End of an Era chapter 3
#3 of End of an Era
End of an Era chapter 3, The fight for Earth. Story by Shetland, corrected and finished by Raven Fox. : This chapter starts a few years before the story by introducing a new character created by me. His name is David Eastwood with a chip on his shoulder, plus I am introducing a female husky who has the intention of removing the chip off David's' shoulder.
February of 2006, Persian gulf.
The F-14 Tomcat streaked thru the air on its last combat mission. Inside the fighter, Lt cmdr Eastwood glanced at his instruments making sure that everything is operating at normal parameters. "Sir, what are your plans after this deployment?" Asked the RIO in the backseat.
The male human with light brown hair sighed. "I am turning in my resignation." Answered David Eastwood with sarcasm in his tone. "This isn't the Navy I joined ten years ago. The brass rather impresses politicians instead of leading. Sorry Cussler, I am out of here after this deployment."
The young RIO sighed quietly as the fighter started its approach to the USS Theodore Roosevelt for its final combat landing.
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
The CAG watched as the F-14 caught the last arresting wire. He glared at the pilot as he exited the aircraft minutes later. "I know he did that on purpose because the F-14 is being replaced by the F/A-18 super hornet and the Navy will not allow him to transfer to that fighter due to his evaluation scores." The male human thought to himself watching Eastwood walk with his RIO to the island.
Minutes later he was giving Eastwood a lecture. "Just what do you think you are doing Cmdr?! All what you half to do is just be one of the team and you can go fly the F-18." The CAG said to Eastwood.
The human shrugged looking at his CO. "Sorry sir, I was part of the team, but you half to play the political game. Instead of being a patriot, you only care trading your bird for a star on your collar." Eastwood exhaled. "Well, got to turn in my resignation and go enjoy the rest of my free life." Then he walked away to his stateroom.
The CAG just glared at the departing pilot. "To bad you don't want to play the game Eastwood." He thought to himself and walked to the briefing room.
In his stateroom David looked at a legal letter that was mailed to him a few weeks ago. The human wiped his nose reading the letter for hundredth or ten thousandth time since he received it. Lt Commander David Eastwood. It's my solemn duty to inform you of the passing of your father. He died a few days ago from complications during the open heart surgery at the VA hospital. According to his will, he left everything to you because his wife, your mother left him when you were five years old. So she doesn't get anything and I made sure that you won't have any problems from her. Please report to my office as soon as you can to fill out some paperwork. Sincerely Kenneth Dave Tyler Attorney of law. Everett Washington.
"From what he left me, I'll be living very comfortable for the rest of my days. I am also going to finish that project of him and I started when I was on leave last year." Eastwood thought to himself think of the item in question which is now sitting in an aircraft hanger at Everett Washington.
The day of the CEO attack, Everett Washington.
David finished putting fuel in the old jet fighter looking out of the open hanger door admiring the colors of the setting sun. He walked to the driver of the fueling truck handing the guy his credit card. "Going to take that jet for a test flight?" Asked the driver.
The human with light brown hair shook his head. "Not until tomorrow, I am just checking the fuel system for leaks. I should be taking off at ten in the morning if you want to watch." David replied with a grin looking at the lines of the antique jet.
The fuel truck driver nodded taking one last look of the jet and then climbed into his truck. "I'll be seeing you in the morning, my grandfather flew one of these in the Korean War back in 1952. Just want to hear the sound of that Allison J33 turbojet on takeoff."
David grinned at the departing fuel truck and went to check the fuel system. He looked at the P-80 Shooting Star smelling the kerosene fumes emitting from the jet. Flashbacks of the combat missions for the U.S. Navy went thru his mind. A roaring sound of a low flying jet added to the flashbacks and for a brief instant he saw the different colored jerseys on a carrier flight deck. "What the fuck?" The human blurted out as blue streaks appeared in the evening sky.
He watched the flashes of explosions in the South at the Seattle area. David saw black shapes flew overhead. The human hooked up a starting cart to the jet and started it. Minutes later, he was shooting down runway 34 pulling on the control stick. Looking back at the airport, some of the black shapes landed and started to hover around the airport. David shook head putting on the oxygen mask being glad that he hooked up the system a few hours ago. He thumbed a switch on the instrument panel knowing that this old war bird has teeth.
A week ago, the ex-Navy fighter pilot installed two M2 Browning 50 cal machine guns for showing off at the gunnery range. Due to just for show, only two of the six guns were installed on the fighter, but he only has a total of two hundred rounds. "Just hope, I don't get in any long skirmishes." David thought to himself as he flew east.
The next morning taking off from the highway.
After he got to cruising altitude, he looked to were Seattle is at and saw a mushroom cloud with a flash of white. "Dam, they did it, Seattle just gotten nuked." David thought to himself as he flew on.
A few minutes later, the human saw a black ship fired a red beam at a new fighter causing it to go out of control and crash. The unknown ship started to chase David's' jet fighter firing its red beam at the P-80.
Nothing happened to the old war bird due to no fly-by-wire controls and cables instead of wiring controlling the engines. Grasping the control stick and stomping on the rudder petals, the human turned the antique jet fighter to draw a bead on the black ship.
A switch is flipped and a thumb hovered over a red trigger. David aligned the ship in the gun sight and depressed the red trigger.
The P-80 shuddered as the two 50 cal guns fired; the ship caught fire and crash on the ground. David shook his head glancing at the instruments noting that everything is operating at normal parameters. He stroked the throttle lever knowing that it's been almost sixty years since this old war bird fired a shoot in anger. "You did well you ol war bird." He said affection-ally to the jet fighter.
A few hours later, an airbase at Nevada.
David checked over the old jet fighter due to the lack of test flights. From what he saw, the airbase has been abandoned for a while. Being cautious, the human went to check the buildings over. In one, he found a few boxes of Zuni unguided rockets.
The next couple of days were spent modifying the P-80 to launch the rockets. When they sold an old fighter or aircraft, the military disables the weapons systems by damaging the airframe where the weapons mount on. Being a fighter pilot who had to learn all systems on his fighter, David manages to make the necessary repairs to the airframe when he and his father restored the old jet fighter.
The P-80 he has now was used during the Korean War back in the early 1950's. David's' father uncle flew the fighter off an aircraft carrier for his combat missions. His great uncle has six confirm kills with this fighter. "My dad found this jet rotting away at that airfield in Arizona. But the Navy guys only cut the wires to the missile launchers, but a little rewiring and the system is reactivated. As for the guns, all what I had to do is reinstall the guns and rewire the firing circuit." The human thought to himself as he checked the weapon systems.
The day of the destruction of Boise Idaho.
David stayed back when he saw the military fighters fight in the sky over Boise. The human went sick when he saw that ball of blue energy struck the city. He was quite away from the blast. A few minutes later, a familiar voice went over the radio circuit. "This is Admiral Caine of the United States Navy, any fighter aircraft on this frequency?"
The formal fighter pilot recognized the name of his CAG from his squadron from the Roosevelt. "Ah no, the city is gone." He said in a sarcastic tone.
"Commander Eastwood, is that you. Please report to Navy station..."
"Sorry sir, I don't work for you anymore. I am a civilian now; if you were more of a likable leader, I would have considered you offer. You gave me a bad eval sir, if I was better treated by you....maybe." David said in the mike looking at the blast dissipating.
"Please save us." Came the reply from Caine.
David turned the jet fighter back toward Nevada. He hardened his heart ignoring Caines' pleas. The human scanned the area around his jet making up his mind. "No, I am only looking out for myself, enjoy the situation you created." He said in the radio with a malice tone and shut off the radio.
Then the sky lit up with the message from the CEOs' telling all of Earth that the planet has been sold.
He was parked at the airbase when the Earth was moved to its new location. Glaring, the human watched the light show and felt the tremors under his feet.
A while later, the light show dissipated giving David the view of Earths' new sky. "Shit, this not good." He said as the ships descended to Earth from the two new planets.
Two days over Utah.
A Galen shuttle cruised over the state with the Husky/Wolf mixed female at the controls. Behind the pilots' station, a few teenage male humans looked out the windows.
The female husky/wolf looked around for any trouble. She heard that the felines were against the canines buying the planet Earth. "But some of us canines were against it to." Toras said to herself.
A sound of someone slapping a hand on a console, then a foreign language started to sing in her headset. Toras gestured for a human to the cockpit. "Do you know what language this is?" The wolf/husky asked the human handing over the headset.
The human listen for a few seconds and started to laugh. "Toras, you're lucky I am a Star Trek fan. This is the Klingon war song; some people like to sing this song before a fight." He looks at a CEO shuttle in front of them with hatred a half mile from them.
A white streak hit the shuttle in front of them causing it to explode. "Toras, act like this shuttle has gotten damaged and land now!" The young human looked around as the shuttle settled on to the ground. "What the fuck?!" As a plane flew overhead.
The wolf/husky watched as a slender straight winged jet streaked overhead. "What kind of jet is that Jeff?" She asked the human male with a surprise look on his face.
"A museum piece, strike that. A Lockheed P-80 shooting star, the first combat jet used by the Air force and Navy. The last time they saw combat was back in 1953. Someone has managed to rearm that jet." Jeff said noting that the jet fighter has the Klingon bird of prey paint scheme with the symbol of the Klingon Empire painted under the jets' wings and fuselage.
Toras nodded getting the shuttle to fly following the jet. A hand grabbed her shoulder with Jeff with a scared look. "I hope this shuttle is armed, that jet might be old, but she's still deadly." The human said looking at the jet flying away from them fast.
"I am just going to keep my distance from him and no this shuttle is unarmed." Toras said to the human wondering why human males called vehicles females.
"Get close behind that jet and work your craft below it." Jeff looks at the husky grinning. "That's his blind spot." He said to the canine looking at the color pattern of a bird flying. "Had to run into another Star Trek fan." The human muttered.
In the cockpit of the P-80, David grinned. "That's for Seattle you alien bastards." He backed off on the throttle to save fuel looking at the landscape with little or no vegetation. Every once in a while, the human did a lazy circle to see if anyone is following him.
"Why does he do that maneuver?" Toras asked Jeff keeping the shuttle out of view from the canopy.
Jeff looked at the classic lines of the jet. "To see if anyone is following him. That antique doesn't have a radar system that sees behind him. Back in the day, that jet will be part of a group of fighters." He grins. "That's how they checked to see if anyone is following them."
An hour later.
David looked at the ground watching the desolate landscape go by. Something got his attention, the shadow of his jet is all wrong. The human saw the outline of a boxy shuttle behind his jet. "It looks like I have company." He said doing a maneuver.
"Crap, he spotted our shadow. Haul ass Toras, that's a sub-sonic jet. It only goes 600 miles per hour." Jeff said as Toras still flew keeping the nose aimed at the back of the jet.
"I am not leaving empty handed." The Husky replied pushing a button the control console. A small disk the size of a penny attached itself to the tail of the P-80. "Now we can go home." Toras said sliding the throttles to max. "This shuttle goes three times the speed of sound."
David gotten the gray colored shuttle in his sight and was about to launch a Zuni. But the shuttle sped away real fast making a sonic boom that caused his jet to shudder. "Well it looks like they didn't want to play." The human said in a disappointed tone of voice.
Over Southern Utah, Toras is sliding the throttle to cruising speed. The husky exhaled a breath looking at Jeff. "Do you know who were dealing with?"
The teenage human sighed; the husky rescued him and a couple of friends from one of the black ships. So he owed the canine his life because he saw what happened to the humans who got caught. Clearing his throat. "You just tangled with a military trained pilot. From the way the jet cruised and oscillated the altitude, a Navy pilot. The deep pitch singing, a male because female pilots have a calming voice."
Toras nodded as she flew the shuttle. "I am having a talk with you Navy pilot, at least you're male. A better flyer than singer."
Canine base at Sandy Utah later.
A male wolf walked up to Toras with a worried expression on his muzzle. "The CEOs lost a shuttle today. Did you see what happen?"
"Yes I did, it was blown out of the sky by an Earth fighter jet." The husky answered.
The wolf knew of a few groups of Earthlings that are still fighting. Deep inside he admired them, but the planet is still not paid for, so he has to report the destroyed shuttle. "So what kind of fighter is it?"
"According to my human passengers, it's a Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star. The jet is a museum piece and its flying around armed." Toras answered watching the wolf type on a plastic pad that to a human it would look like an iPad.
The wolf typed on his pad looking at the information on his request. A page appeared with a picture of a narrow aircraft with straight wings with tanks mounted on the wing tips. After reading the page he handed Toras the pad. "Did that jet looked like this?"
Toras nodded. "Yes it did, plus it has those tanks. My passenger said that we're dealing with a military pilot. I had to go full speed on our shuttle to get away from him. That fighter I think is based in Nevada."
"Crap, it will be looking for a needle in a haystack, quoting a human saying. There are a few abandoned military bases and the cats claimed most of that state. They might be against us from buying this planet, but they set up that state as a safe refuge for humans. Plus I heard that they have a rebel cell somewhere in the Salt Lake valley and the humans don't know what we are talking about." The wolf replied with weariness looking at the teenage human males follow a female cheetah. "Do you know that cheetah?"
Toras glance at the female feline. "That's Tilda; she works for a tiger named Tifa. They're finishing up construction of a Hospital north of the town Midvale. I think she talked those teenage boys to help on the construction site."
The wolf nodded following the husky into the building.
A few days later, canine shuttle base.
Toras did a grin when she heard the news about a contest being held on the planet Galen 2 tomorrow. A device of hers beeped, taking it out the tracking device, the husky studied the readout. "He's here." She ran to her shuttle.
Over the sky of Salt Lake City, a few minutes later.
Toras looked around the sky for the jet fighter. The husky had Jeff in the co-pilots seat as a second set of eyes. "Do you see him?"
The teenage male human looked around at the clear sky. "I don't see him." In the headset, a tune played. "Dam, he's playing the Klingon battle hymn, he's definitely a trekkie and thinks he's Klingon." Jeff held his thumb to the sun (An old aviators trick) and saw something streaking to them. "Watch out, he was hiding in the sun, get low!"
Toras made the shuttle skim down State Street and watched as the jet attack another CEO ship. "Oh brother, they will definitely ask us to do something about him." The husky thought to herself as the P-80 shot a few rockets at one of the larger CEO ships. She heard Jeff cheer as the craft crashed and started to burn at a strip mall parking lot.
The jet fighter streaked away fast heading south. "We're following him to his base." Toras said keeping the shuttle low to the ground watching the old jet fighter do its lazy circles once in a while.
Later, central Nevada.
The husky kept her distance watching the P-80 fighter jet land on a runway. Her eyes widen when the jet sank in the ground due to it being parked at an area that lowered and a section of run way covered the hole. "Well I'll be dammed!" Jeff said with excitement. "I heard about airbases with underground maintenance facilities, but I thought they were conspiracy nut case rumors."
Toras nodded looking at the so called abandoned airbase. "I bet there's enough stuff to keep that antique doing hit and run attacks for awhile."
The young teenage human replied. "Yeah, but soon he will half to start looking for spare parts to keep that old bird flying." Unknown to him he accidentally held down the transmit button to the radio.
"Don't worry human, we will make sure that his aircraft will stay flying. Kindly tell the canine to land the shuttle or we will disable it. Don't bother putting it hyper sonic, we got weapons train on you." Said a female voice with a slight purr.
Both the husky and human looked thru the view port seeing a bunch of Apache helicopter gun ships with smaller MH-6 little birds surrounding the shuttle. Toras was moving her hand to the throttle, but Jeff stopped her. "Don't, land, that Apache is getting ready to fire its missiles." The human pointed to one of the Apaches twisting to bring its missile pods to bear on the shuttle.
Toras nodded making the shuttle settle on the runway. She looked at the smaller helicopters buzzing around real fast. "What kind are those?"
Jeff looked at the helicopters flying around. "The larger ones that look like a giant pissed off insects are Apaches. Those can destroy a shuttle with no problem and they have a gunner and pilot in them." He gestures to the smaller ones. "Those little ones, that look like flying eggs are MH-6s. They're another old design that's been updated, used in the late 1960's during the Vietnam War. Still a deadly helicopter even thou it's an old design."
They were told to exit the shuttle and walk to an idling MH-6. Jeff watched as a slender figure exited the small gunship. The pilot is feline due to the yellowish tail with brown spots. "A cheetah, but who?" Toras muttered to herself.
Tilda removed the helmet off her head shaking her blonde head hair loose. "Sorry for the inconvenience Toras, but we can't have you reporting to your superiors where this jet fighter is launching from."
"But there are some of us who were against our government buying this planet, I am one of them Tilda." Toras said to the feline.
"It's not my decision to administer you fate Toras." The cheetah walked to the spot where the jet fighter disappeared at. "What a clever setup." She looked at Jeff. "You humans never cease to amaze me."
Jeff nodded looking at the cheetah. Right now he and Toras are surrounded by ten humans and twenty felines. "I think this a nuclear retaliatory base. After the country is nuked, fighters and bombers launch from this base from the underground hangers."
Tilda took in the information nodding and took out a device waving around. "This is a master key; it opens all types of locks." She said, but nothing happen.
Jeff did another look around. "We got to look for the mechanism; I don't think computers control this lock."
The group walked around, but Toras spotted the odd machine. The husky beckon Jeff over. "Is this what you're looking for?" She said pointing at a small diameter glass circle.
Jeff nodded looking at the thing. "It's an electric eye for a garage door opener." The human looked at Tilda. "Does that device send out different radio signals?"
The cheetah nodded pointing the device at the electric eye. A few seconds later, the area opened where the jet fighter was parked at.
The two females and male human saw a staircase at one end of the area. They started down the staircase; a rumble was heard as the cover closed again. "We better be careful, now he knows we're here. I hope he thinks it's a short in the mechanism." Tilda said looking around. "Just stay near me, we cats can see in the dark." The cheetah said guiding the husky and human down the staircase.
At an underground hanger Dave inspected his fighter jet checking it over. The human checked for loose fittings and leaks. He heard the upper door opened and he ended up clicking the button to shut it again. "Must be a short." Dave said to himself.
A few minutes later, he heard something metallic bounce down the stairs. "HMMM." The human mussed to himself looking up the stairs hearing some other noises.
Minutes later, the underground hanger.
Toras, Tilda and Jeff looked at the silver colored jet parked in the center of a hanger. The female husky walked up to the jet admiring the classic lines, and then kneeled down looking at the rocket pods and the bird paint scheme on the underside.
Jeff noticed that the classic jet fight only had two of the 50 cal machine guns at its nose. He continues to walk around the jet feeling the heat from the exhaust nozzle and the smell of kerosene from the aircraft.
Tilda scratched her chin watching the human and her friend looking over the fighter jet. The cheetah admired the humans and she already has her sights set at the one who is now with Tifa her leader for a mate. "I must admit, these humans build nice machines."
"Alright you three turn around and show me your hands." Said a male voice with a deep pitch.
Toras turned and saw a human with a slim build pointing a silver gun at them. The husky saw that this human has light brown hair wearing a green one piece flight suit with brass emblems on it. "That's a naval issue flight suit, he's Lt Commander and that's a 45 magnum pistol." Jeff said in a whisper near her.
Tilda raised her hands knowing that she will be dead if she made a move. The cheetah knew a deadly opponent when she saw one. This human she knew, is a military trained killer and she thought it was neat the way he is killing CEOs. But she knows if she doesn't have him hold off for a while, the CEOs will pin point his location and destroy this place. "I am part of a rebel group and my leader wants to recruit you. If you fight with us, you'll get some extra help and parts for your aircraft." She said to the human.
Dave lowered his gun looking at the two female anthros and the young human male. He noticed the human male must be in his teens. The human looked at the husky who has a gray, black and white coloring pattern standing seven feet tall with long black head hair. Noticing that she's wearing a white top that's being stretched to its limits containing a large set of breasts. Plus she's wearing a short black skirt showing her muscular legs.
Toras noticed the human lowering his pistol and saw him staring at her. She saw the area between moves a little. "Well, well, I think he likes Me." said the husky.
When Dave stayed his gaze at the Huskys' large breasts noting that she's wearing no bra under that top and her six pack muscle pattern on her navel. The human felt his penis getting hard. "Gee wiz; it has been a while since I thought of having sexual intercourse." Dave thought to himself knowing that he couldn't harm these females in front of the civilian. He lowered the gun putting on the safety and holstering it.
Tilda sighed in relief knowing that if this human gotten killed, the humans loose a valuable fighter. She cautiously walked to the human extending her hand. "I am Tilda, second of command of the rebel cell in Midvale Utah."
Dave shook the cheetahs' hand. "Lt Commander Eastwood, United States Navy aviator. I was an F-14 tomcat fighter pilot; I resigned from the military when the Navy retired the tomcat."
"That was the dumbest thing the Navy did was retiring those fighters and shredded them. The Navy should have upgraded them and kept them in service." Jeff said watching Dave flinch when he mentions the tomcats getting shredded.
"So, do you want to join us?" Tilda asked Dave.
Dave looked at husky noticing that the canine didn't look like husky. Her head wasn't short like a husky, it is long and her head is shaped different. "She must be part wolf." The human thought to himself. "Alright, I'll join your group." He said looking at the husky.
A device chirped on Tilda. The cheetah talked on it for a minute and looked the group staring at her. "That's Tifa, a friend of mine just dropped off a receiver and they need my help in setting it up. Is it alright that we can store some of our aircraft and fighters here?" She asked Dave.
Dave grinned. "No problem, it would be nice to have someone to talk to instead of myself."
Tilda grinned. "Alright, I'll bring our leader by tomorrow."
"Ok, here's an extra key to the place." Dave said tossing a small box to the cheetah.
Tilda catches the device and walked to the platform. Dave looked at the husky and the teenager. "So, what now?" He asked looking at Toras shyly.
The husky looked at David and at Jeff, the machinery of the elevator cycled. She watched as the first group of humans and felines appeared a minute later with some of the helicopter gun ships. "Well, lets get our guests settled in." Toras said to Dave walking to the descending platform.
End of chapter 3. Lillian and Simon will return in chapter4 and chapter 4 will be the last chapter. I will return to this story line once in a while..