Awesome / Project Wingman

Unmarked spoilers ahead.

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• In mission 5, "Sirens of Defeat", Galaxy warns you not to cross a line during the evacuation of Presidia, as there's a huge Federation fleet there. If you do cross it, that huge fleet, including railgun cruisers, will do its damnedest to destroy you. But, if you're good enough, it's entirely possible you can take on the entire fleet and win. It doesn't change the outcome of the mission, but the payout is more than just the cash earned from wrecking an entire battlegroup with one plane.
• In mission 6, "Machine of the Mantle", after destroying the geothermal power plant, the Federation Peacekeeper Squadron Crimson arrives, and you’re ordered to retreat. At first glance this seems like a repeat of Shattered Skies' "Lifeline", but unlike in "Lifeline", you actually can win if you damage one of the Crimson Pilots enough, though it's extremely difficult as they'll be using AOA Limiters and dodging almost every missile you throw at them, likely forcing you to wear them down with guns. If you do, not only will Crimson Squadron pull out, but Galaxy and your wingman will react with shock and awe at (almost) shooting down one of the Federation’s most elite fighter pilots. And you get the kill credit.
  Crimson 1: Hrm?! All pilots disengage. I'm not risking any losses because of this bloodthirsty dog.
  ...
  Crimson 1: Yeah, except for that one...
  Crimson Pilot: He put up quite a fight didn't he?
  Crimson 1: (dismissively) He got lucky.
  [Crimson Squad leave]
  Galaxy: Holy hell. You've chased them off! Monarch, RTB before they get any funny ideas.
  Comic: What the hell Monarch? Since when did you fight like that?
  Diplomat: ...must've missed that class back at the Academy. Now let's go while we have the window.
• Mission 11, "Cold War", is a major turning point in Cascadia’s war for independence from the Federation.
  • Thanks to the destruction of the Solona Communications Array, the Federation became disorganized, and had become subjugated by Cascadia’s own electronic warfare, granting them several true victories in the war, forcing the Federation into a full retreat.
  • Before the mission even begins, on Mercenary Mode, the Game itself makes a grand Anime title screen instead of the usual mission start, just to highlight how epic the showdown will be.
  • In an effort to increase combat effectiveness the Federation started to replace Cascadian manned units with ones that weren’t nationals. In response, many of them defected and provided the Independence Forces with man power and intelligence, allowing Cascadia to secure even more victories.
  • The Federation tried to pull back their forces to grant them a chance to recover. A Cascadian patrol over the Bering Straight had encountered a number of transport craft carrying Federation troops, which they intercepted. The Federation sent reinforcements to cover them, and then Cascadia sent their own reinforcements to fight off those reinforcements. It eventually snowballed into a massive aerial battle where dozens of aircraft from both sides filled the sky above the Bering Straight. In response Sicario and Hitman team were deployed to the Bering Straight, and their arrival single handedly turns the tide in Cascadia’s favor.
  • When Crimson Squadron arrives over the Bering Straight, AWACS Galaxy, confident of their victory, gives the allied forces the go ahead to Intercept them, and together the Cascadians and Sicario manage to drive them off, with Monarch earning the nickname ‘The Crown’, and causing Crimson 1 to have a minor Villainous Breakdown.
    Crimson 1: Tell them we have them! Just keep sending reinforcements, don’t take this from me!
    Federation HQ: That’s an order, Crimson 1. We have no more combat effective reinforcements. The transports were all shot down. We’d just be sending men to die. I won’t repeat myself.
    Crimson 1: No, no, no!
  • At the end of each mission, while Hitman team forms up on Monarch, the allied aircraft leave the area in a specific pattern. But at the end of "Cold War" every allied aircraft forms up on Monarch, including Kaiser and Stardust, which empathizes just how much he contributed to Cascadia and Sicario’s victory over the Bering Straight.
  • The losses sustained by the Federation over the Bering Straight were so severe that they effectively lost air superiority for the rest of the war. Frontline 59's first mission also shows that Cascadian mercenaries were so rallied by Monarch that they chased Federation stragglers across the ocean to keep the fight going, requiring K-9 (who were first activated to join the battle) to be diverted to help cover the retreat.
• Mission 13, "Valkyrie’s Call", Cascadia has Sicario and a large battalion of mercenaries launch an assault into the Kingdom of Sawaiiki, to destroy Task Force 1, said to be the most elite of the Federation’s airship fleets, moored there. The attack is so sudden that the Federation isn’t able to get their ships in the air on time leaving most of the fleet as sitting ducks. When the mission is over, the destruction of Task Force 1 is said to have caused a huge dip in morale for the Federation.
  • In addition to the defeat above, the Federation completely loses face in the eyes of the Kingdom of Sawaiiki. Sawaiki was considering joining the Federation and offered their own military forces to help protect Task Force 1, only to be rebuffed by the Feds. The debriefing indicates that Sawaiiki is critical of the Federation's hubris and seriously reconsidering joining the Federation, doubly so as the CIF spared their personnel and installations.
• In Mission 18, "Return", Comic and Diplomat both give Crimson 1 a piece of their minds after he comes back, and starts accusing Sicario for the destruction of Prespero.
  • When Crimson 1 first tries to tell them about how there are three types of people in the world, Comic fires back by pointing out a major flaw in his logic.
    Crimson 1: Sheep are to be protected, and yet wolves like you need to be fed. Do you see the problem here? We are the sheepdogs.
    Comic: Sheepdogs herd the sheep to slaughter, you asshole!
  • Diplomat afterwards decides that he’s heard enough of Crimson 1, and fires a Rapid-Fire "Shut Up!" at him. He even interrupts Crimson 1 when he tries to call him out on it.
    Crimson 1: Just think, how many have you killed?
    Diplomat: God just shut up!
    Crimson 1: How dare-
    Diplomat: Shut up! Nobody asked! You think we asked specifically to fight you?! You think I care so much to keep fighting you?!
    Crimson 1: You’re wild dogs, of course!
    Diplomat: Shut up! Just shut up! Fight us! Don’t talk! I don’t care! Shut Up! (smashes his radio console)
    Galaxy: (Beat) Uh, Dip’s radio transceiver is off.
• Mission 19, "Red Sea". With Presidia in sight, the Cascadian Independence Force tries to replace the Federation's naval blockade with their own so they can besiege the capital and put an end to the war. An epic sea battle ensues where bravery is awesomely rewarded.
  • Captain Woodward is well aware that charging at the Federation's fleet head on while they can broadside the Eminent Domain goes against everything he knows about naval warfare, but does so anyway to draw out the entirety of the Dejanus's battlegroup into the open sea.
    Federation Ship: We have eyes on the Eminent Domain and her battlegroup steaming towards us! What is that mad man doing?!
    Woodward: All of our ammo! All of our guns! We are breaking this line!
  • When Hitman team finally makes it to the Dejanus's battlegroup, Comic complains that three aircraft aren't enough to take on such a massive enemy force. Cue Kaiser coming in with an equally huge assortment of mercenaries to save the day.
    Kaiser: Do you wanna live forever? Let's give the Rebels what they paid for!
    Federation Ship: Jesus, where'd these guys come from?!
• Kaiser's Badass Boast at the start of Mission 20, "Presidia", is pretty much the opening line from Call of Duty: Finest Hour, and it works just as well here as it does during the opening boat ride to Stalingrad.
  Kaiser: To all Mercenaries! Do not count days, do not count miles! Count only the number of Feds you have killed! Go!
• The Independence Force commander as well at the start of Mission 20 has a choice line:
  Independence Force HQ: All callsigns. Commence the offense. We are the descendants of those who would not be ruled. Show them what that means.
• The final mission, "Kings". Crimson 1 has unleashed a bombardment of Cordium missiles upon Presidia, annihilating both Federation and Cascadia forces just after a ceasefire was declared. With Monarch being the only one capable of putting a stop to Crimson 1's rampage, a final duel takes place over the city. With the fiery ruins of the city below, a geothermal storm raging across the region and Kings playing on the soundtrack. It's no longer about duty or money or honor, just who is left.
  Crimson 1: Me and you now. No distractions. No wingmen. No war. Just me and you, whoever wins is the best pilot. Every safety's coming off, no second chances!
  • Bonus points for the final phase. This time, Crimson 1 receives a Boss Warning Siren — for Monarch.
    Crimson 1: (exhausted) Goddamn it!