Ace Combat: Guardian Knight

[Draruto]

Rayden gradually drew back his speed as something pinged off the subconscious radar in his mind. Putting his head on a constant swivel, searched for the cause of his increased awareness. "Nothing. It wouldn't ping if ther........" he trailed off while diving suddenly. Glancing back to see the trail of an advanced long range air to air missile; Rayden heard one thing that he never wanted to hear.

"Thought you could evade forever, didn't ya Guardian Knight? Well ya were wrong. Dread Reaper flight, engage the Guardian Knight and his spare, big boss will triple pay for whoever takes him down."

"DAMN IT!" he snarled as a flight of five predatory schemed Su-37 Terminators broke through the clouds. 'So much for getting back undetected.' he added silently while arming his weapons. "Kobar lead, looks like Terminators came get our heads. Lets make this a stern chase, stay within earshot and don't get blown out." Rayden radioed. Charging towards the Su-37s, he rolled on his Hornet's starboard wing and loosed short bursts of his Gatling. Breaking the enemy formation in half, Rayden noticed that he got lucky and sent one Terminator spiraling earthward. 'Must've hit the cockpit.' he thought racing away with two of the remaining Terminators giving chase.

Amerah was just about to identity the trailing plane when something, that she didn't know she had, blared. Throwing her Hornet into a spiraling power climb to avoid getting skewered by a advanced mid range air-to-air missile, she spotted four F-18E Super Hornets coming in hot. "Shit!" she cursed while turning to engage them. Firing short controlled burst of her Gatling, Amerah managed to neutralize one before knifing her Hornet to split their formation. Looking back to see two of the remaining enemy latching on to her six. She noticed the last make an aggressive beeline to her original trailer.

"Please don't let the tail be Alexandria." she unknowingly whispered as she tangled with her tails. Turning it into running dogfight, one that she just wanted to survive, Amerah wondered if Rayden had fared any better than she has.

[Crankcase]

Kor sat back and relaxed in his cockpit. He didn't have a care in the world during the reconnaissance as it seemed doubtful they would be attacked. But they were given a full loadout so something was expected. It was then that the Terminators showed up to spice up the flight. He brought down his visor and watched the flight split up. "Roger that. Kobar lead breaking off to engage enemy. Grabbing the yolk he slowed his aircraft down to a stall and pulled up. He did stall out and the aircraft begin to tumble earthwards. He used the fall to slide behind one of the terminators. Those aircraft had more maneuverability and were much faster then his own. He had to use his own tricks to survive this matchup.

Alexandria looked out her cockpit and watched her radar. It seemed to be on the fritz as she saw boogies on radar but no visual contact. Than she noticed that the phantom boogies appeared attacking Amerah. She locked her missiles into engagement mode and watched as one was shot down and another made a beeline too her. She smiled behind her mask and flew up into the clouds. The radar was ineffective with how thick the clouds were and she used it to her full advantage. Radar guided missiles and heat seeking missiles were practically useless. She dove in and out of the clouds with the Hornet staying close. She did have the advantage in maneuverability but wanted to find out the extent on the upgraded hornets and their pilots. Each turn got sharper and sharper and the Hornet started to lose its edge with it being unable to handle the sharpness of its turns.

[Draruto]

Over the long and drawn out minutes of intense dogfighting, he had managed to avoid critical hits on the Hornet. But he knew that it could change at any moment if he wasn't careful. Breaking another annoying missile lock, Rayden dove through some thick clouds. Using them as temporary cover so he could catch his breath. 'Damn bounty hunters and their freaking paymasters.' he mused as the clouds broke. Catching a Terminator in sweeping dive, Rayden went on the attack. Pulling every trick he knew to stay latched to the Terminator's tail, he finally got a clear tone through his helmet.

'Sayo-freaking-nara asshole!' he thought with savage glee while launching a sidewinder. Watching the sidewinder impact, Rayden sharply banked and turned his dark gaze onto his last tail. "You're next." he growled. Seeing the other attempting to flee from the pop up combat zone he closed the distance between them. Mirroring the other move for move Rayden lined his reticle just forward of the opposing canopy.
'Just one more.' he thought. Just as he pulled the trigger on his Gatling, the Terminator suddenly flipped and fire his cannon. Feeling the shells bite into his starboard engine, Rayden disengages from the fight and makes a beeline for Gabrovnitsa.

Amerah kept her Hornet on a knife edge as downed another enemy craft. 'Toodles idiot.' she thought, as her radio keyed up. "Guardian Knight to Night Wasp, disengaging due to heavy battle damage. Beelining it to Gabrovnitsa at best speed." Cursing their luck, Amerah broke from her fight after crippling the enemy Super Hornet. She raced to hook up with Rayden and cover him.

Once he repeated his message to Kor, Rayden had to drop his altitude to make it easier on the wounded Hornet. "Might make it to base if I nurse it and pray for luck." he mumbled while shutting down the trashed engine.

[Crankcase]

Kor like Rayden used the clouds to catch a small break from his pursuers. Flying right into an open spot between some clouds he looked down to see Rayden get strafed by one of the Terminators. He dove down towards them and launched a heat seeker. The terminator broke off of chasing Rayden and as he started to raise altitude was struck mid aircraft by the missile and quickly tumbled toward the ground. "You are clear to run Guardian Knight. I'll keep these two Terminators busy and follow behind you." Kor said banking back towards the clouds with the Terminators in pursuit. Reaching the clouds

Bouncing between the clouds cannon fire was sporadic. Neither side could get a solid lock with their missiles in the clouds so they resorted to cannons to attempt to bring the other(s) down. Both the Terminators split up in the clouds and were firing at Kor from multiple angles. One made the mistake of going too high above the clouds and Kor took his shot. Aiming upwards he let loose with his cannons and shredded one of the intakes and engines of the terminator sending them running. The other terminator took a quick shot at Kor strafing the back before joining up with the damaged terminator and leaving the battle zone. Kor sat back in his seat and looked across the clouds. He gently banked towards Gabrovnitsa.

Alexandria kept her tail close so they would not go after Amerah. She heard Rayden's transmission and watched as Amerah broke from her engagement and headed off towards Gabrovnitsa. She dove on the damaged enemy and fired her cannon severing the nose from the rest of the aircraft. The enemy pilot ejected as the cockpit fell off from the hornet. It slowly dove towads the ground and exploded in a large fireball. She than banked towards the last enemy who started to turn tail and run. She went full throttle and tailed the last aircraft. They flew in and out of the clouds until the clouds became more and more separated. She got tone on the radar guided missiles and let two of them loose. One got distracted by Chaff and exploded prematurely. The second made it past and exploded both engines sending the aircraft into a glide. She wanted to stay and make sure they were going down but rather turned 180 degrees back to base.

[Draruto]

Constantly cursing his luck for being such a dick, Rayden glanced over to see Amerah slide on to his wing. "Sucks to be me." he said, feeling the Hornet shutter and protest. "At least your alive to complain GK. So any ideas why we jumped in supposedly safe airspace?" Rayden sighed heavily at the question he didn't want to answer, but knew that he would anyway. "Bounty hunters most likely, after my head for a big paycheck." he replied as Kobar flight managed to check. 'But have been going slower than I realized.' Rayden thought, lowering his speed a bit more.

As Amerah handle the air controller, after reaching about six miles out, Rayden couldn't stop memories of a different life from racing through his mind. 'What now!?' he silently inquired. While wondering what freaking deity he might've vexed to warrant his current string of unwanted bad luck. Heaving a long groan into his air mask, Rayden felt the Hornet shudder and drop further down. "This plane won't reach the base, so I'll bailout here and walk the rest of the way." he said attempted to gain some height to eject. "See at base." "And you." Rayden replied as Amerah pulled ahead.

Amerah couldn't bring herself to watch Rayden bail from the Hornet. Once she informed base of his intention to walk the remainder of the way back. She tuned into Kobar flight's frequency and listened to their constant sibling banter. 'Something I will have with any of my related kin ever again. Is it strange that I'm not real torn up about it. Despite knowing I aught to be?' Amerah mused while mechanically going through the landing sequence. Drifting into a haze of some buried emotion that left her strangely numb she parked her Hornet near the hanger and sat there mutely.

Slowly unhooking herself from the seat, she heard the canopy open. The clear headedness she had during the flight and accompanying fight began to fade. Hopping from the cockpit Amerah quickly walked through till she reached the locker. Changing out of her flight suit, she closed her eyes when Alexandria popped back into her head. Growling softly while pushing them back, Amerah covered her face and sits down. 'Stop it!' she mentally screamed. Rushing out, she winds up in the rec room while feeling trapped. Dropping on to the window seat she wrapped her arms around her bent knees stared out the window.

"Why now?" she quietly asked. Amerah wondered if Fate was torturing her by showing her things she couldn't have. Resting her face on her knees, Amerah swayed back and forth. "Damn it. Wish that this feeling will just die and leave me be. Don't know Alexandria enough to know if she even goes that way." she mumbled.

[Crankcase]

Kor flew straight and calmly towards Gabrovnitsa. Alexandria took a little while but managed to arrive on Kors wing without much of a problem. "It appears you had an interesting time there on your side of the flight." Kor said looking over to Alexandria. "Oh put a sock in it Kor. You don't have all your missiles either." Alexandria shot back. They both quickly shot insults back at one another during their trip back. Just a few miles outside of the base they both saw a smoking wreck on the ground. Both Kor and Alexandria grew quiet wondering who had bite the proverbial dust. The last few miles were quiet between them. After landing at base they taxied into their original hangar. unhooking from their seats and opening their canopies they awaited for the mechanics to bring the ladders over to their aircraft. After getting down they walked towards the main building. They joked around with each other as they walked down the hallways. Getting into the Rec room they looked around and saw Amerah swaying back and forth. Kor put his hand on Alexandrias' shoulder and whispered, "Looks like she is going through something. Probably be best for you see whats up. Seems like she likes you a little more than me or Rayden. I'll find our rooms in the meantime." Alexandria nodded in agreement. After Kor left She walked over to Amerah and put her arms around her. "What is wrong Amerah? Whay are you all alone here?" She asked being concerned.

[Draruto]

Looking up to see Alexandria, Amerah sighed to herself and forced herself to uncurl. "Wanting something that I'm not sure I can get. And wishing that I could get the familial connection I lost when I became a pilot." she states before noticing Alexandria's arms. Stilled by surprise, she instantly saved it for later. 'Tap the brakes.' Amerah thought. Letting her head drop back she glanced across to see that the rec was empty, except for her and Alexandria. 'Do I tell her what I wish or do I just stay silent?' she wondered. But then a voice chastises her for being silly.

"Would you call me silly and stupid for wanting to let you have my heart. Even thou..." Amerah stopped herself before embarrassing herself anymore than she has. Palming her face while kicking her word vomit, Amerah softly groaning. 'Good going Hauk.' she thought. "You can now call me an idiot." Amerah said leaning away slightly. Wondering how Alexandria would react to her confession she looked away and sighed inwardly. 'Can't control fate Hauk. All you can do is brace for the fallout, if there is any to deal with.' she thought.

[Crankcase]

Alexandria smiled listening to Amerah actually talk to her. She couldn’t identify with everything she was talking about but she still knew a few things about what she was going through. For her the familial connection seemed trivial. It is a connection that could be easily broken and easily amended. It all just came down to the whether the people involved wanted to continue keeping that connection.



Upon hearing her partial confession, Alexandria looked over at Amerah as she pulled away slightly. Alexandrias face had become a bright red with her embarrassment. She didn’t know how to react to this news. Being unable to say anything she moved over just a tad and leaned against Amerahs back and gave a small kiss on the cheek. “I didn’t know you felt that way about me Amerah.” She said with a slight tremble in her voice and a small shake in her arms being a little scared and nervous. “I am glad I know now.”

[Draruto]

'At least she didn't get upset.' Amerah thought as a sigh emerged. "So am I, now we can see if we fit the way I daydream about. However long it takes." she said placing her hand over Alexandria's. Letting her eyes close, Amerah wondered how Rayden was doing. 'Relax.' she told herself. Unconsciously grinning Amerah leaned back against Alexandria and took a breath. "Wished we meet sooner, so we didn't have to deal with missiles and cannon shells being lobbed at us. But Fate won't be manhandled or dictated to." she added opening one eye to glance at Alexandria. 'Will this last?'

Rayden walked through the gates, slightly bruised and covered in partially dried mud, a few hours after dark. Plopping down on a parked tug, he leaned back on his hands and stared up to the night. 'Need to get away for a while. And hopefully recharge some batteries. Maybe I can drag Amerah and Kobar flight along to.' he mused while catching a shooting star race across his field of vision. Sighing he waits several more minutes before entering the main building. "Nice hike despite the reason for it happening." Rayden states.

Pausing as he saw Amerah in Alexandria's arms, he smirks to himself and chuckles. 'About time.' Rayden thought. Raising his hand to stop her from moving, he shook his head and signed, 'Later Amerah.' Moving on to his quarters Rayden grabbed a change of uniform and hopped the shower. Getting under the spray, he bowed his head and heaved a deep sigh.

Blinking as Rayden left, Amerah turned her face to Alexandria's. "Can we do this again? The holding I mean, not my word vomit." she asked gently squeezing Alexandria's hand. 'Take it slow Hauk, don't rush!' Choosing to not listen to that voice she waits for a response.

[Crankcase]

Kor returned to the room him and Alexandria were assigned to when they initially arrived many weeks prior. He pulled up his laptop and skimmed through a few of the reports that were sent regarding their lost countrymen. It turned out that each were jumped by 4 or 5 enemy aircraft when they were by themselves. "If we had not had Amerah and Rayden with us we could have found the same fate." He said to himself looking at aerial photographs. "Something doesn't seem right. Why was everyone alone and how did they get jumped?"

Alexandria put Amerahs hand between hers and held it gently. "Of course we can do this again. It is always nice to be doing something like this." She rested her chin on Amerahs shoulder and looked over at her and smiled gently. "It is hard for me to meet people when I hang around with my brother almost all day. Also doesn't help when I live on islands for my life.

[Draruto]

"Islands?" Slipped through Amerah's lips before she stop it. Blinking in surprise at what she never knew, she meet Alexandria's gaze and asked, "Where?" Seeing her curiosity racing toward the forefront, she could almost hear every questions that wanted answers in her mind begin to run over themselves. Stopping them before the pushed through her lips, Amerah bought her free hand the other cheek and traced it softly. 'Why didn't I notice it? Because you were focused on something else.' Amerah mused, turning in Alexandria's arms. Once she got comfortable again, she rests her head on Alexandria's shoulder and suddenly yawned.

Exiting and drying off, Rayden slid into a spare uniform and skimmed through the newest reports on his laptop. 'Why the sudden uptick in ace sightings and attacks on noteworthy squadrons?' he wondered scrolling through the lists. The more he look at it, the more a strange feeling grew in his gut. "Something's up." Rayden states setting the earpiece in his ear. Tapping it to the call Kor, he cracked knuckles and rolled his shoulders. "Kor, it's Rayden, you getting the same off feeling that I am?"

[Crankcase]

Alexandria smiled when Amerah rested against her shoulder. "Yes Amerah. I am from an Island nation more specifically the Island of Cayenne in the far south." Leaning back her head she thought of all of the different memories she had while her and Kor were living there. "There isn't too many people who visit the island being that it is way far in the south." She smiled and leaned her head against Amerahs'.

Kor looked at his phone and picked up his earpiece putting it in his ear and answering it. "Kor here." He listened to Rayden having the same idea about the Aces showing up. "I am having probably similiar thoughts. I just looked up all of the Aces from my home country who are apart of this war and each was jumped by a squadron when they were by themselves. There is something going on here and I am to find out who is behind this." Kor said putting his hands together under his chin as her continued to read reports.

[Draruto]

"Maybe you'll get to show me your home someday." Amerah said softly. But she wondered under circumstances that would happen, war or peace. 'Either way it's all the same to me. If I can make a family that would stand with me, then maybe I will be fine for the first time in a long while.' she thought. Falling silent as she entwined their fingers, she felt the exhaustion began to creep up on her. 'Why now?' she inquired mutely. Amerah didn't want this moment to end just yet. Covering her yawn with free hand she unknowingly drifts off to sleep.

'Just like the Circum-Pacific War all over again. Through without a wingman dieing in a stadium due to lack of backup, hopefully.' Rayden thought. "Wanna tag team this and see what pop up?" he inquired, shooting an email to his operator. Recalling the scene with Alexandria and Amerah he walked in earlier, Rayden shook his head. 'Maybe I can wrangle a temporary assignment going south. Since I've pretty much cover all points north, east, and west off Sand Island.' he mused with an inward sigh. "Not to sound stupid, but where is home for you?" he inquired, a tentative plan forming in his mind.

[Crankcase]

Alexandria watched Amerah with soft eyes as Amerah drifted off to sleep. She shifted slowly as not to disturb Amerah so she might get a little more comfortable. She draped her free arm over Amerahs shoulder and rested her head on the back of the couch. She watched out the window at all of the aircraft sitting idle on the ground. Before long she too fell asleep.

"I am up to tag team this problem with you Rayden." He said as another email from home popped up. Opening it, it was from the command group. There was a a mobilization back in the far south for half of the remaining forces from their island country. His flight was among the ones to remain in combat with allied forces. 'Strange that they would take half the forces and head south. Command has a way of being very cryptic.' He thought to himself as he deleted the email. "We are from the Island of Cayenne in the far south. We get supply ships from the mainlands very few months to help us get through the winters. Why did you want to know?" He asked staring at his computer screen.

[Draruto]

"Just thought if I could snag an assignment heading south, I might be persuaded to tagalong, since I've pretty much flew over all a hundred and eighty points above Sand Island. Plus I saw Amerah attempt to bury herself in your sister's lap when I got in minutes ago, was kinda cute actually." Rayden answered while shutting his laptop. Glancing out the window as the rain began to fall, he wondered if Ragriz felt the like he did during their war. 'That's history Knight. You have to focus on the present.' he added mutely. Covering his eyes Rayden rolled his shoulder.

[Crankcase]

"I am certain there are plenty of jobs that'll open up towards the south. I see at least one or two a month that comes down from my command group. Though most of those are just to train new recruits or test base defenses." He said as he shut down his computer. He than thought about what Rayden said about Amerah and Alexandria. Shaking his head, "Well they are both grown adults. what they do is none of my business." Opening up his wallet he glanced at a picture when the two of them were younger. 'She may be my little sister but she is all grown up now.' He thought to himself.

[Draruto]

"True. Talk to you later."

After a month nonstop holding hops across Yuktobania, Rayden's operator in Oured had finally got him a mission heading south. 'Cayenne here I come.' he mused as exits the room. Walking straight to his XR-45, bypassing the rec room, he saw an annoyed Amerah stalk out of the building with a murderous expression on her face. He could guess the reason for her look, and maybe this mission would alleviate it a bit. "Amerah!" Rayden called out. Seeing her vector towards him, he glanced at the irritated base commander and narrowed his eyes. "Damn you upstart bastard."

Shrugging at the comment Rayden jerks his head towards his Cariburn, Amerah's Hornet, and the original MiGs of Kor and Alexandria. "Got an assignment due south." was all he had to say see the annoyance vanish from Amerah's face. "Cayenne?" Nodding Rayden gave a small smirk, "Got Command to give us a temporary detach training assignment with the Cayenne Air Defense Force. Plus we could visit the local beaches." he states while Amerah smiled. "When do we leave?" "Once they get to the hanger. 'Figure that might brighten her mood considerably.' Rayden thought as drop tanks were installed on the planes.

Nearly ecstatic about the unsuspectingly call from Rayden, silently thanking whatever god who had inspired him, Amerah could almost forgive fate for keeping her from Alexandria, almost. But it still irked her that she had to endure it. 'Chill the hell out.' she ordered her mental state. Aside from the night in the rec Amerah hadn't seen her crush for the past month. Conflicting mission rotations and down times had seen to that quite remarkably. Only time she had ever been able to Alexandria were on the rare flight overlap during the ingress in to whatever sector they happen to be in.

Taking the time to start preflight her Hornet, and calm her nerves, Amerah wondered how Alexandria was doing. "Focus." she grumbled.

[Crankcase]

Kor and Alexandria had been on constant alert in the air. They didn't get to spend too much time on the ground and only did so when they needed fuel, food or sleep. Once in awhile they turned on autopilot and just slept in the cockpit for a bit. After running a late operation they landed on the ground and taxied back to the hangar. Walking over to the personnel office that was attached to the inside part of the hangar. They pulled a few chairs together and sat on them passing out quickly. Well after the sun had risen they both remained asleep. With the equipment moving around the hangar adding the drop tanks to the aircraft the noise emitted from old gear woke both of them up.

Being slow to react they took a few minutes getting some food in them before realizing the time. They than hurried what the were doing and ran to the door that lead into the hangar, Kor ended up running face first into the door thinking it was a push door not a pull. Backing up from the door Alexandria walked past and pulled the door laughing at Kors red face. Walking into the Hangar they looked at their original MiGs as well as Raydens and Amerahs aircraft. It seems they had already gotten prepped to leave. Alexandria smiles and waves at Amerah before running to her Aircraft with Kor just ahead of her going to his aircraft. Alexandria seemed a little more motivated now that she got to see Amerah again and that she was going home. After yawning and stretching a little more Kor keyed his mic, "You guys prepared for this long journey to home? We'll have at least 2 tankers to fuel up our aircraft. Once when we get to the coast and another while we are over the ocean. The Osean Navy graciously provided a tanker on their Carrier in the Southern Ocean. If we need another Tanker Cayenne has one on constant standby to help the trainers."

[Draruto]

Hopping into the cockpit once Kor and Alexandria appeared, Rayden rapidly goes through his flight checks on his XR-45. Knowing that Amerah is impatient to finally the siblings' home and get some quality with Alexandria. Those watching her stew and vent on the separation was kind of funny to witness. 'Like a lovesick puppy or schoolgirl pinning for her crush.' he mused heaving a sigh. Listening Kor explain something that he figured out before getting the ok for the assignment, Rayden rolled his shoulders to loosen a knot. "Surprised Osea actually allowed a tanker to top up off us, given how they seem to be running them around between the other forces nearby. Took them long enough to allow me this little trip south."

Waving back before hopping the cockpit, Amerah finished her pre-flight just as Rayden and Kor chimed in over the radio. Opting to hold her tongue, she didn't want to embarrass herself over the radio, she glanced over to Alexandria's MiG and grinned. 'Screw you bastards. I did find happiness.' Amerah thought as a subtle determination descended over her. Starting up her Hornet, she took a moment to listen to the roar of the engines. "Soon, very soon Hauk."

[Crankcase]

Going through their preflight checks they watched as the external fuel tanks were being loaded onto their aircraft. They had to stop the checks until the tanks were attached and secured. Once done their engines began to spin up and roar to life. Laying back in their respective cockpits listening to the whir. Strapping their helmets and oxygen masks on they begin their taxi to the runway. Kor took a map out of his book that he keeps in his cockpit and posted it to the side of his canopy. The map itself showed where they should be at certain times. parking at the end of the runway they looked across the pavement and pushed their throttle forward and quickly lifted up into the sky. Leveling out at 25K feet they cruised so they could make the lengthy legs before they get home. "I hope both of you have been practicing for long range flights. This will test the both of you in endurance" Alexandria said over the mic. She formed up on Kors right wing just a foot below his altitude.