Four Birds flew over the Cape Landers in a tight formation, once or twice correcting their flight path while training their synchronized maneuver in the process. An F-4G is taking the lead, followed by three F-16 B50, forming a standard diamond formation.
“I told you, right?! Damn you Gotanda”
“Aw, shut up, you’re lucky I choose tail, Alvin”
“I said it first, Davenport, so cut the chatter. Can’t you two be more like Nagase here?”
They became silent, only the sound of engine is heard, and then the connection was cut off, everyone is for themselves.
Just few minutes ago, they heard from the HQ about another leaker, this time, is an unarmed reconnaissance plane. It’s the notorious Blackbird, superfast stealth whose technology is yet to be outdated even today. One of the coastal SAM in this region managed to deliver a considerable damage over the unit, and now, it’s slowly descending with smoking trail left behind.
Wardog is then assigned to intercept it.
"This is Heartbreak One of Wardog Squadron, we are approaching the target."
"[This is AWACS, call sign Thunderhead; roger, bring the target to the ground. Do not fire on the target. Repeat, do not fire on the target.]"
They even had AWACS and tanker, and yet, no replacement pilot. The Top Brass is really annoying, especially to Davenport, though Dan and Bartlett has their share of complains.
The voice of the AWACS is stern, the tone you can expect from a bookworm soldier.
"You got that, nuggets?"
"Wardog two, roger," Came from Nagase.
"Wardog three, roger," Davenport said.
Dan is fazed up a little, and failed to deliver a proper replies, as the result, Bartlett asked again "Wardog four, hellllooo! Can you hear me kid? You better be marking our tail son."
"Yes"
Fail.
"Well you sound confident at least," said Bartlett.
“Look who is afraid now” Davenport mockingly
"[Second Lieutenant Alvin H. Davenport, zip it! You need a nick name too?]" AWACS Thunderhead’s voice blaring in the radio, made Davenport snicker
"I respectfully asked to be called Chopper, sir. I'm afraid I may not be able to respond to any other moniker."
From that day onward, the nickname sticks tighter than his actual name. they don't know the origin of Captain's callsign, which sound weird. Nagase at least, said that she inherit it form her older sister, an Ace during the course of Usea Rebellion.
"Hmm, that does fit you well. I have a better name for you but I'll keep it to myself. Okay?" Bartlett affirmed.
"Aw, cut me some slack man."
Nagase can be heard sighing heavily; at least they don’t look down at her for being the sole girl in the group. Unlike ISAF or Erusia, most pilots in active service here in Osea still predominantly male, same goes to Yuktobania. She joins OMDF simply because of the residency.
“Tally ho, we’ve got a company”
The distance between the Blackbird and Wardog are less than 100 m away, close proximity is preferable. As such, the four wings of Sand Island switched to
“Alright where is Motormouth Chopper”
“That’s your nickname for me?” came the disbelieving response, Nagase already expect wit battle and thus Bartlett came “You have a knack for comic dialogue, mind you sending the message”
“What about Gotanda?”
“He knew when he had to be serious, at least” Nagase opened her mouth in Gotanda’s defense, typical Dan’s usual attitude however, a soft laugh was heard “Aw, I’m happy you care for me, honey”
If she wasn’t wearing helmet and occupied with HOTAS control, she wanted to put a palm on her face. And Chopper and Bartlett still going at it.
“Please? Age before beauty”
“I’m quite shy around strangers you know”
“Oh god it’s endless” at that point however, it seems that the insanity bled to Nagase herself. “Nagase, your plane tilted a little” Dan pointed
“…Not my fault, it’s the FBW that’s too sensitive”
Tired with the constant banter of the dysfunctional squad, AWACS Thunderhead finally spoke again, with intensity surpassing Perrault on his better days. “[WARDOG CUT THE CHATTER NOW! SECOND LIUTENANT DAVENPORT FOLLOW YOUR ORDERS]”
“Geez, right. Testing, testing, unidentified aircraft please lower your gear and we’ll escort you, do you copy?”
There’s no reply.
“Unidentified aircraft please lower your gear if you understood”
Still no reply, however, alert signal has been delivered and their radar is bleeping “[Wardog, this is Thunderhead, bogeys inbound from vector 280. Intercept as proper but do not engage until you get a clearance]”
“You heard that? Don’t shoot until I gave you orders, understood?”
“Roger that”
The location is 25 miles from the mainland, exactly the same location as before. Nagase felt her stomach churned, the alien feeling crept into her logic circuitry: it was fear.
“Nagase, it’s okay. We’re ready and you’re not alone, I’m backing you up”
Dan’s soothing voice brought the sinking determination within her hear arose, her eyes lit with courage and thus appear, her true personality.
“Thank you”
“[Warning! Heaters!]”
“Break! Flare!” Bartlett screamed on the comm. Link, and all four planes split to different direction while filled the center position with flares, all those missile exploded harmlessly.
“[Wardog, do not engage, repeat, do not engage!]”
Chopper was the first one to complain “Screw you, those aren’t blanks they firing”
“Stop talking and start firing, Heartbreak One, Engage!”
“Edge, Engage”
“Chopper Engage!”
Dan was silent for a moment, just before he’s reminded on it, his tone of voice changed. He was on higher altitude than his pals.
“Blaze Engage”
Afterburner was lit for a few seconds, but then he turned the engine off as momentum brought him to a stall condition, literally flipping near 180 degrees at 9g.
“BLAZE!”
Behind his oxygen mask, Dan is delivering a confident smile “Blaze, Fox two”
Sidewinder zipped a bandit out of the sky, striking right on the engine nozzle and made it explode, the rest simply shattered by air turbulence.
Viper is not exactly a supermaneuverable plane, meaning it couldn’t recover from stalling condition quickly. His only choice, as proper, is to accelerate downward until he reached sufficient airspeed to fly normally.
“He’s nuts”
“Kid, we’re going to have a little talk later” Bartlett pursued a bandit in a series of feint and slash “When we return that is”
In a sense, the Vipers and the Fulcrums, aka Mig-29, is roughly comparable in many aspect.
Dan was lucky; he caught one off guard, form hereon, the only determining factor is the skill.
And Chopper seems to have the short end of the stick, enemy cannon preying on him.
“Need assistance!”
“Chopper! Scissor!” Dan screamed, and indeed, Chopper pulled out the air brake, almost like he wanted to rip his plane with the sheer deceleration. The enemy passed him with Dan tailing on it, launching yet another sidewinder.
It missed the target, but not entirely meaningless. Nagase dove with guns blazing, delivering a hail of 20mm shell, tore the Fulcrum in half as it hit the back of the cockpit.
“Nice kill!”
Nagase returned to cover Bartlett, who has this pesky fact about technical limitation. Dan just realized now that he saw the Phantom in combat, flying brick indeed.
Still, Dan has seen it now, the Belkan War Veteran, Jack Bartlett. His title is not for show, as he swiftly destroyed another with ease in spite of his inferior unit.
“[One remaining!]”
“YAHOO!” Chopper emptied half of his reserve magazine, shredding enemy plane like paper, leaving no survivor “Aw yeah, can you say ‘busted’?”
“[Second Lieutenant Davenport, be careful, there’s another one!]” At the same time Thunderhead announced, Chopper found himself locked by enemy radar.
“I’m so screwed”
“[Warning: Missile]”
“CHAFF!”
Pieces of tiny aluminum sheet dispersed from its dispenser, sparkling under the sun, and disappear with a flame as a medium range missile detonated inside the cloud.
“I’m okay, what the hell, that one is way too different!”
“OVT! Be careful!” Dan pushed the throttle at maximum to switch location quickly.
“OV what?”
“It’s equipped with thrust vectoring” Bartlett clenched his teeth as both of his heaters missed the target “Must be an ace”
Bartlett is preparing his AMRAAM, normally, a Weasel-type unit doesn’t carry such thing, but his has been modified to do just that.
Wardog began to circle the single unit, but unable to get a proper lock, gun or missile. It’s dancing fiercely trying to get a kill by itself, even though it’s vastly outnumbered.
Fatigue began to creep over the inexperienced wardogs, dogfight isn’t supposed to happen for a minute, let alone more than five. Even with their state of the art liquid G-suit, there are limits.
“You know, when they talked about Ace, that doesn’t seems to indicate ability to solo entire flight”
“Believe me, I’ve seen crazier in Belkan War. Fox 3” Bartlett fired his Missile at last, but it was made misguided toward the ocean, plunge harmlessly “See?”
“NOW, BLAZE!” Vulcan burst came from two angles, tracers faintly made an imagination of a yellow X mark, grazed the plane which made a last resort maneuver.
“Good job, Nagase, Kid. By the way, Fox 3”
Another AMRAAAM made contact, the wreckage tumbles on the ocean and explode.
“[Thunderhead here, there’s nothing within 150 miles of your location, unless stealth are involved somehow, I highly doubt]”
“In the end, every single Ace are human with flaws, this is where friends are needed, keep that in mind. This is heartbreak One, Wardog, return to base”
“… roger”
Dan noted mentally, that he knew and fully understand, even the legendary Demon Lord of the round table said it once, that he by no means flawless.
What are you doing now Ichika? Have you met an enemy like this yet?