Ace Combat: Broken Line (IC/Open)

[The United Federation of Terrans]

1st Lieutenant Jason Murphy
Koga AFB

Somethings never change Murphy thought to himself as he finished signing the last form and watched the paper disappear into the organized chaos of a nearby filing cabinet. Murphy gave the enlisted clerk a mumbled thanks as he picked his helmet off the desk and left with a form in hand to his assigned quarters. However, as Murphy walked to the living quarters, the smell of food wafted into his nostrils and he unconsciously turned towards it as his stomach growled. That was how he found himself tearing into a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup, it seemed though they weren't serving an actual meal, the dining facilities were used to the appearance of pilots looking for a quick meal. Murphy was conscious of the fact he still was clad in his olive drab flight suit and survival vest, but he had been assured that fresh clothes were waiting in his assigned quarters and a few more minutes in the clothing were nothing after the hours he had spent in it.

The hungry pilot wondered in the back of his mind where the pilots were for the numerous aircraft he had seen crowded in the hangars with mechanics swarming them. Deciding that he would meet them eventually, he finished off the last of his soup with a loud slurp, handed his tray across the mess hall counter and left with his helmet towards the barracks. Murphy entered into the building and was confronted with a problem as he realized that he had never been told where he had been assigned; and that the form he had stowed in his left thigh pocket only told him that he had been assigned housing.

[Armellenia]

Wulf admired the landscape around him as him and his new Skyhawk neared what was soon to be his new home base. The aircraft looked beautiful, at least in his eyes- a recently upgraded A-4SU in flat olive green and emblazoned with a recreation of a snake which adorned some Belkan dive bomber, or "stuka," in years past, the picture of which he first spotted in an aviation magazine during his youth.

It couldn't get any better, except for the fact that he owed the Dorusians another two million for full ownership of the Skyhawk. And just like last time he was late to the party at least by an entire sortie. But he couldn't let that get him down- for God's sake he was finally out of Belka and back into the ground-pounding business with mercenaries, some even said to have served with him in South Sotoa. It was sort of a shame, though, that the aircraft he flew now wasn't as pleasing to the eye as his old A-4M Skyhawk II. That being said, it was also faster and better equipped. The only thing he currently retained from the South Sotoan conflict was a somewhat battered flight helmet with the faded silhouette of a coiled snake and "SERPENT- BLOOD TYPE O+" depicted on it.

Finally, the runway of Koga AFB appeared in front of him, snapping him out of his daze. He slowed down to a speed which he deemed appropriate for landing before a message from the tower boomed into his earpiece.

<<Unidentified Aircraft, Koga ATC. Identify yourself immediately.>>

He leaned back momentarily before finally speaking to the tower.

"Yeah, this is Serpent, I'm here to report to the 13th."

After a pause, the tower responded to his message.

<<Roger, Serpent. You are cleared for landing.>>

As his aircraft touched down on the runway, he was reminded once again of the first time he was deployed with a mercenary squadron so many years ago. He patiently waited as his aircraft finally slowed down for the first time in about nine hours and then taxied into a parking spot near the other mercenaries' aircraft. Sliding his canopy back, he took a deep breath of the fresh air of a foreign country that he had never been too yet was now fighting for.

Climbing out of his cockpit and off the wing, he made his way towards the administrative area where he had the priviledge of signing a bunch of releases, papers et cetera until he could finally be given his theoretical license to kill.

[Empire of Donner land]

Capt. Aleksei Tallow “Null”
12:34 September 18, 1992 // Koga Airbase, Seian

Null continued, pacing a bit as he did. “Long story short, we don’t know who fired first on the ground, but we do know who fired the opening shots in the sky. Now, I don’t blame you, any of you, we were just following orders, but from an outside perspective we were the aggressors. But there’s little we can do now. What’s done is done. The military drills are likely to be suspended, and as such the squadron will no longer be conducting patrols while the politicians try to sort this mess out. You all will be held for the remaining number of days per your contract, but for all intent and purpose we’re done here. That’s all I had to say. Dismissed.”

After the briefing Knot stoof up slowly, after all that they were just going to throw them away? A dead Ace and multiple other craft destroyed in a matter of just minutes and they were, for all intensive purposes, fired? "Bullshit." she said under her breath in anger and clenching her hands into fists. She walked up to Null afterwards "So thats it? We're done? Even if Haruna took a hit from those Beiarusia fucks!?"

[Rupudska]

Leaving the barracks area Garret headed out to see if there was a bus station or something that lead into town where he could get those things, and maybe a get well token for that young girl that got shot up during the mission. He spotted someone from the squadron loitering about the area too, he recognized her as one of the Seianese nationals who joined the squadron and tried to flag her down. He couldn't recall her name or moniker but during the morning briefing she had mentioned her rank was captain, "Excuse me. Captain? Uhm, kon'nichiwa," though not pronounced entirely wrong the word was awkwardly handled coming out of Garret's mouth.

Shinobu turned around at the voice of Major Jones, just as she was opening the door of her hachi-roku Corolla. She internally winced at his bungling of her native language, but it was better than most foreigners not in immediate proximity to Seian. And Seianese was difficult to begin with, with no languages even distantly related to it. So his bungling was tolerable.

"Kon'nichi wa, Shōsa. Did you want to ask me something?"

[Tayner]

Murphy entered into the building and was confronted with a problem as he realized that he had never been told where he had been assigned; and that the form he had stowed in his left thigh pocket only told him that he had been assigned housing.

Lieutenant Dan
Gunny
Koga AFB

A nice clean landing was made and the S-3 Viking was piloted to it's temporary hangar. Joker went off to the mess hall, and Dan finished up taking care of his aircraft, even folding up the wings. The Viking was designed for an aircraft carrier, so it was supposed to be compact. Instead of going straight to the mess hall, he just stopped by his bunk and changed into some blue jeans and a white short sleeve T-shirt, his North Point Air Guard ball cap, and his trusty mirror aviator sunglasses. He went attend the meeting when he noticed another mercenary aircraft pull in. After the meeting, Dan returned to the bunks, and saw a new pilot, probably the one he saw pull in earlier in a Harrier, looked a little lost.

"Hey, you seem a little late. You missed the first, and last mission. Apparently the Major fucked up and we're paying for it. I'm Lieutenant Dan, you need some help finding your bunk?"

[Relikai]

Shinden was eating the meal which Angel brought her, sushi and gyoza, from the Saienese counter. Knowing that she could only use one arm, Angel has chosen food which could be picked up by a set of chopsticks, which Shinden appreciated. Her favourite foods, Angel could see the smile on the rookie's face as she tasted the sweet juices of the fried dumplings, the taste of the raw fish and rice, with some wasabi and shoyu sauce added.

Just as the doctor left while leaving some painkillers behind, Liora, the red-haired girl who was just slightly taller than Shinden, the one from Levant, made her appearance. Shinden looked up to see Liora wearing a worried look, one of remorse.

"I just wanted to apologize for letting this happen," Liora said. "I was supposed to be your cover. I got one bandit off you, but I should have been looking for the asshole who got you, and I'm sorry for that."

"No.... no." Shinden replied as she placed her chopsticks on the side, taking Liora's hand with her uninjured arm. "It's okay, you did what you could. I was careless too, my first sortie, and this..." Wincing as the morphine wore off, Shinden kept up her smile as he looked at Liora. Her first squadron mates, visiting her while she was wounded. Not like Shinden would not do the same, but it was reassuring to her that people actually acknowledged her. Being the introvert she was, Shinden always had trouble making friends, and the 'enthusiastic' tag that the wore would probably be something that she'll have to grow into. Being an introvert forever won't get her many friends.

But was it worth it to make friends out of everyone in a line where people get killed or wounded more often than not? Shinden shook the thought away, as she looked at her squadron mate.

"Also, I saw you take down one of them. How'd you like my assist?" Shinden teased with a wink.

[Beiarusia]

Capt. Aleksei Tallow “Null”
Koga Airbase, Seian

Null watched as the briefing room emptied. A few were missing, Haruna included, and of those present more than a couple seemed bitter at the news. Angel, eager to be off, gave a quick nod in farewell and joined the others in the hallway before sprinting off to who knows where. Null was about to leave as well when Knot came up to him.

"So that's it? We're done? Even if Haruna took a hit from those Beiarusia fucks!?"

He looked to the pilot, her blood near to boiling it would seem. She had a right to be upset, but alas Null’s hands were tied. “Our job’s done. It’s gonna be weeks, maybe months before the politicians sort this mess out, and until then I doubt the higher ups want us anywhere near the border. I know Haruna took a hit out there, but she made it back alive. I’m glad you care, but sometimes you just have to accept the orders handed down to you. Mercenary or not you’re still a soldier.

“You’ll get paid for your time even if we don’t sortie. So get out there and make friends. Even mercs can benefit from having friends out in this world. Me and Angel will be heading back when this is done and over, but Haruna could use someone to keep an eye out for her, and likewise you can’t go it alone. This is your family now. Get the most of it while you can.”

The words felt awkward but sincere. Then again Null was not one to normally be put in this position. He wasn’t a leader until just today, and while he had said what he thought the woman needed to hear he wasn’t entirely sure if it had been his place to do so.

Regardless what said was said and there was nothing to do but move on. A final nod to the woman and Null took his exit. Some minor work to take care of and then maybe an evening spent in the lounge. After this morning he could use a break.

[The United Federation of Terrans]

"Hey, you seem a little late. You missed the first, and last mission. Apparently the Major fucked up and we're paying for it. I'm Lieutenant Dan, you need some help finding your bunk?"

1st Lieutenant Jason Murphy
Koga AFB
The offer came as a surprise because of the man's sudden appearance and the fact that his job would be over before it even began. The disappointment that he felt at having come all this way for nothing was replaced with an urge to get into a bed and sleep. If worse came to worse he could wheedle a tank of av-gas from the base and head out to wherever the next border skirmish was.

"Thanks Lieutenant, bastards told me I had a bunk but forgot to tell me where it was." Murphy said as he stifled a yawn and stuck out his right hand to the other pilot. Murphy realized he must have looked rather haggard as he had received this job offer after two weeks in a temporary airstrip in the Aurelian wilderness. His face was beginning to spout stubble, his buzzcutted mohawk had started to grow out as his originally clean shaven sides began to regrow; he wore dark rings around his eyes and his eyes saw nothing more then what was in front of him at the moment. "Murphy, Jason. Just transferred in."

[Armellenia]

After asserting that he was indeed Wulf Hetzenauer and that he was to join the 13th, which took a suprising amount of paperwork, Wulf decided to explore the base, get the lay of the land, and buy a few boxes of cigars, probably from the neighboring town if he could get a ride.

But first, he headed off to the bunks to dump all of his personal objects off at what would be his home for the rest of this contract and possibly meet some of the other pilots; apparently, they had just conducted a mission, which would explain why the ATC responded so quickly at the arrival of Wulf's A-4. It might do him good if he learned a little bit about what the 13th was up against in terms of technology and pilots.

[Beiarusia]

2nd Lt. Mitsuko Kimura “Angel”

Angel hadn’t been up for a meal. Instead she had sat by while Haruna ate, talking and generally being friendly with the younger woman. Haruna seemed a bit withdrawn but Angel more than made up for that with her cheeriness.

It wasn’t long after the doctor had left that another pilot, Panther, entered the room. She had hesitated upon seeing that Haruna was not alone, but this pause was only slight as she soon took a seat across the bed. She apologized for not having her squadmates’ back and seemed to be beating herself up over the whole ordeal. Angel had been a bit upset originally, but now it was in the past.

"Also, I saw you take down one of them. How'd you like my assist?"

Haruna opened up a bit, trying to lighten the mood.

“You definitely assisted with the second guy. Too busy with you to see me coming,” Angel added with a grin, already to the point of joking about the encounter. “Think he landed a good deal away from the highway. Probably had to walk back to base.”

[Tayner]

"Hey, you seem a little late. You missed the first, and last mission. Apparently the Major fucked up and we're paying for it. I'm Lieutenant Dan, you need some help finding your bunk?"

1st Lieutenant Jason Murphy
Koga AFB
The offer came as a surprise because of the man's sudden appearance and the fact that his job would be over before it even began.

"Thanks Lieutenant, bastards told me I had a bunk but forgot to tell me where it was." Murphy said as he stifled a yawn and stuck out his right hand to the other pilot. "Murphy, Jason."

Second Lieutenant Dan
Gunny
Koga AFB
"Nice to meet you Murphy. Sorry to sneak up on you like that. I don't think anyone is using that bunk over there. It's not like you're going to get in trouble because you didn't use a certain bunk. Hell, I don't think anyone can get in much more trouble. Apparently we shot first so we ruined some politican's day. We get paid to sit on our hands for the rest of our contract from here, unless something really bad happens on the border. So, looks like you get it good. A paid vacation courtesy of the Siean Government. One of our own got hurt pretty bad on the last sortie, but she'll be fine. More that I can say than her aircraft though. But that's enough about that, I probably sound like a grandma babbling on like this. What brought you to the 13th?"

[The United Federation of Terrans]

1st Lieutenant Jason Murphy
Koga AFB
The offer came as a surprise because of the man's sudden appearance and the fact that his job would be over before it even began.

"Thanks Lieutenant, bastards told me I had a bunk but forgot to tell me where it was." Murphy said as he stifled a yawn and stuck out his right hand to the other pilot. "Murphy, Jason."

Second Lieutenant Dan
Gunny
Koga AFB
"Nice to meet you Murphy. Sorry to sneak up on you like that. I don't think anyone is using that bunk over there. It's not like you're going to get in trouble because you didn't use a certain bunk. Hell, I don't think anyone can get in much more trouble. Apparently we shot first so we ruined some politican's day. We get paid to sit on our hands for the rest of our contract from here, unless something really bad happens on the border. So, looks like you get it good. A paid vacation courtesy of the Siean Government. One of our own got hurt pretty bad on the last sortie, but she'll be fine. More that I can say than her aircraft though. But that's enough about that, I probably sound like a grandma babbling on like this. What brought you to the 13th?"

1st Lieutenant Jason Murphy
Koga AFB

"Maybe I'll tell you the whole story later but I was discharged from the Usean air force and I've been fighting in brushfires since then. My last one must have caught someone's attention because I got a very nice paycheck promising more if I came here." Murphy said as he entered the mentioned bunk and continued talking to Dan as he stripped away his flight gear and suit in favor of a pair of unmarked Siean fatigues. " Been flying since yesterday to get here."

Murphy stopped his short story as he exited the bunk to talk to Dan. While the bunk seemed to call him towards its scratchy embrace, Murphy felt an obligation to at least make some small talk.
"What about you? You come for the fortune or fame?"

[Tayner]

Second Lieutenant Dan
Gunny
Koga AFB
"Nice to meet you Murphy. Sorry to sneak up on you like that. I don't think anyone is using that bunk over there. It's not like you're going to get in trouble because you didn't use a certain bunk. Hell, I don't think anyone can get in much more trouble. Apparently we shot first so we ruined some politican's day. We get paid to sit on our hands for the rest of our contract from here, unless something really bad happens on the border. So, looks like you get it good. A paid vacation courtesy of the Siean Government. One of our own got hurt pretty bad on the last sortie, but she'll be fine. More that I can say than her aircraft though. But that's enough about that, I probably sound like a grandma babbling on like this. What brought you to the 13th?"

1st Lieutenant Jason Murphy
Koga AFB

"Maybe I'll tell you the whole story later but I was discharged from the Usean air force and I've been fighting in brushfires since then. My last one must have caught someone's attention because I got a very nice paycheck promising more if I came here." Murphy said as he entered the mentioned bunk and continued talking to Dan as he stripped away his flight gear and suit in favor of a pair of unmarked Siean fatigues. " Been flying since yesterday to get here."

Murphy stopped his short story as he exited the bunk to talk to Dan. While th bunk seemed to call him forward, Murphy felt an obligation to at least make some small talk.
"What about you? You come for the fortune or fame?"

Second Lieutenant Dan
Gunny
Koga AFB

"It was the fortune of raining hell on some poor fool. You see, I'm an attack pilot. People think dogfights and stuff like that is cool, but me, I personally love flying over some jeep, hitting a button, and having the jeep no longer be a problem to the guys on the ground. I suppose the free supplies and cushy paycheck promised by the 13th was more the reason to join up. Yeah, I was in the North Point Air Guard, but my father had other plans. Well, long story short, I'm not in the NPAF anymore and I'm here instead, flying around with enough munitions to destroy a battalion sized force." Dan said. "Might as well make a few friends on the way." He finished.

[Relikai]

“You definitely assisted with the second guy. Too busy with you to see me coming,” Angel added with a grin, already to the point of joking about the encounter. “Think he landed a good deal away from the highway. Probably had to walk back to base.”

"A long... long walk back home." Shinden replied with a smile. For all the tales she heard about strict discipline and military life, being a mercenary seemed to have these shifted aside. Thanks to the efforts of her squadron mates, Shinden now wore a genuine smile on her face. Praeses, Angel and Panther, these were the first few she'd know in her squadron.

"Thanks... how's the other people in the base?" Shinden asked as the two ladies pulled chairs to sit. "From what I observed, there might be guys checking you two out." She teased. Teasing, and being teased, Shinden somehow kept this slightly playful aspect of her throughout her life. She didn't mind being teased, although she does get embarrassed easily.

[Empire of Donner land]

Capt. Aleksei Tallow “Null”
Koga Airbase, Seian

"So that's it? We're done? Even if Haruna took a hit from those Beiarusia fucks!?"

He looked to the pilot, her blood near to boiling it would seem. She had a right to be upset, but alas Null’s hands were tied. “Our job’s done. It’s gonna be weeks, maybe months before the politicians sort this mess out, and until then I doubt the higher ups want us anywhere near the border. I know Haruna took a hit out there, but she made it back alive. I’m glad you care, but sometimes you just have to accept the orders handed down to you. Mercenary or not you’re still a soldier.

“You’ll get paid for your time even if we don’t sortie. So get out there and make friends. Even mercs can benefit from having friends out in this world. Me and Angel will be heading back when this is done and over, but Haruna could use someone to keep an eye out for her, and likewise you can’t go it alone. This is your family now. Get the most of it while you can.”

Knot thought about the words for a moment as he walked out and she was the only one in the breifing room. She never really was the social type of Person, she even came across a little hostile. She would have to get used to this new "Family" no matter how professional she tried to be though she respected her Squadron Mates no matter what if they earned it and so far they had. Amabel walked out of the briefing room and outside unsure of what to do next. She had never been in one of these kind of Squadrons, it was weird in a way how close they were because it had always been just a buisness as a Mercanary. She was never the most popular person because of that due to her social skills.

She walked outside and proceeded to the mess hall, she needed something to drink and needed to calm herself down from her anger. She hadnt been here for more than a week and they were already grounded. She drank a cup of water, not particularly liking Coffee or Tea. She looked around and noticed a familiar face from this morning. It was Joker, who flew with Gunny in the S-3 Viking. She decided to visit taking advantage of what Null told him. She would atleast try.

Amabel walked up to Joker holding her Glass of Water. "Hey, You're Joker right? You fly with Dan in the Viking." she said greeting the man.

[Armellenia]

Wulf carried his duffle into the bunkhouse, found an empty bunk, and threw himself down, tired from the eleven hour flight. He noticed two other pilots talking when he entered, and considered asking them how the last mission if he got around to it. For the present he busied himself unpacking his items as well as taking off his flight suit. During the unpacking, he withdrew two small flags, those of Belka and South Sotoa, and hung them up at the end of his bunk; in the case of Belka's colors, he was by no means a Nationalist, but the Belkan flag, despite being one of a nation which didn't exactly stand for freedom or good, was still that of Wulf's home. The flag of SoSo was a war trophy of sorts that he picked up during his tour, and although the country wasn't perfect and should have only been a contract for Wulf, it grew on him.

And so Wulf went about his business of unpacking, a cold beer from the commissary on his mind.

[The United Federation of Terrans]

1st Lieutenant Jason Murphy
Koga AFB

"Maybe I'll tell you the whole story later but I was discharged from the Usean air force and I've been fighting in brushfires since then. My last one must have caught someone's attention because I got a very nice paycheck promising more if I came here." Murphy said as he entered the mentioned bunk and continued talking to Dan as he stripped away his flight gear and suit in favor of a pair of unmarked Siean fatigues. " Been flying since yesterday to get here."

Murphy stopped his short story as he exited the bunk to talk to Dan. While th bunk seemed to call him forward, Murphy felt an obligation to at least make some small talk.
"What about you? You come for the fortune or fame?"

Second Lieutenant Dan
Gunny
Koga AFB

"It was the fortune of raining hell on some poor fool. You see, I'm an attack pilot. People think dogfights and stuff like that is cool, but me, I personally love flying over some jeep, hitting a button, and having the jeep no longer be a problem to the guys on the ground. I suppose the free supplies and cushy paycheck promised by the 13th was more the reason to join up. Yeah, I was in the North Point Air Guard, but my father had other plans. Well, long story short, I'm not in the NPAF anymore and I'm here instead, flying around with enough munitions to destroy a battalion sized force." Dan said. "Might as well make a few friends on the way." He finished.

1st Lieutenant Jason Murphy
Koga AFB

"Well nice meeting you Dan, but if you don't mind just got off a 22 hour hop with my harrier and I need to rack out." Murphy said before saying goodbye to Dan and closing the door. Turning the pilot fell onto the bed and relished the feeling of something soft that wasn't the fabric of his seat cover. Sleep came soon after, washing over him and taking him into a black space where nothing existed.

******************

The sense of falling awoke Murphy first as he flailed his limbs shortly before he hit the floor; while uninjured and awake he lay there breathing heavily as if stunned before finally pulling himself off the ground. Looking at the clock nearby Murphy saw that he had slept for a little over an hour. Grumbling, to himself the pilot rooted through the room's footlocker and withdrew a bag of standard toiletries which he took with him as he exited the room to use the barrack's bathroom. Once there Murphy went through the process of shaving the stubble from his cheeks and with the help of a straight razor and scissors began the shave the hair from the side of his head and reclaim the short buzz cut he kept his mohawk in.

[Tayner]

"Well nice meeting you Dan, but if you don't mind just got off a 22 hour hop with my harrier and I need to rack out."

Second Lieutenant Dan
Gunny
Koga AFB

"Yeah, no problem. Nice to meet a fellow squadron mate while I still can. With my luck, the entire Beiarusian Air Force will try to take air superiority over us tomorrow, and I literally can't fight against another plane. See ya later." Dan said and then returned to his bunk, and going through his things. He didn't have much, just his flight gear, his North Point Dress Uniform, some civilian clothes, toiletrie items, a picture of him and his family, and a North Point flag. He looked trough the desk, and the previous inhabitant of this room was kind enough to leave some thumb tacks behind. Dan hung the flag over his bed, and placed the framed picture on his desk, and decided to grab a nap to sleep off his day's work.

---

"Hey, You're Joker right? You fly with Dan in the Viking." she said greeting the man.

Jeff Moreau
Joker
Koga AFB

"Yes ma'am" Joker said, trying to be respectful. He was never good at first impressions so he would at least try to be nice before his brain would find a way to screw him over. "You're uhh, Knot. Thanks for covering Dan and me out there. Had you not been with us, well, I'd probably be hitching a ride with the allied ground forces back to base." Joker said, and then took a sip of whatever the local soda was. Dr. Polo or something like that.

[Empire of Donner land]

"Well nice meeting you Dan, but if you don't mind just got off a 22 hour hop with my harrier and I need to rack out."

"Hey, You're Joker right? You fly with Dan in the Viking." she said greeting the man.

Jeff Moreau
Joker
Koga AFB

"Yes ma'am" Joker said, trying to be respectful. He was never good at first impressions so he would at least try to be nice before his brain would find a way to screw him over. "You're uhh, Knot. Thanks for covering Dan and me out there. Had you not been with us, well, I'd probably be hitching a ride with the allied ground forces back to base." Joker said, and then took a sip of whatever the local soda was. Dr. Polo or something like that.

"It was my job, dont mention it." She said taking a seat infront of him. "My name on the ground is Amabel. Amabel Allard. Nice to meet you." She said placing her glass on the table. The place was abuzz with chatter, no doubt some of it concerning Morena Squadron and their casuality and grounding. "How did you and Dan meet?" she asked trying to make conversation.

[Tayner]

Jeff Moreau
Joker
Koga AFB

"Yes ma'am" Joker said, trying to be respectful. He was never good at first impressions so he would at least try to be nice before his brain would find a way to screw him over. "You're uhh, Knot. Thanks for covering Dan and me out there. Had you not been with us, well, I'd probably be hitching a ride with the allied ground forces back to base." Joker said, and then took a sip of whatever the local soda was. Dr. Polo or something like that.

"It was my job, dont mention it." She said taking a seat infront of him. "My name on the ground is Amabel. Amabel Allard. Nice to meet you." She said placing her glass on the table. The place was abuzz with chatter, no doubt some of it concerning Morena Squadron and their casuality and grounding. "How did you and Dan meet?" she asked trying to make conversation.

Jeff Moreau
Joker
Koga AFB

"Well, I go by joker mostly everywhere." He said after learning Amabel's name. "Well, we met in some Air Force bar in Sapin, my home country. I was about to graduate college then, and I think Dan was in the middle of his North Point Air Force career. We were instantly good friends. Well, I graduated and went to flight school, and did pretty good, but for some reason I was rejected by the military, and Dan ended his NPAF career, so we met up again and started flying together. What brought you to the 13th squadron?" Joker replied trying to make small talk.

[Independent States of Tula]

2nd Lieutenant Vladimir Tula
Leaving Tokage River Valley Airspace, Entering Koga AFB Airspace

Vladimir was one of the last to land, he'd gotten further away from his comrades in that last dogfight then he'd anticipated, still though his fuel reserves didn't fail him at least. As he landed it was impossible for him to not see the heavily damaged aircraft at the end of the runway, while he was curious about whether or not the young Shinden had succeeded in living or not he didn't let it bother him too much, death was part of their job description after all. However one thing that did catch his attention greatly was a woman exiting her Mirage jet as Vladimir taxied by, her brilliant red hair and pretty face despite all that had happened today caught the corner of Vladimir's eye.

"Hmm...I'll need to hit you up later Panther." Vladimir stated to himself.

After the ground crews had gotten him set back up in his hanger Vladimir proceeded to the briefing room for the debrief...the news was less than...ideal. The news that their jobs were about to be terminated irritated the living hell out of Vladimir, still he knew he had 300k coming his way from that mission with the 200k in bounties so things weren't too bad in his mind.

'The Beiarusians will probably need pilots soon, maybe I can see if they'll accept me. Money is money after all.' Vladimir thought to himself as he left the briefing room with a neutral look on his face, he'd take things with a grain of salt for now.

Getting back to the barracks Vladimir made sure to shower and dress into something else. The new attire he chose was a pair of black combat boots, military woodland camo cargo pants with a belt, and a tucked in black tee-shirt that complimented Vladimir's athletic body. That was one thing he enjoyed, his physical shape, he felt it made up for his slightly below average stature. He was 170cm or 5'7" in some measurements, or in other words 7cm or 3 inches shorter than the average. Also adding to Vladimir's attire was his Mk VII Desert Eagle in its holster, on his right hip, it was a dull black to avoid glare in the sunlight and had been custom made for Vladimir's grip on the handle and a smoother action and slide, Vladimir had bought it back when he smuggled cargo around in his less than legal flying days, he'd gotten it for one simple reason...FMJ .50 AE was a cop killer, it could even penetrate Level IIIA armor. Vladimir had learned this first hand during an escape of his from a nosy Belkan Customs Officer. Vladimir frowned at that memory, he now knew from personal experience that killing was so much cleaner up in the sky rather than on the ground.

With his attire set up Vladimir made his way to the base's canteen, he walked over to the bar and took a seat on a stool before looking to the bartender and saying "Rum and coke please, need a little depressant to counter all this adrenaline."

[SaintB]

Leaving the barracks area Garret headed out to see if there was a bus station or something that lead into town where he could get those things, and maybe a get well token for that young girl that got shot up during the mission. He spotted someone from the squadron loitering about the area too, he recognized her as one of the Seianese nationals who joined the squadron and tried to flag her down. He couldn't recall her name or moniker but during the morning briefing she had mentioned her rank was captain, "Excuse me. Captain? Uhm, kon'nichiwa," though not pronounced entirely wrong the word was awkwardly handled coming out of Garret's mouth.

Shinobu turned around at the voice of Major Jones, just as she was opening the door of her hachi-roku Corolla. She internally winced at his bungling of her native language, but it was better than most foreigners not in immediate proximity to Seian. And Seianese was difficult to begin with, with no languages even distantly related to it. So his bungling was tolerable.

"Kon'nichi wa, Shōsa. Did you want to ask me something?"

"Yes. I wanted to get into town and was curious if you knew if there is a bus station or shuttle. I'm not very good at reading Seianese calligraphy and didn't want to take a chance that I may accidentally stand outside of a woman's restroom waiting for the noon ride. Tried to get a cab a couple days ago but the dispatch at the cab company didn't speak enough Osean for me to hire a cab." he said with a helpless shrug.

The dispatch did know enough to tell him to go fuck himself but Garret decided to leave that part out. Someday he'd just pass by their office and jettison an empty fuel tank if they ever got in the air again. The thought of not getting back in the air again any time soon was a bummer but he didn't mind sitting around the airbase talking to Yuri and Aiden about the glory days for 100k a week either. Even though the captain was standing right next to a car it never occurred to the major to bum a ride from this stranger.

[The United Remnants of America]

"One could say I'm trying to pay off an old debt. Mostly now though, I'm just trying to earn enough to keep me alive and keep me going though, that debt is so old I doubt I'm even relevant to the person I owe it to anymore. How about you? Where do you come from?" The 37 year old pilot turned to regard his wingmate, there had been some doubt in his mind before the fight that they were all going to survive and he'd braced himself for that. However, he perhaps along with many others inside and outside of the squadron, registered surprise in the end of it all noting no casualties and a 80%+ casualty rate for the enemy. Looking down at his watch, he noted that they had likely already missed the briefing, so he just made himself comfortable as he entered a dialogue with Frosty.

Frosty took a long pull on his cold beer, nodding while he drank. It was impossible to tell whether he was mulling over how to answer Pearsohn's question, whether he was thinking about the the man had said, of whether he was just an idiot nodding along. The real answer was most likely some combination of the three.

"Well, I'm not from 'round 'ere. Ya ever 'ear of Perfanesia? Great lil' country down under. Small, quiet, relaxed, everythin' ya like. That's where I lived 'n' where I learn'ta fly. S'pretty peaceful down there, though. Not much'n the way'a conflict, y'know?" Frosty took a rest and took another gulp of the beer. A quick thought told him they'd probably be late or end up missing the debriefing altogether at this point, but Frosty could care less. A drink was more important.

"As for why I still fly? Well, I gotta family, mate. Wife 'n' kid. Gotta keep the missus and the lad fed and clothed somehow, 'm I right? By God, do I miss 'em, though..." Frosty nodded again, his eyes staring off, briefly lost in thought. He was no doubt thinking of his family, his loved ones whom he worked to ake money for. Years ago, he'd found peace within himself in the fact that he killed for money, money that he then used to support his family. While some would be troubled by that prospect, Aiden found it simple: If you didn't get paid to kill, someone else was going to do it instead, so it might as well be you.

[Rupudska]

"Yes. I wanted to get into town and was curious if you knew if there is a bus station or shuttle. I'm not very good at reading Seianese calligraphy and didn't want to take a chance that I may accidentally stand outside of a woman's restroom waiting for the noon ride. Tried to get a cab a couple days ago but the dispatch at the cab company didn't speak enough Osean for me to hire a cab." he said with a helpless shrug.

The dispatch did know enough to tell him to go fuck himself but Garret decided to leave that part out. Someday he'd just pass by their office and jettison an empty fuel tank if they ever got in the air again. The thought of not getting back in the air again any time soon was a bummer but he didn't mind sitting around the airbase talking to Yuri and Aiden about the glory days for 100k a week either. Even though the captain was standing right next to a car it never occurred to the major to bum a ride from this stranger.

Shinobu smiled despite herself. Garret may have been a good pilot, but he seemed to be as dense as a lead brick.

"I actually happen to be driving into town myself. If you would like, I would be happy to take you with me."

[SaintB]

"Yes. I wanted to get into town and was curious if you knew if there is a bus station or shuttle. I'm not very good at reading Seianese calligraphy and didn't want to take a chance that I may accidentally stand outside of a woman's restroom waiting for the noon ride. Tried to get a cab a couple days ago but the dispatch at the cab company didn't speak enough Osean for me to hire a cab." he said with a helpless shrug.

The dispatch did know enough to tell him to go fuck himself but Garret decided to leave that part out. Someday he'd just pass by their office and jettison an empty fuel tank if they ever got in the air again. The thought of not getting back in the air again any time soon was a bummer but he didn't mind sitting around the airbase talking to Yuri and Aiden about the glory days for 100k a week either. Even though the captain was standing right next to a car it never occurred to the major to bum a ride from this stranger.

Shinobu smiled despite herself. Garret may have been a good pilot, but he seemed to be as dense as a lead brick.

"I actually happen to be driving into town myself. If you would like, I would be happy to take you with me."

That was probably a better idea, "Well I didn't want to impose but that is the best idea isn't it? I accept but let me pay for petrol or something if you need it alright? To say thank you."
Once seated he would offer a handshake, "I'm Garret. I never caught your name during the briefings just the rank."