Sentō Yōsei Yukikaze

A voice-over by Lynn Jackson, an author, cites the beginning of the JAM invasion of Earth via the portal in Antarctica that appeared decades ago. How UN forces rallied and beat back the JAM to the planet Fairy, on the other side of the portal, and how the battle that began decades ago, continues even to this day on Fairy.

On the planet Fairy, a fierce air battle takes place between the human Fairy Air Force (FAF) and JAM fighters. High above the battle, SAF Super Sylph B-503 (a.k.a. B-3), piloted by Rei Fukai and his RIO observe the battle, and at its conclusion, head back to base. On the way back, they encounter another Super Sylph with an unknown IFF. B-3's AI first flags the contact as unknown, then hostile. Fukai then opens fire and downs the other Super Sylph.

While the incident is being investigated, Fukai is grounded. His superior, Jack Bukhar, tries to cheer him up with a party. When B-3 is repaired, Fukai is put back into the cockpit. In the midst of observing another air battle, B-3 and Fukai observed JAM using a new super missile to wipe out an entire wing of FAF fighters in a single strike. They then encounter another unknown Super Sylph (same as the one shot down before?). They chased it into a canyon, where it vanished. Another super missile is closing in fast. Fukai is able to evade one by creating an avalanche with all his missiles, but two more super missiles followed, and Yukikaze, B-3's AI, takes control, destroys one missile with its gun and rides the shock wave to safety.

Back at the base, Jack tells Fukai that they are deploying a purely AI-driven fighter, the prototype FRX-99, with no human in the loop, as the next step in the fight against JAM. Fukai is not happy about the prospects of leaving Yukikaze.

Fukai and B-3 sortie on another mission... and do not return. The telemetry ceases in mid-mission. Bukhar, ordered out search party after search party, even offers to pilot a search plane himself, but is overruled by the SAF commanding officer. B-3 was considered lost.

At a nondescript forward base... Fukai was being cared for by a nurse, after throwing up all food, and is too weak to even get up. An officer comes in and says that he has informed Fukai's home base that he will be well-cared for. Fukai dimly remembers that the plane landed in the desert, and they walked... then nothing else. Later, the officer comes in and tells Fukai that his RIO had died, and that the plane must be repaired.

In the meanwhile, James Bukhar is in a radar control plane, testing the AI fighter he had shown Fukai earlier.

Back at the nondescript base, the officer takes Fukai out to B-3. Fukai finds that B-3 has been gutted, with one engine gone, pieces of flying surface removed, and pieces of fuselage skin missing. The officer demands the password to disable the AI, and when Fukai hesitates, produced a pistol. Fukai wrestles with the officer, and kills him. The entire world around Fukai starts to literally collapse... Fukai jumps into what remains of B-3 and takes off into the void, and in a sudden flash, he's back on Fairy... with the Gray Sylph on his tail...

Elsewhere, Bukhar's AI fighter, FRX-99, suddenly cuts all datalink with the control plane and takes off with afterburners engaged.

It is snowing on Fairy, and Jack Bukhar is performing a systems check on the new B-503 Yukikaze. A two-person cockpit has been installed with full controls. It also got a paint job just like the Super Sylph Yukikaze. After the check is completed, B-3 was launched on its own mission, and Jack Bukhar pushed the catatonic Rei Fukai, in a wheelchair, back into the control center. The brain activity monitor shows that Fukai's brain is almost completely quiet, but his eyes are open...

In the control center, the top commanders are observing the maiden flight of purely autonomous AI fighter. Yukikaze joined an air battle and quickly dispatched several JAM fighters dogfighting FAF units. One FAF unit that suffered battle damage was heading for base TAB-15 when Yukikaze also headed for the base... and switched to ground attack mode. Yukikaze has deemed the landed FAF fighters hostile! Base attempt to override, but the plane does NOT accept orders while on a mission, and the control center watches as a dozen planes were destroyed in blink of an eye by a friendly unit. Meanwhile, Rei Fukai somehow got up from his wheelchair, his brain activity spiking, and he started screaming "There! JAM! Don't you see it?!" then he collapsed.

The "failed" test resulted in severe embarrassment for the SAF, but it was chalked up to "accidental discharge", according to Brigadier Cooley. Cooley then ordered Bukhar to get Fukai back into the cockpit ASAP. Fukai himself has no memories of those moments in the wheelchair, and he was not cooperative with his psychiatrist/evaluator, Captain Edith Foss. Foss dictated various notes about the state of Fukai. However, she cleared him for flight in exchange for a ride along with Rei Fukai, in a mock dogfight against 2 AI FRX fighters.

In the test, Yukikaze engaged in mock dogfights (no real weapons on-board) with an AI FRX, and was "killed" three times. Then multiple JAM fighters appeared. Fukai chose to take Yukikaze to distract the JAM crafts and save the control plane. However, during the dogfight one of the engines suddenly went off-line. Then the AI fighter suddenly took off with autonomous orders to cover Yukikaze (but they are not armed either) In the fight, one AI plane chose to attract missiles into the control plane and later flew into a JAM then self-destructed, taking out two more. That leaves two JAM fighters chasing Yukikaze... with only one engine working. Fukai then managed to do an aerial engine restart, and fired enough decoys to distract the diving JAM fighters long enough so that they dove into the ground instead of pulling up in time. Yukikaze returned to base without further incident.

A flying fortress called Banshee has gone out of contact after shooting down several friendlies. Fukai was pulled out of another session with Captain Edith Foss in order to perform a special mission... Find out what happened to Banshee, which is one of only two mobile bases on Fairy, and a very important part of FAF planning.

On Earth, Lynn Jackson was being interviewed by a reporter about her new book, "The Invaders", documenting the conflict between Earth and JAM, but the reporter flat out told her that Earth doesn't care about a conflict fought on some other planet, and her book is suffering horrible sales, and is mostly regarded as a science fiction book, rather than a serious document. Despite discouraging news, Jackson is heading to the South Seas, to visit a UN carrier which was summoned to guard the Antarctic gateway. She hopes to get more first-hand info there.

As Bukhar and Fukai walked to Yukikaze, Bukhar informed Fukai that the forward base mirage he "escaped" from was an FAF forward base that was destroyed in a surprise raid not too long ago. Fukai has made first contact with the JAM...and the only one ever to live and tell about it. Since then, JAM sabotage had almost brought down the new Yukikaze, and suspicions ran high that JAM has actually infiltrated FAF, though nobody knows how is that possible, since nobody had even seen a JAM in person. Fukai listened, but did not reply.

A systems engineer called Tom "Tomahawk" John was sent to accompany Fukai on the mission to the Banshee. Captain John was recently recovered after losing his plane in a test flight and slightly wounded. Tom John explained that despite his nickname, and his family tradition of being warriors, he's really meek in nature. However, he is a genius when it comes to computer systems, and have even helped design Yukikaze. They landed on the Banshee without incident, but the entire ship shows no signs of life. General Cooley of SAF ordered Bukhar and Foss to keep an eye on Fukai, John, and Yukikaze.

Fukai and John made it to the bridge, which is devoid of life. John went to the computer room to try debug the system. Just as he gained access to the system, Banshee turned toward FAF defence perimeter. A SRBM missile will be fired soon. Fukai went below deck to investigate... and found that JAM are replicating humans. Central computer analysis shows that if JAM were copying humans, the primary suspects are Fukai and John.

Lynn Jackson had a flashback to when she was a child and first heard about the unprovoked JAM attack at Antarctica.

Back to present day, Journalist Lynn Jackson chose to stay with the Japan carrier “Admiral”, which was doing its rotation defending the Gate against any one that may come through.

On the other side of the Gate, FAF was planning a special operation under Colonel Ansel Rombart of Intelligence Corp. Instead of conventional bombing on JAM bases, FAF would instead initiate a ground attack with reinforced armoured vehicles “BAX-4”. Ground troops would be set up, using personnel that were shot down behind enemy lines before and are otherwise idle, gathered for “further re-training”. At the same time, SAF General Cooley ordered Rei Fukai and James Bukhar to do an engine test on the new B-503's "Super Phoenix Mk. XI" Ram-air engines in Earth's atmosphere.

During their way to the Gate, Fukai and Bukhar had a brief chat on what to do after the war. When the Gate was approaching, Yukikaze identified 3 JAM fighters also going towards the Gate. After emerging on the Earth side, 3 JAM fighters immediately engaged UN fighters in Antarctica and shot down several Earth fighters. Because of JAM attack, B-503 was immediately intercepted by 2 fighters from Japanese Navy. In order to engage JAM fighters and assist UN defense, B-503 did a flipping maneuver, evading its escorts and went after the JAM.

One JAM fighter kamikazed into an escort cruiser, severely damaging it. The two others are targeting the carrier flagship “Admiral”. B-503 engaged its new Ram-air engines and caught up with the attacking JAM fighters. One blew up just above a cruiser. That cruiser observed B-503 flew by... and B-503 was able to shoot down the final JAM fighter just a few meters short of crashing into the carrier. With its fuel almost used up, B-503 requested landing on Admiral and refueling under International Agreement.

Once landed, Fukai and Bukhar were handled by officials in unfriendly manner. Bukhar was escorted by armed soldiers to meet Japan Navy officer, while Fukai had a chat with Lynn Jackson.

Eventually, B-503 was refuelled and ready to return to Fairy. To show off, Fukei and Bukhar decided to back up from the take-off position, "fall off" the main deck, hover in-place, then do a near-vertical take-off in mid-air, earning the admiration of the carrier crew, who loudly cheered and wolf whistled at the performance.

Fukai and Bukhar in B-503 is in this dark space, with the Gray Sylph right over them.

Yukikaze designated the other plane as hostile, then radar-locked itself, and launched an air-to-air missile, targeting itself. Bukhar was about to auto-destruct the missile when Fukei stopped him. Fukei explained that Yukikaze cannot allow any of them to be captured by the JAM. The missile came closer and closer... and suddenly, B-503 was flying in the Fairy sky alone.

After having a party, Bukhar was making a wooden boomerang with Fukai sitting next to him watching. When Bukhar finished his boomerang, the room turned dark and he found himself standing inside an empty prison cell. The cell door slowly cracked open. A buzzer sounded...

Sitting in his briefing room, Bukhar was awakened from his dream by intercom, requesting him to meet General Cooley. At the mean time, Fukai and Foss were accompanying Yukikaze on the way to take-off runway, finishing the next mission check. Foss commented that Yukikaze was uneasy with the unknown mission objective. Understanding this, Fukai gave a series of commands to Yukikaze through voice confirmation. Yukikaze responded positively and completed the mission check.

Bukhar and General Cooley, along with Lieutenant General Laitume and Major General Linneberg from Intelligence Division, had a tea meeting out on the lawn of the main Fairy base. Joined by Fukai and Foss, under the surveillance of Yukikaze, Cooley explained that this was the perfect opportunity to understand why the two Generals would allow Ansel Rombart to start a coup, and do nothing. Elsewhere soldiers were sabotaging FAF, causing large-scale system failure and casualties.

Lieutenant General Laitume replied to Cooley’s accusation by explaining that Ansel Rombart wishes to be JAM. If JAM cloning strategy was to have a deeper understanding of human, then Ansel Rombart’s action was the exact counter. At the same time, BAX-4 armored vehicles began their descend from the sky-train tracks, dropping on and crushing into civilian building and infrastructure, starting an all-round massacre.

Meanwhile, a dozen of JAM fighters attacked FAF base and was confronted by unmanned FAF fighters. During the battle, a JAM fighter was shot down and crashed into the tea-meeting site on the lawn. Fukai then gave instruction to Yukikaze to cut unnecessary data, return to underground hangar and await further instructions. Yukikaze terminated the holographic presentation of the tea meeting on the lawn. The tea meeting was actually taking place on an aircraft, escorted by several FAF fighters. The group then approached FAF aerial carrier Banshee III, which is evacuating the entire FAF.

Rombart embarked into the city. When he inspected the progress of the coup, he realized the “corpse” on the ground is a holographic projection. Rombart turned back to the armored vehicle and located the source of the hologram, which was in Boomerang squad hangar. A squad was immediately sent to the hangar, just to find B-503 taking off by VTOL rockets. As B-503 escaped, a bomb obliterated the hangar, destroying the invading soldiers. B-503 escaped through the ventilation shaft system into the underground city. Onboard Banshee III, General Laitume and Brigadier Cooley wondered how much time B-503 had bought them to evacuate.

B-503 then proceed to destroy Rombart's forces in the underground city. By dropping two cluster bombs, B-503 destroyed most of the armored vehicles. JAM tries to send some fighters through to help, but they were shot down by B-503. One JAM fighter crashed into an overhead skytrain, which then crashed to the ground, wiping out an entire block, and knocking Rombart to the ground.

Ansel Rombart, after recovering his glassed, knocked off by the explosion, remarked to himself how he did not see it sooner. He opened a channel to Banshee III, explaining that the whole conflict between JAM and humanity was just part of JAM’s calculation. Only by being unpredictable, by upsetting JAM's calculations, can humanity continue to survive. Rombart then fired a pistol through his left wrist, bleeding out something to the ground, he then stepped on it, smashing it. By then, he was surrounded by the armored troops. He pulled out a grenade and pulled the pin, when he saw B-503 coming toward him... Moments later, B-503 deployed a high-drag Fuel-Air Explosive (FAE) bomb right over Rombart's position. Foss realized that Rombart was fully human when he gave up his life. B-503 returned to Banshee III.

Cooley, Laitume and Foss then gather in Banshee III command deck to discuss the escape plan. FAF air force would escape through the Gate, and then 3 nuclear bombs will be set off around the Gate, destroying it once and for all. Cooley remarked that the high command had this contingency plan for a very long time. Laitume explained that it never was used because human got... greedy. They wanted to see if they can conquer an alien planet. However, it was suspected that the whole Fairy was an illusion construct by JAM. Indeed, some suggested that “the planet might be JAM itself.”

Upon landing on the Banshee III, B-503 was taxied into a corner and locked down by Laitume, claiming “only data on B-503 will compensate those died in this conflict.” B-3 was busy scanning Banshee interior for any JAM clones that have made it onboard. Cooley, realizing JAM was obsessed about Fukai and Yukikaze, contacted Bukhar and ordered Bukhar to launch Yukikaze. Reluctantly, Bukhar gave the order to Fukai. Outside Banshee III, they are getting close to the gate, and FAF and JAM battle has commenced. SAF identified a new type of JAM craft, an EW (electronic warfare) type, which interfere with FAF unmanned air fighters, causing friendly fire within FAF air force. However, with a little help, the EW type was destroyed. When B-503 found Banshee to be clear, it overrode the lockdown and sent itself to the arming deck, awaiting Fukei.

Banshee gets ever closer to the gate, and the main wave of JAM fighters approached. At first, the humans are holding their own. The unmanned fighters are doing great as they are managing to keep all incoming from carrier-1, which is carrying the 3 bombs. Suddenly, the sky melted into blackness, radar went crazy, and more of the EW type JAM crafted appeared, 4 this time, causing the unmanned fighters to go berserk, taking out many more FAF manned fighters. New waves of JAM are pushing the FAF fighters back. “Carrier-1” carrying 3 nuclear bombs was hit, and is about to crash, when the three bomb-carrying unmanned fighters suddenly deployed. Banshee crew tried to override, but the "Flip Knights" are not accepting abort codes. In the meanwhile, Banshee crew found that the main deck shield door is opening... B-3 is assuming take-off position. Banshee has figured out that the Flip Knights are under control of B-3, which is also overriding the deck doors.

B-3 took off in the black space. Laitume at first wondered if it was Rombart's doing, but realized that Cooley must have somehow gotten B-3 launched. Cooley admits to ordered B-3 launched, as she doesn't want to die on Fairy "without playing the strongest card".

B-3, now accompanied by the 3 Flip Knights, charged into the chaos of battle. Foss remarked that Fukei and Yukikaze are now a "composite lifeform", a melding of human and computer mind by mutual acceptance and need. This is something JAM simply do not comprehend, and one reason why JAM wants to capture and study them.

B-3 fought through the cloud of JAM fighters, just as the SAF units located the 4 JAM EW crafts and blew them out of the sky. As the radar cleared, all FAF fighters received request from B-3 for air to air missile support. Every single missile was launched forward into the mass of JAM fighters in the way of Banshee and the gate, and B-3, with the 3 flip-knights, are right behind the cloud of missiles. Guns and lasers blazing, they managed to break through the JAM line. As the fight reached the crescendo, Bukhar gave Fukei a final order, the order he always gives, "You have to come back!" Fukei nods, and turns toward the gate with the 3 flip knights with JAM fighters in pursuit. The Banshee and other fighters head away from the gate when the 3 warheads are released.

Fade to a boomerang in the air. Lynn Jackson was interviewing Jack Bukhar at his farm on Earth. Bukhar believed that Fukai was still living somewhere. After their parting, Jackson narrated the successful escape of FAF to Earth and the countless number of dead and missing. As she drove away, Jackson saw Fukai on the hill watching Jack playing with his boomerang, through her rear-view mirror. She stopped her car and looked back towards the hill, only finding Jack waving at her.