The demon soars through dark skies

Fear and death trail its shadow beneath

Until men united wield a hollowed sabre

In final reckoning, the beast is slain
_________________________

~ Gab/Blaze's p.o.v. ~

Few days later, my wingmen finally return back from their homes. I'm so happy that they able to spend with their families. I wish I could too. They told me about what they're doing back home. They even brought souvenir for us. Hell, they give me a lot of baking ingredients just to make desserts for them(are they trying to make me turn into a chef of Sand Island Base?). I am thankful enough to have these cause I'm definitely make some of them.

Oh. During their vacation, I taught the nuggets some advance flying maneuvers that I learned from my Dad. I mostly taught them about air refueling cause that's the thing they are still struggling with. Even I was struggling on that. Genette interviewed me about my flying skills and about the war. There is times I miss my buddies now that I'm alone here, especially my family. I usually spend time with Pops in the hangar, told me stories about his previous life 15 years ago. Or hang out with Hamilton whenever he's not busy from his *cough* paperwork. I liking him right now. I already talk to Orby about leaving OADF after the war, and moved to other country I can rely on to defend and to keep flying on the skies. My parents haven't know about it yet.

Today, Orby woke me up early cause we have a very very important mission to do. I woke up at 5 am then did my daily routine. I ate some breakfast after, but I brought another cup of coffee and bring it to the briefing room. The others came in after including Genette, and we wait until the briefing started.

=•=•=•=•=•=

November 14th, 2010 0612 hrs
Briefing Room, Sand Island

~ 3rd person's p.o.v. ~

Despite the hectic mood among the staff at HQ, the start of the briefing was delayed. But the weary pilots, knowing full well that they must force their exhausted bodies back into the air once the order was given, weren't the slightest bit disturbed by the delay. Chopper and Grimm were sitting next each other, chatting about random topics. Blaze just grab an extra chair and place both if her legs on top of it while drinking her coffee. She observes Nagase writing something on her small red book she had. There were thorned pages and some pieces of paper at the back of the book cover.

"Hey. What are you writing down there?" Blaze asked.

"I just can't remember this next phrase..." Nagase said quietly.

"May I take a look? If you may?"

"Oh. Not at all, Blaze." Nagase smiles and she held her book out a little so the girls can both look at it.

"'A Blue Dove for the Princess'..." Blaze muttered. "I remember reading this before when I was a child. Where was the last part..."

She was humming, thinking what it is to add. "The princess couldn't feed the dove that day..."

"She was too sick." Nagase added, scribbled down the note on the side and filling the words correctly. "Thank you for the guide, Blaze."

She chuckles, "Anytime."

"Razgriz..." Chopper leans forward to talk to the girls. "The Demon of Razgriz got her, right?"

"You know the story?" Nagase asked.

"The demon from the north sea!" Chopper said. "I remember, my grandma used to tell me bedtime stories about it. And every time she did, I'd be too scared to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night."

Blaze snorted, "Bet you always hug your teddy bear and looked under your bed if the demon is hiding."

"Hey! I'm not that scared, y'know!" He retorted. All of us laughed as Chopper mutters under his breath.

"Settle down, people!" The Wardog Squadron adjust themselves on their seats as Hamilton, Perraut, and the other man in crisp white military uniform came inside. The Major allows Genette to join with their briefing.

The journalist know a little about that famous legend, too. When history witnesses a great change, Razgriz reveals itself ...first as a dark demon. As a demon, it uses its power to rain death upon the land and then it dies. However, after a period of slumber, Razgriz returns.

"Ahem, gentlemen..." Perrault cleared his throat before he was interrupted by an officer.

"Excuse me Colonel. This is an absolutely vital mission to us. As the staff advisor sent from Central HQ for this effort, I'd like to explain it myself. The Osean Army is planning a vast offensive with the ultimate objective of occupying the capital of Yuktobania. If this operation succeeds, it will end the war in very short order. However, the Yuktobanians have attacked our beachhead with ballistic missiles from the Hrimfaxi, a Scinfaxi-class submersible carrier stationed in the icy waters of Razgriz Straits. Fortunately, our ground forces have already completed attack preparations, so despite the missile attack, the offensive began as planned. Nevertheless, we must neutralise the threat of another Hrimfaxi missile attack on our ground forces." The briefer continue the other part.

"We have a single chance to stage a successful air attack on the underwater carrier Hrimfaxi. Our passive sonar has detected a transport submarine that we believe is headed for the Hrimfaxi. We believe the transport sub's mission is to supply the Hrimfaxi with missiles. Based on its course and speed, we've calculated its rendezvous time with the Hrimfaxi. By amazing coincidence, it is precisely the same time as the zero hour of our ground attack. At this time, the Hrimfaxi will have to surface to restock its missiles. At that exact moment, ingress at low altitude to avoid detection, launch a surprise attack, and sink the Hrimfaxi. Once surfaced, it only takes the Hrimfaxi one minute to rig for an emergency dive. If your approach is detected, you will only have one minute to complete your attack on the Hrimfaxi."

Then Blaze remembered that the Arkbird was out of commission. It's a bummer that they don't have any support from the bird.

"Now, keep in mind there won't be any support from Arkbird this time around. This mission rests solely on your shoulders. The entire ground offensive is relying on this first surprise attack, so don't disappoint us. I want you to turn the icy Razgriz Straits into the enemy's graveyard."

After the briefing and when the lights came back to the room, Chopper nudged Blaze on her shoulder. "Hey Kid, do you have any plans on how to take this behemoth with just four of us only?"

"Yes." She answered, "Now suit up and headed to our planes." They all left the room and suit up. This mission is going to change their lives as ace pilots of Osea, as the story came to reality.

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"Demons of Razgriz"
14 November, 2010 1559 hrs
Razgriz Straits, Anea

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"Wardog, stay at low altitude and fly towards the submarine fleet." Thunderhead ordered. "You are restricted from flying above one thousand feet. We can't risk having our surprise attack detected."

After they took an air refueling, they arrive in Razgriz Straits. A cold, barren, lifeless place to go. These ice frozen waterways, impassable to any large ships unless they were ice breakers, were rather famous(or infamous) around the world for the legend inspired by them.

"I'm getting chills." Chopper shivered a bit. "This northern sea is where the Demon of Razgriz came from."

"Razgriz..." Nagase added quietly.

"Heh, there's no way that coulda been the Razgriz." Chopper said, "Right?"

"It depends on how people believe in the legends." I replied.

"Hold your chatter. Commencing radio communication out procedures shortly. Maintain radio silence." said Thunderhead.

"Guess I'll try talkin' to myself..." Chopper switched his radio off as well, Blaze, Grimm and Nagase doing the same thing. She watches below the cold land and water. The sun was low enough to see the reflection coming from the light, and stars about to come soon. Blaze remember the time where Ulysses' fragments falls down from the sky. She always thought they are wishing stars, as she keeps wishing all she wanted to wish. And some of them came true.

Blaze glance out of the cockpit and spotted a idle enemy submarine floating on the water. She decided to attack it with her missiles, fired two of them, and sunk it to the bottom of the ocean. Then they fly pass the Hrimfaxi's bodyguards.

"This is Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell, the advisor to Central Command. That submarine just sent off an enemy detection notice. The Hrimfaxi's going to dive in one minute! Attack immediately!" As he said that, Blaze hit the throttle to full afterburner, launching herself diagonally upward.

"Hey, our cover's blown anyway. I'm gonna start talking now!" Blaze shook her head and immediately decrease gradually her speed once it reaches to max height. She flipped her plane and dive down to the Hrimfaxi. "Blaze to Wardog, launched missiles and bombs immediately."

"Roger." Her wingmen boost their planes as they fly faster towards the huge submarine.

"Enemy planes! Halt all resupply operations!" The Hrimfaxi reported.

"Enemy planes? We're still in the middle of our mission! Dammit! How did they smell us out?!"

"Thirty seconds to Hrimfaxi dive." Thunderhead announced. Once in missile range, they all fire their missiles, then dropped their GPBs and break off from the sub, as expected all of them hit the sub. Blaze dive towards the Hrimfaxi and dropped FAEB. She immediately lift her plane, grunted from the g's she have, and leave the sub as the bomb explodes on Hrimfaxi. Although it didn't destroyed, it causes fine amount of damage, according to Blaze's plan. One small sub tries to get away, but got sunk by Grimm.

"Damage status on enemy sub unknown." Nagase said.

"Those bastards are diving!" Chopper grunted. The Hrimfaxi began to dive underwater, hiding away from the pilots.

"Nahh, don't worry about it. We damaged the sub at least." Blaze switch the radio frequency so she can hear the enemies' voices while taking down the bodyguards of Hrimfaxi.

"This is Submarine Squadron Command. The enemy is undertaking a large-scale offensive. Attack the enemy forces with long-range missiles from the Hrimfaxi. Urgent! Transmitting target coordinates."

"This is Hrimfaxi. We cannot comply. We're unable to launch missiles underwater due to battle damage."

"What's the point of your existence if you do not fire now?!" The SSC(I made it short) shouted angrily. "They're penetrating our defense lines as we speak! Hurry up before they overrun our allies!"

"Emergency surface! Grab on to something! Once we break the surface, launch the missiles and unmanned drones!" One of the Hrimfaxi's command said.

"The Hrimfaxi's antenna has appeared above water. It's surfacing!" Nagase said.

"Edge, Chopper, attack the drones once they were release from the submarine. Grimm, attack the sub's AA defenses." Blaze ordered and look below. There was a massive shadow looming up from the depths, like a whale about to breach from below. The surface exploded and the Hrimfaxi was on the surface again.

"Hrimfaxi launching burst missiles." Thunderhead reported. A missile launched from the submarine and is going to the allied ground forces.

"And carrier jets." Nagase added as she saw four drones taking off the sub.

"They're UAVs." Grimm said.

"This is Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell, the adviser to HQ. I'm getting your info in real-time from our tracker satellite. Time your attacks to hit the Hrimfaxi when it surfaces. Sink it before it deals any more damage to our ground forces." He ordered. He was on board the AWACS.

"I knew you would say that." Blaze said. "Wardog Squadron, commence attack!" They began to spread out and attack both the drones and the submarine. Nagase and Chopper pursue the drones flying away while the other two drones chase Grimm and Blaze while they launched missiles and bombs over their AA defenses. Nagase landed a hit on a drone and attack the second one that is on Blaze's tail. She glued behind it and fire her plane's cannon, firing at the drone until it smokes and falls to the water. Blaze thanked her and continue to attack the submarine. Chopper finished the drone and switched roles with Grimm who is now taking the AA guns down. He dropped a bomb on top of the SAM and explodes. It cause minimal damage to the Hrimfaxi's armour.

"Sink the Hrimfaxi and those burst missiles will go away, too." Grimm said.

"Yeah." Nagase replied. "And if we removed the threat of that metal rain, the war could end early."

"And then we can go on leave. Its perfect!" Chopper added and laughs. Blaze just stay silent and continues to attack the Hrimfaxi's's AA defense until they are all destroyed. Suddenly, the submarine began to submerge.

"The Hrimfaxi is diving!" Thunderhead announced. The Hrimfaxi made a deep dive to the underwater, but since it was damaged from the attack, it will resurface soon.

"Come on! Surface! I'm sick of waiting for you!" Chopper shouted.

"Calm down, Chopper." Blaze said. "It will surface early enough. Everyone, take care of the escort subs. I'll call when the whale swims up."

"Roger, Captain." The wingmen went to separate directions and sink down the escort submarines, their Captain fly around the area while waiting to catch sight of Hrimfaxi.

"If the Yukes lost their monster, it'll be a huge blow to them. No wonder they got all of these escorts..." Grimm said. Blaze remembered that she have to investigate about 8492nd Squadron that rescue Harling and attack the Yuke College. She even still wondering where is the President and Prime Minister doing now since both of them want peace to both countries.

"I've never fought an air battle in this kind of weather before." The Yuke on the sub mumbles.

"Who cares how cold it is?! You call yourself a Marine?!"

"Lock and loaded! Come get some!" One of the Yuke from the escort sub.

"Get some? Got ya' pal!" Chopper laughs as he dropped bomb on one of the moving submarines and launched missiles. The enemy submarine he attacked destroyed and slowly sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Grimm have to evade the incoming air-to-air missiles from the sub before dropping the bomb directly to it. Nagase swiftly avoid the AA guns and fire missiles at the bow of the sub, then accurately dropped the bomb onto the hole, destroyed everything inside it. Blaze flies around the area, waiting for the Hrimfaxi to come out. Until Thunderhead caught the whale.

"The Hrimfaxi has broken the surface. Commence attack!" The Wardog Squadron gathered in one place and watched as the massive submarine finally surfaced, and the AA defenses back online and attack the pilots in the air.

"Hrimfaxi! You're dealing lethal damage to the Osean Army. Give me one more shot!" The Yuke Commander from the battlefield said. "Drive 'em back to the coastline!"

"Copy. Hrimfaxi, launching burst missile!" A silo opens as a large missile fire out of the submarine, taking off towards the allied ground forces. More UAVs launched from the Hrimfaxi and begin to attack the Aces. Blaze rolls away from the drones and dive down towards the Hrimfaxi, firing missiles at the AA guns.

"Hrimfaxi, the enemy's abandoned the attack. Well done."

"What are you doing!? Attack, you idiots! Are you just gonna let them destroy our ground forces!?"

"Geez, I thought This guy would be nicer than the base command back home." Chopper scoffed.

"Ah, the top brass are all the same." Grimm added.

Blaze sighed in mock anger. They are doing their job as hard as they can and Mitchell is like he was in hurry. She called him, "Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell."

"What?" He asked.

"If you want us to destroy the Hrimfaxi, I want you to shut the hell up and let us do our job." She said in a scary, murderous voice while destroying the UAVs with her guns. "Or I'll tied you in the chair alone in the basement with a gag on the mouth and a tv in front of you watching cringe videos for a whole day."

That shut his mouth off, and shaken a little bit. Thunderhead watched his reaction and chuckles a bit, "I warned you, sir. She might be young but she is crazy and scary in the air."

"Why thank you o' kind one." Blaze's voice turned chipper. "Alright. Everyone, attack the Hrimfaxi simultaneously with your bombs. Grimm you go first."

"Roger, Captain." Grimm replied. They fly higher from the sea-level, and Grimm dive down towards the sub with the bombs, it destroyed some of the AA defense. Then next is Chopper, then Nagase, lastly Blaze dive down and fired missiles first before dropping another FAEB, directly hit the sub and explodes gradually. Finally unable to submerge underwater.

"Ballast tanks damaged, unable to submerge Captain!" bellowed a crew member as warning bells rang loudly inside of the Hrimfaxi.

"Dammit! All this damage from four planes?!" he cursed.

"Are the Oseans using some kind of black magic?!"

"Yes we do. And it's called Anti-Hrimfaxi Bomb, with a mixed of the Ace pilots' badass skills, comrade!" Blaze said with a grin, the others laughed at her reply.

"Forget it! We'll just have to deal with them above the surface!" The Hrimfaxi's captain shouted, calming down his crew.

"The Hrimfaxi has stopped its dive! We've damage it!" Grimm cheered.

"Wardog, continue to attack the Hrimfaxi." Blaze ordered. They began to dropped down bombs and missiles over Hrimfaxi, sustaining a lot of damaged to the hull and the AA defense are almost completely wiped out. The Hrimfaxi still has one trump card left to eliminate the ace pilots. A missile slowly take off from the silo and fire away rapidly to the sky.

"Hrimfaxi launching burst missile." informed Thunderhead, calculating the area of impact. "Wardog, it's heading your way! Climb! Zoom to above five thousand feet!"

"Shit. Everyone go up!" Everyone pointed their planes upward and fly as fast as they can.

"Five, four, three, two, bursting, now!" The missile burst in mid-air with an intense heat, but the Wardog Squadron able to climb to safety. Hrimfaxi began to launched more UAVs and attack the pilots. They break off and fire all the UAVs while continuing dropping the bombs at Hrimfaxi.

"What's the matter?! I thought this was the world's best fleet!" The Hrimfaxi crew said.

"I know, I know! I'm not gonna let them fly up there for long." The other crew grunted, as the other crew members of the Hrimfaxi installed another burst missile to the launching port.

"The Hrimfaxi's taken a lot of damage, too." Nagase said as she fired down the UAVs. "We have to give more damage to the- Blaze, what are you doing?"

"Inspecting, now shush." Blaze fly above the Hrimfaxi with her plane upside down.

"Hrimfaxi, launching burst missile!" As soon as Thunderhead said that, Blaze watched one of the silos opened and launching missile out. Got enough info on how to take down the submarine. She climb up to the sky with her wingmen to avoid the range of impact.

"Let up for even a second, and we'll get showered by that metal rain." Nagase muttered.

"Don't worry, Nagase. I know how to destroy the sub now." Blaze said with confidence inside her. After the missiles burst again, they launched more drones once more.

"Not again!" Grimm grunted.

"Dammit! Just sink already!" Chopper frustratedly shouted. He is tired from fighting, everyone does. They fired everything they had onto the Hrimfaxi, dealing a huge damage to the outer area of the sub.

"Look! The Razgriz story was true!" One of the Hrimfaxi's crew said, with his voice shivered in fear.

"Geez, you guys still believe in that?! That just a damn tall tale!" The other crew shot at him.

"Well, how do you explain all this damage?! I tell you, they're demons!"

"Then again, I am the daughter of the Demon Lord so it's normal for me to be called one, I guess." Blaze thought the she calls the AWACS operator. "Blaze to Thunderhead, I want you to do something for me."

"Anything I can do." He replied.

"I want you to mark the silo where the burst missile launches, double time please."

She waited for few seconds before a target on the silo is displayed on her HUD, she grinned and slowly dives down towards the Hrimfaxi after she climbed to higher altitude. Thunderhead began to alert the Wardog Squadron.

"Hrimfaxi launching burst missile!"

"Not anymore!" As soon as the silo opens and the missile slowly ascend, Blaze immediately fire missiles towards the target she requested and yanked her plane upwards with her full afterburner blasting out of the plane's nozzles. When both missiles collide, it creates an enormous explosion just like the burst missile's explosion. The Hrimfaxi's hull started to melt and break apart, and some created some holes around, letting the water rapidly inside the sub.

"Blaze!" Nagase shouted, they watched her climbed out before the explosion swallows her. The align her plane properly and decreased her speed slight before taking off her mask to take a deep breath. She glance down and watched the Hrimfaxi slowly sink.

"Hrimfaxi, it appears you're up against Razgriz itself out there." Yuke Command said.

"Looks like they were the real Razgriz, not us... Maybe someone's trying to tell us that our time is up..." The Hrimfaxi make its way below the ocean surface, after that, the armory where the missiles were store explodes. Water emerge and disperse into tiny droplets, and a slight smoke from the sub appears before it slowly vanished. After the show, Blaze put on the mask to make an announcement.

"This is Major Blaze of the Wardog Squadron, the Hrimfaxi has sunk to the ocean's grave."

"Finally!" Chopper leans back of his chair "We can now go back to our home."

"We finally changed the tide of war." Grimm said.

"And then we can end this war as soon as possible." Nagase added.

"Wardog, Mission complete." Thunderhead said, "Return to base."

Blaze performs a barrel roll and laughs before returning back to the formation as they fly to the horizon.

=•=•=•=•=•=

Debriefing:

The surprise attack on the Hrimfaxi was a success, and the carrier has sunk to the bottom of the Razgriz Straits. The threat from the northern sea has disappeared, and the Osean forces are on the offensive against Yuktobania.

=•=•=•=•=•=

Later on Sand Island, a celebration party is held to congratulate Wardog Squadron's heroes. Four aces are receiving praises from everyone, and enjoying the best feast brought by Blaze and the kitchener staff. Everyone gathered on the beach to celebrate their victory, I meant everyone in the base. They were allowed to get hammered which Chopper took it to get drunk as much as he can, while talking and chatting with the people on the base. Grimm joined along with Nagase on playing board games with the Nuggets. And Blaze just went from place to place, taking a lot of pictures until she ran out of film while taking a bite on the ice cream waffle she have made for them. Genette also taking pictures and recording all the festivities they've made. He saw Pops sitting near the table, so he came up to him and take a footage.

"Me? Heavens." he said with the polite raise of a hand. "The ace pilots who sunk the enemy submarine are right over there, and I'm the person you want to interview now?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that I heard you used to be a fighter pilot yourself." replied Genette, making the older gentleman smilel.

"I just fly freight plans for the maintenance crews now. The captain, Captain Bartlett that is, said it was time for an old man like me to quit trying to compete with the young guys. Talk about a lack of respect!"

"Where did you meet Captain Bartlett?" Genette asked.

"We were both shot down and we bailed out behind enemy lines in the last war. We got through the bullet-ridden battlefield and made it back to the allied front line. I tell you, it was tough getting the Army to believe we were on their side."

"Shot down? You two?" The journalist was surprised. Both Bartlett and Pops shot down during the Belkan war. But Genette didn't know who he really is. But its better that way.

"Hey, it was a long time ago. Everyone's allowed to make mistakes, right?" Pops smiled slightly, turning to the side.

Genette chuckled. "No, no, I didn't mean it that way. Even if you're not flying with those pilots, your age and experience provide a lot of support for them. I just wanted to tell you that. I've seen that you really listen to what they have to say and you always have helpful suggestions for them"

"Well, thank you. I'll try to remember that." Pops motioned his thanks with his cup in hand. Then Genette let loose what was on his mind.

"I think they are all going to need you, now more than ever."

"I'll do what I can."

"These people, it's like they're walking on a tightrope that can snap at any second. They are going to reach their breaking point sooner or later."

Pops looked at the pilots, who were still celebrating with other officers and personnels. "Yeah."

Blaze watches everyone with a smile on her face. Even her body needs rest, her mind don't as she have an investigation to do. She leave the area and went as far from the people as possible. When she reaches the far end of the beach, she take a deep sigh and grabs her phone to call someone. The dial tone ringing softly in her ear before the person on the other end picked up.

<<Hello?>>

"Hey, it's me Gab."

<<Hey, it's been a while since you left. The graduation party still can't get off my head.>>

"Hahaha. It was his fault not mine." She said with a grin as both of them laughed. During her graduation, Chris and their friend Viktor are having a drinking contest. As always, Viktor wins cause he's a Yuke and her brother ended up puking a lot. It was gross I'm telling you. But they took pictures of his face, and good thing they didn't post it online. The man who is on the line was present on her party.

<<Well, I can't argue with that. So why did you call me by the way?>> The man chuckles.

"Oh, right. Can we meet up tomorrow at 5pm at my house. Need some help about my investigation, I think you might know about it. I'll also bring the records about my previous missions." She asked with a soft voice.

<<Sure, no problem. How's your family?>>

"I haven't called them yet, but they said they're fine at all. I didn't told anyone about them for safety."

<<I understand that, we don't want them to be part of the mess now that you involve in this war.>>

Blaze sighed. "Yeah... Anyways, I'll see you there tomorrow. Don't be late."

<<Got it. See you then.>>

Blaze hung up and sighed as she pocketed her phone, watched the bright moon reflecting the ocean in the night sky with thousands of stars shine above her. It was a beautiful sight to see, hopefully it never last. She smiled and return back to the party. But she didn't notice that someone is watching her from far away, but immediately left the area once she walked away.