Ace Combat: Broken Line (IC/Open)

[SaintB]

Jones looked up from his impromptu seat and spotted a familiar figure, arm wrapped in a cast and looking more haggard than he'd ever seen but familiar from a few days back whens he was a crew chief for... his aircraft. "Gunso?"

He asked but he was certain that the woman was the one who had yelled at him for his antics at the very first battle of the war which had bent something in the air frame. Gunso was obviously not her name, but it was her rank when he last seen her and he had never caught her real name before. He stood up and walked a few paces toward her, picking up the dropped water bottle for her. He also made sure to wipe the top off before unscrewing the cap for her and offering the bottle - standing so close he realized he was barely taller than she was.

"And its Major Garret Jones, I never did catch your real name, just the rank. We had to evacuate before we had more than one or two arguments." he joked.

Well that confirms it. Yuria thought as she retrieved her bottle. But since this is war, I guess our toys would get broken sooner or later...

A thought came to Yuria, and the throbbing arm only reminded her of her previous plane.

Like the Bronco... Haruna's... our... Bronco...

"Thanks." Yuria said as she took a sip. "Yeah... that was... barely a week ago or something." Sighing, the former mechanic tip-toed a little, before looking straight at Garret's eyes, as if she was looking for treasure within his irises.

"Major, you look like hell." Yuria said as she nudged Garret's arm. Slowly, she offered him the bottle, motioning for him to take it. "Looks like you need a rest, just like ya' plane there. While I can't fix her up in my own state, the best I could do is to make sure you're good."

Turning her head to the path that leads to the flight office, Yuria again motioned to Garret. "Need a talk Major? Maybe a walk would do it good too."

He took a sip of the water and it was only then that he realized how parched he was. At first he choked as the liquid hit the back of his throat and started to moisturize it but then after a single hack he was good again, his sip became almost a third of the bottle before he realized what he was doing and offered it back to its original owner with a bemused look of apology. "Yeah something like a week ago. It feels like a year though. I've been in bad spots but this is something else. The harder we fight the harder we lose."

Silently accepting her offer for a walk and talk he kept pace beside her, "So... what IS your real name? And how did you go from a grease monkey... uhm.. mechanic to wearing a flightsuit int he span of 7 days?"

[Relikai]

He took a sip of the water and it was only then that he realized how parched he was. At first he choked as the liquid hit the back of his throat and started to moisturize it but then after a single hack he was good again, his sip became almost a third of the bottle before he realized what he was doing and offered it back to its original owner with a bemused look of apology. "Yeah something like a week ago. It feels like a year though. I've been in bad spots but this is something else. The harder we fight the harder we lose."

Silently accepting her offer for a walk and talk he kept pace beside her, "So... what IS your real name? And how did you go from a grease monkey... uhm.. mechanic to wearing a flightsuit int he span of 7 days?"

"Second Lieutenant Kanzaki Yuria... Yuria, of the Saienese Air Force." Yuria replied, moving at a comfortable pace as aircraft continued to land in the night sky. "Flew F-16s before an accident, and I transferred over to the flight line. Didn't have the guts to fly at that time, told myself I'll make sure my planes are top. Then one of your people... Haruna... Shinden, that's her callsign, needed a co-pilot, so I joined up with Morena in Ansan."

Nodding at Garret's comment, Yuria took another sip as she gave a refreshing sigh. "Yes sir, time flies when crap hits the fan. Sheesh, being shot down the day before was kinda bad too. How's your flight holding up?"

Steering Garret towards the buildings where they could grab some drinks, Yuria continued. "Or rather, how are you holding up for someone your age?" She said jokingly.

[Mikoyansk]

Lt. Vasili "Arrow" Vostrokov
Morena Squadron, "Ghost Two"

The young lieutenant moved his Phantom into the landing pattern at Park AFB, like the remainder of his squadron mates. Something had been tugging at his subconscious for the better part of the mission. Sure he had been there for the mission but it seemed that he had been flying the entire mission in a fog. He remembered taking potshots at enemy aircraft, scaring enemy aircraft off of his leads tail, feeling the recoil of the 20mm gun shake his aircraft. It was all there, but something was distinctly wrong somewhere, he felt.

Nonetheless, he would be able to find out what was wrong eventually but he had to get the aircraft on the ground first.

<<Morena Four-Two, Park Control, you are cleared for landing.>>

<<Park Control, Four-Two, copy. Coming in for final approach.

Even Vasili noticed how monotone his voice sounded...

[Independent States of Tula]

2nd Lieutenant Vladimir Tula & 2nd Lieutenant Hanna Tula
Leaving Ansan Airspace Towards Park AFB, Seian

The cockpit was silent as Hanna and Vladimir retreated with the rest of Morena. Though for much different reasons between the two. For Vladimir it was exhaustion, for Hanna, dark thoughts plagued her mind.

In an attempt to break the silence so he wouldn't fall asleep Vladimir stated "Hanna?"

"Yeah Vlad?" Hanna asked back.

"We did really well tonight. Not only did you just become an ace and myself a double Ace, but we also became Aces in a Day...how many pilots can say that? Especially how many mercenaries? This'll catapult us to the top of the list Hanna, nations and PMCs across the planet will be looking for our services." Vladimir stated, a bit of excitement underlining his words.

Hanna was silent a moment before asking "How many people could those Condors hold?"

Vladimir, a bit confused by the question, replied "Uh...like 90 I think, that's including crew. Why?"

"We killed a hundred and eighty people tonight...probably more if those Condors crashed into residential areas. And did we hold Ansan?"

"No? Does it matter? We followed orders and with all those kills we're looking at a big payday. Hanna, this is big, this night made history for us. You and I just joined an elite club of pilots that few will ever join." Vladimir replied, not seeing what Hanna was getting at.

"Does it matter? Of course it matters! What's the point of what we're doing if we can't defend these people? We're failing our job! And we're killing people in vain! What does being an Ace mean when you fail!?!" Hanna shouted back.

"It means we're better than them." Vladimir replied before adding "If the only way these bastards can win is by sending in waves of junk aircraft until we run out of ammunition then that means we're worth something and those little shits aren't. What happens if we stayed there Hanna? We'd of gotten shot down, then they'd probably shoot us on the ground, there aren't any laws of that protect us Hanna...and we're worth more alive now than holding a city that can be sacrificed or a few more Beiarusians."

"How can you say that? We're worth more because we're better killers? How does that make sense!?!" Hanna questioned.

"Because that's war!" Vladimir almost shouted in frustration "We are worth something because we kill the enemy...and more importantly we're all Seian has right now. You want to be a soldier Hanna? Then saddle up and quit whining, we're killers and we're good at it, Seian needs that if she wants a chance at beating those Beiarusian bastards. So lets do our jobs and keep fight and keep killing."

Hanna didn't reply to that...the rest of the flight would be held in silence.

---

2nd Lieutenant Vladimir Tula & 2nd Lieutenant Hanna Tula
Park AFB, Seian

Vladimir was sat in his seat in the F-4E, the briefing having ended shortly before, Hanna had stormed off elsewhere...likely still feeling guilt or whatever that was over killing those people. Vladimir pulled out his Desert Eagle from its case in his ejector seat and looked at it. He thought back to Yuktobania during his smuggling days, and the damn nosy airport cop...Vladimir thought back to how the man begged through his gag before Vlad blew his brains out with that very pistol. His cargo had been a defector and his family that day...and Vladimir couldn't let the guy tell anyone who got them out of the country, so he executed him point blank. The Yukes still never found out who killed that cop, Vladimir guessed they never really cared too much.

Sitting back in his seat Vladimir sighed as he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep. Lord knows he hadn't gotten any before Ansan went to hell.

[SaintB]

He took a sip of the water and it was only then that he realized how parched he was. At first he choked as the liquid hit the back of his throat and started to moisturize it but then after a single hack he was good again, his sip became almost a third of the bottle before he realized what he was doing and offered it back to its original owner with a bemused look of apology. "Yeah something like a week ago. It feels like a year though. I've been in bad spots but this is something else. The harder we fight the harder we lose."

Silently accepting her offer for a walk and talk he kept pace beside her, "So... what IS your real name? And how did you go from a grease monkey... uhm.. mechanic to wearing a flightsuit int he span of 7 days?"

"Second Lieutenant Kanzaki Yuria... Yuria, of the Saienese Air Force." Yuria replied, moving at a comfortable pace as aircraft continued to land in the night sky. "Flew F-16s before an accident, and I transferred over to the flight line. Didn't have the guts to fly at that time, told myself I'll make sure my planes are top. Then one of your people... Haruna... Shinden, that's her callsign, needed a co-pilot, so I joined up with Morena in Ansan."

Nodding at Garret's comment, Yuria took another sip as she gave a refreshing sigh. "Yes sir, time flies when crap hits the fan. Sheesh, being shot down the day before was kinda bad too. How's your flight holding up?"

Steering Garret towards the buildings where they could grab some drinks, Yuria continued. "Or rather, how are you holding up for someone your age?" She said jokingly.

"I am pleased to finally make your actual acquaintance Yuria. I'm Holding up better than my flight is. My flight consists of two old men right now, Me and Markus. Everyone else is either grounded or has left for greener pastures where they aren't in as much danger of dying, and I don't think Markus has a jet anymore. He was flying a helicopter today." a helicopter!

"How about you? You seem to be broken. I know Haruna, she's a good kid but seems to have no luck. One of her planes killed in the hangar and the other shot out from under her. I take that is where you hurt your arm?"

[Relikai]

"I am pleased to finally make your actual acquaintance Yuria. I'm Holding up better than my flight is. My flight consists of two old men right now, Me and Markus. Everyone else is either grounded or has left for greener pastures where they aren't in as much danger of dying, and I don't think Markus has a jet anymore. He was flying a helicopter today." a helicopter!

"How about you? You seem to be broken. I know Haruna, she's a good kid but seems to have no luck. One of her planes killed in the hangar and the other shot out from under her. I take that is where you hurt your arm?"

"It's my pleasure, sir. I'm sorry I didn't make haste to get acquainted with the officers in the squadron. So far the one I'm most familiar with is the one always breathing down our necks... Definitely won't want him breathing down mine specifically!" Yeah... Major Coko-.. Coco-... ko... Coco-Crunch...

"Haruna's a good girl. Young, naive, idealistic." Yuria joked. "Now she's down with a slight fever, I'll probably have to fly us to Heian..." Sighing, Yuria ruffled her hair as she placed her hand on her temple for a moment, composing herself. Hearing Garret describe her as 'broken', well, Yuria was not one to be prideful, often accepting people's view easily and correcting them if she needed to. "Yeah... I don't know. They term something as 'Beginner's Luck', and our second mission together, I had this-" Yuria pointed to the cast, "And Haruna might be getting anxious. She needs a good victory to get her morale up."

Hearing about Garret's squadron, Yuria could only sigh. "That's the life of mercenaries I suppose? I'm new to this field, but I would never dream of leaving a squadron which I am committed to. Ah... my idealistic thinking..." Seeing Garret's tired expression, Yuria tried to think of something to get his spirits up...

"Don't worry sir, this squadron... Morena... I've seen you guys fly, flew with you all. You guys fly better than us grunts of Saien. If anything, it's me and Haruna who needs to keep up with you all. Despite our-" Yuria gave a cough to mask that slight lump in her throat. "Our retreat tonight, no matter, it's an honour to fly with you."

[SaintB]

"I am pleased to finally make your actual acquaintance Yuria. I'm Holding up better than my flight is. My flight consists of two old men right now, Me and Markus. Everyone else is either grounded or has left for greener pastures where they aren't in as much danger of dying, and I don't think Markus has a jet anymore. He was flying a helicopter today." a helicopter!

"How about you? You seem to be broken. I know Haruna, she's a good kid but seems to have no luck. One of her planes killed in the hangar and the other shot out from under her. I take that is where you hurt your arm?"

"It's my pleasure, sir. I'm sorry I didn't make haste to get acquainted with the officers in the squadron. So far the one I'm most familiar with is the one always breathing down our necks... Definitely won't want him breathing down mine specifically!" Yeah... Major Coko-.. Coco-... ko... Coco-Crunch...

"Haruna's a good girl. Young, naive, idealistic." Yuria joked. "Now she's down with a slight fever, I'll probably have to fly us to Heian..." Sighing, Yuria ruffled her hair as she placed her hand on her temple for a moment, composing herself. Hearing Garret describe her as 'broken', well, Yuria was not one to be prideful, often accepting people's view easily and correcting them if she needed to. "Yeah... I don't know. They term something as 'Beginner's Luck', and our second mission together, I had this-" Yuria pointed to the cast, "And Haruna might be getting anxious. She needs a good victory to get her morale up."

Hearing about Garret's squadron, Yuria could only sigh. "That's the life of mercenaries I suppose? I'm new to this field, but I would never dream of leaving a squadron which I am committed to. Ah... my idealistic thinking..." Seeing Garret's tired expression, Yuria tried to think of something to get his spirits up...

"Don't worry sir, this squadron... Morena... I've seen you guys fly, flew with you all. You guys fly better than us grunts of Saien. If anything, it's me and Haruna who needs to keep up with you all. Despite our-" Yuria gave a cough to mask that slight lump in her throat. "Our retreat tonight, no matter, it's an honour to fly with you."

"I call him Major Bearenstien." Garret joked, "Intimidating like a bear but actually harmless like a children's character."

He just followed the lady's lead as they chatted, not too sure where they were heading, truth be told he was just happy for a distraction from his constant thoughts of the war, and a pretty distraction was a bonus but he of course was not going to say that out loud. "We all need a good solid victory Yruia. We haven't had a clear win since day one. Everything else was us just staying in the fight. If we were prize fighters it would be the halfway point in the bout and we'd be outscored by our opponent. After tonight they have us on the ropes and all we can do is block. At best we can hug them and get the ref to push us apart so we can breathe a little but our situation is bad. Major Corcoran is not making things any better; I think he's the biggest reason we can't keep enough pilots on the roster. Captain Tallow has no authority on the ground even over his own co-pilot because of that guy, I bet he got his commission in the reserves."

Yuria might not understand it but in nations like Osea regular military officers tended to look down on reservists. Reservists often rated lower than even militia officers in the eyes of someone who had to go to academy. reserve officers only had to pass the most basic of training before they were commissioned and could rise to ranks like Major simply because someone more senior retired after a handful of years. Where men like Garret had to graduate from an officer's academy and then specialist training. After that they spent years as a barely officer before finally making it to Captain and hope they got a promotion through diligent work. It took Garret 7 years to make Captain, and he only truly obtained Major in South Sotoa when they commissioned him that rank for dire need of commanders in their merc forces. Ceading his authority to a man like Cocoran was like an insult but he accepted it at first because he's just a mercenary. Now however? Now he was starting to feel a mild burn from being rubbed wrong by this so called officer.

"Anyway... It's no honor to fly with a guy like me. I washed up in the real military so I ran off to pursue a bigger paycheck." he was lying a little bit (a lot) but he wasn't comfortable telling the whole truth to this pretty girl he just met.

[Relikai]

"I call him Major Bearenstien." Garret joked, "Intimidating like a bear but actually harmless like a children's character."

He just followed the lady's lead as they chatted, not too sure where they were heading, truth be told he was just happy for a distraction from his constant thoughts of the war, and a pretty distraction was a bonus but he of course was not going to say that out loud. "We all need a good solid victory Yruia. We haven't had a clear win since day one. Everything else was us just staying in the fight. If we were prize fighters it would be the halfway point in the bout and we'd be outscored by our opponent. After tonight they have us on the ropes and all we can do is block. At best we can hug them and get the ref to push us apart so we can breathe a little but our situation is bad. Major Corcoran is not making things any better; I think he's the biggest reason we can't keep enough pilots on the roster. Captain Tallow has no authority on the ground even over his own co-pilot because of that guy, I bet he got his commission in the reserves."

Yuria might not understand it but in nations like Osea regular military officers tended to look down on reservists. Reservists often rated lower than even militia officers in the eyes of someone who had to go to academy. reserve officers only had to pass the most basic of training before they were commissioned and could rise to ranks like Major simply because someone more senior retired after a handful of years. Where men like Garret had to graduate from an officer's academy and then specialist training. After that they spent years as a barely officer before finally making it to Captain and hope they got a promotion through diligent work. It took Garret 7 years to make Captain, and he only truly obtained Major in South Sotoa when they commissioned him that rank for dire need of commanders in their merc forces. Ceading his authority to a man like Cocoran was like an insult but he accepted it at first because he's just a mercenary. Now however? Now he was starting to feel a mild burn from being rubbed wrong by this so called officer.

"Anyway... It's no honor to fly with a guy like me. I washed up in the real military so I ran off to pursue a bigger paycheck." he was lying a little bit (a lot) but he wasn't comfortable telling the whole truth to this pretty girl he just met.

"Sounds like we all need a win, and sounds like some of our own Saienese officers. Our military is small, mostly for deterrence, yet many staff officers treat things like a joke..." Yuria continued, nearing the building which she often visited years back. "Sometimes they just want the uniform. Saienese culture views the military as a tough sacrifice... where tough men go, and... I don't get it but girls tend to go for guys in uniform, and they... seem to have caught on. Females in the Saienese Military? Kind of rare, but there's me, and two Saienese females in Morena."

Opening the door, Yuria peeked inside to see if it was the correct place. Yes, it was indeed the lounge where she hung out as a nugget during her trainee days. Back when she was a cadet in the Saienese Air Force, flying J-7s every day before a shipment of new F-16s and F-15s arrived from Dorusia, allowing them to form a new squadron. Yuria was the most junior of the sixteen pilots selected to fly the Saienese F-16, and that was when she met-

Blinking, Yuria placed her back on the door and nudged it open, clearing a way for Garret to enter. The lounge was partially filled with pilots, most of them originally based in Park. Yuria did not recognise most of them, since her squadron was originally based in Koga, and four years of being a mechanic means most of her batch has returned to civilian life after their three years of service.

"Hey, have a seat. No worries sir, no alcohol, just something for a man to relax with a lady before some shut eye..." Yuria said as she gave Garret a playful nudge. "I'm getting some tea. If you'd like, the ginger ale served here is the best in the Air Force. I used to keep a bottle in my cockpit as a trainee... best not to let the others hear that..."

[Kyraina]

"I call him Major Bearenstien." Garret joked, "Intimidating like a bear but actually harmless like a children's character."

He just followed the lady's lead as they chatted, not too sure where they were heading, truth be told he was just happy for a distraction from his constant thoughts of the war, and a pretty distraction was a bonus but he of course was not going to say that out loud. "We all need a good solid victory Yruia. We haven't had a clear win since day one. Everything else was us just staying in the fight. If we were prize fighters it would be the halfway point in the bout and we'd be outscored by our opponent. After tonight they have us on the ropes and all we can do is block. At best we can hug them and get the ref to push us apart so we can breathe a little but our situation is bad. Major Corcoran is not making things any better; I think he's the biggest reason we can't keep enough pilots on the roster. Captain Tallow has no authority on the ground even over his own co-pilot because of that guy, I bet he got his commission in the reserves."

Yuria might not understand it but in nations like Osea regular military officers tended to look down on reservists. Reservists often rated lower than even militia officers in the eyes of someone who had to go to academy. reserve officers only had to pass the most basic of training before they were commissioned and could rise to ranks like Major simply because someone more senior retired after a handful of years. Where men like Garret had to graduate from an officer's academy and then specialist training. After that they spent years as a barely officer before finally making it to Captain and hope they got a promotion through diligent work. It took Garret 7 years to make Captain, and he only truly obtained Major in South Sotoa when they commissioned him that rank for dire need of commanders in their merc forces. Ceading his authority to a man like Cocoran was like an insult but he accepted it at first because he's just a mercenary. Now however? Now he was starting to feel a mild burn from being rubbed wrong by this so called officer.

"Anyway... It's no honor to fly with a guy like me. I washed up in the real military so I ran off to pursue a bigger paycheck." he was lying a little bit (a lot) but he wasn't comfortable telling the whole truth to this pretty girl he just met.

"Sounds like we all need a win, and sounds like some of our own Saienese officers. Our military is small, mostly for deterrence, yet many staff officers treat things like a joke..." Yuria continued, nearing the building which she often visited years back. "Sometimes they just want the uniform. Saienese culture views the military as a tough sacrifice... where tough men go, and... I don't get it but girls tend to go for guys in uniform, and they... seem to have caught on. Females in the Saienese Military? Kind of rare, but there's me, and two Saienese females in Morena."

Opening the door, Yuria peeked inside to see if it was the correct place. Yes, it was indeed the lounge where she hung out as a nugget during her trainee days. Back when she was a cadet in the Saienese Air Force, flying J-7s every day before a shipment of new F-16s and F-15s arrived from Dorusia, allowing them to form a new squadron. Yuria was the most junior of the sixteen pilots selected to fly the Saienese F-16, and that was when she met-

Blinking, Yuria placed her back on the door and nudged it open, clearing a way for Garret to enter. The lounge was partially filled with pilots, most of them originally based in Park. Yuria did not recognise most of them, since her squadron was originally based in Koga, and four years of being a mechanic means most of her batch has returned to civilian life after their three years of service.

"Hey, have a seat. No worries sir, no alcohol, just something for a man to relax with a lady before some shut eye..." Yuria said as she gave Garret a playful nudge. "I'm getting some tea. If you'd like, the ginger ale served here is the best in the Air Force. I used to keep a bottle in my cockpit as a trainee... best not to let the others hear that..."

Joseph had walked into the lounge just after Garret and Yuria. He looked around at the mess of pilots in the lounge and sighed.

He then spotted Garret and Yuria and walked over to them. "Shark, Yuria. It's good to see y'all made it mostly intact. Where is Haruna at? Is She ok?" Joseph said with concern grewing in his voice and the worry showing as also worried about Zach, not having heard anything on him yet.

[Relikai]

"Shark, Yuria. It's good to see y'all made it mostly intact. Where is Haruna at? Is She ok?"

The newcomer was one who Yuria was acquainted with. One of the newer additions to the squadron, they spoke a little before going on the raiding mission the day before. Gosh, to Yuria, it seemed like an eternity since that happened. They were in the same squadron too, though admittedly Haruna was not the sociable one, her fear of strangers and sometimes foreigners because of her past being a hindrance to her social skills been as the little girl kept trying to improve herself.

"Bull." Yuria raised her cup in acknowledgement. "I saw Zach in the infirmary, and he's better than he looks. Haruna... she'll be alright."

[SaintB]

He took a seat at the table and listened to Yuria confess to keeping Ginger Ale in the cockpit of her trainer, "Ginger ale aint so bad, not as bad as what some of us kept in our trainers. Ginger ale makes me think of being sick, in Osea everybody's mom used it as a remedy for an aching stomach," probably because it made you throw up, "What I haven't had in a long time is rootbeer. They have that here?"

A third person joined the two as they discussed soft drinks, the familiar voice and accent meant Garret didn't even need to look up to recognize the North Pointer, "Hello Joe." Garret's eyes never stopped searching the walls by the bar to see if they had a list of beverages.

Mildly disappointed that a third person had decided to join them and end their current line of conversation he nonetheless welcomed them to come sit down - more or less anyway.

"I'm in one piece. I should probably get looked over since I got knocked out but right now I want to relax; plenty of other people hurt far far worse than I would be anyway."

[Relikai]

Yuria's eyes actually lit up at Garret's request for root beer. A soft drink better than Coke or whatever Pepsi drink, her training programs to Osea and Usea consisted of two important fluids - Jet fuel, and Root Beer.

"Boss-san." Yuria called. "Two Root Beer specials please."

Yuria didn't catch Garret's disappointment, but handed the major and Joseph a mug of frothy root beer each with her good hand. Yuria's not the one to be entirely ladylike, being a military pilot and a mechanic, few knew that she was actually quite a gangster during her schooling days, hanging out with the boys to chase planes on their bicycles, playing truant and setting off firecrackers in the school toilets...

"Glad to see you two acquainted. Joe's in my squadron-" Turning to Joseph, Yuria gestured to Garret, "-and he used to fly the plane I worked on before I returned to the skies."

[SaintB]

Yuria's eyes actually lit up at Garret's request for root beer. A soft drink better than Coke or whatever Pepsi drink, her training programs to Osea and Usea consisted of two important fluids - Jet fuel, and Root Beer.

"Boss-san." Yuria called. "Two Root Beer specials please."

Yuria didn't catch Garret's disappointment, but handed the major and Joseph a mug of frothy root beer each with her good hand. Yuria's not the one to be entirely ladylike, being a military pilot and a mechanic, few knew that she was actually quite a gangster during her schooling days, hanging out with the boys to chase planes on their bicycles, playing truant and setting off firecrackers in the school toilets...

"Glad to see you two acquainted. Joe's in my squadron-" Turning to Joseph, Yuria gestured to Garret, "-and he used to fly the plane I worked on before I returned to the skies."

"Not sure how well that plane is going to fly without her either." Garret chipped in before savoring the the taste of the beverage, "God! This stuff is so hard to find outside of Osea!"

He nearly chugged half the beverage at once and left himself with a mustache of foam from the head. He blushed a bit then set the mug down and shrugged at the other two before wiping his mouth. "I haven't had root beer for longer than... eh nevermind." he chuckled, "When I became a merc I had a problem with drinking. I wasn't an alcoholic but I tended to overdo it when I did drink. It was a dark time. When the war in So-So got really rough I got on the wagon and never looked back. Sometimes I want a shot or two of something hard but I have never craved any drink like I have this stuff since I left Osea."

[Kyraina]

Yuria's eyes actually lit up at Garret's request for root beer. A soft drink better than Coke or whatever Pepsi drink, her training programs to Osea and Usea consisted of two important fluids - Jet fuel, and Root Beer.

"Boss-san." Yuria called. "Two Root Beer specials please."

Yuria didn't catch Garret's disappointment, but handed the major and Joseph a mug of frothy root beer each with her good hand. Yuria's not the one to be entirely ladylike, being a military pilot and a mechanic, few knew that she was actually quite a gangster during her schooling days, hanging out with the boys to chase planes on their bicycles, playing truant and setting off firecrackers in the school toilets...

"Glad to see you two acquainted. Joe's in my squadron-" Turning to Joseph, Yuria gestured to Garret, "-and he used to fly the plane I worked on before I returned to the skies."

"Not sure how well that plane is going to fly without her either." Garret chipped in before savoring the the taste of the beverage, "God! This stuff is so hard to find outside of Osea!"

He nearly chugged half the beverage at once and left himself with a mustache of foam from the head. He blushed a bit then set the mug down and shrugged at the other two before wiping his mouth. "I haven't had root beer for longer than... eh nevermind." he chuckled, "When I became a merc I had a problem with drinking. I wasn't an alcoholic but I tended to overdo it when I did drink. It was a dark time. When the war in So-So got really rough I got on the wagon and never looked back. Sometimes I want a shot or two of something hard but I have never craved any drink like I have this stuff since I left Osea."

Joseph nodded at both Garret and Yuria said. He then chugged half of the root beer and sighed. He too had a foam mustache.

"Alot better then the stuff we call root beer in North Point, but the hard beer and whiskey is alot better back in North Point. I know the feeling. When I got out of the infantry, I struggled with acholal consumption and was almost kicked out of NPAF. I sunk back into being a acholalic after my last mission in one of the proxy wars with Erusea. My flight Sergeant set me straight the first time and then Zach the second time. I wish I could have something hard to drink right now but with flight being only a couple hours away its not worth it. Any way I hope I find out soon if my thud is flyable and how long Zach is out of commison." Joseph replied.

[Relikai]

"Come on boys." Yuria said as she ordered another two mugs. For herself, she settled on some hot green tea. Doctor's orders, to avoid carbonated drinks until her shoulder fixes itself. So far both she and Haruna were lucky, shoulder or arm wounds which only cut the flesh.

"Sounds like fun, North Point and Osea. I been to Oured for a week of holiday five years ago, when I was just a nugget fresh out of training. A week of being a tourist, and visiting the air bases as part of our lessons when operating the F-16. I've been to Usea too, but not North Point." Yuria said, swishing her tea in it's ceramic holder. Gently blowing it, she Saienese took a sip, emerging not with a foam mustache, but with a nice contented sigh.

A couple of pilots walked past, O-1s by their arm ranks, and rookies by the looks of their age, throwing glances and whistling at the Morena trio, the target of their flirting obvious. Rolling her eyes up, Yuria shook her head as she placed her cup down, sighing at the state of Saien's other squadrons.

[Beiarusia]

Capt. Aleksei Tallow “Null”
07:28 September 26, 1992 // Songnisan Highlands, Nonsan, Seian

They had taken flight shortly after sunrise. Dozens of aircraft, from nimble fighters to the lumbering C-130’s; a mass exodus that was truly an amazing sight to behold, but for all the wrong reasons. It was a tactical retreat but a retreat all the same. The SAF had lost Ansan, and now they were abandoning Kaesong in a desperate attempt to hold the capital. The noose could only get so much tighter.

It would be foolish to move en masse, so the transports had been divided into three separate flights so as to avoid stumbling into an ambush, the results of which would be catastrophic to say the least. The loss of one flight, while disastrous in of itself, would not cripple the war effort. Morena had the honor of escorting the northern route through the Songnisan Highlands alongside Jiangshi, the SAF squadron having been merged with what remained of Kyonshī following the battle over Ansan. The mechanics at Park Air Force Base had done their best to get the mercenary planes flight capable, and while the aircraft could reach Heian under their own power any combat maneuvering would likely stress the quick repairs to the point of failure. Those who were grounded due to injury were forced to hitch a ride elsewhere. Angel was ferrying Shinobu’s F-16; Silva, despite the gripes of the crew chief, was piloting Pearsohn’s Mirage. All planes were armed for combat.

The flight so far had been uneventful. Some chatter on the radio every now and again, but overall it appeared to be a simple escort mission. The cargo planes were flying in a single-line formation with maybe a hundred meters between each. Kokkuri was flying high; Jiangshi watched the rear; Morena had either side.

Angel: << I missed having my own plane. >>

Null glanced over to his right to spy the F-16 only a few dozen yards off his wing. Angel had been beyond ecstatic when told she’d be taking the Falcon, any negative thoughts from the night before having been washed away in newfound optimism.

Null: << Don’t get used to it. >>

Angel: << Beh. Already used to it. >>

The sun was still low in the east. The landscape below was giving way from forest to gentle hills, a few small mountains dotting the horizon at the far edge of view. Cloudy but unlikely to rain. Autumn was soon to set in. The country was beautiful, and so far out from the fighting some semblance of peace could be found. One could almost forget Ansan. It was strange, the stark contrast from the countryside to the urban, as if this nation possessed a duality that both embraced its heritage while also striving for the advancements of a modern society. Such a shame that war had come to this land.

Ally-G: << This is Recon Sierra-Two-Two. Enemy expeditionary force has been sighted in the Songnisan Highlands. Confirming presence of long-range anti-air launchers. >>

Kokkuri: << Roger that. Can you confirm? >>

Ally-G: << Affirmative. Confirming small enemy force. Count six launchers in all. We cannot engage with current strength. Requesting support. >>

Kokkuri: << Understood. Morena, our current path will place us in range of enemy anti-air in less than twenty minutes. We have been ordered to avoid a direct flight over Nonsan. Provide close-air-support to Recon Sierra Two-Two and- >>

Null had been listening intently, and while he was already on edge from the news the sudden silence did little to calm his nerves. Something was about to go wrong. He wished he was wrong.

Kokkuri: << Enemy fighters approaching from the east. >>

Enemy-Air: << This is Vaapad-One. Enemy convoy sighted. Focus fire on the transports. >>

Enemy-Air: << This is Castle-Leader. Copy. We’ll distract the fast movers. >>

Several fighters had appeared on radar. Interceptors. Six Tu-28 Fiddlers with an MiG-21 escort. They were approaching from Ansan. It was an ambush, and Morena was caught in a bad position. The enemy fighters were coming in fast, and they would soon be entering AA range. Throw in several damaged aircraft and their odds were less than stellar.

Null: << This is Null to all capable aircraft. Protect the transports at all costs. Attack planes, focus on destroying the anti-air. We won’t lose again. >>

Mission Theme: Crazy Motorcycle Chase

[Ubaria]

Captain Noel 'Aguila' Silva
En Route to Heian, Seian

'There ain't no rest for the wicked'

Noel fought back a yawn behind the oxygen mask, he wanted to sleep for a week after the duress he had endured but had to settle for a spotty couple of hours kip curled up on a creaky camp bed in an ad-hoc barracks right next to the refugee processing point, it had done more damage than good however as his body craved for the sweet release, but he was cursed to go on. Aside from that, he got to enjoy the company of the angry Usean flight technician for another couple of hours as he spouted more angry foreign words, trying his best to give Silva the run down of the Mirage 3, he really disdained the notion of somebody else other than Praeses flying 'his aircraft' as he so delicately put it, but had to accept the fact that he wasn't fit to fly in a combat scenario, Praeses wasn't a choice and the other pilots had their own craft to take care of.

Their mission was thankfully rather simple, they would transit to the capital of Heian whilst covering the flight of C-130 transports and other utility aircraft. Noel looked off the port side wing and saw their grey blots against the blue pastel morning sky, some light streaky clouds cast long shadows across the grassy hills of the highlands, the morning sun bathing the green in an off shade of orange. Such a peaceful vista that it almost put Noel right back to sleep. To stave off the worst of it, he resorted to flexing his muscles, both craft and pilot, it served as a way for Silva to also get to know the characteristics of the craft, it was surprisingly nimble for its age, not too unlike its younger brother, the Mirage V, both Delta wing by design, it wasn't surprising that they both handled the same way. The plane had been kitted for Air-To-Air interception, carrying two Magic 550's on its wingtip hardpoints, and a Magic R.530 on the centerline mount, as well as its 250 30mm rounds.

Radio chat was light, not that Noel was paying any mind to it, that soon changed when the tone changed for the worse.


<< Enemy fighters approaching from the east. >>

<< This is Null to all capable aircraft. Protect the transports at all costs. Attack planes, focus on destroying the anti-air. We won’t lose again. >>


'Fucking Beiarusians!' They would sink so low as to attack a retreating transport flight. Any shred of integrity they had was now gone. Perhaps more infuriated than he should of been, Noel took to the comms.

<<Ghost flight listen up. Leave the Anti Air to the SEAD. They'll tear us a new one if we try to get close, press the attack on those fighters and mow them down like the fucking dogs they are. No Mercy Morena>>

Noel was now fully invested to the fight, though this wasn't his home and he was merely a mercenary being paid on the behest of a third party, it angered him that the enemy would stoop so low, then again, chivalry was dead. Panic was replaced by a steely determination, Noel fully intended to send the enemy screaming too hell, he would be damned if he would let them get away with less, though Silva still had to be careful, he was on borrowed time, with a borrowed aircraft, if Noel survived the strain of another ejection, which was unlikely, he would probably be killed by either Praeses or the angry Usean Mechanic, or both.

"Lets dance...Pricks"

The Mirage was fairly outmatched, the MiG's could outpace him on the turn and it would have to get into an attacking position if the Magics were to get a decent IR picture, he would have to rely on some opportune shooting to make the most of his three missiles. The cannons were a last resort.

[Independent States of Tula]

2nd Lieutenant Vladimir Tula & 2nd Lieutenant Hanna Tula
Near Nonsan, Seian

Null: << This is Null to all capable aircraft. Protect the transports at all costs. Attack planes, focus on destroying the anti-air. We won’t lose again. >>

What had once been a quite flight for the Tula siblings was now interrupted with this aerial assault by the Beiarusians.

"Welp...that isn't good." Vladimir stated as he began tracking the enemy aircraft on radar.

<<Ghost flight listen up. Leave the Anti Air to the SEAD. They'll tear us a new one if we try to get close, press the attack on those fighters and mow them down like the fucking dogs they are. No Mercy Morena>>

"So...Hanna...you ready for this?" Vladimir asked over the internal comms.

Hanna was silent a moment before replying "Yeah...I am. We can't let these bastards hit a single one of these transports."

"Glad to hear it. Prep BVRs. Let's go hot once they're in range...I want to show these bastards why the F-4 is the World's Leading Distributor of MiG Parts." Vladimir replied.

"Got it. Prepping BVRs." Hanna replied, and with that the Tula siblings were in the fight.

---

Total Kills:

N/A

Munitions:

1x M61A1 Vulcan Cannon (640 Rounds of HE-I Remaining)
4x AIM-9M Sidewinder
4x AIM-7M Sparrow
AN/ALQ-131

[Relikai]

Second Lieutenant Kanzaki Yuria, 'Reppu'
Songnisan Highlands, Nonsan, Seian

"You got to be kidding me..." Yuria muttered as Kokkuri and Null confirmed the presence of enemy fighters, a textbook ambush of fighters intercepting a convoy. Back in her position as a WSO for the Tornado, her pilot was not the enthusiastic Shimazaki Haruna, or 'Shinden', but Major Garret Jones, 'Shark'.

Earlier

"Major Jones, you're taking my plane it seems, glad to have you on board."

Yuria had a look at the flight plan as Haruna was still under observation, and as soon as she found out that she was going to fly with 'Shark', possibly with a little bit of influence from the man himself, immediately nodded at the choice. Shark's plane was riddled, and Yuria would do with a reliable pilot.

"As I said sir, it's an honour for you to fly in our plane. Just be a little... gentle... alright?" Yuria said before putting her helmet on, throwing Garret a wink as she climbed into the cockpit.

Present

"Shark, we have seven ALARM missiles and four Sidewinders. This plane is rigged for attack missions, but to launch our missiles we'll have to close in about a third of those launcher's missile range. I'll be in charge of the payload and countermeasures, whatever you call, I will confirm. I'll be in your care, sir."

Focusing on her controls and instruments, Yuria controlled her breathing. Haruna was in one of those transports, and she would not be responsible of having those ground launchers having a chance to pick them off at will.

[Anowa]

Lt. Jason 'Tombstone' Cain
Jason didn't smoke very often, but the lack of funding to get a plane that wasn't thirty years or older wasn't very enthusing, neither was knowing he wouldn't be flying today. He supposed he could always fly one of the planes Dorusia had for lease, though that would only be a very temporary solution; Jason didn't like having his salary halved.

Taking a final drag, Jason tossed the cigarette onto the ground and stomped it out. He might head to the watering hole, it would help clear his head at the very least. For whatever reason, Tombstone couldn't get thought of Gracemeria out of his head, this week had been the first in nearly eight years he thought of going back. Why now and not when Fantasy shot him down, or when he was thinking of signing on with Morena, he had no idea.

Maybe talking to someone would help, not Null, the man already had enough on his plate. Pearsohn and Garret were better options, since they were the squadron's old blood. Everyone else Jason didn't know well enough to tell if they would give a flying fuck or not. Jason shook his head, the watering hole was a good idea.

[Rupudska]

Shinobu faded in and out of confidence for what felt like over an hour. She thought that she heard the sounds of combat near (or even in) the base, but she was too weak to pay it any mind. Bits of pieces of conversations entered her mind as well.

"One of the Morenas..."

"...oughta kill her... did to my cousin Roman..."

"...paying a fortune..."

"...the truck... goes..."

The sound of her stretcher being moved. Engine sounds, diesel ones. She was conscious now, but didn't move. She guessed (rightly so) that at this point, moving would be very detrimental to her health.

The sound of a truck's air brakes releasing and the truck moving forward, where to she could not tell without opening her eyes. Someone bound her hands and feet to the stretcher, but not terribly tightly.

"I still think we should've just killed her."

"And I already told you, we specifically are being payed a huge amount to deliver her up north."

"We could at least have her 'interrogated' here or something. She is a POW now."

"We were under strict orders that no harm was to come of her. Now enough of that, let's get moving. They want our package delivered ASAP."

Shinobu suddenly felt very cold. She had a feeling who 'They' were, but no. They would never go this far.

[Kyraina]

2nd Lt. Joseph "Bull" Bridden.
Songnisan Highlands, Nonsan, Seian

"You have got to be kidding me. Launchers and Enemy Fighters? This is f****** ridiculous. I got to do ground attack and I don't even have a EWO to do counter measures." Joseph said to himself as he started cussing to himself.

Null: << This is Null to all capable aircraft. Protect the transports at all costs. Attack planes, focus on destroying the anti-air. We won’t lose again. >>

Bull: <<This is Bull, going to the hard deck. Will Engage those Launchers.

Bull put the the Thud into a Dive and pulled up 50 meters above the ground.

Bull: <<Reppu, Shark, This Bull. Get that Pod on when y'all think best. I'll Keep the Launchers busy with a little deadly game of Flash light tag.

Bull the accelerated the Thud to go as fast what he was willing to take it, and headed towards he middle of the enemy ground formation.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

840 20MM AP Rounds
2xAGM-45 Shrikes
3xAGM-78 Standards
1x AGM-12 Bullpup
2x AIM-9 Sidewinder

[SaintB]

"Come on boys." Yuria said as she ordered another two mugs. For herself, she settled on some hot green tea. Doctor's orders, to avoid carbonated drinks until her shoulder fixes itself. So far both she and Haruna were lucky, shoulder or arm wounds which only cut the flesh.

"Sounds like fun, North Point and Osea. I been to Oured for a week of holiday five years ago, when I was just a nugget fresh out of training. A week of being a tourist, and visiting the air bases as part of our lessons when operating the F-16. I've been to Usea too, but not North Point." Yuria said, swishing her tea in it's ceramic holder. Gently blowing it, she Saienese took a sip, emerging not with a foam mustache, but with a nice contented sigh.

A couple of pilots walked past, O-1s by their arm ranks, and rookies by the looks of their age, throwing glances and whistling at the Morena trio, the target of their flirting obvious. Rolling her eyes up, Yuria shook her head as she placed her cup down, sighing at the state of Saien's other squadrons.

Garret's reaction was a little different. He deflected their harassment of Yuria with humor and good nature; instead of glowering or hiding his face he leaned his chair back and zipped his flight suit down about 6 inches or so, showing a bit of chest hair and winking at them. Theier response was some laughter and one or two threw a few yen at him shouting things in Sianese which he took to mean "Put it back on!"

He zipped back up and joined them in the laughter before taking the money and keeping it. Nuggets were the same everywhere, excited, full of energy, ready to get at the enemy, and looking to stay high on adrenaline rather than consider their own mortality for even a minute. The poor kids probably wouldn't survive the war.

Later
With no flyable aircraft Garret put in to crew an understaffed plane, which he knew the squadron had a dirth of after the hammering they took over the last couple of days. This war sucked and Dorusia was dragging its feet in mobilizing its own forces. Somehow he ended up in the Tornado Gr.1 with Yuria; not that he minded being her pilot, he just thought it was strange after last night that they'd be paired up. Yuria didn't seem to mind either, and said it would be an honor to fly with him - as long as he took it easy on her plane. Now the Tornado, speaking from a design perspective, was a swing winged two engine fighter, not all that different from the Tomcats he flew for the Osean Navy and had logged more flight hours in than anything else he had flown so he could guess as to its characterstics but he found its controls to be a little sluggish compared to a fighter/interceptor he was used to but a plane was a plane.

It wasn't long before they ran into the Baerusians. Fighter jets and missile AA positions were ahead of them, no doubt ready tot ake out the transports filled with injured soldiers and helpless civillians. The dogs! They would of course stoop so low as to do that. A more cynical part of Garret wanted to let it happen. Osea would never tolerate something like that so close to their doorstep and Baerusia wold rue the day they decied to adopt such an underhanded tactic, but Garret wouldn't ever do that. He would rather die himself and fight against an enemy that would do something so terrible than let it happen.

"You got to be kidding me..." Yuria muttered as Kokkuri and Null confirmed the presence of enemy fighters, a textbook ambush of fighters intercepting a convoy. Back in her position as a WSO for the Tornado, her pilot was not the enthusiastic Shimazaki Haruna, or 'Shinden', but Major Garret Jones, 'Shark'.

"Shark, we have seven ALARM missiles and four Sidewinders. This plane is rigged for attack missions, but to launch our missiles we'll have to close in about a third of those launcher's missile range. I'll be in charge of the payload and countermeasures, whatever you call, I will confirm. I'll be in your care, sir."

"Roger that. Why do we need to be so close to engage the targets?" he asked, concerned about some kind of electrical or mechanical problem that reduced the aircraft's atack range by so far.

[Relikai]

Second Lieutenant Kanzaki Yuria, 'Reppu'
Songnisan Highlands, Nonsan, Seian

"Roger that. Why do we need to be so close to engage the targets?" he asked, concerned about some kind of electrical or mechanical problem that reduced the aircraft's atack range by so far.

"If what Shinden told me was true, the maximum range of the ALARM's motor is two-thirds of the radar launchers. We can see them well, but if those were long-range missiles, they'd still out-range us. Regardless, the ALARM's a beauty with her loiter-mode on parachute, should force a launcher to shut down long enough to aim for other targets."

Indeed, Yuria was calculating the range and possible threat from her memory as a pilot, where most briefings were on Beiarusian weapons and anti-air tactics which the Saienese Air Force would need to face in war. Dorusian equipment and missiles perform admirably, but Yuria was always fascinated by Usean equipment, in which North Point might have had a hand in developing their anti-radiation missiles.

"It's not a problem with what we have, but something Beiarusia has. Something which might assure us, those missiles are huge, and almost meant to take out high flying bombers and... transports. What I hope is, they aren't the latest anti-aircraft system from Belka which is the best in the world. Shinden's always going through international arms specifications as a librarian in Koga, she would know about these."

The ALARM's range of 90+ kilometers versus a first-class missile system ranging from 140km+ to 200km+. It would be a tough fight, with Yuria's hands shaking slightly as she calmed herself down. The man piloting this plane was more than a single Ace, and the Tornado was equipped with accessories to fulfill it's SEAD mission. Seeing Bull peel off to the side, fulfilling his mission as an attacker, it was Yuria's turn to trust the highest-ranked pilot in Morena.

"Flares ready, ECM Pods ready, ALARM missiles ready sir."

[SaintB]

Second Lieutenant Kanzaki Yuria, 'Reppu'
Songnisan Highlands, Nonsan, Seian

"Roger that. Why do we need to be so close to engage the targets?" he asked, concerned about some kind of electrical or mechanical problem that reduced the aircraft's atack range by so far.

"If what Shinden told me was true, the maximum range of the ALARM's motor is two-thirds of the radar launchers. We can see them well, but if those were long-range missiles, they'd still out-range us. Regardless, the ALARM's a beauty with her loiter-mode on parachute, should force a launcher to shut down long enough to aim for other targets."

Indeed, Yuria was calculating the range and possible threat from her memory as a pilot, where most briefings were on Beiarusian weapons and anti-air tactics which the Saienese Air Force would need to face in war. Dorusian equipment and missiles perform admirably, but Yuria was always fascinated by Usean equipment, in which North Point might have had a hand in developing their anti-radiation missiles.

"It's not a problem with what we have, but something Beiarusia has. Something which might assure us, those missiles are huge, and almost meant to take out high flying bombers and... transports. What I hope is, they aren't the latest anti-aircraft system from Belka which is the best in the world. Shinden's always going through international arms specifications as a librarian in Koga, she would know about these."

The ALARM's range of 90+ kilometers versus a first-class missile system ranging from 140km+ to 200km+. It would be a tough fight, with Yuria's hands shaking slightly as she calmed herself down. The man piloting this plane was more than a single Ace, and the Tornado was equipped with accessories to fulfill it's SEAD mission. Seeing Bull peel off to the side, fulfilling his mission as an attacker, it was Yuria's turn to trust the highest-ranked pilot in Morena.

"Flares ready, ECM Pods ready, ALARM missiles ready sir."

"Oi... I guess I misunderstood what you were saying." Garret admitted a little embarrassed. "I thought you said the range of the weapons was reduced to a third." he sounded a little relieved.

"If we have it my way they won't even get a chance to fire on us until we are within striking distance ourselves. I hope your not bothered by flying Nap of the Earth." he said to Yuria as he started to steadily decrease altitude.

Bull: <<This is Bull, going to the hard deck. Will Engage those Launchers.


Bull: <<Reppu, Shark, This Bull. Get that Pod on when y'all think best. I'll Keep the Launchers busy with a little deadly game of Flash light tag.

<<Roger Bull. I'm coming in behind your six about 150 meters, you copy?>>