Part One: Set Out, Operation Storm
A ring of islands in the Western Archipelago.
In this area, an island-hopping battle was being performed by the Federation Army and the Empire Remnant Army.
Through splendid cooperation between the front-line force and the Mirage Fox scouting force, the Federation Army had succeeded in landing on the islands facing the enemy headquarters, and were advancing while continuing sporadic combat with the Empire Remnant Army.
At midnight one night, one Mirage Fox mass-production type that had been assigned to solo scouting transmitted an emergency signal to the main force, then lost contact.
"This is Kai, I will soon be arriving at the emergency signal transmission site!"
Kai, the commander leading the main Mirage Fox scouting force, had landed on an island which seemed to be in the vicinity of the enemy headquarters, investigating an Empire Remnant Army transport ship that had run aground.
He was continuing his investigation while advancing through a natural stronghold surrounded by reefs and steep cliffs.
There, a transmission came to Kai from a consort machine that had gone on ahead through the metal forest.
"C-commander! The consort is..."
When Kai arrived, the wreckage of the Mirage Fox mass-production type stretched out before him, mercilessly blasted until it looked like honeycomb.
"We're receiving nose-dive attacks from a considerable number of enemy machines... The enemy headquarters has to be around here! Report to the General Staff Headquarters immediately, and we will resume our scouting mission in this region!"
Receiving the report, and judging from the amount of enemy transport ships cruising through the surrounding ocean, the Federation Army General Staff Headquarters concluded that a large-scale enemy headquarters was in this area of ocean, and planned out an operation to destroy it.
Since the target site was a natural stronghold surrounded by reefs and shallow for a long distance from shore, a landing operation with a large force would be impossible.
As a result of careful discussion, an attack by a special flying force composed of the new flying Zoid Storm Sworder FSV was selected.
- Page Two
Cretas Island, on a hill that looked down on the Federation Army airport runways. Red, the commander of the Federation Army Storm Sworder Flying Force, was looking up at the sky with distant eyes while clenching his dog tag and puffing on a cigarette.
"Red, are you watching the sky again?"
Gram, a classmate and comrade of Red, showed up after he finished training the rookie pilots.
Red and Gram had made it through many air battles together as ace pilots of the former Empire army.
However, both of them were reaching an age where it was tough for them to stand at the front lines in active duty.
Red spoke back to Gram with a sigh.
"I'm betting my life on flying through this sky. But before I knew it, I was already at this age. When I wonder how long I'll be able to fly, I get a little sentimental..."
At that time, three machines of the main Mirage Fox scouting force led by Kai discovered a target that appeared to be the remodelling experiment base of the Empire Remnant Army, which towered ominously at the centre of strong winds that sounded like the howls of demonic beasts.
When this data was brought to the Federation Army General Staff Headquarters, the location of their target site was confirmed, and the order to set out was passed down to the Storm Sworder Flying Force.
- Page Three
A small section of the runways. The Storm Sworder FSVs, their bodies dyed deep crimson, were parked separately: the commander machine and consort machine with flame emblems painted on their wings, and two machines forming a separate formation behind them.
When the scramble alarm rang out there, the workers moved away from the machines carrying large supply tubes, and the marshallers moved into their directing positions at a fast pace.
While sortie preparations were hurriedly being made, their commander Red informed the team members of the operation orders across the monitor, loudly and in high spirits.
"The current operation's name is 'Storm', and the target is the enemy's remodelling experiment base, which appears to be in the ring of islands. During the ebb tide at midnight, the main Mirage Fox scouting force will advance and launch a bombing marker into the target. We will seize mastery of the skies completely by then, and commence a Flame Slash aiming at the marker. Gram will be my consort; Grace and Smith, you stick to supporting us in a two-machine formation! The Mirage Fox force has also discovered large quantities of armour masks in a transport ship, so it's likely we'll be intercepted by the enemy's newly-produced machine. Let's all hit 'em hard, so we won't feel ashamed at the name of the Storm Sworder Flying Force!"
While smiling at his passionate expressions, even though he used them every time, Gram addressed Red across the monitor.
"I'm your consort? You're my consort, now how about we do this one in style!"
- Page Four
Grace, the lone woman of the group, combed up her long blond hair without breaking her lack of expression, and called out to her consort (*1) Smith while performing startup inspections on the gauges.
"Smith, in this operation we will have to destroy an enemy base within a natural stronghold with Flame Slashes. Be sure to do the operation checks."
Smith was a young elite pilot of the newly-established Federation Air Force.
Distantly watching Red, who had begun inspecting the Wing Swords and was moving the wings instantly and skillfully at the front, he responded to the marshallers who were requesting confirmation of operations, and muttered with a cold expression.
"So we've got a completely stifling commander. Why do I have to be put on support for a commander like him...?"
At last, once the marshallers signalled by spreading their closed arms wide open, all the machines set their wings to exactly horizontal and flexed them forwards and backwards. And then, just as the marshallers' arms swung down, all the machines gave off a red flash at once and set out, continuing their steep climb.
Part 2: A Shooting-Down Battle on a Dark Night
As the Storm Sworder Flying Force rushed into the nimbostratus during their high-altitude flight, they were affected by the electromagnetic storms and their monitors began to be disrupted.
A short time later, while matching wavelengths with the tuning dials near their ears, the pilots began a conversation over the radio.
"From Red to Gram. How's your status? We'll be arriving at the target site soon."
Flying through the skies above the ring of islands, which could be seen through a rift in the dark clouds ahead, Gram glared down at the world below with his bare eyes while tilting his aircraft.
"There don't seem to be any enemy machines right now... Looks like the two machines behind us don't have any problems either!"
The moment that Red and Gram tried to start a low-altitude flight on the edge of the reefs, a dazzling light was released from the bare rocks, and at the same time, a large group of Sinkers flapped their fins.
Filling up the heavens in the blink of an eye, the Sinkers became a black belt and pushed forwards.
"Nice of them to show up! All machines, be on your guard. The enemies are Sinkers, and they've got mimetic abilities!"
"This is Grace. Understood, I'll cover you. But how could there be this many Imperial remnants..."
The whole area around them was covered by the huge group of Sinkers, and within it, where it seemed as if the entire island had plunged into darkness, the dogfight began.
When Smith's machine swung around behind an enemy machine and accurately launched a laser attack, the Sinker broke through the clouds and fell, engulfed in flames.
However, the huge group of Sinkers reformed their ranks and turned rapidly, suddenly surrounding Smith's machine, and began to attack in waves.
The Storm Sworder Flying Force continued its offensive and piled up kills, but the Sinkers appeared around them one after another without giving them time to take a breath.
"Just how many are there...? No matter how many we defeat, there's just no end!"
Meanwhile, the laughter of Empire Remnant Army commander Booker echoed shrilly in front of the control screen in the remodelling experiment base where the battlefield was projected.
"You see, Federation Army? Faced with these automatically controlled Sinkers equipped with prototype Organoid Masks, no flying Zoid can escape. The defense net of this impenetrable fortress will not break!"
Next to Booker, who was gazing at the battle images and enjoying this defense system, was Mott, an ace pilot of the Empire Remnant Army who was admired as the lead shooting-down king during the Central Continent War.
"Just as expected of Dr. Daemon's technology. Have they been automatically programmed not to let detected enemies withdraw, to the point of destroying them...? Looks like I won't be getting my time to shine."
Part Two
Pursued by the huge group of Sinkers, Red and Gram opened the Wing Swords equipped on their wings, climbed suddenly by firing their afterburners, and launched a hit-and-away attack.
"This is weird, Gram! These guys aren't faltering at all from our attacks. Something feels ominous..."
"Those masks are certainly suspicious. Don't tell me they're remote controlled?"
"If they're unmanned, it means they can attack without mercy. Grace, Smith, don't fall behind! Come on, here we go, Storm Sworder! Respond to my passion!"
As though responding to Red, the Storm Sworder FSV gave a sharp cry.
Then it started a nosedive and approached the large group of Sinkers.
The flash of the afterburners being fired by the machine sparkled in the dark space.
As a rain of gunfire poured down from Gram's Pulse Laser Guns, Red set his Wing Swords to vibrate at super high speed. Both wings emitted great heat and were clad in flames, and he pierced through the huge group of Sinkers at lightning speed, slicing them up with the entire wings.
Weaving in this special attack method called 'Flame Slash', Red increased his kill count.
A hurried communication from Grace reached him.
"Commander, there's no time until the ebb tide! Smith, we'll follow the commander."
"This is Smith, understood. D-dammit... I won't let him act cool just because he's the commander!"
Receiving Grace's signal, Smith ignited his afterburners and rushed in, opening the Top Sword on his head wide. He brought down many of the Sinkers magnificently.
As the intense aerial battle continued, they were about to reach the time of the ebb tide.
- Part Three
"This is the main Mirage Fox scouting force. The path is open! We will advance along it now!"
Meeting the ebb tide, the main scouting force led by Kai began their charge along a path washed by breakers towards a cave that seemed to be the entrance to the base.
Then, a large group of Zoids clad in shells of heavy armour appeared from a crevice in the reef. It was a group of Sea Panthers that had been lurking dormant, having changed their colours to match the surrounding environment using a special coating.
"Damn, so there was someone waiting for us too? We can't oppose them... Storm Sworders, I'm requesting support. I'll break through alone!"
Kai's Mirage Fox advanced at full drive.
Grace and Smith rushed in from the skies above to protect him, and crushed the Sea Panthers with the Iron Claws on their rear limbs, using their afterburners and reverse jets while maintaining a super-low altitude.
Making full use of the Mirage Fox's manoeuvrability, Kai broke through the enemy siege net.
Having succeeded in infiltrating the base, Kai scanned the entire base with the high-efficiency sensors on his machine, and after calculating that there was a control device transmitting powerful electromagnetic waves, he fired the Laser Vulcan mounted on his back.
Just as he did so, abnormal electromagnetic waves were generated by the head masks of a number of Sinkers in the sky above, and the ranks of the Sinkers that had been flying without the slightest error until then started to become disordered.
- Part Four
"Hey, what are you doing!? The rats have invaded, haven't they?!"
Defend this remodelling experiment base to the last, whatever it takes!" When Booker's order was passed down, the soldiers clinging to the control gauges pulled the system's control voltage up to the maximum.
"That flying technique, that aircraft mark. I thought I'd seen it somewhere before, but was it Red after all...? I'll take it from here!"
Mott advanced at a quick pace down the complex passageways, opened the heavy doors to the storage dock in the innermost parts and jumped into a jauntily customised Redler.
Kai accurately fired a bombing marker into the enemy facility using a small-scale launcher mounted on the Mirage Fox, and succeeded in escaping.
- Character Introduction
Name: Red Page
Age: 30
Machine Piloted: Storm Sworder FSV-00R
The commander of the Federation Army Storm Sworder Flying Force. A thrill-seeker and romanticist who loves the sky the most. As a pilot of the old Empire army, he made the Republic army's Salamander Flying Force tremble during the Central Continent War, but flying through the skies was the greatest joy for him, and he had no feelings of loyalty to the army. Once the United Federation was established, he became the commander of the Flying Force due to his flying technique and military history, and was selected as a pilot for the old Empire army machine Storm Sworder. He is a heavy smoker and has a cigarette in his mouth even during combat, and at times he uses it to light handheld signal flares. He is tall, has stubble and a short, erect hairstyle, and wears a worn-out flight uniform guarded by bulky protectors.
Name: Gram Bolan
Age: 30
Machine Piloted: Storm Sworder FSV-01
He has been a sworn friend of Red since their old Empire flight school days, and a partner who has battled with him in a two-machine Rotte formation across many battlefields over a long time. He is swayed one way or another by the free and uncontrollable Red, but is basically someone who understands him well and gives him all sorts of advice. He is the owner of a sturdy physique, and not liking goggles, he wears sunglasses.
Name: Grace Jefferson
Age: 25
Machine Piloted: Storm Sworder FSV-02
She originates from a distinguished family of the former Republic, and is the lone woman of the Storm Sworder Flying Force. She has acquired excellent flying skills through special education, which she was thrown into from a young age by her father, an elite pilot. A normally taciturn, cool and intellectual pilot. She is a beautiful woman who often has favour with many of her force members, but she herself is only interested in flying through the skies. A beautiful blue-eyed woman with long blond hair.
Name: Smith Tyler
Age: 21
Machine Piloted: Storm Sworder FSV-03
A young elite pilot of the Storm Sworder Flying Force. He has natural piloting abilities, and has gathered high hopes due to his fresh appearance and diligent attitude towards operations. He has a vaguely cold personality.
Name: Kai
Age: 17
Machine Piloted: Luxy (Mirage Fox)
A boy who is usually quiet, and though inexperienced, excels in ingenuity. He is the leader of a scouting force composed of Mirage Foxes, whose personality and handling methods he is well-acquainted with. He pilots a Mirage Fox which uses shooting as its main weapon, and his strong point is battles that skillfully use the terrain, with precise assessment of situations and calm and accurate thoughts.
- Location Introduction
Name: Fortress Remodelling Experiment Base
A ring of islands in an area of ocean located in the westernmost part of the Western Archipelago. A stronghold where turbulence caused by electromagnetic storms occurs frequently and disruption of ocean currents is violent, so even amphibious Zoids are hard to use and there are many stranding incidents. A base was constructed on a certain noticeably large island at the centre of that ring of islands. It is the very model of a natural stronghold, and the island boasts precipitous cliffs, but a road passes through during the ebb tide at midnight and it is possible to move along it.
Translator Notes
*1: The word they're using here is "遼機", which I can't find anything meaningful for on Google but would mean something about "remote machine". However, it could well be a typo for "僚機", which means "consort machine" and is also used a couple of times in this chapter.
*2: Misspelled as "hit-and-way" (ヒットアンドウェイ).
*3: Misspelled as "dog" (ドッグ instead of ドック). This author needs to be more careful with his katakana...
All translations courtesy of Falcarius~!
- Current Navigation
End, Thanks for reading!
