some distinguishing feature we can use to distinguish them from humans, I won’t even tell my subordinates what they’re observing them for. That way, if this does turn out to be some trick being carried out by the SAF, I’ll be the only one who looks like an idiot. However, I’d like to offer one proposal in this matter.”
“Tell us, please,” said General Laitume. “I’d like your insight into this.”
“There’s an easy way to keep all of these suspects under surveillance. Form a new unit made up of only them. Since they’ve all been shot down by the JAM, we can call it a retraining unit. A thorough check of the physical and psychological states of its members for analysis wouldn’t be at all unnatural for something like that. It’s a good way for us to check and see if they’re Jammies or not. Even if the SAF’s intelligence turns out to be false, retraining people who have been defeated before still wouldn’t be a waste of our time.”
“Excellent! There’s a proposal I’ll be able to present. If I put some effort into it, I should be able to sell my corps on setting up a new unit like that,” General Laitume said with a nod.
“Then we just have to sit back and see what happens. If they’re JAM, then they’ll make a move of some sort. If they try to desert under fire, we won’t need to send the SAF out after them. My people will take care of them right there and then. If we can bring them back alive, we can either put the screws to them in interrogation or just execute them without the need for a court martial.”
“You should try to bring your information back without resorting to such savage means,” Rei said. “The JAM don’t understand humans. That’s why you can’t argue with them. We should teach them what humans are. From there, we can start fighting them.”
“We didn’t ask your opinion,” replied General Cooley, cutting Rei off. “I still don’t understand why Major Booker asked you to attend —”
“To ask the captain his opinion,” Major Booker interjected. “Captain Fukai, what would you do if I ordered you to make contact with the JAM again? Right now, we’re seriously considering it.”
“Major Booker, what are you talking about?” asked General Cooley. “You never told me about any such operation.”
“If you order me to, I’ll do it,” Rei replied. “I think the JAM want to as well. Three days ago, on a recon mission out to Richwar, I was approached by two JAM fighters. Looking back at it now, I think they were trying to make contact with me. It was as if they recognized Yukikaze. They didn’t launch a preemptive strike against me, though they had the opportunity.
“I think this operation is worthy of consideration,” he continued. “General Cooley, this is the real third point. I’d also like to ask General Laitume his opinion. If we carry this out without hearing from him, he’ll just think that Yukikaze and I are JAM.”
“Have Captain Fukai make contact with the JAM again, you say?” asked Colonel Rombert. “In other words, appoint him our ambassador plenipotentiary.”
“I will not grant this man plenipotentiary powers,” General Laitume protested.
“Then you can contact the JAM,” Rei said. “You can ride in Yukikaze.”
“Watch your mouth!”
“No matter who goes, I don’t think the JAM will accept them,” Colonel Rombert interjected. “The SAF has become disconnected from reality, letting its delusions run away with them —”
An alarm sounded nearby, cutting him off.
“Air raid,” Rei said. “JAM approaching.”
“It’s not unusual,” General Laitume said. “My corps will —”
“General, this is no time to be boasting about how good your forces are,” Major Booker said sharply. “Get to shelter. We can ask your final opinion on this matter later. General Cooley, please, take our guests and get them to shelter fast.”
From the apron near the SAF underground hangar entrance, the shrill scream of high-output turbofan engines revving up pierced their ears. Yukikaze spun around. She was prepared for takeoff.
“Llanfabon! Lieutenant Bruys, do you hear me?” shouted Major Booker. “Mission accomplished! RTB! The meeting’s over. Contact HQ! Cut in on the emergency line! That’s an order! Confirm receipt of orders by blinking your landing lights three times! When you contact HQ, blink them once!”
Llanfabon confirmed with its lights. Bruys could hear the major’s words.
“Yukikaze’s moving out,” Rei said coolly. “Aren’t you going to stop her, Jack?”
“We have no way to contact her, and there’s no time for us to get back to HQ and contact her.”
“You could do it from Llanfabon.”
“Do you want me to, Rei?”
“No, let her go. Yukikaze wants to shoot down some JAM.”
“I’m a little worried, since she’s only loaded with enough fuel for ten minutes of air combat,” the major replied. “But I’m interested in seeing what she’ll do on her own. I don’t want to interfere.”
“She’d still be doing this even if I were aboard. Yukikaze’s decided that there’s no time to take refuge. The enemy’s close. Close. They’re almost here.”
“Jack, we’d better get out of here too.”
Before he’d even finished speaking, two high-speed objects and their accompanying shock waves tore through the skies right above them. A pair of high-velocity missiles. Rei didn’t bother looking where they were headed; he was gazing in the direction they’d come from. Directly behind, flying so low that it was cutting a swath through the forest, a pitch-black JAM hit-and-away strike fighter had appeared. With the kinetic vision Rei had been trained to have, he saw what followed as though in slow motion.
From behind the JAM fighter flew a missile, driving its way toward the enemy plane. It had been fired by an FAF Faery Base defense air corps fighter flying a combat air patrol in the area. The JAM began jinking wildly to shake it off, but it was too late. The missile looked like it was going to score a direct hit, but its proximity fuse activated before it could. The sound of the explosions came in quick succession, echoing into the sky.
Rei immediately threw himself on top of Captain Foss to shield her. The exploding missile rained shrapnel down in every direction, with some of it striking the ground so hard that Rei himself could feel it. As the series of explosions resounded over their heads, the JAM fighter began a climbing turn, black smoke pouring from its fuselage. There was a flash, followed by another explosion. The JAM self-destructed. Fragments of the plane fell toward the forest.
Two interceptors from the Tactical Combat Air Corps that had been on scramble standby managed to evade the JAM missile attack and had taken off in formation. On the side of the runway, two planes were on fire.
Rei searched for Yukikaze.
Yukikaze... was accelerating in the opposite direction from the two fighters. She then lit her afterburners and began a practically vertical climb at maximum thrust. There were still JAM to fight.
Rei helped Captain Foss to her feet. Major Booker and Galle Murulle had fallen to the ground. The guests were nowhere to be seen. They must have managed to get to shelter.
“Jack, you okay?” Rei asked.
Shaking his head, Major Booker took Rei’s outstretched hand and got to his feet.
“Shit, I can’t believe I nearly bought it from one of our own missiles. I can barely hear anything.”
“Edith, how’s the chef?”
Captain Foss rushed over to Murulle’s side, then shook her head. His chef’s whites were stained deep red. He raised his right hand and pointed into the sky. Looking up, Rei saw four vapor trails stretching out, high in the clear skies. It could only be one thing: Yukikaze had fired her short-range missiles.
“Jack, get Edith to shelter, then send a rescue team.”
“What are you talking about? You’re coming with us!”
Rei took Captain Foss’s place and knelt at Murulle’s side, taking hold of his hand. Rei had wanted to see how Yukikaze would fight.
“Were the JAM targeting this meeting, Major?”
“I don’t know,” Major Booker answered. He ordered Captain Foss to call for a rescue team and then stayed behind as well. “The planes we had on scramble standby were watching us. I’ll bet they were having some fun and
