Pilot's Choice CH.1

Chapter 1: Take to the Skies



In the middle of this wasteland a boy no older than 14 stood listening to a cd player, the song "The Day the World went Away" was playing.  The boy had short dark hair, brown eyes and the look of someone far older than he was.  He wore a uniform consisting of dark blue dress pants, and a black dress shirt with the name Kyoji sown on the front, along with the insignia for lieutenant above his name.

The song was playing loudly in my ears but I didn't mind, it allowed me to take my mind off of things.  I closed my eyes imagining what it would be like to finally be at peace.  I open my eyes as soon as I hear the air raid siren.  Its high-pitched whine disrupting my music but I didn't care.  I took off my earphones and put away my cd player and quickly went back to a quarantined off area and knocked on the front gate. After 3 hard knocks, a voice answered.

"Halt who goes there?"

"Lieutenant Kyoji id number 783480"

The soldier admits Kyoji in and he goes to the briefing room.  It was filled with computers that were older than they seemed but worked just fine and young men and women sat at each one compiling data and ploting courses.
A women appears in front of me and I salute her, she returns the salute.

"At ease soldier, you have a new mission"

The woman was wearing the standard red uniform of female officers consisting of a red skirt that fell just above the knees and a red vest with a black buttoned-up shirt underneath and she was wearing a beret cap with the commander insignia on it, her nametag read "Mimiru".  She spoke in a soft yet commanding voice.

"Kyoji enemy scout planes have been spotted near this facility can you take them out?"

"Why do you need me to do it?" was all he asked.

"We can't spare any other pilots right now.  You're the only one thats combat ready."

Mimiru searched Kyoji's face for any signs of fear or hesitation but was satisfied when she saw none and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Good luck Kyoji" she said in a gentle voice

"Yes ma'am"

Mimiru handed Kyoji a file with the details of the mission and Kyoji read the file as he was heading to the locker room.
///AUTOMATED REROUTE JAPAN BASE REG-96673
JPN Transmission XX087R-XX
From: Classified
To: JPN Base Reg-96673
Subject: Mission Num.40 enemy scout destruction

/START FILE/
SEVERAL ENEMY MIG SCOUTS SPOTTED  50 KILOMETERS N.W. POSSIBILITY OF BASE DISCOVERY VERY HIGH.  MISSION REQUIRES IMMEDIATE EXECUTION

/END FILE/


Kyoji finished reading the file as he got to the locker room. Kyoji put the file away in his locker and began to change.  He took off his shirt and felt the jagged scar on his right shoulder and wondered if he will die on this mission. Pushing that thought back deep in his mind he changed into a black jumpsuit and put on his helmet.  Kyoji walked to the hanger bay and found that his fighter, a prototype black F-27 Raptor plane embroided on the tail with a picture of a wolf with silver fur and a snarling face.  Kyoji walked up to the technitions and reviewed the mission objectives in his head.

"Is he ready to go?"

"Yes, lieutenant your plane is waiting for you"

"Very good" He said in a monotonus voice.

The technitions moved out of the way and Kyoji got into the cockpit and turned his plane on.  The computer screens flashed for a brief moment as if to say "hello".  Kyoji touched the panel.

"Hello old friend."

Kyoji activated the after burners and a brilliant blue flame hotter than half the sun shot out.

"Let's fly SilverFang."

Kyoji pushed the throttle forward and the plane instantly took off at a high speed.

Mimiru watched Kyoji fly away from the command center and looked at his bio-signs to make sure he was okay.

You better not die Kyoji.  Was all Mimiru thought.

As Kyoji flew to intercept the enemy scouts he reviewed the specs of the enemy planes.  Mig planes are weak at close range so I can take them out with my guns so I don't waste my missiles. But if I try to hit them at long range with my sidewinders they might launch chafe flares to confuse them.  So my best bet is to hit them hard and fast.  And make sure they can't send any transmissions to their base

Kyoji activated his stealth and weapon systems then set down his visor over his face and turned on the targeting screen.

As each Mig was heading back to base to report their findings, they flew in a typical V formation to maximize radar capability and to make sure that no enemy planes got the drop on them.

I should have told my asshole of a commander to do this himself, I would rather die than do recon.  As the Mig pilot finished his thought he had no idea his wish would be granted today.

Kyoji caught up to the enemy Migs and selected his sidewinder missiles as his main weapon and took a deep breath to relax himself.

"Well SilverFang looks like we better start" Kyoji said in a monotonus voice.  Kyoji began to select one Mig to destroy and heard the steady beep-beep of his targeting recticle trying to get a lock-on.

Back at base Mimiru looked at one of the women in front of the computer monitering Kyoji's vital signs.

"How is he?"

"Brain waves read fine, pulse normal, blood pressure normal, everything is okay.  It's like he's at peace when he does this." The woman said in amazment

Mimiru couldn't help but smile at that comment.

"You could be right.  After all nobody knows what Kyoji feels when he does this.  Keep me posted if any sign on his vitals change in any way."

"Yes, Ma'am"

As the steady tone of a lock-on filled Kyoji's ears he pushed the red button on his throttle firing a sidewinder and watched it fly to its target.

As the Migs were flying an alarm came over one and the pilot checked everything to make sure nothing was wrong with the plane.  By the time he thought to check the main screen for incoming weapons it was too late the missile hit the plane and it was engulfed in a ball of fire.

Thats one down four to go.  Kyoji thought to himself.

"Spread out! find the bastard who's firing at us" The scout leader yelled at the others.  The Migs flew in evasive patterns while looking for whoever shot them.

"Well it looks like my cover's blown.  Better shoot them down quickly."

Kyoji deactivated his active cloak and began to fly in a holding pattern while targeting another Mig.

"Its the SilverFang,  he's here!!!"

Damn it, of all the pilots to show up he did.  The enemy Mig commander thought angerly.  The commander attempted to fly behind Kyoji.

A warning alarm fell over Kyoji's plane and he saw it was an enemy Mig.  Kyoji closed his eyes and pushed the throttle forward increasing his speed to outmeanuver the enemy.  Kyoji managed to get behind the enemy plane and destroyed it in a quick burst of his machine guns.

Two down, three to go.

The Migs targeted Kyoji and each launched a missile at him.

Back at base Mimiru was watching what was happening and yelled in the com.

"Kyoji, evasive menuvers now!!"

Kyoji heard her and turned to the right and launched some chafe flares to confuse the missiles.  One missile hit the red flashing chafe flares and was immediately destroyed, but the other two kept tailing Kyoji.

"Looks like I better try something and quick."

Kyoji flew toward two enemy Migs from above and the missiles followed keeping up with him.  The two Mig pilots thought they were safe and relaxed, so they didn't notice Kyoji coming by with their own missiles following him.  Kyoji increased his speed till it was near the red line feeling the increased force of the gravity and gritted his teeth feeling the force of 11 gs of gravity pushing his body, he flew past the two Migs, their missiles hitting them and destroying them.

Last one.  Kyoji thought.

The last Mig was very antsy and began to fire his guns wildly and Kyoji was hit a few times.  A few alarms blinked in his cockpit and Kyoji checked to see if anything was damaged.  Satisfied that there wasn't he focused his attention on the last Mig.  Kyoji decreased his speed and felt his body relax. He got in close enough for the enemy pilot to see his helmet and fired his guns destroying the last plane.  Kyoji breathed steadily and evenly.

"Mission complete, lieutenant Kyoji RTB"

Mimiru smiled and crossed her arms.

"Well done soldier"

Kyoji touched down on the landing pad and before turning off the engines touched the consle.

"Good work old friend."

Kyoji was greeted at the command center by Mimiru and the computer techs.

"Kyoji, you okay?"

"I'm fine Ma'am"

Mimiru knew Kyoji better than that, she could see the exaustion in his eyes and gave him a small hug.

"Get some rest soldier.  You'll need it"

Kyoji didn't hug back but saluted his commanding officer.

"Yes Ma'am"
Kyoji went to the locker room and changed into a soft black t-shirt and pants and walked back to his room.  Kyoji went inside his room and laid down on his bed and put his headphones on and turned on his cd player,  the song "The Day the World went Away" playing low enough to help him relax but loud enough to block everything out.  I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep but my senses were on high alert.

A few hours later a knock came at Kyoji's door, he woke up and realized his cd player was dead.

I need to charge the batteries when I get the chance...

Kyoji opened the door and saw a girl about his age standing there wearing a graduates uniform consisting of a knee length dark blue skirt, dark blue shirt, black dress shoes, and knee-high socks with shoulder length dark brown hair.  She looked at him with cobalt blue eyes.

"Excuse me are you Lieutenant Kyoji Tomodachi?"

Kyoji looked at her suspuciously wondering why she was here.

"Yes.  What do you want?"

She extended her hand in front of Kyoji.

"My name is Sakuya Kurai.  I'm your new partner"