Disclaimer: I do not own Ace combat
October 15th 2021
Fort greys air base
Usea
Trigger was sitting at his desk filling out some paperwork "Okay Scrap Queen take it easy." Trigger looked up from his paperwork. He hoped he'd never have to do this paperwork but alas time had run out for him on that one.
"Easy for you to say you're not the one carrying twins." a voice he recognised as his wife and the other was his number 3 in strider Jaeger.
Jaeger, a 9 month pregnant Avril and a 6 year old Erich Jaeger stepped into the room. "Hi Trigger." Trigger could see that Erich was with him but a simple glance at the calendar told him that it was a school day.
"Morning Jaeger, Avril so let me guess another phantom labour?" Trigger knew Avril had that happen a few times already.
"Yeah." Avril sat down on the chair. Trigger was eager to welcome his two new family members into the world that he'd fought so hard to protect.
"So I heard that Grunder industries really got hit hard by the government for their involvement in the war as did General Resources." Trigger knew that the fallout from the lighthouse war was hard cause Osean government was not letting people get away with betraying their country a 2nd time and had taken control of the company.
"Yeah sadly it looks like the UCAV law may not be around much longer." Trigger and Jaeger knew it was inevitable that the law wouldn't last.
"Trigger could you keep an eye on Erich for today?" Jaeger knew he couldn't do with all the work he had to do.
"Sure Jaeger." Trigger's paperwork could wait. He and Erich sat on the sofa but Trigger quickly realised he had no clue as to how to entertain little Erich. He racked his brain trying to think of something when he remembered something Jaeger always did that Erich probably liked.
"Erich how about I tell you a story." Trigger could see that Erich was eager to hear a story but Avril thought to herself why not she's been grounded for the last 10 months.
"So how about the story of Three strikes vs the Arsenal Bird at the Lighthouse?" Avril suspected that one would have been told a lot.
"That story is boring and I've heard it many times." Erich wanted an exciting tale instead of one he heard many times.
"Alright how about Three Strikes vs the Alicorn sea monster?" Avril's ears perked up at her husband's story suggestion.
"Tell me that one! Please?" Erich insisted as Avril lay flat on her back as Trigger helped Erich into a cushion.
"Well if you're sitting comfortably then I'll begin..." Trigger started speaking as Avril thought back to those events.
September 2nd 2019
New arrows air base
Eastern usea
20:00pm
Trigger and Count were in Wiseman's office "So Count, Trigger we have a problem." Trigger and Count knew that this wasn't about what happen on the raid to destroy the irbm silos.
"What's the problem?" Count inquired as Trigger was thinking of a solution.
"Our mechanics are working hard to keep the planes running but Trigger's bird is proving very difficult to keep running so I need suggestions on how we deal with this problem or that eagle will be replaced by the newer one." Wiseman's voice was sharp meaning he was being serious.
"Well then we need the Scrap Queen." Count looked at Trigger knowing if anyone could fix his failing eagle it was her.
"Your mechanic form spare squadron well if you two can vouch for her then I'll contact the base on Tyler island and request that she be sent over here dismissed." Wiseman having seen Avril's handiwork for himself.
The two pilots left the room as Wiseman picked up the phone.
September 3rd 2019
08:30am
Wiseman was stood near a C-17A Globemaster 3 as the spare squadron mechanic stepped off the plane "Welcome to New Arrows Air Force Base Scrap Queen."
"Wiseman its nice to see you again and thank god if I'm off that island." Avril looked around seeing several heavy transport globemaster 3.
Wiseman had noticed the limp on Avril's right leg and knew where the injury had come from as they had the wrecked warbird in the far hangar "So Avril tell me something was Trigger one to do orders his way?"
Wiseman had noted that Trigger was stubborn with orders and made plans of his own to get the job done.
"Well yeah why do you ask?" Avril was a little curious as to why Wiseman was asking this about Trigger.
"Well yesterday Strider were sent to destroy IRBMs but Trigger took extra weapons despite his orders to be terminal guidance for the bombers." He recounted as they walked over to the base car.
"If I know that dumbass he did the mission his way." Avril knew form Trigger's flying style that he'd go in with a lot of firepower.
"So if you were him what would you do?" she asked back as they passed the other Globemasters.
"If I were him I'd take enough missiles to clear as many enemy fighters before you arrived at the target so the pathfinders and bombers had no enemy fighters harassing them." Wiseman had spent the evening looking over Trigger's actions in the reports given to him by Jaeger.
As they drove towards the far hanger "If you weren't sent to Tyler island I'd have had you reassigned with Trigger and Count when they joined us." Wiseman knew a mechanic with Avril's skill was better suited away from the front lines especially with the leg injury she had.
Avril sighed to herself as it was clear to her that no-one had told him "Wiseman I'm not an officially employed by the air force in fact I'm a civilian sent to spare actually."
"Wait what! the air force sent a civilian to military penal squadron just how messed up has our penal system gotten?" Wiseman was caught by complete surprise that the military would send an injured civilian mechanic to a military base.
"Very messed up." Wiseman parked the base car up next to the hangar, Avril could hear that there was a lot of activity in the hangar.
In the hangar
Avril and Wiseman could see the mechanics were installing conformal fuel tanks on the eagle but Avril quickly caught the three claw marks on the plane's tail "So what needs fixing on the dumbass's plane?" she had expected to be fixing up jets but had already spotted the engines were out of the aircraft.
"Avril the mechanics know you tuned up the engines and the guys here don't want to service them cause they'd not know how to keep them as they are." Wiseman said to her but Avril had anticipated this problem and had been mentally kicking herself for not being detailed in her log.
"Right so I'll get started." Avril walked over to the mechanics looking at the engines. Wiseman figured it was best to leave them to get the work done so quietly left the hangar.
9 hours and 25 minutes later
Trigger was sitting on the sofa watching the news "Is there something you need Wiseman?" Trigger wondered why he was being asked to go to the hangar unless there was a problem with his jet.
"The mechanics need to see you in the hangar." Wiseman already knew that was a partial lie that the team didn't need to see him but a certain mechanic did.
Over in the hangar
Trigger quietly stepped into the hangar seeing his eagle with its engine reinstalled "Well you lucky son of a bitch how are you still standing?" Trigger recognised the voice as someone he wasn't expecting to see again.
Trigger quickly looked over his shoulder "Avril what are you doing here?"
"I requested her as per your suggestion from last night Trigger." Wiseman could understand Trigger's surprise at seeing Avril again.
"We need a mechanic with her skill to help us and frankly she'd have a greater chance of survival if she's with us since Three Strikes is here."
"Well Trigger your Eagle's conformal fuel tanks have been installed but I'm concerned that there is something wrong with the jet. So I haven't read the log yet but the engines are good to go." Avril had made a new tweak that reduced the fuel consumption rate.
"I have one more surprise for you Trigger." Wiseman could hear the roar of a F110 turbofan engine.
Outside on the tarmac
17:30pm
Trigger and Wiseman were standing on the tarmac of New Arrows Air Base when a lone viper zero touched down, Trigger could see the conformal fuel tanks and the number 9 on the plane's nose."Wiseman why is there a super kai configured Viper Zero of the viper squadron at our base?"
"Well Trigger the last few missions have shown that we substantially lack air to surface ops capability and your jet is the only one which still has that capability." Trigger could see the problem since the C-model Eagle wasn't designed for that but could carry limited amounts of air to surface munitions.
They waited for the viper zero pilot to park up the plane "I decided to ask for some help and since Viper Squadron was the closest i asked them first and Viper 4 was quite eager to accept. She bought a prototype XF-2C Super Viper Zero while we have the XF-2D Super Viper Zero two seat prototype."
"So who did they send us?" Trigger asked as the Super Viper Zero pilot climbed out her aircraft.
"Seriously Scott did your time in jail make you forgetful?" the Super Viper Zero pilot replied as she closed the canopy. Trigger recognised the voice immediately.
A ground crewman came out carrying a pet cage "Package for you Trigger."
Before Trigger could even respond after the groundsman opened the cage, a black and white blur leapt out knocking Trigger to the tarmac faster than he could react and began licking his face as Viper 4 came over to them.
"Okay Eagle that's enough I'm happy to see you too girl." Eagle walked over to Laura who happily stroked Eagle's fur.
"Sis." Trigger said walking feverishly over to his sister.
"Bro" she responded running towards him.
"Come here you." the pair hugged tightly as they embraced after not seeing each other since Trigger's court martial.
Eagle sniffed Wiseman who quickly caught onto what Eagle was doing "I guess she's trying to get my scent."
Eagle got onto her hind legs nuzzling against Wiseman "I think Eagle likes you Wiseman, she only does that when she likes someone, Eagle treat time." Trigger explained as he held out a treat which eagle ate up happily.
"Scott when are you going to introduce me to your teammates?" Laura was eager to meet the people who were flying with her brother since from what Trigger told her they were interesting people.
"Come on then." the three pilots and Eagle as another Globemaster touched down.
In the Break Room
Count and Jaeger and the other LRSSG members were relaxing when Trigger, Wiseman, Laura and Eagle came in "So Trigger who's this new face haven't seen her before?" Count asked.
"Well everyone say hello to Laura the number 4 in the Viper squadron and the dog down below is my pet dog eagle."
"You know each other then?" Huxian wondered how Laura and Trigger knew each other.
"Trigger's my brother actually." the other members of the LRSSG were taken aback cause Trigger never mentioned his family leaving them to ask themselves just how much did they truly know about their flight lead.
"I didn't know you had family Trigger." Huxian shook Laura's hand but Eagle with no warning started licking Huxian's face "Stop it." she burst into laughter. Trigger smiled feeling happy that Eagle was making new friends.
"I do and the only other person you haven't met yet is my older cousin Serena a lawyer in Oured or my mum Elena." Trigger was thankful for his cousin being a lawyer as she took on his case after the whole mess with Harling's death.
"She was the one who worked to get that bogus murder charge overturned after the shambles show of a trial." Laura was angry when her brother had been found guilty cause the evidence form his brother's F-16 was ignored by the court. She had asked Serena what legal action they could take against the IUN-PKF over the false conviction.
Trigger quietly left the room as the others talked with Laura.
New arrows hangar no.3
17:55pm
Count and Wiseman were standing in the hangar watching as Avril was installing the laser cannons.
"Yup, that's her." Count answered. Both of them looked across the airfield at the open hangar where a petite brown skinned woman was under the belly of an aircraft. Even from a distance, it was clear she was heavily focused on her work.
"I talked to her a bit when we were at Zapland when you boys were still convicts." Wiseman told him. "She seemed interested in the op at Yinshi Valley and we answered a few questions she had about it. But mainly interested in the pilot who gave Mr.X a run for his money."
"Trigger." Count replied. As if on cue, the mentioned pilot walked across the airfield towards the open hangar where the Scrap Queen was currently working in.
"Yeah. She was asking around the base about him afterwards." He told his flight lead.
"They seem to spend a lot of time together, don't they?" Wiseman observed, as they watched the two, who were engaged in what could only be another grilling session, with Trigger on the receiving end of it.
Count chuckled. "She chews him out a lot. Rightfully so."
"She chews him out like a wife would do to her husband." Wiseman laughed.
Count couldn't help but grin at what his flight lead just said.
Wiseman laughed and turned around. "Well, you two vouched for her and had us bring her here. And she seems quite a capable and hardy woman. She'll be a useful asset."
"We know she is." Count told him.
"And Count," Wiseman stopped and turned to face him. "Keep an eye on Strider 1 and her, will you? You know what I meant when I said they spend a lot of time together. We can have a little fun with a small bet.
"You sound like someone I used to know." Count shook his head with a smile.
Count stepped into the hangar seeing that Trigger and Avril were still arguing "I'm coming with you tomorrow since cause you're so reckless with the jet that you could damage the hard work I put in to getting it up and running." Avril looked at the eagle which despite it looking in working order she knew it was not fit to fly.
"That ain't happening, Avril. For starters, you're injured. Two; its too dangerous. I won't allow it." Trigger countered her request.
"Trigger, I can handle myself. I've flown a plane before anyway, and I managed to crash land that one after being shot at." Avril revealed to him.
"You what?! That's how you ended up in Zapland?!"
"Apparently it broke wartime aviation laws. And no radio."
That's even more reason to not let you come along! You almost died!" Trigger told her sternly.
"And you don't think you almost die on those suicide missions you were sent on in prison?" Avril replied, her voice raising a little.
"That was different! And sorry, but I can't let you come along. You could get hurt even more."
"Trigger! I'm coming along and that's final! I don't want to see this fresh plane also get busted beyond recognition by your dumbass!"
"What are you two bickering about?" Count asked, walking closer to them as they turned their heads to him.
"Count! Tell him! I'm coming with him on this op!" Avril glared daggers with Count who shrank back a bit.
"Whoa, leave me out of this!" He put up his hands in defense.
"Come on! Who's side are you on?" Trigger asked him incredulously.
"Oh for fuck's sake- fine! You want to come along? Then you got your wish." Trigger threw his hands up as a sign of giving up. Clearly arguing with her back and forth wouldn't get either of them anywhere.
"Trigger once Avril sets her mind to something resistance is futile buddy." Trigger glared at Count who stepped back out of the hangar, who was of no help at all, at least to him.
"Exactly how were you even planning to come along? My Eagle's a single seater." He gestured to his heavily damaged plane.
"Simple, actually." Avril picked up a radio and it sizzled to life.
"Hey Cyclops, I'm grounding Strider 1's aircraft due to extensive damage. It can't exactly fly and it would take too long to fix. Requesting replacement components for it, and a Strike Eagle as a replacement plane for him instead for tomorrow's combat sortie."
Trigger looked at her with surprise. Surely Wiseman wouldn't-?
The radio crackled back as Cyclops 1's voice came out of it.
"You're the boss little lady. We know he flies a little too recklessly but you know his shit better than we do. We'll get him a Strike Eagle per your request. And replacement parts. I have to hand it to you, you sure know your way around planes. Our planes seem the most finely tuned they ever have been so consider this a thanks."
Avril thanked him and shut off the radio, placing it down on the table with a devious smirk on her face as Trigger looked at her, dumbfounded.
"You... grounded my plane... and got me a new double seater one just to fly with me?" He got out.
Avril shrugged.
Trigger huffed and turned away before looking back at her, a dry chuckle leaving his throat. "You are one resilient, tough woman, you know that?"
"I'm tougher than you, you dumbass."
Trigger laughed. "That's probably true." He agreed with her. "Couldn't have asked for a better mechanic to look after me."
"I just don't want to see the aircraft damaged too much given what you've done to your single seater eagle and I don't want you to get hurt cause unlike a plane you can't be so easily replaced."
Trigger flashed a smirk "Are you worried about me Scrap Queen?" Avril thumped his shoulder.
Trigger rubbed his arm with a groan "Don't even think for a second that I like you that way, I'm just trying to make sure you don't get killed."
Trigger quietly laughed "I'll see you in the morning when we're ready for the mission briefing Scrap Queen." Trigger quietly left the hangar leaving Avril with the damaged Eagle.
a/n
Well I hope you enjoy the premiere of my hunt for the alicorn fic I'll only be covering the 3 missions and I'd like to thank montymarten for letting me use her idea and k-nack7 for the help with this chapter