Long-term salvation

2019 6 Month 20 Day.

The Army Without Borders mercenary group was transferred to Base 444 in Zapland.

A bait base used to attract enemy bombing, a bait base filled with criminals and prison guards.

Perhaps it is this kind of place that is suitable for mercenaries, the "wild dogs of war."

About the setting and original plot of Ace Combat 7 (free)

Since many readers are not very familiar with the Ace Combat series or have only heard of the memes, I have listed a free chapter here to introduce it. If the second half of the original game plot and settings are not available, please refresh.

【Too long to read version】

The dungeon world of the interlude comes from the game Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, available on Steam. I highly recommend buying it and playing it. Unlike DCS and War Thunder, which tend to lean towards hardcore simulation (which is kind of simulation... pumping over a dozen Gs is pretty much like being an Anton Star Superman), the Ace Combat series is more like Call of Duty air combat than Escape from Tarkov. Instead of rifles, you use fighter jets, so expect hundreds of missiles, outlandish maneuvers, giant ordnance birds, orbital elevators, railguns, and more... There are both real-life fighters and imaginary aircraft.

First, the Ace Combat IP is nearly three decades old. The original game, released in 1995, was set in a fictional world, primarily on the planet Strangereal. The term "Strangereal," meaning "strange + real" (strange + real), was coined by series director Kazutoshi Kono. This fictional world is similar to the real world, yet also significantly different.

The plot is quite long, and it is difficult to explain it here. I suggest you go to B station to watch this almost 18-minute plot explanation video BV1kZ4y1d7tg, but the translation of the place names in this video is weird. It is better to watch the game process video. Both traditional and simplified Chinese are OK, traditional Chinese BV1St411h7Xq, simplified Chinese BV1vb4y1D7rU

You can also search for "Ace Combat 7" on Moegirlpedia, which contains an introduction to the world view and plot of each game. The 7th generation is "Lighthouse War". After reading these, you should be able to understand the world view and plot of this Ace Combat series... In addition, you can also try "Project Wingman", which is also available on Steam. It is also written about this time. It can be regarded as a fan work of Ace Combat fans. It is highly recommended to buy and play it.

【Background before the game starts】

In 2005, thanks to the efforts of the ISAF, the Continental War ended with Ergia's surrender. However, dissatisfied with the outcome of the war, younger and radical officers within Ergia launched a rebellion in 2006 under the name "Free Erusea." This rebellion was suppressed by the ISAF, which dispatched the overtime worker Mobius1. After 2006, the ISAF was disbanded, with some of its military forces reorganized and incorporated into the International United Nations Peacekeeping Force (IUN-PKF). The ISAF participated in suppressing a second rebellion launched by Free Ergia in 2014.

In the 2010s, the Belkan "Grey Man" organization secretly instigated a war between Yuktobania and Ossia, kidnapping then-Ossia President Vincent Harling and Yuktobania's Prime Minister Seryozha Viktrovich Nikanor, sparking the Pacific Rim War. Ultimately, the two heads of state were rescued, and peace between the two nations was reconciled. Through their cooperation, SOLG was destroyed over Oured, thwarting Belkan plans and ending the Pacific Rim War. In the early 2010s, Ergia restored its previously abolished monarchy, and after the deaths of its two kings, a new king ascended the throne.

Later, to promote stability on the Usea continent and restore infrastructure after the 1994 Ulysses asteroid disaster, Harlin and the nations of Usea reached an agreement to build the International Space Elevator (ISEV), commonly known as the "Lighthouse," at Gunther Bay. The ISEV absorbs solar energy and converts it into microwaves, providing power for the entire continent and allowing people to travel between space and Earth via a cable elevator.

According to the agreement, the space elevator was guarded by the Osean Army and the IUN peacekeeping force, and two giant aerial gunships called Arsenal Birds were built to defend the space elevator.

However, as the construction of the space elevator progressed, some countries in Elgia and the Eussia continent complained about the environmental problems caused by the construction. Not only that, some radicals in the Elgia army even believed that Harlin was in charge of the construction of the space elevator in order to expand the influence of the Ossia Federation on the Eussia continent. The officers used this reason to convince Rosa Cossette D'Elise, and Princess Cossette began to give speeches everywhere, and anti-Ossia Federation sentiment began to rise in Elgia.

【Original game plot after the war begins】

On May 15, 2019, Ergia declared war on Ossia, seized the space elevator, and secretly transported MQ-99 drones to Ossia, attacking several of its seaports and crippling much of Ossia's naval forces. Simultaneously, Ergia attacked Ossia and IUNPKF bases across the continent of Usea. The Osean Maritime Defense Force (OMDF) quickly responded, attacking the Ergia capital with the aircraft carrier Kestrel II, causing numerous civilian casualties.

Subsequently, the Executive Office of the Osean Federation (EO) ordered the IDF and the IUNPKF to prepare for a counterattack. Soon after, the IUNPKF launched Operation Eastern Wind and recaptured an airfield.

On May 30, 2019, the IUNPKF and Osean forces launched a two-front offensive, but Ergia successfully repelled the Osean offensive. Despite this, the IUN managed to maintain control of southeastern Usea. Osean discovered that Ergia had established an automated drone interception system using a radar network spanning the continent's eastern frontier. To penetrate this network, Osean formed penal units, recruiting various criminals with flying experience to test the radar network for loopholes. The "Spare Squadron" penal units launched a series of attacks that not only severely weakened Ergia's air defenses and logistics, but also discovered vulnerabilities in the automated drone interception system.

Ossia formed the Long Range Strategic Strike Group (LRSSG) to exploit this blind spot and launch an air strike against Ergia. The LRSSG launched a surprise attack on the Ergia Navy, destroying its naval power and gradually turning the tide.

The LRSSG then used Stonehenge to destroy the giant ordnance bird, the Liberty. After losing the Liberty, Ergea attempted to launch a ballistic missile attack on Ossia to regain the initiative on the battlefield, but the LRSSG prevented Ergea from launching.

Tigger (the protagonist) shines in these operations. On August 11th, a day after losing the bulk of their fleet, the Ergia Submersible Aviation Cruiser (SAC) Alicorn was commissioned as a desperate attempt to bolster their remaining naval strength. Matías Torres assumed command of the Alicorn. Once a Yuktobanian submarine superweapon, the Alicorn possessed the potential to carry weapons of mass destruction, posing a significant threat to Ossia's operations.

On September 4th, the LRSSG and OMDF launched a joint operation to seize the Alicorn, which was docked in the harbor. Meanwhile, the Osean leadership concluded that Trigger was no longer needed to win the war, and that he might betray them after the war. Therefore, the Osean military hired the Mimic Squadron, tasked with assassinating Trigger at the appropriate time.

During the operation to capture Alicorn, the Mimics attempted to kill Trigger but failed. Torres defied the Elgean military's orders to scuttle the Alicorn, claiming it was no longer under Elgean jurisdiction. He left the harbor, destroyed the attacking fleet with powerful railguns, and attracted the attention of the Osean forces by launching fighters carrying large cruise missiles, allowing him to escape underwater.

The Osean military mistakenly believed that the Alicorn would reunite with the Elgia Army after escaping; at the same time, the Elgia Army reactivated several retired and sealed warships in order to reverse the declining war situation.

On September 10th, the LRSSG attacked Ergia's naval forces again, successfully destroying the port and the fleet stationed there. This action caused the higher-ups to change their minds about Trigger, believing him to be necessary to winning the war. However, as the LRSSG prepared to retreat, the Mimic Squadron attacked Trigger again, only to be killed by him.

The Alicorn did not appear until after the LRSSG had withdrawn. The LRSSG's severe damage to the harbor's military forces meant that the Alicorn, having detached itself from the Ergia forces, encountered no return fire upon its arrival. With the help of an insider, the Alicorn was able to resupply in less than ten minutes and even secured two 98kg tactical nuclear bombs for use in striking the Osean capital.

On September 14, the LRSSG launched Operation Fisherman, aimed at completely destroying the Alicorn. The military located the Alicorn and sabotaged its ballast tanks, forcing it to surface. After a brutal battle, the Alicorn's ballast tanks were completely destroyed, rendering it unable to submerge. Seeing no other options, Torres feigned surrender to buy time to load and prepare the nuclear missile for launch. The ruse nearly succeeded, but Trigger sabotaged the cannon, jamming the barrel and causing the missile to miss its target.

Torres activated all remaining defenses and loaded the final nuclear missile. He ordered the aft trim tank to flood, causing the stern to sink, allowing the cannon barrels to rise. However, Trigger destroyed the railgun before it could fire, and the nuclear missile's detonation completely destroyed the Alicorn.

Afterwards, the LRSSG assisted the IUNPKF and Ossia forces in besieging and occupying the capital of Ergia. After the occupation of the capital, Ossia launched anti-satellite missiles at Ergia's satellites, and Ergia retaliated with its own anti-satellite missiles.

The massive debris released by the destroyed satellite swept across orbit, completely paralyzing global satellite and information networks, and quickly plunging the continent of Usea into chaos. Elgia's radicals, relying on ISEV, continued their resistance, producing unmanned combat aircraft (UCAVs) in a last-ditch effort. However, conservatives, including Princess Rosa and most of the refugees, sought to end the war.

They were joined by the Ergia Air and Space Administration (EASA), which called for the closure of drone factories after discovering that newly produced UCAVs were being produced out of control.

The surviving Ergia forces joined forces with Ossia to confront the militants who had taken over ISEV. The militants deployed the Justice, a giant ordnance bird, and two ADF-11F Raven UCAVs to put up a last-ditch effort.

After suffering heavy losses, the coalition destroyed the Justice and two Grey Ravens, forcing the Radicals to surrender.

After the war, the IUN regained control of ISEV. However, with the rise of Ergia's separatist forces, Ossia allowed Princess Rosa to form a provisional government in ISEV to help maintain ISEV's operations and help refugees escape the war.

Chapter 279: 444 Base (3K)

2019 6 Month 25 Day.

444 base.

This seemingly large base is filled with nearly scrapped fighter jets, which are now used as bait to attract the bomber forces of the Kingdom of Ergia to drop bombs here.

Of course, in order to make this base appear more realistic, many criminals who have been summoned will fly the fighter planes that are still usable to attack and drive away the bombers, so as to add a few bright spots of color before their death.

But now, after the arrival of the Army Without Borders mercenary group, things have changed a little - seven F/S-15 fighter jets crushed an entire bomber group and escort fighters head-on - the day-to-day bombings turned into cautious probing, and even drones were mixed in.

However, Ergia's pilots don't need to worry too much about this:

After seeing the bill, Colonel McKinsey, the commander of Base 444, spat out the coffee in his mouth and immediately refused the mercenaries of the Army Without Borders to take off again, and instead continued to use the criminals in the base.

This is not good news for both mercenaries and criminals... one can't get the money, and the other can't save his life.

Even the Army Without Borders mercenaries, who had originally been unaware of Colonel Mackenzie's true character, began to rapidly decline in their opinion of him. This Colonel Mackenzie of the 444th Air Base was unwilling to be merely the commander of the disciplinary forces, constantly trying to return to his envisioned career path. Not only did he completely disregard the lives of the disciplinary personnel, but he also took all the credit for their achievements. He was a complete scumbag. Even in the game, if this man's transport plane was shot down, even the commander of the AWACS would sarcastically say:

"Though I don't think that cargo is worth protecting." (The game points will be increased by 1000, haha)

The concrete dome of the hangar inside the mountain looks like a giant's closed palm, shining with a blue-gray luster under the fluorescent light. Nine F/S-15 fighter jets are neatly lined up along the taxiway, and the maintenance cables hanging from the wings cast spider-web-like shadows on the ground.

The hum of the central air conditioner could not drown out the subtle clicks of the metal as it cooled. Mixed with the sound of the ventilation fans stirring the oil mist, it weaved into a never-ending background sound in the arched space more than ten meters high. This was where the mercenaries often stayed, and on the left and right sides of the hangar were the lounges where they slept and ate. They were separated from everyone else in the base, whether they were guilty or innocent.

"You're being excluded, Rhodes."

Abigail sat on the missile on the bomb carrier, her long golden hair cascading onto the slender white missile like a waterfall, creating a uniquely beautiful picture between the girl and the deadly weapon. If you ignore the small white note on her face, the beauty would be even greater.

After arriving at Base 444, Abigail's quality of life plummeted. Worse still, she couldn't even find anything fun. Every day, besides playing games with Alona, ​​she played cards with Pickman.

"Meow meow meow."

The black cat Pickman used his claws to throw out a Pluto barrier wave, causing Abigail's face to twitch. The latter then silently collected her cards and crawled into Rhodes' arms, trying her best to ignore the cute cat's mocking meow.

"How many times have you lost? Even with my deck," Rhode sighed and touched Abigail's head, his fingers running through her golden hair, giving her a wonderful touch in return. "How can you lose to Pickman using cat paws even when building a bridge with playing cards?"

"Ahem...it must be hard to feel to be excluded, Rhodes?"

Abigail quickly changed the subject and began to tease Rhodes, but the latter just stared blankly. After peeling the paper off the girl's face, he slowly said:

"Don't take out your frustration of being defeated by Pickman a dozen times on me, okay? And if you have nothing to do, you can help me get a few boxes of Red Apple cigarettes. I really can't get used to the cigarettes here..."

As he spoke, Rhode looked up at the woman limping towards him. She was carrying a bunch of repair and inspection tools, which looked quite heavy, and she also refused help from the people around her.

This beautiful woman had a handsome face and a serious expression, with light brown skin often exposed to strong sunlight, and a tough and tenacious personality - but her frown almost never fell, especially after arriving at Base 444. However, what was completely inconsistent with this face were her rough, cracked hands and her excellent repair skills.

"So, what is the reason that the famous Scrap Queen, Miss Avril Mead, is here?"

"Inspecting the fighter plane... I haven't handled this type of fighter plane before."

Avril said this, her eyes sweeping across Rhode's face and Abigail's in his arms. Her words were filled with the unique curiosity of a woman. This "Lord" had many wonderful stories, which had already spread throughout Base 444. However, her expression remained calm.

"If you don't want me to take charge directly due to a shortage of ground staff in the future, it's best to let me take a closer look during my free time."

"Go ahead," Rhode shrugged. "The mercenary group's ground crew was exhausted last time, and they also have to help repair other abandoned machines in this base..."

Rhodes looked past the four fighter planes and saw several ground crew members of the Army Without Borders Mercenary Group napping around the refueling pipe. Their overalls were stained with oil stains of varying shades, like some kind of faded camouflage.

“Everyone worked very hard.”

A little further away, the pilots of the Killer Squad were playing cards and making bets on whether they could attack when the next alarm sounded, while Pixy was explaining air group tactics to the pilots of the Gunnery Squad - he was not a professional, but he had too much experience in shooting down enemy aces.

"Fortunately, Colonel Mackenzie is willing to pay for this matter. He will even reimburse the mercenary group's daily expenses, as long as it's not outrageous," Rhode added with a smile. He pretended to sigh, "What a good man."

"Isn't that because you 'negotiated a deal' with him?"

Avril said with a vacant look in her eyes. She slid the toolbox to the side of the fighter's engine. The metal box made a dull thud as it collided with the concrete floor, and the tools inside joined in the chaotic song:

"I heard that Colonel Mackenzie found a piece of paper next to his pillow with his family's names, life history and address written on it. There was also a bullet on the paper... He was so scared that he made several phone calls in a row."

"The main reason is that this Colonel Mackenzie isn't a horse girl trainer. Otherwise, I wouldn't want to threaten him with his family."

"Isn't this all equally bad?! Wait, you were talking about horsegirls? Shouldn't it be horses? Are you going to break horsegirls' legs?! I'd better watch that gangster movie made in the Osean Federation!"

"How is that possible? I'm not the type to destroy women with my bare hands," Rhode laughed heartily and leaned back, causing Abigail to also look proud. "At most, I'll make a few jokes and pictures of Colonel Mackenzie visiting nightclubs and send them to his boss... although there aren't any Uma Musume here either."

Regarding the McKinsey matter, Rhodes did not hide it, but admitted it generously:

"Although McKenzie is conceited and utilitarian, he's not a fool. He knows what's important and what's not. When he leaves the base in the future, he'll definitely need an escort aircraft. Compared to his own life, this little grievance is nothing. What's more, McKenzie probably thinks I have connections with senior Osean military generals. Otherwise, how did he get his files? Hmm? You think I definitely have connections? Think whatever you want!"

Avril: “…”

Meeting someone who can resonate with you in the second dimension in a bait base full of criminals is enough to make people unable to hold back, especially when this person is a mercenary leader with some mental problems - perhaps it is this eccentric character that makes him favored by the blonde princess in his arms and followed by those united and tenacious mercenaries.

Sighing, Avril no longer paid attention to the strange words that came out of Rod's mouth. She was looking forward to having a taciturn "mute" in the future, which would at least make her feel more comfortable to get along with him in daily life.

Putting those messy thoughts out of her mind, Avril began to carefully examine the fighter jet.

She'd heard its pilot had disengaged the angle-of-attack limiter during combat to gain greater maneuverability, twice! Because of this, the damage to the aircraft was obvious—it was sheer madness, and the fact that the fighter didn't disintegrate mid-air was a credit to him—even now, Avril could smell the faint smell of burning in the engine, left behind by the constant use of afterburner.

Inspecting and maintaining a fighter plane is boring and tedious, requiring infinite patience and sufficient superb skills, and this is also true for Avril. She looked up at the fighter planes in the hangar and was just thinking about whether to ask someone to come over and help... a wrench she needed was handed to her.

"Oh thanks, that's exactly what I needed."

Avril said this subconsciously, but she immediately realized something was wrong and turned to look at the cat squatting on the toolbox, but the cat just squinted its eyes and responded with a cute meow:

"Meow."

Scrap Queen: "...Your army without borders is truly amazing."

Why do I suddenly feel like joining this mercenary group?

+ + + + + + + + + +

A few days later, a new person, a serious criminal, came to Base 444.

The charge is - killing former president, Harlem.

Codename: Trigger

Chapter 280 Trigger (3.5K)

The war continues.

Not only the prisoners in Base 444, but also the mercenaries of the Army Without Borders had to take off many times to intercept the aircraft fleet of the Kingdom of Ergia or to carry out tasks such as destroying ground anti-aircraft vehicles.

As the war intensified, mercenaries and criminals inevitably had opportunities for closer contact, but both sides had extremely bad impressions of each other.

Perhaps this is what Colonel Mackenzie wanted to see. He did not dare to take the credit of the Army Without Borders for himself, but the Spare Squadron composed of prisoners might not think so.

After completing the attack on the Rokaloha base in the desert, Rhodes met Trigger at the ground tarmac - a handsome young man who looked very ordinary on the ground, without the sharpness and brilliance of flying a fighter plane in the air - perhaps it was related to the fact that he was carrying a crime that did not belong to him.

With this in mind, Rhodes walked towards the spare squadron member who had escaped death again. This action immediately made the guards with guns around him nervous.

However, when Rhode's eyes swept over, the guards immediately looked away, pretending not to see anything... No one wanted to wake up one day and find a note and a bullet next to their pillow. If something happened to McKinsey, the Osean Federation might be able to track him down, but if something happened to a soldier like him, it might not be possible, especially in the remote and discriminated place of Base 444.

"You performed quite well in the battle, and most of you completed your intended targets."

Rhodes spoke to the prisoners, but his eyes fell on Trigger, who looked up and looked at him as if he had sensed something - at this moment, the air seemed to be stagnant - the ground staff around them came and went, but their figures became blurred, and their voices were stretched and distorted, turning into chaotic muttering.

Huh... Is this the Razgriz of this generation?

On the planet Strangreal, there is a legend called the "Demons of Razgriz". When major changes occur in history, demons will appear and bring death, and then die. However, after a period of slumber, the demon will come back, this time, he is a great hero.

Looking back at the cement pillar protagonists of Ace Combat throughout the ages, they are indeed worthy of the titles of "the devil who brings death" and "the great hero who changes history", and this generation is no exception.

Thinking of this, Rhodes suddenly had the urge to drag the somewhat shy young man in front of him onto the fighter jet and immediately engage in a thrilling combat in the air.

There will be a chance, but not now.

"Ahem... I've noticed your talent, Trigger," Rhodes said, waving away the onlookers. "Consider it my treat. Come have a drink with us. I'll explain to your supervisor."

Before Trigger could reply, a bearded guy came over immediately, his face showing an unprecedented desire:

"Hey, what about me? What about me? I'm talented too!"

Rhodes looked up at the man in front of him and found that this guy was Count, who would become Trigger's wingman in the future. This guy was now full of nonsense and was sent to Base 444 for fraud... Later on, he became more responsible and had a good nature, just like Tabloid, the political prisoner in the same reserve squadron - this guy was also an anarchist, but when Larry Falk (Pixy) started reading that person's books, Tabloid naturally lost his potential chat partner.