19 December, 2010 1125hrs
OFS Kestrel

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

Having a bad day is a common problem to most of the humans, but for the people in Kestrel, things are getting worse. Everyone gathered in the mess hall, including Galm team, Mobius 1, and also President Harling himself. Razgriz knew something important is about to say when the president is here with them.

"The intelligence vessel Andromeda has picked up another encrypted transmission in Belkan. They changed the code on us, so it took a little longer to decipher the message. The content is as follows: 'N attack by A-Sat on Okchabursk to commence at 1400 hours'."

Nagase's heart skipped a beat when Pops read the translated message to them within the briefing room. Blaze made a slow head turn to look at her when the realization hit all of them with different effects, and she knew she was going to take it the worst.

"There's going to be a nuclear attack?!" Chopper exclaimed.

"If it does," Grimm piped up, "then there's only one kind of A-sat that I know of that's capable of making it."

There was a stunned silence then Cipher said what everyone was thinking. "So this means that Arkbird is back online, and if this is right, it means that the Gray Men have control of it and they're going to use it to nuke a city of millions in Yuktobania."

Blaze hissed, "And I thought the nuke the resistance defused is only one in Yuktobania."

"When the Task Force interrogate the captured Belkans from the Nuclear mining facility back at Mt. Schirm, they said that the Grey Men took three nukes to both countries." Pops stated.

"So the first nuke was already dismantled by the resistance." Mobius 1 explained, looking at the crowd, "The second one is at the Arkbird, then the third one..."

"... is already arrived at the Osea." Snow finished the sentence.

"How are they planning to attack Yuktobania, anyway?" Blaze asked, she needs to know their plan in order to find a strategy to destroy it.

"In order for the Arkbird to attack Okchaburks, a city in Yuktobania, at 1400 hours, it must make one major correction to its orbital trajectory, as stated."

Pops pointed to the projector as it shifted to the Ceres Ocean, zooming in specifically on a section close by to a small collection of unknown islands. Cipher narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. So that was to be the area of interception, he figured.

"To do this, it must first drop into the upper atmosphere and use air friction to lower its speed. We have already calculated the time and location in which this maneuver will occur. Your mission is to destroy the Arkbird. This is your only chance."

Cipher clasp his hand, "Alright, everyone suit up and head to your planes."

Everyone stand up to their seats and left the room, except for one.

"Miss Nagase." Harling called, "May I have a word with you?"

Nagase looked at Blaze and she gave a nod before leaving her with Harling. "Is there something you want to talk about, sir?"

"Its about the Arkbird." He said, "I couldn't possibly send someone that cares so much for the white bird to destroy it. Ultimately, it's your choice to participate in this mission. If you don't want to, you don't have to."

She didn't know what to say. The President was in front of her giving a choice whether or not to take part in destroying the Arkbird. There was no choice to be made, though. The lives of the millions of people are at stake, loosing then is not an option anymore.

"Thank you for your understanding, sir, but I cannot possibly leave a mission to choice." Nagase replied.

Harling sadly nodded but he understand her choice.

"But..."

"Hmm?"

"After this war is over..."

"We will need a new Arkbird, won't we?" Harling said, giving her only a smile as an answer. Nagase smile back, gave a salute before joining with her flightmates on the runway. Time to vanish the second nuke out of existence.

ㅤ

ㅤ
"White Bird (Part II)"
19 December, 2010 1309 hrs
Ceres Ocean, Osea

ㅤ

ㅤ

"Arkbird spotted on Radar. Razgriz, begin your ascent and engage." ordered SkyEye. All pilots participate in this mission. If Arkbird carries a nuke, then more pilots needed to destroy it as soon as possible.

Blaze pitched her aircraft upwards and began to climb at a steady pace with her flightmates, their sights set on the Arkbird, the satellite craft visible in the distance high up in the sky.

"We were so close...it's like they're always one step ahead…" murmured Grimm. "No...no I can't think that. We can't afford to."

"Yeah, thoughts like that gotta be pushed out of your head, Grimm." advised Snow wisely, Cipher nodding in agreement.

Higher they climbed, passing by ten thousand feet in the blink of an eye, and still they went higher. The Arkbird, according to SkyEye's information, was close to their jet's service ceiling of fifty thousand feet, which would only make it even more difficult for them.

Vikhor snarled, "It's gonna be tough climbing even higher with these planes."

"If we try to push our planes even higher, our consoles might cause malfunction.... Are you alright, Nagase?" Blaze looked at her wingwoman's aircraft. Inside the canopy, she fell silent. In a few seconds, she sighed.

"Yeah, I'm fine...wait, the Arkbird!"

All eyes looked straight at their great big white target high in the sky and just barely they were able to see a plume of white smoke emerge from its underbelly. The Arkbird had jettisoned something, and as they neared it that object soared past them at lightning quick speeds.

"What was that?" Chopper asked.

"Looks like an escape capsule." Larry replied. Gab immediate twisting radio knobs until she enters to the Arkbird's frequency.

"Adler to Schenze. He got away."

"It's the enemy!" Said Orby as they listened in, Blaze connects it to the other allies to listen to their voices.

"The Osean astronaut?"

"Yeah. It's alright, we don't need him anymore...oh, dammit! He must've done something to the control system before he got away! Turn off that switch!"

Unsure of what the Belkans could have been talking about, the Arkbird began to rapidly descend far beyond what it was supposed to for its maneuver, getting slower and slower as more hair rushed along it's sleek body.

"Dammit, we're slowing down! We're diving deep into the atmosphere." cursed Adler when the controls were finally fixed, the Arkbird managing to level out at around twenty thousand feet.

"Captain, this is Archer. Doesn't the Arkbird's approach path seem too deep?"

"Yeah, something's wrong." Blaze muttered. She stares at the Arkbird as it reach low altitude, close enough for the jets to fly over.

"Whoever that person in the escape capsule is, he/she might done something to the Arkbird to make our jobs easier." Orby stated, "Now's our chance!"

"No time to bitch around then!" Blaze hits afterburner and rushed towards the Arkbird. The others began to follow after knowing her plans.

"Mobius 1 to Pops, do you read?"

"Yes, Ribbon, loud and clear."

"The Osean astronaut aboard the Arkbird used an escape capsule to get away. He's probably floating in the sea."

"Do you know his location?" Pops asked.

"He got out about a minute ago, so he should be a few miles back."

"Alright, I'll send the Sea Goblin. Stick around after you destroy the Arkbird to escort them."

"Will do." Mobius 1 said. "And also thank him for letting our jobs easier for us by the way!"

Pops chuckles, "Roger."

Once they reach closer to the back of the Arkbird, Gab launches a pair of missile straight, stricking directly to the Arkbird's rear hull. It only leaves dents and scratches, but the impact alone is enough to alert the entire crew inside the White Bird.

"Adler to Schenze, we're under attack!

"What? The Osean army's supposed to be wrapped around our finger. Who the hell?"

Adler and the crew of the Arkbird looked to the external cameras on board to see who, or what, could've cause that attack, and as soon as they saw the four black and red fighters right on their tail and another four fighters they knew exactly who it was.

"Black bodies, that emblem, it's them! The 'Ghosts of Razgriz'!" yelled one of the crew in a frantic tone.

"And they brought some company, too!" Another crew yelled.

"Launch the VOGELs. Get rid of them!" he ordered to his lackey, Adler quickly putting the order into motion. A bay on Arkbird's belly opened up and five objects fell clear. The ace did a double take when he saw just what had fallen out.

"UAVs incoming!"

"Those launch ports weren't in the original design!" said Nagase as she avoided a burst of gunfire from the agile UAVs.

"Seems Belka made some modifications to it." said Snow with a growl. "Damn bastards, they'll pay for that!"

"This is Galm 1 to Razgriz squadron, continue to engage the Arkbird. " Cipher ordered, "The rest of you, let's take down these birds immediately."

"Got 'ya, Buddy."

"Roger."

Alpha team split up from Razgriz as they began to take care of the UAVs, Blaze's team began to approach and engage all sides of the Arkbird, however it doesn't sustain enough damage.

"Unknown energy is charging from the Arkbird. Its the lazer!" Orby yelled. Blaze spotted a light glowing brighter from Arkbird's lazer port.

"Shit" Blaze cursed, "Everyone, dive!"

With her command, the pilots immediately flew downward, the lazer fires from side to side until it vanished. Blaze release a sigh of relief, but slightly shaken after her nightmares about her death came back again.

"Gab, your body is shaking." Orby said, sou ded worried of her best friend.

"I-I'm fine, thanks for the worries." Blaze mumbles. She shakes her head and refocus on their mission. She points the nose of the plane upward and dashed to the lazer, burst of gunfire came out from Blaze's F-35 making the lazer went disable. Grimm and Chopper follow her example but this time they target the launchers, both have taken down by their missiles.

"Schenze to Adler. Do whatever it takes to gain altitude!"

"Roger! Countdown to booster ignition!"

"The Arkbird's going to attempt to climb higher into the atmosphere!"

"What? How do you know?" questioned Grimm.

"I know all about the Arkbird. I was in love with it...so much that I used to stare at the blueprints all the time. That big engine in the middle is a booster designed to give it enough speed to escape the atmosphere. If we destroy that, it'll never make it into space again."

"Roger that." replied Snow, his hand tightening a little on the flight stick.

"Razgriz 1 to SkyEye, mark the engines once they began to activate it."

"Copy that." He replied. The Razgriz dodges incoming ray of lazer from the Arkbird, Blaze started to hate this kind of weapon already, so she immediately destroyed it.

"We're gonna destroy the Arkbird...are we sure about this?" Grimm looked from one person to the other around them, hoping to catch their gaze from his cockpit.

"When were at peace again, the president will build another one for us." Nagase replied.

Blaze smiles under her mask, "I'm glad you both made a right choice."

While taking down the AA guns and UCAVs, Blaze began to heard the Belkan's chatter from the Arkbird. "I heard Ofnir was destroyed by these guys..."

"Don't worry, the Arkbird is invincible."

"Tough talk to someone who bombed and sabotage it." Blaze scoffed. In a matter of a minute, Belkan's voice began its countdown. "3, 2, 1.... Ignition!"

A pair of engines blast strong power, Arkbird began its ascend slowly. "The Arkbird is ascending again!"

"Blast those engines, now!" Blaze ordered. The Razgriz pushed their jets towards the Arkbird's rear, each of them began to fire their missiles. In less than 5 seconds, both engines destroyed. As Blaze usually expected, teamwork makes the dream work.

"Rocket boosters destroyed." Snow announced.

"Hell yeah!"

"We don't have time to celebrate yet cause they're still more engines left on the Arkbird." Nagase replied. Blaze listen to the Belkans' frequency again to hear their reaction?

"Dammit! We're falling again!"

"Adler, you are aware of the back up plan, right?", "A back up plan?" Gab though, senses became strong as she can feel something is about to turn sideways.

"I know." Adler said, "We're headed to nearby Osean territory and set off the nuke."

"Your sacrifice will never be forgotten." This shocked Blaze, since they're near Osea's mainland, the Arkbird is making a turn and nuke there. She immediately switches to allied frequency, "Everyone listen up! The Arkbird's mission to Yuktobania is failed, but they're heading to Osea instead!"

This shocked her entire team. "If it penetreates Osean airspace and self destructs, it'll be a catastrophe!" Grimm exclaimed.

"Then let's destroy the rear engine of the Arkbird immediately!" Vikhor shouted.

Everyone fly off towards the Arkbird as the bird itself began to fire AA guns and the lazer after it was fixed. Pixy dive down and raise his plane up to fire his missiles to the lazer, finally it was hit and finally destroyed.

"Lazer disabled." Larry announced.

"Great job, Buddy." Cipher grinned.

"Warning, Belkan aerial squadron approaching your way." SkyEye reported, "looks like they called for soke reinforcements."

Mobius 1 groans, "Really?"

"Do we have a choice?" His dad said. "Razgriz, continue the mission."

"Roger, Dad.". The Alpha team break off once again to fight off against Belkan pilots. Meanwhile, the Arkbird keeps bursting gunfire from its AA guns mounted on top.

"Your mission was distorted by human trachery. Your days in the air are over!" proclaimed Nagase after destroying the AAMs, her sights moving to the engines.

"Fox 2! Fox 2!" Chopper fired the left engine with missiles, with Grimm on the opposite side.

"Botn engines destroyed!"

"Impossible..." Adler stood in the cockpit, shocked  "Dammit! How could this be?! Hurry! We can go down yet!"

"Nagase, is there any engine left on the Arkbird?" Blaze asked.

"Yes, it was in the middle of the rear." As soon as she said that, the Arkbird fired its last engine, with a powerful blast, the Arkbird pointed its nose very high to ascend faster.

Chopper hissed, "They're going high again!"

"Fighting with its last breath, huh? That thing will not quit!" Grimm exclaimed.

"Everyone destroy the engine, now!" At full throttle, the Razgriz flew fast and begin firing each of their missiles at the Arkbird's last engine. With that, the engine no longer functioning.

"We did it!" Chopper cheered. Cipher and Larry chuckes at his actions, but everyone finally glad that it was over.

All of its engines were destroyed, and without them, the giant aircraft was nothing more then an oversized glider. Even Adler realized there was no hope for them now.

"Carrying out the backup plan may be impossible under these conditions...altitude dropping, controls malfunctioning…" Adler sighed, "...damn you, Razgriz."

The Arkbird descended towards the Ceres Ocean below, the sparkling waves almost calling out to the white bird, to take it within its watery hold so that it could rest.

"Yes...and humans are responsible for it." replied Grimm sadly.

The Arkbird lost control of itself and began to twist around in the air, its nose coming up to face the sky as fire and smoke consumed its body. The white bird crashed into the waves in a massive plume of water, sinking below just below the surface before a mushroom cloud of water sprung upward by the Arkbird detonating with a muffled blast.

It was over. The symbol of peace, fallen from grace...had finally died.

"The Arkbird is finally destroyed." SkyEye announces to everyone, including at the Kestrel. "Time to go back to base."

With all pilots flew bacl home, Blaze set aside Nagase, silently watching her from the cockpit. She spoke quietly, "I'm sorry about the Arkbird."

Nagase sighed, but gave a sad smile. "I was in love with it... I used to stare at the blueprints all the time. That's why I had to do it."

"I see."

"Just like I said before, when we're at peace again, the President will build another one for us. We have to make sure to end this so the new one can fly safe from enemy hands."

Blaze smiles, "We definitely will."

•=•=•=•=•=•

"We succeeded in halting the Arkbird nuclear attack on the city of Okchabursk in Yuktobania. The Arkbird crashed into the middle of the Ceres Ocean after attempting to detonate the nuke within itself over the city, after the plane to drop it failed. Miraculously, there were no ships near the area of the crash site. According to our investigation team, there is currently no evidence of radiation fallout in the area."

•=•=•=•=•=•

Once the jets are landed to the ground and removed their gear, Blaze sighed and quietly left away from her friends and family. She took a can of Coke and walk to the top deck of the Kestrel. She stands at the edge of an aircraft carrier, taking a sip of soda while peacefully watching the calm seas.

"You seem gloomy today, Gab. Is there something wrong?" Orby asked.

Gab looks around to see if there are people around, good thing there aren't. She sighed and quietly speaks, "Its just... look how much I've  been though to my entire life, including my first life. To think I've reach to this certain dificulty level, which I didn't expect." She deeply sighs, "I don't know what to say anymore..."

"I think this war has gotten in your head."

"Yeah. Seeing from a nugget of Osea, to Four Wings of Sand Island, to Demons of Razgriz, then to Ghosts, shit went real fast." Blaze chuckles. "But I'm happy to be like this."

Orby laughs a bit. Blaze finishes the soda as she watches the sun slowly sets down.