Fandom << Yo, Buddy. Still alive? >> // 1/1 Ace Combat RP

[blitzfritz]

// image courtesy of Nassault's Glatisant - DCS video //

Date: May 22nd, 2012
Location: Arenio Air Force Base, Osea
Time: 1317 Hours
​

"You've gotta be shiting me..."

Getting relocated to a relatively unknown air base that was next to, and most often overshadowed by, the OMDF's general headquarters is one thing. Being relocated and told to have a singular rookie pilot replace your 4-man squadron is another thing. Regardless of which case, to which Captain Loane Holzknecht is currently undergoing both cases, she did not like it one bit.

Loane Holzknecht, rank of Captain in the Osean Air Force; born in South Belka-turned North Osea during the year 1985, ten years before the Belkan War and it's momentous decision to detonate 7 nuclear warheads across the Waldreich Mountains, killing thousands. The city of Lumen, where Loane was born, became weary of the war and demilitarized following the Allied Forces gaining ground into the mountains before the detonations-her father resigned his post in the Belkan army shortly afterwards during the peace accords, she would remember, and instead was offered a position in the Osean Air Force, if he so wished. Loane only knew about this afterwards-when she finally graduated from Hierlark AFB to become a true pilot of the military.

Oh, if only he was here now... He would probably come up with a witty comment about the predicament she had found herself in. Hey, if the top brass were gonna punish her with supposed "endangerment of crew" and "betrayal of the armed forces through espionage", why not just strip her of her rank and title and call it a day? Something wasn't right about this.

And that affair with her squadron that got her into this situation anyway-during which she and her whole squadron got ruthlessly descended upon by unmarked planes on the coast of Oured Bay. The details of the whole ordeal became fuzzier and fuzzier the more Loane thought about it, and if she thought about it any more a headache would be upon her. Of the details she did remember, is that they had no identification in the IFF, but their planes were clearly fighters and were supermaneuverable; a detail that the hostiles clearly used to their advantage to shoot down each and every one of Loane's team, her included.

Nobody survived except for her. The brass confirmed that little detail; there were no witnesses either of this supposed "fighter squadron", the brass also confirmed that.

Why a squadron was sent out to patrol into hunky-dorey nowhere on the coast from Redmill AFB is an enigma to Loane, and while she would ask about it, prodding the commander's side about it any further would most likely ensure a more severe punishment akin to cleaning toilets with her teeth. Speaking of Redmill, that was where her squadron was stationed during their military term; flying the stormy skies of Hierlark once she signed her oath on its soil. But now, with the sight of a blue sky and wispy clouds in the heavens, Loane was grounded with a brand-new F-35B Lightning II parked in the hanger, the glaring sigil of her squadron designation on the aircraft's tail: a raven, with a cartoonish-looking moon under its beak. Raven Squadron, down to one.

Hanger E's doors were open as Loane watched the shuffling and shifting rookies as they scuttle from one area to another, in the shadow and comfort of her aircraft. It's been a day or so since graduation-weren't squadron designations today? One unlucky nugget was gonna be assigned under her care no matter what, and the Captain was somewhat curious as to who was the lucky bastard to be her wingman. Would it be a headstrong asshole, or a mellowed fledgling? Who knew, only time would present its answer.

One thing was for certain, though: no matter who was to become her co-pilot, she wouldn't wait for them to get used to the air like a newborn chick. The rookie would have to either keep up with her or be left behind for Loane to do the majority of the heavy lifting. The Lt. Colonel might personally put her in the wringer for that fact, but having your first impression default to "it's a Belkan" had its perks.

People didn't expect much in the way of reckless abandon, for a Belkan. It was natural for them.


// mentions: Whisker

 

[Whisker]

DATE: May 22nd, 2012
LOCATION: Areino AFB
TIME: 1430 Hours



​

If there was anything Second Lieutenant AJ Riley hated more than geese (and he fucking hated geese) it was introductions.

He’d never been good at them, particularly when it came to greeting his superiors. No matter how hard he tried, there was always something he just seemed to fuck up.

“Elbow forward, Riley! Not out! You look like a goddamn clown out there. Straighten up!”

“Is your shirt untucked again, AJ? Fix it!”

“Make a wisecrack like that again, Second Lieutenant Riley, and I’ll PT you until your arms sink through the fucking asphalt!”

And on and on and on.

Fortunately, though, he must have done something right in the end. After nearly two and half years of slogging it out at Hierelark AFB, he’d gotten the notice that he – along with a handful of other trainee pilots – would be passed along for assignment. Something about the brass being short on people and needing rookies to fill in the gaps.

None of his superiors had been happy about it.

All week long before the estimated date of graduation, all he heard about was how goddamn lucky they were to even be included in this year’s graduation ceremonies and how it was going to be the largest one ever in Osea’s history.

And maybe there was something to that.

When AJ and his five lucky compadres landed in Areino for the ceremonies, there had been half a hundred other flights there, complete with families, girlfriends, and even dogs in tow. It was a happy day for most. Only the brass at the top looked disgruntled and displeased. But in AJ’s mind, they almost always looked that way – and hell, by the time the ceremony was done and orders were being passed out, it was difficult to let the sour notes of the upper echelon cloud what was otherwise a perfect summer afternoon.

At least that’s how it was until he received his own orders, which came in the form of a manilla envelope bearing his John Handcock and a bunch of other bullshit he didn’t really read. The only thing that had really interested him was the assignment sheet that came with it – a two-page long typed script bearing the name of the squadron that he’d been assigned to.

Raven Squadron.

Had a nice ring to it, if truth be told.

Much better than the Blistering Badgers training squadron he’d been assigned to back up in Hierelark.

Of course, the manilla envelope also contained the name of his CO and when exactly he was supposed to meet up with them. Only problem was, AJ hadn’t realized that fact until much later and by that point, he had already been running late.

And so it was that AJ, dressed in his slightly creased Osean OADF uniform, came bursting into Hangar E at half-past two the afternoon, sweating and looking around a tad bit apprehensively as though this ‘Captain Loane Holzknecht’ was about to come swooping down on him at any moment to both chew his ass into oblivion for being late as well as to reinforce upon him why exactly introductions sucked so bad in the first place. After all, isn't that what neophyte Captains did?

​

 

[blitzfritz]

"..."

Loane tapped-tapped-tapped her fingers on the aircraft, feeling the time pass with each minute that came and went. Where the hell was the rookie? It's been, what, an hour already? The Captain only got to her puppy in Hanger E early because it was a force of habit, not to waste precious time waiting for some chirping chick to either get lost or forget his meeting time-probably both, if she had to guess! Lightly banging her fist on the aircraft, she proceeded to pace around in a huff.

If this was how it's gonna be, then maybe she would rather be cleaning toilets.

Loane, in her impatience, had done a few sorts of things. There was a clean rag off to the side, and she proceeded to wipe down her pretty little Lightning II, despite it already being spick and span. If nothing else, it was also a force of habit-always needing to move around when you have nothing else to do. At least it would help pass the time; a couple of rookies that wasn't the greenie she was looking for stopped and watched her for a few moments before she would glare at them in an act equal to yelling "Fuck off" at people, and this happened more than once.

Once the cleanover was done, she proceeded to peoplewatch again, only getting annoyed at the rookie's lateness again. Same as it ever was.

"This is why I hate these damn rookies..." Of course, after what was above, Loane was currently venting out her frustration where nobody was in the vicinity, as she paced back, forth, back, and forth; only stopping in front of her baby, and in a final vent, lightly rapping her knuckles against the metal of the aircraft. This day has been going well so far, excuse the sarcasm.

But a noise perked Loane's head up: the sound of rushing, fast footsteps approaching-and wouldn't you know it, the rookie decided to show himself. The frustration that the Captain was feeling dissolved into relief at finally having the rookie here. Looking over the kid, it seemed he wasn't much, but a wisened pilot worth their salt knew that first impressions aren't always the norm. So, she approached him until he was but a few short steps away, and lightly crossed her arms.

"I take it that you're the new rookie stationed with Raven Team?" Her posture was relaxed, informal. A neophyte Captain would usually be cussing out the rookie by now, but learning from an older model figure helped a lot concerning the issue.

Sure, the rank had its own stressors and problems, but Loane wouldn’t give in for it to be taken away.

Giving a wave of her hand as the fledgling caught his breath, she began to speak, ”In case you didn’t know or forgot: Captain Loane Holzknecht, but if the surname gets your tongue in a twist, just call me ‘Whiplash’.” She wouldn’t bug him about the late arrival- at least, not yet- but she was curious about him. So, she would see what he could do up in the air.

“No need for formalities, by the way-Loane or ‘Captain’ is fine to address me by.” The Captain kept an eye on the rookie as she stepped back towards her aircraft, placing a hand on it’s cool surface as she let him get any last words in before speaking again, “Let me be perfectly clear: I don’t care what shit you pull in the air as long as you follow my lead in the end. I’m late for a patrol across the Eaglin Straits due to your untimely appearance, so you’ll be going up in the air with me, got it?”

Regardless of whether he protested or agreed, Loane continued as she grabbed her helmet that had been placed neatly on the bench, “Now go get into something you're trained to use and get onto the runway-if you’re late, I won’t wait for you.”

 

[Whisker]

DATE: May 22nd, 2012
LOCATION: Areino AFB
TIME: 1430 Hours

AJ had barely been in the hangar five seconds when a shadow detached itself from behind the nearby silhouette of an uncovered Lightning II.


"I take it that you're the new rookie stationed with Raven Team?"


Doubled over, soaked in sweat from running from one end of the base to the other, he nodded, then forced himself upright.


“That’s right,” he said. “Name’s AJ. Just landed yesterday, Ma’am – er, Captain.”

It was only half-way through that he noticed the patches on her arm and the tell-tale two bar metal insignia on her should board. His light green eyes alighted to it briefly before refocusing themselves on her face. She wasn’t that much shorter than he was now that they were standing close to each other, though with the Lightning II behind her, she looked absolutely miniscule. Her hair was dark brown and wavy, her eyes the same shade as his own. He noticed a dusting of freckles on her nose, which made her look girlish somehow.

Looks young, too. Damn, are we the same age?

The question wandered past his mind but was silenced again when the ‘Captain’ waved a hand at his informal address, luckily skipping over that he’d forgotten to salute in the scramble.

”In case you didn’t know or forgot: Captain Loane Holzknecht, but if the surname gets your tongue in a twist, just call me ‘Whiplash’.”

Whiplash? That a TAC she earned in the air or on the ground?

It took everything he had to keep himself still and not to chuckle. Fortunately, he was already high and dry thanks to the long run, so any titters could probably be mistaken for a light wheeze. This dried up instantly though at her next statement which suddenly got a lot more serious – and interesting.


“No need for formalities, by the way-Loane or ‘Captain’ is fine to address me by. Let me be perfectly clear: I don’t care what shit you pull in the air as long as you follow my lead in the end. I’m late for a patrol across the Eaglin Straits due to your untimely appearance, so you’ll be going up in the air with me, got it?”


Following this statement, AJ was temporarily struck dumb. His mind raced back to the paperwork on his desk. Had it said anything about a patrol today? Try as he might to stretch his mind and remember, all he could picture on it was a bunch of squiggles and the emblem of the cartoonish Raven etched on the nose of the Lightning II the Captain was stroking.

But hey, why complain? Highly irregular as this was, it sure beat sitting through some two-hour flight briefing with the geezer base commander.

And it’s a chance to get my baby up and into the air and show what she can do.

The promise of that alone made him grin. He cracked his knuckles eagerly, then saluted.

“You got it, Cap,” was all he said before turning in place and exiting the hangar almost as quickly as he’d entered. He jogged out onto the tarmac and made his way further down to the long strip where his F-16C Fighting Falcon sat baking in the noontime sun. As he approached, he could see that she was swarmed to the gills with ground and maintenance crew, each of them already well underway with pre-flight inspection. But first things first, pitstop to change into his flight suit, a feat he accomplished in the nearby hangar locker room in record speed. He sure didn’t know much about this ‘Captain Loane Holznecht’, but AJ didn’t have to in order to bet her threat of leaving his ass on the ground was a serious one.

And he’d be damned before he wasted the opportunity to show off what he could do in the air before the rumors got to her first.

​

 

[blitzfritz]

AJ was his name, then. The Captain might still call him “rookie” for the time being until she became used to his presence, but nonetheless, he scrambled off to get his aircraft of choice. He seemed to be rather excited about it too, from how he ran off; Loane gave a huff before affixing the pilot’s helmet over her head. She was already dressed in her flight suit, and some watching ground crew who dipped into the hanger as soon as she said “patrol” were already performing ground and maintenance checks.

Always be nice to the maintenance crews. A common saying was that the maintenance crew was just letting pilots “borrow” the aircraft since they keep it in tip-top condition; most pilots brushed it off, but it was still prudent to respect the ground crew.

“Thanks.” That was all Loane whispered before she clambered onto and inside the cockpit of her Lightning II. By this point, the Belkan’s body and mind went into autopilot as she did routine checks and started cycling the aircraft’s engine. This whole process didn’t take much time at all, and once Loane closed the canopy, most of everything was set up; nothing was out of the ordinary on the touchscreen, and the HDMS was fully operational.

Cleared for taxi, with one REO directing. Using only enough power to move the aircraft, the Captain made her way out to the open, the dark color of her aircraft of choice reflecting the sun. Out in the open like this, she could see across the airfield and spotted a baking F-16C with a pilot inside. Those things could be spotted a mile away with their underslung air intake, but Loane quickly ripped away her attention from the aircraft.

“ICM comms check to Raven 2, can you hear me?” He better be able to hear her. Regardless on if he answered, the pilot switched her focus on addressing the CT.

“This is Raven 1 to Control, I'm leading my wingman up into the air. Are we cleared for takeoff?”

A moment passed before CT responded, “Control to Raven 1, you are cleared for takeoff. Raven 2, standby at the front.” With a smile forming on her lips, Loane taxied her aircraft onto the runway. The IFF already had her registered, so there wasn’t need to worry about the AA descending their guns upon her aircraft; once on the runway itself, the Captain got everything ready to ascend. Military power, afterburner, the usual works.

CTOLs always felt too gentle, in her opinion. The feeling of being shot from an aircraft carrier always stuck with Loane, and as the power of her aircraft’s engine propelled her forwards, only one thought entered her mind.

“This patrol shouldn’t be like before…I hope. Anything can happen, I just pray that it doesn’t.”



The sight of a Lightning II ascending into the air pierced the blue skies.

 

[Whisker]

OADF, 14th Tactical Fighter Squadron
RAVEN 2
[WILDCAT]





Fifteen minutes later, dressed in his wingsuit and carrying his flight helm under one arm, AJ exited the aircraft hangar and strolled across the flight line to where his F-16C was being prepared for sortie. She sat already fueled up and ready to go on the tarmac, her canopy raised and the ladder already in position for him to climb up. The crew chief was on standby a short distance away, and when they locked eyes, he gave AJ a thumbs up.

“She’s about three-quarters o’ the way done,” he shouted over the roar of a nearby engine further down the flight line. “Get her engine up and running quick as you can. I doubt she’s going to wait on you.”

AJ clapped him on the shoulder with his free hand. “I hear you. Give me ten and I’ll have her roaring like a goddamn lion.”

Jamming his flight helmet onto his head, AJ stepped past, climbed up the ladder, and situated himself in the tight, cramped cockpit of his aircraft.

He went through his pre-flight checklist on the left console, switched the battery to on, and disengaged the parking brake. His fingers fumbled a little bit when switching his radio frequency to 26010. He glanced down at them and realized for the first time that he was shaking a little bit.

Hell, when was the last time he’d done that?

Licking his lips a little in anticipation, he went onto his mic and sent up his first call to the tower.

WILDCAT
<<This is Raven 2. Requesting startup, Tower.>>

A few seconds passed, then an answering voice crackled to life through the radio.

AREINO AFB
<<Raven 2, cleared for startup.>>

As he lowered the canopy of his F-16C and prepared to bring the engine online, AJ heard his radio chirp again.

WHIPLASH
<<ICM comms check to Raven 2, can you hear me?>>

Looking up from his panels, AJ glanced down the line towards the hangar bay doors. They were slung wide open, the chief and REO standing by outside. A sure sign she’d be taxiing any minute and that he’d better get his ass in gear.

WILDCAT
<<Like bells on Christmas morning, Cap.>>

At the same time, AJ booted up the master start and watched as his gauges – oil pressure, weapon systems, RPM – ticked upwards to stabilize.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the REO outside the Captain’s hangar motioning with his lights. Seconds later, the nose of her aircraft appeared. He caught a glimpse of the Raven and half-moon insignia before the rest of the 35C appeared out onto the dog run.

He went back to his instrument panels, moving more swiftly now.

“Chaff on. Flares on. RWR power on. DCM power on,” he muttered to himself. “Steer points, good to go . . .”

On and on through the checklist, he walked himself to it until finally, it was just time to set the steering and prepare to throttle up. Giving the o and three finger sign to his crew chief that he was ready to go, AJ steadily throttled up and nosed his way forward out onto the run. Ahead of him, he could see his flight lead already out on the runway.

WHIPLASH
<< This is Raven 1 to Control, I'm leading my wingman up into the air. Are we cleared for takeoff?>>

AREINO AFB
<< Control to Raven 1, you are cleared for takeoff. Raven 2, standby at the front.>>

WILDCAT
<<Roger, Control.>>

His heartbeat picking up in his chest from anticipation, AJ added a bit of haste to his throttle and wheeled her down the line. A fearsomely loud roar whipped past him as the Captain’s F-35C raced down the runway beside him and then nosed upward into the air. Further and further she went until he could barely even see her anymore thanks to the glare of the sun.

Finally, after what seemed like an age, he was on the runway himself, staring out to the row of landing lights flashing red and green in the distance. Gently rolling hills were beyond, but more striking than that was the sky. It was a brilliant, forget-me-not blue with no sign of clouds anywhere. It was the kind of sky he’d always heard about, but never seen up at Hierelark.

A sky of dreams.

He let out a long exhale to steady himself.

First time, mate. Don’t screw this up.

WILDCAT
<<Raven 2 to Control tower, requesting permission to takeoff.>>

AREINO AFB
<<Roger that Raven 2. Takeoff when ready. Proceed to angels eight thousand and standby.>>

WILDCAT
<<Roger Control. Raven 2, taking off!>>

AJ pulled back on the sidestick. The afterburners roared to life. The F-16 shot forward, slowly at first, but then rapidly. The lines on the runway in front of him began to mix together in a dizzying blur. He could see the lights at the runway’s end getting closer and closer, but it was only when he was almost upon them that he gave that one final tug that sent the nose of his plane shooting upwards into the air with enough force to send up a cloud of grass and dust.

Higher and higher he rose until finally, he received the call that altitude restrictions had been lifted and he was free to return to his mission. Raising his landing gear, AJ didn’t waste much time increasing his speed to catch up with the Captain’s distant blip on his radar. She was several miles ahead, but he was shortening the distance little by little.

He hopped onto the mic.

WILDCAT
<<Hey Cap, I’m closin’ on your tail. Mind givin’ me the sitrep? What the hell are we doing out in Eaglin? Something wrong with the Air Defense Network out that way?>>

Though a complete rookie in terms of OSDF experience, AJ had always been pretty decent shakes with geography – and unless he missed his guess, the Eaglin Straits wasn’t too far off from Akerson Hill, the site of their early air detection systems. If so much as a bird farted within a mile of the straits, they’d be able to pick it up on radar. Or at least, that was his theory anyway.

He'd be looking to the Captain to clue him in.

(Switched to Center here to mimic more of the game control)​

 

[blitzfritz]

OADF, 14th Tactical Fighter Squadron
RAVEN 1
[WHIPLASH]



​

Eight thousand angels. A cruising height that Loane reached in no time, accelerating the power enough to lift the altitude restriction and level out. Flaps up, landing gear raised, and the pilot checked behind her to see that the rookie was still getting onto the runway. Typical.

She checked herself forward and accelerated in speed to put distance between the air base and her aircraft. Back in the air, she felt…free. Free of the shackles of people’s assumptions, free of her responsibilities as a Captain for the moment; as free as a bird soaring through the wind and sun. She would be heading north for a few dozen more miles until reaching the coast of the river, and then rolling east to the inner Eaglin Straits where the bigger bays were located.

The roar of the engine put her mind at ease, and the Captain stayed like this for the duration until AJ caught up onto her tail and chimed in.

WILDCAT
<< Hey Cap, I’m closin’ on your tail. Mind givin’ me the sitrep? What the hell are we doing out in Eaglin? Something wrong with the Air Defense Network out that way? >>​

The two weren’t that far off from the coast, and Loane took a moment to organize her thoughts before addressing her wingman. Not because she hated the boy or anything, but because she had the sinking feeling that her patrol got replaced by another pilot because of her tardiness.

WHIPLASH
<< Nothing’s wrong with the Air Defense Network across the ‘Straits, I’m sure. But I should’ve clarified; there’s a smaller contingent of a Surface Action Group closer inland that’s keepin’ watch in the Bannion Sea. >>​

A moment of pause as she fights to correct herself on a slip up of words and honesty.

WHIPLASH
<< … If you call me a liar, I’m used to it. ‘Pretty sure that the patrol I spoke about got switched for another squadron or canceled entirely due to your lateness, so we’re instead taking watch over the SAG. Follow me due east until we’re north of Cranston. >>​

With an audible scowl directed at herself on her end, Loane cut off her mic-which would sound akin to static on AJ’s end. The two were already upon the coast, and the blue waters below signaled to the Captain to bank right. So she did, leading the aircraft until her nose pointed east, and leveled out once again without a word to her wingman.

“Damnit…”

Something felt wrong about flying towards the Bannion Sea and the SAG this time. Steeling her nerves, the pilot accelerated an extra 500 knots to try and shake off the feeling of dread.

 

[Whisker]

DATE: May 22nd, 2012
LOCATION: In-Flight
TIME: 1520 Hours

WHIPLASH
<< Nothing’s wrong with the Air Defense Network across the ‘Straits, I’m sure. But I should’ve clarified; there’s a smaller contingent of a Surface Action Group closer inland that’s keepin’ watch in the Bannion Sea. >>

AJ drew his craft level and slightly behind hers. It was growing later in the afternoon. The sun still beat down oppressively, enough to spark a bit of a glare from the domed roof of the Captain's cockpit, but there were clouds rolling in around them now as well as straight ahead towards their twelve o' clock. He was thankful for the latter. They'd only been up in the air for a good twenty or thirty minutes, but already the domed bubble canopy above him was making the craft feel more like a sauna than a million-dollar fighter jet. Blinking a bead of sweat from his eye, he whistled slightly at the Captain's explanation.

The Bannion Sea? Hell, I thought she just said we were going to Eaglin . . .

Even though he didn't say this aloud, she must have sensed his hesitation when he didn't sound off over the mic.

WHIPLASH
<< … If you call me a liar, I’m used to it. ‘Pretty sure that the patrol I spoke about got switched for another squadron or canceled entirely due to your lateness, so we’re instead taking watch over the SAG. Follow me due east until we’re north of Cranston. >>


She cut her mic in a fuzz of static, leaving AJ momentarily flustered. At angels 8, 000 their planes burned through the low hills that separated Areino AFB from the aforementioned OADF Air Defense Network radar sites meant to protect the mouth of the inlet leading inward to the Eaglin Straits. It was a well-patrolled corridor even in the rare times of peace, AJ knew from his time as a cadet. In the war two years ago, the so-called "Queens of the Ocean" from the 3rd Osean Naval Fleet had been all but dismembered in those straights right near highway OS101. Hell, there were stories on the news all the time about kids playing in the water finding bits and pieces of the Vulture or the Buzzard washing up on shore, and he was pretty sure one of his old pals from high school had sent him pictures from scuba diving around the wreck.

Helluva place to die.

But that was two years ago.

The world was officially at peace. And the summer was too goddamn bright and cheerful to be thinking about burst missiles and sunken ships. With no insight to his flight leads trepidation, AJ broke formation and went arcing high overhead.

Wildcat
<<Right-O, Captain. I'll cover our ass t'ill then.>>

Her Lightning II turned beneath him, angling away from the widening inlet to run parallel alongside and slightly northward. The coordinates for Cranston were already programmed into his flight data, but AJ didn't target it right away. Instead, he allowed himself to fall a bit behind, keeping about a mile or so separation between them. Only when the blue waters of the Bannion Sea was in front of them did he turn his F-16C into a lazy barrel roll and lay down heavy on the throttle to close the gap between them.

He savored the swooping feeling in his gut, the rush of adrenaline that came with the G-forces that accompanied the sharp maneuver as well as the sensation of speed that came after. Typically, this'd be the time his Training Instructors would start yelling, but even that memory seemed distant amidst the roar of his jet engine in the moment. The sky was a deep and inviting, and with the world officially at peace, it seemed to him like absolutely nothing could go wrong.

He didn't know then as he chased hard after the blip of his Captain's plane on the radar that that final day of graduation would be the first and the last time he soared the skies of peace. ​

 

[blitzfritz]

Quiet. The roar of her familiar engine, though she never went into afterburner. The Captain didn't mean to taste 500 knots to escape the feeling of dread, but it was instinctual; every time Loane got a sinking feeling of an upcoming event, she would subconsciously push the throttle and shoot forwards a few extra hundred feet.

"Breath, my dear. Your first time in the sky as a fully-fledged pilot will not be your last, I assure."

If only Kaspar could see her status now, as a Captain. Maybe that's why her split-second choice of following after the SAG occured: the sight of the battleground where her father fell was too much to bear for her, even almost two years later. That, and overhearing the Lieutenant Colonel talk about the OSF Anhinga being stationed in the Bannon Sea with a SAG to keep company was enough of an excuse to keep the Captain busy.

Having the rank of Captain afforted liberties with information, y'know?

WILDCAT
<< Right-O, Captain. I'll cover our ass 'till then. >>​

Having heard AJ's reply over the mic, she watched him arch overhead in his F-16 with the gathering clouds as backdrop, a small smile creeping onto her lips. At least he wasn't mad about the change of plans. But said plans involved a long flight, and staying at 8 angels above sea level would cut a quick flight short-no, in order to sip fuel and not run out if the two were gonna fly to the Sea and back, they would have to go higher.

And Loane did just that.

Slowly cruising upwards to reach a level height-10 angels, 12 angels, 16 angels. The Captain continued her ascent, leveling out her breathing with each blip of a half-thousand she reached. 20 angels, 25. The coast of the Straits feeding into the inland sea seemed so...small, by this height. 30 angels, 35. Approaching 40 angels, Loane slowed a notch down into leveled flight to cruise in the stratosphere. Good thing the oxygen masks were working properly; passing out on the stick and plummeting into a stalling spiral wasn't a way she would like to go out. Forget a blaze of glory, that would be a burning wreck.

But after following the coast for god knows how long, the blue Bannon Sea was below the Captain and her wingman. The sun was starting to sink onto the horizon by this time, so a guess would be...1730 hours? Daylight savings had already passed in March, of course. The trip wasn't that eventful, and the sun did make it so that it felt like an oven in the cockpit, but it wouldn't be that long until the two were directly north of Cranston.

Loane, naturally, turned her mic back on in case of callout or any other issue. She'll need to contact the Command Room of the Anhinga once her and AJ were close enough to the SAG; but that little flying maneuver bugged her.

WHIPLASH
<< Hey, rookie. Have any other maneuverable tricks up your sleeve? >>​

It meant exactly what it meant: what other aerial maneuvers that a TI would raise hell about could he do? Granted, Loane knew each one and could pull them off with a little prep, but in general these would be for show. Why not make a game out of a chore of a impromptu patrol route? It'll help loosen up the nerves as well.

 

[Whisker]

Hours passed.

It went from roughly three in the afternoon to five in what felt like agonizing tedium. They spent most of the time climbing, up and up and up through the clouds until much of the ground didn't have a speck of definition anymore. It was a pretty wise maneuver to keep their fuel usage down, AJ had to admit. At only 8,000 angels, they'd be running the engines hard, fighting the tug of gravity and dropping the amount of miles they could travel from approximately 2,000 or so to about 1/3 of that total distance.

And they still had a long way to go.

So, for much of the flight after they hit the 50,000 mark, AJ let his plane run idle. It straighted without much effort, leveling off about a hundred feet or so above Loane's Lightning II. Like twin comets, they raced through the deep blue sky, the glistening waters of the Bannion Sea off to their left and the familiar lands of the Osean countryside ahead and to their right. It was mildly breathtaking to AJ . . . for about fifteen minutes or so. Then, he spent the rest of the time trying to kick back -- as much as one could kickback in the stiff, cramped cockpit of an F-16 -- and trying to find ways to pass the time.

The lights of Cranston were far below them when next AJ heard Whiplash's mic sputter to life.

WHIPLASH
<< Hey, rookie. Have any other maneuverable tricks up your sleeve? >>

WILDCAT
<<CAN YOU TAKE IT ALL AWA~~ Oh shit, is this thing on?>>

Some static would probably pass over the radio as AJ fumbled with his oxygen mask, adjusting it back in the proper place. When he'd fixed it, he coughed and tried to pass it off as though he'd definitely not gotten caught singing in the cockpit.

WILDCAT
<<Oh, er . . . You mean that back there? Hell, that's nothing. This bird can handle anything you throw at her.>>

As if to demonstrate, he pulled back hard on the sidestick, then jerked it to one side so as to roll the plane into a belly-up position. Like a hawk diving from the clouds, he dipped his craft, racing it downwards at an inverted position. His body compressed; the G's pressed him back hard into his seat. Then, after about a few hundred feet, he righted it, looped it, and burst upwards and back towards her in an array of sharp contrails.

For a few seconds, he breathed, steadying himself. Then he brought his hands together in a triumphant clap.

WiLDCAT
<<What do ya think, Cap? I'd say that's worth a -- >>

He was interrupted by a faint burst of static in his ear.

<< . . . >>

It was a low squawk. So low, in fact, he thought he'd imagined it for a second or two. But as he broke off from his rate of climb and leveled out his craft again, bits and pieces of a garbled message crackled over his radio.

<<This is . . . under attack. Allied . . .>>

The hair on the back of his neck prickled.

WILDCAT
<< Hey, Whip? Drop your plane a sec. I think you need to take a listen to this.>> ​

 

[blitzfritz]

WILDCAT
<< CAN YOU TAKE IT ALL AWA~~ Oh shit, is this thing on? >>​

Loane fumbled and almost did a spit-take with her own spittel once his voice cut through the radio, clearly being caught singing. A faint mix of laughter and coughing in surprise could be heard from the Captain over the radio after, before it got suppressed to clear her throat to deflect the spectacle.

She was kinda curious on what song he was singing before being caught, though. The Captain might’ve heard it before, in the background over a radio, but she never really paid attention to it. Hard rock music was more her style, same as her father-acquired the taste from him, of course.

WILDCAT
<< Oh, er . . . You mean that back there? Hell, that's nothing. This bird can handle anything you throw at her. >>​

Looking over her shoulder, Loane watched in silence as he did his little stunt with expertise. The Captain gave an audible whistle that shot like lightning through the radio-she was clearly impressed at the sight. Though she was more impressed that a greenie could perform such a stunt; best guess, he got an earful by the TI’s each time he did. Such fancy flying could make way to being able to do supermaneuverable post-stall tricks with the right aircraft, Loane mused.

WILDCAT
<< What do ya think, Cap? I'd say that's worth a -- >>​

A silence, amid the roar of cruising engines, cut through the radio and cut AJ off. The Captain’s hair stood on the back of her neck under her flight suit before she could respond; his comms were still on, but the gut feeling of dread came back.

What was roughly a dozen seconds felt like a dozen minutes, before AJ popped back onto the radio to speak.

WILDCAT
<< Hey, Whip? Drop your plane a sec. I think you need to take a listen to this. >>​

Loane snapped to action, lowering her nose and dropping altitude quickly in order to assess the situation. 10 sharp angels she did drop, which felt like an instant with the force she felt in her seat. Three agonizingly long seconds passed with Loane on high-alert, staying level at 30 thousand.

The message came through, but no alert on radar.

<< I repeat, this is the OFS Anhinga! We are under attack by unmarked bogeys approaching-any allied forces who can hear us, please respond! >>​

Loane hissed out a “shit!”, which could be faintly made out on AJ’s end, before quickly tuning her frequency to get the ship’s attention. Her gut feeling was right; it didn't matter if there were other Osean fighters around, she was going to help the fleet regardless of what water it landed her in with the Base Commander.

WHIPLASH
<< Raven Squadron to OFS Anhinga, we hear you! Send us your coordinates, we’ll be there to intercept. >>​

For a moment Loane thought she heard a hollar of joy on the Aegis-class ship’s end of the radio, but it seemed to be background alarms and crewmen yelling at each other.

OFS ANHINGA
<< You’re coming up on east, correct? Bearings 40 from there, you should see us on radar in 20 miles. We can keep them at bay with the CWIS in case we're fired upon, but the machines will get overloaded soon enough, and we still have yet to identify them. Hurry, Raven Squadron. >>​

The Captain didn’t need to be told twice, as she snapped her Lightning II 40 degrees west and went into afterburner, gunning for top speed-if AJ protested about it, then that was his problem. In a split second, she could be heard over the radio again, this time addressing her wingman.

WHIPLASH
<< Rookie. Got a TAC name, by chance? >>​

 

[Whisker]

AJ held level at 29,500 feet - a steady, cruising altitude that while still high enough to preserve his dwindling fuel, but low enough to have a decent view of the gray waters of the Bannion Sea off in the distance. It looked peaceful from up there. Like a scene out of a goddamned picture book or something.

Grimacing, he swore under his breath and adjusted his radio frequency again. More static crackled in his ears. Had he only imagined he'd heard something? Had he dragged the Captain out of the sky for nothing?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the coms in his ears sputtered to life.

<< I repeat, this is the OFS Anhinga! We are under attack by unmarked bogeys approaching-any allied forces who can hear us, please respond! >>

Bogeys? Now?

Shifting on his ejection seat, AJ tilted the sidestick, his F-16C responding instantly by tilting its nose towards the ground. His eyes flicked to the radar.

Cmon . . . Cmon, you bastards . . . Where the hell are you?

But no matter where he tilted, the skies were completely clean.

What the hell was up with that?

WHIPLASH
<< Raven Squadron to OFS Anhinga, we hear you! Send us your coordinates, we’ll be there to intercept. >>

OFS ANHINGA
<< You’re coming up on east, correct? Bearings 40 from there, you should see us on radar in 20 miles. We can keep them at bay with the CWIS in case we're fired upon, but the machines will get overloaded soon enough, and we still have yet to identify them. Hurry, Raven Squadron. >>

AJ saw his Captain's plane bank hard left up ahead, her plane pushing sharp contrails as her afterburners roared to life. He followed suit, falling some distance back in the trail position.

WHIPLASH
<< Rookie. Got a TAC name, by chance? >>

WILDCAT
<<Wildcat on station, standing by. But I'll tell you, Cap, if there really is a couple of Caspers out there and they start trouble, you can call me whatever the hell you want.>>

A joke - one made with nervous, excited energy that was now coursing through him in waves. As the blue-gray waters of the sea got closer, however, he followed it up with what was exactly on his mind.

WILDCAT
<<I got to tell ya, Cap, I'm braced. Hell, maybe the mechanics screwed something up, but I'm completely no joy on these bogeys they were talking about. Radar's completely clean. You?>>


They were closing distance on the OFS ANHINGA's coordinates rapidly. Any second they'd be right overhead. So, then, why wasn't his console lighting up like a freaking fireworks display on New Years Day? It didn't make any sense . . .
​

 

[blitzfritz]

Loane’s lips pushed themselves to be thin lines as she gunned for the location of the ships. Of course, in order to roar by the Anhinga and announce their presence, they would have to lower their noses and cruse by the group a few angels up from the surface. Sharp nose down to descend in her afterburn, with hardly a blip on radar save for the five white dots that appeared to recognize them as allied forces.

“That must be the Anhinga and her escorts. But if they can see the bogeys just fine, then why can’t we?”

WILDCAT
<< Wildcat on station, standing by. But I'll tell you, Cap, if there really is a couple of Caspers out there and they start trouble, you can call me whatever the hell you want. >>​

While AJ couldn’t see it, Loane turned her head to give a glance his way. Wildcat, huh? She’ll have to ask about the TAC name later-for now, she snapped her head forward and kept it on a swivel, scanning the skies for a sign. No joy, unless the setting sun could shine a metallic glint into her eyes to reflect the aircraft’s alloy.

Speaking of the sun, it was a dark orange settling onto the horizon, with the clouds overhead shaping to be wispy strands amidst solid blocks to paint them in pink and purple hues. A deep dark blue overhead, with the horizon fading to a prismatic lighter blue-yellow-orange gradient. Picturesque.

At least the sun wouldn’t be shining it’s rays that much longer, but it did give the sinking feeling that the two would be fighting in the dark. If the radars are acting up, then they’ll be flying blind through the midnlight light.

WILDCAT
<< I got to tell ya, Cap, I'm braced. Hell, maybe the mechanics screwed something up, but I'm completely no joy on these bogeys they were talking about. Radar's completely clean. You? >>​

Loane would have to agree with the rookie on that fact-hell, both of ‘em were braced. The Captain could see the grey shapes of the Aegis cruiser and her frigate escorts as both aircraft were coming upon the SAG at high speed. Snapping her stick to slow down, the roar of her entrance certainly would catch attention; a few moments after passing the Anhinga, her body went into preservation as she performed a high-g turn to bank right.

It certainly slowed the Captain down tremendously, and let her get back into the swing of her deposition. Quickly leveling out, her quick-tempo breathing could be heard for just a moment as she banked left to round out and see both her wingman and the ships. Maybe a few sailors decided to wave their caps at the display and to welcome the help.

But Whiplash stayed a few angels above the water still, finally addressing her wingman in the roughly dozen seconds of time that had passed.

WHIPLASH
<< No joy, either. But I don’t think the mechanics would mess up both of our radar equipment-they love these things like their own dogs. OFS Anhinga, I don’t mean to be rude, but is the radar up-to-date? >>

OFS ANHINGA
<< It nailed four to five bogeys when we sent out the signal, but there’s nothing now. The crew is on high alert, however. >>​

A scoff from Raven 1, and her plane leveled back around to circle the SAG in a wide arc, with the Anhinga as the centerpoint. If this was for nothing, then screw this damn program-her nerves were frayed from this distress call and its implications due to her last four years as an commissioned officer. The Captain had an edge to her voice as she got back onto the radio.

WHIPLASH
<< … Maybe there is nothin’ and you’re just imagining it. Double check that your damn radar systems are- >>​

She immediately shut herself up as the radar worked back up with flair like a party on New Years Day while sending out a warning ping. Ten. Ten bogeys, headed from the northeast direction on her radar. Loane’s eyes widened, her mouth hung agape, as her blood ran cold and voice caught in her throat. Immediately regretting the snap at the ships, it took her but a razor wire’s moment to call it out.

WHIPLASH
<< Cap nails, F/A-18Es, 11 o’clock from the Anhinga’s nose! >>​

The Captain glanced up at the sky, and squinting as the pilot put her nose hot onto the direction that they were on radar, she could just barely see their forms approaching. Fast approaching, and at least under a thousand angels.

WHIPLASH
<< Whatever the fuck you do, Wildcat, don’t be a hero-stay on my 6 until given the order to engage. Anhinga, are we cleared? >>

OFS ANHINGA
<< Cleared cold, you are ordered not to fire until we identify them! >>​

An audible “God-DAMNIT!” was spoken over the comms on the Captain’s end in a bout of frustration.

 

[Whisker]

They dropped through the clouds like a pair of birds in flight. All at once, AJ was struck by how flat and gray the world looked. It was one thing to see the sea from a height of around 30,000 feet, but it was quite another entirely to see the full expanse of it come rising up to meet you in a rush. His stomach gave a wild jolt of thrill and, despite the tension of the situation, he couldn't help but give a small, thin smile as their crafts finally stopped their rushed descent and went on standby above the SAG. But the smile would disappear as quickly as it came when his Captain spoke up again a few moments later.

WHIPLASH
<< No joy, either. But I don’t think the mechanics would mess up both of our radar equipment-they love these things like their own dogs. OFS Anhinga, I don’t mean to be rude, but is the radar up-to-date? >>



OFS ANHINGA
<< It nailed four to five bogeys when we sent out the signal, but there’s nothing now. The crew is on high alert, however. >>


Irritated, AJ jerked his plane hard right and started the slow break into loose battle-spread formation. This would give Loane plenty of room to make her circle around the lead ship of the Flotilla while he aimed to remain further out and much higher in altitude. That way if worse did come to worse, he could quickly provide support while maintaining his plane's energy at the same exact time. After all, cramped, tight quarters wasn't his thing, and it'd give the Captain's ultra-maneuverable Lightning II plenty of lead to assess the situation and determine what to do next.

It was a stroke of decision on his part that'd prove to be fortuitous as half a second later, his radar suddenly burst into life. He opened his mouth, ready to interrupt the Captain's tirade, but she was just as quick to the punch.

WHIPLASH
<< Cap nails, F/A-18Es, 11 o’clock from the Anhinga’s nose! >>

WILDCAT
<<Yeah! Yeah! I got'em. I got'em. I'm coming around.>>

Heartbeat pounding in his chest, AJ arched his craft around, tilting his nose in the direction of the rapidly closing inbound craft. He changed his radar from BVR to ACM.
Ten miles. They were less than ten miles away.

WHIPLASH
<< Whatever the fuck you do, Wildcat, don’t be a hero-stay on my 6 until given the order to engage. Anhinga, are we cleared? >>


OFS ANHINGA
<< Cleared cold, you are ordered not to fire until we identify them! >>

AJ was momentarily shocked to blankness. Then, with a swear of frustration, he jumped onto his coms.

WILDCAT
<<Are you screwing with us, Anhinga? They're practically up your ass! If they get any closer, it's going to be — Ah shit!>>

Too late.

He was closing in on Loane's plane from above when suddenly his cockpit burst into alerts. First one, then another, and then another. The lights inside the cockpit blinked frantically, a litany of bright red.


MISSILE! MISSILE MISSILE!

Unable to think, barely even able to react, the rookie jerked his sidestick hard right, rolled, and dove for the deck.

WILDCAT
<<Captain! Jesus, I got missile alerts! Breaking hard right!>>



((Sorry for the shitty quality on that. I just woke up from a nap.))​

 

[blitzfritz]

---

OFS ANHINGA
<< We can keep them at bay with the CWIS, but if it’s our own fighters that we fire upon and shoot down, we’ll have consequences to answer to! >>​

Ah, well, that’s well and good if these bogeys weren't about to goddamn engage the both of them! Loane’s HUD and cockpit lights lit up with a barrage of alerts, a lock-on tone warming her ears and fraying her nerves. [MISSILE! MISSILE!]

WHIPLASH
<< Alright, well then- Breaking left!- then can you be quick about it? I don’t want to get shot out of the sky. >>​

A rather scathing remark, but the last experience she had in a dogfight was the squadron decimation that the brass used her as a scapegoat for. Not exactly leaving the dogfighting sky on friendly terms would be an understatement-the Captain didn’t want a repeat of what happened.

She wanted identification on who these bogeys were, and promptly.

Loane, while talking to whoever was the mouthpiece for the Aegis ship, had broken left into a high-g turn while rolling fully out once behind the Super Hornets-where three broke off to her right, with a single one lagging behind, and the rest angeling themselves and kicking it to launch towards the Anhinga to their left. If the enemy was trying to speak through open comms, then their radios were dogshit-barely making out the weapons commands they spoke over static, Loane saw the brilliant white flare of missile emissions coming from the bogeys as the heat-seeking FOX-2s shot forwards.

Two, three missiles got intercepted by the CWIS in an explosion of each FOX-2. Four more broke over the Aegis protection system and nailed straight into the side of a Frigate that was following the Anhinga’s flank.

OFS MANAKIN
<< We’re hit on the port side and listing! We can still fight, but we’re sinking rapidly; all non-combat personnel, vacate and abandon ship! >>​

So, they would fight to the bitter end, eh? Not that surprising, with them being a part of the Osean military and all. A slight mix of frustration and a sneer painted itself over her face as she glanced and saw the dark, fluffy smoke emanating from the Frigate that got downed.

WHIPLASH
<< … Well? They’re certainly not Osean to fire on their own damn ships. >>

OFS ANHINGA
<< We just need a few more seconds of time to ID the bandits! Do not engage! >>​

 

[Whisker]

His heart thump-thumping like mad in his chest, AJ pulled out of the sharp dive he'd broken into at the first alert just in time to see the white missile contrail go shooting past the left-wing of his craft. Pulling his craft back up high in an effort to get his plane's energy back before the merge began with the inbound enemy fighters, he looked in the direction the Captain's plane had broken off to and was immediately relieved to see her pulling the same maneuver off to his right.

WILDCAT
<<Hey Whip, stay low. I'll go up high and cover you while we engage these assholes, ya got me?>>

He brought his F-16 hard left to mimic her right. If all went as he predicted it would, then they would complete the turn in a mid-air cross with his plane slightly to the rear and over top of her own - his own little version of a 'displacement roll'. He had just begun to line his plane up behind hers when he heard an explosion from below. Glancing down, AJ could make out tracer lights from the CWIS units as well as smoke belching from the hull of one of the frigates.

It was the worst-case scenario, no doubt about it.

Absolute FUBAR.

But before he had any time to process exactly what the hell he was looking at, the situation became - at least as far as he was concerned - unimaginably worse.

OFS ANHINGA
<< We just need a few more seconds of time to ID the bandits! Do not engage! >>

AJ's jaw dropped.

WILDCAT
<<Have you lost your goddamn minds, Anhinga?! That's insane! One of your ships just got hosed and you want us NOT to fire back?>>


It was incomprehensible. Even by AJ's standards. Unable to stop himself, he set his Master Arm to the 'on' position. More than just a blip on the radar now, he could actually see the outline of the enemy planes approaching their positions - a formation of three with a single wingman trailer. And there was no doubt in his mind that they were all carrying shit hot with long-range anti-ship missiles.

WILDCAT
<<Jesus Christ, who fucking cares who these morons are? They're the ones firing on us. Can't you at least ID the bastards while we're engaging? Cause maybe you ain't noticed, but we're your only air support out here, and if we get shot full of holes while you're playing 'I Spy' with the bandits, you're gonna be toast right along with us!>>

Seething, he turned to the only person he still considered remotely sane out of the pack of them.

WILDCAT
<<Help me out here, Cap.>>

Please, he thought, gazing down at the chaos raging below their position.​

 

[blitzfritz]

This situation was starting to get worse by the minute, and the hiss as Loane kept watch of the scattering Super Hornets. She already had her radar switched to ACM when the bandits proceeded to fire on her and her wingman, but it would only be moments before they were identified-Loane preemptively flipped her Master Arm on.

The outlines of each plane came into view on the touchscreen, and the group of ten F/A-18s were split into two different directions. One consisted of four which had split right and were planning on occupying Whiplash and Wildcat’s attention- even at the cost of their life, with how these engagements would go- while the six aircraft that banked left and zipped over the Anhinga were focused on taking out their intended targets: the Surface Action Group. Ten aircraft with missiles and with plausible LASMs to four ships and one Aegis cruiser; it would be like shooting a bullet through flesh. Downright hilariously easy.

Loane wasn’t pleased with the engagement order either, though her wingman’s rather vocal indignancy at it got a bit of a chuff out of the Captain. She wouldn’t reprimand him just yet-he hadn’t lived to see the Osean military throw themselves at everything possible right up until the end of their life, so she let the rookie be. Instead, she angled her F-35 back around to “follow” the splitting four Super Hornets, letting the venting chatter measure the time until the bandits were identified.

The Captian’s HMDS showed itself neatly on her visor-an upgrade thanks to the F-35’s system. The missile seeker’s square of availability showed on each plane and ship, in accordance with what IFF information was given to it; Loane carefully got her AOA enough so that the missile seeker’s lock-on blipped red and she had a close enough shot…but she hesitated. Hesitation gets you killed on the battlefield, but damnit, Loane couldn’t help it! She didn’t want AJ to be splashed and her being blamed for it as another Belkan incident! A scowl went across the Captian’s face before swiveling her head to spot AJ’s plane…and the two Super Hornets that had started to follow his tail.

WILDCAT
<< Help me out here, Cap. >>​

Before Loane could respond, though, her radar and HMDS lit up in a frenzy of red and the radio crackled to life. It seemed the Anhinga had updated the IFF, and the battlefield ships instantly found themselves shooting AA fire upon those unfortunate Super Hornets-they still nibley dodged out of the way, and Whiplash had to maneuver out of a hail mary of bullets aiming at her spiked target.

OSF ANHINGA
<< Finally got the IFF data updated and the bandits have been IDed! They’re…no. No, this can’t be right… >>​

“What the hell’s the holdup on saying the…” Loane was in a huffy mood until a glance at the bandit’s ID was given, and Loane’s blood proceeded to run cold before she double-checked again what the IFF gave.

WHIPLASH
<< You’re fucking kidding. >>

OFS ANHINGA
<< It’s Belkan aircraft, there’s no mistake! Raven squadron, disregard all orders to stand down: you’re weapons free and cleared to engage! >>​

This revelation caused an instinctual flip inside of Loane as she snapped her aircraft into a left high-g turn and proceeded to speed up, over the Anhinga, and accelerate like a bullet towards the six Super Hornets that hosed the Manakin. At the first tone of a spiked hostile, she immediately opened fire with a hiss of her ordinance, “FOX-2! FOX-2 on these SOBs!”

Even into a rather chaotic sun spread, one of the missiles clipped the Hornet’s wings and almost send the aircraft into a downward spiral. We’ve got ourselves a dogfight.~

 

[Whisker]

Ten planes.

Ten planes versus two. The situation couldn't have been any worse. As the small flotilla below erupted in a spray of bullets to stem the barrage of long-range anti-ship missiles speeding towards their location, AJ's cockpit warning lights lit up again. He looked over his shoulder and through the hail of gunfire saw two blurring shadows descending to his rear.

WILDCAT
<<Whip! I've got two on my tail! Repeat, two bandits on my six. They're closing and they're closing fast. Damnit . . .>>

The sound of his missile alert cut him off. Without thinking, he jerked back the stick and dove while simultaneously slicing hard to the left. A shadow passed over his canopy, too fast for the eye to follow while another zipped past his wing.

Too close! That was way too fucking close.

And next time, he might not be so lucky.

Shaking from a mixture of fear and adrenaline, AJ straightened in his cockpit and threw on the afterburner. The F-18s whizzed by off to his left a second later, twin blurs moving at ridiculously high speeds. Using his plane's superior maneuverability to his advantage, he high-G'd hard and made to follow in their tracks.

OSF ANHINGA
<< Finally got the IFF data updated and the bandits have been IDed! They’re…no. No, this can’t be right… >>

"What?!" AJ snapped. Rolling off from his turn, he leveled out with the pair of super hornets directly in front of him. They split, one shooting for the sky while the other banked hard right to avoid an incoming stream of bullets from the AA guns below. He went straight for the former and chased it in its uphill climb.

To hell with these orders, you're mine, asshole!

He switched from missile lock to guns, but before he could lay down a stream of fire of his own, he heard Loane hiss a sharp intake of breath.

WHIPLASH
<< You’re fucking kidding. >>

OFS ANHINGA
<< It’s Belkan aircraft, there’s no mistake! Raven squadron, disregard all orders to stand down: you’re weapons-free and cleared to engage! >>

WILDCAT
<<Belkan fighters? You're joking, right?>>

Just the same, AJ didn't hesitate to fire. A hail of bullets sprayed upwards towards the climbing super hornet. It jinked hard right in response, but not nearly quick enough to avoid being clipped in the rear and in the wings. Black smoke sputtered from one of its engines and then it began to spin, toppling out of sight. His F-16 burst through the debris patch the smoking F-18 and up into the clouds. There was a moment of serenity, a brief one, but then he saw the second hornet arcing down below like a shark preparing to strike. Whoever these bastards were, they were well-trained. And, he was willing to bet, a hell of a lot more experienced than he was.

The thought sent a cold shiver up his spine, but there was no time to really think about anything else at the moment other than re-grouping back with his flight lead before the other took him for a cold dip in the sea.

WILDCAT
<<Hey, Cap, where the hell are you? I've splashed one, but I got another crawling up my ass! Jesus, where'd these assholes even come from?>>​

 

[blitzfritz]

WILDCAT
<< Belkan fighters? You're joking, right? >>​

Oh, how Loane wished the IFF was pulling an elaborate prank on the both of them. Her breathing was being run ragged as her head snapped from target to target, speeding close behind a newly acquired lock-on. Jinking hard right, while the predator of a Lightning II was banking into the turn to get some distance between the two aircraft. “FOX-2!”

The white light of emissions from her tucked missiles shot forward, closing fast upon its target, who couldn’t spin out fast enough in such a close but distant distance. The missiles nailed themselves upon the Super Hornet, which naturally resulted in a black and red ball of fire as the ensuing hit aircraft spiraled downwards into the sea-whether the pilots reacted fast enough to eject out was another matter as Loane sped past her destruction and called out her kill with a “Splash one! Splash one!”.

The Captain has her HMDS working overtime as she keeps on lookout, diving close beside one of the frigates before finally spotting AJ and his ensuing wild weasel chase with a Super Hornet on her opposite side. The other hostiles were rather high as to not clip themselves on AA fire to line up their shots to take down the Aegis-class cruiser and the rest of the escorts, but two more broke off from the main group to provide air superiority and to help their fellow attackers.

WILDCAT
<< Hey, Cap, where the hell are you? I've splashed one, but I got another crawling up my ass! Jesus, where'd these assholes even come from? >>

WHIPLASH
<< Headin’ straight towards ya’, nose hot. Bank right so you don’t hit me, I’ve got ya’ covered. >>​

Such a maneuver that Loane spoke of wasn't akin to jousting her wingman, but it was to snap up the guy following him. “Let’s just hope he doesn't mess this up.” A sharp break straight to where AJ’s flight path would intercept hers, if not a downright preventable collision if the two weren't careful, while switching from her main arm to guns for this one attempt.

It would only be a few seconds before they crossed. Nerves short, breathing level, and Loane’s senses sharpened-with a hiss of an inhale, she waited until a hair’s breadth of a moment where AJ had snapped out of the way, a clear shot. The Captain didn’t think that her newfound target saw this coming, and her subsequent stream of dead-on bullets hit the mark as she just barely grazed the top of the smoky splash of her downed target.

WHIPLASH
<< Got ‘em! Keep your head on watch for the rest, we’ll get as many as we can. >>​

Loane quickly maneuvered herself to follow and cover her wingman while switching back to her main armament, spotting the extra two Super Hornets that snapped up the opportunity to fire at the Anhinga before turning back around and heading towards Whiplash and Wildcat. Only one missile got through the CWIS this time, but it targeted anti-air weapons.

A sliver of a shimmer snapped up Loane’s attention, but the shimmer amid the clouds was gone. Weird…

 

[Whisker]

WHIPLASH
<< Headin’ straight towards ya’, nose hot. Bank right so you don’t hit me, I’ve got ya’ covered. >>

Despite the tense situation, AJ couldn’t help but grin. A good old aerial game of chicken. Who’d have thought they’d be trying it out here?

WILDCAT
<<Right-O! Keep an eye on your speed. Breaking at 800 yards clearance.>>

His hands shaking a bit due to the intensity of the G-forces against his body, he performed an aggressive Split-S maneuver to shake off the enemy pilot tracking him from below, then turned his plane hard back in the direction of the beleaguered fleet.

His Captain wasn’t hard to spot. Her Lightning II cast a striking shadow when framed against the setting sun. Two of the F-18s had broken off from the pack and started a descent in her direction, but they were too far back. She lined up and streaked towards him like a bat out of hell.

AJ increased his throttle to meet her. Something hard struck the rear of his plane, throwing him forward in the seat. Then it happened twice more. But the sudden turbulence barely even registered compared to what was directly in front of him.

WILDCAT
<<Three … Two … One! Breaking now!>>

He jinked hard and to the right, rolling his plane to deal with the excess Gs that came with the maneuver. He felt a shockwave of air burst against his plane from the F-35 screaming past, then heard an explosion somewhere behind him. Leveling out from the roll, he glanced over his shoulder and when he saw the Lightning II emerge from the clouds, he clapped his hands together, turned back around, and whooped in exhilaration. He couldn’t help himself.

WHIPLASH
<< Got ‘em! Keep your head on watch for the rest, we’ll get as many as we can. >>

WILDCAT
<<Hell yeah! Three planes down! That’s what you get! Warmongering sons of . . .>>

He was interrupted by the sound of AA fire erupting from the decks of one of the allied ships down below. The two hornets he had spotted earlier had dropped their anti-ship missiles and he could see the smoke trail and subsequent explosion against the Anhinga’s hull.

WILDCAT
<<Damn! These guys sure are persistent. Well, no sense hanging on to the goods anymore. Fox Three! Fox Three! >>

Four missiles shot from the underside of his aircraft and streaked towards the oncoming hornets. Both broke in opposite directions and chaff rained from their underbellies like fiery rain. One missile still managed to clip the wing of one of the planes, sending it into a tailspin. The pilot managed to regain control of his aircraft after a few seconds though and lift his nose from the water even as his engine belched thick clouds of black smoke.

WILDCAT
<<Scored a hit, but he’s still airborne somehow. What’s the plan, Cap?>>

Unlike his Captain, AJ was entirely engrossed in the moment, his concentration leveled squarely on the battle taking place in front of him – so he, at least, missed the array of light shimmering in the clouds.​

 

[blitzfritz]

WILDCAT
<< Scored a hit, but he’s still airborne somehow. What’s the plan, Cap? >>

WHIPLASH
<< We take out the rest; either that, or something else pops up. Just keep hittin' and runnin' until then, rookie. >>​

Whatever shined up in the clouds, it put Loane on edge for but the briefest of moments. But regardless, her attention needed to be focused-breaking right, only to find three Hornets up above whom may have spotted her and started to dive down like birds of prey to take the opportunity. AA fire spitting from below, seven Super Hornets up above and among the carnage. The Captain was watchful enough to make a hypothesis: they were flighty. Maybe they weren't expecting an engagement, as the extra two hostiles had started to hungrily circle the Needletail, a frigate that was lagging behind the OFS Anhinga.

Well, swatting them with AA fire should keep them at bay if those damn Belkans want their multi million-dollar aircraft in flying condition.

A jolt in the Captain's seat, as one of the three Hornets who dived and overshot had sprayed her with bullet hell. None of them hit the single engine of her Lightning II, thankfully, but a few punctured her wings. But now the two Hornets -with the third breaking off to join the extra two that were harassing the Needletail- performed a yo-yo to angle themselves, a locked tone beep hitting away at her ears. "Not good."

Whiplash broke left, barrel rolling down and pulling up so as to not go headfirst into the water-the hostiles continued the pursuit, hot on her tail. "Persistent..."

She broke hard into a high-g to go back the way she came, and a missile warning graced her ears. [MISSILE! MISSILE!] Loane pushed into afterburner, chaff raining from the jet's underbelly in a display of white, and the missiles flew right on by. From this angle of sight, the Captain could see one of the Hornets circling back around to snap at her wingman's heels, and the LASM emissions as two of the three Hornets fired off their anti-ship armaments against the Needletail. One struck true at the starboard bow of the frigate, the other overshot the ship and missed it entirely; most likely still hurt like a little bitch to get hit by a LASM, though.

Loane gunned it towards the Hornets who wanted to swat at the Needletail, at least until she pulled a high-g turn upwards to flip back the way she came. Her lock-on bipped hard tone onto a high-flying Super Hornet who had circled around to try and snap at her heels, and let the missiles fly. "FOX-2! FOX-2!" Though the lock-on did its job, the angle of attack was subsequently too harsh, and it barely caught the F/A-18E in the underbelly as it streaked pass.

WHIPLASH
<< Damnit, this is never going to end! >>​

Her vocal despair was somewhat warranted, as a few Super Hornets can easily break off and smack around the remaining ships until there was nothing left while a pair could occupy each jet and cycle as warranted. At this rate, even AJ could be shot down before Loane could intercept in time if the Hornets focused on taking out one over the other-he was trained, yes, but engagement experience was slim to none. But, there was a pause; Loane craned her neck to keep her eyes on the hostile, but the Hornets...they started to act strange. The three surrounding the Needletail started to break off and streak across the sea without finishing off their prey, while the one who was chasing Aj had also broken off and rejoined with the three, and so did the two that had planned to bap at Loane-even the extra Hornet started to rejoin it's friends! But static struck her radio, and communications on the open channel were heard.

BELKAN FIGHTER
<< Attention... Disengage... >>​

A few more moments of heavy static, before it cleared.

BELKAN FIGHTER
<< I repeat, all scouting fighters! Disengage at once, this is a lost cause! There's no more for us to do here-our mission is a failure. >>​

 

[Whisker]

WHIPLASH
<< We take out the rest; either that, or something else pops up. Just keep hittin' and runnin' until then, rookie. >>

WILDCAT
<<Copy.>>

AJ needed no further prompting than that. His F-16 twisted into a pair of aileron rolls then gunned forward aggressively towards the Hornet that had escaped his earlier barrage. It was egressing hard and fast to the clouds and away from the OS Anhinga which, judging by the display upon his Hud, had fired a SAM at it when it had ventured too close. His wingman was limping away at low altitude from the rear, pillars of black smoke billowing up from beneath its wings.

Welp, those suckers are cooked.

AJ broke off from the fleeing pair, went into a high loop, and used an Immelmann turn to level out and face back the way he had come. No sooner had he done this when he saw two white smoke contrails materialize from out of thin air. They streaked into the blue, chasing a target unseen, and then suddenly jink hard as the aircraft it was chasing released its chaff and flares.

He looked down at his radar and immediately, his stomach dropped.

WILDCAT
<<Jesus Christ, you gone mute or something? Call out, will ya, Whip? Anyways, you got two on your six. I’m coming around to engage. Keep them dancing until then.>>

She evidently either was planning to do that anyway or took the words to heart because he saw her plane whip around on radar to engage one of the trailing bandits. Without hesitation, or even her permission, AJ dove like a bird of prey and angled to come up on the six of the trailing plane of the formation. It broke off from the chase and rolled right. AJ switched to guns and rattled off a stream of shots.

Sparks clipped the wings, but the plane picked up speed and escaped with the vast majority of its hull intact. But no sooner had THAT happened, there was a loud explosion off to his left wherein the Needletail, a frigate towards the tail end of the SAG convoy, had its entire foredeck erupt in flames.

Screams and frantic calls for air support from the crewmembers aboard erupted in his ears. Swearing under his breath, he tried to ignore the sick, sinking feeling in his gut, and instead focus on catching up to cover Loane’s rear as she dove in to help. But just as he drew close, the beeping of a missile lock alerted him to the presence of tailers closing at his six.

WILDCAT
<<Ah, give me a break already! Damnit . . .>>

He broke to the left and angled high, gathering speed as he climbed. But just as he reached the apex of his ascent, something strange happened: the missile lock tone faded. Curious, AJ glanced down at his radar and, sure enough, he was no longer being chased. In fact, all three hornets were egressing feet-wet back in the direction they appeared.

“What the hell?”

WILDCAT
<<Hey, Cap? Is it just me or is something funny going on here?>>

There was no mistaking it, however. All the remaining planes had altered course and were now beating a hasty retreat from the AO. Wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, AJ watched for a brief time as their dots steaked north on the radar. Then he shook his head and went for the coms.

WILDCAT
<<Anhinga, this is Raven 2. Airspace sanitized. I repeat, bandits are retreating from the airspace. You should be in the clear, over.>>

But to his Captain and wingman he was much less positive about the situation.

WILDCAT
<<Think they’re really spooked or are they up to something? I got to tell you, Cap, I don’t have a clue what the fuck we stumbled onto back there...>>​

 

[blitzfritz]

Despite the complaint and frantic chatter, Loane had to keep a level head. Sure, she can go a bit silent when focusing on trying to survive, but it’s been roughly a month. Who could blame her. (Herself, mostly.) But the display of the Super Hornets as they started to egress back the way they came wasn’t a fruitless display.

WILDCAT
<< Hey, Cap? Is it just me or is something funny going on here? >>​

Maybe he didn’t hear it, or her Lightning II was able to catch the retreating signal and AJ’s plane couldn’t. But Loane quickly leveled out her plane and kept it at a steady pace as she formed back up and rejoined next to her wingmate’s side. Switching her radar back to BVR, she listened to his radio chatter with the Anhinga. He wasn’t bad at calling out signals and contacting once the fight was over-maybe he’ll be the squadron’s designated radio operator, and that thought let the flight lead chuckle a bit.

WILDCAT
<< Anhinga, this is Raven 2. Airspace sanitized. I repeat, bandits are retreating from the airspace. You should be in the clear, over. >>

OFS ANHINGA
<< Roger, roger. Thank god that’s over, Raven Squadron; If you guys weren't here, then, well… who knows what would’ve happened. Oh, and don’t worry about the damaged ships, the Needletail is giving us updates and they have enough power to return to port without sinking; we’ll get the Manakin’s crew as well. We’ll put in a good word about you guys next we dock. >>​

A few agreements from the other surviving ships means that they’ll most likely be spreading the word-Loane was both glad to hear that and a bit pensive too. This whole incident with Belkan fighters would be a pain for the brass to clean up, phones would be ringing, and she would have another pin in her record because how the hell did Belkans get so far inland without being spotted? She would be a suspect despite saving the Anhinga and her escort’s crew. Well, most of the escorts, but y’know.

She also realized that the Anhinga never apologized about IDing the fighters late, but they might’ve had the humility to have the squadron saving their ass be their thanks. Whatever.

WILDCAT
<< Think they’re really spooked or are they up to something? I got to tell you, Cap, I don’t have a clue what the fuck we stumbled onto back there… >>

WHIPLASH
<< I was able to catch some of their radio, and they were turning back because their mission was a failure. What that mission was, it...might’ve been to sink the Anhinga and her escorts. >>​

Loane didn’t need to describe more, as the whole plan the Belkan’s had seemed akin to a predator trying to catch unsuspecting prey. If the prey figured out there was danger, it would be on heightened alert-thusly, the predator would give up the chance because of the heightened alert, a “lost cause”.

But the Anhinga showed their thanks over radio, and Raven Squadron returned back the way they came as the sunset sunk lower into the sky. The return flight was filled with silence as before, though being back up at roughly 40 thousand angels to conserve what fuel they had left made the sight of the sinking sun much more potent. The two stayed at such a height well into the night, and by the time the two were heading south to Arenio, they lowered themselves to 12 thousand. The runway lights could be faintly seen at 50 miles out, and the usual landing checks were in order.

WHIPLASH
<< Control tower, this is Raven 1 of Raven Squadron, requesting landing. >>

ARENIO AFB
<< Landing request accepted, Raven 1. Welcome back. >>


Date: May 22nd, 2012
Location: Arenio AFB, Osea
Time: 2150 hours​

All in all, the landing portion wasn’t that bad. The dark of the night had few clouds and it cooled considerably, but overall, it was quite boring compared to the takeoff and landing sandwiching the engagement prior. In just a few minutes she had finally landed and parked her F-35 into its rightful place in Hanger E, exactly where it was prior to takeoff. The decompression checks and prep down was easier to take care of compared to turning on the damn thing, and a few of the ground crew who had taken the night shift for returning aircraft were ready and waiting.

One of the older members of the ground crew was at first surprised, but then scowled at the bullet holes that had punctured the wing, while a few more in the crew gave a rather unpleasant glare once Loane emerged from the cockpit and removed her helmet. The Captain just gave a half-hearted shrug to them- “Sorry for the damages.”- before putting away her combat gear. What was left was Loane in her signature black tank-top and her flight suit was tied at the waist; she did have exercise shorts underneath the lower part, but it was easier to just tie up the top half of the suit at the waist so as to not hassle with getting it on and off all the time.

Once everything was put up, she met back up with AJ with a wave before the two would head off to debrief. “Hey, rookie. That was some fancy flyin’ up there in the sky, I'll admit. Now, I’m loath to say it, but we’ve gotta report this engagement to the base commander for a debriefing, so follow me.” Though once the two were walking to the main building, Loane muttered under her breath, “I would’ve given it a couple days before he found out.”

The air wasn’t breezy as before, though the temperature compensated for that. Regardless, the two made their way across the base, but as the two Raven Squadron pilots got closer to the crew ready room, a few other pilots were outside the room chatting amongst themselves. They glanced at Loane and AJ for a brief moment, watching the two go inside. To which Loane felt a knot form in her throat upon seeing the amount of pilots and officer personnel who had been packed into the room; some of the pilots were grumbling, others were curious on why everyone was brought for the debrief. Having been in Redmill’s crew ready room, Aernio’s seems cramped and claustrophobic at this moment-awkwardly trying to find a spot in the room, the talking and chatter was cut through like a knife when a voice spoke loud and above the rest.

“Captain Loane Holzknecht and Second Lieutenant AJ Riley.”

Like a parting sea, the few pilots and personnel that were around her and her wingman had stepped away and made a clear line of sight for the man of the hour, the base commander himself. Warner Neal, a self-important smug asshole like any self-respecting base commander was. His gaze had locked on to the captain, and he was one of the few sitting in a chair at the front of the ready room.

“I was half expecting you not to come to debrief at all, Captain." Loane gave a huff at the comment, before Warner continued. "Bases near Sarsfield and Wesson picked up Belkan aircraft on their radar, and by their trajectory, the aircraft were coming from the Bannion Sea. Since you and your wingman were the only ones away from the base at the time of the reports, tell me: where the hell were you both?” The commander’s voice had a hint of a snarl upon his question, which put Loane on edge. It was likely that she was gonna get ripped apart (verbally) regardless on if she reported the engagement over the Anhinga or not; so, she took a glance at AJ, cleared her throat, approached the front to properly address the commander, and fully reported what her and AJ had encountered, starting with the distress call that the Anhinga sent out.

 

[Whisker]

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

OFS ANHINGA
<< Roger, roger. Thank god that’s over, Raven Squadron; If you guys weren't here, then, well… who knows what would’ve happened. Oh, and don’t worry about the damaged ships, the Needletail is giving us updates and they have enough power to return to port without sinking; we’ll get the Manakin’s crew as well. We’ll put in a good word about you guys next we dock. >>

WILDCAT
<<Solid copy, Anhinga. Chances are we'll probably need it.>>

After all, they'd gone out on what was supposed to be a quiet, pre-cautionary pre-flight patrol and returned with two busted-up birds, a damaged SAG flotilla, and a shit ton more questions than answers. Switching his radio frequency to the backup channel reserved for only himself and the Captain, AJ heaved out a long adrenaline-reducing sigh and settled in for the long return flight ahead.

WHIPLASH
<< I was able to catch some of their radio, and they were turning back because their mission was a failure. What that mission was, it...might’ve been to sink the Anhinga and her escorts. >>

WILDCAT
<<I'm sure some fancy suit up at HQ's gonna be working his ass off tonight trying to confirm just what the hell happened out here. Anyways, I'm looking a little low on fuel, so preparing to RTB on your mark.>>

For the next hour and a half, he did nothing but follow the distant blinking wing lights of Loane's craft south through the evening sky. Neither one of them spoke except to give general orders and confirmation, but this was probably for the better. The implications of what they had just been through weighed heavily even on his mind. By the time the lights of the runway came into view though, he was ready to do nothing else but to crawl out of his flight suit and head immediately to the barracks to shower and head straight to bed. That wasn't what happened though. Not at all.

No sooner did he touchdown on the runway and park his plane than he was descended upon by the crew chief as well as most of the maintenance crew from the 705th. The former took one look at his plane and shook his head. "Well, it looks like you had one hell of a first day, kid. What'd you do? Run her through a blender?"

AJ removed his flight helm and climbed down from the cockpit. "Hell, I wish. Think you can patch her up?"

"Aye, but it'll take a couple weeks to get the parts. Anyways, you better get moving. Colonel's practically shitting himself. He specifically ordered the both of you to get your asses to the ready room once you touched down."

Great. Just what he wanted to hear. Just the same, orders were orders, so AJ gathered up his flight helm under his arm and began the trek up the flight line back towards the row of hangers at the head of the runway. When he arrived, he found the Captain already halfway out of her flightsuit and in a casual black tank-top. She waved him down.

“Hey, rookie. That was some fancy flyin’ up there in the sky, I'll admit. Now, I’m loath to say it, but we’ve gotta report this engagement to the base commander for a debriefing, so follow me.”

"Yeah, the crew chief just filled me in. Guess it was too much to ask that they at least let us shower first."

She turned and started towards the staff office.

“I would’ve given it a couple days before he found out.”

AJ snorted at that, but he dutifully followed along in her wake out through the assortment of hangars and up to a small two-story brick building that somehow looked older than the rest of the base he had seen previously. There were others milling around outside. Pilots with patches he didn't recognize sewn onto their jackets as well as an odd assortment of groundcrew and enlisted grunts. They weaved through them and proceeded into a room scarcely bigger than an average elementary school classroom. Inside, the room was packed with even more pilots and personnel, and at the head of them all --

“Captain Loane Holzknecht and Second Lieutenant AJ Riley.”

Shooting a brief glance with raised eyebrows over at his Captain, AJ straightened his shoulders and went into the attention position.

"Sir."

But the Base Commander had no eyes for him. Instead, the man was glowering directly at his Captain, as though this were a disciplinary hearing instead of a single debriefing after a patrol gone bad. AJ's eyebrows as well as his dislike for the man immediately rose.

“I was half expecting you not to come to debrief at all, Captain. Bases near Sarsfield and Wesson picked up Belkan aircraft on their radar, and by their trajectory, the aircraft were coming from the Bannion Sea. Since you and your wingman were the only ones away from the base at the time of the reports, tell me: where the hell were you both?"

AJ cleared his throat and glanced uncertainly over towards Loane, but before he could say a word, she took over and began filling the room in on everything that had gone down from the moment they'd taken off up to the moment they'd encountered the Belkan fighters out near the Bannion Sea. What followed from there was one of the most intense dressing downs AJ'd ever received in his life, the geezers from Hierelark included. Every decision they'd made since leaving the base was broken down, dissected, and scrutinized until AJ thought it was never going to end. Finally, though, it did. Almost four hours after they had touched down he, along with the rest of the pilots in the room, was finally given permission to be dismissed with only his Captain ordered to remain. With a last encouraging pat on the back and a wink, AJ filed out to the hallway along with most of the others and settled against one of the nearby walls.

When Loane finally was allowed to leave though, AJ would still be there waiting, a smoke dangling from his lip and one loose earbud dangling out of the front of his flight suit. Upon sighting her, he reached into the inside of his flight jacket and pulled out a small of Bana lights, offering them to her.

"You smoke, Cap?"
​

 

[blitzfritz]

---

Despite the usual routine, Loane felt the Commander’s eyes watching her specifically at points; especially during the initial report of when the Belkan fighters were identified. It was, at least the Captain felt, somewhat patronizing-regardless, she mostly led the dressing down of the debrief since her and AJ were the only ones out there when the engagement happened. Every action and decision was analyzed for mistakes and errors, and this rather thorough report lasted until two in the morning. Two in the fucking morning, at least in this Osean timezone.

Once everything was said and done in this debriefing, Colonel Neal finally said the heavenly words for this four hour of hell: dismissed. Loane had moved to leave with the rest, but the Colonel’s tone stopped her.

“Captain Holzknecht. You’re ordered to remain here-I’d like to have a word with you.”

Loane’s shoulders tensed up at the order, but she wouldn’t disobey it; with the pat on the back and AJ’s wink, she waited for the rest of the pilots and officers to filter out until it was just her and the base commander left in the ready room. Compared to the claustrophobic atmosphere earlier, the air felt barren between the two.

“Loane.” The Captain turned on her heels to face Warner, straightening her stance to attention. Once he saw her correct her stance, he rose from his seat and spoke. “You know what this whole situation implies for you, due to…” The Colonel’s voice lowered to a hushed whisper, “Due to your ancestry. You only got into the Osean military because of your father’s rank and recommendation, as far as I'm concerned.”

The hair on the back of Loane’s neck stood straight at what Warner said, forcing herself to tense up her upper body to keep control of her emotions, but the anger still seeped out in slightly ragged breaths. She worked enough hours in the military to not snap immediately at jabs at her family or Belkan heritage, but it still hurt like a bitch. Regardless, the Colonel continued as his voice returned to normal, “Still, something has to be done to clean our hands of the mess-”

“Our? Our?!” By this point Loane had enough of Warner’s bullshit, and fueled by the anger rising in her throat, started to speak out of line, “There’s no ‘our’ in this situation! I’m being punished for some conjecture just to save your ass, and I don’t wanna’ drag AJ into this! Whatever the brass thinks, I’m not goddamn involved, regardless of what facts are presented. Raven Squadron took off, heard the Anhinga’s distress signal, and intercepted the threat to their survival-we did what we were supposed to do: to protect our allies!”

“ENOUGH!!” This yell from Warner shook Loane out of her rampage, and was stunned for a few brief moments. But she quickly returned to attention once the glare from her superior was processed, but her tensed frame still conveyed the myriad curses that she wanted to spit out. The silence that filled the air only lasted for a brief few seconds, before the Colonel addressed his inferior ranked officer in a low but sharpened tone.

“If I had it my way, with that little display that you just did, I would’ve kicked you across the base and stripped your wings until you’re begging on your knees for those damn wings back-even then, I wouldn't give them to you.” The lines across the base commander’s face grew darker as he continued to spear and strike Loane in that sharpened tone of his. “But I have some decency in putting up enough of a farce. So, I propose this:” Warner interlocked his fingers as he approached until the two were face-to-face, only a foot apart, and his voice turned to a whisper, “Until this situation is resolved, you and your wingmate are grounded. No flying until this whole situation is cleared up-no going near the hangers, no airshow stunts for fun, nothing. Agree to this, and we don’t have to mention your little outburst. If you don’t like those terms, well…” A smile, almost creeping into a grin, showed across his lips. “I don’t think you mentioned that you were a Belkan to your sister squadrons, nor to your wingman. Tisk tisk…”

Loane visibly averted her gaze at the final sentence, her jaw tightening up. This was blackmail, goddamnit! But it was either a strip of the wings or a broken trust-Loane didn’t want her wingman cracking his view of her just yet. A pilot should not be judged for where he came from, only for his skill; her father nailed that into her when Loane first went into the Air Force for training. So, with a forced sigh, she nodded and finally spoke, “Fine. Have it your way. I’ll inform Second Lieutenant Riley of the punishment that you’ve given Raven Squadron.”

A self-smug smile was on Warner’s lips as Loane gave in. “Perfect. You’re now dismissed.”

Once the Colonel let her go, a sickly feeling settled in Loane’s gut as she relaxed from attention and moved to leave the ready room. She silently wished that AJ didn’t hear the shouting match that happened, but he was probably waiting right outside for his flight lead. While the Second Lieutenant was waiting right where she expected him to, the offer for Bana lights was unexpected but she still gently took them. “'Sometimes. Mom doesn't want me smoking around my brother, mostly-flight leads at Redmill generally discouraged it as well.”

Taking a slow drag of the cig once it was lit, Loane put herself in her thoughts. Despite it being the asscrack of the night, she wasn’t sleepy at all; maybe it was because of her airborne dogfight, but such a high would wear off quickly once she landed. Another likely possibility was it being another insomnia fit, and the Captain let out a low rumbly sigh. Well, better to break the bad news now since the two were alone.

“‘Lieutenant.” Her tone was sharp, but had a rougher edge that the smoke brought out, “Despite protecting our allies on the water, we’re still being punished for being the only ones fluttering about when Sarsfield and Wesson picked up the fighters on radar.”

“We’re being grounded. Stripped of our wings until this situation is resolved, as the base commander put it.”

Heavy handed her words were, as Loane took another slow drag of the cigarette. What an unlucky hand the two drew, eh? But Loane stayed quiet, not bothering to look her wingman in the eye this time as her breath exuded the flavor of whatever was in those cigarettes.