AN: I do not own Ace Combat 5

Sand Island was finally settling down after a vary hectic day. The Yuktobanians who made it to shore were stopped at the beach and when they learned of there fleet's destruction they quickly surrendered. The navy was searching the waters for survivors and salvage operation was already underway. However the only thing on Captain John Smith's mind was the sixteen pilots he had led out that morning and left in the sea.

The following day Captain Smith was still working on his official report for Colonel Perrault when there was a knock at the door of the small office. Setting aside his papers "Enter" was all he said.

The door opened and he watched as his second in command, Lt. Nagase, walked into the room with a manila folder held at her left side. Smith watched her as she made her way to his desk before stopping and holding out the folder for her captain. "The report you requested, sir." As usual she was straight to the point in the office.

Taking the folder he quickly skimmed through its contents before looking up at his young women standing in front of him. "So then, no survivors?"

"There still searching Captain, but at this point it does not seem likely. After all Blaze, we didn't see any parachutes after the burst missile hit."

"But why didn't they follow orders Edge? You, Chopper, and Archer all heard me and did as you were told. Why then, did sixteen nuggets straight out of flight school refuse to follow there commanding officers orders?"

"I don't know Blaze, we could here them up until the end, they should of followed us up." was her sad reply.

There was nothing else Smith could say to that so he didn't. Instead he just sat there in silence. Eventually the silence became uncomfortable and Nagase raised another question, "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

The question shook Smith out of his thoughts and he looked at his wingmen. "I need you to make sure that any of our planes they salvage come back here to be inspected Lt. Something isn't right here. Can you do that Edge?"

"Of course Blaze."

"Then you are dismissed Lt." With that Nagase turned around and made her way out the door to carry out her orders. Leaving Smith to review the file she had left him.

Opening the file he looked at the picture in the upper left corner, a young woman with long blond hair, blue eyes and a radiate smile was looking at him from the page. He looked through the page for the important information, Second Lutenit Martha Winters, 23, next of kin was her parents back in Oured.

Looking back to his report he decided it was finished enough for Perrault the families were more important then the self-centered colonel. So picking up a clean piece of paper and his pen he began.

Dear Tim and Sara Winters,

He sat there for a while. How do you tell complete strangers that there daughter would never come home again? That it was your fault they would never see there loved one again? It was hard, but he owed it to them to at least give them something personal instead of the standard letter that would be sent out. So he picked up his pen again.

It is with the deepest regret that I write this letter to you. By the time your receive this letter I am sure you will have received news of her death in the line of duty. I can not begin to understand how you feel at this time, but we all feel the loss of Martha. Her death has left us all less then we were and I regret not having the chance to get to know her better. She was a person of the highest caliber, a model citizen and pilot, who placed the lives of others ahead of herself. It was an honor to have served along side of her.

Sincerely,

Captain Smith OADF.

Smith let out a sigh. He hated writing these letters, especially considering he hardly knew these pilots. But he still felt the loss, he was responsible for them. He had failed them, all of them. Letting out another sigh he picked up another sheet of paper to start the next letter.