Soaring into the Sun - Part One

Posted on Thu Mar 5th, 2020 @ 4:49pm by Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Yamaguchi-Solusar

Mission: Mission 63: Second Nature
Location: Various Locations - USS Dreamcrusher
Timeline: 1800Hrs - February 9th, 2392

Music Soundtrack: Evangelion 3.0 you can (not) redo - Track One: Gods Message

There was something about seeing new places that Lieutenant junior grade Elizabeth Yamaguchi simply loved, it was not very well known that she too had a love of flying much like her sibling but Elizabeth had not chased it as a career the way Rachael had done until recently. However she preferred to work out stress in various ways and this was one of them. She had decided to try a new program out rather then the F/A 335 Peregrine which had left active service a decade before or the F/A 340 Valkyrie which was now being superseded by the newer F/A 350 Gryphon class starfighters. Elizabeth was not sure how Phoenix would take it if she found out that she was just as skilled as her younger sibling was or that she had several times the number of hours in Valkyries. Elizabeth for her part had stopped counting after twenty thousand hours but she knew the computer had an accurate count on file.

This was a holoprogram set during Earth's Third World War or World War Three which the major powers fought for control of Earth and her colonies, it went from 2045 to 2352 with an all out nuclear exchange which ended the war in a stalemate and crippled the planet itself, poisoning vast swathes of the world and killing millions in the exchange but also dooming billions to death through various causes like fallout or lack of drinking water, no food was another good one.

Meanwhile Elizabeth Yamaguchi for her crefit wore steal toed boots under a flight-suit that was comfortable on her, she had a sidearm and various pockets that were all full of various things she would need in case she was ever downed behind enemy lines, everything she wore was real and not a holographic overlay as she was a very tactile woman, she preferred the real thing but while everything around her was fake, all of her gear was real.

The area around the airbase was peaceful, the world looked serine and lovely but as always appearances were deceiving, the world was at war and in this case, it would be a war that would transform humanity forever. Also it would change their planets fate and their destiny forever too as this war would help catapult humanity to a new level of existence among the stars. Elizabeth had also some her homework on this program and she had memorized names, places and dates.

Yamaguchi glanced down at her wristwatch, it had the date and time. "17/09/2045." The taller then average woman sighed as she took a moment to reflect on the significance of that date. Tomorrow the Chinese part of the Eastern Coalition would invade Korea with a massive army over four million men with twenty thousand tanks and order armored vehicles to back them up along with five thousand aircraft. They would take horrendous losses but it would take them a month to fully conquer Korea.

Yamaguchi heard a sudden announcement over the nearby loudspeaker which rattled out words in rapid fire Korean, this had the effect of interrupting her reverie. To hear refined ears it was a language that sounded almost harsh but then she was used to such, the combadge she wore almost at all times translated it into English for her ears to enjoy. It was a reminder that the mission would depart in an hours time.

She turned her attention to the dampness and crisp fresh air of the early morning haze which seemed to be slowly dissipating as the summer sun began its lazy rise into a clear sky, but today would be unlike any other day in Korea's long history. Yamaguchi sighed softly as she wished she could have changed these people's fate.

An air of quiet purpose and silent concern filled the air regiments operations building. Not just here but also the regiments admin offices but also downstairs in the hardened basements where the radio and radar operators were monitoring the area from China from the southwest all the way across to the northeast, but they also had to content with Russia, now more properly known as the CFR or Communist Federated Republic. In short the Second Soviet Union.

The Eleventh Fighter Wing had three Squadrons assigned to this area and they were looking after various spaces along the Yalu river area with China who were more belligerent then ever, with the war raging elsewhere. The people of Korea knew full well that their new Unified Republic would not survive a full blown invasion from China, however they would not stop them from trying and probably dying in the effort.

Yamaguchi sighed softly for the umpteenth time as one of the other pilots approached her. First Lieutenant Jung Hye Soo regarded her. "Hey Babs. You heard the news?"

Elizabeth 'Babs' Yamaguchi recalled how she had gotten the callsign in the first place, it was back when she was at the academy when Kameron who was an operator short needed someone to look after the back seater posting for him so when he showed her off to his squiadron mates, every one of them suddenly wanted her and hald right there on the spot. Elizabeth however showcased her skills and that she could indeed fly. So she was given the callsign of 'Babs' which meant 'banging a flight surgeon' or 'banging a back seater.' The callsign stuck to this day but she never used it, not like Rachael did.

Babs heart almost leaped out of her chest. "Jung. Whats happened. Somebody have an incident?" Nobody ever used the word 'crash' as if one could avoid the subject.

"No.." he paused. "But take a look at the Intel board... More Chinese units are arriving north and west of the river... The Chinese say its as precautionary measure but... the numbers of ground forces, aircraft... the works... the Chinese also say its for military maneuvers before they send them against India... but they shared that information so openly."

"First this dammed oil embargo from the CFR.... I mean the Second Soviet Union and now these troop movements, its like we're being penned in from all sides.... Maybe they will invade?" Jung sighed at her.

Babs nodded in agreement. "I expect them to attack...It sure looks like it."

"Maybe they will surprise us and leave us be."

"Mmm... not likely." Babs chuckled. "No... they'll come and we should remain ready for them." as he looked out over the western sky. "It won't take long..."

"No... I expect our guys to make them bleed.. and ultimately fall." the other pilot said darkly to Babs, who nodded almost in agreement. "Where you from?" she inquired.

"Songnim... North."

"Ahh... I'm from Busan." Babs answered because she knew nobody would ever believe her if they knew she had come from another planet and wasn't even human so she selected a southern city almost at random. "My parents were Americans who settled here." she added to explain her looks.

"Well. As I said, you better check the board... You're flying today." Jung explained to Babs. "In fact. most of us are." as Yamaguchi frowned. "Okay.." as she went into the Operations Building and sure enough when she looked at the board, she realized that Jung was not toying with her as the board indeed told the tale. Yamaguchi quickly memorized the details on the board as she sighed softly. Pairs of F15K's along with F-22 Raptors would patrol their airspace and it wasn't several miles back, no it was right up against the line so any turn left would end up in Chinese airspace. The eleventh was looking after a slice of the Korean boarder from Ryongampo on the coast of the Yellow Sea, east two hundred kilometers to Wiwon which was much further inland.

"Any questions about your assignment Babs?" a third officer inquired, as if he congealed from out of the shadows.

"No sir." Yamaguchi responded. "This is to let the Chinese know they can't muscle us around.." the taller woman responded with a smile. "I know my assignment sir."

"Good.. Good hunting and good luck Major."

"Thank you.

Colonel Shin Rae Soo regarded Yamaguchi. "You and your wingman are up next... good luck" as she drew her gear and maps before she went off to her assigned bird, she lifted her helmet and slipped it on, a sigh escaped her as she climbed into her bird, her weapons systems officer climbed in behind her. "We ready Babs.?"

Babs smiled as she tapped the display to close the canopy. "Lets do this Mouse." as she slowly advanced the throttles forward, the air controller guided her to the end of the runway as she inquired. "Permission to launch?" she asked the forward air controller.

"Permission granted. "

Babs gently rested her left hand on the throttle, her right hand was on the stick. Yamaguchi took a moment to make sure she was all set and lined up for take off. "Alright, ready back there Rae?"

"Ya." came the squeak from her Weapons Systems Officer who had the callsign of 'Mouse' as when she spoke, she sounded like a mouse.

"Alright..." and with that Yamaguchi pushed the throttle forward as she quickly picked up speed, her plane advanced down the runway before she gently pulled the stick back. Her Eagle rose into the air on two massive jets of fuel being vented out the back. "Time to show the Chinese they can't screw with us." Mouse commented as Yamaguchi kept her mouth shut, however she smiled under her mask.

Suddenly the announcement came over the com. "Viper Two Oh Five, come left to heading Three two one... We have four unidentified contacts.."

"Confirmed." Babs responded, now fully alert as all of her senses came alive, she could feel the rush of adrenaline through her body. "Two Five... you still with me?"

"Confirmed Oh Five... I see them." came the response from her wing-mate, a man named Boozehound for various reasons. "I'm also still with you."

Yamaguchi nodded as she processed what he had said to her. "Mouse, warm em' up... Lets be ready... just in case..."

"Copy Babs. Understood, warming up my weapons.." came the response from her wing-mate who as fortune had it was an American and not a Korean.

"Magic. I need a sitrep?" Yamaguchi asked of the Boeing 737 AEW&C E-7 Wedgetail based three hundred miles away over the south of Korean. She knew that four of them were airborne at the present time and several others were being maintained, two of them at her home. Osan Air Base.

"Confirmed, Bogeys are on direct course for Seoul." came the expected response.

Babs nodded her head. "Alright then.. I guess thats that...." she sighed as the call came in, the one she was expecting but not wanting. "Babs, If those Chinese bastards cross the Yalu River and if they refuse to turn back, intercept them and turn them back."

"Confirmed." Babs was not going to question her orders as she knew that history would play out as it did once before. Babs shoved all of those details out of her thought processes as she flew her F-15K. "Mouse?"

"I have them." the younger woman responded. "We'll turn them into smoking craters if they so much as twitch funny."

"Then we should go meet them.." Babs responded before she pushed the throttles forward, she shot away from her wingman who slowly moved off to the right of the original heading, moments later Yamaguchi spotted the four Chinese bogeys as her eyes narrowed. "What the hell?" as the four shot past her plane at a combined speed of close to twelve hundred miles an hour.

Mouse commented. "Dammn... Its four Chinese Shenyang J-31's."

"How can you see them?" Babs asked.

"They have dropped their stealth but intentionally giving away their positions." came the unexpected response, the thought that went through Babs's mind was 'What the fuck!'

Babs yanked on the stick before going rolling over, doing an Immelmann turn, she looked around. "Boozehound?"

"I'm still with you Babs." came the response.

"Babs. Bandits intentions are hostile. Shoot to kill." came the voice of 'Magic'

"Confirmed." Babs responded, saying that she understood the order and would follow it. Suddenly her 'SAM' alarm began flashing. "Holy shit I'm being painted." Babs's surprise was total as was her anger. "You wanna piece of me, you bastard!. Well come then. I'll give you the whole dammed pie!"

"Confirmed." responded Mouse. "The Lead Shen has us pinged for a missile lock." Mouse explained their situation in clear and concise tones.

Yamaguchi's mind instantly corrected for the situation as it happened, her index finger shifted almost of its own accord as to tapped one of the buttons on her stick. Babs released several sticks of chaff and a couple of flares, to either decoy the warhead away or kill the warhead on flight.

Inside the Chinese plane, Major Chae Ku-Ho smiled evilly as he pulled the trigger twice, causing two missiles on the rails to ignite before speeding off into the early morning. Babs forcefully pushed the stick over as she squeezed her own trigger, causing a few flares and chaff to exit out the back of her Slam-Eagle. One of the missiles exploded in flight while the second missed Babs's bird. The fuse inside the warhead fused white hot and detonated the warhead, showering empty skies with razor sharp debris that had been super heated but it was all worthless as it had completly missed.

Babs caught sight of the contrail as she rolled inverted before diving into the cloud layers. "Magic, I have been engaged..". The words had deep implications for herself but also for her homeland and for the greater world at large, the Third World War had come to Korea.