Long-term salvation

After quickly reviewing the information about this group of people in his mind, Rhode finally sighed and said helplessly:

"I'll count you in, but I know who you are. Now, shut up."

Hearing this, Count's face was full of smiles, and he made a zipper-like gesture to his mouth.

After briefly instructing the ground crew, Rhode led Trigger and Count towards the hangar. Just like before, the mercenaries of the Army Without Borders were still living in the hangar inside the mountain.

The titanium alloy protective door of the hangar slowly rose under hydraulic pressure, and the midday sun poured down the ramp like molten silver. Several ground crew members of the Army Without Borders were driving a small car up the ramp. The bed of the car was filled with various tools and camouflage tarpaulins, making the entire car creak under the pressure.

"Trigger, I don't think you killed President Harlem," Rhodes said as he walked. He received no response, but the footsteps that followed him did not stop for a moment. "So in my eyes, you are not a criminal, but more like an unlucky guy... Oh, Count, you are different. You deserve it."

Count's words got stuck in his throat, causing his entire face to flush crimson. He had no choice but to spread his hands and focus on the huge hangar in front of him:

Nine F/S-15 fighter jets were arranged in a diagonal formation at a precise angle of fifteen degrees. The formation seemed a bit dense, and the gray paint job blended in with the concrete floor. Only the individual paint jobs on the vertical tails gave off a faint glow under the fluorescent lights.

The concrete dome was cut into two distinct worlds of light and dark by the stream of light outside the hangar door. The flying dust roamed in the light column and was eventually sucked into the silver metal grille by the ventilation system and discharged into a corner along the pipe.

"Wow—he's really rich," Count said, his hands on his hips as he examined him carefully, his face full of professionalism. "I wish I could fly this fighter jet."

Hearing the faint sound, Avril, who was checking the fighter planes for the Army Without Borders, looked up, and when she saw Trigger and Count walking in from outside, her brows frowned even more, but she did not pay much attention to it, and continued to focus on her work.

Leading the two into the lounge, Rhodes took out a cigarette, but after being rejected, he looked regretful and took out half a bottle of wine and three small cups from the cabinet.

When the wine-red liquid began to swirl in the cup, Rhodes picked up the cup and said with a smile:

"To win, and to avoid being shot after the war."

"...That's not a nice thing to say, Boss of the Army Without Borders."

Count sighed and drank the wine in one gulp, a satisfied expression on his face. Trigger, however, didn't drink at all. He just stared at Rhodes, his eyes filled with an instinctive alertness for the danger of a beast appearing before him.

Rhodes took a sip of the wine, then put the glass down and asked:

"Trigger, want to work for me?"

"..."

"Of course, you don't want to know about treatment or anything like that. What you want to know is—why?" Rhodes' fingers slid across the table, ignoring the Count's move to secretly pour another glass. He continued, "Why choose you, a serious criminal? The reason is simple. You have enough ability and character to become a member of the Army Without Borders."

An army without borders.

Trigger instinctively felt that the other party was not talking about the mercenary group, but something else...something else.

"Trigger, if you had to choose between a human and an inhuman enemy, which would you choose?" Rhode asked. He paused and added, "Like the pilots and drones from the Kingdom of Ergia you faced."

"...It doesn't matter, they're all goals."

As if after a long period of contemplation, or perhaps already knowing the answer within himself, Trigger spoke without hesitation. The pilot, who would soon become a legend in the Beacon War, had a calm expression, a resolve never before seen in anyone else in the world, and he was no longer reserved.

"Thinking about things in combat will only kill you - give me a target, and I will complete it, that's all - I won't attack civilians, and I won't shoot enemies who have surrendered, but if they still want to resist, that's another matter."

What kind of answer is that? I don't know who I am or where I am, I just want to kill people, right?

Rhode put his hand on his forehead and sighed deeply. He pulled out a chair and sat down. Looking at Trigger who was also sitting, he spoke seriously.

"I have a mission, to save the world, but not on this planet... After this war is over, you will leave with me. But I must also make it clear that while there will be human enemies, the more important thing is to face those supernatural and unknown beings—they watch human civilization with malicious eyes, waiting for the moment to devour it completely. Because of this, I need your help."

"...Wait, wait," the Count said. He looked down at his hands, his face filled with surprise. "Have I had too much to drink? Why do I hear you guys talking about something that only appears in science fiction novels?"

"Count, shut up."

Rhodes glared at the man, who immediately raised his hands and quickly walked away with the wine in hand.

"Okay boss, no problem boss."

When the Count left and hid on the other side of the room, secretly observing this side, Rhode continued to speak. He looked at Trigger, whose face was tense. After listening and being silent for a few seconds, the latter slowly said:

"I can sense the truth in your words, but I...but I can't leave here 'now'. The 'war' isn't over yet."

Hmm? What does this mean?

Rhode raised his eyebrows slightly. He thought for a moment, thinking about the peculiarity of this planet, and then asked tentatively:

"So, when will you have time?"

"...Perhaps, I'll have to wait until I'm 'dead,'" Trigger said, a smile spreading across his lips. "It's just that this feeling, like it's flowing from my body, comes out naturally. If the heroes of history had another chance to save the world, they would definitely be willing to do it."

"...Let me give you an F/S-15 fighter jet as a reward for your answer."

Hearing the system's prompt, Rhode smiled. He stood up and shook hands with Trigger, who also stood up, and said:

"There will be a battle between us, Trigger."

"I look forward to that day, Mr. Rhodes."

[Complete system tasks to unlock the aircraft technology tree, characters, and ace squadrons in the "Ace Combat" series]

+ + + + + + + + + + + +

"You mean to say that the Armies Without Borders mercenaries are willing to take on the task of destroying the Ergia Navy in Aldiu Harbor alone? You're going to destroy the Alicorn?"

"Yes, of course, you have to offer a higher price."

"…Our goal is to capture."

"Then I will force her out of the harbor, and the rest will be the work of the Ossia Navy."

“…Acceptable.”

"Happy cooperation, then, gentlemen."

+ + + + + + + + + + + +

"New contract."

"—Assassinate the Monarch."

Chapter 281 Preparations before the Attack

Snyder's Corner, a small town farm outside the port of Aldiliu in the Kingdom of Ergia.

Dusk was spreading across the sky of the continent of Eusia, falling on the outer wall of the stable on the west side of the farm, turning the peeling red paint into a mottled pink hue, while the shadow of the cylindrical barn, stretched by the setting sun, cut diagonally across the alfalfa field, covering the empty animal pen - this place had been rented early, and it seemed that they were planning to restart the farm that had been vacant for some time.

A news helicopter with the logo of the Kingdom of Ergia flew over the town and finally landed in the open space of the farm.

Rod opened the helicopter door and saw Caesar and Captain Kelleher, commander of the Ronin Special Forces, standing in front of the house waiting for him.

Before the helicopter's engines died, Rhodes shook hands with Caesar and Captain Kelleher and walked into the house.

"Everything is going well," Caesar said as he walked into the house. He frowned and said to the signalman who was still hammering on the radio. "We have two hours left to leave here. Gentlemen, hurry up! The boss is here!"

After hearing this, the busy soldiers subconsciously paused for half a second. Just as they were about to stand up and salute Rhodes, he raised his hand to stop them.

"There will be plenty of opportunities to salute in the future. Let's get to work first. I won't stay here for too long."

"...You are very much loved."

"You will be very popular in the future, Caesar."

Rhodes responded with a smile, causing Captain Kelleher, who was following beside him, to look thoughtful.

When passing by the living room, Rhodes saw that the fireplace was still ablaze with flames. Two mercenaries from the Army Without Borders were throwing documents into it - this was not an easy job, especially in summer. Because of this, they were only wearing T-shirts with a few small holes burned on them by sparks.

Leading Rhodes to a secluded little room, Caesar spread out a map of Aldiu Port on the table, his fingers tracing across the dozens of crosses. After pondering for a few seconds, he slowly said:

"The naval port's defense system isn't particularly tight, but there are numerous air defense facilities, and the fleet's anti-aircraft firepower cannot be ignored."

"That's a problem for the air fleet. Keep your assassin team in reserve, and let the Sword in the Stone team go into battle. They just need to drop their bombs and retreat. Don't engage the enemy," Rhode said. Seeing the target marked as the Alicorn on the map, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. "As for the ground forces...just cause chaos. I don't want you to forcibly attack a heavily defended base."

The Alicorn, originally a product of the Yuktobanian Alliance's "Super Sunburn"-class submarine program, was secretly purchased and modified by Ergia in 2012. It sank in an accident during its maiden sea trial in 2016, but the miraculous survival of its 330-member crew led to its captain, Matthias Torres, being hailed as a "symbol of survival."

In reality, the grounding was a ploy to allow Torres to defect from the control of the Ergia Navy, and the duration was far shorter than the 698 days officially claimed. During this time, Torres utilized his experience from previous wars and his academic skills as a teacher to instill his radical ideas into his crew, with great success.

Finally, during the "Lighthouse War" of 2019, Ergia activated the mothballed Alicorn to turn the tide of the war. Captain Torres, disobeying military orders, broke away from Ergia's command structure and attempted to end the war with a nuclear strike.

As for the ending, the game's protagonist Trigger danced wildly on Captain Torres's "white sheet" and was eventually buried deep in the sea.

"Then the Ronin will create chaos for you," Captain Kelleher nodded. "We've already mapped out the terrain and facilities in each area of ​​the naval port, and have planned several retreat routes."

"Very good, but this isn't the most important thing." Rhode raised his eyes slightly and looked at the trustworthy person he had handpicked. "I need the Ronin to help me send ten people to the Alicorn's supply area tonight. The flight team will carry out a strike mission tomorrow to force the Alicorn out of the harbor."

Facing their puzzled expressions, Rhode smiled and gestured for Caesar to take out the map of the supply port. He then circled the name of Aldiu Port with a pencil, drew a thin line between it and the supply port, and explained:

"Gentlemen, I intend to seize the Alicorn and use it to end this stupid war!"

"..." x2

The room was silent, with only the faint sounds of mercenaries moving downstairs.

Rhode remained silent, letting Caesar and Captain Kelleher slowly digest the information contained in his words. Regardless of whether or not they could capture the Alicorn, just thinking about what would happen after they did was enough to overload their brains.

This submarine carrier carries an entire flight squadron and even weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear bombs!

By then, not only would the Kingdom of Ergia send its fleet to hunt it down, but other great powers like the Osean Federation and the Yuktobanian Alliance would also absolutely not allow such a thing to fall into the hands of a group of war dogs.

What if this group of people received enough money and launched a nuclear bomb launched by a railgun at their own capital? What if some idiot suddenly had the idea of ​​"making the world feel pain and ending the cycle of war" or "using force to eradicate war"? What kind of chaos would the world be in?

In the silence, Rhode opened the window of his room, took a cigarette from the box of cigarettes, which only had two cigarettes left, lit it, and exhaled. In the familiar smell of cigarettes, he saw the sun of Planet S slowly setting, darkness spreading from the distant sky, and faint starlight began to appear.

The Pilgrim 1 spacecraft is on its way home... These people who have set foot in space don't know that a new war has broken out on the ground. They are just returning with anticipation and joy.

“…I’ll join.”

Hearing the voice, Rhodes turned around and met two pairs of determined eyes.

"I will obey your orders and prepare everything."

Caesar said this, squeezing out the words through gritted teeth, but ambition and desire burned deep in his eyes. This man's talent and will were enough to make him an outstanding commander. Because of this, Rhodes was not worried that the Borderless Army of Planet S would quickly collapse after his departure.

"Looks like I'll just have to go with you," Captain Kelleher said, his face filled with resignation. "Honestly, this is the biggest job I've ever done. I hope I won't be on the League of Nations' wanted list."

Hearing their words, Rhode shook his head in amusement, smoked his cigarette thoroughly, put out the cigarette butt on the windowsill, and comforted him:

"The direction of this war may be beyond your imagination. As long as we can survive the initial stage of capturing warships and the pursuit of the Osean Navy, then—we will become heroes. The Army Without Borders will evolve from a mercenary group into something similar to the International United Nations Peacekeeping Force (IUN-PKF), and may even completely replace the latter!"

Rhodes narrowed his eyes, reached out to turn on the chandelier in the room, and stood under the bright light.

"To achieve this, you need to trust me and place your life in my hands."

"...Now that we've said that, why should we hesitate? For the sake of 'armed peace', give the order!"

"Very good," Rhodes nodded slightly. "Caesar, proceed according to the plan. Captain Kelleher, you and the Ronin will cooperate with my Imperial Guards."

Imperial Guards?

Hearing this, Caesar and Captain Kelleher looked at each other, but the next second, their eyes widened completely -

Ten mass-produced Nikkis suddenly appeared in the room! [Note ①]

After swallowing the pain of having his pollution points deducted from the other world, Rhode stood in front of the mass-produced Nikkis, turned his back to them, opened his arms to Caesar and the captain, and said with a smile:

"Your mission is to get them into the submarine. These lovely girls will complete the rest of the work!"

Silence, unspeakable silence.

Finally, Captain Kelleher slowly raised his hand, as if he had made a difficult decision:

"...Boss, are these girls using optical invisibility or some other weird technology Princess Abigail's personal army? Can I join her?"

Rhodes: "...Even if you are willing to lose something, I won't agree."

Chapter 282 Mass Production Nikki

After Caesar and Captain Kelleher recovered from the shock... they didn't recover, but their long-standing professionalism and sense of responsibility drove the two commanders to focus on the next battle.

As for Rhode, he was in another room observing the mass-produced Nikkis he had just exchanged. The room wasn't very big, but thankfully, the attentive mercenaries had brought in all the chairs in the room for the mass-produced Nikkis to sit on... This made them look flattered, and they could only thank him awkwardly.

A whiteboard was pinned to the wall of the room, covered in marker with the weather forecast for the past week. A brown file bag sat on a small table nearby. After a brief conversation with Caesar, Rhodes leaned against the window and lit a cigarette from Planet S. The smoke drifted upwards on the breeze, eventually dissipating into the silent air.

"I hope the next mission will go smoothly."

Rhode spoke softly, retracting his gaze from the dark red sunset outside and looking inside the house. When his eyes swept over the girls in front of him, he subconsciously raised his eyebrows: