November 15, 2025 — 4:07 AMLuzon Strait – Aboard Valkyrie One
The pre-dawn silence was complete.
High above the dark sea, the KC-135 Stratotanker, Valkyrie One, soared through the void—four engines humming with mechanical calm, its matte-gray fuselage slicing silently across the lower stratosphere. The fuel indicators blinked green. Navigation systems held steady. There was no turbulence, no chatter, no motion—just the steady heartbeat of technology and purpose.
In the cockpit, Thomas Estaris sat calmly in the pilot's chair, eyes fixed on the projected navigation arc. Their destination was far, farther than any flight Overwatch had dared attempt before: Japan.
Beside him, Madel adjusted the radio bands and confirmed their autopilot altitude. They had pre-set the route manually, avoiding old air defense corridors and presumed hostile zones based on outdated satellite data.
