//------------------------------// // Interview One // Story: Ace Combat: Shattered Friendships // by Draconis187 //------------------------------// Ace Combat: Shattered Friendships Interview One Author: Draconis187 Near a disputed border *CLICK* “Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Miss Pie. I know that given your situation with regards to my particular line of questioning could be… difficult for you.” “No problem, Fine Print. I can spare some time since the border’s been relatively quiet these past few days. Want a cupcake?” “No thanks…” My name is Fine Print. I am a Crystal Pony working in the local library. Ten years ago my homeland and our neighbour: Equestria were engulfed in a war that scarred both sides. In our history books it was called the ‘War of the Winds.’ I was just a young colt at the time so I barely understood what was going on at the time. My parents tried their best to explain to me it was not the ghost of King Sombra that was trying to get revenge from beyond the grave. It was a hard thing to do when bombs were falling around us in one of the outlying districts of the Empire where our family had lived for five generations. When I finally grew up I went into the library and part timed as a freelance journalist. It wasn’t until recently that certain documents were declassified. The documents of the war had finally been brought into the public eye after ten years of silence. I was amongst the first to get my hooves on them. As I read, something kept popping up. Two terms to be exact that were used for a single pilot: The Demon Lord and Cipher. All the parts I tried to read about this mare were blacked out, restricting my knowledge about this mysterious mare. She had almost nothing in her records, save for her kill record and her term of service which was a few short months. So with my nagging curiosity and my voice recorder, I decided I would find out the truth from more reliable sources on both sides of the war. Pinkamena Diane Pie is one such mare. “It was a cold and snowy day…” Valiant Airbase The Snake of the skies Snake, a Pegasus and flight lead of Grabcr Squadron had settled with flying for Equestria since the end of the war with Techno Watt. They had since lived rather peaceful lives as they help perform at airshows with the Wonderbolts nowadays and raise their families. *CLICK* “Thanks again Snake for helping me out with this.” “It’s alright. What did you want to talk about? It sounded rather important when you sent me that message.” “Well it is to me. I wanted to know more about a certain pilot during the war ten years ago.” “Cipher? Yeah… she was a strange mare I’d give her that but her piloting skills were second to none.” “What was your first impression of her?” I swear these ponies keep smiling every time I mention her name. What is it about this mare that drives such a reaction from them? “I wasn’t sure what to think. She never took that helmet of hers off so it was impossible to read her expressions. All I knew was that she was a unicorn.” “Thanks.” *CLICK* Valiant Airbase Technical issues *CLICK* “Your name is Techno Watt, correct?” “That’s right. What did you want to speak to me about? I hear you’re going all over the base for some odd reason.” Some odd reason? I was sure I had made my purpose on this base pretty clear when Techno came past after I finished my short interview with Snake. “I am trying to find out more about Cipher and I was hoping you would share your opinion.” “Hm… alright. When I first met the mare, I thought she was a bit stuck up. After all we never saw her actual face. Even the Wonderbolts and Pinkamena were seen out of those flight suits but she seemed to live in it. Despite that, she never seemed to act stuck up… more along the lines of isolated. It was a little sad.” *CLICK* Valiant Airbase A Solace Everlasting *CLICK* “I hear you are known as Everlasting Solace. You were the lead of Vampir before joining the Equestrian Air Force at the end of the war with Grabcr Squadron.” “That’s right. Got fed up with flying for looking for the next war and my next paycheck so I stuck around, moved the family close by so now we’re always never too far from each other.” More grinning but I heard he’s usually quite cheerful so maybe it’s just his disposition. “That’s good to hear. May I ask about Cipher?” “Ah… Cipher. I had been trying since I met her to get that helmet off her. She was so mysterious and I just had to know who it was under the helmet.” “Did you?” “…” *CLICK* Lichtenburg, the Griffon Empire A Griffon who upholds honour Dimitri Heinreich was the first of the aces I planned to interview and was the flight lead of Indigo Squadron. They met Galm above B7R before Offensive Campaign No. 4101 began. Dimitri was left in a coma, waking up three months later and had since left the Griffon Air Force. *CLICK* “Mr. Heinreich, thank you for allocating some time for me to interview you. I know your business can be a little… hectic from time to time.” “Granted running the family business fills up my calendar but I find I can make time should I need to. You are here as a reporter or something to that effect, yes?” “Correct. I’ve been interviewing some pilots who had been flying during the war ten years ago. I’m looking for some insight into the mare called Cipher.” Dimitri just chuckled. Did I say something funny perhaps? “Back then she was still inexperienced. The Round Table had made easy meals of most pilots but then… she didn’t seem to be like most pilots. I was rather… confused to say the least when my squadron received an intercept mission into B7R. Our stationed forces were having trouble downing two simple mercenaries. “Of course I decided there and then to end them, put them out of their misery before the war scarred them for life. It was the merciful and noble thing to do. As we fought I found out something about her, she hesitated once before taking the kill, which ended one of my squad mates. It was a sign of weakness, one that could have been easily exploited but I had failed my mission.” *CLICK* University of Dinsmark A pilot that lives by pride Detlef Fleisher was a young Griffon with great potential during the war. He became their poster boy, a shining symbol for all young pilots and a role model they could aspire to become. Now he works as a historical professor at the University of Dinsmark. *CLICK* “Mr. Fleisher, your office is a lot tidier than expected.” “Haha, not all university professors live like pigs, Mr. Fine Print.” “May you tell me about your standing on the war? I read you were not shot down in B7R bu-” “But in the skies above the Futuro Canal? Yes, I was. I faced Vampir Squadron as the Allied Fleet made its way through the Canal after two successful attacks on both sides of the Canal just minutes ago. “Back then I was bursting with pride. I would have flown into Tartarus for my country if it meant keeping invaders off our soil and out of our skies. That day I received the order to intercept and take down their air power… I became angry. “I fear my rage had – looking back at that day – clouded my judgement and allowed me to get shot down along with the rest of my squadron. Either way… I was shot down and the Allied Forces defiled Futuro Canal.” *CLICK* A diner in Sudentor, the Griffon Empire The Strategist Bernard Schmidt was known to have the eyes of an owl during his time as a pilot. He could quickly analyse a situation and create at least two separate strategies to deal with them. He returned to his hometown shortly after the war had ended. *CLICK* “Try the meat, they make the best veal in the Empire.” Do Griffons do this on purpose? Don’t they realise we ponies don’t eat any meat? “Um… no thanks. I prefer vegetarian.” “Suit yourself. Let me just finish this and we can start.” I swear Griffons have no table manners. That… food is going everywhere but into his beak. Please let this interview be short, Crystal Heart willing. “So, you wanna know about me ten years ago, right? When I flew for the Empire?” “Yes I do. You were involved in the Allied Forces’ Campaign No. 4101, correct?” “That’s right. Me and my mates were awaiting orders as usual then finally they came. We got up and caught Grabcr with their knickers down.” “Your flight recordings have you speaking… differently.” Could this Bernard be the same one I was looking for? This one looked rather… unnervingly laid back to be a pilot for a former military power, let alone an ace. “Ah that? I was a bit more… professional back then. Had an image to keep up as an ace of the Griffon Empire. Now, not so much. I had been hoping it was Galm when I had heard it was two mercenaries but when my IFF told me it was not them, my heart kinda sank a bit. “I wanted to go against the ones that took down Indigo Squadron. I wanted a little payback and to have some fun in the process. As we flew against Grabcr, I noticed that they had some notches under their belts. They weren’t rookies, that much was obvious. So I checked the air currents, their speed, mine and our remaining ammo… figured I could do it.” *CLICK* Near a disputed border *CLICK* “So... your first impression of Cipher?” “She had potential. It wasn’t until our first mission into B7R that I realised… I could trust her. She had my six and I had hers. It made it… harder later on in the war when it all turned south.” *CLICK*