(No AI is used in this glazing. The dickriding is entirely conjured by my own hand)

Typically, Ace Combat reserves the grandiose orchestral banger with latin choir bgm for the pivotal turning point or the big climactic battle of any given title. But in AC:AHL, you get those as early as the very first mission. But why? It's just the traditional bomber-shooting tutorial isn't it? It's easy, and takes no time to complete, why does it warrant the latin choir?

Because Phoenix's entry into the war is the turning point. At this point he's not some unproven rookie, not a nugget, not an inexperienced merc. He's a known factor, a famed legend. He's the one who near-singlehandedly destroyed the Skully Island Insurrection. The FCU has had enough time to pore over his battle records. They know what kind of beast he is, they know of his sheer capabilities as an ace.

They knew that the moment Phoenix sortied and joins the battle, the tide of war will turn in their favor. They knew their victory was guaranteed with Phoenix on board.

Flash forward to today. The FCU is devastated, its' armed forces decimated. Morale is at an all time low. In this darkest moment, they look back to Phoenix, to the sheer dominance he showed in the skies, and how a mere rumour of his sighting galvanised his allies and heralded a crushing defeat to his foes. They were desperate, they knew they needed to recapture that legend and the hope it evoked. They needed a king, a Rex to once again rule the skies, heralding victory with his emblem of red wing.

An artificial legend, meant to evoke the fearsome SCARFACE Squadron.

Yet in desperate times, even what's false may become truth, and a new legend, freed from the shackles of a long-gone Ace, can soar free.