|
“We're holding a peace ceremony at the stadium of November City. Our Vice-President will be giving a speech to rally
the citizens. Now, aw, you've been asked to do a fly-by above the ceremony. Don't screw this up! You should consider this
an honour and do your part to boost citizen morale. This is the Vice-President who's dealing with it here, so consider this
guard detail as well and be prepared for anything out there.”
“Your mission this time takes place above November International Stadium, a gigantic seventy-thousand-seat-arena located
in the center of the city of November on the southern coast line of Osea. Vice-President Appelrouth is giving a speech there
and you'll be conducting a fly-by above the stadium as part of the production.
You can return to base at 1730 hours, the time the speech is scheduled to end. After the fly-by, remain in formation and conduct
a combat air patrol in and around the stadium until that time. This is a ceremonial flight, but you will be fully armed in
case of an emergency. Don't forget to patrol the airspace surrounding the stadium too.”
This time, we took off in the best planes in the entire OFAF, F-22A “Raptor”s.
“I'm proud to be able to fly like this.” Grim said as soon as we where over the area.
“This is a ceremonial flight. Watch your manners, Kid.” Chopper said.
We all got into a formation, and started flying towards the stadium.
“We're flying beautifully. Keep it up!” Nagase called out as we accelerated towards the stadium. At better then
Mach 1, we passed overhead.
“This marks the end of your flight. Good work, Wardog.” Thunderhead said.
“People of Osea...Please, lend an ear to this broadcast. As your Vice President, I stand here on behalf of the President
of Osea. Listen to your fellow countrymen cheering before me. They are filled with anger against Yuktobania, and they swear
that they will not drop their weapons until Yuktobania has surrendered.
Now, I ask you to listen. Listen to their cheers!” the Vice President said.
“Aw, great, here comes the thunderous applause.” Chopper complained. But instead of cheering, I herd: “The
journey begins, Starts from within, Things that I need to know. The song of the bird, Echoed in words, Flying for the need
to fly.”
Singing. Why where the people down there singing?
“Thoughts endless in flight, Day turns to night…” Chopper sang.
“That isn’t exactly Rock and Roll you know.” Grimm commented.
“Who cares? Hey, they wanna get along with the enemy too, right? Man, this song's got soul!”
“This is Thunderhead, cut the chatter! Enemy formation detected, you are cleared to engage on-sight.”
“Are we the only allies here?” Nagase asked, worried.
“McNealy Air Force Base tried to scramble reinforcements, but the runway was blocked after someone crashed on takeoff.
“ Thunderhead said. “I’m calling for reinforcements now. It will be six minuets before the nearest squadron
arrives. Over.”
“So we’re on our own until then?” Grimm asked.
“Hey waitaminuete!” Chopper exclaimed. “Whoa! They’re still singing! Why aren’t they evacuating
the stadium? Where’s the Air Raid siren?”
I got a radar lock on the closest enemy aircraft, and fired a missile. The missile hit the other aircraft, and exploded.
“Why'd the Vice President have to assemble so many people here? Geez, what a moron.” Chopper complained.
“Captain Davenport, shut your mouth and take out those enemies!” Thunderhead ordered.
“Aye, aye, Sir. Now you're talkin'.”
We got back into a formation and fired off a salvo of Sparrow missiles. Half of those missiles hit, the rest missed, Evaded
by a spectacular display of manoeuvres, and clouds of chaff.
We kept up the firing, although we where getting pushed back. At this pace, the enemy would start bombing the stadium any
second now! Damn!
I let lose with a stream of Sparrows and sidewinders destroying as many of the enemies as possible.
“Kid, this is Chopper. Are the reinforcements close?”
I checked the time remaining. “Negative, Chopper. Three more minuets.”
“Sounds like we'll have to hold out a bit longer. Dammit, they could stand to be a little more punctual.”
About two minuets later, I heard: “Attention, all units approaching November City. I guess they had us going, too...”
“What? Who is this?” Thunderhead demanded
“That was a pretty good drill they got going. Anyway, drill is over. Return to base.” The unknown voice said.
“Wait! What're you talking about?” then a loud burst of static, then “ECMM! Restore communication link!”
I saw through all the snow on my radar that the allied planes where retreating.
What the hell is going on here? I thought.
After a while of panicked radio chatter, Thunderhead said: “New enemy formation detected. It's a flight of enemy stealth
fighters. They’re inbound for the stadium! Shoot them all down!”
Don’t need to tell me twice. I thought, and went after the nearest F-117.
“Damn!” Chopper yelled suddenly. I looked over to where his plane was, and there was smoke trailing from it.
“Chopper! You’ve been hit RTB imminently!” I yelled.
“Negative! We’ve got to stop those stealth fighters! I’ll draw their fire! Besides, it’s nothing big.
I'm not wounded. I oughta be able to keep this plane in the air a little longer. And planes are expandible, right Kid?”
I sighed, and said: “roger that, Chopper.”
“This is it, Booby. That's the kind of line I expect from a captain.”
I went after the stealth fighters, and fired what few heat-seakers I had left.
Chopper asked me if he saw anyplace to bail out. I suggested the river, but Nagase insisted on the stadium.
(Author’s note: seriously, why does she say that? What’s wrong with the river?)
after Nagase, Grimm and I destroyed all the stealth fighters, Thunderhead spoke up again.
“All enemy stealth fighters confirmed destroyed. We've called back the allied fighters.”
“A little too late, man. There goes the radar. My circuits are toast.”
“Look, forget about it, Chopper, just bail out. Please, bail out!”
“Okay, Guess now's the time.”
“This is Thunderhead. Captain Davenport, are you all right?”
“There's the stadium. I'm dropping the plane over there.”
“Roger. Now, bail out.”
“I can’t, The electrical system's all messed up. The canopy won't blow. The ejection seat's probably not working,
either.”
“Don't give up, Chopper! Keep trying! Chopper!”
“Heh heh...I'm gonna miss that voice.”
And with that, I saw Chopper’s plane smash into the stadium.
“CHOPPER!” the three of us yelled.
For the first time in a long time, I felt tears traveling down my eyes. I guessed that everybody else had the same reaction.
“dammit.” Thunderhead said. “I hate to say this now… but there’s a second enemy wave approaching.
Al units, engage…” even he was as shook up as the rest of us.
I refused, but he simply said I HAD to engage if I wanted to survive.
Sadness at the loss of my friend turned rapidly into anger. I can’t recall exactly what happened next –some kind
of fog clouded my mind-, but when I came to again, I say dozens of smoke trails. Some backing off, some blowing up, and some
streaming fire as they crashed.
Next Chapter
|
