The Story of the KAF

[TheKosanianMethod]

So this is my first writing, but I've been thinking of writing this story for a bit now, so here it is.

PART ONE

First Contact

As Kerbol rose on the horizon, Bobfred Kerman sat at the radar desk, mezmorized by the spinning green line on the screen. Suddenly,  a little dot appeared on the screen. It was a pretty little green dot, and kept inching toward the middle of the screen. Then he remembered what that meant. "Sir! There's an unidentified flying object!" Dunbac stared at him, with a blank expression on his face.

"Do you mean an unidentified contact?" he said.

"Yes, that's what I said." Bobfred replied, oblivious to his mistake.

Dunbac walked over and peered at the radar screen.

"Distance, speed, bearing?"

He pulled out a small green book with the words "Radar Contacts" on the cover in black Karpie marker.

"Speed 130 m/s, distance 10.5, bearing zero-nine-zero, sir."

Dunbac already had a phone in hand.

"Yes. 130, 10-5, 0-9-0. Get them in the air."

 

Mac "Macrick", Bodvilly "Bubbles", and Enroy "Edge" Kerman sat at the ready-alert table, eating Kreme Krispies and drinking Koffee. The P/A system crackled, and then the words "Ready-alert, scramble!" brought them back to reality. They sprag up, nearly forgetting their helmets as they rushed out the door to the hangar. They could only hope their food would still be there when they came back from trying to find the random bird that had triggered the alarm. The thought that this wouldn't be a routine bird never crossed their minds.

Cliffhangers FTW!

 

Edited September 28, 2016 by TheKosanianMethod
Proofreading 2.1

[Andem]

I like this... subbed! 

[TheKosanianMethod]

11 hours ago, Andem said:

I like this... subbed! 

Thanks! Part Two should be ready tonight.

[TheKosanianMethod]

 

 

Part Two

Masters of the Air

Their jets were ready and waiting when the trio arrived out of breath at the hangar. Ladders were run over and clamped down, and the pilots crawled into their cockpits. Almost instantly, the sound of jets spooling up filled the air. The Aeris 3As were little more than stunt jets with some missiles and a gun slapped on, but were a lethal enemy in a close-in fight. The canopies lowered, and everyone gave a thumbs-up. The planes were directed onto the taxiway, and the directors crisply saluted the pilots. 

"Flight S5, pilot check please."

"Macrick ready."

"Bubbles ready."

"Edge ready."

"S5, you are clear for takeoff, Edge is lead."

"Edge taking lead. Push it!"

The three planes shook as the turbojets spooled to full power.

"Release!"

The pilots were shoved into their seats as the planes hurtled down the runway, gaining speed.

"Rotate!"

With a gentle pull on the stick, Mac watched the ground sink away.

"I see two bogies, 2 kilometers out." Bodvilly reported.

"Bubbles, lock on the far one, me and Macrick will take care of the other one." Enroy said.

A growling noise came to Enroy's ear as he brought up the missile sights. It transitioned to a high-pitched whine when the seeker head saw the enemy. He yelled into the radio, "Fire!" Bodvilly felt his plane lurch as the missile streaked away in a line of smoke, with Enroy's missile close behind. He saw a huge ball of fire followed by a shattering BOOM! as his missile connected with its target. The other plane pulled sharply up into a climb at the last moment. As it did so, all three pilots could see the outline. It was a foreign fighter made by many, and bought by many, the AirMaster. With three engines (two Junos and a single Wheesley) powering it, it could outclimb, outpace, and kill an Aeris easily. However, due to its slightly lower wing loading, the Aeris could turn faster than it, but for less time, but that small timeframe was enough to lay down enough rounds to shred the engines. Mac tried to use his gun, but the AirMaster had already started to climb like a bat off Moho. It then dived and fired two missiles at Bodvilly's plane. He went into a Krazy Ivan, and popped as many flares as he could in the little time he had, but when he tried to pull away from one missile, the other found Bodvilly's searing engine exhaust, and rammed right into it. A ball of fire erupted as the warhead exploded, and lit a whole tank of jet fuel ablaze. Enroy shouted, "Dive, dive, dive!" as Mac looked on in helpless terror. Bodvilly sent his plane into a nosedive, and did the unthinkable. A few hundred meters above the ground, Bodvilly hauled on the stick, and stalled the plane just above the ground, using his landing gear simultaneously as airbrakes, landing legs, shock absorbers, and a pogo stick. This, combined with the dive, snuffed out the flames.

 

"Bubbles is hit and down!" reported Mac.

"Bubbles is fine." said Bodvilly.

 

Enroy pulled his plane to face the enemy. He selected "Gun" on his control panel. The lead indicator picked up the AirMaster, and Enroy pulled the trigger. He hit dead-center in the back of the plane, shredding the center engine. Only the two Junos were pushing it through the air. Enroy settled onto the left wing of the plane, and Mac stayed on its six. The enemy pilot turned to Enroy, and… saluted? Mac watched the AirMaster's gear come down. It pulled around to face the runway. Mac reported this to the tower. "Tower, be advised, the enemy is landing. We got him."

 

All eyes were on the AirMaster as it slowly came down onto the runway. It came down so gracefully, even the Tower Boss was amazed. The plane kissed the ground, and slowed gently to a stop at the taxiway. The pilot parked the plane near the hangar door, but remained in the cockpit.

 

Bodvilly  used the emergency glass breaker in the emergency bag to break the canopy and climb out. Dropping to the ground, he saw what the missile had done to the plane. The whole engine, and about a meter around it, were gone, the new rear of the plane a charred mess, and the landing gear suspension was nonexistent. Bodvilly couldn't fathom why. He walked over to the hangar, which had conveniently landedcrashed stalled next to. He wanted to have a little word with that pilot.

 

 

Enroy and Mac brought their planes into the hangar, and walked up to the foreign plane, which still contained the unknown pilot. A ladder was clipped to the side, and the pilot brought the canopy up, with his helmet still on and sun visor down. He pulled himself out of the seat, slid down the ladder, and removed his helmet. The sound of several dropping jaws were audible in the stunned silence. Bodvilly changed his mind about that conversation. The Kerbal standing before them was more than legendary. 

 

[TheKosanianMethod]

Sorry for the delay in a new part, but technical issues reared its head, and the new part should be out before on Friday.

See you then!

Edited October 8, 2016 by TheKosanianMethod
Part Three Inbound!

[TheKosanianMethod]

Part Three

 

The Kerman, the Myth, the Legend

 

Several pilots sat around a large table, in a state of simultaneous amazement and awe. They were trying to get the new Kerbal to talk, but he wouldn't say anything of interest. Whenever he did answer, he said, "I'm waiting." or "Not yet." Finally, to his relief, a Kerbal with a shiny silver badge and a file under his arm showed up and dispersed the pilots. "Please follow me." he said, with a glare of disapproval at a lingering pilot. The foreign Kerbal followed, and as he did so, he saw the badge had "KSC-KAF, Admin, S3" etched around a logo.

 

The pair walked to a room with a table surrounded by several office chairs. The badge-wearing Kerbal sat, and directed the other to sit. He opened the file and looked at the name printed in bold letters.

 

"You are Donzer Kerman, citizen of Loneankopa, correct?"

"Yes." Donzer replied.

"And you have come to defect? Or something else?"

"I have come to defect to Kelpogart."

"Good, now that's settled. I am Lenley Kerman."

"Will I be allowed to fly as a pilot?"

"You are valuable to us, as a Kerbal with knowledge of Loeankopa, who has seemed to become quite fond of harassing the KSC. We do not want to risk you."

Donzer had anticipated this. He pleaded, "I wouldn't have to fly active missions, but could I still at least fly planes?"

"That seems fine, just expect to be flying several training flights."

"I am fine with this." said Donzer, who was itching to fly an Aeris.

Lenley said, "Donzer Kerman, welcome to Kelpogart. We will show you to your new home."

They shook hands, and Donzer was escorted to his apartment on KSC property.

Donzer was glad that the number wasn't given out to anyone. He wanted to sleep for days.

And that he did.

[TheKosanianMethod]

Due to a medical issue, I will  be updating, just not weekly. Thanks for reading, though!

[TheKosanianMethod]

Part Four

 

Frenemy Fire

 

Everything was bright and beautiful. The sun was a blinding white ball out the right window, and the few clouds were thin and wispy. The light reflected into Donzer's eye from brilliant blue water a two and a half thousand meters below. The only noise in Donzer's ear was the gentle whine of the jet. He loved these flights. It was his time to think over the past month. After his defection, the Loneankopan AirMasters had been showing up almost every day. Kelpogarti Aeris fighters had been on their tail every time. The tension had resulted in five dogfights, with two Aerises going down, and seven AirMasters, resulting in two Kelpogarti deaths and five Loneankopans. The other two survivors were questioned, asked whether or not they would defect, and both chose to be sent back to their homeland on a Velociteze. Donzer had been endlessly questioned for a week after his defection, and he had walked the KAF engineers through every system on his  jet as they took it to pieces and then re-assembled it. He had taken a four-day crash course in flying the Aeris, and  proved he was a natural at flying it - he flew it with more grace than the best Kelpogarti pilot could. Donzer much preferred flying near the KSC because he could just fly in relative peace. He could switch to a low-use radio frequency that the tower rarely used. If he was needed, the tower knew where he was. The serenity was broken by small chirp. Then another. Donzer looked down at his instrument panel. He had somehow had activated his RWR, and the KSC radar was pinging him, just like usual. He switched the RWR off and gently banked east. Something was bothering Donzer, yet he didn't know what. Once he was due east of the KSC, Donzer dove his plane to only fifty meters. This was what he would have done a month ago if he'd had to defect without a reason to. When he was two and a half kilometers out, he popped the plane up to two hundred meters. This is how he would have announced his presence. The RWR again broke Donzer's thought. This time, it was beeping a faster tone. The radar had locked on him - he was being tracked as a target. Donzer had been told that the radar operators were practicing tracking today. If he was tracked by friendly radar, he had been told to waggle his wings. He did so. At two kilometers out, yellow streaks flew by the cockpit. What? Donzer repeated the waggle. More streaks. This time, Donzer pulled into a vertical climb and leveled at nine hundred meters. He spoke into the main KSC frequency. "This is Aeris One. You are firing on a friendly. Cease fire!" "What?" the tower replied. "We are not firing." Another burst came at him, and Donzer pulled a Split-S and flipped his transponder to "Emergency" and tuned his radio to the emergency frequency. "KSC AA, you are firing on a friendly! I repeat, friendly fire!" Too late. Another burst found its mark and shot off a canard. "Friendly fire!" Donzer yelled.

 

            On the ground, the radar officer realized the mistake. He yelled at the AA leader, "Hold your fire!". The AA leader realized what had happened. "Cease fire! Good Kraken, CEASE FIRE!" Up in the wounded Aeris, Donzer realized his hand hurt, and looked down. His hand had jammed the throttle all the way open. Out his front window, he saw a long trail of vapor. He knew instantly what was going down. The radar operator had locked the wrong target. A strange plane was hurtling toward him at a relative speed of five hundred fifty-three meters per second. Donzer's speed was one hundred seventy-two. The only plane Donzer knew of that could go that fast was an experimental Loneankopan plane, but the model planned for production was not supposed to go above the speed of sound. This meant that this was the actual prototype coming right at him. None of the ground defenses could do a thing. Donzer had a full load of weapons, and he was trained in using them. He brought up the sights for his AIM-9s, and instantly the missiles locked. He fired two, and they both missed, but that was exactly what Donzer needed. The enemy had to break from his original flight path, and that brought it right into the circular target of the Vulcan. Donzer Kerman yelled an insult in Loneanish. To most, it sounded like "STALLING SWEAT SOCKS!" It meant something much worse to the pilot of the incoming plane. A long line of rounds spat from the front of the Aeris, and the blazing-fast plane was now just blazing. As the cockpit dove toward the KSC, a ball of fire surrounded it, and a shape popped out. A parachute opened as the unconscious former pilot floated to the ground. Donzer could not believe what he had done. He had just become the first Kerbal to shoot a supersonic object. And with a gun. All he heard was the amazed gasps of the ground crew.