Amabel Allard

"When you defected, I burned that Contract knowing full well we were going into the fires of hell. You, Knight, Joker, your Sister, everyone. No money, no words could stop me going after you to protect them. I've lost too many friends, and I don't want to lose any more of you. To that, I swore, and that's how I'm getting home."

- Amabel Allard talking to Mitsuko Kimura after Operation: Storywriter.

An Aurelian born Mercenary Pilot for Morena Squadron with prior experience in the Aurelian Air Force. fought in both the Beiarusian-Seianese War with the 13th Mercenary Squadron "Morena", and the ongoing Aurelian-Cayenne Conflict with Gryphus Squadron.

Early Life (1968-1981)
Amabel Allard was born in a sleepy town in the Aurelian Alps far from the hustle and bustle of urban living in November 21st 1968. Her Parents were prosperous small business owners of a Skiing Lodge up in the mountains close to where they lived where vacationers commonly came to from across the country during the season. She lived a happy and comfortable life in the quiet town where she went to school earning top grades because she was an only Child, showered with attention, and was surrounded by family members close and far.

Amabel's family stayed together through thick and thin, they all either lived in the town or were somewhere else in the country just a drive away. Holidays were good because of this, and many came by to visit as they passed through. The Allard family had gained a good word in the local area and we're liked by many for the good they did the Town and it's people with their business that brought in tourists. Amabel had learned to make friends with their neighbors, mostly elderly retirees.

The Conflict with Cayenne is something that remained a constant buzzing sound, a white noise in her life until she grew up and joined the Military and was a part of the noise itself. She had heard grown ups bicker with each other over it, heard the news broadcasts of engagements of the islands and who owned what and even kept a tally of how many times they traded a single island for fun, not knowing the back round behind it all. The only thing she saw of it and heard was the sound of jet engines over her town, the contrails of Aircraft and the missile streaks flying between them. She wouldn't truly understand until later in her life.

When not doing other things such as studying or reading she looks at the Fighters high above chasing after each other that gained her interest in becoming a Pilot and flying an Aircraft. However, it would be her dreams that would end her families enterprise, as an unknown Fighter crashed into the mountain creating a avalanche destroying their business and killing a close but distant Uncle of hers. Insurance would not cover the damages and because of this they were forced to move out due to the mountain of expenses that could no longer be paid. Amabel and her Family packed their bags and moved to the Capital City of Griswall where her Father could find work when Amabel Allard was just at the age of 13. Everything had changed.

Griswall (1981-1986)
The move was long as they had to drive from the countryside to Griswall through Mountains and the Steppes. Amabel dealt with it as best she could but all the change happened too fast, her happy demeanor soured into who she is today and became cynical almost. Not only had she lost her home she grew up in, she lost practically all her family as they cut ties and her past friends from the quiet town she knew and loved. Gone were the great outdoors and friendly people, all of it replaced by an urban jungle and rude neighbors.

It only got worse as her parents split apart, blaming each other for the damage done to them and their family. The two very people she had seen since birth as icons of love and affection were at each other's throats and finally left each other after a quick divorce. Only intensifying her hatred for how she lived now, wanting to leave and create something new for herself.

School was where she found solace and solitude away from it all. She excelled but her social life suffered greatly as she was seen as a outsider to her peers and was harassed physically and verbally by them in and our of School. This caused her to harden up and fend for herself and to expect the worst from people, a lesson she fully learned when she sent two female Students to the Nurses Office one day. Still she continued despite the difficulties and did well against the odds.

She received that chance to start a new better life when she got the attention of A.A.F Recruiters at her school Senior year as she was about to graduate. She immediately set in a plan to join the Aurelian Air Force, she was to get in when she was 18 and not tell her Parents about what she planned to do until she was sure she could get away. Finally when she graduated, instead of being a Doctor or Lawyer as her Parents suggested, she joined the Military in 1986 leaving behind two written letters for her Parents detailing her reasoning behind her decision. Eventually instead of chastising Amabel for her decision, they both grew to understand and simply let her do what she wished still missing her.

The Aurelian Air Force (1986-1989)
Amabel Allard shined in comparison to the other Cadets in 1986, she went above her Superiors expectations and was even to be recommended for Special Operations but was rejected due to her mental state and pychology. She passed through successfully with flying colors and was assigned to fly a F-14 Tomcat as apart of Gryphus Squadron in Fort (French for strong) Flight stationed at Aubrey Air Force Base at Cape Aubrey in North Western Aurelia.

Amabel Allard became a Nugget, the FNG of Gryphus Squadron, and was subject to teasing and hazing. However she proved herself in her first Combat situation in 1987 over the islands when they encountered a Cayenne Squadron invading, at the time, "Aurelian Airspace". This fight would reignite hostilities between the two nations and get Knot her first two Kill marks on her F-14 Tomcat and remove her status as a Nugget. Amabel Allard became quickly there after a respected member of Gryphus Squadron and was very liked by her Comrades and she shared the same with them, especially for one person she met.

Amabel however did not get her callsign until late 1987, Logistics at the base had messed up an order and a large amount of cherries in multiple crates showed up. After the chewing out of those that messed up, Gryphus Squadron created a tradition, they had begun an annual knot tieing contest where the winner was who ate the most cherries and tied their stems into a knot with only their tongue. Amabel Allard, who's favorite childhood food was cherries, easily won a landslide victory with 50 knots tied. As a reward, she was bestowed upon the callsign "Knot", and it stuck with her ever since.

Amabel Allard met her WSO David Moreau in 1986 when she first arrived in Gryphus Squadron at Aubrey AFB. Quickly, David not so subtly gave his interest in the Pilot of which Amabel quickly rejected multiple times. This became their relationship and expected of them from the Squadron, how ever no one, not even them, expected to get closer. Amabel Allard and David Moreau fell in love with each other in 1988 and kept their relationship a very closely guarded secret between them and a certain Rainer Durand, a Mechanic and former Pilot for Gryphus Squadron. They planned for days what they would do after their work in the A.A.F, it seemed her goal of living a better life was in reach, only to be rudely Interrupted in 1989.

In October 1989, the Squadron was sent out to investigate enemy presence in an area detected on Radar over the sea. It was expected to be a quiet patrol and then they would head back for supper. But it wasn't...

"Furball Incident" (1989)
Gryphus Squadron was ambushed, outnumbered and outgunned by the Cayenne Fighters. Amabel knew this and pleaded with the Squadron Leader to retreat, he rejected, being a traditionalist and believing retreat was cowardice. The fight lasted long, but soon Gryphus was being crushed and they dropped out of the sky, all of Amabel's close friends were dieing like flies to a swatter. She herself and alone with her wounded Tomcat retreated back to Aubrey AFB wondering why the flight back was so u-usually quiet.

As she landed, she learned that her WSO and fiancé, David Moreau, was Dead On Arrival, dieing from massive blood loss. She hadn't even noticed during the fight that David received large amounts of shrapnel and was hit by Cannon fire. He was pronounced dead at 12:43 AM, 11th of October, 1989. And watched as he was wheeled away into an ambulance, his body covered in a black tarp.

Amabel Allard never recovered from the incident and now living with Survivors Guilt regrets all of her decisions leading up to the Furball, believing that she should have died with them and with David and knowing that she could have done something different to prevent it. No longer did she get attached to the people she worked with and simply saw Flying as a job and nothing more in order to avoid another "Furball".

Shortly after the incident, Gryphus Squadron was disbanded and deactivated, the Aurelian Government and A.A.F denied that the Squadron ever even existed and went into a large cover-up to save face and prevent embarrassment. Amabel Allard along with all those living and dead were erased from the records and would not admit the event happened until 1990 when Gryphus Squadron was reactivated, they wouldn't issue a formal apology until 1995

Amabel, now dishonorable discharged from the A.A.F and technically never in it, went into the Mercenary Business in December 1989 needing a source of income and something to get her mind off of what happened.

Mercenary Work (1989-1992)
Amabel found herself working for two Mercenary Squadrons during this time. In late 1989 she found and was accepted into the 77th Mercenary Air Interception Squadron "Privateers". It was a minor, unknown Squadron made up of Pilots from all over Osea that worked mostly for the North Pointian Royal Air Force to flex its muscles in places they couldn't spare extra resources for. It was a quiet and uneventful job until the Squadron Leader was replaced by a person she hoped she would never see again. 2nd Lieutenant Heinlan Graves, now Major Heinlan Graves otherwise known as "Aridité" in the air, was given command over the Squadron due to the past leader sustaining a serious career ending injury in a car accident. The two Pilots frequently got in arguments and eventually, Amabel was removed from the Squadron forcefully in mid-1990, taking the pay with her.

In early 1991 Amabel found employment in the 47th Air Superiority Mercenary Squadron "Chevron", a notorious and well known Squadron to the world's powers on both sides, Communist and Capatalist. Its pilots were made up of Dishonorably and Honorably discharged Pilots from across the world over. In 1991 they were contracted to Levant to protect its border on Sercia due to the nation's increased hostility towards Levant. Just as she was accepted into the Squadron, not even 2 months after, Sercian Military elements entered Levant and engaged Levantian Troops in the Air and Ground. The conflict lasted a long while and Chevron distinguished i's self in combat by its determination and aggressiveness, the enemy Sercian Pilots and Ground Forces learned to fear the sight of two yellow outlined in black Chevrons on the wings of their F-16s. The conflict ended in an agreement between Levant and Sercia, ho eve,r Insurgency funded by Sercia began. Chevron stayed around after the conflict to help with Counter-Insurgency Operations (COIN).

Amabel soon left in 1992 and went to Dorusia.

Morena
She was assigned to the 13th Mercenary Squadron "Morena" in Seian and bought a cheap old Mig-19 Farmer with the funds she had. She never knew that war was again on her doorstep. The Seianese-Beiarusian War began with a whimper in a skirmish along a quiet river. And would go on for the rest of the year into the next.

As Morena was pushed back by the Beiarusian Invasion, Seian counterattacked, and Morena became the beacon of hope that Seian needed in such dark times. After Ansan was retaken, and the borders pushed back to their original status quo state, Morena fell into a lull as the war became a standstill and Beiarusia found newer ways to attempt to win the conflict. As loved ones and allies died around her during this prolonged war, Amabel Allard could only think of one major thing to keep her going, the idea of simply being able to go home, conflicting with her want and need to keep what friends she had in this conflict alive.

When Dorusia and Seian turned on each other, Amabel found herself on the opposing side of Haruna and Yuria, and more so when four of Morena's Pilots conducted a planned defection during Operation: Story Writer. Lieutenant Jax Bradford, Lieutenant Zach Steele, 2nd Lieutenant Jeff Monreu, and Lieutenant Mitsuko Kimura. Faced with being torn in half in this three-way conflict, Amabel chose to back up Mitsuko "Angel" Kimura in her Defection as a long time friend. However, doing this, she willingly separated herself from Second Lieutenant "Iceterine" Falkenreich.

Personality and Traits
Amabel Allard is known as a secluded but open and quiet person oftenly, she has no problem stating her opinion on any one thing but keeps it all to herself save for special instances. Despite this she has managed to befriend some people and to these people she remains loyal.

As a balance to this, she is rather Hostile to those she doesn't know and is terrible at socializing and making conversation which is a direct opposite of her in stressful situations where she can seemingly change personalities in a split second. Due to all of this, Amabel Allard has become a focused individual.

Her likes and dislikes are attributed to her past and backround as a Child and early Adult. Since she had before lived in the Alps of Aurelia she has gotten fondly aquainted to heights, the cold, clouds (especially from above), Skiing and appreciates a warm meal. Due to her quiet lifestyle she learned to pre-occupy herself with reading and writing, growing to love the activities. Amabel Allard like many others has Dislikes. Jesters for example, she feels life is too short to joke around and goof off all the time. Not just that, but Anti-Air gun fire has especially made her effectively angry, while any Pilot would agree she would much rather prefer being locked on by a SAM then be shot at by giant cannons from below.

She is not without major faults however. Due to her past, Amabel Allard now suffers from Survivors Guilt. The trauma of losing her comrades and a close loved one in the "Furball" over the islands has caused immense emotional trauma years after the incident in question. She frequently has nightmares as well as sometimes flashbacks from triggers that make her remember the painful memories especially.

Knot notably is also very protective. This most likely is due to the "Furball" incident as she tries (and is scared of failing) to prevent it from happening again, going as far as to protect entirely other Squadrons and put her own life in danger to prevent the life of another being lost. This has made her go as far as trying to use Attacker Craft as Fighter craft as well as make her use more extreme methods.

Trivia
• Fort means Strong in French

• The Gryphus Squadron reactivated in 1990 would go on in 2020 to save Aurelia from Leasath and Glepnir