"Actually, I'm curious to know as well."
"Hey now, that's not who I think it is, is it? Little Boy Lars! You don't sound as stiff as I remember! What, did flying with the 86th finally soften you up?"
"Plenty happened since we last met... Actually, come to think of it, wasn't the Strigon callsign slated for retirement? The new government was practically overturning every last speck of dust to scrub even the smallest traces of the Eastern Faction from their system. I can't imagine how anyone would've been able to change their minds."
"Ah, about that... I was the one fighting tooth and nail for the squadron to stay. Arguing with superiors, filling out senselessly bureaucratic paperwork, braving court marshal threats, you name it. I just couldn't bear to see everything dissolve into thin air like that. Childish, I know. Hell, by the time it was almost over I was convinced it was for the better. You should've seen the look on my face when I learned the EAF decided to keep the Strigons in service for a few more years. Since I was the only pilot from the original roster available to fly at the time, the board appointed me as squadron leader before working to fill in the remaining positions."
"I see. Hey, congratulations on keeping the Strigons alive and becoming their leader. It's great to have you with us again."
"Thank you. It's great to be here. I wouldn't have it any other way." Chatter can be heard in the background as Mijasik converses with another party before returning his attention to us. "We need to move. Is there anything we're waiting for?"
"One of our pilots suffered flameouts in both engines and had to eject. AWACS notified us that an SAR unit was dispatched to retrieve him, but we haven't had any updates since."
