A week later
Mareimar ADFB Mass Briefing Room
0130
The briefing room was packed with ponies, pilots in ready gear literally filled the entire available space with more watching screens in smaller briefing rooms nearby. Except for a defensive squadron on CAP detail around the base, every single pilot who could fly was in this room. Mareimar was going to war. Celestia and Luna's aerial fist was going to strike back hard against the rebel forces of the NGK. Colonel Steelhoof looked sharp enough to cut the air he was standing in. He oozed military precision as he efficiently laid out the plan of attack to the amassed troops. It was mercifully short, however. They had a time table now.
"With this attack, fillies and gentlecolts, we will be striking a decisive blow against Claw and his standing in NGK society. This is the biggest air base they have in their Southern Command and the headquarters of the same. Taking it out will cripple their operations against Equestria for the foreseeable future. We're not going in alone people. Commando raids, Wild Weasel anti-air defense missions, and several other surprises will be hitting the enemy across the entire border, but we're the major blow. Those are knife wounds, ponies. We are the sword strike, and I will be damned to the deepest reaches of hell before we fail to deliver that blow."
The colonel grinned malevolently around his lit cigar.
"Especially after those yolk brained, yellow liver'd sons of a bitch tried to fuck up my base. To your aircraft. Launching begins in fifteen minutes. Individual squadron assignments will be passed over secure comms immediately before take off. Good luck, and Celestia's speed to you all. Dismissed!"
At the Colonel's last word it was practically a stampede to get to the flight line where ordnance technicians were locking racks of missiles and bombs in to place. Cannon shells had long been uploaded. The last of the fuel trucks were pulling away, and squadron mechanics were performing final checks before sending their aviators skyward. Zephyr shot Cloud Dancer a quick wink as they galloped toward their strikers. The other mare had vented to her a lot recently, and it seemed like she was finally pulling out of her emotional nose dive a little bit.
Clanky's heart was pounding like it would rip out of her chest. Flare and Zephi's strikers were ready to go. She'd been done for a good twenty minutes now and was either rechecking the most minor possible details or just standing there and fidgeting.
'Dammit all, Clanky Doo. It's not like your in Summer Flight Camp any more. Just act like a grown up mare and say something to him.'
"Hey Clanky..."
The startled mechanic jumped about a foot in the air, her wings snapping open with surprise. Clanky managed to tangle herself u in mid air and ended up flat on her face. While she was deep in thought Flare had raced up and was waiting for an all clear to mount up in his striker. For his part, Flare reared back at the sudden burst of movement from his friend. He certainly hadn't been expecting THAT reaction from her.
"Clanky... is everything okay?"
Clanky picked herself up off the flight line, face burning red with a blush.
"I... Flare... I need to talk to you about something important when you get back, okay?
"Clank, what's up? I have a second..."
"No! It can wait till you get back. Just come back safe, okay?"
Flare laughed and playfully tapped Clanky's shoulder.
"Hey now, Don't I always?"
The mechanic was obviously upset about something important to her, and there was a wavering tear in the corner of her eye as she leaned in close and whispered,
"Just be extra sure this time"
She planted soft kiss on his cheek, and with a flutter of wings Clanky was gone in a instant, clearing the flight line with the rest of the mechanics and other ground crewponies as the warning orders started echoing across the tarmac from the control tower speaker systems. Not sure what to think about this turn of events with his friend, Flare got buckled in and started his preflight checks, when his comm system went live he already had a private channel request from Zephyr waiting for him.
"What was Clanky talking to you about?"
"It was nothing, Zeph, just something she'd fixed last minute"
"Alright... it didn't seem like nothing is all"
The channel went dead leaving Flare alone with his thoughts. He went through the checks on full autopilot mentally, noting the striker was in perfect condition. He had a anti-air load out but with a single HARM anti-radiation missile designed to hunt and kill ground radar stations and a 500lb guided penetration bomb hanging off his left wing to round out his weapons compliment. His face was still burning hot where the gold-eyed mare's lips had brushed his cheek not moments ago. He let himself enjoy the feeling... Flare was looking forward to getting back now more then he'd ever enjoyed the thought of landing somewhere in his life.
"Selene Twelve, this is Nightguard One, is your comm system out?"
Oh shit! He'd missed his ready check.
"Selene Twelve, two lit and in the green"
"Excellent, Selene Twelve, thank you for joining us. I have just received our operations orders from command. We'll be setting a little surprise for the Griffons and hitting them with a long range AMRAAM hellstorm. Then we'll be released to burn every single flying thing out the sky. If you get tracked by ground defenses or see something juicy that's aching for a bomb, feel free to donate the little ground attack ordnance we've got uploaded. I want everyone coming back with clean rails, not like we get bonus points for reusing these things. Due to the nature of the mission we'll be down to squadrons. Captain Cloud Dancer, Selene is all yours."
The Captain chimed in over the Squadron comm line,
"Okay, ponies, you heard the Major. Nice and simple eh? Keep next to your wingpony, keep your head out of the clouds, and we'll be home in time for dinner. I'll be keeping my callsign as Nightguard Three for the duration of the mission."
"Nightguard Three to Tower, 98th Night Fighter Squadron requesting clearance to depart."
"Copy that, Nightguard Three, you are clear for immediate unassisted launch off of runway 3-7. Good hunting."
"Wilco, squadron is launching"
The strikers quickly screamed in to the skies joining the aerial armada forming up to head north. A solitary pegasus mare watched the skies from a perch atop one of the large hangars closest to the runway, looking for just one more glimpse..
Just out of radar range from NGK Southern Command Airbase
Stormwatch AWACS
Background Music
"This is Stormwatch to all aircraft, we've crossed the final marker. Siphon fuel, jettison external tanks, and prepare to engage. Quarterhorse, you are cleared to kick the hornet's nest."
"Roger, Quarterhorse lining up for our attack run, tally ho!"
The plan was relatively simple, two squadrons of strikers, aka "Quarterhorse," would fly in low and fast hugging the mountainous terrain surrounding the base. They were loaded out with Wild Weasel equipment, powerful radar jammers and weapons designed to tear gaping holes in to ground based defenses. Stormwatch's suggestion to go "kick the hornet's nest" was especially apt with the rest of the plan. After Quarterhorse dropped in and caused as much damage to the base as possible, they'd break contact and haul flank toward the massed formation, luring out the now scrambling enemy fighters. It was a simple plan, a simple ambush, and it worked perfectly.
Staff Sergeant Roughhoof watched with baited breath as the twenty four symbols representing the Quarterhorse raiders danced erratically across the skies of her radar display. Between that and their comm traffic, it was simple to tell the amount of anti-air fire they were under was staggering in it's ferocity. The dying signals of enemy radar units however attested that the Weasels were working to drop that volume of fire significantly. As planned the squadron commanders got their charges together and started to head out the same way they came in. A quick comm call was all Aria Roughhoof needed to confirm that everything was going according to plan. The bait had been set. She turned to her operations officer Captain Starheart,
"Ma'am, hostiles in bound along predicted flight path. Telemetry is ready to transfer to the fighters for Beyond Visual Range missile volley."
"Excellent, Staff Sergeant, transmit the telemetry to the strikers, and have them launch as soon as Quarterhorse brings them in to the kill zone. It's time for some payback."
SSgt Roughhoof smiled at her superior officer. The grin she wore was far more suitable for a predator of some kind then a a pony.
"With pleasure, ma'am."
She turned back to her comm equipment and radar equipment.
"All strikers, this is Stormwatch, targeting data is being transmitted now. Stand by for a BVR missile volley on order. Weapons are hot, fillies and gentlecolts."
A quick chorus of affirmatives from the wing and squadron commanders lit up the comms and lapsed in to a tense silence. Roughhoof tapped her hoof restlessly as she watched the radar screen. The marks representing Quarterhorse were well within the trap at this point; the enemy aerial armada just had to get a little closer... just a little more... there.
"Quarterhorse this is Stormwatch, emergency dive. Hit the deck; missiles are inbound."
A quick frequency change and SSgt Roughhoof with nothing but a radio and a radar dish unleashed hell on the incoming enemy aircraft.
"Stormwatch to all aircraft, you are clear to engage. Weapons free."
The response was a massive chorus of "fox three" as close to two hundred active radar-guided missiles screamed off their rails, burning toward the distant foe at high mach. They closed the gap in seconds. The BVR volley devastated the enemy before they even saw a single EADF fighter. Roughhoof's screen cleared drastically of symbols representing enemy aircraft, close to half of them vanishing from her radar screen. The sheer amount of destruction was breathtaking. She let herself picture it all for a moment after releasing the strikers to their preassigned missions and attack runs: the wave of missiles streaking across the sky, the ripple of blossoming explosions tearing through the enemy formation, shrapnel flying everywhere, shattered machines and their pilots falling from the sky. The cold knot of hate that had formed in her heart from the death of the 370th, the part of her that screamed to the heavens for justice, for vengeance, for those deaths, was appeased. She allowed herself a cold tight smile and a prayer to the Princesses and went back to directing the bombers in to airspace that had been cleared of enemy aircraft so they could form up for attack runs.
Flare and Zephi
The battle roared around Flare and Zeph, chaos at it's finest. The remaining ground defenses were pumping out anti-aircraft fire and surface to air missiles, trying to deter the bombers hammering the base and assist the few NGK fighters remaining in the air. Death danced through the skies as aircraft hammered each other with missiles and cannon fire. The EADF planes deftly switching between air to air combat and strafing runs against ground targets.
Flare spotted a untouched trio of flak cannons nearby and with a deft touch of the controls rolled in on them giving the targeting system a clear look. Another quick manipulation and the large 500lb bomb on his left wing fell away with an audible thunk gliding quickly to it's target. Flare felt a surge of satisfaction as the fire of an explosion tore the weapons emplacement apart, the secondary explosions of the battery's magazines showering the surrounding area with debris.
"Scratch some ground pounders, Eleven"
"Nice lob, Twelve. How are you for ordinance?"
They'd both been busy since the attack began in earnest they were both down to a pair of air to air missiles and Flare still had the HARM radar hunting missile hanging from his wing.
"Down to air to air for all intents and purposes, Eleven. Let's go pluck the feathers off a few more chickens"
"Copy that, Twelve, following your lead"
They formed up and started a tight graceful arc over the mountains lining the base. Zephyr was scanning the skies for targets when her HUD lit up with a radar lock and the screaming tone of a incoming missile sounded in her ears. It was too close and coming in too fast. Even as Flare was yelling at her to evade and fired his HARM at the previously concealed SAM site it was too late. The HARM and the SAM impacted at the same time. The missile battery erupting in a fire ball, and the SAM blasting Zephi's striker with shrapnel. She tugged on the controls. They were very sluggish, and she was feeling woozy from the concussion of the blast.
"Twelve, give me a visual inspection of the damage"
Flare eased his fighter up on Zephi's left side and took a look over her hull.
"Eleven, you're short a good portion of your tail and about half your right wing, smoke coming out of the general fuselage might be some internal damage, but nothing I can detect by sight alone. Are you still flight capable? Ejecting here is really not the best plan."
"Your talent for understatement is incredible as always, Twelve. I think I can hold it together enough to at least get back to friendly airspace."
"Copy, let's take a nice easy loop out of the engagement area, try to get some altitude, and get you out of here"
Flare switched up to the squadron wide comm channel. They could use some help from the rest of Selene for sure.
"Nightguard Three, this is Selene Twelve. Eleven has taken critical damage, and we are out bound from the battlespace, requesting support."
Cloud Dancer's heart caught in her throat and a little part of her mind started screaming.
Not again, not again, oh Celestia please not again, I can't lose everypony again
Her thoughts echoed through her mind over and over again as she responded to Flare's call for help.
"Copy that, Twelve. Nightguard Three and Four are inbound to cover you.”
Cloud Dancer tried to focus, she had a squadron to lead too and couldn’t let herself center on just one pony. Stormwatch had just called in the general withdrawal order moments before Flare had radioed in his mayday for Zephyr, she needed to get all her ponies out of this place in good order, not just focus on her friend at the expense of the lives of those who relied on her.
“ All Selene elements, the signal to begin pulling out of the airspace just came in on the command net from Stormwatch. Burn targets of opportunity nearby and begin to withdrawn. We'll form up when we reach the aerial refuelers."
Cloud Dancer's heart was pounding hard as her squadron moved to comply with her orders. She pulled up in to a hard roll, following Flare's coordinates to close with the wing pair. They came in to view after a couple minutes maneuvering. Even at this long range Cloud Dancer could tell that Zephi was fighting to keep her striker airborne every second of flight time. The aircraft was dying, but she was holding it together. Cloud Dancer opened up the comm line to let Flare and Zephi know they were in sight and that cover was coming up on their right when she caught sight of the enemy fighter. He was coming in high, and wide, his long arch letting him maintain altitude and close the gap towards missile range quickly.
"Twelve, Eleven, evade! Bandit six o'clock high!"
Twelve drifted back from his position by Zephi's wing, placing himself between the enemy fighter and her striker.
"No can do, Lead. Eleven has the maneuverability and grace of a brick right about now. Evasion is impossible for her at this time.”
Flare had his plan neatly outlined in his head, at least in there it didn’t sound entirely too suicidal.
‘ Ok,,,I'm going to try to take the locks for all the missiles he might fire might fire and draw them off at the last second with a hard dive. I'll then go in to a chaff and flares evasion pattern, If I don't pull it off, Zephi's dead in the air.’
"If you fuck up, you're both dead, Twelve"
"It's a risk I have to take, Nightguard Three"
"Twelve, if you live through this I'm going to beat you so hard ponies are going to ask about your ejection seat malfunction."
"Looking forward to it, ma'am"
The comms lapsed in to a tense silence. The bandit made missile range and the twin contrails of the missiles leapt from the enemy fighter, racing towards the two strikers. Cloud Dancer didn't even notice her wingmare breaking off and engaging the bandit with a missile of her own. She only had eyes for the twin missiles racing towards Flare and her only friend. Closer, closer... Flare started to roll and dive beginning the maneuver that would hopefully draw off the two missiles... seconds ticked by and then.... whatever Flare had been trying to do failed. The missiles slammed in to the two strikers, erupting in clouds of flame and smoke. Cloud Dancer's heart fell at terminal velocity. The old depression swallowed her whole as the two strikers fell towards the ground, debris and glass falling off them, no ejection systems igniting to let the two aviators escape certain death.
"Nightguard Three to Stormwatch, I need CSAR assets asap!"
"Nightguard Three, this is Stormwatch. I'm sorry, ma'am but CSAR isn't availible. We just got word that NGK reenforcements are coming with all speed and a massive northern blizzard is hot on their heels. We're pulling out of the airspace now."
"But I have pilots on the ground!"
"There's nothing we can do, Nightguard Three"
Cloud Dancer wanted to scream at the comms operator, to yell and rage at someone, to cry out in pain and frustration. Instead she just acknowledged the order and after getting on the proper southbound vector, Cloud Dancer shut off her comms system and let the tears come.
Mareimar ADFB
Background Music
They had the radar telemetry from the AWACS up on the big screen in the main briefing room, the same room that had housed the fliers now fighting just this morning. An innovative comm tech had also managed to pipe the squadron and command comm nets down in to the room. The entire base that wasn't on duty was crammed in to the briefing chamber, listening and watching, praying for the survival of friends, comrades, and loved ones.
Clanky was no exception, she watched as the two dots representing her friends winked out of the sky, listening as Captain Cloud Dancer's request for CSAR was denied. Then she felt the hot tears start to stream down her face. There was no sobbing to accompany them, no noise at all, though that would come later alone in what would be a very empty barracks room that night. For now it was only the tears and the single echoing thought in her head,
'I never got to tell him.'