December 29 – 18:45 Hours
Windrise Ocean – Eastern Approach to Mondstadt Mainland
The sun bled into the horizon, casting streaks of crimson and gold across the sea's surface. The long journey home was nearly complete.
After a brief delay at the halfway checkpoint, the Arkhe's estimated arrival had been pushed to December 30, 1645 hours—just one day shy of the end of the year.
The Fontainian supercarrier cut through the waves, its escort fleet in tight formation. All seemed quiet.
On the carrier's observation deck, four pilots stood shoulder to shoulder: Emilie, Mona, Ayaka, and Mualani—the Emberhowl flight.
Emilie cracked a smile, arms resting against the rail.
"Look at that... the sun's setting."
Mona nodded, her expression unreadable as she followed the fading light.
"Mhm. The sign that this war's about to end... finally."
Ayaka leaned slightly forward, watching the glowing edge of the sea.
"Hey... why are we heading to Mondstadt, anyway? Aren't we still considered traitors in Teyvat's eyes?"
Emilie gave a slow nod.
"Yeah, technically. But this isn't about us. We're just the ride for Minister Mausau."
Ayaka furrowed her brow.
"But just a few days ago, Sea Monster Two made it to Arkhe. Why not just fly him there by helicopter and avoid risking the whole fleet?"
Emilie raised a finger with a grin.
"Hold that thought. We've got company."
On the horizon—a blockade. Warships in formation.
Suddenly, the carrier's interphone crackled to life.
"All hands to battle stations! Catapult crews, prep aircraft for launch! Natlan battle fleet ahead! Enemy formation: eighteen warships, positioned to block our approach!"
Then came a familiar voice—Minister Mausau, now broadcasting via loudspeaker:
"Natlan Battle Fleet! This is Minister Mausau, rightful representative of your nation. I am aboard the Fontainian carrier Arkhe. I urge you to stand down and let peace prevail. We can restore Natlan—and Teyvat—as one!"
There was silence. Then, an enemy frequency kicked in.
"Attention all Natlan vessels. The only thing between Natlan and Teyvat is hatred. Mausau has defected to the enemy. He is a traitor. Recognize him as such... and sink their fleet."
"But Commander! That's really him! That's the Minister!"
"Please, sir! Stand down! We don't even know why we're fighting anymore!"
Then—a lone ship broke from the Natlan line. A frigate turned directly into the path of the enemy fleet, shielding the Arkhe.
Emilie stepped back from the rail, voice low.
"Aaaand... that's our cue."
She took off running.
"Hey! Wait up!" Mona followed, Ayaka and Mualani right behind.
"Captain! Hold on!"
"Here we go!"
The enemy comms sparked again.
"Sink that traitor ship. Open fire!"
A thunderous crack echoed across the water.
Then—an explosion. The rebel frigate was struck broadside, listing heavily to port.
Suddenly, another voice emerged—sharper, resolute.
"This is the missile destroyer Qucusaurus of the Glorious Natlan Navy. We cannot follow a fleet commander who would sink one of his own! We will defend Minister Mausau, even if it means our destruction. All ships loyal to peace—change course and follow us!"
Of the seventeen remaining ships, five peeled away, defecting mid-formation. The line crumbled.
The Arkhe's intercom buzzed again.
"Protect those brave defectors!"
On the bridge, Captain Gracie grabbed the mic.
"Emberhowl—LAUNCH!"
She placed the microphone down and turned to Mausau, face tense.
"Minister, please—get to safety. The Sea Monster helicopter crew is standing by."
Mausau raised an eyebrow. "Why, Captain?"
Gracie narrowed her eyes.
"Because you are the key to ending this war. Once this battle is done—get to Mondstadt. Meet President Imena. Let the world see the two of you together, side by side. That picture alone might stop the fighting."
Then—the unmistakable roar of TF30 engines began echoing beneath the deck.
From the bridge windows, Gracie and Mausau saw the four F-14A Tomcats rolling into position. Canopies locking down. Tailhooks arming. Wing sweep mechanisms folding back.
Deck crews raced to disconnect power lines and remove safety pins. Fuel lines hissed. Radios clicked to life.
The Arkhe's flight deck was coming alive.
War had returned to the sea.
A sharp salute.
The first F-14A to move was Tomcat 016—Emilie's aircraft.
With a steady hand on the throttles, she began to taxi forward, her Tomcat rolling toward the starboard catapult at the bow of the Arkhe. Mona followed close on her left wing, her own F-14A trundling forward with equal purpose, engines rumbling low across the deck.
Ahead, the deck crew signaled Emilie forward. She eased the throttle. Nosewheel aligned with the shuttle track. Slow roll. Then—hands up.
Hold.
She set the brakes.
Launch bar signal.
Emilie reached down, flipping the switch. The nose strut dropped, the launch bar extending into position beneath the shuttle.
Then came the next signal—extend wings.
She pushed the wing sweep lever forward. With a heavy mechanical whirrrr, the wings of her F-14A unfolded to full span. A quick press of the Master Reset re-engaged the automatic sweep system.
The crew locked the launch bar into the shuttle. Final checks began.
"Raise the barriers! And make it quick! We're running out of time!" a deck boss shouted over the roar of engines and wind.
Emilie rolled the stick gently in a circular motion. She tapped the rudder pedals. Smooth response. Elevators, ailerons, and rudders—all surfaces moved as expected.
A green thumb shot up from the flight deck crew.
All clear.
Then—
Her radio crackled to life.
"Emilie, this is Gracie. Listen up. We'll be transmitting the Arkhe's CIC IFF signature to your radars. Any enemy vessels will show as red contacts. Any defectors will be marked as allies. It might flicker a bit as updates come in, especially if more ships flip sides."
Emilie gave a curt nod in the cockpit.
"Roger."
Gracie's voice returned.
"Alright, Emilie. Launch!"
Emilie placed her right hand on the glare shield. One last salute to the deck crew. Then, with a deliberate motion, she shoved both throttles forward into full afterburner.
Twin Pratt And Whitney TF30 engines roared to life, blazing orange in the dusk.
The catapult fired.
She was slammed into her seat, the Tomcat rocketing forward with brutal force—and then, just like that, the Arkhe vanished behind her.
Airborne.
She eased back on the stick, letting the jet climb out cleanly. Her hand reached for the gear lever.
Clunk-thud.
Gear up. Locked.
Her radio crackled again.
"Emberhowl One, away."
Seconds later—
"Emberhowl Two, away."
Then—
"Emberhowl Three, away."
And finally—
"Emberhowl Four, away."
"All aircraft launched! Defend our fleet!"
The urgency in the CIC was unmistakable.
"This is Arkhe CIC! Your IFFs should be updated! Sink all enemy ships as fast as possible! The situation is dire!"
Emilie scanned her radar. Dozens of contacts, flickering between red and blue. The battlefield was unstable.
"Affirmative. I've got them on radar."
She keyed her squadron frequency.
"Emberhowl, disperse and engage. Sink all enemy ships—doesn't matter if they're flying the Teyvat flag."
One by one, her wingmates acknowledged:
"Starseer, roger."
"Tempest, wilco."
"Soumetsu, understood."
The four F-14As split, breaking formation in clean arcs. Emilie stayed high and fast, angling toward the densest cluster of hostile contacts.
Then—
Escalation.
The enemy fleet opened fire, naval cannons thundering. Shells screamed through the sky, exploding in puffs of black flak.
Emilie's voice snapped over the radio.
"Too hot down low! Hit them from above!"
She pitched up sharply, engines straining as her Tomcat clawed into the sky. At the apex, she rolled inverted—then dove.
Gravity surged against her. The wind screamed past the canopy. The first destroyer loomed in her HUD.
She nudged the nose, aligning her pipper—
Lock.
Tone.
She squeezed the trigger.
"Fox Three! Fox Three!"
Two AIM-54 Phoenix missiles dropped from the belly pylons and roared to life, streaking downrange like flaming spears.
Emilie yanked the stick back, breaking hard to the left and climbing again.
Seconds later—
An explosion.
One of the Phoenixes struck the destroyer mid-deck. Fire erupted from the impact zone, debris flung skyward as the warship began to list.
Her radio lit up again—this time, from an unexpected source.
"Hey! Those planes!"
"Yeah... matte jet black paint, that emblem... are you the Emberhowl?!"
Emilie keyed her radio.
"That's right."
A beat. Then excitement surged through the channel.
"I knew it! This is the Natlan destroyer Tatankasaurus! It's an honor to fight alongside you!"
Another explosion rocked the sea.
Emilie glanced left—two more enemy ships were aflame, their hulls breaking as they began to sink.
"Soumetsu, splash!"
"Starseer, splash!"
Mona's voice followed.
"I'm moving to support the defecting ships!"
Then another voice, bold and resolute:
"Carrier Arkhe! We're joining your fleet!"
Then.
Their IFF flickered.
A new ally.
Only eight Natlan Navy ships remained.
Emilie dove again, banking left—hard.
She leveled her wings, diving toward another ship:
An enemy frigate.
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Three, Fox Three!"
Two AIM-54 Phoenix missiles dropped cleanly from her belly rails and roared off.
She pulled hard on the stick, climbing high and breaking right.
Direct hit.
The bridge went up in flames. The port hull was shredded—blown wide open by a searing blast.
The ship began to list.
Emilie keyed her mic.
"Raven, splash."
Then—
A new voice crackled in.
"We've got an allied fleet inbound!"
Gracie acknowledged without hesitation.
"Wilco. Try hailing them for support."
Mualani flew low—dangerously low—skimming the waves and weaving through flak bursts.
Then—
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Three, Fox Three!"
Her Phoenixes launched clean off the rails.
She slammed the throttles to full afterburner, climbing steeply and banking right.
Direct hit.
Two more explosions tore through another enemy destroyer's starboard side.
The ship buckled and listed violently.
"Tempest, splash!"
The CIC operator's voice followed, urgent:
"The Teyvat Naval Fleet's been monitoring our comms. They're saying we've defected—that we've joined the Natlan forces."
Then.
More Natlan ships appeared on radar—
From six, to four… to two…
But then—
Their IFF flickered again.
New enemies.
They weren't Natlan.
They were Teyvat.
From two…
To nine.
Mona glanced out at the fleet now surrounding the Arkhe—a convoy of destroyers and frigates.
"Look at that," she murmured. "Looks like someone understands us…"
Ayaka's voice came in, softer, almost in awe.
"Yeah… Look at our shining fleet. I could almost cry."
Then—
Another radio call:
"Sink those allied ships! They're preparing to attack!"
Ayaka's IFF blinked furiously.
"Shit! My IFF is flickering! They're firing at me!"
Mualani shouted back, voice sharp.
"OF COURSE THEY ARE! THEY THINK WE'RE DEAD! THEY DON'T KNOW WHO WE ARE!"
She launched another salvo.
"Fox Three, Fox Three!"
Then pulled hard right, climbing again.
Direct hit.
The second-to-last Natlan warship was reduced to burning wreckage.
Emilie rolled into another dive—
Her eyes locked onto a Teyvat destroyer below.
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Three, Fox Three!"
Her Phoenixes launched clean.
She pulled up hard and broke right.
At the same time, Mona dove for the final Natlan vessel.
"Fox Three!"
Their paths crossed as missiles streaked past in opposite directions.
Both targets hit.
Two more Natlan ships sunk.
"All enemy Natlan ships destroyed! Continue with remaining hostiles!"
Then—
A fireball bloomed.
The first Teyvat destroyer was hit—listing, its tail end dragging the rest under.
Radio chatter lit up again.
"Those planes… black paint… That emblem… Are they the Emberhowl?"
Emilie keyed her mic, her voice cool.
"That's right."
A different voice barked back, furious.
"Oh!? So you've got the nerve to talk back!? We'll eliminate you demons! Traitors!"
Emilie narrowed her eyes.
"I don't think so, scumbag."
She rolled inverted, dove steeply toward the next destroyer.
Wings level.
Speed building.
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Three!"
Two more Phoenixes leapt from the rails.
She yanked the stick back and broke left.
Impact.
The ship's starboard side erupted in flames.
"Raven, splash!"
Then—
Three synchronized explosions rocked the horizon.
The Arkhe's CIC came alive:
"Two ships remain!"
Then—
Another explosion.
A friendly Natlan destroyer took out the last enemy frigate.
"Make that one!"
Emilie spotted the final Teyvat ship.
A destroyer.
Her jaw clenched.
She rolled into a steep right wingover—
And dove.
Straight at it.
"This ends now…"
Lock.
Tone.
"Fox Three!"
Her last two Phoenixes screamed off the rails.
She pulled back hard, climbing with fire in her wake.
"Raven out of missiles!"
Then—
A massive explosion.
The destroyer went up in flames.
Fire and steel rained into the sea.
The Arkhe's CIC operator's voice came in, strained but proud.
"This is Arkhe CIC! All enemy vessels destroyed! We've won!"
Gracie's voice followed soon after, steady and resolute.
"This is Captain Gracie of the carrier Arkhe. Congratulations to our Emberhowl pilots—and welcome to all Natlan vessels who've joined our fleet. We're honored to fight beside you."
"We will do our best to bring this war to an end."
Then.
A new IFF signature appeared.
Sea Monster.
Emilie keyed her mic.
"Looks like the Minister of Natlan has departed."
Gracie responded.
"Yes, Emilie. It's our only hope left…"
"Come now. Return home."
The four F-14A Tomcats pulled into formation—wings sweeping back—heading home through a darkening sky lit by fire and triumph.
Minutes later…
Three F-14s were already on deck.
Emilie was the last one still in the air.
She was on short final, wings steady, already established on approach.
The carrier tower came through on comms.
"Raven, you're cleared to land."
She didn't reply. Just a quiet nod inside her helmet. Her eyes never left the HUD.
Final checklist.
Gear—down. Three green. Locked.
Flaps—full.
Hook—down.
Throttle—steady.
She adjusted her pitch by mere degrees, riding the glide slope with surgical precision. The mirror gave her the ball. She kept it centered.
"You're perfect, Raven. Keep her coming," came a calm voice from the LSO platform.
Every control input was measured. Her hands were stone-steady.
Closer…
Screech—thump.
Main gear slammed onto the steel deck. The tailhook snapped taut as it caught the third wire with a solid, spine-jarring yank.
Without missing a beat, Emilie slammed both throttles forward into full afterburner—protocol in case the hook missed.
The Tomcat roared like a beast… then choked down into a full stop.
Caught.
She eased the throttles to idle and finally exhaled.
"Perfect three-wire, Raven! Nicely done!" the tower crackled with satisfaction.
The arresting hook retracted with a metallic snap. Emilie swept the wings fully aft, raised the flaps, and taxied toward the forward parking area near the island structure.
The canopy cracked open with a hiss.
She pulled the parking brake, moved the throttles into cut-off, and listened to the TF30 engines spool down into a dying whine.
Silence.
Emilie unlatched her harness, popped her helmet off, and climbed down the ladder onto the flight deck.
She brushed her bangs back with her right hand, her expression calm but weary.
"Man… really can't catch a break…" she muttered under her breath.
Footsteps approached.
Mona, Mualani, and Ayaka walked over, still in flight suits.
Mualani gave a small nod.
"Yeah… but at least we've got a new fleet now."
Emilie looked at her and offered a tired smile.
"Mhm…"
A pair of figures approached from the island: Captain Gracie and Kaeya.
Gracie looked around at the pilots and nodded firmly.
"Excellent work, all of you. We may have had to fire on our own navy, but in this war… we do what we must to survive."
Emilie nodded.
"Right."
Kaeya stepped forward, arms crossed.
"We're already analyzing the files brought by the Natlan intelligence officer—when you rescued Candace and the Minister." He paused.
"There's an encrypted disk included. Our techs have been working on it since the day we got it. Looks like we'll crack it by tomorrow."
Gracie and Kaeya turned back, heading toward the command tower.
The four pilots remained by the edge of the deck, facing the distant horizon.
The sky was painted in molten gold.
The sun was finally dipping below the ocean.
Emilie looked up, voice quiet.
"Tomorrow's the thirtieth… One day before New Year's Eve."
She sighed.
"I hope our families are okay…"
Ayaka nodded beside her, eyes cast downward.
"I hope my brother's alright too…"
The sun vanished.
Night fell over the sea.
The war wasn't over yet.
But it felt like the tides were turning.
Still…
Out there, somewhere…
Something was waiting.
Lurking.
Watching.
And it wasn't done yet.