"Everything that is done in this world is done by hope."
~Martin Luther King Jr.

____________________________

October 5, 2010...

Chopper

I groggily woke up, grimacing as the nightmare I'd had during the night resurfaced. One of us had been shot down, and in response, Blaze wept silently and uncontrollably on her bed. I ached to go comfort her, but my feet wouldn't budge. I couldn't move. The image of her sobbing was burned into my brain.

The second nightmare, I'd watch Grimm, Nagase, and Blaze all get shot down. I'd been yelling at the top of my lungs for them to get out of there and evade, but naturally, none of them listened to me. I couldn't make out what my wingmen were saying, but it was evident by their calmness and matter-of-fact tones that they'd accepted their fate. They were okay with being shot down. I watched as three missiles sped towards my friends' planes, waking up right before they were struck.

Knowing I wasn't going to go back asleep after those awful dreams, I threw on some workout clothes and headed to the gym to take my mind off things. Surprisingly, Blaze was there, walking on the treadmill. She walked at a slow pace, her face unusually flushed even beneath her makeup. Hamilton jogged on the machine next to her, keeping an idle conversation going. I didn't like the way he kept glancing at her, and I wanted to go over there and make sure he knew she was taken. But Blaze wouldn't want that. We needed to keep our relationship a secret to avoid having the Base Commander separate us. Instead, I forced down the unease and joined them.

"Morning, you two," I greeted, hopping onto the treadmill on Blaze's other side.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, perking up at the sight of me.

Hamilton nodded. "Lieutenant."

"What are you doing up?" Blaze asked.

"The question is more like what are you doing up? Since when do you wake up before me?"

Blaze sighed. "I was freezing and couldn't warm up, so I thought I'd come work out to see if that would help."

"You sick?"

"I don't think so. I haven't really been around anyone but you and our squadron, and when I'm not with y'all, I'm either sleeping or flying."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You positive?"

"No..." She placed the inside of her arm against her cheek. "I do feel hot."

"Let me see." I repeated her action, and upon feeling the heat radiating off of her, I gave her a look of slight reproach. "You're burning up. You should really go to the infirmary."

"I better not have a cold," My girlfriend groaned and stepped off the treadmill. "I'm going to go get checked out."

"I'll go with you," I offered.

"What if I'm contagious?"

"Then we'll be quarantined together." Saying bye to Hamilton, the two of us shuffled out of the gym. We had just turned the corner when Blaze stopped abruptly, grabbing onto my shoulder with a death grip. I turned around to find my girlfriend's face had gone a deathly shade of white.

"I-I need to sit down," she stammered, sinking against the wall. I helped lower her to the ground, My heart hammered in my chest as I waited with bated breath to see if she was okay.

After a few moments, I prodded, "Blaze? You with me?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I thought I was going to pass out. I just needed to sit for a sec."

"You want me to carry you to the infirmary?"

"No, no, I'm okay," Blaze insisted, pushing herself up. I grabbed her by the shoulders when she began swaying.

"Are you sure ?"

"Yeah, I' m okay. Just help me get there." With a sigh of defeat, I wrapped my arm around Blaze's waist to make sure she didn't fall down. We ambled to the infirmary, passing not a single soul on the way. Blaze rested her head on my shoulder. I could feel her heated face even through the fabric of my shirt. She slowly used me more and more for support. By the time we reached the infirmary, I was practically carrying her.

"What's wrong?" Dr. Gibson demanded the instant he saw us. I quickly explained the situation as I helped Blaze sit down on the bed.

"Blaze? Can you hear me?" Dr. Gibson asked.

"Yeah, I can hear you," Blaze said, her voice shockingly steady, albeit slightly softer than usual.

Dr. Gibson went to the cabinet and took out a thermometer. He checked Blaze's temperature. It flashed red and showed 102.7. No wonder she felt like shit! I watched Dr. Gibson hurry to a cabinet and pull out some medication. He handed it to Blaze along with a water bottle.

"Looks like someone has the flu," he said. "I was worried about this. There's a strain going around that the vaccine isn't effective against preventing. I'm going to test you for it to be sure, but I think I know what the result will be. Lieutenant Davenport, I need you to gather the rest of your squadron and anyone else Lieutenant Banks has been in close contact with."

"Yes, sir." I turned to Blaze to tell her goodbye, but found her already asleep, snuggled up under the blankets. Leaving her be, I started my search for Genette. I checked the crew room first, thinking he and Nagase might be having another one of their discussion. Not there.

I checked his room, knocking incessantly, and only stopping when my knuckles started to hurt. He could be a heavy sleep when he was exhausted, but if he was asleep, I should've heard his sonorous snoring.

I finally checked the cafeteria, and there he was with Nagase, Grimm, and Cassie. They were all chowing down on cheeseburgers, which looked surprisingly appetizing.

"Hey, Chopper," Nagase greeted, looking me up and down. "You look awful."

"Nice to see you too," I replied. "I just got back from the infirmary. Blaze is staying there right now."

"What's wrong?" Genette literally dropped his burger when he asked. Nagase's face went grave. I swiftly explained the situation just like I had mere moments ago to Dr. Gibson. When I finished, my friends rushed to put the rest of their meals in to-go containers, and then followed me back to the infirmary.

Immediately upon arrival, Dr. Gibson stuck a cotton swab in the back of our throats to test us for the flu. The poor man nearly got vomited on by my friends due to their full stomachs. They managed to keep it down, but none of them looked too great afterward.

It turned out that none of us showed any signs of having what Blaze did, and we were free to go. Genette convinced Dr. Gibson to let us see Blaze before we left, but she was still fast asleep, so he wrote her a note saying to text him when she was awake.

Over the next seven days, Blaze stayed in the infirmary, although not out of her own free will. Dr. Gibson forced her to in order to prevent whatever she had from spreading. We all understood his reasons, but Blaze was going stir-crazy. We all at least got to see her but had to wear masks and wash our hands really well afterward.

Finally, on the seventh day, Doctor Gibson let her out. I hadn't seen Blaze so excited in a long time, although her energy levels still weren't up to par. Dr. Gibson ordered her to continue resting as much as possible to avoid a relapse. He even wrote her a doctor's note to the Base Commander stating Blaze was not allowed on any missions that weren't imperative, which meant no patrols and no hops. Perrault was going to love that.

Thankfully, nothing happened throughout the next week, allowing Blaze her much-needed rest. Strangely, though, nothing even remotely interesting happened. Not even so much as a report of an enemy drone. While I found it suspicious, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to relax whenever I wasn't being sent up with Nagase and Grimm for patrol. While we did that, Blaze hung out with Genette and Pops in the hangar, chatting and helping the latter with the planes occasionally. She'd wait for us to land and then would walk back to my room with me, where we'd watch a movie, Skype with either her parents or mine, and then, inevitably, we would fall asleep.

That was exactly what we'd done after my last patrol, but this time, I woke up to Blaze sitting up and breathing heavily. Furrowing my brow and taking her hand in mine, I asked, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied shakily. "Bad dream."

I sat up and brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "What happened?"

"Y-you were shot down. I was screaming for you, and it- God, it felt so real..."

"Hey, I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." I leaned and kissed her. "This is real, and that dream was just that. A dream. Nothing's going to happen to me."

"You don't know that," Blaze whispered, bracing her forehead against mine.

"Yeah, I do. Because I know as my captain, you won't let anything happen to me."

The corner of her mouth tugged upward. "True."

"What can I do to help cheer you back up?"

"Distract me from it?"

I grinned devilishly at her. "I think I know exactly how to do that." 

_____________________________________

Nagase

Admittedly, when we received word that we had a mission after two weeks of nothing, I was relieved. I missed being up in the air. I felt free up there, like nothing and no one could stop me. I had full control of my life up there, and it was a liberating feeling I didn't have on the ground.

I sat down next to Genette in the briefing room. Blaze, Chopper, Grimm, and Cassie were already there. The Base Commander stood in the front of the room, looking pissed off as usual. I wondered what infuriated him this time. My friends and I perpetually wondered who spit in his cereal in the morning. There are people here who I wouldn't put it past them to actually do that, to be honest.

Perrault's nasally voice rang out through the room, silencing all conversations. "Since we thwarted their invasion, we haven't seen any major offensive operation by the enemy for several weeks. Almost like we're at peace again, eh, people? Anyway, let's start the briefing."

The briefer cleared his throat. "Yuktobanian combat operations have been dormant since their failed large-scale invasion and the loss of their underwater carrier, Scinfaxi. However, there is still concern over a possible infiltration by small-scale forces from the ground and the air. You will split into flights of two and carry out patrols in the area from Akerson Hill to the northern coastline. The airspace above the grain fields extending around Akerson is covered by our Osean AA system. The system automatically fires missiles at any hostile aircraft it detects. Patrol the northern coastline of Akerson Hill, which is out of our AA system's range."

Operation: ----

Location: Akerson Hill

Date: 2010/10/22

Time: 1200 Hrs.

"This should be fun," Chopper said.

"You need a dictionary," I replied.

The four of us walked to the hangar, and Blaze chose our trusty F-14Ds and split us into two groups, partnering me with her, and placing Chopper with Grimm. We'd patrol different areas, and regroup later in the mission to continue scouting the area.

The entire mission, from take-off to our arrival at Akerson hill, was entirely uneventful.

Blaze and I flew at a lax pace, scanning the surrounding area. The land below us was mainly farmland, and since it was fall, the ground was a sea of red, orange, and brown, although a few green patches remained. Windmills dotted the landscape along with the occasional, stereotypical red farm. I could even see a few horses and cows down in the pastures when I flew low enough.

"That stupid geezer Base Commander just won't give us a break, will he?" Chopper said with an accompanying groan.

"He's relying on us First Lieutenant Chopper," Grimm replied casually. "Hey, congratulations on your promotion, by the way."

"That's weird. I don't feel any better..."

"Well, you should. It's good to be promoted."

"You realize we all got promoted, right?"

"So, congratulations to all of us!"

"How much caffeine have you had today?" Chopper asked suspiciously.

"Would you believe me if I said none?" Grimm said.

"No."

"Hey, you two," I said, jumping into their conversation. "What's your current position?"

"Three hundred miles south of you," Chopper informed.

"Roger."

We elapsed into a brief silence, and I silently waited for Chopper to break it because he couldn't go long without talking.

However, he didn't.

Instead, a stranger came on.

"... damaged, but the damage is light," the voice said gruffly.

"Transmitting aircraft, state your assignment and current status," I ordered. I could see a large plane in the distance. Blaze fired up and rushed over to the unidentified aircraft; I followed closely behind, not wanting her to be by herself for a moment. If this craft turned out to be an enemy, I wouldn't let them take out my lead plane. 

"Oh, finally, a response... This is the Osean Air Force transport plane Mother Goose One. We're flying to the neutral country of North Point. We have the transmitter set to minimum power. Please come in closer so we can hear."

We were already on our way and reached them in a few seconds. Blaze and I flanked them, lining up with the cockpit so we could see in.

"Ah, I think this is you on our radar. Can you see us?" The man inquired. His voice reminded me of Bartlett, making my heart ache for my old captain. Don't get me wrong, I loved Blaze being captain. She was phenomenal! But I still missed Bartlett...

"Yes, sir. We can see you," Blaze replied.

"We'd like you to guide us to a safe passage corridor through the AA defenses. We're on a top-secret mission, and I'm not transmitting a valid friendly ID signal to the ground-based automatic defense systems. As a result, a friendly surface-to-air missile was mistakenly fired at us. We narrowly avoided a direct hit, but our radar system was destroyed, and we can't fly a safe path through the AA system."

"Roger that. I'm Blaze, leader of the Wardog Squadron. My wingman is Edge. Follow us, and we'll lead you to safety."

Blaze and I pulled ahead of the transport plane. We needed to help him; that much was obvious. Besides, even if he was an enemy pretending to be a friend, he wouldn't win against two fighter pilots when he had no weapons of his own. Unless he was lying. Judging by the black scorch marks where his radar equipment was supposed to be, I doubted he was.

The in-flight briefer came on and instructed us on our mission. "Guide the transport plane through the AA system's radar coverage and take it to Akerson Hill. The transport is on a top-secret mission, so its ID signal has not been registered in the AA system's database. As a result, if the transport is picked up by the AA system, it may be shot down by our own missile fire. The engagement zone of this ground-based AA system is displayed on your radar. Due to combat damage, the transport's radar system is inoperable, and its maneuverability restricted. Guide the plane, so it stays out of the AA system's engagement zone.

Mission Update

Chopper broke the momentary silence, stating grimly "... Uh, the air defense command just received multiple radar hits on an enemy formation closing on your position."

Blaze sighed. "Of course they did."

"First bad guys we've seen crossing the pond for a while," Chopper continued. "Warning alarms are goin' off like mad, but we're the only ones near enough to intercept 'em in time. Hold on, baby, we're comin' to your rescue."

"Understood. We're counting on you two," I said airily.

Blaze flew in front of the transport while I protected the rear of it. I flew high enough above that I could see her still, and I carefully mimicked her maneuvers. The circles representing the AA system appeared on my radar. My heart started pounding. I had utter confidence in Blaze, but I was worried about my own abilities.

The circles ranged in different sizes. Some were small, some were large. Some were packed close together, others were spread apart. Blaze had to be absolutely precise in her movements in order to get us through without setting off the alarms.

"Blaze, can you see the transport craft?" I questioned.

"I can see it."

"Roger. Keep your eyes on it."

"You too."

"Okay, I've got him on my radar," A voice snarled triumphantly. Gut instinct told me they did not work for Osea...

"Just like the intelligence said," Another Yuke said casually.

"The radio's picking up the enemy's voice!" Grimm pointed out.

"Strange," I noted. "Do you think they can hear us?"

"I don't think they can."

"These guys sound as beautiful as Thunderhead," Chopper declared cheerfully. "Sweet as a rose, I tell ya."

Blaze chuckled. "Chopper, you need to look up the meaning of sweet as a rose, because my definition is completely different from yours!"

"What's yours?"

"Mine means the person literally is sweet."

"Like you?"

"Always such a flirt." I could hear the mirth in Blaze's voice.

"Well, you are," Chopper said.

"Only when I want to be."

"Very true." Blaze laughed good-naturedly at Chopper's comment. I had to agree. While it took a lot to get Blaze to break, once she did, there was no hope. She had a way with words that could shut people down in an instant. I'd only seen it happen once, but I was forever grateful I hadn't been on the receiving end of it.

Unable to resist joining the conversation, I said, "Chopper, should you be flirting with your captain?"

He answered me without missing a beat. "No, but since when do follow protocol? Hey, Blaze, when we get back to the base, I owe you a rose."

"As long as no one takes the gesture as more than it is," she teased.

"I think yours and Nagase's comments are more than enough to prove it's just harmless flirting because let's be honest here, Genette would kill me if I went for you."

"As much as I agree, I need to halt this conversation. This radar network is going to be tricky."

Chopper sobered up quickly. "Be careful."

Blaze maneuvered carefully through the AA zone. The variation in size and placement of the radars made the ordeal annoying and tedious. I secretly was glad I didn't have to spearhead this effort.

"Don't let up just because it's a transport plane," a Yuke growled. "If we take out this guy, they won't just give us a deal- they'll build a statue in our honor."

"This cargo's certainly worth that much," another one grouched.

"Is that the enemy speaking? What are these guys talking about?" I demanded.

"I think they're talking about whoever or whatever is on that transport..." Blaze said, trailing off as if something was on her mind. "That, or they mean us."

"If they come anywhere near you two, they're dead meat," Chopper growled.

"Glad to know you have our back, Chopper."

"I dare them to try and get past Blaze," Grimm waged. Although I stayed silent, I agreed. The enemies wouldn't last long with her around. Chopper, Grimm, and I may be good, but Blaze was great. She could assess the tide of battle so fast, it was almost like she predicted it beforehand. She reminded me of the Demon Lord in his early days. I had no doubt Blaze would be an ace one day, and one day soon.

"Don't worry about that. We need your escort. We're completely defenseless," the Transport Captain reminded us. He had no idea we always commented on everything to keep us sane during missions. We would just ignore him about that part.

"Well, now, this is turnin' out to be a weird little race against the enemy," Chopper said. My heart continued hammering inside my chest, but his constant babble alleviated it slightly. He'd always been good at that- lessening tense situations, I mean. I swear he could be on his deathbed, and he would still be making jokes.

"Mother Goose One, push to radiofrequency one-three-six megahertz," I said.

"Roger, switching."

"We're halfway through the AA system," Blaze announced.

"Mother Goose One, any problems on your end?" I asked.

"No problems. But we'd like to get out of this airspace ASAP."

"Understandable," Blaze said.

There was another lengthy pause; none of us spoke a word. Not even Chopper, who I didn't think was capable of not speaking for more than a minute. Then, the transport captain broke the silence again. "I never thought the skies over our own country could be so unfriendly."

I couldn't either. If we crossed the radar, we'd be fine, but if they did, they'd be shot down. I couldn't imagine the fear and adrenaline pumping through that captain's veins. I couldn't imagine flying through my own country as a 'hostile' aircraft. I don't know why I ever would have to experience such a thing, but I prayed it never happened.

Blaze made a sharp turn, and I quickly followed, slowing my plane, so I didn't get ahead of the transport. Still, the movement made the transport captain say, "My plane's damaged, so I can't put undue stress on the airframe. As much as you can, try to fly in a straight line for me."

"Sorry, sir," Blaze apologized, although, in all honesty, I didn't think she needed to. The transport captain couldn't see what we had to navigate. If he did, he'd realize she had to make these turns. Otherwise, we'd fly into the AA system, which is the last thing any of us wanted, most of all the transport captain.

"Please fly a course that avoids the AA system," the Captain requested.

"Yes, sir," Blaze responded. I knew her well enough to catch the annoyance in her tone, although she kept it well concealed.

"Osean Air Force fighter pilot, can you see us?"

"Yes, sir. I can see you."

"Roger. Please show us the way," he said, and I held back a sigh. I know this captain needed rescuing and all, but he sure was chatty, not to mention, he kept repeating the same thing over and over again. Reminded me of Thunderhead, come to think of it. Maybe they were related? "The fact that we can't see makes this twice as scary."

There he goes again...

"We'll get you out of here safely," Blaze promised.

"Everything's smooth on our end."

"Let us know if anything goes wrong. We're here to help."

We know you can't see. Stop saying that. Let us focus on getting you out of here. Seriously, I think we got it. I silently ranted. Perhaps my lack of sleep was making me touchy, but I'm pretty sure this captain would be getting on my nerves regardless.

Once again, we all lapsed into silence.

"Thank goodness we have all of you with us," The Captain said.

"We're glad we were here to help you." Blaze sounded so calm, and I knew she was the exact opposite. Her willpower to remain non-bitchy was genuinely astounding.

Blaze made a small shift in her flying pattern, allowing us to have a direct path out of the AA system without having to turn anymore. I'm sure the transport captain would appreciate that.

"That's good. I'd appreciate it if you could minimize your turns," the captain complimented. What did I say?

"Warning! We have oil pressure problem on the right engine!" Another voice shouted. It must've been the co-pilot.

"I'll take the controls. You check the instruments for me. Look forward and take a deep breath. Stay calm."

I waited impatiently for the captain to come back on the mic. He might be annoying me, but I didn't want anything to happen to him or the rest of the people on the plane.

I didn't like being out here without Chopper or Grimm. Our squadron didn't feel complete without them by mine and Blaze's sides. Speaking of which, I hadn't heard a peep out of Grimm and Chopper in a long time, especially Chopper. Was he alive? Did he just break his own record of silence?

"Great balls of fire!" Chopper howled enthusiastically.

I spoke too soon.

"Chopper... what are you doing?" Blaze asked cautiously.

"Whatever could you mean?" Chopper countered.

"Don't answer a question with a question."

"I just did."

"Oh, shut up."

"That's damn near impossible to do."

"We've noticed," Grimm said. "You don't exactly have an off button."

"Hey!" Chopper protested. I disguised my snort of amusement as a cough, not wanting to get involved in the argument. Hearing Grimm get mouthy with Chopper always caught me off guard because Grimm was, well, Grimm. He'd been terrified of Cassie the first time he met her, and she was the nicest person on the planet! So to hear Grimm give Chopper a taste of his own medicine was always nice to see.

"It's okay. It was just a sensor malfunction," the co-pilot notified, interrupting our bickering. My body relaxed at the news. I hadn't realized how tense I'd been over it.

"We'll be out of the AA defense system's coverage shortly," I said.

A few more minor turns and a couple of minutes later, we were safely out of the AA system, much to everyone's relief. I was used to intense situations, but this had been a different kind. Usually, you're worried about your own life and that of your squadron. In this case, we made one wrong move, and we could've ended the lives of everyone on the transport plane. Having that kind of burden on your shoulders was nerve-wracking.

Mission Update

"This is Mother Goose One. We've successfully navigated through the AA system. Thank you. However, I'd like to ask you for your continued escort," the captain requested.

"Enemy spotted on radar. Coming head-on," I alerted.

"Let's see if we can have some fun with them," Blaze said.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Chopper inquired, hopefully.

Blaze sighed. "If you must pull a Maverick, then yes, go right ahead."

"Chopper team has arrived," I announced, seeing the two blips of my comrades' planes speeding up behind us on radar.

"Hey, Kid. We're under your command now," Chopper said.

"Technically" Blaze began- "you were always under my command."

"True, but I called the shots a little while ago. Now you do."

"On whose authority?"

"Uh, yours..."

"Exactly."

I weaved my plane around to loosen up like one would do with your muscles after being in a cramped space. I never have liked being constricted to flying a certain way, and that radar system made me claustrophobic.

"Mother Goose One, we'll take care of them," I said as Chopper and Grimm finally reached us. "Please separate at maximum speed."

"Please, I'm counting on you," the Captain replied, sounding surprisingly gentle.

"What are they doing in this airspace, anyway?" Chopper asked.

"Yes," Blaze said.

"That's not an answer."

"Oh, I know. I'm just acknowledging it's a good question. I have no bloody idea what the answer is."

"Was our mission intel compromised?" The Captain questioned, offering up the only feasible explanation, in my opinion.

"Additional enemy targets on radar," I warned, noticing the incoming dots on my radar.

"I see them. Here's where the fun begins," Blaze said mischievously.

"Blaze, I think you need a dictionary too to rediscover the meaning of 'fun,'" Grimm observed.

"Oh, don't worry. I know what it means. When I say something is 'fun' in battle, I'm being sarcastic, and if I ever sound serious about it, shit's about to get real."

"Noted. I won't give Chopper's Christmas gift to you instead."

"Good, because he most definitely needs it."

"Would you two stop ganging up on me?!" Chopper demanded exasperatedly. Blaze and Grimm didn't respond, but I could practically hear their silent laughter.

In an attempt to redirect everyone's focus back to the mission, I ordered, "Mother Goose One, please keep your current vector."

"Roger... Roger! Agh, dammit!"

I tensed. "Your speed's decreasing. What's the matter?"

"Mechanical trouble. I'm losing thrust on engine one."

"Hey, I see escort fighters," A Yuke said.

"I thought there weren't going to be any escorts?" Another one added, incensed. I could see the enemy appear before me. Blaze took no time going head to head with them; Chopper followed her lead, and together, they fired at the enemies. Their missiles hit two of the four planes.

"Wardog Squadron, engage!" Blaze growled, swerving around to chase after the enemies only for a new one to land behind her. 

Meanwhile, two planes started to trail me, and I needed help fast. "Chopper, Grimm, cover me."

"But, Blaze needs my help," Chopper said.

"Chopper, go help Nagase. I'll be fine. I promise," Blaze said.

"But-"

"That's an order."

He grudgingly sighed. "Whatever you say, Kid..."

Chopper and Grimm pursued the two enemy planes behind me and soon shot them down with relatively no trouble. The former turned to go help Blaze out with her deadly shadow only to find she'd already evaded and destroyed it.

"Told you I'd be fine," Blaze said in a gently teasing tone. "Now what do you say we take out any other bastards who cross us?"

"Okay, I'm protecting this transport plane no matter what," Chopper stated. His tone suggested he wouldn't deviate for anything, but I knew if Blaze was in any sort of danger, he would choose her over the transport plane without a second thought.

"Captain, there's a problem with the hydraulics," the co-pilot reported frantically.

"Luch Squadron annihilated!" A Yuke shouted.

"They just won't stop..." I muttered, mainly speaking to myself. I'd had enough of the Yukes always coming after us. It was our turn now. What the hell were those guys doing at HQ? How could the Yukes have gotten here without us knowing sooner?!

"The oil pressure gauge is dropping further!" The co-pilot added.

"I'll take a look. You take the controls... All right, that's the way to do it. Hang in there! Quit gawking outside! Check your power setting!"

"Yes! Roger! Checking power setting!"

"They're like hyenas. Going after a helpless transport plane..." Chopper scoffed in disgust. "You ever heard of honor, guys?" 

I tried to count how many planes we'd shot and how many were left but realized I'd lost track of how many enemies approached early on. By now, this far into the war, it didn't really matter anyway. We just had to do make sure the transport didn't get shot down. We had to win this mission.

I saw Blaze shoot down another enemy pilot. Chopper tracked a bandit lingering behind the transport plane, but he couldn't get a missile lock on the target. Judging by his sounds and swears, I could sense his frustration.

Grimm and I were after enemy planes, and they were royal pains in the ass. I couldn't get a missile lock on him, so I got close enough to use my guns instead. Maybe it was my fury, maybe it was actual skill, but whatever it was, I shot that bastard down.

"The fire's under control. Automatic extinguisher system activated!" the co-pilot cheered.

"If we let this get away, they're gonna court-martial us," a Yuke admonished.

I heard the co-captain sputter, "The Yukes! They're-they're-"

"We'll be all right. They'll take care of us. We'll be okay with these people. Let's leave it to them!" The transport captain assured. Strangely honored by his praise, I found my energy and determination renewed. I circled around, trying to find some more enemies when the transport captain's voice came back on and much more desperate. "Hey, hey, get back in your seat. Don't approach the... hey, hey, what're you doing?!"

Suddenly, the sound of someone moaning and gasping in pain came on the mic, sending shivers down my spine. What the fuck just happened?

"What's going on? Are you all right? Is everything okay?" Blaze demanded.

"Hey! It's Dutch rolling!" Chopper pointed out, the shock evident in his tone. For a few anxiety-ridden moments, no one spoke from the transport plane. I feared the worst for them. Where had the captain gone? Where was the co-pilot? Could anyone fly that plane if they couldn't?

"Uh, this is transport plane...uh... Mother Goose One. The Captain's been shot," a voice announced solemnly.

Silence.

The person certainly wasn't the pilot or co-pilot, but their voice sounded familiar. If I could just put my finger on it...

"...What?" Chopper asked dazedly.

"There was a spy in the crew." He sounded way too calm for the situation unfolding before us. "Uh oh, two of the engines have shut down."

"Hey! What kinda cargo you got in there? Is it something dangerous?" More silence ensued, prompting Chopper to ask, "Hey! You there?" 

"The captain's dead and the co-pilot was wounded by a stray bullet," the man replied. "Tommy's holding the stick now. But he's just a secretary... he's never piloted a plane before."

"So, who're you?"

"I...I guess you would call me... the cargo on this plane. Could you tell me how to control this thing? I'll relay everything to him."

"Nagase, you know what to do. Grimm, stay with her. Chopper and I are going to scout the area to find some more enemy planes if there are any left," Blaze ordered. I watched her veer away. Chopper followed; Grimm stayed with me.

"Roger," I replied. Then, turning my attention to the transport plane, I said, "Lower your altitude. Prepare for emergency landing. Put your flaps down. That'll lower your airspeed. Can you find the flap lever?"

"Flap lever... is that it? No, that one, Tommy. Pull that one," Cargo instructed. An idea, albeit an impossible one, struck me. I realized why the voice sounded so familiar but he was supposed to still be in Oured. Why would he risk such a stunt in the middle of a war? Could it be a secret diplomatic mission?

My attention was diverted by more enemy spikes appearing on my radar, but they were far away. Blaze and Chopper were nearly on top of them when a Yuke shouted, "We can't go on!"

"Let's pull out," his partner agreed.

"Bogeys are clearing out," Blaze announced, pleased. "Y'all ready for the emergency landing?"

"An emergency landing?" Chopper repeated, astounded. "The ground's full of electric generator windmills."

"Could you shoot those down for us?" Cargo requested kindly.

"Way ahead of you, sir," Blaze replied.

"Let's do it," I agreed.

Chopper groaned. "What?" 

"We've got no other choice."

"Nagase's right, Chopper. We have to destroy those windmills," Blaze said.

"You two are either geniuses or insane," Chopper muttered.

"Funny how often those two can go hand in hand."

"Okay, let's do it," Cargo said resolutely. "Are you still there, Ma'am? With the lovely voice? Uh, Miss..."

"First Lieutenant Kei Nagase... Sir." If he was who I thought he was, then I had to show the utmost amount of respect. Hopefully, he wouldn't have us all psychologically evaluated after he heard our chatter over the radio...

"Ahh, and a lovely name as well."

"And I'm Chopper!" Chopper declared.

"That's a... good name, too," Cargo answered, seeming somewhat baffled. I swallowed the urge to laugh. Despite the dire situation we were in, my wingman was still finding a way to make me laugh, albeit unintentionally and unknowingly.

I could hear the happiness in my wingman's voice. "I like you man!" 

"This is Blaze, captain of the Wardog Squadron. It's an honor to be assisting you." Her words made me think she suspected the same thing I did.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Blaze. You're doing a great job."

"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate you saying that."

"I'm Grimm, callsign Archer, but you can call me Grimm."

"Pleasure to meet you, Grimm. Tommy's going to try landing now. He's doing his best, but he's never done this before. I... I don't know if we'll make it, so I just want to thank you before we go," Cargo said sincerely.

"You'll be okay!"

"Trust us, and you'll do fine. I have my confidence in you," Blaze said.

"Yes, you'll do fine," I repeated. I was getting a headache from the stress this mission was causing. When I got back to base, I planned on taking a long nap.

"Tommy, those broken windmills will be our guideposts," Cargo instructed.

The four of us circled dangerously close to the ground, searching for windmills we needed to shoot down. The brown fields zipped underneath my plane, too close for comfort. I pulled up a little bit.

"These windmills are huge, but they're still a hard target from up here!" Grimm noted.

"Concentrate, you'll be okay," Blaze urged.

"This is gonna be difficult. I have to aim carefully."

"Almost there. You're doing great, Tommy. Those pilots ought to recruit you," Cargo praised.

"Hurry up. I don't think that transport plane's gonna wait for us," Chopper pointed out before adding, "This job's starting to wear me out a little."

"It's because we haven't stopped for the past few days. Trust me, when I get back to base, I'm crashing," Blaze said.

"I'm with you on that, Blaze."

"Uh-huh. With so how exactly?" Grimm asked.

"Grimm!" Blaze exclaimed.

"I'm not sure yet, Grimm," Chopper said.

"Chopper!" Blaze scolded.

"Kidding."

"Why do I get the feeling you weren't?"

"Because I wasn't."

"Chopper!"

He only laughed.

Most of the windmills had been destroyed. The only ones remaining were out of the transport's way. Now it was up to Cargo and Tommy to do the rest while we instructed them on what to do.

"They're gonna be in for a pretty hard landing," Chopper remarked.

"Thank you, Mister Sunshine," I snapped.

"Altitude 100 feet. Almost there, I think," Cargo said.

"Mother Goose One, just keep going," I encouraged.

"That's a pretty good runway there. A fine place for a landing," Cargo decided light-heartedly. He sounded so hopeful that I almost fully believed they would make it in one piece.

"That's a pretty good emergency landing, I'd say," Chopper said.

"This is Archer. Surrounding airspace is clear of enemy aircraft. Everything is A-OK."

I watched from above as Mother Goose One landed smoothly onto our makeshift runway.

Mission Accomplished

"Mother Goose One, landing confirmed," I said.

"That was perfect! Great job!" Blaze praised.

We regrouped into our regular formation. I looked down to see a small column of black smoke billowing up towards the sky, originating from the tip of the plane's wing.

"Are you all right, Mr. Cargo?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. That was a pretty smooth ride, actually." He sounded surprised. I couldn't blame him.

"Mr. Cargo, I've got a question I'd like to ask you."

"What is it?"

Here went nothing. "The bird of peace... did you really have to use that beautiful white bird for this war? Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Cargo hesitated only for a brief second. "Yeah."

"I wanted to see your... your bridge of peace span into outer space."

"It's still possible. Thanks to the bird, we're on even terms now. I'm trying to get to North Point because I believe we have a chance."

I'd been right about the diplomatic mission. That meant only one thing. "To hold talks in neutral territory."

"Right. Communication is vital."

"So I can still believe in you then? I don't want to see any more young men or women lose their lives."

"Me neither." He seemed like he genuinely meant it.

"What's going on? I'm confused," Chopper said. "What are we talking about?" 

"I'll explain later," Blaze said. She sounded troubled. Grimm piped up saying he'd need an explanation as well. 

"Uh-oh. I'm out of fuel," Chopper announced.

"This is the Osean Air Force 8492nd Squadron." I could see reinforcements the distance and welcomed their arrival. I was exhausted from what just happened. I had never helped an emergency landing before, let alone from a different plane, so this was more taxing than normal. "We observed the emergency landing on our radar. Can you see us?"

"We can see you," Blaze confirmed.

"You can leave the rest to us. We'll provide support until the transport plane's crew is rescued."

"Roger, 8492nd. Take care of them for us," I told them.

"Sure thing."

The four of us broke to the right and headed back to base, back to our beds that were ready and waiting for us. On the return trip home, the briefer gave a short debrief. "We've received a sitrep from Central Command. The crew on board the transport plane you encountered during your patrol has been rescued by the 8492nd Squadron. That is currently all the information we have."

_____________________________________

Genette

After my article, The Four Wings of Sand Island, was published to wide acclaim, I grew bolder.

Video camera in hand and focused on my target, I currently stood beside the Base Commander, the emperor of this base: Orson Perrault. He looked at me with a little turn of his head. That small gesture caused Hamilton to gruffly push my camera out of the way.

"Don't," He said firmly. "He's in a bad mood today. If he catches you, he'll have your head!"

"What happened?" I asked curiously. I filmed Hamilton walking away, and he raised his arms in response, suggesting he didn't know. The casual gesture made it seem like the Base Commander's mood swings were a regular occurrence. I always thought Perrault was perpetually in a bad mood, especially with the way my sister and friends talked about him, but if Hamilton was even admitting it, then the Base Commander must've been in a fouler mood than usual.

I walked into the crew room, looking for something to take a picture of for my potential book. I'd received some great ones of the attempted Yuke invasion from RIOs I'd recruited, but I wanted to show what post-battle looked like too, especially after the news we received only yesterday. It made the celebration of winning that battle die quickly.

My eyes narrowed in on Nagase, who sat on the couch, engrossed in watching something outside. With the sunlight streaming through the blinds, and the wistful expression on her face, she showcased on the outside what everyone felt on the inside: grief and hopelessness. Naturally, I had to capture the moment. The sound of my camera alerted her to my presence. Without taking her eyes off the sky, she said softly, "The Arkbird..."

"Huh?" I immediately scolded myself for such a stupid response, but Nagase didn't seem to notice.

"The white bird in outer space," She started. "With Yuktobania outclassing us in firepower, it was the President's one trump card in the peace negotiations. And now... it's fallen right out of our hands."

"So you're saying we don't know how long this war will drag on?" I stated. Nagase just lowered her head down, which I took as a yes.

I flipped through the photos on my camera, staring at the picture of the Arkbird I'd received, and wondering how I would caption it now that it was no longer able to help us. Sitting down, I took out a pen and jotted in my notebook: The Arkbird: a superweapon capable of attacking from space, far beyond the reach of the enemy. Its power generator was destroyed by explosives planted inside a supply shipment launched from Earth. Once again, the balance of power had tipped toward Yuktobania.

"I'm sorry, Nagase," I said, putting my camera and notebook away. I needed to focus on her, to give her an ear. I learned that much growing up with my sister that if a girl offered to show you emotion, you better shut up and listen. A lot of times, I ignored that advice, at least when it came to girls I didn't like. But Nagase was different. I wanted her to know and to remember that whenever something was troubling her, she could come to me.

Nagase shrugged nonchalantly, but it was only a half effort. "It's okay. We'll win this. With Blaze as captain, I think anything is possible."

I couldn't help the smile of pride on my face. "She seems to be making a name for herself. Hey, on the bright side of everything, you get to have a break in a few weeks!"

"Oh, yeah! Man, I can't wait. It'll be nice to see my family again."

"I bet."

"Nagase!" A man's voice barked. We looked up to find Hamilton staring at her with hard eyes.

She stood up and saluted him. "Yes, sir."

"Go put your flight suit on," Hamilton ordered. "We need people patrolling the sky, and we're short-handed."

"Yes, sir," Nagase repeated. Hamilton left the crew room, and she groaned. "Can't they see how exhausted we are? They're going to kill us if they keep this up."

"I'll walk with you," I offered, standing and holding my hand out to help her up. Nagase took it with an appreciative smile. The two of us strolled to the hangar, neither in a rush to get there despite Hamilton's order. If we were under attack or a threat was nearby, he would've been a lot more urgent.

"How's the book coming along?" Nagase queried. "Will the picture you took of me earlier make the cut for it?"

"All your pictures will make the cut."

"I'm flattered. I never thought I was that photogenic."

"How come?"

Nagase shrugged. "I was never into taking pictures, and I somehow always managed to avoid being in them without even trying. I also had acne when I was in middle school and high school, so I was always self-conscious about the way I looked. Blaze and I bonded over that during college. By then, both our faces had cleared up, but we had the memories of it. She was never a big picture taker either."

"Wait, really? That's why she hated taking photos?"

"Yeah. You never knew that?"

"I just thought she didn't like being in photos. I didn't know it was because she was self-conscious about herself. I never noticed her acne."

"We got really good at covering it up. Hers cleared up on its own. Mine required strong medication."

"I don't know what you looked like when you were younger, but I have no doubt you were as beautiful back then as you are now."

Nagase beamed at me. "Can I pay you to walk around giving me compliments all day long?"

"I'll do it for free. You make it easy."

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

I snorted. "What girls? My life ever since college has consisted of work, work, and more work."

"Seriously? You haven't had a girlfriend since college?"

"Nope, I-" I cocked my head- "wait, how do you know that?"

Nagase eye's widened. "Oh, uh, I remember Blaze telling me about when you and your girlfriend broke up your senior year. Said it was a bad breakup. She didn't elaborate."

"Oh. Well, she wasn't wrong. Found my ex cheating on me with my teacher."

"Your teacher?"

"Yep! She texted me saying she was studying anatomy. Technically, it wasn't a lie, but it would've been more accurate if she'd said she was studying sex ed."

Nagase bit her lip, as if unsure of whether to feel sorry for me or to laugh. "Her mistake for letting you go."

"Oh, really? Know any girls interested? I'm tired of being single."

"I might know of one. She-"

"Hey!" Cassie interrupted whatever Nagase had been about to say. Grimm and Pops cheerfully greeted us too. "So, Hamilton found you too?"

"Unfortunately," Nagase replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm practicing as Grimm's RIO today."

"I wish I could join y'all, but I doubt the top brass would be too happy about that," I mused. Cassie's words made me ache to go up too. Now that I could mostly avoid passing out, I found myself itching to be in the planes as often as they'd let me.

"It's just a patrol mission, and I doubt the Yukes will be attacking us so soon after their failed attempt," Pops said, shaking his head. "I can get you a flight suit. You can fly with Nagase."

I turned to Nagase. "Is that okay with you? If not, I'll ask Blaze and Chopper.

"You're welcome to fly with me anytime," Nagase said kindly.

Pops nodded. "I'll get you a flight suit. One moment." Pops said. He disappeared, returning a few seconds later with the outfit in hand. I hid behind some boxes so I could change, but I could still hear my friend's conversation.

"Speaking of Blaze and Chopper-" Nagase started- "Where are those two?"

"They're probably talking up a storm or hiding from Hamilton," Grimm suggested.

"Or both," Cassie added as I returned to the group dressed in the flight suit.

"We're here!" Blaze announced breathlessly, skidding into the hangar with Chopper.

"Where were y'all?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes at them.

My sister rolled her eyes. "We were just talking."

"And hiding from Hamilton," Chopper added.

"Called it!" Grimm and Cassie exclaimed. We laughed while Blaze and Chopper frowned in confusion.

With that said and not wanting to piss off Hamilton or anyone else, we got in our planes and patrolled the skies for a couple of hours. Genette took a couple of photos and videos of us doing stunts. It was the only thing we could think of to do to pass the time other than talking. Chopper buzzed the tower at one point, and the Base Commander came on to give him an earful that lasted about thirty minutes. Perrault basically repeated himself for those thirty minutes, which would've been impressive had it not been downright annoying.

Dinner time came, so we landed while another squadron took our place. However, we ate lightly because we were ordered to go back up again once the other squadron finished. I had a feeling it was punishment for Chopper's earlier actions. Thankfully, our second patrol didn't last as long. Blaze sweet-talked Hamilton into letting us land early. I don't know how she did it, but I wasn't going to complain.

Pops met us in the hangar, telling us to go to our rooms and get some sleep. Despite us being commanded to check our planes, he insisted he'd do it for us, saying, "You've had some long days recently. Get some rest. If Perrault or Hamilton have an issue with it, I'll tell them you four were bound to miss something you were so exhausted."

"Have I ever said how much I love you, Pops?" Blaze asked, staring at him with tired appreciation. "Because I do."

"You're our base dad," Chopper agreed. "I'm gonna get that as an official title for you."

Pops laughed. "I'm honored. Now you guys get going before Hamilton and Perrault show up."

We didn't argue, stumbling off to our rooms. I barely had the energy to shower and change into my pajamas before I collapsed into my bed, passing out the moment my head hit the pillow.