”I’m still learning the ins and outs of flying in real combat outside of the simulator, but I have faith in my fellow pilots. Breaking my leg came as a bit of a blow and prevented me from flying with them, but now I am free to join them in the skies… providing I don’t look down too often.”
Lucky considered the two, rather surprised to see Chance walk in so soon but all the more happy to have his number three back in action. If command didn't let him fly, he wouldn't be here. Each pair of eyes in the sky were eyes he could use.
"Fair enough."
He pointed to the grid's west and east lines.
"Edylla will be coming from the east across the sea along what for us is vector 080 degrees. Given that the expected enemy forces consist of approximately four fighter squadrons and three high density bomber squadrons of no fewer than seven bombers each, I think we should make our priority the bombers. Remember that the Royal Dragon Squadron will be spearheading our defense in the air, and they'll make quick work of any fighter squadrons that come our way. Our Battleship will bring some serious anti-air capabilities out in front, giving us time to get behind the bombers and take them out before they reach the base. So long as it remains in one piece by the time the enemy either retreats or is defeated outright, then we've done our job."
He then pointed to the picture of the base, a satellite image from directly overhead showing everything within two miles of the structure.
"The base lies in the middle of the water, and was built over a defunct oil drilling facility. The holes used for the mining of oil were filled and the overall structure turned into a glorified storage unit for our supplies. The biggest danger to this facility doesn't lie from the air, but in fact the sea. Enemy ships and submarines are the greatest threat, as this structure lies out in the middle of the ocean supported only by five giant pillars that extend to the sea floor. If two or more pillars go down, that structure collapses and sends our supply base to the bottom of the ocean."
"So how do we defend that?" Kasumi asked.
"We don't. We stay focused on the air. Along with our 'Invincible Fortress' battleship is Yllior's most famous submarine, the 'Mirage.' Never touched underwater and boasting some of the most advanced anti-sonar metal coating and stealth technologies in existence. If that thing can't protect the pillars for us, then nothing can. One way or the other, our priority in the air are the bombers."
"So what's the plan for them?" Kasumi asked.
"We're going with a slightly modified version of Phoenix's plan. We're being deployed at 0800 hours tomorrow morning, and once we're in the air we're going to fly low beneath radar range and curve southward along vector 140 degrees which will lead us to about here," he said, pointing to the grid map about four miles south of the battle space.
"Once we're in position, we'll head northward along vector 050 degrees northeast, coming in behind the bombers as they approach the airspace. Once we reach the battle zone, we'll ascend to proper altitude and take the bombers out, hopefully before the fighter escorts figure out what we're doing. If we can drop even one full squadron of bombers, the base will breath a sigh of relief. But we have no fewer than three bomber squadrons to deal with, each one being about seven strong. It won't be easy to pull this off, but it's our best bet for doing our part to protect the base."
He looked up, glancing to Chance and Phoenix in turn.
"I don't want to sound negative, but you both need to remember that we're not the heart and soul of the defense effort. Both Chance and Angel hold the least amount of experience in the air by comparison to Phoenix or myself. Phoenix has more flight time than you two, but I hold more flight time than all three of you combined. As a Captain, it's my job to get you back home alive and to prepare you to possibly become flight leads yourselves."
He looked at Chance.
"I like your enthusiasm Chance, but thinking like the way you did is what gets people killed. In a battle of this scale, splitting a squadron of only four pilots up, two of whom are still considered rookies, to take care of individual tasks is suicide. If I gave the order to split up, I doubt any of us would return home alive."
He looked to Phoenix next.
"Doing what nobody expects is not a bad idea when you have the numbers and the equipment to pull it off, but even then such dangerous though creative maneuvers are best done in moderation. I've known the Royal Dragon Squadron for about five years now, and I though they all fly F-22's, I've never heard of them going out of their way to think outside the box. In our case, with only two F-5E's and two F-16's, our Squadron is hardly equipped to be trying to go that extra mile just to play our part in a defense mission. A lead pilot needs to think of the big picture and not just of what's immediately in front of them. Remember that there's an aftermath to think of as well, not just what the best immediate solution to a problem
might be."
He looked over at Kasumi.
"Angel, I'm a bit concerned about your lack of participation in throwing out ideas. Though Chance and Phoenix's ideas both carried flaws, at least they gave something to this meeting. A future flight lead needs to be able to think on their feet and come up with ideas and suggestions on the fly, as keeping your mind working and challenging the knowledge of those around you is one of the best ways to learn and grow. If they can't do that, then they're not fit to lead. They're fit to follow. I doubt you have it in mind to just be a number two forever, do you?"
Kasumi slowly averted her eyes.
"I didn't think so. Don't be a permanent follower alright."
She nodded, still not looking at him.
He looked back to the other two.
"Alright then. Tomorrow at 0800 our asses are in our planes and we'll be taxiing to the runway to begin the mission. We're going to fly in a simple horizontal line formation so we're all on an even plane and within eyesight of each other. If your peripherals catch anyone wandering, call it out to them so they can get back on track. Our altitude is going to be very low, and your "pull up" alarm will be going off nearly the entire way until we get to the battle space. It's going to be annoying and distracting, but you have to push through it to reach the battle space safely."
Kasumi nodded.
"Alright then. Go to your quarters and get some rest. We've only got about ten hours until mission time."
With that, he put everything in the folder and walked out, letting everyone leave to find their quarters to rest. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.