The squadron flew into the clouds, hoping to hide from the missiles of their foes. However, for the remaining two minutes before the reinforcements would arrive, they still found themselves mercilessly hounded by the enemy fighters. Diving in and out of the clouds, with thirty millimeter cannon fire sweeping by their cockpits, they tried their best to evade the powerful aircraft. Those two-minutes might have been the longest one-hundred twenty seconds of their lives, until their salvation finally came.

[b]Friendly Air[/b]
[b]<<[/b]IPG A-Team, this is Major Andrews of the 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Albatross". We're responding to your request for aid. [b]>>[/b]

Almost as if responding in reply, the Mask Squadron leader spoke, a tinge of disgust in his voice.

[b]Mask Squadron[/b]
[b]<<[/b]Their reinforcements are here. Mask Three, deploy ECM and return to the Valhalla, everyone. We'll get them later.[b]>>[/b]

A bang followed shortly after and communications were lost for a moment as the fighters turned away from the group and flew away from the group.

[b]Friendly Air[/b]
[b]<<[/b] Sir, permission to pursue![b]>>[/b]

[b]<<[/b] Negative. Our job's only to bring these guys back to McNealy. We don't have time to chase them. A-Team, fall into our formation and we'll take you home. [b]>>[/b]

With a nod, Charles brought the Phantom II into the formation of twelve F-2A Viper Zero's. Within moments, the rest of the team had found their place and the flock of metal birds steadily headed home at relatively low speed cruise to make up for the damaged A-7. It took a good hour, but eventually they all safely arrived at the base. Allowing the damaged planes to land first so they could be directly brought to aprons ready for repairs. Overhead, one could see a smoking AWACS with a missing radome, explaining the loss of communications upon Mask Squadron's arrival. Planes with little damage were directed to a separate runway for landing and the F-2A's of Albatross let the others land first.

Charles had little difficulty landing the F-4E, having sustained little more than a bit of shrapnel damage to the nozzle caused by one of the missiles being burnt up during an afterburn, though both of the two in the Phantom II silently hoped for the safe landing of the A-7 which had sustained more than a little damage during the battle. The canopy opened with no trouble and both of the pilots descended by ladder. When they touched the ground, both suddenly felt a feeling much akin to the one sailors felt upon walking on land after a long voyage at sea, a somewhat nauseating, teetering lopsidedness taking them for a moment. Removing their helmets, they were met by an urgent looking man who gave each of them a bottle of water before hastily saying something.

"Report to the briefing room, western building, in twenty minutes." The man didn't wait for any questions before bounding off to other aprons to speak to the other pilots. Before this, the man paused in front of a pair of pilots who looked to be heading towards the control tower and after handing them both water bottles, he directed them too towards the briefing room after telling them hurriedly that the control tower was highly busy and not a place to be at the moment.

"We should get going, no wasting our time in case we get lost." Charles spoke as he stopped watching the man and began walking towards the western building. Erika began to follow without much hesitation, worriedly watching the hubbub around the base. The F-2A's had landed and were all refueling and those which had refueled were already beginning for another launch. A team of mechanics quickly showed up to repair the nozzle and begin refueling. Obviously, they were in a hurry to bring them back in the air. It took them a few minutes to find the briefing room as they occasionally stopped to watch repairs or take offs, but eventually the pair found themselves in a well lit room with a projector. Upon entry, they were saluted by a man wearing a uniform not of the OADF, but somehow similar. After saluting, the man stopped typing on his laptop to speak to Erika.

"First Lieutenant Ansel, I'm Colonel Popov, I'll need you for part of the briefing. We think, based on what you said, that the fighters with that Mask Squadron are something you know quite well. Mind coming over here? Captain Kreulich, you can sit down, you're quite early." He had a rough voice, with a thick Estovakian accent, complete with cliché rolled 'r's. Nodding, Charles sat down near the front and began to take a few sips from his water bottle as he awaited the briefing and Erika looked over the man's searches, nodding at his low tone remarks and ideas. As Charles sat in the front, thinking over the past events, he wondered what the other pilots were doing. [i]All there's to do now is wait and see what's going on...[/i] He silently observed, watching a flickering light fixture on the ceiling.