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The President broadcast his voice repeatedly, in an effort to reveal the truth to the citizens and soldiers. However, the
central government, now run by the Vice President and his Generals, censored all of it, calling it ‘enemy propaganda.’
And Yuktobania, our ‘enemy’, wasn't about to stop fighting, either. The President needed to enter the capital
himself, with his Marine Force. But that meant risking his life. As he boarded the helicopter, the President smiled and said:
"Here goes.”
He lifted off from the Kestrel shortly afterwards, and I went into CVIC the Carrier Intelligence Center. I waited for Captain
Bartlett’s next message. The third encrypted message from him came shortly after. This time there were no coordinates.
All it showed was a time and a radio frequency. At the appointed time, we all gathered in front of radio speaker.
“Hey! It’s me!” he said over the speaker. “Get the wax outta your ears and listen up! We found Nikanor,
the leader of Yuktobania, and we broke him outta prison. This war wasn't his doing at all!” we listened intently for
the next few minutes while he explained what he had found out.
We gathered in the briefing room shortly after Bartlett had finished. “Captain Bartlett has rescued Prime Minister Nikanor
of Yuktobania. He plans to attack an airfield in northeast Yuktobania, steal an airplane and then escape with the Prime Minister.
First, go to the directed area and wait for contact from Captain Bartlett. He'll likely have you support him as he forces
his way into the airfield. More mission details will be supplied to you upon arriving at the local airspace. Threat status
in the area of operation is unclear, so prepare your flight for the possibility of threats from both the ground and the air.”
We took off in a few Su-47 “Berkuts” and headed for the target area. When we got there, I heard Bartlett over
the radio. “It's me... I'm okay so far, and the car's hidden under a bush... Other resistance members are hidden all
over the place... But I still got a bad feeling about this. We're storming the gate at 0705 hours. Keep us covered. I'm countin'
on you. I think there's gonna be an ambush waiting for us.”
I got a message on the main briefing channel, and tuned it in.
“According to Captain Bartlett’s information, the resistance has already infiltrated the airfield and is currently
awaiting his arrival. The road to the airfield is covered with checkpoints and defensive positions. We anticipate stiff resistance.
Provide close air support for Captain Bartlett’s charge, give him area reconnaissance as necessary, and guide him to
the airfield. The resistance has already agreed on the time to begin operations with Captain Bartlett, so the timing of the
mission cannot be changed. If you do not arrive in time, the resistance will be suppressed by the airfield defence forces
and the mission will end in failure. After arriving, the resistance will load Prime Minister Nikanor onto a captured transport
plane and Captain Bartlett will attempt to escape. You must help Captain Bartlett arrive at the airfield on time, no matter
what.”
I acknowledged the briefing, and went to fly over Bartlett, just for the hell of it. I pulled up and engaged the first of
many aircraft that would be coming at us in this mission: an SU-34 “Fullback”. Not much of a challenge, really.
I downed it almost as fast as it was picked up on radar.
“This is Heartbreak One. The jailbreak tour starts here. We're counting on your escort from the air.” Bartlett
said.
“I'll be witnessing your bravery from down here, everyone.” A woman’s voice cut in.
“Y-yes, Ma'am!” Grimm stammered.
“Um...is there someone else in the car?” Nagase asked.
“Me?” I heard a laugh, then: “I'm Mystery Woman Number 1.”
I started circling Bartlett’s car; or at least, the blue box on my HUD that said that was him. He got to an area of
road that seemed to split off in two different directions.
“There's a fork up ahead. We have two choices.” The woman said. “Take the shorter way and face heavy attacks,
or take the safer route which takes more time.”
“Kid which route looks better to you? Should I take the shorter one?” Bartlett asked. I checked my radar, and
did some quick calculations. The longer road was about a 15 minute drive, while the short route was only about three minutes.
If they went on the long road, then we’d miss the arrival time, and the mission would be a failure.
“Bartlett, I think it’s best if you take the shortcut.”
“Okay, I’ll bust through the shortcut!” he said.
And so he did. He went right down the middle, quite a strategy, really. That’s Bartlett for ya!
Anyways, we started attacking everything: antennas, tents, watchtowers, gates, pillboxes, tanks, and Howitzers. The Yukes
simply didn’t know what to make of this. We where hitting them so hard and so fast that they didn’t know how to
respond. One second, calm and peaceful, the next, death was falling fro the sky, unheralded and unsuspected.
Bartlett’s little convoy managed to slip past as we where bombing. We gave him a brief 3o second break for him to get
through before we started attacking again. He barely managed to get through before we started pounding the enemies’
location.
I sent Grimm ahead to attack the airport, while I sent Swordsman to attack the next position along the long way around, while
I kept Nagase in with me to help guard Bartlett’s car. Or, at least, that’s what I told myself.
“Nagase, you keep flying like that and you're still not dead. You're really something!” Bartlett said, as he went
for the next fork in the road.
“Thank you sir!”
“That you, Grimm? I was planning to promote you to the squadron on the next evacuation.” He continued.
“Thank you very much, Sir!” Grimm said, obviously impressed.
“Captain Snow from the Naval Air Force? Sorry I haven't introduced myself. I'm kind of shy, you know.”
“So I hear Captain. Greetings.” Swordsman said.
“And I gather that's your brightest student?” the woman asked.
“You mean Kid? Well, that goes without saying!” Bartlett responded.
We kept doing our strategy while Bartlett did his. The next time, I told Bartlett that he should take the longer way around,
and that’s what he did. I guess he finally began to start trusting my judgement, or something.
Nagase and I caught up to Swordsman and we then went on to help out Grimm who was having a bit of trouble on his own. He had
managed to take out almost all of the fortifications around the short route, and that was what I was planning on using anyways.
What the problem was was then he now was engaged with several MiG 29s, and he wasn’t used to handling the superbly manoeuvrable
of the Su-47.
I got a radar lock with the lead plane, and fired off an SAAM. The targeted plane, aware now that reinforcements where showing
up started to come in and attack me, but succeeded in only presenting my missile with a head-on collision.
Grimm used that the critical seconds when the Yukes forgot about him, and started coming towards us to bag the rest of them.
I looked on my HUD and saw that Bartlett was almost at the hanger. He drove right in what was left of the front door, got
out, got into what looked like an ancient C-1 “Trader” and took off in that.
After he took off, Nagase said: Edge to Heartbreak 1, we’ll fly past our allies’ front line and head for the ocean.
The Kestrel will meet us along the way.”
“Roger that,” he said, “just hope we don’t run into any bad guys.”
“Incoming aircraft. Looks like bad guys to me. It's the 8492nd.” Grimm said.
“Ah, the long lost Belkan Grabacr Fighter Squadron, eh?”
I saw them on my radar; four F-15S/MTDs. Deadly aircraft each one of them, but we where in probably better aircraft then they
where.
“Is that really them? I saw those planes plunge into the ocean along with the Colonel on my radar.” The Grabacr
leader said.
“It's them, the "Ghosts of Razgriz." They were the ones that attacked the mine, too.” Another pilot said.
“All right. Let's find out for ourselves in battle.”
And with that, they closed on us. I got a lock and triggered the launch of my remaining SAAMs, and watched as I destroyed
two of the four enemy planes.
“Impressive. These fighters are definitely the Razgriz.” I heard the squadron leader say.
“I can slip these guys all day. I can't fire back, but I got you for that now, Kid. They're all yours.” Bartlett
said.
“Roger that sir! Don’t worry!” I said, as I launched a pair of short-range missiles, causing another kill.
“Great, I can hear you just fine. I'm counting on you.”
I was out of missiles now, but I still had the gun. I went up close and personal, and let her rip. The gun spewed white death
ad 4000 rounds per minute, sawing through from front to back in a single slashing burst. Fuel from a wing tank gushed into
the air, and then ignited in a fireball that consumed the last Grabacr plane in a few seconds. I saw an ejection seat go flying
through the air just before the F-15 blew up in mid-air.
“Looks like you got 'em all, but the bastards all bailed out. I gotta admit, those guys are true fighter pilots.”
Bartlett said, as he started beating feet towards the sea.
I was also turning back when I heard: “We'll be back. You can count on it.”
Operation: Glory Horn
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