South One and South Two would continue clearing the southern routes while the replacement squads entered their formations. The third platoon could join them once Matilda completed its organization. The fourth and fifth would follow after their production queues finished.
The ground force had its direction.
Hans opened the command channel before leaving the Industrial Storage Yards.
"Golden Eagle to Flight Operations."
"Flight Operations receives."
"Review the current air roster. The southern company will have five platoons. I want enough aircraft to support them while another group begins working north."
The response came after several seconds.
"Six Strikers are sufficient for the southern formations, Commander. They can be reassigned between active platoons, Site Three, and recovery operations."
"The Falcons?"
"Three will become restrictive once the fronts separate. Highcross required two for different recovery routes while the third remained available for transport and support."
"How many?"
"Two more for now."
Five Falcons would allow Flight Operations to divide extraction, troop movement, and emergency response without committing every transport helicopter at once.
Hans looked at the fixed-wing roster.
"And the northern route?"
"Use the Raptors."
Not the Apaches? Hans thought.
Flight Operations continued.
"The Strikers can support the ground advance once it begins. Sending them ahead without fighter coverage is unnecessary. Raptor One already confirmed flying infected inside the northern airspace."
Hans remembered the creatures moving above the industrial districts.
The Strikers could engage them if forced to, but their weapons and sensors were intended primarily for targets below. Their proper place remained near the ground formations.
The Raptors could travel farther, inspect the roads, and leave before the infected below redirected toward them. Their interceptor missiles also gave them a direct answer to anything already in the air.
"How many Raptors?"
"Four additional aircraft. Six total will give us three pairs. One pair can operate over the north while the others remain available for another corridor, inspection, or the next replenishment cycle."
Hans considered the remaining entries.
"What about the Valkyrie?"
"I do not recommend it yet, Commander. The secured roads and Guardian APCs still cover normal troop movement. The Falcons can handle rooftop insertions and shorter deployments inside Grefort."
The Valkyrie did not solve an immediate problem. Hans had no reason to drop soldiers behind unsecured territory while the army still possessed usable roads and armored transport.
"Two Falcons and four Raptors," Hans said.
"That is what we recommend, Commander."
Hans opened the Airfield interface.
Two more Falcons would complete the transport group needed for the next stage.
Four more Raptors would fill most of the existing fixed-wing capacity and give Flight Operations enough aircraft to maintain northern patrols without committing every fighter to the same sortie.
The System gathered the selections.
------
[ Selected Airfield Production ]
[ 2 Falcon Utility Helicopters ]
[ Cost: 19,000 Gold ]
[ 4 Raptor Air Superiority Fighters ]
[ Cost: 80,000 Gold ]
[ Total Cost: 99,000 Gold ]
[ Confirm production? ]
------
Hans reviewed the list.
The two Falcons would finish first. Raptor Three through Raptor Six would follow them through the same production queue.
Six Raptors still looked excessive beside the two he currently possessed.
Each aircraft replenished every twelve hours, however, and two fighters could not patrol the northern route, cover one another, and remain available elsewhere at the same time.
Leaving that firepower unused would be the greater waste.
The promotions they could earn through those sorties would be lost as well.
"Confirm."
------
[ Airfield production queue confirmed. ]
[ Gold: 345,617 (-99,000) => 246,617 ]
[ ETA: 16 hours, 30 minutes. ]
------
The new aircraft entered production.
When the queue finished, the Airfield would hold five Falcons, six Strikers, and six Raptors. Five helicopter pads and two fixed-wing hangar slots would remain unused.
The remaining helicopter space could be filled later, once the northern campaign showed what the existing aircraft group still lacked.
He returned to the current air roster.
Raptor One and Raptor Two were already operational.
Both carried full ammunition.
Four air-to-ground precision missiles. Four air-to-air interceptor missiles. Nine hundred and twenty cannon rounds.
Whatever they expended would return at the next twelve-hour refresh.
The new fighters did not need to finish before Hans began using the first pair.
South One and South Two would keep moving through the south. The production queues would continue behind them.
Hans shifted the map east of Westgate. Ironford District covered much of Grefort’s central-northern freight and industrial belt, including the Hive identified along the northern route.
At the same time, Raptor One and Raptor Two could begin inspecting the northern route and destroying whatever targets Flight Operations found suitable.
By the time the mobile company turned north, the fighters could already know the roads ahead.
They might also have fewer infected waiting for them.
Hans left for the Airfield after closing the production interface.
The Armored SUV reached the western facility before sunset.
Flight Operations had already received the request to prepare both operational Raptors, though Hans had not sent their mission parameters through the channel.
He wanted to speak with the pilots first.
Raptor One and Raptor Two remained inside separate fixed-wing bays when Hans entered the main apron.
Maintenance systems surrounded both fighters, completing their routine inspections before departure.
Their missile bays were closed, while the loading indicators beside them showed full ammunition.
The two pilots waited near Raptor One.
Raptor One’s pilot crossed his arms when Hans approached.
"Commander."
The second pilot stood beside him.
Hans looked between them.
"You have something to say?"
Raptor One glanced toward the Strikers parked across the Airfield.
"I was beginning to think the helicopters had taken the whole war."
Raptor Two nodded.
"They have been leaving all day."
"Several times," Raptor One added.
"You were both on standby."
The two pilots exchanged glances, then looked back at Hans.
"Well, that is the problem."
Raptor Two looked toward his fighter.
"We have spent the entire day fully armed, fully replenished, and doing nothing."
"The maintenance crews inspected us three times," Raptor One said.
"One of those was a normal post-production inspection."
"It still ended with us sitting here."
Hans looked at the two aircraft behind them.
Neither had suffered damage. Raptor One had returned from Highcross with its precision role completed, while Raptor Two had entered service too late to participate in the fighting around Site Three.
Both had waited throughout the following day while the Falcons and Strikers continued moving between the southern routes.
"You finished complaining?" Hans asked.
Raptor One considered it.
"Not remotely."
"Good. Then stop complaining and listen."
Both pilots stopped.
Hans looked toward the northern side of Grefort, beyond the Airfield and the coverage of the Physical Radar Facility.
"Your mission is the northern route," Hans said.
Raptor One uncrossed his arms.
"Flight Operations will assign the corridors. Extend what we know about the northern sectors and reduce whatever concentrations you can before the ground forces arrive."
"How far?" Raptor Two asked.
"As far as Flight Operations clears."
Raptor One looked toward the operations tower.
"And the flying contacts?"
"Deal with them if they interfere. Do not chase them outside the assigned corridor."
Raptor Two looked toward his fighter.
"How often are we going?"
"Keep returning as the ammunition replenishes. Flight Operations controls the schedule."
Raptor One smiled.
"That sounds much better."
"Do we have target restrictions?" Raptor Two asked.
"Do not damage the Nuclear Power Station or anything marked as a possible Strategic Facility. Do not attack a Hive or provoke one into moving."
Raptor One looked back at Hans.
"Everything else?"
"Anything hostile that Flight Operations approves."
Raptor Two pulled his gloves tighter around his wrists.
"He means we can finally empty the missile bays."
"I understood him."
"You used one missile during Highcross and spoke about it for the rest of the day."
"It was a good missile."
"It was one Tank."
"It stopped being one."
Hans waited.
Both pilots noticed.
Raptor One cleared his throat.
"When do we leave?"
"Now."
Neither of them complained again.
They turned toward their aircraft together while Flight Operations opened the preparation channel.
Maintenance arms withdrew from the fighters.
Ground personnel cleared the bays and began guiding both aircraft toward the apron.
Raptor One climbed into the leading fighter.
Raptor Two entered the second several bays away.
Their engines started one after another.
Flight Operations assigned the northern corridor while Hans watched from beyond the marked safety line.
Raptor One would cross first. Raptor Two would follow several kilometers behind, close enough for the outer edges of their local Radar coverage to overlap without placing both aircraft over the same ground.
The first fighter rolled toward the runway.
Raptor One entered the channel.
"Raptor One to Golden Eagle. Northern cleaning service preparing for departure."
Raptor Two followed him out of the bay.
"He named the mission already."
"Someone had to, Raptor Two."
"Flight Operations to Raptor One and Raptor Two," the controller interrupted. "Proceed to launch positions."
"Raptor One receives."
"Raptor Two receives."
Hans remained near the apron while both fighters reached the runway.
Raptor One spoke again before accelerating.
"Commander."
"What is it, Raptor One?"
"We will try not to leave too much for the ground troops. They have been taking every target lately."
Raptor Two entered behind him.
"No promises."
Both fighters began their takeoff runs.
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