//------------------------------// // Four wings as one // Story: Ace Combat: The Conversion Bureau // by Eagle //------------------------------// “Everybody wants to be a flight lead, but you gotta earn it.” -Jack “Heartbreak One” Bartlett P.O.V-Albert Genette Sand Island September 27th, 2010 I set up a camera overlooking the crew quarters I shared with Davenport. This was the room…or the cell, I had been assigned to. I sat on my bunk as I watched Captain Hamilton make a phone call. Captain Hamilton…unlike his superior, the base commander Orson Perrault who locked me up in here, he’s been very reasonable with me. He even got my camera back. He told me that if his uncle wasn’t a soldier, he’d have liked to have a job like mine. He hung up and tapped the phone a few times with his finger. “Well, we don’t have any reason to hold you here anymore,” he told me. “What do you mean?” I asked. “Equestria just declared war,” he answered. “They’ve launched an offensive simultaneously, too. Our naval base at St. Hewlett is being bombed right now.” As he left, I pulled down the blinds over my window and watched the squadron’s Tigers take off again. There were only three of them now. St. Hewlett Naval Base Osean Federation September 27th, 2010 14:33 Hours “Due to pressing circumstances, I’ll be issuing an emergency in-flight briefing,” Thunderhead said. “Our Naval Base at St. Hewlett reports that Equestrian Pegasi have launched a surprise attack on the port. The situation there is critical with widespread panic. Ships from the 3rd Osean Naval Fleet docked at the port are currently under attack and suffering heavy losses. Hurry to Port St. Hewlett and provide air cover for our naval vessels attempting to escape the bay. Among these ships is the aircraft carrier Kestrel. It is the flagship of the 3rd Naval Fleet and a critical combat asset. You must protect the Kestrel at all costs." “Thunderhead to Wardog; Edge, you lead the formation.” “Negative,” she replied. “You take the lead, Blaze. I’ll fly on your wing.” “Second Lieutenant Nagase, follow your orders,” said Thunderhead. “No, Blaze is leading. I’ll protect his six o’clock. And I’m not going to lose another flight lead.” “Uh, I’d better stick to the trail position, thanks,” Chopper said. Before Thunderhead could respond, a new voice came in. “Quite screwing around, this is war! The enemy’s all over; they’re gonna eat you alive!” An F-14 belonging to the fleet shot over the Wardog formation and headed towards the port, the pilot's voice coming in again. “This is Captain Snow, Callsign Swordsman. Engaging next enemy formation, give me a position.” “This is the AA Cruiser Excalibur. The ship blocking us up ahead, you have to move away. We can’t use our SPY radar!” “Clear to engage,” Thunderhead said. “Blaze engage.” “Edge engaging.” “Chopper engaging.” “I’ll cover your six, alright Blaze?” Edge asked. “Yes.” “Blaze, you take the lead. I’ll go trail and follow.” The day was clear, it was perfect for flying. As they approached the port, they were met by a scene of utter devastation. Fires raged on land and sea, smoke billowed up, ships were hit and sinking. “The tanker next to us just exploded! Where’s the fireboat? It’s spreading to our ship, help us!” “Nobody saw them coming!?” a sailor asked. “They ships are just sitting at anchor, this is like target practice,” one of the attackers said. “Enemy reinforcements inbound heads up and get ready!” Blaze dived on two Pegasi that were strafing the ships and shot one down. The other tried to pull up but was too slow and went down as well. “Captain, do you know how to give your commands?” Chopper asked. “Yes.” “Cool, I’m ready for ‘em any time, so just say the word.” “The fireboat got caught in the explosion! Two, no three ships are burning now!” One of the captains had just gotten back to his ship from shore leave. “This is not a drill,” he announced. “Oh thanks for the heads up you idiot!” a sailor yelled at him. More attackers came in from the direction of the sea. They were split up with some flying at high, through the clouds, medium, over the bay bridge, and low, under the bridge, altitude. “Your target is the enemy aircraft carrier and large surface combatants surrounding it,” their commander said. “Don’t let them escape the port, sink them all.” The Kestrel and the remaining ships were already moving towards the exit. The fighters overhead went to engage the next formation. “Protect the Kestrel at all costs,” the Kestrel CIC said. “Alright, it’s time for our Aegis ship to live up to its name,” a captain said. “Our surface-to-air weapon system is operational, let’s do this!” said another. “Thanks, everyone. We request your cover until we break out of the port!” Kestrel replied. More attackers came in over the bay. Two tried to make a wave top attack on Kestrel, but were both hit by Gatling fire. One flew high over the Kestrel, looking to make a dive bombing run. It was hit by a RIM-66 SAM from a cruiser. “Blaze, this is Edge. Have you located the carrier Kestrel?” “Yes.” “I’ve picked it up, as well. Looks like it’s still alright.” They attacked a group of three hovering over the docks, shooting them down. An anchored ship was hit by a bomb amidships; starting a large fire. Another was hit by a missile, causing it to list twenty degrees to starboard. “The entire gulf is in flames!” Nagase cried. “Man, what happened here? This is worse than I imagined,” Chopper said. “This is the port captain. All vessels leave port immediately! Ships nearest to the exit first!” One of the moving destroyers was getting strafed by a fighter. “I don’t care if we take hull damage! We’re clearing out of here any way we can.” “Escape the port and take evasive action,” another destroyer said. “No mistakes.” “This is the aircraft carrier Kestrel, approaching port exit,” the ship reported. “Roger Kestrel. The Kestrel takes top priority!” ordered the port captain.“That barge over there, move it! I know you want outta here, but open up a path. That carrier’s valuable.” “This is Swordsman, on my wing! That’s our ship!” “Negative, this is AWACS Thunderhead. Swordsman, remain in the Eastern sector. Protect our territory and continue battle.” “But that’s my carrier!” he protested. “Wardog, provide cover for the Kestrel.” “Dammit, you pigheaded…!” Swordsman didn’t bother finishing. “Alright, I’m counting on you Wardog. Don’t lose our ship!” “AWACS, bogey dope! Give me a target!” another Osean pilot requested. “Bogeys inbound form vector 280. It’s no use, there’s too many of them!” Thunderhead replied. “Get a hold of yourself, your radar control is critical!” the pilot replied. Wardog moved to stop the approaching group. They spotted ten in the group, including three escort fighters. Blaze charged head on and shot down one of the escorts before zooming through their formation. While Edge and Chopper dealt with the other two, Blaze turned his plane around and shot down another two. The remaining five aimed for a frigate that was attempting escape. They came within range and fired their missiles. The captain spotted them and, instead of giving orders, jumped over the rails. “I’m abandoning ship! We’re sitting ducks over here!” “Come back here, you coward!” a sailor yelled. “Is he trying to kill us? What kind of captain is that?” The ship’s second-in-command took over and, as the ship’s defense systems went to work, they shot down all the missiles. Another ship had started moving, but its crew noticed the strange sight of Pegasi dropping some of their bombs in the water. Soon after, it shuddered. A large column of water shot up its side. The Equestrians had apparently developed a torpedo capable of penetrating the ship’s bottom. “Hurry up and drop the lifeboats!” a sailor yelled. Another cruiser came alongside and tried to assist, but the stricken ship’s captain waved them off. “What are you doing!? Hurry up and get out of here!” he yelled as he felt the ship roll under his feet. “This is it! It’s over!” The captain of the other cruiser ordered the ship to pass them. “Man, this is the worst day of my life,” he said. Yet another large group began to approach the bay. “A flight, engage the enemy ships. B flight, attack and destroy the gulf port facilities. C flight, fly top cover. Establish air superiority. You got that?” their commander asked. “Roger, commencing attack.” A group of them began making a run on a cruiser. “Enemy attack! Return fire!” a sailor yelled. “Calm down, just calm down,” said another. The group fired their missiles at the ship. “Enemy anti-ship missiles launched! Begin Phalanx fire!” the first sailor ordered. The Close In Weapons System opened fire and destroyed the missiles, but also fired towards the city. “No stop!” the second yelled. “You’re firing on the docks!” The massive Nimitz class carrier finally passed the bay bridge. “This is the Kestrel, we are exiting the port.” “The Kestrel is in open waters. Bon Voyage guys!” Edge saw a Pegasus get his wings blown off and fall into the water. He was trying to stay above water desperately. P.O.V.-Chopper I shouldn’t have looked. When that injured Pegasus crashed into the water that was burning with oil, he was floating right there in the middle of it. I could see his face. It didn’t look insane or evil, it looked…scared, and in pain. Somebody stop this. I can’t take it anymore. P.O.V.-Third Person “Kid, did you see that?” Chopper asked. “Yes” “So, you saw it to. That sea.” Off all the ships in the fleet, five had made it out. The Kestrel, a Ticonderoga class cruiser, an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate, and two Arleigh Burkes class destroyers. The four ships arranged themselves in a sort of arrowhead formation in front of the carrier. “We’re out of the gulf, but stay alert,” one of the captains warned. “The carrier’s entering the ocean. C’mon whoever’s out there, help us out. Get that big bucket of bolt out of here,” Chopper said. The Captain of the Kestrel, Nicholas Andersen, had taken command of the ships. “This is the captain of the aircraft carrier Kestrel, my congratulations to all ships that managed to escape. As captain, I will now form a provisional battle fleet. The enemy has formed a blockade with their fleet in front of us. We have to break through this and escape to safer waters. Good luck, everyone. All friendly aircraft, your support is requested.” “Their formation is centered around that carrier,” one of the Equestrian captains noted. “This is the perfect chance to improve our battle record,” another said. “Let’s go!” A destroyer and two frigates went forward, intending to charge the fleet head on, but leaving a large gap in the blockade. The Tigers of Wardog each carried four unguided bombs under their wing. Each of the three planes had a target, and each of the three plane’s bombs hit their target and sent it to the bottom. The Osean fleet began streaming through the line, battling the other ships that attempted to close in. Both sides fired missiles and shot them down with guns, but the humans had an extra weapon; the Mark 45 5-inch gun mounts and their shells. The Equestrians hadn’t developed naval rifles yet, and their ships began to take damage. Some of the more enterprising unicorns tried firing lasers at the ships, but most missed or weren’t powerful enough. One large laser did strike the escorting frigate, causing heavy damage. Luckily, it didn’t destroy anything important, so the ship continued on. The ships moved into the gap, coming under heavy attack. “Maintain fleet formation,” the cruiser captain said. “We’re going to break right through.” “I’m not gonna let them sink us here!” the frigate responded. “This is what we’ve trained for! We can do this!” one of the destroyer captains said “Our fighters are providing great top cover! We can do this!” the other destroyer claimed. “Captain Snow, we entrust the sky above us to you,” Andersen said. “Roger Captain Andersen.” The fleet continued to race through the opening, coming closer and closer to freedom. The battle continued to rage, with the ships striking each other time and again. “Radar lock, let’s send this one right up their fantail!” a sailor said as he fired a Harpoon missile form his destroyer. The missile flew into its target with a large explosion. Before he could celebrate, there was a rattling that threw him from his seat. “Whoa, what was that shaking?” he asked. “Behind us! The top deck’s been blown off!” Another answered as the ship shuddered, kept its position. “As long as we’re still afloat we have a fighting chance,” the first said back. The ships finally exited the blockade and made it to the ocean. All four escorting ships had suffered heavy damage, but would still make it. Amazingly, the Kestrel didn’t seem to have a scratch on her. “It broke through! That’s one tough boat man! Yea!” Chopper exclaimed in their victory. “So kid, does it feel good to be the flight lead?” Blaze felt good. He had lead his wingmen in a serious fight and brought them out. “Yes” “I see! Good I’m glad to hear it!” “This is the captain of the Kestrel. Our fleet has successfully escaped to safe waters. My thanks to our brave warriors of the sea, and in the air.” Wardog reformed to return to Sand Island. “One…Two…Three,” Chopper counted. “One, two, three planes! Count ‘em up man, we’re all back safe! I can’t wait to tell the captain once they pull him out of the ocean!” But the Captain, Captain Bartlett, never returned to Sand Island. P.O.V-Albert Genette Sand Island September 27th, 2010 When the rescue chopper arrived, the captain was nowhere to be seen. The only thing they found was the retreating enemy intelligence vessel. This island was once a place of exile from the world. It now became an important asset to the war effort. I was sitting in my room when Davenport returned. He put his favorite song, Face of the Coin, on and turned the volume up as loud as it could. I could barely hear myself think, but Kirk didn’t seem to mind. I asked him what the battle was like, how Blaze was as the flight lead, and who would take his place. “Who’ll be the flight led tomorrow? I wouldn’t waste energy worrying about that if I were you. We’re an auxiliary squadron y’know. So ‘his highness’ the Lieutenant colonel Ford will just come down from the mainland and take over.” he said as he fell into the couch. “Phew… I love this sound. Calms me down. I’m gonna sleep well tonight.” “I heard that the one that broke Bartlett’s heart went against converting humans. She apparently was quite politically active in Equestria about it,” I yelled over the music. “Yeah, I did my history homework. We we’re cool back then,” he said sitting up. “Man, the base commander sure wasn’t being subtle about making accusations. ‘Was there anything suspicious about the Captain’s behavior?’ he said. Hell, I’m more suspicious about the screw in his damn head!” The base’s alarm suddenly sounded, breaking the string of music. “Ah, you’re kiddin’ me! An air raid? Gimme’ a break man!” he said as he ran out the room. Sand Island September 27th 2010 19:30 Hours Dogfights were already raging in the night sky as the pilots ran to their planes. Bombers had been spotted coming in towards the island. “Scramble the jets!” the base control tower ordered. “Get all flyable aircraft into the air, move it!” “These turbines won’t start up!” Chopper said. “C’mon, C’mon, C’mon, C’mooon!” The engines roared to life and the plane began to move forward, passing two other waiting fighters. A plane was hit and fell next to Choppers plane, destroying the two aircraft next to him. Wardog moved towards the runway to take off. “The Captain’s spare plane is still in the hangar,” said Edge. “Forget it,” Pops told her over the radio. “Once you’re airborne get as much altitude as you can fast. Don’t let the enemy bounce you from above. Alright, now! First enemy wave’s passed by.” Blaze was third in line to take off following his two wingmen. “Blaze scramble! Emergency launch, hurry!” the control tower said. Blaze quickly drove his plane forward, trying to get into the air before the enemy could hit him. Upon reaching the minimum requirements for takeoff, he pulled up and went to full power as he climbed up. “Blaze, your altitude restriction is canceled. Protect our base,” said the tower. “Control tower to Wardog, intercept the bombers. Don’t let them attack the runway.” “I see you managed to make it up. Is your plane alright?” Pops asked. Blaze did a quick check and, upon finding everything working properly, said “yes.” “Glad to hear it. Looks like keeping it in good shape has paid off.” The squadron engaged the enemies over the base. One fighter got behind Blaze, but he was able to perform a hammerhead maneuver, pulling his plane up into a tight loop, getting behind the enemy, and shooting him down. Edge snuck up on one that wasn’t paying attention and got him while Chopper killed a bomber. “This is Wardog leader Lieutenant Colonel Ford, approaching Sand Island. What’s your current status?” “Heh, here comes his highness from the mainland now,” Chopper said. “This is base control, we are under air attack. Repeat, we are under air attack.” “I trust you can hold the runway until I arrive?” Ford asked. Blaze wasn’t sure if they could do so with so few planes, answering “no.” “That’s an order! We’ll be in danger if we don’t land! You will obey!” Ford yelled. Bombs continued to strike the island, starting numerous fires. “Fire team, stop the fire from spreading to the ammo dumps!” one leader ordered. “Get anything flammable out of here, the ammo too.” “This is Chopper, Kid, have you picked up the targets?” Blaze looked and saw two more bombers preparing to make a run. “Yes” “They’ve even got bombers. They want to destroy the base itself. We gotta stop them here or it’s all over. Even I know that!” “Attack successful, the enemy is confused and disoriented,” one of the bomber Pegasi reported. Both bombers came in, but were shot down by Edge and Chopper while Blaze distracted the escorts. He shot down one fighter while the other got behind him. Pulling off another hammerhead, Blaze defeated this one as well. “I wonder how many squadrons we’ve lost,” Edge said as she looked at the burning wrecks of planes. “They’re all burning now.” “Rescue team help out the wounded. All free hands help the fire control crew,” an officer directed. “Use the water in the supply tank to put out the fire. With a short break in the attack, the remaining planes on the ground were free to take off. However, this seemed limited to Pops and his C-1A cargo plane. “Pops is taking off,” Edge reported. “Look at the hangar!” Chopper said. “Who the hell pulled that out!?” Coming out of the hangar was Bartlett’s spare F-5E, probably the only fighter left on the ground. “This is Grimm, I was in the hangar helping out the mechanics. I’m taking off!” Hans Grimm, a young rookie who was easily worried and usually doubted himself, was trying to launch in the middle of a raid. “The hell you are,” Chopper replied. “You’re not even out of replacement pilot training yet! Aren’t there any other spare pilots around?” “I didn’t see any,” he replied. “There’s no time. Be careful Grimm, I’ll cover you,” Edge said. “I’ll try.” As he moved toward the runway, another attack wave came in. “Kid, Grimm’s coming up. I’m not sure he can handle this. Let’s give him a hand,” Chopper suggested. “Control systems are…okay,” Grimm reported. “Oil pressure…no problem.” “Do not allow them to get any more planes airborne,” one of the Pegasi ordered. “Who’s that? That guys nuts!” one of the soldiers commented. Blaze and the others continued to provide cover for Grimm as he moved toward the runway. “Engine sounds great, thank you mechanics,” Grimm said. “Ejection system okay. Fuel check, this ought to be enough.” As his plane moved continued forward, it had a few close calls. A fighter tried to strafe him, but was shot down by the island’s AA guns, and a few bombs landed too close for comfort. “This is Grimm, I’m about to take off. Can you see me from up there?” Blaze looked near the runway and saw the Tiger, replying “yes.” “Roger, that’s a relief,” Grimm said. “I’m in takeoff position on the runway, engines full power!” “Come back!” one of the soldiers yelled; another silenced him. “Don’t stop him, let him go.” “Get up! Get up! Climb!” Chopper yelled. As he climbed up to the sky, Grimm’s plane was shot at from a Pegasus coming straight at him. To his luck, the missile flew under his plane and hit the ground. “I’m airborne,” Grimm reported. “Grimm, get over hear and cover my six!” Chopper ordered. “Roger,” he replied. “This is Airman First Class Grimm, Callsign Archer. Control tower and all aircraft, I will be joining the Wardog Squadron.” “This is the control tower, roger that. Blaze, take care of them for us.” Before Blaze could answer, Ford’s voice came in again. “This is Wardog leader, Sand Island, I’m out of fuel. Request clearance to land.” “Negative Lieutenant Colonel Ford, you can’t land! We’re under attack!” “All friendly aircraft cover me while I land.” “What are you, insane!?” Chopper protested. “Second Lieutenant Davenport, is that you?” “Yes sir.” “I’ll make sure to write you up after I la-,” the voice was replace by static as his plane was hit. “He’s trailing fire! The lieutenant Colonel’s gone down!” Chopper said. “Third wave closing fast,” Edge reported. There were another two bombers and several escorts. Edge and Chopper went after the bombers while Blaze and Archer occupied the escorts. “Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm,” Grimm told himself. Fighters came up behind both of them. Before the enemy could even try to fire, Archer slowed down and allowed his attacker to slip into his gun’s reticle and fire on him. Another one tried to get behind him but before he could do so, Grimm sped up and lured him into Blaze’s line of sight. Looking back and up, he saw another trying to sneak up on him. Performing an Immelmann, he met the enemy head on and shot him down. “Man, that’s some crazy flying,” one pilot said. “That kid’s got hands of gold.” “I’m not about to be outshone by some rookie pilot!” another said angrily. While this was happening, Blaze dropped onto a group of five on his own. He quickly fire missiles at two and shot down a third with his gun. The fourth tried to break away, but Blaze followed and bagged him as well. The final got behind Blaze, but he turned the tables on him by reducing his speed and barrel rolling behind his enemy, defeating him as well. Looking over, he saw the bombers were defeated, as well. “Control tower to all aircraft, all bombers confirmed destroyed. Thanks for protecting our base everyone!” “Was my flying alright?” Archer asked his new Captain. “Yes” “Thank you, it was because of your support.” “Well, I guess we didn’t have to worry about Grimm after all,” one of the pilots said. “Come on, let’s get a welcoming party going!”