Nightmare Fuel / Project Wingman

Blaze... May God have mercy...

• The Calamity event. Imagine the world and humanity as you know it just gets destroyed and changed beyond recognition before your very eyes. And that is assuming you survive it. Even then, you gotta deal with other human beings fighting to survive like you. And because the Earth has literally opened itself up to molten rock and lava, you will be dogfighting over said lava. If you happen to get shot down, ejection and search-and-rescue is out of the question. You just have to hope the crash gives you a quick and painless death. Why is this important when it's just the backstory for Project Wingman's post-apocalyptic backstory, you ask? Because you would soon find out within the story, which brings us to the next entry.
• In a clear inspiration from Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War's "The Stage of Apocalypse", Mission 15, "Consequence of Power". The Federation launches Cordium-enriched missiles at the city of Prospero in order to stop the Rebel advance, even killing off Federation officers who are refusing to comply with the order. This ends up triggering a geothermal chain reaction across the Ring of Fire, resulting in multiple volcanic eruptions that devastate Cascadia. The scenes afterwards can be best described as Hell on Earth.
  • Prospero's aftermath as shown in Mission 18, "Return" (pictured above), isn't pretty. Not only a large chunk of the scenery have been completely devastated by the cordium bombings but half of its infrastructure's either out of commission or too dented to be navigated through.
• At the end of Mission 20, the Federation and Cascadian forces fighting in Presidia hear that their governments have agreed to a ceasefire that will finally end the war. Cue a rogue Crimson 1 firing a wave of miniature Cordium missiles that levels the city in order to force a final duel between him and Monarch.
  Independence Force HQ: "All units, stand by, maintain presence over Presidia as the Federation makes their exit."
  Galaxy: "Stand by, all units, just hold on..."
  Crimson 1: *Chuckles*
  Cascadian pilot: "What?! My warnings are going off!"
  Stardust: "Whoever's doing this better cease fire, the war's off!"
  Comic: "I'm not getting anything on my warnings, what's going on?!"
  Diplomat: "Heads on a swivel now!"
  Stardust: "All of us, we've been spiked!"
  Kaiser: "From what vector?! I'm bogey dope!"
  Cascadian pilot: "Contact... faded?!"
  Kaiser: "I see it, break!"
  Prez (If you bring a two-seater): "Oh god, oh god, oh please, not now, not after all this, please, god!"
• While Mission 21, "Kings" may be considered to be one of the hightlights in the game due to being an epic Duel Boss fight, Crimson 1's Villainous Breakdown during phase three and four is nothing short of chilling. With the disgraced Federation ace going from smug in the beginning to seething as he gets even increasingly more deranged, raving like a rabid dog and could give the likes of Sulejmani and Rage a run for their money.
  Crimson 1: "What happens when you shoot me down? Can you even think?! What will you return to? Where will you go? We both know how this ends!"
  Crimson 1 (voice getting raspier): "Kill me! Kill me and see what happens to this world! Either way, your life ends to day! And my squadron! Do you think they deserved it?!"
  Crimson 1: "The Federation might try to forget about you, but I won't! This is for the good of the world! DIE MERCENARY!"
  Crimson 1 (during phase four): "Come on! Come in for that kill, you dog!"
  Crimson 1: "Ahhh... Hahhh... RAAAAAAAGHHHH!!!"
• Frontline-59 makes General Faust a prime source of it, willing to commit war crimes, sow destruction, and go on a Suicide Mission all for the sake of outright destroying the Federation, unlike the other Cascadians who only wanted independence. Special mention goes to the implication that she wants to exterminate everyone hailing from the Federation, including civilians!
  Faust: "The end of history is almost upon us... We will let the world know what Cascadia will do when final judgement is at hand. (...) I've starved a continent once, I'll do it again... For the good of mankind, for the good of my children!"
  Faust: "Every time this world cries out for help, it is not the Federation that has saved them, but Cascadia! I'm gonna make you all die cold and alone!''
  Faust: "Burn down the Federation, this is your Dust Mother's prayer! Burn down the Federation, this is the cry of the Cascadian Earth! Let all burn!"
  • Had Faust succeeded in causing a Calamity in Magadan by using the Roosevelt, things would've become much, much worse for Cascadia. The Federation could then justify their use of Cordium missiles as Mutual Assured Destruction, and have a very pissed off K-9 Squadron let loose on whatever Cascadian forces managed to survive.
  • During Faust's Villainous Breakdown as she finally goes down, you can hear some of the lines from "Consequence of Power" in the background (like "Authenticate: Blaze"), showing that both missions are going on at the same time. You can even see the cruise missiles flying overhead like shooting stars if you look closely. And then your heads-up display goes on the fritz as the scene cuts straight to credits...

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