Ash had been on a jury once during her early days in the OADF as a Second Lieutenant, but not once in her life had she ever been on the receiving end of a court hearing. She had never spoken to a flag officer directly, and at that very moment she was standing before four of them. Marine Corps and Air Force Generals and a singular Navy Admiral.
"Preliminary hearing into the investigation of the 108th Fighter Squadron's activities on November 1st, 2010. The current time is 1300, November 2nd, 2010." Head of the court and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Katrina Muller of the Osean Federation Marine Corps, started Ash's hearing. "For the record, state your name, rank and affiliation."
"Captain Ashley Paige, 108th Fighter Squadron, Osean Air Defense Force. Ma'am." Standing while wearing her aviator greens, Ash answered the question.
"Captain Paige, you are aware of the formality and discipline demanded by the Osean Defense Forces, yes?" Muller asked.
"Acutely, ma'am." Ash replied.
"So can you explain why you're here today out of a dress uniform?" Muller didn't ask with any malice or hostility, she sounded genuinely interested in Ash's explanation.
"General Muller, ma'am, we were sent here on short notice in the middle of an active war. While I understand the capital is a very long way away from the frontlines, I believe it was the more practical choice considering the circumstances.
Muller seemed satisfied with Ash's answer. "Very well. Captain Paige, do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" General Muller continued with the opening of the hearing.
"I do." Ash replied.
"Very well. General Farrow, over to you." Muller handed over the speaker to General Nathan Fallow, an OADF general in charge of the air district over and surrounding the capital.
"Captain Paige, can you recollect the timeline of events on November 1st leading up to the accusation of bombing a civilian college?" General Farrow asked straightforwardly.
Ash took a breath before starting. "On the morning of the day, myself and my squadron were assigned with a mission to intercept a transport convoy of Yuktobanian Army and Air Force assets retreating inland from the Bastok Peninsula. After receiving our briefing, we took off from Sand Island and refuelled along the way before heading to intercept our target." Ash took a quick breath. "We engaged Yuktobanian transport and electronic warfare assets before receiving a transmission from our chain of command relayed through our AWACS to return to base. We refuelled via a tanker and returned to Sand Island, which was where I was made aware of the incident and subsequent accusation. Myself and my squadron then departed Sand Island to attend this hearing."
The flag officers seemed to converse between each other before Farrow turned his bald head back to Ash to continue the hearing.
"Did you, at any point, travel near or engage in hostile action around the city of Dresden?" Farrow asked.
"I wouldn't be able to place Dresden on a map, sir, so I'm uncertain if myself and my squadron travelled near it, but we did not engage in hostile activity against any civilian population centres at any point."
"That's fine." Farrow cleared his throat. "Were you aware of any friendly activity or movement in your area of operations?"
"Just myself, my squadron and our supporting AWACS, sir."
"So you didn't see or notice any other Osean-flagged aircraft?"
"Correct, sir."
"Are you aware of any hard evidence to support your recollection of events?"
"There's the gun camera recording on my aircraft as well as the aircraft of my subordinates, and the data tapes from our AWACS recording his point of view may be available as well."
"Very well." The flag officers went back to discussing things amongst themselves, leaving Ash hanging on the stand for a minute while they conversed. Eventually Ash was addressed by General Muller.
"Thank you, Captain Paige, you're free to leave the stand." Muller dismissed Ash. "I call upon Second Lieutenant Kitagawa Isha to come forward to the stand."
As Ash left the stand to take a seat in the gigantic - yet relatively empty - courtroom, Kitagawa passed her, dressed in the black formal uniform of the Sotoan Air Self Defense Forces. Saying nothing to her pilot as the two passed each other, Kitagawa removed her top cover and took the stand.
"State your name, rank and affiliation for the record, please." Muller welcomed Kitagawa to the stand.
"Second Lieutenant Kitagawa Isha, Sotoan Air Self Defense Forces, seconded to the 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the Osean Air Defense Force." Kitagawa answered.
"Lieutenant Isha, you are the weapon systems officer for Captain Paige, correct?" This time around, Muller was asking the questions instead of Farrow.
"Correct, ma'am." Kitagawa answered briefly.
"Does your recollection of events line up with Captain Paige's recollection?"
"Yes ma'am, it does."
"Did your squadron, at any point, travel near or engage in hostile activities against the city of Dresden?"
"At no time did we approach Dresden or engage in hostile activities there."
"Could you place Dresden's location on a map, if asked?"
"I could, ma'am." Kitagawa nodded. "The city was to the north of our area of operations, perhaps two hundred or so kilometres away. At our fastest pace it would have taken us five to ten minutes to arrive there from the area of operations."
"Very well. Lieutenant Isha, you're dismissed from the stand. I now call upon Captain Alvin Davenport to come forward to the stand." Muller dismissed Kitagawa and summoned Chopper. Compared to Kitagawa's black dress uniform, Chopper's OADF dress uniform was a dark blue suit backed by a light blue undershirt. The tall bastard that he was, Chopper took the stand.
"Captain Alvin Davenport, of the 108th Fighter Squadron, Osean Air Defense Force, reporting ma'am." Chopper didn't wait for Muller to state what had been said twice already.
"Quick on the ball, I like it." Muller grinned. "General Farrow."
"Captain, is your recollection of events the same as your squadmates?" Farrow asked Wardog's second in command.
"Yes, sir." Chopper replied. He very obviously looked like he didn't want to be here.
"Captain, you seem to have a certain contempt for this hearing. Is there something you'd like to get off your chest?" Farrow picked up on this fact.
"Not contempt sir, frustration." Chopper chose the honest path. "Given that all of our aircraft have gun cameras to prove we didn't attack a city, I believe this hearing is a waste of time when we could be on the frontlines doing our job."
"The court acknowledges your frustration, Captain, but we need your first hand testimonies to make the timeline of this incident clear." Muller quickly took over from Farrow. "Farrow, back to you."
"That's… all I had." Farrow chuckled just barely loud enough to be vaguely heard.
"Captain Davenport, you may leave the stand." Muller dismissed Chopper. "Second Lieutenant Kei Nagase, I call upon you to take the stand."
The tiny Nagase came forward from her seat, passing Chopper to take the stand. She adjusted the microphone for her height.
"Lieutenant, your name, rank and affiliation please." Muller requested.
"Second Lieutenant Kei Nagase, of the 108th Fighter Squadron, Osean Air Defense Forces." Nagase replied in a deadpan formal tone.
"Farrow." Muller handed over the speaker to General Farrow.
"Lieutenant Nagase, does your recollection of events line up with those of your squadmates?"
"It does sir, with one addition." Nagase paused. "When we returned to Sand Island, we had a brief meeting with our chain of command where we were informed that an inventory report for munitions corresponding to our mission had been either lost, not filed or intentionally destroyed."
Muller's eyes narrowed. "Captain Paige, I call you to the stand."
Ash stood up and walked to the stand, standing shoulder to shoulder with Nagase.
"Captain, may I ask why you left out this remark from your recollection of events?" Muller asked.
Ash cleared her throat. "I didn't believe it was relevant to the timeline of events, ma'am."
"Very well, Captain, dismissed." Muller ordered. Ash bowed towards the Marine flag officer and left the stand to go take a seat. Farrow took over from Muller once more.
"Lieutenant, did your squadron at any point take part in hostile action against civilian infrastructure in Dresden?" Farrow asked.
"No, sir." Nagase's reply was brief.
"Is there any hard evidence in your possession or knowledge to support that claim?"
"That I'm aware of, sir, the gun camera recorder on my aircraft, as well as the recordings from our AWACS and the testimony of the AWACS crew commander." Nagase replied.
"Very well. General Muller?" Farrow handed the speaker back to his fellow general. Muller leant back in her seat for a couple of seconds, seemingly debating something before leaning forward over her microphone.
"This hearing will be adjourned for one hour while we discuss your existing testimonies." Muller declared. "Until then, I would suggest you eat, drink and shit. Return by 1430 to this room. Dismissed!"
With the hearing on recess for the generals to discuss whatever it was they had to discuss, Wardog Squadron filtered out of the room and into the lobby. Ash yawned and rubbed her eyes as they left the courtroom, a gesture echoed by Pops and Grimm.
"They keep asking us the same shit over and over." Chopper lamented as he immediately beelined for the cafeteria. "This whole thing is such a waste of time, man!"
"Temper Chopper, temper." Ash reined in her second in command. "We're halfway through testimonies. I think we'll be out before sunset."
"I hope so." Grimm said after yawning for the second time. "I'm trying to not fall asleep in the back."
"That makes two of us." Pops was in the same boat as Grimm. "See one court procedure, seen them all."
"You've had a court hearing before, Pops?" Nagase asked.
"Yeah, back in the day when I was transferred into the OADF. Well, me and some other Belkan transfers. Whole bunch of questions regarding our integrity." Pops elaborated on his own experiences.
"Boring?" Grimm asked.
Pops chuckled. "Very much so."
"In any case, you all heard General Muller. Do what you gotta do and get back here by 1430." Ash got the squadron to focus on the present.
"Coffee's on me if any of you want one." Wolf offered.
"I would love one." Pops took Wolf up on that offer, as did Kitagawa and Chopper. Grimm and Nagase separated from the group to step outside to take a breath of fresh air. Ash on the other hand went to the ladies bathroom to take a leak and to check her phone. No new notifications. Doing her business, Ash stepped outside and sat down on a chair in the lobby, waiting for the time to tick forward to 2:30PM.
The hour crept by and before long, Wardog Squadron was back in the courtroom individually providing testimonies. They had started recess after concluding Nagase's testimony, and they ended recess by starting Grimm's. Rather unsurprisingly, his testimony was almost word for word the same as Chopper, Kitagawa and Nagase. Once Grimm was dismissed, Pops took the stand, and like Grimm's testimony, Pop's testimony was exactly the fucking same.
"I'm gonna lose my mind." Chopper whispered. Ash did her best not to giggle or laugh.
"Steady." She ordered.
"Doing my best, Captain." Chopper whispered, shutting up after finishing his sentence. Pops was dismissed from the stand and finally the last member of their squadron was called to the stand. Wolf brushed off his lap and walked forward to the stand.
"State your name, rank and affiliation." Muller said to Wolf.
"First Lieutenant Wolf Taylor, 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Osean Air Defense Force." Wolf replied, straight to the point. Muller looked down at her desk and then glanced to General Farrow. Farrow glanced back at Muller.
"Lieutenant Taylor, stay. Everyone else, please leave the room. You'll be called when you're required." Muller ordered everybody present in the courtroom but Wolf to leave. Ash frowned, but she wasn't about to refuse an order from a general, nor was Kitagawa, Nagase, Pops, Grimm or Chopper. The six stood up to leave. The guards at the courtroom entrance shut the doors behind them.
Wolf took a deep breath and prepared himself. He had a feeling he knew what this was about.
"Lieutenant Taylor, as I understand, this is not the first time you've been under the spotlight for allegations of attacking civilians, correct?" Muller asked. Wolf bit his lip. His instincts had been spot on.
"Correct, ma'am." Wolf answered truthfully. Farrow was flipping through a small dossier. Wolf noticed this. "General Farrow, if it'd save you the time, I can give you a brief overview of that incident."
Farrow's eyes lit up. "Proceed, Lieutenant."
"I was in the OMDF back then." Wolf took another deep breath. "On 25 February 2006, I was on a mission with Gold Squadron, DEVGRU, in Erusea… after a high value target. He had intelligence on a suspected terror attack on Osea. We made contact and engaged in a firefight with the HVT and his cell. Four civilians were caught in the crossfire."
"And as I understand, you left the Navy after the mission." Farrow attempted to clarify.
"Correct, sir. I left the OMDF, got a degree and commissioned as a WSO in the OADF." Wolf clarified for the general.
"Lieutenant, did your squadron engage in hostile actions against a civilian population centre?" Muller asked.
"No ma'am, we did not." Wolf replied. "As everyone else has said so far, we have hard evidence of that fact via our guncams."
"I see." Muller looked sideways to her aid. She whispered something to the man and he went to the courtroom door to open it. Ash, Kitagawa, Chopper, Nagase, Pops and Grimm walked in and took seats in the rafters. "Lieutenant Taylor, you are dismissed."
"Aye, ma'am." Wolf left the stand and took a seat with his squadron, passing the aide as he walked back to them. The aide returned to General Muller and handed her a USB. Muller opened a laptop on her desk and lit up a projector that cast a video feed onto a screen above the flag officers.
"This is the gun camera recording from Wardog 1, flown by Captain Paige and Lieutenant Isha." Muller stated. "Captain, do you recognise this recording?"
Ash leant forward so she could observe the setting of the camera.
"Yes ma'am, I do." Ash replied. The footage was indeed from her guncam. Muller hit play and the guncam footage began from the moment Wardog Squadron took off from Sand Island. Muller skipped forward through the hour and a half long transit from Osea to Yuktobania, arriving at what Ash determined was roughly the point they had arrived in the area of operations.
"Oh my god, it's like a damn shooting gallery up here." Chopper's voice could be heard. That was the remark Chopper had made when they had started the mission. Ash and the squadron got to relive the mission through the perspective of Wardog 1's gun camera. From Chopper's witty remarks to Blaze's order to intercept the jammer aircraft, to firing AMRAAMs at every transport in sight. The operation played out exactly how Ash remembered it. This went on for twenty minutes until they arrived at the end of the mission.
"Wardog, this is Thunderhead. Emergency transmission from Sand Island. Halt operations and RTB at all haste."
"Thunderhead, Wardog 1, there are still transports on the withdrawal."
"Understood Wardog, but this is coming from above my paygrade. RTB."
There was no mistaking that, that had been the return to base order Thunderhead had passed on from Sand Island, who had passed it on from Osean Command. However, most importantly, it proved Wardog Squadron's innocence. The squadron had most definitely been involved in air to air combat at the time that the bombing on Dresden had been reported. Ash leant back, feeling relieved.
The flag officers all huddled in to converse, but it was a short conversation. Muller stood up at her desk at the head of the courtroom.
"With the evidence and testimonies laid before me, I believe the outcome of this hearing is clear." Muller said as Farrow and the other flag officers stood up. "Wardog Squadron, I deem you innocent in this incident. Pack your bags and return to Sand Island as soon as possible. You're going back to the frontlines."
Ash let loose a deep sigh of relief that she didn't know she had stored.
"Thank you, ma'am." Those weren't the words Ash wanted to say to the general, but it was by far the more sensible thing to say. "Wardog, let's go."
Exonerated, the squadron collected their things, left the court building and started walking up the block to where they had been staying overnight.
"Well, that was a massive waste of time." Chopper lamented. "But hey, at least we didn't get pinned for anything."
"Yeah… Hey Wolf, what was that closed session about?" Grimm asked Wolf. The latter shrugged.
"Can't say. Classified and all that." Wolf remarked.
"Alright then, keep your secrets." Grimm replied as the squadron followed the footpath up the road to their accommodation, a government owned apartment like complex. Walking in through the front door and heading up the elevator a couple of floors to their rooms, Wardog Squadron split up to their respective rooms. Feeling oddly mentally drained, Ash entered her room and flopped face first onto her bed. Kitagawa was close on her heels.
"That bad, huh?" Kitagawa said mockingly as she sat down on her own bed and started undressing. Ash twisted her head to face Kitagawa. Realising what was going on, Ash's cheeks flushed red, but she found herself unable to turn away.
"Like what you see?" Kitagawa said flirtingly as she stripped down to briefs and a bra. Ash felt her heart skip a beat as her ears went red.
"Do not." Ash retorted. "Or I'm gonna tear off that bra."
Kitagawa hortled with laughter as she slipped on a tee shirt to go under her aviator uniform.
"And you call methe horny one." Kitagawa deflected Ash's statement onto her.
"You're making me horny." Ash retorted once more. She stood up and straightened her bedding out as Kitagawa finished dressing and putting her boots on.
"I'd offer to make you cum your brains out in the shower, but I don't think we have time for that." Kitagawa stated with a low tone. Ash abruptly turned towards her WSO, flustered like crazy.
"If we weren't in a hurry…" Ash muttered, picking up her bag and throwing it over her shoulders. Kitagawa quickly packed her uniform and dress shoes into her bag, slinging the grab bag over her back.
"Maybe later." Kitagawa taunted Ash, stepping out of the room and heading to the elevator. Glancing down at Kita's butt as she passed by, Ash did what she could to relief her flushing before stepping outside and closing the door behind her. The others were already at the door waiting for her. As a group, Wardog Squadron went back outside onto the street where they were packed into a pair of Humvees manned by MPs and driven to the airport. Even in the old, tattered and poorly maintained piece of shit that was the Osean Army Humvee, Ash managed to fall asleep to pass the time to the airport.
Oured was a big city. Correspondingly she had two major civilian airports, one in the northern reaches of the city, one near the southern suburbs. The airport they were going to, however, was the strictly military airbase in the eastern reach of the city, out in the bay. Traditionally, the OMDF maintained separate facilities from the OADF to support its specific mission set. However, given that Oured was Osea's capital and given that the Air Force had superior airframes over the Navy, they shared joint custody of Oured Naval Air Station.
Woken up by Chopper as they arrived at the base, Ash and Wardog dressed into their equipment before walking over to the flight line where their aircraft had been stored for their stay in Oured. The NAS was absolutely massive, possibly one of the largest military airbases in the country. There were rows of hangars long enough to store hundreds of fighters, everything from Navy Super Hornets to Air Force Raptors. The dark grey schemes of their F-15E Strike Eagles stood out compared to the rest of the aircraft on the base.
Ash and Kitagawa stepped up into their Mudhen. Ash put her helmet on and started up the aircraft's electrical system. When she did, the radio immediately burst with activity.
"-3, outbound 100 to VID bogeys." An unknown callsign reported.
"VID bogeys?" Kitagawa asked. "What did we miss?"
"Oured Tower, Wardog 1, bogey dope, over." Ash requested a list of any and all unknowns in the immediate vicinity.
"Wardog 1, Tower, two bogies at 100 for 200, Angels 5, hot."