Long-term salvation

Chapter 275 The War Begins

2019 5 Month 15 Day.

Somewhere in the Osean Federation base, in a large underground lounge.

This lounge was converted from an air-raid shelter—the mercenaries of the Army Without Borders gave full play to their imagination—so it also functions as a small bar and a cafe. However, the metallic smell of the ventilation system is now wafting through the air, making people who come here feel quite bored.

However, compared to the explosion-proof light tube embedded in the concrete ceiling, which continuously emits a low-frequency hum, these are only minor problems. After all, during wartime, it is difficult for soldiers fighting on the front lines to find a place that can be called comfortable.

[Today at 1:00 PM, the Kingdom of Ergia declared war on the Osean Federation...]

[According to the Air Force General Administration's announcement, the attack was carried out by drones...]

【…】

[I am Rosa Cossette D'Elise, Princess of the Kingdom of Ergia. Due to Ossia's military operations, many innocent Ergia people have been killed or injured...]

The beautiful princess's words were being broadcast from the flat-screen TV hanging from the ceiling. Her face showed genuine sadness and a naiveté about war—all the mercenaries sitting in the bar knew this well.

"How could the Kingdom of Ergia dare to confront a behemoth like the Osean Federation?" Killer-1 sighed and shook his head. "Fortunately, it was the Osean Federation that hired us."

"The Federation's willingness to hire us shows that the situation after the war began was not ideal."

Killer-2 said with a smile, leaning against the counter and sipping sweetened milk. The entire mercenary group was on standby at this base, carrying out daily air control patrols, driving away and marking the Elgia reconnaissance aircraft approaching the area... But despite this, everyone's heart was shrouded in a haze.

"Drones are taking over the skies. Ossia was caught off guard by drones spewing out of shipping containers. We might all be out of a job in the future."

"I could fly an agricultural aircraft to spread pesticides. I know several farmers back home."

"Take me with you... But then again, it would be interesting if the drone's control system failed," the assassin team's No. 2 added with a smile. He then put on a threatening expression and slowly approached the two female pilots of the killer team with a glass of wine in hand.

"Just imagine, unmanned trucks deliver collected resources to an empty factory, and then unmanned automated production lines begin to churn out drone after drone. They then hover over a certain area, destroying them... and then continue to expand!"

"Don't say such horrible things!"

The women from the assassin team frowned and pushed him away. He didn't continue to pester her, but sat back on the small stool in front of the counter with his drink in hand, laughing loudly.

"Ha ha!"

At this moment, the four main fighter squadrons of the Army Without Borders are all here: the Killers, Assassins, Guns, and Excalibur teams. In addition, there are several transport planes, a synthetic armored battalion, and a special forces unit called "Ronin" - no one knows where the boss got this group of people together, but after completing several large orders, their name has gradually become famous in the international market.

However, unlike ordinary soldiers, for the veterans who were recruited into the mercenary group in the early days, things were a little strange:

"The war will break out in mid-May this year, and we will head north to become part of that war."

Caesar recalled what Rhodes had said and stared silently at the wine glass in front of him. He was sitting in the corner of the lounge with a heavy heart. A small glass of grappa had been placed in front of him for a long time, so long that the wine inside had stopped swirling.

The dim light was reflected by the wine and the glass, and reflected on the man's face, turning into a thin shadow that was half bright and half dark.

"I heard from the assassin team that you were sitting here drinking alone."

A familiar voice woke Caesar from his thoughts. He looked up and saw Rhodes leading Abigail and Larry Fokker in... Yes, there was also Larry, the middle-aged man in his fifties who crushed all the pilots who joined the mercenary group in one-on-one and one-on-two air battles!

If he were not too old and did not have a better enhanced suit, Caesar even doubted that he could destroy the entire mercenary group except the BOSS by himself.

"The war has begun, just as I expected."

Rod and Larry pulled up chairs and sat down, while Abigail ran to the counter and ordered a few cups of coffee from the Army Without Borders mercenary who was working part-time as a bartender there.

As the girl sat on Rhodes's lap, blowing on the slightly scalding milk, he watched the coffee in his cup being diluted to a grayish color by the milk. After a moment's thought, Rhodes ordered two more slices of bread, skimmed off the foam with them, and then slowly ate them with the coffee that had been overdosed with sugar.

“You have a unique taste.”

Caesar sighed, picked up the wine glass in front of him, hesitated for a few seconds, put it down again, and asked in a low voice:

"Prior to this, you requested that the fleet be replaced with F/S-15 fighter jets (from the Wingman program) to enhance the overall fleet's maneuverability... I remember the F-15 ACTIVE prototype was quite expensive, and it was a mass-produced model developed by the Belkans. Where did you get so much money?" Note ①

Wait, could it be that he is really being kept by a princess from some kingdom?

With that thought, Caesar glanced suspiciously at Abigail, who was playing a game with Alona inside the Shitin Box. Noticing the man's expression, the blonde girl looked up and sent a dragon emoji in response, "Where are you looking at your mother?"

Caesar:"……"

"Oh, I've invested in some fixed assets, and I also bought a wave of high-quality capital at the bottom because of the war. I also just bought a company that develops open-source AI big data models, and I plan to short the stocks of those big companies in the future. At least the Army Without Borders won't have to worry about funding for the next four to five years. I'll hand these things over to you then."

"...What on earth are you thinking? We're just mercenaries." Caesar felt something was amiss the more he listened. It was as if the man across from him was making plans for his final resting place. "Although I'd love to make a name for myself and leave a lasting mark in history, I also value my own life. We're just mercenaries, boss. If we can't defeat them, we can just run away."

"Arnold Frenken, codename Caesar... That's a great title. You'll achieve something great."

Rhode said with a smile, his eyes swept over the mercenaries who were secretly looking at him, then turned his head and said to Caesar:

"Get ready. Take the Assassin and the Sword in the Stone teams, plus some recruits later, and fight elsewhere. Then, wait for the right moment—you'll understand when the time comes—to break away from the Osean Federation's command and infiltrate Elgia. Head to the naval base near Snyder's Point, plan an evacuation route, and find a port for resupply."

"You intend to attack or capture the Ergia Kingdom's fleet? But we don't have soldiers who can operate warships."

"There's no need to worry about it... and your attack was just a feint, which is why I asked you to plan an evacuation route."

As Rhodes spoke, he took out a cigarette box from his pocket, squeezed the remaining cigarettes inside, and stuffed it back with a bit of regret, and continued:

"Afterwards, you will need to gather supplies and coordinate the Ronin troops' reconnaissance of the Kingdom of Ergia, especially the drone factories and various military factories. I need the data they contain."

"..."

"You have to take good care of them—the Army Without Borders, take care of these fools and good people—after I leave. Caesar, this is a very difficult task. It's not just about maintaining the mercenary group, but also about their political status... Don't you want to become a 'knight'? This is your last chance."

Rhodes calmly looked at the man in front of him. The latter's expression changed from initial surprise and confusion to solemnity and determination. At this moment, Caesar thought a lot, but he finally nodded seriously and said:

"I understand, Boss. After this battle, you will return home as a hero and marry Princess Abigail... Indeed, with such a big age gap, you still need to have sufficient achievements..."

"Shut up! Your bonus is gone! And why did you raise this flag when we were about to attack?! Are you trying to seize power?!"

Chapter 276 Two-pronged Strategy

2019 5 Month 30 Day.

As part of the counterattack and retaliatory strike against Ergia, the Osean Federation's new aircraft carrier, the Falcon II, began to attack the former's capital, Fabanti, while another aircraft carrier, the Vulture, prepared to cooperate with Osean forces in other areas to suppress the enemy in the Chopinburg area and seize air superiority.

Only two squadrons of the Army Without Borders mercenary group were deployed here: the "Hitman" and the "Gunsel"... Two squadrons totaling only seven aircraft would hardly make a difference in a war of this scale, but adding those two people would be a different story.

"The new enhanced suit will take some time to arrive. Don't do anything beyond your physical endurance during combat. Your opponent is a drone... This is your first official battle since joining the mercenary group, and I don't want you to come down spitting blood."

Rhode looked at Larry Falk and said, the latter was tugging at his black and gray enhanced suit with some disgust. After hearing Rhode's words, he said unhappily:

"Why are the Belkans here? I hate the Belkans."

"Because the Belkans can really bring some good stuff. If I remember correctly, the drones used in this war were developed by Belkans," Rhode teased. He tucked the black cat, Pickman, that Abigail had handed him into his arms. Pickman poked his head out from between the zippers of his augmentation suit and twitched his ears. "And we're not talking about 'no borders' anymore, are we?"

Larry: “…”

Before Larry could get angry and punch himself twice, Rod quickly ran to his F/S-15 fighter jet, the witch cat logo on the tail wing reflecting the bright sunlight. The killer team and the gun team had already taken off and were circling, waiting for Rod and Larry to join them.

As the canopy slowly dropped and the plane taxied onto the runway, Rhodes glanced at the wind vane on the side of the runway. The eye-catching orange-yellow thing was swaying gently in the breeze... Well, the wind direction and speed were moderate... He looked to the side and rear and saw that the wingtip of Larry's fighter was about 3.5 meters away from the wingtip of his own fighter, which was a very safe distance.

The airport runway here is very spacious, enough for two or even three fighter jets to take off at the same time.

[Monarch, Pixy, permission to take off.]

The tower's voice came over the communication channel. Rhodes exhaled lightly, then raised his finger and made a circle, signaling Pixy to step on the brakes. This didn't really need to be reminded, but if he didn't, he would definitely be reprimanded mercilessly after getting off the plane. Then, Rhodes pushed the throttle to a speed suitable for takeoff.

After seeing Pixy nod in response, Rod released the brake and pushed the accelerator to the maximum.

The blue-white flames from the F/S-15 fighter jet's engine suddenly stretched out, causing the slightly growing grass beside the runway to sway violently in the intense heat. The edges of the blades instantly carbonized and curled, leaving half of them charred black. The powerful air currents blew dust backward, creating a faint sandstorm that made the ground crew farther away squint their eyes.

In the air shaking due to the high temperature, two fighter planes took off one after the other.

The moment the fighter's flaps were retracted, Rhodes could feel the fuselage vibrating slightly, and the hum of the fuel pump was drowned out by the roar of the engine. The fighter began to climb, preparing to join the other fighters of the Army Without Borders flying in formation.

"Zhougong access." / "Pixy access."

The voices of Rhode and his companions echoed through the communication channel, which reassured the pilots of the other fighter planes. However, soon, Gunnery Squad's Gunnery-1 shouted in alarm:

"Instructor, your codename... and that red paint on your right wing... you were the hero of the Belkan War decades ago, the wingman of the Round Table Devil, 'Solo Wing'! The one-winged fairy!"

"..."

"...Uh, who is he?"

"You should say 'Sir', be more polite, Killer-2. His battle record with that guy is still in the Osean Federation's air combat textbooks. Damn it, I knew it! No wonder he could defeat all of us... Damn it... Oh, sorry, sir, that's not what I meant..."

Gun-1 spoke incoherently. She had been an instructor at the Federal Air Force Academy, and after leaving, she joined the Army Without Borders. Now, she was grateful and excited for this decision:

"In that war, the 'Ghosts of the Round Table' and the 'Winged Fairies' wiped out Belka's entire elite fleet, leaving not a single aces alive! The remaining planes shot down weren't even worthy of being part of that victory! Who cares about ants being crushed to death on the ground when they can catch butterflies?"

The communication channel was silent, with only faint electrical noise bouncing back and forth.

"...I'm not a hero," Pixy's flat voice rang out over the comms channel. "I'm just an old man with almost bald hair. Leave me alone and continue the mission."

Hearing this, Rhode stopped being silent and warned:

"Don't be distracted during the battle—I'm sure you've already read the mission briefing provided by the Osean Federation. We must cover the retreat of our friendly forces from the drones. At the same time, the enemy's manned aircraft are likely to pursue us, so don't let your guard down."

"Understood!"xN

Hearing the echo from the communication channel, the corners of Rhodes' mouth curled up slightly. He looked to the left and right and saw the fighter planes maintaining their formation and piercing into the clouds, crushing towards the battlefield like an unshakable "eagle wall".

However, if Rhode and Pixy hadn't joined the battle, this wall wouldn't have remained as solid and strong as before under the Sky King's lance. The old man's terrifying skills, coupled with the incredibly maneuverable Su-30SM and drones that applied his combat data... This was the main reason Rhode replaced the mercenary fleet with F/S-15s.

I don't know why everyone on Planet S loves dogfights, but at this point, a bit of mobility can actually offer a glimmer of hope! To put it bluntly, it's the "outlast the old man" tactic. If you outlast the old man until he's exhausted, he'll definitely retreat.

Thinking of this, Rhode spoke again to prevent his pilots from being breached:

"Okay, I know you all might have objections to this operation. For example, at first glance, this looks like a mission to stay behind and die. But we're mercenaries, we're paid to do the job... In the worst-case scenario, I'm here, and your instructor Pixy is here too. The two of us can easily get you out."

This time, the communication channel was no longer silent, but was filled with vulgar compliments that made people laugh - these guys who remembered more fighter jet technical manuals than literary works, now began to clumsily flatter their boss.

Ten minutes later, a formation of fighter jets from the Army Without Borders arrived at the combat airspace.

Just after connecting to the friendly communication channel here, Rhode heard the voice of the AWACS codenamed "Sky Keeper":

"Two retreating aircraft, immediately enter combat mode, encountering an unknown aircraft!"

But soon after the two fighters responded "Enemy contact", the female pilot of one of them shouted in panic:

"Sky Keeper. Gargoyle-1 down! The enemy is a Su-30!"

"What the Hell?!"

Seeing this, Rhode didn't waste any more time and spoke directly in the public channel:

"An army without borders, intervening by force."

He was responded by seven resounding voices:

"Wilco!"

The seven fighter planes spread out like blooming flowers. Only Rhodes and Pxiy's fighter planes continued to fly straight - their target was the huge weapon bird. In contrast, more than a dozen drones immediately responded and attacked the uninvited guests.

"...Tsk, it's the war dogs in the base—everyone, our reinforcements are here, abandon the battle and leave the combat zone immediately!"

The Ossia military aircraft evacuated quickly and passed by Rhodes' fighter plane. At this moment, he saw a dog (wolf?) wearing a red scarf printed on the tail of the fighter plane, instead of the three scratches later, but it was equally eye-catching and unique.

The pilot of the fighter plane and Rhodes looked at each other, but only for a moment.

Trigger...huh.

Gathering his thoughts, Rhode gripped the joystick tightly, tilting the fighter's fuselage to the left, and said to Pixy on the communication channel:

"Pixy, keep an eye on that giant ordnance bird. I'll go deal with the enemy plane chasing our friendly forces."

"You won't be shot down by the enemy, will you, boy?"

"Wouldn't it be embarrassing for you to be shot down? I just hope the other party doesn't think I'm bullying an elderly person."

Rhodes said as he opened the release button cover of the [Angle of Attack Limiter].

Chapter 277: The King of Heaven and the Lord of Hosts (3K)

The sunlight poured onto the canopy like molten gold foil, refracting tiny diamond-shaped spots of light.

As light and shadows passed through the clouds, Rhodes twisted the fuselage and swooped down from above, facing away from the sun.

The altimeter's numbers immediately began to jump. Negative G-forces were pulling blood from Rhode's lower body toward his head, but thanks to his strong physique, he didn't experience any noticeable red vision. However, the oxygen mask now carried a distinct rubbery smell, a human artifact. Every deep breath felt like swallowing some strange, sticky liquid.

The uninflated anti-G suit still clung to Rhodes's body, but the slight discomfort had long been ignored.

The fighter plane was cruising at the edge of the clouds, chasing and playing with the target ahead - the Su-30sm with a gray-black fuselage and the same orange-red vertical tail and wing tips was like a shark testing the water temperature, appearing and disappearing among the thin cirrus clouds, whileing away its boring time.

But...it's better to say hello first.

【Lock on】

Press the launch button and the missile leaves the beam.