He makes a quick note of it on the data pad. “Alright, we’ll get right on that. Excuse me.” The man walks off quickly to confer with a group of other mechanics standing nearby.
“Quick debrief in the squad room,” I tell my squad.
I walk into the hangar and continue through to the back as Hitomi jogs up to walk beside me. Upon reaching the room, I find Yamada and his squad lounging around. They greet us, and I walk up to the front of the room to wait for the others to finish up their talks with the mechanics. Hitomi and I have a conversation quietly between ourselves until the last person arrives and the debriefing begins.
“Alright,” I begin. “There isn’t really too much to go over here, other than filling in Yamada’s squad for clarity, so I’ll be extremely brief. On the way to the mission area, we encountered a small patrol of enemy planes. Having been noticed, we quickly dispatched them, but not before they got word out for backup. Approximately six minutes later, enemy reinforcements arrived in the form of an additional twelve hostiles. We quickly dealt with them and continued to the objective.
“Everything from there was simple and to the plan. We arrived at the base and began our attack. A few minutes later, it was over and we headed for home. Any questions?”
“Nah, that was simple enough,” Yamada says. “We’re good.”
“Alright, then everyone is dismissed. Get some rest, guys. We might have another mission early in the morning.”
The room’s occupants begin to disperse as I check on a few more things. From the lockbox below the table, I procure a few documents and files meant for me to review. After glancing at each of them briefly, I decide it would be best for me to give them my full attention in my office. I slide them back in the envelope and exit out the back of the squad room, headed for my office in the pilot dorms.
The biometric lock beside the office door turns green after I place my hand on it and the door slides open. I walk inside with Hitomi in tow and slap the folder on my desk to join the small mountain forming. Hitomi kicks off her shoes and plops down on the couch, half sitting and half lying down. She pulls out a tablet and begins casually surfing the web on it as I sit down and get to work.
That girl has been sticking really close to me these days. It’s like she thinks I’ll disappear if she takes her eyes off me. I guess it’s understandable, her having believed me to be dead for several months, but it’s almost like we’re joined at the hip lately. Not that I mind much.
“We should go somewhere together next time we get to go on leave,” she says.
“Yeah? You have anywhere in mind?”
“Not really. It doesn’t even have to be anywhere fancy, to be honest. I just wanna spend some quality time with you outside of work.”
“We’ll have to do that for sure then.”
The daunting stacks of paper inevitably capture my full attention and I start looking through them, filling things out where needed. First among them is an official performance report for the squadron as well as each individual member. The numbers look good. Even the new guys have been going above and beyond. I’m honestly pretty proud of us.
Second up is a rather cryptic message mentioning a potential reassignment. It doesn’t go into who, where, when, or why. In fact, it doesn’t go into much at all. Honestly, I think they just enjoy printing things so they can add them to my desk mountain.
I get lost in the sea of information around me and start to move almost automatically. Many types of reports and files find their way across my vision: readiness reports, mission summaries, equipment and repair orders. It seems like there’s no end to the deluge of paperwork, but slowly the piles of completed documents grow larger.
As the final completed form lands on the appropriate stack, I lean back in my chair and stretch. My back cracks a little from the effort after sitting still for so long and I take a deep breath. A look at the clock informs me that I spent three hours battling the desktop army.
I look over at Hitomi to see what she’s up to and find that she’s fallen asleep. Smiling, I stand up and cross the distance between us before sitting down on the floor in front of the couch. For a while, I just watch her sleeping peacefully. Her lips are parted just a tiny bit and a few strands of hair hang down across her face. The slow rise and fall of her chest accentuates her steady breathing.
As much as I would love to just sit here and watch her sleep, I guess I can’t just leave her here. It’s gotten pretty chilly tonight. I roll forward into a kneeling position and slip my arms under her before gathering her to me and standing. She squirms a little in my arms and nuzzles into my chest but doesn’t seem to wake up.
After checking to make sure I’ve secured everything, I exit the office and make the trip downstairs to Hitomi’s room. Upon reaching it, I realize I have to find her key to get in. After a bit of balancing, I start to check her pockets for her room key. The whole process honestly looks like I’m trying to cop a feel, but she would totally encourage that if she were awake.
Finally, I find the key in her back pocket and use it to open the door and walk inside. I gently lay her down on the bed before taking off her jacket and hanging it on a nearby hanger. She squirms again as I pull the covers up over her. I kiss her on the forehead and turn around to leave.
Before I get two steps, my sleeve seems to snag on something. I turn around to see Hitomi, one hand extended from beneath the covers grabbing my sleeve, hazel eyes sparkling in the dim light and looking straight into mine.
“Don’t go,” she says softly.
I turn around and give her a quizzical look. She said it so quietly that I almost didn’t hear her.
“Stay with me tonight,” she says, almost pleading.
“Okay.”
As I take off my shoes, she scoots over to leave room for me to lay down next to her. I crawl under the covers and put my arm around her, holding her close to me and enjoying the familiar comfort of her body against mine.
Chapter 13
Lt. Col. Orion Tachibana
December 26, 2112, 22:18
A breeze blows across my face from the fan in the corner as I sit waiting for the briefing to begin. In a stroke of luck, yesterday’s mission wound up getting cancelled. As a result, we managed to get all of Christmas off. I woke up that morning cuddling with Hitomi, then spent most of it relaxing with my team.
Naturally, one day off is the best we could hope for. Early this morning, I’d been ordered to assemble two squads and we hopped onboard our old friend, the A.S. James Lee aircraft carrier. Now we’re on our second cruise across the Pacific with the ship. Admiral Fumihiko’s instructions hadn’t really gone into detail on our objective. All he said was that we should be prepared to be onboard for as long as a month.
Speaking of the admiral, he casually strolls into the room speaking with an aide. After he says a few words to the man, the aide hurries back out of the room. The admiral walks to the front and immediately begins the briefing.
“Let’s get started. I know I’ve been tight-lipped on the details, but I’m sure you all understand operational security. Today’s mission could very likely change the direction of this war. That said, your first and most important objective is this.”
On screen, a familiar image appears. One of the Republic’s HVEC experimental planes sits just inside the doors of a hangar. It seems to gleam with an evil light, as if daring someone to challenge it.
“This is the Republic’s experimental fast-attack craft. You may have heard rumors about the planes that rapidly destroyed several aircraft in northwest China a while back. These are the aircraft responsible. The objective is to infiltrate the base where two of them are currently based and apprehend them. For that purpose, we’ll need two of Lt. Col. Tachibana’s pilots.
“At the same time, another squad will be going in to destroy a crucial data center in the same base. A whole lot of their combat information for the area is relayed through it and, without it, their forces will face a harder time cooperating until
they set up a replacement.
“One of John’s teams will accompany the two pilots to their objective while the other goes for the data facility. On mission complete, Shadow Hawks will pick up the ground squads and RTB. I cannot stress enough how important this mission is. John, Tachibana, I want your best guys on this.
“I’ll go myself,” Lt. Shepard, the man known as John, says.
“I’ll go too,” I offer.
Admiral Fumihiko meets my gaze for a moment. I don’t mention that I have experience operating the craft, nor do I have to. The admiral was one of those responsible for sending me undercover in the first place. I still have mixed feelings toward the man because of it.
“Good. Tachibana, once your team nabs the planes, you are to fly straight back to the carrier. No questions, I hope?” He looks down at his watch. “Alright, wheels up in thirty mikes.”
Lt. Shepard and his guys exit the briefing room headed toward the armory. I stand up and take a moment to look around at my squad.
“You know I’m coming with you, right?” Hitomi says.
“Yeah, I figured you would say that. It’s going to be really dangerous and nothing like the air battles we’ve been fighting thus far.”
“So? I’m your wingman. I’ll fight with you anywhere.” She gets closer and speaks quietly so that only I can hear her. “Besides, I’m not letting you run off to a foreign country by yourself anymore. My heart can’t handle the thought of you not coming back again. We’re in this together.”
I nod. “Alright fine. Come on. The rest of you will play it by ear. Smith, you’re in charge until I get back. We’re combat effective guests here, so the admiral may need you to sortie at some point.”
Without a further word, Hitomi and I exit the briefing room and follow in the general direction of Lt. Shepard. They’re out of sight by now, but I know where I’m going and there are helpful signs pointing the way. A few narrow hallways and a staircase later, we arrive at the armory and walk inside.
“Nice to finally officially meet you,” the lieutenant says as we enter. “I’m Lt. John Shepard. My guys and I will be in charge of your safety for a while.”
“Likewise. I’m Lt. Col. Orion Tachibana. We’ll be in your care.”
“We’ve got spare gear and kits for you guys over here. You familiar with the equipment?”
“Yes, fairly,” I reply.
“Good, then let’s ready up and head to the flight deck.”
I walk over to the spare equipment and grab the body armor, draping it over me before fastening the various straps and harnesses. Hitomi quickly follows my lead beside me. I turn around and check to make sure her armor is on correctly and help fasten a few errant straps. After we have on our protective gear, I procure an assault rifle from the gun cage and check it before inserting a magazine of ammunition and stowing two extras in my vest pockets.
With everyone geared up, the ten of us exit the armory and take the series of stairs and hallways up to the flight deck. Waiting off to the side, rotors already spinning up, is a Shadow Hawk stealth helicopter. Other than the moving rotor blades and gusts of wind, it betrays no sign of being active. Without hesitation, we approach the machine and climb in.
Moments later, we’re off the flight deck and soaring over the dark nighttime ocean. Patches of cloud cover provide a respite from the bright moonlight, which is good for the whole stealth thing. The water gives way to the California coastline and soon we’re zipping northeast across the state.
The flight seems to go on forever, but actually happens pretty quickly according to my watch. As near as I can tell, we passed into another state at some point. It just feels weird to be in an aircraft that I’m not flying myself. I guess I’m fine on commercial airliners because they’re not flying through warzones. Well, not technically flying through warzones. Everywhere seems to be a battlefield these days.
“Thirty seconds to target,” the pilot announces.
Final checks are made by all present. Everything is all good on my end, so I take a moment to mentally prepare myself for what comes next. A few seconds later, the gentle bump of the helicopter landing prompts us all to quickly exit the transport. Lt. Shepard looks around a moment to get our bearings.
“Alright, we should be about twenty mikes out from the base. One hell of a command chain we have here, eh?”
“I’ll trust your judgement and leave everything on the ground to you,” I tell him. “You’ve got the experience, so it’s your party.”
“Appreciate it. Let’s get moving.”
Our combat group stands and begins the trudge through the two-acre forest we landed in. My eyes never stop moving, given the events of the last time I was in a forest. Soon, we reach the edge of the forest and stop to take a look at the situation.
The gates of the enemy base jut out of the otherwise mostly flat terrain about fifty meters away. This time, all the nasty defenses that were thankfully absent on my last forest-stroll-slash-base-raid are present. High-powered anti-personnel turrets dot towers at regular intervals. Spotlights sweep the perimeter and the sharp razor wire atop the gates acts as a deterrent to both people and pigeons. Secure and economical.
We leave the cover of the forest and slowly approach the base boundaries. Each time a spotlight comes sweeping past, we have to dive into the underbrush, flattening ourselves against the ground until the bright beam passes over us. After countless near-misses, we finally reach the outer gates.
Now the question is how the hell we get inside. It’s not as if we can just hop the fence. The answer presents itself in the form of a small convoy—two tanker trucks and two canvas-covered transports—winding its way down the road to the base gates. They slow to a stop before reaching them and two guards exit the guardhouse, approaching the first of the two tankers.
Lt. Shepard motions for us to move and we quickly stand and run along the length of the fence between spotlight sweeps. We stop a few feet from the convoy, still hidden within the tall grasses, and take a moment to observe. One of the guards stands at the front of the second tanker talking to the driver while the other checks under and around the vehicle.
While the second guard’s back is turned—and with the view of the first obscured by vehicles—we rush out from our hiding spot to the back of the final transport. One by one, we climb inside, moving quickly and quietly so as not to alert the driver. I quickly clamber over the crates as far back as I can manage. Finding an open space between rows, I lie down as flat as I can. Hitomi comes up behind me and winds up having to hide in the same space, causing her to flatten herself against me.
No sooner than she’s down does the bright beam of a flashlight arc overhead, throwing shadows from the boxes onto the roof and walls. A single bead of sweat rolls down the side of my face as the light seems to hang forever, sweeping from one side to the other and back. Finally, it disappears and I hear the guard say something before the truck rumbles to life and begins moving. I let out a breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.
“This is a terrible time for an inappropriate joke, isn’t it?” Hitomi whispers in my ear.
“Yes. Yes, it is.”
Sometime later, the trucks once again come to a halt. Lt. Shepard, who was the last one in, gets out and looks around before motioning for us to follow. I exit the transport and turn around to help the next person down before readying my weapon and scanning our surroundings. The sound of a door slamming grabs my attention and I quickly turn toward the source. A shadow grows closer as the transport driver walks toward the back of the truck.
By the time he reaches the corner, the lieutenant has already moved over to it. As the man rounds the back of the vehicle, he’s caught by a series of blows that sends his unconscious frame to the floor. At the same time, another of the soldiers is already racing toward the other truck. I hear another thud as he drops the second driver. They quickly drag the two unconscious men behind several stacks of empty wooden pallets in the corner.
“Jake, your gu
ys are going to take care of the pilots and escort them to their objective,” Shepard tells one of his guys.
“Got it, boss.”
After checking to make sure there’s no enemies wandering around, we exit the vehicle depot and our group splits into two teams as planned. Lt. Shepard’s team takes off in the direction of the more densely packed collection of buildings at the center of the base. My group instead heads for the low group of hangars and support buildings beside the airfield.
The journey takes much longer than covering the same distance at my own base would. Between ducking patrols and stopping to observe the area, every fifty meters stretches into eternity, turning a ten-minute walk into closer to twenty-five. We duck yet another patrol as we approach within thirty meters of the first hangar. As soon as they’re out of sight, we sprint the final distance to the building, making sure to avoid the sweeping arcs of the numerous cameras.
“Since we have no idea which hangar these planes are hiding in, we’re going to have to search each one,” the soldier known as Jake says. “You two stay close.”
Swiftly and cautiously, we open the side door and dart inside. The interior is laid out just like every other Republic hangar I’ve been inside. Planes are spaced in grids with enough space to move one between clusters. Pilots and mechanics are, thankfully, absent at the moment.
“No eyes on the targets here, I take it?” Jake asks.
“No,” I reply. “Just standard F-9As.”
“Let’s move on to the next one, then.”
We move to the door on the other side of the hangar and, after checking to make sure it’s clear, exit into the night. The next hangar over presents the same run of the mill combination as the first and we quickly move through it. If it takes us much longer, Lt. Shepard’s team will have completed their objective before we even find our targets.
A guard casually strolls around the third hangar and we sit observing him for a while. His path seems different from the others we’ve seen thus far. Instead of patrolling in a wide path around the building, he moves back and forth in the wide path between buildings. When he reaches the edge of the building, instead of rounding the corner and continuing on, he turns around the way he came.
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