Alright, this will be the last chapter for a while. I'll be going back to My Hero Academia and Power Rangers story for a bit. I've got a special chapter in mind for that story as a tribute to the greatest ranger of all time.

This chapter will focus on air-to-air combat and will be based on a level from Ace Combat 7. Like I said, I planned on incorporating several levels from the Ace Combat series, as part of the ongoing war between the White Fang, Empire, Salem, and our heroes. Don't worry, I'll be returning to the RWBY part of the story, but with my own twist to certain parts of the canon, especially when it comes to a certain son of the Schnee family and his destiny.

Also, I've been playing out some ideas for other stories in my mind. These include not only my planned and current stories, but I've been experimenting with a possible Megaman NT Warrior/Transformers Prime crossover, written in my own canon. I've been really getting back into the Megaman franchise lately and I wished they dubbed the rest of the NT Warrior series, including the episodes that weren't dubbed.

Sadly, however, I must inform you all that last month, Peter Spellos, the man who voiced Sky-Byte in the 2001 Transformers Robot's in Disguise series as well as Meramon and Whamon in Digimon passed away at the age of sixty-nine. I loved hearing him voice my favorite haiku speaking Shark con and he was probably another man who worked alongside Bob Papenbrook, Bryce Papenbrook's father and the man who played Rito Revolto and Mega-Octane. I wonder if Bryce met any of these people if he accompanied his dad when he was alive.

But before we get into the chapter, let's get to the reviews.

SunPhoenix90: I've never really played Star Fox, but I'll have a look at the theme you mentioned.

501awezome: Thanks, I do my best and I write my own canon when it comes to my stories.

Luffy L Deathwalker: Yep! I was in the Digimon mood like I said and planning the rescue operation and counterattack will commence. Plus, the conversation between the Fox and such will be used this chapter. Did I mention I'm considering on including Digimon in my Power Rangers story?

Monster King: Thanks.

Songs this chapter are 'Siren's Song' from Ace Combat 7, 'Mighty Wings' and 'You say run' from My Hero Academia.

Alright, que the intro.

(Start Polaris, by Blue Encount)

On that day I promised to protect you. That promise still remains in my heart.

(A blizzard rages across the tundra of Solitas before subsiding to reveal Galen, Team RWBY, Jaune, Ren, Nora, the Clones, Ace Ops, and their allies standing on a cliff as in front of them lies the imperial occupied Atlas and Mantle, with the Executor hovering high in the air. Behind it is the silhouette of Vader, Adam Taurus, Maul and Salem as the title card is revealed with the title.)

Remnant Unleashed

Even if I must lose everything I have. To Save a life in front of me.

(The camera zooms down below to Fort Arrowfell where exhausted Atlas soldiers and pilots sit on crates with their heads hung low in disbelief at the loss of their home.)

I'd be happy to give it all away without a doubt. This is the first time I've ever felt this way.

(One soldier is looking at the picture of his family, almost on the verge of tears until Captain Rex puts a hand on the soldier's shoulder. Behind him are Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Ray, and Neo. Harriet is nearby, glaring at Galen, the badge of the Ace Ops no longer on her uniform.)

I won't hide my scars anymore. Making the despair as my weapon, That's how I want to live my life!

(Cuts to Galen who is standing in front of a massive attack force of Grimm, Battle Droids, Imperials, White Fang and Death Bots with his teammates, friends, allies, and fellow Jedi behind him. Above them, Republic and Rebel ships fly towards the enemy force alongside Remnant fighter jets, before the ground forces charge)

Push aside these tears as best I can. I'll give you everything that I have.

(Explosions light up the tundra as Ray and Neo lead the charge with the Bad Batch and Delta Squad, firing at their enemies while the young huntsmen and huntresses cut their way through the Grimm, as Vader engages Luke and Ahsoka in deadly lightsaber combat.)

So please, don't give up on me and disappear.

(Cuts to Salem and Maul wielding their lightsabers against Ray and Neo while the Fox, Winter, The Ace Ops, Artoria and Mordred run through the bowls of the giant whale Grimm towards Oscar.)

On that day I promised to protect you.

(Shows Whitley standing in front of his mother defensively as White Fang soldiers move in with their weapons raised. In his hands is a familiar object.)

The promise still remains in my heart.

(Galen and Ruby stand in Mantle with their hands extended as Atlas falls from the sky towards them, joined by Faye, Kara, Lop, Ahsoka, Serra, Zett, Plo, Kit, Aayla, Rahm and Grogu. While the others, including the Fox stand behind them and watch in awe before the screen turns dark)

Even if the light is fading. Just Go!

Disclaimers are the same as always.

Chapter 125: Go Beyond

Mantle

Atlas Security Station

0800 hours

Three weeks had passed since they infiltrated the occupied Kingdom and since then, Team RWBY had been keeping a low profile and sending back any intel they could find to their allies. The intel they sent back to their allies had helped the allied forces push the Empire, White Fang, and Salem's forces back little by little while also rescuing friendly forces that were left behind when the retreat was given.

Now, Weiss, Blake and Yang stood guard as Ruby held a datapad in her hands, attached to the imperial terminal in the security station and downloading any intel regarding prisoner locations, transfers and troop movements. "Download is at ninety-five percent." Ruby said to her teammates.

"Better hurry it up, Ruby. I'm hearing footsteps coming our way. The next shift is almost here." Blake exclaimed silently as her cat ears picked up a patrol heading towards their location. "How much longer?"

"Give me another minute." Ruby answered silently as the bar on her datapad inched closer and closer to completion until it was finally finished. "Got it!" she exclaimed and unplugged the datapad from the terminal and quickly exited the security station with her teammates, leaping to the roof with Blake and using the force to lift Yang and Weiss to the roof, just as a patrol of White Fang soldiers, each of them wearing the armor of Atlsesian soldiers over their standard uniforms walked casually to the security station without even noticing the four teens.

With the coast clear, Team RWBY leapt from roof top to roof top, making their way to one of Robyn Hill's hidden safehouses which they had used as a hide out. As they leapt over the town, they noticed the same sights they had seen when they first arrived in the occupied city. Humans from both Mantle and Atlas were forced into labor camps, then loaded into trucks where they shipped to the Dust Mines and forced to work for their 'new masters' to mine Dust, which they planned to sell to the rest of the kingdoms at a ridiculously high price, as part of their plans to show the rest of the world that they were in control of the most important resource in the world and if the kingdoms wanted it, they would have to pay their price.

Of course, it was all a ruse as Blake knew that Adam would never give the rest of the world the Dust, they needed to fend off the Grimm and the high price was to weaken the defense forces of the other kingdoms, so the White Fang could take control of the entire world.

Other times, they saw White Fang soldiers tossing dead bodies onto a massive fire or loading them into trucks which were driven out into the tundra, then came back empty, indicating mass graves were being used to rid the Kingdom of humanity, and the 'Faunus traitors' who refused to join their fellow brothers and sisters in their goal. Blake could only look down in shame as she saw these actions carried out by the man she once respected. "Blake, we will stop Adam and Salem." Ruby assured her feline teammate.

"I know that, Ruby. But I just feel…" Blake began.

"Ashamed that you didn't stop Adam from going down this path?" Ruby guessed. "I could feel your thoughts through the Force, same with Weiss's concern about her mother and brother. It isn't your fault that Adam went down this path. He made the choice to go down this path, just as you choose your own path. You're not to blame for this, and neither is Weiss for her fathers' actions."

"Thanks, Ruby. I needed to hear that." Blake answered, still surprised by the fact that Ruby could feel her feelings through the force. "So, what did we get?"

Ruby placed the datapad on the table and pressed a few buttons on the datapad, displaying the data they downloaded. "First, the virus has been implanted. Amber now has a back door into the enemy systems, and they don't even know it." Ruby began.

"And by the looks of things, we've got a lot of transfer records of 'workers' to the mines." Yang added. "Guess Adam really wants the people of Atlas and Mantle to experience the same thing that those in the White Fang did when they worked in the mines." She then turned to Weiss. "Your dad really cared more about money than anything else, didn't he?"

"Of course, he did." Weiss answered. "Like I said, my father only married my mother for the family name. He never loved her and only saw me and my siblings as business ventures. Whenever he had a potential business partner or client, he'd try to have us marry that clients son or daughter, who was either younger or older than me and my siblings. But all my father said was that it was for the good of the Schnee family name, when all he really wanted was the money they had. My father cared about only one thing and one thing only, himself."

"Though the fact that he came personally to Beacon to retrieve you after the fall does say he cares about you, if only a little." Yang pointed out. "But he still has an icy heart." She added with a quip, which didn't earn a laugh from her teammates. "Yeah, it wasn't very funny."

"What was it you said a long time ago? 'There's a time and a place for jokes?'" Blake asked.

"Yeah, guess I forgot about that." Yang deadpanned, then turned to Ruby. "So, what we got?"

"I know where Kara and Oscar are being kept!" Ruby exclaimed silently.

"Where?" her teammates asked.

"Well, that's the bad news." Ruby began, rubbing the back of her head with a chuckle. "They're being kept on Salem's giant mobile Grimm factory in the sky. If what the Fox said is true, then Salem must be trying to bring Cinder to the surface and have her take over Kara's body and mind."

"Damn it! And with so many Grimm guarding that thing, it's going to be impossible to get close to it!" Yang cursed, smashing her prosthetic hand on the metal table, leaving a sizeable dent. "Anything else?"

"Only that the Empire and Salem have a few informants inside the militaries ranks, like Hamilton before Trigger killed him two years ago. If I'm reading the data right, they purposely sabotaged the Atlesian aircraft to prevent them from taking off or exploding in mid-air, even changing the launch time of those squadrons." Ruby continued. "They were also working with Kruger on selling equipment to the White Fang, all to overwhelm us and force us to surrender not only the armies, but Winter and the lamp."

Blake then leaned over Ruby's shoulder and noticed something else. "Looks like Vader's also been hunting down pockets of resistance in the city and taking them prisoner. Wouldn't surprise me if Adam executed those prisoners." She said with disgust.

"We need to send this information back to the others." Weiss said. "If it stays with us, we'll run the risk of it being destroyed. Lucky for us, I know just the place where we can upload this without them detecting us." She added, resulting her teammates looking at her. "Before I fled Atlas with Arthur, Hevy and Hardcase, Whitley told me that my father has a personal retreat he uses when he needs to make 'special transactions.'"

"You mean your dad had a place where he called for a local…" Yang began, only to get an elbow in the gut from her younger sister. "I didn't say anything!"

"I know what you were going to say, Yang." Ruby countered.

"By 'special transactions' I mean hits he placed on rival companies to force them out of business." Weiss clarified. "It's got a secure network that not even Watt's or Ironwood knew about and has the best security my father's money could buy. If we upload the data from there and send it to Rosamond, they enemy won't be able to detect our message."

"What are the odds that the Empire and White Fang know about this place?" Blake asked.

"Zero. My father kept knowledge of this place close to his chest. I can only assume that Whitley knows about this place because he hacked into my fathers scroll and learned of its location, so he could expose some of his, darker crimes." Weiss answered and surmised.

"Then let's get moving. The sooner we upload the data, the sooner we can see if Weiss's brother and mother have been captured and if they haven't, we can protect them." Ruby said, getting a smile from Weiss. Once they packed everything up, they snuck quietly to a landing pad and stowed away aboard a White Fang Bullhead heading for Atlas, where they slipped away before they could be discovered and made their way to Jacques 'personal retreat.'

Rosamond

0900 hours

Hanger bay

Though he wasn't as interested in military aircraft, Diego had to admit the planes he was looking at were very impressive. At a first glance, they appeared to be normal Strike Daggers, but these Strike Daggers were new and improved. Known as the Strike Dagger II, the aircraft featured improvements to the original Strike Daggers avionics, electronic warfare, active radar, revised structure that guaranteed a service life of twenty-thousand hours and an improved weapons loadout of twenty-three hardpoints for various operations, for a total of twenty-two missiles and a single 20mm cannon loaded with twenty-four hundred rounds of ammo.

The key difference of the Strike Dagger II from the original Strike Dagger was that although it was built originally as a two-seater aircraft, the aircraft could be flown by either a single pilot or a pilot and a weapons system operator. In this case, the aircraft he was looking at featured a slot for an astromech copilot, life-support systems, shielding and a hyperdrive, thanks to the assistance of clone and rebel technicians.

Of the twenty-five aircraft that were available, five of them were assigned to the Galm and Garuda Teams, who specialized in flying all versions of the Dagger, all of which were detailed in their standard colors, but had yet to be flown in any form of testing after the assembling was complete. A problem that Ray was constantly arguing with Clemens over for the last few weeks, the latter of who was stating that those aircraft were too dangerous to fly due to the possibility of White Fang spies among the civilian population and military sabotaging the aircraft, especially Sienna Khan.

"If these machines weren't built for war, I'd love to fly one of them in a heartbeat." Diego said aloud as he looked at Pixy's Strike Dagger II. "But I'd never want to pull the trigger of a gun and kill someone."

"Seems you haven't changed one bit." Winter said with a chuckle as she walked into the hanger, standing beside Diego while the two watched as Bernardo worked with the flight crews on installing the last components on Trigger's Strike Dagger II. "For him pretending to be deaf, he seems to listen to instructions well."

"Bernardo is quiet the actor." Diego chuckled, then led Winter to another part of the hanger, away from prying eyes and ears. "So, you know I fought Thrawn? I think our friendly admiral threw the match deliberately." He said with grave concern.

"Why would he do that?" Winter asked.

"To give us a false sense of confidence. If word got out that the most feared Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy lost a duel to a vigilante, then it would give our forces the sense that Thrawn isn't as skilled as he claimed. Overconfidence like that will result in arrogance and that will lead to countless deaths." Diego answered.

"Then that means Weiss…" Winter began, only for Diego to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Weiss will be fine. As will her friends. They all know how to wield a lightsaber and I doubt that Thrawn will dispatch forces to track down four intruders." Diego assured. "But that doesn't mean we should be worried."

Thrawns Flagship

0930 hours

Scouring through the combat data acquired from Imperial, White Fang, Droid, and other sources, Thrawn sat in his office looking over the information given to him. As he read the data about Colonel Bishop, the doors to his office slid open as Vader entered. "You asked to see me, Grand Admiral." Vader began.

"Ah, Lord Vader. So good of you to come on such short notice." Thrawn began. "I apologize for demanding to speak to you, but I believe I have determined our enemy's next move. They plan to attack the facilities at Sniders Top."

"Are you certain? Our sources say that the enemy will launch a full-scale assault on the capital." Vader asked.

"I am certain. However, the enemy will not be making this assault as a unified effort." Thrawn continued, then pressed a few buttons on a console and brought up the files on a certain armored pilot. "I am one-hundred percent certain that this assault will be led by the pilot they call Trigger. The leader of the Garuda Team."

"I am familiar with him. He is a Mandalorian Jedi with impressive armor and pilots a rather destructive war machine with firepower equal to that of our own assault walkers." Vader said, recounting the encounter he had with Ray almost a year ago.

"He is also the younger brother of the deceased Amber Autumn, who was killed by the late Cinder Fall at Beacon Academy and is also the adoptive brother of Garuda Two, better known as Neo, who is also a Mandalorian Jedi and in possession of the Dark Saber." Thrawn continued. "Based on his combat records, I've noticed that he has earned the nickname 'Three Strikes', due to his piloting. If I am being honest, his skills remind me of a certain Jedi who fought in the Clone War before his death at your hands. He inspires confidence and determination among those who fly alongside him and is a natural born leader, but what drives him is his desire to ensure that his dead sister rests in peace."

"From what lady Salem has said, she has plans to deal with Amber's brother." Vader noted.

"Yes, and while we do not know what her plans actually involve, it is said that if one sticks with Trigger, they will make it through any mission they undertake." Thrawn went on. "He is qualified in flying the F14, F15 Dagger, F15 Strike Dagger and the S35, the last of which is equipped with a powerful pair of plasma cannons, which destroyed the factory on Taris. If our spy is correct, then he will be piloting one of the new Strike Dagger II's that were recovered by our adversary's that will be used to attack the facilities."

"You intend to not inform our allies of this attack, don't you, Grand Admiral?" Vader guessed.

"No. Informing them will be an illogical move. Whether or not the White Fang or Salem find out about this attack will not change the outcome. The rebels will succeed in destroying the installations and sink the White Fang's fleet as well as the factory." Thrawn answered. "Allowing these rebels their small victory will give them a false sense of hope. That they will reclaim their kingdom and push us off their planet when in truth, they will be the architects of their own undoing. All we need do is keep them in believing that they have a chance to defeat us before we finally crush them."

"I'll leave you to it then, Admiral." Vader said and was about to leave before he stopped just before the door. "Was there anything else?"

"Actually, yes." Thrawn answered. "If I am correct, then the Amity Tower that Jacque Schnee claimed was part of Ironwood's plan to unite the world against Salem, will be operational within the coming days. Our spies still have yet to gain access to the tower but have informed us that if the tower is completed, then additional enemy reinforcements are more than likely to arrive. I'll get in contact with our spies and order them to find out about the tower's status."

"Very well, Admiral. Keep me posted." Vader ordered and left the Admiral's office.

Jacque's Personal Retreat

Atlas

1400 hours

"Wow, your dad paid no expense in building this place." Yang whistled as she put her feet up on the massive marble stone table in the center of the retreat. She, like the rest of her team were surprised that Jacque's retreat was nothing short of extravagant, with all the luxuries that were seen in the Schnee mansion, all of which bore the logo of the Schnee family and the Schnee Dust Company, along with the private terminal that Weiss spoke about. "Here I thought he would be cheap and have this place made of old wood."

"My father is many things, but to him, appearances always matter, especially when it comes to impressing clients, he plans on hiring to do his dirty work." Weiss answered, sitting in front of the terminal, and typing in Jacque's password. "I'm in." she said.

"Great, now upload the data and send it over to the others." Ruby instructed. Weiss nodded and did exactly that in a manner of minutes. "Great, now let's get to Weiss's mansion."

"Hold on a minute, Ruby." Blake interjected. "Weiss, can you access the records of your fathers' transactions from seven years ago?"

"Why?" Weiss asked.

"You remember that terrorist attack in Vacuo seven years ago? The one said to had been organized by the White Fang?" Blake asked.

"You mean the attack in that oasis town?" Ruby asked.

"Yes." Blake answered. "The town was completely destroyed, and the media was all over it, repeating the story for days. An investigation was launched, and no sooner had it started, the White Fang was blamed for the attack, despite the claims from my father that the White Fang had nothing to do with the attack and then, just a week after the attack, the Schnee Dust Company rolled in and established a Dust Mine where the town once stood." Blake went on, then took a breath. "I think your father organized the attack and pinned the blame on the White Fang. If there's proof of his involvement in the attack, we can use that and have him rot in jail for the rest of his life."

"I remember my father's look that day. He seemed rather pleased about something, but I didn't think it was involved with that attack. My father is many things, but I wouldn't but it past him to wipe out an entire town and frame the White Fang for it." Weiss answered and accessed her father's files once more. "Well, here's a list of Faunus workers he's had killed over the years, mostly because he was worried about them reporting about the unsafe working conditions to the council, a list of clients who've been involved in the illegal Faunus hunts, the ones that can be viewed online. And here we have…" Weiss listed before she stopped short. "I don't believe it." she gasped.

"What? What is it Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"My father wasn't only involved with the attack, he funded it!" Weiss exclaimed. "He hired an army of mercenaries who impersonated the White Fang and attacked the town. It was all so he could construct a new mine. The town was sitting on a large deposit of Dust, and he tried every method he could think of to mine the Dust, but the town refused, claiming that a mine would destroy the oasis that made their town a rest stop for those traveling to Vale." She then slammed her fists down on the table.

"Five thousand, five hundred and six people. Men, women, and children. All of them were killed because your Dad wanted to build a mine. He's got more blood on his hands than we thought." Yang said with a snarl. "Say's here the mercs he hired were integrated into his own security forces and guarded his mines, trains, ships and other assets, though a few of them did end up joining those bandits in Vacuo."

"I'm sending this data to Clover. My father is certainly going to have a day in court when all this is over." Weiss said, getting up from the terminal before she turned to Ruby. "Now, let's go find my mother and brother." Ruby nodded and left the retreat, while also 'accidentally' revealing the location of the retreat to the White Fang but made sure to wipe the terminal clean of any data.

Rosamond

Clemen's office

1500 hours.

"Are you even listening to me!? A full-scale assault on Atlas is too risky!" Ray shouted as he stood with both hands on the desk of one Howard Clemen's. "Sure, we may have pushed the enemy forces back a bit, but an all-out assault on the capital is out of the question!"

"This is not up for discussion, pilot." Clemen's growled. "Retaking the kingdom is our top priority and we cannot delay any longer. We have more than enough firepower to take the kingdom back from those animals and their allies."

"With all due respect, general. Ray is right about this proposed plan of attack." Leia said as she and Threepio entered Clemen's office with Kit, Yularen, and Aayla by her side. "We're not ready to launch a full-frontal assault on the Empire or Salem. They have not only that massive cruiser of theirs, but they've also captured your railguns. If any ships get within range, Stonehenge will destroy them with a single shot."

"General's Fisto, Secura and I have seen weapons like this during the Clone War. Firepower of that scale cannot be repelled. Your plan will only result in the deaths of countless soldiers and pilots. When they are dead, who will be left for you to lead?" Yularen added.

"The forces at Sniders Top present a clear threat. If we proceed with this attack, then we will be left vulnerable. The enemy will attack Rosamond, retake it, and then attack us from behind, cutting our supply lines and forcing us to surrender or destroy us all." Aayla added. "Sending troops headlong into a battle is not the way to win a war."

"Atlas has the strongest military in the world and if we lose pilots, we can replace them with our drone fighters." Clemen's countered. "We've retaken the Silvat and are now at the foot of the mountain. A precise and overwhelming assault will push those animals out of the kingdom."

"Is that all you see the White Fang as, animals?" Ray snarled, gripping Clemen's desk, leaving a sizeable dent in it. "Human, Faunus, Togruta, Twi'lek, Wookie. It doesn't matter what our species is, we'll all be killed if we go through with this plan of yours. We need to eliminate the facilities at Snider's Top and circle around the enemies' main defensive lines. Throwing bodies into the meat grinder is not an option and what do you plan on telling the families of the soldiers and pilots who died?"

"Then they will have done their duties as soldiers and died for the greater good of Atlas." Monasterio announced as he stepped into the office, flanked by Garcia who had an unsure look on his face. "When Atlas is retaken, we can reorganize our supply lines and mount a counter offensive and wipe out both Salem and her Faunus allies off the planet."

"And who's going to manufacture these supplies?" Ray asked.

"Why our prisoners of course. Hard labor will take all the fight out of them and remind them of their place." Monasterio answered smugly.

"What you're talking about, is slavery." Aayla interjected. "Enslaving the Faunus prisoners will make them resent humanity more than they already do and bolster the ranks of the White Fang. You'll only make the situation worse and draw the Grimm closer to us."

"Uh, if I might be allowed to say something." Garcia said hesitantly. "I think, maybe we should focus on retaking Stonehenge and taking out that massive cruiser. Those things are dangerous to leave active and if we take them out, then maybe we might have a chance?"

"Garcia!" Monasterio yelled, causing the Sergeant to stumble backwards right into Threepio, knocking them to the ground.

"Oh my! I'm being crushed!" Threepio cried out.

"Sorry." Garcia said.

"This discussion is pointless." Clemen's said, standing up from his desk and glaring at Ray's visor. "The plan to retake Atlas will commence in forty-eight hours. All squadrons will participate in the operation to ensure total victory."

"If you're dead set on making this fools errand, then I'll just use the Strike Dagger II to keep as many pilots as possible alive." Ray snarled.

"The Strike Dagger II's are off-limits!" Clemen's roared. "The proper pilots for those aircraft will arrive in the coming days."

"Are you shitting me!?" Ray growled, tempted to grab the brigadier general by the neck. "My squad and the Galm Team know those planes like the back of our hands. We've clocked more hours in the simulator than anyone else! Damn your pilots and damn you! I take back what I said, if you want to carry out this plan, that's fine. But don't except me to take part in this operation and bail your ass out!" he then turned and walked away.

"You will take part in this operation as instructed!" Monasterio announced, but Ray didn't care as he stormed out of the office and towards the command center, where Clover, Qrow, Robyn, Bram, Winter, and Bishop were waiting.

"Those idiots!" Ray shouted and pounded the wall.

"What got your shorts in a knot?" Qrow asked.

"Take a guess?" Ray shot back and told them everything.

"Clemens is a fool! Launching an assault like what he has planned is too dangerous. Besides, there's a good chance that Kara will be killed in the process and if that happens, then we'll have a tough time finding the new Fall Maiden." Qrow said.

"He's a real pain in the ass." Robyn said in agreement. "I don't know what his issue is, but he's been rubbing me the wrong way, same with Monasterio. Those two still have their authority after their failed assault on the capital and yet somehow, they still have their ranks. Not to mention Clemen's claims that it was the forces of Atlas that saved the assault on Rosamond when they practically didn't do anything."

"There's something else." Bishop spoke up. "I've been looking into Clemen's background and records, but they locked up tighter than the Schnee's bank account. No offense, specialist Schnee."

"None taken." Winter answered. "What's the status on the tower?"

"Construction is proceeding as planned. Another few days and then we can send out the message to the rest of the world." Clover answered.

"Are we certain that this is the right course of action?" Bram asked. "I'm not doubting the plan that James had planned when it comes to restoring global communications. But telling the rest of the world about Salem? The panic that will follow will bring in the Grimm and we don't have enough forces to deal with the fallout."

"It's a calculated risk, but as long as Salem and the Empire don't know about the tower, then we should be getting reinforcements. Not just from the rest of the world, but also from the Rebellion." Clover assured. "I sent a message to General Kota before Atlas fell and told him that we'll need reinforcements in the near future. He graciously promised me that he'd send as many forces as he can muster up. They are fighting their own war after all."

"Just because one planet is under siege from the Empire, doesn't mean it's the only planet that matters." Ray reminded. Just then, the console flickered, and Amber appeared. "Something wrong, Amber?"

"I've just received information from Team RWBY. They've found the location of Kara and Oscar. They are being kept aboard the giant Whale Grimm that is serving as Salem's command ship." The AI version of Ray's sister announced.

"Then we can finally mount a rescue mission to get them out that bitches clutches." Ray said, pounding his fists eagerly.

"Unfortunately, that's not possible at this time." Amber corrected. "Salem's command ship is fifty miles from Atlas. We are nine-hundred miles away from Atlas, six-hundred and fifty miles for the forces at Silvat for the advance forces. In order to launch a successful rescue mission, we need to retake Fort Arrowfell and Stonehenge, while also eliminating the Imperial's heavy command cruiser. Data on the command cruiser is limited, so the best move at the time is to focus on crippling the enemies' efforts in launching a counterattack on our positions."

Behind the A.I, a map of Solitas appeared with a line running through the map indicating the enemy lines, key locations, and potential targets. "General Clemen's attack on Atlas is ill advised, but an assault on the Snider's Top facilities is ideal target to attack first. The White Fang fleet is massing for an assault and unless it is neutralized, we will be surrounded and forced to surrender." Amber added.

"I think the new Razgriz Squadron would be eager in sending those ships down to a watery grave. They've gotten along well with Strider, Golem, Mage, Cyclops, and Gargoyle Squadrons. Plus, they've boosted the morale around here by hitting those war factories." Ray suggested. "Plus, with Rouge Squadron, Shadow Squadron and Ahsoka backing us up, we'll have more than enough firepower to take out those facilities."

"I recommend that Golem, Mage, Gargoyle, Strider, Razgriz, and Cyclops squadrons pilot aircraft capable of firing anti-ship missiles. F18's, F16's, F35's, S33's, S35's, X-02's and F14's are the ideal aircraft for this operation." Amber suggested.

"I agree." Came the voice of Caroline Cordovin who entered the command center. "Not just about having my son and his squadron assist in this operation and that taking out these targets is the better course of action, but about Clemens and his intentions. The man is more of a politician and see's all of the men under his command as expendable. I'll admit, I once thought the same thing, but that was more towards the AK-200's, they can be rebuilt while soldiers and pilots cannot."

"It's been a long time, Commander Cordovin." Clover addressed, looking down at the elderly commander. "I know we never met face-to-face when you and the Razgriz arrived, but it's good to see you again."

"You as well, General Ebi." Caroline answered, then turned to Ray who had removed his helmet. "Raymond. It's also been a long time since we last saw each other as well. I know it's been a long time, but I want to say that I am truly sorry about the loss of your sister. She was a remarkable woman and shouldn't have died the way she did."

"You don't need to say anything." Ray replied. "You didn't kill her, that bitch Cinder did, and I'll be damned if that bitch comes back in control of Kara's body."

"You should be careful with that anger you have built up inside." Galen said as he then walked into the command room. "If you let it control you, you'll act the same way you did when you took out that war factory. Neo told me everything about it."

"The factory was blown up, that's all that mattered." Ray answered, then turned to Bishop. "Colonel, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you'll be placed in charge of the squadrons that Clemen's plans on assigning to his operation. I suggest you have all the aircraft designed for dogfighting loaded up with air-to-air missiles and some heavy-gun pods. You'll probably encounter a lot of enemy aircraft and airships, so loading up your planes with air-to-ground ordnance is ill-advised." He suggested.

"I was thinking the same thing. It's not wise to be loaded for air-to-ground combat when the operation is clearly air-to-air." Bishop said in agreement. "I'll speak with General Fisto and see if he'll be willing to assist in the operation. His leadership and piloting skills are exceptional."

"Then let's get it done people." Clover instructed. "We need those targets taken out yesterday and I don't want to think about the damage they could do on the tower."

"One moment." Amber interrupted. "I've received additional information from Team RWBY. It appears that Jacques Schnee was guilty of another crime. The oasis town that the White Fang reportedly destroyed seven years ago was actually destroyed by Jacques forces, so he could construct a Dust mine that greatly affect Vacuo's economy."

"It appears that Winter's father has more blood on his hands then we thought." Bram sighed. "He'll stand trial for his crimes, that's a guarantee. I'll have to let Sleet and Camilla know."

"There's more. It appears that the White Fang has a prisoner who's been constructing weapons for them over the last year. Their location is unknown, and the data is heavily encrypted, it will take time to decipher the data, but extracting this prisoner will hamper their weapons production by seventy-five percent." Amber added.

"Must be someone very skilled if they have his location secured." Clover noted. "Looks like we'll need to plan another rescue mission."

"Let's focus on one task at a time. Spreading our attention and forces out will leave us vulnerable to an enemy attack." Caroline pointed out. "It's a common error that many military leaders have made, General Lagune I one such leader."

Everyone else agreed, then left the command room, leaving Clover all by himself, until Diego entered the command room. "I think you'll want to hear this."

Two days later

Rosamond

0700 hours

After much preparation, the day had finally come. Clemen's massive aerial assault over the mountains to retake Atlas from the enemy was to commence while unknown to the Brigadier General, another plan was about to commence to eliminate the targets at Snider's Top.

Golem Squadron's F-18's which were damaged during a pervious combat air patrol were repaired and armed with anti-ship missiles and a few air-to-air missiles.

Mage Squadron's F16's were also too damaged for the operation, so the squadron opted for the S33. Half of the squadron was armed with air-to-air missiles, while the rest of the squadron was armed with anti-ship missiles, along with the S33's traditional 30mm cannon.

Like the Mage and Golem squadrons, Gargoyle squadron's aircraft were split in half with two X-02S armed for air-to-air combat, while the other two were armed for anti-ship combat.

The Razgriz however, opted for a variety of aircraft. Chopper had selected an F15 and Nagase the MG-35 which were armed to the teeth for air-to-air combat, while Han's and Cooper opted for aircraft specifically armed for anti-ship operations, more specifically the S35 and S34.

Among the rest of the planes being prepared, were the F4's of Robyn and her huntresses, which were equipped with the same heavy gun pods that Ruby used to defend Khesed, which were ideal for attacking naval ships and airships.

Rebellion and Clone Y-Wings were loaded with all the proton bombs they could carry, while A-Wings, X-Wings, Z-95's, V-Wings, ARC-170's and V-19's were loaded up with all the concussion missiles and proton torpedoes' they could carry.

Both Strider and Cyclops squadrons opted for their standard Daggers but chose to have the pulse laser pods mounted on the fuselage pylons while the rest of their pylons were fitted with short-range missiles.

As for the Garuda and Galm Teams, they were given the honor of flying the new Strike Dagger II's in their first combat mission, loaded with air-to-ground missiles. Scanning the systems of the new aircraft, Artoo confirmed to Luke that the Strike Dagger II's along with the other craft were scanned. "Did you ever find any viruses during the Clone War, Artoo?" Luke asked the little droid.

Artoo beeped and replied that he did find the occasional virus, but it was mostly in the systems of ships like Venators, Acclamator's and other ships, but nothing as advanced as what Watt's had used to take control of systems in Mantle, or the virus that was pulled from Vale's CCT. "I can't help but wonder if the Emperor sent the data about the Republic's vessels to the Separatists during the war." He wondered aloud.

"If they did, then he was using both sides for his own gain." Boba said as he walked into the hanger, helmet in his hands. "I'm impressed with these fighters. They aren't exactly like the Slave-I, but the firepower they can carry is something to fear, depending on what role the pilots are assigned to."

"I was wondering where you were, Boba." Neo said as she leapt down from her Strike Dagger II after helping KT into place. "Did you have a bounty that you were tracking in another part of the galaxy that took priority?"

"Actually, I was tracking an Imperial Convoy in the Outer Rim and decided to help out a certain Pirate that a certain pilot knows." Boba answered. "You'd be surprised at how much regard he holds for your brother's skills as a pilot."

"Yeah, that's Ray for you." Neo chuckled. "He's in a league of his own when it comes to being a pilot."

"What do you expect from a guy who's been trained by the Galm Team?" Eric Steff, leader of Cyclops Squadron asked jokingly as he walked into the hanger. A tall dark-skinned man in his late twenties to early thirties, with shaved black hair, green eyes, dressed in pilot fatigues, he was one of the best pilots in the Vale Air Force with a great deal of experience when it came to fighting against droids and Imperials.

By his side, was a Faunus male with white skin, brown eyes, light brown hair, and a very hairy chest of white fur. "'Stick with Trigger and you'll make it.' That's what a lot of the pilots have been saying. Guy's a natural born leader and a hell of a pilot." The man said.

"You already knew that Tabloid." Eric said with a chuckle to the man. "Yeah, introductions are in order. This guy's Georg Ebon, callsign Tabloid. He's Minna's number two and he's one of the best pilots."

"Look forward to working with you, Georg." Neo said, holding out her hand which the pilot shook. "With these numbers, we'll complete this mission."

"Then let's get the briefing underway." Yularen said as the pilots and mechanics stood at attention the moment he entered the hanger, while Artoo rolled up alongside the admiral and displayed a 3D-projection of the Solitus map. "Thanks to the recon provided us by the Penwolf and Evergreen siblings, we've determined that the White Fang's main naval fleet is stationed at Snider's Top. The Njord fleet, as it has been called, is guarding the supply base at Snider's Top, no doubt preparing for a large-scale counterattack on our position." The admiral began. "As the bulk of our forces will be taking part in Clemen's plan to attack the capital, we'll be on our own. Commander Skywalker and Trigger have proposed our attack strategy."

"Thank you, Admiral." Luke said, then addressed the men. "First off, we've discovered a blind spot in the enemies' defensive network which we'll use to slip through their defenses and attack the enemy targets. We'll carve a path through enemy territory, attacking important targets along the way while giving our spies time to find a weakness in the enemies' heavy command cruiser."

"Golem Squadron, Mage Squadron, Gargoyle's 2 and 4, Razgriz 1 and 4, Shadow Squadron, Blue Squadron, the Happy Huntresses, Red Squadron and Gold Squadron will target the enemy fleet with the Galm and Garuda Teams. Strider Squadron, Cyclops Squadron, will target the enemy bases in the valley and at sea while Razgriz 2 and 3, Gargoyle's 1 and 3, Rogue Squadron and all other aircraft will provide top cover when the enemy launches their fighters. Be advised, the War Factories stationed on the coast have reportedly moved to a new location but keep your guard up. Those Death Bots could come from anywhere." Ray added.

"Should you expand all your ammunition, the Enterprise will be close by for resupply and rearming. Use it proactively. Aircraft and ammo can be replaced, but the lives of our pilots cannot." Ahsoka spoke up. "It's time for our counterattack! All pilots to your craft."

As the pilots got up, the doors to the hanger opened and standing on the other side was Monasterio with a large detachment of Atlesian soldiers, with a reluctant Garica and Gonzeles among them. "So, you are plotting treason against us. Traitors will not be tolerated in this army. Arrest them!" the captain ordered.

"But sir…" Garcia began, only for Monasterio to remind of his place and reluctantly moved to arrest the pilots.

"Stand down at once!" Winter yelled as she stormed into the hanger. "These men and women have a job to do, Captain! I authorized the mission they are about to undertake."

"I'm sorry, Specialist Schnee." Monasterio began. "But I have complete authority by General Ebi to arrest anyone plotting treason against the Kingdom of Atlas and everyone here is guilty of treason!" the captain shouted, shoving Winter aside.

The sound of an engine alerted Monasterio and his men to the presence of the Fox who sat on his ATV. "Looks like everyone's having a ball, gentleman, mind if I join in the fun?" he asked playfully.

"The Fox!" Monasterio yelled with a snarl. "Don't just stand there you fools! Arrest him!" he shouted. His men were quick to forget about the pilots they were prepared to arrest and were quick to focus on the Fox who revved up his ATV and sped away, leaving the assault force free to taxi onto the runway.

As the Fox led the Atlas soldiers away, he leapt off his vehicle and drew his rapier just as a few soldiers surrounded him. "Oh, I see that I'm outnumbered. Well, that might be a problem." He teased as Monasterio joined his men with his own sword drawn. "Now why would a captain prevent pilots from doing their job? Could it be because you've allied yourself with the enemy?"

"Damn your accusations. I am serving the Kingdom of Atlas and nothing else! I won't have anyone question my authority with reckless plans!" Monasterio shouted, swinging his sword at the masked vigilante, who blocked with his rapier.

"Are you so focused on making Atlas the superior kingdom that you'd ignore the orders of those with higher ranks?" the Fox asked, leaping over Monasterio, and landed one of the captain's soldiers, whose feet were then kicked out from under them.

"You're just a vigilante who's been disturbing the natural order of the world!" Monasterio shouted back, just as Winter, Garcia and Gonzalez arrived. "Garcia! Gonzalez! Why haven't you arrested the pilots!?"

"Wait, we were supposed to do that?" Garcia asked with a scratch of his head, just as the massive squadron of fighter jets, starfighters and bombers took off. "Oh well, can't do anything about that now." He shrugged.

"Garcia!" Monasterio shouted in anger.

"Oh, captain my captain." The Fox teased, rushing in quickly and clashed blades with the Captain once again, causing him to trip and land in a puddle of slush, then sliced an 'F' into his uniform. "Let that be a lesson to you. Of course, if you forget, I'll be happy to teach you some penmanship again." The Fox said, leaping onto his ATV and then drove away.

"One of these days, I'll make that man pay for disgracing Atlas and for his role in the General's death." Monasterio growled. Galen, who was working on his own fighter, witnessed the entire skirmish and chuckled, but that didn't stop him from worrying about Ray and the others.

Snider's Top

0954 Hours

(Siren's Song starts)

After refueling with a nearby aerial tanker, the massive squadron arrived over the ice shelves and were briefed by the AWACS assigned to the mission, known as Long Caster. "Sorry, but I'm going to eat while I work. My judgement goes fuzzy when I'm too hungry." The AWACS's reported.

"Who can talk about food at a time like this." Neo questioned from her Strike Dagger II's cockpit.

"Alright people, cut the chatter and hit your targets." Ray called out as he pitched his aircraft towards the valley, followed by the pilots under his command. "Shamrock, Neo, Pixy, Cipher, form up with me and let's buzz the platforms. That should take some of the attention off the others. Strider Squadron, Cyclops Squadron, hit those docked ships with your pulse lasers. They'll do more damage than missiles." Ray ordered.

"Hey, Kiddo. We've got airships airborne already and it looks like they got a few Imperial and Droid ships with them." Robyn reported over the radio. "I suggest letting your girlfriend and her boys and girls take them out. It'll weaken our firepower when attacking the fleet, but we don't have much of a choice."

"Copy that, Aunt Robyn." Ray replied. "Garuda 1 to Blue leader, you get all that?"

"Loud and clear." Ahsoka replied. "Broadside, Kickback, Swoop, Flyby, Contrail and the others are ready and able." He watched as the fighters under the command of his girlfriend changed course for the ascending frigates and airships.

Below them, White Fang personal and Battle Droid anti-aircraft weaponry lit up the sky as Accipiters on the platforms were quick to take to the skies along with dozens of droid fighters and a few TIE Fighters, which bore the marking of the White Fang on their solar panels. "Looks like the Empire taught the White Fang on how to fly their own fighters." Shamrock called out over the radio as the five Strike Dagger II's soared over the platforms, then circled around. "CIWS guns are going to knock our missiles out of the sky before they can hit the target."

"Make a low approach or dive to avoid their fire when you move in." Wiseman called out as a barrage of pulse laser rounds peppered the hull of one of the docked destroyers, exploding in a massive fireball. Pulling up from his run, he eyed the structural supports of the platforms and veered towards the center of the platform. Flak and laser fire peppered his aircraft, but it didn't stop him from firing a burst of laser fire that slammed into the core, then exploded. "Bullseye!" he called out.

"What just happened?" Long Caster exclaimed.

"I went for the structural relay. They're small, but not impossible to destroy." Eric replied as the platform collapsed into the water below.

"I've sent the data. Make like Wiseman and serve up a sandwich." Long Caster said jokingly as new targets appeared on the HUD of every single pilot.

Strider's 2, 3 and 4 followed their squad leaders' instructions and targeted the core of the platforms, destroying them with their pulse lasers in a matter of seconds. Pieces from the destroyed fell into the icy water below, some of them crashing into the ships below them as they tried to escape the collapsing platforms. "We still have some ships active, stay on your toes!" Cyclops 4, known as Huixan said, deploying chaff and flares as a ship launched missile from an Aegis class vessel was fired towards her.

The missile took went after the chaff and exploded in mid-air, but the fighters launched from the now sunken platforms were starting to launch hit and run attacks at Strider and Cyclops Squadrons as they went after the remaining ships still afloat. Strider 3, callsign Jaeger was forced to break his attack run on a White Fang Battle Cruiser as TIE fighters swarmed the remaining ships. "We're not getting anywhere near those ships with all these fighters swarming us!" he snarled, breaking hard left to force one of the fighters on his tail to overshoot him.

Strider 2, callsign Lanza tried for a diving pass on one of the cruisers but was forced to break off from his run when an Accipiter fired a missile at him, hitting his aircrafts rudder. "I'm hit! I can't control my craft. I'm heading for the Enterprise!" he called out, but the Accipiter that fired the missile gave chase, moving into gun range.

The pilot of the Accipiter was extremely confident with their skills as they pursued the damaged Dagger, but before they could even move in for the kill, their world was consumed by fire as 20mm rounds perforated the enemy craft, sending it and the pilot to a watery grave. "Any damaged craft, return to the Enterprise for rearming and repairs! Everyone else hit the enemy fleet! They can't intercept every single missile with their CIWS!" Ray called out, breaking into a hard right turn and armed his aircrafts XMAG's, then hit the fire button. Four XMAG's rocketed towards one of the Cruisers still afloat, as bullets filled the sky, trying to shoot the missiles down. One of the missiles was shot down, but the other three missiles slammed into the cruisers' structure, one of which penetrated the ships forward magazine. The ship snapped in half and sank rapidly to the bottom. "Hell yeah!"

"That's my brother!" Neo cheered, firing her own volley of XMAG's at a Destroyer, but from a distance closer to the ship the guns couldn't target the missiles. The Destroyer shuttered as the missiles slammed into the structure of the ship, which then tipped over and sank rapidly. "It's a risk, but if you can get in close to the ships, fire your missiles at them. They can't hit them if you're up close and personal." She called out.

Missiles from the Galm Team and Shamrock scored hits on three Frigates that were launched despite still undergoing repairs and joined their comrades in their watery grave. "Blaze, Wiseman. Take out the remaining ships, then get yourselves to the Enterprise! If you've got any power left in those lasers, help out Golem and the other squads attacking the fleet!" Shamrock shouted, pushing his aircraft's engines to full power and exited the valley, followed by his fellow Strike Dagger II pilots.

Flak and missiles filled the air as Golem 1, callsign Knocker launched an anti-ship missile at one of the enemy carriers, which slammed directly into the bridge of the enemy carrier then snapped in half. Craning his neck, he watched as 30mm slugs zipped past his cockpit as an enemy MG-29 adjusted its firing angle and moved into attack position. Knocker violently turned his aircraft in every direction to shake the enemies lock, but the MG-29 was stuck on him like glue, until it was knocked out of the sky by a barrage of bullets from Golem 2, Catlin Ame, callsign Brownie. "I've got your back, bossman." The girl called out as her F18 formed up alongside her squadron leader.

"Thanks, Brownie!" Knocker exclaimed, turning his craft back towards the enemy fleet as volley of XMAG's from the five Strike Dagger II's slammed into various ships, sinking two of the cruisers. Another volley of XMAG's from Han's and Cooper slammed into the mid-section of a frigate, sending it to the bottom while in the distance, an explosion lit up the sky in the distance, indicating that the bombers and Robyn's forces had eliminated one or all of the enemy support ships.

Pulling up from his run, Cipher watched as another enemy ship sank to the bottom of the sea and then spotted the marine platforms. Gunning his engines, he dived below the enemies' line of fire and launched another salvo of missiles, hitting the cores of the platforms sending them to the bottom. Pixy followed suit and knocked out the last of the platforms, but Cipher's instincts were telling him that something wasn't right. "Larry, something doesn't sit right with me. There are too few fighters in the air and there weren't any on the platforms." Cipher said to his wingman as the last of the enemy ships sank to the bottom of the sea.

(End song)

"Yeah, I'm getting a similar feeling from that time back in Vacuo. Only it was the two of us against a whole squadron." Larry agreed, already scanning for any signs of enemy aircraft, but found nothing. "I don't believe this!"

"What's going on?" Cipher asked.

"My radar's on the fritz. Looks like somethings jamming it." Pixy reported.

"I'm getting similar interference on my own radar, and I didn't even spill a drink on it." Long Caster added. "I've already cleared it up several times, but it's still jammed. Either it's an EW aircraft or our radar's have been sabotaged."

As he listened, Luke listened to the force as he scanned the airspace with his eyes, remembering the advice and teachings given to him by Plo, Kit, Aayla, Rahm, Obi-Wan, and Galen. The force was sending him a warning as he felt multiple presences approaching. "Rogue Leader to all pilots. Multiple craft are approaching fast! Anyone with anti-ship missiles or has a damaged aircraft needs to return to the Enterprise at once!" Luke shouted into the commlink.

"But Commander, there's nothing out there. No targets have been… wait, what's that?" a clone pilot reported only for their transmission to be cut off as it and a dozen more fighters were destroyed by a storm of laser fire from directly above. Diving down on them from the sun, was a swarm of a hundred plus TIE fighters and interceptors directly. Dozens of fighters were knocked out the sky, including Skeleton Squadron, Knocker, Mage Squadron, and Gold Squadron. Brownie, Strider, and Cyclops Squadrons suffered minor damage, but the worst was still to come.

As Catlin leveled out her aircraft, an error appeared on her HUD. Her weapons system had jammed, leaving her defenseless as four White Fang S57's appeared out of nowhere and launched a pair of missiles at her. She was able to shake the missile lock, but one of the missiles exploded directly by her left wing, sending shrapnel through her canopy, sending glass into her arm. "Agh! I'm hit! I've got enemies on my tail! I can't shake them! Somebody, support!" she called out, but her radio was damaged as the four planes moved into gun range.

Luckily for her, help did arrive as a pair of concussion missiles slammed into the nose of the four fighters, launched by Ahsoka who covered Catlin long enough for her and the other wounded pilots to limb back to the Enterprise for repair and rearmament. As they left the combat zone, R7 beeped in alarm as a swarm of hundreds of White Fang, Droid, and Imperial fighters appeared from the horizon over the tundra. The Swarm consisted of every single fighter in the enemy's arsenal, including several captured F15's, F4's, F14's, F16's, F5's and F20's, taken by the Empire and then given to the White Fang when they captured Vale. "Enemy fighters, coming in! A whole battalion of them, maybe more! And they've got Vale Fighters with them!" Ahsoka called out.

"Forget about the type of fighters! Where did they all come from!" May shouted back over the commlink, as more fighters continued appear on radar.

"Anyone want to think that Thrawn bastard laid a trap for us, and we walked right into it?" Neo suggested.

"If he did, then someone must have leaked our plans to him. My money's on Clemens." Shamrock added.

Ray snarled under his helmet, jinking hard to the left and deflecting a missile launched from an enemy fighter, then circled around to get behind on their tail, allowing him to riddle the enemy craft with gun fire. The enemy craft in question was an S35, which made him feel a sense of irony as it was the same fighter, he had equipped with the plasma cannons. "I'm really wishing that I called in that favor I ow Nym. We could use his help right about now." He said to himself, just as his shields finally gave out.

A swarm of enemy fighters were right on his tail, firing their cannons at him, no doubt trying to claim the bounty that was placed on his head. Just as one of the enemy craft positioned itself into the correct firing angle, a barrage of laser fire downed the craft. The source of the fire was none other than the Havoc, along with the Freefall, Bishop's F22 and other fighters. "Looks like you need a hand, Trigger." The voice of Nym came over the commlink.

"Not that I'm ungrateful for the save, but what are you doing here, Nym?" Ray asked.

"Returning that favor from a long time ago, Trigger." Nym answered. "Plus, I got a call from Bishop saying that you all could use a little help."

"Speaking of which, why are you here, Colonel? What about Clemen's planned assault." Ray asked again.

"The moment they heard your team and the Galm Team were hitting those facilities, they turned and followed after you. Like they say, 'Stick with Trigger and you'll make it.' You've inspired a lot of pilots." Bishop replied.

"And here I thought they were fed up with Clemen's orders." Ray chuckled, then tuned his radio to Long Caster's frequency. "Long Caster, try and pinpoint the location where the fighters are coming from. We need to eliminate the threat. I'm heading back to the Enterprise for a loadout change." He ordered and turned towards the Enterprise.

"Solid copy, Trigger." The AWACS reported as more and more friendly fighters arrived on station, as did complaints from Clemens, complaints which were ignored. "Somebody, hand me that hoagie. I need something to eat after hearing that guy complain. Amber, start scanning the terrain for any hidden bases. Those fighters came from somewhere and I don't think it's from the airships that were shot down."

(Mighty Wings starts)

"Commencing scan now. Estimated time until completion, fifteen minutes." Amber reported, which Luke heard over the commlink.

The young Jedi craned his neck, then spotted a squad of TIE's going after Mad Dog. "Artoo divert power to engines and fast!" he told his faithful copilot as he turned his X-Wing towards the fighters. His speed increased as he came nearer and nearer towards the TIE's, then banked left, getting on their nine o'clock before opening up with his cannons, downing the four fighters in a span of seconds.

Copper, who rocked his wings as a way of thanking Luke, spotted a target of his own, a single White Fang F15 with markings similar to Trigger's aircraft. Right away, he knew the White Fang had planned to frame Trigger for a crime before the current date and he would be damned if a student of the Galm Team were framed for a crime now or ever. Having used up his missiles on two previous aircraft, he moved into gun range, keeping pace with the faster enemy craft. His gunsight tracked the enemy fighter, his finger poised over the trigger before the sight settled steadily on the aircraft, then he pulled the trigger. A lethal arc of 30mm cannon shells were lobbed towards the enemy craft, clipping the left wing of the aircraft which then caught fire and exploded, with no sign of the pilot ejecting.

"Razgriz Squad, return to the Enterprise. We need to rearm and resupply." Copper ordered his squadron as he headed back for the cruiser.

Shamrock banked hard right as a missile from an enemy F16 was deflected, flying right into his sights. His helmet tone rang through his ears as he hit the fire button and launched his missile, then broke off just as the missile slammed into the rear of the enemy craft. "Where did the White Fang get these aircraft? I thought they only used Atlas aircraft!" he said aloud, but he had a feeling he knew where the enemy got their hands on the aircraft.

His thoughts were broken when he caught sight of an MG-23 lobbing lethal 23mm shells at a friendly F14. His afterburners roared to life as he moved onto the enemies six o'clock, positioning himself for a missile shot, but the enemy pilot spotted him and dived down, just as the F14 was knocked out the sky by an approaching enemy MG-35, which was still lobbing 30mm shells towards the destroyed plane. Marcus returned the favor by launching a missile directly at the speeding aircraft, then pulled his Strike Dagger II into a climb while his missile missed its intended target. Gritting his teeth, Marcus slammed on the brakes and turned his aircraft around, giving chase after the enemy craft as his airspeed increased. His 20mm cannon roared to life as his rounds pummeled the enemy fighter, blowing it in half.

Other pilots, rebel, clone, and Remnant native, along with pirate pilot were hitting the enemy hard, but for every fighter they shot down, five more would arrive to take their place. A swarm of concussion missiles launched from the Havoc blew several hostile craft as the Freefall's cannons swatted down a squad of droid fighters. "Nym, I think the fighters are coming from the estuary. They must have a facility further inland." Jenkins reported to his captain.

"Funny thing, Jenkins. I was thinking the same thing." Nym replied, just as Trigger returned to the battle.

His aircraft now equipped with air-to-air missiles, Ray spotted a flight of interceptors approaching from the estuary, confirming Jenkin's theory. The interceptors had yet to spot him, giving him the perfect chance to take them all out at once. Banking around to the right, he got on their flank and opened up with his cannon and knocked them out of the sky, two of which panicked and crashed into each other. "Hey, Nym. How many credits do I ow you for this favor?" he asked.

"A hundred thousand. But I'll cut it down to fifty-thousand cause it's you." Nym replied.

(End song)

"All pilots listen up; we've got the location of where the fighters are coming from!" Long Caster called out. "They're coming from a hidden SDC factory deep under the tundra. The factory hanger is at the end of the estuary. The only problem is the tunnel is heavily guarded and is practically a maze of tunnels. They built to confuse the White Fang and other undesirables from locating the reactor and cache's of Dust."

"Aside from the amount of firepower, the moment the reactor is breached, the automated doors are activated to prevent anything or anyone from escaping factory. It would seem that Jacque wanted to keep everything in this factory from seeing the light of day." Amber reported. "Only an incredibly skilled pilot would dare attempt to destroy the factory from within."

(You Say Run Starts)

"We might not have much of a choice." Bishop said from his plane. "Unless we knock out the factory, those forces will take out the tower and the Rosamond base. The Fox won't be able to convince everyone to get in those tunnels he had built if we fail. We've got too many people counting on us."

"Yeah, but who would be that crazy enough to fly through the tunnels, blow the reactor and then get out before it explodes?" Neo asked.

"It's suicide."

"A one-way trip to hell!"

"Nobody in their right mind would do it!"

"What other choice is there?"

Voices of concern and disapproval filled the radio as the battle continued, while Ray listened and clenched his teeth. If they retreated now, then Salem and her allies would destroy the tower and no one would come to assist them, and Kara would be turned into Salem's new pawn. The situation seemed hopeless.

But it was at that moment that he remembered something his father once told him. "Don't pretend to be a hero like you see in movies, a real hero is one who is strong enough to be gentle and will always find a way to succeed." He said to himself and smirked, as he pushed his engines to full power and sped down the estuary.

"Trigger! What are you doing!?" Long Caster shouted, but Ray didn't answer as he raced down the estuary and through the swarm of incoming enemy fighters, firing his 20mm at anything that got in his way while trying to avoid crashing into the enemy.

Weaving in and out as he sped towards the target, he saw the tunnel directly ahead of him and the blast doors were already starting to close, with the enemy no doubt aware of his plan. His engines were already in the red, but he pushed them further and further past their maximum power, despite the overwhelming firepower being thrown his way.

Cannon fire and missiles were sent flying towards him, but thanks to the timely assistance of Ahsoka, Luke and their squadrons, he was able to enter the tunnel. "R5, lock onto the reactor and plot our course. It's time that I live up to the expectations of my family. All of them." he told his copilot who beeped in response, but also in worry.

Ahead of him, a few droids were resting on a crate when their superior came over. "Alright, you two. Break times over. Get back to work." The droid ordered, only to be destroyed when Ray smashed into the droid.

"Uh-oh." The other two droids said to each other and raised the alarm.

As Ray continued to speed down the tunnel, fighters were being prepared for launch as he weaved between the small arms fire from the enemy ground forces. Launching a set of air-to-air missiles, he continued towards the reactor while knocking out anything that got in his way and trying to avoid slamming into the walls of the tunnel.

More enemy fire continued to streak towards him, but he was determined. Firing his cannon and missiles at the enemy, he ignored the warning lights on his helmet as the reactor came into view. "Alright, let's scrap this thing!" he shouted and fired a pair of missiles directly at the power relay. Both missiles made a direct hit on the relay, starting a chain reaction the moment, the second relay was hit by another pair of missiles when Ray banked around. "Direct hit!

The reactor soon started to explode as he banked around and headed back down the tunnel, the blast doors now starting to close as he pushed his aircraft's engines to full power. Several enemy fighters were already starting to take off but were quickly downed by a burst of 20mm cannon fire, ensuring that the pilots would never take flight again. Ahead of him, the blast doors were slowly starting to close as explosions continued to rip the factory apart and the reactors' explosion was starting to catch up with him.

Outside, the ground above the factory started to erupt like a volcano, forcing the enemy pilots to retreat while the droid fighters shut down and crashed to the surface. "Trigger did it! He's one crazy sonofabitch!" Long Caster called out as the remaining friendly pilots moved clear of the impending explosion.

Neo, however, was worried about her brother having lost all contact with him the moment he dived into the tunnel and feared the worst, but the Force was telling her that he was still alive, and she was proven right as roaring out of the tunnel was her brother's aircraft.

(End song)

"You are one crazy pilot, you know that, Ray?" Neo scolded with relief.

"Hey, you know I can make the impossible, possible, but I just don't like making it a habit." Her brother replied, forming up with the rest of the pilots and headed back to Rosamond. "At least we've dealt with the immediate threat. Now we just need to get the tower online."

Neo agreed, but they were unaware that getting the tower online would be a more difficult challenge than they thought.

And finished. Sorry for the wait, I've been a bit busy.

For those wondering, the Strike Dagger II is basically the new F15 EX Eagle 2 that the USAF is developing. Like I've said before, I love fighter jets and figured a new jet would be necessary to deal with the enemy's firepower.

And of course, I made Jacques more of a criminal than based on what we know.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and I will see you all next year, because I am returning to my Power Rangers story for the time being. If I haven't mentioned it already, I'll do it again. The Mandalorian Season 4 has been announced, as well as the final season of the Bad Batch for next year. I'm really excited to see what happens in those seasons.

So, until I return to this story, please read, and review.