Double-Echo, this is Coke Bottle!
Flies are swarming around us. Do you read?!
Encountered enemy at location Sierra-2-7!
Hostiles are now engaged with our escort craft. Send support!
On the right!
Send up support! Double-Echo, do you read?!
This is Coke Bottle!
Sweet Soldier
The oasis you can see ahead doesn't dry up even in the dry season.
That's why this is a reference point for approaches from the west.
Right, whatever.
But on new-moon nights, it's difficult to spot, so I'll show you another point now.
That's a lovely oasis!
I'd like to dive in right now and rinse the sweat off!
Take this seriously!
Senior? You're senior to me?
That's right.
I'll guide you on a run over the next point...
Kitri?
Kitri!
What was that about, all of a sudden?!
What are you trying to do?
Well, you've got good banking abilities at least.
If that's how you want to be...
Don't get too full of yourself!
All right!
Your endgame is sloppy.
Splash!
A senior who's all talk, huh?
Hey, old man!
Give us a break!
There's no way we can pay that!
Nothing I can do about it!
It's because three tankers in a row have been shot down!
No fuel is getting here at all!
Even so,
ain't doublin' the price all of a sudden awful greedy, old man?
If you don't wanna pay it, just don't fly.
If I don't fly, I can't get any work done!
What are we supposed to do? If I don't fly, I can't get any work done!
What are we supposed to do? Then fill it up with your own fart gas instead!
Sheesh!
What'd you say?!
Cut it out!
Anyway, none of the things you ordered are gonna get here.
Go on home, all of you! Store's closed for today!
Hey, wait a minute!
Hey, old man, that's uncalled for!
We've reached our limit with this sortie, Sir.
I think the bottom of the tank is already starting to show.
What about the pipeline?
It'll be a month until it's restored, Sir.
Fuel pump, fuel pump...
This is an interesting composition.
I think I'll title it, "Etranger Picking Through Scraps."
If I take things apart and fit together the best-grade parts,
she'll still go.
Quite a laudable effort...
It's because I'm not earning enough!
I can't always afford brand-new stuff like Shin and the others.
What's more, there are even cases where if you piece things together well,
they'll work better than the real parts.
A Jaguar and a Buccaneer...
I wonder if these will attach?
First you put Sparrow parts in the Harrier; what are you up to this time?
A fuel pump.
I don't suppose this would raise my output by about 1 00 kilos?
Hmm...
That'd be a bit of a stretch.
Oh...
Hey, old man.
Is it really okay to mess with the latest military weaponry like that?
Oh, come on,
when you get right down to it, airplanes are pretty much handmade anyway.
Fact is, Kim's Harrier moves twice as well as the Royal ones.
Wow...
Where my skill falls short,
I have to cover for it with effort and creativity.
What's this?
Ooh! My calculator!
So it got lost in here, huh?
Is this Japanese-made?
I wonder if I could use it as a keypad for my wireless?!
Give it up; that thing doesn't work right.
One extra digit shows up in the totals.
Here.
I'll go without this month.
What's the problem?
Fuel prices jumped up, right? I have to economize wherever I can.
Now I'm stuck. You're about the only one who'll buy this stuff.
I'll take it.
Huh? You will?
How much?
Fifty dollars...
Fifty?! For one jar of jam?
Save it for the guy who shot down the transport planes.
Whoa! That's too sweet!
It can't be returned.
Kim!
That stuff must be for kids!
I don't want to fly with Kim.
His skill is only so-so, and his intuition isn't the best either.
Even so, the kid's wings have survived.
He's been lucky.
This isn't a world where you can survive on only luck.
Wait... wait a minute!
Show just a bit of friendliness once in a while!
Sheesh!
Tango-Blue, wind two-six-niner at six knots.
Sorry, I'm dangerously low on gas! Let me land first!
Even by emptying my bank account, I only barely put in enough.
Larry! You're not on the approach line!
Reattempt!
I'm telling you I don't have time to reattempt!
Larry! Dump your bombs!
I paid a lot of money for 'em! Do you think I'd throw 'em away?!
Larry!
It's impossible! Don't try it, Larry!
Bring your nose up!
This is bad!
What's that?
What the hell was that?
I nsurance doesn't pay for anything here!
Big Sammy has picked up an enemy formation.
What about anti-aircraft missiles?
We still haven't been resupplied after last week's attack.
Gather the pilots immediately!
Yes, Sir! Gather the pilots immediately!
Yes, Sir!
...gotta make some money...
What are we supposed to do? ...gotta make some money...
What are we supposed to do?
...fuel...
They're here.
Men, the situation has bottomed out.
We have barely any fuel.
We have only been able to gather a meager quantity of both missiles and ammunition.
To this we add worse news.
Big Sammy has spotted a formation headed this way accompanied by heavy bombers.
Our situation is a race against time.
How many planes can we fly with the fuel and munitions we have left?
Three.
Just three? That's it?
I'll now read off the names of those who we'll have fly.
First, Kazama: we'll have you fly.
The reason goes without saying. He's top-ranked here at 88.
Naturally, we would like to designate Mickey next,
but that monster cat of yours eats up way too much fuel, which is a problem.
That being the case, the second plane will be Kitri.
I took the liberty of checking your record,
and your score is next after Mickey's.
With pleasure. So, we'll have you fly.
With pleasure.
Naturally, we'll be able to receive a proper reward for this...
Of course.
If so, then let me go!
Going by score, I should be the next one selected.
Hold on! My Skyhawk eats up less gas! I'll go!
What?!
That's ridiculous!
Kazama!
You'll be in command.
Who do you choose?
Kim.
What are you saying, Shin?!
Hey, what's this about?
Kim's the only one here at 88 who's got VTOL at his command.
I see; that's good thinking.
Kim's Harrier can put down in the desert.
You mean if you transfer his return fuel to your two planes,
you can buy more flying time.
You're always on the ball, Shin!
Acknowledged.
Way to go, Shin! Leave it to him! Acknowledged.
Way to go, Shin! Leave it to him! The third plane will be Kim.
We'll have you fly.
Any time we had for delay is already used up.
We expect a lot from each of you.
That is all. Dismissed!
Shin!
Just because I'm the only one who can fly a Harrier...
If you want reasons, I'll give you as many as you like.
Fly or don't fly...
You're the one to decide.
Per Saki's instructions, we've entrusted all the surviving missiles to Kim.
We're equipping Kitri's Mirage and your Unicorn with three 20mm gun pods.
All right, now don't fire them all at once, because it will slow you way down.
I don't need your input, thanks.
The switch for the Sidewinders is this one.
Do a good job now. See ya.
What are you sighing about?
That face gives me the feeling you don't get it!
You were chosen by Shin.
If that's not enough to give you faith in yourself, what is?
You've fought all the way up till now on your own strength.
Come back alive this time too, and show everyone!
He's going to start his engine! Get back!
I know, I know!
It's time to go, Kim.
Okay!
We don't want to waste time taxiing.
There's a tailwind, but use runway two-one.
Roger.
No obstructions in the outlying airspace.
You are cleared for takeoff.
We're counting on you, Prince Strawberry Jam.
Four craft have split off from the formation.
So they've divided into two groups.
If they don't do this right,
the pots will be empty before they can bring down the bombers.
Tango-Yellow will encounter the enemy shortly.
Can you see them, Kitri?
Four of them at ten o'clock.
We'll engage them from their left and get behind them.
Okay...
Right! Okay...
They're coming!
Kitri, take the ones below. Kim, back Kitri up.
Stick right with me now!
I know! Stick right with me now!
Kitri!
That was dangerous!
It slows down more than I thought.
Where's the enemy?
Behind us!
They're sticking tight to me!
Kitri! Where's Kitri?
I'm here!
Kim, hold it steady.
It's no good!
Kim! It's no good!
Kim!
Kim! Kim!
Answer me, Kim!
Shin! Kim's been shot down!
That's why I didn't want to fly with that kid!
Kim!
We've lost all response from Kim's aircraft.
Kitri has shot down one more.
They'll be encountering the main formation at eleven o'clock.
Kitri, can you still fight?
Don't ask; I'm already emptied out.
All I've got left is my fuselage-mounted cannons.
They're here!
Going down!
Shin and Kitri are completely surrounded.
There's no way we can fight them like this!
They must have some weakness.
There aren't any weaknesses!
I don't have much fuel left either!
Here it comes!
We've picked up one anti-aircraft missile.
Where did it come from?
This is Kim Aba of zero-seven section. I've got my wireless back.
Kim!
Kim! Where are you?!
Calling from the oasis on approach four.
Kim!
It's an improvised SAM site.
All right, draw them this way, as many as you can!
Kitri, let's go!
That beautiful oasis, huh? Okay!
I can't get a reading on Kim's location, but he's on approach four.
What's the distance between the bombers and Kim?
1 0 km, Sir.
They'll be out of range in about five more minutes.
Tell Shin to finish it in three!
Yes, Sir! Tell Shin to finish it in three!
Yes, Sir!
All right!
Coming in from nine o'clock.
Roger!
We're counting on you.
Now the finishing touch, Kim!
All right!
Go!
Harrier, hold up ten more seconds for me.
Signals from the bombers have vanished.
Remaining hostiles are withdrawing.
All right!
They did it! All right!
Do we have fuel to fly a rescue team?
We'll try scraping the bottoms of the tanks.
Welcome back!
Yahoo!
Hey, cut it out!
You're quite the goddess!
You stink of sweat, I'm telling you! Let me go!
I said, let me go already!
I'll tell ya, my hat's off to you ; you've got the devil's own luck.
Great work.
Say those words to him too.
I guess I should.
Why not?
The hero returns.
The word is that my goods are on the way here safe and sound too.
This means I can do business again.
He does pretty well, that kid.
Yeah...
I think I'll title this, "Sweet Soldier."
A single bullet pierces a solitary island floating in the desert.
A solitary trigger halts the perpetual flow.
Those he has targeted recoil in a sharpened state of tension,
and the Angel of Death concealed in the sands laughs quietly.
This is Area 88.
On the edge of the hot sands, the wolf sharpens his fangs.
Bullets From the Sand On the edge of the hot sands, the wolf sharpens his fangs.
Bullets From the Sand
Burned through by the sun
I look at stars in the lonely night sky
The faintly-heard melody
I ' m so nostalgic for it that I can't remember it
The warmth I turned my back on
Dance in the battlefield
I shut my eyes
Play in a brief moment's dream
Gentleness isn't needed here
The moon illuminates the darkness