The storm finally ca to a halt, the raging winds gradually subsided, and the pelting raindrops turned into a gentle drizzle. The rain in Jade City seed to finally have a mont of pause.
In the sky, the thick clouds slowly dispersed, revealing a streak of long-lost light, as if bringing a glimr of hope to the scarred land below.
The clouds that were dense yesterday have now dissipated. On the wet city wall of Jade City, Paul looked expressionlessly at the damp ground and his defensive fortifications that had been stalled for many days.
On the runway of the airport near Northern Ridge Wolf City, the accumulated water had been completely drained. Puddles on the roadside in the distance reflected the faint glow of the sky.
Each Thunderbolt Attack Aircraft was ready and waiting, like predatory hawks poised to strike. Their grey-black fuselages appeared even more formidable under the rain’s wash, and their wings were loaded with various weapons: rockets, precision-guided bombs, air-to-ground missiles... radiating a cold aura of death.
Every aircraft had its attack mission, so to destroy confird low-cost ground targets with rockets, so to take out high-value pinpoint targets near the frontlines with precision-guided bombs, and others to disrupt supply points and command hubs inside Jade City with onboard missiles.
Ground personnel waved their arms at the pilots in the cockpit, and the pilots gave a thumbs-up indicating that all systems were go.
Inside the control tower on the side, staff were busily at work, surrounded by outdated equipnt that hadn’t yet been unpacked or moved. Many of the newly deployed pieces of equipnt could only be randomly placed in unsuitable locations, increasing the workload for the command personnel.
This was unavoidable, after all, given the limited ti and the sheer volu of work to be done. Up until now, a few workers from Wolf City were still squatting in a corner assembling fras for equipnt delivered by the Great Tang Empire.
"Eagle 1 is in good condition, ready for takeoff!" ca the pilot’s steady voice over the communication channel, with a hint of barely contained excitent.
"Received, Eagle 1, you may take off!" responded the commander in the control tower, his voice deep and powerful: "Long live the Empire! Good luck to you all!"
"Eagle 1 understands! Long live His Majesty The Emperor!" the pilot replied, then pushed the stick, causing the engine to roar thunderously. Eagle 1 shot out of the hangar like an arrow, racing down the runway.
"Eagle 2 is ready!" Almost simultaneously, another pilot’s voice sounded in the communication channel, filled with confidence and determination.
"Eagle 2, please hold!" the commander calmly directed, "Wait until Eagle 1 is airborne before proceeding with takeoff!"
"Eagle 2 understands!" the pilot answered, then quietly awaited instructions.
As Eagle 1 soared into the sky, slicing through the clouds, the commander again picked up the communicator, his tone decisive and firm: "Runway is clear! Eagle 2, you are cleared for takeoff!"
"Eagle 2 received! Victory belongs to the Great Tang!" ca the pilot’s response, then he pushed the stick, engine roaring in a deafening crescendo. Eagle 2 followed closely behind like a black lightning bolt, swiftly exiting the hangar, charging up the runway, racing into the sky.
With the thunderous roaring of engines, all the Thunderbolt Attack Aircraft took off in succession, soaring into the sky, heading straight for Jade City.
Further in the Suthers Empire’s airport, the War God strategic bombers also started their engines. These larger bombers were loaded with bombs, ready to greet their opponents and inform the Laines Empire that they had arrived.
At this mont, the entire Great Tang Empire Air Force was busy; hundreds of aircraft were successively taking off, and all airspace in the Suthers Region had been cleared.
The newly deployed mobile radar screens were filled with the light spots of friendly signals, and fighters guarding bombers and attack aircraft had taken off early, dominating the entire airspace.
Yinglong Fighters, loaded with missiles, penetrated deep into the Laines Empire’s territory, clearing anything in the sky that did not emit friendly identification signals. They moved like sharks patrolling their territory in the ocean.
Unfortunately, there were very few allied planes daring to take off to confront them, except at the beginning when a dozen or so Mirage 1 Fighters flew out only to et their demise. Over Jade City, no allied air force was left.
Most of these planes’ pilots were lucky, managing to parachute safely under the tense gaze of friendly forces, landing unscathed on the unfinished positions, though one did fall into the city...
That unlucky soul landed in the city and nearly faced danger when his parachute was almost snagged by a building, and he got entangled with the parachute, hitting a streetlamp and suffering a minor injury.
At this mont, both the civilians and the garrison inside Jade City still had ti to watch the downed airn, but soon they would lose such leisure.
The Great Tang Empire’s air raid arrived ten minutes later, and the shrill sound of air-raid sirens struck fear into everyone in Jade City.
Soon, explosions began sounding from afar, and although no one knew where the battle occurred, everyone recognized that it had truly begun.
On the horizon, one column of black smoke after another rose up; the black smoke pillar to the north of the city was seen first by those inside, followed by those to the west and south.
Before these people could react, explosions started occurring close by inside the city. The violent explosions were deafening, as if to tear the whole world apart.
Shockwaves swept through, causing buildings on either side of the street to sway violently, threatening to collapse at any mont. Glass shook with a rattling ding, window fras shivered with convulsion, ready to shatter at any mont.
It was unclear whether it was gas or ammunition stored within the city that caused secondary explosions, making the initial blasts even more horrific. On the streets, so panicked civilians suddenly rembered they should be in fallout shelters rather than crowding the streets for a spectacle.
Anti-aircraft guns deployed on the city outskirts began futilely firing into the sky, tracer bullets decorating the heavens, still showing impressive scenes even in daylight.
Yet at this point, no one cared about these anymore; everyone was fleeing for their lives. Behind the scattering crowds, the Jade City broadcast building was already ablaze with raging fires, and the famous giant tal signal antenna was slowly collapsing in the flas.
The air-raid sirens continued to echo relentlessly, as if Jade City were groaning under the aerial assault. Tangles of thick smoke rolled over within the city, marking the opening of the Battle of Jade City.
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