What does it mean to be 'An Ace' ?

 Technically its meaning varies throughout time and culture - Sometimes, in its simplest form it is simple to score 5 kills, tanks or planes, it hardly matters - To be someone who gives hope to allies and brings dread to your enemies - Who takes on a whole enemy squadron by themselves and comes back out alive.

But times had changed, what does it mean to be a 'Vijaik Ace'?

 Because a Vijaik is a different beast to a tank or plane, a lone Vijaik with a bit of luck and a lot of skill has the potential to sink an entire battleship by itself - An 'Ace' isn't just to boost moral, an ace could very well change the whole battlefield single handed.

 Is that what it means to be an ace, the ability to change lives?

TSU and Abhaile had both developed more rigid framework for the term in the last decade. To TSU a regular 'Ace' is still someone who shoots down five enemies - No medal or title, just the informal recognition of your peers.

 But sometimes that isn't enough - The 'Vijaik Knights', a medal, a promotion and a pay rise in one. A term TSU had stolen as something of an insult towards occupied Abhaile, only the best held it - The likes of Hoki's father, 'Hero of the East' or people given the title in death like the First Casnel's unknown pilot.

But Abhaile had realised the worth of official titles sooner than that, the power it had to motivate, to give hope in the face of insurmountable odds. A two tier system - The first was arbitrary, a mediocre pilot might get a basic ace's title purely for propaganda reasons, there had been hundreds of this first type over the last decade.

 You got a title with it, one word - An old friend of her's had been given the title 'Bane' - She had been bequeathed the word 'Scarlet'.

But there was a level higher, one far more strenuous to gain - It required permissions, the approval of someone in the Abhailen Royal Family and after they had all died, the approval of the Remembrance high council.

 This second layer was for the very best of the best, for those who could change the tide of whole wars, for Magi or holders of supernatural talent.

 You gained two more words for your trouble, sometimes even 3; 'Thee Bane of Konpei' Remembrance's first leader, one of the fiercest and most accomplished pilots and leaders who ever lived.

'Thee Scarlet Scourge'

Something many outside of Remembrance didn't realise was that the 'Thee' part was not for show, seen as an official suffix of respect, equal to that of 'Sir' or 'Dame'.

 'Ms.Scarlet' didn't exist on paper, it was 'Thee Scarlet' - Was that what it meant to be an Ace, the rights to a longer name?

She hadn't been given her title in the First War, atleast not all of it. She had in the war's third year been donned 'Scarlet' a word that had already been people's nickname for her, but it was the peace-years that gained her a proper title.

 The three years between the First War and the Remembrance Incident, Scarlet had spent pirating, attacking TSU supply lines for almost no reason - Her enemies had given her the name Scarlet-Scourge, a blight on their lives.

 When Remembrance had requested her, asked her to help lead their forces, the loathing title had become an official one - In a manner of speaking it was both Friend and Foe alike who had named her.

It had always been like that for Scarlet. People had always looked to her, always hoped she knew what to do next, how to survive, how to win!

 She'd thought pirating no one would revere her, yet give her a name out of fear they had. She thought Remembrance simply needed more firepower, yet give her a battalion to command and an official title they had.

 She had hoped IAFS would let her fade into the background, yet once more commander of a squad she'd become.

Even here aboard the Fluchtig, although she did her best to avoid it, people looked to her. Looked to the ace pilot, hoped she would somehow lead the flotilla to win against the Casnel. Una and Hoki had that look too, softer, but in their eyes no less.

 Kolme Nilas had it most of all, a buried, unspoken desire for her to 'save' them all.

But Scarlet knew she was nothing, she had never been anything. She took a dangerous drug and that was it. Sure years of practise helped, but really it was all the drug, the Enhancer - It was what allowed her to win, to slay countless foes and cut down Casnels, not her.

 She wasn't a Magi, she wasn't an expert - Just a woman who had some odd resistance to the drug, just someone who happened to have the right genes, or some 'lucky' set of chemicals that just so happened to allow her to keep living and keep taking the drug - Where dozens of others had died to its effects, she simply hadn't.

 Their image of her, of the Scourge, was false - She couldn't save anyone, just perhaps, kill better than most.

Her mech came to a stop aboard the main hanger of the Am-Fluchtig - After spending a few minutes composing herself, she exited the custom circular doorway. Before she knew it her mech was on the move again, one of the engineers eager to have it moved to the lower hanger, out of the way - After all Scarlet had barely received a scratch in the battle - A quick look around showed that hadn't been the case for most.

 The Fluchtig was by far the largest ship in the flotilla, its hanger was now packed with all 15 Neos, or atleast what remained of them - Having the best repair facilities with its onsite workshop, the order had been given to have all the retreating mechs enter here to asses the extend of the damage, rather than return to their own ships.

The handful of mostly unscathed mechs like Scarlet's were quickly swept off to the under-hanger - While all around her fire-crews, medical teams and mechanics had set to work on the majority of the machines, searching out any mech that might still be liable to explode, breaking pilots free of damaged cockpits and of course, taking some to be treated for injury - It was chaotic, but between chief Pel, Doctor Hasain and the other leaders of the Fluchtig present, it was an orderly chaos.

Scarlet wondered among this cacophony, still somewhat out of it from the drug even after having taken the tablets to neutralise its no longer needed effects. She looked around in the hopes of spotting someone who's name she might remember, that wasn't busy with the work all around her - After a few minutes she found one, Kolme Nilas.

Well not just Nilas, standing before him were two more vaguely familiar faces - Lt.Tomo and 2nd Lt.Erfu (Internally Scarlet found herself somewhat proud she'd remembered not just their names, but also ranks...).

 As she neared the scene she quickly realised the three weren't talking so much as arguing;

"You should of given the order to pull back sooner, or gone for an all out assault - Your Indecision has cost us lives Lieutenant Nilas, this is on you!!"

 Scarlet felt a little bemused. Tomo was a tall, muscular man with buzzcut hair - The picture of a well disciplined, thinking soldier. To see him so up in Kolme's face was a little unnerving.

Kolme for his part had his face downcast, his ever slouched posture making him look all the smaller and older in the face of Tomo's words. For a moment Scarlet honestly thought Tomo would start throwing fists, but before it could escalate further, the small woman by his side with the brilliant white hair, tugged lightly on his arm and shook her head.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

 Tomo bristled but relented, letting his arm fall to his side - "If he doesn't make it Kolme, I will hold you responsible."

 With that Tomo turned and began to march away, heading in Scarlet's direction, he stopped upon spotting her and looked over his shoulder to add more;

 "And keep this dog of yours on a leash next time, you should be ashamed."

With that he was gone, not so much as making eye contact as he passed Scarlet by. Erfu soon followed, sparing Scarlet a brief nod. She noticed now that the short woman's left arm was in a sling.

 'Did he mean me when he said dog?'

Scarlet mused to herself.

After a few awkward moments, Kolme closed the distant between himself and Scarlet;

 "I'm sorry 'bout that, Tomo shouldn't a' spoken to you of all people that way."

Scarlet scoffed, "Ha! I've been called way worse then that before, no sweat."

Kolme's face was still downcast, he looked to Scarlet more pathetic than usual, though she could see no particular injuries on him.

 It was probably just the lingering affects of the drug she was sure, but for some reason Scarlet felt the need to be, well, kind to the man - He looked like someone in desperate need of a friend.

 She scratched at her cheek, not entirely sure how to be nice to Kolme, "So ah, he sounded a bit upset - Things go that bad out there?"

Kolme looked up at her, visible confused - "Well ya, 3 of our units our badly damaged, 2 more completely destroyed. We've loads of injuries, some minor like Erfu's sprained arm, others more major, Una's got broken ribs. Then there's the causalities, we lost two pilots from the Valliere, including their squad commander. Also there's a guy from the Rinie, one of Tomo's subordinates, Doc says they have to operate straight away, they..."

"They?"

"Ah." Kolme shifted, clearly still reeling from the news himself, "They've got to amputate both legs from the waist - His survival chance is pretty low and if he does make it, well...."

Scarlet took a deep breath, thinking back to when she lost her own leg - She looked at Kolme, who had once more resumed staring at the ground.

 "And all that's your fault how Nilas?"

Kolme blinked dumbly, "I was the field commander, of course it's my fault! If it wasn't for you we would literally of achieved nothing."

"Me, what d'ya mean?" Scarlet shot back.

"What? What are you saying Scarlet-Lass? You took on their whole squad, you forced two of the enemy units to retreat, Sabban says he saw you pretty much tear one of those Vijaik Special's arms off! Then you faced down Major Moncha and the Casnel - No one else managed to land much more than minor hits on the enemy mechs."

It was Scarlet's turn to stare back at Kolme dumbly - She couldn't remember most of what was being described.

 There had definitely been a duel with a very talented swordsman and she had definitely played hooky with the Casnel's cannon alot, but the rest was vague. The battle had started suddenly and ended suddenly, in her mind everything in-between was lost. Had she really done these things?;

 "Errr, right I guess?" She mumbled in response.

By now Kolme was back to wallowing, his eyes almost vacant as he stared around the large room at the mass of damaged machines;

 "Hey Scarlet, do you know his name? The Commander of the Valliere's Vijaik squadron?"

Scarlet shock her head. Kolme nodded, "Ya me neither. I'm sure I'm going to hear it alot in the coming days, in reports and briefings, but right now, I couldn't tell you his name or the other dead guys either - I can tell you the name of the man with two crushed legs but only because Tomo shouted it at me a few minutes ago.

 I ain't cut out to be a commander Scarlet, I--"

"What about our squad eh?" Scarlet interceded, annoyance starting to rise, "Una's hurt but alive right? And the rest of us seem pretty fine. Look Kolme, when I'm, ah 'under the influence' things kind of blur for me a bit right?

 Alot happens and fast, but I do remember your voice in there, staying calm, giving orders - I bet it was you who called the retreat too ya? And probably you who thought to use Una's name to snap me out of it, now that I do remember.

 We had our orders from HQ, to fight the Curadh, beat the Casnel - All we can do, is fulfil that to the best of our power right? No one is asking for miracles, people are going to die in a battle like that, no commander can stop that from happening. And besides all that, last time I checked you ain't even trained to be a field captain are ya? It's one thing filling in as acting squad leader, but fuck Kolme, there's only so much people can expect from ya!"

Despite her words, Kolme stood head shaking side to side.

 She sighed deeply, struggling to find words that would mean anything much;

"Look old man, what Tomo said, it wasn't wrong. In his boots would you or I do the same? Probably."

"Then--" Kolme mumbled.

"Ah ah, I'm not done scruffy!" Scarlet barked, causing the older man to nearly jump in his skin, "Look just because its understandable that he's upset, just because it normal to want to find someone to blame - None of that makes what he just did right - I'll bet he knows that too, letting off steam at the guy one rung above you is understandable but it isn't helping anyone.

 There's gonn'a be more fights like today, and we're gonna lose more people - But in my eyes, any day that three-quarters of us come back alive, is a damn good day you hear me Nilas?!

 Take it from someone who's been in both Tomo and your position before, you did alright out there old man, k?"

Kolme looked up at her sorrowfully, but perhaps with a little spark of light returning to his old eyes.

 Scarlet grinned, satisfied with her 'good deed for the day'. Kolme had, she considered, nice eyes - Maybe that was the drug still talking, but for a man his age, his face was actually not all that bad looking if only he'd shave better.

She slapped him hard on the back - "Now ain't you got work to be doing or somethin'? I was thinking to go find Hoki or Una myself."

Kolme nodded, "You're right, how good or not I did ain't the problem now - Next few days are going to get busy - Sun above I don't look forward to asking HQ for replacement machines neither, not after we disobeyed pretty much their whole plan and who knows when the next all out battle's going to be, now that we've had one its anyone's guess...

 Hey Scarlet, can I ask ya to keep an eye on Una for the next few days? Me and Hoki are going to be swamped with work no doubt."

Scarlet laughed and began to walk away, stopping only briefly to leave the old man with his answer, "I'd of done that without you asking ya old fart - I'll keep an eye on Hoki too and all!"

 And in that bizarre and truncated way, in the fashion all battle seemed to go for Scarlet, a mix of hazy recollection and rushed adrenaline, Operation Deadlight's 3rd engagement came to a close.

Is that what it means to be an Ace, to be Thee Scarlet Scourge? To face down an entire enemy squadron and then forget afterwards? To come back alive after others die? To not know the names of those 'lesser' than you?

 To talk kind words to old men?

As always, Scarlet had no idea.