Hunt for the Crimson Moths

The Dogfight

Location: South China Sea

After a week, Gabriel is onboard the ZF Motif to conduct the operations around South China Sea to assure that the Crimson Moths has no presence in the area. The Motif currently has an escort of 4 destroyers, a submarine, and a replenishment oiler along with an airwing of 40 JAS-39Ns, 20 Nesher Ns, 10 MH-60Rs, and 5 E-2Ds. They are all prepared on whatever the Crimson Moths does to the carrier strike group.

Gabriel: Are we prepared?

Capt. Peterson: Yes, we're fully locked and loaded.

Gabriel: Good, we need to assure that the fleet is safe from these ultranationalist pigs.

Capt. Peterson: Yes, Mr. President

Gabriel approaches Lt. Owens to conduct an aerial partrol with him as his wingman. Lt. Owens agreed to conduct an air patrol with Gabriel as his wingman. They both get inside their JAS-39Ns with their WSOs and head to the catapults 1 and 2. Gabriel is on the catapult 2 while Lt. Owens is on the catapult 1. Lt. Owens is launched first then Gabriel is launched after and they perform aerial patrols.

Gabriel: It's a nice day today, Sean. This is relaxing.

Lt. Owens: Yeah, it's a good day today, Sir.

Gabriel: What about you there, Rolf?

Rolf: I'm alright here behind you.

Gabriel: Let's see what we can do today.

Capt. Peterson is on the ZF Motif's bridge, watching them with binoculars. He talks to them via radio and Gabriel tells him what they see around them. It seems to be alright above them and Gabriel tells Capt. Peterson to tell the destroyers' crew prepare the AA defenses when an enemy aircraft comes, which he did. Gabriel and Lt. Owens are still observing the movements from above.

Gabriel: What do you see, Sean?

Lt. Owens: We see some boats but none of them is hostile.

After 30 minutes of conducting an air patrol, Gabriel told Capt. Peterson that they need aerial refuelling, which he sent a Nesher N. Gabriel's fighter was refueled first then Lt. Owens's is next. The Nesher has returned to the aircraft carrier after the two Gripens are being refueled and the two pursued their mission. After 10 minutes, two F-2Ns are heading towards them and prepare for an aerial combat against them.

Gabriel: Are you ready, Sean?

Lt. Owens: Yes, I'm ready.

Gabriel: Let's engage these bastards.

The two JAS-39s have engaged the F-2s two in an aerial combat as the two Japanese fighters chase the two Swedish fighters. The lead F-2 fires a Sidewinder at the Gabriel's JAS-39 and he uses flares and the plane's maneuverability to escape. Gabriel is now chasing the wingman F-2 while Lt. Owens is chasing the lead F-2. The four fighters have chased each other through Metro Manila. They have passed Manila, Makati, Taguig, and Pasay at low altitude while chasing each other. The second F-2 has dropped a JDAM on Villamor airbase because of a false target, destroying a building and killing 15 soldiers.

Gabriel: Damn..

Lt. Owens: This is insane...

The four fighters have climbed to a higher altitude left Metro Manila then they head to Sierra Madre Range as they pursue each other. When they arrived at the Sierra Madre range, Gabriel has aimed at the second F-2 and fires at it with an I-Derby ER missile at 17km. The second F-2's pilot and WSO have ejected but were killed by Lt. Owens with 30mm mineshells while on parachute. Meanwhile, Gabriel activates the EW cloak to hide himself while pursuing the first F-2 then he jams the radar and floods it with multiple targets. Before he fires the target at the lead F-2, Lt. Owens told Gabriel to let him go and he is forced to let the lead F-2 escape.

Lt. Owens has already got an information about the lead F-2's pilot while they were having an aerial combat and the two JAS-39Ns have flown to Villamor airbase for a rest. The lead F-2 has landed on somewhere after the dogfight and the pilot removes his helmet, revealing that the pilot is Hiro Kaguera, the head of the Crimson Moths.