This story takes place shortly before the start of the events in Ace Combat 3

Pre-2040. During a period of financial chaos, the many governments of the world have eroded to nothing but corporatocracies the two biggest being Neucom Inc. and General Resources Ltd (formerly Grunder Industries). These corporations, not unlike the governments they control, have disputes often, and war is never far away.

An organization of the New United Nations the Universal Peace Enforcement Organisation (UPEO) was established to police these new corporatocracies and maintain peace on Earth. But unknown to all a new force is lurking on the horizon...

Neo Osea
September 21st 2042

"Hermione!" Her guardian's voice wailed up the stairs. Hermione's eyes fluttered as she brought herself out of a daze. "Hermione!" She called again.
"Coming!" she replied and she quickly scrambled downstairs into the kitchen. Emily, Hermione's guardian since birth, stood beside the long oak table that dominated the centre of the room. She was setting the table for the three of them.
"Sorry" said Hermione as she dashed in. "I'm absolutely exhausted."
"I suppose you would be" said Emily as Lucy walked in from the garden.
"Haven't you got changed yet?" sniped Lucy, her younger adopted sister.
"I just nodded off" replied Hermione. "Anyway what's it to you?"
"Now that's enough!" interjected Emily.

Emily had adopted Hermione when she was only a baby. Both her parents were killed during the food riots seventeen years before. Under Emily's care she had been given the chance to become a professional dancer and she had now won a place at one of the most prestigious academies in Neo-Osea. Fourteen year old Lucy had lived in an orphanage for as long as she can remember until just last year when Emily was permitted to adopt her.

Once the three of them had sat down Emily brought over the bowl of beef stew that she had prepared. She poured several serving spoonfuls into each bowl before they began to eat. Nearly every utensil in the room had the word 'Neucom' stamped on it. Hermione lifted up her spoon and took a sip of the hot food. Suddenly the room shook! Then a loud bang filled the air. The three of them screamed before Emily composed herself enough to tell the three of them to get under the table. A loud piercing whistle seemed to rocket over head and with the two girls under the table Emily raced out the front door to see what it was.

Their house sat on a hill overlooking a picturesque portion of the Neo Osean coastline. It was quite a cold day. The sky was blanketed by rather heavy grey and silver clouds and the waves lapped up against the shore as if angered at its very presence. At first Emily couldn't see what the cause of the noise was but then the high pitched whistle roared over the house again and Emily instinctively ducked as a jet fighter shot overhead at great speed. The noise made the whole house shake on its foundation. The girls screamed once again as Emily watched the fighter pull up and rocket toward the heavens. Then over to the right a second fighter, different to the first, arched toward the first. A long white smoke trail suddenly emanated from under its wing and raced towards the rapidly climbing first fighter. It was soon followed by a second. Emily watched as the dogfight played out in front of her. Hermione came running out to get her just in time to see the first fighter avoid one missile but suddenly get hit by the second which exploded on its wing. The whole plane was engulfed by flames as its charred wreckage spun toward the sea landing in the water just a few hundred yards from the beach. With Hermione tugging on her arm Emily couldn't help but resist as she stood perplexed as the second fighter circled around to confirm the kill. Emblazoned on its wing was the logo of a snake swallowing its own tail. The Ouroborus.

High over the ocean approximately twenty five nautical miles east of the Adamas Island range Jake Bartlett, a former Osean Air Force pilot, sat enclosed in the tomb like cockpit of the F-16XFU. To the casual observer it must seem a strange sight to see the pilot asleep in a cockpit with no windows. But Jake was not asleep. On the contrary he was very awake. He was directly linked up with the aircraft through a neural interface in the back of his neck that connected his brain to the aircraft. As far as he was aware he was sitting in mid air with the ocean below him travelling passed at over three hundred knots. There was no need for him to use his eyes. High powered fibre optic cameras covered the aircraft giving him a completely unrestricted view in every direction. This revolutionary system was called Connection for Flight Interface or simply COFFIN. Jake looked out over to the right and saw his wingman, a Belkan named Erich Jager, holding perfect formation with him. Both aircraft were formidably armed.

Suddenly a radio transmission came through from their base. A female voice echoed inside both their heads.
"Striker two-niner-seven and two-niner-niner this is Striker base. Have received report of disturbance in Neucom territory sector two-seven of Neo Osea. Please divert and investigate!"
"Roger Striker base" replied Bartlett. "Enroute now."

Both F-16XFUs broke to the right in perfect formation their wingtips casting the Dove insignia of UPEO into shadow as they turned on their sides. Such precision flying was made possible by the use of the COFFIN system. As they altered course the speed increased and the aircraft passed easily through the sound barrier that complained in a mighty sonic boom.