Act 1, Chapter 3: World's On Fire

That night, I had a dream where I woke up in the small pond with a small waterfall, surrounded by the garden of flowers at night. As I get up slowly and look at the flowers, all the flower petals are in blue color. I could feel the gentle softness of each flower I’ve caressed, like a soft blanket that cozies me during the winter.

But it is such a shame that the emergency alarm jolted me up from my beautiful dream like an electrocuting taser, whipping my senses back to the suffering of reality. I have a feeling there’s some urgent mission in this dead of night. I quickly put my uniform back on, washed my face, tidied myself, and rushed to the briefing room for the urgent mission.

Still, my mind can’t stop thinking about the last dream I had after sleeping. It was as if I must face the eternal suffering after cooling myself on the temporary heaven.

***

Inside the briefing room, all pilots hurriedly sat on their chairs as they paid attention to Commander Jason Vanderhall’s briefing in a solemn and clear tone.

“Apologize for waking you up at this hour, but we were facing a high-alert situation.”

“At 0245 hours, Kalina Satcom detected a large-scale assault by the Valusian Royal Naval Forces and their bombers. They’ve launched a surprise retaliation on our mainland, targeting Valoria Harbor, our vital naval defense. Their forces decimate the harbor, our docked fleets, and the nearby city with their immense firepower.”

“Your mission is to intercept and repel the Valusian forces before they inflict further devastation. The lives of civilians and fleet crew depend on your success.”

“This is not a drill! All pilots, launch!”

After the quick briefing, all pilots rushed to the hangar to face off against the 2nd wave of the Valusian forces. And I have a feeling that I want to prove our worthiness from this sudden high-alert mission, as I will show them what a talented young fighter like me could do.

***

0312 hours, 30 June 2004...

I, Beck, and the rest of the Pegasi squadron arrived at the Valoria Harbor this early morning. Despite my sleepiness that kept electrocuting my nerves, the increasing fire from the harbor awakened me like the fire from hell snapped me back to reality, like the world’s on fire. Their fleets, bombers, and fighters make ours look like sticks and stones. Maybe it’s the result of us constantly underestimating our enemies.

“Holy Mother of God! They’ve engulfed the harbor in fire!”

Beck, with his usual motormouth surprise, almost deafened my ear because of my sleepiness.

As I glanced at the hellish landscape from our ravaged harbor by the somewhat inferior forces with a tinge of surprise, Ambriel expressed her pity with a slight shakiness in her voice.

“Jesus Christ! This is… our most… precious harbor! But they…”

However, Lukas (Pegasi-1) asserted all of us as he rushed to the combat zone with full throttle.

“Save your pities! We must quickly repel those Valusies before they keep damaging the nearby city!”

“AWACS here, callsign Capricorne to all the fighters. Take down all the Valusian royal forces before they cause further damage to our harbor!”

Out of a deepening grudge with their havocs, I then gripped my sticks as I announced the entire pilot with a bitter tone.

“They’re gonna pay! All squadrons, engage!”

But Pegasi-1 suddenly warned me with a stern voice, intending to put me in my place.

“Wyvern-1! Focus on the duty and don’t let your personal revenge indulge you!”

Wasting no time, all of us pushed the throttle to the maximum, engaging the intercepting Valusian fighters and launching our missiles right at their faces.

“Fox-2!”

BOOM

And that was a direct hit to those intercepting Valusian fighters, as our missiles’ decimated their aircrafts in midair. It was too much for us, but it gives me a strange satisfaction to give them hell before their infernal demise of what they’ve done.

While I was on one of the Valusian fighters’ ships, trying to get a perfect lock from my missile, Pegasi-1 suddenly surprised me from my communication channel in a stern tone.

“Wyvern-1! Do not let your personal revenge get to you!”

Dumbass! What does he know about war?! Does he think the power of friendship bullshit could win a war?! This is the reality of war! It’s all about kill or be killed, you dipshit!

Unfortunately, I couldn’t spout my rant as I had to express it by pressing the trigger after getting a perfect lock on the last remaining intercepting fighter.

“Fox-2!”

BOOM

And that was a flawless kill again.

But as both of us were about to take care of another wave of fighters and the bombers, Robin Markovic (Pegasi-3) suddenly ordered us from our communication channel in a solemn but slightly casual tone.

“This is Pegasi-3 to all Wyvern squadrons. Leave all the fighters and the bombers to us! Let’s see if you could take care of that fish food!”

“Ey! It’s gonna be easy, dude!”

After Beck responded with a joking tone, both of us then went full throttle to prevent further damage from the invading fleets.

***

We’ve arrived at the sea near the harbor where the Zalanthian fleets were defending against the Valusian fleets, despite it being scorching in the sea of fire. We got a sudden radio communication from the Zalanthian carrier captains in a stern but pleading tone.

“Attention to all Zalanthian fighters, this is Captain Leonard Davis of the carrier UZFF Arthur Hulkenberg speaking! We want all of you to clear out those filths before it keeps damaging us and our harbor! Anyone copy?!”

But before we could respond, another one blasted through our communication channel like a drill sergeant’s snark during our boot camp year.

“THIS IS MAJOR IGNIS BERGERON OF THE DESTROYER LUCIFER!!! WE CANNOT HOLD IT ANY LONGER FROM THOSE VALUSIES BASTARDS!!! HURRY UP AND FUCK THEM ALL DOWN!!!”

“This is Wyvern-2; copy to all damaged Zalanthian fleets! Don’t you worry; leave those bastards to us!”

As we were going full throttle toward the Valusian fleets, AWACS then informed us in a solemn tone.

“4 enemy destroyers, 5 cruisers, 7 frigates, and 4 submarines at the bearing 0-6-4, dead ahead! Cleared to engage!”

As I swiftly set up my RWR to identify the enemy fleets like a hand that’s playing a piano, Beck then went full throttle with a boosted confidence.

“Roger that, AWACS! Let’s make it quick, wyvern dude!”

Despite my sleepiness, which was constantly electrifying my nerves, I vigorously shook my head to prevent my sleepiness. Following Wyvern-2’s lead, both of us lowered our noses, activated the fuse of our bombs, and dropped all of it to the Valusian fleets at the same time as we dumped flares to evade their missiles and their guns.

“Pickle! Pickle!”

BOOM

“Wyvern squadrons have sunk 2 destroyers! 4 frigates! 1 aegis! And 1 submarine!”

That was a direct hit! Our small unguided bombs easily decimated the attacking Valusian fleets’ weak point, which were likened to a knife cutting butter.

To our surprise, our attacks caused the remaining Valusian fleets to disperse their formation. In which Beck pointed at it with surprise.

“Hey, look at that! They’re dispersing!”

Our attacks were enough to make them cower in fear. Despite just the two of us in our somewhat weaker crafts, our hellish decimation was like the demonic wyverns that rain fire upon them.

But that’s still not enough for me! I want to make them suffer as the civilians they’ve burned! My heart beat fast as a supercar; I emptied my gun’s ammo at one of the retreating Valusian Aegis ships.

BOOM

And that’s another easy kill. Just as I narrowly avoided their SAM missiles and their guns.

The sunken fleet’s crew evacuated from their damaged fleet with their lifeboats, but the flames from the leaked oils ignited into the sea of fire due to our missiles. Witnessing their infernal torture in the world on fire gives me a tinge of pity, but with a tinge of satisfaction. Because it’s giving them the hard lesson to never mess with our nation, or they will pay the bigger price for that!

“This is what you get when you mess with us!”

Panics erupted from the surviving Valusian fleets as they backed down after witnessing our overkill decimation, like breaking toothpicks. In turn, the captain of UZFF, Arthur Hulkenberg, contacted us in a relieved tone.

“This is Captain Leonard Davis to the Wyvern nuggets! That was too much for kids like you! Thanks to your efforts, they are retreating! And please cease your fire, will you?”

“Roger that, captain! Alright, Wyvern squadrons, cease your fire, and let’s focus on the remaining bombers!”

When my vision was gluing to the bailing-out Valusian fleet crews on their scorched lifeboat, we got an emergency comms from one of our friendly squadrons suddenly.

“This is Captain David Truman Schnitzel, Rexus’ leader, reporting to all available fighters! We have come for a rescue, to repel those remaining fighters and the bombers, together with Pegasi squadrons!”

I then pressed the contact button as I responded in a solemn tone.

“This is Wyvern-1 reporting to Rexus-1. We’ll come for help if you need it!”

“Wilco! Let’s see what you nuggets have!”

As I was on my way back to Pegasi, Beck then stretched himself as he spoke to me with his unwavering confidence.

“That should wrap up the fleets. Let’s finish this quick, pronto!”

We then leave the sunken Valusian fleets alone, considering most of the attacking fleets are retreating and we have safely evacuated the Zalanthian fleets’ crews. And on our way to clearing up the remaining fighters and bombers that the Rexus and Pegasi squadrons were dealing with.

***

As we went full throttle to rescue the Pegasi squadrons that seemed to be in difficulty facing the remaining Valusian fighters, we accidentally overheard their panicked communication radio, which blared in our eardrums like a sonic boom.

“THESE BOGEYS ON MY SIX ARE SO FUCKING ANNOYING!!! I’M BREAKING!!!”

The way I heard it, it was Robin’s (Pegasi-3) yell. The RWR showed that 2 Valusian bandits were tallying on him, even shooting their missiles at him.

And although he narrowly evaded it after dumping flares and jinking left to right, Lukas (Pegasi-1) ordered him with a sterner tone as he tailed the bogeys that Pegasi-3 was struggling with.

“Just keep them on the 2 circles merging so you can turn back the tide easily!”

While Pegasi-1 was tailing the bogeys that were tailing Pegasi-3, ironically, another Valusian fighter was also tailing Pegasi-1. Surrounded all the Pegasi squadrons with their inhuman maneuvers.

And as we finally approached all of them and got a perfect lock on the surrounding Valusian fighters before shooting them, Ambriel (Pegasi-2) blared our communication channel with a panic that flinched me to death.

“HE’S SHOOTING!!! SHIT!!! I’M BREAKING—

It looked like 2 Valusian fighters were hot on her tail, even shooting their missiles as she jinked hard and flared to escape from their missiles.

But that won’t matter anymore. Because both of us easily cleared her six in no time with our missiles and even easily cleared some of the surrounding fighters with guns. All the while, Beck announced to the Pegasi Squadron with a teasing tone.

“Anyone need help?”

Knowing that we’d saved her six, she then flew beside us as she expressed her gratitude. Right after, she heaved a relieved sigh from the pressure she’d experienced before.

“Wyvern boys! I thought I was a goner for sure. But… thanks!”

But then Beck responded to her with a slightly teasing tone.

“Hey, let’s clear out those bastards so we can have another beer!”

Wasting no seconds, the rest of us are shooting down the remaining Valusian fighters and the bombers to clear up the skies of Valoria Harbor.

As I was flying beside Beck, he then played cat and mouse with one of the Valusian Phantasmus he was dogfighting with. All the while jesting on his communication radio.

“Hey, I could learn anything from this guy!”

“Naaaaahhhh!”

He then braked his aircraft hard enough until it almost stalled and let the bogey Phantasmus pass him as he simultaneously tore down the wings with his gun. Without stopping his usual jesting.

“HA! THIS IS WYVERN-2, I GOT AN EASY KILL!”

As I was about to approach the remaining Valusian fighters, we got a sudden communication from AWACS Capricorne himself in a stern tone.

“Mission accomplished. All Valusian forces have been neutralized, and the rest of them are retreating! Return to base immediately!”

But as I observed it through my RWR with increasing confusion, I found that most of the bogeys were retreating and exited the combat area. Maybe because of our unwavering determination, it is what cowered them back to their den.

Cheering stormed through my communication channel, likened to a gratitude sign to us for showing our value to them. Or even a gentle reminder of how we prevailed against the evils back in the 10-year war.

And I must admit that those Rexus seniors are showing their bigger fangs at those Valusies. It makes me feel like we’re still oppressed by ranking, experience, and even firepower.

My mind was spinning like a roulette wheel, rethinking about recent brutality that is much worse than I’ve previously faced. But Pegasi-2 flew by my side suddenly and called me with a grateful sigh.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake… Thank you so much, Ray and Beck! I don’t know how to repay your kindness.”

“Ey! Beers on me!”

“Dumbass! Watch over your sugar consumption!”

Just as the latter of us were laughing in our jest with the latter Pegasi squadron, it was when the squad leader added through our communication channel with a solemn tone.

“The point of being an excellent pilot is to save each other and work together as a team.”

“Especially you, 2nd Lieutenant Rayburn Yorkshire! Watch over your ego if you wish to survive!”

“My apology...”

Right after his sudden reprimand, I conceded as I briefly nodded and followed the latter’s lead back into Ephrata Airbase for the mission debriefing. And this would be my perfect chance to get back to sleep.