536797
"Lead, we're being locked on too!"
"They have a lock on me! Permission to break and fire
Cole was about to give permission, until he saw who it was coming from.
"Hold fire!" He shouted. "All fighters stand down!"
"But sir-"
"Follow the order damnit!" He hissed. Cole slowly brought his Raptor closer to Orion's plane. "Alright, you have my attention."

536814

"EVERYBODY CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" Orion repeated the phrase she shouted in the Equestrian-Griffin war.

Alright, you have my attention.

Orion smiled. Slowly, she released all her locks. She switched to fleetwide comms, even broadcasting to the Yuktobanian fleet.

"This is a war.
A multi-species war. One in which many parties were dragged unwillingly into.
All of us, in front of me now, have sworn to protect their own fraction. Whether it be Equestrian, Human, Griffin, Or even Dragon, we have come to fight.
But to what ends? What was our objective all along?
We came to fight, yes, but not within ourselves.
No. We came to defeat the Solar Empire and it's tyrant, Celestia.
Not to fight between allies, however unlikely they have been.
The Human Federation, came to try and eliminate the Republic. And what does Celestia do in return?

She defiled the very opinions the Federation stood upon.

The Yuktobanians, came to help us in defeating the warriors of the Solar Empire. And what does Celestia do?

She assassinates their Prime Minister and threatens the defenseless homeland in which they reside!

The Griffins, who where so kind as to even allow us... Equestrians... inside their borders. And what does Celestia do?

SHE SUBJUGATED THEM!"

Orion could hear the murmurs of approval from the flight of planes in front of her.

"Friends, allies, brothers, comrades.

We.

We have come together! To fight!

But instead, we are fighting in petty squabbles amongst ourselves!

I could not have blamed you for being the first to lose heart if I, your commander, had not shared in your perilous campaigns; it would have been natural enough if you had done all the work merely for others to reap the reward. But it is not so. You and I, gentlemen, have shared the labor and shared the danger, and the rewards are for us all.

Wars are not won by any single hand, but by hundreds, all working together.

And so I ask."

Orion waited.

"Are you all going to fight with me, or against me?"

The NLR forces were quick to respond, but the Human Federation and the Yuktobanian forces hesitated.

536881
Everyone was silent, then Cole smiled.
"You were the one's who saved humanity. We were with you when the Griffins attacked our bases with chemical strikes. We were with you when the Griffins invaded Equestria. What kind of friends would we be if we abandoned you now?"
"Agreed," Talisman said, flying alongside Cole. "Once we kick the Imperials out of the Mainland, youll have the support of the most powerful military in the world behind you."
"And we're pretty damn good looking too," Justin chimed in. "If I do say so myself."

536881>>536978

Admiral Pitomik listened in on the strange transmission, his interest piqued in the strange voice.

The speech moved him, instantly he was barking out orders. "All Yuktobanian units, mission complete. All NLR units and their allies have been confirmed shot down. Good work men." He cast his head down, wondering what horrors he'd brought upon his people by disobeying Celestia. Pitomik clenched his hoof into his leg, and gave the floor a solid punch. "Thanks dad, I owe you yet again..." He mumbled to himself. At this rate, he'd never live up to his father.

"Also, send a message to Zmerya, tell them to relay it back to the NLR."

Northern watched in satisfaction as the Yuktobanian aircraft turned away, back towards their fleet. His comms beeped him a private message.

"CAN'T BROADCAST. CELESTIA LISTENING ON COMMS. FLEET ALLIED WITH NLR."

The message was straight and to the point, just like Pitomik himself. "Hey guys, guess who's back on our side?"

There was unrest among the Yuktobanian pilots in the sky. They were out for blood, and they were more than willing to take it in order to get their revenge. One of the main ringleaders called out Pitomik.

"What was that sir? Your message was jumbled by the lack of resolve in your voice. All units loyal to the true Yuktobania follow me!" The fighter accelerated out the group showing himself to everypony else in the flight. Not soon after, more planes followed, eventually adding up to about seventy aircraft.

"Roger that Sabaka 1, we're now under you're command."

536978>>537340

What was that sir? Your message was jumbled by the lack of resolve in your voice. All units loyal to the true Yuktobania follow me!

Orion swore. She had hoped that the pilots had listened to her, but obviously, she was wrong.

"All forces, form upon me. AWACS, keep IFF tags alive." She barked out orders as she turned.

It was massive. The United Republic versus the Renegade Yuktobanians.

"Tally ho on bandits."
"There's so many of them!"
"Keep alive, men! Choose a target each, and go for it!"
"All squadrons, IFF's remarked. Targets designated."

Orion watched about seventy of the original Yuktobanian airforce turn red.

"This is Valkyrie group. Talon one?" Orion quickly flipped through her mental list of air groups...

Bombardier is the NLR third regement, with F/B 22's, Pheonix is the second regiment, with XFA-27's, so...

"Yes, Group Lead?" She watched the unusual spidery FENRIR craft drift close.

"Bringing the Valkyries down to a hundred feet above ground, hope to get around, and flank them, with our backs to the sun."

"Okay. Sounds good, Valkyrie lead. Execute." Orion watched the FENRIR craft all flip over and dive, whilst the powered active camouflage began to work on the FENRIR.

Warning, Missile lock! Just as Orion turned around in her seat to face the front, she was greeted by the sight of a missile in her face.

"You've gotta be..." The missile exploded against her plane, sending it plummeting down towards the ground.

"GODDAMMIT ORION!" Rocker exclaimed.

"Well, that was fast." Eagle commed over.

"I'm in control now. All units, break and attack!"

156
"Garuda One, Fox Two!"
"Rogue One, Fox Three!"
The humans pulled through the fire of their kills, kicking the thrusters in.
"Watch out Cole!" Talisman said. "Three from above!"
"Bolt Three, Bolt Two, pull in."
"Got it!"
Two F-16's were suddenly behind the Yuktabanian Aircraft, taking them out with missiles and machine gun fire.
"Splash One! Splash One!"
Talisman pulled in beside an NLR Fighter.
"Two of them coming in, Five O'clock high!" The pilot alerted her.
"Cut to the left, I'll take the leader!" Talisman ordered.
As the dogfight continued, Cole saw Orion get shot down.
Again.
"Son of a bitch!" He swore.
"Is she really the best the NLR has to offer? No wonder their losing."
"Can it Garuda One! All fighters, protective formation around the crash sight!"

536978>>537509

"Dammit, Orion's hit! Did anyone see a chute?" Golden Dawn called, watching the plane explode from the direct hit.

"Negative. I got nothing but flames." Northern replied, straining his neck to look for her chute. He saw nothing. "Get SAR on the line and see where the wreckage hit! All Zmerya craft engage the rouges."

Northern kicked his afterburners into high gear, arming his XMAA's as his plane leaped forward. He already knew his target, but roughly sixteen fighters blocked his path. A missile lock on was he needed to get started.

"Fox two, fox two!" He yelled, the four missiles launching off his craft with terrifying speed. Two missiles met their mark, leaving two satisfying fireballs in their wake. The other two fighters dodged theirs and turned themselves to face him.

North smirked, it felt good to fight targets who could actually fight back. "All craft, try to keep up."

158
"Hey now, let's not engage ALL the Rogues," Cole smirked, looking at his squadron patch

537810 Northern chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll save a few missiles for you Cole." He dodged one the opposing fighter's missiles, rolling upwards as the two aircraft screamed past. North pulled a downward high-g maneuver, bringing his Flanker to bear against the back of the two craft. North let loose a flurry of bullets against one, veering down with it as the pilot tried to escape him.

"Oh, you're not getting away."

160
"You're right, he's not." The F-22 came rocketing in. "Rogue One, Fox Two!" The plane exploding in a fiery explosion. "And that puts my kill count ahead of yours. I'll expect you to be picking up the tab after this!"

537949

"Dammit, I forgot to tell you I hate people taking my kills. Don't expect to get lucky again." North smirked; the human was better than he thought. He banked his plane in a one-eighty, bring himself back to the massive furball. He saw another Flanker break out the fight and immediately caught its tail, hitting his afterburners to keep up.

North brought himself into gun range, unleashing the steel rain upon the fighter. The plane pulled a high-g turn to left, dodging his bullets forcing North to follow with an even harder turn. He tensed himself, trying to get a lock on the Flanker. The plane leveled out, pulling a cobra before North could react.

Shit

Northern's missile warnings beeped as bullets flew past his cockpit, forcing him to jink left and right from the perusing pilot. The warning beeps turned into a lock tone, alerting him the enemy fighter had fired a missile. He did one last roll, watching as the missiles soared harmlessly underneath him. Now it was North's turn to fight back.

He leveled out for a moment, suddenly raising his air-brake to perform a wide roll around the flanker, bring the plane to his immediate front. Northern's adrenaline pumped as he depressed the trigger, putting a hailstorm of bullets into the plane's right wing root, ripping off it clean off. The plane spun out of control beneath him, the pilot barely managing eject.

"Splash one, moving back to engage."

Coronet, Human Mainland

“Friendly Predator missile inbound.”
The BTR outside the hotel suddenly exploded, destroyed by a missile that came from above.
“Thanks for the help Overlord,” The head engineer said. “We’re moving to the Primary objective.”
“Negative Roadrunner,” The Commander responded. “You’re being redirected to a new target.”
“What’s the mission?” The soldier asked as the squad slowly made their way out of the hotel.
“The Imperials have set up a series of Jammers alongside stock exchange, their jamming our targeting systems and making it damn near impossible to get air support to our troops. So long as the Solars control the skies, it’s a losing fight. We need you to get to one of those jammers, hack the mainframe, and turn them on their own forces.”
“And we’re supposed to fight through the entire Solar frontline to get their?”
“We have an A.R.C. Squad standing by to offer protection and other ground assets to get you close. Good luck Roadrunner, Overlord out.”
The engineers reached the end of the street, getting a clear look at the destruction of their capital city. Buildings collapsing, cars overturned, and dead soldiers and civilians littering the streets.
“This is Outlaw three-five, we’re hit! We’re hit! Going down!”
They watched as a HIND went down, crashing into a nearby gas station and igniting an entire street block with flame.
“Maker Preserve us.” One of the Engineers whispered, looking at the massive Imperial fleet that was sitting in the harbor, bombarding the city.

538189 (I'm detecting a large of amount of CoD references here.)

164
(CoD inspirations, I'm trying to avoid being a total copycat, save for the Overlord callsign, which I think is awesome."

(Part 2 of Shattered's perspective from Post 76 to 111)

Shattered Skies had left Cole and the Orion, whose name he finally heard during the end of the briefing. To be honest, he had never heard of Talon squadron, but the unknown was often the most dangerous. He made a mental note to find out more about their history before deciding to go back to the hangar and let the rest of the squadron know what was going on. After a few wrong turns he finally found himself back in hangar 4 where he began filling in the rest of Mobius Squadron on the plan. That was until the situation changed... again.

“Alert! The Monolyth as changed direction and is now heading for the Yuktobanian mainland.” An intercom reported loudly.

Shattered sighed and wondered why nothing could be simple for turning back to his squadron. “Everyone, run checks on your planes and prepare for combat. Cloud Striker, send a message to Sky Eye and let him know what’s going on.” With that, the blue pegasus made his way back to the briefing room.

Once there, he listened to Orion’s idea and frankly he didn’t like it. While he had performed some harrowing feats in his military career, being shot out of a cannon was something he wanted to leave to circus ponies. He also didn’t like the idea of leaving his X-02 behind on a vessel that wasn’t an ISAF member nation, though it was unlikely that its technology was anything impressive to the NLR. Fortunately that problem could be solved by having Mobius 6 fly his X-02. Finally, he didn’t like the fact that he had to fly in an F-35, a fighter he had never flown in, but he didn’t have a choice in the matter as Cole had chosen him to accompany them. It was unlikely that ISAF command would ever approve of such a risky operation, but what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

As the humans joked, Shattered slipped out unnoticed and returned back to hangar 4. As he walked, he waited for something to change and force him to turn around but nothing of the sort occurred. He returned to find that his squadron mates had finished checking their aircraft and were milling about, waiting for something to do. “Ok everyone, as you know the situation has changed. The Monolyth is going to attack Yuktobania and it is unlikely that anything will reach it in time so it will have to be delayed. To reach it, a portion of Talon squadron, some of the humans, and myself will be shot out of a super advanced space cannon.”

His squadron mates stared at him like he had grown a second head until Cloud Striker walked up and wrapped a foreleg around his neck. “Ahhh, and you all thought that our Captain didn’t have a sense of humor.” Striker let go of his commanding officer and turned to face him. “You are joking? Right?”

Shattered shook, his head “Nope and the rest of you can’t come with me. The cannon only can hold eight aircraft. Also they have to be VTOL so I won’t be flying the X-02. Since I don’t feel comfortable leaving prototype aircraft on another county’s ship, Brick Tough will be piloting mine.”

Cloud Striker elbowed a stocky pink mare with a red mane. “Jeez Mobius 6, what’d you do to get to fly the Captain's plane.”

“Shut it Striker before I slug you so hard you’ll be talking through the back of your head.” She returned to her attention to Shattered. “Thank you sir, I’ll bring it back in one piece.”

Shattered nodded his thanks “I know you will. I want all of you to join the up with the rest of our forces and make sure that nothing touches the fleet.” A chorus of “yes sir’s” rang out as he trotted away to join the task group, which was standing by eight black F-35’s.

He joined just in time to hear Orion’s instructions after which he moved off to his fighter. He ordered the plane to be equipped with QAAM’s so that he would have a familiar weapons system in an unfamiliar aircraft. Once armed, he taxied his plane into the cannon along with the rest of the flight were he waited anxiously. The lightning flashing from aircraft to aircraft and the fact that he wasn’t in control of his plane did little to relax him. At least he didn’t have to wait long. One flash of light later and the world became a blur.

A quick as the acceleration came, so too did the declaration. As the Shattered regained his bearings a pleasant female voice came over the radio.

"Confirming all planes arrived. This is the Betrix, and I'll be your AWACS for the battle. My codename is Fyre."

The friendly female voice was then replaced by a much more gruff voice.
"Advance team? Listen, it's Riley. The Federation is going to do a direct attack on the Solar Empire, and they authorized WMD's! We have to wrap up this problem quickly and put an end to this madness! I'm updating your current mission. Stop the Monolyth from moving any closer to Yuktobania! The MPG on the right side of your HUD will display your remaining playtime."

Twenty minutes appeared in the upper right corner of his HUD, more than enough time. He had sunk fleets and destroyed armies in less time. Orion’s voice came over the radio next. "Advance, form up on me."

Shattered quickly formed up on Orion, musing at the fact that he wasn’t the lead plane for the first time. He followed her in a downward arc as they moved to the underside of the Monolyth. As they flew the skies were lit ablaze with anti-aircraft fire.

"Fire! Keep them away from the Monolyth!"

"Where did they come from?!?!"

"It doesn't matter! Just shoot them!"

"Break and attack. All targets are free." Shattered didn’t need Orion to tell him twice. He quickly broke off and began hunting for targets. He spotted two fighters and moved to fall in behind them. While the Lightning II wasn’t as responsive as his Raptor or Wyvern, its stealthiness still allowed him to slip right behind his two opponents. He launched one QAAM at each fighter. Both enemies attempted to evade, but one failed to do so and soon began to plummet towards the ground. To Shattered’s astonishment, the second one managed to evade the QAAM, not once, but twice. While it dismayed him that his missiles weren’t as accurate ISAF’s missiles, he was happy to know that his country still had some of the best missiles in the world.

Shattered brought his attention back to the dogfight as the enemy banked in an attempt to shake him. He quickly rolled his plane to match his opponent and continued the pursuit, closing all the while into gun range. Soon the pipper appeared and the F-35 began to fill the enemy’s aircraft with hot tungsten and lead. With two kills confirmed kills he began scanning the sky until he noticed that he was attracting a large amount of AA fire. Shattered rolled his F-35 over into a dive and began to pull away from the Monolyth’s menacing guns. With the enemy’s fire reduced he began to engage the surrounding airships in an attempt to clear up some of the flak. While he was engaging the airships, Cole’s voice came over the radio,

"Talon One! Respond! Come on girl, pull up!"

Shattered searched the skies above him, trying to find the reason behind Cole’s desperate plea. He soon spotted one of the blue squares being targeted by a red laser. Suddenly a bolt of lightning erupted from the side of the ship. The electricity arced towards the allied fighter and incredibly, it missed. Unfortunately the maneuver caused the plane to go well beyond its flight envelope and it began to stall.

"Talon One, say status!" Fyre shouted.

"Not good, I just had my engine flameout." Orion replied, jockeying the stick to try to get the plane level again.

"It really doesn't look good, Fyre. She in a flat spin, headed to sea." Talisman noted whilst dodging AA fire.

"Altitude, thirty thousand and falling fast. The sucker won't restart!" Orion quickly re-primed the engine and hit it. Nothing. No sudden roar, no shudder, nothing.

As Mobius 1 watched the plane plummet, he began to get a feeling that this operation wasn’t going to go as well as everyone had hoped.

Sky Eye sailed far above the clouds. Inside the operators monitored various screens as they tried to keep track of all of the aircraft in the airspace. One of the operators noticed something moving at an incredibly high speed on the outskirts of the E-767’s radar range.

“Uh sir, you might want to take a look at this.” the operator said to a silver buck with a black mane.

The voice of Sky Eye, Dualshock trotted towards him and looked at the radar screen. The unknown was approaching rapidly. “Well that’s no good.”

“What is sir?”

“I don’t know, but nothing good comes from something moving that fast.” Dualshock trotted back towards the radio set and began to speak. “Attention all ISAF aircraft this is Sky Eye, an unknown as appeared on radar. All planes ascend to 10000 feet until the unknown is identified.” With his message delivered, he moved towards the screens to ensure that is orders were being carried out. As he watched the planes climb he asked “What’s the ETA on that unknown?”

“ETA is 10 seconds sir.”

Dualshock nodded as he noted that Viper and Rapier squadrons were still below 5000 feet. He returned to the radio and spoke again. “Viper and Rapier squadrons increase your climb rate immediately.”

“Don’t worry. We’re clim....”

“Viper 1, repeat your last.”

“Sir! The unknown as jumped off radar! A massive explosion has been detected over the human fleet!”

Dualshock scowled. “Calculate the trajectory of that unknown. I want to know exactly where it came from.” He returned his attention back to the radio. “Viper 1, do you read me?” After a few seconds of waiting he opened up the channel to all ISAF aircraft. His scowl worsened at what he heard.

“Viper 1, you’re off radar. Viper 1 respond!”

“Rapier 4 was hit!”

“Rapier 8 is gone!”

“Viper 11 and Viper 9 are gone too!”

“Come in Viper 5.”

“Rapier 6 here, I can’t control it.”

“Sir!” An operator interrupted. “We’ve found the origin of the missile. It came from the Yuktobanian fleet.”

“Another unknown on radar! This one’s heading for the Monolyth!”

Dualshock’s vistage changed from one of anger to one of horror. “Warn Mobius 1 at once!”

“We can’t. The unknown’s right on top of him!”

A new voice came over the radio. “Mobius 2 here, what’s going on? What was that?”

“It was a Yuktobanian burst missile. There is another heading towards Mobius 1’s area of operation.”

“We have to help him!”

“We can’t. There is no way we could reach him in time.” Dualshock replied somberly.

“He wouldn’t abandon us! We can’t abandon him!”

“Get a hold of yourself Mobius 2!” shouted a familiar mare’s voice.

“Shut it Mobius 6! We need to help him!”

“By getting killed! There’s no way we could approach the Monolyth without getting blasted into dust!”

“She’s right Mobius 2.” Dualshock interjected. “He wouldn’t want you to throw away your life for him. Besides, I’m sure that Mobius 1 can handle it. If anypony would be OK it would be him.”

Mobius 1 was definitely not OK. In fact, he was less OK then he had been in his entire life. There had been almost no warning when the burst missile exploded, sending his plane towards the earth. The feeling of falling out of control was something he never thought he would be feeling, but here he was, falling towards his doom. His mind pulled blank after blank until finally it came upon something useful: training. Pure reflexes forced him to grab the ejection handle with his teeth, which tasted strangely like failure, and pull. Shattered Skies now found himself free of his cockpit tumbling through the air as he tried to stabilize his flight. Finally after some serious effort, he brought himself to a hover. He looked around and found a lonely atoll. If anyone else had survived, that is probably where they would go, so he would go there as well.

After a few minutes of gliding and flying, he finally reached the atoll. Out of breath, he dropped onto the beach and cantered into the cover of the nearby tree line. He took a moment to catch his breath and activate his beacon. Suddenly the leaves rustled, causing Shattered to leap up into the canopy. He silently cursed his dapple blue coat and mane. Maybe if he was hiding in the ocean it would come in handy, but now it would only betray his position. A human entered the clearing below him and looked around before taking a seat on a log. It never ceased to amaze Shattered that both people and ponies always forgot to look up for danger. As the human began applying some sort of camouflage to its skin, Shattered attempted to maneuver so he could identify who was below him. Unfortunately his beating wings brushed against the leaves around him. The human spun around, weapon raised. Shattered’s stomach dropped as he realized that he was about to die. That is until he recognized who was holding the weapon.

“Dare?”

“Shattered?”

“Thank the Maker it’s you! I thought I was done for.”

“I thought some Solar was sneaking up on me!”

“So, what do we do now?”

“Do you have a beacon? I lost mine.”

“Yeah, I’ve already activated mi...” Shattered paused, holding up a hoof to Dare. His ears swiveled around. “Did you hear that?”

“No, what did you...” suddenly a loud crack interrupted Dare and she let a cry of pain.

“Dare!” Shattered dashed out of the canopy and tackled Dare, forcing her to land behind the log she had been sitting on. He rolled off of her and ducked below the log himself. He couldn’t see who was shooting at him or how many there were. All only things he knew were that bullets were hitting the log and that he was more scared than he had ever been in his life. Only the sound of Dare returning fire with her pistol over the log brought him back to reality.

“Shattered! Do you have a weapon?!” Shattered shook his head and Dare tried to curse under her breath, but a pained cough interrupted her.

“You’re hit!”

“Yeah, I noticed, but we’re both going to be a lot worse if something doesn’t change soon.”

Fortunately for both of them something did change soon. A NLR drop ship roared overhead before touching down on the beach. Shattered watched the ramp drop and a squad of NLR soldiers charge out of it, guns blazing. Then he saw Riley shouting at them to board the vessel. Dare didn’t seem to notice so he bit down on her collar and started pulling.

“Hey, what are you..?” Dare stopped as she noticed the change in situation and got up. The pair of pilots made a dash for the ship as the NLR soldiers continued to suppress the enemy. Once inside the soldiers entered one by one until they all were inside. The ramp closed and Shattered let out a sigh of relief. At least he was back in an aircraft. “Boy, are we glad to see you.”

“Yeah, took you long enough.” Dare gave a feeble attempt at a laugh but the pain from her wound was too great.

"Gunshot," Riley observed. "Trooper, get a med kit."

As the corpspony attended to Dare, the dropship stopped again and picked up another two Talon squadron members who had successfully evaded the enemy. As the dropship took off again the pilot called out “I’m picking up another beacon.”

"What kind?" Riley demanded.

"Federation."

Shattered could see hope fill his eyes. He briefly wondered why until he remembered that Talisman had probably been shot down too. Soon the dropship landed again. The ramp fell and sure enough, Talisman was there.

"Talisman!" For a second, his strict military demeanor broke, as he embraced his wife in a tight hug. He knew the other soldiers may have thought less of him for the show of affection, but right now, he didn't care. Talisman was safe, and that was all that mattered.

"Aw, were you worried?" The pilot winked. "That's adorable."

Shattered allowed himself a small smile before returning to his serious demeanor. While he wasn't a fan of showing emotion, something like this warranted some reaction.

(End of part 2. I'm actually starting to catch up. Now if the rest of you would kindly slow down. I might be able to finish.)

538344 (Noted. I'll try not to kill to many enemy fighters for you. )

538344>>538177>>538261

Is she really the best the NLR has to offer? No wonder their losing.

"Bitch." Orion swore as her fighter leveled off three meters above sea level. The Fregata was a stout aircraft, built to absorb damage and deal it out seven fold.

Orion was fast approaching the Yuktobanian fleet. She armed her missile pods, and began selecting targets. Nearly fifteen lit up before her system declared max lock.

"Let's see what you can do, huh?" Orion activated the remaining two engines, and the Fregata pounced forward with a whine, quickly reaching the sound barrier twice.

She pulled into an Immelman turn, and unleashed her missiles. The Yuktobanian aircraft were taken by surprise, and nine exploded before the rest reacted.

"Talon one, on your left." Orion looked and noted with displeasure that some of her cameras were blown offline, leaving a gap in the surrounding virtual world. But she easily saw the forty FENRIR airplanes, sitting in wait.

"Valkyrie group, follow me in." She smiled.

And that puts my kill count ahead of yours

"Can the chatter, boys, I've already claimed nine. You can't beat the Specter, so just pull the tab for me later, huh?"

(((I did this while in a car, so forgive the.. Quick, fast paced feel, and ANY ERRORS!)))
Ace's in Exile.. A Legend is Awoken...
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538432>>538344>>538261>>538189
A Week Earlier, in the Kingdom of Felis...

"What's the news Garrett? How are the Republic and the Federation holding?" Prime Minister Bennett of Felis asked his Director of National Defence.

"Bad, and getting worse I'm afraid.. They're taking losses across the board, and the Solar Empires superweapon is currently on course for the Yuktobanian homeland. Jack, I'm not goning to lie, I gravely concerned they might come for us when the U.H.F & NLR collapse." He explained, while Bennett just stared out the window, upon the capital, Oshawa, before him. Thinking what his advisor just told him.

"Really? You think they'd just invade, and risk us using our WMD's?" Bennett questioned.

"Yes, Celestia has shown her colours to us all. Shes become corrupt, and wants global domination. And that includes us Jack, even if we initiated 'Winter Contingency', it would not only destroy Equestria, but the aftermath would cripple and likely doom the planet. You've seen the studies, the papers and know FULL well what the cost of going hot would do to us all." He explained, pouring another glass of Emmerian Scotch as he waited for the ministers response.

"I see, but what do we do? I have to explain to the masses that were at war with a nation that hasn't even begun a war with us, let alone threaten us with invasion." He stated, while the director sipped his drink.

"Well, I'd begin preparations now." He explained, retrieving his briefcase and pulling a red file from it. "And I'd start, with the Blacklist." He stated, getting surprise from Bennett.

"The Blacklist? Explain."

"Restart projects, escpecially those involving the Navy and the Airforce. The Army is one of the best, and so is our Navy and Airforce. But these projects may put us over the top, and able to take down that monstrosity in the skies. Because without these, we'll fall in a matter of weeks." Bennett just stared dumbfounded at his advisor, their military ranked one of THE highest in the world for skill, professionalism, equipment, and personel count. But all of that, just destroyed his hopes of using regular force to combat the Solars Superweapon.

"J-just by the Superweapon?!" Bennett Stammered, watching as Garrett just nodded glumly in response.

"The best card against the use of the Superweapon AND Invasion is our Nuclear Strike capability, the amount of missiles, bombs, and warheads is more than enough to level them. And she knows it. But she may also use the fact of world destruction from launch against us. So thats what the Blacklist enables us to do, using powerful weapons and machines to cut'er down. Without resorting to full-scale nuclear attack." Garrett explained, as Bennett took everything in.

"I-I See, what would be the projects that we'd need to re-activate?" He asked.

"I've already selected those of top priority, and that need immediate initiation." He explained, showing the minister the file as he showed the projects, weapons, and machines on the Blacklist...
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Five Days Prior... Felis, Miramichi...
An unlikely sight was to be seen in the on-site housing for F.F.B Chatham. A Major trying to plant carrots... For the first time. His "garden" looked more like a trench, and was partially flooded. Not to mention a few of his friends stood aside, trying miserably to stiffle laughter as the agitated Major glared and cussed out the in-animate vegetables...

"...WHY THE HELL DID I EVER START GARDENING?! I'D RATHER PAY THE HIGH ASS PRICES, THAN DEAL WITH THIS BULLSHIT!" He raged, while his friends laughed.

"Major, just give it time. Like all things you must learn how before just doing." The laughter ceased as they all turned to face the base commander, Colonel Charles Winchester. They immediately snapped to attention, saluting while Winchester waved them to stop.

"At ease gentlemen, I'm here for our Major." Fedorov blinked, curious to what he wanted with him.

"Sir?" Fedorov began, but immediately was stopped.

"It's been official, Tyler. They'll begun Accension." He said calmly, but Alex-Tyler looked as if someone had just told him he's been promoted. A grin grew as his friends stood aside, looking curious.

"So Colonel, shall I begin?" Knowing the answer, but wanting confirmation.

"At once, prepare for immediate combat operations as well." That caught his attention.

"Si-"But was again, cutoff.

"All will be explained during you're briefing Major." Winchester stated simply, walking off with his friends in tow. Ever since the Chandelier.. He's been waiting for this day, and its finally come. Talisman, I'm coming home. He grinned as he entered his temporary housing, and began to search for an old uniform, one of pure myth...
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Current Day, Aboard the FRN Fredericton (CV-87)

Lynch entered the CIC, his solid white flight suit gaining attention wherever he went, the patches and markings were ones of pre-UHF, but it caught attention. Won't help if I'm downed again, but the old suit still fits, why waste it? He walked past the stunned and gawking operators and crewmen as he approached Admiral Sobel, the Man in charge of this fine ship, and this massive fleet.

"Admiral, Major Lynch reporting for duty SIR!" He stated, saluting the grizzled Naval commander.

"At ease flyboy, no need for formalities on my ship. Your mission orders arrived from Gracemeria, as of now you are under Emmerian Military Command, as well as the Felisian Military. And on behalf of the 7th Fleet of the Royal Felisian Navy, I'd like to thank you for your great service." Tyler just smiled as he shook the firm hand of the Admiral.

"Thank you Admiral, whats the sitch?" he asked, following the Admiral to a large map table, that was decorated in flags, markers, and pins.

"The UHF & NLR had initiated an assaut upon the Monolith using a NLR Mass launcher to send fighters to engage, at this time we are heading to their fleets to link up. And show them some true firepower, Felisian style." Tyler grinned, knowing full well the might of the Royal Felisian Navy

"Indeed, they'll never know what hit'em, Solar bastards. So the Battleship FRN Hood is ready?" He inquired, while the Admiral grinned like a kid on christmas morning.

"Beyond ready, her 24" Cannons are itchin' for a fight. Largest sea-borne ship in the world flyboy, and she's heavily armed. Besides the 24" main triple mounts, she carries a assortment of AA suites, Cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and a dozen smaller cannons. One broadside blast can sink any modern battleship afloat." Tyler whistled in response.

"So, to the task at hand," he said, taking the folder from the pilot as they focused upon the board. "Until we link our fleet with theirs, were technically neutral. But there's a kicker, even though our fleet's are restricted until we enter the battlespace, your not. Since you're technically an Emmerian pilot. So that's why-"

"Sir! High-speed, High altitude unidentified object heading for the squadrons!" Lynch watched with concern as the Admirals face fell as he ingested the information. Seems like things just got hotter..

"The Turn-coat yuks are firing burst missiles at the goddamn fighters!" his rage showed, but nothing can be done.. Not yet. "Lynch, get airborne, AND KILL THOSE LOUSY BASTARDS!" he roared, Tyler quickly saluted and made his way to the hangers, knowing exactly what must be done.

As he spents a few moments getting to the hangers, a few wrong turns, and wrong levels later he arrived, spotting his White girl being loaded with armaments. The Sukhoi SU-33 in solid white, Emmerian Air Force markings in their usual places, and a piece of history on the nose. Talisman in a VERY skimpy & sexy black lingerie, with "Deadly Angel" painted on her glorious nose. Almost like the old days, I'm almost there Talisman, almost.

"Sir, aircraft is loaded and prepped. Ready for final inspection!" A 'Redshirt' stated as he walked around his aircraft, taking note of his deadly payload..

"AIR-2 Genies? The hell are these loaded for?" He asked the 'Redshirt', but he gave only one answer.

"Trust me, you'll need'em." he simply stated, leaving a confused pilot in his wake as he disappeared in the sea of swarming seamen. But his other standard weaponry was loaded, and the dual cannons were rocked and cocked, waiting to shred.

As he climbed into the cockpit, he noticed a familiar picture taped to the panel. It was crinkled, burned and ripped, but very recognisable. It was of him and Talisman, standing in Gracemaria hours after its capture by friendly forces...

You're Angel is homeward bound my darling, nothing can stop me now...

_-__-__-_

The White SU-33 Flanker gained a large audience as she was lifted to the flight deck, her dual 30mm Gatling cannons the signature weapon of choice, and her pilot even more attention, as the radios cackled away..

"Is it really him? after all these years?"
"Hot Damn! Celly gonna be pissin' 'erself soon!"
"Once he's airborne, Celestia herself will be in fear..."

His smile grew, the more recognition, the greater his pride swelled, and more of his mind began to prepare for the coming fight.

"Major, cleared for takeoff, standby for immediate launch." FRN's ATC stated, grabbing his attention as he held the handrails, watching the shooter slaute then...

*FFFEERRRRRRRRRRRRRWOOOOOOSH!~* And off the end of the carrier, and into the open skies.

"Good hunting Major, give'em hell. Transfering to comms in AO, don't contact till in zone."

"Copy Fredericton, don't spoil the surprise. Archangel out." With a flip of a switch, and a pull of the stick, his jet climbed rapidly towards the heavens, as he monitered the situation via the comms, as they engaged the Yuktobanian tratiors.

*Fizzzst!*

"Can the chatter, boys, I've already claimed nine. You can't beat the Specter, so just pull the tab for me later, huh?" Orion? Ha! I've a higher tally than she'll ever have, just wait kid, you'll be buying me the drinks tonight...

The streets remained clear for the most part, though the Engineers saw several civilians ducking in shelters, refusing to leave their homes. Though they wanted to get them all out, they knew their mission was far more important than even rescuing civilians, which was considered a top priority by command.
It wasn’t long before they ran into a platoon of Federation soldiers engaged in a heated firefight with Imperial forces. Quickly finding cover, the Engineers joined the battle, making their way to the man who seemed to leading the human forces.
“Sergeant Rusk, Army Corps of Engineers.”
“Welcome to hell Sergeant,” The other man retorted. “I’m Lieutenant Jameson, Eighth Rangers. We’re your ground support to get you close to those jammers.” Not wanting to sound ungrateful, Rusk looked around.
“What happened?”
“We walked into a trap. Those damn Pegusi got us surrounded then pinned us down.”
“What about the ARC boys?”
“Went ahead to scout, no word from-“ A bullet struck the cover right over the Lieutenant’s head. “Dammit! Can someone take care of that Maker Forsaken Sniper?!”
“On it boss!” A nearby Ranger replied, his voice accented. He brought his own rifle up, firing, making the Unicorn take cover. The man cursed, then called out. “One Sniper to another mate! GIVE UP!”
“So what?” One of the Engineers asked. “We can’t just sit here forever! We need to call in an airstrike!”
“The Jammers have scrambled everything,” Jameson explained. “Our jets, our Choppers, all of them. They’re kicking our ass, we can’t break through!”
“We can’t just sit here!”
“We’re not.” The Ranger glanced at his watch. “Support should be arriving right about…. Now.” An explosion engulfed a group of Imperial soldiers.
The humans looked down the street, and saw a huge chunk of metal rolling down the street. The M1 Abrams tank had been recently replaced by heavier, more maneuverable the M10 Spartan Tank, but there were still hundreds in storage, and this one had likely been pressed back into service due to the invasion.
“Hell ya!” One of the Rangers shouted, as the Imperials started falling back.
“Alright, push forward!” Jameson barked. “We’re gonna drive down this road and shove a few tank shells right down those Solar’s throats! And show them why they picked the WRONG nation to invade!”
~~
As the Solar flag now flew over the large city’s town center, it was evident, the Solar Empire had gained a foothold within the Emmerian Region. A radio now manned by a dead soldier crackled.
“Air Defense Command has issued an evacuation order for all United Human Federation units within Gracemeria. Repeat, pull back and regroup, the Solars win this round.”

538432>>538432>>538231>>538344
Cole laughed out loud.
"Sure, you will. Just make sure you all have your wallets out when we're done here! Watch and learn everybody, I'm about to show you what a Rogue can do!'" He was about to send his fighter into a spin, until he noticed a new contact on his radar. "What the..." He studied it closely, then his eyes widened. "Wait a minute, I know that plane..."

538518>>538344>>537800>>536881
"This is GhostEye to all aircraft. Unidentified lone aircraft on heading one-eight-zero, bearing south, flying at flight level four-zero." Archangel smiled, Time to acknowledge a dead legend...

He switched his comms to be recievable on all channels, and spoke..

"Fader vår som som är i himmelen helgat varde ditt namn
Tillkomme ditt rike ske din vilja
Såsom i himmelen så ock uppå jorden ge oss bröd ock idag
Och förlåt oss våran skuld..
Som jag Archangelsk, bli dödsängeln..."
_________________________________________________________
English translation:
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done,
On Earth as it is in Heaven,
Give us our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses..
As I Archangel, become the Angel of Death...

538522
Cole, Dare, Justin, Riley, and Talisman all froze, all feeling like they had been punched in the gut. Talisman was the first to talk.
"Archangel..." She whisper.
"It can't be..." Riley mumbled to himself.

538527
Archangel never heard Talisman speak, but felt the shock and effect through the comms. As no-one spoke, instead just letting the stunning shock of a deadman returning before them wear-off. But he decided to start once more, switching to the friendly comms.

"Archangel, GunsGunsGuns!" As he let loose the twin 30's upon a yuk fighter, *BRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!*
"Splash one! what? I stun all the little girls here?"

536820
As the new fighter came streaking in, Cole quickly regained himself.
"Not everyday you see a dead man," he said. "But whether you're a Ghost or the Devil himself, so long as you're on my side, I don't care."
That was a flat lie. He did care. But right now he had to focus on the battle.

538534>>538350>>538344>>538432
He smiled, "Well kids, reuniting can be set aside till after. We've still got a battle to finish, and Orion your buying the drinks. I still hold that hundred plus lead over Talon AND and... Shit, what are the counts nowadays ladies? Mines still top-shit as I am the best." He smugly stated, turning hard and engaging another Yukki fighter.

"Archangel, GunGunsGuns!"

*BBBBRRRRRRAAAAAAAAPP!*

"Splash one!"

"Right back into the saddle huh?" Cole asked, as Archangel streaked through the furball.

"Decades of war do that to you my friend." he explained, jumping onto another yuks tail.

((sleep...))

538534>>538538

Orion was about to launch her missiles, when the Yuktobanian she was aiming at exploded.

"What the...?" she quickly turned and looked for her kill-stealer, when the white SU-33 whisked past. Cockpit, to cockpit, Orion could see who it was.

"Impossible..."

Fader vår som som är i himmelen helgat varde ditt namn
Tillkomme ditt rike ske din vilja
Såsom i himmelen så ock uppå jorden ge oss bröd ock idag
Och förlåt oss våran skuld..
Som jag Archangelsk, bli dödsängeln...

"...As I Archangel, become the Angel of Death..." Orion muttered.

"Archangel, GunsGunsGuns! Splash one! What? I stun all the little girls here?"

"The number one hyperactive, loudmouth pilot..." Orion smirked.

Everybody just seemed to be coming back form the dead recently, huh?

"Kära lärare, som flyger högt över mig, visa mig vägen till seger, för utan dig är jag utan ledning, för du är ärkeängeln, och jag, Specter" She murmured into her mouthpiece.

(I realised my Swedish is shit now...)

538538>>538557
Cole smiled, and spoke himself, his knowledge of the language very rusty.
"Ärkeängel, hjälp är i dessa splittrade himmel och ser som näve av tillverkaren tar oss ur den fruktansvärda belägenhet, och ger oss seger i denna kamp!"
he pulled his fighter back into the fray.
"Rogue One, Fox Two!"

Coronet, Human Mainland
“Enemy Fast movers!” A Ranger yelled. “Take cover!”
The Imperial jets came roaring in, dropping a single laser guided bomb. It struck the Abrams directly, destroying the tank in a resounding explosion.
“Dammit!” Rusk cursed. “Now what?!”
“Keep pushing!” Jameson yelled. “The Jammers are right ahead of us! Double time it!”
The humans began sprinting forward.
“Pegusi!”
“Ignore them! Just keep pushing!”
They finally reached the objective, a small plaza right outside the Stock Exchange with a large machine in the center. Around it, Four ARC troopers were fighting for their lives.
“We kept it warm for ya!” One of them yelled. “Do your magic!”
Rusk sat at the computer, his fingers flying at the controls.
“Alright I’m in…” He said. “I just need a few seconds to bypass the locks…”
“Overlord the Roadrunner, enemy Fast Movers are coming back around to attack, get out of there.”
“We don’t have a few seconds!” Jameson yelled. “We need to get out of here!”
“Go, I’ll be right behind you.” It was a lie, but he knew what had to be done. As he kept working, the joint team of Rangers, Engineers, and ARC troopers took cover inside the exchange.
“Lock One…” He typed even more furiously. “Lock Two….” The sound of approaching jets filled his ears. “Lock Three!” He punched in the send key, and the Virus uploaded itself into the Jammer network. He looked up, and saw the bombs coming towards him. He knew his time had come, and yet, he smiled a little.
“See you in Hell Celestia.”
The bombs engulfed Rusk, and the jammer with him. But the damage was already done, the virus had infected all the Jammers in the city.
“Air Defense Command is back online!”
“Overlord, this is Vulture One. Ready to engage enemy Armored units.”
“Vulture One, you all cleared to engage!”
Two A-10’s flew overhead, their missiles blazing.
“This is Outlaw 2-3, coming in to provide close air support. Keep your heads down Roadrunner.”
Another HIND came in, firing it’s rockets and machine and raining death upon the Imperials.
In the skies, Solar fighters couldn’t get target locks, now falling victim to the same jamming that had once plagues the humans. They were quickly swatted out of the skies by Federation fighters.
“We have control of the Skies!”
The tide had turned in the Battle for Coronet

538656>>538350>>538344>>538538

"Nope, Cole. That one's mine." Orion released a single SASM and blew the plane apart, before swooping around the front of Cole's plane.

One by one, the rouge Yuktobanian's fell. Eventually, the number of allied planes in the air became a detriment to the rest of the flights.

"AWACS Fyre, to all NLR squadrons. Playtime is over, return to your hangers."
"Roger that, Fyre, Bombardier leaving combat zone."
"Phoenix, leaving combat zone."
"Valkyrie, leaving combat zone."

And then there were only the Talons, Rouge, Mobius, Garuda, Zmerya and the Lone Ranger.

"Let's mop this mess up and get back, eh?" Orion was about to push her plane into full thrust when a pop-up dialogue box came up on her virtual screen, disrupting the clouds.

She then noticed the red blinking light on her Fuel Gauge.

Dammit... Being the big bird it was, the Fregata took up more fuel that other planes of it's class, but lighting up all her engines had really cost her.

"Talon One to Fortitude, declaring emergency, fuel low. Headed for Hanger Bay four, can you give me a vector in?"

"Roger that, Talon One, Tally-ho on you. Approach Hanger Bay four on vector zero, one, niner. Declare ball."

"Affirmative, command. Talon One has the ball." Orion lined up the lumbering plane. Her fuel alert rang shrill once more, though. She felt a small kick in the back.

What now? Orion pulled up the dialogue box, showing a skeleton of the plane.

"Ah, shit..." The previous missile hit had punctured her left wing fuel tank. Her plane was running on vapors. Combined with the fact that the vapors had ignited prematurely in the bottom left engine, she was in a pretty bad state.

"Command, true emergency, running off vapors. Engine one is blown. Clear all runways, I have no idea which one I'm taking." Orion concentrated on lining up the gliding plane.

"Understood, Talon One. True emergency declared. Will have fire response teams on station."

The plane glided, trailing black smoke. "Hanger four, miss ball. Hanger three, miss ball. I'm coming down on Two."

"Understood."

The Fregata flew into the wide open hanger, gliding for a bit before slamming unceremoniously onto the deck. It skidded for a bit before stopping.

"Talon One, tally landing." Orion gasped.

538688>>538665>>538350>>538344
"Rogue 1, got a group of yuks trying to escape, going to engage.."

"No Rogue, stand-down. I've got priority mail for them and it needs delivering." He explained, he also discovered Garuda was here, but she's been silent, which worried him slightly...

"Archangel, Excaliber's Away"

As the two AIR-2 Genies left their cradles, Archangel pulled hard and flew back, knowing the full power of these nightmarish missiles as they streaked toward their target..

Then came detonation.. The quick flash of bright white light, and then nothing as they 12+ Yuktobanian rogues were vaporized by the 1.7kt warheads.

"Splash multiple.. Seems clear at this time, AWACS confirm?"

181
"...Splash confirmed." GhostEye said. "All aircraft, RTC."
Cole turned his craft toward the NLR ship.
"Hey Archangel," Cole said, his voice showing no emotion. "You may want to come back with us. Some people will want to see you."
"Garuda One, you're cleared for landing." The F-15 flew into the hangar, Talisman remaining silent.
"Rogue One, you're cleared for landing."
Cole hopped out of his Raptor after landing, jogging over to where Orion was.
"Are you alright?"
~~~
Riley stormed out of the Command center, making his way to the hangar deck. As he boarded the elevator, he made sure his rank insignia was clear to see. If it really was Archangel, he had been a Lieutenant last time they saw each other. Now, he was a Lieutenant Colonel, quite a feet considering he used to be an enlisted man.
And then there was Talisman...
This was going to be.... Interesting

538703>>538736

"I'm fine, thanks." Orion hopped out and trotted beside Cole. She watched the white SU-33 come in for a landing.

"Genies. What was the goddamned idiot thinking?" She fumed as the plane taxied in.

The cockpit opened, but before she could berate the pilot, Talisman intercepted her.

538688>>538703>>538736

Northern watched as the battle wrapped itself promptly, the new fighter quickly disposing of the remaining rouges. However, there was something about this pilot's demeanor he didn't like. He was a motormouth, freely bragging away at his kills. While North was familiar with friendly rivalry, flat out exaggeration really irked him. Wanting to avoid conflict, he decided to keep his mouth shut. Unfortunately, a new problem was beginning to arise.

"This is Kot 1 to Zmerya flight. Our carriers are disabled and we have no place to land; We are requesting permission to land on the NLR ships."

Crap

"Here, I'll patch you through to NLR command. Hopefully they understand." North replied, pushing a series of buttons on his comms to connect the two. "Alright, you're through. Send your message."

Kot sent his message and quickly thanked Zmeya for the help. Now we wait.

538809

"Control to Kot 1, the Fortitude's three hangers cannot manage anymore planes! We'll scramble the tankers for you and your pilots."

"Bloody hell. First, we take on the Federation Air fleet. Then, now we have the Yuk's to babysit as well? Unlock the fourth hanger for general use." Hawkeye grumbled.

"Belay last, Kot 1, Hanger four just was cleared for usage. Vector 090 and follow the landing lights."

186
"Well don't worry," One of the nearby humans said. Once we reach the mainland, we'll be out of your hair."
~~~
"Wait," Talisman said. "Let me handle this." It wasn't a request, she was telling them to stay out of it. She turned back to face the man exiting the plane.

538736>>538754>>538809
(Gonna try something a tad different)

I slowly climbed down the ladder, knowing in a few seconds, I'd see her again, the woman who kept me alive during those dark hundred days, who kept me going when the world declared my death.. She's the beacon who brought me home.

As I turned from the ladder as I stood beneath the nose art, I saw her. Her beautiful face, her golden hair, the eyes that could melt you... Great god, the hell am I gonna say?.. Don't muff this up Lynch.

"T-talisman..." I said, my voice getting caught as my emotions came up. Smooth...

188
Talisman blinked a few times, making sure she wasn't hallucinating
"It's you..." She whispered. "Maker... You're still alive... how...." she desperately searched for the words, trying to voice the Ten million questions she had.
~~~
The elevator door opened, revealing the entire hangar to Riley. The first thing he saw was the plane. It was almost exactly how he remembered it, even the picture of Talisman remained on the front. Long ago, he hadn't minded. But now, it irked him slightly.
He saw them talking, and started walking toward them slowly, not wanting to intrude too much.

538822>>538843>>538703

"Alright Kot, we're cleared to land. Get your planes in quickly and we'll follow in right after."

"Thanks again Zmeya, and send our best regards to NLR command."

"Can do. Just try not to make to much of a fuss while you're aboard, okay?"

"Got it."

North and his flight quickly reformed as the thirty remaining aircraft landed, gathering up in the foreign craft's hanger. Finally, all of the aircraft landed, leaving Zmerya flight the only Yuktobanian aircraft in the sky.

"This is Zmeya flight, coming in for landing." It was Aurora who handled the speaking this time, nobody else in the mood for talking to controller.

"Roger that Zmerya, you're cleared for landing checks." The controller replied, his voice heavy with fatigue. North already knew he had likely had a long day. Golden (3) and Aurora (4) landed first, quickly taxing themselves into hanger four. North and Florence landed next, following their comrade's earlier path.

As Northern and Florence parked their planes, he noticed the knot of ponies gathering around his Sukhoi. He popped his canopy open, raising himself out the seat, only to be greeted by the cheering pilots.

"Damn good job, Northern!"

"Excellent flying up there!"

"Thanks for getting us out of that furball."

He dismissed their praise with a hoof, "It was only my job. I only got five kills anyway."

"Still, you're a hero to Yuktobanians everywhere."

Again he wagged his hoof, "Come on, we have to report to the main hanger for debriefing. Everypony follow me and don't wander off. This ship is massive and not kind to lost pilots." Northern said with a chuckle as he stepped out of his plane, motioning for the pilots to follow him.

Within a few minutes they made their way to the central hanger where everyone was quickly gathering.

538904>>538822>>538809
"Because of you, because of everyone.. When I got my wings clipped and downed in that icebox, I survived because of my will to return to you, and our friends. But when the world no longer needed an Angel to watch over them, they left me for dead. Leaving me in the freezer, to die alone and quietly." I stated softly, as my emotions began to show with a tear streaking down my face.

"So.. I spent a hundred days getting back home, only to be told because of political situations and Celestia.. I had to remain "KIA". And which led me to be exchanged with the Felisians, and my new alias. When that day happened, I never felt so damn alone. For years I spent trying to get home, I was declined because of the world not wanting my return, not wanting the 'White Death' to plague their lives anymore. But because of you Amber, I kept fighting, I kept trying and surviving till I could see you and our friends once more.." I explained, tears flowing freely as everyone stared stunned at me and her.

191
Talisman bit her lower lip, fighting back tears, partly because of the story, but mostly because of her name, the name she had stopped going by long ago.
"We wanted to look for you." She said, her voice choked. "But we were forced to go north to fight the Griffins. When the war finally ended, we searched everywhere for you. We never gave up."
Cole knew that wasn't entirely true. He and the others thought that he had been KIA, but helped for Talisman's sake. Even Riley had helped in the search once he recovered from his wounds. That was, of course, before they became an Item.

538985>>538919>>538754
"I know, But I'm here now, and I don't plan on dying or being locked away anytime soon. For I will Always be here for you Amber, always." I said with a smile.

193
Now Talisman looked down, knowing where the conversation would be going next.
He doesn't know...[/i
She looked down, rubbing her arm uncomfortably, her wedding ring visible on her hand.
"Amber?" Cole whispered to Riley.
"It's Talisman's real name." He replied.
She had told him her real name of course, but she had preferred to be called Talisman after the war. He had always suspended it was because Lynch had been thought dead and she didn't want to bring the memories back, but he never pried.
Either way, Riley decided it would be the right time to join the conversation.
"Hey pal," He said, stepping next to Talisman. "It's good to see you alive."

539026>>538919>>538754>>538344
I stared in stunned shock at the now Lieutenant-Colonel Riley, the kid was a green lieutenant before I disappeared, but was one of my greatest friends. Although a tad on the over-protective/worrisome side, made for a great friend. Hell, I taught him everything to know on women and how to treat'em.

"Riley? *Gasp* Sweet Jesus your not a boy anymore!" I sarcasticly stated with a laugh, taking note of his wedding band. "So who's the lucky lady who you snagged with what I taught you? And congrats on the promotion too, surprised as hell your now outranking me." I grinned, awaiting a response.

195
"Heh, right," Riley laughed nervously. "I was made a Captain after the Chandelier incident, and well, the rest came along through the years."
He knew he couldn't beat around the bush, it wouldn't be fair.
"Look, what I have to say, it isn't easy..."
Oh Maker, Id rather jump on a grenade than do this ...
"It's.... " Oh Fuck it all "Talisman...."

539044
"...Thats.. Thats great news Riley, congratulations on tying the knot." My happy exterior betrayed my greatly shattered interior. The woman who guided me home, moved on while I held onto a crumbling life and dreams, ones that now were gone, along with the very person I held most dear to my now shattered and crumbling heart. Yeah I'm smiling... But inside I'm dying..

"I'm still here if you need me anyways Talisman, as your friend." I said. While
My heart pounds in my breast, jaw tighly clentched. My throat wants to bawl out, my tongue barely resists. "I'll be off now guys, I still need some quarters and to inform command that Felis will be joining the war." I need a drink...and a smoke.

As his old friend walked away, Riley let out a long sigh.
"I think I'd rather get shot again than go through that a second time."
Talisman only nodded, placing her head on his shoulder.
"That wasn't fair to him."
"No, no it wasn't." Riley agreed.
Does she wish we didn't get married now?
"I mean, I don't regret anything," She insisted, reading the thoughts on his face. "I just wish there would have been an easier way to tell him."
Riley nodded understandingly.
"I'll talk to him."
"Is that wise?"
"He's my friend," Riley said. "Hopefully I can calm him down a bit."

538754

Northern spotted Orion as he walked into the hanger. She seemed to be focused on the mysterious new pilot, her face seething with anger. Obviously it wasn't the best time to bother her, but he really owed her a thank-you, not to mention he didn't know any other NLR officers. North instructed his men to follow, approaching the mare with a bit of caution.

"Orion?" North started, grabbing her attention, "I just wanted to say thanks for letting me and my men stay aboard your ship, as I didn't really have the time to before you passed out." He chuckled, remembering the mare's battle against death.

539219>>538919>>538822
I should have known, why was I foolish to believe she'd wait for me all these years? I'm such a damned foolish bastard... I though miserably as I walked the corridors of the NLR Fortitude, I never needed to inform brass that the Felisians were joining the war, they already informed the leaders of the colalition nations. More so I need time alone, my emotions threatening to lash out at my closest friends..

I can't blame her though.. Why would she wait years just to find that I might have been truly dead? At least she found someone to replace me though. I still have my memories, and true loneliness to accompany me for the time being... I took the time to speak with some of the crew who lead me to a temporary place in the crew compartments. It was a simple affair, a bed, nightstand, and a few other things. Down the hall was a pilots lounge, a TV, piano and a bar. Reminds me already of home.. I thought sarcastically, as I laid down on the small, pony crafted bunk. I'd rather sleep in the cockpit of a ME-109 than sleep on this backbreaker he thought lazily as he drifted to sleep...