03:37
Northwest Great Expanse Region
"We are now approaching our target destination. Estimated amount of time to our target is 10:00 in minutes. Prepare attack formations and ordinances immediately!"
As Purhaena barked out the orders to her wingmen and other squads accompanying the SFF-Kaneen Air Strike Team, she glanced up from her radar display and our the Bat's cockpit window. They were just in the middle of the Outer Land Territories and in a matter of seconds, they'd be shooting over SFF's Base 64, where the bulk of the recapture of their lost territory will be directed from. Her fist tightened over the hook-shaped controller of the blood red SFF warplane as she recalled who was calling most of the shots.
Why does S.I.N. have to place that horned dunderhead in charge of an operation as paramount as this one? Why not place someone like Skritsk or Ludd in charge of this project and place Devolle on reserve duty? Better yet, demote the bastard to a regular foot soldier so he can prove his mettle on the field, assuming he doesn't get himself killed. In any case, at least father will know that if he miscalculates the whole operation, it's on him.
All that mattered was that she and Beraxis perform their share of the duties in the recapture of their Area 64 territory. The former Royal air force cadet was dying to see the Silent Killer in action. The thought of the terrified and trepid faces of those Fantine meddlers underneath their helmets as the stealth craft tore through their air force exhilarated her.
"Affirmative!"
"Roger!"
As Targon and Saemon confirmed their compliance with her orders, the ace aviator spotted a few control towers, their beacons glowing an eerie red, materialize. After several minutes of flying above the magenta clouds of the approaching dawn, the temporary base of operations that served as the command and control center for the operation came into view, a black and red square in the midst of a sprawling green, gray, and brown ground.
"Look, that is where the top echelon of this operation are stationed, " Targon declared.
"Shall we stop by and send them a greeting?" Saemon suggested.
"I don't see why not," Purhaena permitted. "Follow my lead, Beraxis flight. Saber, Fang, and Claw flights, you stay up and provide cover for the Devastators and our secret weapon, the Silent Killer. " She then muttered underneath her breath. "Not that they need it, but it's good for the Kaneens to have a purpose."
As they made their descent to Base 64, Purhaena put on a burst of speed as she flew over the shadowy structure of Base 64. She then tipped her wing in a silent salute before pulling up into the metal-colored clouds once more, tipped with the peach colors of the rising sun. The rest of Beraxis flight, consisting of Devastation and Despair, duplicated their leader's moves before rendezvousing in the alongside the bombers, the Kaneen squadron, and the Silent Killer, invisible to the naked eye.
"Now that they know of our presence, let's hope Devolle and the others take the hint and send their forces to cover the grounds to clean up the trail we blaze for them."
"We gave them a show," Saemon commented. "It would be a wonder for them not be made aware of our presence. They'd have to be as deaf as a Salazian basilisk."97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KuBni5tRQ
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgYItH6oF5
A couple minutes later, the ravaged and dilapidated buildings of the Kithar homeland, shone dully through the dark azure sky, came into view, complete with the Jarkan mountains to the west, looking like the spines jutting out of a Dimedon's back, and Cattan Lake to the north, a dark reflection of the heavens above.
The moment we pass the 42'48 degree Parallel, it begins.
"Beraxis Flight! Prepare your ordinances and get into battle formation. You remember how we went over it in the simulations. Vengeance, Devastation, and Despair we fly on ahead to take out anything that will threaten the bombers, including SA missiles as well as turrets or enemy aircraft. Although, I doubt they'd have time to install anti-aircraft batteries in such a short amount of time. The Kaneen squadrons will hang back to provide escort to the bombers should any enemy aircraft slip through. The bombers will strike any critical military or industrial infrastructures in order to soften up the land's defense forces as our forces close in. As for the Silent Killer, it will serve as our shock and awe to our foes. Do I make myself clear?"
"Roger!"
"Affirmative!"
"Copy!"
"Excellent! Let's wreak some havoc on Fantine and the feline sheeps who follow them to display our military capabilities. Hopefully, they'll see us a force to be reckoned with and will think twice about defying the Survivalist Federation Force."
After she finished giving out her commands, the blitzing air force flew out to carry out their duties. As Purhaena zeroed in on a patrolling Fantine B rotating wing craft, the Hellhounds, Marauders, Vipers, Cobras, Goblins, and other warplanes of Beraxis Flight dispersed to cover extra ground. Incinerating the Fantine thrust craft, Purhaena flew straight up toward the partially cloudy sky to get an eagle eye view of the land they were fighting to regain. The opening act was underway as Beraxis Flight fought enemy aircraft and struck Fantine's defensive positions while the Devastators, mammoth-sized heavies with purple, blue, and cyan color schemes, struck vital sites, red flames mushrooming out from the locations.
So far, so good.
They didn't even need to use the Silent Killer yet. Purhaena's bat swooped out of the sky like a bird of prey and fired upon an ElectroPlant, which supplied the cities, Holostations, and Emergency/Military bases with power, her radar showed a blue oval shape approach her from the south.
Will this be my first dogfight of the night? I pray that it will keep me on my toes. It's been so long since I had a worthy opponent.
---
" War Marshall! You must see this at once!"
As he reviewed the rations and military budget for the Capitol's forces, Marshal Mathers glanced up to see a messenger, a Rallin with baby blue skin and a horn on his noggin, enter his red and yellow room adorned with various plaques and approached the War Marshal. He stopped and hurriedly saluted as if he had forgotten how to.
"At ease, soldier!" Mathers ordered. "What must I see?"
The Rallin Royal messenger unveiled a blue thumb drive device with a black tip the size of his thumb nail before Mathers collected it from his grasp. He gave it a once over before glancing back at the junior military cadet.
"Where did you procure this?"
"From Tarkiss and the Legion XV, they say that a Saint unit had recorded this during a routine anti-poacher operation in the Jormugen jungle. This puts the Survivalist Federation Force in a much shadier light. This is terrifying, to say the least. If this piece of intel proves true, then I would hate to be on the receiving end of that ghost carrier."
"Ghost carrier?" The officer with the dirty blond crew cut frowned. "Now things have gotten interesting. I need to see this."
Mathers inserted the drive into his device and what he saw perturbed him. He glanced at the messenger, blanching up.
"Where did you say this was taken at?"
" Jormugen Jungle."
I see. Just past the Backbones is the Kithan homeland where Fantine X is currently running an operation to boot SFF out. No doubt the SFF air legions were heading that way, possibly to assist in getting Fantine off their backs. If that invisible mega-fighter is utilized against our allies, then they will be blindsided. The least I can do is warn them.
The Royal Air Marshall turned his sky blue eyes to the blue-skinned humanoid.
"Young man, I need you to do me a favor. Once you have returned to your post, you need to alert your superiors about what we saw and ask them to spread the word. I'll contact the Emperor and Fantine to notify them of the impending attack by our mortal enemy. Make sure you ask Military Intelligence and the Royal Scientific Research Institute to look into stealth and counter-stealth measures. Perhaps Defense Chief Rexxan and Chief of Staff Sybellius can prepare our forces for the impending clash with the Survivalists. If they finish off Fantine, it will only be a matter of time until they turn their attention to us or one of the Great Kingdoms."
As soon the Rallan hurried off to carry out the Marshal's request, Mathers rose from his seat and walked out onto the balcony of the Royal Military Department Suite 16B. The morning sun give the sky a creamy yellow hue across the sparse clouds and dark blue waters of Immatorre Bay. As the wind caressed his face, he thought of his family back home on the island of Torrentino on Walkos and wondered of the turbulent times ahead.
---
04:46
Harrington Air Base
Kittyopolis
"You've all fought valiantly against an enemy with greater odds stacked against you and yet you managed to overcome SFF's massive iron-fisted grip on your land and expel them. Granted, you had our assistance, but none of it would have been possible had your underground networks of resistance fighters not have been courageous, disciplined, or adept enough. Now that the enemy is gone, we have a need to discuss the first stages of reconstruction of the Kithar homeland. The first thing you'll need is to elect a new leader, mind you, one who want fall under the sway or influence of a group like SFF."
Seated at the bronze table, ornamented with prehistoric Kithar scenes of battle, where the Fantine liberators and what remained of the Kithan military as well as their anti-SFF militias and activists gathered, Ari listened to Mikhail address Colonel Paus and the rest of the top military staff of the nation. Blinking his eyes to clear the drowsiness of a sleepless night, the chief aviator's eyes went from Mikhail , Tarkhun standing behind him, from one end of the table to Colonel Paus in his forest green and brown officer regalia, his troops standing guard behind him and keeping watch at the door. Beside him, Strygar had fallen asleep with his head laid back on the elaborate stone seat while Scottie had his head resting in the table. Captain Tubbs, Tabbe, and Bartleby looked like they were fighting an intense battle to keep their eyelids open while Private Claude did his own thing.
"We anticipated that we'd need to address those issues. In fact, I'll be taking charge as a temporary governor with the military enforcing the civilian and emergency laws as a police force until we can restore a democratically-elected council who will then choose a leader based on the considerations of the citizens of Kithan. Until then, we want to restore our military force to its prior strength before the Survallist onslaught. We express interest in your gear as we have seen it in action and are impressed with your capabilities. Perhaps we can purchase some aircraft, rockets, and an anti-aircraft missile defense system as soon as possible."
Mikhail smiled and shook his head. "I'm flattered that you are impressed with our military capacity, but let's put that on the back burner at the moment, colonel. For as long as required, our forces will occupy Kithan to assist with the rebuilding of the infrastructure as well as to ensure that security and order is implemented without the use of brute force. From there, your military, industrial, and civilian programs will gradually be assembled once more. I hope you have no objections to that, Colonel Paus."
Ari glanced out the large glass wall that gave a view of the hangars, tarmac, aircraft, and the city ahead. On a good day, the sight would have been a welcome and beautiful scene for the eyes, but once Ari's weary eyes landed on the barracks that lay just off the edge of the gainsboro gray tarmac, glowing eerily under the lights that illuminated the runway, the reverie shattered like the glass of some of the windows in the base.
I envy those foot soldiers that don't have to attend this seminar and get to sleep like Karait mutts. What I'd give for an hour of shuteye.
WWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!
Ari stiffened as the wail of the siren echoed through the air. Strygar, Scottie and those who had dozed off or zoned out during the Director's briefing were jolted back to reality, taken off-guard by the sudden noise.
"What's going on?" Mikhail demanded as everyone went into a panic.
"We are under attack!" A Kithar army guardsman bellowed. "I repeat, a massive air raid is underway from the the southern point. The Meeko and Teego Districts have been hit hard and reports are coming in that the power stations and Hydrostations have been struck, leaving many without power."
Fantine's Director of Operations narrowed his eyes. "Is that so? This sounds like a precursor for a major ground assault. You should prepare your f-"
The sonic booms and thunderous rumblings of warplanes overhead cut him off. Deafening explosions followed suit, shaking the building as everyone rushed to find cover from the falling bombs.
Taking out the local power supply and infrastructure? That doesn't sound like a routine raid. It is as Mikhail said. We must prepare for an imminent invasion, though who is responsible for this? SFF? It can't be. We recently dealt them a reeling blow. They can't be recovered enough already to launch a counterattack, could they?
Glancing out the glass wall toward the city, flaming buildings, illuminating the waning night, greeted the aviator's vision as swarms of dark raptor-shaped dots zoomed by in the gray-azure sky. Squinting through the light of the flickering flames, Ari spotted larger insectoid shapes among the planes. He instantly recognized them as fighters and bombers belonging to the Survivalists due to their shapes and colors. So his suspicions were confirmed, but how could this happen so soon? How should they respond in kind?
"Dear Throne, why must the Survies launch a counter-strike now of all times? It's so soon."
Heinrich glanced over at Adlan. "Well, they figured we wouldn't expect them to attack so soon and they were right on the money there. They accomplished what they intended as we are caught flat-footed and are in no position to muster up a complete defense."
"How didn't anyone see this coming?" Ari inquired. "With the Night Ninja and all of the patrols monitoring the border and beyond, someone would have seen something."
Strygar decided to input his opinion. "Surely, not all bases can be covered. Kithan is a large nation surrounded by mountains, valleys, foothills, and a lake. Anything can hide out from plain sight in the wilderness. For all we know, SFF can't be the sole force acting in this raid. Hey, maybe the Kaneen are eager to make gains so they act now in this chaos. If I'm proven correct, then this would be a blatant violation of that treaty-the name slipped my mind- , warranting severe penalties from us, the Capitol, and the Great Kingdoms. For all it's worth, Kithar with SFF sympathies may-"
Whistling sounds were heard and the barracks exploded into flaming debris, sending flaming steel parts into the air in a blinding flash.
Tarasin's veins! Our aviators and troops were sleeping there!
More whistling sounds were heard before bombs landed on the air field, tarmac, and the runways.
Oh Pippin! They are really pummelling us with what they got. Those bombs were too close for comfort. Do they have Devastators or Demolishers above us?
Suddenly, a blast that occured right outside blew out the glass wall and sent the occupants hurtling across the room like dolls. Ari was hurled against the limestone and felt the breath leave him the moment he struck the wall.
"Ugh!"
"Oof!"
Strygar groaned as he landed against his superior. Ari lay there gritting his teeth, embers and glass dispersing through the air as his ears rang, for several minutes before mustering up the strength and stamina to rise from the cold hard floor littered with blood, metal parts, wing tips of ruined aircraft, and body parts. After shoving off the dead Kithar guard with glass shards piercing him like a porcupine, Ari helped up Strygar before turning to assist those who were still alive. Mikhail, Paus, and the other principal figures on their side were still alive albeit not without some burns or cuts, maybe a fractured bone or two.
"You guys wounded?"
Bartleby, one eye sealed shut from the bombardment, limped over to them.
"We are alive, thanks for the consideration." Vold placed his red and white helmet, its visor glowing neon green, over his head. "You are the one who looks like he may need a shot of Flexpoly."
"I think I need one as well," Strygar moaned, rubbing his arm. "I think I dislocated something."
Adlan sighed and shook his head, blood running down the side of his light face. "You'll live. Come on, we need to see if the others are ok."
As they checked in with everyone and tallied all the casualties, Ari glanced out the bombed-out building. Coughing as smoke and haze filtered outside, he was able to see that most of the planes and hangars outside were burning or burned out. Bodies of the Kithar maintenance crew littered the ruined asphalt, victims of the bombing or the strafing jets. The attack was still ongoing as seen through the murky haze, the vulture-shaped SFF aircraft, gunships and planes, dived low to strike ground targets overlooked by the bombers. Here and there, flames shot into the ash-soiled air, results of weapons of fuel depots being hit. All seemed lost until Ari spotted something that rekindled a bit of hope in a hopeless situation.
"Guys, not all hangars were destroyed. The bombs missed some hangars, including those housing our birds. We need to get airborne now!"
Strygar shook his head. "The moment we taxi out of the hangar, it wouldn't even need anything more than a Dragonfly heli-chopper to put us out of commission."
"Ari's right," Adlan chimed in. "We have nothing to lose so why not go down fighting rather than target doodads? You never know, maybe the smog covering the city's sky may conceal us from the Survy aircraft's view."
There were footsteps scurrying along the red-carpeted corridor as various troops from Fantine and the Kithar military passed by. The aviators from Fantine's Air Corps stopped as they saw their superiors.
"Sirs!" The frizzy-haired Meysa stopped and saluted her superior officers. "We saw what had happened and would like to help strike back, but our planes are no more."
"I understand," Ari murmured sympathetically. "Although, many of our flyers were in the bunkers that were hit so maybe there are some spare planes you could fly."
Sven shook his head. "Not likely that there are more aircraft than personnel remaining. Perhaps we can make ourselves useful in other ways."
His twin sister Svenja held up anti-aircraft rocket launchers. "We'll be up on the roof if you need us."
Before any of the three top pilots could open their mouths to raise an objection, they were called over from the other end of the hall. A Kithar, dressed in chopper pilot gear, stood with Mikhail and the other troops.
"Yoko here will fly you guys to you hangar. It's deemed safer that from the ongoing Survivalist airstrikes. The Feddies will be looking to the ground for prey rather than the air."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Strygar mumbled, but complied anyway.
Soon, they boarded the primitive but efficient Kithar hovercraft and tried to make it to their hangars in one piece without becoming SFF cannon fodder.
---
"Holy Throne, would you look at that? They really thrashed the city."
Gazing out the heli's window, Ari discerned that Adlan made an understatement. There were shapes, as small as insects, zipping back and forth across the sky as flashes of bright explosions could be seen in the chaos. Death and destruction filled the the city once more under a renewed Survivalist onslaught.
Is this happening all over Kithan?
Under the pale sun obscured by the smog and sinister in appearance, the chief aviator noticed red lasers from anti-aircraft turrets arc in the air and a fighter or two as well as an occasional Devastator plummet to the battle-scarred earth. Suddenly, one of the few light gray aircraft used to ferry Fantine aviators to their aircraft blew up in a fireball. A black Shrieker with red-tipped wings screamed by.
"Oh Graff!" Strygar cursed. "We are nothing but floating swans up here in these ancient metal traps! Why can't we arrive sooner."
"We are approaching Hangar 15A," Yoko called out as they made their gradual descent. "Hang on tight!"
The hovercraft shuddered violently as two warplanes shot by overhead. Ari was able to glimpse two more helis make their death spiral and closed his eyes, his hands clasping the restraints tightly.
I pray to Charles that we make it alive to our birds. At least we can have a fighting chance in the air where we will die like heroes.
As soon as they touched down on the reinforced cement roof of the hangar, bearing the scars of attack, the aviators poured out and took the manual way down to the hangar as a massive explosion occurred on the roof, followed by the haunting howl of a warplane's engines. Ari felt sick to his stomach as he realized that Yoko and the other Kithar pilots were turned into dust.
No time to dwell on that now. We need to get airborne and fast.
What remained of Harrington Base's fitters, though injured and fatigued, prepared them for takeoff after helping them into their birds. Soon, they were on the defaced tarmac, ready for a bumpy takeoff.
"Double Eagle, how do you plan to coordinate this mission? Our forces are scattered and our flights are disjointed," Kwyneth, a top flyer in Adlan's Liberty flight, asked.
"Don't worry about formations. We need all planes we can get in the air to mount an aerial counter-strike. Do I make myself clear?"
"Affirmative!"
"Roger!"
"Copy!"
As they took off, Ari was able to take in the ruined scenery where planes and other aircraft lay broken among the blazing depots and corpses scattered around the dirt and rubble strewn ground. As soon as he took to the polluted air of Kittyopolis, he saw from the reflection on his plane's mirror a few or so of their planes get wrecked by strafing Survivalist planes or ordinance from bombers. It was unfortunate, but they were well aware of the risks. Upon levelling up in cruise altitude, Ari came upon several gunships like the Xystarr, Buzzard, or Vultures and used that chance to send them to the scrap yard.
This is for our fallen brothers and sisters!
He levelled up behind a Goblin and let out a burst of green lasers, neutralising it, before pulling off in front of a Tiger , making a successful interception. He and a Kithar flyer made short work of several Wasps and Dragonflys before peeling off to deal with the bomber fleets that were ravaging the cities.
I'm going to do it to it!
Ari steered clear of a Cyan-colored Devastator's blue turret fire as he dipped down and let loose a volley in the underbelly, its weak point. As a Howler and a SkyWolf flew in to intercept him, the veteran pilot dipped down managed to juke the two Kaneen planes before popping up behind them both, shredding them into scrap metal.
Now we know that the Kaneen working alongside SFF.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw a crimson Bat send a Meteor hurtling through the hazy smoke, flaming like a rocket. He decided it was time for a challenge , preparing to avenge his fallen colleague.
---
"Vengeance flight, on my count, lead the bombers to their targets! Make sure to clear the way for them, too."
Vengeance-4 gazed out of the cockpit of her bright green Goblin escorter and over the deep purple of the Demolisher's wing to see that the structure with the lights glowing out of its windows bore no resemblance to a military or government installation. It seemed more like a school or archive for HoloFiles than anything worth targeting. As they flew over it, Vengeance-4 looked hesitant and didn't take part in the bombing. The Howler and SkyWolf escorting the bomber also seemed not too keen to partake in committing a war crime, either.
"Vengeance-4, why haven't you and your escorts squeezed off a single shot yet?"
She thought long and hard before responding to Vengeance-Lead. "My apologies, I was just waiting for a better shot. It won't happen again."
"It better not lest I report you for treason. That get you court-martialed at best in the Bunker or executed as a traitor at worst. You don't want that for your escorts, do you?"
Vengeance-4 gulped before responding."Of course not, Lead."
---
Pathetic! I was hoping a group like Fantine would put up a better fight and makes things thrilling, but I was wrong. Perhaps the elite air corps are as amateurish as the Kithar pilots.
After sending the blazing Meteor hurtling to the ground, leaving a trail of smoke in the smoggy sky, Purhaena's radar squawked as a green oval approached from her 2'0 clock. Glancing out of the Bat's cockpit with her red-rimmed helmet, she spotted this orange and green Fantine plane zero in on her through the smoke. A devious smile formed underneath her helmet as she flanked to the side to assess her new opponent.
Do you want some, too? Well, come and get some. Just put up a better fight than your predecessor!
The large Fantine aircraft with a large hump beneath the canopy turned to intercept her, letting out a few bursts of green laser fire that streaked across the smoggy sky toward her. Having done this many times before, the top Survivalist pilot pulled upwards as the lasers shot by under her tail.
Ugh! That was so predictable. Perhaps I'm expecting too much from Fantine's infamous Air Corps, known for being unmatched in the skies of the Offworld.
As she leveled off thirty feet above her original position, she was taken back to see that the Fantine jet, two eagles plastered on its fins and wings, had correctly anticipated where she'd relocate to and locked onto her with a missile. She activated her thrusters and shot downward only to get locked on by a Thunderbolt.
I take it back. These pilots are more cunning than I gave them credit for. That was quite a strategy they had, gaining up on me. Their level of coordination raises a level of concern. No matter, the Silent Killer will rectify my disquiet.
As she was able to juke off her pursuers thanks to a doomed Hellhound falling between them and cutting off the locks, she flew between two burning and ravaged buildings to make sure they weren't on her tail. Once she was satisfied her escape was successful, she gave the order for Beraxis Flight to pull away. The ball is in the Silent Killer's court now.
---
The beeping of the holographic transponder in Fantine's Espionage room woke Sentery up with a start. She groggily lifted her glasses and rubbed her eyes before glancing at the screen, blinking a blue hue.
"It appears we have a message from the Capital. Best answer it as soon as possible."
Fantine's PR representative just nodded at Knutt. "Thank you, I was going to do that."
Pressing the blue play button on the touchscreen, the glowing white holographic form of War Marshal Mathers's cut features and piercing eyes transpired on the glowing panel.
"Salutations, peacekeepers of Fantine X. I pray I haven't intruded in an unripe time."
Sentery smiled. "Not at all, War Marshal. Is there anything we can assist the Capital with?"
Marshal Mathers lips formed into a thin smile though his eyes narrowed in concern. "The Capital appreciate your willingness to cooperate as you always have, but we don't need your assistance. We feel that it is in our duty to pass on intel to our Fantine allies, no wonder how disturbing it is."
"And what is this disturbing bit of intel?"
Sentery, Mathers, and Knutt watched Zayda stride into the room. The Kuniri leader of the Espionage Division crossed her arms as she stood behind the group, viewing the holographic exchange. Marshal Mathers adjusted his purple cap with the black and white color scheme at the base.
"Ah, you must be Fantine's chief of intelligence. Zayna, is it?"
"Zayda," the Kuniri from the Great Desert Kingdom corrected.
"My apologies, but let's move onto the reason for my call. The previous night, a legion of our troops and air squad encountered and recorded a SFF weapon of terror unlike one ever encountered in action before. I figured that you should know what is heading your forces way so you can warn them what they will potentially be up against. It is a way of us throwing a bone to our allies, but be warned that you will see will unsettle you. Good luck on finding a way to counter our archenemy's new toy."
"We appreciate your advice and thanks for warning us!"
As Knut showed the gratitude they felt toward the High-ranking Royal, the hologram petered out, leaving the three behind the scenes operatives curious.
"Well?" Zayda glanced between Sentery and Knut. "Aren't you going play the feed the Marshal sent us."
"Ready when you are."
As Knut started the feed the Saint pilot took of the gargantuan bat-winged weapon of terror, the three were left in disbelief. Knut bit his nails as the two women blanched, their eyes as wide as Xystarr cannon balls.
"So," Zayda broke the silence. "This new aircraft has the capacity to jam radar and shut down communication? We need to notify Mikhail and the rest of those who partook in the Kithan operation. Sentery, please use our drones to assess the situation."
"On it!"
As Sentery keyed the codes, the video feeds of the drones revealed dark footage of the areas surrounding the Kithar homeland. However, flashes from offscreen as well as silhouettes of people and armored vehicles passed by while unknown shapes zipped by in the sky. Frowning, Sentery peered closer at the video feed.
Hmmm, this looks suspicious, almost like a blatant military incursion is taking place.
The screens then started to show static. Disconcerted, she stared over at the Vroenguardian computer whiz beside her.
"Knut, you seeing what I'm seeing?"
The tech savvy blond nodded, chewing his lip in anxiousness. "It's as if every UAV we have in Kithan is being jammed. The question is who would do this?"
"A military force that's in its first stage of planning to strike," Zayda posited. "We need to alert Mikhail and all of our troops and personnel stationed there. They need to be aware of an impending SFF or Kaneen assault."
"Right on!"
Knut tries to message Fantine's bossman, but failed to get a response from him. He frowned and tried once more before turning to face his colleagues.
"Nothing." The Cyber Warfare chief turned to face Sentery. "Try to contact Ari, Scandar, or Heinrich. Maybe they don't have their hands full. One of them should respond."
"Good plan!"
Sentery tried, but got no response. The Florenzi looked over at her companions and sighed.
"This is unsettling. Perhaps something unfortunate befell them or they've run into some trouble."
"What's going on here?"
The three turned to see the Gaellan Calhoun arrive, a weary look on his gray eyes. As the senior spymasters explained the situation, the assistant director seemed to fidget uncomfortably.
"Have you notified our forces in the field?"
Sentery nodded, sighing. "We've tried, but we've received no response. We believe they are occupied with some pressing matter that's come up. Hopefully, nothing serious has befallen them."
"I hope so as well." Calhoun pressed his spectacles further up his nose. " Let's hope the chameleon ship accompanying the SFF aircraft heading north hasn't already engaged them."
Sentery and Zayda exchanged concerned glances, sharing an understanding that they feared the worst. The red-haired Kun'iri turned back to the brunet assistant director.
"Let's aspire for the best. I have faith in our Air Force, known to be unmatched in the Kingdoms with the exception of the Royal Saints." She then turned to shout orders to the intelligence crew working at the glowing blue screens. "Chrome! Jimely! Search up methods to combat stealthcraft, especially pertaining to Squamaton."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The Sajitarrian and Gnome intelligence technicians immediately set to work in their task to combat the imminent threat of a Survivalist advanced fighter. Zayda then turned to address the PR officer.
"I've sent Arienna to attend to endearing the kingdoms and other nations that are allied to the Capital to our cause and sway them to our cause against S.I.N. and her sinister army."
---
Why is the Bat peeling off? This isn't adding up. Surely, a Survivalist pilot eager for blood in the sky would stay to finish the job or die trying.
As Ari watched the Bats and other SFF fighters pull away from any dogfight they were engaged in and zoom away to the side, linking up with the absconding bombers and those Kaneen Howlers and Skywolves escorting them, concerned thoughts passed in the flyer's head. It doesn't make sense for the Essie Air Force to desert an air battle unless...
"Adlan, get over here!" Strygar shouted. "We need to attend to the ground forces invading from the north and south."
"What? I can't get a few Hellhound kills for my tally? Alright, I'm coming."
Something seems off. We must remain vigilant for the time being.
"Listen up, all remaining aircraft! Pull up above the canopy of smoke and let's assess the situation on the ground. I have a feeling we are going to face more than we initially expected."
As the planes punched through the smog covering the city, bright morning sunlight greeted Ari through the canopy as his radar showed the ground invasion forces building up in polar opposite grounds of the nation's borders. They must be going for pincer or hammer/anvil move.
"I'll take the southern end. You guys can take whichever, but make sure to rain hell on our foes!"
After receiving confirmation of his orders, Ari pulled the stick back as the thrusters cut in and swooped down on the tsunami of Survivalist armored columns, letting loose with his strafing fire. Satisfied with his work, Ari viewed the blazing heap of metal and corpses once more before finding a Wasp or a gunship to blow apart as a few Fantine Comets and Lightningbolts shot past him to take care of what he missed. Soon, he had rendezvoused with the squad and the few Kithar pilots augmenting their depleted force.
"Hey, what's going on?" Ludwig demanded. "My radar is going haywire."
"So is mine!" Wolfgang, his younger brother, squeaked.
"Oh no, is it-" Breyan the Comet pilot started to state until a large shadow fell over them, blotting out the sun. Ari glanced up to see a city-sized bat-winged aircraft hover over them. A feeling of awe and intimidation fell over him like the behemoth's shadow. Then a bright white light began to form underneath its ventral side before a pulsing red light punched through three planes, including Kwyneth's Meteor. Ari's jaw dropped as he watched the planes break apart and freefall to the ground thousands of miles below them.
Zygmar, what in the Offworld is that?
As he watched what remained of Kwyneth's, Adlan's trusted wingman, Meteor disappear into the haze below, he glanced back up to see that the attacking ship had vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"Holy Brand, what was that?"
"My target lock didn't work when I saw it."
"You think it's going to come back?" Strygar cut in.
Before anyone could reply, the radar and comms went haywire as if someone was jamming their lines and the shadow appeared over them once more. This time, the mysterious plane, as black as death, claimed two Kithar ships with its pulsating cannon fire before leaving sight. None of this made sense to Ari. Was this some sort of ghost ship in SFF's employ? A crackling was heard in the radio before Sentery's voice patched through.
"Beware....Squamaton....camouflage....ship...killer.....danger."
You could have told us sooner.
---
Ka-boom!
The explosion of the heli-chopper lit up the brightening city of Kittyopolis in a red and yellow inferno, followed by rumbling whoosh as the red and black shape of the attacking Marauder shot away. Mikhail could only watch in horror as the debris rained down onto the streets of Kittyopolis strewn with twisted metal, the blood of innocents and warriors alike, and corpses. As Fantine Comets and Meteors flew off to avenge the fallen, the Director of Operations couldn't help but wonder if Ari, Strygar, or any of Fantine's top-ranking flyers were onboard the doomed craft. He felt a nudge on his shoulder.
"Sir, we need to get you to safety immediately."
Mikhail glanced over at Tarkhun and what remained of his silver armor-clad troops and shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that. I simply cannot stand by as several of my soldiers and innocent civilians die by the dozens. I know you'll understand.97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBbg4rcyVA
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"But sir-"
Before his head of security or his personal security detail could object, the Skymarian rushed up the stairs, skipping some that were blown out or covered by debris and corpses, before coming up to the roof. He watched as part of his organization's Air Force try to use outdated shoulder-fired missiles to take out aircraft that shot by, but the fighters were too quick or the rockets were less serviceable as they appeared.
"This sucks!" Newt, a gray-scaled Cathodian, exclaimed. "We are useless without our birds."
"Perhaps you can make better use of those rockets. After all, if you look around you, we are getting surrounded on all sides. "
The grounded aviators turned to see the Director of Operations approach them before glancing at the streets around them. He took a rocket launcher from Newt and charged it.
"Allow me to demonstrate."
Glancing below at the approaching soldiers and armor, Mikhail aimed his rockets at a Mongoose APC, turning it into a furnace and the screaming SFF ground troops near it into living candles. He turned around to see a Badger APC appear on the buildings other end from a side street and made sure to put that out of commission as well. Handing the weapon back to its owner, he tipped his helmet at them.
"I've made my statement."
Tarkhun and the silver guards hurried up the stairs. "Sir, we need to get going. There's an imminent incoming attack."
A high-pitched wail increased in sound before the front side of the building took a hit from what Mikhail deduced to be an artillery strike, taking part of it and a few of its occupants, including two of his guards and pilots. A spotted Cha'Tul pilot screamed as he plummeted to his death below. If enemy artillery units were already close by, then it would be a matter of time until the air base fell into the hands of the Survivalists.
"This way!" Tarkhun motioned for the group to follow. Seeing no other alternative, Fantine's top executive, his men, and the stranded pilots went after the Mayhan, climbing over the side of the building that used to house Kithan's main air personnel and all offices pertaining to their operations. They slowly lowered themselves onto a ledge before Tarkhun climbed onto the building across from them.
"I got you."
He reached out and grabbed Mikhail, helping him onto the other ledge as gunfire and explosions reverberated across Kittyopolis. As soon as most of the others were across, the Mayhan raised a hand.
"Don't move a muscle!"
Glancing below, the former Skymarian freedom fighter understood why. On the crater-marked street that separated Harrington Air Base from the rest of Kittyopolis, an SFF special forces regiment, accompanied by tanks and other armor, marched with a few Gamran mercenaries.
Typical of SFF to employ the Gamrans . I can't think of one operation they never spearheaded in the past century.
As the gas-masked troops rounded the corner to rendezvous with the SFF Marines, Rangers, and their Infantry, a booming explosion took out their vehicles, scattering the troops. The troops that remained upright scanned the vicinity, posing in a battle stance, before they fell under heavy fire from the shadows. Masked shapes appeared and engaged the enemy. Before long, tusked Sweins, Entymols, Herpidons, and Amphids joined alongside the troopers and Gamrans in an attempt to fight of these masked insurgents.
"Are those the Kithar resistance?" Aryanna asked.
"Look, Subjugators!" Meysa pointed and shrieked.
SFF Subjugator troops, alternatively used as Riot troops, were used to quell an uprising or an unruly population in the areas they control. They also were used to augment prison guards as well. Several of the black-clad super soldiers with visors that glowed red had arrived to put down these pockets of resistance. A rumbling roar echoed off the buildings as a tank-sized white-coated Ursine with two sets of arms arrived. Its round red eyes glowing with rage and agitation, the beast clawed and swept aside two resistance fighters that were unfortunate enough to stand in its way.
"What in the Offworld is that?" Nute's bug eyes widened.
"Doesn't matter, we need to assist the Kithars in their struggle against those tyrannical disciplinarians. "
As Tarkhun helped the rest make it across, Mikhail and the rest of the group who bore the rockets fired down on the beast and any troop concentrations or armor. The Ursine was thrown backward as it was struck by the rockets. Even more infuriated, it steadily rose on its hind legs and roared as vehicles were blown apart around it, resulting in SFF troopers dispersing and slamming into buildings, some even through windows.
"Crap, I'm out of rockets!" Sven cursed.
"Incoming!" His twin shrieked.
Mikhail glanced up to see a dark gray gargoyle-like bat swoop down on the Fantine survivors, it's coal black eyes fixed on its prey. As the jaws widened once the distance was closed, rocket fire slammed into it, causing it to collide with an adjacent skyscraper and tumble to the ground below. The window behind them opened as hands pulled them in and not a minute too soon. The SFF trucks mounted with HyperBeam turrets were firing their white beams in the space where Mikhail and the Fantine soldiers were previously. One silver soldier was a tad bit too slow in getting inside and as a result, his lower half had disintegrated. Once the dead man slipped out the window, Mikhail turned his attention to their savior.
"Bartleby!" He gasped. "How did you get here?"
The brown Kithar rebel smirked as he stood before several masked fighters. "Let's just say the Underground has its secrets for those who are affiliated with it."
"Let's just be grateful that we were rescued by our Kithan resistance allies," Newt suggested. "Where do we go now?"
"Follow us," Bartleby ordered. "We have recovered two of your pilots."
"Oh, where they shot down?" Tarkhun queried.
"We believe so. They were rambling about a camouflaged jet when we found them. We couldn't leave them be as they would have been picked off by those militaristic animals." The Kithar insurgent turned to Mikhail. "I also bear some grave news. Some of your high-ranking officers were arrested alongside our top military and political staff, but I assure you that they are on our list for providing salvation. Ah, here we are."
As they entered an ash-strewn room that resembled a modeling studio, they saw two individuals, a human that looked like he hailed from the Jade Kingdom and a insectoid reptilian Onderian. Taken by surprise, Mikhail and the Fantine survivors hurried over to their comrades.
"Briyan, Farra, I'm glad you guys are alright!"
As the recovered aviators blinked up in confusion at their associates, laser fire and shouts echoed around the corner. Mikhail drew his laser pistol and turned to face the impending threat. A growling sound was heard and a second later, a couple Stalkers, their eyes glowing green like radioactive material, bounded in, several navy troopers accompanying them.
Navy troopers? It seems that SFF is operating all of its branches. How badly do they want to regain Kithan? Probably it's to save face after that embarrassing loss to us and the Kithar rebels. Well, I'll be damned if I let them retake this nation.
As the black frowning face-masked warriors entered the room, Mikhail and his soldiers fired onto them, downing them all at the cost of one silver guard. The Director of Operations searched for Bartleby before noticing that his elite personal guard had been halved since their initial deployment in the liberation of Kithan. Before the facts could sink in, he heard a shriek from the end of the room. He whirled around to see Bartleby cornered by the attacking Stalkers. One had clamped its massive jaws onto the Kithar insurrectionist's tail while another had his foot in its mouth.
"I got you!"
Mikhail downed the one clutching his foot while Tarkhun yanked the head of the remaining one before slitting its throat with his hunting knife. The two tended to the wounded Kithar.
"I'm fine," Bartleby claimed. "It's just a flesh wound. It's all a part of the life of a soldier."
The Mayhan grinned at Mikhail. "He's a trooper, this one."
A wad of sticky web-like sticky substance shot past them and stuck to the wall. Drawing his weapon, the Director of Fantine's operations turned to face their assailant, an Arachni'ii. The spidery Survivalist, dressed in a black uniform with blue marking, stared at the occupants of the room with his amber eyes plastered on his brown and black . Two of his webs had stuck two silver-clad elite infiltration force troops to the dark peeling walls.
"Well, what do we have here?" The Arachni'ii cackled. "The head of Fantine himself is present. If I ensnare you, perhaps I'd receive a promotion, possibly from S.I.N. herself. There is no requirement of you being alive."
As he raised a furry hooked arm, a laser shot took him between the eyes, painting the walls with purple blood. Bartleby stood there, gritting his teeth, with a 0.47 laser gun in his palm.
"I was getting irritated by his voice so someone had to wack him or we'd all be in a sticky situation. "
As Bartleby stumbled to the center of the room, he froze as if he was zapped by a Stunner. He staggered forward a couple steps before falling over.
"Bart!" A masked Kithar shouted and stepped forward to attend to his comrade when a figure landed between the two. The fawn-coated figure then yanked a bloody dagger from the fallen insurgent's back and grinned at everyone in the room. Adjusting his Western hat, he glanced over at Mikhail.
"Dear me, if it isn't Fantine's director himself. I'm looking for Jorji or the top brass of the Kithar military or resistance, but just my luck to find you here, Mikhail. Once I finish you off, I'll tend to the rest of Fantine's finest. The high echelon of you and your pathetic Kithar allies will be wiped out before you know it." The Razamjami cackled. Behind him, several shadowy shapes with glowing red eyes, Mikhail discerned them to be SFF's Shadow troops, took position at the door to block off all escape and aimed their slugthrowers at the occupants of the soiled room.
Mikhail drew an electoro-blade. "You damn bastard! You want me, come and get me!"
"You're on!"
S.I.N.'s personal assassin launched himself at the Fantine leader, his electro-scythe crackling with purple-blue electricity as the two duked it out. Tarkhun tried to assist his master as the rest of the room's occupants traded fire with the Hangman's troops. After trading blades with the two men, the Hangman snickered as he evaded an electro-blade and a hunting knife at simultaneously.
"I must admit, this is fun, but I have a schedule to adhere to. It's time to end this! Make your peace, Fantine bigshot."
Moving in a speed that seemed like a blur, the Hangman bounded behind the Skymarian chief and swung his glowing electric scythe. As Mikhail watched in horror, Tarkhun shoved the startled man out of the way as the scythe buried itself in his back.
"Tarkhun! No!"
The Mayhan's breathing became labored as the assassin yanked his blood-soaked weapon out of his back before before breathing his last breath. Blood seeping from the corners of his snout, Mikhail's Head of Security succumbed to his wounds. The Skymarian rebel was furious.
"You son of a banshee! I'll make you pay dearly for killing my friend!"
"I'll be looking forward to that day. After all, my business with you is far from finished. " Adjusting his hat, the Hangman turned and nodded to his soldiers. They fled the building, leaving behind a fallen Shadow trooper.
They are all the same! The Survies bring death, despair, and tragedy to all who come across them.
Heading over to where Bartleby lay, he heard a low moaning sound. Curious, he bent over the expiring rebel and turned him over. The face that stared back at him would be burned into his memory forever.
"P-please," the dying Kithar rasped. "Make sure m-my country i-is l-liberated from t-the Survy s-scum."
"I promise we'll expel them once more. We've done it before and we can do it again."97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mpPk8oR4L
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"T-thank you. M-make sure Bekkan and h-her kids make it through. C-Calykko?"97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2tZ4TH6dP
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"She's safe in the Capital. I'll inform her of your bravery and sacrifice. You would have belonged in our organization."
The Kithar resistance fighter smiled once more before his amber eyes glazed over.
"Sir, we need to get out of here now!"
Seeing Aryanna shake him by his shoulders, Mikhail snapped out of it and rose. He wanted to carry Bartleby and Tarkhun out, but no room was available between the soldiers.
It's a shame as those two deserve to be recognized as more than just casualties in this war.
As they exited the building in shambles through a back stairway, they came upon several SFF Special Forces , augmented by green-eyed Black Legion troops, who had their weapons aimed at them.
Blast! We walked straight into an ambush.
Seeing no other option to preserve the lives of his people and allies, Mikhail let them be captured as POWS. Whether this would play out to be the right choice or not, time will only tell.
---
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