Yellow 13

Lore & Background

Yellow 13 is the leader of Erusea's elite Yellow Squadron. His wingman and close friend is Yellow 4. During the Continental War, Yellow 13 and his squadron befriend and adopt a boy from San Salvacion, whose family was killed when an Erusean fighter with a yellow-painted '13' tail number shot down an ISAF aircraft that crashed into the boy's home. The boy initially resents Yellow 13 but later comes to know him through the squadron's visits to a bar in San Salvacion's capital. Yellow 13 is portrayed as a pilot who desires to face a worthy opponent and praises Mobius 1's growing skill. After the boy discovers that the barkeep and his daughter are resistance agents, the daughter bombs Yellow Squadron's airfield, damaging the aircraft flown by Yellow 13 and Yellow 4. During the ISAF attack on Stonehenge, Yellow Squadron scrambles to defend it, and in the resulting dogfight, Yellow 4 is shot down by Mobius 1; her ejection seat, damaged by the airfield bomb, fails to operate, and she dies in the crash, devastating Yellow 13. Later, as ISAF forces approach San Salvacion, Yellow 13 catches the barkeep's daughter after she attempts to plant explosive detonators. The boy intervenes, calling Yellow 13 a 'fascist pig'. Yellow 13 is upset by the boy's words, but allows them to go free. During the siege of Farbanti, Mobius 1 engages and defeats the remainder of Yellow Squadron, including Yellow 13. The boy and the barkeep's daughter find and bury Yellow 13's handkerchief. Many years after the war, the boy, now grown, reflects on Yellow 13's life and death, stating his belief that the rivalry between Yellow 13 and Mobius 1 gave Yellow 13 'an unexpected joy, [...] at the end of that meaningless war'.

In Their Own Story

Yellow 13's story is told through the eyes of a boy from San Salvacion. The boy witnesses the death of his immediate family when an Erusean fighter with a yellow-painted '13' tail number shoots down an ISAF aircraft that crashes into the boy's home. Taken in by his uncle, the boy earns income by playing music for Erusean soldiers in a bar. There he meets Yellow 13 and Yellow 4. Although the boy resents Yellow 13 at first, the captain and the rest of the squadron befriend and adopt the boy. The boy speaks of Yellow 13's desire to face a worthy opponent and praise for Mobius 1's growing skill. The barkeep's daughter bombs Yellow Squadron's airfield, damaging the aircraft flown by Yellow 13 and Yellow 4. During the dogfight over Stonehenge, Yellow 4 is shot down by Mobius 1 and dies when her ejection seat fails. Yellow 13 is devastated. As ISAF forces approach San Salvacion, Yellow 13 catches the barkeep's daughter after she attempts to plant explosive detonators. The boy calls Yellow 13 a 'fascist pig', upsetting him, but he allows them to go free. During the siege of Farbanti, Mobius 1 engages and defeats the remainder of Yellow Squadron, including Yellow 13. The boy and the barkeep's daughter find and bury Yellow 13's handkerchief. Years later, the boy reflects that the rivalry between the two pilots gave Yellow 13 'an unexpected joy, [...] at the end of that meaningless war'.

Reader's Guide

Yellow 13 is the leader of Erusea's elite Yellow Squadron, flying alongside his wingman and close friend Yellow 4. He is a skilled ace pilot who earns praise from Mobius 1's allies and is known for his desire to face a worthy opponent. His squadron befriends a boy from San Salvacion during the occupation. Key moments include the bombing of Yellow Squadron's airfield by the barkeep's daughter, which damages Yellow 13's and Yellow 4's aircraft; the dogfight over Stonehenge where Yellow 4 is shot down by Mobius 1 and dies due to a failed ejection seat; and the confrontation where Yellow 13 catches the barkeep's daughter but allows her and the boy to go free after being called a 'fascist pig'. Yellow 13 is ultimately defeated by Mobius 1 during the siege of Farbanti. After the war, the boy and the barkeep's daughter bury Yellow 13's handkerchief. The boy later reflects that the rivalry with Mobius 1 gave Yellow 13 'an unexpected joy, [...] at the end of that meaningless war'.

Did You Know?

• Yellow 13's tail number is painted yellow on his aircraft, as seen when the boy's family is killed by an Erusean fighter with a yellow-painted '13' tail number.
• Yellow 13's wingman and close friend is Yellow 4, who is shot down by Mobius 1 during the dogfight over Stonehenge and dies when her ejection seat fails.
• The boy from San Salvacion calls Yellow 13 a 'fascist pig' after the pilot catches the barkeep's daughter planting explosive detonators, which upsets Yellow 13.
• After the war, the boy and the barkeep's daughter find and bury Yellow 13's handkerchief.
• The boy later reflects that the rivalry between Yellow 13 and Mobius 1 gave Yellow 13 'an unexpected joy, [...] at the end of that meaningless war'.