November 7th
08:30 Hours
Petrichor Air Force Base – Flight Line
The ramp was still. Silent.
The Wolfsbane Squadron had returned from Charybdis two days earlier, flying back from mainland Fontaine after a tense operation—and a hellish debrief. Tensions were still thick in the air from the accusations tied to the attack on Natlan's Tepecac Engineering College.
Emilie stood at a distance, arms folded tightly across her chest, watching a crew of mechanics swarm her F-14A. Their focus: the starboard Pratt & Whitney TF30 turbofan. The same engine that had nearly quit on her during the final moments of the Marcotte International operation.
Among the mechanics was the base's head crew chief—Kaeya Alberich.
After a few minutes, Kaeya and his team refitted the lower engine cowling and began torquing down the bolts. Emilie stepped in, her boots thudding against the concrete.
Kaeya glanced over his shoulder, wiping his hands with a grease-streaked rag.
Emilie spoke first.
"So, Kaeya? What's the verdict?"
He smirked. "Good news. She's still in peak condition. No signs of damage to the core—looks like you scared her more than she scared you."
Emilie let out a long breath of relief.
"Thank the skies…"
Kaeya nodded. "You got lucky. But maybe ease off the high alpha maneuvers at low speed, yeah?"
Emilie scratched the back of her head, chuckling.
"I didn't exactly have a choice out there—but yeah, lesson learned. I'll try not to give you guys a heart attack next time."
She glanced over at the exhaust nozzle.
"Especially if it means avoiding an engine replacement."
Kaeya snorted. "Exactly. Besides, it's like I always say—pilots and crew chiefs, we keep each other flying."
Emilie gave a nod. "Couldn't have said it better myself."
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She checked it and sighed.
"Time to move. Got a new op today."
Kaeya waved her off. "We'll give your bird one final once-over before launch. You just focus on keeping her in the air."
Emilie winked. "Appreciate it, Kaeya."
She turned and walked off toward the main building, stepping through the dim corridors of Petrichor until she reached the briefing room. Ayaka was already there, seated quietly. Emilie slid into the chair beside her.
Ayaka glanced over.
"How's the Tomcat? Did Chief Alberich find anything?"
Emilie leaned back in her chair.
"Not a scratch. Engine's clean. Looks like I dodged a bullet."
Mona chimed in from across the row.
"Just goes to show—flawed bird or not, she's still got some fight in her."
Teppei let out a loud sigh.
"Why don't we just upgrade the damn engines to F110s already?"
Emilie shrugged.
"Not our call. And we're at war. Swapping out engines would ground us for weeks—and command's not taking that chance."
The door swung open.
Base Commander Courbevoie marched in, posture rigid, voice sharp.
"Silence."
He stepped up to the center of the room and faced the four pilots.
"This'll be short."
"If you're truly innocent… then prove it. On the battlefield."
A harsh pause.
"We've confirmed a Natlan munitions facility located in Ochkanatlan. Intel suggests they're preparing to ship ordnance to the front using cargo aircraft. Your objective: eliminate those transports and level the facility."
He pointed to a tactical map displaying interlinked radar nodes across the facility.
"But here's the complication. Their radar network is tight—linked in a way that even if one node drops, the others will trigger an alert. You're going in stealth."
"Through synchronized timing and precision strikes, you'll take down the radar net in one coordinated blow. If you succeed, you'll blind them long enough to hit the factory undetected."
"We've deployed EW assets in the Natlan region to punch a hole in their defenses. You'll enter through that corridor."
"Once in enemy airspace, you'll split up. Fly low. Stay silent. And hit those radar sites in unison."
"Synchronize your clocks. You've got one shot."
He paused, then added coldly,
"Now go. And prove your innocence."
Without another word, the commander stepped aside.
The four pilots rose, chairs scraping loudly against the tile. Grabbing their helmets, they filed out of the briefing room and stepped back into the sunlit tarmac.
As they walked toward their F-14As, Teppei groaned, stretching his back.
"Swear to Archons, that geezer's getting under my skin…"
Ayaka crossed her arms.
"Not like we're the ones who bombed a damn college, right?"
Mona sighed.
"Not that it matters. To the Teyvat Air Defense Force… and Fontaine? We're still suspects. One wrong move and we're out."
Emilie clenched her fist and raised it to her chest.
"Then we make damn sure they know the truth."
The others nodded in agreement.
As Emilie neared her Tomcat, she spotted Kaeya waiting by the ladder.
He looked up. "One last inspection—she's good to go."
Emilie nodded. "Thanks again."
Kaeya gave a small grin. "Bring her home in one piece, yeah?"
She gave a playful salute and a wink.
"You got it. Not in the mood for engine swaps."
Kaeya patted her shoulder and stepped away.
Emilie climbed up the ladder, slid into the pilot's seat, and buckled herself in. She pulled her helmet over her head and reached up to flick the canopy switch. With a hiss and a thud, the glass canopy closed and locked with a satisfying thunk.
She hit the engine start switches. The twin TF30s roared to life, the turbines spooling with a deep, familiar growl.
Ground crew scrambled, disconnecting the power and air supply units, locking access panels, and clearing out of the danger zone.
One crew chief stepped up to her left and gave her the thumbs-up.
She returned the gesture, released the parking brake, and taxied out—Mona, Teppei, and Ayaka falling in behind her.
Moments later, the four Tomcats lined up on the runway, single file.
With a roar, they launched skyward together—into the blue, toward the Ochkanatlan region.
A two-hour flight.
A dangerous infiltration.
And a chance to clear their names.
Hours Later...
Four aircraft flew in a tight V formation, now descending to a lower altitude of 1,000 feet above sea level.
The shoreline of Ochkanatlan faded beneath them as they entered hostile airspace.
Emilie keyed her mic.
"Alright, Wolfsbane. Break away. Follow the flight paths according to your position in the formation. We hit the radar sites on schedule."
One by one, they responded, banking away from Emilie and splitting into their pre-assigned routes.
"Wilco. Starseer, breaking formation."
"Herring, dispersing."
"Soumetsu, breaking away."
Teppei's voice came through next, laced with sarcasm.
"Geez, they've really got us turning straight into another damn battle."
"And I swear, this scenery is killing my Rock n' Roll."
Ayaka chuckled over the net.
"I'm just glad they didn't order us to retaliate for their retaliation—which could lead to them retaliating our retaliation, which—"
Emilie groaned, chuckling as she facepalmed in the cockpit.
"That's way too much retaliating, Soumetsu."
Teppei chimed back in.
"Y-Yeah. You can say that again."
Mona added her voice to the mix.
"At least there aren't many people down here who can actually shoot at us."
Then came the inevitable interruption.
"This is Thunderspike. Cut the chatter."
Emilie sighed, smiling despite herself.
"And there's our friendly neighborhood air traffic killjoy."
Ayaka laughed softly.
"Oh, he'll quiet down soon enough, Captain. Can't have a surprise attack without our hot-mouthed AWACS announcing it."
Thunderspike let out a sigh of his own.
"I said cut the chatter. Synchronize your clocks before ingress. Five seconds until 1105 hours."
A beat of silence.
"Mark."
Emilie pressed the chrono button on her F-14's built-in clock. The numbers began counting down.
She keyed up again.
"I'll call the countdown in a moment. Listen up. We must destroy those radar sites before the timer hits zero. Precision's everything."
Teppei responded, his tone exaggerated.
"Great. My internal clock's all janky! Now we're doing timed demolitions!?"
Ayaka sighed again.
"I swear, I spend more time in the sky than on the ground lately..."
Emilie ignored the chatter and began a slow, steady descent toward the first radar site displayed on her IFF.
Teppei chimed in again, still trying to clarify.
"Hey, Captain! We blow up the radar in 'three, two, one, zero,' right?"
"No, Herring," Emilie replied, not even hiding her exasperation.
"Whaaat!? That's not right?"
"Right—that's not right," she said dryly. "We synchronize the destruction, not the firing. The missile has to impact at zero, not leave the rail."
A pause. Then:
"Got it! Sorry!" Teppei snapped his fingers audibly over comms.
Emilie neared the first radar installation. The crosshair snapped into a lock, the Sidewinder tone humming in her headset.
"Ten seconds."
The tone grew steady.
She squeezed the trigger.
"Five."
"Four."
"Three."
"Two."
A distant explosion rumbled through the valley floor.
"One."
"Zero."
The enemy radar dish erupted into flame, smoke spiraling up into the air. On Emilie's radar display, one of the hostile rings blinked out.
"Nice job! Synchronized attack successful."
Emilie pushed her throttle to mil power and began a slow climb to 800 feet.
Teppei came back on.
"Nice! Nothing to it! Let's hit the next one!"
Emilie keyed up again as she leveled off.
"Alright. Thirty seconds..."
"Mark!"
She reset the clock and angled into a shallow descent. The terrain rose to meet her as the second site appeared dead ahead. Another lock. Another tone.
"Ten seconds."
She fired.
"Five."
"Four."
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
"Zero."
Another thunderous fireball burst from the earth below. The second enemy radar ring disappeared from the scope.
"Good job everyone. Nicely done."
Ayaka raised her voice just a bit, celebrating.
"Yeah! Our timing is perfect!"
"Right. Down to the last radar sites. Keep your heads in the game." Emilie's tone was sharp now—focused.
She keyed up again.
"Everyone, thirty seconds..."
"And... Mark!"
The timer reset again as Emilie dipped her nose and lined up for the third site.
"Ten seconds."
Tone. Lock.
"Five."
"Fou—"
"Hold it! Hold it!" Teppei cut in.
"My radar's glitching out!"
Emilie cursed and slammed a fist against the canopy.
"Dammit!"
She punched the throttles forward and broke off, banking into a wide, fast turn to put some distance between her and the target.
"Cancel attack! Cancel attack!"
Inside his own cockpit, Teppei struck his fist against the CRT radar display. It flickered. Static. Then returned to normal.
"Alright. Damn thing's back. Just needed a good smack."
"Right. Re-starting countdown," Emilie said, already pulling into another turn.
"Now!"
She rolled hard into a 90-degree bank, looping back toward the target. The radar site loomed ahead.
"Ten seconds."
Lock. Steady tone. Finger poised.
"Five."
"Four."
She fired.
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
"NOW!"
The explosion was clean, engulfing the radar site in a blossom of flame and debris.
Emilie looked to her display.
The final radar ring vanished.
"Nice work!"
Thunderspike came back on the line.
"Good work, Wolfsbane. You are clear to engage. Commence strike."
Emilie pushed her throttle to full afterburner.
"Raven, engaging!"
One by one, the others followed.
"Starseer, engaging!"
"Soumetsu, engaging!"
"Herring, engaging!"
As Emilie dove over the cliffs toward her next target, the enemy frequency burst to life—panic crackling through the static.
"H-Hey! Are those planes ours!?"
"N-No! They're not responding to our IFF!"
Before they knew it...
Emilie was already in her dive, four GBU-12s dropping cleanly from her Tomcat's underbelly.
She shoved the throttles into full afterburner and hauled the stick back—nose clawing skyward in a steep vertical climb.
Below her, the bombs found their mark.
The row of storage buildings erupted—concrete and steel tearing apart as the roofs collapsed inward, obliterating any weapons stored inside.
But then—
Thunderspike's voice crackled in over the comms.
"Wolfsbane! Take out the transport planes before they depart!"
Emilie's lips curled into a grin.
"We're on it."
Without missing a beat, she inverted her F-14 and snapped into a vertical dive, the nose falling fast.
The enemy frequency spiked—alarms blaring in the background.
"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! ENEMY PLANES ABOVE!"
Her IFF lit up—two C-5 Galaxies taxiing down the runway, engines screaming.
Emilie rolled wings-level mid-dive.
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Two, Fox Two!"
Twin Sidewinders burst from their rails, streaking through the air with deadly precision.
Emilie throttled back to idle and deployed dorsal and ventral airbrakes, bleeding speed fast as the nose began to rise.
The missiles struck—both C-5s engulfed in fireballs, their fuselages shearing apart, wings crumpling to the tarmac.
Moments later—two more blasts from the adjacent runway.
"Soumetsu has the target!"
Ayaka's calm voice cut in.
Emilie keyed her radio.
"Nicely done, kid."
She banked left, disengaged the airbrakes, and rolled into another attack vector.
Switching hardpoints—back to GBUs.
A red-striped hangar came into view.
Targeting reticle steady.
Pitch adjusted.
Crosshairs aligned.
"Bombs away!"
Two GBU-12s dropped, tumbling down as Emilie broke hard left.
The impact was brutal—roof buckled and collapsed, crushing the prototype aircraft within.
Across the AO, more storage units went up—walls shattered, ceilings caved.
"Targets hit!" Mona confirmed, her F-14 screaming upward for another pass.
The enemy frequency burst in again, a mess of shouting and desperation.
"We're losing our facilities fast! Get our interceptors up!"
"We can't! The transports are blocking the way!"
"Sir! Most of the buildings are heavily damaged!"
"Most of them are irreparable!"
"The aircraft hangar's hit! The prototype inside is down!"
Teppei roared in low, targeting an assembly building.
"Bombs away!!"
Two GBUs tumbled free, smashing through the ceiling—detonations tearing through concrete and steel.
"Wohoo! What a way to surprise them! Am I right or am I right!?"
All that remained: the massive central factory.
Emilie was already diving for it.
She fine-tuned her pitch, keeping her crosshairs dead-on.
Aligned.
"Bombs away, bombs away!"
Four GBU-12s dropped clean from her Tomcat's belly.
Full afterburner.
Stick back hard—she rocketed skyward, vapor trails spiraling off her wings.
Teppei's voice came through, ecstatic.
"This is what tactical bombing is all about!"
Then—a thunderous explosion.
The factory imploded—roof collapsing, walls folding inward, the assembly line disappearing beneath the rubble.
Emilie snapped her F-14 into a hard left aileron roll, raising a fist in the cockpit.
"Yes! Target hit!"
Thunderspike's voice rang over the comms:
"All targets destroyed! Picture clear. Return to base, Wolfsbane. Nice work!"
Emilie leveled off, easing her throttles back to let the others form up.
Mona's voice came through, tired but satisfied.
"Mission complete... Let's head home..."
One by one, the others joined her, forming into a loose V.
Teppei keyed his radio.
"Megistus..."
Mona blinked, surprised.
"Hm?"
Teppei's voice softened.
"You have to take it easy on yourself... Besides, at least you get to go home today, right?"
Mona smiled faintly.
"R-Right..."
"So cheer up a little, okay?"
"You too, Teppei."
The four aircraft streaked eastward, their formation steady against the orange-tinted sky—heading home to Petrichor, Fontaine Territory.
Hours Later…
The four made it back safely to Petrichor Air Force Base.
Their F-14s now sat quietly under the moonlight, their once-roaring engines silent—scarred, scorched, and resting.
They had just wrapped up the debriefing. The pilots now found themselves in the lounge, beers in hand, the tension of the mission still lingering in the air.
Mona stood apart from the others, leaning by the tall windows, eyes fixed on the night sky. The stars shimmered above, distant and silent—too far removed from the ugliness of war.
Emilie walked over and leaned against the wall beside her, watching her quietly for a moment.
"Hm... I know that look, Mona," she said softly.
Mona took a long sip of her beer, the bottle trembling slightly in her fingers.
"I know… I just don't want to see more young ones die in this pointless war…"
Emilie nodded slowly.
"I know... I feel the same."
There was a beat of silence between them. Then Emilie's gaze narrowed slightly, her voice shifting.
"But... something still doesn't add up."
Mona turned her head, eyebrows knitting slightly. "What is it, Emilie?"
Emilie adjusted her glasses, thinking aloud. "Why did Natlan declare war on Teyvat? Even though… they're still a part of Teyvat, technically. It doesn't make sense."
Ayaka, sitting nearby, nodded. "You've got a point there, Captain. Why now? Why this sudden shift?"
Teppei exhaled through his nose, running a hand through his hair. "Maybe they just want more land. Same way Khaenri'ah went after Nod Krai and Snezhnaya—tryin' to claim territory."
Emilie shook her head. "That doesn't line up. Khaenri'ah's case was about survival. Their economy was in collapse. They were desperate. Then they discovered high-value resources in Nod Krai… territory split between us and Snezhnaya. So they declared war—because they had no other option."
Ayaka frowned slightly. "And when we and Snezhnaya started pushing them back…"
Emilie nodded. "They nuked their own homeland. Sealed off the north, entombed themselves in ice and ash. One survivor from North Khaenri'ah told me once… 'The land to the north is sacred.' Whatever that means."
She glanced at the others, her voice tightening. "But Natlan? Their economy's fine. Their industry's active. There's no public unrest. No desperation. So why start a war?"
Teppei leaned forward, brow furrowed. "You think there's something we're not being told?"
"There has to be," Emilie muttered, almost to herself.
Mona looked back at the stars, her voice soft, troubled. "This feels like something else. Bigger. Deeper."
Ayaka's voice dropped to a whisper. "Then the question is… what the hell are we walking into?"
Silence settled over them again. Outside, the wind brushed softly against the hangars. And far above, the stars kept shining—unmoved by the chaos unfolding below.