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Mission 5: a Handful of Hope
“Since we thwarted their invasion, we haven't seen any major offensive operation by the enemy for several weeks. Almost
like we are at peace again, people? Anyway, let's start the briefing.” Colonel Perrault said.
“Yuktobanian combat operations have been dormant since their failed large scale invasion and the loss of their underwater
carrier Scinfaxi. However, there is still concern of a possible infiltration by small scale forces from the ground and the
air. You will split into flights of two and carry out patrols in the area from Akerson Hill to the northern coast line. The
airspace above the green fields extending around the Akerson is covered by our Osean AA system. The system automatically fires
missiles at any hostile aircraft it detects. Patrol the northern coast line of Akerson Hill which is out our AA system's range.”
And so, we launched. This mission sounded easier then the one we just completed. And I was glad for that as I was still nursing
a dislocated collar bone. I would be fine as long as I didn’t have to turn to hard or do any dogfight manoeuvres.
“That stupid geezer Base Commander just won't give us a break, will he?” Chopper asked.
“He's relying on us, First Lieutenant Chopper. Hey, congratulations on your promotion, by the way.” Grimm said.
“Huh! That’s weird, I don’t FEEL any better.”
“Hey you to, what’s your current position?” Nagase asked.
“300 miles south of you.” Chopper responded.
“Roger”
Then I heard a burst of static along with a voice.
“…damaged… damage is light….”
“Transmitting aircraft, state your intentions and current status.”
“Oh, finally, a response... This is the Osean Air Force transport plane Mother Goose One. We're flying to the neutral
country of North Point... We have the transmitter set to minimum power. Please come in closer so we can hear.”
We slammed on our afterburners and moved closer to the transport plane.
“Ah, I think this is you on our radar. Can you see us? We'd like you to guide us to a safe passage corridor through
the AA defences.” Odd as it sounds, this guy sounded like Captain Bartlett…
“We're on a top secret mission and I'm not transmitting a valid friendly ID signal to the ground-based automatic defence
systems. As a result, a friendly surface-to-air missile was mistakenly fired at us. We narrowly avoided a direct hit, but
our radar system was destroyed, and we can't fly a safe path through the AA system.”
“So you want us to help you. Okay. Fine, I’ll just need a list of your cargo. How do I know I’m not helping
Drug Dealers or Arms Dealers?” I asked.
“Please Blaze, let’s just help him.” Nagase said.
“Okay, fine! That doesn’t mean I have to like it though. Alright, Mother Goose One, what do you want me to do?”
I asked.
“Just check your radar for the AA system’s MEZ and steer away from it. Also, I’d appreciate it if you could
minimize your turns.”
“Uhhhhh… the air defence system just received multiple radar hits on an enemy formation closing on your position,
First bad guys we've seen crossing the pond for a while. Warning alarms are goin' off like mad, but we're the only ones near
enough to intercept 'em in time. Hold on, baby, we're comin' to your rescue.” Chopper said.
“Understood. I’m counting on you two.” Then to me “Blaze, can you see the transport craft?”
“Roger. I can’t exactly miss it. It’s huge.”
“Roger. Keep your eyes on it.”
“Okay, I’ve goy him on my Radar. HA! Just like the intelligence said.” Aw crap. The Yukes must have known
something about this…
“The radio’s picking up the enemy’s voice!” Grimm said, amazed. Normally radios don’t pick up
enemy transmissions.
“These guys sound as beautiful as Thunderhead. Sweet as a rose, I tell ya!” Chopper, of course…
“Don’t let up just because it’s a transport plane. If we take out this guy, they won’t just give us
a medal, they’ll build a statue in our honour! This cargo’s certainly worth that much!” the Yuke squadron
leader said.
“Is that the enemy speaking? What are these guys talking about?” Nagase asked.
“Don’t worry about that, we NEED your escort. We’re completely defenceless!” the transport Captain
said.
“Well now, this is turning out to be a weird little race against the enemy.” Chopper said.
After a while of navigating, and a few close calls, we managed to get through the AA system. Now all we had to do was fight
off a few fighters. Well, I wasn’t going to fight by myself because of my injury from bailing out after my last mission,
so I let Chopper, Nagase and Grimm take them down.
“This is Mother Goose One. We've successfully navigated through the AA system. Thank you. However, I'd like to ask for
your continued escort.”
“Enemy spotted on radar. Coming head-on. Well, that’s good, Chopper team has arrived.”
“Hey Kid, we’re under your command now.”
“Mother Goose One, we'll take care of him. Please separate at maximum speed!”
“Please, I'm counting on you.”
“Mother Goose One, please keep your current vector.”
“Roger...Roger! Agh, dammit!”
“Mechanical trouble! I’m losing thrust on engine 1!”
“HEY! I SEE ESCORT FIGHTERS!”
“I thought there weren’t going to BE any escorts!”
“Hey, hey, get back in your seat. Don't approach the… Hey, what're you doing!”
I heard what sounded like gunfire over the radio and some kind of struggle.
“Hey! It's Dutch rolling!” Chopper said.
“Are you there? What happened?” I asked. The voice was not the one I expected.
“Uh, this is transport plane... uh...Mother Goose One. The Captain's been shot.”
“WHAT?” Chopper demanded.
“There was a spy in the crew. Uh-oh, two of the engines have shut down.”
“Hey, what kind of cargo you got in there? Is it something dangerous?” there was a few moments of eerie silence.
“HEY! YOU THERE?”
“The Captain's dead and the Co-pilot was wounded by a stray bullet. Tommy's holding the stick now. But he's just a secretary...he's
never piloted a plane before.”
“So who are you?”
“...I guess you would call me...the cargo on this plane. Could you tell me how to control this thing? I'll relay everything
to him.”
Nagase was cool and professional now. She started instructing the plane to land.
“Put your flaps down. That'll lower your airspeed. Can you find your flap lever?”
“Flap lever...is that it? No, that one, Tommy. Pull that one.”
The Yukes must have figured out that they couldn’t win.
“We can’t go on!”
“Let’s pull out…”
Meanwhile…
“An emergency landing? The ground's full of electric generator windmills!” Chopper yelled.
“Hey, could you shoot those down for us?” the “Cargo” said.
“Let’s do it.”
“Whaaaaaaat?”
“We’ve got no other choice.”
“Okay, let's do it. Are you still there, Ma'am? With the lovely voice? Uh, Miss...”
“First Lieutenant Kei Nagase...Sir.”
“Ah! And a lovely name as well.”
As if deliberately trying to spoil the mood, I heard “and I’m Chopper!”
“Ahem… that’s a good name too…”
“Ha-ha I like you man!”
“Tommy's going to try landing now. He's doing his best, but he's never done this before. I...I don't know if we'll make
it, so I just want to thank you before we go.”
“You'll be okay!” Grimm said.
“Yes. You’ll do fine.”
“Tommy, those broken windmills will be our guideposts.”
I blew up some of the windmills to allow the transport to land. After a while, I heard Edge say “Mother Goose One, landing
confirmed.” Then ask “are you alright, Mr. Cargo?”
“uhm, yeah, I guess. That was a pretty smooth ride actually.
And Nagase, being Nagase, said “Mr. Cargo, I've got a question I'd like to ask you.”
“what is it?”
“The bird of peace...did you really have to use that beautiful white bird for this war? Do you understand what I'm saying?”
“yeah.”
“I wanted to see your Bridge of Peace span into Outer Space.”
“It’s still possible. Thanks to the Bird, we’re on even terms now. I'm trying to get to North Point because
I believe we have a chance.”
“to hold talks in neutral territory.”
“right. Communication is vital.”
“So, I can still believe in you then? I don't want to see any more young men or women lose their lives.”
“Me neither.”
“Uh-oh. I’m outta fuel…” Chopper interrupted.
“Damn. Me to” I said. “McNealy AFB, this is Wardog leader, Blaze. send a tanker aircraft over to us. We’re
at Akerson Hill.”
“Roger that, Blaze, tanker inbound now.”
I then heard a new voice, and something that sounded like heavy metal music playing in the background. I also saw a squadron
of 4 F-15 ACTIVEs
“This is the Osean Air Force 8492nd Squadron. We observed the emergency landing on our radar. Can you see us? You can
leave the rest to us. We'll provide support until the transport plane's crew is rescued.”
“Roger 8492nd. Take care of them for us.”
“Sure thing”
“Hey, whoever you are, I like your taste in music. Let’s talk on the ground sometime” Chopper said.
“Okay, later though.”
End of chapter 5
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