The Other Side

Fulcrum: 2189

Location: Skies above Dalnax

Marshal Fulcrum, head of the Recon Division and the guiding hand of NO Air Force strategy. At least that is the case in 2200, in 2189 he was a CAS bomber pilot, and a damned good one.

Fulcrum: Pharaoh 1 to command, target identified.

Radio: Affirmative, you are clear to engage.

Fulcrum adjusted his plane to lower and got close to the ground, flying just above the rooftops of apartment buildings while his copilot prepared countermeasures. Insurgents on the ground looked up from the streets to see the grey plane pass over. The jet flew and passed over a line of vehicles painted white with a red star on the side. 

This is the Red Morning insurgency, a recently formed terror group that has rapidly gained power. They are the best equipped with things like SAM missiles and AT guns, all provided by New Orderia's greatest, non-insurgent enemy. Fulcrum looked back and began to turn the plane to angle towards the column.

The insurgents on the ground quickly got out of their vehicles and scrambled to get onto the AA guns and SAM turrets. Insurgents on technicals immediately began firing into the air at the bomber, shots occasionally hitting the wings. Fulcrum started firing his 20mm gun and strafed the target before pulling out of his dive still shooting. The moment the insurgent vehicles weren't in his sighs he dropped his entire payload.

Napalm bombs landed across the convoy and the entire area went up in a massive fireball. Flames rose from the burning wrecks and from the damaged buildings, the ground itself burned. Moments later another set of 20mm rounds strafed the smoldering wrecks as Fulcrum's wingman flew past. While Pharaoh 2 carried out it's run Fulcrum circled and his copilot took a photo of the wrecks.

Fulcrum: All targets eliminated.

Radio: Copy, RTB.

Radio: God damn Lever, you kicked their shins in.

Lever, Pharaoh 1's nickname, and a pun about Fulcrum's name. The reason is a Fulcrum is what a lever rests on so it is fitting that the name was selected. Every pilot gets a nickname, if you have seen Top Gun Maverick is an example, same for Trigger, Count, Wiseman, Tabloid, and a bunch more from the Ace Combat series(which I played repeatedly using only the F4 which is what NO CAS bombers are based on. It is really funny because I went from the F4 for the entire game before just buying my way straight to the F22 and holy shit the difference in maneuverability it insane, I crashed a few times because I overturned constantly). Speaking of Ace Combat if it wasn't obvious the 3rd CAS in Operation Cormorant Phase 2 is based on AC7's Strider squadron, shocker with the name, I know.

Copilot: Missile alert, deploying countermeasures!

The flares shot out as Fulcrum yanked the yoke and the plane pulled up immediately. The missile struck the flares which were deployed seconds too late. The explosion sent shrapnel rearing into the left wing which punctured in areas AA fire had already damaged. The fuel tank in the wing ignited and flames shot out as the plane flew. The entire wing was quickly engulfed in fire as fuel burned. The damage to the wing was severe and Fulcrum began fighting his controls trying not to roll to the left and into a building.

Radio: Pharaoh 1 just got hit, his entire left side is on fire. Lever, how are you doing?

Fulcrum: Less than ideal. Do we have fire suppression? 

Copilot: Offline, I can only deploy it in the engine on the left side, can't do anything about the actual wing and I doubt you want to shut down half of your propulsion over a SAM site!

Fulcrum started trying to figure out what to do and decided to gain altitude. He pulled up, still trying not to lose the plane. He rose above the clouds where the canopy became covered in ice. He got above the clouds and flew, flames still burning out of control. Pharaoh 2 followed close behind watching the fire burn unable to help.

Fulcrum: Route all fuel to the right wing, I am maxing out afterburners.

Copilot: On it!

The plane accelerated and began to shake violently. The left wing was taking severe damage and the right tank was fully filled. Some fuel was still in the left wing but it was less than before. 

Fulcrum: Cut all fuel flow from the right wing to the engines.

The copilot followed the order and the left wing continued to shake. The flames began to subside as the fuel was burned off but the shaking didn't stop. Unfortunately as the fires died down so did the engines. Both engines shut down and the plane began to glide with some fire still burning but not nearly as much as before, it was mostly contained and unable to cause more damage.

Fulcrum: Restart the flow of fuel from the right wing to the engines.

Fulcrum began a slow decent down to the ground as he flew towards the base, smoke still trailing from his wing. Pharaoh 2's copilot took a photo for documentation. Eventually the planes reached the NO military airfield in the region and Fulcrum began to circle, feeling like something was wrong. 

Fulcrum: Helios, I need you to fly a bit lower than me, check my gear when I try to deploy it.

Fulcrum deployed the landing gear as his wingman flew low beside and behind him. Sure enough the left gear was jammed a bit higher than it should be and the wing had a large number of holes through it.

Radio: Lever, your gear is jammed and I can see through your wing. You will crash on landing.

Fulcrum: Copy, time to waste fuel. Pharaoh 1 to ATC, I am more likely than not going to crash, I need ARFF and medical on standby.

Radio: 10-4, prepping fire and medical crews. 

Fulcrum instructed Pharaoh 2 to land while he circled above the airbase. His wingman made a successful landing and the plane was wheeled to the hangar while Fulcrum kept going around. The wing only shook more violently with time and it was obvious it wasn't going to last much longer. Fulcrum decided it was now or never and went in to land.

On the ground a few military fire trucks waited with two LAVs with a larger box and a red cross  on the back. On their roofs were lights which flashed as corpsmen waited on standby. Firefighters had prepared their gear and would rush forwards the moment the plane landed.

Fulcrum slowed down over the airfield once, not touching the ground at all and ordered his copilot to eject. The copilot nodded, wished him luck, and bailed. He parachuted onto the ground and medical crews rushed over and got him away from the runway. Fulcrum then went in for his actual landing.

He cut his engines and deployed his air brake which caused the plane to rock even more. The left air brake flew off behind him, taking a chunk of the left wing with it. He began to drift to the right and decided to stop the air brake due to the risk. He touched the ground and the plane leaned left, half a second later the left gear snapped. The wing bashed into the ground and tore apart while the plane slid, the other gear failing. Because the air brakes failed Fulcrum kept sliding and his right gear also snapped. The plane began to be torn apart on the ground and flames shot out of the engines and right wing. Fire spread across the tarmac as burning fuel flowed out. 

The plane came to a halt and fire crews rushed over. They began to dump foam across the plane first and two firefighters ran up to the plane when a path was cleared. They forced the canopy open with a halligan. They dragged Fulcrum out and passed him to the waiting medical personnel as the 20mm ammo in the plane detonated. The rounds cooked off while firefighters worked to get the fire under control. After a while of working the blaze was under control and Fulcrum sat on a stretcher looking at the wreck. The corpsmen loaded him into the back of the LAV turned ambulance and transported him to the on base hospital.

The wreck was dragged off the runway and whatever they could get was salvaged, all photographs taken on the trip were intact and the mission was deemed a full success. NO ground troops launched an attack in the area half an hour later and disabled the insurgent AA in the area. It was a minor victory but a victory nonetheless, a rare thing for NO forces in Dalnax.