Aboard the ARC-Lightning stealth fighter Acheron, Captain Eva Rostova was a queen in a kingdom of thin air and stars. Her mission was simple: paint the target for the bombers following behind. But the sky, she knew, was a fickle friend.The first warning was a soft thump, like a pebble hitting a tin roof. The world dissolved into a violent, shuddering lurch. Alarms shrieked—a chorus of electronic terror. Master Caution lights bloomed across her console like poisonous flowers."Rook-1, I'm hit! SAM burst, proximity fuse. Starboard wing damage, control surfaces compromised," she reported, her voice eerily calm, a practiced lie for