September 28
Three days had passed since what was supposed to be a simple interception turned into a full-on dogfight.
The morning sun crept lazily over Petrichor Air Force Base, casting long shadows across the tarmac. Inside one of the maintenance hangars, Captain Candace and Houallet sat in silence. Candace leaned against the hangar door, arms crossed, while Houallet rested on a bench, eyes fixed on the horizon.
The quiet stretched between them until Candace let out a heavy sigh.
"Why do they even bother reprimanding me anymore?" she muttered. "At this point, I already know I'll be stuck as a captain forever."
Houallet turned his head slightly, finally breaking his gaze from the sunrise.
"But who do you think is covering up the battle?" he asked.
Candace glanced at him before shaking her head.
"Doesn't matter."
She shifted her weight, looking toward the ocean beyond the base.
"But here's the thing... the only thing across that water is Tequemecan Air Force Base. That's Natlan territory."
Houallet frowned slightly. "We've been allies with Natlan since the Khaenri'ahn War, right? That was fifteen years ago. And Natlan is part of Teyvat—it's not like the Snezhnayan Federation. They wouldn't pull something like this… would they?"
Candace exhaled sharply through her nose, shaking her head.
"No, Snezhnaya's its own beast. Teyvat's six nations—Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, and Natlan—are supposed to be unified under the government." She ran a hand through her hair, irritation creeping into her tone. "And that's exactly why we've got people breaking their backs trying to figure out what the hell's going on over there."
She turned her gaze toward the main base buildings in the distance.
"I bet somewhere in there, a bunch of officers are burning up the phone lines, trying to make sense of this mess." Her voice dripped with frustration. "And of course, the higher-ups don't want this getting out. The public would lose their damn minds if they found out."
She leaned back against the hangar door, eyes drifting toward the ceiling.
"Not that it matters to us."
A bitter chuckle escaped her lips.
"Soldiers like us? We're too dumb to think for ourselves. When they tell us to shut up, we shut up. That's how it works."
She looked at Houallet again, this time with something close to regret.
"Sorry you got dragged into this."
Houallet shook his head, offering a small smirk.
"No, it's alright," he said. "Besides... I get to be with you guys."
As the sun continued its steady rise over Petrichor Air Force Base, the time struck 10:40.
Over in her quarters, Emilie lay on her bed, savoring a rare moment of peace. She closed her eyes, trying to rest, but something gnawed at the back of her mind.
Were those really Natlan planes that attacked them?
Why would Natlan attack us? We've been allies for fifteen years now...
Her thoughts spiraled.
Could this be an attempt to dissolve Teyvat? A war where all six nations declare independence?
She frowned.
No... that doesn't make sense.
She sat up, turning to sit at the edge of her bed. Her mind retraced the facts.
"It has to be Natlan aircraft," she murmured.
She pushed her glasses up slightly, eyes narrowing.
"West of Petrichor, beyond Fontaine's borders, is the Deshret Desert. But ever since the Natlan-Sumeru war decades ago, no one lays claim to that land. It's uninhabited. Nobody lives there..."
She exhaled sharply.
"The closest civilization is either Aaru Village in Sumeru or the Natlan naval town of Tequemecan."
She clenched her jaw.
"It has to be Natlan aircraft. It's no coincidence."
But then came the final question—the one that made her stomach churn.
Why attack a neighboring Teyvat nation?
A knock at the door broke her thoughts. She stood up and opened it.
Standing in front of her was Mona.
Emilie blinked. "Mona?"
Mona nodded. "The briefing's about to start."
Emilie gave a small nod. "Right. I'll be there."
Without another word, Mona turned and walked off.
Emilie turned back inside, grabbing her helmet from the desk before stepping out and shutting the door behind her.
Briefing Room – Petrichor Air Force Base
By the time Emilie arrived, most of the pilots were already seated. She took one of the last empty spots beside Teppei.
The base commander gave her a nod. "Glad you could join us, Emilie."
She nodded in return before settling in.
The room quieted as the commander stepped forward. The display screen flickered to life.
"Alright. Let's get started."
A satellite image appeared on the screen.
"A ship of unknown origin has been detected approaching the Petrichor coastline," the commander stated.
He clicked a button, and a series of smaller blips appeared near the ship.
"We've also confirmed that this vessel has launched multiple UAVs, likely for reconnaissance."
There was a murmur among the pilots. The commander continued.
"These drones are expected to return to the ship once their surveillance operations are complete. Your mission is to intercept and destroy them before they can be retrieved."
He let that sink in before adding, "However, you are not to engage the ship itself. Do not fire on it unless further orders are transmitted."
Candace stood up, turning to face her pilots.
"Alright, everyone. Let's head out," she said, her tone firm.
"Looks like a beautiful day to swat some drones."
Without waiting for the others, she was the first to leave.
Teppei nudged Emilie's shoulder.
She turned to him. "What's up?"
Teppei glanced toward the exit where Candace had just disappeared. "What's with the captain today?"
Emilie shrugged. "I don't know. But whatever it is, we still have a mission to accomplish."
She grabbed her helmet and stood up. The others quickly followed as they made their way to the apron.
Flight Line – Petrichor Air Force Base
Lined up on the apron, four aircraft stood ready.
Captain Candace's F-4 Phantom II
Emilie, Mona, and Teppei's F-5E Tiger IIs
The sky was clear—perfect conditions for an interception.
The pilots separated, each heading toward their respective aircraft.
Emilie climbed the ladder, slipping into the cockpit. She took a moment to settle in before glancing to her left, giving the ground crew a thumbs-up.
They returned the gesture and moved the ladder away.
Emilie exhaled and turned her attention to the instrument panel. She flicked the switches to bring the aircraft to life.
The J85 engines began spooling up, their high-pitched whine filling the air. As they stabilized, she pulled her shoulder harness over her flight suit, clicking it into place and giving the straps a firm tug to tighten them.
Helmet on. Canopy down.
She took one last look at her instruments. Everything was green.
Then Candace's voice came over the radio.
"Alright, Wolfsbane Squadron. Callsign check."
Emilie keyed her mic first.
"Wolfsbane Four, checking in."
Mona followed.
"Wolfsbane Two, checking in."
Then Teppei.
"Wolfsbane Three—hello!"
Candace nodded from her cockpit.
"Alright, nuggets. Let's move. We're not letting those drones relay a damn thing back to their owners."
She rolled forward, making a left onto the taxiway. Emilie followed next, then Mona, then Teppei.
Within minutes, all four aircraft were airborne, climbing westward toward their target.
Wolfsbane Squadron climbed to 1,000 feet, forming a loose combat spread as they streaked westward.
For a moment, the only sound was the distant hum of their J85 engines and the occasional crackle of radio static.
Then AWACS Thunderspike cut in, breaking the silence.
"This is AWACS Thunderspike. Unmanned recon drones are heading back to the spy vessel!"
"Shoot them down before they get back!"
Candace responded without hesitation.
"Copy that. You got that, gang?"
Emilie was the first to acknowledge.
"Loud and clear."
Candace smirked. "Since you spoke up first..."
A pause.
"After you, Raven."
A grin tugged at Emilie's lips as she jammed the throttles forward. The twin J85 engines roared to life, afterburners igniting as she surged ahead, leaving the formation trailing in her wake.
Candace's voice followed over the radio.
"Show me what you've got, Raven."
Emilie keyed her mic.
"Sure thing, Captain."
Her HUD and IFF refreshed—two UAVs dead ahead, moving fast toward the spy vessel.
Candace's voice cut in again.
"Remember—do not fire on the spy vessel. Got it, Raven?"
"Roger."
"Atta girl."
Emilie closed the distance rapidly.
Then—
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Two!"
She squeezed the trigger, launching an AIM-9 Sidewinder toward the left UAV. Without missing a beat, she shifted her nose to the second drone.
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Two!"
Two streaks of smoke trailed through the air.
A heartbeat later—
Explosion.
The first UAV disintegrated in a fiery burst, debris scattering as its smoldering remains spiraled downward.
Another explosion.
The second UAV met the same fate.
Emilie's IFF updated again.
More UAVs. Sixty degrees left.
She kept the throttles firewalled, determined to close the distance before they could reach the spy vessel. The familiar, thunderous boom rippled through the air as she pushed past Mach 1, breaking the sound barrier.
Candace's voice crackled back in.
"So, this mission's easy, huh, Emilie?"
She responded calmly.
"So far, it is."
Candace chuckled. "That's what I like to hear. But let's wrap this up before they get away."
Emilie's HUD flickered—lock acquired.
Tone.
"Fox Two! Fox Two!"
Two more Sidewinders streaked away from her F-5E, chasing down their targets.
Impact.
Two more direct hits.
AWACS Thunderspike confirmed over the radio.
"Two splashes! Four UAVs remain!"
Emilie kept her speed high, quickly closing the gap to the final group. As she neared, she pulled back on the throttles, deploying the belly spoilers to bleed off excess speed.
Her HUD flashed as her sensors locked onto two more UAVs.
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Two! Fox Two!"
Two more missiles streaked from beneath her wings.
Impact.
Two more fireballs lit up the sky.
Emilie keyed the mic.
"Raven's got two bandits! Two left!"
She banked left, bringing her nose in line with the last remaining UAVs.
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Two! Fox Two!"
Two more Sidewinders ripped through the air.
Teppei's voice cut in over the radio.
"Hey, Emilie! Let's count our kills after this sortie!"
Then—
Explosions.
Two final fireballs in the sky.
Teppei let out a low whistle.
"Never mind..."
The skies went quiet.
Just as Wolfsbane Squadron thought the mission was over, AWACS Thunderspike shattered the calm.
"Alert! Multiple bogeys inbound! Closing fast!"
Candace snapped her gaze to the radar scope.
"What!? Same attack axis as yesterday?"
Thunderspike confirmed.
"Affirmative, Captain. Same bearing—280!"
Emilie groaned, gripping the stick tighter.
"Geez… how many planes do they have lined up at the border!?"
Candace clenched her jaw. Their F-5E Tigers were light and nimble, but vastly outgunned against a superior force.
"We've only got four planes. Best we retreat."
Her voice hardened.
"Everyone, abort and head back!"
Emilie wasted no time.
"Wilco! Raven's retreating!"
She snapped the Tiger II into a hard left bank, rolling out on a course back to Petrichor Air Force Base. But just as she was halfway through her turn—
"I can't make it!"
Teppei's voice cut through the radio, tense and urgent.
"They're running me down! I'm at full power, and this is all this plane can give me!"
Candace scoffed, forcing some humor into the situation.
"Oh, so you're trailing today, Rock n' Roller?"
Her voice turned sharp.
"Hold on—we'll clear your six!"
"All planes, weapons free!"
Emilie was closest to Teppei's aggressors. Her IFF updated—
Two MiG-21s.
She rolled inverted, then pulled back, slicing in from above.
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Two! Fox Two!"
Twin Sidewinders leapt from her hardpoints, streaking through the air.
A direct hit.
The first MiG-21 split in half, flaming debris tumbling into the ocean below.
The second bandit broke hard right, but Emilie was already in pursuit.
Candace barked over the radio.
"Everyone, attack the enemy planes!"
AWACS Thunderspike immediately cut in.
"Captain Candace!"
Mona's voice followed.
"Starseer engaging! Breaking right!"
Then Candace.
"Sentinel, engaging!"
Teppei's voice came last.
"Herring, engaging!"
AWACS Thunderspike shouted over the frequency.
"Wolfsbane, you are NOT cleared to engage! I repeat, NOT CLEARED TO ENGAGE!"
The MiG-21 in front of Emilie suddenly pitched into a near-vertical climb.
She mimicked the maneuver, snapping into an aggressive climb.
The enemy jet rolled right.
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Two!"
Another Sidewinder leapt from her rail—
Impact.
"Raven's got a splash!"
Mona chimed in a second later.
"Starseer's got a bandit!"
Then, an enemy radio transmission crackled through their frequencies.
"Enemy squadron has begun their counterattack! Fight back!"
AWACS Thunderspike erupted over the comms.
"YOU SPLASHED A BANDIT WITHOUT PERMISSION!? YOU ARE NOT CLEARED TO ENGAGE! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, WOLFSBANE!?"
But Emilie wasn't listening.
She was already maneuvering, shifting her nose toward a trio of MiG-29s.
Diving low, she streaked beneath them before pulling into a tight half-loop, inverting momentarily before rolling out into level flight.
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Two! Fox Two!"
Her missiles streaked toward their targets. The MiG-29s scattered—
But one broke too late.
Impact.
A direct hit. The jet erupted in a fireball.
Emilie gave chase to the second MiG-29.
Mona's voice came over the radio again.
"I still can't figure out which nation they're coming from!"
Candace scoffed.
"Oh, so you're back. You gonna fight this time, Starseer?"
Mona didn't respond.
Then—another explosion.
"Herring's got a target!"
One left.
Emilie was still on its tail.
The MiG-29 weaved left and right, jinking erratically.
Then—it dove.
Screaming toward the ocean.
But Emilie had seen it before.
She anticipated the move, following close.
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Two!"
Her missiles streaked toward the bandit.
The MiG-29 tried to pitch up—
But the Sidewinders found their mark.
They slammed directly into the cockpit.
No chance of survival.
AWACS Thunderspike sighed, tension thick in his voice.
"All enemy planes confirmed destroyed…"
But then—
Escalation.
The spy vessel launched a missile.
A surface-to-air missile.
And it was locked onto Mona's F-5.
Her cockpit blared with warning tones.
"Shit! It's on my six!"
She yanked the stick left and right, snapping into a climb, then a sudden dive. The missile stayed locked.
Then—
Candace swooped in behind Mona, drawing the missile's seeker.
It switched targets.
Candace made a sharp right turn, then barrel-rolled—
Impact.
The missile struck the tip of her right wing.
The Phantom shuddered violently.
"Fuck! I'm hit!"
Mona's voice cracked over the comms.
"Captain!"
Candace leveled out, her voice steady.
"Don't worry. I'm okay."
She took a breath.
"I'll eject here. Besides, jets are expendable."
"Getting the crew back alive—that's what counts."
A pause.
"Call for a search and rescue team."
"And tell Kaeya to get my reserve jet ready, okay?"
Mona's voice was tight.
"Roger, Captain. Stay safe."
Candace slowed her Phantom down to stall speed, pulled the ejection handle—
She rocketed out as the stricken F-4 rolled onto its back and plunged into the ocean.
Then AWACS Thunderspike's voice rang through the radio.
"Wolfsbane Squadron, alert! Return to base immediately!"
Emilie's eyes widened.
"But the rescue team isn't here yet!"
Thunderspike's tone was grim.
"Look, you need to rearm and refuel!"
Then—
The news hit.
"The enemy has declared war on Teyvat."
Emilie's blood ran cold.
She barely got the words out.
"Wh-what!?"
"Who!?"
Silence.
Then—
Thunderspike spoke.
"Natlan."
The radio went quiet.
For once, Mona and Teppei had no words.
Finally, Thunderspike's voice returned, firm but urgent.
"Return to base. Rearm and refuel. This is urgent!"
Emilie forced herself to respond.
"Roger."
Teppei followed.
"Roger."
Mona's voice was the last.
"Roger."
They slammed their throttles forward, speeding back toward Petrichor Air Force Base—
Leaving Candace alone in the water, waiting for rescue.
Minutes Later – Petrichor Air Force Base
The trio's F-5 Tiger IIs screeched onto the tarmac, their wheels barely touching the ground before they were met by swarms of ground crew. Mechanics rushed in, rearming missiles and refueling tanks with practiced urgency, their voices barely audible over the whine of cooling jet engines.
Emilie, Teppei, and Mona gathered a short distance away, away from the frantic activity. Their minds were still reeling.
Emilie was the first to speak.
"I knew something was off..."
Mona let out a sigh, nodding. "Yeah... I know."
Emilie glanced toward the horizon, the once-clear skies now choked with rolling clouds.
"It makes sense now..." She exhaled sharply. "Out west is the Deshret Desert. No nation controls it. Not since the Natlan-Sumeru War… almost fifty years ago." She shook her head. "But Natlan is part of Teyvat. We're supposed to be allies."
Teppei crossed his arms. "So are Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, and Sumeru."
The words hung in the air like an oil fire, thick and suffocating.
It had happened.
Not a drill. Not a border skirmish.
Reality had set in.
A nation of Teyvat had turned its guns on its neighbors.
Natlan had declared war.