Fandom Nether Skies

[Kyero]

"Soon I will ascend to the heavens and become what I have dreamed of for so long. My fear of heights will soon be extinguished, and I will become an Ace Pilot and make my family proud. Daisuke may be the favorite son, but he will not deny me my place in the skies!"
​

A few minutes after meeting with the Base Commander, Kasumi made her way back to the Mess Hall. The place seemed to be full of chit chat about random topics from what Squadron everyone was in to their dream planes and lives at home before enlisting. Kasumi looked around and found Alexis and A.J., walking over to them.


"Hey you two." She said quietly.

 

[Whisker]

A.J. listened to Alexis's comment before cracking a grin. He didn't have very many credits left after securing his ride from Hierelark, but he certainly had enough for at least one night of partying before the real work began. Though he wasn't sure what the brass would have them do just yet. Unbidden in that moment, the image of that great black plane they had seen on the runway popped into his mind and despite the situation, his green eyes flickered to the window and the skies so far away. He would soon be flying them just like that Raptor. Somehow, deep down inside, he felt as though it were an omen of things to come. Good or bad, he wasn't sure yet, but the feeling was there all the same ...





I hope you're buying for everyone.





A.J. broke from his momentary silence to face the guy who had spoken. He recognized him as yet another member who had been standing close by at his graduation, a buddy of Johan's. Shaking off the tension that had come in his shoulders, he made a face of mock despair before pulling out his wallet with a sad face.





"You guys are going to clean me out at this rate. Damn, I hope they have some work for us soon, or I'm going to be scraping by on Ramen noodles."


He put his wallet up and listened as Adrian read his squadron assignment out loud. Shrugging his shoulders, A.J. leaned nonchalantly against the wall and explained as best he could based on something his TI had said back at base.


"That's not surprising. It might be a rookie squadron. We have experienced squadrons needing members certainly, but sometimes the brass likes to train up rookies into potential Ace squadrons by placing them with all rookies and under the helm of an experienced flight lead. Even more rare is when they place a squadron entirely with rookies and under command of a rookie flight lead whom they send up with an Ace squadron to learn from. They seem to think it's better that way instead of placing new members into experienced squadrons which can upset the formation and potentially get some valuable squadron members killed off."


He hesitated and looked at the charts on the wall, wondering absently what the situation would be for himself and Alexis. It seemed possible that they might end up being a rookie squadron themselves as very few members seemed to be assigned to their flight. He mulled over the possibility for a few moments, but then perked up as a solemn-looking Kasumi returned to them from down the corridor.


"Welcome back. What'd the Base Commander say? Did he give you your squadron?"





@Kyero @HammerTroll @Commissar Darman @too much idea

 

[Kyero]

"Soon I will ascend to the heavens and become what I have dreamed of for so long. My fear of heights will soon be extinguished, and I will become an Ace Pilot and make my family proud. Daisuke may be the favorite son, but he will not deny me my place in the skies!"
​

Kasumi shook her head.


"No, he didn't." She said.


"But he did relay a message that my brother wanted me in his Squadron." She mumbled.

 

[Whisker]

A.J. lifted his eyebrows at the news, an expression of momentary incredulity flickering across his face.





Kasumi had a brother?


He supposed it shouldn't have surprised him. There were many graduates among the Osean Air Defense force who had siblings both older and younger than themselves. He hadn't known Kasumi for very long, but it was the first time he had heard her mention him; and the resigned air that she carried with her upon admitting that relation had him scrutinizing her with a frown for a minute or so.


"I didn't even know you had a brother."


He smiled uneasily at confessing that outloud before pressing on.


"I'm guessing by the grim expression on your face you turned him down, huh? Can't believe you, Kasumi. You had a chance to fly with an experienced Squadron, and you came to hang out with us losers."


He shook his head teasingly for a moment, but then went serious again, his green eyes flickering from her to Alexis.


"Well, if all else fails, I suppose I'll recruit Alexis to pester our flight lead into having you get into our Squadron. That'd be some fun times. And of course, you're welcome to come out for drinks if you want."


Though he wasn't sure when they would be cleared to leave for their R&R. It was still in the middle of the day and none of them were technically off duty yet.


@Kyero @too much idea

 

[Kyero]

"Soon I will ascend to the heavens and become what I have dreamed of for so long. My fear of heights will soon be extinguished, and I will become an Ace Pilot and make my family proud. Daisuke may be the favorite son, but he will not deny me my place in the skies!"
​

Kasumi looked to A.J. with a bit of indignance in her eyes.


"My brother is one of Osea's top pilots, serving in the Firebird Squadron. Not as prestigious as the Dragon Squadron, but still a well respected unit in the OADF." She said, pursing her lips a bit in mild annoyance.


"Ever since I was little my brother has always "protected" me. At first from bullies, until father taught me martial arts and I started defending myself. Then it was from stalkers and would-be boyfriends in middle and high school until I began pushing them away myself. And finally, he tried to "protect" me from joining the OADF because he said it was too dangerous since tensions between Osea and other nations have been climbing lately. But I have always been capable of protecting myself and I refuse to give him another opportunity to "protect" me when I don't need his help again." She said, a bit of an angry snap in her voice.


"I love my brother, but I don't need his protection. I'm here now as a pilot and I will earn my place as a top Ace pilot myself one day. Then maybe he'll finally stop thinking I need his protection." She said.

 

[yoikes]

"Personally, i prefer a rookie squadron. Gives us more experience and pushed us to change for the better since there is no one to ask help from or someone to lead us in the field." Alexis certainly couldn't say that she's glad it's a rookie team because that means that there will be no experienced pilot flying around and shooting down enemy planes before she does. She turned at the direction where A.J greeted Kasumi, and smiled at her. She listened as she answered A.J's question and revealed that she have a brother. Not just some brother, he served in Firebird squadron. Damn, so Kasumi turned down the offer to join such an elite squadron? But listening to her past with her brother and the reason why she turned it down, Alexis nod in


understanding.


"I'm okay with pestering the higher ups to let you join our squad. I'm good at it." Alexis grinned. She is good at pestering the higher ups. If she's not, instead of being here she's probably out there in the field doing some classified secret mission with the elite task force unit. "Let's bankrupt him."

 

[Whisker]

Though his expression radiated interest at first, the cocky smile hanging on his lips faded some as Kasumi snapped at him in response.


"Hey ... er ... Kasumi ..."


But nope, his opportunity to neutralize the situation had passed. She was looking quite peeved now and about to go on a rant. Taking a deep breath, he listened to her story about what had happened between her and her brother before raising his hands in a gesture of peace.


"Alright, alright. I was just joking before. Big brothers, who needs'em, right? "


He lowered them tentatively for a moment, his mouth slightly hanging onto a smile again, then traded it in for a scowl as Alexis made a jab in his direction.


"Hey! I can always change my mind, you know."


With an exasperated sigh, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his dress uniform before looking out the window again. He found, much to his surprise, that there was a definite increase of activity around the base. Looking to the others uncertainly to see if they noticed anything unusual, he shrugged finally before gesturing towards the door of the mess hall.


"Well, I'm going to check on my plane; it's supposed to be finished by now. I'll meet you guys soon enough if you're still interested in hitting up the bar. Adios."


He then headed towards the door and shouldered his way out through the crowd until he was outside near the hangars they had passed earlier. He took a deep breath and then checked the little notice he had received earlier in regards to his plane.


"Alright ... Hangar A ... It should be ... that way, right?"


He broke out into a trot as he hit the pathway in front of the row of hangars where the various planes were stationed. His direction and heading took him right passed the formerly locked hangar the mysterious black raptor had come out from earlier, but he wasn't too interested in that at the moment. All he wanted was to check on his f-16 as it received it's new payload upgrade and fresh new paint job designed to mimic the stormy skies. He supposed the Talon Squadron decal was going to be added, too, but he hadn't received word of that yet.


@Kyero @too much idea

 

[Kyero]

"Soon I will ascend to the heavens and become what I have dreamed of for so long. My fear of heights will soon be extinguished, and I will become an Ace Pilot and make my family proud. Daisuke may be the favorite son, but he will not deny me my place in the skies!"
​

Kasumi took a breath, realizing she'd probably said more than needed to be said. She kept quiet for the remainder while Alexis and A.J. spoke in turn. After A.J. departed to check his plane, Kasumi decided that it might be a good time to take a rest herself. She bid Alexis farewell and made her way to her quarters.


Once there, she laid down on the bed and just stared at the ceiling.


What did you really want Daisuke? She thought.


No sooner had she thought that than she got a call on her phone. She reached for it, and was less than pleased to see his name on the screen. She sighed and answered.


"What is it Daisuke?" She asked.


"Is that any way to speak to your brother?" He asked.


"When that brother tried to get me on his Squadron, one which I'm not ready to fly with? Yes." She barked.


"Come on sis."


"You wanted to protect me, as you've aways done. Right?"


"That's not it, and you know it."


"Then what was it about Daisuke? You know that I'm not ready to fly with you!" She said angrily.


"Kasumi, that's not it either... You've been busy with your graduation, so you never heard the news and it fell on me to deliver it."


"... What news, Daisuke?" She asked, calming down a little bit.


"Kasumi... Mother just died."


Kasumi gasped, her hand instantly over her mouth.


"It happened four days ago when you were in the middle of your final exams... Mother was making a deposit at the local bank, and it was robbed. The police arrived on scene and a shootout ensued which resulted in four civilian casualties. Mother was one of them."


Kasumi's eyes were already welling with tears, and she was unable to speak. All she could do was gasp and choke through her sobs which were coming at a more and more rapid pace as he continued to speak.


"Sis, I want you in my Squadron because you're family. During times like this dealing with such a sudden and heavy loss, we need to stand strong and we need to stay together. The Brass don't want anyone knowing it, but they're expecting a fight to break out between Osea and the now allied nations of Anea and Yuktobania... It's the war from five years ago happening all over again, but this time it's worse. Our family cannot afford two losses. Not now. Dad's barely keeping himself together as it is, and Mia and Hana are having trouble adjusting as well. I want you in my Squadron so you and I can stay together, both in the skies and on the ground so that our family doesn't have to worry about only one of us coming home. Do you understand?" He asked in a pleading manner.


Kasumi's tears were flowing freely now, memories of her mother cascading through her mind as she began to let sink in the fact that she was gone.


Her mother was a normal woman by all standards, but a beautiful one both inside and out. She loved her children equally, never taking favorites and treating them all with the same love and attention which she believed they deserved. She struggled in the early years with just Daisuke and Mia, but then Kasumi and Hana came along and things got even harder. But her mother always persevered. She always smiled. And she always loved them no matter what. Tensions ran high among the siblings, fights often breaking out. But mother was always there. Always breaking it up without taking a side. It was from her mother that Kasumi learned the value of family, but over the last few years her inferiority complex against Daisuke clouded that understanding and turned it into an unhealthy one-sided sibling rivalry.


Kasumi forced the memories to a halt, wiping her eyes with her jacket sleeve as she sniffed and sobbed trying to hold the tears back as well.


"... Sis?" Daisuke asked softly.


Kasumi took a moment to compose herself, sitting upright on the bed and letting out a long sigh to control her breathing.


"... All right Daisuke. You win. I'll ask the Commander to revoke my choice not to join."


"This wasn't a competition Kasumi. Neither of us have won anything here. In fact it's the opposite. We've both lost."


"... I love you Daisuke... I'm sorry." She said, choking back another sob.


"I love you too sis. Never forget that. We're family first."


She nodded, but couldn't speak as more memories began creeping in.


"I'll see you soon sis. Leave the Base Commander to me. I'll explain everything to him. You just focus on staying strong for me, okay? For our family." He said.


Again, she nodded.


"See you soon sis." He said, hanging up the phone.


Kasumi slowly clicked the "End Call" button, and then buried her face in her pillow and began bawling. For over an hour Kasumi cried furiously into her pillow, stifling the sound to prevent wandering ears from hearing but never the less crying with full intensity.


It wasn't fair. Her mother had been everything to the family. She was the glue which held it all together. She broke up the fights between siblings. She cooked their meals. She cleaned the house. She planned their family vacations. She worked at her own job. She balanced the family checkbook. She gave father support whenever he needed and withstood his verbal outbursts when work overwhelmed him. But the most important thing was that she always smiled. Father always said Kasumi got her smile from mother, and that meant everything to her. But now that smile which had given her hope and shown her such love as any child could ever dream of receiving was gone forever.


Daisuke said to stay strong, but how could she?


... How could she?

 

[Kyero]

Date: November 3, 2015

Location: Aerino Air Force Base
​

"Base Commander! We've just received a report of an incoming unidentified squadron approaching Osea!"





"WHAT?!" He yelled, pushing the messenger out of the way and running to the Control Tower.


As soon as he arrived, several other members of the Brass were there watching the radar screens.


"Someone tell me what's going on! Who's planes are those!?" He demanded.


"Unidentified, sir. We've yet to receive a visual."


"Someone get me details! If those planes are going to reach Osea, they'd better identify themselves as friendlies or they WILL be shot down!"





"Understood, sir. We're attempting communications."


"Attempting isn't good enough! Get them on the line!"





"We're trying sir."


"Commander, perhaps you should try some restraint?" The General said.


"Restraint when we're being invaded?"





"There's no proof of that yet, Commander. Calm yourself."





"I will calm down when I know they are not attempting an invasion like they did five years ago General. No disrespect, sir."





"None taken, but just because they fly from the West does not mean they are enemies yet. Give our-"





"Commander, we have opened communications."


"Great. Give me that!" He said, grabbing the microphone.


"This is Base Commander Nathaniel Veron of Aerino Air Force Base. You are trespassing in Osean territory. Identify yourselves now or you will be shot down! I repeat! Identify yourselves right now you you will be shot down! Over!" He said.


There was only silence from the other side, and a moment of static indicating they had shut off their communicators.


"That's it! Get the Dragon Squadron in the air, right now and on an intercept course!"





"Yes, sir."


"Commander, do you not think that is a bit much? I hardly believe it will take Dragon Squadron to force the enemies to either retreat or land."





"With all due respect, General, I'm taking no chances. Yuktobania invaded Osea five years ago without provocation, and now they are allied with Anea making them even more dangerous. I cannot risk this base nor any Osean citizens in such an instance as this. A lack of proper action five years ago is what led to casualties early on, and I refuse to make the same mistake my predecessors made. Dragon Squadron is overqualified for the job, but that's exactly why I'm sending them. They're the most feared pilots in the world, and if the enemy knows we're willing to deploy them for such a small incursion, I'm hoping it will deter them from continuing such a foolish course as attacking Osea."





With that, the Base Commander left the room and ordered all pilots on alert and ready to enter the skies at a moment's notice. Since receiving notice of her mother's death two days ago, Kasumi had been coping as best she could. She had been reassigned to her brother's Squadron, Firebird, and remained close to her brother at all times for support. When the order to prepare to take off came through, she and her brother both found a strange sense of comfort in the idea and stood by their respective planes, prepared to leap into the cockpits and take off if ordered.

 

[Whisker]

"Yes sir, but the Major ---"


"The alert includes all pilots. Just remain at your station as usual until the alert has been lifted."


"But ..."


Before he could get a straight answer, the phone line went dead. Aggravated, A.J. placed the phone back up on the hook and returned to Alexis, his expression grim. It had been two days since the graduation and their flight lead, Major Bradley, had not yet arrived from Sudentor where he had been stationed, held up by inclement weather in the north according to the report. This left Talon Squadron without a commander during a time where they needed it most. Crossing the hangar bay to stand next to his beloved f-16 fighter, he was silent for a moment and then came out with the news.


"The Major hasn't arrived yet. In spite of this, the brass still expects us to go up if the order is given."





He sighed loudly and deposited himself on a step ladder the mechanics had left behind from their work. His quick fingers pulled out a cigarette from the upper breast pocket of his flight suit and he lit it up, his bright green eyes drifting to the runway outside as he considered the situation at hand.


"What a drag ... "





Guess that bad feeling I got a few days ago was a dead ringer.





But in spite of the recognition, he felt a vague twist of determination in his gut. They were one of the few rookie squadrons still remaining on the base; most of the others had moved on to their new assignment locations over the course of the last few days. If they were expected to go up and fight alongside the more elite forces still hanging around there, he was determined to give them a good account of himself with or without his flight lead. It was the least he could do after coming this far.





@Kyero @too much idea @HammerTroll @Commissar Darman

 

[Kyero]

*Tick*


*Tock...*


*Tick*


*Tock...*


*Tick*


*Tock...*





"So it's confirmed?" The Base Commander asked.


"Yes, sir. It's confirmed!"





"Dammit!... We don't have a choice. Launch all planes! This is now an all-out assault."





"Right away, sir!"





With that, the order was given. An alert blared through the loudspeakers throughout the base.


"Attention all pilots! Scramble immediately! Repeat! Attention all pilots! Scramble immediately!" Blared the alert.


Daisuke had already jumped in his plane the moment the "Attention all pilots!" was spoken the first time. He yelled to Kasumi to board her plane as well, which she did. Together, the members of Firebird Squadron fired up their engines and listened to the Tower for clearance to take to the runway.


Slowly, one by one, the planes on the base began launching. Daisuke, as Flight Lead, went up first. Kasumi was last, being the newest member in the tail position. But at last, Kasumi was in the air and following the others in formation as they waited for further instructions.

 

[yoikes]

(Just realized. F-4E = FAE lol)


Alexis sat in the ground, next to her F-4E. She observed how AJ called the higher ups, complaining and asking about the whereabouts of the leader of their unit. He turned off the phone and looked grim, and Alexis already has an idea of what they said before AJ told her.


"The Major hasn't arrived yet. In spite of this, the brass still expects us to go up if the order is given." He sighed, sitting on a step ladder and started smoking. "What a drag ... "


"Hey, no smoking." Alexis waved her hand, gesturing for him to turn it off. Aside from the fact that it is no smoking zone since one small fire could lead to the a huge explosion that could destroy a hangar or the whole base, Alexis hated cigarette. She never get used to the smell. "Don't worry, i don't think the brass are that crazy to force us to go-"


Her sentence is cut off by a loud blaring of a siren, surprised her so much that she jolted up.


"Attention all pilots! Scramble immediately! Repeat! Attention all pilots! Scramble immediately!" The voice repeated again and again, and Alexis froze as the people around her rushed around. The mechanics doing one last check, the other pilots quickly climbing into their cockpit. Alexis should do that too, a mechanic tapped her shoulder bringing her back to reality. She climb the ladder and took her helmet, that she put on top of her pilot seat, jumped inside and wear one as she turned on the plane's system. A mechanic tapped on her cockpit glass, giving her a thumbs up. Everything is ok, she could go now.


Alexis is scared. This means war, right? Who are we fighting? They didn't tell us that, yet. How many enemy? How many of us? How many are going back safely today? She can't think of those stuff, she has 100 planes to shot down or they will transfer her to ground force. She can't let them have their way, no way. And if it's an invasion, she won't let the bastards harm her family somehow. She glanced at AJ, waiting for him to go first.

 

[HammerTroll]

1400 hrs eastern Oecian time.


A angry Squall slashed around rain in a torrential downpour and crosswind. alone in the monochrome grey skies a lone plane clawed at the very wind its self heading just of the cost of Port.St. Hewlett, To where a OMFD vessel the "OFS Condor" was returning from a 3 month deployment conducting maritime shipping lane patrols. The cargo of the Grumman C-2 Greyhound,a twin-engine, high-wing cargo aircraft, designed to carry supplies, mail, and passengers to and from aircraft carriers of the OMFD, was nothing special just mail, more mail, and 3 pilots that we're due to replace two transfers and one at sea Arial accident the OFS Condor suffered while out to sea. As the Strom rages the C-2 turboprops we're screaming, buffeting sound like a banshee on a HOWLING motorcycle. Inside the Greyhound was different mood. A Navigator sits directly behind Hammer at a small desk built into the bulkhead.


Behind the navigator in a cockpit, pilot and copilot. Eyeing Hammer, Mallard,and Tako, the navigator says "Some turbulence. Hey, Commander?" The Greyhound jsut shook his head and kept his eyes on the instrument panel concentrating on flying.'You don't enjoy flying?" the Navgator yells to the Comander of the C-2 grinning impishly.Johan shakes his head locking smiles with the navigator. Gleefully, the navigator bellows:"This is a picnic, Commander. Youshould've been with me six months ago when we hit a typhoon in the Ceres Ocean. Guys were puking all. over the place. The plot puked all over his window. I puked the radio to death.Puke was everywhere and I'm not talking lightweight stuff. I'm talking industrial strength puke!" the Comander of the Greyhound cleched his hand on hte flight stick looking visably sick. Johan,Sterling and Adrian we're laughing uncotainably as the navigator continued his antics. the navigator spoke louder slapping the co-pilot on the shoulder"SO ANYWAY! when we hit that typhoon everybody knew what everybody else had for breakfast. Puke was on the


ceiling. Puke was in the aisle's the Radio Sqwaked The Navigator looked a the three pilots. We got an Emgergency The skippers say to haul it to the the Ready room as soon as the the tail hook catches. good luck boys somethign brewing out there.

 

[Commissar Darman]

As the greyhound touched down on the carrier, Adrian lurched at the sudden deceleration as the aircraft hooked the lines. Stepping out of the craft Adrian was soaked head to toe as the squall continued its downpour. luckily the wind was bad at lower altitudes or they wouldn't have been able to land. "Ah god damn it!" He screamed as the cold hit him. "Yup, we are defiantly back on the ocean." Rushing to the safety of the superstructure. Adrian stood still for half a second before shaking himself off like a dog attracting the stares of a few people. one of which was a older looking enlisted sailor who seemed to be waiting for them. " Afternoon, I was sent to escort yo." the u to the ready room." sailor said and motioned to follow. looking at the man then at the other two pilots, All Adrian could do was shrug and follow.


After spending a few minutes navigating the maze that is the Condor. The group finally made it to the ready room.


There they were greeted by another person, but person was an officer.


Good afternoon, Im Captain wayland, you're commanding officer." the Captain introduced himself, waving his hand for them to take a seat " Im just gonna make this quick...."


30 minutes later. Location: aircraft elevator.


Adrian was doing another pre-flight check as his F-4 Phantom waited to be lifted to the flight deck. sitting in his cockpit, Adrian felt a sense of unease as he sat there waiting. they were already behind schedule and the squall wasn't helping. if they were to meet up with those from Aerino Airfield, they would need to pick up the pace. feeling the elevator lift his craft, Adrian was forced out of his thoughts. as the elevator came to a halt. Adrian watched an aircraft catapult off of the carrier and slowly gain altitude. as the craft left his sight, He turned his head to the aircraft directly in front of his. "Hey hammer, i just realized something, the Cap never told us who it is we are fighting, any Ideas?"

 

[HammerTroll]

With the static signaling the end of Adrian's question, Hammer thought for a minute...... Hmmmm Don't know. Maby the Belkans are up to again? A flashing orange light caught Hammer's attion over the hum of his engines and the rain sleeting off of his cockpit. Down in front of his aircraft was a sailor wearing green bdu pants and a yellow turtleneck and vest waving two orange flash wands. All of a sudden the plane lurched forward as a tow tractor pulled the jet to catapult launch number two. With a sharp drop in the nose and a bounce of his seat Johan knew he was strapped in for the ride. Looking back to his wings he felt a pang of nervousness in his gut, this was his first time flying hot outside of the sim pod. AAGMs and sparrows and sidewinders. To use a phrase from his parents homeland they we're loaded for bear. Going over the preflight checks in his head for the thirtieth time the radio in his flight helmet sqaked to life," Paladin three this LPO Montoeye Flight boss 2-mikes till cat launch commence prep". Johan keyed the Mike "Paladin three copy 5x5 commence kick off in 2/mikes" with the formalities out of the way Johan cranked his throttle to full afterburner and set his ailerons to 10° slope for take off. Behind Hammer's Phantom the blast sheild raised like a tombstone out of the flight deck. By now Hammer's Phantom was shaking like a paisley patient with the built of force of the engines running at full tilt. Now the nervous feeling in his gut was at the back of his throat, the radio sqwaked again"Paladin 03 cleared hot!" Before Johan could even conform he was hurtled from 0-90 in a blink of an eye. SHIT SHIT SHIT! He screamed as his spead finnaly stabilized. This is Paladin 01 to Paladin 03 take formation on my Starboard wing.....and for the love of God newby don't tag into me" with a pang of frustration Johan replied "Aye Sir" looking at the rain and the grey of o the skies Hammer knew he would have to pay extra attention to his displays due to the lack of visibility. Hammer to Tako your next on the cat...hope your ready for the most fun your gonna ever have with your close on over. And with the Hammer's Phantom took its place next to his flight lead's coal black Phantom2/wild weasel circling the carrier waiting for the rest of Paladin Squadron to get air born

 

[Whisker]

AJ sighed and let his cigarette fall to the floor. Normally he might've argued with her but he wasn't quite in the mood. The alert had everyone on edge and now wasn't the time to be fighting with his wingman just before they were called to go into battle. Stepping down from the ladder and using his heel to firmly squash out the cigarette, he gave a wistful look towards the sky overhead before letting his hands come down beneath the harness to where his pockets were. It was still a gorgeous forget-me-not blue out there just as it had been a few days ago during the graduation ceremony. Back then, he would've given anything for the opportunity to go up and fly in such calm, beautiful skies and fly in formation with his comrades. But now under the threat of possible war and invasion? Well, let's just say he felt a bit queasy and not at all as confident as he usually was. Still, he was sworn to his duty and had no intention of abandoning it. He was proud warrior of Osea and would give all that he had if he was required to go up that day with or without their flight lead.


As Alexis spoke, AJ turned to her with the intention of apologizing for his attitude, but froze suddenly as the air raid siren pierced the air as surely as a knife.


"Attention all pilots! Scramble immediately! Repeat! Attention all pilots! Scramble immediately!"


Cursing loudly, he was galvanized immediately into action as he snatched up his flight helm and climbed hastily into the cockpit while the mechanics finished up their final diagnostics. He jammed his flight helm upon his head and strapped himself in as best he could before turning on the system and referring to his checklist to make sure that they were specified to the rules and that nothing was wrong with his plane before taking off. Knowing that they were further down the queue to take off versus the more elite squadrons, Wildcat took a bit more time to make sure his plane was in order before looking over to Fae who was beside him in her F-4E. He gave her a visual thumbs up before picking up his radio and hailing ground control to request permission to enter the runway. Once he was given permission, he signaled Fae before beginning his taxi to the holding point of the runway.


"Tower, Talon 2 ready for take off on runway five."


There was a brief pause before the control tower answered in a strictly unusual panicked tone.


"Talon 2, you are cleared for take off. Climb to 6000 feet and await further instructions."


The engine climbed to a roar as he eased on the throttle and began working to approach the appropriate takeoff speed. Upon reaching it, his nose pitched upwards to within inches of the right angle until he was air born with the runway cleared for Fae to begin her takeoff behind him. Upon reaching 6000 feet, he decreased his airspeed a bit and waited for her to catch up. He was still a little nervous about leading, but someone had to take the job while the Major was out. As soon as Fae was up in the air and flying on his wing, AJ took a deep breath and contacted her uncertainly.


"Talon 2 to Talon 3, stay tight on my wing for now. Re-confirm conditions and be prepared to correct heading and altitude."


There was a light wind that day, but it was noticeably stronger now that their climb was leveling out. It shouldn't prove to be too much of an issue, but it was something to keep an eye on nevertheless. After performing his checks, he glanced at the radar to make sure they were keeping up with the other craft out ahead of them as he waited for the in-flight briefing and/or possible instruction to come.


@Kyero @too much idea

 

[Kyero]

"Soon I will ascend to the heavens and become what I have dreamed of for so long. My fear of heights will soon be extinguished, and I will become an Ace Pilot and make my family proud. Daisuke may be the favorite son, but he will not deny me my place in the skies!"
​

It took approximately fifteen minutes for all the planes to launch successfully and meet in the air in formation. Some of them lacked their Flight Leads, others lacked some of the other members due to medical or maternal leave, but overall everyone in the air accounted for nearly 88 planes in total.


Daisuke, Flight lead of Firebird Squadron, cruised peacefully waiting for the orders to come through. He listened to his comms carefully, picking through the chatter going on around him to hear what command had to say.


"This is Aerino Air Force Command. From here on out AWACS Blind Bird will be organizing the assault on incoming enemy forces. Estimates say nearly 140 enemy planes in formation are en route bearing 270 to the West. Preliminary reports suggest it's a combination of Yuktobanian and Anean fighter and attack aircraft. Dragon Squadron was recalled due to being grossly outnumbered and are en route to fly in formation with the rest of you. AWACS, take it from here."


"Roger Command... This is AWACS Blind Bird to all planes, we'll be providing radar support and communications of all of you. Let's get out there and get this done! We'll be joining allied forces in the skies above Sand Island. It will take approximately one hour to reach our destination. Let's move!"





Daisuke flipped his visor down and cracked his neck.


"This is Firebird Leader, everyone stay tight and remember the plan. Stick to your assigned wingmen and provide cover for one another. Do that, and we'll all make it home alive. If you fail to provide support for your wingman, I'll kick your ass when we land. Got me?!" He ordered.


All responded positively, but Kasumi was silent.


"Firebird 9, this is Firebird leader. Respond immediately." He ordered.


Kasumi took in a deep breath, a small bead of sweat dripping down her temple as she flipped her visor down.


"Firebird 9, roger." She said.


"Stay sharp sis. We don't have time for drama in the air. You stay focused and do what you're told by your wingman, understood?" He demanded.


"Copy." She replied.


Daisuke didn't treat her like a sister in the air. It was a far cry from how he treated her on the ground. But then again, up here in the air contained inside giant metal birds... It was not exactly safe no matter how skilled you were. There was always a chance something could go wrong, as that's just what machines did from time to time. But that's not what was bothering Kasumi right now...


Kasumi glanced outside her plane, looking at the horizon line as another bead of sweat dripped down her temple.


... Here's my real test as a pilot, she thought as she closed her eyes for a moment and licked her lips.

 

[Whisker]

They had only been in the air for about 5 minutes or so before the radio crackled into life with a report from the base.





"This is Aerino Air Force Command. From here on out AWACS Blind Bird will be organizing the assault on incoming enemy forces. Estimates say nearly 140 enemy planes in formation are en route bearing 270 to the West. Preliminary reports suggest it's a combination of Yuktobanian and Anean fighter and attack aircraft. Dragon Squadron was recalled due to being grossly outnumbered and are en route to fly in formation with the rest of you. AWACS, take it from here."


For his part, A.J. was simply stunned.





140 Planes? Holy shit ...


By his estimation, that was nearly double the amount of planes they had managed to scramble. Glancing out of the cockpit windows where Fae showed up in his reflection, A.J responded tersely with a brusque command.





"Fae, did you hear that? We can't be messing around out there today. It's showtime on our end for sure."


Though he was sure she already knew that based on her goal of shooting down 100+ planes. Before he could say anything else, however, another radio command came in with orders from the AWACS that was to be keeping an eye on them through out the fight.


"Roger Command... This is AWACS Blind Bird to all planes, we'll be providing radar support and communications of all of you. Let's get out there and get this done! We'll be joining allied forces in the skies above Sand Island. It will take approximately one hour to reach our destination. Let's move!"


"Talon 2, roger."





Putting down on the throttle again, he increased his airspeed by a fraction to pull further ahead of his wingman so that they could adjust their course to the target. Once they were on the right heading, the talkative A.J. jumped on the radio to Alexis again.





"Alright, Fae ... I've been doing some thinkin' about this mission. When we approach the destination, we're going to keep low and out of the main furball. I don't want to run out of sky and trying to fly in close quarters really cramps my style. Let's pick an area to establish ourselves in and stick to it, got it?"





Now that they were actually in the air, he could feel his fear residing some and the old fire come back to burn in his gut. He knew what they had to do and he was ready to play no matter the conditions.


@Kyero @too much idea

 

[HammerTroll]

With all of Paladin and two other 5 man squadrons airborne, the carrier flight boss commed in on all birds "this is LPO Montoya to all elements, mark heading 200 and plot attack vector to sand island. AWACS Blindbird will be Command Nexus for operation. Adjust freq to 1.478mhz.....calm skies and and happy hunting flyboys." As all 15 planes adjusted course for Sand Island Johan felt a pange of nervousness and guilt run down his spin not realizing he had his mic cued he sighed......"why does it have to be yukes, in 90 mikes I'm gonna be nose hot on my homeland"

 

[Commissar Darman]

Bringing up the rear on the formation, Adrian adjusted course to sand island and set his craft to maintain that heading and altitude. it was gonna take roughly 90 minutes to reach the designated combat zone. looking at his armament, Adrian did a mental checklist. with only four sidewinders and four sparrows and the ALQ-101 and ALQ- 71, Adrian reconfirmed his role in the squadron as ECM support.


pulled out of his thoughts by Johans voice, Adrian could only sigh at his statement since he was sorta in the same situation. "hey just don't think about it. just remember, they are the enemy, nothing less, nothing more." He paused and was gonna continue but was cut off by flight lead. "alright you two, enough with the chatter."


grunting with annoyance, Adrian just sat there. all he could do is scan the air for anything out of place.

 

[yoikes]

After AJ gave her the thumbs out, Alexis quickly followed him to runway five.


"Talon 3, requesting permission to take off on runway five." She opened the radio channel to the control tower. It took them a while to answer her, which she understand because how many jets are requesting permission today? As soon as the radio gave her the permission and the aerial height she will need to climb to, she positioned her self in the runway and took off. Wasn't so hard to catch up with AJ and positioned herself in formation.


"Talon 2 to Talon 3, stay tight on my wing for now. Re-confirm conditions and be prepared to correct heading and altitude." AJ said in the radio, and Alexis only replied with a quick "Roger". She's too focused on looking at her surrounding. Beautiful clouds around her, and jet planes moving in formations past her.


And then, the report from the base come in.


"This is Aerino Air Force Command. From here on out AWACS Blind Bird will be organizing the assault on incoming enemy forces. Estimates say nearly 140 enemy planes in formation are en route bearing 270 to the West. Preliminary reports suggest it's a combination of Yuktobanian and Anean fighter and attack aircraft. Dragon Squadron was recalled due to being grossly outnumbered and are en route to fly in formation with the rest of you. AWACS, take it from here."


140 against... How many of us again? 80s? Still outnumbered. Alexis gripped her centre stick. If she can shot down a hudred, she can secure her position in the air force. Something in the back of her head reminds her that the number and the deal and the promises will be useless if got shot down and kill herself. Shot what she can shot, kill what she can kill.


"Fae, did you hear that? We can't be messing around out there today. It's showtime on our end for sure"


"I know, Dad. Don't worry." Alexis answered, before listening to the radio transmission from their eye in the sky. "Talon 3, roger."


"Alright, Fae ... I've been doing some thinkin' about this mission...." Alexis noticed that AJ sure more talkactive than usual. Maybe he's nervous. "When we approach the destination, we're going to keep low and out of the main furball. I don't want to run out of sky and trying to fly in close quarters really cramps my style. Let's pick an area to establish ourselves in and stick to it, got it?"


"That fits my style," Alexis replied. "Sure- Affirmative, Talon 2... Man, i'll never get used with all these formalities."

 

[Kyero]

"Soon I will ascend to the heavens and become what I have dreamed of for so long. My fear of heights will soon be extinguished, and I will become an Ace Pilot and make my family proud. Daisuke may be the favorite son, but he will not deny me my place in the skies!"
​

AWACS had been right about the hour long flight to Sand Island. The entire flight over was calm and peaceful, but filled with a sense of coming dread that almost all the pilots shared amongst themselves. Kasumi especially was nervous. Her fear of heights had been an inspiration to join and purge herself of that fear. But that was not happening just yet. No... She was terrified. Every few minutes she checked her hands and found herself white knuckle gripping the stick and had to force herself to relax.


As they approached Sand Island, Kasumi saw a flicker of light in the distance.


"This is AWACS Blind Bird to all planes. Incoming friendly fighter approaching. Weapon's safe." They ordered.


Kasumi moved her finger away from the trigger to let fly, and let herself take a breath.


"Dai-... Captain. Who's approaching?" She asked.


"Just wait until he gets closer."


"'He?'" She asked.


Kasumi looked towards the incoming plane, and as the moments passed and the plane got closer and closer she could see a black paint scheme. What made it instantly identifiable was that momentary red sheen under the sun as he banked slightly to one side to fly back and around to come up alongside the rest of the formation.


"Good to see you again Blaze." Daisuke said.


"'Blaze?'" Kasumi asked.


"Yes. 'Blaze' is his callsign." Firebird 2 responded.


Kasumi nodded.


An interesting callsign, she thought to herself.


"I hate that mercenary." Firebird 4 added, being reprimanded afterwards by Firebird 2 for his callous remark.

 

[Whisker]

A.J chuckled and kept hard on the throttle as he fell into formation some 500 yards behind the nearest squadron.


"Aw, don't worry about it. Unless we're communicating with headquarters or the AWACS, you can just call me Wildcat. The moniker suits me just fine, and I'm damned lucky it didn't become something else after that geezer back in training got hold of me. Man, did that dude hate my guts."


Deciding that now was not the time to discuss his rather amusing training exploits, he merely coughed and checked his coordinates to the destination. They still had awhile to go before they got there, but that was just fine by him; he was in no hurry to go charging headlong into battle just yet. He was enjoying flying along in formation with his comrades high up in the bluest sky he had ever seen. He honestly felt quite jealous of the guys who'd gotten to see this kind of stuff everyday. For a moment or two, he felt tempted to soar out ahead of the others and pull off a few aileron rolls just to lighten the mood as though this were nothing more than a training session back at Hierelark. Of course, the temptation waned quite a bit after a mental image of the old bulldog-looking flight instructor from training, Captain Hawkins, popped up in the back of his mind.





Second Lieutenant Riley, cut that shit out. This is not the fucking circus and you are not a stunt pilot, do you hear me? Playing around like that in a battle will get you and your comrades splashed before you can so much as blink. You just wait t'ill we get down to the ground ... I'll PT you until you fucking die ...





Sheesh, what a buzzkill the old man was.





But he pulled his hand back nevertheless to settle himself down for the long flight to Sand Island.





. . .





"This is AWACS Blind Bird to all planes. Incoming friendly fighter approaching. Weapon's safe."





Huh, what?





Up until then, A.J. hadn't been paying attention. As they had steadily approached Sand Island, he had been whistling a crude song to himself in order to pass the time. It was only when the AWACS spoke that he stopped and actually noticed the lights from another plane flickering in the distance.





"Who do you suppose that is?"


But his question was answered moments later as the fighter approached. AJ started in his seat as he recognized the sleek black body of an f-22 Raptor with red tips as it winged passed him and went up into a superbly graceful arc.





The guy from the runway ...





The Raptor soon raced past them a second time and settled itself near the head of the formation where the pilot was hailed by a few others over the comms. The rookie narrowed his eyes.





Blaze, huh? I'll remember you, hot shot.





@Kyero @too much idea

 

[Kyero]

"Soon I will ascend to the heavens and become what I have dreamed of for so long. My fear of heights will soon be extinguished, and I will become an Ace Pilot and make my family proud. Daisuke may be the favorite son, but he will not deny me my place in the skies!"
​

Kasumi watched the dark Raptor take its place not far away from Daisuke's plane. Apparently there was a conversation going on between them, but she was barred from listening to both ends. She could only hear Daisuke's side.


"... I see. So the reports aren't any kind of overestimation then?... Fantastic... Isn't that just our luck?... Yeah, I agree... All right then Blaze. Keep your head on a swivel and do your thing. We'll take care of our end as best we can... Yeah. Good luck to you too." He said.


Kasumi was too curious to pass up the chance.


"So what did he say Captain? She asked.


"He said the reports of the enemy having around 140 planes was no joke, and that there are apparently three enemy Ace Squadrons among them. One in particular is known for its "Clean Up" work." He responded.


"'Clean Up' work?"


"It means they specialize in taking out the weak first, so they'll be gunning for anyone who's flight skills look fresh or lacking." Responded Firebird 2.


Kasumi gulped.


"... Great." She mumbled.


"Just stick close to us all right? You'll be fine. Just take on enemies at your level and always keep one eye on the battlefield around you. If you get tunnel vision in a battle of this scale, you're dead." She warned.


Kasumi nodded, even though nobody could see her silent response.

 

[Whisker]

Wildcat eventually tired of staring at the spectral black Raptor gliding along at the head of the formation. Though it was certainly as spectacular as it had been on graduation day, he had to focus on other things. As he leaned forward slightly in his plane to give the area a cursory once over, he spotted a strip of blue in the distance that seemed to grow larger and larger with each passing moment.





Hmm, is that the sea?





Grinning slightly, he jumped onto the radio.





"Must be almost there. Finally, I thought the cruising was going to last an age! I don't see any signs of those bandits, though. Better keep a sharp eye out and be ready to break from the pack at my command."





He gripped the stick hard and checked his instrumentation. They had to be approaching Sand Island soon. As he looked out over the calm water to their 12 o'clock, he made another comment to Fae.





"Huh, so Sand Island is on an actual island, right? Damn, they're lucky ... Well, except for right now anyways. Maybe we should ask to transfer there after the war is over with. Imagine getting to fly with this kind of view all the time."


Yep, idle chatter to relieve tension was absolutely AJ's element. It was certainly much more calming than trying to go over last minute strategies in his head trying to see if he missed anything. That kind of uncertainty would be enough to drive anyone mad. As he waited for Alexis to respond and further orders to come in, he would look down at his instrument panels to record everything of note. Only when the island actually came within visual sight did AJ start thinking about the vector he wanted to lead them to once the order to engage had been given.


@Kyero @too much idea