Post by Sheng on Feb 22, 2024 18:58:24 GMT
VASDF-S Regional Headquarters
Southern Territorial Defense Zone, Kisteol
12:05 KLT
Chief Defence Officer Tsuderei was presently sitting in on a way over-time defence meeting with the Base Commanders of VASDF-S. Bored out of his mind. Regardless, as Aeronautical Defense Commander Kiroyuri continued to ramble on about pushing his re-organisation initiative for the third time, he put on an attentive face and buckled down. "With the recent reports of a mass W-X-D exchange, I still feel it prudent that we update our foreign intercept protocols," Kiroyuri said with a gesture towards the projector. "These figures speak for themselves, if we wish to maintain a capable T-D-Z over the system we must roll with the punches and adapt to the present situation." Tsuderei nodded along whilst another Skyari, Co-Defense Commander Mitsugara, motioned towards the projector and commented "I do agree in part that our foreign intercept protocols are a bit... outdated. And as Commander Tsuderei says we should take the initiative to prepare for a possible worst-case scenario. It is dangerously arrogant to assume that we are not presently, or never will be a target. We do not always know what every nation in the galaxy thinks and it is quite possible that we have a reticle upon us that we are not even aware of. We have already begun to experience strains in our relations with our Colonial Neighbours for continuing our open trade policies with both CONA and SAGA following the exchange. With this in mind, I second the initiative for a protocol re-organisation." Tsuderei barely stifled a groan. While they both expressed valid points they also ignored others that have previously been brought up as counters, one of which is that if they were seen stepping up their defensive practices in such a tension-bearing time, there are those who might see that as provocative rather than cautious.
Regardless, Tsuderei made to comment before a sudden ringing interrupted him and brought silence over the meeting. Blinking a few times in confusion Tsuderei then reached down to his cell phone and pulled it up before looking at the caller ID and raising an eyebrow. It read: [KOMATSU-CC]. With a look towards the other Base Commanders, he hit the accept button before raising it to his left ear and answering "Chief Defence Officer Tsuderei, go." To which a mildly concerned voice started belting out a rather... concerning report that prompted Tsuderei's eyes to widen before he shakily said "What?! Impossible!" Tsuderei scowled before shouting into the phone "I'll make my way there as soon as possible, alert the National Safety Commission and get me transportation to Komatsu! Immediately!" The other personnel present in the room, who was now looking on in concern, watched Tsuderei hang up and hastily put his cell phone away before Kiroyuri broke the silence and asked "Is there... anything we should be concerned about?" As Tsuderei rapidly began buttoning up his dress jacket he responded "Six Space-Craft have just passed the 7th Territorial Defence Marker, sensors have detected trace amounts of plutonium present on their exterior!"
VASDF-S "Komatsu" Installation
Southern Territorial Defense Zone, 11th Space-Defense Squadron, Kisteol
13:05 KLT
The door to the Situation Centre slammed open as Tsuderei stormed in and made his way to three Skyari in VASDF-S Fatigues stood over at the 6th Marker's Early Warning Console, sure enough, six red blips were flashing just south of the marker. Tsuderei opened his beak to speak but was quickly cut off by a single warning beep playing over the intercom followed by a monotone voice stating "C-I-D verification complete, spacecraft identified as six strategic strike-craft belonging to the Eternal Legion, callsign 'Kirin.' No response on hail. RADAR places them in area six-K-one-five, heading two-nine-zero, at current speeds, they will enter Kisteol Controlled Space in thirty minutes." Tsuderei was quiet for a second before he said to the three around the console "Any word from situational command? Have they reached out to the embassy?" The one on the right shook their head before saying "No response from any of the southern wings, including the S-O-C itself." Tsuderei nodded before saying "Call the District Commander directly. Keep trying until you get through." The Skyari nodded and gave a hasty salute before marching off to do exactly that, meanwhile one of the two remaining Skyari at the console turned and whispered to the other "You don't think this is SAGA..." To which the other hissed at them "Don't be ridiculous, we haven't prompted a response." Both turned their attention back towards the console whilst Tsuderei started stroking his beak in thought before another beep came over the intercom and the voice said again "Interceptors have been launched. Winter One and Three from the two hundred and twelfth at Matsatu, Warhawk Twelve and Nineteen from the seventy-first at Surnia. Estimated intercept times show Winter in the next five, Warhawk in the next fifteen."
Four green blips then appeared on the screen with lines projecting their routes and the time of intercept next to them. Two belonged to Winter and the other two belonged to Warhawk. A few seconds later one of the Skyari sat down at the Console before they reached out to one of the three radios attached to the console and started adjusting the dial, saying back to Tsuderei "We'll tune into Winter and Warhawk's frequencies so that we can hear what's going on." Tsuderei nodded his agreement to the idea and listened as the radio suddenly started emitting static before clearing and one male and one female voice could be heard. The male said "Winter One to Winter Three, beginning second adjustment burn. Copy?" To which the female responded "Copy, burning in tandem. Intercept in four minutes." The three Skyari listened along before the Skyari sat down pulled a microphone off of the radio and said "Komatsu to Winter, burn zero-four-zero, adjust angle fifteen degrees." The intercom then came on again and relayed "Kirin is still on approach, no response to hails. Handing over pursuit watch to Komatsu Installation." One of the Skyari immediately reached out to the third radio and adjusted another dial before flicking a switch on it that turned a light from green to red, then on the far wall of the Situation Centre, an orange hologramme sprung to life displaying a map of Kisteol's southern border and the 7 semi-circles south of it. Kirin was currently passing through the sixty-one and about the enter the fifth whilst Winter was burning hard towards them from the right from the third and Disciple burning hard from the first almost horizontally towards them.
The Skyari sat at the console, pulling the microphone off of the hook once more and pressed down on the button, saying "Winter, target position at grid one-three-nine-one, updated E-T-I at 13:11 Kisteol Local Time." Before letting off the button with a click and swirling around his chair to Tsuderei and asking "Commander, what is our plan if they don't respond to our hails after intercept?" Tsuderei thought about it for a second before reaching down to his cell phone and flipping it open, dialling in a number with a series of quiet clicks before holding it up to his head. After a few seconds, a weary voice answered "Yes? This had better be good, I was just in a meeting with the Minister of Civic Defense." Tsuderei said "This is Chief Defence Commander Tsuderei of the Southern V-A-S-D-F. Have you been informed of the six strike-craft entering the Southern T-D-Z?" There were a few moments of silence on the other end of the line before they answered "I'm reading the report now. Have you managed to get in contact with the Southern S-O-C? What about the District Secretary?" Tsuderei let out a sigh before responding "Neither the S-O-C nor District Secretary have been answering any calls. What's going on up there? Are you not getting the same readings we are?" Again, there was more silence followed by the sound of typing on the other end of the silence. Tsuderei waited before the Skyari on the other end answered "Matsukoro reports no craft in the area... We're trying to reach the eighth Space-Defense Squadron to see if they're reporting anything of a similar nature." Tsuderei responded "Understood. Call me back if you get any updates." Before flipping the phone closed, ending the call. He put his phone back in his pocket before turning back to face the console.
He looked down at the two green blips representing Winter getting closer and closer before turning to the Skyari who was still standing up and saying "Matsukoro isn't detecting any of this, the eighth is still being reached out to... Could it be a false alarm?" To which the other Skyari shook his head and said "I don't see how that could be possible, the system self-checks for errors regularly and it's highly protected against external access. We would be alerted immediately to any discrepancies." Tsuderei nodded before gesturing to the one that was sitting down and saying "Contact Winter, see if they've gotten a ping on the approaching craft yet on their radar." The Skyari nodded before raising his microphone, pushing down on the button and asking "Winter, this is Komatsu, have you made contact with target?" To which Winter 1 responded "Target dead ahead, two hundred and fifty kilometres. Komatsu." Tsuderei nodded as he watched Winter 1 and 3's blips begin to close in from behind. The six craft maintained their speed and heading regardless. Tsuderei told the Skyari "Ask them if they have any visual on drive plumes, sails, or the intruding craft in general." The Skyari nodded before relaying "Winter, this is Komatsu. Do you have any form of visual on infiltrating craft?" A few seconds passed before an answer crackled through the radio "Negative Contact. Komatsu." Tsuderei scowled before turning to the standing Skyari and saying "Alert the Southern Defensive Missile Detachment on Okobaeyu. Tell them to prepare to intercept." The Skyari nodded before pulling out his cell phone and stepping away.
Tsuderei turned back to the console and watched the RADAR as the radio crackled to life once more "Komatsu, this is Winter-One, Negative Contact. Craft has dropped off the radar." Tsuderei looked at the other Skyari with a confused expression only for them to shoot one back at him before raising his microphone and responding "Winter, this is Komatsu. Target dead ahead, one hundred and fifty kilometres, heading two-nine-zero. Reduce speed, you are rapidly approaching the target." The radio was silent for a few moments before it crackled to life again "Negative Komatsu, No visual. Repeat; Negative Contact." Tsuderei leaned down in concern as the Skyari responded "Winter-One, abort intercept immediately, you are on a collision approach! Repeat, abort the intercept immediately!" The radio was silent, as Winter's blips approached uncomfortably close before beginning to slow down and gain a bit of distance. But then, the two green blips representing winter suddenly flashed red before disappearing, with two small texts replacing the blips stating "7700" for a brief second before that too disappeared. The Skyari sat down gasping before standing up and looking towards the massive holographic projection on the wall before them saying "Crew bailout?! Winter's down?!" Tsuderei's eyes widened as he stared at the holograph, muttering "Impossible..." before the intercom crackled to life and said "Target changing heading, new heading two-one-zero, target is beginning to accelerate. Warhawk intercept range seventy kilometres." Tsuderei turned around to the Skyari watching from their own separate terminals and shouted "Put a hold on all international travel in the sector, redirect all incoming craft to Surnia, NOW!" A couple of Skyari reached down for phones and began shouting instructions into them whilst others grabbed at various papers before bolting from the room.
Tsuderei turned back to the holograph as the intercom shouted "Kirin has passed through the First Territorial Defence Marker, now inbound for Daitang! They will cross into civilian air space within one hundred and twenty seconds!" Tsuderei watched as Warhawk's blips came rocketing in behind them as the intercom shouted once more "Kirin is now on Warhawk's Radar, Warhawk is requesting permission to engage!" Tsuderei looked to the other Skyari before reaching down to the second radio and snatching it up off of its hook and raising it to his beak as he shouted "Warhawk, this is Komatsu, you are cleared to fire. Take Kirin down before they enter Daitang airspace!" The second radio crackled before Warhawk responded "Roger, Warhawk initiating target-lock." Shortly after, small white triangles appeared over the six red blips representing the invading craft, with Warhawk not too far behind. A few seconds after that a series of small orange markers split away from Warhawk towards the six red blips. Tsuderei watched with bated breath as they streaked across the holographic map towards the invading craft when suddenly his phone started ringing in his pocket. He snatched it, flipped it open while raising it to his head and made to introduce himself but he didn't even get a word in before a female voice screamed at him through the phone "Call of the intercept! Fuck- The craft are Volantinesian! They're ours you stupid fuck!" Tsuderei's blood froze before he scrambled for the microphone attached to the second radio and screamed into it "Warhawk abort the attack! Repeat, abort the attack! they're blue!" He heard a static-y curse over the radio before the six red blips on the hologramme suddenly turned green and their callsign flicked before it switched back to Winters 1 and 3 as well as the four other craft's labels flickering to life as Disciple's 1-4, with VASDF-N tags. The Skyari next to Tsuderei swore as Winters radio crackled to life once more with Winter 1 shouting "Komatsu! Komatsu this is Winter-One! Kirin has been misidentified! They're V-A-S-D-F! Abort the- SHIT!" The hologramme showed the six craft splitting away as Warhawk's missiles raced after them. With Winters 1 and 3 and Disciple's 2 and 4 deploying countermeasures, but the blips representing Warhawk's missiles disappeared next to Disciple 1 and Disciple 3, the two craft then promptly dropped off the radar as a result.
Tsuderei collapsed into the chair as the Situation Centre erupted into chaos shortly after, with Winter's radio crackling to life as one of the pilots screamed "This is Winter-Two! Disciples One and Three are down! Repeat Disciples One and Three are down! Requesting immediate emergency search and rescue!" Tsuderei could barely think as the Skyari next to him snatched Winter's radio and started belting instructions into it, whilst Tsuderei just stood up and made for the door. As he pushed the black wooden double doors open and left them swinging behind him, unable to even think with how hard his heart was beating and the throbbing in his head...