Wild Blue Yonder Ch.9
NOTE: I am aware that the entire series is not finished yet. With the possible number of changes in the canon in the future, this story will be an AU (Alternate Universe) that continues where Ace Combat Infinity left off while using a Reaper and Camilla pairing side story. It will also be adopting some actual new elements from the canon.
Ace Combat Series along with their characters DOESN'T belong to me. The series respectively belongs to Bandai Namco and Project Aces. The plot in this Fan Fiction and very few characters you'll know who are OCs (Original Characters) are original from me. If any ideas or characters sound similar to another story written by somebody else, it is purely coincidental, or I am using existing AC Characters and putting them into the real-world Earth setting like how Infinity does it.
If there is anybody outside of this site posting this Fan Fiction without giving proper credit or impersonating me, please let me know.
Chapter 9: Calm Before the Storm.
The Raid of Busan commences soon.
-(Briefing Room, Fukuoka Airport, Japan)-
(Reaper's POV)
After lunchtime was finished and sometime near the evening, all mercenary squadrons were called into the briefing room by the base commander. Goodfellow was already there before us as the room was mostly empty due to the Bone Arrows and a very few independent contractors being the only chunk of mercenaries at Fukuoka Airport. While I was listening to the base commander layout his rules for us to hear when we go on sortie, which was mandatory to follow under UN Security protocols, next to me was Omega, Bronco, and Zebu who were trying to stop themselves from falling asleep as they were consumed with boredom. To be fair, they have heard these protocols over and over again considering how many times we have been on sortie under the command of the UN Security Council. So, it didn't really bother me and Goodfellow as long as they remember to play by the rules.
On the projector was the map of the entire Korean Peninsula before it began to zoom in on Busan, located on the southeast. Gimhae Air Base/International Airport was labeled along with the Port of Busan were marked, which was a sign of their importance for the UN to reclaim from USEA. The next slide then displayed enemy presence on the entire city of Busan, which was considerably heavy from mainly naval and air units. For the land units, it seemed to be a little more modest compared to the others. This at least gave me some idea that we will be deployed with anti-naval and anti-air weaponry.
Goodfellow stepped forward after the commander finished speaking. "The reason why us mercenaries were called into this briefing room is because we will be the spearhead of the UN Forces getting called in to liberate and secure Busan. Units from Sasebo Naval Base and Naha Air Base will arrive approximately half an hour as soon as the operation has commenced. We expect you guys to be the one pulling the trigger on the USEAn fleet first."
"Mostly you, Reaper." The commander said with a smirk aimed at me. "I know you love striking the enemy before they are combat ready to keep up with the advantage."
"I'll be sure to put the anti-ship missiles to good use." I nodded and smirked back at his statement. "I'm assuming the Ridgebacks will be the ones escorting the UN Fleet to Busan?"
Goodfellow nodded. "Correct. It's a large invading force they will be keeping under their wing. So, make sure to cause as much damage and chaos as you can to divert any USEAn patrol units in the area. As soon as they arrive in the AO, smoke 'em and you'll be getting a bonuses out of it."
Omega gave a dry smile and asked, "Wouldn't that put us in danger than anything, since we're a more smaller scale force…?"
"It would. But that's what the bonus is for. Not only you're in a riskier situation, but you also decreased the number of pilots and equipment for them to use against us during South Korea's Liberation." He answered and folded his arms at my wingman with a questioning expression. "Why? You having second thoughts? I mean, it can save the insurance of your plane and more bonuses for Reaper."
"Nah, nah! Just wondering. I'm going to need some cheddar for my retirement fund anyway." Omega chuckled, clearly hiding his nervousness which seemed to have worked.
"Good. Because Colonel Akuji informed me that the UN Command wanted all of Bone Arrows to go on sortie soon." He told him while pointing at the base commander.
"According to the UN Security Council, this operation will be executed tomorrow. With the amount of USEA Navy ships docked at Busan at the moment, we can't afford to let this raid opportunity go if they intend to use that fleet against us in a possible invasion. Japan is heavily relying on the US Navy at this point after what happened in Tokyo." The Base Commander, Colonel Akuji, silently huffed at the loss.
Goodfellow bit his lip and averted his gaze away, sheepishly. "Yeah…don't take it personal. Those ships were taken under USEA's command."
"We understand. The JMSDF will rebuild what was lost in time."
"Anyway," Goodfellow switched back to the subject of the briefing and looked directly at us Bone Arrows, "Reaper, you and the others have the rest of the day off. However, get some early shut eye because you'll be taking off in the early morning. Weather reports there's going to be enough fog to visually keep you boys hidden on your approach to the port."
"Got it." I acknowledged while the rest of my squad mates nodded while happy with the fact that we get to do what we want today.
"To reiterate for the rest of you mercenaries: Command is willing to pay an even bigger bonus on how many ships you can sink. If it's an aircraft carrier, for example, that's $25,000."
Some of the mercs in the room whistled while eagerly nodding and smiling at that size of bonus over one ship. Me personally, I didn't really care as I had enough money to take care of myself in a lifetime. It was just me, after all.
"I have my doubts about some of you warmongers. But good luck." Akuji said half-heartedly but only towards the other mercenaries while not including the Bone Arrows.
"If there are any other questions regarding the operations and your roles, feel free to talk to me and Colonel Akuji in Hangar 4. Dismissed." Goodfellow said.
And just like that, after fifteen minutes in the briefing room, it was over. We allowed the other mercenary pilots in the room to leave first to check if Goodfellow had anything else to tell us. But when we saw him and Colonel Akuji leave through the opposite door to another exit, I stood up and led Omega, Bronco, and Zebu out to the hall as each of us were stretching a bit before we proceeded down the path.
Bronco huffed and stretched his body. "Man, my ass hurts. It's like I just got out of prison."
"We were only seated for around a quarter of an hour. Was it really too much for you?" Zebu chuckled.
"Hey, man. My tailbone has been getting messed up the more we started going on sortie than when Viper was in command."
Omega shrugged and nudged my side. "All because of the Ace in the flock. He's been getting us even richer. So maybe you can use that to handle the expenses for your ass."
"I'd prefer investing it for a spare plane to Omega. We already lost enough good Typhoon Fighters." I joked.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Never gets old." He rolled his eyes.
My stomach growled suddenly in the middle of the empty hall, which my squad mates clearly heard before bursting out laughing. "Shut up, boys." I laughed along with them. "You guys know what's going to be served for dinner tonight in the chow hall?"
"I heard it was gonna be tonkatsu, but I'm not really in a mood for something else, to be honest." Zebu said while taking out his phone. "Any places outside the base you guys want to go to?"
Bronco raised an eyebrow and looked over at his squad mate already looking through the map. "Are we allowed off the base?"
I nodded and stepped towards Zebu to have a look at the map too. "We are. But Goodfellow informed me that we do have a curfew to return to base sometime in the evening. I think it was around 1900."
"Huh. Well, if we want to grab some grub outside the fence, then let's get it early." Omega suggested while fixing his coat.
"Anything specific you boys want to eat? I'm kind of in a mood for going to an izakaya." I told them.
Upon mentioning that, Bronco whistled and nodded his head at my suggestion. "Grilled food and beer. My favorite combination. Count me in."
"You had me at beer." Zebu grinned.
"I like it. If they serve traditional tonkatsu ramen, count me in. We are in the birthplace of tonkatsu, after all." Omega said while he rubbed his hands together.
Unanimously, we headed out the exit doors of the main building to head to the nearest izakaya for dinner. They are usually open until very late at night, but we still had to follow the base curfew we were given by Goodfellow and the base commander. Since we already had our IDs and cards/cash, we didn't head back to our temporary living quarters to pick them up. But that left us in our flight suits while we were out in the city. But we agreed to not go too far to avoid arriving late, or one of us taking too many drinks that will be a pain in the ass to head back to.
Exiting the airport through the gate of the cargo terminal, the guards let us through after reminding us of the curfew, which we acknowledged. Bronco took the lead as he was on his phone with Zebu, looking for any nearby izakaya. I can tell they were the most excited to eat and drink. As for Omega, he was already taking photos with his phone around the airport and Fukuoka. It was probably refreshing for him to finally be in a different city in Japan besides Tokyo. Ever since before I joined and went on sortie with him, he's been living there for almost a year.
Not wanting to bother any of my squad mates, I dug into my pocket to search for my phone and took it out to see I had a text message. But it was from an unknown number. Curiously, yet cautiously, I opened the notification and was met with only three words in a sentence.
"Call this number."
Considering this was from someone outside of my group like everyone in the Bone Arrows, Ridgebacks, and some of the UN Marine Commandos I met up with through my duty, this raised some alarms in my head. Plus, I was probably the most wanted man by USEA, and they will do anything to try and collect any data from me. Regardless, I decided to take the risk but made sure to not say anything. Or quickly hang up if my gut feeling tells me to. After a few dial tones, the call was picked up.
"Reaper…?"
That voice…
…Camilla?!
"Who is this?" I asked in order to verify if it was really her.
"Seriously? You already forgot what I sound like? I can't believe you, Reaper." She deadpanned.
"Hold on. I was just making sure it was you and not…you know. How did you get this number? The phone I'm using right now is more tightly secured." I asked while keeping my voice down as if someone was listening in on the call.
"Kvasir is good at that sort of thing." Camilla chuckled. "But don't worry. Nobody can hear us in on this call because I'm using a special network on the satellite that Kvasir adjusted himself. Plus, you're outside the base, which makes it much safer for us to connect."
I whistled, impressed that she set up all this just to talk to me. "Well, what did you contact me for?"
"Well…besides saying "Hello", I have something to talk to you about in regard to what's going on in USEA."
"Actually, I just had a talk with the base commander and my boss earlier about USEA losing ground and the advantage day by day." I chuckled as I proudly smiled behind the phone due to being the reason for that.
Camilla chortled before letting out a short sigh. "I know you're proud of your work. But this does come at a cost for USEA to start playing dirty against you."
"True. I did come across bounty hunter squadrons ever since what happened in Operation Bunker Shot."
"Well, the thing is…I don't think USEA is going to send mere bounty hunters against you anymore." She told me in a much more serious tone than her last sentence.
At that moment, I was beginning to understand what she was talking about. Bounty hunters in the air may be much more aggressive than your usual pilots, especially when they're there with a huge price and bonus on someone's head. But their greed could get the best of them which can affect their flying and execution of their tactics, and I use that to my advantage. Unlike them, money isn't always my main goal, even though it's a good thing to have. But I digress. Basically, instead of bounty hunters, USEA is going to send in their big guns or an even deadly squadron of pilots who are both aggressive and efficient with their tactics compared to those I have faced.
"I see. Does USEA still have a bunch of aces left in their air force?" I asked.
"That sounds too generous. More like a handful left, but don't underestimate that number. These pilots are kept secret and used for homeland defense for a reason."
Thinking about it for a few seconds, that was when it hit me. "So, the more that USEA losses ground, they'll start deploying these guys much more frequently that can potentially raise the body count for our side."
Camilla stayed silent for a few seconds and finally answered, "Yes. The deeper you get into the heart of USEA, the more desperate they will become and stop you. Whatever the cost."
"Figures." I sighed. "My dad always told me that the hardest point in winning a war was when it was near the end."
"Do you really believe it's near the end? Because it might be." She told me. "I guess your wish will come true once the counterattack has been finished."
"I wouldn't count on it. Even if USEA falls, there's still going to be a mess to clean up." I said while leaning back on my seat. "Hold on, what about you though? If USEA falls, what'll happen to you and the satellite? It's not going to self-destruct as some sort of failsafe, right?"
…
…
"What if I said that's the case…?"
I sighed. "Come on, you don't have to scare me like that."
With that, Camilla busted out some laughter over the phone before slowly catching her breath. "Sorry. But no. I really doubt D-…Doctor Cohen would even install and program something like that on something so valuable."
"Well, that satellite you're living in IS valuable. If that falls into our hands…"
"I know. Kvasir, the amount of data and information, its relation to the Papillon Project, I can understand your concern."
"There is one thing you forgot to mention."
"Huh? What else is there on this-…?"
…
…
"Oh, great line, Romeo~!" Camilla said in a somewhat shaky voice due to her clear embarrassment.
I snickered and rolled my eyes. "What are you talking about? I didn't say anything."
"This is a serious situation and you're already trying to flatter me. Unbelievable." She snickered.
"It's just my way of remaining calm before what's going on."
Camilla asked, "Why? What's going o-…wait, never mind." She backtracked her question immediately. "It's probably not best to tell me everything especially when you're outside the base and you're talking to an enemy of your employers."
"You're not really an enemy to me, after what happened onboard that satellite. Just misunderstood."
"I know. But I'm just mentioning it from a UN security standpoint. You're hired to execute the mission. Not tell anybody about it. Especially me."
She was correct. Although she was clearly against the war and her service to USEA after all that had been spilled by me and Kvasir, she was still labeled an enemy and giving her some information about the UN Invasion would be considered treason. It may not sound that much concerning, considering my position as a mercenary. But under the conditions of the UN Security Council and our heavily strict contract, I could still face consequences. Even capital punishment, if the courts decided that regardless of my heroic status…
But all of this began to make me wonder.
Then, I asked her, "What about you though? You're contacting me and giving some information that can be used against USEA. What happens if you get caught for treason?"
"Don't worry so much about me, Reaper. Kvasir and I have already had that talk handled everything when it comes to that." Camilla replied, which didn't sound reassuring and clear.
"I'm just hoping you don't get executed like me if I get caught."
Camilla groaned. "Okay, can you not add to the list of what to worry about?! You are getting hunted down by bounty hunters and USEA aces, which is already stressing me out enough!"
Hearing that, I'll admit, made me feel warm inside knowing she's that worried about me. "I'll be fine. More to add of the countless aces shot down in my name."
"Speaking of which, you never told me your real name." Camilla said. "Are you comfortable telling me?"
"Maybe sometime in the future. Mercenaries like me and the Bone Arrows tend to use our callsigns to identify each other in battle, and whenever we're off duty. Mainly for privacy reasons."
"Not even a hint…?" She asked while I could tell she was pouting behind the call.
"Nope."
With a simple answer like that, she let out a cute whine and laughed. "Shot me down just like that, did you?"
I smirked and shook my head. "Yeah. It's not the first time anyway."
"Shut up or I'll actually try to shoot you down next time!" She said jokingly.
"You and I both know you're going to lose like the previous encounters."
Camilla sighed and clicked her tongue. "You're an ass~!"
I suppressed myself from laughing too much, since Omega, Bronco, and Zebu were still present nearby as I followed. "Well, since you're still watching over me, I think it's my turn to ask how you are doing."
"Nothing new…I guess…" She replied, almost sheepishly.
"Nothing new? So basically, you're feeling lonely up there again?"
She groaned and heard her slam into a cushion, which was assumed to be the bed she rests in. "You didn't have to hit me where it hurts, Reaper…."
"I'm assuming that's what this phone call is for too?"
All I heard was a whine and hearing her huff. "You know what? I'm about to hang up on you."
"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on!" I chuckled and let out a sigh afterwards. "I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't tease you like that since you are in an isolated satellite with only Kvasir present."
"It's fine. Kvasir is currently in an on-call meeting, and I'm just stuck here doing nothing but…you know…"
"Snacking?"
A moment of silence ensued at her end before letting out a sigh. "…Why do I get the feeling you're making fun of me?"
"I'm not. Honest." I told her while my stomach was growling.
"I see. Big boy is getting hungry, hmm?" Camilla teased.
"Oh, okay. Now YOU'RE making fun of me." I embarrassingly pounded my gut to ease the grumbling. "But yeah. Me and the boys are heading to eat and drink at an izakaya near the airport. We just got tired of the food at the mess hall and just wanted something new. And something to drink."
"Just remember to drink responsibly, Reaper. If tomorrow is important, I wouldn't want you to crash from a hangover. Literally."
"My alcohol tolerance is strong enough. Don't worry about it." I assured her.
"Not much of a drinker myself, to be honest. But I have been looking into trying it out. It's just they forbid alcoholic beverages being onboard this satellite with every ration delivery via capsule."
My eyebrows furrowed as I asked her, "One day, I can take you out to try out some new things down here. Well, however that will be done when this is all over."
Camilla let out a chortle and was clearly interested. "That sounds nice. I am actually getting really tired of the rations and snacks they send me up here. A majority of them tastes so bland…"
"That's when mixing up the things that you have come in handy. Like melting a chocolate bar and pouring the sauce into a packet of almonds."
"Stooop~! You're making me hungry again after I just ate!" She whined.
"Hey! Cap'n!" Bronco called me from behind, where he along with Zebu and Omega were at the front door of a warmly lit and smokey establishment. "It's this building. Let's go."
I nodded and turned back to head towards the front. "Camilla, do you-"
*Beep…Beep…Beep*
She hung up on the call.
But I think it was for the best, since we finally reached our destination, and I wouldn't want the others to turn suspicious about who I was talking to. Plus, it would be kind of awkward still talking to her while I was in the middle of eating and drinking. Actually, it would be even worse if I was talking to her drunk if Bronco and Zebu started pushing me to drink more beer. The last thing I would want to do is tell them about Camilla or say something embarrassing or anything I'll regret to her. Before I was able to put my phone inside my pocket…
*Ding~!*
My phone vibrated and chimed in my hand as if I received another text message. It was from that unknown number, who I knew was Camilla's from earlier. I opened the messaged as it said the following…
"I'll just leave it to you with your team. Have fun with your friends~! And take care of yourself, okay?" -Camilla texted.
I chuckled and stood outside the izakaya to send her one last message before walking in with my team.
"I will. You too. If you ever need to contact me, just call or message me." -I replied.
After sending her that, I headed inside where I was welcomed with the smell of grilled and fried foods with the constant chatter between Japanese salarymen and a handful of other JSDF personnel. I stuck close to my team, who were already talking in the front and looking for a table to sit at. Tomorrow was going to be a long day due to the upcoming raid and invasion. But for now, it was time to focus on some beer and tasty izakaya food.
Still working on the cover. Just wanted to post a chapter to let you guys know I'm not on THAT LONG of a hiatus again. Hope it was okay! If you're waiting for action, don't worry. Next chapter will have it. Just something laid back for now.
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