Last time, Enterprise and Shinano had witnessed Trigger's time in the penal unit, undertaking suicide missions and clearing the way for the regular forces. He had also proven to be a true squadron leader who was willing to protect his wingmen. But not without the loss of at least three of his trusted wingmen in the penal unit.

But the story was there - a false sinner's journey through Hell. But now, it's a return to the waking world as the sleeping fox gave Trigger information about a personal project that is being run by Akagi. Whatever this project is - it must be investigated.

On the other hand, there are the three super planes from the Gründer Freighter that Trigger needs to inspect.

In the meantime, enjoy the chapter!

Sakura Empire Main Base

December 11th, 2019.

There are many high profile people in the Sakura Empire, from the head of the military branches to the Prime Minister. Even among Kansens, there are a select number of high-profile ships: from the divisions of the legendary Kido Butai to a Yamato-Class like Shinano, only one seemingly has the final say.

As the six carriers entered the room where three figures were sitting in a kneeling position. The three were kansen like many others. On the left side there is a tall woman with a slender frame. She has waist-length silver hair with black-tipped wolf ears on top of her head, she has blue eyes and a silver wolf-like tail. She wears a white dress with a black sailor collar and a teal necktie, black high-waist skirt, black thigh-high boots and a detached black-trimmed miko-like sleeves with black ribbon scarfs and teal ribbon bows. This was the Destroyer, Kawakaze.

On the right, there is a short girl with a petite frame. She has a black bobcut hair with two fox ears on top of her head, she has yellow eyes and a fox tail. She wears a white sleeveless miko shirt with red accents, red short miko skirt with a silver belt and yellow circular buckle, black thigh-high socks, red flats, white detached miko sleeves with red accents and trimmings, and a red string wrapped around her upper arms, a colorful hair ornament on top of her head and a red hagoromo around her. This is the Battleship Mutsu.

The six approached a short girl with a petite frame. She has long black hair styled in a hime-cut with a pair of fox ear on top of her head and yellow-colored hair ornaments, and she has yellow eyes. She wears a yellow choker around her neck, she wears a red miko skirt-like dress with two white tubbards on each side and a two golden shimenawa holding her dress together, she wears white socks, red footwears, and red detached sleeves with white cuffs. She wears a pair of gray-colored shoulder armor with a long transparent cape-like cloth attached to it.

Of all of the kansen, the only one with the final say was this girl. This is Nagato, a Nagato-Class battleship whom everyone either reveres her and is even intimidated by her. The small fox girl took notice of her guests as she noticed,

"Akagi, Kaga, Shokaku and Zuikaku. I see that you returned last night. But I heard about the damage and that it was very troubling for someone like you."

Akagi stated, "We underestimated Azur Lane since they have a literal Ace Pilot up their sleeves."

Nagato asked, "An Ace Pilot?"

Shokaku hands the battleship the datapad as she said, "Aside from Enterprise, we encountered an Ace Pilot who goes by the callsign, 'Strider 1' and he's the Commander of Azur Lane HQ."

Nagato was confused, "A pilot leading the Azur Lane Fleets? How is that possible?"

Zuikaku stated, "He may be a pilot, but he has very good leadership skills. But he also has the skills of an Ace Pilot since the four of us received damage to our riggings."

Nagato understood as she looked over the report, "I see. It seems like that his appearance changed the outcome of the surprise attack on the port since he was able to spot you and fire two missiles at you."

Zuikaku felt that sting as the two missiles collided with her ship, "Yes, Lady Nagato."

Nagato pulled up an image of the tail of both planes, "According to both reports, this Strider 1 is easily identified by the three scratches painted on the tail of his plane."

Akagi nodded, "It's true, when we see those scratches, we know it's him. He also goes by the nickname 'Three Strikes.'"

The battleship pulled up a hologram of the Raptor and the Falken, "It also came to my attention that he was flying two different planes during the two battles. The F-22 Raptor, I recognize from my trips to Eagle Union, but this one - is brand new to me."

The holo-Falken's nose opened as a mock laser fired briefly before the nose closed. The hologram would soon initiate a landing sequence as the ventral stabilizer folded up and the landing gear went down as Nagato continued,

"According to Ayanami's report, this plane was onboard a freighter that the Royal Navy captured from a Siren Fleet."

The crane sisters shuddered at that plane because of the damage that it caused them. It's black body, the laser weapon, it's FAEB that destroyed most of the Iron Blood's Mass-Produced Siren Ships as well as the pilot flying it. Both Sakura and Iron Blood fleets were decimated when he arrived to protect his fleet.

Soryu spoke, "Ayanami's report checks out since the damage to Shokaku's ship is confirmed to be caused by a laser."

Hiryu stated, "As for the First Carrier Division…"

Kaga interrupted, "We were humiliated by him! Our battle to cripple the Azur Lane fleet went well until he and the Phantom showed up. He read our movements and used it against us. He even knew where Zuikaku was going to be and damaged her - making our retreat more urgent! As long as Three Strikes is out there - then Red Axis will fall!"

Nagato asked, "It seems like you intend to kill him. Are you sure?"

Akagi spoke, "My dear sister and I have different thoughts of Three Strikes. While Kaga wishes to see him dead - I want Three Strikes alive and brought here for questioning. Think about it - having their Commander captured will break the morale of Azur Lane."

Nagato was intrigued and if they were to capture him - she would be able to speak with him. But she did notice the blue flames emitting from Kaga, indicating that she's mad. But still, Three Strikes is an unknown factor to this whole war and he is only one pilot commanding a fleet of shipgirls.

The battleship decided, "We'll discuss more about Three Strikes, later." The second and fifth divisions left as Nagato looked at Akagi, "Akagi, I am aware that you intend to get my permission for your project?"

The carrier went serious, "Yes." She brought out a black cube as Nagato noticed, "So this is the black box that gives us control over the sirens?"

The carrier nodded, "Yes, but it's only a byproduct." She explained, "You see, this box is some kind of Mental Cube - the same Mental Cubes that we warships are made out of."

Nagato guessed, "Project Orochi."

Akagi nodded, "Yes - Sakura Empire's Hope for a shining future."

"Unfortunately for it to work - we were forced to make the first move."

Kaga stated, "Leading us into a clash with Three Strikes. Our clashes with the sirens were too frequent and destructive not to act. The sirens are never ashore due to the presence of the multiple STNs scattered around the world which gives humanity a safe place with those railguns."

Akagi stated, "Azur Lane's strategy is unfeasible and our survival should be focused on completing this project at all costs."

Kaga spoke in her head, "This will also prove to be the perfect weapon against Three Strikes."

Nagato gave the cube back to them, "I understand, you may be excused."

The fox sisters soon left as Nagato looked back at the datapad regarding Three Strikes. She wondered,

"One Pilot against an entire fleet? I'm curious about it."

Mutsu, who was silent alongside Kawakaze, spoke,

"What do you make of Three Strikes?"

Nagato looked over the recordings from the two battles and stated, "He's an interesting human, an Ace Pilot and a guardian willing to protect those under his command. He possesses many traits of various aces, one may say that he seeks strength, one may say that he lives for pride and others say that he can read the tide of battle. But he is a true warrior that soared through the two clashes with us."

"A true Ace indeed." They looked up and realized that they had an unexpected visitor as Kawakaze stuttered,

"L…Lady Shinano!?!"

The dream fox approached them as Nagato asked, "Why are you here? I thought you didn't consider yourself a Sakura carrier after refusing to join Red Axis."

"I did, but I did notice that the appearance of Three Strikes led many to question their loyalties, many kansen hid their personal feelings in their dreams and I see them all. I also saw that you allowed Akagi to proceed with Project Orochi which was a mistake and you know it. But there is a reason why Red Axis will not win this war with Azur Lane."

Kawakaze curiously asked, "Why?"

The dream fox stated, "Three Strikes is a singularity."

Mutsu asked, "A singularity?"

Nagato figured, "The two battles that he had taken part in as well as the attempted bombing of Point Mugu and the Training Flight Ambush. The local squadrons of the base were struggling with the fighters while trying to take down the bombers - until Three Strikes showed up. He was a deciding factor in saving the base; the ambush had him leading the training team as he worked with three other rookie pilots and coordinated with them to cover the retreating pilots - no lives were lost because as a result. The rookie pilots, Azur Lane and even those on this base believe that they will make it as long as Three Strikes is with them."

Nagato soon looked at Shinano, "What are you really saying to us?"

Shinano snapped her fingers as a single moon appeared over each kansen as they saw the pivotal moment where a squadron forms up behind an XFA-27 as the tail changes from three lines to three scratches, they soon saw a flight of F-15s, F-35s and SU-30s following an F-22 with three scratches,

"Go Trigger's way and you'll make it. He leads the way." Once the moons faded, Shinano stated, "Remember."

She soon turned around and left the three in a shock at what they saw, especially seeing Shinano's powers in action. Nagato spoke,

"Trigger…is that who he's called?"

Kawakaze put her hand on her head as she saw the image of four pilots standing alongside a parked plane. There was a man with shaggy hair, holding a flight helmet with a top hat with wing on it, an older man with the emblem of an Iron Blood huntsman on his shoulder, a woman stood next to the shaggy haired man with a fairy fox emblem on the shoulder of her flight suit, but in the middle of it was a young man, holding a flight helmet with three scratches on it. He had a yellow wolf emblem with a gun in his mouth on the shoulder of his suit. The destroyer realized,

"Stick with Trigger And You'll Make It."

Sakura Main Base,

Restaurant

A model of an F-22 Raptor sat at the table as it stood proudly on its stand continuously soaring. But a sheet of paper was placed on the twin stabilizers as a small paint brush soon painted in the openings of the paper before leaving them to dry.

This was actually Ayanami after she purchased the model of the plane while she was undercover at Azur Lane HQ before the battle. After seeing the way that plane moved and all of the flashes that she received, she assembled the model and needed to make the finishing touches. But she felt hungry, so she decided to take the model with her so she could finish it.

And here she is now, looking over the Raptor model as she waits for the paint to dry and looks at the open skies - waiting for him to reappear. At the start of this war, she had been loyal to the Sakura Empire, but due to the unexpected events, she began to question her loyalties as well as her will to fight. That wasn't until she had some visitors.

There were three destroyers that approached her as she gazed at the model, one had a slender frame. She has long silver hair tied in twintails and one lock tied in a braid by a circular hair clip with a paw print and a heart motif, she had red eyes, a pair of wolf ears covered by metal and a wolf tail with white tips. She wears a cropped white school uniform with a black collar, black cuffs and red ribbon, black pleated skirt with white linings and a red belt strapped around her waist, white folded socks with colorful pins, red shoes, red & black fingerless gloves, white cuffs with a white strap and a tattered cloth wrapped on her left wrist. She has a tattoo on her right lower stomach and a stuffed wolf dangling on her waist. This was Yuudachi of the Shiratsuyu-class.

The second destroyer girl has a slender frame for one. She has long silver tied in two pigtails with several ribbons on her head, she has orange eyes and cat ears on top of her head. She wears a black choker with an anchor motif, she wears a cropped white sleeveless sailor uniform with a black collar and a red bow over a black frilled crop top, black miniskirt with white linings and frills attached by black suspenders, white thigh-high socks with red trims, gray shoes and black ribbons tied on each arms. This was Yukikaze of the Kagerou-class.

The third one was a destroyer girl with a slender frame. She has long black hair tied in a high ponytail with a pair of wolf ears on top of her head, she has red eyes and a black wolf tail with white tips. She wears a cropped black sailor uniform with a white collar, folded sleeves, red cuffs and a red ribbon tie over a black bikini top, white pleated skirt with black linings, white folded socks, brown loafers and a pair of red arm bands with white straps. This was Shigure of the Shiratsuyu-class and Yuudachi's sister.

Yuudachi asked, "Ayanami, I heard you just got back last night! How did your mission go?"

Ayanami remained silent as she continued looking up at the skies and then back to the model plane. Yuudachi asked,

"Hello, is anyone there?"

The Fubuki-class destroyer remained silent as Yukikaze noticed the model, "An F-22? Why is this here?"

That's when Ayanami finally spoke, "It's because I bought it from the Azur Lane port during my mission. It was before the attack went downhill as a beacon of light appeared."

Yuudachi asked, "A beacon of light? Wait, you got sentimental while on a mission?"

Ayanami stated, "I didn't know why I did it, but now I know."

She soon removed the paper as the final image appeared - an animal's claw along with three scratches on the model.

Yukikaze realized, "It's about that Three Strikes guy that everyone is talking about!"

Shigure was surprised, "Wait, who is Three Strikes?!"

Ayanami described, "Three Strikes is Azur Lane's new commander, he's an ace pilot with incredible skill. He and Enterprise fought as one and defeated Kaga with a quick maneuver and an array of bullets, missiles and arrows. He also seemed to sense that Zuikaku was nearby and shot two missiles at her." She picked up the model and placed it on her lap,

"This was what he was flying during that battle. The scratches on the tail also signify who he is. But overall, I feel like he's a beacon of light in a world of darkness."

Shigure was surprised, "You're telling me this Three Strikes guy took out Kaga?! That's intense!"

Yukikaze was confident, "If I were in charge, Eagle Union and Royal Navy wouldn't stand a chance! Not even Three Strikes!"

Ayanami shook her head, "I don't really like fighting, but for some reason, I feel safe when Three Strikes is around."

Yuudachi asked, "You feel safe around Three Strikes? But isn't he the enemy?"

Ayanami sighed, "I used to think so…" She soon flashed into her memories as she witnessed the F-22 defeating Kaga, damaging Zuikaku and circling around as the kansen waved at him. She would also witness how nice the kansen were even before the battle. Then came to where he was in that devastating fighter, the one with the laser and once the battle was over. She waved to him as the plane slightly rolled as the wing waved. She knew that he could see her, but she couldn't see him and did an unconventional wave using the aircraft itself.

"But with Three Strikes, he's different. He's not a conventional ace pilot, he's something more. I would often hear that there are aces who seek strength, aces that live for pride and aces that can read the tide of battle. I'm not a carrier, but I can tell that Three Strikes is a true ace and a guardian of those under him."

Shigure smirked, "Are you having feelings for this guy? Admit it, you like Three Strikes!"

Yuudachi was behind her as she stated, "Ayanami likes Three Strikes! What are the odds of that happening!"

Shigure laughed, "The Demon has feelings for the Ace of Azur Lane! You must have been blessed with fortune like me!" When Ayanami heard the name, 'Demon' her mind briefly flashed to an image, not of an F-22 with three scratches, but what looked like an F-15C with blue wings.

Yukikaze asked, "Do I see you harboring feelings for him?"

The destroyer blushed as she grew angry, "I don't even know what he looks like and already you're asking me, Yukikaze!?"

She smirked, "We don't know what he looks like and yet, Ayanami romanticizes about him."

The dark haired destroyer grew frustrated, "Enough Yukikaze, I don't think about Three Strikes! Let's settle this once and for all!"

"QUIET IN THE RESTAURANT YOU'RE ALL INSUFFERABLE!" That was Z-23 Nimi, who was in the restaurant as well. As Shigure calmed down, they turned to the Iron Blood Destroyer as she stated,

"I just want to relax after an encounter with Three Strikes!"

The three destroyers took notice of what she said and even Nimi uttered, "Oops…"

That's when they started asking Nimi questions about Three Strikes of Azur Lane as Ayanami smiled as she held the model Raptor up to the Sun as its light reflected off the scratches. She looked up at the skies and said,

"Trigger, keep going. I know you can end this war…as long as we all stick with you. I am on your side and one day, the Sakura Empire and Iron Blood will follow you as well."

Azur Lane Airfield, Oahu.

Hangar #2

As soon as possible, the three experimental aircraft were stored side-by-side in Hangar #2 since it was large enough to accommodate all three. The aircraft that were on the freighter had been moved to the smaller hangars or parked outside. As for the remains of the crew, they were given a proper burial as an impromptu funeral was arranged as the kansen mourned the freighter's crew. It saddens the kansen of seeing humans dying like that, especially since it was undeserving for the freighter crew.

As for the planes, one of the three planes that got Trigger interested since he remembered shooting one down during his last mission.

Trigger stands in the hangar with Enterprise and Belfast by his side as he inspected the three planes starting from left to right. The first plane looked like a standard fighter jet, but Trigger remembered this plane, even Enterprise remembered seeing this in the dream. If the canards, sweepwings and stabilizers on both top and bottom were anything, then the three scratches were of any indication of who it belonged to as it was pulled from the freighter. Trigger was surprised,

"It can't be…this is my plane."

Belfast asked, "Pardon?"

"I used to fly this plane when I was with my old squadron. As a matter of fact, this plane - the XFA-27 was one of the earliest concepts of the Connection to Flight Interface system. It has a standard cockpit, but there's also a camera so the feed can show up below the pilot's seat. It's surprising that Gründer had this plane after I went with the F-15C and F-22."

He soon turned to the next one, but backed up when he saw what it was. Trigger saw the large cropped delta winged aircraft with a Falken-like unit on top. Trigger realized as he approached it,

"Never thought I would see one of these again."

Enterprise asked, "What is it exactly?"

"This is the ADF-11F Raven, A large fighter created by Gründer Industries. A country's aerospace association had planned to create a UAV-model and a few manned models; this aircraft is the latter. What makes the ADF-11F stand out is its ADF-11 nose unit and large wing unit, which are two components in one. The plane can be changed to suit the operation at hand. It can be an air superiority fighter, an anti-surface bomber, an electronic surveillance aircraft, and more."

Trigger inspected the craft and figured, "This one is the manned model."

Belfast asked, "You are saying that this plane had a drone model?"

"It did until I shot both of them down." He pointed to the nose, "In its drone model, the nose unit could actually detach when the wings get too damaged and act independently as a separate plane."

He soon thought back to a conversation he had with Dr Schroeder when they discovered the manned Raven…

EASA Aircraft Testing Facility

International Space Elevator,

Selatapura, Usea

(5 days before the Flight to Farbanti)

"Unlike the Unmanned Models, this variation of the Raven allows for a connection to flight interface via helmet mounted display inside the craft. It has also been equipped with a pulse laser instead of machine guns as well as the features that you saw on the drone models."

Trigger figured, "High-powered laser weapon along with launching miniature X-45-like drones for offensive purposes."

"Exactly."

Trigger was with Dr Schroeder as the Belkan scientist looked over and talked about the manned model of the Raven as Trigger had his arms folded, the pilot stated,

"This plane seems really advanced and with its frame, it could perform a post-stall maneuver, but it's a shame that the drone models went haywire. It seems like you have a lot to answer for with the unmanned Ravens, Doc."

Schroeder looked at him, "I do and my creation nearly caused a drone apocalypse. The Zone of Endless AI proved too powerful, it adapted too quickly."

"Zone of Endless?"

The Belkan and the Osean walked to the side of the Raven as the name 'ZOE' was shown, "Zone of Endless or ZOE was an artificial intelligence meant to learn and adapt to various combat scenarios. ZOE was utilized during the Usean Coup d'etat as a means to test its abilities and three were shot down by the Ace of the Usean Allied Forces, Phoenix."

Trigger remembered that time where the northern and western Usean nations who disagreed with a military pact that the southern Usean nations made with Osea and launched a coup d'etat which overtook the Usean Continent until the Allied Forces initiated Operation Fighter's Honor as the Ace, Phoenix and Scarface Squadron stopped the rebels and their plans.

"I heard about them since they were very much a mystery of the Coup d'etat because of their red color."

Dr Schroeder nodded as he stated, "The AI itself was developed in secret and we used the conflict as a testbed for development and the first unmanned ADF-01 was used to protect Fortress Intolerance in the last days of the rebellion. After the war ended, we've been working on improving the AI and I was able to collect Mihaly's flight data due to the combat sorties and tests. The data from him allowed us to imprint his skills into the drones."

Trigger realized, "So you subjected him to that much Gs for his flight data."

The Belkan felt ashamed, "And his granddaughter, Ionela knew it. She loved her grandfather, she always eyed me with suspicion and I deserved it…after what I did."

"Here's a question, Doc: What were you doing this for? Belka or Erusea?"

Schroeder felt that question hit him as he felt the cold words of Ionela scold him for what he did and what many people believe what Belkans are known for. How he pushed Mihaly for that data for the unmanned Ravens. How he thought about his own homeland, how it destroyed itself and how they bred wars for their destiny and their revenge. But now, he's standing here as the Osean Ace, the one who ended the most recent war that was caused not only by the radicals, but also using the technology developed by the scientist, asked him that same question. After a moment, he answered,

"Originally, I was doing it for Erusea, but then I thought back to my homeland and how they destroyed themselves in The Belkan War. But afterwards, I lost the drive to continue my work. I caused all of this, Trigger, but you've ended it and now I'm paying for it."

Trigger stated, "Many Belkans were ridiculed by their shady nature. But not all Belkans are bad, you have a chance to make things right, Doc. To atone for your sins."

The two soon looked at the Raven as Trigger asked, "What are you going to do with this?"

The doc stated, "I will probably have it tested with a human pilot, no data gathering or pushing one to their limit. In case you're interested…"

Trigger stated, "Maybe some other time, when a sense of normalcy returns to Usea."

"The offer still stands." He hands him the Gründer business card.

After coming out of that flashback, he took a closer look at the Raven and noticed the ZOE symbol and the serial number as he realized,

"It's the same one that the doc showed me."

Enterprise noticed, "It's obvious that it looks a bit like the Falken."

Trigger stated, "It was designed like that since it was a combination of two."

He soon moved on to the last plane which he noticed that the last aircraft was a twin-engine carrier fighter aircraft using a delta wing configuration, which gives it a distinctive "kite" shape, with outer-canted twin tails. The twin engines are made of highly-durable single-crystal blades, which achieve thrust vectoring through special two-dimensional rudders, similar to those seen on the Rockwell-MBB X-31 demonstrator that he once saw at an aviation museum when he was in Bana City back in Osea. He recognized it from the articles he read about the Emmeria-Estovakia War and this plane was shown during an artist's depiction of the Duel over Gracemeria during the liberation. Trigger recognized this,

"Well, call me a vampire because this plane is the CFA-44 Nosferatu. This plane is a Carrier Fighter Attacker which utilizes an assortment of weaponry like the all directional multi missiles and even miniature railguns."

Belfast was surprised, "Railguns?!"

Trigger stated, "From what I recall, the railguns were mounted on both sides of the craft and a single hit would turn any other plane into a piñata. Aside from weaponry, this plane is also a fast one and very maneuverable, but it had its drawbacks due to its instability and lack of a good defense. But it seems like Gründer modified this one to fix the drawbacks from the earlier models."

Enterprise's eyes gazed from the XFA-27, ADF-11F to the CFA-44, three advanced super planes built for speed, agility and firepower. It was surprising for the freighter to have these as Trigger finished his inspection as the manju nuggets got to work outfitting the two planes since only the XFA-27 retained the three scratches. It wasn't until Belfast noticed something,

"Master, it seems that there is someone in the cockpit of the Nosferatu."

The commander turned back to the CFA-44 and noticed a pair of bunny ears sticking out from the cockpit. He quickly brought out the step ladder and climbed up to the cockpit as the canopy opened. He was soon greeted by a dozed-off Laffey asleep inside the CFA-44's cockpit. She softly said,

"Plane is comfy…sleepy…"

Trigger shook his head, "An advanced fighter jet is not a place to nap, Laffey."

He carefully picked the destroyer up and climbed down the ladder as the canopy closed. He returned to the two as he said,

"I think we should get her back to her room."

The two kansen agreed as they left the hangar.

Soon enough, after dropping Laffey off, they decided to get some lunch. Trigger was hoping for a nice meal, but food reminded him of Long Caster's food related puns as well as his cooking. But as he got a nice sandwich and a Caesar salad, he couldn't help, but notice that his secretary had an MRE on her plate.

As he sat with her, he asked, "Why do you have an MRE?"

Enterprise looked at him, "I find the MREs suitable."

The pilot asked, "Is that all you eat?"

The carrier stated, "Yes."

Trigger sighed at this, "You can't just eat MREs for lunch, I know you're a kansen, but you're still human and too much MREs is not a good practice. I only eat MREs when I don't have a choice and trust me, it's hardly appetizing."

She wanted to reinforce her decision about the MRE, but soon she remembered that dream and also seeing him work the 444 Mess. She sighed,

"I'll cut back…on MREs."

Soon enough, Belfast appeared out of nowhere with a meal for Enterprise which surprised them both. The Head Maid stated,

"That is wonderful, especially since it was the Master's order!"

This got the attention of the others as they saw Trigger, Enterprise and Belfast. Apparently, the maid has been teaching Enterprise about being a gentlewoman especially in front of Trigger. She even made it clear to push the two of them together as their close proximity made Enterprise blush like crazy, but the maid soon sat next to the pilot as he found himself heating up like he was in a sauna. He asked,

"What does close proximity have anything to do with what you're trying to teach Enterprise?"

The maid noticed as she calmed down, "Oh, my apologies, Master."

The other ships watched as Hammann asked, "What the heck is going on?"

Omaha guessed, "It looks like they are looking to become his lovers?"

San Diego noted, "I don't know if that's true since he doesn't strike me as someone to make advances."

Glowworm, a Royal Navy destroyer, asked, "I heard that he caught you after New Jersey's shells separated you from that shark. Is that true that he caught you?"

The diva sighed, "Yes, he did catch me. I didn't realize that I was on top of him until Saratoga pointed it out." She remembered that embarrassing moment of her straddling Trigger until she realized that she was on him as her face went red.

To be fair, kansen are very collected people, but when in close proximity to a man who is their commanding officer, they get all blush crazy when something like what occurred at the beach happens.

As for the Osean, his Secretary and the Maid, Belfast asked,

"You seem to be very knowledgeable about these planes, it must be because of your career as a pilot. But I must ask, what inspired you to become a pilot?"

Trigger remembered when he was asked this question: why did he become a pilot? It was a long story, but he would always know who it would go back to,

"Well, I was following in my father's footsteps since he was a pilot as well. But he was…he was a mercenary pilot until he met my mother."

The ships listening in gasped at this - Trigger's father was a mercenary?! A gun for hire for the right price? A pirate!? Trigger continued,

"He met my mother after he served in a devastating war and he decided to turn in his wings to live a normal life afterwards. But he would always tell me and my sister stories of the battles that he fought in and the horror that was nearly unleashed on the world. He mentioned the Demon Lord of The Round Table, an Ace who was instrumental in ending a war that he fought in."

Enterprise heard about this as she recalled their talk on the beach - The Demon Lord of The Round Table - a True Ace who brought back peace and disappeared into the open skies.

Belfast guessed, "And you were inspired by your father's stories and worked to become a pilot."

"That's pretty much it, I was also given a mentor, who was an ace pilot who taught me everything when it came to combat. I displayed a great amount of leadership and my drive to protect others. Especially at Point Mugu and with Squall Squadron, the training team that was ambushed and I managed to get everyone home safely."

Enterprise figured, "That's why Admiral Williams chose you to lead us and seeing you in action, you lead a fleet like you lead a squadron."

Trigger looked at the carrier, "I had to adapt to this change of environment. Williams wasn't looking for a run of the mill naval officer, he was looking for a true leader."

The carrier knew that naval work was for naval officers, not pilots. But the Admiral saw that Trigger was different from other pilots, the other ships knew this, she knew this and even more so as she saw the inner pain that he had in her dream when he was Spare 15 and knowing that he was not from any other faction. But overall as long as Trigger is with them - then Azur Lane's victory is assured.

Belfast saw how Enterprise slowly leaned on Trigger as she smiled. Even the other ships were gasping at how the Eagle Union's Best Carrier was displaying emotions towards her commander.

But all in all, Enterprise is the first of many to do something like this in front of everyone else.

Academy Grounds

Cherry Blossom path

The rows of cherry blossoms were as beautiful as ever at the academy grounds. But for a lone light carrier and her living plushie, she thought back to that girl and she's pretty sure Javelin is thinking the same thing.

Unicorn thought about Ayanami and her body language during that second battle. She observed the footage provided by Magic that in the Sakura Destroyer's body language, she waved at the ADF-01 as the advanced plane waved back. The more she thinks about it, the more she realizes,

"Maybe Big Brother's presence had an impact on her and how she fights. He does have that aura of protection as long as he's around then we are safe."

U-Chan looked up at its friend and agreed since if it wasn't for their commander then they would have died. But there was also the friendly atmosphere around him which shows that he's here to help. Unicorn figured,

"If Big Brother continues to help us in this fight, then maybe Ayanami would be friends with us!"

That wasn't until Illustrious approached, "I can see it as well." This surprised the girl as her 'big sister' continued,

"The Sirens will feel the pressure as well as the Sakura Empire and Iron Blood. But there are also cracks in the two factions which are now questioning their loyalties to Red Axis."

Unicorn asked, "How do you know this?"

The carrier smiled, "We have an ally on the inside who refused to join Red Axis and it is through this friend that the Commander made the decision to send Edinburgh and Sheffield out on a mission. He wants to know what we are up against."

She placed her hand on her shoulders, "I can see many things and Trigger is a guardian, but also cautious about what is going on at that base. But deep inside, he has the blood of a demon, the skills of a reaper and the compassion of an angel."

The two looked up as they believed they saw an ethereal version of two F-22s, one being Trigger, but the other was light blue with a ribbon. But the third aircraft was an F-15C with blue wingtips.

What this means is a mystery to them. But to anyone who's from Strangereal, it's the fact that their commander has the skills of two legendary aces.

Sakura Main Base

Training field

At the training grounds, Zuikaku watches a single Sakura heavy cruiser train hard for the day where she shows her skill in combat. As she watched, the carrier couldn't help but feel ashamed. She was one of the kido butai and yet, she was damaged by a single F-22 and again embarrassed by that same pilot, but in a different plane and she couldn't destroy Enterprise. She did swear her vengeance on this pilot, but she couldn't help but feel a bit admired since it took a lot of skill to damage her and not sink her with modern weaponry. Zuikaku didn't know what he looked like and already she was blushing,

"He did come off as a guardian…" The crane took out her sword and gently carved out the marking of both planes. When she was done, the claw and the scratches were there as she felt like she was safe around them.

"How is this happening?" She thought.

"He's supposed to be my enemy, who I swore vengeance on for ruining my chance to bring down the Grey Ghost. But why am I feeling this way?"

"It seems you have taken to carving the three strikes as well." Said the heavy cruiser who had finished her training.

This kansen was a tall woman with a slender figure, long black hair tied in a high ponytail by a white ribbon and orange eyes. She wears a white military uniform with a high collar, yellow buttons and an aiguillette, white miniskirt, black pantyhose, black shoes and white gloves. This was the heavy cruiser Takao.

Zuikaku sighed, "I have and he's been the talk of the base ever since we got back."

Takao stated, "Even more so when we heard that a high-class siren had been taken out. The perpetrator was a Harrier-II with three scratches."

This caught her attention, "He killed a High-Class Siren!?"

The cruiser nodded, "He even beat those Single Lines to the enemy."

Zuikaku frowned when she heard the name 'Single Line' since they would often attack Red Axis points and disrupt Iron Blood operations. This particular squadron has been a major annoyance ever since the war started. That squadron was sent in to stamp out Red Axis and yet, they failed to do so as it was mostly raids and harassment ops. They also flew those advanced jets made by their faction and they show disdain for mercenaries and even kansen. But to hear that the Single Lines were in Three Strikes' Area of Operations meant that they were looking for the sirens as well. But all in all, it was Three Strikes that took down the High-Class Siren, not those Single Lines.

"How long have they been talking about him?"

Takao stated, "Since it came to light that Azur Lane has an Ace Pilot as their commander. It's strange and unconventional for a pilot to command a fleet and yet, they managed to beat us in two battles."

Zuikaku reached into her kimono and pulled out a small item - it was a wooden replica of the ADF-01,

"He not only defeated me twice, but he saved the Grey Ghost. He protected her like the others in his command and fought with the fury of a battleship."

Takao figured, "He's a combination of a warrior, a leader and a guardian since he leads Azur Lane to battle. But I do wish to see how I fare against him."

"But keep in mind, he can pull an unpredictable move when you least expect it. That's how Kaga got taken out."

The heavy cruiser nodded as the carrier continued gazing at the wooden Falken, "You may be my enemy, Three Strikes. But…one day, we might be Allies with you around…but like the Ghost, you are also my equal." If Takao looked closer at the carrier, she would have noticed that Zuikaku had faint hearts in her eyes as she continued to stare at the small wooden plane, but neither of them noticed a fox girl with a slight smile on her face.

Sakura Base Docks,

1840hrs

It was the evening as most of the Sakura ships were either still out or just enjoying the sunset. But as for one kansen, she was sitting down as if she were waiting for someone.

This particular kansen has short black hair tied by a black ribbon with red flaming designs, mechanical bunny ears are seen on top of her head, a red & black braid dangling on the right side of her face and has a sharp bangs covering her right face, and has red eyes. She wears a red band around her neck, she wears a black kimono with red flaming designs over a red gii, black & red obi & sash wrapped around her waist and a large red & black ribbon behind her back, white socks and red & gray geta sandals. This is the destroyer Shiranui and she was waiting for someone to arrive as the manju got to work on the damaged ships. As she flipped through various reports, mostly regarding the cause of the damage, she noticed,

"Where's Akashi? That bumbling fool must be slacking off somewhere again."

But as she turned back to read the reports, the sound of someone tripping caught her attention as she saw a fallen person with her head turned. She asked,

"Are you okay? You kind of look like you're lost."

There was no response from the down person as the second one approached, placed a mask on her fallen friend, helping her to her feet before she bowed and walked away. But before they went further, Shiranui called out again,

"Oh wait. Excuse me…" The destroyer was holding something, "You dropped your glasses."

The one who fell bowed, retrieved the glasses, bowed again and walked away which left the destroyer a bit confused about her mannerisms.

The two girls continued running to a shady and inconspicuous spot before removing their masks, revealing themselves to be Sheffield and Edinburgh. The glasses-wearing cruiser was freaking out,

"Why did he assign me for undercover work? I'm terrified of this!"

Sheffield shushed her, "But it was the right call and if Lady Shinano's intelligence was right, then they are building something massive. It was without a doubt, worth her passing this information to the Commander in a dream. Her reputation as the Dreamwalker has no bounds with this information. But the question is…where?"

That's when they spotted a small girl walking towards a cave. This girl was also a kansen with a child-like stature, she has a long green hair that reaches the floor, it is tied in a braid in the end with a large brown ribbon, she also sports cat-like ears and an ahoge on top, a bolt-like hair pin is seen attached on her right bangs and she sports yellow-colored cat-like eyes. She wears a white button one-piece sailor fuku dress with a brown collar, a yellow gear-like end and gear motifs, her oversized sleeves has yellow cuffs with paw-like motifs, white asymmetrical socks and brown shoes. She also has a red ribbon with a bell wrapped around her neck. This was the Sakura Empire's only Repair Ship, Akashi.

Right now, she was gently squeezing a small cat as she said,

"Shiranui doesn't know how to treat a cat, she thinks I'm in-fur-ier, nya." That's when she noticed,

"Wait? What is this place?"

The repair ship realized that she was in a cove as she saw the sunlight creep through. Her surprise actually made her drop the cat as it ran to the left as she followed. But from the submerged objects in the cove to the maze-like walkways the green haired cat girl sighed,

"Now I'm definitely lost, nya."

She soon reached the edge when she noticed a familiar object and judging by the technology - she realized what this was,

"It must be the Project Orochi ship, but it's built like a Siren Ship." She grew concerned, "Is it really okay to build something like this?"

Akashi soon noticed something nearby - it seemed like a tube. But what surprised her was what was inside. She realized,

"A human? What does Project Orochi want with a human? But he's odd…"

Odd is right, this human wore a green flight suit, he had short light brown hair, caucasian skin and a bit of stubble. But he also had an emblem on his shoulder which looked like a shield version of the yin-yang symbol but no dots. He also had the #11 etched into his flight suit and judging from his condition - Akashi can tell that he was comatose.

Her attention soon drew towards the Orochi ship as she spotted a familiar fox,

"Akagi? What are you doing here?"

Akashi had witnessed the black fox use the Mental Cube which caused the cavern to shake and the Orochi had highlights like many siren ships as the horrifying vessel seemingly came to life.

That's when she heard a drone-like voice, "With so much energy gathered as well as the human, we are ready to launch Project Orochi."

Akashi soon noticed, "Is that for real!?"

She saw something sitting on top of the Orochi's second turret was what seemed to be a girl who had a slim & petite frame and a flat chest. She has a calf-length curly silver hair, she has yellow eyes and a black & sharp ear-like headwear on top of her head. She wears a black frilled choker with a yellow ribbon, a black frilled top and black bikini bottom. She sat on a black chair-like cannon with black frills and yellow-suctioned tentacles, white hair, yellow eyes and tentacles. She figured,

"At this rate, I'm saying one more perhaps and we can really have some fun!"

The girl - this Siren created another Mental Cube as she sent it to Akagi, "The goal of Project Orochi is not to create an ordinary ship."

She soon approached the carrier, "It is as we say - an Ark to carry each and every wish across the ocean."

The siren soon moved on Akagi as the creature slightly blew at the sides of her face as Akagi herself looked like she was indoctrinated before the siren whispered in her ear,

"You'll be reunited soon."

Akagi snapped out of it as she said, "Leave this place, someone could easily find you here."

Akashi, who watched the whole thing, took it as a cue to leave, "I should be going now…" She looked back at the man in the tube, "But…I want to help him."

But as she attempted to open the tube, she got caught, "You there!"

This shocked her as she can vaguely see the reflection of another in the tube - It was Kaga. She glared at the repair ship,

"You saw the solution to Three Strikes."

She tried to play it off like it was an accident, "What do you mean? I just got a little lost, it's pretty dark in here."

But she was soon nabbed by the tentacles as the Siren was now on her level,

"Oh dear, she did see and she was attempting to free the specimen." She pointed her guns at Akashi as she smiled, "Well as they say 'Curiosity Killed The Cat.'

Akashi flailed about crying out for help as Akagi was now on her level, "Halt at once. I will not allow you to harm a member of the Sakura Empire."

The Siren stated, "I understand why you say that, but you must see why we can't let her go. You still have that pilot as your priority even though your intentions differ."

But soon enough, a gunshot hit the tentacles which released Akashi as the disguised Sheffield appeared, but they didn't know it was her as Kaga shouted,

"Who the hell are you!?" She unleashed her paper cranes as Sheffield removed her kimono and revealed her maid outfit she fired more shots as Kaga used the cranes for defense as she said,

"That ludicrous outfit, you must be Royal Navy…which means He sent you!"

Sheffield simply stated, "Trigger sends his regards!"

As the commando continues firing on them while also making Akagi step back in shock when revealing that the commando really goes 'commando', Akashi made a run for the tube as she grabbed a wrench and slammed it into the tube, freeing the comatose man in the process. The repair ship managed to grab the man as a smokescreen soon appeared and Sheffield grabbed both witnesses and escaped while Edinburgh clumsily obtained the Mental Cube that was shot out of Akagi's hands.

By the time Kaga cleared out the smoke, they were already gone as she noticed that the tube was smashed open and its occupant taken, she grew furious and knew who to blame,

"You…Three Strikes…Project Orochi…sabotaged…" She swore, "DAMN IT, I WILL GET YOU FOR THIS, THREE STRIKES!!!"

Soon enough, the alarms went off as the Sakura ships became confused about what was happening. Who set off the alarms? What was going on? Although some of them did see two kansen making a run for it, one was carrying a freaked out repair ship while the lead was carrying a comatose man. Akashi pleaded to not leave her behind as she explained,

"If they catch me, they'll put me out of my meow-sry, I'm history! Dead Cat Tell No Tales!"

Sheffield stated, "We are not leaving you behind since you are a witness and you went out of your way to free this man. He may be comatose, but we are not letting him go back in that tube."

Once they reached the end of the dock, they jumped into the sea and called forth their rigging as they skimmed across the water in an attempt to escape. Edinburgh pointed out,

"We'll be safe if we can make it to that island!"

Sheffield warned, "On your right!" A large splash of water erupted which was the result of a shell. On top of the gates overlooking the sea was Takao as she spoke,

"Not so fast!" She leapt into battle as Sheffield told her companion,

"I can handle this, Edinburgh. Go on ahead without me!" She handed the man to her, "Save them both!"

She was scared, "Sheffy, are you sure?!"

She said nothing as she sped into battle against the sword wielder. Like bringing a knife to a gunfight, Takao showed herself to be pretty agile in being faster than Sheffy's pistols. She even defended herself against a heavy shell from the Royal Navy Cruisers heavy weaponry. Takao stated,

"Slow and Steady wins the race! I have been training for the day when I go up against your commander, but it will be you before I can challenge him!"

But as the two combatants traded blows, it became clear that both cruisers were skilled. One was a trained swordsman while the other was a commando skilled in the arts of surprise, guns and undercover work. They stopped as the cruiser complimented,

"My enemy, your skills have earned my respect."

Soon enough, Ayanami joined in the fight, but she wasn't actually sure whether to fight or not. But she asked,

"Is Trigger here?"

That question surprised the kansen of both sides since it's the name behind the Three Strikes. Sheffield shook her head,

"He sent me here, but why are you asking?"

Ayanami sheathed her sword, "I am not here to fight, Trigger has been a huge influence on me. If the phrase meant anything, it means that we will survive as long as we're with him."

"Stick with Trigger And You'll Make It."

A fourth kansen entered the scene as Takao backed away slowly as she witnessed none other than Shinano in full rigging. The cruiser stuttered,

L…Lady Shinano?!" The carrier stated, "The honor bound Takao, dreaming of fighting him for being a worthy opponent. But my question is why do you fight this war?"

The cruiser had no words as the carrier made her point, "You don't know and yet you follow Akagi's insanity. Ayanami has questioned her loyalties from the first battle as well as her reasons to fight."

The destroyer stated, "I don't like fighting at all."

Shinano agreed as Sheffield looked a bit confused until she remembered the cracks that were forming between Red Axis factions. One side chooses to be loyal to Red Axis while the other chooses reunification with Azur Lane because of the positive influence by the Commander.

That wasn't until the sound of a jet was heard as a single plane used a rocket attack to cut a line with Shinano and Sheffield on one side and Takao and Ayanami on the other. The culprit was an ASF-X Shinden II as Takao noticed the Single Line,

"A Single Line again?!" That's when a man's voice came on the radio, "Azur Lane Forces, this is Ridgeback 1, you girls withdraw from the AO and I'll cover your retreat."

Sheffield replied, "Ridgeback 1, this is Light Cruiser Sheffield, we appreciate the support."

"Slash copies, double time before they send reinforcements."

The ASF-X began to do a diversionary attack, keeping any Sakura kansen out of the water as Sheffield and Shinano linked up with the others as they made their move to leave the AO. The Sakura Ships, mainly experienced ones, used their AA Guns to try and blow the Shinden II out of the sky, but Slash was an experienced pilot as he weaved through the AA fire while preventing pursuit as he strafed the docks with his guns while also lightly damaging the ships in dry dock. He broke off when he saw the allied kansen cross the return line on his radar and leave the AO. But as they left, Sheffy stumbled a bit as Shinano noticed a sword wound on her left side,

"You've been hit."

The maid commando winced, "I am…but we won't make it back like this. We would need a transport chopper to get us home."

Slash spoke, "Slash to Sheffield, there's an abandoned island a few kilometers away. You can take refuge at that island until a rescue team can arrive."

Sheffield stated as she ordered, "Slash, I need you to get to Azur Lane HQ immediately! Warn the Commander that we have two Tier-1 assets and two defectors. Send for the cavalry to come get us!"

"Yes ma'am! Good luck out there."

The Shinden II soon flew off as the carrier assisted Sheffield as the three made their way to the island.

Sakura Base,

Night

As night fell on the base, Kaga had calmed down as she turned to her sister,

"I must apologize, dear sister, it seems like the enemy has escaped."

Akagi sighed, "I see, that's disappointing."

"Azur Lane operatives not only have control of the Black box, but they now have the human that the siren gave us. It also seems that Shinano has revealed herself as a traitor and the influence of Three Strikes has seeped into Ayanami."

Akagi stated, "Shinano leaned more towards reunification with Azur Lane and she had chosen her side. I don't consider her a traitor due to her saying that as long as Red Axis exists then she's no longer a Sakura carrier. But a Single Line covering their escape has surprised us and he will no doubt go warn him about the state of his ships and where they are. As for Ayanami, her standing down in battle seems to be due to her asking about Three Strikes - which now we have at least his TAC Name - Trigger."

Kaga asked, "Why is everyone influenced by him?"

"Well, dear sister, it's mostly because of what he is - a guardian, a true leader who protects those under him. We have witnessed it in that battle, we experienced how dangerous he is to his enemies and we saw how their spirits were lifted because of him."

The carrier noticed that someone had carved the familiar symbol in a post, "Overall, he is a warrior as he inspires fear and admiration. His presence in the skies fills Azur Lane with one thing - Hope. Hope for victory in this war."

Kaga stated, "Many warships were actually admiring him, so much so that they actually say that Shinano was right that we should reunify with them."

Akagi simply said, "There's no need for reunification, dear sister. Azur Lane lacks the ambition of using siren technology."

Kaga stated, "But what of Akashi? She saw our interaction with that siren and if the enemy returns to Oahu - they will warn him."

Akagi made it clear, "That commando is injured and the other is a klutz since Shinano is the only battle ready among the four. We will get back that cube and Akashi."

Meanwhile, Takao was walking through a gate as Ayanami approached as the cruiser said,

"Although I greatly appreciate your help, Ayanami. But you stood down and talked about that pilot, you seem to believe that you can survive because of him. Why?"

The destroyer spoke, "The two battles I was in, there was a deciding factor when he showed up. We had the Azur Lane fleet crippled until he arrived and hope was restored. The second battle had him being a guardian and protecting their best carrier and destroying the Iron Blood's Siren Mass-Produced Ships with that plane. The warships believe that they will survive because of him."

Takao remembered Shinano's phrase, "Stick with Trigger…"

Ayanami finished, "And You'll Make It. He leads the way."

The destroyer pulled out a datapad, "Lady Shinano gave this to me before she left."

She showed the information regarding Trigger, even a picture of the actual man which made Takao blush as she saw the picture. Ayanami noticed,

"You're turning red, was it something about seeing his picture?"

Takao tried to keep her composure, "No…it's…it's just the heat that's all."

"Your face is redder than a cherry, do you like Three Strikes too?"

That came from Shigure as Yuudachi and Yukikaze arrived. That made the usually stoic heavy cruiser get all blush crazy like a lovestruck schoolgirl. That same destroyer said,

"You stood down and asked about a 'Trigger?' What's that?"

Yukikaze sighed, "This Trigger could actually be the name of Three Strikes."

Yuudachi asked, "What kind of a name is Trigger?"

Shigure asked Ayanami, "Why did the Demon stand down in front of the enemy?"

Ayanami stated, "I'm not a Demon who likes to fight. I wanted to know more about Trigger and how much of an effect he had on me."

Takao, after calming down, figured, "You were curious and you trusted Lady Shinano."

Yukikaze shrugged when she heard that name, "I can't believe that Lady Shinano turned on the Sakura Empire. She's the largest carrier in the fleet and she refused to join us, only to defect to Azur Lane."

Yuudachi pointed out, "They also made off with our only repair ship."

Shigure stated, "But we have to be strong when we are in battle!"

Yukikaze bragged, "Besides, Yukikaze the Great would be able to bring down Three Strikes because I'm the Goddess of Good Fortune."

As the optimism of the three destroyers were high, Takao and Ayanami couldn't help but feel that the infiltration, Shinano and Akashi's defection as well as the Single Line Aircraft covering their escape meant that they were looking at the infancy of a counteroffensive.

But as they thought about this, Takao began seeing images flash in her head. The first one was that of a young woman in a pressurized suit swan diving off a very tall tower as two dark planes fly around. While the other showed a drone production line, various technologies, the two black aircraft tumbling down in flames as the assailant appeared - the F-22 Raptor with the claw scratches while the sound woman humming a tune as the cruiser found herself singing it softly.

Azur Lane HQ,

Commander's Office

0800 hrs

The next morning, the base had an unexpected arrival as Belfast reported that an ASF-X Shinden II had made an emergency landing at the airfield in the early morning hours. The pilot of the craft requested to meet with the commander immediately because he had information regarding his infiltration team.

Now Trigger is at his desk while Enterprise sat at the Secretary Desk as their guest sat in front of him. The pilot introduced himself,

"I'm Major John Herbert, callsign Slash. I'm the leader of the 19th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Ridgebacks.'"

Trigger introduced himself, "TAC Name: Trigger, Azur Lane Commander and leader of the 124th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Strider.' Now that introductions are out of the way, you said that this involved the infiltration team?"

Slash nodded, "Yes, they made off with two Tier-1 Assets and two defectors. Right now, Red Axis is going to be looking for them and Light Cruiser Sheffield is wounded."

That brought a sense of urgency to Trigger as he asked, "Where are they?"

Slash stated, "They were heading to an abandoned island to take shelter, but I fear that both Sakura and Iron Blood fleets are going to be marching on the island."

Trigger stated, "Like it or not, I don't care if they set up a blockade - we're going to go rescue them."

He turned to his secretary, "Enterprise, notify Admiral Williams to set up satellite surveillance around the coordinates that Major Herbert provided. If the enemy fleets have already reached the island, it will be a tough mission, but it's one we can avoid." He dialed a number on his phone, "Vestal, how long until the ship is fully repaired?"

"It will be finished within two days, sir."

"Good." He hung up as he turned back to Slash, "Major, I want your squadron to take part in this upcoming mission."

Slash accepted, "It will be good to help them out of there and plus I've heard a lot of rumors about us and I can tell you that I am not prejudiced against kansen."

As the exchange went on, Belfast was watching from the door as she heard that the infiltration team was in trouble as she felt a pain in her heart - her older sister, Edinburgh, is on that mission. As the two discussed what strategies to plan depending on the footage, Belfast felt worried about her sister, she knew that she was a bit of a klutz, but she was still her sister and she would do anything to ensure her safe return.

Trigger was thinking of a quick way to extract the team as Slash asked,

"You've got a plan, kid?"

As he processed his thoughts on what to plan, his mind drifted back to the Falken Hangar, mainly to the bike and figured,

"I have a plan, but I also need a V-22 Osprey for getting them out of there and a sidecar."

Ace Combat Universe,

OFS Admiral Andersen

Farbanti Harbor, Erusea

The Erusean Capital, Farbanti has been a site of many events. The Ulysses Collision had seen fragments rain down across Usea, Stonehenge was able to destroy the fragments. But when the number 4 turret attempted to destroy the fragment heading for Farbanti, only for a stray fragment to knock the turret out of commission, allowing the fragment to strike and flood the Farbanti Municipal District.

On September 19th during the Continental War, the Erusean Military's General Headquarters in Farbanti was seized by the Independent States Allied Forces thanks to the support of the ISAF Ace, Mobius 1 as he took down the Yellow Squadron securing air superiority over the battlefield. It was also the day where Erusea accepted the ISAF terms for surrender - ending the war.

On the 14th anniversary of ISAF Victory, the Osean Long Range Strategic Strike Group provided support for the Osean Ground Troops and Naval Fleet as they pushed their way through the Farbanti Reconstruction Park, the Silver Bridge and the Submerged Area to the General Headquarters. Victory was in sight until the arrival of Sol Squadron as the experimental squadron dueled with Strider and Cyclops Squadron. They managed to shoot down the escorts before going after Mister X.

During the duel, Wiseman was using himself as bait while Trigger took down the Erusean Ace. He was able to damage his SU-30, but before he could give him another hit - Mister X took Wiseman down. This left Trigger in a state of rage as he gunned after the Erusean Ace, he critically damaged the Flanker with another missile with the intent of finishing the job - until the satellites were destroyed, losing connection and their radar. But Farbanti was under Osean control as the LRSSG departed for Gardos Air Base.

But now, the war is over as the OFS Admiral Andersen was freed from her grounding at Selatapura and is now docked at Farbanti Harbor as it served as a base for some of the naval units. But the real reason is for the LRSSG and the members of the Voslagian Air Force to not only figure out what they were fighting, but to find out the whereabouts of Trigger.

Count was leaning over the Usean Map as the members of Strider, Cyclops and Sol watched as he said,

"We sent out many search parties over that same area and where Trigger chased that drone. So far, there have been no signs of him and if he ran out of fuel, there would have been wreckage from a ditch in the ocean."

Wit stated, "There wasn't any wreckage related to a ditch, it almost seems like he disappeared."

Count understood as he brought up the photos that Wit took, "Which comes the hard part of solving this disappearing act. But that carrier we sank was unlike anything we saw before."

Jaeger stated, "I agree, that carrier is not on any of our ship identification charts. It's the first time anyone has ever seen it."

Avril, who is also present, spoke, "There were also reports from other squadrons that they encountered these ships after Trigger disappeared. They seem to come in all different shapes and sizes." She gave count a series of photos of the different ships as he asked on question,

"Where do they come from?"

Húxiãn spoke, "That's the question, because if we find out where they come from - then we find Trigger."

"And I have a bet that this is what you need, Sir Count."

That was a voice new to others, but to Count and Avril, it was familiar. They looked to see a man standing in the doorway wearing a flight suit with the 444 symbol on his shoulder and a pair of dice as his emblem. The man was holding a camera as Count and Avril simultaneously said,

"How are you still alive?!"

A/N: Wow, talk about heavy since there were cracks forming within the Sakura Empire and Iron Blood ships. All because of the emergence of the Three Strikes. Akashi discovers Akagi's involvement with a Siren to kick off Project Orochi and she also finds a comatose man in a tube.

The three Super Planes were Trigger's XFA-27, the ADF-11F Raven and the CFA-44 Nosferatu with Laffey asleep in the cockpit of the aircraft.

As for Enty's eating habits, she's actually going to cut back on the MREs and Belfast took it a bit too far as Trigger was sandwiched between the two kansen and also Sandy was called back to the Beach Incident as she went beet red.

It's also revealed that Trigger became a pilot because of his father, who was a mercenary pilot who served in a devastating war until he settled down and had a family.

As for Ayanami, new images began to emerge as an F-15C with blue wingtips appeared. Even Unicorn and Illustrious know that Trigger has the aspects of two famous legendary aces.

Even Takao began seeing the final Lighthouse battle as she silently began singing.

Now Trigger has met the leader of the Single Lines as he is made aware that his team is in trouble.

And for kevinlee010601's suggestion, the last part was onboard the Admiral Andersen which is docked in Farbanti. Count takes charge in hopes of not only finding Trigger, but to discover what exactly they encountered on the Flight to Farbanti. It also seems that they encountered a ghost with evidence.

What is Trigger's plan? Will they be able to rescue the team? Who was the comatose man? Will the LRSSG find out the means to jump from their world to Earth?

Find out next time!

Nighthawk Out!