Jax: "Little Bird, I'll run you through the fighting tactic me and boss use. Sakura's basically a direct upgrade to Barrage so you can pull it off as well. I'll spearhead the assault. You sit behind me as I decoy their missiles and break their lines. After they begin to scatter, pick them off as you see fit. I'll do the same from inside to furball. Understood?"
Clover: "Un... Understood!.."
Jax: "Good, fall into position, Bandits insight."
I watch the clear blue sky as the dotted black line crests the horizon. I count the formations. 5 groups of 4, just as our bases radar counted. I notice the line grow bolder as each of the planes seemingly split into three. Seems this won't be as fast of a mission as I hoped.
Jax: "Little Bird listen up. we are the last line of defense between base Yurei and its destruction. We can't allow a single one of those bastards past us got it? Engage the very second you are in Sakura's kill range. Stall them for every second you can. And don't you dare go down on your first mission."
Clover: "R-... Right!"
Jax: "That's the spirit! Phantom Spirit moving to intercept. Stage 5"
Spirit's engines howl, seemingly calling for the enemy as the bright shock diamonds illuminate the cockpit. That's right... If even a single one of these strike aircraft squeezes by us, base Yurei will sustain damages we can't afford to take. I can't let even one through! Streaks of white clouds fill the sky as Spirit's warning signals begin to whale. I break away from Clover, making sure the missiles are tracking me. I call out for stage two, activating my cloak as I leave chaff pods in my wake. as the missiles harmlessly pass, I disable the cloak, re-engaging stage 5 as I draw in closer. Forcing them to ignore the Royal Sakura. Once again they send more missiles towards me. And once again I evade them effortlessly until we clash face to face. I break through the dozens of aircraft, evading their creeping bloodlust. Only a handful of them shot at me? Many more had angles to fire but choose not to? No matter, they'll regret not even making an attempt to bring me down.
As planned the fight evolves into a furball as the strike fighters move to deal with the single pest. What are American F-15's doing out here? I notice a single formation continue on their path, ignoring me. I can't break away from this furball and deal with them at the same time!
Clover: "Jax, break away!.. Fox-4!.."
Fox-4?.. What does that designate? Wait... I look to where the Sakura was to be positioned. And as expected, Dozens of smoke clouds are blazing towards the furball. That idiot! Did she forget Sakura's radar cant distinguish me from this many target locks!? I cry out for my cloak as I slink away from the furball. The missiles hiss past me as a little over three-fourths of the American F-15's burst into flames. Their burning wreckage falls around me in a rain of fire and ash. I release my cloak, re-engaging the enemies once more. Some of the Surviving F-15's flickered as they began to fall out of the sky, revealing a drone in its place. Mirages!? What the hell are they doing in the American military's hands!?
Clover: "Weapons dry, RTB."
2 of the remaining F-15s disregard me, instead moving to engage Sakura. The remaining 13, kept me busy, rejecting any opportunity for me to support Sakura. Damn it! Even if over half of these are Mirages, I can't afford to ignore them until I find the actual F-15's. I begin my assault, lining my crosshair on one of the F-15's. with a click, a red beam saws the fake in two, sending it to the earth, not it... I keep a close eye on Sakura as I rip another two fake to pieces. Damn it! Where the actual F-15s. A white trail of smoke emerges from one of Sakura's aggressors. Sakura breaks, dropping flares in her trail. The missile confused by the sudden choices, goes for one of the decoys.
They still had Fox-2s? They send another one, once again being fooled by Sakura's counters. Fed up by the missile's incompetents, the F-15s close the distance on the now slowed Sakura. Sakura dips and dives, attempting anything to break her distant relatives from her six. I align my crosshair with another 5 F-15s, again watching as they burn to the floor. One of the F-15s burst into flames as a wing gets shredding from its fuselage. Final! A kill! 5 more to go. Clover's inexperience begins to shine through as she begins to climb into the sky. Sakura's slow speed rendering the attempt a death trap against even the strongest of aircrafts.
Jax: "Clover abort that climb!"
Clover: "I'm trying!"
Sakura's stalled nose remains pointed sky high as a missile flies from one of the F-15's. Unable to do anything, the vulnerable stalling Sakura simply hovers in place as the unavoidable missile creeps on to its guaranteed kill. Damn it!
A ring appears behind Sakura as the missile flies into it. The missile re-appears behind its sender, blowing its owner to dust.
Diana: "Violet Vertex entering the AO. Fox-2"
Another cloud of smoke emerges from the sidelines, smacking dead center of the second F-15. Safe from danger, the stalled Sakura meekly returns its nose to the horizon as it regains its lost speed.
Diana: "Splash 2 F-15's."
Jax: "Vertex!? What took you so goddamn long!?"
Diana: "Sheesh, I'm absent from the battlefield for 5 seconds, and Little Bird over here almost takes a missile up the ass."
Firing off another 3 missiles into my furball she destroys 2 Mirages and one F-15. four remaining.
Diana: "Mirages? What are they doing here?"
Vertex strafes past us as her 27MM rips another Mirage to dust. with a single tap of the trigger, I quickly sent the remaining F-15 spiraling to the ground in a fiery tornado.
Jax: "That's the last of them. Mission complete."
We all fall into formation, me being the arrowhead. Clover alines on my left and Diana takes the open space on my right.
Diana: "What was going on with those Mirages? How did those F-15s get them."
Jax: "I don't know Vertex..."
Diana: "Wait... We haven't seen Nick in a few weeks now... COULD HE HAVE BE-"
Jax: "We don't know that! Nick's probably fine... For now, we need to get back to base and report what happened here. Mirage's in enemy hands is too important to be ignored..."
Diana: "Right... You there, little bird. What was that about? Trying to go for such a low-speed climb like that. If anyone but me came when I did you'd be gone."
Clover: "I know..."
Diana: "Couldn't you have just outranged them? Instead, you turn tail and run? Isn't the Royal Sakura is supposed to be the best Aerocord we have? But I guess even something so capable cant fix a cocky idiot huh?"
Clover: "I-... Had no more-... Missiles..."
Diana: "So? That gun on Sakura works doesn't it? Couldn't you outmaneuver and shot them down? How do you even run out of missiles on that thing? It's filled to the brim! Were you just firing them out whenever, thinking they'd just hit magically? This girl, acting so cute and innocent. Making excuses so a prince will come and save her. Don't you get it? This isn't high school, this is a warzone. If you don't get your act together, you'll either be a deadweight hindrance to the rest of us or even get yourself ki-"
Jax: "Diana, shut. up. Already."
Diana: "But Ja-"
Jax: "I said, shut up. Clover had no ammo or munitions today due to her training all morning with me. She couldn't outrun them either due to the fact they had missiles themselves and forced her to fight back. At the end, she made a mistake and over-estimated Sakura's performance, cut her some slack. You too had to be saved a couple of times when learning Vertex."
Clover: "It's fine Jax, I know I'm weak right now. I'll get better."
Jax: "It's fine, I'll do my best to train you into a better pilot than me or even Boss. After all, it's your first mission. Single-handedly reducing over half the bandits."
I can almost feel Diana's eyes roll in the back of my head as spits out her snarky comment.
Diana: "... And the prince comes to save the princess in distress. How romantic..."
My nerves finally snap as I yank back on the stick. I break formation as the two of them remain on their heading. I roll back over, falling right behind Vertex as I align my sight.
Jax: "I said. Shut. Up."
Diana: "Oh? So now who's playing rough?"
A wormhole opens between us. I look over my shoulder, and as expected, another sits behind me. I'm NOT interested in playing your little games. I close the gap, shoving Spirit's nose through the wormhole before slinking back again. The wormhole collapses on itself as my nose exits the opening revealing vertex in place.
Jax: "I've just about had enough of your tricks today Diana. I'm not in much of a laughing mood. Shut. It."
Calming my pulsing anger, I slide back between Sakura and Vertex, regaining flight lead. I let out a final sigh, distinguishing the rest of my rage. I notice my tight grip on the joystick, my finger rested firmly on the trigger. I lax my grip, sliding my finger underneath the hair-trigger. The rubber grip puffs back out to meet my relaxed hand. Taking the hint, Diana finally backs down, sulking in her seat.
Diana: "Fine..."