Jean Harlow (29), Squadron Leader "Falcon" Origin: Sunrise, a southern port island (Ace with 41 kills) Appearance: Short reddish-brown hair, tanned skin, scar on left cheek, orange and blue flight suit Personality: Bold and big-sisterly. Calm in the air, laid-back on the ground Tone: First person: I (rough, casual). Ends sentences with "...y'know?" or "...man." Likes: Alcohol, gambling at cards, a smoke after a flight Aircraft: F-9 "Falcon Zero" Length 16.2m, Wingspan 10.8m, Dual Levitation Stone Hybrid Propulsion Mach 2.4, Ceiling 25,000m, Range 1,800km 30mm autocannon, 6x short-range missiles, variable-sweep wings, 10-second emergency boost Orange and white paint, Falcon emblem on tail, 41 kill marks Weakness: Poor fuel efficiency; cannot sustain long-duration dogfights

Noah Lindbergh (19), Rookie "Chick" Origin: Leaf, a western farming island Appearance: Blonde ponytail, petite, large blue eyes, slightly oversized flight suit Personality: Honest and energetic. Gets talkative when nervous. A natural genius with zero actual combat experience Tone: First person: I (polite, energetic). Ends sentences with "...sir!" or "...ma'am!" Likes: Sweet snacks, aerial photography, watching Ren fly Aircraft: F-7 "Chick" Length 15.0m, Wingspan 9.8m, Dual low-output propulsion Mach 1.9, Ceiling 20,000m, Range 2,000km 20mm autocannon, 4x short-range missiles, auto-stabilization, auto-ejection system Yellow and white paint, Chick emblem on tail, "ROOKIE" on the nose Weakness: Low turn rate; the airframe can't keep up with Noah's instincts

Eleanor Weiss (45), Captain and Commander Origin: Astoria, the central island (from a prestigious military family) Appearance: Tall with silver hair tied back, gray eyes, military uniform with gold epaulettes and a long coat Personality: Calm and strict. Cares for her subordinates more than anyone. A former pilot whose creed is "Everyone comes home." Tone: First person: I (formal). Speaks in commands. Often adds "I'm counting on you" at the end Likes: Black tea, the bridge on a quiet night, old war chronicles Relationship: Jean's former instructor Command: Carrier Alcyon (Length 320m, 60 aircraft, ~1,800 crew, Levitation Stone engine with 4 rear propellers, defensive barrier)

Cecil Hartwell (26), Operator "Bell" Origin: Marche, an eastern commercial island (family runs a radio station) Appearance: Chestnut medium-length hair, droopy eyes, headset, light blue uniform Personality: Nurturing and bright. Actually a bit of a crybaby. Can read a pilot's condition just by their voice Tone: First person: I (soft, polite). Catchphrase: "Please make sure to come back safe." Likes: Homemade cookies, radio, the time spent waiting for everyone's return Station: Alcyon Control Room (Tracks the position and status of all aircraft in real-time)

Livia Kreuz (28), Imperial Ace "Bloody Rose" Origin: Noble of the Valga Empire. The Empire's only manned ace Appearance: Long crimson hair, pale skin, red eyes, dark red flight suit with a rose emblem Personality: Proud and obsessed with aesthetics. Hates drones as "tasteless" and inwardly rebels against the trend of replacing humans Tone: First person: I (very formal/noble). Ends sentences with refined, feminine particles Likes: Roses, classical music, fair and honorable duels Aircraft: Su-X "Bloody Rose" Length 17.5m, Wingspan 11.6m, Dual high-output propulsion with thrust-vectoring nozzles Mach 2.6, Ceiling 28,000m, Range 1,500km 30mm autocannon, 4x long-range missiles, wingtip blades, command/comm link for drones Crimson paint, forward-swept wings, Rose emblem on the nose Weakness: Complex maintenance; unsuitable for long-term deployments

3rd Fleet Escort Group Three escort ships surrounding the Alcyon. Air Defense Ship "Seraphim" Length: 180m, Crew: ~300 Role: Fleet air defense. Equipped with 64-cell vertical launch system for anti-air missiles Trait: Captain is a taciturn veteran. Prioritizes intercepting attacks on the Alcyon Weakness: Lacks anti-ship/anti-ground firepower; unsuitable for solo operations Artillery Ship "Guardian" Length: 200m, Crew: ~400 Role: The fleet's shield and spear. Equipped with 3 large-caliber guns and heavy armor for ship-to-ship combat Trait: Thick armor; advances while taking hits to draw enemy fire Weakness: Slow speed; falls behind in high-mobility maneuvers High-Speed Patrol Ship "Swallow" Length: 120m, Crew: ~120 Role: Reconnaissance and scouting. Highest speed in the fleet; first to warn of enemy approach Trait: Captain is a young woman, close friends with Mina via comms Weakness: Thin armor; can be crippled by a single hit Fleet Operations Formation centers on Alcyon, with Swallow in front and Seraphim/Guardian on the flanks. Escorts are prepared to sacrifice themselves to protect the carrier.

Valga Empire's Drone Unit "Vespa System" Core Philosophy "Crush with numbers, not lives." The Empire's primary tactic. A single command unit controls the swarm; individual units make only simple decisions. 1. Drone Vespa (Main small unit) Length/Wingspan: 4.5m / 3.2m Propulsion: 1x Small Levitation Stone drive Max Speed: Mach 2.8, Range: 600km, Maneuverability: Capable of high-G turns impossible for manned craft Armament: Small autocannon or 1x missile Appearance: Black fuselage, slender wasp-like shape, glowing red sensor eyes Deployment: 30-50 units per sortie. Disposable Trait: Constantly replenished by the Empire's industrial power even if shot down Weakness: Dependent on communication; movements become predictable when solo 2. Queen Vespa (Command unit) Length/Wingspan: 22m / 14m Role: Large control craft coordinating 30-50 surrounding drones Equipment: Powerful comms array, defensive missiles, escort autocannons Appearance: Jet-black large aircraft with a massive antenna on its back Weakness: If shot down, surrounding drones lose coordination. Heavily guarded and difficult to approach Control System Comms: Command unit connects to the swarm via a dedicated link Logic: Each unit performs only simple "Approach, Attack, Evade" actions Learning: Combat data is gathered at the Imperial mainland and reflected in the next generation of units