Long-term salvation

It was a call from Major Poker, and his voice was filled with irritation and anxiety. He said:

"Another attack from the Gam. These guys are attacking more and more frequently. The special warfare team needs to be dispatched as well. Rod, you, and Zero, please go to the hangar and be ready to attack at any time."

"Yes, Rhodes received it."

Chapter 533 Begins

"Target drops thrusters...Target approaching..."

"Ghoul-Leader engaged."

"..."

"...Ghoul-3 was shot down!"

"Ghoul-4 engaged!"

A torrent of data flows through a world invisible to humans, grimly recording everything below. Data transmitted from the Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TAPRS), including multi-directional cameras, infrared cameras, infrared scanners, phased array multi-frequency electronic support sensor panels, imaging radar, and other reconnaissance equipment, is rapidly transmitted to the rear for analysis and confirmation by the humans in the command center.

This is the mission of the FFR-31MR/D "Yukikaze", call sign B3, the third aircraft of the 5th Special Warfare Squadron.

Now, she can return home.

Or, do something more.

"Casualties are increasing. Humanity's hard power is gradually failing to keep up with Gam's evolution, or rather, its ideas," Rhodes said. He knocked on the [Box of Shiting] a few times, causing Alona, ​​who was slacking off inside, to scream. Prana, who was diligently collecting information from the Fialli Air Force and Earth, leaned over with a hint of helplessness.

"The gears of war are turning again, Zero."

"...Rod, Jack will be angry."

Fukari Rei said calmly. He saw the screen in front of him constantly refreshing data, occasionally mixed with some of Yukikaze's comments... very immature, and mixed with words rarely used by humans, but this was completely different from the past - Lieutenant Fukari Rei did not report this situation, but quietly savored the joy and bitterness that welled up from the bottom of his heart.

"That's for the future. Do you want to go down and give it a try now?" Rhodes said with a smile, but there was no trace of a smile on his face. "Gam's mobility has increased again. We need a more intuitive feeling. If we get out of hand, let Pickman take us back."

Pickman, the black cat's name.

Before every takeoff, Shenjing Ling could see the black cat squatting in Rhodes' cockpit, but the ground crew turned a blind eye to it, as if there was nothing there... Perhaps, the stories Rhodes had told were not all imaginary.

But Fukai Zero didn't care about it. He didn't hate this new guy in the back seat, nor did he hate this weirdo who was slowly becoming his friend.

"If you're willing to write the self-criticism for me," Fukari Rei said. He pressed a few buttons on the control panel, retracted the TAPRS, and then maneuvered the fighter plane downward. "As usual, Rhodes, you will be responsible for capturing tactical intelligence."

"receive."

The bright tail flames from the fighter plane's engine pierced the darkness of the alien planet, and then the whirlwind wrapped in flying snow began to fall, flying towards the battlefield where life and death were intertwined.

Rhodes felt the subtle vibrations of the fighter plane, and heard the heavy anti-G breathing, shouting, and calls for help on the formation communication channel, as well as the scalp-numbing, continuous hum of the early warning aircraft - the enemy was conducting a siege, using its powerful maneuverability and numerical advantage to encircle and kill the human FFR-31 fighter.

Human beings are the most vulnerable link in the entire war.

"It would be great if we could deploy drones en masse against creatures from the other world," Rhode muttered. He glanced down at the screen and quickly marked several high-threat targets. "Zero, prioritize attacking these two. They're the GAM TYPE2, a new model. We can't let them collect any information on us."

"receive."

The next second, Rhodes felt Xuefeng's body begin to maneuver drastically. The sudden onslaught of natural force pinned him firmly to the seat. A faint black light spread from the edge of his vision, but soon disappeared. Xuefeng, which had already completed its descent, was rapidly turning its fuselage to level itself, piercing the flank of the battlefield like a spear.

"Another high-intensity maneuver, Zero. Are you made of cement?"

"I should ask you this, Rod."

The sound of dull and inconspicuous conversation flashed across the communication channel, and a GAM TYPE2 exploded in mid-air. The explosions of these alien fighters were no different from those of human fighters, with orange flames, ugly smoke, and scattered fragments of unknown metal. The snow wind flew past the side of the explosion smoke to prevent the small debris from being sucked into the engine and causing damage.

No wreckage of Gam's planes had ever been found on the ground, as if they had been swallowed up by the earth just like the FAF pilots who parachuted after being shot down.

The blood-red aurora burned silently in the sky, outlining faint shadows on the desert land below.

The next second, the shadow was torn apart by a fighter plane flying past at high speed.

"Zero, three o'clock direction, friendly forces are being pursued." Rhodes glanced at the right side of the fighter plane. "Ah, no need, he was rescued by his own people."

The communication channel was instantly filled with voices of gratitude.

"Looks like we've become troublemakers again, Rhodes... But their captain is thanking you over the comms," Fukari Rei said calmly, a smile slipping across his face that he himself wasn't aware of. "A new group of support aircraft is en route, so Yukikaze should prepare to return."

"You're thanking 'us'. Speaking of which, 'If you can't control the fighter perfectly, you'll die' was your motto in the past, right?"

"Battles don't require emotions, and fighter planes don't need emotions either. The pilot is just a part of the fighter plane," Fukai Zero replied calmly while controlling Yukikaze to climb, but he immediately noticed that the feel was slightly sluggish, as if the fighter plane beneath him was acting up.

"A pilot who cannot become one with his aircraft is unworthy of being called a 'warrior.' No matter how advanced a fighter plane is, it will be unable to defeat the enemy if it is controlled by such a person."

...Strangely, the feel is back.

Fukami Zero frowned because of this strange situation. He immediately decided to personally check on Yukikaze after returning.

Noticing this, Rhodes covered his face helplessly. He pulled down the [Box of Shiting] with his backhand, causing Alona, ​​who was laughing on the screen, to fall backwards to the ground, and knocking Prana down with her. The two little ones rolled into a ball in the pile of books made of various data, and it took a long time for them to crawl out.

Of course, it was another story when Rhodes was woken up the next day by the alarm clock sound that changed to "Ahem Aaaaaaaaaaaaa".

At this moment, he needed to discuss this issue with Fukagami Zero in detail, a very serious issue:

As the Lord of Humanity who had signed an alliance with the intelligent AIs, Rhodes not only needed to complete the system's optional tasks, but also needed to allow the special "combat intelligent body" "Fukai Zero-Yukikaze" to continue to develop - the AIs were watching Yukikaze's feelings for Fukai Zero, just like a group of parents watching their toddler.

As "Deep Well Zero", that is, on the human side, Rhodes obviously also needs to express something, at least to remind the equally stupid "human children".

"Second Lieutenant Fukai Zero," Rhode asked, his words carrying an unprecedented seriousness. "If one day, Yukikaze came to your side, how would you feel? Not as a fighter plane, but as a human being, becoming a human being."

"...If I were to come to Yukikaze one day, not as a human, but as a fighter plane, as a machine, what would she think?"

Fukai Zero replied in a low voice, lowering his eyes to hide his sadness.

Countless times, Zero had had the same dream countless times - Xuefeng was lying in a prison like a captured fairy, and he was holding the key to open the prison.

Humans are the most vulnerable link in the entire war... in everything made up of machines.

"So, you need her, but at the same time you're not sure if she needs you?"

"If that's what you mean... yes," Fukui Rei said, looking at the setting sun on the planet Fiali. The fading light intertwined with the blood-red aurora, leaving a sticky, indissoluble darkness. "Yukikaze's machine will definitely be upgraded, and she'll always meet a pilot better than me."

"If you dare to say that this pilot is me, Yukikaze will eject me in the next second, so please shut up, Lieutenant."

"Haha, Xuefeng wouldn't do that."

After hearing what Rhode said, Shen Jing Ling chuckled a few times, but he didn't dare to look down at the clumsy comforting words that flashed across the screen in front of him:

I NEED Lt. FUKAI

One fighter plane, three souls with deep thoughts.

But the warning from the long-range early warning radar sounded at an inopportune time.

Chapter 534: That's the enemy, shoot it down!

The two stars that illuminated the planet Fiyali were slowly sinking, and the flames gushing out from them were entangled and tearing each other apart, covering the sky with a gloomy blood-red color. If the dimness of sunset was added to it, the whole world seemed to be falling into purgatory.

A warning sounded in the cabin, and before Shenjing Ling could ask, Rhodes said:

"Unknown reaction... Acquired, nose 2.9 degrees, head-on, IFF no reaction - contact in 120 seconds."

"What does that guy want to do?"

"There shouldn't be a FAF base in that direction, right?" Rhodes said casually. He flexed his fingers and said, "Prepare for battle, Lieutenant."

"It might be a friendly aircraft, so avoidance is the priority," Fukari Rei replied softly. However, he still followed Rhode's advice and pressed the engage button. "It's best not to engage in combat. We only have four missiles left."

"There are still a lot of machine gun shells left."

"Makes sense."

The unidentified aircraft on the radar screen was still approaching rapidly, ignoring all communications and warnings, and rushing straight towards Xuefeng without any intention of dodging.

In an instant, two planes crossed each other - it was an FFR-31MR/D that was no different from Yukikaze - Rhodes did not detect any human breath from this fighter, only the cold and disgusting "alien"... This was great.

"Enemy."

In an instant, the three minds made the same judgment - Xuefeng twisted the fuselage, and the bright engine tail flame suddenly and briefly illuminated the dark sky - the other party seemed to have noticed something and almost immediately maneuvered in an attempt to seize a favorable position.

"That's an enemy, shoot it down!" x2

Two identical fighter planes were tearing through the air with roars, dragging out dazzling trails and leaving two faint traces in the boundless twilight.

After a few rounds of dogfighting, the enemy aircraft's posture suddenly froze strangely, and it suddenly made a nearly ninety-degree turn! It continued to accelerate under the blood-red sunset, breaking free from Xuefeng's lock, and flew into the clouds ahead, only to reappear from the side and rear!

"How is that possible?! Such a fast speed... Rod, can you try to enhance the radar lock signal?" Fukari Zero squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, tensing his body to resist the powerful G-force. "That thing's maneuverability is superior to ours, yet it looks like the same model!"

"That has nothing to do with the model. I doubt they can appear anywhere they please, Lieutenant."

Rhodes forced himself to swallow deep gulps of oxygen. During the high-speed maneuvers caused by the snow wind, he quickly looked left and right and saw the enemy plane again.

At the tail, in an extremely unfavorable position for one's own side.

【Lock On】

Before the warning of being locked on reached the ears of Rhodes and Fukami Rei, Prana and Yukikaze had already responded - the tattoo of the black cat Pickman climbed from Rhodes' neck to his right eye, and Yukikaze immediately made evasive action... When the fighter plane performed a rolling maneuver, Fukami Rei finally reacted and pressed the launch button of the jammer.

The jammer exploded in the gloom, instantly igniting countless fleeting, dazzling orange-red sparks, like flowers of death suddenly blossoming. From this, the missile's blazing white trail and the jammer's orange-red light bands violently entangled and strangled against the blood-red sky, as if the sky itself had been torn open with bleeding wounds.

In the end, the missile just passed by, causing the Grim Reaper's scythe to miss.

"Climb, Lieutenant, we must gain a vantage point."

There was no response, but a powerful overload instantly struck, causing Rhode's blood to rush downward. His vision was stained with darkness, the edges rapidly blurring and collapsing. He took a deep breath, expanding his chest and abdomen, resisting the punishment brought by the mighty force of nature.

The same faint sound of painful breathing was heard in the communication channel, but it soon disappeared. Fukui Zero was recovering from the anti-G action.

The two sides then entered into a vertical scissors maneuver and exchanged missiles.

No one hit.

At this moment, the last rays of sunset were being greedily devoured by the horizon. The sky in the twilight grew deeper and deeper, like a purple-black venous congestion, slowly but unstoppably spreading out.

Xuefeng's wings cut through the blood, making a sharp whistling sound, but the enemy was silent as a ghost.

"We only have one missile left, Rod," Fukari Zero said. He glanced at the cannon count, "The enemy probably doesn't have many missiles left either."

"If your dynamic vision is good enough, you should be able to see that the missiles on the enemy's fuselage and wing pylons have not decreased... When you return, you will see the photos."

Rhode responded quickly, quickly gathering the information collected by the electronic system and said calmly:

"Use a little trickery, Zero. Employ deception, humanity's greatest skill—and then use the last missile to self-destruct and kill the enemy. You guide it, and I'll control the timing of the explosion. If this fails, then prepare to flee. Yukikaze is running low on fuel."

Running away with your back to an enemy who could throw "spears" was not a good decision. Rhodes tried his best to avoid being shot down here... After all, teleporting Xuefeng directly back to the Fiyali base would be too conspicuous, and he didn't want to be exposed yet.

"clear."

Fukai Zero, who had prepared to use head-aiming assistance, did not object to this idea, even though he was well aware of the high risk and low probability of success of doing so. Thinking of this, the lieutenant even felt like laughing, amused at himself for being able to trust others so easily.

But that was all for the future. Right now, we needed to rescue Xuefeng, ourselves, and our companions from the danger.

Xuefeng turned the fuselage sideways, dived into the clouds, and began to descend, while the enemy planes quickly followed.

However, at the moment of breaking through the clouds, Xuefeng rolled to the right and re-entered the clouds, forcing it to draw a nearly perfect arc, while switching the radar mode to single target tracking mode.

The enemy plane did not react to this little deception, and Yukikaze seized the opportunity. It could only perform large maneuvers to avoid the illumination of the fire control radar and try to more aggressively shorten the distance between the two sides.

One in front and one behind, one on the left and one on the right, one up and one down, both sides kept trying to dodge and lock on until that tiny opportunity was seized by humans.

"Lock on...Remove the minimum launch distance limit...Force launch!"

The missile left the beam and headed towards the enemy plane - the enemy suddenly twisted the fuselage, making a maneuver that a human pilot could never do, allowing the missile to bypass the fuselage - the cockpit of the fuselage was facing Xuefeng's cockpit from a distance, but when Rhodes and Fukai Zero looked up, they could only see dark shadows flowing in it, and vaguely it seemed as if a spiral was spinning rapidly.

However, this means nothing to the two of them now.

At the moment the two planes crossed, at the moment the missile crossed the enemy plane, Rhodes detonated the missile:

The missile's body suddenly burst apart in agony! It spewed out a violent, raging flame less than ten meters above the enemy aircraft, showering countless deadly metal fragments in a destructive fan-like pattern. The wings of the counterfeit FFR-31MR/D were instantly ripped apart, and large chunks of skin and structural debris were violently lifted and flung away, tumbling and scattering across the blood-red sky!

The enemy plane was like a giant metal bird with broken wings, trembling violently in the atmosphere of the planet Fiali. It then lost all its grace and strength, and began to spin and fall irreversibly, falling into the dark earth below.

"Humph, go somewhere I can't see you anymore, Alien," Rhode sneered. He then thought of Shenjing Ling in the front seat and asked with a slight smile:

"Yo, Buddy still alive?"

"...Ahem, luckily, my forehead was scratched a little."

"It's good luck, I thought we would be hurt more seriously."

Rhodes took a deep breath and looked around at Yukikaze's wings and fuselage, seeing dozens of ugly marks of varying sizes on them - missiles exploding at close range, tiny debris from enemy aircraft being damaged, pushed by shock waves and turning into deadly blades to attack Yukikaze - fortunately, these were only minor injuries, while Fukai Zero in the front seat was more unlucky.

This is not a problem, the important thing is after returning...

"I'm afraid we'll have to do more than just write a self-criticism, Rhodes."