Disclaimer: If I owned Ace Combat, do you really think I'd be writing fanfiction?
AN: This name was suggested by the writer mercenaryflyer. Thanks for the name. This chapter was actually finished a few weeks ago, but I had difficulty putting together the final chapter of the Erusian Aces and I didn't want to start this fic when I hadn't finished the other one.
Captain Natasha Zubov. Controversial ace from Yuktobonia
Captain Natasha Zubov's military career began on 2/1/1994 when she joined the Yuktobonian air force. Selected for fighter pilot training, she was considered to be a solid, if unremarkable pilot. After completing her training, Natasha was posted to a squadron of Su-27 Flankers. Less than a month later, Yuktobonia entered the Belkan war. Natasha's squadron was a part of the relatively small air contingent that accompanied the Yuktobonian expeditionary force.
Sent to Duxford airbase, Natasha's squadron was assigned to act as escorts for the Tu-22M2 Backfire bombers as they attacked Belka's industrial centres. (Osean and Ustio forces lacked the opportunity to attack until much later.)
On her first mission, Natasha's flight was sent to intercept a flight of Belkan Mig 21 Fishbeds heading towards the bombers. Firing her R-77 missiles at a range of thirty miles, she downed all three Belkan fighters.
Over the course of the war, she was to down a further fifteen Mig 25 Foxbats, eleven Panavia Tornado ADV's and two SAAB J35 Drakens.
However on 29/5/1995 a group of Spetsnaz commandos operating deep in Belkan territory captured several documents that pointed towards a spy within the Yuktobonian air contingent. Captain Natasha Zubov was one of the pilots implicated. An investigation into the documents was due to start on the 6/6/1995, but it was postponed after the Belkan nuclear explosions that occurred earlier that day. The inquiry found that there was insufficient evidence against Natasha to warrant an investigation.
Captain Natasha left the Yuktobonian air force soon afterwards and set up a small mercenary company called the Lightening Strike group. The company was only one squadron big to begin with and the majority of its would be contracts frequently decided to go for bigger, more experienced companies, such as Axe and Hammer Precision Industries. Eventually however they were contracted to provide close air support for the Resar government forces against the terrorist organisation The Golden Blades.
The campaign was meant to be a simple clean up job, but the campaign took an unexpected turn when the terrorist organisation gained an aerial contingent, along with a number of pilots. This is believed to be the work of the mysterious division seven, however as details of the Erusian division seven are at best fragmentary, this only remains a theory.
Natasha's company rose to the challenge spectacularly. Captain Natasha herself was to down three Su-25 Frogfoot's and her squadron sucessfully destroyed the terrorist air force. The Resar government was so impressed by her companies performance that it paid her company a bonus payment amounting to 25% above the agreed upon price.
After that, business steadily improved and the company began to grow in size. Natasha decided to hand over running of the business to the board of directors, determined to stay in the frontlines.
As tensions between Erusia and its neighbours rose, the Resar government hired the Lightening Strike group to augment its air force. Captain Natasha Zubov's squadron (Flying F/A-18 Hornets) and two others (Flying F-16 Falcons and F-15 Eagles) were hired.
When the war broke out, the Resar forces were forced back by the huge numbers of Erusian forces crossing the border. Captain Natasha Zubov's squadron was flying almost constant air superiority missions against the numerically superior and well-trained Erusian air force. Captain Natasha was to down a further two F/A-18 Hornets during this time.
Shortly before the Erusian's captured Stonehenge, she encountered the Yellow squadron. She was flying top cover for a squadron of Resar F-111 Ravens, who were attacking an Erusian supply depot. Her squadron was bounced by the Yellow squadron and within minutes most of the squadron had been shot down. Natasha engaged Yellow 13 in a dogfight. Pulling a very tight loop, he pulled himself onto her tail and fired an R-73 missile up her tailpipe. She failed to eject and went down with her plane.
There is some argument as to whether she belongs on the list of ISAF aces as she never shot down enough planes during the Stonehenge conflict to qualify for the title of being an ISAF ace, however for the time being, she is classed as such.
Captain Natasha Zubov had short red hair and green eyes. Her friends describe her as being a difficult person to get to know and that she was obsessively tidy.