up from his new years hangover and I introduced him to Ruby, which is when I learned something new about him.
Dell is great with kids, and to Ruby? He's like the coolest uncle ever.
Ruby liked him a lot, because not only was he smart and funny, but he was also a gun nut and the two of them hit it off spectacularly. It didn't even take an hour before the two of them were debating the finer points of trigger mechanisms and baking cookies. I just shook my head and smiled from the side of the kitchen, happy to see them getting along. I was heading out the door when Ruby called out to me.
"Where are you going?" She asked. I stopped in the doorway before turning around to answer.
"I was going to go do some adventurer work. Why?" I asked. Her face lit up.
"Oo, adventurer work as in like, with quests and monsters to slay? Can I come?" She asked. I opened and closed my mouth, caught off guard.
"I... well, if you want, I suppose you could join me, sure." Ruby smiled and grabbed her Scythe, but Dell put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hold up there, lil miss. If you're going, I'm going too. Been cooped up here too long anyhow." He smiled at her and once again I was a little caught off guard before I realized how reasonable that sounded. Originally I had only kept Dell at base because we weren't built up or established yet, but now that I had automated soldiers and defenses, things could be left alone for a little while without much risk. With Dell out in the field with us we would also have both safezones and support in the form of his dispensers and sentries, and I hadn't yet been able to see Dell in combat.
I nodded to the both of them. "Alright, well if you're both going you might as well gear up for it. Also, Ruby, you might want to hold off on using your ammo since we don't have Dust around here. We can convert your sniper to fire traditional ammo or something else later, but try to avoid using it unless it's needed. Ok?"
"Ok! I need some practice for if I run out of ammo anyways!"
And with that, we all geared up for a trip. We spent a while walking and talking where I made sure to tell them about the world and how the adventurer system worked, taking them into Re-Ulovale to fetch a decent request. The weather was still rather cold, probably around freezing as it was the middle of winter, so I ended up using my magic to act as a flaming heater for the other two until we got close to the town, giving Ruby a coat to wear under her cloak while Dell soldiered through it without the slightest change in expression.
When we reached the Guild, I got them signed up as adventurers as part of my team, (much to the dismay of the others who still wanted me on theirs), and got to see the entertaining sight of Dell punching one guy's lights out when he managed to make Ruby uncomfortable by trying to flirt with her.
Really, I was starting to think that either people in this town or in the middle ages in general were just far too rude and horny for their own good, considering how many people I've had to injure to be left alone here. Hmm... come to think of it, it must be this town, as the guilds in the Baharuth Empire weren't this bad.
I swear though, if they try anything on sweet, innocent, underage Ruby, broken limbs will be the least of their worries.
Once we had nabbed a good extermination quest from the board, we left the guild and I gave the copper plate who hit on Ruby a literally scalding glare with my mystic eyes, causing him to yelp in pain before I left. Maybe next time I'll bring Ruby to the Baharuth Empire for a quest. Most of the dangerous stuff there is usually taken care of by the soldiers in that territory, and the guilds are much nicer.
Either way, we were now on our way again and I looked over the request with Ruby and Dell, speculating what we would have to do. The quest was fairly simple as I didn't want to drag Ruby into my usual bandit elimination quests, so it was just a regular job to slay a bunch of goblins who were setting up near one on the main roads into town, ambushing cold and weary travelers trying to make it to Re-Ulovale.
I wasn't worried about Dell using his shotgun or sentries for this since the Not My Problem perk still made people ignore stuff like firearms, and it would be hypocritical of me to ask them to weaken themselves when I would be giving The Huckleberry some use myself.
Ruby had a cute geek out moment when I showed her my fancy smg, and even Dell had an appreciation for it's design flair, but it's golden age internals and light mechanics were so far beyond me I couldn't tell Ruby how it worked, much to her disappointment. I cheered her up by volunteering to help her improve her Scythe, Crescent Rose, with a material emancipation grill for a blade so she could literally disintegrate her enemies.
Needless to say she was very enthused.
We were starting to approach the area reported by the request before I stopped our walk to talk to Ruby. "Ruby, I don't want to hold you back or make you uncomfortable, but I want to check and make sure you still want to do this."
Ruby looked at me, confused. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"Killing goblins won't be like killing Grimm, Ruby, these enemies aren't mindless beasts, and they don't fade to dust. There will be blood and gore, especially if you use your scythe on them." I state plainly. Ruby still doesn't seem to understand.
"Yeah...? What's your point?" She looks confused, as if there was nothing to worry about.
I give her a slightly disbelieving look. "And you aren't at all bothered by the idea of killing other sentient beings, as evil as they are? And you aren't bothered by the idea of blood or gore?"
Ruby shook her head. "No, why would I be?" She made a thinking face. "Y'know, Yang asked something similar once, then acted weird around me for a week until Dad talked to her. Is there something wrong with that?" She asked, looking worried. I gave it some thought and realized she was probably of the same mental state as I am, whatever it's called. She did kick a lot of people without aura off the moving train in the show, and showed no hesitation in doing so either. Makes sense.
"Well, while it's out of the ordinary, I wouldn't say something is inherently wrong with that. I don't feel anything about it either, but things like blood, gore, or killing tend to make most other people squeamish or uncomfortable unless they are used to it. Others might judge you for your lack of feeling on the matter and jump to conclusions, or feel like you can't be trusted, and I just want you to be aware of that for the future, ok?" I said gently. Ruby looked a little confused and conflicted but still nodded.
I shared a look with Dell before we continued on, readying our weapons as an unpleasant stench began to waft in our direction. The Goblins were ahead.
We reached the edge of the treeline to spot a crude camp of about twenty Goblins in a field, led by a single hobgoblin sitting by a fire. "Right. Ruby, if you want you can attack their middle with your Scythe. Dell and I can take the edges and work inwards, but I'd take out that Hobgoblin, the tall one, first. He'll be their leader."
Ruby unfolded her Scythe and got into a running position as Dell and I readied our weapons. "Ready? GO!" I called, and we sprang into action.
Ruby blurred forwards in a storm of rose petals, flying through the field and the camp before appearing just beside the hobgoblin, scythe already swinging. A metallic shink and their leader's head was removed in a spray of red before the goblins could even react. Dell and I opened fire on the outliers as Ruby got to work on the nearest goblins, dancing and twirling her Scythe in a fascinating display of skill and momentum, causing cuts and slashes with every pass.
The booming retort of Dell's shotgun and the ringing thump of the Huckleberry filled the area as I adjusted my fire to gun down goblins in bursts, an ethereal sheen of light coating the submachine gun every time I scored a kill, causing the rotating magazine to be refilled and the rampage ability to kick in. My bullets went from just penetrating the green creatures to shredding through them when I got my third stack for rampage damage. I didn't even need to lean into the incremental rate of fire the Huckleberry offered as soon enough a two round burst was enough to down a goblin.
Honestly it was over too quick. Ruby took care of at least seven of the goblins in a whirl of melee while Dell got 4 and I shredded the rest, and in less than a minute all of them were dead. It felt like I hadn't even given the Huckleberry a chance to stretch its legs! Ruby started walking back to us and I let out a slightly disappointed sigh as I pulled out a knife and started moving towards the corpses.
"That was quick." Ruby commented, swinging her scythe to get rid of blood. "What's next?"
"Now, the less glamorous part of the job." I said, sawing at a goblins head. I cut off it's ear and held it up for them to see before placing it in a small drawstring pouch. "Collecting credit. We need every right ear." I tossed another two knifes from my inventory into the ground in front of them. Dell shrugged and grabbed the knife, getting to work as Ruby gave a small pout.
"Just because I don't mind blood and gore doesn't mean it isn't icky." She grumbled before moving to speak with Dell while she worked. I gave a small chuckle at her complaints before continuing on with my own work.
I'll admit, this was a lot more pleasant than my usual quests. I should bring them along for more work, maybe even a challenge or two in the future when I can make them some better gear? Something to think about.
A/N: So, yet another chapter knocked out. I'll admit, I never saw myself getting this much done so quick but it's happening. I guess once you run out of things to read your head fills up with your own stories that need to be put somewhere.
A few small notes on this chapter, starting with DCS. I love the game, and I like watching it, but I'll admit I'm kind of a casual when it comes to playing it. I don't actually own the F16 module because it's 60 bucks and I'm a slut for the A10 and SU27, but the story itself was based off of a real run done by an F16 pilot by the name "Ascars" on a PVP server. Those of you familiar with the YouTuber "Operator Drewski" might know exactly what I mean as it was in one of his videos where he was ambushing people with the SU27/J11. I felt it was just too awesome to not put into here.
Another note is about the USS Johnston, because I feel my quick summary didn't do it enough justice. I'd recommend watching Yarnhub's (yes thats a youtube channel name) 9 minute history animation about the USS Johnston and its sinking, as I feel they did a better job of capturing their badass-ness than I could.
Onto the reviews!
To Yahiro- No, it's not the deep stone crypt, whatever you thought I made resemble it, and while I love destiny a lot, I also haven't played it or kept up with it in 2 years so I'm probably not going to involve anything more than weapons from there. Maybe a companion.
To Anti Akuma- Of course it's not actually a random draw of the race! It's a quick and easy way of setting things up! if it was truly random the MC might've wound up as a fish or something and I'm not putting up with the mess and headache of trying to make something out of that. Not to mention I'm targeting an audience here, and if there wasn't any Jeanne-ness to an MC that looks like Jeanne people would be upset.
To Ashes and souls- I'm not versed in league lore or much about the game in general so I'd have to look into this 'hex tech', and as for the 'Clankers', it holds a slightly different meaning than in Star Wars. They weren't the only fictional universe to use that term.
To Zero- Wasn't really planning on having Arche as a companion, more of a side objective. She's powerful for a human but she's already near the human limits of that world, limited to around 5th tier magic at best. As for your ideas on how to match up weapons to tier spells- that is interesting thinking, and I'll do something with that in the future.
To Holosagewolf- You'll have to wait and see how Ainz and Jeanne get along.
To Thatevilbadguy- you're right about the military structure, it was mostly just an in the moment slapdash thing and I said platoon when I should've said squad. I'll fix it in the future.
To Ronald- Fairs are indeed a big way to make money, and far be it from Jeanne to not exploit that.
To Pitbullbytes- Interesting idea with the ammonia there, I need to think a bit more out of the box.
And that's the end of it. I have an idea for the next challenge Jeanne will face, but the next two chapters will focus a lot more on the new naval fleet I think.
As always, fav and follow, I'll get to your reviews next chapter.
