Azur Lane: Three Strikes

by Nighthawk6595

The Lighthouse War has ended, but what happens when Osea's Ace pilot chases after an unknown bogey and ends up in a new world? This one being of war and Shipgirls. A new adventure for Three Strikes has begun. (Rated T...for now)

13. Dreams, Subs and Psycho Captains

In the last chapter, Trigger was reunited with the rest of Strider Squadron and rescued the Iron Blood Defectors from Bismarck's Death Squad.

The air and sea forces of the Osean-Erusean Coalition were added to Azur Lane due to Trigger being the Commander and the squadron's loyalty to their flight lead, bringing Strider Squadron to full strength.

But Trigger was also assigned a mercenary pilot to serve as his WSO in case he uses two-seater planes.

This chapter is a return to the dreamscape as Enterprise and Shinano learn of the most desperate set of missions that Trigger has ever been on.

Let's dive right in!

---

In the skies above Azur Lane HQ, a single F-14A was doing a test flight as it was able to pull off some amazing maneuvers for an old bird. But a plane is only as good as its pilot. What is very recognizable on the Tomcat is the three-lined marking on the tail which shows who's flying it.

Trigger was testing this aircraft out since it was pulled from the Sudentor and Wales suggested an anti-ship scenario for the Tomcat. He read the manifest that this plane and the F/A-18E were onboard, but the three experimental aircraft were the ones that he needed to see. But he intends to inspect them after a flight with his new WSO, speaking of which, he asked,

"You okay back there, Prez?"

Prez was hyperventilating a bit which is good that fighter pilots have an oxygen mask, "I'm good…I'm good."

He noticed a dummy target on the water, "Prez, there's the dummy ship set up in the harbor, we're going to 'sink' it."

Prez stated, "Got it, Trigger."

Soon enough, the targeting reticle was up as he lowered his altitude until they were low enough to touch the water. But oddly enough as they approached the dummy ship, Trigger began experiencing flashes, there were green orbs appearing in his mind as he maneuvered his Tomcat around the phantoms as the fake ship turned into a black metallic monster as the psychotic laughter of a man was heard in his mind. He mentally spoke,

"No…I'm not letting you hit Oured, Torres!"

Prez noticed that Trigger was maneuvering like it was a real battle, almost like the dummy ship was firing on them. Once they got close, they got radar lock as Trigger announced,

"Rail Cannon hit!"

Next thing that happened was that Trigger pulled a Kulbit which surprised Prez as the nose was in the direction of the dummy ship as another radar lock came up as Trigger stated,

"Rail Cannon Destroyed!"

As the plane leveled out, Prez noticed, "Sir, your heart rate is going up! Are you all right?"

Trigger snapped out of his memory as he answered, "I'm…I'm fine…it's just…the dummy ship…"

Wales soon came up, "Commander, the dummy ship was 'sunk', your flight is now over, I advise that you return to base."

Trigger agreed, "I still need to inspect those planes anyway."

Soon enough, the F-14A landed back at Azur Lane Airfield as it pulled up to the ramp as the nuggets set the steps for Trigger and Prez to disembark. After they were out of the plane, the little birds moved the plane into the storage hangar. They were soon met by Enterprise and Belfast as the two pilots were led to the hangar where the three experimental aircraft were stored.

Upon entering, Trigger was now able to see the planes that Hipper, Eugen and Nimi had found. Avril and Dr. Schroeder were present in the hangar as well since the scientist specializes in experimental planes while Avril is an expert in aircraft mechanics which is why she is called 'Scrap Queen.'

Avril spoke, "It's about time that you guys got here."

Trigger asked, "So Avril, what exactly are we looking at?"

Avril glanced at the belkan, "Doc?"

Schroeder nodded as he directed Trigger to the first fighter jet,

"I'm sure you are familiar with this one."

Trigger noticed the plane and remembered seeing this before. The first time he saw it was when he shot it down over Shilage Castle. He remembered,

"This is the modified X-02 Wyvern that Mihaly flew in our final duel."

"Correct, this is actually the X-02S Strike Wyvern, a modified version of the base model. The X-02S's new airframe uses redesigned engines with heat-resistant magnesium alloys to enhance thrust and fuel efficiency, compensated by expanded air intakes. The exhaust nozzles were changed to a saw-tooth design to lower the plane's infrared signature and make it quieter. The shapes of the weapon bays were altered and conformal fuel tanks were added to the top of the aircraft.

The control programs were updated to allow full use of all of the aircraft's moving parts such as the new folding canards, the signature variable forward-swept wings, the V-shaped tail, and the 3D thrust vectoring nozzles. The ventral fins from the original X-02 were deemed unnecessary and removed. The combination of all of these parts leads to incredible maneuverability."

Trigger guessed, "A plane fit for an ace pilot, just like Mihaly."

The doc stated, "Mihaly had his use of the Copro system for the seat behind him, just like his SU-30. But you and your WSO should be able to fly this."

Prez looked at the Strike Wyvern, "This is an impressive plane…if not for its vast specs, it looks almost like a standard fighter jet."

Belfast noticed the plane next to it, "That one looks like the Falken plane that he flew when we met."

Schroeder noticed the large winged aircraft with a similar design to the Falken,

"This is actually the ADA-01B Adler, a modified version of the prototype A-Model."

Trigger noticed, "I've never seen a plane like this before. But its designation 'ADA' what does it mean?"

The doc stated, "While 'ADF' means Advanced Dominance Fighter while 'ADA' is Advanced Dominance Attacker."

Prez noticed, "This is a strike aircraft?"

Trigger figured, "Gründer must've had this thing under wraps for the longest time."

Avril spoke, "Apparently the doc said that the prototype was flown during a photoshoot alongside the Falken before the last war began, but during the Battle of Sundetor, the prototype was in storage and nearly damaged when a missile destroyed a storage facility next to it., which contained the Falken parts. When the war ended, the new company president had decided to improve the prototype and built the B-Model, isn't that right, Doc?"

The scientist nodded, "Originally, the prototype had powerful burst missiles like the ones used on the Scinfaxi-Class Submarines, but the compound was very sensitive and had to be at extremely low temperatures. The A-Model would have been carrying two freezer-like containers on the wings to house these missiles.

The catastrophic theory of the containers failing and the burst missiles prematurely detonating in mid-air had us not wanting to risk the lives of test pilots. So the SDBMs were scrapped and the B-Model had a launch port in the nose similarly to the Falken, loaded with Multi-Purpose Burst Missiles. It also has excellent defensive and flying capabilities due to it being originally intended as a defender to the Falken."

Prez noticed, "I'm not seeing any cockpit, how does a pilot fly this?"

Trigger stated, "It has a Connection For Flight Interface system which allows the pilot to fly it with eye movements and voice commands. I flew the Falken to rescue Hornet's fleet and it was a lot to get used to, but it was a great experience."

The mercenary was surprised that an aircraft of that caliber exists as Enterprise asked,

"I must ask about the last one, it looked dated, but it looks new."

Trigger saw the last plane as his eyes widened in shock as he approached,

"No…it can't be…" He got closer as he saw the signs of what this plane is and compared it to an artist's work of 'Duel Over Avalon Dam - The True Final Battle of The Belkan War', a painting he saw at The Belkan War Museum in Lumen.

"That's Morgan…"

Prez asked, "Morgan?" Schroeder stated, "The ADFX-01 Morgan - the first in the ADF series of aircraft. It was the staple of many Advanced Dominance Fighters, but its twin - the ADFX-02 played a part in the final days of the Belkan War."

Trigger remembered, "The duel between aces for the fate of the world. The last mission of the Demon Lord - him against an old friend."

Enterprise heard about the Demon Lord - a true ace pilot who soared through the Belkan War, inspiring fear and admiration. He is widely considered to be the greatest ace in the world, when he disappeared, no one knew where he went or what he was doing. But Enterprise saw that when Trigger talked about him - he would have a slight smile on his face.

Schroeder noted, "The ADFX-01 was the basis of the planes in the ADF series of aircraft. Its main purpose is to surpass any mass-produced fighter in flight. At 23.9 meters, the ADFX-01 is extremely large, allowing it to carry an arsenal that includes high-output lasers and multipurpose air-burst missiles, as well as twin engines and forward-swept wings with canards, all made with the latest technology at the time. These features come together to create a highly maneuverable and capable fighter against even newer aircraft."

Enterprise was surprised, "This plane must have been ahead of its time."

Avril spoke, "No doubt about it. One good thing I can say about Belka is that they can really build an airplane."

The scientist added, "An interesting fact is that the ADF-01 was built using the data from the flight recorder recovered from the remains of the ADFX-02. It mostly featured that fateful duel between the two mercenary aces."

Trigger figured, "l didn't know that. You learn something new everyday."

They soon noticed that the sun is setting as Belfast noted,

"It's getting dark, I do recommend a meal before retiring for the evening."

Prez noted, "I did hear that the base just received an import of New York Strip Steaks from the mainland."

Trigger chuckled, "Let's go before Long Caster gets to the mess hall first."

Belfast asked, "Will you be taking the KLR, Master?"

Trigger figured, "Not this evening."

"The Royal Enfield it is then."

As they began to clear out of the hangar, Prez had a look of concern as she spoke to Enterprise,

"Enterprise, I want to tell you about what happened during the flight - mainly the run on the dummy ship."

Enterprise asked as they left the hangar, "What happened?"

"Trigger was moving like it was a real battle, like he was avoiding certain areas and when we had a lock on the ship, he said 'Rail Cannon hit' and when he pulled that Kulbit, he announced, 'Rail Cannon destroyed.' But it was just a regular destroyer-class dummy ship…"

The carrier had a thought, "It might have something to do with his involvement in a previous battle in the last war. But still, his maneuvers are something expected during a real battle when an enemy vessel is firing on you."

The merc sighed, "I guess you're right, but what did he actually face in his world?"

Truthfully, she had no idea as she just saw Trigger's history from the IUN-PKF, the 444 and up to when she witnessed him leading Strider Squadron during the counterattack when he was assigned to the LRSSG. It was when she was in the dreamscape with Shinano and her illusive dream 'daughter' witnessing the commander's impressive skills and leadership.

When she witnessed Operation Magic Spear, she saw Trigger and Count working in coordination. He took out the AA defenses while Count painted the target for the bomber above. When the ballistic missiles launched and Sol Squadron appeared, Trigger sent his wingmen away and Count went after the missiles while the leader kept the ace squadron busy.

All Enterprise could say to the merc was, "I don't know what he faced, but I intend to find out."

The WSO accepted this as they made their way to Belfast's car as Trigger was seen starting his new Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle - a gift from Her Majesty. As the sun began to set over the horizon, the crew drove away from the airfield as they went to get a bite to eat at the mess hall before turning in for the night.

---

Kyoten

Sakura Quarters

2005 hrs

The kansen of the Sakura Empire were a proud bunch, but after suffering a series of defeats through the allied counterattack and clashes with the SDF, things were getting a bit concerning. But there was the presence of Crimson and Varcolac - two dangerous squadrons with an agenda of their own. None of the kansen could forget the Tokyo Incident since they were assigned to protect Tokyo while the ASDF destroyed the falling satellite.

Now we have Soryu, Hiryu, Takao, Atago, Ise and Hyuuga sitting down and enjoying their meal, although Hyuuga is steadily drinking a cup of sake. Takao asked,

"So Prinz Eugen, Admiral Hipper and Z23 had defected to Azur Lane?"

Ise stated, "They did and we failed to stop them from reaching the allied forces due to Azur Lane being quick to respond. But that modern fleet got our attention since we didn't expect a fleet."

Hyuuga lifted her head, "I have to say that those guys were strange…the planes were F-15s, F-35s and Sukhois. But they had different insignias…and we were more focused on downing the winged top hat."

Atago asked, "Winged Top Hat?"

Ise took out one of Oruma's photos which showed an F-22 with three scratches next to an F-15C with a Winged Top Hat,

"This plane was what we perceived as the leader…but it turns out - he was actually Three Strikes' Number 2 - his wingman."

Hiryu looked at the photo, "So that's Strider 2?"

Soryu noticed, "A squadron leader and his second, both suitable for command in their own right. He must have been leading the rest of the squadron until Three Strikes eventually arrived."

"They managed to reunite with the rest of Strider Squadron. It looks as though they are now at full strength with a total of six planes."

They all turned to see Kawakaze entering the room as Soryu asked,

"They? Are you referring to Three Strikes and Azur Lane?"

"No, I was referring to the man that the Royal Navy took during the infiltration. It turns out that he is a friend of the commander." She pulled out a photo of the Wake Island Assault, showing Trigger's F-35 along with an F-2A with a newspaper emblem. She said,

"The man is a pilot which Lady Shinano had awoken and now is Strider 5."

Ise took out another photo of Strider Squadron in formation as she said,

"What I saw in that fight, they fly like seasoned veterans."

The destroyer nodded, "They do and I believe they have seen many battles. But they may also be the solution to getting rid of Crimson and Varcolac."

Hyuuga said, "I will drink to that notion, may Crimson and Varcolac go down in flames for the citizens of Tokyo."

Hiryu crossed her arms, "I can't bring myself to trust them, not after what they did."

Soryu shared that statement, "If they weren't contracted by the Iron Blood, we would've had them arrested for terrorism."

Atago had a strange feeling, "I don't think we should trust Bismarck because of her willingness to hire those guys. She's up to something…"

Kawakaze brought up something, "But Crimson 1 is up to something since I heard him and Bismarck talking about a project involving schematics, flight data, materials…and a Ulysses fragment."

Alarm bells started ringing in everyone's head as Atago asked, "You think she intends to rebuild the very thing that nearly destroyed Tokyo?"

Soryu stated, "If so, then she has lost her mind. A mass retaliation weapon with that power could wipe out a large city with devastating results."

Takao figured, "Either she lost her mind or Rodriguez is seducing her."

Ise sighed, "It's true that he's been obsessed with Ulysses and Bismarck has been obsessed with obtaining the siren tech, it's no doubt that she would do this."

Hyuuga asked, "But if he succeeds in building this thing, where would they deploy it?"

That is a question with only speculation as Kawakaze said, "It would most likely be against Strider Squadron, but I only heard parts of what they are doing."

Shokaku soon entered along with Zuikaku as the white haired carrier spoke,

"Our only option is to wait…and hope that Three Strikes can take them down."

Zuikaku spoke, "But we also must remember - both Crimson and Varcolac are Ace Squadrons. But when it comes to Strider Squadron, we know that they can take them down."

Ise asked, "How do you know?"

The crane smiled as she said, "The members of Strider are all Ace Material."

---

Kyoten

Sakura Airfield

The island's airfield usually has siren planes parked on the ramp, but the planes of the two mercenary squadrons are parked on the ramp as the siren planes were loaded onto an aerial warship. But at a nearby hangar, Akagi was with Sulejmani as she witnessed the Manjuus build something. She asked,

"So this is the Golden Axe Project that you took when you left your previous employer?"

Sulejmani stated, "It was never fully developed and my employer was killed in San Francisco during a siren attack which meant that I was never able to face my rival at Tokyo before he disappeared, disappointing I know and lost a bonus because of it. But this will be perfect for hunting three lined wolves."

The carrier spoke, "I know that Bismarck hired your squadron to fight Three Strikes, but I will never forgive you for attacking Tokyo."

"Just wanted to prove a point that change should happen. Besides, not everyone is lucky to have a family that loves them."

Akagi glared, "You and Crimson attempted to drop a satellite fitted with a Cordium warhead on a city with innocent people. You failed because the SDF destroyed it and drove you away. Use of super weapons against civilians is forbidden."

The merc asked, "And what of Project Orochi?"

"What about Project Orochi?"

Sulejmani stated, "Your superweapon is essentially a giant battleship with the ability to operate like a carrier. It was meant to stamp Azur Lane out and end this war. But it also has to do with your own motives - the real reason why you started this war. But now, it is immobilized because you lost the Mental Cube."

The foxgirl was speechless about this as he knew about the project and how they failed to effectively launch it. But she had her reason for Project Orochi which the merc knew,

"Think about it, you started this war to use the Orochi to bring back your sister, I want to shoot down Three Strikes for my reward."

Akagi stated, "It's not the same, you and Rodriguez do this for both money and your twisted agenda while I just want Amagi back!"

Sulejmani chuckled, "Aside from me with this plan, Rodriguez has his own plans - Bismarck told you of this."

Akagi knew all too well what the leader of Crimson Team is planning,

"Project: Wingman."

The merc nodded as he said, "Bismarck contracted us to deal with Azur Lane's Ace. Thanks to the Iron Blood, we have the resources to use the best aircraft to deal with him."

That was what struck her heart as the merc walked away - The thought of seeing Trigger getting shot down…but what also surprised her was when Kaga showed faith in Trigger. After the battle at the ruins, Kaga was a different person as that vengeful vendetta faded and a desire to become Trigger's bride emerged.

As she made her way to her quarters, she thought back to the time when they first met - they were defeated by him, Akagi fell for him while Kaga wanted him dead.

But soon enough, she had competition as Kaga had soon fallen for Trigger after he helped her. But the real question has been going through Akagi's mind ever since that first battle:

"Where did he come from? None of the modern Eagle Union planes possess a roundel like the ones during the battle, those ships and planes came from that portal…but where did they come from?"

As she entered her room, she slipped into her sleepwear as she pulled out a recorder as she hit the 'play' button as the voice recordings played which revealed two unusual names,

"Osea and Erusea?"

She thought about those words and how Trigger's plane had the insignia, "Is Trigger…Osean?"

This is something to look into, but all of a sudden her thoughts about Trigger had her instincts kick in as she fast-forwarded to points when Trigger is talking as her body heats up from hearing his voice as her tails began to twitch in ecstasy as she collapsed on her bed while saying,

"We will be together, my beloved Ace."

"Acknowledged." Said the recording as Akagi continued to twitch as her hand began to move to her lower regions.

---

Azur Lane HQ

Shinano's Room

2150 hrs

It was a nice evening and the meal was enjoyable for Shinano, she was glad to have met the Osean and Erusean crew. The AWACS Operator can be a real glutton at times since he eats while he works, mainly to keep his judgement in check.

She sighed at the fact that Trigger has a squadron - his squadron. She has seen many aspects of each member, a former conman in the 444, a family man with stories, a hard woman with quick fists, an anarchist and a gambler with extraordinary luck, considering that he's kept himself alive since Roca Roja. She chuckled when she saw Jaeger tell stories about Operation Siren's Song, the attack on the Njord Fleet where Trigger flew through the marine platform and destroyed the supports. The look of awe on the destroyers as well as the observing Ark Royal meant that they realized that Trigger was more than meets the eye.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the dream sense kicked in, she lied down on her bed as she said,

"Time to see what else is there in the dreamscape."

---

Dreamscape

New Arrows Air Base, Usea

September 4, 2019

Enterprise had entered the dreamscape once more with Shinano accompanying her. In this scene, they saw the LRSSG in a briefing as Brigadier General Howard Clemens briefed them on the mission. Enterprise asked,

"What is this?"

Soon enough, Little E appeared as she spoke, "Papa's mission involves capturing an advanced submarine in harbor at Artiglio."

That name sounded familiar as they heard Count say, "Oh, that port! Seems like a long time ago."

The trio knew that the 444 bombed the port of Artiglio and the surrounding oil facilities. But it looked like the Eruseans repaired it and are using it to resupply and maintenance a massive submarine. But they heard a voice ask,

"Here's a question: How long do you think this submarine is?"

After a few seconds, he answered, "If you guessed 495 meters, you're right. It also has a width of 116 meters and a submerged displacement of 810,000 tons."

The image of the submarine was shown as they were in awe of its design since no other modern sub can compare with this beast. A super-sized nuclear submarine powered by two liquid metal cooled reactors. Enterprise asked,

"It's huge…but who's the quiz show host?"

Little E stated, "I'll have him introduce himself since it's up next, Mama."

The quiz guy stated, "David North. I'm an OIA analyst from Advanced Weapons Analysis."

They realized that David wasn't there because he's transmitting his analysis from his home office while speaking with the pilots going out on this mission. A real armchair detective as Húxiãn would like to call him.

David would call this super-submarine "The Alicorn." For the kansen, a monster of a submarine named after the winged unicorns of myth could pretty much say that its weaponry is terrifying as the analyst stated that the sub can stage air operations like a carrier as Shinano noticed,

"A modern I-400 Sen Toku submarine considering that those models staged air operations like carriers. But the I-400s launched floatplanes while the Alicorn can launch modern carrier aircraft."

The analyst stated that the Alicorn boasts some serious firepower with its two main railguns with over 400 kilometers in range. The force projection capabilities of the submarine are that of a carrier strike group. The kansen knew that this thing was a real monster. Little E spoke,

"It was launched four years ago and went missing on a sea trial after being outfitted."

David added, "It was later found at the bottom of the ocean by chance, and of the 356 crewmen, 330 were rescued."

He soon asked, "Here's the question: Just how many days was the Alicorn underwater?"

There was a brief pause until he answered, "It was 698 days."

Enterprise realized, "Two years?! They were down there for two years?!"

Shinano pointed out, "Modern submarines have the ability to generate oxygen underwater which allows the crew to survive in case of an accident. But two years and no one was able to find them?"

When the LRSSG asked why the Eruseans were deploying the sub to the front lines, David speculated that it had something to do with the loss of the Njord Fleet, Arsenal Bird and the IRBM cluster.

When suggesting that they blow up the sub, Clemens made it clear that they need to Capture the sub since there have been reports of Weapons of Mass Destruction aboard the sub and wanted to secure that evidence for the post war negotiations.

The Osean Navy dispatched a fleet and a landing ship to capture the Alicorn. Enterprise saw a flaw in this,

"They're sending in a fleet while the enemy planes have air superiority and in broad daylight. They should have picked the cover of night to commence the operation."

Little E stated, "It's true they should have waited, but he wanted that sub just for political games with no regards to the fleet."

Wiseman spoke, "An EW Squadron will be deployed. Their ESM will be a valuable asset."

After discussing the EW Squadron, Clemens made it clear that only Strider Squadron will sortie as Trigger, Count, Skald and Húxiãn were taking part in the mission. Little E spoke,

"The battle will begin and we need to see it."

---

Artiglio Port

September 4, 2019

H-Hour

"It's a Requiem…"

"Set off as soon as we're ready!"

After they heard that voice, they saw the Alicorn itself docked at the port and they were in awe at its size. To think that something that huge can operate as both a submarine and a carrier meant that it could launch aircraft and then submerge while the planes commence their mission. Soon enough, they saw the Osean forces approaching the port with the fleet going full speed while Strider Squadron soared overhead with Trigger flying an F/A-18E fitting with air-to-air missiles. They heard Trigger speak,

"Let's do this!"

Count spoke, "Here we go!"

"Do it with a bang!" Said Skald as the Eagles and the Super Hornet soared towards a large armada of bogeys as Enterprise said,

"That's a huge fur ball…"

Shinano was surprised as well, "That's a lot of planes…the sub must be important to have those to protect it while in port."

They soon heard Wiseman's voice, "Shit…" They knew something wasn't right and a response from Long Caster confirmed it - Friendly aircraft and EW Aircraft are going to arrive five minutes late.

Wiseman ordered a retreat, but Clemens denied it and for them to continue operation. When Húxiãn asked,

"What do we do?"

Trigger stated, "We have no choice, engage the enemy aircraft and buy time for reinforcements!"

Strider Squadron got to work as they went after the armada. It was a combination of many Erusean Squadrons. Trigger focused on the Glamrock Squadron - a group of 'cowboys' flying F-4E Phantoms. What the two kansen saw was that the 'cowboys' fly well, but their planes weren't doing them any good. Enterprise knew that Trigger was the better pilot when it came to the F-4E, but he showed Glamrock what he could do, he also protected the fleet from those Phantoms since they were going after the fleet.

Afterwards, EW Squadron 'Enchanter' and Drake Squadron arrived to reinforce Strider Squadron and continue operation. Trigger soon went after another enemy squadron called Sigurd Squadron. Count noticed,

"I'm seeing advanced stealth fighters."

Long Caster noted, "SU-57s. Highly capable planes, stay on guard if you engage them."

Trigger took note of this as he also took advantage of Enchanter's support. They saw how his radar and missile guidance was enhanced because of his proximity to the EA-18G. It was displayed prominently in the rescue mission when Wizard was providing ESM.

Enterprise and Shinano saw Trigger down an SU-57 which was a member of Sigurd Squadron. He and his squadron were taking down enemy fighters while also protecting the EW Aircraft. That wasn't until two flights of four AV-8B Harrier IIs entered the AO en route to the fleet. Trigger saw this and said,

"Strider Squadron, any moves to attack our fleet must be stopped. Drake Squadron, take down any enemy aircraft harassing Enchanter. Striders, get those Harriers!"

The two squadrons split up as Trigger and Count went after the Harriers on the left while Skald and Húxiãn went after the ones on the right. As Strider Squadron went to destroy the Harriers, a flight of MiG-31s flew in, but one of them panicked and fled after seeing Trigger while claiming that he had a problem with his aircraft.

Trigger and Count were able to destroy the Harriers on their end as Skald and Húxiãn destroyed their strike fighters before they got in range of the fleet. As Long Caster announced,

"All Harrier IIs have been splashed."

After that, they continued to take down the enemy fighters while protecting Enchanter and the fleet, specifically the OFS Puffin, a Landing Ship. The crew of the escort ships were determined to protect it which Enterprise and Shinano admired the bravery of the crew.

But as the pilots continued their air battle, things got a lot more complicated when three Erusean EA-18s entered the AO. The planes set up barrage jamming which scrambled their missile lock-on capabilities. Trigger had to take down the Erusean Growlers to take the pressure off the others.

Soon enough, four SU-34s entered the AO, they were much faster than Harriers and would reach the fleet in at least two minutes. Strider Squadron sprung into action as they pursued the Fullbacks.

The F/A-18 fired its guns at the lead strike fighter, blowing out the engine and sent it spiraling into the sea. Count and Húxiãn peppered two SU-34 with bullets and missiles while Skald went after the last one just as it launched a missile at one of the Osean ships. Skald was able to get a lucky shot to the missiles on its weapon racks, causing the Fullback to blow up. Skald realized,

"Whoa, that was a bang!"

The Osean ship spoke, "This is the Destroyer Kite, we took a missile hit, but we're still fine."

Count and Trigger downed the remaining Growlers as the barrage jamming ceased. Trigger spoke,

"Long Caster, the operation is proceeding smoothly."

"At last, the light at the end of the tunnel!" Said the AWACS.

Count was astonished, "Looks like we'll have that beast captured in no time."

Skald stated, "They'll be happy to see us. Spend two years on the bottom of the ocean, they wouldn't want to go back to that."

Little E pointed out, "This was when Papa was being hunted."

A new voice said, "I see Three Strikes."

A woman's voice was heard who was chuckling maniacally, "I'll kill you…"

Long Caster spoke, "All aircraft be advised, two bogies are on the approach. Aircraft type: SU-47s."

Enterprise recognized the type, "Berkuts?"

Skald stated, "Erusea doesn't have many of those. Where did they come from?"

The insane woman spoke, "Hey Rage, can we kill him now? I've waited long enough."

The man, Rage, spoke, "Use the confusion to get on his six."

"Like a true villain, huh? I like the way you think!"

An Erusean pilot called out, "Osean on my tail!"

They soon saw an Erusean F-15E explode as two SU-47s entered the AO, the pattern on those two were of a dazzle camouflage. Shinano compared it to zebras as a group were referred to as a dazzle. The two Berkuts also had the Osean Roundel as they heard the woman be relieved by downing that plane, but Rage said,

"You idiot! Ignore the Eruseans!"

The two planes were soon rolling insync with each other as the woman stated,

"Don't call me an idiot! I'd kill you if you weren't my brother!"

Shinano realized, "Brother and sister!?"

The two soon jumped into the battle as they were going after Trigger. When they were trying to figure out who those guys were, Húxiãn stated,

"They're neither Osean nor Erusean, just filthy bats!"

Those filthy bats were going after Trigger as he attempted to get a lock on until several blips popped up around one of them. It was revealed that these guys had an ECM - a type of saturation decoy. Trigger soon evaded a missile that those bats fired as he broke away from them and went after an F-35C that was going after Enchanter. He was going to get a lock on until a Berkut cut in front of him as he said,

"That son of a bitch cut me off."

Rage said, "Scream, do it!"

The woman fired a missile as Trigger hit the throttle and barrel rolled over Rage as Scream's missile hit her brother instead of Trigger,

"Damn it!"

Scream was freaking out, "Rage! I'm…"

"Don't worry about me, get Three Strikes!"

Scream soon went after Trigger as he stated, "You wanna catch me? You better try harder than that!"

Trigger took Scream for a ride as he led her through the partial ruins of the oil facilities as the bat fired her guns, but to no avail. Trigger decided to lose her by flying through the sail of the sub itself. Flying through the back and out the front, he did catch the attention of the Erusean forces,

"Whoa did you see that?"

"He flew through the sub itself!"

The Sub's Command Duty Officer spoke, "Captain, Three Strikes flew through the sail."

The Captain stated, "Impressive, but we still have work to do. Are they ready?"

The CDO stated, "They're ready for takeoff, sir. They're prepared to sacrifice their lives to carry the cargo."

The Captain was amused, "Beautiful…"

"Captain?"

He stated, "Don't you see? A million lives are about to be snuffed out in senseless cruelty. How many should we sacrifice to put them to rest?"

Trigger had managed to briefly lose her until Scream appeared with guns blazing as she got on his six. He continued to shake her while battling the intense Gs when it came to dogfighting. Trigger soon pulled a Cobra passing over her before firing two missiles at her. They damaged her plane before she could even activate the decoy as she cried out,

"He hit me damnit! The bastard hit me!"

Rage soon stated, "Shit…Scream, we're pulling out, we can't take down Three Strikes with damaged planes."

She was angry as she cried out, "Goddamnit! Three Strikes, I will have you. You will die!"

Trigger realized, "Wait…that voice…"

Skald asked, "Am I hearing this?"

Scream threatened while laughing, "You're gonna burn so fast…you won't even have time to piss your pants!"

Little E said, "It's because the crazy lady was using his radio frequency."

Count shouted, "Hey, those filthy bats are on the run!"

Clemens ordered, "Let them go!"

Skald yelled, "That bitch was using Osea's radio frequency. That's an encrypted military channel!"

"That's nothing to worry about now. Focus on the mission at hand!"

Trigger cursed, "Damn it…fine, we'll deal with those two later."

The LRSSG continued downing enemy aircraft while protecting the fleet and using the ESM from the EW Aircraft. That wasn't until Long Caster reported additional hostile ground forces - specifically surface to ship batteries moving into position around the sub.

If anti-ship guns weren't enough, a second wave of Fullbacks were approaching the fleet. The kansen knew that this was going to get ugly as Strider Squadron split off again as they took on the ground forces and the Fullbacks. The guns were wrecked by Trigger's air strikes while two of the three Fullbacks were shot down by Count and Húxiãn. The last SU-34 slipped through Skald as he pursued it - not before the Sukhoi fired a missile at the fleet - striking the destroyer Kite as the destroyer spoke,

"This is the Kite, the ship is crippled and the captain is ordering us to abandon ship! Repeat the Kite is abandoning ship."

Skald shot down the SU-34 as he said, "Shit!"

The fleet spoke, "As long as the Landing Ship makes it, we win!"

"That doesn't make me feel better."

Trigger sighed, "This is war, Skald. Nothing's ever easy."

Soon enough, the Osean forces have almost obtained air superiority over the battlefield and the OFS Puffin couldn't be stopped, this caught the attention of the Erusean HQ as he said,

"Alicorn, do you copy? We cannot stop the approaching enemy landing ship! Scuttle the sub immediately!"

The Captain on the other hand, refused, "Fools…as of now this boat no longer belongs to the Erusean military!"

HQ was confused, "What are you saying?"

"Don't you see?"

The way that Captain talked didn't sit right for either Enterprise or Shinano since the Captain was refusing to scuttle his ship in order to keep it out of Osean hands. Enterprise could say,

"I have a bad feeling about that man."

Little E stated, "And you should, considering what he's about to do next."

Long Caster contacted the Puffin to report that enemy resistance was dwindling and they almost achieved air superiority. Robin Airey, the Puffin's Captain spoke,

"Puffin copies! Commencing capture operation."

The AWACS stated, "The rest is all yours, Captain. Now I can finally have my sausage rolls."

Airey chuckled, "That's the kind of food you eat up there?"

"Of course. Anything other than finger food would get in the way of my duties."

Count spoke, "That clearly wasn't what she meant."

Clemens came out the line and huffed, "Took longer than I expected, I'll be leaving now. You take command from here on."

Wiseman congratulated the pilots for a job well done as they witnessed the capture of the Alicorn…but there was one problem - The submarine had started moving.

Both Enterprises and Shinano witnessed that monster move towards the fleet, fire its missiles at the support ships before the railguns appeared on its wings as confusion was heard on the radio. Captain Airey's last transmission was reporting movement on the deck - confirming it to be their aircraft before she was silenced as the Alicorn opened fire with the railguns.

To Enterprise and Shinano, it was a terrifying sight to see those ships cut down by such a terrifying weapon. All of those brave sailors aboard those ships - cut down by that submarine and all they could hope was that there were survivors. But that's when four Rafale Ms launched from the Alicorn as the kansen noticed that one of them was carrying a cruise missile.

They were escaping the area as they witnessed Trigger go after it which bought time for the enemy submarine to submerge. David North came on the line and believed that the cruise missile was a WMD which meant that the plane carrying it had to be taken down ASAP.

Trigger caught up to them and noticed that the escort craft were throwing themselves into his line of fire, sacrificing themselves. It got more disturbing when the Captain was reciting a vow claiming,

"This boat has the means to end this hideous war in a definitive and elegant manner. We seek not a conflict, but rather a restoration of balance, a judgement. And it will be done with reason, from beginning to end. The world would be horrified by the number of lives we will take. Only then will they let down their weapons - weapons that would've taken the lives of ten million."

Enterprise stated, "I can tell that he's crazy just by how he talks."

Shinano agreed, "He is talking about murdering countless people, believing that it would end the war."

Soon enough, Trigger's Super Hornet managed to down the aircraft carrying the cruise missile. The pilot shouted,

"Salvation!" That was until the missile detonated in a big explosion. Trigger sighed in relief, knowing that the bandit is down. But it still didn't sit right with him that they let the submarine get away. That's when two men from the sub were heard,

"It seems he was downed by Three Strikes."

The Captain sneered, "The damn bastard ruined it!"

"Captain?"

He glared, "Don't you see?! He walked all over it with his dirty boots! Over the Crisp White Sheets of my bed that I had just made!"

He was panting as he calmed down, "Let's have him assist in the next plan. It'll make a fine sideshow for our scheme to kill a million people…or is it the plan to save ten million lives, Command Duty Officer?"

The two kansen were surprised by how psycho that he was.

---

The scene shifted to the debriefing as Clemens stated that the operation was complete. But Skald asked about who those bats were and why they were after Trigger since they were using Osea's frequency. But Trigger spoke,

"I recognized one of their voices…"

Wiseman asked, "Which one?"

"The woman, Scream, her real name is Elke Van Dalsen."

Jaeger asked, "Van Dalsen?"

"It's Belkan and we flew together back in flight school."

Count suspiciously asked, "Old girlfriend, Trigger?"

Trigger simply said, "She wishes." He leaned forward, "She's a good pilot, but her mental state was something that the instructors took into account. She got discharged for nearly forcing me to crash during an exercise when I was under the tutelage of the leader of the IUN PKF's 118th Tactical Fighter Squadron. How she is flying now is anyone's guess."

After that discussion, David came on the line asking about how the Erusean's knew that they had intel on their weapons of mass destruction and Skald concluded that they have a spy. That brought the kansen back to when Ayanami acted as a spy which led to the attack on the port. So they decided to assume that they know everything the enemy knows.

Now about that captain, he's dutiful and dangerous since he seems to be willing to kill a million people. But the one thing that was missing is a name,

Enterprise asked her 'daughter', "Who is that man?"

Little E said, "His name is Captain Matias Torres…possibly the most evil man that Papa had ever faced. But you know how his people hail him?"

Shinano stated, "We are not aware of his history, little one."

She giggled, "Fair enough." She snapped her fingers as the briefing room appeared, but this time, it was September 10th.

"Papa and his squadron were tasked with destroying a number of mothballed Erusean ships at Anchorhead Bay. They also received information that the Alicorn will be joining them. But Mr. North believes that the Alicorn's former crew were tasked with sabotage. But now the answer to the question…"

She snapped her fingers as North spoke,

"The Hero of Comberth Harbor is the answer." The map diverted to a harbor in southeastern Usea as pictures appeared of an event. North continued,

"He was the captain of the Battleship Tanager at the time of the Continental War."

Soon enough, a list of ships appeared which made up the names, one of them being the Tanager,

"It led the Aegir Fleet - The Invincible Armada."

Trigger remembered the story, "But when Mobius Squadron and the ISAF destroyed the fleet at Comberth Harbor, so was his ship."

Lanza asked, "Yet, he's the hero?"

North stated, "He was able to bring most of his crew home with accurate damage control and precise evacuation orders."

The kansen felt a bit admired by the devotion of the Captain for saving most of his crew during the attack. The analyst continued,

"Then there's the accident with the Alicorn. Many believe that if they stay with him, they'll live."

It reminded them of the phrase that characterizes Trigger, being the leader that everyone follows, the one that guarantees their survival if they stay with him. It almost felt like a naval version of Trigger, but more psychotic,

"The transfer from surface to underwater is unusual. However, considering his skill and reputation, along with the fact that the Alicorn is no ordinary submarine, it all makes sense."

It did make sense for the kansen: A Captain with the skills befitting a surface ship and a leader to look up to, in command of a submarine that is both a carrier, a sub and a cruiser with two main railguns is a perfect match.

Shinano figured, "So this Torres is a veteran of the Continental War who lost his ship to Trigger's mentor."

Enterprise figured, "The ISAF Ace, Mobius 1."

Little E soon felt something shift as she turned, "Mama, we're not alone…"

The two turned to see a foxgirl holding an umbrella as she smiled,

"I figured that we would meet in this dreamscape."

Shinano recognized her, "Amagi…I thought you were…"

She sighed, "I was never truly dead."

"How?"

Little E realized, "Ms. Amagi's heart found a new home inside Papa."

Amagi nodded, "Indeed I have, little one. When my body was destroyed in the earthquake, my heart - my spirit survived and for a time, was imprisoned by the sirens. Trigger's actions had weakened the sirens enough for me to escape and allow me to find a new home within him."

Enterprise put the pieces together, "You bound yourself to Trigger…"

Amagi nodded, "I have and I already made myself known to my dear half-sister when she went to observe him."

This caught both by surprise as they realized that Kaga was watching them before the Wake Island invasion. The Battlecruiser assured that the white fox only intended to observe and question her motivations. She soon looked at the scene, "This was one of his missions?"

Little E stated, "The Raid at Anchorhead." Before snapping her fingers.

---

Anchorhead Bay, Usea

September 10th, 2019

The scene shifted to the heat of battle at Anchorhead as several Erusean warships were on fire and taking water as they sat in port while several armored vehicles in the urban areas were wrecked. There were two Aegis Ashore sites near Anchor Bay and Dakiouk Bay which were smoking ruins while four Osean aircraft fought against a pristine fleet approaching the port and leading the charge was an F-15E Strike Eagle with the familiar marking as he dropped a series of SFFS bombs on the largest ship - The Dysnomia.

The fragmentation bombs damaged the ship so much that its ammunition ignited, splitting the ship in two as Count announced,

"Trigger just sank a battleship!"

Trigger's WSO, Drake cheered, "Look at her light up, nice work!"

Trigger stated, "Strider Squadron, let's mop up the rest!"

Little E stated, "They had to destroy the ships here in order to make the upcoming showdown in Farbanti much easier. There were also five high-value targets that the recon team would spot and have the air teams take down. Papa shot down four HVTs so far."

The attack was going well enough since the Erusean navy was in disarray until Long Caster announced the arrival of additional UAVs. Lanza stated,

"Pretty shabby for reinforcement."

Húxiãn spoke, "Stay sharp, there's something amiss."

It would only be a few minutes until Long Caster warned the team,

"Warning: Incoming High Speed Projectile!"

Lanza asked, "Projectile!?!"

David cried out, "It's the terminal guidance! Get away from that UAV!"

Count asked, "What do you mean?!"

Long Caster announced, "Contact Imminent!"

Soon enough, a series of explosions occurred as Húxiãn's aircraft got caught in it as the voice of Torres shouted,

"SALVATION!"

The kansen saw as several more explosions occurred as Strider Squadron was trying to figure out what the hell was going on as Torres yelled,

"Picture it! SALVATION!" He maniacally laughs as he continues,

"THE DEATH OF A MILLION IS A NECESSITY!"

Long Caster confirmed that the projectile was a Railgun shell while David explained that the Alicorn was shooting beyond the horizon which is why the UAV was used for terminal guidance. The AWACS data linked the predicted impact zones from now on.

Trigger acknowledged, "Got it. But Strider 4 is damaged, so I have to send her back."

Húxiãn asked her lead, "You're telling me to leave my teammates behind?!"

Wiseman ordered, "Húxiãn, head back. I want that 100% Survival Rate!"

The mention of a survival rate brought Enterprise back to the rescue of the Hai Sisters when Trigger mentioned taking down a fleet with just four aircraft and the talk with Captain Norman about not losing a single plane. This was what he was referring to when she heard him say it.

Amagi noticed, "Captain Torres is shooting at them from beyond their range…as a test. This was a test in the middle of a surprise attack."

Shinano asked, "What is his motive for doing this test?"

Little E stated, "He has many motives, but considering his mindset - it's preparation for something big."

As they watched as Trigger weaved through the explosions, attacking the ships and shooting down the last HVT. He even discovered that shooting down the marker drone would activate a fail safe, causing the projectile to explode in the distance. Throughout the raid, they would hear the frantic cries of a port facility worker,

"It's not a hallucination, it's a nightmare! God…why is this happening…"

Her cries made Trigger feel a bit sorry for her, having to get caught in all of this. He knew that she was doing her job at the port facility until they arrived, but this is a battlefield.

Little E pointed out, "Throughout the raid, Clemens was communicating with a Lieutenant General named Shepherd about a result regarding Papa's presence on the battlefield. Clemens wanted to convince the General Staff Office that they don't need Papa to win, but Papa proved that Osea has much need of him."

Amagi sighed, "Military Staff and Politicians wanting to determine whether or not that their ace pilot is needed. Trigger is a warrior of the skies, through and through - he will be needed."

After the LRSSG destroyed a large number of enemies, mostly thanks to Trigger, Clemens spoke,

"Three Strikes is performing well above our expectations."

Count sighed, "You sound downright ecstatic. Come on Trigger, let's go get 'em!"

Trigger stated, "Let's mop up the rest!"

But while that was going on, an Erusean Agent spoke,

"Valkyrie, this is Quarkman, packaged eggs are ready and waiting, count two."

Valkyrie, who is in fact Torres, spoke, "Two, worth a million lives each."

Quarkman told him, "Also, there's a rumor going around in the military. Three Strikes in the sky is a sign of an ill omen."

"Three Strikes…He lacks the drive." He described it, "Imagine you're just about to be killed. Why am I going to be killed, you ask? Because they wanted to steal from you, to torment you, to burn you, to cut you apart! It was for your sins, your actions and your vengeance! There has to be a reason! Three Strikes has none of that, I do!"

He asked his CDO, "Don't you see, Command Duty Officer? You don't, do you."

Amagi grew curious, "What did they mean by 'packaged eggs' and 'a million lives each?' What is he actually planning?"

Enterprise said, "He is planning a scheme to kill a million people, how he intends to go through with it - I'm not sure."

Shinano was concerned, "I'm more curious about these 'packaged eggs' that the agent mentioned."

Little E stated, "It will be revealed soon. But first…"

She snapped her fingers as Wiseman announced that the mission was complete. But it wasn't until Long Caster warned everyone that two bandits were approaching at bearing 090. They were confirmed to be SU-47s as Count spotted something,

"Lanza! Missile! Behind you!"

Out of nowhere, a missile went straight for Lanza's F-15C as he took a hit in the engine as the AWACS said,

"Strider 3 is hit!"

Soon enough, a familiar voice spoke, "Good, now we got less goons to deal with. Do it, Scream!"

Scream shouted, "YEAH!!"

Trigger saw them, "You gotta be kidding me!"

Count knew this, "It's those damn bats!"

Wiseman ordered them to engage so Lanza could escape, it was two-on-two, but the fleeing pilot warned them,

"Both of you, watch out for their missiles! The missile alarm didn't go off in time. Hit me as soon as I heard it!"

Enterprise realized, "They have stealth capabilities for missiles!"

Trigger and Count started this duel between those bats until Clemens' voice was heard,

"Calling out to unidentified aircraft! Cease combat immediately and withdraw!"

Trigger realized, "Count, am I hearing you things?!"

Count affirmed, "I hear it too."

Long Caster announced, "Brigadier General Clemens is radioing enemy aircraft…on Osean Channels!"

Trigger stated, "Too late, Count and I have already started."

Clemens continued, "I repeat, withdraw immediately!"

Rage spoke, "Didn't want anyone thinking we screwed up. Three Strikes is going down!"

Count realized, "They're responding."

The Brigadier General sneered, "You goddamn idiots!"

Scream threatened, "You call me an idiot again and I will kill you!"

"You siblings can go to hell together!"

Count realized, "Brother and Sister?!"

Trigger remembered, "Now it makes sense…Otto and Elke Van Dalsen, callsign Rage and Scream! You were both in flight school with the IUN PKF!"

Rage chuckled, "Of all the hit jobs, it brought us back to the Osean who is half-Ustian. The very pilot who got top marks in flight school…is the spawn of THE legendary ace."

Trigger was confused, "What are you saying?!"

Scream laughed, "The cute pilot that I tried to slam into the ground happens to be the Demon Prince of the Round Table? How exciting!"

Count asked, "Trigger, what are they talking about?"

"I don't know, Count. But we need to shoot them down!"

The two Striders went after the two assassins as Trigger got onto Rage's six while Count was on Scream's. When Count stated that it's two-on-two, Scream called him a wuss, saying he doesn't count because to them, it's two-on-one. Trigger stated,

"Don't call my wingman a wuss!"

The duel was intense, combined with stealth missiles and an intense ECM which only gave them a brief time to get a lock before losing target lock - the Alicorn is still firing at Anchorhead. Trigger had to break off to destroy a marker drone or two, he was also able to avoid the stealth missiles by flying low to the water and pulling up as the missiles hit the water.

Count had also figured that aside from their history with Trigger, he guessed that those two were PMCs, which is why they have connections with the Osean military. Rage stated that he would have to shoot them down to find that answer. Despite their dirty tricks with the missiles and ECM, they are ace material with being skilled, crazy and deadly as their formula.

Count warned, "Trigger, you better watch your own back!"

The lead pilot acknowledges this, "They're trying to have us chase one, so the other can get on our ass."

His WSO, Drake noticed, "Those bats are damn slippery. We need to take them down, sir."

Count noticed how the Berkuts were moving around Trigger's Strike Eagle as he called out, "Trigger, have Drake change frequencies. They're eavesdropping on us as we speak!"

He acknowledged this as his WSO switched to a private channel as Count sighed,

"Good, now it's just the three of us on the line. Trigger, those damn bats are looking for a pincer attack. I'll act as a lure - one comes to my ass, you take 'em down. They seem to have a crush on you, but just let me work my charms."

Scream grew irritated at Count's interference, "Let's get the wuss, Rage. He's getting in my way!"

Her brother accepted, "Do it."

The Berkuts soon focused on Count's plane as he evaded their fire,

"I got them on my six. Batter Up, Trigger!" He evaded another missile as he said, "If you can do it, then so can I!"

"This clown is Three Strikes' Wingman?"

The F-15C tangoed with the Berkuts as he took them for a ride which showed that Count's flying has improved from his days in the 444. He led them on a chase in the clouds as the number 2 did a series of quick maneuvers to avoid their stealth missiles. He said,

"Trigger, you and I…no, you alone can take these bats down."

Trigger stated, "We take them on together, as a team!" The lead plane soon got behind one of them as Drake said,

"Good tone!" Trigger stated, "Strider 1 Fox 3!"

Two missiles launched from the Strike Eagle as they both struck the Berkut as it was sent tumbling towards the ocean. There was a frantic screaming sound of a man which Trigger recognized as Rage, Count cheered,

"You did it, Trigger!"

But with cheering came a frightened shriek, "RAGE!"

He told his sister, "You idiot, stay focused! Take down Three Stri…" That was when his plane hit the water as Scream was behaving erratically. She was flying crazy while shooting one or two missiles as she sobbed,

"I told you not to call me an idiot!"

Drake spoke, "One left! Let's run 'em down together!"

Count added, "But Trigger will land the death blow!"

The kansen watched as Scream's mournful wails echoed on the radio. For the three, it was hard to feel sorry for her since her brother was shot down, but it was still war. But as they continued, she cried out,

"He was real smart! You know that?!" Her mournful cries were heard over the radio as the woman mourned her brother while slowly losing her mind. Long Caster also warned them to not let the enemy's emotions make them lose their cool which Count didn't pity her, not one bit.

As Scream continued flying crazy, she cried out,

"I don't wanna live! Kill me!!"

As she cried and cried, her crying turned into an insane laughter as Count noticed,

"The girl's gone from crazy to bonkers."

The constant crying and laughing along with a 'No' came up as she yelled,

"Just kill me, Patrick!" That caught Trigger's attention as he heard his name - his first name as she repeated,

"Patrick…" She insanely declared, "I'll kill you!"

Count said, "You psycho!"

It was clear that she had lost her mind as she fired missile after missile as Trigger got on her six. Her movements were more erratic now that she had completely lost her mind. She led Trigger through the city of Anchorhead and through the ruined ships at Anchor Bay and under Anchor Bridge. Trigger held his fire as he didn't want to waste missiles, but he saw her pull a Kulbit while launching missiles which he avoided and continued pursuing her. He would hear her say that they 'tried to be heroes' as it became clear that becoming a PMC would allow them to fly for a high bidder in the military. After that, Trigger called out,

"Count, let's end this with the Spare Squadron Special!"

Count knew what that meant as the two Eagles formed up and did a specific maneuver as Count got below the Berkut while Trigger inverted until his cockpit was completed parallel with that of the demented woman's plane. The minute that Elke looked up at her brother's killer, he sped ahead and dived for the deck while Count pitched up as they passed each other as she flew through their jet wash which threw her off. After that, both pilots turned back to the bat as they unleashed their guns on her. Count got a few hits on the wing and fuselage while Trigger struck the engine as the Berkut fell out of the sky. Long Caster spoke,

"That's a hit! We got the bat!"

Count stated, "Take that, asshole!"

The two planes circled the falling Berkut as Scream's mixture of crying and laughing was heard over the radio. Long Caster called out to her,

"Unidentified Aircraft, Eject!"

Scream said, "No…"

"Eject now!"

"No!" She giggled, "I know Rage is going to heaven…so I'm going to be all alone again in hell. I'll be waiting for you too, Three Strikes. Three Strikes…I…"

That was interrupted as her plane crashed into the ocean as Trigger announced, "The bat has crashed into a watery grave."

Long Caster sighed, "Affirmative, her blip has disappeared from the radar as well - her crash is confirmed."

Count stated, "Serves them right."

Clemens came on the line as he said, "Yes, the problem has been eliminated."

Soon enough, they went back to base as Enterprise asked, "What was that all about?"

Little E said, "They were an assassin team, hired to kill Papa. Their employer had already revealed himself when he radioed those crazy people."

She snapped her fingers as the scene changed.

---

New Arrows Air Base

Debriefing Room

When the debriefing began, Húxiãn stormed into the room with murder in her eyes. She was going after the Brigadier General as Wiseman, Skald and Jaeger held her back. But during that scuffle, she had accidentally knocked over a drink as a shattering sound was heard. Lanza realized,

"Shit…my cola!"

Clemens stated, "The fleet at Anchorhead was eliminated and we prevented the submarine from joining forces. The unidentified aircraft were also shot down too, the mission was a complete success."

Húxiãn thought otherwise, "Complete success, my ass!"

Count was suspicious, "Brigadier General, it seemed to me like the bats knew you pretty damn well."

The kansen grew suspicious as well as the officer said, "You seem to be confused, report for a medical check. We'll see if you're fit for duty based on the examination."

Count was going to move in, only for Fencer to hold him back as Wiseman said, "Cut it!"

Jaeger added, "That's enough!"

The Brigadier General soon ordered, "Get the MP!"

A familiar voice spoke, "He's (Count's) right. Get the MP."

Enterprise and Shinano recognized this voice as the Eagle Union carrier remembered,

"Vice Chairman Edwards of the Joint Chiefs of Staff!"

Clemens also expressed his shock by announcing Edwards' title. The Vice Chairman stated,

"The Alicorn slipped into Anchorhead Bay as soon as the mission was completed, using the confusion for cover. It resupplied quickly and escaped unharmed. Their goal was not to join forces, it was to resupply using the window we created by chasing away the Erusean forces. We did their bidding, albeit unknowingly."

Edwards' went further, "But the problem runs deeper than our lack of tactical acumen. Analyst North, explain for us."

David explained, "Of the crew caught in the submarine accident, 330 men made it back alive. Of them, 300 are still on the sub to this day. Our intel has led us to believe that some, if not all the 30 men who left the sub are now working as agents for the Alicorn."

This grew interesting for the dreamwalkers as David continued, "Sabotage, espionage, cyber-propaganda, dissemination of false intel. Brigadier General, do you recognize the name Edgar Saxon - or Zul as he used to go by?"

Clemens had a look of shock as the analyst finished, "He's a former member of the Alicorn's crew - and your source of intel."

Edwards stated, "You are a fool, Brigadier General Clemens. Furthermore, the radio communications during the mission suggests - you are a traitor!"

The officer tried to explain, "Sir, if you check with Lieutenant General Shepherd, you can see that this is a big misunderstanding!"

"The Lieutenant General claims you were responsible for all aspects of the mission. Now I'll say this again - Get the MP!"

Húxiãn approached, after she was released, "No need for that!" She grabbed Clemens by the collar of his suit and said, "Piece of Shit!" before ramming her fist into his face.

Enterprise, Shinano and Amagi all winced at this since they saw the result of a high-ranking officer's betrayal, but also confirming that the female pilot does have quick fists. Little E stated,

"Mr. North acquired important intel from the mission. He analyzed the bombing at Anchorhead and was convinced that the Alicorn hid a powerful rail cannon aside from its main guns with a range of over 3,000."

Enterprise compared it, "It's like Stonehenge - instead it's mobile."

The little girl continued, "But it also had photos of the Alicorn in harbor at Anchorhead for approximately ten minutes which meant that it didn't load any missiles, but something smaller. Mr. North will ask the question."

North asked, "What is smaller and yet, a powerful weapon?"

Skald had guessed, "Tactical Nukes."

"Close, the answer is Tactical Nuclear Shells."

They were shocked by the answer since during the Cold War between the Eagle Union and Northern Parliament, the race to build the best nuclear weapons were implemented into artillery shells, but were scrapped after the cold war ended. It became clear to the kansen that those 'packaged eggs' were the Nuclear Shells. Wiseman figured that they would attack the Osean bases on the east coast, but David said otherwise,

"They're not going to the bases in Usea…they're heading straight for the heart."

Trigger grew suspicious since Torres wasn't going to any Osean bases on the east coast or any place at all in Usea. But going straight for the heart and he worryingly asked, "David, where exactly is he going?"

"He's going to hit Oured, the Osean Capital."

That's when Trigger's world came crashing down since he remembered that his family lives in Oured, his mom, his dad and his sister…they're in danger of nuclear destruction from a proven madman!

The analyst asked, "In what situation where nuclear deterrence doesn't work?"

Húxiãn was irritated by this question, but Skald guessed,

"Oh! Only if terrorists have the nukes."

"Correct."

Count was surprised, "Damn Skald."

He shrugged, "Hey, I'm good at trivia games."

Although, Count did express that they were hunting an Erusean submarine, not terrorists. But Wiseman stated that the Erusean government cannot be held responsible for the sub's actions because their justification was that the Alicorn mutinied. For the kansen and the crew in this scene, it became clear that Torres intends to drop a nuke on the Osean Capital of Oured. When Jaeger asked the question on who they are fighting, he answered with 'terrorists' or 'irregular military,' but he had a better name,

"An enemy to be stopped at all costs."

Which was true to everyone as Trigger stated, "David, track the Alicorn's movements, even if you can't, predict where he will go. We need everything in order to take that bastard down before he gets within range of Oured!"

Wiseman spoke, "Trigger, calm down."

"I'll calm down once my family is safe from that bastard!"

"Trigger, we all feel that way…but there's no need to lose yourself. We will get him, no doubt about that."

He understood this as he turned around and left, David guessed,

"He's from Oured, isn't he?"

Wiseman nodded, "Correct and it's hitting him pretty hard, too."

The kansen watched as the scene shifted to the infirmary where Trigger was interrogating a cuffed Clemens with an MP standing guard,

"I'll say this again, why did you hire them to kill me?"

The ex-officer stated, "Fine, I hired them in order to protect Osean interests, that we don't need an ace pilot to win a war."

"Why? How do I threaten the interests of Osea? Our forces are winning this war because of the actions of me and my squadron - Anchorhead was proof of that."

The man asked, "But what happens after the war ends? You would no doubt become a risk factor once the war is over or turn to mercenary work - considering your family history."

"What are you saying?"

"Your father was a mercenary pilot during the Belkan War. He flew for the Ustio Air Force's 6th Air Division."

"I know he flew with the Demon Lord during the war and flew with him one last time before he disappeared."

Clemens sneered,"Many Oseans flew with the terrorist group during the AWWNB uprising in the war, but all were downed by the Demon Lord. Your flying matches that of his and the information regarding you from the archives. The pieces were there and the truth is that your father didn't fly with the Demon Lord - He is the Demon Lord!"

Trigger was surprised and confused as he said, "You're lying!"

Clemens asked, "Then what about your name? Captain Patrick James Cross? There was an Osean pilot in the Ustio Air Force named Patrick James Beckett who flew in the 4th Air Force Unit before being transferred to the 66th Galm Team, who would later be killed above Avalon Dam."

That's what hit him - his name…his father often told him that he was named after a dear friend of his who died during the Belkan War. His mother would often say that the man was once her boyfriend and every New Year's Eve, they would go to Avalon Dam and lay a bouquet of flowers on the remains of his aircraft. He also remembered sneaking into his parents room while babysitting his sister and found an old aviator jacket with the emblem of a hellhound. He remembered growing curious, but remembered that he still had to look out for his sister and left.

But there would also be his father's behavior when asked about his time during the war, he would reflect on just the Hoffnung Bombing and the Seven Pillars of Belka while mentioning the Demon Lord. But could it be…that he is THE Ace?

Trigger glares at Clemens, "So you sent them to kill me because I might become a risk and because of my dad supposedly being the Demon Lord?! That's really low for you to do that!"

Clemens stated, "You're one to talk about how low considering what you did at the Lighthouse. You murdered Harling and now the higher ups exonerated you from your crimes!"

Trigger was mad as he asked, "Are you that brain dead, Howard?!"

"What?!"

"You seriously believe that I was falsely exonerated? I was falsely convicted of a crime I did not commit. General Edwards confirmed that an Erusean drone disguised as an Osean F-18 shot Harling down!"

Howard stated, "How dare…"

"Save your breath for the judge, you big donut hole. We're done here."

That brought up many questions regarding Trigger for the kansen. Enterprise remembered that Trigger's father was a mercenary pilot that served in the Ustio Air Force, but seeing this - could his dad really be the Legendary Ace?

Little E looked sad at this and said, "It really hit close to home for Papa and implications of his father's identity. But he wouldn't get his answers until after he dealt with the Mad Torres."

---

Spring Sea, PX80443

Off the Southwestern coast of Usea

September 14th 2019

The scene changed to a body of water as they spotted four Kawasaki P-1 Patrol Aircraft soar across the skies dropping sonobuoys along the way. Amagi noticed this and guessed,

"This is the Hunt for The Alicorn."

Little E nodded, "Correct. The Alicorn is heading for Papa's home, the information sent over by the Erusean military revealed that the sub had a giant rail cannon in the flight deck, but the mini-nuke they had obtained did less damage than they thought. But Mr. North ran a quote from Torres and predicted that they will launch the nuke on September 19th."

Amagi asked, "Why that date in particular?"

"It's the anniversary of the end of the Continental War when Papa's teacher made history. There will be celebrations and demonstrations happening in Oured and attendance will grow bigger on the anniversary, but the nuke isn't that powerful. Mr. North predicted that the Alicorn would have to thread through the eye of a needle to kill the required amount of people. Mr. Skald figured that terminal guidance would be needed."

Shinano asked, "But how were they going to do that? If they use a drone, Oured will certainly have an AA system to shoot it down."

The little girl nodded, "Mr. North was going to figure it out while pointing out the Alicorn's route off of the harbor. They would have to get within range of Oured before September 19th, it had to avoid Osea and other allied ships. He said that it will end up in this area. The waters are shallow because of the undersea mountains and at the west of the map is Peony Trench, if the sub reaches it, they will lose it.

The plan is to have the patrol aircraft of Specter Squadron drop sonobuoys to build a sonobuoy barrier. Papa and his squadron were tasked with protecting those planes from enemy attacks. As for who was on this mission, it was everyone except Mr. Wiseman."

An air battle occurred as Osean planes clashed with aircraft from the Alicorn which included Rafale Ms and Sub-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (SLUAV) as they attempted to go after the P-1s. The crews of the anti-sub aircraft were all prepared to buy the farm and calculated that only one plane is needed for the barrier to work - but Strider Squadron and Cyclops Squadron were going to ensure that it doesn't happen as they are determined to protect the aircraft while they complete their objective.

During the fight, David reported that two groups of demonstrators clashed and ran away in Oured. He also noticed banners floating in mid-air - he realized that they were advertising drones. He was still trying to solve the issue with terminal guidance until he noticed that the drones were not running away, so he hung up as he went to check something.

As for the battle, it was getting more difficult as more drones showed up along with more of the Submersible Aviation Cruiser Squadron (SACS) as they went after the patrol aircraft. But the LRSSG were able to go after the enemy aircraft although one attempted to get a lock on a P-1, but the flares prevented the missile from hitting as Trigger took it out. But soon enough, the barrier was complete as the shock from the crews revealed that they all made it.

Soon enough, they spotted a modified F/A-18E flying at low altitude, Trigger announced,

"Activating the MAD, hopefully I'll be able to find the Alicorn before it escapes, it's our only chance to save Oured."

Enterprise asked, "MAD?"

Little E explained, "It's a Magnetic Anomaly Detector, a device used to detect underwater submarines like sonar - Papa's plane has one."

The watched as the Super Hornet flew low at a reduced speed as he followed the waveform indicator on his HUD. But when he just about found the submarine, there was interference in the MAD as David realized that they predicted that they would use it. He discovered that there were jamming buoys on the surface which were pre-placed which figured that the sub was one step ahead.

But the LRSSG located and destroyed the jamming buoys while David tells the patrol aircraft to narrow down the Alicorn's location when the noise dies down. After the last jammer was destroyed, it took a few minutes until the P-1s narrowed down the search area which shows that it almost reached the trench. But Trigger was able to enter the search area and narrow down the sub's location while the rest destroyed the UAVs that were launched from the submerged submarine.

After a few seconds, the Alicorn's reticle appeared as Trigger announced, "Positive hit on the MAD! I found the Alicorn!"

Long Caster announced, "Confirmed. Strider 1 found the Submarine Alicorn!"

There were cheers from the squadrons as the sub was found, but Count said,

"We're not done yet! Give her the finishing blow!"

At that point, the Osean ships Rooster, Seagull, Canary and Grebe fired the Vertical Launched Anti-Submarine Rockets (VL-ASROCs) at the submerged Alicorn. Once the missiles hit the water, the results were going to be reported as four explosions occurred underwater. The kansen thought that it was it - until the bow of a monster appeared from the water. Húxiãn spoke,

"Alicorn spotted - it's surfacing!"

As the Alicorn surfaced, the kansen were still shocked at how big the vessel was. It would probably be bigger than Shinano's ship mode at this point. But the sub turned to the Osean fleet and armed its railguns. Lanza was surprised,

"Surfacing? We hadn't sunk it!"

Wiseman shouted, "It's attacking our fleet!"

Trigger realized, "The ASROCs may have damaged it. It's now up to us since we've backed them into a corner."

"Trigger's right! All aircraft attack the Alicorn! Follow up on Trigger!"

The Super Hornet dropped its guided penetration bombs on the two main railguns, the starboard was damaged, but the second bomb slammed into a VLS on the port side. As the LRSSG commenced attack, the Alicorn used its guns on the fleet as the destroyer OFS Seagull and Aegis cruiser OFS Canary were hit and going down as the Grebe and the Rooster disengaged.

Now that the Osean Fleet was out of commission, the Alicorn turned to the attacking aircraft as the railguns locked onto the F/A-18E as Long Caster warned,

"You're being locked onto by the railguns! Increase your speed and run!"

Count realized, "If one of those railguns hits us, we'll be torn into a million pieces!"

Wiseman warned, "They'll be looking for aircraft as well. Don't flutter about!"

Trigger increased his speed and attacked the railguns with his bombs again as the starboard gun was wrecked while the port gun fired.

The kansen were surprised that the submarine was using its main guns for anti-air combat, but they did notice that one of the guns were wrecked. Which snapped off one horn of the Alicorn, reducing the submarine's threat level. It reacted by diving while drones launched from it.

David spoke, "The ballast tanks should be damaged. It would have to surface at some point, shoot down the drones launched from it."

The LRSSG began to shoot down the drones that not only harass them, but also tend to go after the patrol aircraft as they track the Alicorn's movements underwater and would inform them when the sub is about to surface.

The sub surfaced as Strider and Cyclops commenced assault on the sub as Torres was announcing his orders to his crew as the Osean aircraft attacked the submarine. It became clear that aside from its main guns, it also boasts some serious anti-air capabilities from VLSs, SAMs, AA Guns and CIWS - it's a pilot's worst nightmare and yet the kansen are seeing these pilots throw themselves at that boat.

During the attack, the Alicorn's aircraft had launched without utilizing the catapult. Amagi was impressed,

"They took off in the middle of a battle, they must have serious guts to take off right now."

Enterprise, having seen the mentality of the captain and his crew, corrected,

"It's not guts - they're just damn crazy."

The attacking aircraft soon focused on the Alicorn's AA weaponry as a penetration bomb from Trigger's Super Hornet hit a vital area of the sub - the ballast tank. There are four ballast tanks on the Alicorn - two on both port and starboard. The tank that Trigger destroyed is the one on the rear-port side. The Ace said,

"I destroyed a ballast tank, that's what we need to hit in order to make it stop diving!"

Jaeger spoke, "Keep going, there's no way it isn't damaged."

All of a sudden, Trigger was locked in by the railgun, but he increased his speed as he circled the submarine. But soon enough, Trigger pulled a post-stall maneuver as he pointed his nose at the railgun before firing missiles and his bombs at the last railgun, destroying it. He announced,

"All railguns have been destroyed!"

Count shouted, "Nice, you tore both of its arms off!"

Jaeger warned, "Be careful, there's no telling if that monster only has a pair of them!"

The Alicorn crew spoke, "We lost both of our main guns!"

Captain Torres angrily ordered, "Fire all remaining weaponry at Three Strikes! Ignore all other aircraft!"

That's when they all saw the Alicorn fire every missile at Trigger as he noticed,

"You wanna catch me? You better try harder than that!"

He soon avoided the missiles as he led them on several crazy maneuvers as the missiles fired by the submarine slammed into either the water or back at the sub itself, destroying the CIWS.

The Alicorn submerged as more SLUAVs launched, Trigger and his squadron focused on the drones and the SACS aircraft while the patrol planes scan for the enemy submarine underwater. All the while, David figured it out,

"There are advertising drones flying above the demonstrators! They're perfect for a guidance system, but your opponent is that captain."

He soon asked his assistant 'ALEX' how far away is the closest air base before hanging up.

Shinano realized, "So the advertising drones were staying put above the demonstrators…like they were launched locally."

Enterprise had that notion, "The Alicorn's agents may have been in Oured to launch those drones!"

Amagi stated, "But unless the Alicorn is sunk, then those drones will be a threat."

The Alicorn surfaced as the aircraft commenced attack once more, but soon enough - small flying objects had launched from the submarine with different signatures than the drones they encountered. The small UAVs flew in a defense formation around the ship when a stray missile from Trigger's plane shot one down while the other drones activated a series of green orbs which caught Enterprise by surprise,

"Those barriers…it looks similar to the Arsenal Bird's defense system!"

Amagi asked, "Arsenal Bird?"

"A giant airborne aircraft carrier for drones, it has a giant shield which prevents anything from harming it. But these barriers are more along the electromagnetic spectrum."

While some of the pilots were complaining that they don't have Stonehenge to bust through them, but Trigger stated,

"The Barrier Drones can be destroyed before they activate their barriers."

That's an interesting idea to destroy the drones before the barriers come online. So the rest of the squadron followed Trigger's example as much as they could until the Alicorn submerged again as David called again.

The analyst stated that he told the local Air Force and they were going to jam the whole Oured area with the EW aircraft which meant that the terminal guidance for the advertising drones will be cut off from the submarine as well as all cell phones being inoperable for the time being. He pointed out that it was crude, but effective which echoed a previous statement that Húxiãn said about sinking the submarine.

The sub surfaced again as the squadrons continued to pound the Alicorn as Trigger destroyed the rear starboard ballast tank. But all of a sudden, the HUD began to glitch as Jaeger reported it to Long Caster which identified the source of the jamming signal,

"The jamming device is located at the top of the Alicorn's sail."

The kansen were surprised that the sub had a jamming device which meant that the designers knew what they were doing. Count sighed,

"I thought sinking a surfaced sub would be easy!"

Trigger stated, "Nothing ever is, Strider 2."

Soon enough, Trigger went on the attack as he weaved through the missiles that the sub launched as he managed to get a lock on the jamming device and fire two missiles at it - destroying it.

Now that the threat of the jammer was over, Trigger destroyed the SAMs and ship guns as well as the front starboard ballast tank before the enemy submarine submerged. But for some reason, David called again, despite the area being jammed as he revealed to be using a pay phone.

The Alicorn surfaced again as more aircraft launched from the sub, but Trigger and the LRSSG were able to knock the SACS planes out of the sky as Trigger went and destroyed the last ballast tank. Shinano noticed,

"The submarine's outer hull is heavily damaged, I doubt that it will be able to dive like that."

There was cheering from all Osean forces as they had the submarine surrounded. That wasn't until a defeated sigh came over the radio - it was Captain Torres broadcasting on Osean channels,

"We surrender…"

That caught everyone by surprise since he was surrendering. The kansen were surprised since Torres struck them as a psychopath who would rather die before surrendering. But still, it seems very suspicious as Torres announced,

"This is the Submarine Aircraft Cruiser Alicorn, we surrender! Stop shooting!"

Long Caster ordered, "All aircraft, cease fire!"

Count pointed out that it was a conman talking, comparing it to his own past while Húxiãn wanted to ignore the order and just sink the Alicorn. But they cannot attack those that have surrendered, it would be a breach in international law. Torres called out his surrender again as Count argued with Jaeger about holding international law so dearly and he would happily quit his career in order to sink the Alicorn. All the while, Trigger contacted the sub as he flew past it,

"Alicorn, this is Strider 1 of the Osean Long Range Strategic Strike Group, Captain Torres, please confirm your surrender."

The captain sighed, "We will surrender. We are currently making preparations to be disarmed."

David contacted the sub, "I'm David North, an analyst with the Osean Intelligence Agency. Captain, we've already jammed your terminal guidance over Oured - your shot will miss the mark."

"Let me tell you a story: Back when I was a gunnery officer, I had to aim at an enemy ship 30 kilometers away in the middle of a storm…"

At the time he was telling his story, Trigger noticed something moving on the sub as well as barrier drones moving into position. The kansen saw that the Alicorn had revealed its horn - the Rail Cannon as the captain said,

"The seas were rough that day and still I landed one of the two shots."

"Here's a question: Was your plan elegant? The answer is yes, at least until Three Strikes ruined it!"

Torres angrily asked, "What do you know of beauty!?"

David realized, "They have no intention to surrender! Stop them, Trigger!"

They saw the F/A-18E fly towards the submarine as the barrier drones activated. Jaeger and Long Caster told Trigger to stop attacking, but he ignored it as it became clear that Torres faked his surrender to buy himself time to prepare the cannon. Torres ordered,

"Target is the Osean Capital of Oured! To take the lives of one million people, five thousand kilometers away with my very own hands!"

He laughed maniacally as Trigger cried out,

"No…I won't let you hit Oured, Torres!"

He fired two missiles at the Rail Cannon as the captain yelled,

"COMMENCE FIRING!!" But the impact of the two missiles jerked cannon down a bit as the shell was launched, the kansen were shocked as Skald said,

"It fired!"

Little E told the three shipgirls, "There's no need to worry - the shell will miss."

Trigger soon faced the Alicorn again as Torres asked, "What happened?!"

Count laughed, "That's a blatant violation of orders, you dumbass!"

The captain ordered the second shell to be loaded as Wiseman ordered that they destroy the Alicorn. Their target is the base of the Rail Cannon and the crew couldn't raise the elevation of barrel due to battle damage as Torres sneered,

"Three Strikes in the sky is a sign of an ill omen!"

When asked, he ordered, "All slow ahead! Flood the aft trim tanks!"

The crew pointed out that the boat will sink aft first, but the captain hysterically said, "AND THAT WILL GIVE THE GUN THE ELEVATION IT NEEDS!!"

Enterprise, Shinano and Amagi watched as the Alicorn sank a bit as its bow raised up. Both knew that this maneuver was done before - an old battleship, the USS Texas flooded the port torpedo bulge in order to give the guns the elevation to hit the enemy fortifications during Operation Overlord. But for some reason, when Texas was reborn, she wasn't present when the order to gather at Hawaii came in.

Torres stated, "Don't you see, Three Strikes? Ten Million lives will be saved at the cost of a mere million lives!"

Trigger rebuked, "You're a liar, Torres! You just wanna kill people in my home city!"

"Then indulge me, Student of the Grim Reaper…Demon Lord's Spawn?!"

Trigger was shocked, "Wh…what?!"

Torres laughed, "Oh yes, I know exactly who you are: you are the son of the hero of the Belkan War, trained by the Ace that sank my ship at Comberth Harbor! You have the ability to kill me and my crew, how is this different?!"

Trigger yelled, "Unlike you, I don't steal nuclear shells with the intent to use it on a populated city like the Belkans did! Unlike you, I do what must be done in combat and unlike you, I don't go rogue and commit a terrorist attack!"

"I have a powerful boat, a powerful gun and powerful ammunition with a precise aim! Sprinkle a little death and the formula is complete! Don't you see the beauty of what the Belkans did? Because of the deaths of 12,000 people, it ended the Belkan War and I intend to do the same with a larger body count!"

Trigger fired at the base of the cannon, causing some damage as he said,

"You're nothing more than a mass murderer and you will only end up escalating it! I'm not letting you get away, Torres!"

"Then truly indulge me once more, what makes you and I any different!? You're willing to kill the 300 men on this boat in order to save a million? How is that any different?!"

"I'll give you my answer and you will take that answer to the bottom of the sea!"

They soon saw Trigger go for one last pass at the Alicorn's rail cannon as they saw Trigger fire a missile at the base, damaging it before pulling the Kulbit that Prez mentioned as he fired his bombs at it before leveling out. The bombs struck as a big explosion occurred which caused the sub to drop back down. He announced,

"Rail Cannon destroyed!"

Skald yelled, "That's the stuff, Trigger!"

Húxiãn cheered, "Confirming explosion! That's it for the Rail Cannon!"

Lanza went, "Yeah baby!"

The Osean forces were cheering as a series of explosions occurred around the Alicorn as the insane cries/laughter was heard as Captain Torres said,

"Don't you see?! One Million! ONE MILLION LIVES! Hehehehehahahahaha!!"

Soon enough, Torres' radio signal was lost as the submarine blew up from the cannon itself - splitting the Alicorn in two and since Trigger was circling the submarine - he felt the shockwave from the explosion. Jaeger noticed,

"The Alicorn's hull is severely damaged…"

Trigger pointed out, "No, it's completely split in two!"

Húxiãn sighed, "He really pulled it off."

David stated, "And that's our final answer."

The kansen were relieved that the Alicorn was destroyed as they watched as the two halves of the sub slipped beneath the waves. Enterprise sighed,

"So that submarine nearly carried out a nuclear attack on his home city…due to the captain's radical philosophy."

Amagi realized, "Seeing it now…I am glad that they were able to stop him before he could carry out his attack."

Shinano noticed, "But I am more curious about Trigger's father since the Brigadier General and Captain Torres knew about him. But the question is how an Erusean Officer was able to obtain information about an Osean pilot?"

Enterprise figured, "Considering that Torres had agents on the inside, it's not impossible that they acquired the Commander's file from the military."

Little E said, "We're almost there…but Mr. North says a very inspiring poem."

After the Alicorn slipped beneath the waves, the submarine exploded underwater while the Rooster and Grebe, who were carrying survivors from the Seagull and Canary watched as the water from the explosion rained down on them.

As both Strider and Cyclops were in formation with Trigger in the middle, Jaeger reported seeing floating objects in the waves, but there's no doubt that anyone survived as Wiseman had confirmed that the operation was complete. That's when David spoke,

"There are some who send those around them to their doom,

Like Captain Matias Torres, who is the Devil Incarnate,

But there are others,

Others who show the way to everyone else.

Those who stand at the forefront to cast the light.

Those who follow them can't help but feel that they're in the right hands,

That they'll make it.

This is an era where there isn't a singular answer,

Like a quiz question.

The world awaits a hero to keep the torch aloft,

Banishing the darkness."

Amagi was impressed, "He's quite the poet."

Shinano took note of it, "It seems as if he was referring to Trigger's eventual rise as the one to follow."

Enterprise's mind was determining the meaning behind the analyst's words, "Trigger being a hero to bring Osea and Erusea back from the brink and now he's the one keeping the torch aloft for us!"

Soon enough, Long Caster announced that it's time to return to base and get some rest. He sighed,

"Oh man, finally time for some munchies." He asked someone, "Could you hand me the burger over there? Oh, and the knife and fork too, please."

This made the Eagle Union carrier chuckle, "Eating a burger with a knife and fork, that's something the Royal Navy would do."

Amagi noticed, "I see that you do have a sense of humor."

Little E spoke, "Mama is on her way." As Trigger and his plane made a dive for the water and pulled up, his wingmen followed him as they made a climb into the air as the Osean Patrol Aircraft and fleet cheered,

"We won!"

"They did it!"

"Yahoo!!!"

"Salute the Osean Big Shots!"

Everyone began chanting 'Big Shots' repeatedly as the Grebe's Captain asked,

"Can you hear these cheers? Don't tell me you can't hear them!"

Little E soon snapped her fingers as they were in the debriefing room as everyone was celebrating for a job well done, but grew surprised when Wiseman told them that their next mission is in 32 hours. After they cleared out, leaving only Trigger and Wiseman in the room with David on the line. The older man asked,

"Something wrong, son?"

Trigger sighed, "Everything I went through…at Anchorhead and now with my dad being mentioned. Clemens said that my dad is the Demon Lord of The Round Table, but I don't believe it and yet…"

"You believe those claims, don't you?"

"In all honesty, if I can talk to my dad now and get the truth I could…" He realized that he can and spoke with David,

"David, can you call up 'Beckett Motorsports?"

David noticed, "The motorcycle shop in town?"

"Yes, I need to speak to my father, Alexander Cross."

David stated, "I guess you need some closure after what you've been told. ALEX, get into contact with the bike shop"

The AI spoke, "The call is going forward, you may speak momentarily."

There was a brief pause as the ringing tone started until it was picked up as a woman's voice spoke,

"Hello, Beckett & Cross Motorsports, my name is Jennifer, how may I help you?"

Trigger asked, "Jen? Is that you?"

The woman recognized his voice, "Pat! I can't believe that you finally called! I haven't been able to get a call in since those idiots locked you up."

"They locked me away in a penal unit/suicide squadron when they scapegoated me with Harling's death. I wasn't even allowed a phone call because the commander was an asshole who only cared about himself."

Jen realized, "Wait…you got McKinsey!? That son of bitch was the definition of a glory hound."

Trigger asked, "You knew him?"

She sneered, "A friend of mine in the Air Force used to fly under him. He often stated that aside from his attitude towards his subordinates and his selfishness - McKinsey wouldn't allow any phone calls."

Trigger figured, "No wonder he was in command of the 444." He went to his reason for calling,

"I need to talk to Dad, it's about the questions we asked him about the Belkan War."

Jen asked, "Why?"

"I think Dad wasn't completely honest with us."

"I figured as much - I'll go get him."

Little E said, "That was Aunt Jen, Papa's sister."

Amagi noticed, "So his sister works at a motorcycle shop…"

Shinano stated, "More likely that his family owns the store, judging from the name."

Enterprise had no response as she continued to listen as a voice with experience spoke,

"Hey Pat, I'm glad you were able to call. But I suspect since Jen said it was a personal matter."

Trigger said, "I'm glad to call home as well and I'm sure those demonstrators didn't cause you trouble for the upcoming anniversary. But I need the truth because of my previous operations in Usea, the enemies I faced and a traitor that I uncovered all pointed to you as the Demon Lord. Is it true?"

There was a sigh of sadness as Trigger's dad said, "I knew this day would come…"

Both Trigger and Wiseman were confused as well as Jen, who stood with her father on the phone. The voice said,

"I've been trying to escape from this for 23 years. But it seems now that my past has caught up to me." He spoke to both of them, "Patrick, Jennifer, all those stories regarding my flights with the Galm Team - were not true."

Jen asked, "What do you mean?"

"I was a mercenary with the 6th Air Division. But I didn't fly alongside the 66th - I was a member of the 66th."

Trigger thought about this and figured, "You weren't just a member - you were the leader of the Galm Team. You're the Demon Lord of The Round Table!"

At that point, there was no way of lying to his son as Alexander Cross confessed, "It's true - I am the Demon Lord of The Round Table. I should've told you this before your mentor took you to the IUN flight school since he, too, knew my secret."

Silence fell between the family as Wiseman was holding in his shock that the Hero of the Belkan War was in fact Trigger's father.

Enterprise was shocked by this as she was constantly trying to rectify it, she knows that it's a dream, but these dreams had her look into Trigger's life from the sunny shores of Fort Grays, the cells of Zapland to the skies of New Arrows, she had witnessed his life because of her bond with him.

Shinano and Amagi shared that sentiment since the dream fox could traverse the dreams of others. As for the Battlecruiser, she is bound to Trigger and this caught her by surprise.

Alexander or more preferably - Cipher stated, "I don't know how they made the connection or if they acquired my file from Ustio, but I gave up my wings after Avalon…after my wingman died."

Trigger guessed, "Patrick James Beckett?"

"Yes. PJ was a member of the Crow Team before my previous wingman, Solo Wing Pixy turned on me when the bombs dropped. He soon became my wingman and he was the bravest pilot I have ever met. But on that day when he said that he was going to propose to your mother, I was happy…until Pixy arrived and…PJ died…I don't know if he died by the laser or it jammed his ejection seat, but after he crashed, my blood ran hot with vengeance. Your mother and I were saddened by this and a year later - we returned to Avalon to remember him and she was eight months pregnant with you."

Trigger asked, "And the shop?"

"PJ owned a motorcycle and traveled across Osea until he met a renowned OADF pilot who was about to retire. That inspired him to become a pilot. After he died, the bike was passed onto me and I decided that I didn't want to fly again. Using my earnings from my mercenary work, your mother and I moved to Oured and thanks to the support from PJ's family - we founded Beckett and Cross Motorsports. PJ's bike is on display at the shop along with a picture of him in remembrance of the Knight of Osea as I call him."

Little E spoke, "Grandpa is a legendary ace who gave up his wings because of what he had experienced. But that wasn't all…"

Trigger had a lingering question, "How did Mobius 1 know your secret?"

Cipher chuckled, "Aside from a visit to the store in 2003 before he returned to Usea to become the Grim Reaper - there's no law saying that he couldn't visit his older brother's store."

Trigger and Wiseman were surprised by this revelation. Afterwards, the scene shifted to an endless ocean as the kansen stood on the water. Little E said,

"The night is almost over and now you have an answer to Ms. Prez's question."

Big E knew that her daughter was right, the maneuvers that he pulled during the exercise coincided with him avoiding the EM Barriers during his strike in the rail cannon and the Kulbit was the final blow to the Alicorn. But now - there are secrets that would be shocking if it had gotten out. But it is true that the dream is coming to an end as she looked at Shinano and Amagi,

"This is where we part ways and awaken."

The Battlecruiser said, "I have no physical body of my own, but I will be watching from the Commander himself. The time will come when I can be reborn, but for the first part is stopping Red Axis and those mercenaries before they attempt to pull another Tokyo Incident."

Enterprise knew of this, "Due to Crimson 1's obsessed, yet collective thinking, he will try to take us down conventionally. We stop him before he stops us."

Shinano nodded, "Then I guess it's time for us to wake up. I hope none of the Iron Blood girls have troubled the Commander."

Soon enough, the two kansen awoke as Amagi returned to Trigger's body.

---

Azur Lane HQ

Commander's Quarters

December 21st, 2019

0650 hrs

As the morning sun entered the windows of the bedroom, Trigger had finished a good night's rest despite going through that flash of the Alicorn yesterday. But in the end, there was still a war going on and he needed to be well-rested in order to command his fleet and his squadron. As he shifted over to his left as his eyes slowly opened, he thought he saw something next to him because his vision was a bit blurry due to sleep. But when it cleared out, he saw the seductive face of a silver haired shipgirl with a single red streak in her hair.

She was only wearing a bra and panties as she lay next to him with his Aviator Jacket barely covering her shoulders. He was shocked and silent as the Iron Blood Kansen, Prinz Eugen smiled and said,

"You are so cute when you sleep, Kommandant."

At that moment, the whole base was woken up by a shocked yelp from the Commander's room.

---

A/N: And that's a wrap!

The Hunt for the Alicorn was revealed and it also shows that Trigger's family is from Oured and owns a motorcycle shop in the city. The motorcycle was a reference to PJ's backstory where he owned a bike before becoming a pilot.

It's also revealed that Trigger's dad is Cipher, the Hero of the Belkan War.

I used the F-15E Strike Eagle for Anchorhead because I already established from High Roller that Trigger used an F-15, but never established which model.

So the next chapter would follow the aftermath of this incident as a message comes in.

But until then…Nighthawk Out!