Author's Foreward: Hello, one and all. This is my first fanfiction piece ... well, ever. Ever since I played Ace Combat 5, which, in my opinion, had such a stupendous storyline and was revealed bit by bit in such a beautiful way, I've always had the idea of another squadron of Osean pilots. For some reason, these pilots would always work either directly or indirectly to helping the Four Wings of Sand Island and, later, the Ghosts of Razgriz, turn the tide of the war and eventually uncover the Belkan plot. However, these pilots would also remain relatively unknown, in the shadow of Wardog's and Razgriz's fame. Hence, the Unsung Heroes of the Unsung War. Please, any and all comments, as well as constructive criticism is more than welcome. I plan to be able to publish at least one chapter a week, however I am quite busy and if at any time I am unable to keep up with my set timeframe, I will be sure to let any and all readers know.
Enjoy.
Also, the Ace Combat title, series, characters, and events are all property of Namco, designed by Project Aces. I do not hold claim to them, nor will I ever seek to establish claim of them. This is an unofficial plot set within Namco's Ace Combat universe, and holds no barring over the actual events portrayed.
Fifteen years ago there was a war.
War's always broken out there plenty of times before, but luck was never on their side for long. They hadn't realized that times had changed, facing one defeat after another and watching their nation dwindle. Undaunted, they built up their military strength to unprecedented heights and waged one, final battle against the world: a war that would ungulf an entire continent.. They fought ferociously but were utterly defeated by a group of allies, both large and small.
Then, the Belkans committed the unthinkable; Rather than lose once more, rather than suffer the shame of another defeat, they used nuclear weapons on their own soil, vaporizing seven towns along their southern border to stave off the advancing allied forces. Seeing this tragedy unfold before their own eyes, the victorious countries vowed to throw down their weapons. The Belkan War was over.
The world was once again at peace, and, thanks to the allied powers of the superpowers Osea and Yuktobania, and other nations on the Osean Continent such as Ustio and Sapin, it seemed it would last forever.
That was fifteen years ago.
Bana, Osean Federation: September 25th, 2010
" Cap'n, have you heard yet? Command may be cutting our rec' a little early this time."
Second Lieutenant Diego Autan took another swig of his beer as he shared the news, his eyes alive with an almost-frantic energy. The man he was talking to could not help but chuckle: he had seen that same look in young Diego ever since he had joined the squadron. Always wanting to play a part, always wanting to be a part of the team. What more could a Captain want in a new recruit?
" Easy, Autan," he advised him, raising a hand and lowering it slowly as if to suppress his wingman's bountiful vigor, still smiling, " Now, what makes you think our recess is going to end soon?"
" Christ, you really haven't heard?" Diego inquired, an eyebrow raising as he leaned in a bit, dropping his voice, " I have it on good authority that Sand Island, y'know, our western-most defensive point? Well, I heard that it was attacked yesterday. Lotta nuggets killed …"
He paused, returning his flight leader's scoff with a rueful eye, " Captain Ekken, I'm serious," Diego's voice took on a gravity that was completely uncharacteristic of him, " I went through flight school with a few of those guys… They say there's only four left. Four pilots, on an entire airbase…"
Peter Ekken was unsettled at Diego's tone, but was unsure of just how true such a ludicrous story could be. What enemy did Osea have? Why would anyone even think of attacking one of the most militarily powerful nations on Earth? Regardless of the lieutenant's sincerity, it was a rather hard claim to take without a shred of doubt. Still…
" Alright, I'll humor you," he relented, his own curiosity piqued, " Where did this information come from? Who told you?"
Diego smiled slightly as he recalled a loud, boisterous young adult who, in what had to have been a record, managed to piss off every, single, last flight instructor at Heierlark Air Force Base.
" One of the last pilots left there managed to get a message out to me. We go way back, before we even joined the Academy. His name is Alvin, sir. Alvin Davenport."
Peter shook his head as he tilted his bottle back again, sighing as he tasted the last bit of the barley-based beverage left in the brown glass: a depressing moment indeed.
" Never heard of him," he commented finally, the entire situation becoming stranger and stranger. If, indeed, somehow Osea was attacked … Why wasn't he notified? Why wasn't any other Squadron that he knew of notified? It made no sense, none at all. How did someone cover up the deaths of at least twenty pilots?
Just as he was about to ask more about this "Davenport", both men turned at the pop-hiss of another bottle being cracked open.
" You know, you two are hard to find," the feminine figure quipped, flashing both of them a smile. She was a raven-haired beauty, regardless of the fact that her hair was kept trimmed and short to fit well under a fighter pilot's helmet, and her green eyes had tricked many an unwary suitor into thinking she was a soft-hearted doe. The lioness inside often enjoyed toying with such prey before making it well known that there probably was no man in all of Osea that could handle her.
" Cassandra, so glad you could join us," Peter offered her a 'cheers' with his beer, the glass clanking as Diego gave her a timid wave. Not only did Cassandra Lunae outrank Diego, but she also, frankly, scared the hell out of him, something that the two senior officers took with great jest.
" Afternoon, Lieutenant Lunae," he greeted her, before conveniently being distracted by something ordinary in the nearby street. Smiling bemusedly, Cassandra turned her attention to her captain, lightly motioning her head to Panther Squadron's newest member.
" What's got him all worked up?"
" Apparently," Peter began to explain unsure of how exactly he should put it, " Our resident nugget thinks that … That Sand Island airbase … That the airbase was attacked. Hard."
At that, Cassandra's eyes lost their intensity and grew a touch sad, nodding slowly, " Yeah, I know. I guess if you heard, too, Diego, the-"
" Wait, what?" the Captain interrupted, incredulous, " You heard this too?"
" Yes, I know one of the Intel Officers stationed there. He just sent me a short email before I came down here: 'Sand Island hit, pilots-slash-planes lost'. That was it," she summed up, her expression taking on a suspicious mask, " You think the Base Commander is trying to cover it up?"
" Hard to say … Isn't it Perrault?"
" I believe so. Never did like him," Cassandra admitted, expressing her displeasure for the self-named "Island King". It was well known that the officer had little love for fighter pilots, though none of them knew where that stemmed from. However, regardless of whether or not he hated the so-called Knights of the Air, would any Base Commander go so far as to hide the fact that he lost over 80% of his forces in one engagement?
" Something doesn't add up. Not at all," the Captain mused, immediately slipping back into a role of authority and command, capturing his crew's attention with ease as always. " Lunae, Autan, stay in contact with your informants. Any new information comes your way, you let me know immediately."
" Yessir," they chorused, the mood becoming much more grey as Peter gazed up towards the cerulean sky. Clouds wisped through its purity, accessorizing the painting with quick touches of a soft brush dipped in snow-white. Soon, they would be back where they belonged, back up in the sky's embrace. It was their home, their mother's cradling embrace, and no matter what it always seemed that they were called back to it.
" Well, you might be right, newbie," Peter agreed finally, shaking his head, " Our recess is going to be much shorter …"