Note: This is my first attempt at an Ace Combat 5 fanfiction, not to mention my first Ace Combat fanfic period, so try to go easy on me and at least read the first and second chapters before deciding you hate it. I use a lot of ranks in this story, so I'll try to explain the order of them below, adding more as I go along. Also, when you see these ( ) the name within them is the person narrating the story at the moment. Enjoy!

Highest to Lowest in Ranking

Base Commander (Manual Promotion by higher-ups, mission numbers don't count)

Second Lieutenant (40 missions flown to become one)

Chief Master Sergeant (36 missions flown to become one)

Senior Master Sergeant (31 missions flown to become one)


Do You Believe in Magic?

By: Viewing Pleasure

Chapter 1: 665th Air Squadron

(Second Lieutenant Jean)

We were to originally be sent on a routine mission to patrol the ocean dividing our Osea and Yuktobania, but there was a problem somewhere else that needed our attention much more. Yuktobania had recently declared war upon us, but all that mattered was that we were up in the air with our F-14s again.

This is Second Lieutenant Jean Arian (Air-ee-n), captain of the 665th Air Squadron, also known as Black Magic squadron. Like the rest of my squadron, I'm not really skinny, but I wouldn't be considered fat either. My hair is charcoal colored and my eye's are hazel. My codename in the air is Flame.

My right wingman is Second Lieutenant Harper Laskowitz (Loss-koh-vits). He can be a little flaky sometimes, but other than that he's okay; he's never let me down before. We became close friends when we both joined the Osean Air Force together, and we were trained and stationed in North Belka Air Base, along with the rest of our flight crew. He's secretly a pilot from Yuktobania, but if you tell anyone that I'll have to kill you. His hair is naturally brown, but he has dyed parts of it orange; his eyes of a greenish hue. His codename while we survey the skies is Blizzard.

Flying beside my left wing is Chief Master Sergeant Caron Mardo (Kuh-rone Mar-dough), he hadn't been on as many missions as Harper and I had, but he was still a damn good pilot and I was glad to have him on my team. I had gotten to know him little by little, but he was a fairly reserved pilot, keeping mostly to himself and talking over the radio channels only when he felt like it or was commanded to respond by protocol. His hair was black, similar to mine, but it was a little lighter, sort of like a graphite color; now his eyes were a medium purple. He would have it no other way than with us calling him Terrain up high above the ground he was codenamed for below.

Now we come to the last pilot, who takes up the trail position in our quaint little squadron, Senior Master Sergeant Guile Willard (Guy-l Will-erd). He was the one who'd flown the least missions among us, but yet another perfect asset to the group. Guile spends most of his time playing pool when we're on the base, thinking it will perfect his hand-eye coordination in the air. Joking over the radio channels to the rest of us often, Guile was usually annoyed with Caron. Because Caron never talks Guile is always chiding him over it, not a good thing for two reasons: one, it can interrupt others in a dogfight, and two, Caron outranked him. Enough of that, now whenever the pool table isn't available, he spends his time listening to gossip on the base or reading a book. His hair was a color resembling the sun, and his eyes were dark blue. His codename…Tornado, for the deadly destruction from the skies he was named for.

At first it had been only me and Laskowitz, but the other two eventually joined us. The mission we were on now was the first with our new ranks.

"Hey, Flame, what're we supposed to doing, I kind of dozed off during the briefing?" Tornado asked over the channel open to everyone, including the base.

"Don't forget, you're supposed to call him captain." Blizzard interrupted as he did a barrel roll for fun, me afraid that he would screw up and fly into me.

"But isn't he ranked Second Lieutenant?" Tornado curiously questioned while making sure he was in formation.

Blizzard began to explain but I interrupted him as I got an alert from the base, "Well, yes, but…"

"Enough! Everyone listen in, we're getting an incoming call from the base!" I shouted as I flipped a switch to allow the base access to our channel.

My crew instantly went silent as a familiar voice cleared its throat before saying, "Black Magic Squadron, this is Base Commander Harris Layda (Lay-duh), is everything alright?"

I rolled my eyes, assured that they'd heard the chitchat from my crew, and replied, "This is Flame, no problems on our side, just a little talk about ranks. Would you please brief us again on the mission details?"

Base Commander Layda didn't appreciate it, but he complied anyway, "Alright, but listen in this time. In about ten clicks, you're to head for St. Hewlett Naval Port where the flagship carrier Kestrel commandeered by Captain Andersen is being fired upon by Yuke pilots while trying to lead the Osean 3rd Fleet out of the port. There are some of our Osean jet fighters trying to protect the carrier Kestrel, but they won't hold out for long; get up there as quickly as you can. North Belka Air Base out!"

I flipped the switch, closing the base from talking again, and called to my team, "You hear that, guys? Those are our orders, now let's deliver! Stay close and in formation until we reach the mission point."

Obviously trying to mock me, Tornado shouted, "Yes, sir, Flame, sir!"

While I sighed at his audacity, Terrain commanded him while somehow still continuing to fly perfectly straight, "Cut the chatter, Tornado, or else I'll talk to the base commander about demotion."

As Tornado was about to begin an argument with him, I again had to end the fight before it started, "Alright, that's enough! This is my first mission as Second Lieutenant and I don't need you to ruin it! All of you commence radio silence until we reach the target, Flame out…" To my great pleasure, they all did as they were told without complaint.

After a short while, we were getting nearer to St. Hewlett Naval Port, and the sound of aircraft fire could be heard. Ending the radio silence, I said to my team, "We're there guys, but don't split up until you spot the Kestrel."


End-note: I'm sorry for the boring beginning where all Jean did was explain the characters, but it was a very big necessity. In the next chapter I plan to get some dogfight action into the story, plus the arrival of…dun, dun, dun…you'll find out if you keep reading! Please R&R, I really enjoy getting feedback, positive or negative, on the stories I write. I've actually got Chapter 2 done already, but I'm going to wait a week or two to post it so you'll be able to enjoy the first chapter more, just keep checking back for the next chapter.