"Hey, Eric. Are you gonna tell us where it is we're going yet? I don't want us to be late," Eva said with a slight edge to her voice as she adjusted the collar on her class A uniform.

Garth, who was sitting in the driver's seat of the car, chuckled. "Relax, we've got plenty of time. That's why I had us leave so early," he explained. "Besides, this is a surprise you're gonna want to see."

Eva looked out the rearview window on the passenger's side and saw Expo City getting smaller and smaller behind them as they set out into the forest. "Kind of a crazy coincidence that they decided to hold the treaty signing here of all places, isn't it?"

"Yeah. You'd think that they'd hold it in Oured or Farbanti," Magic agreed. "I don't know why they chose Expo City in Bulgurdarest of all places."

Lucky shrugged. "Well, I've heard quite a few people call it the city of the future. Maybe that has something to do with it," he speculated.

"I've had a few people on the street recognize me for what we did here," Charger said. "It feels weird but nice."

"Yeah. Never thought we'd be recognized this much," Poet agreed. "Must've been the civilians we helped to get out of here or something."

"Heads up, we're here," Garth interrupted the conversation as he parked the car. "Well… sort of. We've gotta go the rest of the way on foot."

Eva opened the door and felt the December snow crunch down underneath her shoes as she stepped out into the parking lot. Looking around, she frowned at the lack of any clues. "You took us to a hiking trail?"

"You'll understand soon enough," Garth assured her. "Just be patient."

The tank commander led them down one of the trails through the woods as a gentle winter breeze swept through the trees, rustling the pine needles. As Eva followed Garth along the path with the others behind her, she couldn't help but realize the fact that it had already been two months since they had last been here, which then made her think about how a whole month had passed since the war ended, unofficially at least. Today that was finally going to change, though. Suddenly, Eva saw a shape she couldn't quite make out in the trees. Garth saw it too, and as soon as he did, he started cutting through the forest and heading straight toward it. A few moments later, they all stopped, and Eva's heart stopped. Her jaw dropped, and she looked as if she was standing face to face with a ghost because, in a way, she was. Garth wordlessly stepped to the side as the six pilots stood at the edge of a clearing, and at the other end was the charred wreckage of an Su-37. Sitting in front of it, covered by a thin layer of snow, was a gravestone. The grave was shaped into a cross with a circle cut out on the top and an inscription carved onto it.

"BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS, FOR THEY HAVE FREED THEMSELVES FROM SINFUL WRATH," the circular edge of the gravestone read. "R.I.P. LUCAS 'VORTEX' HAYNES, 1982-2019," was carved onto the center.

"We found him while we were looking for you after you got shot down. As soon as I got to Expo City, I made my way out here to work on this," Garth explained. "I figured it was the least he deserved."

Eva looked over to Garth and smiled, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Soon after, everyone except Zero did the same. "Thank you. It's perfect," she murmured.

"Of course. It's like I said, he deserved that much at least," Garth replied. "I, uh… I'll give you guys some time alone. I'll be in the car whenever you're ready to head back," he said before walking back the way they came and disappearing into the woods.

The five pilots stood around the gravestone in total silence. "I mean… what's there to be said that we haven't said already?" Magic finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry," everyone was caught off-guard as Zero spoke. "I may not have gotten to know him personally, but… but it's still my fault, at least partially, that he's not here today. All I can say is I'm sorry."

Lucky smiled and meandered over to stand next to him. "Vortex would've liked you, y'know that? I'm sure of that much."

"You don't have to worry about making that up to us, Zero, or at least, you don't have to worry about making it up to me," Eva assured him. "You were willing to give your life to save mine, and I owe you a debt that I don't know if I'll be able to repay. You're a better man than you give yourself credit for."

"Thanks. I- I don't know what to say, to be honest with you," Zero admitted. "I just feel so… blessed that I've been given the opportunity to do the right thing."

"The most important part is that you took it," Charger told him. "Countless people throughout history have been given their chance to do the right thing, but only a select few have actually taken it, so you can hold your head high and count yourself among those few."

"Agreed," Poet said with a nod. "Now… can we head back? I'm freezing over here,"

Eva chuckled. "Yeah, we should be heading back anyway. We don't wanna be late. Apparently, this "Three Strikes" we keep hearing about is gonna be there, and I'm kinda curious to learn who it is."

The six pilots gradually made their way back along the path and met back up with Garth, who already had the car running. The drive back to the city was about as uneventful as the drive to the woods, but they passed the time with some idle chatter about how they thought the conference would go. Eventually, they arrived at the conference hall and made their way inside. Once they made it to the main hall, they all decided to go looking around on their own until the ceremony began, leading to Eva wandering the main hall aimlessly.

"Excuse me! Lieutenant Kidd!" an older man said as he rushed to catch up to her.

She stopped and turned around to face him. "Ah, sorry about that. I was sorta drifting off there," she apologized. "What can I do for you?"

The man straightened his posture and smoothed out his suit jacket. "My name is Gabriel Clarkson. I'm the IUN's delegate for the IUN-PKF," he introduced himself, offering his hand.

"Eva- oh right, you, uh, you already knew that," she babbled as she shook his hand. "What can I do for you?"

"Firstly, I just wanted to say that I'm a big admirer of your work," he began. "I've read the mission files from the operations you've been on, and it's all very impressive." Eva was about to open her mouth to thank him for the kind words, but she didn't get the chance as Gabriel carried on. "I came to you offering a- well, let's call it a proposal of sorts. You see, the IUN-PKF is getting… re-organized, for lack of a better word. I'll be honest with you, I'm still not quite sure as to what their reasoning for it is, but who am I to complain? Anyway, there's still a lot of work to be done here on Usea- stabilizing the continent after the war, dealing with the loss of satellites, and not to mention Free Erusea is still out there. What I'm trying to get at here is that we could really use you and your squadron." Gabriel reached into one of his suit pockets and pulled out a business card. "The winds of change are blowing, Lieutenant Kidd, and it's up to us to make sure they blow in the direction."

Eva looked down at the business card, inspecting both sides of it. In addition to Garbiel's contact information, it had a logo she didn't recognize, depicting a dove with the phrase 'Universal Peace Enforcement Organization.' She carefully slid the card into one of her pockets and looked back up at Gabriel. "Well, quite frankly, I'm still not sure what I'm gonna do now that the war is over, never mind my squadron. I'll talk to them about it and call you with our answer, though," she assured him.

Gabriel smiled and dipped his head. "That's all I ask. Have a nice rest of your day, Lieutenant Kidd," he said before walking away.

"You as well, sir," Eva called out to him as he left. After a few seconds passed, she looked idly at her watch and quickly became bored. Once again, she decided to meander around the main hall until the ceremony started with the hope of bumping into someone she knew. She had only just started walking again when a new voice from behind grabbed her attention.

"Diamond? Is that really you?"

Mistaking the voice for one of her wingmen at first, Eva spun around with a smirk on her face. "Jeez, you make it sound like-" she stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she saw who was standing in front of her. "Trigger?"

The two ran up to each other and wrapped their arms around one another in a tight hug. "Oh my god, I thought you were dead, Diamond!" Trigger exclaimed. "The- The Kestrel II… how did you survive?"

"Me? What about you?" Eva replied. "They accused you of killing Harling. We- I thought you were dead!"

Both of them started laughing at the sheer irony of the situation. "Well, I suppose we've got a lot of catching up to do, don't we?"

"Heh. Boy, I'll say," a familiar voice said as they walked up to them.

Both pilots whipped toward the source of the voice to see a tall, older man with thick gray hair. Like them, he was also wearing a class A air force uniform, but while theirs both made it clear that they were from Osea, his originated from North Point, and sewn onto the shoulder was a patch bearing a ribbon insignia.

"S- sir! What are you doing here?" Eva stammered as she and Trigger both saluted him.

"Oh, put your hands down. This isn't Bootcamp, and you're definitely not cadets anymore," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Besides, once I heard that my two best pupils singlehandedly turned the tide of the war, I knew I couldn't pass up an opportunity to drop by. Although, I will admit that you had me worried a few times." He chuckled as he said, "I was starting to worry that you'd end up making me come out of retirement. Enough about that, though. I think the ceremony's starting soon, so let's go make sure we get some decent seats."

On the way to the conference hall, the three pilots bumped into the rest of Kestrel Squadron, who Eva introduced Trigger to as they took their seats, which happened to be next to the LRSSG of all people. While they were waiting, Trigger explained, as briefly as he could, how he came to be flying with them along with his wingman, Count, but before Eva could ask one of her many questions about the situation, the room fell silent, and two women stepped in front of the podium. Eva recognized the older one at President Sandra Burns, but she hadn't seen the younger one before. Trigger seemed to notice her confusion as he leaned in and whispered that it was the newly-crowned queen of Erusea, Queen Cossette and that he had met her before, which prompted an even more confused look from Eva.

"I'd like to thank everyone, Oseans, and Eruseans, for coming here today for this historic event," Burns began. "Especially in the midst of the current crisis we find ourselves facing on account of this war."

"The satellite blackout is a truly worrisome crisis," Cossette agreed. "But as long as we work together, along with the rest of the global community, I know that we can overcome this challenge we all face."

"That brings us to the reason we both stand before you today. The end of this month marks the ninth anniversary of the day the late President Harling stood side-by-side with Prime Minister Nikanor of the Union of Yuktobanian Republics. And as the two of them shook hands, they ended the Circum-Pacific War. Today, I'm proud to stand by Queen Cossette and do the same, bringing an end to the so-called "Lighthouse War" that has ravaged both of our nations."

Applause erupted from the crowd as the two leaders shook hands, and cameras flashed nonstop. Finally, Cossette stepped forward. "The road to peace is often a long, winding road- full of obstacles and hazards, but it's a road I'm willing to travel for the betterment of both our nations, and I'm glad President Burns feels the same."

Burns nodded as she stepped forward. "With that being said, there's one other matter I'd like to address- one that certainly needs to be touched on, but for that, I need First Lieutenants Connor Green and Eva Kidd to come up here."

Eva and Trigger looked at each other wide-eyed- not just because the President of Osea was asking for them by name, but because they both connected the dots. They both realized that the other was the pilot that they had heard so much about through the war. Their flight instructor patted both of them on the back as they stood up and cautiously made their way up onto the stage. Both gave Burns the best salutes they had given anyone in their entire life and stood at attention before her.

The President smiled and put them both at ease. "Both of you have done a great duty not just to your country but to the world. Lieutenant Green, you were, unfortunately, and wrongly, implicated in the assassination of former president Harling. Because of this presumed guilt, you were sent to fight in a penal unit, but you didn't give up. Sent on one suicide mission after another, you eventually worked to get your entire squadron a full pardon. You were then transferred to the 124th Tactical Fighter Squadron, where you continued to show valor, bravery, and courage. Even as the entire world went dark, you didn't give up, and you led a joint coalition to prevent UAVs from overrunning the continent." Burns smiled and turned to Eva. "Lieutenant Kidd, you and your squadron were stationed on aircraft carrier Kestrel II, which was unfortunately sunk early on in the war. Despite this setback, however, you survived, and you adapted. You paved the way for our forces, and you didn't let the blackout stop you either. Instead, you persisted, and facing insurmountable odds, you stopped the terrorist organization Free Erusea from taking over the continent. It's for this reason that I am awarding both of you with the Presidental Medal of Reverence. We all owe both of you a great debt, and we likely wouldn't be standing here today, bringing together two warring nations, were it not for your dedication and bravery. Thank you."

Once again, cheers and applause erupted from the audience as President Burns stood behind both pilots and carefully secured the medals around both of their necks. It was only then that the situation had properly registered in Eva's brain. Despite everything that had happened and everyone they had lost, they made it. The war was finally over, and now, she could finally enjoy the peace that she helped bring.

A frigid breeze swept through the Farbanti National Cemetary. Lillian retreated further into her coat, hoping to gain an extra measure of warmth as she strode down the main pathway. Occasionally, her eyes shifted to either side as she passed by families grieving for their loved ones. Mainly, though, she was keeping her eyes open for one headstone in particular, and after what felt like a frozen eternity, she finally found it. Lillian approached the gravestone slowly as if it were a wild animal that she was trying not to startle.

"Here lies Adrian Francis. 1964-2019," read the tombstone.

Lillian carefully knelt in front of the grave in such a way that she didn't get snow on her pants, thus making her even colder. "I'm sorry I wasn't there," she murmured softly. "I'm sorry I didn't do more."

She looked at the stone, and it was like she could feel Adrian's cold, disapproving gaze. He could practically hear him scolding her. If she had just been a little earlier, she could've been there, she could've done something, and she could've stopped it.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her, crunching in the snow. "It's a damn shame," the voice of a man said behind her. "A brilliant mind- gone far too soon from this world." Lillian turned around to see an older man, about the same age as Adrian was, walking up to stand next to her. "You were lucky to have known him as well as you did." He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a cigarette case. "Want one?"

Lillian shook her head. "Thanks, but I'll pass." Cigarettes and a family with a history filled with addiction were a bad combination, so she stayed away from nicotine and alcohol as much as possible.

The man shrugged and put one into his mouth. "You know, I actually knew him personally," he said, mouth still holding the cigarette in place as he lit it. "We were roommates back in college." He took a drag from his cigarette and blew smoke from his mouth. "We even kept in touch after graduation as we went our separate ways. He even mentioned you a few times. He said he thought he finally found someone who could truly understand his work."

"I'm sorry, who are you again?" Lillian interrupted him.

The man took another drag and removed the cigarette from his mouth. "Aldair Nascimento. I'm the new CEO of General Resource Limited," he introduced himself with a smile. "And I'm here to offer you a proposal."

A few days had passed since the signing of the treaty between Osea and Erusea. Since then, Eva and Trigger agreed to meet each other in Selatapura with their squadrons so they could catch up. Trigger's AWACS, Long Caster, suggested a café he knew with a gorgeous view overlooking the bay and the Space Elevator, which Eva was just seeing for the first time. It almost didn't look real. The way such a small part of the windbreak continued climbing into the dark blue sky didn't look natural in a strange way. Although, Eva wasn't surprised one bit when she heard that Trigger flew up the elevator out and came out the top. The pilots all spent what felt like hours swapping stories with each other. They talked about the journeys they all had to take and how it all led them to this moment. As everyone laughed, joked, and smiled with each other, Eva couldn't help but shed a few tears. Throughout the entirety of the war, she knew she was fighting for peace, but she sometimes couldn't picture what that peace would look like. Now that she could see it with her own two eyes, though, she knew that it was all worth it.

"So… what's everyone's plans now that the war's done?" Magic finally asked.

Jaeger was the first to answer. "I'm done," he answered plainly before looking at the small child on his lap with a smile. "Little Erich and I have a lot of catching up to do."

To Eva's surprise, a lot of the LRSSG pilots said that they were done now that the war was over. Fencer, Skald, Lanza, even Húxiān. Eva still wasn't sure what she wanted to do now that the war was over, especially considering the proposal she got from Gabriel, but she didn't know how they just could just drop it all so easily.

"I'm goin' wherever Trigger's going," Count said. "It's like I said, stick with Trigger, and you'll make it."

Eva turned to her old friend with anticipation. "So? What's the great Three Strikes planning to do now?" she asked with a hint of a smirk.

Trigger turned around to face the Space Elevator with a heavy sigh. "I've been watching a lot of Harling's old speeches recently, especially the ones about the Space Elevator," he explained. "I just…" his voice trailed off as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I feel like I owe it to him to continue his legacy because even if I wasn't the one who did it, I feel responsible for the fact that he's not here."

"I guess I can understand that," Eva replied with a nod, following his gaze up to the top of the Space Elevator. "Truthfully, I don't have the first clue what I'm doing next." She turned to face the rest of her squadron. "I just hope that wherever I go, I keep these guys with me."

"Hey, how about we snap a few pictures?" Charger suggested. "Y'know, immortalize the moment and all that?"

Everyone stood up and arranged themselves in front of the Space Elevator as they took pictures in all kinds of different configurations. First, a picture with everyone from Kestrel Squadron and the LRSSG. Then, one with just the LRSSG, one with Eva and Trigger, and finally, a picture of Kestrel Squadron.

As Eva got into position in the front, she noticed Zero standing off to the side and rolled her eyes with a smirk. "You're really going make me do it?" she asked teasingly.

Zero looked at her with a confused look. "Do what?"

"You're just as much a member of this squadron as the rest of us. Get in here." She moved over to him and wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him into the group as they took the picture.

Not much later, the sun began to set, and an orange glow covered the bay. Eva stood on the pier, overlooking the water and the Space Elevator. She hadn't felt this at ease in a long time, but there was still something nagging at the back of her mind that she couldn't quite get rid of no matter how hard she tried. Luckily for her, a distraction decided to present itself.

"Sure is beautiful, isn't it?" Lucky asked as he walked up to stand beside her. He paused before adding, "Kinda like you."

Eva laughed, even though she was perfectly aware of how red her cheeks were. "Oh wow, I saw that coming a mile away," she teased him as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Beautiful indeed," she finally agreed.

"Alright, what's bugging you?" Lucky asked. "You've got that look in your eyes, Eva."

Eva looked up at him. "Am I really that predictable?"

"I wouldn't say predictable per se. I just know you really well," he replied with a smirk. "Now quit trying to distract me and tell me what's bothering you."

Eva sighed, returning to her resting position on Lucky's shoulder. "I just can't stop thinking about that conversation earlier, about what we're gonna do now that this is all over," she explained. "It's just… everyone else seems so dead set on being done with all of this, and I don't know why that just rubs me the wrong way."

"You wanna keep going?" Lucky asked. "With all of this?"

Eva paused for a long moment, thinking about if that was indeed what she wanted before nodding. "Yeah. There's still work to be done, and I wanna make sure that it happens. It's just-" She looked behind them at the other four pilots of Kestrel Squadron, chatting and laughing with each other around the table they were sitting at. "I can't do this alone, and I don't wanna rope them back into something they don't want to go back into, and I-"

"Eva," Lucky cut her off. "I know that we haven't exactly had very much control over our lives for the last few months, but more than anything, that should prove that we don't need to have a plan for every step we take in life. Forgive the pun, but sometimes, you've just gotta wing it. I don't have a clue what the future has in store for us, but whatever awaits us, we'll face it together. That much I know for certain."

Eva smiled as she looked back up at him. "I know, and I love you," she murmured softly.

Lucky nodded. "I love you, too."

The two pilots embraced each other firmly and locked lips on the pier, and as the sun continued its descent behind the horizon, marking the end of a war, they were ready to face whatever challenges the future had in store for them together.

- The End -

A/N: And on that note, Clouded Skies is officially finished. This has been an absolutely wild ride, and I'm still kinda processing that it's over. There have been ups and downs for sure, but I don't think I can quite put into words how happy finishing this story makes me- not because of any dislike for Clouded Skies, but because this was not only the longest piece of writing I've ever written, it's also the first I've ever finished. I do plan on writing more Ace Combat fics, but for now, I plan on taking a nice, long break, catching up on some reading, and then finishing Roaring Thunder and Secure Your Soul (my PW and CP2077 fics, respectively.) I also can't describe how grateful I am to each and every one of you for reading this story, especially those of you that take the time to leave comments that make my day. You're all amazing.

-ViperLass