English Translation
To tell the truth, I had a hard time growing fond of the emblem of Gryphus Squadron. I couldn't help but feel that its design, a condor wearing a complacent smile, beefed up the atmosphere of a provincial base. It just wouldn't make me feel fit.
Located far away from foreign countries, Aubrey Base was mainly assigned maritime defense roles, but was not regarded as an important asset. I figured that was the reason why an inexperienced communications operator like me was stationed there. The sea air was everywhere as the base was surround by the ocean, and the weather was cold most of the year since it was in a high latitudes area. Back then, I always thought about leaving this base.
After a training, I often went to see aircraft, but there was no special reason for me doing so. It's just that there was nothing other than that to do to kill time. There were nothing but a small fishing village and a harbor within several tens kilometers around this base, so we didn't have to care about conducting trainings frequently. Having finished a training, 2nd Lt. Rick would often talk to me while I was watching aircraft aimlessly.
"Hey, rookie." He was always frank and kind of rude. He pointed to the emblem of Gryphus Squadron and tapped me a bit hard on the shoulder without caring about me feeling it hurt. "You were too diligent in today's training, as always. At this rate, you're gonna be laughed away by this cute Gryphus birdie. You better know how to relax and smile."
"You were inattentive, 2nd Lt. Heck, this bird is always smiling like there's nothing to worry about."
"Eh? You don't like the emblem we designed, do you?" Every time he talked about the emblem, he became serious. "Mind you, the desire we entrusted to this emblem when we made this is..." 2nd Lt. Rick started to explain it endlessly. I interrupted him and a little sullenly said, "I've heard that story many times before." I left the hangar and went back to my room. That's how things were then.
I guess I was confident in my ability at that time. That's why I felt kind of impatient in a place like this provincial base and with people like 2nd Lt. Rick. I groundlessly thought I was good enough. That sure was a pitfall that awaits unwary, young people.
That confidence of mine was to be shattered so easily when I was plunged into battle for the first time.
After the 10 days that came and went like a storm, most of Aurelia had been taken by Leasath. The assault of the Leasath forces was so quick and fast that we were unable to do anything. We only found that Aubrey Base was isolated like a desert island in the ocean. And the information was delivered to us that the Leasath forces were intending to attack and capture Aubrey Base. Fortunately or unfortunately, we could catch this information in advance. But when I first heard the information, I thought about if I was lucky or not.
An emergency briefing was immediately held for the intercept mission, but weariness and resignation had already predominated the base. We had been cut off from HQ. The intercept mission itself was proposed as a kind of bravado to let Leasath know what we could offer them with what little we had. On behalf of my superior who was on leave and incommunicado, I was assigned a role of briefing the mission. And... dammit, I was so confused that I almost lost it. I was nervous. I tried to focus, but words from my mouth got thiner.
"So, launch please. I'd like you to get back at Leasath as much as possible." I managed to finish the briefing with those kinds of words, but it was after a quite a while that I noticed that I'd been trembling.
But my apprehensions were swept away once the mission started. My pilots were all sharp. 2nd Lt. Rick, who was always fooling around, shot down enemy planes, shouting vividly.
Watching their maneuvers, I thought they didn't need strep from me. In fact, I was having a helluva time keeping track of them. Among those pilots, the Captain was one of a kind.
The deafening roars of fighters, and the sounds of exploding bombers. The number of Leasath aircraft was decreasing one by one.
3 planes left, and 2 planes, and 1... And, it was over.
When the last enemy bomber blew up in the air and crashed into the water, I heard 2nd Lt. Rick on the radio saying, "How about we fly on and take back the capital Gryphus 1? I'm sure they'll be running scared!"
Feeling all stiff, I couldn't even tell them that the mission was successfully completed.
I tried to calm down at the voice of 2nd Lt. Rick, and then... I saw something in my sight. A blip on my radar. I screamed before I recognized what it was. "Radar contact! Something is approaching fast! It's... a missile!"
Dammit, the information was there. 'Gleipnir', the Airborne Fortress of the Leasath Forces. It's the thing that made possible Leasath's lightning quick invasion. Its special weapon...
"SWBM! Hurry up and retreat!"
"Where should we fly? Direction?! Distance?!"
2nd Lt. Rick's voice echoed. I couldn't tell him anything though. The blip on radar was moving too fast. I shouted how I felt.
"It's no use, the missile's too fast!"
At that moment, a column of light tore the sky apart.
And then, a flash of light exploded in midair. The light simultaneously gave birth to an intense shockwave, and it instantly consumed the surrounding airspace. A moment later, thunderous sounds of the explosion filled the sky and I felt like I was almost blown away by that blast.
Our friendly planes easily fell victim to the hammer of the air. They were all blown away, destroyed, and crashed into pieces. And...
"Gryphus 2, please respond!"
His plane's emblem turned into a fireball in front of me as I was crying out desperately.