The Bats vs The Songbirds
20:30, 1995, SKIES' RIDGE MOUNTAINS, AVERDEN REPUBLIC
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“This is AWACS Sightseer, Operation Rattrap III is a go. Caution Flakbat 1 & 2, SSF-26A Rooks were caught on radar in the AO, weapons free.” Frozen winds pass over and pass over the ice capped mountains, their howling drowned out by the roars of the single Bask Aerotech E-3B Continental Runner of Flakbat 1 and 2s’ FA-2E1 Rangers flying by. Flakbat 1 glances at his radar and multi-function display, with AWACS Sightseer providing wave points along suspected patrol routes of the invading GSIA. They flew by the various mountain ranges, pulling back, rising above the rough terrain, rolling, and pitching down to ride the mountainside. Keeping close to the rocky, yet ancient landscape.
The Skies’ Ridge Mountain Range, bordering large parts of the shoreline and inland of the northern parts of the continent, were once believed to be housing the grand gates to the afterlife in older religions and beliefs that populated the area. These beliefs were strengthened by the photoelectric dancing lights that blanketed the region, especially prevalent in the peaks, in beautiful displays of lights in a dazzling array of neon colors, reds, yellows, cyan, and greens, and if lucky, blues.
Flakbat 1, callsign Blue beam, from when he accidentally shone a blue laser pointer into his eye, flew with Flakbat 2 callsign Vaporwave, for her use of e-cigarettes. With four years in service, all of them amidst the Sarson-Averden War, they had both storied records of losses and victories.
Among the valleys and mountains, ran many routes leading through the range, and out into the gulf, between the cities of northern regions of the Averden Republic. Among them ran the critical routes of supply convoys and trains which invading GSIA and ISMF units used to keep a foothold past the mountains, they are slowly being drained on the other side, but not fast enough, ground is still lost. These raids keep Sarson military strength off the shoulders of the ARGF, slowing the gears of war.
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As they climbed along the mountain side, they crossed another ridgeline, into one of another path, this one carved fully through the twisting mountains and valleys. Dropping down, they catch sight of the GSIA convoy, “AWACS Sightseer, this is Flakbat 1, target spotted, engaging.” “Affirmative Flakbat, clear to engage.” Responded the AWACS, as they flipped on the SE-18G's own fire control computers, on watch for bogeys. The two strike pilots kick their planes into afterburner, arm weapons, and designate an attack pattern & target priorities. Blue Beam switched to TV mode on his FCC, trained it on the central triple-a carrier—“Flakbat 1, Tackle 2!", and pulled the trigger. He heard the recognizable Ker-chunk sound of two G-56D Magnum AGMs drop and ignite their motors, accelerating to terminal velocity, and slamming centermass into the carrier. Swapping FCC selection, he calls out again, “Flakbat 1, Pickle 2!” “Flakbat 2, Drilbit, Drillbit, Drillbit!” Calling out, Flakbat 1 flicks up the pickle switch, and presses down on the release, dropping down a pair of G-32A1 retarded(drogue) bombs and pulls up, weaving by as Flakbat 2 looses three five-rocket bursts. Explosions ring out as the two lead MBTs detonate from the 500 lb drogue bombs, while four trailing APCs and and supply trucks erupted as the 15 68.58 x 127mm rockets slam into them, destroying both the lead and trailing elements bracketing the convoy. Zipping past, the two strike fighters pull up, banking and performing evasive maneuvers, popping off flares and chaff. Turning back for the next pass, with Blue Beam targeting the two remaining triple-A vehicles, switching on the laser designator, he lines it up on the central SAM carrier, and calls out as he drops a LGB-31C Dagger, the bomb locked onto the beam, striking the triple-A, then calling out, “Guns! Guns! Guns!”— squeezing the trigger, loosing a burst of 37.5mm autocannon fire, the shells perforating the second triple-A and the IFV behind it. Suddenly before her run, Vaporwave aborted as AWACS Sightseer gave an urgent warning, “Flakbat Element, four contacts approaching from 287 west north west, hostile IFF, must be the Rooks! Quiver 2, Quiver 2!”