For years, the world basked in an era of peace, a golden age where prosperity and calm seemed unbreakable. Cities thrived, people lived without fear, and the skies were a tranquil blue. But a single disaster shattered that tranquility and plunged humanity into chaos.
The year was 1999 when a massive asteroid, code named Ulysses 1994 XF-04, struck the continent of Usea. The impact was cataclysmic, a blinding flash followed by a thunderous roar as the asteroid collided with the earth. The ground trembled, buildings crumbled, and firestorms swept across the land. The disaster killed half a million people and rendered countless more as refugees. The once serene world was now a landscape of devastation and despair.
Seeing this catastrophic event as an opportunity, the nation of Erusea launched an unprovoked assault, igniting a war against their neighboring nations. Their ambition was fueled by a desire to dominate and control the weakened lands.
Erusea's superior air force swiftly neutralized any defensive efforts by their enemies. Their super-weapon, Stonehenge—a colossal array of railguns originally designed to obliterate asteroids before they breached Earth's atmosphere—became the ultimate symbol of their dominance. Stonehenge, with its towering railguns, loomed over the landscape, a mechanical behemoth capable of destroying anything in its path. The sound it made when firing was a deafening crack, followed by a sonic boom that echoed for miles. Entire squadrons of aircraft were annihilated in a single, devastating shot, leaving nothing but fragments in the sky.
The victim nations, crushed by the might of Stonehenge, found their hopes dashed. Yet, amidst these dire circumstances, the Independent States Allied Forces (ISAF) stood resolute, determined to resist Erusea's aggression.
ISAF managed to win small skirmishes but struggled to make significant headway against the Erusian juggernaut. The relentless bombardment from Stonehenge forced ISAF to retreat to a solitary airbase nestled at the edge of a formidable mountain range. This remote base became their last bastion, a symbol of their unyielding defiance.
Then, on one fateful day, the tide of the war began to turn.
The catalyst for this shift was an enigmatic fighter pilot known only as Mobius 1. Initially just another recruit in the ISAF ranks, Mobius 1's extraordinary piloting skills soon became legendary. His maneuvers were precise, his reactions swift, and his resolve unbreakable.
Through a series of daring missions, Mobius 1 not only overcame overwhelming odds but also obliterated every enemy target in his path, often saving his comrades in the process. His aircraft danced through the skies, a blur of speed and agility, leaving destruction in its wake.
Mobius 1's renown spread like wildfire, earning him accolades from both allies and adversaries. During a critical mission to defend a space research facility from Erusian forces, Mobius 1 earned his first major recognition by accomplishing what was thought to be impossible. He became the first pilot to inflict damage on a member of the Erusian Air Force's elite Yellow Squadron.
Yellow Squadron comprised of the finest pilots in the world, their invincibility a terrifying legend. Their aircraft, adorned with distinctive yellow markings, were known to execute maneuvers that seemed impossible. None had ever been shot down or even suffered minor damage. Their mere presence on the battlefield struck fear into the hearts of their enemies.
In that pivotal mission, Mobius 1 managed to land a missile on a Yellow Squadron aircraft. Shocked by this unexpected turn, the squadron leader, Yellow 13, ordered a retreat from the battle.
With the elite squadron's withdrawal, ISAF secured a crucial victory, marking a significant turning point in the war.
From that day forward, Mobius 1's fame continued to ascend. He single-handedly destroyed the formidable Stonehenge, navigating through a hail of defensive fire to deliver devastating strikes with surgical precision. One by one, each of Stonehenge's cannons were destroyed leaving the rest of ISAF forces in awe at Mobius 1's skill and power. Although Yellow Squadron arrived too late to change the battle's outcome, their commander, Yellow 13 ordered them to engage Mobius 1. The air battle lasted less than a minute as Mobius fired a missile once the first Yellow was in range, scoring a hit and confrontation culminated in Mobius 1 downing Yellow 4. Seeing one of his wingmen, and his closest comrade shot down, Yellow 13 ordered his squad to retreat and without seeing a parachute in sight they knew Yellow 4 died.
In the wake of these events, Erusian officials, desperate and realizing the tide had turned against them, threw everything they had at ISAF. Yet, Mobius 1 remained an unstoppable force, a relentless warrior the enemy could not withstand, and his success and unstoppable skill that even shot down a Yellow earned him a nickname among the Erusian forces, "The Grim Reaper".
During the final battle, the siege of Erusea's capital, Farbanti, Mobius 1 once again faced Yellow Squadron. This time, he single-handedly engaged and shot down the entire infamous Yellow Squadron, including the squadron leader and Erusea's top ace, Yellow 13.
Despite capturing Farbanti, officially ending the war, ISAF intelligence revealed one last major threat. Erusea had constructed another superweapon on a remote island in the middle of the Erusian Ocean. A colossal installation code-named Megalith.
The time had come to end the war and restore peace to the world. Leading a squadron of the finest remaining ISAF pilots, Mobius 1 spearheaded the final assault on the Erusian war machine.
As they approached Megalith's airspace, the squadron prepared for their ultimate mission.
"Skyeye here," the AWACS pilot announced over the radios, "All Mobius aircraft, report in."
"Mobius 2 on standby," the second-in-command of the squadron confirmed.
"Mobius 3 through 7 on standby."
"Mobius 8 on standby," the last pilot echoed.
With all pilots confirming their readiness, Mobius 1 flew ahead of the squadron, leading them into the final battle at Skyeye's order. "Preparations complete. Ready for battle. All aircraft, follow Mobius 1."
The nine-fighter squadron accelerated towards Megalith, their determination unwavering. They knew that ending this war required overcoming one final formidable challenge.
Waiting for them was a defense squadron of fifteen pilots, each commanding an Su-37 adorned with the distinctive Yellow Squadron livery. However, these pilots were not the legendary Yellows. They lacked the skill, experience, and acumen that defined the aces of Yellow Squadron. In fact, they weren't even seasoned combatants; they were reserve pilots, thrust into a role for which they were ill-prepared. Their lack of expertise made them easy prey for the unstoppable force that was Mobius 1, the ribbon fighter whose prowess had become the stuff of legends.
In a last-ditch effort to halt the ISAF forces, the Yellow pilots intercepted Mobius Squadron. The ensuing dogfight was intense thanks to the enemy's superior numbers, but ultimately, the reserve pilots, despite their best efforts, were outmatched and shot down one by one.
With the final Yellow pilot defeated, Mobius 1 pressed on, entering the heart of Megalith. He systematically destroyed each of its three generators, paving the way for ground forces to infiltrate the megastructure and seize control of the main control room.
As the external panels of Megalith opened, Mobius 1 was presented with a clear shot at the V1 rockets concealed within the superstructure. More crucially, he also had a visual on the lone V2 rocket hidden deep inside Megalith.
With flawless and terrifying precision, Mobius 1 destroyed the V1 rockets before flying towards the front end of the base. He reduced his airspeed and altitude, skillfully navigating the narrow shaft that led directly to the V2 rocket.
The shaft was just large enough for his fighter to fit, providing him just enough space to fly straight toward the rocket that had the potential to decimate an entire city.
As he approached the V2, Mobius 1 locked onto his target and fired two missiles directly at the rocket's warhead. The explosion rocked the facility, and Mobius 1 pulled up, narrowly escaping the shaft as Megalith began to erupt in a cascade of flames and debris.
Through the billowing smoke and the ruins of the structure, Mobius 1 soared high into the sky, leveling his F-22 Raptor and taking his place at the forefront of his squadron.
With the war finally concluded, Mobius 1 executed a Missing Man formation, symbolically honoring fallen comrades and all of those lost in the war, before flying beyond the horizon. As he disappeared from radar coverage, Skyeye's solemn words echoed, "Heroes really do exist."
Beyond the horizon and far from his former allies, Mobius 1 activated the autopilot on his fighter and leaned back in his seat, exhaling in relief as the war was finally over. Yet, for him, another battle was about to begin.
Moments after setting the autopilot, a massive asteroid plummeted from the sky, crashing into the ocean with such force that it sent Mobius 1's F-22 into a violent tailspin.
Quickly snapping back to attention, Mobius 1 fought to regain control of his fighter, but the systems remained unresponsive as he spiraled towards the ocean below. The electrical interference from the asteroid had scrambled his systems completely.
Desperately reaching under his seat, he gripped the handle to jettison the canopy and sent out a distress beacon. Just as he was preparing to pull the ejection lever, a second asteroid descended, crashing nearby in a blinding bluish-green light that enveloped the F-22 and its pilot, whisking them away to a place beyond imagination.