Arpeggio of Blue Steel: The Ghosts of Pacific

Episode 5: The Fleet of Fog and the Battle for Manila

February 13, 2047- 2:27 P.M.

While we're inside the Fleet of Fog's Consolidated PBY Catalina, we're preparing ourselves for battle. I got my Barrett M82, M4A1 Carbine, and a M1911 handgun, Rey got his SR-25 Sniper Rifle, MP5 Submachine gun, and M1911, Patrick got his M16A1 Assault Rifle with M203 Grenade Launcher and RPG-7 Anti-Tank Weapon, Edwin got his M32 Multiple Grenade Launcher and M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle, and Philippe got his M4A1 with M203 Grenade Launcher and MP5 Submachine gun. When we almost reach Manila, we saw 6 enemy patrol boats with 2 enemy armed container ships going to the entrance of Manila Bay. I ordered Edwin –

"Edwin, go to the bow turret now!" I said.

"Roger that." Edwin said before he went to the bow turret at the front of the plane. The bow turret was armed with 2 30 caliber Machineguns and 2 20mm nose turret cannons. Edwin said –

"Enemies are now in my range." Edwin said.

"Open fire!" I said.

"Time to go boom!" Edwin said as he fires his weapons.

"Rey, Patrick, man the 50 cal machineguns. Philippe, man the 30 cal at the rear hatch." I said.

"Roger that, Captain." Philippe said.

"Okay." Rey said.

"Let's do it!" Patrick said.

"Ryan, point our plane in front of our enemies." I ordered.

"Okay, going to attack." Ryan said.

The PBY Catalina went on the attack. Edwin continues on firing his MG and cannons at the container ships while Rey, Patrick, and Philippe opened fire at the enemy soldiers. The enemies fired their weapons at us from MGs, miniguns, to high precision missiles, but we're protected by Enterprise's Klein Field.

After 20 minutes of attacking, the naval forces from Fort Zero which composes of 2 Aircraft Carriers, 2 Helicopter Carriers, 8 Ballistic Missile Nuclear Attack Submarines, 20 Landing Ship Tanks 25 AEGIS Missile Destroyers, 15 Missile Cruisers, 25 Missile Frigates, 30 Missile Corvettes, and 3 railgun dreadnoughts arrived. The massive fleet was led by the flagship, the RPS Miriam Defensor Santiago, one of the 2 Gerald Ford carriers bought from the US. From her flight deck, she launched 15 F-35 Lightnings, 24 F-18 Super Hornets, and 3 P-3 Orions.

The railgun dreadnoughts, the RPS Artemis, Athena, and Aphrodite went to lead the charge. They went full speed ahead while they use their railgun turrets and fired at the enemy container ships. The shots penetrated through the container ships' hulls, detonating the enemy ships entirely. I signaled my armada that our plane is going to land in their flight deck and they agreed and let us land. We landed smoothly and we went down. When my force saw me, they lined up and saluted to me. I saluted them back and said –

"My fellow soldiers, we are gathered here once again to defeat the same enemy we've defeated during the Third World War. Now, we're here to finish them off, once and for all! Soldiers, it's time to end this communist threat. We defeated them once, we can defeat them again! Who's with me on defending our great city?!" I said.

"Sir, we are, sir!" The soldiers said.

"Are you willing to do the greatest sacrifice for your country?" I asked.

"Sir, yes, sir!" The soldiers said.

"Then I'm proud to fight alongside with you. It's time to retake Manila! Are you ready?" I said.

"Hoorah!" The soldiers said.

"Commander Zero?" A woman wearing a white naval admiral uniform came closer to me and saluted. She has brown eyes, long chestnut brown hair, and light brown skin.