00:08To be continued...
00:30It's been retreat after retreat.
00:32I crash-landed on my fourth flight.
00:35And there goes my fifth flight.
00:39So this godforsaken patch of water is going to be our grave, huh?
00:43Whatever happened to our legendary ace pilot wings?
00:50Whoa.
00:53I'll be damned!
00:56So, what'll it be?
01:00Should we try our luck once more?
01:02Or just give up right here?
01:04This is not much of a choice.
01:07Let's go!
01:37Let's go!
01:46We rescued two stranded survivors, a mechanic and a pilot.
01:51Only two?
01:52Right.
01:53The pilot and the passenger?
01:54Correct.
02:06First of all, thank you for joining us on this ship.
02:09Are you the XO?
02:13Major Jenkins.
02:15Maintenance office.
02:16Right.
02:17I'm with the Air Force.
02:18Whoa.
02:19There are no Air Force bases left for you to do your magic.
02:22Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, police.
02:25Fire Department, even civilian air.
02:27The only place FCU aircraft can launch and land is here.
02:31Guess I'll be busy tinkering with naval aircraft then.
02:34So, where's the hangar?
02:36Show him where to go.
02:42Yes.
02:43We are critically undermanned on this ship.
02:47Huh.
02:49You just regained consciousness?
02:51If there are cerebral issues, a detailed check is in order.
02:57I can't sign off on piloting until that's done.
03:00Then he's a navigator.
03:02Fainting won't be a death sentence at least.
03:05As I said, we are under man.
03:29Ah, there he is.
03:33Hello there, my dear newcomer.
03:35You were very lucky, you know.
03:37There have been no more flights since you arrived.
03:40This final evacuation mission is now all over.
03:46Everyone's assuming the FCU is down and out, right?
03:51Actually, it's not at all like that, you see.
03:53The air surrounding us is a buzz with radio signals.
03:58From all corners of the territory, we used to call the Federation com pleas of help.
04:03People shouting their final farewells into the airwaves.
04:06But loudest of all is the unanimous cry for solidarity.
04:09And my job is helping people get together.
04:13I'm like a middleman of sorts.
04:18Join me.
04:31It just so happens to be that some voices looking to reunite are close by.
04:35They're coming from just beyond the horizon.
04:37But they're not signaling friendly on their IFF.
04:40We're hard-pressed for recon drones as well.
04:43Should have placed an extra order for those things.
04:45Oh, well. That just means someone's got to go there and check.
04:49Don't worry at all.
04:51The man in front is Jan Rexcope.
04:53The wings of Thieve.
04:57That's right. Everybody knows him.
04:59He's a legendary Ace of Asis.
05:01The first fighter pilot to score a double ace in the war.
05:04He bought time for the evacuation of the capital.
05:07A true senior.
05:28Oh. This?
05:30Just a habit of mine.
05:32Don't worry about it.
05:34Don't worry about it.
05:35Don't worry about it.
05:44Don't worry about it.
05:45All right. Buckle up, kiddo.
06:09Hey. Can you hear me back there?
06:14Good work.
06:17Airboss, this is Joker 1.
06:18Do you read me?
06:20Loud and clear.
06:21Nab systems and radar?
06:23Check.
06:24All topped up.
06:25Flight load is 23,300 kilos.
06:28Pilot is cope.
06:30Joker 1. You are cleared for takeoff.
06:33Whatever DD told you, you'd better take with a grain of salt.
06:37Sorry to disappoint.
06:38But I'm not an Ace.
06:39Let alone a double Ace.
06:41I'm just an old war horse who's seen a little action.
06:45The Ace pilot Wings doesn't exist.
06:47He's a mass delusion fabricated by the rumor mill of social media.
06:54Lies, conspiracies, and gossip.
06:57They make up the dense fog that obscures what's really going down in this war.
07:01The legendary Ace, Wings, is no different.
07:06The man in the suit and tie?
07:08DD?
07:09He's the one feeding the rumor mill.
07:11The man's a different breed of animal.
07:14Don't worry.
07:15I may not have any kills to my name, but takeoffs and landings I can manage.
07:31Joker 1, takeoff confirmed.
07:35We're so small, you know?
07:37The oceans are mind-bogglingly huge.
07:41You don't know true isolation until you've seen that firsthand.
07:44You know what I mean, right?
07:48We'll be fast, friends.
07:52On your right, look.
07:55Go ahead and say hello.
07:57That right there is your new home.
08:04We'll be flying with number four today.
08:08See that?
08:10Costas thectomate like glue.
08:19Joker 1 and Joker 4, this is CDC.
08:21Target bearing 1-0 degrees, range 9.7 miles.
08:25Copy.
08:25Joker 1 out.
08:29You know, DD once said,
08:31the people left behind back on the continent need something to hold on to.
08:35They need a reason to keep on living.
08:37Some sort of symbol that inspires hope.
08:43I think he's on to something there.
08:45That's where the wings of Thief comes in.
08:48The legendary savior.
08:55He doesn't care if where it spreads via OSINT, SIGINT, or HUMINT.
09:00DD wants the legendary savior to get as much publicity as possible.
09:04The more exposure, the better.
09:06Of course, I have my reasons for playing along.
09:10See, I've got some personal matters I'm looking to take care of.
09:17Anyways, we're almost there.
09:19Increasing altitude.
09:22Approaching target.
09:24You just keep that head on a swivel for now.
09:29It's a passenger plane.
09:31Civilian.
09:32Not sure if she can keep up if we join up.
09:41This is Air Axiom, flight 365.
09:44We are carrying non-competents.
09:46Not engaged.
09:47This flight is chartered by a human rights organization
09:50to help evacuating refugees.
09:53This is the FCU Navy.
09:55We'll be escorting you to safer airspace.
09:57Ah, thank you.
10:01Hold up a sec.
10:03Seeing multiple inbound from the north.
10:05Supersonic.
10:07One pair of fighters in formation.
10:09They're baiting us.
10:13Koster, get that passenger plane out of here.
10:17You sure?
10:18Yes, go.
10:20Less to keep track of.
10:21Roger.
10:27Here they come.
10:28Let's see if they're in the mode to dance.
10:31The wings of Thief.
10:33So quick to turn tail.
10:35Like a lamb overdue for the slaughter.
10:38This guy again?
10:40You know how they package a little tree with a box of candies?
10:43You ever get the one you didn't want three times in a row?
10:50Being famous can attract the kind of attention you don't want.
10:53He's on the hunt for the wings of Thief.
10:54My money's on a special ops mission.
11:01We're going full thrust to get us out.
11:04I'll bet we'll see a nice .22 painted on that sucker if we get closer.
11:09That's not a number I want to see.
11:11Or get close to.
11:13You feel the same way, right?
11:19You get it.
11:20That's why we do it this way.
11:30Decelerate.
11:35Give me a break.
11:40Here he comes on my six.
11:43If you see missiles, check the side panel and launch the flares.
11:46You're on flare duty, okay?
11:48You take care of that and I'll focus on getting us out of here.
11:53Break!
11:54Break!
11:54Break!
11:57Okay.
11:57Evaded the missile.
11:59Climbing.
12:06These guys are pretty coordinated.
12:12I can use this.
12:20One more time.
12:23Keep doing me.
12:25Good work.
12:28Stay on in.
12:29Don't lose him.
12:31Don't lose him.
12:40One down.
12:41The Prophecy Lane defeats you.
12:45Shadow 22.
12:47Damn impressive.
12:57Hang on.
12:57They still have a score to settle with this world.
13:13Our lives are hanging on a single thread.
13:16And the ocean sits there like an open coffin.
13:27All alone in the deep blue.
13:30I'm being cut loose from all that I ever was.
13:40Oh.
13:42I almost forgot about you.
13:45Start swimming, soldier.
13:48Make it home alive.
14:10You again, huh?
14:12You're the first fish I've hauled up twice in one day.
14:33Test show his brainwaves are fine.
14:35Within normal ranges.
14:44Okay then, you're good to fly.
14:47You will be the flight leader in Joker flight from now on.
14:50Inherit Cope's call sign and use it as your own.
14:53Commander Cope's KIA will remain top secret.
14:56Share this information with only those with A5 security clearance or higher.
15:02For now, just keep thinking about the far-off fusion lands in your head.
15:09There are people there going through a living hell, struggling to stay alive.
15:15Keep them in your mind.
15:16Always.
15:18These are my orders, Rex.
15:21To keep up alive, wings of Thieve must stay on the mission.
15:24Must fly on.
15:27Sup?
15:28What she means to say is to make sure to come back alive no matter how bad it gets out
15:32there.
15:33I'll take care of your score count to be whatever.
15:36And, just like with Cope, all I want is for this war to be done and over with.
15:40Alright.
15:41From now on, you'll be the greatest ace pilot this war will ever know.
16:16We'll be the greatest ace pilot.
16:17We'll be the greatest ace pilot.
16:17...
