Sleeping Bandit

Boss jinks and janks around, narrowly evading my sight. He shoots up, readying for a tactical loop. Following him up, my sight inches ever so closer to his rear. There's no escaping this one boss... As my sight closes onto Boss, a dreadful voice crackles over the comms.

Chloe: "You two, training is over. Jax head back to base for briefing."

Jax: "Why Chloe?!?! I finally had Boss in my crosshairs! I would of won this fight!"

Chloe: "Cry me a river Jax, get back over to base already."

I throw the stick around in anger and grief. So close, yet so painfully far from the ultimate victory. Calming myself, I level out and head back to base. Boss falling into formation beside me.

Boss: "If it makes you feel any better, you fell into my trap and was about to lose."

Jax: "S i l e n c e."

Following the paces of landing sequence one. I drop off in front of the towers, allowing Spirit to land herself. I storm up the tower, Meeting Chloe sitting at her usual desk.

Chloe: "Ah good you've arrived, what's that face for?"

Jax: "Nothing, what's the mission?"

She pauses for a second, pondering what could of possibly brought on my foul mood. I wonder if she actually just mocking me. Or if she really is that oblivious

Chloe: "Ok... Today's mission is a forward recon and infiltration mission. Your mission is to scout the base's layout from the air. Then break inside, stealing data of a new form of nanomachine tech. After the data's been captured, and you've vanished, an air raid will occur. Wiping the base's key components out of existence."

Jax: "I'm assuming this nanomachine tech is similar to the same tech Price was talking about?"

Chloe: "Correct, if you successfully retrieve the data, your AeroCords will be getting a very nice upgrade."

Jax: "Sounds fun, but what happened to the F22 I shot down housing the machines? Couldn't we reverse engineer those?"

Chloe: "We're missing something in their code to get them to function properly. We tried filling gaps and roundabouts to no avail. So plan B it is."

Jax: "Understood, I'll be awaiting good directions as usual."

Gliding down the steps, I dash to Spirits hanger. Stepping into the hangers doorway, I meet Doc guiding the ground crew.

Doc: "She's loaded to capacity and roaring to go, just rememb-"

Jax: "Just remember although she's invisible, she can still be heard clear as day. I know I know. You remind me every time I go on an infiltration or spy mission."

Doc: "Better safe than sorry."

I hop into the cockpit once more, it enclosing around me. I checking all the switches and dials, ensuring everything's functioning properly. Wiggling the stick, around I watch my control surfaces deflect. I know I was just airborne using them. But always safe than sorry as Doc put it. All controls good, dial readings normal, good to go.

Jax: "Stage one. I wasn't done with playlist one either. So put that back on for me will ya Spirit."

The calming melody of the next song dances around the enclosed cockpit. Singing and chanting as if ballerina flowing to an icy breeze. Once more Spirit begins to roll forward out into the blazing sun. I roll onto the runway positioning myself for sortie.

Jax: "I forgot to ask, what will be this mission's name?"

Chloe: "Let's see... I think Sleeping Bandit will fit well."

Jax: "Sounds great to me. Phantom Spirit beginning sortie."

Chloe: "Cleared for take-off, be well."

I drive the throttle forward, propelling me into the skies. This feels so much better than the slow acceleration of Barrage. The pulsing hum flows over the airframe. Cloaking Spirit from the harsh worlds around.

Chloe: "Offset 90 degrees left, and remain on that heading until instructed."

Jax: "Back to the frozen wastelands of the Antarctic?"

Chloe: "Correct. This time however your target is on the ground. Not the skies."

Jax: "Right right, but the ground won't give me any fun tormenting pilots."

Chloe: "..."

Jax: "What... Is there something in my teeth?"

I can only imagine the face she's wearing. But oh well, time to work.

Jax: "Release coms, Spirit, take overflight."

I stretch out the little I can in the restricting cockpit. I ease back fading into the music and the muffled hum of the engines. The usual cliff side of the base blends into the surrounding grounds below. Unveiling a wide twisting valley. At its base lied a river of modest size. The water waves and sparkles shining beams of light up into my eyes. The only source of water in an otherwise wasteland. A marveling sight to behold. Miles off the twisting river finally fades into the vast ocean. Where the remaining portion of my flight will remain over. I ogle into the vast unending blue of the sea and skies. Only to be broken by the occasional cloud.

I glance over my dials, 40 thousand feet high now huh. The ocean below is hazed from the freezing air around. And the skies begin to darken around the horizon. I hope Spirit won't freeze over, but I think ill be ok at this speed. Hundreds of hours of fuel remaining, no problems there. The engine's temp is modestly high after burning on third stage for so long. Speed, Mach 9, 6000 MPH. I glance down once more. The icy lands of Antarctica now visible below. The mission area should be coming into view sometime. On one of the screens mounted to the dashboard. My RWR lights up, pointing directly in front of me.

Jax: "Match coms CO, hey CO, my RWR is lighting up from my 12 o'clock. Can I assume that's enemy radar spikes?"

Chloe: "Affirmative, that should be target radars, proceed with the mission."

Spikes coming in from around 300 miles huh. Guess ill just follow it to the source. A muzzled beep echo's throughout the cockpit. Alerting me of my radar finding a target.

Jax: "CO, seems I've run into an issue, they have fighters patrolling the airspace around the base. Aerial recon will prove to be difficult. any higher and the pictures will be no good, too low and Spirit will be heard."

Chloe: "Abandon the active scouting. Retrieve the data, we'll just bring more payload in return for precision."

Jax: "Affirm, Phantom Spirit proceeding to target. Release coms."

Middle of the Antarctic, there won't be much cover outside the blowing winds. It'd be a good idea to map out my approach. I'll have to be walking a good distance. But maybe I can try and blend Spirits engines to the patrolling fighters. A formation of icebergs trail towards the base. But the last stretch is open grounds. each corner of the base housing a guard tower. The icebergs side has a corner especially for it, it seems. 4 beams of light spew from the towers. Sweeping around the blizzard winds. So ill trek behind the icebergs and just book the last 100 or so feet. It's the best I can see in the surroundings. I begin spiraling down, losing altitude. I arrive at the first iceberg far off from the base.

Jax: "Landing sequence 2."

As usual, stage one kicks in, I roll over, the canopy opens, I fall out land and all. But after the delivery spirit turns off and retreats out of the area. All alone, no support, just my instincts and this experimental flight suit. The roar of Spirits engines fades to silence. Leaving just me and the distance sounds of the patrolling fighters. Well standing here won't do me any good. Time to get to work then.

I begin my trek through the frozen snow.