Prologue

It was a peaceful, uneventful day when it all began. I was, in fact, ready to start a training exercise with a few of the cadets. As we were boarding our planes, a distant boom drew our attention.

"All pilots, prep for takeoff, immediately! This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill!" Air raid sirens were going off all around. The cadets were panicking. I sent them to their quarters. They weren't ready for real combat, and would only be a danger to themselves. That was a decision that would haunt me for the next several weeks.

A few moments later, and I was aboard my Typhoon, running final checks. Didn't want my plane falling out of the sky because of something I missed due to being in a rush.

"Ok, rudders, check. Fuel, enough. Weapons, good. Ejection seat, checks out..." I continued muttering to myself. After finishing the checks, I pulled into the runway.

"Garuda 1, cleared for takeoff." I heard the Command Tower say. "Cerberus team..." The tower cut off as I slammed the accelerator forward. As the end of the runway got closer, I pulled back on the stick. I flew up for a while, gaining altitude. As I flew into the rest of the flight, I leveled out. What I saw next made my blood turn to ice.

Gracemeria was burning.

"My God..." I muttered.

"Hey, Talisman, you awake?" Windhover had positioned his F-16 above my fighter, and was peering into my canopy. "Pull it together. You'll get killed flying like that."

"Yeah yeah." I said, dismissing him with a hand wave.

"Garuda 1, you do not have a wingman." Ghost Eye had been talking? Well, no, I didn't. I lost my last wingmate in a training exercise. It...wasn't pretty. "Let's see...Shamrock? Shamrock, are you alone too?" There was a pause. Shamrock must have said yes. "Very well, as of now you are now Garuda 2."

"So, I'm Garuda 2. Garuda 1, I got your back." Shamrock said. Meant to be reassuring, but I wasn't too sure. "No time for introductions now though. Go ahead, I'll follow your lead. Never was good with directions anyhow."

"Garuda team, you are cleared to attack all hostile aircraft above Gracemeria." Ghost Eye said, ignoring our little conversation.

"Roger." I pulled into a dive.

"Roger that. May the Golden King smile upon us!" Shamrock shouted. He followed me in. I grinned in spite of the hell we were flying into. Time to show them who they were messing with.

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AN: Well, this is my first real attempt at a fic. I hope I haven't made any glaring errors. I apologize for the shortness, the rest of it will be longer.