You shake the thought aside, not sure where it came from- they probably can't win, but you can't get overconfident. Instead you wheel around and eyeball one of the SAM systems, still doggedly trying to get a lock through your ECM and Muninn's intrusion suites, and sling another Rockeye at them. The resultant detonations rip apart the thin-skinned air defense vehicle and a nearby IFV besides.

"We've slowed them." Muninn reports- audibly, so that Kyou and Wendy can hear too. "Fighters a few seconds out."

"The Tai-sa is requesting we blow the bridges." Kyou responds. "If we can do that, he can begin to collapse his defensive perimeter and withdraw."

"How long on the evacuation?" You ask- it seems like an eternity has passed since you arrived on site, but it's probably only been a couple minutes.

"Ten minutes." Kyou says. "But with the western bridges down, their armor will have to go almost a kilometer further east to cross the river."

"Doing so puts us at risk from the aircraft." Muninn warns. "They'll easily be able to close within range for IR or EO missiles, and I can't jam those."

[] We'll hit the bridges- we'll be fine against the jets.
[] We're gonna have to engage those fighters- the ground troops will have to handle the armor from here.

>>3979726
>[X] We'll hit the bridges- we'll be fine against the jets.

>>3979726
>[] We'll hit the bridges- we'll be fine against the jets.

I WASN'T DOING ANYTHING FUN TODAY ANYWAY

>>3979726
>[x] We'll hit the bridges- we'll be fine against the jets.
While I don’t want to be cocky, we’ll be fine.

>>3979726
>[x] We're gonna have to engage those fighters- the ground troops will have to handle the armor from here.

Hey guys, quick heads up, I'm apparently making dinner tonight, so bit of a delay here while I do that! Sorry!

>>3979726
>[] We'll hit the bridges- we'll be fine against the jets.
We can count on Kyou to take a few hits with her shield.

ok, votes called!

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Hey Ghost, welcome back.
What took you so long?

Something is not right here, the Chinese are fighting rather stupidly. They know that a Drake is making life miserable for their ground troops, so why are they sending J-20s and J-31s against us instead of something that actually is threatening to us like Fandances? Moreover where are their witches?

I am getting very nervous all of a sudden, I feel like we are going to get an ugly surprise soon.

>>3979726
>[X] We'll hit the bridges- we'll be fine against the jets.

We can survive most "surprises". Give the Troops the cover they need.

>>3980104
I think it's pretty clear that they are just distracting us.

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[x] We'll hit the bridges- we'll be fine against the jets.

You speed-review the information you have- the J-20s are probably already closing to within missile range, and the J-31s aren't too far behind. Neither aircraft can carry riders, as far as intel knows- the Chinese never developed that doctrine, instead preferring to use older deployment systems- motherships and the like. Still, you can't shake the feeling they think they've got a good chance- and maman was incredibly explicit that when you couldn't shake a bad feeling, you needed to pay attention to it.

You speed-review your payload- and the bridge's design. With only 8 500lb bombs, you're not going to be able to take out more than two for sure, three at a stretch. With Muninn, though, you'll at least be able to do it in a single pass- provided you keep to less than four hundred knots- enough time for the rotary launcher in the bay to kick the bombs loose. With their guidance being handled by Muninn, they'll go where you need them to- provided you can release them high enough to guide to where they need to go.

You roll into your run right as the J-20's radars start seeking a lock- they've gone supersonic, trying to close with you before you can hit the tanks again. Still, it's too late to stop you from dropping on the first bridge- catching an IFV crossing it as well, sending it into the river as the bombs wreck the bridge supports and the span collapses into the water. They've achieved a radar lock as you drop on the second bridge- the warning screaming in your ear as the bombs separate- three this time, enough to destroy a section of the bridge, if not the entire thing. An assault bridge could probably cover the gap, but not soon enough to matter.

"Missiles in the air!" Kyou warns at the same time as the automatic systems- they track the multiple launches as they happen, first one, then three, then about a dozen air-to-air missiles streaking towards you as you arrow in on the last bridge.

Kyou laughs as you release on the third bridge and the first missiles slam into her shield- the roiling ball of shrapnel and fire fully covering the front of your fighter, but the last bombs kick free and impact the bridge as you break through the missiles, watching Wendy dive on the Chinese fighters from above, knocking one of the trailing J-31s down with her guns before rolling away.

Kyou laughs again. "Hardly worthy of attention." She spits contemptuously at the Chinese fighters. "If we slaughter them, it will send a message." Her blood is clearly up- you can hear the heat in her voice as she says it.

"Eight minutes till the evacuation is complete." Muninn warns. "We need to keep them away from the academy."

[] Kyou's right- if we cut down their fighters, they're never gonna be in position to threaten the academy evac anyway
[] Muninn's right- if we get tied up in a dogfight, something might slip through and threaten the evacuation team.

>>3980195
>[] Kyou's right- if we cut down their fighters, they're never gonna be in position to threaten the academy evac anyway
The wolf is quite hungry this day, give 'er a bone..

>>3980195
>[X] Kyou's right- if we cut down their fighters, they're never gonna be in position to threaten the academy evac anyway
The 20's and 31's can still paint us for their SAMs and more pertinently their railguns if any are in the area.

>>3980195
>[X] Kyou's right- if we cut down their fighters, they're never gonna be in position to threaten the academy evac anyway

We're not going to be effective at moving mud when we've got a swarm of fighters running up our tail pilpe. Let's clear the airspace and get some room.

>>3980195
>[x] Muninn's right- if we get tied up in a dogfight, something might slip through and threaten the evacuation team.

>>3980195
>[] Kyou's right- if we cut down their fighters, they're never gonna be in position to threaten the academy evac anyway
They seem to have forgotten that this is an air dominance bird. Let’s remind them of that fact, shall we?

>>3980195
>[] Muninn's right- if we get tied up in a dogfight, something might slip through and threaten the evacuation team.

We are covering the evacuation of strategic level assets on par with our Drake. We can't afford to cock this up.

>>3980195
>[] Muninn's right- if we get tied up in a dogfight, something might slip through and threaten the evacuation team.
Mission first

>>3980195
>[] Kyou's right- if we cut down their fighters, they're never gonna be in position to threaten the academy evac anyway

GO FOR BROKE

>>3980195
>[] Kyou's right- if we cut down their fighters, they're never gonna be in position to threaten the academy evac anyway

Ok, votes called! This'll be our last update for the evening, sorry about that gap earlier.

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[x] Kyou's right- if we cut down their fighters, they're never gonna be in position to threaten the academy evac anyway

Kyou's bloodlust is a little infectious- but it makes sense, too. If you start tearing apart their aircraft, at the very least it's going to badly demoralize them. It best, it may cause them to retreat- though they appear unwilling to do so yet.

That worming thread of doubt reappears as you latch onto the first fighter- a J-20. The big fighter was never meant for this sort of action- they were meant more to engage from standoff ranges with long range AAMs and stay clear of furballs like this. They don't even have an internal gun, and their turn rates are fairly bad for their generation- they're supposed to be fifth generation, like the raptor and lightning 2, but they're not really considered a match for either in most circumstances.

The pilots of these fighters react about how you'd expect- they break away from you, their jets flaring as they try to separate- of course, they'll never be able to do so, not with Kyou in the back seat. Wendy trashes another as you follow the J-20 through a break turn and a split-S, finally getting a clean shot with your guns and destroying the fighter with a short burst. It tumbles straight down, out of control, and slams into the road below you, the flaming explosion blowing windows in the buildings nearby out.

The more numerous J-31s take that chance to jump you, two of them coming around to get behind you. Kyou calls a warning- though she apparently still feels them beneath her notice, as it's delivered flatly. Muninn, tracking the fight more ably, opts to update your awareness- the J-20s are reforming, while the smaller J-31s are engaging both you and Wendy- though Wendy's already claimed another of the fighters, sending it careening out of control into a building.

1/2

Muninn pushes a warning into your head as the two J-31s saddle in- easy enough to lose them, you're sure, but that's not the problem. A pair of witches- cloaked, like the ISIS witches were- are vectoring straight for you- though, with your improved suite, you saw them long before they had a chance to get a shot at you.

"Finally." Kyou says, having gotten the same warning. "A challenge. They operate in groups of three, not pairs. Be aware of their third."

"Probably going for Wendy." Muninn notes. "I've pushed a warning to Tessa. Three minutes, they're pulling the last of the witches out of their shelters now and getting them to the IFVs."

You blink- it hasn't been five minutes. Muninn responds with the mental equivalent of a shrug. "The 75th detached another platoon to help. With the bridges gone they were able to contract their defense lines."

"If we allow those witches to close, without them becoming aware we know of their presence, we can destroy them." Kyou says. "Far better targets than these fighters."

[] She's right- stay on the fighters till you get the best possible opening against the witches.
[] You'd rather handle the fighters without the witches as long as possible- engage them at the maximum possible range to buy some more time without them in the fight.

And that's going to be it for the night! sorry about the slow pace there, had a couple things distract me. I'm working on getting that ironed out, I know it's frustrating. Haha.

Anyway, till tomorrow gents, cheers!

>>3980389
>[x] She's right- stay on the fighters till you get the best possible opening against the witches.
The wolf demands for more blood.

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>>3980389
>[X] She's right- stay on the fighters till you get the best possible opening against the witches.

>>3980392
Thanks for the run boss.

>>3980389
>[x] She's right- stay on the fighters till you get the best possible opening against the witches.

BLOOD AND THUNDER

>>3980389
>[] She's right- stay on the fighters till you get the best possible opening against the witches.

>>3980389
>[] She's right- stay on the fighters till you get the best possible opening against the witches.

>>3980389
>[x] She's right- stay on the fighters till you get the best possible opening against the witches.
The riskier option for sure. But I feel it might be the better option here. The element of surprise should give us the edge here.

>>3980389
>[] She's right- stay on the fighters till you get the best possible opening against the witches.

AWOO ALL THE THINGS

Ok, votes called!

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[x] She's right- stay on the fighters till you get the best possible opening against the witches.

She's right, you realize- by staying on the fighters and not giving away your hand, you'll start in a better position to deal with the witches- nothing is more dangerous than a blown ambush. Besides, the presence of witches indicates either they expected you, or at the very least they were aware their element of surprise had been spent.

Instead you reverse on the J-31s, the Chinese pilots gamely trying to stick with you through a series of punishing break turns and a dangerously low split-S, but their little fighters just can't match the Wyvern's incredible maneuverability- one fighter breaks away, pulling himself vertical, while the other breaks to the east, attempting to separate without giving up energy. Muninn feels light as a feather as you haul back on the stick, acquiring the one that attempted to go vertical- he's at the top of a loop, two more of his squadronmates arrowing in to drive you off before you can get a shot. Too late, of course- Muninn's accelerating and slowing instantly, inertia and Newtonian physics having apparently lost their grip on you. You spit a short burst at him, watching as the massive 40mm shells slam home at his port wing root- the wing tears free and the fighter instantly tumbles out of control. The pilot manages to eject- you watch his seat rocket free of the stricken fighter, though he's perilously low to the ground as his parachute opens.

You pivot your fighter around it's axis, slewing the nose around to get the cannons on the approaching fighters- they recognize the threat and break away, but not in time to evade Muninn's locks- you send a pair of Pythons at each of them. The deadly Japanese AAMs do their job- the newest models are reputedly even able to turn with a witch- and one pilot ejects as the first missile detonates, destroying the back half of his fighter. The second detonates below it a second later- overkill, but more than enough to rip the wreckage apart in a fireball. The second pilot attempts to evade a split second longer, but the first missile shreds his portside control surfaces- and as he spins out of control, the second detonates next to his portside intake, sending shrapnel into the forward fuselage and port turbine. There's no ejection seat this time as the fighter falls out of the sky and slams into the ground.

1/2

Muninn warns you just as another J-20 fires a short-range heater at you- you roll around the missile, defeating it's tracking software with an impossible, almost instant turn, sending a sidewinder back at him with the briefest of thoughts and a trigger pull. He evades the first, but doing so puts him too low and out of energy- the follow up holes his fighter in more than a dozen places and he punches out just as one of the fuel tanks goes up. You're not sure if he made it in time- he was awful close to his exploding fighter, and exposed- there's a couple holes in his parachute, but not enough to matter.

"Witches entering firing range" Warns Muninn. "I'm not able to make out their weaponry, but standard arms for Chinese witches are QBZ-97 or -95 rifles, or QTS-11 weapons systems."

"Pathetic." Kyou responds. "Let us teach them what it means to stand against us!"

"We can't afford to take too long." Muninn warns. "The Chinese are putting more aircraft into the region, and the evacuation team is still getting the last of the academy personnel out of the building and on the move."

[] We'll fight the witches, but only as much as we need to to cover the evac- our job is make sure the Korean students get clear, not kill Chinese witches.
[] We down these witches, it sends a message to every Chinese soldier and pilot in the region. It's worth the risk.

>>3981567
>[x] We'll fight the witches, but only as much as we need to to cover the evac- our job is make sure the Korean students get clear, not kill Chinese witches.

>>3981567
>[X] We'll fight the witches, but only as much as we need to to cover the evac- our job is make sure the Korean students get clear, not kill Chinese witches.

>>3981567
>[] We down these witches, it sends a message to every Chinese soldier and pilot in the region. It's worth the risk.

I LOVE OVERTIME PAY

>>3981567
>[] We'll fight the witches, but only as much as we need to to cover the evac- our job is make sure the Korean students get clear, not kill Chinese witches.
The mission, folks. Any splashes are extra

>>3981567
>[x] We'll fight the witches, but only as much as we need to to cover the evac- our job is make sure the Korean students get clear, not kill Chinese witches.

>>3981567
>[x] We'll fight the witches, but only as much as we need to to cover the evac- our job is make sure the Korean students get clear, not kill Chinese witches.

Now is the time for the moderation.

Ok, votes called!

Wish I hadn't hopped in late, but it's almost like we didn't learn from the first go with Danielle. This is the same shit that got us a barely passable score there.

>>3981705
There's no score rating here, and we're also trying to secure air superiority, and at the same time completing the mission, what's your point?

>>3981802
That command probably expects us to kill/down enemy witches when the opportunity arises?

>>3981810

Probably but we're also covering the evacuation of a witch academy, so we need them focused on us instead of killing everything because then some might get ideas.

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[x] We'll fight the witches, but only as much as we need to to cover the evac- our job is make sure the Korean students get clear, not kill Chinese witches.

You turn into the witches as their invisibility dissipates- they're wearing the same kind of camouflage cloak you saw in the middle east- apparently, one that hasn't changed much either, considering the range you were able to detect them at. You frown momentarily as you see them- neither look Chinese at all, and one looks familiar.

The two witch's rifles are already coming up as you flip Muninn over to engage them, pulling the nose around as you chop the throttle and instantly begin to fall back to earth, rolling over as you do so. You've seen the tactic once or twice- you know Frank could pull it off- but using it is different. You can feel Muninn interpreting your intentions and assisting in putting in flight commands to make it happen- it's simply not possible to control a fighter like this without the AI and MIU link. You can see their eyes widen as you do it- one breaks away, diving away from the lethal cone of your fighter.

The other, familiar one, silver hair flowing in the air, calmly levels her rifle as her shield flashes to life- though even she dives away as it shatters under the first cannon shells, Kyou's shield absorbing her return fire without so much as a flicker. Behind you, the imperial princess laughs maniacally. "A super witch indeed!" She crows. "Barely stronger than the rest!" Muninn's recognition flashes into your skull at the same time- this is the same witch, based on her face and body type, as the one that escorted the Tu-95 what seems like a lifetime ago over Iceland.

She twirls away as her partner shoots in, a distraction tactic- one you're familiar with. Witches, especially against superfighters, operate in at least pairs- and soviet doctrine is for witches to operate in bait and shooter pairs- but their shooter is taking her time, while the bait is flying far too close and loose for you. She's an easy target- almost too easy.

Still, you don't have enough time to question it much- and the fighters are starting to re-engage, though not even enough to be bothersome yet- just a couple of J-31s. There's a J-20 looking for a shot as well, but he's struggling against Muninn, who's intrusion protocols are rapidly improving- the Chinese battlenet is apparently not as well protected as they'd like to imagine.

1/2

The witch runs a little while longer- her shields flash back to life after a moment, but it's a hair too late- a near miss hammers her starboard striker, which belches smoke. She jettisons it before it explodes- but with one unit, she's a sitting duck. She dumps the port unit a second before you get a fix, suddenly falling out of the sky, effectively shot down over the Academy. She tucks into a graceful dive- though you can already see the Japanese and Korean troops moving to intercept her. You file the information away for later as the second witch turns tail and withdraws.

Their witches gone, you turn on the fighters- which seem surprised by the sudden turn of events. The two J-31s don't stand much of a chance, as close as they were to you- both are gone in a second, a vertically launched Python claiming one, a cannon burst catching the other. Taking a second to check Wendy's status, she's gotten in among the J-20s- and three of them are gone already, the remainder already turning away from the fight and fleeing north.

The sky clears out suddenly- the remaining fighters apparently losing their will to fight as they all separate from the fight and turn to the north and east, some plugging in their afterburners to try and get out further. Still, against your ESSMs, they're trivially easy targets- three more J-31s are gone in as many seconds, the incredibly deadly missiles striking home even without salvo launches. You let the rest go and bank back around, determined to cover the troops on the ground.

The defensive line starts withdrawing under fire- the troops falling back away from the river line and mounting up as the remaining MCVs take a last few shots at exposed Chinese targets before reversing away and motoring south. You take stock of the damage- the Japanese troops lost equipment, of course- there's a couple burning MCV wrecks, and several more destroyed light trucks and a pair of shot out APCs, but for the most part, they're able to fall back in good order, the destroyed bridges covering their flank. The Chinese troops seem hesitant to pursue across the remaining bridges, and look content to find cover and take it- they know they've won the city.

Kyou feels pleased looking at the wrecks on the ground- you count at least three dozen dead tanks and IFVs, and better than a dozen dead fighters. "The Tai-sa reports the academy witches have all been accounted for." Kyou calls. "He plans to follow his withdrawal orders and evacuate them. He also reports his troops captured that witch." She pauses. "She's soviet."

"That's going to be interesting." Muninn responds. "Soviet superwitches flying for the Chinese?"

"Clearly against their wishes." Kyou points out. "She barely put up a fight."

[] Not our problem.
[] We'll find out what's going on later, probably.

>>3981849
>[X] We'll find out what's going on later, probably.

>>3981849
>[x] We'll find out what's going on later, probably.
Anyone still has that bingo card?

>>3981849
>[] We'll find out what's going on later, probably.

>>3981849
>[x] We'll find out what's going on later, probably.

>>3981849
>[X] We'll find out what's going on later, probably.

Okay, consider my curiosity piqued.

>>3981849
>[x] We'll find out what's going on later, probably.

>>3981849
[] We'll find out what's going on later, probably.

>>3981849
>[] We'll find out what's going on later, probably.

Ok, votes called!

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[x] We'll find out what's going on later, probably.

Reflecting on stories of your father- and your sisters- you sigh. "We'll find out what's going on later, probably." You say, somewhat resigned.

Kyou laughs again. "If you're worried you'll end up in a similar situation as your father, you have no need to." She states. "I do not intend to share you with 'sisters' as they call themselves."

Muninn processes the rough equivalent of mirth at the statement- though you note the AI is still quite ably keeping the surroundings scanned as it does so. The Chinese advance, at least in this region, has paused, and they're digging in- there's more significant SAM assets on the way, along with further reinforcements, almost a division's worth. Even with your cover, there was no possibility of holding the city- you hope the civilians that haven't managed to get out- which is most of them, you imagine, are OK under the occupation forces.

The withdrawing Japanese and Korean troops snake along the highway- you circle overhead protectively. You're paranoid about being tied to them like this, but at the same time, with just you and Wendy providing cover, they're probably safe against anything the Chinese care to throw their way. They seem happy to let the troops go, though- either that or the loss of their witch cover has made them wary of throwing additional fighters into the mix here.

It takes the convoy almost three hours to make the 50 kilometer trip to Hoengsong. There's an exodus going on from this city now- civilians fleeing south in almost any vehicle they can get to move. Muninn doesn't even bother trying to count, instead noting that the entire highway south is jammed solid, save for a pair of lanes apparently kept open for military traffic. There's a few military vehicles pushing south along the open lane, mostly utility trucks, but the occasional platoon of combat vehicles moves along it- Muninn tracks a full company of K2 tanks, loaded on cross country transports, headed south as the lead elements of the 75th arrive in the city. They won't be staying long either- most of them pause long enough to refuel and reform their convoy before pushing south, leaving behind a composite company to guard the airport long enough to load the evacuation aircraft- a pair of Korean C-235s.

1/3

The turboprops lumber into the air, painfully slow and vulnerable, given how close you are to the approaching front. They turn south, and you follow behind them, Wendy remaining on your wing. She's been quiet the entire time, though you can feel her, vaguely, in the back of your head. She's harder to read than Kyou, in some ways, and easier in others- the feeling of happiness at belonging is abundantly clear, even over the more moderated MIU link you share. She's glad to be here, glad to be in this role again- she honestly prefers flying on your wing and being commanded. You don't dwell on it too much, instead focusing again on the situation across Korea.

The Chinese advance is slowing somewhat as they pull against their supply lines- even with Northern Korean troops embedded in their units, they can't pull enough local supplies up to maintain their momentum, and they've lost close to a hundred aircraft all told so far- and while the Imperial Japanese and Korean defense force have lost more overall, their combat losses are relatively lower- while the J-20s and J-31s have caused losses among the fourth generation fighters of the Imperial Japanese and Koreans, the more modern Shinden 2 Kais have held their own against them, and against China's fourth generation fighters, the loss rates have favored the Japanese. Still, the units here have been mauled pretty badly, and they're unable to stem the tide, even with fighters crossing the sea of Japan.

The two transports touch down in Uljin, met there by several trucks and ambulances. There's a IJN landing ship in the nearby harbor- and at least one IJN Destroyer less than five miles out to sea. You can't remain on station forever though- you angle back to Atsugi as the small craft pulls away from the harbor, motoring out to sea.

There's less traffic in the sea of Japan this time- Muninn tracks a few flights heading east, but for the most part, the surge aircraft are on the ground again, reloading and rearming. There's an air defense warning up over the home islands- and interceptors up from a few bases, forming a BARCAP out at sea. Of course, coupled with eastern Japan's significant emplaced defenses, it's unlikely any sort of raid would be able to make it through.

Atsugi's compliment has returned by the time you land, the Tomcats sitting on line, being rearmed and refuelled. The Japanese side of the base is occupied as well- an under strength squadron of F-14JKai+ aircraft sit, some of them displaying obvious combat damage. Their tail codes match a Korean-assigned unit out of Seoul- probably one of the few to get out. The evening sky is a riot of colors, and you're sure some enterprising photographer is going to make a lot of money with the damaged Japanese fighters against the setting sun. You shove the thought aside- it's not worth the time to contemplate.

2/3

You touch down and are directed to a space near the end of the line, where you finally shut down as the crew handles their own tasks- setting wheel blocks and pulling over the umbilical lines. There's a crew shuttle waiting for you- you wait by the open door while Wendy walks over and climb in after her, taking a split second to admire the view as she gets into the seat next to you.

You're taken to operations, and escorted to the briefing room where a new officer greets you- a marine, you note. You wonder where he's from- and why he's here instead of a navy officer. "Welcome back, el-tee." He says, somewhat casually. "I'm Major Lance, and I'm going to be your liaison officer going forward. Because of the nature of the defense arrangement, the navy's handing command of you over to the IJN for the duration."

Kyou nods, perfectly content with that arrangement.

"As a result, we're going to be redeploying you to the carrier Kaga, currently steaming north to a position in the sea of Japan." He says. "Your crew and Admiral Wells are being redirected as well, and will be arriving within the next twelve hours."

You nod, and he half-turns to a display of the peninsula. "The Chinese advance is slowing, but their air cover has taken a mauling. This is the first time they've deployed witch assets to attack aircraft, but they did it in several areas. You're the only one to cause losses to them, which is expected." He says, matter of factually. "The evacuated Korean witches are all being pulled back to the imperial academy in Tokyo, but the Korean sisterhood wanted to extend their sincerest gratitude. All of their academy students were accounted for, and other than some minor injuries, they're all in fine health."

"What of the Seventy-fifth?" Kyou asks.

"They're following their orders to withdraw south, and have been combined with the remains of the eighty-sixth south korean brigade." The Major responds. "Their commander also wished to extend his sincerest thanks for your support."

Kyou nods, pleased.

"How are you feeling, el tee?" The major asks. "We've got a few hours, at least, to breathe, but we've got a few high-value targets we think a drake could hit that may hurt them more. There's a fuel dump along the coast and a command and communications hub in Kosong. There's also a lot of activity at the Wonsan airfield, and we think they're planning to use it as a forward base for tactical aircraft."

[] We'll take the chance to refit and rest, if those targets aren't critical.
[] We'll go after that fuel dump, that's going to hurt them across the board
[] What's that about a Command hub? Hitting that's going to slow them down a lot.
[] Tell us about that airfield. They've had a lot of numbers so far.

>>3982072
>[x] Tell us about that airfield. They've had a lot of numbers so far.
Destroying the fuel dump would just force the aircrafts to attack, no?

>>3982072
>[] We'll go after that fuel dump, that's going to hurt them across the board
>[] What's that about a Command hub? Hitting that's going to slow them down a lot.
>[] Tell us about that airfield. They've had a lot of numbers so far.

INFO IS KEY.

>>3982072
>[] We'll go after that fuel dump, that's going to hurt them across the board

>>3982072
>[] Tell us about that airfield. They've had a lot of numbers so far.

>>3982072
>[x] We'll go after that fuel dump, that's going to hurt them across the board

>>3982072
>[X] We'll go after that fuel dump, that's going to hurt them across the board

>>3982072
>[] We'll go after that fuel dump, that's going to hurt them across the board

>>3982072
>[] We'll go after that fuel dump, that's going to hurt them across the board

>>3982072
>[x] We'll go after that fuel dump, that's going to hurt them across the board

Ok, votes called! should be a shorter update, haha! It'll also be our last for the evening!

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[x] We'll go after that fuel dump, that's going to hurt them across the board

You take a brief look at the targets- while the airfield looks tempting, the fuel dump is likely to hurt them more if you take it out. They'll be able to pull from civilian stocks- gas stations and that kind of thing- but those won't last that long, and they can't do that for aviation fuel, for the most part.

"We'll go after that fuel dump." You say, getting a nod from the Major.

"Good, that'll slow 'em down. The army needs all the help they can get right now." He says, using the remote in his left hand to narrow down the display. "The dump is located outside of Hoeyang, and was located using satellite imagry." He says, focusing on the dump. "It's a temporary setup, and it's entirely above ground, mostly parked fuel trailers and drums of fuel in the open. We're not sure what it's defended by, but we expect at least a few SAMs in the area, as it's a high-value target."

"Witches?" Kyou asks, and the Major shakes his head.

"We don't think so." He says. "We expect most of them to have been pushed forward to assist in the assault, and this is far enough behind the line we don't think they'll have any on hand to defend the site. This is just one of six front line dumps like this, and one of four in strike range from the home islands."

Kyou nods.

"We don't expect this to stop them, but it may cause some fuel shortages, especially among their front line air forces and armored units." The major continues. "Since the threat in the area is effectively unknown, it's a closed target to anything other than a drake. We just don't have the assets right now to hit it with anything else."

You nod- going in with limited information against a target like this is well within a Wyvern's mission profile. And with Wendy, you're more than confident you can tackle anything the Chinese have in the area. "If you're game, el tee, I'll have the load toads start getting your weapons uploaded for a hit. Mostly air to air, but probably clusters and nape for the dump itself."

[] "We're good for it, sir. Let them know to get us loaded up."
[] "It doesn't sound like this one is going to make too much difference, sir. What about the other targets?"

And that's going to be it for the evening gents!

Pace was slightly worse tonight, I think- though that update really ran away from me, haha! I'll try to work on that, though it seems like I'm always saying that. Still, no reason not to.

Anyway, till tomorrow gents, Cheers!

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>>3982208
>[X] "We're good for it, sir. Let them know to get us loaded up."

>>3982213
Thanks for the run boss.

>>3982208
>[x] "What about the other targets?"
The second dialogue seems to discredit this choice in particular, can't we just ask about the other ones?
>>3982213
Thanks GhostDiva.

>>3982218
>[] "What about the other targets?"
>>3982208
I'm supporting the above, asking about the other potential targets, especially the Command Hub, is probably a good idea, but I'd prefer to do it without writing the Fuel Dump off.

>>3982208
>[] "We're good for it, sir. Let them know to get us loaded up."

GUZZOLINE WOLF

>>3982208
>[] "It doesn't sound like this one is going to make too much difference, sir. What about the other targets?"
That C3 target should be juicier

>>3982208
“What about that Command Hub?”
While I agree with >>3982218 we don’t really seem to have the time to ask about all of them so I’d like to narrow down to this choice specifically.

>>3982208
>[X] "It doesn't sound like this one is going to make too much difference, sir. What about the other targets?"

Beating up logistics is one thing, but if we can try a decap shot....

>>3982208
>[x] "We're good for it, sir. Let them know to get us loaded up."

>>3982218
>The second dialogue seems to discredit this choice in particular
Last ghostpost touched on the Chinese fuel situation though? Local sources weren't enough to feed their advance due to the numbers disparity on the ground.

>The Chinese advance is slowing somewhat as they pull against their supply lines- even with Northern Korean troops embedded in their units, they can't pull enough local supplies up to maintain their momentum

>>3982208
>[X] "We're good for it, sir. Let them know to get us loaded up."

>>3982208
>[x] "We're good for it, sir. Let them know to get us loaded up."

ok, votes called!

Looks like a tie vote, so we'll run a short tiebreaker period here.

>>3983531
>[X] "We're good for it, sir. Let them know to get us loaded up."

>>3983531
>[X] "We're good for it, sir. Let them know to get us loaded up."

Fuel dump definitely seems like the most bang for the buck here. We are more than capable of breaking into defended airfields and command posts but those assets likely have the most protection and contingency plans to recover quickly.

Ont he other hand you can't un-fuck a fuel dump once it blows up and lack of fuel will grind everything to a halt, including the other targets we don't hit.

Ok, votes called again!

Just for future reference, if we have to do tiebreakers, I'm gonna limit them to about ten minutes. I know that's pretty short, but I don't want to hold everything up on them if we can avoid it.

That said, if you guys feel like we should allow more time for them, we can. just let me know what you think!

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[x] "We're good for it, sir. Let them know to get us loaded up."

You nod, thinking about it- hitting the airfield or command and control center will slow them down, for sure, but both things can be replaced- and are probably designed so that taking them out won't cause too many issues for the Chinese military. The fuel dump represents a sixth of their available fuel for the push, at least for their aircraft and some of their tanks. Knocking it out will slow them down, regardless of anything else.

"We're good for it, sir. Let them know to get us loaded up." You say.

He nods. "Will do. You'll be recovering aboard the Kaga after this one, you won't be coming back here. I'll meet you aboard. You've got about half an hour to do what you need to before you're wheels up again."

"Thirty minutes." You repeat for him, indicating you heard it- and understand.

"Get some coffee or a red bull or whatever you need to, support shop should have both." He says. "The load team will get you squared away for flight and good to go. You're dismissed if you don't have anything else for me."

You nod again, standing and heading out of the room, stopping at the door long enough to open it to let Kyou and Wendy out first. "And el-tee?" the major says. You turn to look back at him and he nods. "Good to be working with you."

You nod again, unsure of how exactly to respond, and step out of the door, closing it behind you.

Kyou and Wendy are already heading to the support shop- witches burn a lot of energy in flight, and while there's not a lot of study done on it, it's been proven that the high-sugar messes that are energy drinks like monster and red bull actually do help them extend out a bit further. You traditionally avoid them- your high school coach hated them, and more or less forbade the team from drinking them during the season. Merlin, of course, is addicted to them- she claims to need them, because of her extensive use of magic, but you're not sure it works like that. She drinks an awful lot of them even on her days off, too.

Kyou and Wendy both take a few cans from the supply clerk- you're not sure if it's an actual supply or simply his personal stash he brought up to help out. If it is, he's making a definite contribution to the war effort- keeping witches in the air is a hell of a force multiplier.

1/2

You've got your own solution, of course- though not with you right now. The same tea you've made to help with headaches and stomach aches is in a box with a coffee blend maman taught you to make- ground from whole beans you've got a small supply of with a few specific things added, it works better than any monster could. Of course, you can't get hold of it right now, but regular coffee will do- and there's a trio of pots on in the chow hall as you enter.

"It is good we're continuing to strike at them." Kyou observes as she and Wendy take a seat near the coffee pot while your pour a mug. "We must do as much damage as we can to them, as quickly as possible."

Wendy smiles tentatively. "England expects?" She asks, paraphrasing lord admiral Nelson's famous signal.

Kyou returns the smile, but shakes her head. "Let every man do his utmost." She says- quoting from Admiral Togo, almost a century later. "Clearly our duty is to cause enough destruction and loss that the Chinese have no option but to cease their advance."

Wendy blinks. "We mustn't try to win the war by ourselves." She cautions. "Not even sir Frank could have done that, I think."

Kyou smiles. "Perhaps not, but we are not him." She responds. "But I don't wish to discuss that. What do you make of that witch we shot down?"

"The one the ground troops captured?" Wendy asks, and Kyou nods.

"I did have some questions about her. She hardly seemed to put up a fight to me." Wendy says, and you nod.

[] She barely fought at all. She wanted to be shot down.
[] I think we just surprised her. She wasn't expecting to run into a witch like Kyou up there.

>>3983610
>[] She barely fought at all. She wanted to be shot down.

>>3983610
>[X] She barely fought at all. She wanted to be shot down.

>>3983610
>[x] She barely fought at all. She wanted to be shot down.

>>3983610
>[] She barely fought at all. She wanted to be shot down.

ok, votes called.

>>3983610
>The same tea you've made to help with headaches and stomach aches is in a box with a coffee blend maman taught you to make- ground from whole beans you've got a small supply of with a few specific things added, it works better than any monster could.


VOODOO COFFEE!?

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[x] She barely fought at all. She wanted to be shot down.

"She barely fought at all." You point out. "She wanted to be shot down."

Kyou nods. "Which begs the question, why? If her aim was to defect, surely there were safer ways."

Wendy shakes her head. "If she meant to defect, certainly her partner would have been part of it. She fled though, instead of joining in. I feel there's something else to this."

Kyou nods, then grins, looking over at you. "If she has designs on being a second Katya Bishop-Litvyak, she is going to be sorely disappointed." she says.

Wendy blinks at that, then shakes her head. "Katya built her relationship with Tabitha and Rachel much before she convinced them that their best course of action was to share sir Frank." She says, after a moment. Sometimes you forget how close she was to that whole thing- and how relatively removed from it you were. The Bishop household, despite it's hyphenated last names, always presented something of a seamless unit to you.

Kyou grins. "Even worse for her, then, as I am unattracted to Russian witches. And I certainly don't intend to allow too many additional voices in the management of my household."

You and Wendy both blink at that. Kyou shakes her head. "I expect to be far too occupied to handle the day to day affairs, but that's what a domestic staff is for."

Wendy nods, taking a drink from her monster and frowning at it. "Vile stuff." She says, after a moment, then sighs. "Still, it does work. I'll never understand how miss Samantha drinks it like she does."

[] Merlin's just addicted. It'd be an easy enough habit to break if she wanted.
[] I think it's an acquired taste she's developed.

>>3983724
>[x] I think it's an acquired taste she's developed. One she got herself addicted to.

>>3983724
>[x] Merlin's just addicted. It'd be an easy enough habit to break if she wanted.
Merlin is just the shortest boomer in the entire world.

>>3983724
>[] I think it's an acquired taste she's developed.

Can confirm, I utterly hate the taste of Monster; its very much an acquired taste.

>>3983724
>[] I think it's an acquired taste she's developed.

>>3983724
>[x] I think it's an acquired taste she's developed.

>>3983724
>[X] Merlin's just addicted. It'd be an easy enough habit to break if she wanted.

>>3983730
>GSI Cart instead of a mower
Checks out.

>>3983724
>[] Merlin's just addicted. It'd be an easy enough habit to break if she wanted.

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip

ok, votes called!

>>3983724
>[x] Merlin's just addicted. It'd be an easy enough habit to break if she wanted.

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[x] I think it's an acquired taste she's developed.

You shrug. "I think it's an acquired taste she's developed." You say.

Kyou smiles. "Your aunt appears to have several such acquired tastes." She responds.

You know what she means, of course- and she's well aware of your own feelings- but you're not entirely comfortable joking about them quite yet- and especially not in front of Wendy. Being honest, you've never been sure about her either- you're well aware you could just as easily developed a crush on her, but you never really had the chance to in the same way.

You push the thoughts aside. "Probably. I keep trying to get her back to coffee, at least it's kind of less bad for you, but- " you shrug again. "No such luck."

Wendy smiles. "Well, I'm sure if anyone can get her to change her habits, it would be you." She says, reassuringly.

There's a brief moment of silence- Wendy seems a little happier than she was- no doubt buoyed by Kyou's statement about needing a domestic staff and seeing a place for herself on it in the future. You doubt Kyou is going to be willing to let the older witch be 'reduced' to the status of a mere servant, but you're not sure- and you'll keep an eye on the situation regardless.

The witches finish their drinks and you head out to the flight line, noting the Japanese tomcats are being moved down the pad- possibly to make space for another surviving flight, though probably not. Atsugi is fairly far from the front- enough so that you don't think many of the aircraft here will be remaining here much longer. The ground crew has already completed rearming Muninn- their chief intercepts you as his crew finishes fixing a pair of Pythons to Wendy's hull pylons.

"You're loaded, sir" the man says, saluting- you return it. He looks kind of tired- but his crew is already moving to pack their gear and get clear of your fighter to help re-arm other aircraft. "They said you're hitting a soft target inland somewhere, and to just load some of these eighty-sevens we got from the zoomies." He gestures to the fighter, indicating the centerline bays. "Three in each bay. We kept you as clean as possible, pulled the external pylons."

You nod, looking at the rest of the manifest. Six CBU-87s- multipurpose cluster bombs meant mostly for soft targets- like the one you'll be attacking. Eight ESSMs- still loaded from your first flight, while your VLS has been reloaded with Pythons again- sixteen now. Your FAST packs still contain their eight sidewinders, and your guns were reloaded and are full again.

1/2

"Good hunting, sir." The chief says and salutes again as you sign off on the weapons load and accept responsibility for your aircraft and the munitions aboard. Wendy's crawling into her valkyrie as you climb the ladder into the cockpit again. Kyou gives you a thumbs-up as you swing into the cockpit, her helmet visor already down and legs already in the interface units.

"Round three?" Muninn quips, having re-adopted it's female avatar.

"No rest for the wicked." You return, buttoning the fighter up as Kyou starts you up.

"I've got the mission plan." Muninn says, and nods. "Good target, but the rest of the dumps are probably too far to hit in the same sortie."

"A pity." Kyou says as Wendy starts her taxi roll, following the directions of the air marshal as the sun finally sets. Muninn automatically flashes you over to night vision- a mix of light enhancement and thermal. It's your first encounter with that- technically it's a sensor overlay displayed on the inside of your helmet visor, but it's slightly disorientating for a split second. The effect disappears as you look down at the lit instrument panel in front of you, and reappears as you look 'past' it, the fighter's electro-optical suite taking over to let you 'see' through Muninn's fuselage.

It's only the end of the first day, you realize. It feels like it's been longer than that.

>>3983775
I'm sorry sir, I'd normally have counted your vote, but if I had, it'd have drawn us into a tie. That is, assuming my counts were right. I think they were- gone are the days of each vote having 20 or so responses! haha.

Anyway gents, that's a good stopping point for the week, I think. I don't really have any Christmas plans, but I'm not sure we'll be running the 26th- We'll see how things shake out though. Besides that, as usual, I'll be around to field questions or comments if there are any, and if not, till next week gents, Cheers! And Merry Christmas!

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>>3983927
Thanks for the run boss.

>>3983927
Thanks for the run Ghost!

>>3983927
>gone are the days of each vote having 20 or so responses

People mad about the waifu vote as usual. Pay no attention, smaller playerbases are better anyway.

>>3983927
>>3983940
The polygamy decision was absolutely beautiful.

>>3983927
That is fine Ghost. My own fault for doing five things at once.

>>3983927

I repeat

VOODOO COFFEE

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>>3983927

Sorry, I mostly had Christmas Dinners to contend with.

>>3983980

I see nothing, I know nothing.

>>3983993
>>3983940

Oh, no, no, I'm not saying anything about you guys! Honestly, I was thinking of the heyday of '89 when I said that- what a riot that was.

Isn't Merlin married and not divorced?

Seems like a bit of a uncomfortable topic.

>>3984075
She is, but as far as anyone can tell it's a more or less token arrangement at best these days - neither of them are ever home to see each other.

IIRC

>>3985574
Still then, It would be better to get a divorce.

>>3986777
I'm presuming they haven't already because of the politics/bad optics involved, but hey, I have no doubt ghost will elaborate when it's relevant

Merry pre-Christmas, frens!

merry christmas from australia you fat fucks

Hey gents, wanted to post a fast update here- no run this week, I'm not up to anything tonight, but a couple old friends are going to be back in town and want to go hit up some of our old haunts tomorrow and Sunday. We'll run an extra day next week to make up for it, I think.

>>3984075
It is, actually. It's why morgan's so ill at ease about the whole... thing

>>3985574
Yes, that's correct.

>>3991339
>It is, actually. It's why morgan's so ill at ease about the whole... thing
Morgan, committing NTR is still not good.

>>3991339
NTR is a shit fetish.

Happy New Year frens. If you fire off heavier fireworks, please consider doing so when there are no pets or veterans with PTSD around.

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Havings long-overdue and shitty shitscribble.

Oh, and Happy New Year, all.

>>3997769
Kyou is way too damn adorable.

>>3997769
You're doing the Lord's work, Scribbleanon

I wonder when Gdiv wakes up again...

Archive up.

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Hey gents! sorry about the later start, Dad tried his hand at chicken cordon bleu and so we had a family dinner. I'd meant to kick off at 1800 EST, but... yeah. I'll be working this year at getting back to a comfortable running pace, too! Though I've said that in the past, haha!

=================================

The situation on the sea of Japan is slowly deteriorating- there's a lot of surface traffic down there, and civil air traffic is thick, evacuation flights out of southern Korea all but filling the sky. Vaguely, you wonder what's going to happen to the refugees- Japan hardly has the land for them, at least not on the home islands, and you're not sure they'd agree to go stateside, either. Still, there's a lot of traffic out there, and not all of it military.

The immediate surge is still ongoing- everyone's flying sorties and strikes almost as fast as they can turn around, though even with that, some areas are becoming too hot to operate in- the airspace over Seoul and Pyongyang is entirely closed, with multiple, layered SAM and antiaircraft gun emplacements confirmed, and a lot of others suspected. Other major cities- Mokpo, Dandong, and Kusong- are also behind enemy lines, which extend mostly from the west coast inland and the Yalu river south. There's already talk of evacuating the remaining Korean witches academy- no one wants to risk it again, especially with as close a thing as Chuncheon was.

Of course, there's additional talk- this wasn't a spur of the moment thing by any stretch of the imagination, and the northern half of the peninsula has fallen under nominal Chinese control astonishingly quickly- there's isolated IJA and KDF pockets in the occupied territory, but they're all in bad shape and attempting breakouts to withdraw. You're hoping that hitting this fuel dump will help some, in that regard. Muninn's projecting it will, if only a little.

Hoeyang lies about thirty miles south of Wonsan- well within distance for the airfield there to respond to this attack, if it's got front-line fighters. Muninn indicates a Korean reserve unit, equipped with F-20s was based there, but there's been no word from them since the beginning of the invasion. The airbase was a dual-use facility, with a small civil airport sharing it's runway with the Korean defense force base. You don't put much more thought into it- there were no SAMs based there, so far as you know, and their radar systems are fairly old and largely designed for civilian air traffic control, as opposed to searching for a Wyvern.

1/2

"We're crossing the line of departure" Kyou warns- indicating you're coming up on your final line in 'controlled' airspace. You're still close to three hundred miles away, but that's still in range for the longest-range search radars- and you're already, very faintly, 'hearing' the radar sets of at least two AWACS planes- one over the north, somewhere in the general vicinity of Koksan, according to Muninn, the other orbiting somewhere near Seoul.

"Have you determined how we will attack?" Kyou asks. "I beleive we should broadcast our presence and act as a challenge to the Chinese. It will surely demoralize them to know they can do nothing to stop us."

"Fly in high and emitting?" Muninn asks.

"Yes." Kyou confirms. "Allow them to further break themselves against us. If we were able, I would go so far as to say we should destroy one of their AWACS planes. They're too valuable for them to not take notice."

"We don't know what threats are in the area, mum." Wendy reminds her. "I've no doubt you could handle any threat they could bring, but without more information I suggest we keep a more limited profile. They might withdraw their AWACS aircraft if they know we're here, as well- if we want to destroy one of them, it may be better to do so as stealthily as possible."

You can feel Kyou considering Wendy's point- and know the decision will fall to you, regardless.

[] Kyou's plan works the best- we'd be able to kill anything they sent up to stop us and weaken their morale.
[] I like Wendy's plan more- provoking a fight is good, but killing that AWACS bird is better.

>>3999431
>[X] I like Wendy's plan more- provoking a fight is good, but killing that AWACS bird is better.

>>3999431
>[x] I like Wendy's plan more- provoking a fight is good, but killing that AWACS bird is better.

>>3999431
>[] I like Wendy's plan more- provoking a fight is good, but killing that AWACS bird is better.

morale will hit harder if shit just randomly dissapears. so they are always a bit afraid if the air is silent

Ok gents, votes called!

>>3999431
>[x] I like Wendy's plan more- provoking a fight is good, but killing that AWACS bird is better.

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[x] I like Wendy's plan more- provoking a fight is good, but killing that AWACS bird is better.

You push Muninn into a shallow dive, which signals your intention- while Kyou's plan isn't bad, Wendy's advice is better- you probably won't do as much damage to them overall, but killing an AWACS- which is bound to be defended- will do far more to hurt their morale than just luring dozens of fighters to their doom. Materially, it may also help in the long run- the Chinese don't that many AEW craft to begin with, and with the war widening in scope to the south China sea, they'll feel the loss of even one.

You cross north of the Liancourt rocks, starting to angle more to the north as you pass near Ulleung-do, the otherwise isolated tourist destination now forming a midway point for Korean evacuees- the conditions down there can't be that great, you know, with Muninn marking at least twenty ships and ferries of various sizes on and near the island.

The coast of Korea is a mess- there's an IJN surface action group about a hundred miles off Ulsan, with ships coming and going from most of the eastern ports- mostly going, though. As you push further north, though, the traffic dies off- the last civilian vessels you detect are coming out of Sokcho, and even then, just a few.

1/2

Muninn starts tracking hostile air-search radars before you cross feet dry- there's dozens of sources, including at least two sets near your target. There's also at least twenty various aircraft emission sources, though few of them are actually running their radars. Their signatures running the gamut from a pair of FC-31 near Wonsan to about ten J-10s scattered in a rough line between here and Pyongyang. The other radar emitters out here are mostly civilian sets, all matching known airports or weather stations- Muninn rapidly delists them, as they're no threat to you.

More concerning is the fighter patrol near the fuel dump. While you expected as much- as close to Wonsan as this is, it'd be foolish of them to not have aircraft up over the area, and the two FC-31s are hardly enough to contest the airspace- but the emission sources near the dump Muninn quickly identifies as two Korean F-20s, their altitude and speed indicating they're on a patrol circuit.

Kyou marks them quickly. You can feel her contempt towards the little jets- or, more accurately, their occupants. The Tigersharks- one of the more popular export aircraft of the last couple decades- are from the mid 90s, their upgrade suites at the time making them very competent lightweight aircraft, especially for short-range work. Of course, they're a little dated now, but their last upgrade package, according to Muninn, was in 2009 or so, bringing them up to a modern standard- these will likely have Japanese-made Python 5 and AAM-4 systems- dangerous, even to you.

[] They're not emitting- kill these two quickly with a BVR launch so we can hit the dump and keep moving- we want that AWACS jet. They won't see it coming till it's too late.
[] They'll never see us coming- and if we get them with guns or heaters, they won't even have a chance to scream for help. Close in.

>>3999571
>[] They're not emitting- kill these two quickly with a BVR launch so we can hit the dump and keep moving- we want that AWACS jet. They won't see it coming till it's too late.

>>3999571
>[x] They'll never see us coming- and if we get them with guns or heaters, they won't even have a chance to scream for help. Close in.

Knife in the dark

>>3999571
>[] They're not emitting- kill these two quickly with a BVR launch so we can hit the dump and keep moving- we want that AWACS jet. They won't see it coming till it's too late.

>>3999571
>[] They'll never see us coming- and if we get them with guns or heaters, they won't even have a chance to scream for help. Close in.

SNEAKY PEAKY, NOW YOU'RE LEAKY

>>3999571
>[X] They're not emitting- kill these two quickly with a BVR launch so we can hit the dump and keep moving- we want that AWACS jet. They won't see it coming till it's too late.

>>3999570
>[] They'll never see us coming- and if we get them with guns or heaters, they won't even have a chance to scream for help. Close in.
Finally caught up again after a few months right in time for a thread

Ok, votes called!

...or not. Tie vote! haha. Ten minute tiebreaker period!

What I'll start doing for these, gents, is if they generate a tie, the last vote in the tiebreaker will get discounted. Kinda been trying to figure out how to make it fair, and that's the best I've come up with.

>>3999571
>[x] They'll never see us coming- and if we get them with guns or heaters, they won't even have a chance to scream for help. Close in.
I think it's a tie.
Remember the basics of CQC Morgan!

Ok, tie broken, update writing!

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[x] They'll never see us coming- and if we get them with guns or heaters, they won't even have a chance to scream for help. Close in.

You consider blitzing through- you could hit them with ESSMs launched now, leaving you free to line up for bombs and hit the fuel dump in one pass before any help could show up- but even that would attract attention. The F-20 has a radar warning receiver- and the ESSMs are active radar guided and even though Muninn could guide them via datalink easily enough they'll appear on radar to the ground sets.

Instead you close in, giving Muninn and Tessa- Wendy's AI, subordinated to Muninn- a chance to triangulate the source of the ground search radar sets near the fuel dump. They're close enough that even down low they're almost sure to detect your attack- though Muninn's ECM means that they probably won't be able to guide a fire control set onto you. Part of you wonders if Danielle could have jammed them outright- you recall she was able to do so to far more than a few sets in training.

You shake the thought aside- for now, you'll work with what you've got.

[] Detail Wendy to hit the radar sites- she can put them out of commission while you get the fighters.
[] Have Wendy hit the fighters- you're better suited to knocking out those radars.
[] Have Wendy remain on your wing, covering- you don't want any surprises when you hit those fighters.

>>3999646
>[] Have Wendy hit the fighters- you're better suited to knocking out those radars.

>>3999646
>[X] Have Wendy hit the fighters- you're better suited to knocking out those radars.

>>3999646
>[x] Have Wendy remain on your wing, covering- you don't want any surprises when you hit those fighters.

>>3999646
>[x] Detail Wendy to hit the radar sites- she can put them out of commission while you get the fighters.

Oop, sorry gents! voting closed

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[x] Have Wendy hit the fighters- you're better suited to knocking out those radars.

"Wendy, break off and get those fighters." You order. "Heaters or guns only, don't give them a chance to get a warning out. We'll take the radars."

"Roger, lead." Wendy calls, accelerating away from you while you split off, taking a direct line at the radar site. It's probably defended, you know- at the very least by guns, probably with short range SAMs as well, though you're staying low enough that it hasn't seen you- yet. You mentally review your weapons load- you don't have any AARGMs unfortunately, leaving just guns or your cluster bombs to hit the radar sites.

"I can temporarily block one radar set at a time," Muninn warns, "But I can't jam them both, especially as we close in on them."

"We'll work quickly." Kyou states, giving you an estimated best path to release- and indicating that she'd only task one of your cluster bombs to the site. It'll kill the radar for sure, and anything parked nearby as well, but it's not likely to do a lot of damage outside of that. "We could also use our guns." She says. "We could be more precise, but it may mean we take longer. The fuel dump can be badly damaged in three passes with four bombs using our best routes, but having all six available will cut our time over that target to one pass at medium altitude and ensure maximum damage."

"They'll be alerted when the radar and those fighters drop offline." Muninn warns. "At the very least we can expect a general alert to go up. If we use guns on the first radar and bomb the second, we'll spend less time in the area."

"That is an excellent plan." Kyou agrees. "I would prefer that AWACS aircraft doesn't escape.

[] Use bombs on all three targets- you'll do enough damage to the fuel dump with four bombs and you want to hit these sites as quickly as possible.
[] Use bombs on the first radar- You've got a little extra time on this first kill, but you'll need to move fast after that
[] Use bombs only on the fuel dump- you want to do as much damage to the target as possible- all these other things are just opportunity kills.

>>3999758
>If we use guns on the first radar and bomb the second, we'll spend less time in the area."
>Use bombs on the first radar- You've got a little extra time on this first kill, but you'll need to move fast after that

Did you mean "Use bombs on the *second* radar?"

>>3999758
>[X] Use bombs on all three targets- you'll do enough damage to the fuel dump with four bombs and you want to hit these sites as quickly as possible.

Clear a hole for possible follow-on forces to exploit if they can vector F-3s into it.

>>3999758
>[X] Use bombs on the first radar- You've got a little extra time on this first kill, but you'll need to move fast after that

>>3999766
Oop, yes, I did. Guns first radar, bomb the second. my bad! Not enough monster today, haha!

>>3999758
>[] Use bombs only on the fuel dump- you want to do as much damage to the target as possible- all these other things are just opportunity kills.

I'M TELLIN' ALL'A Y'ALL IT'S A SABOTAGE

I'm confused, did the US export F-20s to China? Or is this captured Korean equipment pressed into service by the PRC?

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>>3999758
>[x] Use guns on the first radar- You've got a little extra time on this first kill, but you'll need to move fast after that

Ok, votes closed!

>>3999780
Captured Corean, from the looks of it.

>>3999794

I agree, I wouldn't be surprised if we will see more ROKAF kit pressed into service by the PLAAF and the Norks.

>>3999814
Given how easily they're operating it, i'm honestly concerned they might be operated by straight up defectors/traitors.

Given how recently Korea was divided in this universe I'm not sure we can count on the "Friendly" Koreans to be ideologically reliable.

>>3999831

Oh shit, that could be the case as well.

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[x] Use Bombs (guns) on the first radar- You've got a little extra time on this first kill, but you'll need to move fast after that

You've got a couple seconds extra on this first target- they'll know something's going on when it goes offline though- and five bombs on the fuel dump is more than enough to cause significant enough damage to the dump to call it destroyed. As an aboveground, unhardened, ad-hoc fuel dump, you're pretty sure you could probably drop flares on it and cause a lot of damage- frankly, you're shocked it's not better defended than this.

You flash over the first radar site, guns spitting out twenty or so shells each, shredding the large towed radar array, and the two nearby trailers- generator and the actual radar shack, you assume. It sends troops on the ground running- a few of the quickest thinking fire their rifles into the air at you in a gesture of hopeless defiance- the odds of hitting you are less than nil, and even if they did, the Wyvern's skin is proof against most small arms.

Still, they know you're here now- you have to hustle. A breif glance in responds to a ping from Muninn draws your attention to two blazing comets streaking towards the ground- the F-20s, and by the looks of it, Wendy got them both in one pass- they're still in something looking like formation as they plummet out of the sky. You push into afterburners, hurtling towards the second radar site- time is of the essence now, and you need this second site gone to force them to keep the AWACS in place to try and vector fighters after you.

The second site flashes below you, and you drop a single CBU-87 on command, Muninn's help making sure you release the bomb at the perfect point for maximum damage- though at the end of the day, it doesn't do much more than your cannons did on the first site, other than destroying various nearby light vehicles. You're peeling away as Muninn warns you of a SAM system starting to search, frantically, for you- a short-range, IR guided system, though, it's got little chance of acquiring you anymore. You give a short thanks for the IR bafflers you'd elected to install and prepare to hit the fuel dump.

There's searchlights up over the fuel dump- searchlights!- but not enough to matter, especially as you drop from supersonic to subsonic instantly on rolling to your first attack pass, three bombs rippling off their rack in less than a second, and you peel away, pushing back into supersonic in an eyeblink- Kyou's power exerting itself against the laws of physics and winning handily.

1/2

Your second pass is just as quick- though a little more spectacular, as secondary detonations kick off in the dump below, the stacks of fuel drums proving easy fuel for the fires already raging below. Your last two CBU-87s drop free, their shell panels splitting away and their bomblets spreading over separate impact zones. There's fewer secondary explosions this time, but you got most of the pumping equipment and the tanker trucks parked nearby. Muninn estimates that eighty percent of the dump is on fire or destroyed, and that at least another fifteen percent is going to burn without excellent damage control on the part of the surviving personnel.

"General air defense warning going up over the Chinese-controlled region." Kyou says, her voice pleased and quite smug. "They have no idea what's happening. They are vectoring fighters here, as well as assigning additional fighters to the AWACS. It's being ordered to withdraw north."

"We can close to engage it, and lure the escorts into a fight." Kyou states. "If we do so, we can leave the area north of Wonsan and join the Kaga easily. They cannot escape, and we can maul them."

"There's already an air defense alert." Wendy warns. "It may be better to engage at maximum range, so we don't find ourselves cut off."

"Hardly a concern." Kyou points out. "Their fighters and witches have been operating all day, they doubtless have many aircraft down for refuel and repair. Anything available now will be little more than targets."

You can sense Wendy's hesitation- though she won't argue with Kyou. And to be fair, Kyou has a point- unless they were deliberately holding aircraft back, the Chinese airforce, at least in the area, is likely to be in rough shape right now- tired pilots and witches, and aircraft in need of refueling and rearming. While their entire airforce isn't likely to be down, the majority of it is... and whatever isn't isn't likely to be enough to threaten you.

[] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.
[] Wendy's right- we should play it safe and focus on getting that AWACS and a few of it's escorts.

>>3999868
>[X] Wendy's right- we should play it safe and focus on getting that AWACS and a few of it's escorts.

Smash-and-Run

>>3999868
>[X] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.

And that's gonna be it for the night, gents! Sorry about the delay there, that was dinner and I wasn't expecting it. I should have, though, thinking about it.

Also, in case you guys didn't see on twitter, I've got one class this semester- but it's Thursday evening from 2000-2200EST. Clearly, that's gonna interfere with the run a bit. I'm thinking either we'll just do a really late opening run, 1 or 2 posts max, Thursday, and then kind of extend Friday and Saturday a bit to make up for it, or we can start Wednesday and then skip Thursday to run Friday and Saturday. Whichever you gents think is better, I'm game for. We could even shrink to a two day run, or run Fri, Sat, Sun, but I'm not real sure how that's gonna go- things come up on the weekends enough. Either ways, let me know what you guys would prefer!

Anyway, till tomorrow gents, cheers!

>>3999868
>[] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.

>>3999868
>[X] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.

>>3999868
>[x] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.

>>3999874
Could do a Mon-Wed run possibly, starting earlier in the evening and ending earlier.

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>>3999874
Thanks for the run boss.

>>3999888
Yeah, that's absolutely also an option

>>3999868
>[] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.
Let's humor Kyou here.

>>3999868
>[X] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.

Lets throw best wolf a bone once in a while.

>>3999868
>[] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.

Awoo~

>>3999868
>[x] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.
Worst comes to worst we should be pretty survivable. We should keep an eye out for them trying to cut us off though as we are right in the middle of enemy airspace.

>>3999868
>[x] Wendy's right- we should play it safe and focus on getting that AWACS and a few of it's escorts.

>>3999874
Thanks for the run Ghost!

In this timeline, when was Korea partitioned?

>>3999868
>[X] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.

Having just finished catching up... the Wyvern is singularly fucking terrifying in this. To a really incredible degree Morgan and Kyou (and Wendy!) really are "Hello, I've come to delete everything in this area of the map." Accordingly, I think we can afford to take that role again and delete a nice piece of the PLAAF.

>>3999868
>[x] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.
Just be careful not to get to lost in it.

>>3999868
>[] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.

Time to press the advantage while we still have it. It's the next few missions that we might have to worry about attempted counters beyond "exhaust them from climbing over our massed corpses".

>>3999868
>[x] Wendy's right- we should play it safe and focus on getting that AWACS and a few of it's escorts.

I think this entire thing is a trap. This has been too easy.

>>4000289

They probably weren't expecting us to do a deep penetration mission like this. They got basically zilch idea what just blew the fuck out of their fuel dump, smashed their radars, and wrecked two captured F-20s.

>>4000289
This would be an awfully unreliable trap, seeing that this is just one of many potential targets Morgan had and that it's a mission only Morgan could really have done -- they'd be setting up an entire fuel dump in an exposed manner JUST to attack one plane without having any guarantee that it would even show up there at all.

Ok, votes called! sorry, did some running and bumped into a classmate from last semester, haha!

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[x] Kyou's right- this is a great chance to do a lot of damage to them, we should get that AWACS and as many of his escorts as possible here.

Double-checking the information available to you, you agree with Kyou. The PLAAF- even operating captured KDF aircraft- has been pushing a harsh operational tempo on it's units- and at the end of the first day, especially behind the lines, they're not going to have enough to really stop you.

Especially, you think, after the slaughters over Seoul and Chuncheon. By now they've got to be getting wary.

Still, with Wendy sliding into place off your starboard side, a little above and behind you, you've got a chance to cause further damage to them- and force them to scramble already tired assets. You're not feeling fatigued yet, even though you know you should be- you've been going wide open for about twenty hours so far, and Muninn, you know, is supporting you more than normal. It's not a problem- Muninn is designed, in part, to do exactly that- but it does mean unhooking from the fighter next time is going to drain you a lot more than it should.

Muninn plots an intercept point, with the AWACS pulling away and heading northeast- probably making for the major airbase at Pyongyang. There's additional fighters launching, too- Muninn's tracking a general air defense alert, with multiple search radars coming up and several fighters going active on their radars. Tellingly, you don't tag a single J-20 in the mix. "Heads up," Kyou calls. "Heavy group, Fandances by the radars."

"Fandances?" Wendy asks, sounding surprised.

"They match all the known signals for early-model Fandances. Maybe some of that batch China bought in ninety three."

That's less of a concern- one on one, a Fandance is about equivalent to a king raptor, which means four of them, if flown well, is a significant threat to a Wyvern- if they're modern. The earliest models, though, struggle. As what amounts to enhanced fourth generation fighters, their status as a superfighter is in question these days- they're stealthy for their era, but by modern standards they're visible and have significant issues dealing with the newest ECM suites on most jets- to say nothing of Muninn's electronic warfare capabilities.

"They're vectoring for the AWACS as well." Kyou calls. "No doubt to attempt to escort it to saftey."

"That seems excessive." Wendy remarks. "Four fandances?"

Kyou pauses. "She's right. Clearly, there's someone important aboard that aircraft. That makes it that much more vital we destroy it!"

"It also means we can expect further escorts. Probably witches." Wendy warns.

[] We're sticking with the initial plan. If there's someone important aboard that jet, putting them out of commission may be the difference for some of the units cut off up here.
[] You're right- we'll hit some of the scrambled aircraft on the way out, but that's more fight than I want right now.

>>4000802
>[] We're sticking with the initial plan. If there's someone important aboard that jet, putting them out of commission may be the difference for some of the units cut off up here.

>>4000802
>[X] We're sticking with the initial plan. If there's someone important aboard that jet, putting them out of commission may be the difference for some of the units cut off up here.

>>4000802
>We're sticking with the initial plan. If there's someone important aboard that jet, putting them out of commission may be the difference for some of the units cut off up here.

>>4000802
>[x] You're right- we'll hit some of the scrambled aircraft on the way out, but that's more fight than I want right now.

>>4000802
>[] We're sticking with the initial plan. If there's someone important aboard that jet, putting them out of commission may be the difference for some of the units cut off up here.

[Awoo Intensifies]

>>4000802
>[] We're sticking with the initial plan. If there's someone important aboard that jet, putting them out of commission may be the difference for some of the units cut off up here.

yeet it out of the air

>>4000802
>[X] We're sticking with the initial plan. If there's someone important aboard that jet, putting them out of commission may be the difference for some of the units cut off up here.

Ok, votes called!

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[x] We're sticking with the initial plan. If there's someone important aboard that jet, putting them out of commission may be the difference for some of the units cut off up here.

You continue on heading and at speed, streaking low across the mountainous terrain here. You're sticking with the plan- the way you see it, if there's someone important up there, high-ranking brass or something, putting them out of commission could throw a wrench in the entire air campaign. And even if it's someone fairly low placed, it may still disrupt their air operations, even if just slightly. Either way, it's well worth the effort.

"Koksan is scrambling fighters." Kyou warns. "The KDF unit there had Gripens, but they were listed as a class three unit, so they probably won't have all their aircraft available." She pauses. "If their aircraft were captured or they turned traitor."

Gripens aren't a threat- even the newest models are pretty comprehensively outmatched against a wyvern. Still, they'll be in your rear, and blocking your quickest route back out to sea- and you can't be sure it's just gripens. It's entirely possible a Chinese unit is using the base- you won't know till you get enough passive radiation from them to get a fix for Muninn.

You ignore them, closing rapidly on the AWACS. It's still radiating, the waves of electromagnetic energy washing over Muninn's skin and dissipating into the air- your active stealth doing it's job. "I've got master contacts on at least eight escort craft." Kyou calls. "Four Fandances, four Flankers." Muninn rapidly confirms the contacts- the Fandances are spaced in wing pairs, with one pair above and ahead and the other below and behind, lagging to the starboard side of the AWACS aircraft. The Flankers are in close as well, all four in a formation above and to port of the lumbering jet.

There's also at least six more aircraft vectoring to join from Koksan airbase- They'll probably patrol further out, in an effort to defend against long range shots. The existing escorts should be doing that as well, you think- though, if Wendy's correct and they have a witch escort, they may be relying on the witches to be able to intercept and destroy missiles.

"We're getting close, they'll be able to see us soon." Kyou warns. "I suggest we destroy the escorts first- the AWACS won't be able to escape either way, and if it's in danger they may vector additional support to it that we can destroy."

[] The escorts aren't as important- we'll get the AWACS first, then kill these escorts.
[] That's exactly what we'll do then- get the escorts, leave the AWACS up as bait.

Ok guys, I'm going to go grab chow with maus- he's in town for the weekend, so this will probably be a long voting period, but I expect to get at least another update in this evening, if not two more.

>>4000960
>[X] The escorts aren't as important - we'll get the AWACS first, then kill these escorts.

>>4000960
>[x] The escorts aren't as important- we'll get the AWACS first, then kill these escorts.

>>4000964
Have him run Tank Witches again.

>>4000960
>[X] The escorts aren't as important- we'll get the AWACS first, then kill these escorts.

>>4000960
>The escorts aren't as important- we'll get the AWACS first, then kill these escorts.

>>4000960
>[] The escorts aren't as important- we'll get the AWACS first, then kill these escorts

>>4000960
>[x] The escorts aren't as important- we'll get the AWACS first, then kill these escorts.

>>4000960
>[X] That's exactly what we'll do then- get the escorts, leave the AWACS up as bait.

>>4000960
[X] Launch ESSMs at escorts then let's see what these guns can really do.

Ok gents, I'm back! Votes called!

>>4000960
>[x] The escorts aren't as important- we'll get the AWACS first, then kill these escorts.

As much as I’d like to murder the shit out of a bunch of fighter aircraft we need to not get to distracted. Let’s just kill this AWACS and then get back to Atsugi and get some rest.

>>4001187
I think we're heading to the Kaga after this

>>4001167
>>4001187
And this is what I get for not hitting update before voting.

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[x] The escorts aren't as important- we'll get the AWACS first, then kill these escorts.

Kyou's desire to cause damage is admirable- you've known since your first flight with her that her overriding goal is kill as many of the bad guys as possible, and she's well aware how terrifyingly strong she is- diving right in and luring more aircraft to their doom is entirely her style. Of course, it's not yours- you learned your style from Maman, who always held that leaving behind nothing but question marks and wreckage was much better.

In this case, you've got to agree- you could lure plenty of fighters to their deaths, but a sudden attack, coupled with the strike on the fuel dump, leaving nothing but shot-down aircraft and destroyed ground installations behind you will probably do more to demoralize them than letting them know you're doing it- fear of the unknown, afterall, is very powerful.

You close quickly, watching as your ESSMs go from long to mid to close range- you're still outside of sidewinder and python range, but only just.

"Witches!" Kyou calls as four of them shimmer into existance, disengaging their optical camoflague. They've seen you- that much is made clear when one of them, armed with an antimaterial rifle, sends a shot at you- you'd roll clear, but it slams into Kyou's shield stunningly quickly. Of course, Kyou's shield defeats the shot without any trouble- she can beat B-1W shots, even an enhanced antimaterial rifle is child's play.

The escorts start breaking to engage, while the witches adopt a more defensive posture. You almost feel bad for the flankers- Kyou has two of them bracketed almost as soon as they start to peel away, and sends pythons at them once they're in the no-escape zone for the little missiles. They immediately break, pumping chaff and flare into the sky in an effort to defeat the shots, but the python has the triple benefit of one of the best seeker heads in the world, a datalink to Munin and a boost from Kyou- the flankers never had a prayer. One explodes into a messy fireball, debris scattering in every direction, while the other suffers a near miss that sends one wing folding up and away, the wing root catastrophically weakened by the hit. The crew punches out as the fighter exits controlled flight.

There's six of them angling in on you and Wendy now- the witches can't shoot as their fighters enter the merge and it's a turning, twisting mess. Wendy stays right with you as you wheel Muninn around to gain the tail of one of the Fandances, noting that the fighter has seen better days- it's material condition seems fairly bad.

[] Have Wendy break and engage these fighters- you want to get through them quickly, before more show up.
[] Have Wendy break and go for the AWACS- you don't care who gets it, so long as it's got.
[] Have Wendy stay on your wing- you don't want any unwelcome surprises.

>>4001198
>[X] Have Wendy break and engage these fighters- you want to get through them quickly, before more show up.

>>4001198
>[X] Have Wendy break and engage these fighters- you want to get through them quickly, before more show up.

Let's see what these 40mm Combination Guns can really do - we likely got BVR capability.

>>4001198
>[X] Have Wendy break and engage these fighters- you want to get through them quickly, before more show up.

>>4001198
>[] Have Wendy break and engage these fighters- you want to get through them quickly, before more show up.

INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF THE SUCKER PUNCH

>>4001198
>[x] Have Wendy stay on your wing- you don't want any unwelcome surprises.

>>4001189
Oh yeah. That’s right. Either way, my vote was irrelevant. But I do think we need to stop and rest.

>>4001227

Agreed we've been going for over 24-hours without pause and we've flown three combat sorties back-to-back-to-back; I wouldn't be surprised if Merlin actually forces rest on us.

Ok, votes called! This'll be the last update for this evening!

>>4001198
>[] Have Wendy break and go for the AWACS- you don't care who gets it, so long as it's got.

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[x] Have Wendy break and engage these fighters- you want to get through them quickly, before more show up.

"Wendy, break and engage!" You order- she peels off instantly, snapping onto a fandance as it breaks away, bringing her fighter up and over Muninn as she does so- she clears your tails by a few inches- airshow close, but in combat. It's a bravura show of her skill as a pilot- honestly, it displays exactly why you suggested her to Kyou as your wingmate to begin with.

You roll Muninn around to latch onto the Fandance's wingman, who's pulled his fighter into a tight, very high-G turn. One of the disadvantages of the early Fandances, you know, was a tendency to 'stick' in hard breaks like that, and bleed energy incredibly quickly. While they can turn extremely well, better even than the early wyverns, they were harder to control and much harder to use effectively- the Soviets reserved them for aces with more than ten years experience.

By comparison, the Chinese pilots here are good, but not to t he same extent- this one, relying purely on the Fandance's superior turn rate, lets it continue the crushing break, shedding altitude and speed in an effort to out-turn you. Against an earlier model wyvern, he'd be able to do it too- but against Muninn, it's just setting him up as a target. You skid the tail around, using your thrust vectoring for all it's worth- and supplementing it some with Kyou's ability, and get almost a second long gun solution on the fighter as he yanks himself out of his turn to go into a screaming dive, his afterburners kicking on as he does so. His wingmates are coming around too- working in a group is the best- indeed, the only way for them to have a chance against you.

It's not enough- nowhere near it. Your twin revolver cannons spit a dozen rounds at him in a short burst, and his fighter careens out of control, it's aft half torn apart. There's no ejection seat as it falls, eventually into the ground in a nasty fireball. You roll under the return fire from his wingmates, watching as the 30mm shells pass harmlessley above you, dozens of yards away. They adjust as they fire, their cannons continuing to pump shells into the air, trying to track you, but you simply fall away, taxing their ability to dive beyond it's limit.

By then, Wendy has finished with her Fandance- and the remaining Flankers besides. She sends one missile at the lead fighter from almost point blank range, the pilot barely beginning his evasive turn before the weapon detonates right in front of him, shredding the front of the aircraft with shrapnel and detonation damage- the fighter spins out of control on it's way to the ground. The remaining two Fandances break away, each clawing for some measure of separation and a chance to re-engage.

1/3

Kyou isn't having any of it- she rapidly, almost wordlessly, coordinates missiles on both targets, from your VLS and Wendy's weapons- two Pythons for each of the Fandances as they break away. One pilot- the one targeted by your missiles, cranks his fighter into a maximum performance ballistic climb, dropping countermeasures behind him. One missile, fooled, flies through the countermeasures, sailing on, harmlessly, into the distance. The other isn't as easily shaken, using it's own thrust vectoring and the extreme maneuverability it was designed with to snap into a similar climb. Being a rocket, it handily wins, destroying at least one engine and badly damaging the control surfaces of the fighter- it yaws out of it's climb and begins plummeting away- the pilot ejects from the stricken craft after a second.
The second, perhaps with a newer pilot, attempts to notch away from the missiles- and fails miserably. One detonates just above his tailfins, the second continuing a split second further, it's detonation snapping the fighter in half. There's no ejection seat from that one as the wreck tumbles out of the sky.

You can feel Kyou's eagerness as you close roll around and punch it, closing on the AWACS with blinding speed- and practically smell the Witch's fear as they see you barreling towards them, Wendy keeping pace as you close at well beyond Mach 2. The one armed with the big rifle takes another shot at you- and Kyou's shield, just as easily as the first time, defeats the shot with ease. They turn to engage, scattering away from the big jet as it dives for the ground, looking for some form of defense- up high, it's too slow and can't turn at all, at least in down terrain there's a slight chance you won't be able to get a good radar fix as the witches attempt to engage you.

Despite Kyou's eagerness to put them to the sword too, Muninn's tracking a lot of inbound fighters- and you've got no desire to get sucked into a fight much longer than you have to. With Wendy's guns keeping the witches at bay you blow right through their defensive formation, your guns already firing at the big AWACS as it dives.

It's almost eerie as it comes apart- first a few ragged holes appear, some backlit by fires started in the empty spaces the shells detonated in. Then the radome starts to come apart, the adverse yaw yanking the big jet around as the starboard side fragments away, debris ripping into the tail as it does so. Then some of your shells find the starboard wing- a fuel tank goes at the same time as the outboard engine, the wing snapping in half roughly between the two engine pylons. The big jet rolls over, trailing flame, and slams into the ground as the witches bring themselves around to re-engage.

2/3

Not that you plan to give them a chance, pulling Muninn away into a maximum rate emergency break turn and powering away from them as Kyou kisses your remaining Pythons on their way as a 'deterrent'- you see shields flash to life as gunfire stabs through the night behind you, the missiles defeated by the witch's defenses. Still, it's more than enough- by the time the last missile impacts on a shield, you're dozens of miles away, skimming just above the mountaintops.

The flight back to the Kaga is quiet- your final tally wasn't nearly the same as it has been- just five. It's hard to keep in perspective that that means you've claimed ace every day you've flown- though it's been argued that, for wyvern pilots, five is far too low a number for the title. So far, no one's changed it.

Muninn assists you in landing- Japanese carriers use five wires, not four, and their ILS is better, with both lights and spotters- you catch a three wire, being yanked to a halt by the tough alloy steel cable. Wendy touches down with far less violence- the Valkyrie seems to float down as she lands, and it seems like there's hardly a tug as she catches the wire.

The deck crew of the carrier is cheering, some of them waving white work covers in the air, surrounding Muninn as you're guided to a spot forward of the island, near one of the Kaga's elevators. For a second you don't think there's any other flight ops going on- there can't be if the crew has time to do this- but the thump and roar of the catapult launching a pair of tomcats puts lie to that.

3/4 (oops!)

"It appears they're rather happy to have you aboard, mum." Wendy obeserves- though you note that the crew is around her fighter too. It's not till a second later, as you begin shutting down, that you recognize the familiar amazonian form standing behind the crowd- next to a young man on crutches who wears an impressively large smile.

"I do wonder what he's still doing aboard." Kyou says to you as she stands, having to raise her voice to be heard. "Regardless, we must greet him. It's proper to do so first, before reporting to the ship's command staff."

You nod, dropping down the ladder first, then standing near it as Kyou drops down- the crew keeps a respectful distance as she walks to Wendy, who smiles a little tiredly. "Well played, mum." The older witch says. "I think we quite showed them we're not to be trifled with. If you wish, I'll go see to your quarters. I can have them prepared for you shortly."

Kyou smiles, looking over at you as you walk over to join the two witches. "Morgan, Wendy seems to think she'll be quartering separately from us. I will go greet my brother if you wish to explain to her why this is not possible."

She steps away as she completes her sentence, leaving you with Wendy, who looks a little confused. "I- I suppose I should get used to this kind of treatment from you, shouldn't I?" She says, finally.

[] You know you're a teammate Wendy, not a servant
[] It'll make things a lot easier if you do, yes.

So the last update there got a bit away from me, haha!

That's it for the evening though gents! As usual I'll be around a bit to field questions or concerns, I'll be painting some Tau, haha! That said, till tomorrow gents, cheers!

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>>4001419
>[X] You know you're a teammate Wendy, not a servant

>>4001420
Thanks for the run boss.

>>4001419
>[] You know you're a teammate Wendy, not a servant, but it'll make things a lot easier if you do, yes.

>>4001419
>[x] You know you're a teammate Wendy, not a servant
Just wondering, when did Wendy start calling Kyou "mum"?

>>4001419
>[] You know you're a teammate Wendy, not a servant

>>4001419
>[x] You know you're a teammate Wendy, not a servant

>>4001420
Thanks for the run Ghost!

>>4001431
Brits use Mum as a colloquial of Ma'am.

>>4001419
>[] It'll make things a lot easier if you do, yes.
because
>[] You know you're a teammate Wendy, not a servant

>>4001419
>[X] You know you're a teammate Wendy, not a servant

>>4001419
>[] It'll make things a lot easier if you do, yes.

Biggest Smug Catboy Grin

>>4001496
I guess you really do learn something new everyday.

>>4001419
>[x] It'll make things a lot easier if you do, yes.

>>4001419
While I do try to avoid the double vote I do agree with>>4001500

>>4001500

I agree with this!

Ok, votes closed! May be a short run tonight- Just upgraded the RAM in this computer- all seems to be working now, but...

and yes, I backed everything up, haha! I learned my lesson the first time.

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[] Both (for reasons of tradition)

You shrug. "It will make things a lot easier if you do, yes." You say, nodding.

She sighs. "One would imagine, after all these years, I should be used to this by now." She says, smiling faintly. "But I keep expecting to wake up on a cot in the storage areas because there's no quarters for me."

You shake your head. "As if. You know you're a teammate, not a servant."

"Kyou does make it sound as if I would be considered part of the household as a servant." Wendy responds. "Perhaps a highly placed one, but-"

"And you know I won't allow that. If you're part of our household, we'll figure out where exactly you fit in it later, but it's not as a servant." You insist. "And I want you to speak up more in the air."

She blinks. "W-what?" She asks, surprised. "But I couldn't! You and Kyou are our element lead, I'm just your wingmate. "

You nod. "And you've got a lot more experience than either of us do. You know that better than anyone. How many have you shot down today alone?"

"I-I haven't been keeping count, but-" She pauses, glancing over at Kyou. "I have some concerns, as well. Normally I'd rather not air them like this, but they involve the princess, and- "

You nod again. "I know. We'll discuss it tonight."

Wendy hesitates. "I'd rather not involve her, if possible. It's just- I don't wish to offend her."

[] Offend? What are you concerned about?
[] Wendy, we're in an MIU net. She probably already knows.

>>4002786
>[X] Offend? What are you concerned about?

>>4002786
>[X] Wendy, we're in an MIU net. She probably already knows.

>>4002786
>[] Wendy, we're in an MIU net. She probably already knows.

>>4002786
>[] Wendy, we're in an MIU net. She probably already knows.

>>4002786
>[X] Wendy, we're in an MIU net. She probably already knows.

>>4002786
>[] Wendy, we're in an MIU net. She probably already knows.

>>4002786
>[x] Offend? What are you concerned about?

Ok, votes called!

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[x] Wendy, we're in an MIU net. She probably already knows.

"Wendy, we're in an MIU net. She probably already knows." You say, reminding the older witch of the sometimes uncomfortable truth that, between linked individuals, secrets are almost impossible to keep. Especially ones like this.

She pauses, then nods. "I- I know." She says, after a minute. "You understand, I don't mean to offend or even- " She pauses again. "I don't want her to be cross."

You shake your head. "What, are you afraid she'll spank you?" You ask.

"Spa-" Wendy turns beet red as you grin, then shake your head again. You know what she's worried about, of course- the same thing she always has been, ever since she met Frank. She doesn't want to get dismissed from what she feels is paradise- she'll do anything to maintain friendships, and the mere thought of angering someone like Kyou is enough to terrify her.

You shake your head again, stepping forward and grabbing her flight bag in your free hand. "Wendy, at this point you'll be lucky to ever get away from Kyou again." You say.

"Y-you can read her that well?" She asks, her blush fading quickly.

You nod. "It's a little different with just one AI between you. Kyou's feelings are that you're here to stay, regardless of anything else. So what's bothering you?" You say, turning to head over to where Kyou and Hohiro and Cass are standing. You note that Cass is dressed traditional, other than her footwear- she's got on a pair of boots, indicating that she's not actually on flight duty right now. Odd, to say the least- you'd assume she'd been flying all day, same as you.

"It's that-" Wendy pauses again. "I'm quite sure Kyou is doing something to me." She says. "Using her ability to improve my own. I've never been able to operate an aircraft like that, nor have I ever seen my weapons do that much damage to a target, even in limit testing."

[] You're flying a Merlin custom rig, Wendy. Could it just be that?
[] Kyou's been closemouthed about the limits of her ability, even to me.

>>4002908
>[] Kyou's been closemouthed about the limits of her ability, even to me.
BUT
[] You're flying a Merlin custom rig, Wendy. Could it just be that?

BOTH IS GOOD

>>4002908
>[x] Kyou's been closemouthed about the limits of her ability, even to me.

>>4002908
>>4002919
^Seconding this
>[] Kyou's been closemouthed about the limits of her ability, even to me.
BUT
>[] You're flying a Merlin custom rig, Wendy. Could it just be that?

>>4002908
>[X] You're flying a Merlin custom rig, Wendy. Could it just be that?

>>4002908
>[X] You're flying a Merlin custom rig, Wendy. Could it just be that?

>>4002908
>>4002919
This is good.

>>4002908
>[X] You're flying a Merlin custom rig, Wendy. Could it just be that?

Ok, votes called!

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[x] Both

You shrug. "Kyou's been closemouthed about the limits of her ability, even to me." You admit- though you know enough to know that's not out of malice- it's just that she thinks it's largely irrelevant information to you. You've thought about approaching her about it, but decided against it- she's not exactly wrong, and you know enough of her ability to use it almost to it's limit in the fighter. Almost, of course- you know there's things she's still not telling you, but it's nothing that's mattered yet.

Wendy nods- apparently releived that you agree.

"But," you continue. "You're flying a Merlin custom rig. Could it just be that?"

"I don't believe so." Wendy says after a second, falling into step slightly behind you and off to your left. You see her shake her head out of the corner of your eye. "Miss Wells has been involved with most of the aircraft and strikers I've operated since meeting your father, and I've never been able to reach this level of ability." She hesitates. "I'm stronger around her." She says, after a moment. "And I believe that's her doing."

"We'll deal with it later." You say- and Wendy nods, happy enough at having her concerns listened to. You don't actually have to do anything, you know- for her, the mere fact that you recognized she had a concern is plenty. Asking Kyou about it right this second isn't viable, though- you draw up next to her, nodding at your sister and the prince.

1/2

Hohiro grins, and greets you- in Japanese. "Welcome aboard the Kaga, Morgan." He says. "Your sister may have, as she says, spilled the beans on your command of language."

Cass looks a little embarrassed. "He said it was odd I spoke Japanese so well and you didn't speak it at all." She says, in English.

"If it's consolation to you, I haven't informed my parents." Hohiro says, smiling. "And I have asked Cass to refrain from doing so as well."

"My younger brother was just explaining that he's leaving, shortly." Kyou says. "It is a little surprising you were allowed to remain aboard this long to begin with."

Hohiro nods. "The chaos of the day prevented my being removed from the ship." He says. "But there is a transport aircraft en route now to remove myself and Cassiopeia along with my guards and return me to the boredom of the palace."

You blink at that, and shoot a glance over at Cass. "You're leaving the Kaga?" You ask.

She looks at Hohiro. "That's not what we agreed on." She says. "I'm flying with the escort wing to get you back to Tokyo, then I'm returning here."

Hohiro gives a very faint smile- one that gets Kyou to frown in response. "My little brother isn't planning anything devious with our honored guest, is he?" She asks.

Hohiro's smile gets a little wider. "Of course not, beloved eldest sister." He says. "I was recollecting the discussion Cassiopeia and I had on the subject. It was, ah, lively."

"That's one way of describing it." Cass mutters. "How is it out there, Morg? We've been getting a lot of rumors, but we haven't put in any combat sorties yet."

[] Ugly, and it's going to get worse.
[] It's a turkey shoot so far.

>>4003124
>[] Ugly, and it's going to get worse.

>>4003124
>[x] Ugly, and it's going to get worse.

>>4003124
>[] Ugly, and it's going to get worse.

Let's not sugarcoat just because we're a Wyvern Driver and things thus far have been a cake walk for us.

>>4003124
>[] Ugly, and it's going to get worse.

>>4003124
>[X] Ugly, and it's going to get worse.

>>4003124
>[X] Ugly, and it's going to get worse.

Ok, votes called!

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>>4003207
Did the update run away from you again?