School Idols of the Lighthouse War
Chapter 18.2
Salvation - Search
After the briefing, and the neccesary preparations are completed, we took off from the carrier and meet the rest of Strider Squadron as well as 2 members of Cyclops. We are going to join with the patrol aircraft team called Specter and the need some good amount of protection. We headed for the location of Peony Trench.
Peony Trench, Spring Sea.
17:53 PM.
September 14, 2019.
After arriving at the location...
Count: Well, it's time for some treasure hunting, Trigger.
Lanza: Oh boy, I'm excited.
Húxiān: Hey, stop screwing around!
Count: Don't be such a hothead, Húxiān. We all know what'll happen if we screw up.
Specter 1: This is patrol aircraft Specter 1. We'll deploy the sonobuoy barrier!
Specter 2: We're all here to buy the farm, and that's why there's so many of us. According to our calculations, just two of them need to fly to locate it.
Alexa: I see.
Count: Those aren't the sort of calculations we like, are they, Trigger?
Alexa: Maybe, but it'll work.
Húxiān: Damn right! Same for the rest of us too!
And after a minute of flying…
Long Caster: They're here as predicted! Detecting hostiles! They're not from outside the AO. These are birds from the Alicorn.
Alexa: The SACS units! They are here to settle this!
Transmission
Wiseman: Trigger, you take the lead! The patrol aircraft must be protected! All aircraft, follow Trigger!
All Osean pilots: Wilco/Understood.
Yu: School Idols, protect the Osean patrol aircraft, form up on all of them.
All School Idols in the air: Yokai!/Yokai shimashita.
The School Idols form up close to the Osean patrol aircrafts.
And Alexa began her air combat, while Hanayo activated the long-range jammer in her Gripen.
SACS 1: Three Strikes revels in the killing. Catch her while she's at it! Go! Rip the wings off that degenerate!
Sarah: Engaging the enemy hostiles!
Leah: You go it, sis! We have protected Alexa from the hitmans, now we get the chance to get some kills on our scoreboard!
Count, Jaeger and Skald: Strider 2, Strider 3, Cyclops 2, engaging.
Húxiān: Strider 4, engaging.
Sarah: Saint Snow 1, engaging.
Leah: Saint Snow 2, engaging.
Honoka: Printemps 1, engaging.
Eli: Bibi 1, engaging.
Jaeger: They must have been waiting for us in the air!
Wiseman: David, here's a question. How many aircraft can the Alicorn carry?
David: 20 to 30, depending on the type of aircraft, but it's unconfirmed intel. Could be more. With Three Strikes and the School Idols Squadron, you could reduce them to a single digit!
Skald: Nah, we can reduce them even more!
Eli shot a SACS bandit down.
Count: Not sure it's because of Trigger alone, but those are calculations I do like.
Wiseman: We'll know the answer soon enough.
Leah shot down an enemy bandit.
Leah: Bandit shot down!
Skald: Trigger can't protect them all!
Yu: School Idols engaging the bandits, assist Alexa!
Honoka: Working on it!
Specter 1: 20% of sonobuoys dropped!
Mari: Good! Keep it up, Specter. This is just the beginning.
Alicorn Crew 1: Debris from the downed aircraft is landing in the water.
Capt. Torres: Let me know when the bodies–I mean, the debris–stops raining. Sorry about that, slip of the tongue.
Transmission
Long Caster: All aircrafts, be advised. Our radars picked up new hostiles!
Count: So there were more hiding!
Eli: SLUAVs! All School Idol aircraft, take those UAVs down!
Húxiān: Can you get 'em?
Mari: We are engaging!
David: Do you all have a moment?
Count: What's up?
David: Two groups of demonstrators have clashed! People are running away! I see lots of signs held up! There are even banners flying in the air! They're advertising drones!
Count: What, you're in Oured?!
David: Well, yeah, I live here! I haven't solved the terminal guidance mystery either.
Yohane destroys a SLUAV.
Count: I meant, why aren't you running?
David: Hey, you guys aren't running, are you?
Húxiān: Huh! Damn right.
Then David realizes.
David: Running? …Wait, running?
Civilian 1: Yeah, those drones aren't running away!
Count: What do you mean?!
David: I'll call you back! Alex, I need you to check something!
Specter 1: 45% of sonobuoys dropped!
You: Locked on target! Firing!
You fired the TAAM and hit the SLUAVS.
OF 2: Thanks, Aqours 2. I owe you!
Specter 4: Haha! Hostile confirmed down!
Specter 3: Told ya so! Three Strikes and the School Idols got our backs!
Wiseman: Trigger, the other guys and some of the School Idols are standing their ground, but in the end it comes down to you and Honoka. Do us proud!
Specter 1: 70% of sonobuoys dropped!
Riko: Perfect! It's almost complete!
Count: Just a little more!
Alexa: More SLUAVs inbound!
Transmission
Long Caster: We're detecting additional UAVs! Intercept them!
Specter 2: Our TACCO's been hit!
Count: Our ghost pal is in a tight spot!
Eli, Honoka and Setsuna attacked the enemy UAVs, and Honoka took out 2 UAVs.
Alicorn CDO: Should we clear the baffles, Captain?
Capt. Torres: They won't chase us by sea. Pursuers will be airborne.
Specter 1: 95% of sonobuoys dropped!
Ayumu: Almost there!
Rina shot down a drone and a bandit.
Rina: I have shot one down! Rina chan Board: Kiri!
Capt. Torres. Turn 5 degrees to starboard, then slow ahead both engines. Get on the current.
Hanayo shot down an UAV, while Riko and Mari destroyed 2 drones and a SACS fighter.
Alicorn CDO: They must be very frustrating right now those Oseans. It's nearly impossible to find us in these open seas.
Capt. Torres: Come if you dare, Three Strikes…
Specter 3: More missiles incoming!
OF 2: Specter is in trouble! We need to cover them! We must also aid the Satsuman allies!
Specter: All sonobuoys dropped! Barrier completed! All of us getting out alive certainly wasn't in our calculations! We owe you all!
Count: *chuckling* You can't really calculate outcomes when you've got an X-factor with you.
Mari: That's right.
Specter 1: Signal analysis complete! Data linking the Alicorn's navigable zones!
Signal search area activated.
Long Caster: Roger that! Displaying the search area on your radar map!
Alexa: Honoka-chan, let's get the show on the road!
Honoka: Likewise, Alexa-san! Yukiho, activate the MAD.
Yukiho: Ready, Onee-chan!
Long Caster: The Alicorn's somewhere inside that ring! Activating the MAD!
Alexa's HUD has now the MAD on her upside of her helmet.
Alexa: Ah, there we go.
Long Caster: Do you see the waveform indicator above your HUD?
Alexa and Honoka: I see it! Cool!
Transmission
Long Caster: Fly over the search area and look for a location that induces a change in the waveform.
Count: We're treasure hunting for real, huh?
Long Caster: All aircraft except Trigger and Honoka, you're on contingent combat air patrol.
Jaeger: Trigger, Honoka, check the nautical chart on your radar as well. The submarine's not gonna be in shallow waters.
Lanza: The sub's not gonna be on any islands, we get it.
You: The submarine may be huge, but it's still gonna be like looking for a needle in a sea of haystacks.
As Alexa and Honoka are searching, Honoka's MAD is going up.
Honoka: Wait a minute, I think I'm getting something in my HUD.
Eli: Are you sure, Honoka-san?
Long Caster: Okay, Honoka. The HUD's getting something. The waveform on your HUD should have peaked. Can you turn and fly in the direction where the waveform peaks?
Honoka: I'm on it.
The MAD is reacting to Honoka's and Alexa's HUD.
Húxiān: C'mon, sharky, where are ya?
Yohane: Here, sharky, sharky.
Riko: Not funny, Yoshiko-chan!
Yohane: It's Yohane!
Alexa: *chuckling*
The MAD is reacting harder.
Alexa: It's close!
Long Caster: Trigger, you MAD's showing a stronger reaction. The Alicorn must be near.
Skald: You've set the hook; now you just have to reel it in!
And then… the MAD detected something.
Alexa: There it is! The Alicorn!
Long Caster: Picking up a magnetic signature!
But then…
Alexa: Huh? The MAD is jammed!
Honoka: Mine's too!
Eli: What happened, Honoka?
Long Caster: Signature lost! I'm seeing strong noises in the MAD's signal!
David: Shoot! They predicted we'd use a MAD!
Count: Seems like this is our contingency!
David: Does anyone see the source of the noise on the ocean surface? It's likely similar to a buoy!
You: There are some jamming buoys somewhere in the area, maybe.
Long Caster: I don't have a window, so I don't know about buoys, but I'm detecting strong radio sources!
David: Correct! That's it! You, you are saying jamming, right?
You: Jamming buoys?
David: That one! That's it!
Transmission
Long Caster: You, I'm sending the coordinates of the jamming devices, destroy them!
You: Already on it!
Count: Take all the jamming buoys down, You!
Skald: All these jammers must have been deployed beforehand. They predicted our moves.
Húxiān: Then we'll go beyond their expectations!
You's F-35C fired a missile on the first jamming buoy.
And it hit the buoy, in which an explosion reverberates the water.
Count: What the…?! A huge explosion just went off underwater!
David: An explosion you say?! Patrol aircraft, what's happening underwater?
Specter 1: Underwater listening is impossible! We're only hearing explosion echoes!
David: The Alicorn will use the noise for cover and head out at full speed!
You destroyed one jamming buoy after an another.
Long Caster: Aqours 2, destroy all jamming buoys before the enemy submarine escapes!
You: Already dealt some!
Capt. Torres: Full speed ahead!
Alicorn Crew: Aye, sir!
Riko: We can't let it get away!
Another jamming buoy is taken out.
Ayumu: Another jammer buoy destroyed!
David: Damn it! Specter, I need you to determine the sub's location again as soon the noise dies down!
Húxiān: Can we make it?
You eliminated the last jammer.
Long Caster: The last of the jamming buoys have been destroyed!
Lanza: How'd it go?
Specter 2: Wait for the buoys to respond.
Setsuna: Not good. Do hurry!
And a few minutes later…
Lanza: Hey, you okay?!
Specter 1: Analysis done! Data linking!
Signal data updated.
Transmission
Long Caster: Its location has moved! Trigger, Honoka, I'm sending you the search area! Don't let it get away!
Transmission David
David: The Alicorn has almost reached the trench! Time's running out!
Honoka: Time to speed it up!
Count: It's okay, they're already on the hunt!
And then the SLUAVs arrive in the skies.
Long Caster: Confirming more hostile UAVs! They're just launched from the Alicorn!
Húxiān: It can launch them underwater?!
Leah: That's something!
Lanza: If you can splash even one, it'll be much easier for Trigger and Honoka to search for it!
Wiseman: Strider, Cyclops, School Idols. We don't have much time left.
Count: Don't you worry! Trigger and Honoka are finding it!
Wiseman: Counting on it! Double time it, you two!
Eli: Keep looking, Honoka!
Húxiān: Come at me! Let's dance!
And then, Honoka's MAD went on a reaction.
Honoka: It's close! Very close!
Jaeger: Think we can find it?
Lanza: This is pretty tough!
Húxiān: We gotta do this!
And 1 second later… Honoka's MAD hit the mark.
Long Caster: You've reeled it in! Positive hit on the MAD!
Honoka: Yukiho! We found it!
Yukiho: Nice!
Count: That's it!
Long Caster: Printemps 1 has found the Alicorn!
Alexa: Way to go, Honoka!
Specter Squadron: Yeah! All that flying around paid off!
OF 3: Yeah!
Count: We ain't done yet. Give it the finishing blow!
Satsuma Fleet: Target coordinates acquired!
Osean Fleet: Commence preparations to fire the VL-ASROC!
To be continued on Chapter 18.3.