Avery sprinted around a corner as fast as she possible could. Her boots squeaked against the floor as she pivoted hard before she kept running. Alarms blared in her ear as she ran, echoing across the entire base. Whatever it was that was happening, everyone here knew about it. Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran harder and harder. It almost felt like it was about to break free from her ribcage, but still she ran, and she didn't stop until she practically slammed into the door to the briefing room. Just about every single pilot on the base was already there, including the rest of Locksmith, who she quickly joined to look up at Grayson standing at the front of the room. More pilots were still funneling in, but he wasn't about to waste any more time.
"Alright, everyone, listen up and listen well. I'm only saying it once!" he spoke up. His voice was commanding and authoritative, and everyone before him listened intently. "As of right now, the mission schedule for today has been scrapped, and all combat-ready fighters are being send on an emergency sortie," the Commander explained as he brought up the briefing software on the screen behind him, pulling up a map of Cascadia.
Shepard let out a heavy sigh under his breath. "This is it," he murmured softly. "The breaking point."
"Following the destruction of the Solana Communications Facility, the Independence Force has been supplanting our blanket jamming with their own electronic warfare countermeasures. With this, along with a more unified offense with the restoration of their long-range comms, they've been scoring victory after victory across the frontlines- to the point that some fronts are now at risk of collapsing entirely," Grayson explained as he began pacing back and forth across the room.
"In order to combat this, Crytal Kingdom ordered a large number of Federation units to be withdrawn back into the core states to resupply, reorganize and increase individual unit combat effectiveness. A mass aerial convoy began making its way into Magadan using the cover of an arctic storm in the north, but a rebel patrol intercepted them and their escorts over the Beiring Strait. Given the importance of these transports making it back to the Federation, it was of the utmost importance that they not be shot down, so we sent reinforcements to cover them. The Independence Force did the same, and for the last five hours, this engagement has been spiraling out of both our control and theirs." Grayson zoomed the briefing software into the Beiring Strait where at least a dozen aircraft markers- both hostile and friendly- were all mixed together. "Both sides have committed a vast majority of their air power to this fight, which means that it is of the utmost importance that we come out on top not just for the sake of protecting our transports but to potentially decide the outcome of the entire war. Dismissed."
The second the words left his lips, every single pilot in the briefing room began scrambling out the door and to the hangars. Now that they all knew the stakes of what was happening, time was of the essence, and every moment spent on the ground was a moment that the war itself was turning against them. Avery followed the rest of her squadron into their hangars to see their planes already loaded and ready. They all carried the same loadout: two STDMs on the wingtips, another two on the inner two pylons, the inner four all carried missile racks with two MLAAs each, making eight in total and twelve missiles overall.
Avery took a deep breath in the hopes of steadying her nerves. "They're really going all-out for this," she remarked as she climbed up the ladder into her cockpit.
"Well, it seems we didn't really have a choice in the matter," Cutter replied while he did the same. "All we can do is get out there and finally put the rebels on the back foot for a change."
Shepard sighed heavily. "I wish I shared your optimism, Jackson, but I just can't. It seems history is repeating itself, and I don't know if we can do anything to stop it."
"You worry too much, Shep. We've got this- all of us," ASH assured the flight lead as their engines spooled to life.
"Besides, it's not just us the rebels are going up against. With how close the Beiring Strait is to Magadan, the rebels are about to experience the full force of the Federation Air Force," Padlock reminded him. "This moment right here is when they finally lose their momentum."
Shepard didn't reply. Instead, he began taxying and led the way out of the hangar. As Avery brought up the rear, she couldn't help but look around at the tarmac. Planes were scrambling out of the hangars, ground crews were running this way and that, carrying all sorts of equipment, and air marshals waved wildly to direct all of the planes to the correct runway. It was as if the base itself had sprung to life.
Avery stopped at the end of Runway 2-1, watching as ASH sped off into the sky in front of her. After waiting for an F/C-15 to burn past on a different runway, the air marshal guiding her gave her a thumbs up, and she pushed the throttle as far forward as it would go. She quickly sunk into her seat as the F/C-16 lurched forward, getting faster and faster until she gently lifted herself into the sky and joined up with the others.
As they began their flight northbound, more and more squadrons joined up with them along the way. By the time they were halfway there, the flight had probably around two dozen aircraft in one big swarm. And yet, none of them uttered a single word- not aloud, at least. They were all tangling with their own thoughts, making peace with their deities. For all they knew, this was the last chance they'd get.
"Locksmith 1 to AWACS North Star, we're fencing in now. Entering the AO shortly," Shepard reported.
"North Star copies all, Locksmith 1," he replied. "You should be getting visual shortly."
Avery's eyes drifted back and forth, scanning the skies for any trace of even a single aircraft. With the way Grayson was describing it, he made it seem like this was one the biggest furballs the world had ever seen, and yet, she saw nothing. For a brief moment, it made her think that maybe this mission wouldn't be as bad as she was thinking it would be, and she was just getting worked up over nothing. But as she and the others emerged from the other side of a cloud, her jaw nearly dropped at the sight in front of her. The sight of contrails and missile trails covered the entire sky, and she could see over fifty fighters twirling and spinning through the sky.
"Holy shit!" Padlock remarked. "Look at all of those planes!"
"We've got bandits all over us," Storm 3 shouted. "We can't keep this up for much longer!"
"They just keep coming. There's no end in sight," Marine 6 added.
"This is AWACS North Star to all Federation callsigns, allied reinforcements are entering the AO to provide support."
"Thank god," Blizzard 1 said with a sigh of relief. "Now let's turn the tide on these rebels."
"North Star, do we know if the Crown's here or not?" Shepard asked.
"Not from what I'm seeing," North Star replied. "But I do see your old friends, Compass Squadron in the thick of things."
"Perfect. Time to dive into the fireworks then," Shepard replied. "Locksmith Squadron, engaging."
"Aqua Squadron, engaging."
"Wyvern Squadron, engaging."
"Azure Squadron, engaging."
Avery took a deep breath in and out. "Alright, let's do this," she murmured to herself.
She lit her burners and sped forward into the furball, setting her sights on one of Compass Squadron's V/X-23s. Her target twirled and spun around as they chased after a Federation F/E-18, unaware that she was closing the gap. Her MLAAs began beeping frantically as they started searching for a lock, but just before she got a solid tone, the V/X-23 zipped away as they went defensive. Avery chased after them, deploying her airbrake and pulling up hard. The mercenary flew right into her path, and she immediately fired an MLAA. Chaff spilled out from behind the V/X-23 as they banked hard to the left before suddenly drifting through the air and zipping off in the opposite direction, leaving Avery's missile in the dust as it sailed right past. Avery pulled up hard behind them and let out a few short bursts from her gun. A few shots found their mark, but not enough for a kill. All the same, it was enough to significantly slow them down, and that was all Avery needed. She held down on the trigger of her control stick, letting out much longer burst that engulfed the V/X-23 in a hail of tracers.
"Splash one!" she called out proudly as she pulled up and away, flying further into the furball.
"Nice shootin', Glade," Cutter replied as he launched two MLAAs at a pair of Cascadian F/E-18s. "Let's keep up the pressure."
"This is insanity," Hail 5 said. "How the hell did we let it get to this point?"
"There's nothing we can do about it now. We just have to take out as many of them as we can," Azure 3 replied.
"We've got 'em outnumbered for now, but they've got more reinforcements that'll be on you soon," North Star warned. "Just keep up the pressure, and don't give these bastards an inch!"
"You don't gotta tell me twice," ASH replied. "Fights like these are why I joined."
"I better see everyone making ace at least once over today," Shepard said. "There's no shortage of targets to pick from."
"I say drinks tonight are on whoever bags the most bandits," Pad chimed in.
Avery's RWR suddenly sprung to life, beeping frantically at her. Instinct kicked in as she thumbed the button for countermeasures, holding it down while heaving her plane as far to the right as it would go. Her eyes darted around, hoping to get a view on who had fired the missile at her, but in this mess of a furball, she could barely see the missile headed her way. It wasn't until it was practically close enough for her to reach out and touch that she was able to see it bank sharply not toward her, but to the flares she left behind her. More importantly, though, she finally saw who her pursuer was: Compass Squadron's second V/X-23. Both pilots tried to riddle the other but neither one had a good enough angle as they passed by.
"Damn, these guys really have it out for us," Avery grunted under the stress the g-forces as she cut her burners and looped back around.
"Tell me about it," Pad agreed as she rolled away from one of the mercenary squadron's F/S-15s. "And I thought I held grudges for a long time."
"How the hell are we supposed to make it through this mess? We're gonna be nothing but big defenseless targets to them!" Sundial 4 asked.
"Straight through is your only way forward. Just keep moving," Grayson replied.
Avery watched the V/X-23 turn to meet her head-on while she did the same. Her MLAA's locked onto her adversary with ease, but she didn't fire just yet. At the angle the mercenary was currently flying at, it would miss for sure, and she needed to conserve every shot she had. As soon as they passed each other again, she immediately inverted to face the same direction as her target and get on their tail. Avery was just a second away from pulling the trigger when the V/X-23 rapidly turned up, making full use of their AOA limiter to turn hard through the air to face her. They immediately fired a missile, and Avery had just a few short seconds to react, launching chaff and evading with just a second to spare. Both pilots circled around again, and the moment Avery had a good angle on the merc, she blind-fired two MLAAs at them. The missiles' internal targeting systems kicked themselves into overdrive as they careened through the air toward the V/X-23. The first one sailed right past as the mercenary evaded it with ease, but in doing so, they bled off all of their speed, leaving them helpless against the second one as it crashed into them.
"Another one gone!" Avery called out.
"Look, the rest are turning tail!" ASH pointed out as the remaining four planes of Compass Squadron quickly broke off and got away from the furball as fast as they could.
"Hah, serves the cowards right," Cutter chimed in. "That'll teach 'em to mess with us."
"Now's our chance. We have the advantage, so don't let it go to waste," Shepard ordered. "Push the offensive against them. Don't give these bastards an inch of space to breathe!"
"Shit," North Star muttered. "All aircraft, be advised, enemy reinforcements approaching! You've got a large formation of mercenaries vectoring in hot- bearing 090," he warned.
Avery followed North Star's directions to see a flight of F/C-16s, F/S-15s, and leading the charge, a non-uniform flight of three, with an F/C-15 and an MG-29 on either side of the F/D-14 leading the way.
"Do we have any more reinforcements?" Wyvern 5 asked.
"Negative, almost every combat capable fighter on this side of the world is already inbound," Grayson replied.
Blizzard 2 groaned. "Who the hell chose this route of evac for the transports?"
"If we try to do any maneuvers in this, we're more likely to crash into our escorts!" Sundial 1 griped.
As the new mercenary reinforcements entered the fray, Avery squinted at the lead plane, and her eyes went wide as a realization struck her. "It's him, the Crown!" she called out.
"Everyone, watch out; those pilots that the Peacekeepers keep talking about are here!" Hail 1 warned.
"Locksmith Squadron, steer clear of him as much as you can," Shepard ordered, his voice urgent and almost pleading yet firm and commanding at the same time. "Don't do anything stupid. This furball's big enough for you to give him a wide berth." Avery certainly didn't need to be told twice, as she quickly pulled away from the approaching mercenaries and moved toward a less crowded part of the furball.
"Taking on a king in a battle royale. Just our luck," Aqua 6 grumbled.
Avery set her sights on a pair of Cascadian F/E-18s trying to get on Cutter's tail. The moment she was in range, she fired off an MLAA at each of them as she lit her burners to close the gap. Both planes lit up the sky with chaff as they disengaged from their target. As they pulled up higher and higher into the sky, though, it was clear that one of them wasn't going to make it. The first F/E-18 went up in flames, and the second pulled back around to face their pursuer. Avery's RWR sprung to life as they began to lock onto her, and she immediately went on the defensive. She watched as an MLAA shot out from under the F/E-18's wings and started heading directly for her. She could barely hear herself think with the instruments in her cockpit beeping faster and faster as the missile approached. Just before the missile could make contact with her plane, though, she quickly rolled over on her side, and the missile blew by the space that her right wing had occupied just a moment ago. The F/E-18 continued its descent down toward Avery while she came back around in a wide loop to get another angle on them, and while the bandit was trying to level themselves out, she fired an STDM at just the right moment to catch them right in the center of their plane.
"We've got the a-okay from Crystal Kingdom. Peacekeeper deployment confirmed- rerouting from other theaters," Grayson reported.
"What?! Are we still escalating?!" Padlock asked in disbelief.
"The Peacekeepers were never meant to wage war outright. They were meant to stop it from escalating to this point!" Marine 1 griped.
"Aqua 3's been shot down! The Crown got him!" Azure 5 cried out. "Oh shit, he's coming back arou-" was all she had time to say before a missile ripped through her plane like a knife through wet paper.
"Storm 2, watch out, he's coming for you!"
"I can't get away! He's-"
"Dammit. We're losing pilots out here!" Shepard cursed as he fired an STDM at a merc SK.27. "Everyone, stay focused. We can't let them tear us apart like this."
"How the hell is this happening? We had them on the back foot just a few minutes ago," Avery asked.
"The rebels have better pilots than we expected," Grayson stated the obvious.
"Of course they are. Only the good ones have survived this long," Wyvern 3 replied bluntly.
Avery set her sights on a mercenary F/C-16 at the edge of the furball and loosed a single MLAA toward them. She lit her burners and followed the missile toward its target, watching as they went defensive and dumped countermeasures. For a moment, it looked as if her missile was going to hit, but at the last second it veered away to chase after the merc's chaff as they sped away toward Avery. With plenty of distance still between them, Avery braced herself for a joust, readying one of her STDMs to fire the second the F/C-16 was in range. Her RWR began beeping frantically the same moment her missiles growled in approval of the target in front of them. Her left hand mashed the switch for countermeasures while her right held firm on the control stick, pulling the trigger on her missile before pulling straight up into air. The mercenary in front of her did the same, and both missiles ended up colliding with each other, leaving the two pilots to get in close. Avery pulled hard to the left, making an aggressive turn to cut off her target's path. The mercenary F/C-16 tried to correct, but it was already too late, and they fly straight into a hail of gunfire from Avery's cannon, sending the plane spiraling down into the sea below.
"This is Sundial 3, we've got bandits closing in all around us! We need help or else we're-"
"Wyvern 1 is down! The Crown is making mincemeat of us!" Wyvern 4 cried out just seconds before they met the same fate.
"Escorts, the Cascadians are trying to cut us off. We need help, please!" Sundial 6 pleaded as they launched flares to try and escape the bandits swarming all over them only to get gunned down.
"If we don't disengage, we're all going to get shot down!" Aqua 2 cried out.
"That's it. I've had enough of this!" Storm 1 decided as they lit their burners and sped toward the Crown. "I'll put this mercenary in their place!"
"Remember, getting these transports back home is your main priority, focus!" Grayson reminded the pilots.
"You're asking us to fly through a furball and a snowstorm!" Sundial 1 replied irritably. "I don't like our chances."
As Avery pulled away from an SK.27 that she had just gunned down, she made a realization that made her blood run cold: for every one plane she and her allies were shooting down, the rebels were shooting down another three. In other words, they were losing. Bit by bit, the Cascadians and their mercenaries closed in on the Federation pilots more and more, and it wouldn't be long before there was nowhere that she and her squadron could go without the Crown bearing down on them.
"Aqua 1, Marine 1, form up on me," Storm 1 ordered. "Put a crosshair right on that Crown. We take out the king, and the rest will fall!"
"He's coming in hot- take evasive action!" Marine 1 warned as he turned sharply away from the approaching F/D-14.
"It's too late!" Aqua 1 cried out as a salvo of MLAAs shot out from Crown's plane and took out all three of them at once.
"We can't hold out for much longer," Shepard said. "They're boxing us in on all sides. It won't be long before we won't be able to get out of here."
Avery's eyes darted around frantically. There were only a handful of friendly pilots left- barely more than a dozen at this point. The Cascadians and their mercenaries had them completely surrounded and they were beginning to close in to finish them off. Avery did her best to stick with her squadron, firing off her last two MLAAs at a pair of Cascadian MG-29s. Neither of them hit, but she suspected as much when she pulled the trigger. All she could do now was force the bandits to keep their distance. But even then, she knew this wasn't going to last forever. She looked all over the furball, getting a look at each of her wingmen for what she presumed to be the last time. No matter how hard she thought, Avery couldn't think of a way out of this. She and her squadron were going to die.
Suddenly, the voice of North Star came over the radio. "All Federation aircraft still in the AO, be advised, Crimson Squadron is vectoring in hot with more reinforcements in tow," the AWACS operator said urgently. "Just hang in there a little longer!"
Padlock let out a massive sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God. I don't think we would've lasted much longer without them."
"Stay sharp! We're not out of this yet!" Shepard replied. "Everyone, get ready!"
"Crimson Squadron, ready MLAAs. We're putting an end to this party," Crimson 1 ordered as the final wave of Federation reinforcements sped toward the furball.
"Looks like it's those mercenaries. Think they might turn tail and run again?" Crimson 4 asked.
"Not this time. Open fire."
All of them dove into the furball headfirst and the battle began anew. The Peacekeepers fired missiles like they'd never run out of them while the reinforcements they brought with started picking off the bandits at the edges to make their way in. Meanwhile, the Federation pilots at the center of it all fought with a rejuvenated spirit. They had a chance now, and they weren't about to let it pass by without a fight. Avery cut back on her throttle and maneuvered away from an incoming missile. With her tail clear, she checked over and instruments and panic set in once again. Not only did she have just two STDMs left, but her low fuel indicator had begun flashing as well. One way or another, this fight wasn't going to last long.
"All survivors, rally behind the Peacekeepers! It's our only chance!" Hail 4 shouted.
"Don't worry. We've got this," Wyvern 6 replied confidently. "Now that Crimson's here, they're all goners!"
Avery let out a regretful sigh. "Locksmith 6, here. I don't have the fuel or ammo for this fight," she reported.
"Shit. Now that you mention it, neither do I," ASH replied.
"Ditto. I'm down to one heatseeker and a few seconds on my gun," Pad agreed.
"Dammit. That's it. I'm calling it," Shepard decided. "Locksmith Squadron, we need to withdraw while we still can, or else we're not going to be withdrawing at all."
"Crimson, engage the mercenary IFFs, they're the backbone of the enemy air force," Crimson 1 ordered as the Peacekeepers charged into the middle of the fighting.
"Shepard, how the hell are we supposed to disengage in this mess?!" Pad asked. "I've got hostiles all around me. If I try running, they'll shoot me out of the sky."
"We need a rearguard," Cutter decided. "All of you, get ready. I'm gonna come in and clear your tails for you. Once your clear, get back to Presidia as fast as you possibly can."
"By yourself?" Avery asked in disbelief.
"We put anyone else at risk, and they might not come home either. When it's just me, I'll be able to slip away easier," Locksmith Squadron's XO explained. "I know what I'm doing."
"ID on one: the jester," Crimson 2 reported.
"The fighter with the peace symbol on it. Tag him," Crimson 7 added.
"I'm on the leader. The one with the Crown," Crimson 1 chimed in.
"Shep, you're closest so I'm coming for you first. Get ready," Cutter told him. "Everyone else, just hang on a little bit longer. I'll get to you as soon as I can."
Avery did her best to steel herself with a deep breath in and out. Just a little bit longer and only two missiles left to defend herself. For a moment, it seemed as if the others would give them more time, but the reinforcements Crimson brought with them weren't faring much better than the survivors, and even the Peacekeepers seemed to be struggling with the Crown and his wingmen.
Suddenly, Avery's RWR sprung to life as a mercenary F/S-15 closed in on her. She immediately pulled back on the throttle and dumped as many flares as she could. She arced her nose up and rolled to the side, minimizing the space for the missile that had been fired at her to lock onto. The missile just barely missed its mark and she lit her burners for as short an interval as possible- just enough to regain some speed. As the F/S-15 got closer and closer, she readied one of her last two STDMs. It didn't take long for it to find its target, but at the last second, she decided not to pull the trigger, wanting to conserve her missiles while she still could, and instead opted to fire a burst from her gun that fell short of its mark. The F/S-15 flew past unscathed, and rather than turn around to get another shot at them, Avery kept flying, putting as much distance between them and her as she could. For the briefest of moments, she thought that things might work out, and that her squadron would all get away. Then her worst fears were realized.
"Come on merc! Is that really the best you've goAAAH-"
"Crimson 8 was just shot down!" Crimson 5 called out.
"Who was that? Who shot him down?" Crimson 2 demanded.
"It was the Crown!" Crimson 3 replied. "That Crown mercenary just shot down a Peacekeeper!"
It was at that exact moment that Avery knew beyond a reasonable doubt that they were going to lose this fight. By that point, it was probably a matter of minutes, and she wasn't sure how many she had left- especially with her fuel dwindling more and more. Bit by bit, the remaining Federation pilots were getting chipped away, and she was terrified that she might be next.
"Locksmith 1, breaking off!" Shepard reported as he broke free from the furball and turned back toward Presidia. "Be careful, Cutter."
"I always am, Shep," Cutter replied. "Alright, Pad, you're next."
"Better make that quick, I've got bandits all over me!" Pad said with fear creeping into his voice.
"Crimson 4 lost!" Crimson 6 cried out as another red V/X-23 went up in flames.
"Do you understand what you're doing?" Crimson 1 asked over open comms. "You're getting in the way of world peace!"
"Adjust our tactics and reform the attack pattern. We'll make 'em pay for that," Crimson 7 growled.
Avery rolled onto her side and turned as hard to the left as her F/C-16 would allow. The airframe shuttered and creaked under the pressure of the g-forces, but it still obeyed. A Cascadian F/E-18 came in just close enough for her guns to reach, and she held down the trigger until her cannons replied with an empty click. Her last shots flew forward, riddling her target with holes before it exploded.
Nodding to herself, Avery looked around and saw Cutter racing to help Padlock deal with the four bandits on his tail. Her fight or flight was begging her not to, but she did it anyway, turning toward them to help however little she could. Cutter fired his last two MLAAs at the bandits, and one of them found their mark, but the remaining three bandits maneuvered just enough to evade his attacks before continuing their chase of Padlock. As Avery closed the gap, her STDMs growled eagerly, and she launched one of them at the plane closest to Pad before speeding past and away. That was as much as she was willing to risk her own neck, but it seemed to work out as the missile found its mark and the remaining two bandits, in their haste to get away, found themselves right in Cutter's crosshairs as he gunned them both down.
"Locksmith 3, bugging out!" Pad said as he sped away from the fighting to rejoin Shepard. "Thanks a million, Cutter."
"The Crown! He's coming around for me. I need suppor-" was all that Crimson 3 could get out his mouth before the Crown riddled their SK.37 with bullets until it exploded into a fireball.
"We're not gonna last much longer!" Wyvern 3- the last surviving member of his squadron said before a mercenary stuck him with a missile.
"Cutter, I need help, please!" ASH cried out. "They've got me surrounded!"
"Hang on, ASH! I'm comin' for you," he assured her as he rushed to her aid.
Avery watched from a distance, her heart pounding in her chest as if it was trying to break free. Every fiber of her being wanted to go and help her; if ASH died, Avery wouldn't have been able to live with herself, but she had her own share of problems to deal with. Several mercenaries and rebels were starting to zero in on her, and she wasn't sure how much longer she would last. She offered a silent prayer to the Dust Mother that ASH would make it out alright, as that was about all she had the power to do.
"Six, look out! You've got the Crown on your tail!" Crimson 7 warned as she tried to get in close enough to stop the mercenary.
But it was no use, and Crimson 6 suffered the same fate that all the others had faced. Crimson Squadron- the best pilots Cascadia had to offer- were getting ripped apart by a mere mercenary, and all Avery could do was watch it unfold. Hostile aircraft were chasing after her from every direction, and each missile they fired at her was one she feared would be the one to end her life. Forcing a deep breath in and out through her lungs, Avery pulled hard around, and with the narrowest of angles, she fired her last STDM at a mercenary F/C-16. Miraculously, the missile found its target effortlessly, and it provided Avery with just enough of a window to put some distance between herself and her pursuers, but she knew it wouldn't last forever.
"Shit, I- I'm winchester!" she cried out. "I need help."
"ASH, your tail is clear. Go now!" Cutter ordered. "I've gotta go help Glade."
"Go, Cutter. Please save her… for me," ASH pleaded as she took her window and pulled away to follow the others back to Presidia.
"Don't worry, Glade. I'm coming," Cutter assured Avery as he began making his way toward her. "Just hang in there a little longer and I can- ah shit!" he cursed as he dumped countermeasures and jerked away. "Oh, no you don't! You're not getting her while I have a say in the matter!"
Avery looked around, and her eyes went wide in horror as she saw who was chasing after him. It was the Crown. Cutter pulled up high into the sky, and the Crown followed after him. Two missiles shot out from underneath the F/D-14 and flew straight toward him. The first one Cutter evaded with ease, but the second missed him by the skin of his teeth, forcing him to bleed off speed rapidly. Forcing himself into a stall, Cutter's nose fell back down toward the Crown, and he fired off both of his last STDMs at the merc. As the F/D-14 evaded the missiles, Cutter let out a hail of tracers from his machine gun. To both his surprise and Avery's a handful of shots actually hit, but none of them were enough to even slow the merc down.
"Cutter, go! Get out of here while you still can!" Avery pleaded as she evaded the onslaught of missiles being fired at her with every ounce of willpower she had.
"Not… while you're… here!" he grunted under the weight of the g-forces he was pulling to follow after the Crown to get on their tail.
"Jackson, don't be an idiot!" Shepard pleaded his wingman from afar. "Get out of there, now! Please!"
But it was too late. Avery was helpless to do anything but watch as the Crown mercenary curled through air, drawing sharp contrails behind them as they expertly maneuvered through the furball and ended up with a perfect line of sight on Cutter, who was still trying his hardest to turn and face the merc. A single missile left the Crown's plane, and it turned Avery's wingman into a fireball right in front of her.
"CUTTER!" she cried out, watching as the wreckage from his plane fell into the sea. The tears welling up in her eyes blurred her vision, but she could at least still see enough to hit her switch for countermeasures, dumping flares behind herself to put as much distance between herself and the bandits on her tail as possible.
"NO!" Shepard shouted. "DAMN THEM. DAMN THEM ALL!"
"Avery, you have to get out of there, please!" ASH begged her. "Come on, you can make it!"
Avery grunted as she pulled hard to the right. She could see the remaining pilots of her squadron getting farther and farther away, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't follow. "I- I can't! They're all over me!" Unable to rejoin her squadron, she instead went further away, hoping that being in the vicinity of the remaining Peacekeepers would be enough, but she very quickly found out how wrong she was.
"Crimson 2, look out!" Five warned.
"Dammit! Get these dogs off my tail!" Two growled, making as many maneuvers as he could to escape the wrath of the Crown and both his wingmen. But in the end, it didn't matter, and the last Crimson Squadron V/X-23 was brought down by all three of them.
"No!" Crimson 1 called out. "These damn dogs! They have no idea what they're doing!"
"That's enough. We've sustained too many losses. All elements within the AO, pull back. I repeat, pull back! Crystal Kingdom has issued a full retreat," Grayson ordered.
"Tell them we have them! Just keep sending reinforcements. Don't take this from me!" Crimson 1 begged.
"That's an order, Crimson 1!" Grayson snapped. "We have no more combat effective reinforcements. The transports were all shot down- we'd just be sending men to die! I won't repeat myself!"
"No, no, no!" the leader of the Peacekeepers growled. After a brief pause, he let out a heavy sigh. "All Federation elements, pull back across the IDL. Use the clouds as cover."
"Go, Avery. Run!" Shepard ordered. "Fly away now- as fast as you can!"
Avery looked one last time over her shoulder. Her squadron's markers on her HUD had completely vanished, and she had no choice but to follow the handful of remaining Federation pilots across the border into Magadan, hiding just below the clouds as the arctic storm the transports had initially been using as cover continued to rage on. Even as she put more and more distance between herself and the Cascadians chasing after them, her heart continued to race, and then it began to ache as she remembered that Cutter was dead. For a moment, her brain had tricked her into forgetting, but now, it was all she could think about. Had he just held on another minute longer, he would've been right here with her, and she wouldn't be alone, but he was gone- dead- and she was alone. And alone, she had to reconcile with the truth: they lost, and with such a large portion of the Federation Air Force decimated from the battle, this war was about to change forever.