Rose and Claws, the After-Action Report.

Wow. Three years, a few hundred hours, nearly a quarter million words and 57 chapter's later, I can finally declare victory on the Rose and Claws project.

Without getting too sappy, there's of course people I need to thank before I continue with this final bow. First off to my Alpha readers, Haydz, and Professor. You two were the real MVPs. While I don't think you two might have been aware of each other, you both kept this ship going straight especially in the early chapters.

Second, my 'military advisors' who for the sake of their own anonymity I'll just refer to by rank. Colonel, Captain and SSgt. You three did not know about this project and I probably wouldn't actually admit I wrote it if you confronted me about it, but the various institutional knowledge you shared was priceless in getting some (most) of this stuff accurate. 

Finally, you guys, the reader. Without your comments and support, I wouldn't have stuck with it as long as I did. FishHead, Swarley, Spartan, and too many others left to name, it really did make a difference reading all your comments on each chapter. It filled me with some very complicated emotions watching discussions pop up on The theories where I'd take the story next.

That was fucking awesome if I do say so myself. 

Just know that while I didn't reply to every comment, I really did enjoy reading all the feedback both positive and constructive. That truly did make my day.

With that out of the way. I just wanted to use this final post as my 'behind the scenes' feature. Share my own personal story when I wrote this and just some of the errata that I wanted to share after working on this project.

But before that. FAQ. All these were either amalgamations of the same questions i would see, or direct ones when I asked a few months back.

Q) Why all the Fate references?

A) This is a very roundabout answer but the initial Fate Easter egg with Basilisk actually wasn't a reference to the franchise. Instead, I remembered that in the anime Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There, the SOF team used the 'Lancer' and 'Saber' Callsign and I was using them based on those scenes.. It really wasn't until Chapter 15 that I ended up going on a binge of both Unlimited Blade Works and Zero. However, as you'll see later. Most of the squadrons I wrote in later were less subtle in my absolute love for the franchise.

Q) Why is trigger still considered to be harling's murderer if that erusian general in operation gorgon revealed(in the game) about masked/faked Iff signal?
A) I dont remember who quite said the line (might have been Mark Twain?) but “A lie can get around the world twice before the truth has its boots on.” What I've personally noticed in life is even after a tragedy such as Harlings death, once a cause is assigned, regardless of if it's disproved later, Very few people will actually hear about it, or even care once that first set of ‘facts’ is told to them. Ultimately, why would any regular Osean civilian, or Service member not directly associated with Trigger even bother to look at a months old case by that point, especially since it was concurrent with the global communications blackout in the middle of a continent spanning war.

Q) Communication blackout? Still nobody realizes the vast network of subterranean and undersea optical cables, not the satellites, is the primary means of global communication?
A) I have long since gone off the assumption that in a world that is at war more often than not on a global scale, as well as the geographical issues of the Ulysses planetfall twenty years prior, it would have been nigh impossible for any system like that to be maintained.

Q) What awards did Trigger have following the war?
A) this is admittedly not something I am terribly knowledgeable in. I figured at the very least, beyond the ‘breathing ribbons’ that every Officer would have, like in the US military, he would probably have received a handful of commendations for his actions during the game. Probably a silver or bronze star at the very least, if not Oseas Distinguished Flying Cross analog or similar. 

Q) Why is there no smut when your FF.Net name implies you do.

A) So… that was a joke. Initially in documents that will never see the light of day, I did try my hands at some smutty scenes. They were horrible. No one should read them. They should never have been written.

Ultimately I’ve kept the name just because I am at heart, a childish twelve year old, and I thought the name was funny. Smut and Fighter Jets. What a winning combination.

Q) When is the next chapter dropping?

A) Never. This is it. I am free! Bwahahaha!

So How did Rose and Claws come about?

Back in February of 2019, I was playing through Ace Combat 7 a lot. Probably the third or forth campaign run by my guess? And after another night of playing the game my mind was absolutely racing. For whatever reason I had one scene in my mind that just kept playing out over and over and would not let me get to sleep. I decided just to appease my brain, I’d write it down on a Post-it note and look it over in the morning, hell maybe laugh at how goofy I was at 2 in the morning. (please forgive the horrid handwriting and gross looking paper. Translation provided below)

IDEA FOR STORY

• Rosa and Trigger

• Dinner post Lighthouse war with Rosa as Host. Trigger, Huxian and Count as guests. (the Heroes of Mission 20) Jaeger couldn’t make it, though he “Would have loved to tell his son about this”

• Rosa is smitten by Trigger and asks him to stay later to talk.

KEY POINTS

• Trigger is awkward as shit

• Count and Huxian a thing

• Cossette’s advances are lost on Trigger

• Trigger worried about the consequences. 

I probably sat on this post-it for about a week before looking at it again. And from the points we have here I wrote up the first draft of what would become the latter half of Chapter 1, as well as the opening to Chapter 2. 

Feeling pretty satisfied with the scene I had written as an initial short-story, I looked to expand it a bit more and did a very very rough first pass on what I wanted the story to be.

To put it kindly, I hate it now, and wasn’t quite thrilled with it then, and I do put most of the blame on this story fizzling out on this first pass of an idea. So anyway, here was that idea verbatim from the Word Doc I placed it in originally.

(this is presented as it was in my initial document. Please forgive any grammatical errors or strike outs)

Cossette Invites Strider over for dinner, gets smitten by Trigger (Trigger is initially dense and misses cues by Cossette)

• Trigger wakes up the next morning, The reader finding out him and Cossette slept with each other. Trigger has a slight freakout (Because he doesn’t want to go back to the penal unit) to Cossettes amusement. She reassures him that it would be secret between them

• Avril walks in, Heres a funny scene where Cossette tries to come up with excuses to keep her out while Trigger frantically looks for his uniform for basic common decency. He ends up hiding in Cossettes Bathroom. Cossette tries to convince Avril that no one else besides them was there, but Avril sees through Cossette’s lie and starts trying to find the “Mystery boyfriend” much to Cossette (and silently Triggers) Dismay. Avril Opens the bathroom surprising trigger who is only covering himself with a towel.

• Cut to Avril laughing and pacing back and forth in Cossette’s living room while Cossette (Still in disarray) and Trigger (still in a towel) sit embarrassed on the couch. Avril says the secret was safe with her and makes comments relating to “How she thought she got around at (Cossette’s) age” and “Following older men are we?” in kind hearted jest towards the Princess. (Princess Age 19, Trigger 24, 5 year Difference)

• Trigger then reports back to Selapatrua where he is scolded by Long Caster and Bandog for staying out past curfew and being late to the meeting. They discuss plans and such for defense of the Lighthouse in event of Erusean Radical attack.

• It skips forward a few days until Triggers phone receives a text with a request for While aiding with Refugee Efforts a few weeks later at the Elevator, Cossette meets Trigger again and at the end of the day requests him to meet back at the Hotel that Cossette is staying at. He takes leave and goes there, only to be greeted by Avril in the Lobby who takes him through the service paths to get to Cossette’s room. Trigger is greeted by Cossette who asked if he wouldn’t mind spending the evening with her. They once again hit it off and do decide that, despite the risks to both of them (Trigger going to jail for boinking a Hostile Nations leader and Cossette for boinking the pilot that almost single handedly destroyed her Air Force) That they would start dating, even if in secret.

• For the next few weeks Trigger and Cossette secretly meet and spend time together. Eventually Trigger & Strider Squadron receive orders to report back Osea side for a new set of missions (Implied to be recon into Leasath.) This is Superseded by Cossette making a formal request to OADF Command to have Trigger as her personal Pilot. 

• Bandog is Transferred away suddenly without notice (implied for the death of Full Band) to be replaced by Sky Catcher. An older woman that Long Caster (Also being transferred away with the LRSSG) warns Trigger about. (Keen on officer performance, foil to Triggers behavior)

• OADF HQ Decides that it’s a good idea to keep an Osean Officer close to her less she tries to restart the war. OADF OSI interrogates Trigger on why it might be him, to which he feigns ignorance, they then order him to be a spy (Which he actively ignores) and remind him to not fraternize with the Princess outside of a professional relationship as the international fallout would be bad. Trigger agrees to the new assignment and watches Strider (now under command of Count) leave Selapatura for Osea.

• Trigger and Cossette continue to see each other in secret, Trigger taking leave on weekends to spend time with her, All the Osean’s at Selapatura know that he has a girlfriend in the city but unknown who (and since he’s the big war hero, they let it slide).

• Eventually Trigger and Cossette go out in public together (though disguised), Knocker (now commander of Mage Squadron, the LRSSG replacement) Recognizes him and holds him at gunpoint, Trigger tries to defuse the situation and sends Cossette back home. Trigger quickly explains what had happened since Harling’s death and finds out Mage has taken over Striders duties. He is still arrested by Security Forces until Long Caster defuses the situation. Questions are asked about the girl, but a situation is avoided.

• One date involves taking a tiny aircraft (Cessna?) and flying over the bay at night. 

• Farbanti is finally secured, Trigger flies Cossette back to the royal estate, they spend a night together at the palace. (Trigger also pretends to be a regular charter pilot, ditching the OADF uniform for a plain Black and White suit) Cossette opens up about her family life and life during the war (a topic both avoided up to that point). 

• Erusean Dinner Party? Scene between Trigger and Colonel Andre (Princess’ Military Aid in Farbanti)

• Trigger notes that he only has another year with the OADF and proposes to Cossette after the Party, requesting she wait to give the answer until they’re back in Selatapura.

• While touring an Erusean Military Base, Trigger and Rosa are attacked, forcing them to flee in an unarmed Erusean X-02S, a dogfight ensues but they are rescued by Osean Fighters nearby. They are escorted to an Osean Air base where Trigger is detained and separated from Cossette.

• Meanwhile Free Erusean Radicals attempt a Coup Detat, Trigger briefly hears the confusion on the radio from Erusean Loyalists and Oseans who don’t know who to shoot. 

• OADF OSI learns of the relationship of Trigger and Cossette, Cossette’s diplomatic status has her released while Trigger is interrogated and beaten endlessly and treated as a traitor (Again). Though under pressure from Bandog (Who pretends to act under the authority of OADF HQ) He has Trigger released to his custody. Along with Basilisk, Trigger is moved to a safe house in the Chopinburg rain forest to recover from the beatings he suffers by the hands of the Oseans. Trigger and Cossette both are moved back to Selapatura separately and loose contact afterword’s  

• A few weeks go by and Trigger is briefly able to escape his house arrest and meet with Cossette, He pops the question to which She replies ‘Yes’. Trigger informs her of his fate, which is to be returned to Osea for Court martial, and he would likely be discharged from service. She understands, and Trigger returns before anyone knows.

• Trigger spends months in the Safehouse healing and often worrying about Cossette. Due to Security risks the Basilisk Safehouse is cut off from the rest of the world, only news comes in from the rotation of the Special Forces unit that guards Trigger and Bandog.

• After months of Recovery, Bandog and Trigger plan for their return to Selatapura. Some of Bandog’s connections file the paperwork and Basilisk (under Command of Bandog) is detached to “Capture” the AWOL officer. Trigger (under guard of Basilisk) are taken to Selatapura Air Base and await Extradition to Osea.

• The day prior to their extradition, Cossette goes to the Prison holding Trigger and has a face-to-face talk with him. Though he is grateful to see she is unharmed, it is bitter sweet. Cossette does not say much and avoids the questions Trigger asks about how she was in the months previous. He notes she has grown out her hair and matured more since they last met. Trigger is left believing that Cossette has moved on and denied his proposal.

• The next day Strider Returns to Selapatura to escort Trigger back to Osea. Before he can board the Liaison plane an Erusean Diplomatic motorcade stops and Cossette demands that “They release her Fiancé” catching his Wingmen off guard (Cue Jeager “Tell my son about this” joke) and while the OSI objects, Long Caster and Bandog Explain that he needs to face the Osean command. She insists until Bandog sarcastically suggests she just ‘Tag along’ to which she agrees to and comes aboard, taking a seat next to Trigger the entire flight. 

• Trigger and gang land in Oured and are separated to await trial. Avril (acting as Cossettes Aid) Helps Cossette get ready to face to Osean HQ and Politicians.

• At the Trial Cossette takes the stand in defense of Trigger and explains their side of things. A few Osean Senators make rude remarks about her age and people which she (credit to her role as a leader) shuts down. 

• The trial continues, but it is concluded that while Trigger did have an Inappropriate relationship, he did not reveal any secrets or other information. They decide that it was probably for the best that she does have a ‘Friendly’ relationship with an Osean, just to make sure the Lighthouse war does not happen again. Trigger is sentenced to 30 days arrest, half pay for 30, and then is to be released to Cossette’s custody as a “Special Liaison”

• Cut to a year or so later in Farbanti, a joint Osean-Erusean Military wedding is taking place between Trigger and Cossette, with Strider in attendance. Humorously a “Missing Man” formation is performed by the 444 Squadron.

• Followed by TV interviews with the new ‘Duke’ and Queen of Erusea.
  
  and everyone lived happily ever after. The end. 

As you can tell, this is not the same story you all just read. But at least I hope you can see where some scenes had their beginnings. Particularly the Erusean Party and the ending of Act II I was really excited about writing at the time.


Using this document as my guiding star, I went forth, wrote all of four chapters, plus tying in a short story I had written previously and proceeded to drop the project entirely for a year. I just wrote myself into a corner and could not proceed for the life of me for whatever reason.

So it sat, and I moved on with my life. A long term relationship decayed at that time. Got into another one but that fell apart too. Was rejected from a few flight opportunities and eventually the Pandemic arrived and just wholloped everything.

Fast forward to about May of 2020, I was talking on Discord with a few guys and the topic of the story came up.

This is where the second pass of the idea came into existence, I had spent the past year thinking about the story and in relaying the quick second pass, I added my changes to the story.

(once again, everything is presented Verbatim)

So the Story takes place in the weeks following the Resolution of the Osean Erusean War. The LRSSG along with the other Osean Remnant forces have taken up shop in the Airport just east of the Elevator, similar idea to Bagram AB, And its patently obvious no one really knows what to do since much of the Communications networks are still down.

(buckle up, heres the cringe)

Eventually Rosa Decides to host a dinner party for the LRSSG where Trigger and Rosa meet, They hit it off and Trigger ends up staying the night. Waking up the next morning, Trigger realizes he fucked up by literally sleeping with the Leader of the enemy Faction but decides its probably fine. Until Avril (Rosa's assistant) arrives and finds the two together.  Slight Hijinks ensue and Trigger is brought back to the LRSSG Base in Seletapura.

Fast forward a bit more, Trigger and Rosa meet again when the local Osean Force agrees to help the settlement founded at the base of the Elevator, they decide to maybe try to go out on a date for realsies. Fast forward Towards the day of the Date and Trigger gets pulled up for a Combat Air Patrol sortie, he trades with another crew and goes out with Rosa. Meanwhile back at base, an unknown target appears on the AWACS' scope, the CAP aircraft are deployed but in a freak accident both are killed. This affects Trigger since it was supposed to be him, and the pilot who took his spot, was the acting Group Commander for the base, (Since Trigger at this point is still only a Captain).

Some questions are thrown at Trigger why he wasn't on base when the incident occurs, but eventually are brushed off, Osean command Makes contact with the Base, they send a replacement AWACS for Bandog (who is inexplicably a member of the remnants), Bandog goes Missing, and Trigger is Promoted to the Rank of Major and is transferred to the Local command as a Osean Representative to the Princess of Erusea to help smooth the peace process over. Count takes up command of Strider and the

LRSSG Is called back to Osea to run recon on their southern border with Leasath. The Replacements for the LRSSG turns out to be the 508 TFS, Trigger's old squadron, now commanded by Knocker.  Knocker unaware of Trigger's recent activities still thinks hes a criminal and has an Armed stand off with the LRSSG until Long Caster resolves it. Trigger finds out that Clown was KIA shortly after Trigger's trial and Knocker for his leadership failure was demoted. Both are uneasy working with each other.

Meanwhile, Rosa and Trigger's Relationship continues in secret. Eventually both start living together in Seltapura as the rest of Erusea starts to settle down in the Post Civil war. Due to the nature of their relationship, when they do go out, they both have to wear disguises. This briefly comes to ahead on one of their dates when a tabloid journalist sees Rosa and publishes a picture with Her and what the media assumes is an Erusean Pilot. (Actually Trigger), And Rosa is constantly harassed about this and there is a strain on the Relationship. At one point, while being Careful and out on the Town, Knocker, still with a chip on his shoulder from the earlier stand off finds Trigger and Rosa. Blinded by his hate of the airmen he fails to recognize the girl. Eventually MP's are called but no one is able to verify who Trigger is dating.

As time progresses, Farbanti is eventually secured by Friendly Erusean and Osean Forces, enough that Cossette can return to formalize the peace negotiations with Osea. Trigger as the representative aid accompanies her back to the royal palace where a large gala is being held with many foreign and military Dignitaries. Here Trigger would meet the Deputy Group Commander of the 118th TFW of the IUN and learn that he was being looked at for a transfer to the unit prior to the failed Rescue attempt of Harling.

Around this time another Character would be introduced, More or less Lebarths Replacement for the conservatives, he is the parent of KITTEN, and due to his connections in the Erusean Intelligence knows that Trigger and Three Strikes are one in the same, and is responsible for the death of his Daughter. They have a very cold conversation about the nature of what both do and The General deduces from Triggers reaction to other Diplomats advances towards Rosa that the two share more of a chemistry than they would like people to believe. 

After the Gala, Trigger and Rosa have a quiet moment when he, while walking the halls of the Erusean Palace at night, comes across Rosa while she was playing the Piano. Both discuss their collective childhood histories, Trigger coming from a Military Family where his Mom was killed in the Osean Fleet at the end of AC5 in an Mutiny as well as a troubled history with his Dad after that and Rosa going from a Commoner to royalty at a very young age as well.

More time passes in Farbanti. At some point Trigger is called by the local Osean forces to identify a set of remains they found in the ruined part of the city, and having to come to terms with Wiseman's death

Eventually the Peace treaty is signed Between Osea and Erusea, and during the festivities of the night, Trigger proposes to Cossette, but doesn't get a proper answer. 

Feeling Dejected, He rides with Rosa on a inspection of a local Erusean Military Base with the General. While at the base their convoy is attacked by Radical forces, The General and the Other Conservatives hold the line for both Trigger and Rosa to escape. Meanwhile, all over Erusea, the Civil War re-errupts as the Radicals in their death throws launch a final offensive against the Conservatives and Oseans.

So Trigger takes Rosa and they run for the Airfield. kicking in a hangar door they happen to find an X-02S. Doing a quick check Trigger loads Rosa into the WSO seat, straps her in, Opens the hangar and the two Escape in the Erusean Fighter Jet.

The Osean Forces are understandably in disarray as no one knows where the Princess is, why the Eruseans are engaging them and why the Erusean forces are equally confused. Trigger eventually makes contact with an Osean AWACS and explains the issue. Meanwhile he is trying to dodge enemy MiG's dispatched to shoot him and Rosa down, all the while without any proper flying equipment.

The Air to Air Engagement ends, and Trigger/Rosa are diverted to an Osean Air Field. 

In a moment of Dumbassery, While awaiting to be greeted by the local Security Forces, having just shown up in a Enemy aircraft, Trigger and Rosa share a passionate kiss. This does not go down well with the Oseans who just got lit up in one hell of a Green on Blue/ Green on Green/ Green on Everyone situation. Both are forced to the ground and separated. 

Last thing Trigger sees is a gun pointed at Rosa's head before he himself is knocked the fuck out.

So Trigger Comes to and he is chained up and cant tell where he is. He is bloody, bruised and beaten. For Days he is put through savage beatings by the Oseans at the base who believe he is either a spy or a traitor. He is not told of Rosa's whereabouts or anything. Just constant beatings on behalf of his own comrades. 

That is until, in the midst of the worst beating he had suffered and after being told Rosa is dead, they are interrupted. A man in a very nice suit walks in, flanked by Special Forces who extracts Trigger. Trigger again passes out.

Trigger cant really tell who this man is, or the Special Forces but he does recognize the voices of all parties involved.

Trigger wakes up again, this time in on a hospital bed in a hut. Turns out the Special Forces team were members of the same unit that Trigger provided CAP For prior to Farbanti. Owing him a favor they, under a tip that an information broker gave them, found Trigger and took him to a safe house that not even the Osean Government knew about.

For weeks Trigger is on bed rest recovering, his only partner being the Medic taking care of him. Eventually when he is well enough he's allowed free reign to roam the Compound. There he meets the other Osean Special forces members and Finally the Man in the Suit. 

Turns out it is Bandog. 

Bandog brings Trigger up to speed what had happened the previous months. The Second Civil war fizzled out almost immediately once Rosa was returned to Farbanti. Turns out the Radicals tried to blame the attack on the Convoy on the Oseans, in a false-flag attack. Trigger as far as the Osean command knows Is MIA, Presumed KIA. 

Trigger also finds out the mission of the Special Forces in the area. Once the main conflict in Usea ended, the criminal underground has redeveloped. The Special Forces Unit Basilisk was originally tasked in keeping the Criminal Elements in the region on their toes, disrupting any major enterprises they might have had to become the Grand New Warlord of Chopinburg. 

Trigger is hired on as a "Local Asset", conducting CAS in an old Oscar Deuce for Basilisk against the major Crime Families in the area. Of which theres the Sapinish Cartel, Belkan Remnant and Yuketabanian Mafia. 

Occasionally Trigger hears news from Erusea on the Princess, but is still unable to get ahold of her. 

Things come to a head when Trigger is shot down, and almost captured by the Cartel. After being rescued he makes a choice to be 'captured' by the Osean Special Forces.

Working with the Yuke Mafia, He is moved, and set up in a Bar.  While Trigger is waiting to be captured, Bandog comes and meets him as a final good bye. Bandog explains a bit of his history, why he deserted from the OADF and the toll that his service, and his new life as an Information broker took on his life. He eventually asks Trigger to explain point blank his relationship with Rosa. Trigger explains and Bandog quietly listens. before the Raid is set to begin, Bandog finishes his beer, Calls Trigger a dumbass and walks out of the bar. A Moment later all the windows are shattered by Flash Bang grenades and Trigger is 'apprehended' by Basilisk Team.

So it turns out, Osea believes that Trigger may be responsible for the re-ignition of the Civil war, and due to his status as a High Value Individual, he is brought back to Selatapura for Extradition under guard of Basilisk. 

The Day he is to be extradited however, it is revealed who the Escort Squadron is. None other than the LRSSG. All of Triggers old flight mates are understandably upset by the revelation of their Commander being in cuffs (Even if Count is somewhat familiar) and they demand that the Osean MP's explain why Trigger is being charged. 

Before being told to "Shut the Fuck up", A large convoy of Diplomatic Vehicles bursts its way onto the Ramp. Out of the Limo stomps Rosa, who "Demands to know where they're taking her Fiance". 

Everyone, including Trigger is shocked, at this revelation. It is resolved, and despite the objections of Everyone, Rosa decides to accompany Trigger on the C-17 Ride back to Oured for his Trial.

When  they land Trigger is taken to a Hotel where he is briefed by the JAG officer in-charge of his case, along side Rosa. He explains the highly unusual circumstances of the case and where it stands for Trigger. an Option is brought up by Rosa that, worse case scenario, they could have him spirited away back to Erusea since he is engaged to the Crown Princess in charge of the country, as well as the potential political ramifications that the incarceration like that might entail. 

The night before the Hearing, Trigger Is taken by his Lawyer to his Dads house, there he introduces his father to Rosa, his Fiance. The two come to an understanding but do not quite make amends due to stress Trigger's actions have put his dad through. More or less a potential Bittersweet goodbye is had between the two.

The Trial begins. The Osean Senate overhears the Case for and against Trigger. Multiple Officers including Long Caster, Major McOnie, General Shepard and Colonel McKinsey come to his defense. Rosa even speaks, deriding the Osean politicians treatment of a War Hero and comes to verbal blows with much of the political leadership.

One of the few voices against Trigger is Knocker. Who shows up disheveled and drunk, looking far worse for wear as one of the 'casualties' of Trigger's actions.  Turns out his Career was in a nose dive after The Failed Rescue and Trigger going MIA did him no favors.

Eventually it comes down to the Final Verdict. Due to his actions during the Lighthouse war, and in support of other Osean operations after the fact in Chopinburg, they find him Not Guilty of Desertion and sedition. The only punishment Trigger is to receive was a reduction to the rank of Captain, and a completion of his military contract.

Trigger is still speared in the Media but as he leaves the Senate Chambers with Rosa taking his hand, he gives them a big middle finger and heads back to Apito where Rosa's Personal aircraft is awaiting the two to take them back to Usea.

Fast forward a Year, Trigger is now back at Fort Grays in a Non-Flying detail. Its his last day as an Officer in the OADF, and it follows his final hours in the military. Upon the completion of the Work day and him officially being separated from the OADF, he walks to the Ramp, where awaiting him is a Private Jet with a Rose Emblem on the tail. 

Fast forward again to the Media coverage of the Marriage of Queen Rosa Cossette D'liese and an Unknown Retired Osean Air Force Pilot. Along with Interviews of the newly wedded couple by ENN where they reveal that they are expecting their first child.

---

This second pass was in my opinion, easier to work with and a tighter story all together, and as a result, was what I ran with when I rebooted the story in August of 2020.

Of course I omitted many details in both, and added some as required. But ultimately this second pass is what I ran with going forward. 

Background Aspects to the Story I wanted to flesh out more here

The Planes:

It wouldn't have been an Ace Combat story without the planes. One of the earliest ‘assets’ I made for my own reference was the Counter Insurgency aircraft I wanted Trigger to fly in Act III.

My first idea and the one I had back in 2019, was for him to fly a modernized Cessna O-2 ‘Skymaster’, otherwise known as the Oscar Deuce.

 

I think it was just something to do with the fact it was (at least in my mind) an iconic plane of the Vietnam war and as well, My uncle owning a Cessna 337.

This aspect did change fairly late into writing actually. I made the final decision right about when I was finishing the Escape from Farbanti sequence to change the Deuce to a more Modern COIN aircraft. After doing some research, between the AT-6B, A-29, OV-10, Archangel and AT-802 Longsword. Due to the nature of the runways I was expecting Trigger to operate out of, I crossed the AT-6B and A-29 off the list just due to what experience I have with having a tricycle airplane on dirt fields. The OV-10 was cool, and is a bucket list airplane of mine, (hell, I even wrote a parody song to go with it on the Ballad of the OV-10) but decided against it. And ultimately, I just disliked the marketing of the Archangel which is why I opted for the AT-802 instead.

Just being a Taildragger pilot at heart, I thoroughly enjoyed writing the scenes with the Longsword. Plus the humor of turning what is ostensibly a flying Tractor into a warmachine will never not be funny to me. But thats just how I am I guess.

The other plane that I was always toying with in my mind, even while writing it was the ‘Colibris’ or the ‘Hibrido’ (I still have yet to settle on which name I preferred)

As explained in the story, it was a fictional ‘Fifth gen’ knockoff of the F-20 Tigershark. Visually I wanted to keep it similar to the F-20 or the JF-17 but just distinct enough that it could be its own thing. I stole a lot of aspects from existing stealth aircraft as I imagined the designers in universe would have. This plane was never meant to be a super plane in the same vein as the X-02S or similar. From the onset it was a cheater’s aircraft. Its strength was making the military fighters it would ambush defenseless, but in a fair fight, the X-10 would lose every time. Frankly, I could have done a better job of writing this plane, as it stands I feel it was fairly underused for what I could have done with it. If nothing else, having someone whose background was design of fighters would have been a better option than my frankensteining a fighter together.

The Squadrons: 

So this aspect of the story kinda went off on a tangent all of its own. For anyone who is on the r/AceCombat subreddit, you might have seen my other hobby within the fandom. That was making up Ace Combat squadrons in the game Digital Combat Simulator. The reason that started, was because of this project.

Initially, with Foil, I just needed a name and picked that. Same with the Sundowners or ‘Farbanti’s Finest” that Asher and his traitorous company were members of. 

It wasn’t until the end of Act II, with the dogfight before McKnight did I come up with an F-15C squadron named ‘Enchanter’; Only to find out Enchanter was a E/A-18 squadron in the DLC… whoops. Trying to slightly expand the lore for this story and just finishing the Fate Stay/Night anime, I designed a patch for this squadron. A friend of mine seeing it offered to make a DCS skin for that squadron and from then on, many of the squadrons I was using for the story tied into Fate somehow, and probably had a DCS skin done for it as well. Below are some of my favorites or the ones that were more influential.

31st Tactical Fighter Squadron Enchanter

VFA-112 ‘Paladins’, Featured in Chapter 32 onboard the OFS Vulture with LtCmd Bill Adkinson.

102nd TFS ‘Pirates’, whose planes the LRSSG ‘Borrowed’ at the behest of General Shepard.

4th Tactical Fighter Squadron ‘Raging Oni’ who saw service almost shooting Trigger down over Anchorhead Bay.

“Farbanti’s Finest”, home to traitors and murderers. Also the F-16A but mostly the first two.

This aspect has taken on its own life, only loosely tying into the story. At least in my mind, all the Infinite Ace Works, Exercise Chaldea, or 7th Carrier Air Wing squadrons I've made and written lore for are within the same Fan-verse as Rose and Claws. Parallel stories to the antics of Trigger, Cossette and company.

The Characterization

So as anyone who played the games knows, Trigger is a defacto blank slate of a character. Outside of what little details we know from the games context clues (can be a hot-head, is a male Caucasian, apparently reckless) theres very little to go on. Same with Rosa, we do not get a whole lot of screen time of her to even get a good idea of who she actually is, and I frankly didn't see a whole lot to go off of in Aces at War either. 

Thats exactly why I ended up choosing them. I thought the dynamic of Top Gun meets Romeo and Juliet meets Jormungandr would make for an interesting story, and I thought about how to flesh out these two characters the best way that I could. For Trigger I took inspiration from the fighter pilots I know in my life. Most of the ones I know have a certain dry and dark sense of humor, but are all good-natured people and I tried to have Trigger emulate most of those details, as well as embody that 'fish out of water' nature. 

Cossette on the other hand I tried to model as someone who has had to mature far faster than most people her age. Even prior to the war she would have had certain expectations put on her that most teenagers couldn't imagine, and then suddenly being thrust into not only a war, but then left to spearhead a recovery effort after the fact, all before she could drink in many parts of the world. Of the two in the relationship I wanted her to be the more mature one in behavior since she has to be, acting as the sole leader of the country.

Morgan and the rest of Basilisk I wanted to act as semi-foils to Trigger. Whereas the pilot may look for a diplomatic way of handling a situation, Morgan, Zhao, Denning's and Haver in particular would likely just use liberal uses of gunfire to solve the problem. Being on the darker side of Osea's conflicts I imagine would lead to a skewed view of human interaction; Where if the target or mission was good enough, the Basilisk team wouldn't think twice about more unethical methods of accomplishing a mission.

Bandog by far was my favorite character to write. Something was just fun about a totally caustic jerk, who more often than not was right on the pragmatic scale. Sure he can screw up, and often his screw ups are pretty drastic, but he isn't stupid either and I appreciate that in a character. My own pen name aside, Bandog I think was one of the better parts of Ace Combat 7.

Other Stuff I wanted to add. 

Battleships: midway through my musings on the story between the first and second drafts of the outline, I got on a weird fascination with Battleships. As a result I became obsessed with trying to put a Yamato or Iowa class Battleship in the story. The following image is the strike-through excerpt I had written for the ship.

I dont think I ever wrote the scene following, since the idea was (thankfully) cut. I kept it around just because I figured at some point I might be able to wrangle a giant hulk of steel and guns into my fighter jet story but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

Trigger’s Family History: I only briefly touched on it, but initially I wanted to flesh it out a bit more.

This part I just simply ran out of time on and it wasn’t a great fit to begin with. Ultimately I have those existing hints to it but, like with the X-10, this was something that I should have kept either out entirely or worked on more.

Alternate Endings: This was a fun ‘Plan B’ aspect of the story I had written entire chapters of, and penned out many other ideas for. Essentially, if I was feeling the story had gone too far off the rails or lost its way, these would give me an out that wrapped up the story, even if it was ridiculous, contrived, and/or unsatisfying. Most if not all involved Trigger dying in some Kenny-esque way, from either getting shot while having dinner with Cossette, dying in a plane crash/shootdown/mishap, or my personal favorite; Not looking both ways while crossing the street and getting hit by a Semi-truck. Thankfully by the time I reached Truck-kun I decided I probably wouldn’t need as many if any, so most didn’t get past the brief sentence planning in the 40 page note document, almost all ending with “Then Trigger died, the end.”

There is also a penned out alternate idea I had for Act III and IV, where ,for reasons I never bothered to flesh out, the Marines and Trigger forgo their initial mission and opted to do a raid on a Belkan Castle to rescue Princess Cossette from a loveless marriage to Alex. More or less an slightly overt homage to the climax of Shrek 2, Holding out for a Hero theme and all. Ultimately this also never left the planning stage just because it seemed a bit too far out, even for an Ace Combat story, but who knows… I might throw it in somewhere else, just the serial numbers scratched off.

Ultimately, I am glad I was able to make the story I wanted to make, and I do sincerely hope you all enjoyed reading it. The two years it took to finish were full of relatively rocky times in my life. Loss of friends and loved ones. The Day Job (tm) picked up at one point and made it nigh impossible to think creatively let alone write. But through it all, you, the reader, stuck it out. For that I am eternally grateful.


So the question no one asked, but I’ll answer anyway.


Whats next? 

I’ll probably take a smidgen of a break. Might try to write a real book and see if a publisher would pick it up. But ultimately, I don’t think I'm quite done with this Rose-and-Claws universe yet.


I have at least two more long stories left to tell, and maybe a small novelette in between that.


I can safely say somehow, some day and at some time.

Trigger will return.