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After his encounter with the Yuuzhan Vong in the Wastelands, Aerrow continued his journey back to Terra Neverlandis. Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks returned to Terra Neverlandis with Dove and the rest of the Terra Gale Sky Knights. They were still recovering from the apparent death of Aerrow. As they exited the Condor, Aegis and Master Cyclonis greeted them.

Aegis: Welcome back, Storm Hawks. I'm glad to see you safe.

As Aegis said this, the Storm Hawks were still in grief over what happened. Cyclonis was the first to notice Aerrow's absence.

Master Cyclonis: Where is Aerrow?

Piper: He's... he's gone.

Finn: Bet you're real happy about that. Ain't that right, Cyclonis?

Cyclonis was shocked about this. However, she didn't let that show on her face. While she had sought the destruction of Aerrow and the Storm Hawks, she did not expect an alien race to succeed where she had failed. A sense of anger fell over Finn. He was tempted to attack her, but Piper stepped in. 

Piper: It's not worth it, Finn. Aerrow wouldn't want this. 

At that point, Finn relented. Aegis could see that the Storm Hawks were deeply affected by the loss of their leader. Despite being great Sky Knights, they were still children. 

Aegis: Master Cyclonis, we should leave them. They...they need some time. 

Master Cyclonis: Very well. 

With that, Aegis and Cyclonis left the Storm Hawks alone. The Storm Hawks then took a moment to reflect on what had just happened. 

Junko: I...I still can't believe he's gone. 

Finn: No kidding, buddy. It's heard to believe Aerrow's really gone. 

Stork: Which begs the question, who's going to lead us?

Finn then glanced over to Piper who was sitting on the edge of the cliff of Terra Neverlandis. He knew that Aerrow's death hit her the hardest. 

Finn: I think we seriously need to hold off on that question for now. We just lost our leader and we're in the midst of a big war. 

Meanwhile, Piper looked over the horizon and could see the smoke from the Yuuzhan Vong's invasion from Atmos. The sounds of explosions were heard in the distance. As she looked upon the horizon, Radarr climbed onto Piper's shoulder and chirped sadly. Piper began to weep as she placed her hand on Radarr's head. 

Piper: I miss him too, Radarr. I...I miss him too....

As Piper continued to weep, she looked to the horizon, she saw a Skimmer heading towards them. The Skimmer was unfamiliar to her. As it got closer, she tried to make out the driver's identity. Suddenly, the Skimmer began to emit smoke. The Skimmer was flying towards her with great speed. Soon enough, Piper and Radarr were forced to get out of the way as the Skimmer crashed. It wasn't long before Finn along with Junko and Stork ran to check what was going on. 

Finn: What's going on?! Are you okay?!

Piper was silent as she watched the smoke clear up from the Skimmer. As the smoke cleared up, a familiar face emerged. They were shocked to see Aerrow alive and well. 

Aerrow: Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late. 

Piper and the rest of the Storm Hawks were shocked beyond words. They had thought that Aerrow had been killed by the Yuuzhan Vong. Without hesitation, Piper ran to Aerrow and tightly hugged him. She began to weep into his arms. Aerrow was taken aback by this. However, he returned the hug with a hug of his own. 

Aerrow: It's okay, Piper. I'm here. 

Finn: But...but how! I saw you crash into the Wastelands!

Aerrow: I did. Luckily I managed to hang on to the starfighter. The landing wasn't exactly easy, but I managed to survive. Though one of the Yuuzhan Vong pilots survived as well. Thankfully a Lava Eel came to my rescue.

Junko: How did you escape from the Wastelands? 

Aerrow: I had to use that old Skimmer. It wasn't much, but it was enough. I tried to contact the Condor, but the relay systems on the Condor were outdated. 

Piper was still taken aback by Aerrow's return. Piper stared into Aerrow's eyes. She still couldn't believe that Aerrow was still back. 

Piper: I'm...I'm glad you're here. 

Aerrow: I'm glad to be back, Piper. We still have a war to fight. The Yuuzhan Vong won't stop fighting, so neither should we!

With that, they Storm Hawks were back together. As the Storm Hawks were reunited, Aegis and Master Cyclonis stepped outside to check the commotion. Upon seeing Aerrow, the two approached him. 

Master Cyclonis: It seems that reports of your death have been greatly exaggerated.

Aerrow: Sorry to disappoint you, but as you can see, I'm far from dead. 

Aegis: It is good to see you again, Aerrow. Atmos still needs it's heroes. 

Aerrow: We were barely able to escape the Yuuzhan Vong back on Terra Gale. They had nearly overrun the Terra. We're losing ground fast. It won't be long until the Yuuzhan Vong attacks Terra Neverlandis. 

Aegis: We are losing time. With each passing second, the Yuuzhan Vong gets closer to conquering Atmos. If we are to survive, then we need to prepare ourselves for the next coming days. Our very existence depends on it. 

With that, the Storm Hawks prepared themselves for the next coming days. With time running out, the Sky Knight and Cyclonian coalition needed to act fast if they were to repel the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. The next coming days would be crucial in the war against the Yuuzhan Vong.   

Storm Hawks: The Yuuzhan Vong WarWhere stories live. Discover now