[X] Brownie. Just the mere thought of her easily brings forth the dreaded memories of her hysterical screams as she died. The fear and desperation, so clear in her voice, as she begged you to save her across the radio…your own pounding heart as you pushed your engine into afterburn, the shuddering of its airframe, the spike of anguish in your chest as you see her plane disintegrate just at the edge of your vision, and the flash of orange wingtips as Mr. X…or rather, Mihaly, sped away. Under your eyelids, you could imagine her easy laughter and joking demeanour…and you can feel your regrets lurking under your skin. (Trigger stays with Mage and Golem. Or, he'll try to, at the very least.)
[X] …an F-4E Phantom II. Clown had given you a strange look last time when you had asked for one, but his doubts were quickly quashed when you continued to reap a bloody toll across the battlefield. You'll be at a disadvantage…but you had duelled aces and won with this ancient plane. (Poor manoeuvrability and speed, but +????, very useful.)
[x] …an F-15 Eagle. Flew by the legendary Galm Team before you, it was non-standard, yes…but standardisation within the OADF barely existed anyway! You'd likely never live up to the legend of Pixy and Cipher, duelling above the Round Table, but you like to think you struck fear into the hearts of Eruseans with your Eagle.
- [x] F-15E (better A2G, tougher, not as manoeuvrable)
[X] …an F/A-18 Hornet. Again, it's non-standard, but who gives a shit? The Hornet hasn't been the hallmark of any legendary ace or glorious squadron, but it is the workhorse of air forces and navies the world over and will be for ages to come. It is rugged, efficient, and does the job well.
[x] Wiseman. The joking mentor and able leader. He was never as good a pilot as you, but was twice the leader you would ever be. A father to his men, he had a joke to cheer Strider and Cyclops Squadrons up at any time. He had taken you and Count under his wing, rescued the both of you from the 444th, even taught you some manoeuvres that had saved your life on countless occasions…and even now, you can hear his strained, forced laughter as he joked with Count over the radio in the skies above Farbanti, Count frantically pleading with him to stop, sounding like he was on the verge of tears…the neon-green targeting reticle on the HUD never quite locking onto Mihaly. (Trigger will try to get into the LRSSG. But whether Trigger makes it in is another question entirely.)
[X] Tabloid. Easy-going and a chatterbox, Tabloid was your bunkmate through your time in Hell…or rather, the 444th. He helped you escape the wrath of Champ, gave you stolen food from the canteen…risked solitary for you. Whenever you felt down, Tabloid was always there, a funny story or an amusing anecdote for you. The two of you forged an iron-strong bond of friendship, and the two of you promising to meet again after the war for a beer or two, parting ways with roaring laughter even as both left for skies unknown. When you heard that he had escaped Tyler Island alive, hope renewed itself in your chest…only to die, just like Tabloid did, which you only found out from a stoic Avril. (Trigger will try to get into the 444th. Staying is another question altogether.)