A Failure of Diplomacy [CLOSED, Attn. LEX, SACTO]

[Chozai]

On the banks of the river Yu sits the city of Jingzu, a testament to the proud culture that has ruled Chozai for nearly three thousand years. Its inhabitants are a proud people, the true sons of their nation, and it is fitting that it is here, in the capital, that the Golden Lion Emperor built his White City, seat of the Chozan government. For most who gaze upon its ornate ivory towers and quartz tiled pagoda roofs, it is a view to last a lifetime. For Zhao-li, the young bureaucrat who now rushed along a white cobblestone sidewalk, this view was his lifetime.

Li was, officially, the Chief Liaison to Non-governmental Organizations Operating in Chozai. His lengthy title aside, his job really only meant dealing with one particular group: the League of Expansionists. They were, to put it mildly, the most powerful group of people in the country. It didn't hurt, of course, that the leadership of the organization had direct blood-ties to the Emperor. That kind of political connection could earn one a lot of sway in Chozai.

Zhao-li knew that well. His family, the Zhao family, was one of the wealthiest in Jingzu, and therefore in the country. He was cousin-in-law to the crown prince and, although he had never actually met the man, he was still considered a close enough acquaintance as to be afforded the position he now held.

Li had no time to ponder his relationship with the crown prince, or how it may have influenced his career, because, at the moment, he was late for a very important meeting. LEX, it seemed, was on the brink of war, and it was doing all it could to bring Chozai with it. By the time Li made it into the LEX headquarter's stately marble lobby, he was already five minutes late. He rushed over to the stairs and bounded up, forgoing the elevator. Rushing past stunned secretaries and bemused coworkers, he stumbled into the meeting room at the end of the second floor hallway.

"You're late, Li," a man said at the end of the center table.

"I beg forgiveness, your Honor," Li replied, setting his briefcase down to bow.

"Of course," the man replied. He stepped out from a shadow and the light revealed him to be none other than Kong Ming, the chancellor. "You have met Tsong-fa?" he asked, gesturing to a man whom Li had not yet noticed.

"Of course," Li replied, bowing, "The Secretary General is a close associate of mine." Tsong-fa nodded and smiled in accordance.

"Good. You, no doubt, have no idea why we've summoned you here, but if you had I'm sure you'd have made it a priority to be on time," Kong Ming continued. "Very soon, we will be hosting delegates from an organization that has become quite the menace to our fair nation. You've been briefed on SACTO, I assume?"

"Yes," Li replied. All government workers above level three had gotten a brief on the infamous Santiago Anti-Communist Treaty Organization. They were, if the reports could be believed, threatening war in response to Chozai's status as a LEX member nation.

"Good, the Secretary General and I would like you to be present when LEX meets with their envoys." This surprised Li. Normally, the government would refuse audience to any western organization with which it was on hostile terms. Was this the product of the emperor's "westernization", or something more?

"I see," Li replied.

"You will not have to say anything," Tsong-fa interjected, with a smile, "But it is essential that we bring the LEX-government liaison on such a trip. And, of course, we were hoping your connection to the Crown Prince might lend some legitimacy to our side of the negotiations."

"Surely the chancellor's presence will be sufficiently legitimate," Li said, looking to Kong Ming.

"I will not be attending," came the answer, "You understand that, as chancellor, I cannot be seen communicating with SACTO emissaries. Such is forbidden by Imperial mandate. Your career exempts you from such mandate, and, even if there should be trouble, your relationship with the crown prince should protect you from punishment." It wasn't especially reassuring, but it was good enough.

"Very well. When, may I ask, are the SACTO people arriving?"

The secretary general laughed, "My dear boy, they are probably already here. I was hoping you'd come with me to the airport."

"Of course," Li said.

The chancellor turned and bowed to the secretary general, "I must go now. My place is by the emperor's side. I hope that you will keep me informed as to the proceedings?"

"Naturally," Tsong-fa replied. With that, the chancellor strode from the room.

Now it was Li and the secretary general alone. "I suppose we'd better get going," Tsong-fa said directly, "I have a car waiting for us outside." They left quickly, using the elevator this time, arriving outside just as the chancellor's motorcade pulled away. In its place came a black Rolls Royce Phantom, the secretary general's personal automobile. A chauffeur opened the doors and they both climbed into the richly upholstered interior. "To the airport," Tsong-fa directed, and the chauffeur pulled the car into the wide, restricted roadway and towards the gates of the White City. Beyond lay the airport and, Li had a feeling, a bad turn of fate.

[Organized States]

The Tan House, Fairford, Columbia Commonwealth, The Organized States of America

The press secretary finished counting with her fingers before President Ellsworth began to speak, Good Evening, my fellow Americans. As many of you know, our difficulties with the Nation of Chozai continue to worsen, and recently we've recieved word that they've significantly upgraded their capabilities in the field of Chemical and Biological Weapons, weapons of mass destruction that have caused significant pain and suffering around the world. These weapons are a massive threat to our coalition partners and allies around the world, our overseas territories and dependencies, and possibly even to our own homeland. These weapons of mass destruction pose a threat to each and every American. This, combined with their imperialistic agenda, and membership in the League of Expansionists, an Axis of Evil, creates a worldwide crisis. Thus I have directed the Armed Forces to commit itself in all actions needed for the preservation of peace. To the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines so proudly acting in the service of our nation, I gladly extend my thanks. This will not be forgotten, I promise. To Emperor Sheng-tsu and the Chozan government, I give you 24 hours to renounce any and all Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical weapons capability and then allow for international inspectors to ensure the destruction of said weapons over. Myself and my office will continue to update the American people and the international community on this situation. Thank you, Good Night, and God Bless America."

EP-8A, 34,000 feet, off the Northeastern Coast of Chozai

The blue water below seemed much calmer at 34,000 feet. It was a blue and fairly clear day, with only small clusters of clouds dotting the sky as the P-8A bearing the full-color OS roundel on its sides and wings. The P-8A was one of the OS Navy's newest aircraft, a long range patrol and Electronic Intelligence gathering aircraft developed from the Boeing 737, that replaced the Lockheed P-3 in OS service. A long range aircraft, it provided the OS Navy with Anti-Ship and Submarine capability along with intelligence gathering. Lt. Commander Derrick Jones was proud to be flying the P-8. Sure, it wasn't glamorous or shapely as a Lightning II. But, he wasn't a fighter jock. He liked having the 6 others helping him and he treated them as if they were his own family, creating an extremely close-knit crew.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is uggh, your captain speaking." Jones said over the intercom, mocking airline pilots, prompting laughs from the crew section and from his co-pilot, Lt. Junior Grade David Majikowski. "We've reached waypoint one, work your magic, boys and girls." he said, his tone slightly more serious this time. Just as instructed, the crew of 5 began their work, pinging the coast with dozens of various sensors along with radar, now, the difficulty was figuring out Chozan Military transmissions over Joe Blow in his basement with a radio along with determining ground clutter from a submarine pen.

"Eh, I've got nothing." said Ensign Anna White, the P-8's radar operator.

"What did you do? Bat your eyes at them and ask them to stay out of the air today?" teased Ensign Jacob Nordsen in his North Midwestern Accent.

"Stop it, you!" she said, leaning over and smacking him on the shoulder, lightly, blushing as she did.

"How does a beauty queen like you end up in the Navy anyways?" asked Nordsen. Indeed, she was rather attractive. The 5'8" Blue-eyed, blond once being an amateur model.

"A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do." She replied, returning back to staring at her radar screen and searching for contacts outside of normal commercial air traffic.

[Riysa]

Tel al-Riyah, Riysa

Two Mercedes limousines pulled up to the front gate of the Republican Palace. After displaying ID to the gate guard, they were let through, parking at the front entrance of the palace. Out of the limos stepped several generals in dress uniform, of various service branches and commands, whom made their way inside the palace and to a plain conference room, whereupon they saluted everyone present and sat down. One of them, a marshal of the Riysian Joint Ground Forces, got up and took out a laptop, connecting it to a projector and opening up a PowerPoint presentation. The title?

عملية: العصف المأكول
Operation: Empty Field

Smiles popped up around the table as they got ready to hear the war plan.
"Should we start?" The field marshal inquired.
"Everyone's present. Lets hear it." The Za'im nodded in reply to the marshal.
"In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As we all know, the nation of Chozai is an expansionist power located in East Asia..." The field marshal started his presentation.

890 km off the southeastern coast of Chozai
12,500 m altitude

The Da-28IE SIGINT plane flew at cruising altitude, operating under strict EMCON to prevent detection while monitoring Chozaian electronic emissions using its onboard array. While this role could definitely be fulfilled by Riysian satellites, gathering emissions in real time necessitated a plane; not that it mattered in terms of capability, for the Da-28IE could monitor a huge span of frequencies, as it was doing right now. The focus was not so much on radar systems - those had already been covered, more efficiently, by satellites - but rather communications systems and datalinks, and they were quite active right now. The men of the SIGINT plane, belonging to the 1st Special Reconnaissance Squadron, worked diligently under the command of Captain Masoud Abdul-Fattah, cataloging everything that emitted. So far, in Captain Abdul-Fattah's eyes, it was all going as planned, and hopefully, they would get by without incident, especially with them being far out of sight of radar or fighter coverage. Though, if any allied aircraft were detected, his plane might be at risk also, so he quietly prayed for everyone to be safe.

Jingzu Airport, Chozai

The Riysian diplomat waited at the airport, briefcase in hand, having just been dropped off by a VIP transport. Reportedly, the delegation he was supposed to meet with would be here shortly, so he took the remaining time to fine-tune his appearance while he waited.

[Chozai]

Silver Air Corps Control and Reporting Center, Northeast

"Sir, I have an unidentified contact."

Tongjun Lian Bo walked over to the console and peered at the screen. There, about a hundred miles from the station, a small dot was moving across the landscape.

"No flights scheduled there?"

"No, sir."

Bo furrowed his brow. It was highly unusual for an aircraft to come this near to Chozai's borders, although, given the tensions internationally, it wasn't entirely unexpected.

"Commit a detail from LF1 to intercept." It was good fortune, he supposed, that the 1st Lion Fleet was operating in the area. The CNV Tianshi was the Red Navy's premier aircraft carrier, and had an array of planes suitable for interception.

"Yes sir, we'll contact the Lion Fleet." The man at the console typed out a message and sent it. Seconds later, the computer began unencrypting the reply, and displaying the message on screen.

ZHA LI REQUEST LIAN BO / GO SECURE

Bo walked quickly over to a grey phone nearby and picked it up.

"Connect me with the bridge of Tianshi, go secure." A click from the operator and a voice began speaking on the other end.

"Tongjun? This is Admiral Zha Li of the CNV Tianshi, LF1. We understand you've got an unresponsive contact?"

"It's just unidentified, we've not tried to contact it. It's not parroting, though, so it's probably not civilian. Not at those altitudes anyway."

"I see. We've just started picking him up on the radar, but he's not at threat proximity yet. We can't get a jet in the air until he closes a little."

"I understand, but you only need to intercept, you're not looking to engage. The jet doesn't have to pursue, just drive him off."

"I get that, but what I was suggesting was that he's not in our jet's range yet, but the Zhao-hai-yi broke off from the fleet a while ago in pursuit of an unknown. They have activated stealth zero-comms protocol, so I don't know if they'll be spotted, but they're closing on the contact. I got a confirmation that the contact was in missile range about a minute ago. We could shoot this bird down now, assuming it's not friendly."

"I'm not ready to make that assumption, but it's your fleet. I will tell you that I'm more comfortable getting a visual confirmation from a pilot because it's all of our asses on the line if it's civilian. Also, if it's foreign, we don't know what the White City would feel about it, given tensions with SACTO."

"Are you suggesting it's a SACTO aircraft?"

"It very well could be, they have a motive to be interested in the area. All I'm saying is check with the capital before making any rash decisions. In the meantime, I'd support scrambling fighters to intercept."

"I see. Thank you, tongjun."

"Happy to, admiral." Liang Bo hung up the phone. He turned to the nearby comms officer. "Get me naval intelligence and alert the capital that we have unidentified contacts closing on the 1st Lion Fleet."

---

CNV Tianshi
1st Lion Fleet
Somewhere off the northeastern Chozai coastline

"All hands, prepare for high stress maneuver. All hands, prepare for high stress maneuver." The announcement rang out over the flight deck as the ship began to cut a sharp turn into the wind. She was too big to tip substantially, but one would have a hard time convincing the flight crews of that. To them, it seemed that the entire earth was moving beneath their feet. And quickly.

Sitting by one of the fueled up Falcon Interceptors, Han Li looked over at his friend sitting nearby.

"Ten seconds till they make the announcement," he said with a smile.

"It's not going to be us, Li," the young pilot replied.

"Chao Liko, how did you get anywhere with an attitude like that?" Li asked jokingly. His fiend laughed.

"It's never us." They fell silent as they listened for the loudspeaker. Despite his pessimism, Liko was hopeful.

"Scramble Element 2, scramble Element 2. Falcons 5, 6, 7 prepare for launch." The announcement was met with silence at first, before Li stood up and cheered.

"Hell yeah! 'It's never us', Liko? What do you call that?"

"I call that fifteen seconds, you were still wrong," Liko responded with a smile on his face, zipping up his flightsuit. He picked up the helmet and HUD module next to him and climbed up the ladder into the Falcon. Off to his right, he saw that one of the Sishen UCAVs was already prepping for takeoff. He raised his eyebrows. Most pilots on the carrier had never worked with the new drones, but they were said to be capable allies. He watched as its sleek black form cut suddenly across the deck and into the air. It took much less runway that a Falcon would have.

"Wake up, Liko," Li said, knocking on the cockpit glass. "You need to switch comms on." Liko complied and gave a thumbs up as he secured his helmet.

As the visor closed, Liko's vision was augmented by several holographic displays. The other planes in Element 2 were already glowing blue, and the ships in the fleet around them were similarly highlighted. Diagnostics and GPS info spread over the left part of his view while weapons information was fed into the right. The deck crew began to steer the aircraft into position.

"This is Griffin 5 actual," he said over the comms. "You boys all ready?" Two quick notifications of assent and he continued. "Mission data is online if you want to take a look guys." As he spoke, he scrolled through the text on his visor, reading the highlighted parts. "Remember, hold fire unless direct order to engage is given, and keep well clear of the aircraft. Our mission is to get visual confirmation and to identify the target only."

As he spoke, a flight deck crew member waved to him. He gave a thumbs up in response and engaged the JBDs. He saw flight crew checking the aircraft around him, and double-checking the tow bar. When he was ready to take off, they gave Liko the all clear.

"The shooter's all clear," a voice said over his comms. "Prepare for launch."

Liko looked over to the nearby flight deck crew officer. The man raised his hand and spun it around, the signal for launch. Suddenly, Liko's Falcon's engines roared to life, accelerating the jet swiftly along the deck. As he cleared the end of the runway he pulled up and began to ascend.

Liko's jet was soon at altitude and he took a moment to look around. The fleet was spread out below him, thirty nine of Chozai's most impressive weapons. Suddenly, he noticed movement over his right wing. He looked over quickly, and saw the Sishen just a hundred meters away. It was close enough that he could get a good look at the thing.

The sishen were infamous in the Air Corps, but relatively new for the Navy. Considered the property of the Juntong, Chozai's secret police, the operators were located in the capital hundreds of miles away. The jet black form that he now observed was shaped like a flattened bullet, with smooth curves over its fuselage. Where there would normally be cockpit glass there was instead an engine intake valve. It was sinister. On the side of the UAV was the red seal of the Juntong, and the words "Imperial Cultural Authority". It wasn't military, but it was still deadly. Under that smooth exterior, he knew, was a wide selection of missiles and bombs. There were no guns, but then again the sishen didn't need them. It was never in the area for long enough to engage.

As if to reinforce this point, the drone peeled away. Liko saw the glossy black sensor dome on the bottom, peering back at him like a spider's eye.

"Griffin 5 actual, we're in the air," came the sudden communication from the rest of Liko's element, jolting him out of his reflection.

"Roger," he said, "Form up and ascend to angel thirty. Let's find out who this son of a bitch is..."

[Aeyariss]

Archangel,
Imperial Capital City of the Aeyariss Empire

The Crown Princess's red hot BMW i8 sped through the specialised lane on the autobahn at full speed, ignoring the traffic jam caused by the afternoon lunch hour on the other four lanes to its right, an act which no doubt will drew curses and admiration from the normal civilians traffic still stuck in the traffic jam. Not far from behind, four more similar but black colored i8s tailed as fast as they can. These belonged to the Imperial Guards protective details assigned to protect the 20 years old Crown Princess, which had been causing all sort of nightmare to the detail trying to catch up with her antics.

"Drive! We're losing her." Commander Natalia, the chief on Princess Rena Sayers protection detail, screamed into her radio set. Those luxury cars were speeding at more than 150km/h during that afternoon and the Crown Princess is practically alone at this time. If something untoward is to happened to her at this moment, well, safe to say her head will roll too. Fortunately about 5 minutes later, the high speed chase came to an end and the whole convoy reached to their destination; Black Rose. The Central Military Commission HQ.

"Look what did I tell ya, a normal 20 minutes trip from the Palace to Black Rose only took seven minutes. Besides we save cost by not flying the helo too." Rena sayers said cheerfully at her much annoyed commander who is trying her best to mask her feelings.

"You are right, Princess. However, I must protest this reckless behaviour. You can't go outside without any protective details, and you can't just abandon the ones I assigned to guard you."

Crown Princess Rena Sayers turned and started walking, signalling them by hand to follow her into the complex. The complex guards, Imperial Marines in full dress uniform, led by a Sergeant bellowed to the entire compound.

"Platoon! Present arms!" they were standing at rigid attention when she passed.

"Carry on, Sergeant."

"Yes, Your Highness. Platoon, attention!" and the guards went back to their rigid watchful pose.

Inside, the soldiers and staff on the lobby looked straight at her. There were some whispering, and some amazed gaze from the rest of the male soldiers, enlisted and officers alike.

"It's the Crown Princess."

"She looks so pretty in person."

"My, what is she doing in a common place like this?"

And so they all said. Walking directly to the receptionist table. the two female airmen stood up straight and saluted.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness. How can we be of service today, My Princess?"

"I have an appointment with my cousin, Duchess Amelia Armstrong."

"Your Highness, Lieutenant General Armstrong is at the battle room in Floor 13."

"Good," she motioned to her detail. 'Let's go."

The 13th floor was in fact a large auditorium when she opened both the twin gate door with her own hand (her detail which was supposed to helped her never did get a chance to go ahead to their protectee) and saw several high rankings officials and military commander convening around a large round table at the center. Maps, and lots of giant monitors planted on the wall had practically replaced the wall paper.

"Cousin!" She greeted cheerfully.

"Rena? What are you doing here?" Lieutenant General Amelia "Vamphyr" Armstrong, Commander of the 7th Joint Task Force Legion, the woman in charge of the overall Aeyariss military action against Chozai said somewhat perplexed. The other 3 stars officer looked at each other too.

"I came to see you plan the intervention in Chozai. Well considering how you are going to brief it to me and brother after it is done."

"Don't you have other state duties to performed?"

"Oh, don't bother with those. I've done all the work assigned for the morning. Then I came here. So what do we have now?"

"We'll we're just about done studying the ground which we will be fighting. So far Aeyariss contingent will spearhead SACTO ground troops once our other allies secured us a beach head and air port so we can set up a staging ground. Then we will airlift the initial boots to the ground via the air force strategic lift command and sailed the rest of the heavier bulk of equipment where they will arrive in about 15 days."

"What is our strategic aim for this one?"

"Well, since you did asked them to disband and they refuse, we shall have to intervene militarily, conduct regime change and in the end of the day we shall have an Aeyariss friendly or neutral third party rising to power to disband the so called League of Expansionist imperialistic and militarist stance. After that we shall go home. Or stay indefinitely to turn that country into SACTO client/protectorate."

"Well I've always wanted to add another title to my names, Crown Princess of Aeyariss and Chozai. Will you assist me?"

Duchess Amelia Armstrong laughed, only to see that Rena is serious by the way she gazed into her eyes.

"Once we have won, then I'll see what I can do."

"Good, so how much force do you think is enough to level Chozai to the ground?"

[New Roma Republic]

Situation Room, Imperial Palace, New Rome, Italia Province, New Roma Republic
The room was brightly lighted. The television screens on the walls were all turned on; each displayed a different thing. The main screen at facing the head of the table displayed a satellite image of the nation of Chozai taken a few hours earlier when a spy satellite flew over it. On another screen a CNN report was playing about the aggressive rhetoric or Chozai and their LEX alliance. The statement from LEX proclaiming hostilities against SACTO was shown on the screen directly opposite the one with the CNN report.

The Caesar sat at the head of the table. The Speaker of the Senate, Agrippa Lucius, sat at the his right hand. Grand Praetor Ferdinand Umbar, the Director of the New Roman Intelligence Agency, was briefing the room on the current situation: "As far as we know, there has been little military force actually used. No doubt SACTO is working out an attack plan. It seems that even though Chozai is focus of tensions, there is in fact 1 other nation in the LEX organisation."

"Now, this LEX organisation declared war only on SACTO and no one else, correct? Neither the IFC, nor the Monarchist Federation has been threatened, correct?" asked Minister of Foreign Affairs Consul Petrus Caecilius.

"Correct" confirmed Umbar.

"Then why are we discussing this? If there is no direct threat to us, why are we here?" asked Chief of Staff Air Chief Praetor Mickey Johnson.

The Caesar spoke up "This may be a perfect time for expansion. Our Empire is ripe for expansion."

"Isn't it a bit ironic that we are expanding at the expense of an Expansionist Organization?" asked Petrus.

"Well, if you put it like that..."

"With all this arguing aside, you can't do anything without Senate approval" interrupted Agrippa. "Now I can promise the votes of at least half the Senate for. However, these are the Praetorian Consuls. The civilian Consuls may be a bit more less aggressive. I will make it a vote first thing during tomorrow's session."

"A vote for a pointless war? What have we come to? Are we to follow the path of the Totalitarians that ruled this continent during the 30's and 40's?" asked Petrus, who was getting flustered. The accusation stung the Caesar. He did not want to have his nation be a dictatorship.

"Petrus, we are spreading democracy. Remember my Party's ideals: Unite the world under one flag; a great democracy" replied the Caesar.

"Idealistic bastard" murmured Petrus. "Fine. I don't feel like fighting about this again. Have your damn vote. I'm done here." He stood up, slammed the lid of his laptop closed, and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. An uncomfortable silence enveloped the room. After a few minutes, Johnson said "I'll draw up battle plans, and have them on your desk by 1000 tomorrow."

"I will assist Mickey in drawing up the plans" added Umbar.

"Good. You are all dismissed." The Caesar's voice was full of stress. The others looked at him with concern as they filed out the door.

[Organized States]

EP-8A, 34,000 feet of the Coast of Chozai

"We've got company! Three bogies closing fast!" White said urgently as her radar screen began to show three, small and fast contacts on them. The 737 sure as hell wasn't going to outrun them.

"I don't think your batting worked." said Nordsen as he began to power down his console to prepare for the possible order to begin destroying all of the classified material and equipment aboard. It was standard protocol in case of the possibility that the aircraft would be downed, raising the possibility of a compromisation of the systems aboard.

"Get someone on the horn." Jones said to Majikowski as he began to pull open the GPS coordinates on the cockpit panel.

"All stations this net, this is Noble One-One. Requesting immediate assistance, 3 unidentified contacts bearing two four East, possible hostile intent and closing fast." Majikowski said into his headset on multiple channels, connected to the Iridium NEXT network, a satellite constellation of 98 communications satellites developed by Iridium Communications. The system, used extensively by the OS Department of Defense.

After a short pause, "Noble One-One, this is Goose Actual, operating off of the Saratoga. We read you. Standby." came the reply from the airboss aboard the E-2D Hawkeye operating off of the OSS Saratoga CVN-88, a Liberty-class Supercarrier, from the OS Navy's Seventh Fleet. The Saratoga and the rest of Carrier Strike Group 7, a group of Guided Missile Destroyers and Cruisers, usually made usual patrols out of OS Navy Fleet Activities Yokosuka in Tokyo Bay. The Saratoga, being the only forward deployed carrier in the entire OS Navy, had her work cut out for her, and the job of deterring any possible action in Asia was becoming more and more difficult. COMPACFLT had recently dispatched the OSS Yorktown CVN-87, and Carrier Strike Group 9 from San Diego to OS Navy Fleet Activities Saesbo in Kyushu.


CIC
OSS Saratoga, CVN-88

"Sir, we've got one of our E-2s reporting that a P-8's in need of assistance. He's being intercepted and requesting assistance." said one of the NCOs operating the TACCOM console of the Combat Information Center, the nerve center of the carrier. Rear Admiral Nathan Adams, walked around the CIC like he owned the place, and he did. Ruling from the digital mapboard section, a massive touchscreen table that displayed the postions of every landmass, aircraft, and ship in relation, detected by the CIC, to the Saratoga. This was a multimillion dollar piece of equipment, one of the many newer features, along with the EMALS and more digitalized equipment that defined the Liberty-class over her predecessors.

"In relation to us?" Adams said, pacing the room around the board. Within a few seconds of his order, the P-8's postion, approximately 242 miles away, displayed on screen, along with a view of the Chozan surface action group, further from their postion, approximately 600 miles away, give or take a few. Three small red arrows appeared nearing the P-8's postion, those were the bogies. "Alright, get me CAG. Too damn with the authorizations." Adams said gruffly, his "eggs" on his blue baseball cap moving downwards on strapped to his belt as he leaned forward over the table.

"Aye, Aye, sir." said one of the Junior officers supervising the CIC, who promptly moved over to the otherside of the room and picked up a phone to the Airboss.

"Call the deck officer, and we'll go to general quaters." said Adams to another junior officer, who moved away to make the call for general quarters.

Squadron Ready Room, VFA-39 Black Cats
OSS Saratoga, CVN-88


The Squadron Ready Room was decorated with 'Cats memorabilia, from paintings of Air Combat scenes all the way back to the World War 2 years up to the more modern engagements that occurred in the Early 2000s, to the Squadron Patch, A Picture of a Cartoon Black Cat carrying a bomb. Not very fearsome when compared to the emblems of groups like the Grim Reapers or the Rattlers, but Tom, as the cat was affectionately known, was a symbol of distinction on one's uniform. The unit had a reputation for making aces, particularly considering how rare that was in the Modern World.

Ensign Adam "Mako" Majikowski was your quintessential fighter pilot. Good-looking, athletic, and intelligent, Mako had a pretty enlarged ego. He had an older brother, David, flying P-8s. How both of the brothers both got Naval Aviation as their MoS struck many people, but Adam believed it. Both of them, despite being siblings, always did everything together. They even went to the Naval Academy together. The only thing that was different was the aircraft. While David got a P-8A, Adam got a Lightning II. The alarm of the General Quarters bell riled everyone out of the Early morning haze as the Flight Lead, Lt Commander. James Mitchell walked into the room.

"Mako, Cheddar, and Geronimo, you're with me. CAG says we're special today. We've got a P-8 out there that needs escort back home. Damn Chois are getting uppity again." said Mitchell loudly to the Ready 4 pilots, the four aircrews on standby for an additional Combat Air Patrol if needed.

"They aren't letting the FAGs fly it?" asked Ensign Logan "Cheddar" Stilton, reffering to the Fighter Attack Guys, also known as Stink Bugs, when in better terms.

"Nah, they know this is too important for those Mud-movers." chimed in LtJG. Edward "Geronimo" Eagleson, known as Geronimo as to refer to his Native American heretige. He didn't mind it, so he kept it.

"Can that shit and bag up. Save it for the air, boys" Mitchell interrupted. The Ready 4 were supposed to be on QRA, not sitting around talking crap about their fellow aviators and at that, the pilots sprang into action. Within a good four minutes, the aircraft on deck were already fueled and loaded, pre-flight external checks completed by the Purple and Red Shirts. The Quick Reaction Alert was pioneered during the 1960s, when Quick Scrambles, something not needed since the days of the Dive Bombers and Kamikazes, became an operational must again. OS Carrier Operations were extremely swift and efficient, almost not affected by the budget cuts post Cold-War. They were the tip of America's spear, and it had appeared that the Decision Makers in Fairford decided to keep it that way. Mako watched as Cheddar's and Gerenimo's F-35Cs rocketed into air, almost simultaneously. The EMALS catapult pushing the aircraft forward before the powerful Pratt and Whitney F-135 engine pushed it into the air, quickly gaining speed. Then, came his turn. His Helmet-mounted display quickly brought up information as he switched it on right before taxiing onto the Cat. A map on his lower left side, targeting details and a crosshair appearing at the center, and his flight data in his upper right corner, displaying his airspeed and altitude, both at zero. He then turned his head to his right to return the Yellow-shirt's salute before being rocketed into the air while forcing his power forward.

"Maverick 2,3, and 4 form up on my Starboard wing and climb to Angels 30. Power at 100% and in the Green."

[Greater Americania]

Greater Americania's Secretary of State Jason Lee had been monitoring the situation as it was developing with Chozai intently. The Federal Republic of Greater Americania was well into the bureaucratic process of joining the SACTO organization while Chozai and its LEX organization declared SACTO to be 'hostile'. The language, while falling short of declaring an all out war, definitely precipitated an impending crisis. It had been several years since Greater Americania had involved itself in an all-out war, and rumors that a quick deployment could be coming raised morale throughout Greater Americania's armed forces.

Discussions had been raised in the government's daily cabinet meetings about how the Federal Republic would handle the issue once admitted. On March 13th, the ink was still fresh on the treaty confirming Greater Americania's accession when key members of the President's cabinet met for last minute talks. President Farley sat on the end of the table, smoking his trademark cigar when Lee raised the issue.

"...which brings us to a recent FSB report on the situation in Chozai. It's confirmed that some of our new allies have been probing that country's airspace after it's declaration that all SACTO members are to be considered 'hostile'. The situation has the potential to escalate rapidly." remarked Lee, flipping through the classified intelligence documents which had been distributed to those present.

"I really can't even believe this little shit country is pulling this crap. Literally, we wouldn't even need allies if we wanted to wipe it off the face of the planet." the President remarked, flicking his cigar over an ash tray.

The few Generals present at the meeting nodded silently.

"Well, it's always the little dogs that bark the loudest until they get punted from the curb to the other side of the street. I'd say this situation presents an opportunity. If we step up now, we can show the SACTO organization our commitment to the alliance. Additionally, if Chozai doesn't step back in line, we may have no choice but to remove their self-determination privileges." smirked Lee. All present knew exactly what he meant. Anschluss.

"I say we go ahead with the plan we discussed earlier. Dispatch three carrier groups to the region near Chozai, but keep them in international waters. That way, if we get attacked, it's self-defense and Chozai will be the one who loses that fight in the end. Also, Lee. I want a State Department statement released to the press declaring our involvement in the region. Scare the shit out of'em." the President declared.

"Yes, sir." nodded Lee. And so the Greater Americanians prepared for what was soon to come.

---

Official Communication of the Greater Americanian State Department
To: the International Community
CC: Members of SACTO, Chozai
From: the Federal Republic of Greater Americania
Subject: Crisis in Chozai
Encryption: None

In response to increasing intolerable aggression from the Kingdom of Chozai against the member states of SACTO, the Federal Republic of Greater Americania hereby announces that it is in firm support of its allies, and will resolutely engage the rogue Kingdom in hostilities should Chozai attack any member of the SACTO alliance. While the Federal Republic does not wish for war, we will not hesitate to stand up to the rogue tyrants of the world who attempt to fight or suppress those nations under the control of patriotic forces, such as our allies in SACTO.

With the approval of the President, the government officially announces that it will deploy three carrier strike groups to the region for the purpose of containing the counter-patriotic forces stationed there within. Any attack on these carrier strike groups, or an attempt to contain or disrupt their activities in international waters will be treated as a declaration of war on the Federal Republic, for which the Federal Republic will respond in kind.

These carrier strike groups will remain within the region until the Federal Republic determines their involvement is no longer necessary. Any escalation of the conflict not only against the Federal Republic, but also against any other member state of the SACTO alliance by the Kingdom of Chozai or any of its LEX allies will be met with a proportionate response by Greater Americania.

Respectfully,

Jason Lee
Secretary of State
Federal Republic of Greater Americania

3 carrier strike groups; Greater Americanian Navy

Carrier strike group composition:
-1 Nimitz-class aircraft carrier
-2 Ticonderoga-class missile cruisers
-3 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
-2 Los Angeles-class submarines
-1 Supply-class logistics ship

[McNernia]

Prime Ministers Office,Bethelford Manor
Griffindon, Mcnernia

The Prime Minister sat in his chair looking out at the gardens of Bethelford Manor. 26 years in the House of Commons with the Libertarian Party and now he was the Prime Minister. Head of His Majesties Government, the entity that Governed the whole Empire from the city of Griffindon in the name of His Royal Majesty Emilionus iv Rex. The man was a good soverign who was noble and good to the people. But well he was a figurehead with some powers of pardoning and such. The Prime Ministers Office was where the real power to make decesions lay and allowed for the Parliament of Mcnernia and the Prime Ministers Office. The Mcnernian Crown was the last appeal but he had the acess to that.

And now what was sitting on his polished desk in front of his computer was a renewal on the six-month SACTO deployment authorization. The Mcnernian Cabinet could order the deployment of up to ten thousand ground troops other other necessary forces. The Navy and the Air Force were the key to making the country safe and well with the internal strife still gripping the nation. Jewish people were considering leaving despite the best efforts of the Security Forces not that he had any special concern beyond well they were a target for terrorism along with the muslim community. The Empire of Chozai was a foreign threat that would have to be exterminated. If it came to that the Empire could deploy biological weapons. He had been breifed on the project just last night, the Defense Office had the rights to do such things. But it was something considered barbaric. Chemical weapons had been in place longer along with the Nuclear arensal. If it came to a slugging match then the Mcnernian Empire would be on top.

He looked over the various plans that had been considered in the process of drafting. The Defense Office had sent these in, various ways that the Empire could strike the Chozai. The Parliament would be breifed in a Special Session. The Mcnernian Crown knew of the business. As usual it was the jov of the Government to deal with the problem. He looked through the paper files. There were plans calling for immeadiate kick in the door with 30 divisions or something. He selected one that called for an assessment of the forces via satlited and then via ELINT plane and submarine so as to get the best picture.

This one he put his stamp and name on and then sent the relevant orders out. So it begins. he thought.

MRAF Dai-Kuong,Kaisong Islands Colony
367 Squadron, ELINT

The big A380M-SEMA was being prepped on the flight line under the watchful eyes of her pliot and technical crew. She was bristiling with sensors and radars. The big four engined airliner was valued for her range and loitering capacity. She would blend into a commercial air traffic lane if she had to. There was always the risk that Chozais forces would engage her. The captian looked across the tarmac to see that a A330MRTT was being prepared along with four F-29A Vipers. A tractor was hauling over a load of AAMs for the things. The flight would be flying in international airspace. The captian a 36 year old RAF Flt Lt by the name of Peter McColland looked over the tablet as he sat in the pilots seat. The waypoints had been transferred to the computer. As with an A380 of the civilian variety the computer could handle much of the flight. With the pilot taking over in the event that there was something that could potentially compromise the safety of the plane.

He looked up at his co-pilot as the man settled himself down next to his superior. The Pilot Officer, 25 year old Cradon graduate Allen Severus looked at the controls. He was a younger man, blond to McCollands brown in terms of hair and thinner of face. They were both of the European stock as the non-Mcnernians called them. Well either you were a Mcnernian, a servant of Emilion IV and HM Government the lawfully elected Government of the Empire or you were not. The PO saluted the Flt Lt.

"Morning sir."

"Moring Pilot Officer, what do you think of the mission."

"Dangerous work sir."

"That is what being in the RAF is all about."

The Flt Lt opened the window looking out at the ground crew spinning his finger to indicate that he was going to start the engines soon. The ground crew disconnected the power and the feuel. The trucks rolled back as the tractor towed the airplane all the way around until she was facing the runway. Then the controller crackled in the ears of the pilots directing them towards the proper ramp out onto the proper runway. Their flight towards the coast of Chozai was marked out before. It would be in international airspace then proceeding into Chozai airspace and then out again. The Mcnernians were some 20 on board. They were technicians of the radars and sensors used by such a plane to detect the emissions of the enemy radars. As they flew out of Kaisong Islands airspace they received an advisory that SACTO ELINT planes were in the area.

"Well that means that we will have some company."

"Good, good. Thanks PO."

The Mcnernian plane was packed with some of the most advanced sensors that were in the Mcnernian arsenal. ASEA radar, infrared sensors. The ability to decrept radio transmissions or to splice into a WiFi network and download data. They did not call these Special Electronic Mission Aircraft for nothing. It was connected into the RAF data network which was connected to the Armed Forces network allowing the information to be moved with seamless effort across the Empire. The A380M-SEMA was quite a key peace of this to gather the proper data on the target. The big plane sped through the skies compeleteing an aerial refueling at the designated point. From here on in pending any need for their escort the plane would be operating alone.

McColland had to be roused to give the order to the crew waiting in the back. "Attention in the techie room, we have reached waypoint 1 of...six, yes I am looking at my tablet folks and it bloody says we have six waypoints and then we can head home." The crew in the back, NCOs and some other junior officers worked to fire up the systems. The radars and the basically in the eyes of many glorified RWR reciever along with the WIFI detector. The plane would work its way throught international airspace.

Wolfpack 234
Approaching Chozai Territorial Waters

Code: Select all

ORBAT:
x2 Lanchev SSN-B
x4 Lanchev SSN-A
x2 Lanchev SSN-C/SSGN

The McNernians were also coming by the depths of the oceans, the Royal Navy group had departed the Kaisongs on a patrol towards Idria and from there a journey towards the homeland. The Commodore in charge of the group, sitting in his cabin looking at the reports. There would be no shore leave for his people yet, they had a job to do. It was going to be a long journey. God willing he would see his family again, they all would. He had cruise missiles on his ship. Not nuclear tipped, none of the ships under his command carried the deadly devices that could ravage a continent and turn it into a smoking wasteland. He had seen the films from the fifties in the Acadamey at Dartson, the Kildiri Islands testing facility was dormant now, the radition from the place a gold mine for scientists. He had seen what bombs could do.

Praise God above that I dont have to fire those.

The cabin was a simple and spartan affair with a bunk, a computer on a desk and a small toilet with the accompanying shower in the next room. The orders on the screen were what was occupying the 48 year old commodores attention. He ran a hand through his peppered blond hair looking at the screen. Basically he was going to be shadowing a fleet. The southern Chozai fleet was the interest and he was the man for the job. He got up and headed out into the hall passing several crew who saluted their commander.

Upon entering into the CIC the duty officer a Lieutenant looked up at the Commodore. Fresh out of Submarine School, Poor SOB he will be going to war. Like every officer he called out the relevant situation. "COMMODORE IN THE CIC." Everyone stopped and snapped to attention looking at the old man. The Commander of this pack of hunters that was going to go up against the Chozai carrier group that was about a day away. He looked around the room at the younger faces. He was quick to give a small smile. He remembered Damoclea and the the operations there. And then the time under the sea looking for the rebel submarines that were never far from launching a cruise missile at the cities of the Homeland.

"At ease, resume your duties, Officer of the watch, advise the group we are moving out. Communications transmit the orders."

"Yes sir."

"Aye Commodore."

And so the second phase of the observation was beginning.

[Valaran]

"Weapons are like money; no one knows the meaning of enough."

For a SACTO member (whatever that entails), the Valaran Empire was rather diffident to the whole crisis with LEX. In the cafes and restaurants of Astaria the crisis had become a joke or minor conversation topic, something to be discussed over strong coffee and sausages by the internationally minded, and largely ignored by the rest (perhaps they preferred to actually eat the food laid in front of them). Everyone knew there would be one, but no one really minded that such an abhorrent event should occur. Why should they? Wars were common and this one would have no effect. The view of SACTO was still that it was a foreign organisation, run by distant lands which the Valarans had little to do with. Memberships was seen as nothing burdensome, but certainly not an obligation; there were simply few ties to the alliance now threatening to invade Chozai and combat LEX. And even the League of Expansionists barely seemed to feature. Its apparent declaration of hostilities included the Empire, yet the reaction to this was largely mild bemusement; something quickly forgotten by dessert. And even the crisis itself seemed a curious thing. There was little in the way of military buildup... or buildup of anything really. Even the war of words, the propaganda that typically accompanied a SACTO operation and bombastically proclaim its ideological superiority over its foes was curiously absent. In short, there was no war. Not yet.

Maybe that could change. A few outnumbered voices spoke out amongst the crowds of diners. Calls for war were unheeded, but they left a lingering hunger for blood. Unfulfilled the hunger would consume more and more. The legions were idle, as were the VRF. All that money, all those war machines, but without a purpose to justify that military funding. They should do something, you know. Satiate the desire.

And after all, hadn't LEX declared hostility against them? Hadn't they a duty as a member of SACTO? Look what happened to those who don't contribute to the alliance, like the Haven. Being expelled would be but an annoyance, but an easily avoidable one. And then the reasons got even less moral - a desire for power, wealth, the riches of war. Conflict could so easily consume a mindset.

Corruption of this sort was cloaked in morality. Anyone could point to the obvious flaws, but a veneer of legitimacy required an unrewarding effort to scrape off and expose the injustice beneath. And no one had either power or the will to do that, especially with the present weakness of the current government. Those dinners occasionally grew a little more heated.

And finally, the hunger found root. Amongst the opposition, who had ever been closer to SACTO, calls for war were met enthusiastically. Lords, general and politicians alike called for action, and the Party of Lord Osteric was only too willing to answer. Pacts were arranged over meals, and slowly, a small, influential group of backers began to lobby for action. They were ignored. These people weren't in power, and the populace was hardly willing to bear the fruits of another conflict. The intellectual elite lashed back against the hawks.

But the potential was still there. And were a spark to catch the fires alight.....

War is insatiable; it devours all.

[Chozai]

I have read the other posts [that I don't respond to directly here], but just can't respond to them yet as I can't see how I would know about them ICly. If you want a direct response from my military or government, feel free to have them reveal themselves in some way. Specifically Mcnernia or Riysia, if either of you want something particular to happen with your recon/sub groups then feel free to discuss it with me via TG. Finally, if anyone wants to participate in the LEX talks in Jingzu, now is the time to have your jet arrive.

---

Somewhere off Chozai's northeastern coast...

"Griffin 5 actual, I have a visual on the target, over." Liko looked around, and saw the speck off in the distance.

"Roger Griffin 7, I see him," he responded. "CNV Tianshi, this is Griffin 5 actual. I have confirmed visual on the unidentified aircraft, we're moving closer to identify and attempt contact."

"Understood, Griffin 5, stay safe, over."

Liko banked his jet and pitched it up, gaining altitude and swooping directly over the unknown aircraft's flight path. His wingman, pilot Hu Chan, pulled to the aircraft's right while Griffin 7 pulled to a position behind the plane.

As he neared the jet, he took a moment to observe it.

"Tianshi, I'm looking at the plane now. It appears to be some sort of modified 737, with American markings, over."

"Roger, Griffin 5. Intel's processing that right now. Is there any sign that the aircraft is responding to your element, over?"

"Negative, Tianshi. It hasn't made any response, but I'm sure they see us. Permission to attempt contact over civilian channels, over?" Liko watched the large jet, which was now around a thousand meters from him. Its course hadn't changed yet but, then again, there probably wasn't much it could do to escape an interceptor element.

"Permission to make contact granted, over."

"Roger, thank you Tianshi." Liko switched his radio over to standard air traffic channels and held down the transmit button. "Unidentified aircraft, this is the Kingdom of Chozai Red Navy. You are approaching sovereign restricted airspace and are required to identify yourself immediately." He looked over and didn't see any response yet, but he was sure there'd be one.

Suddenly, Liko realized something strange. His radar was only picking up four aircraft. The planes of his element were all outlined in blue on his visor while the unidentified aircraft was marked with yellow.

'Where's the sishen?' Liko wondered. He glanced around again. He switched back to military channels.

"Tianshi, can I get a status on our drone? I'm not seeing it anywhere on my sensors, over," he said, brow slightly furrowed.

"Roger, Griffin 5, we're looking into it. Maintain current objective, over," came the cryptic reply.

"Understood, over." Not wanting to focus on the drone problem, Liko repeated his message to the unidentified aircraft in hopes of a reply.

---

Jingzu International Airport

Li looked out the window. As the secretary general's car pulled into the airport, he could see the foreign jet. Eerily enough, it was the only plane on the tarmac.

"We didn't know how many of them would come," Tsong-fa said suddenly, guessing Li's thoughts, "so we just asked them to redirect flights to Nanjie for today. Obviously, we had expected more than one nation's representatives."

"I see," Li replied, somewhat concerned that LEX hadn't even known how many dignitaries would show up. Then again, he didn't think it likely that LEX and SACTO had a very open dialogue. Thus the talks. "What will we speak to them about?"

"You," Tsong-fa answered, "will speak to them about nothing. I, on the other hand, will be discussing a variety of issues. Remember, you are only attending this meeting to convey goodwill on the part of Chozai. I don't want any substance beyond diplomatic formalities from you, do you understand?"

"Yes, I do, but I have been given full authority on this matter. I also don't report to you, Mr. Secretary General," Li said, somewhat perturbed at the man's suddenly patronizing tone.

"You're in my car headed to my meeting in my headquarters. You will report to me." They were silent for the short remainder of the ride.

Soon enough, their car pulled up in front of the government terminal. They stepped inside, waved through by several armed security guards. Soon, Li and the secretary general were stepping into the room face to face with the Riysian delegation.

"Greetings," Tsong-fa said, as he entered. "I assume you are the SACTO delegation? My name is Fa Tsong. I am LEX's secretary general. I apologize if I have kept you waiting, but Jingzu is infamous for its traffic." He held out his hand to shake, a western custom that he despised but still found useful in dealing with foreigners. Even a small gesture such as that had the potential to influence talks in a big way. If there was one thing that Tsong-fa had learned in his years of civil service, it was that diplomacy often held more hidden dangers than the fiercest war.

[Riysa]

600 km off the northeastern shoreline of Chozai
10,000 m altitude

A second plane flew at the opposite end of the nation of Chozai, monitoring emissions from its own end while remaining, like its cousin, completely silent. Much like the other plane, it was pretty calm, except for a discrepancy.

"I'm detecting four new contacts. Confirm?" An operator said over the intercom.
"Confirmed." Was the chorus of replies.
"I'm matching comms waveforms, peaks in the 1 GHz range. UHF comms and datalinks, it appears." One operator said.
"Confirmed. We're recording. Definitely aircraft, then?"
"Yes."
"Keep an eye on what they do." The commander replied to the rising amount of chatter over the intercom. Now, there wasn't much of a reason to scramble aircraft like that unless the Chozians had detected a hostile craft...of which there were several in the area. This Da-28IE wasn't close enough to be detected by the fleet, but the American EP-8A was definitely close enough to be spotted, and if it was intercepted, then the Da-28IE would be at risk for detection.

Several minutes of waiting confirmed their suspicions - the American EP-8A was being chased by the Chozian aircraft, running away from its original position towards more friendly airspace. They hadn't detected them yet - they were a bit too far away for radar and the enemy planes were occupied with the EP-8A - but they were definitely too close for comfort. With this in mind, the commander ordered the plane to fall back to Kaifong...and prayed that they would be able to slip by without being detected.

[Organized States]

OOC: Mandatory Music

F-24A Yellow Rose of San Antonio 145 miles Southwest of the P-8A

The two F-24As of Maverick Flight moved into position, having been launched to relieve the set of F-35Cs that had been orginally dispatched to provide the P-8 with cover to leave the area. The F-35Cs were still on station, however, holding steady to assist if needed, and it appeared according to their radio calls that they were being lit up by enemy radars. The F-24A Flight seemed to have that going for it at the moment, despite being farther away. Lieutenant Peter "Rabbit" Mitchell took a deep breath through his oxygen mask as he lit up the F-24's Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 AESA radar, one of the pinnacles of design that made up the cornerstone of the F-24A's design and combat effectiveness. The American Aerospace F-24A Bobcat was the newest aircraft in the venerable Cat series of fighters for the OS Navy. Designed by a consortium of American Defense Contractors (specifically Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and North American) for the Naval Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF) program in the late 1990s, it remained a heavily classified secret until it's public debut in 2006 at the Paris Air Show, surprising the world and showing that the Organized States had developed a brand-new fighter, almost totally in secret. The Bobcat as it had been called, quickly gained fame along with the Northrop Grumman A-12A Avenger II, the Navy's newest mudmover. The F-24A quickly replaced the remaining F-14D Tomcats of Top Gun fame within the fleet, before soon becoming a movie star in the sequel to the critically acclaimed 1986 movie. The F-24A's cockpit was highly advanced, integrating 21st Century datalinks and sensor fusion, allowing for increased situational awareness in the cockpit in combination with the Thales Visionix Scorpion Helmet Mounted-Display.

"Maverick Lead, you're cleared to engage the bandits pegging Noble's fun meter. Do not fire unless engaged. I repeat, do not fire unless engaged." Goose's airboss said over the radio.

"Alright Duck, let's go to Zone 3 on these Gomers while we still have the drop on them." Mitchell said into his oxygen mask, also containing his radio, before taking a deep breath.

"Roger that, lead." replied Lieutenant Junior Grade Donald "Duck" Wilson, Mitchell's wingman. He had gained the nickname for quite obvious reasons, but took a liking to the orginally teasing nickname and christened his Bobcat as the "Lucky Ducky".

Mitchell looked down towards his panoramic cockpit display, a large touchscreen display that replaced most of the previous cockpit instruments, and armed two AIM-120D AMRAAMs as his wingman did the same arming two of the 8 AIM-120Ds carried by the F-24A. The Bobcat carried a significant weapons payload, containing two AIM-9X Sidewinders, a single GAU-22/A 25mm cannon, and of course, the 8 AIM-120s. Mitchell activated the Direct Voice input, before targeting two of the Chozan fighters with his voice commands, a feature not unlike the ones found on modern cell phones, albeit far more accurate.

The EP-8A, off the coast of Chozai

The EP-8A began to veer towards the F-35Cs, in an attempt to get away from the Chozan fighters now following it. Ensign White braced herself against her seat as the Boeing 737 banked sharply to the southwest. The two CFM International F108 engines pushing the aircraft forward with their 27,000lbs of thrust each, propelling the light-grey aircraft away from the Chozan fighters. The move was erratic, sure, but not threatening in any sort of manner. The defensive manuever now put it towards the Carrier Strike Group and back towards it's home base at Atsugi.