Finally, I've had the time to progress this AAR. It's longer than I envisaged from the beginning. Much longer. I hope you'll enjoy the read. I present...
CHAPTER 2 – FIRST ENCOUNTER
September 1st 1979
[00:03 GMT; Officer’s meeting at conference room at the back of the command centre]
…
[The mess & kitchen assistant Verka is coming in with a pot of fresh coffee]
Rhys-Martins: Thank you, Mrs. Burszinska! [Verka remains standing by the table]
Rhys-Martins: That will be all, thank you! You can go now! [Verka leaves slowly, very slowly]
Reynalds: I’m tellin’ you, Eugene... If we don’t shoot them down, they will do as they please! Then we won’t have enough of your soldiers to contain the mess they will make on the ground.
Voroshilov: And how you do that? Shoot them down? How??! You have 2 toy fighters in your hangar! And have one base! Soldiers, they can fly far in helicopter, and kill alien on ground. If they take tank with them, more better!
Corelli: Scusi, mi dispiace... I say again... helicopter be-a too slow-a. When they arrive-a, the alien is long-a gone. My men no afraid of any alien, but-a...
Voroshilov: Yes, Corelli. We know your men are not afraid of anyone.
Corelli: Ma, e vero! Is true... [seems offended]
[Verka finally leaves through the door]
Reynalds: Commander, we should be expanding our radar coverage ASAP. We already squander precious time! All the while we’re in here, the eee-teee is doing who knows what who knows where to who knows who.
Voroshilov: This, again... [shakes his head in disbelief]
Rhys-Martins: I have heard enough. From both of you. Yevgeniy, we do not know what the enemy is doing. We are, as Kurt says, clay pidgeons.
Reynolds, mumurs to himself: (Sitting ducks...)
Voroshilov: But the soldiers...
Rhys-Martins: Please, Yevgeniy... let me finish. If we merely wait for them to land or what ever their next course of action is, we lose initiative. And as Corelli pointed out, by the time we reach their landing zone, if that would even be in the range of the helicopter, they could all be gone. Then we would have nothing. No dead aliens, no UFO remnants to study and possibly many dead civilians. That is the least favourable outcome I can imagine, wouldn’t you think? [Voroshilov sulking]
Now, we are terribly under-funded and our relations with the funding regions are not stellar – actually, they are pretty weak at the moment, but we have some resources at hand nonetheless. If we use those resources to re-establish some of our abandoned bases across the globe, and gather some equipment to make them functional again, we could at least see what the extra-terrestrials are up to. I believe that is currently the most optimal course of action. Someone get me a map!
Corelli: Si, Commandante! [runs out the conference room and promptly returns with a map; meanwhile the 3 seniors are pouring themselves coffee...] Prego, Commandante!
Rhys-Martins: Thank you, Luciano. Lets see now...
Yes, we had 8 operational bases during our high tide to cover the whole world. However that was 15 years ago, when the world governments were still under impression of a potential threat after the Iceland incident. Since then we had to abandon all but this last base we now dwell in. Those abandoned will be in a poor state of disrepair and equipment, whatever remains, will have been all but rotted by now.
[turns to Reynalds]
Kurt, I place this matter in your hands. See the yearly reports about abandoned bases to assess their state, recent reports hould give a pretty realistic picture I presume? Fine... Also check with Horackova about the available funds. I Believe there should be enough to re-establish at least two if not three bases. I leave it to your judgment as to which of the abandoned bases to use. Then, when the command rooms are functional again, we can plan further steps and get in some radar equipment we will scratch from someone. Any questions?
Reynalds: No, Sir!
Voroshilov: Commander...But what is good radar when we cannot...
Rhys-Martins: Yevgeniy, please do not question my decisions. I am aware of your position and there will be, I suspect all too soon, a good time for ground operations, I am pretty much certain of that. Anything else?
Voroshilov: Njet, Komandant! [grinds his teeth]
Fine then. This meeting is adjourned. Time to get a quick nap before those buggers start pouring down…
[00:11 GMT; ADC Kurt Reynald’s operational diary entry]
C-in-C agrees to restart ops in abandoned bases. Teams sent to 2 best locations: X-NORAM (USA)and X-SEAC (Taiwan). ETA on command rooms operational: 10 days
3 additional radar sets have been requested from USAF to install at new locations and one additional as a backup if any one breaks down.
[00:47 GMT; hangar 3, pilot ready room]
…
Shvetsov: Junichi, my friend... This american plane, they are no good to shoot down UFO. You need… emmm… speed, to catch it and get in favorite position to shoot rockets. What good is dog fight for? And all I see in this plane is dogfight. One rocker and cannon, ph! Give me some soviet interceptor! I alwayss say soviet plane is better then american.
Akamatsu: [bows slightly] You are wrong. This plane is very good. It is fast enough and it can dance in the sky like...
Shvetsov: Dance in the sky!? Hahaha! You dance all you like, I like to shoot down UFO, harasho?! [he slaps Akamatsu friendly across the back] Hahaha!!
Akamatsu: Hai! [bows slightly again, a bit ashamed]
Shvetsov: What good is dancing when you have a UFO to shoot down, eh? And this won’t shoot down UFO.
Akamatsu: You could get much worse. Like the Starfighter I heard they use in another mod. [heh :)] That thing is more danger to the pilot than to the enemy! It can not turn and is not much faster than our F-17. I am proud to serve on this plane! Like my father before me was on his Zero.
Shvetsov: Oh… your father, the big ace? How many planes did he shoot down?
Akamatsu [proud]: my father shot down 27 enemy…
Shvetsov: Ahhh... da... 27… My father, let me tell you... My father shoot down 10000, 20000 fashist planes! Ha! His name be on all soviet figher planes, and bomber planes! I know what a good interceptor look like! And this… it is not.
Akamatsu: [bows deeply, deeply shamed] Hai!
…
[01:11 GMT; Command room, radar station]
de Gini: [staring to his radar strobe screen, to him self] What is this?? [picks up the phone]: Chief, you better come see this.
…
Yes, a clear signal. It just enter Earth’s atmosphere above Yugoslavia.
…
Yes, Sir. [hangs up].
Reynalds [enters the command room, comes to de Gini]: Show me!
de Gini: Here, Sir. I have designated it UFO-01. It is moving in a south by east direction at around 1400km/h at approximately 16.000 meters. It seems to be alone.
Reynalds: Perfect, inform C-in-C. Alert the hangars, F-17-1 and F-17-2 scramble ASAP and intercept. This will be a ground controlled interception. We’ll show the s******! Oh, and call in Voroshilov.
de Gini: Yes, Sir!
[01:14 GMT, X-NACOM command room]
de Gini: Sir, both interceptors are ready to scramble!
Reynalds: Scramble Eagle.
Voroshilov, C-Ops: Scramble Eagle!
Reynalds: I just said that...
Voroshilov: [looks at Reynalds with contempt] I am executive officer, remember?
Reynalds [shrugs, to himself]: whatever...
[01:16 GMT]
de Gini: Eagle is in the air.
Reynalds: Good. Steer north-west by west, 300. Climb to 18.000. I want to give them the edge.
Voroshilov: Steer north-west by west, 300. Climb to 18.000. I want to... [becomes all red in the face; Reynalds sneers at him]
de Gini: Eagle, steer north-west by west, 300. Climb to 18.000.
Eagle-1: ...
[Rhys-Martins, the C-in-C enters command room]: Gentlemen, what do we have?
Voroshilov & Reynalds speak at the same time: A UFO, Commander! [They look at each other furiously for a moment, than Reynalds backs down and gestures Voroshilov to continue]
Voroshilov: A UFO has been detected on radar, Commander. We are tracking and intercepting with 2 planes.
Rhys-Martins: Jolly good. Carry on!
Voroshilov: Yes, Commander!
de Gini: Eagle on intercept course, sir!
Reynalds: Keep tracking, report any change.
De Gini: Yes, Sir.
[01:25 GMT]
de Gini: Sir, I am reading another signal. It just descended into atmosphere over Middle East!
Reynalds: Report contact!
de Gini: It seems to be alone. It looks different to UFO-01. Heading... west-south-west at...MIERDA! OVER 2900km/h, Sir!! Altitude 16000 meters!
Reynalds: Well, lets see what it does.
[01:27 GMT]
de Gini: Sir, UFO-02 has changed course, it is now heading directly towards Eagle!
Reynalds: Alert Eagle, tell them to keep their eyes open.
De Gini: Eagle, there is a second bogey in neigbourhood, coming from east-north-east at high speed, 16000. Keep your eyes open! Nest out.
…
[01:59 GMT; Eagle flight, somewhere over Egypt]
Eagle-2: Eagle-1, light reflection 2 o’clock, low.
Eagle-1: Yes, I see, Akamatsu! To Nest: see boogie, in favorite position over boogie to rear. What is your command?
…
Eagle-1: Harasho! We Attack. Akamatsu, let us dance!
Eagle-2: HAI!
[02:00-02:02 GMT; X-NACOM Command room]
Reynalds, takes the microfon from de Gini and talks directly to Eagle: Split flight, Eagle-1 to the left and Eagle-2 to the right!
Eagle-1: Copy!
Reynalds: Eagle-1, engage!
Eagle-1: Engaging!
Reynalds: What... WHAT IS HE DOING!!! EAGLE-1, BREAK! EAGLE-2, ENGAGE IMMEDIATELLY!
Eagle-1, REPORT!
Eagle-2: Shvetsov badly hit! AAAARGH! HE IS GONE!!
Reynalds: Eagle-2?! Report!!
de Gini: I have lost Eagle-1.
Eagle-2: BANZAAA...
de Gini: I have lost Eagle-2, Sir!
Reynalds: Eagle, report!
Reynalds: EAGLE, REPORT!
Rhys-Martins: What had just happened?
De Gini: Sir... I think they are both gone.
Voroshilov: You send your men to grave, you covboi.
Reynalds, loks at Voroshilov in disdain: Say it again, you...
Voroshilov: You hear me. You send your piloty to grave in toy...
[Reynalds smacks Voroshilov in the face, and then they engage in good ol’ fist fight]
Rhys-Martins: ATTENTION!!
[Voroshilov and Reynalds snap out of it immediatelly and stand in attention, as is the whole command room]
Rhys-Martins: You bloody m*****! We may have just lost two good men and instead of acting...you fancy some fist fight!? You will report to my chambers... [they both want to leave]... AFTER!!! this is over. Now COMPOSE YOURSELVES! [turns towards shaken personnel watching all this from their posts] Same goes for all of you. I do not want to see or hear any finger pointing in this establishment! What we have just witnessed is merely a beginning. The extra-terrestrials obviously possess weapons of far greater power and destruction than we could have envisaged. There will be many more dead and if we get rowdy every time that happens we may as well shut this place down and throw the key away. That is not going to happen on my watch, do you understand?!
Some in the crowd, silently: Yes, sir.
Rhys-Martins: I asked you... DO YOU UNDERSTAND!!!?
Everybody: YES, SIR!
Rhys-Martins: Good. Carry on. [Starts towards exit from command room]
Gisbergh, from his comms post: Sir! Sir, I’m picking up a weak signal... It resemles our pilot’s distress beacons... Yes, I can hear it loudly now!
Rhys-Martins, returning to comms: Establish contact!
Gisbergh: Eagle, this is Nest. Come in! Come in, Eagle!
Rhys-Martins: On speaker, Gisbergh!
Eagle: ssSs..Eag...SshsssHh... ejecte.. sszzzsslive. We ...sshhshh... home!
[Command room explodes in cheers, people are tossing their caps to the ceiling. Voroshilow and Reynalds are hugging and clapping each other on the backs; then suddenly they stop, look at each other and shake hands.]
Rhys-Martins: Return to your posts, men! There will be time for celebration later. [To himself: if this is something to celebrate on]. This is not over yet! Yevgeniy, Kurt, what should be our next step?
Voroshilov: As both UFO are still on air and all our plane dead on ground, we wait. There is no more to do.
Reynalds: I concurr.
Rhys-Martins: Very well. Carry on and keep me informed. [Leaves Command]
[02:49 GMT]
de Gini: Sir, UFO-01 is now heading towards Kiev. UFO-02 is about 20 to 35 km to the south of X-NACOM, heading south.
…
[03:57 GMT]
de Gini: SIR! UFO-01 has landed near Kiev!
Voroshilov: Call C-in-C immediatelly! Where is Corelli?!
Reynalds: What is the other saucer doing?
Corelli: Prego... You called?
De Gini: UFO-02 is now just south of Addis Abeba, heading south at slow speed. Looks like patrolling.
Reynalds to Voroshilov: Would you like to try our luck with a ground assault? There are many dangers here and a very small window of opportunity...
Rhys-Martins enters Command: Report!
Voroshilov: UFO-01 land near Kiev. We have small window for oportunity to attack UFO on ground.
Rhys-Martins to Corelli: Luciano, are your men ready?
Corelli: Si, Commandante. My men-a ready for anything-a. They not fear...
Rhys-Martins: Luciano, could you please cut the c***. We are in a state of emergency.
Corelli: Scusi. Mi dispiace, Commandante...
Rhys-Martins: Well?
Corelli: Si. We have-a otto [shows with hands] soldati ready on-bord-a Charley-Uno. Standard attrezzatura...eee...equipment. Like this-a:
Light-a, quick-a. Entriamo, neutralizziamo, usciamo [seems happy with himself]
Voroshilov: Yes, we all understand, no? ENGLISH!
Corelli: Scussi, Capo! Mi dispiace.
Reynalds: He said »we enter, we neutralize, we leave«. [seems very happy with himself]
Voroshilov: Harasho. You are now the official translator for X-Division [snarles at Reynalds]
Rhys-Martins: If you two are not going to concentrate on the task at hand you both might as well leave. I do not need schoolboys in Command. Understood?
Reynolds, Voroshilov: Understood!/ Ya ponimayu!
Rhys-Martins: Fine. Luciano, brief your men.
[Corelli leaves]
[04:24 GMT]
de Gini: UFO-02 has changed course, it is now heading north, slow speed.
Reynalds: That changes things. Window has closed.
Voroshiov: But we could still send Charly. Low above ground. Hug the ground you american say?
Reynalds: Yes, that’s it. I wonder if that would help. We can try and send them out, but if the saucer goes after them we get them back to base quickly. And if they go unnoticed, they can continue to Kiev... Yes! Good idea, Voroshilov!
Voroshilov: Thank you. Commander?
Rhys-Martins: Yes, carry on.
Voroshilov: [picks up the phone] Corelli, send your men to Kiev immediatelly. Maximum hug of ground.
…
It means fly low. Move! Time is important.
…
[04:31 GMT]
de Gini: Charlie-1 is on its way.
Rhys-Martins: Very well. Track UFO-02 closely.
[04:36 GMT]
de Gini: Sir! UFO-02 has increased its speed and is heading directly towards Charlie-1. They have been spotted.
Reynalds: We should abort immediatelly while they are still close to base. We don’t want to lose the whole team in the air.
Voroshilov: [resignated] Agree.
Reynalds: Call off Charlie-1.
De Gini: Charlie-1, this is Nest. Return to Nest immediatelly. You are being hunted. Over.
Charlie-1 (on speaker): Copy, returning to Nest. Over.
[04:49 GMT]
de Gini: UFO-02 is approaching Charlie at high speed, now over 2900km/h.
Reynalds: Tell them to hurry!
De Gini: Nest to Charlie-1. Hurry up, the bandit is near! Over!
Charlie-1: Copy. Stepping on it. Over. Hang on pe...
[04:54 GMT]
Charlie-1: We see the base. We are 5 minutes out.
De Gini, to himself: Ellos no lo haran!
Rhys-Martins: What? Speak up!
de Gini:They are not going to make it, Commander! The UFO is to fast!
Reynalds, grabs the mic again:Charlie-1, put down immediatelly. I repeat, immediatelly!
Charlie-1: Nest, we are on land… BOOOM!!!SssshshsshshssshsIK.
[loud explosion is heard just outside the base]
Reynalds, shocked: What?
De Gini: They didn’t make it. UFO got them. Mierda! Cerdas! MIERDA DE CERDAS!!
Voroshilov: This is just outside base! They be landing! EVERYBODY, RUN! TAKE GEAR, SEARCH SURVIVOR! IDTI! GO!!!
[most personnel leave their posts and run outside]
Corelli, just now able to speak: Mamma mia! Miei cari soldati!!! [runs out of Command]
[05:25, Command]
Corelli, totally shaken: Commandante, segnalo. Sergente Cloe Howard is-a killed. 7 soldati survive crash, pero... they very much-a injured. Is bad-a. Mi caro Simone, he in coma... [bursts to tears]. Alexis... he walk no more no leg, e Kayta she not hear nothing they all cripple by the alien... [crying] what they do...
Rhys-Martins: Luciano! Enough! Get back to your men and make sure they get all the care they need. We will finish this later.
Corelli, in tears: Si, Commandante. [leaves, still crying]
[06:00 GMT, Command]
Gisbergh: Sir, we have received a message from Iraq. Local fighter flight on routine patrol has been ambushed at 03:27 by what they describe as a saucer. All 4 airmen KIA.
Reynalds: That must have been the b**** that shot down Eagles too. Thank you, Horace.
[07:20 GMT, Command]
Gisbergh: Another report, sir. This is really bad, sir...
Reynalds: What is it??!
Gisbergh: A military transport’s been intercepted over Iran and shot down. 54 on board... didn’t make it.
Reynalds: This is all wrong. How could we let that happen?
[08:24 GMT, Command]
de Gini: Commander, we have lost signal of UFO-02. It seems it has left the Earth’s atmosphere. UFO-01 is still on the ground near Kiev.
Rhys-Martins: And we are mere observers. Keep tracking, report any change immediatelly! [to Voroshilov and Reynalds] To conference! We need to discuss... [they all leave]
[14:50 GMT, Command]
de Gini: UFO-01 is moving again! And UFO-02 is still dashing around Middle East at high speed since its return at 08:59.
Reynalds: Let me see... Yes, it’s there. They won’t let us breathe, will they?
…
[22:54-00:15 GMT, Conference room]
Rhys-Martins: Have a seat, gentlemen.
Current situation?
Reynalds: Unchanged. 01 was hovering 16km above the shore of Lake Ladoga since about 16:45, completely still. It finally moved about an hour ago and left our atmosphere shortly after. 02 had a short stint to space between 8:30 and 9 hours, but has since returned and was dashing across Middle East, Europe and North Africa at high speed, all the while inflicting severe casualties. That looked like CAP to me. How they maintain that high speed all the time is a mystery to me. If only we had something faster than our F-17s... Anyway, it finally left 10 minutes after 01.
Rhys-Martins: Very well. Corelli... How are your soldiers doing? Any change?
Corelli, talks automatically like a machine: Commandante. Caporale Pancaldi is-a critical, in coma. He not live-a through the night-a. Caporale Dubois is bad-a injured, lost-a his left-a leg-a, sui sedativi. Caporala Horvath is bad-a injured, she has-a burning over tre quatri del suo corpo... three quarters of her body. Is bad-a but-a can live. Sui sedativi. Caporale Esposti is medium-a injury, due giorni... two day to recover to combat. Is talking pero... bad pain. Caporala Thomas have many small injury, can walk. She tell she want-a fight now-a. Questo e tutto. Scusi, is all.
Rhys-Martins: Very well, Luciano. Thank you. Kurt, what about the pilots? Any word of them?
Reynolds: They are a bit bruised and shaken, but are otherwise fine. They are returning to base as we speak.
Rhys-Martins: Good job. Yevgeniy?
Voroshilov: I have nothing to report, Commandir. But I have a preposition, if I can? [C-in-C nods in agreement] Thank you. It is like: alien has strong air weapon and after one day he establish air superior.
Reynalds: Air superiority...
Voroshilov: Like I say. Air superiority. They must have strong ground weapon too. We must use caution, much caution next time. Today was bad day for X-Division and good day for alien because we jump at fist UFO like little children at ice-cream. We wait next time, see what comes down. They not worry to hurry, we have time and when more come, we pick the pickle. Harasho? Is that how you say?
Reynalds: Yes, spot on. And I agree with you on your proposition. We were acting too quick today, that is why they have us on the run ever since.
Voroshilov: I am not finish yet. Most important, we need faster interceptor. This toy... american interceptor is good for dogfight but slow to catch fast UFO. We need contact SSSR and ask to sell us some of the new MiG-25. It is fast and can take more firepower.
Rhys-Martins: Yes, a jolly good proposal. Yevgeny, see to it immediatelly!
Corelli: Con permesso...
Rhys-Martins: Go on, Luciano. [Voroshilov stays to hear what Corelli has to say]
Corelli: We need-a hospital room-a to treat our wounded soldati. This is no way-a like is today-a. They sleeping... in the barrack, is no good-a place-a for a wounded personi, ma anche per i sani. Scusi. Also bad-a for healthy. Is bad for morale.
Rhys-Martins: Jolly good, Luciano, jolly good. See to it immediatelly.
Corelli: Grazie, Commandante. [leaves]
Rhys-Martins: What about other events? Any more messages from outside?
Reynalds: Unfortunatelly, many. Gisbergh has been gathering reports of alien activity all day. They’ve been very active all over the globe, apart from Middle East and western Soviet Union they’ve also made their presence felt on both shores of North America and I believe there was some tidal disruption near Japan? [shuffles papers] Yes, here it is, near Kitakyushu.The locals don’t know how to explain it, but I think it’s evident... There have also been worse things. The worst was around Leningrad, where 01 hovered for most of the day. They report 12 people were abducted and 6 more killed. And then there are the 3 or 4 aicraft shot down. One of them was an air liner with...
[Doors open violently and in bursts Dr. Dreyfuss, eyes shining with triumph]
Dr. Dreyfuss: Listen, I have important...
Rhys-Martins: Dr. Dreyfuss! This is a private meeting of senior military...
Dr. Dreyfuss, angered: Shut up and listen! You have probably allready noticed that we are being invaded...
What follows is a transcript of Dr. Dreyfuss speach: [look it up inseide the game if you really need to read it again :]
...Both proposals are allready on your desk.
Rhys-Martins: Thank you, Dr. Dreyfuss. Would you like to add something more?
Dr. Dreyfuss: Non. J’ai fini. [leaves as he came in, bursting out]
Voroshilov: He think he smart. I said get faster planes first. S***...
Reynalds: I don’t know what you said last but I agree with your assesment.
Rhys-Martins: So, we have a plan, I presume? Voroshilov, go see if we can get our hands on some MiG-25s. Corelli is allready dealing with the medical facility. As the alien activity seems to have subsided.. Reynolds... Assemle a team and try to salvage Charlie-1. Maybe it could be put back on the roster. Oh, and one more thing. Get some contractors in and start building 2 hangars. We are going to need them. That is all. Dismissed!
Oh, I almost forgot-please arrange for the burial of the unfortunate seargant Howard tomorrow. Full military honors.
Edited by TinMan_JB
Typos mostly, some corrections
