Birds of a Feather (fanfic): Difference between revisions

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* [[Ascended Fanboy]]: In-universe example with Shinn in ''Cry of the Falcon''; here he's an admirer of the Grimaldi Falcon, and when he finds out that he gets to fly with Ken in combat... he doesn't quite squee, but the hero worship is obvious.

* [[The Atoner]]: {{spoiler|Rau Le Creuset,}} in ''Cry of the Falcon''.

* [[Back ~~From~~ the Dead]]: Also {{spoiler|Rau Le Creuset.}} Much to the displeasure of most of the world, including most allies of the man who gave the order.

* [[Back from the Dead]]: Also {{spoiler|Rau Le Creuset.}} Much to the displeasure of most of the world, including most allies of the man who gave the order.

* [[Badass Crew]]: The Gray Demons are mentioned to have been this before most of them were killed at Endymion. The Le Creuset Team are also this, which is why Ken makes a point of recruiting them into True ZAFT. On the Earth Alliance side, we have the Frighteners, based off of the British SAS. All six members are Naturals who have trained their bodies to Rock Lee levels, giving them the ability to pilot mobile suits without the special OS.

** Not quite. The Frighteners ''are'' an all-elite unit, but only their commander, Major -later Colonel- [[Colonel Badass|Karen Willet]] is actually able to use a Coordinator-type OS.

* [[Badass Longcoat]]: Really applies to just about any ZAFT redcoat; more traditionally, Ken and Waltfeld both usually wear trench coats over their uniforms.

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* [[Cold Sniper]]: [[Ghost in the Shell|Saito]] fills this role in his appearances. Also, {{spoiler|Ken himself,}} when he's operating in that capacity.

* [[Colonel Badass]]: Technically a Commander, but arguably Rau Le Creuset. In addition to his canon [[Magnificent Bastard|Magnificent Bastardry]], during the [[Grand Finale]] {{spoiler|he fights off almost every ace True ZAFT has in succession, several of them simultaneously, before finally being caught in the blast from a [[Wave Motion Gun]].}}

* [[Common Knowledge]]: Thanks to the author naming the Neutron Stampede platform as the ''[[Meaningful Name|Marie Curie]]''<ref> the scientist who discovered Radium & died of radiation poisoning</ref>, almost everyone now believes that to be the name of the ship, despite being officially unnamed.

* [[Creator Breakdown]]: The reason for the fic's massive [[Schedule Slip]].

* [[Curb Stomp Battle]]: In ''Cry of the Falcon'', the {{spoiler|Earth Alliance commando unit attacking Siegel and Lacus Clyne}} is assisted by a half-dozen [[Humongous Mecha|Forbidden]] [[Elite Mooks|Vortexes]]. Their target is covered solely by {{spoiler|[[Super Prototype|the Justice]]}}, with a rusty {{spoiler|[[Ace Pilot|Athrun Zala]]}} at the controls. {{spoiler|The poor bastards never stood a chance.}}

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* [[Game-Breaking Injury]]: {{spoiler|As a result of the wounds he suffered at Endymion, Ken has an artificial heart and lung, powered by his body's bioelectric field. While adequate for normal activity, it proves insufficient for strenuous activity, resulting in Ken's tendency to connect his prosthetics to a portable battery supply or his mobile suit's power system when going into combat. His [[Pride|preference not to mention the vulnerability to anyone]] nearly kills him more than once.}}

* [[Gorn]]: The {{spoiler|siege of the Section Nine Orb base}} is considerably bloodier than anything else in the Falconverse, and frequently touches on this trope.

* [[General Failure]]: Several, for the Earth Forces, in ''Cry of the Falcon''. They tend to be [[You Have Failed Me|removed from service]] after their incompetence becomes obvious.

* [[General Failure]]: Several, for the Earth Forces, in ''Cry of the Falcon''. They tend to be [[You Have Failed Me...|removed from service]] after their incompetence becomes obvious.

** Zig-zagged with Admiral Chernock: he led the 4th Fleet in the attempt to blockade the PLANTs, was scapegoated for the subsequent defeat and spent ''Birds of a Feather'' on a beach in Mexico. He's rehabilitated and returned to active duty in ''Cry of the Falcon.''

* [[Gratuitous German]]: The inscriptions on the Gray Demons' swords are all in German, albeit probably with atrocious grammar, being the product of online translator programs. (The author originally wanted [[The Lord of the Rings|Elvish]], but was unable to find translations for many of the required words.)

* [[Gray and Gray Morality]]: While the author considers ZAFT to hold the moral high ground, the Earth Alliance and ZAFT are portrayed as having both [[My Country, Right or Wrong|dedicated soldiers fighting for their country]] ''and'' [[Complete Monster|Complete Monsters]]. By the endgame, both sides have abandoned all claim to the moral high ground.

** As an example, {{spoiler|the Earth Forces assassination team in Cry of the Falcon}} have no problems with assassinating a former head of state and his daughter, but draw the line at killing children, even if it risks blowing their [[False-Flag Operation]].

* [[Half the Man He Used To Be]]: {{spoiler|Tolle Koenig's eventual fate.}} Also, {{spoiler|[[Mad Scientist|Heinrich Metzinger]], on underestimating his creation's dedication to his own purposes.}}

* [[Heel Face Turn]]: In ''Cry of the Falcon'', {{spoiler|none other than Rau Le Creuset.}}

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* [[Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy]]: Oscar Goldberg, the pilot given the machine with a nuclear bazooka because he couldn't hit the Moon if he was standing on it with anything smaller.

* [[Implausible Fencing Powers]]: Just about anyone with a sword in this 'verse, but most notably Ken himself. Attempts are made to justify his deflecting bullets in-story--at the least, his sword would survive, due to being made of a material usually used for ''[[Humongous Mecha|mobile suit]]'' weapons--but the author fully acknowledges it's mostly [[Rule of Cool]].

* [[Laser Guided Tykebomb]]: Victor Tempest aka Huckebein the Raven, is brought back to life for the express purpose of killing Ken.

* [[Marth Debuted in Smash Bros]]: Some reviewers thought that Sigma's Variable Speed Beam Rifles were inspired by VARIS ammunition from ''[[Code Geass]]'', not realising that the [[Mobile Suit Gundam F91|F91]] made its debut in 1993.

* [[The Mentor]]: Ken to Kira, before the latter begins to surpass the former and their opinions on tactics diverge significantly.

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** Ken has a tendency toward long-winded speeches. This is not a gag by itself, but rather the frequent [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshading]] by other characters and his own obliviousness any time someone points it out.

* [[Schedule Slip]]: Once updated frequently, as of this edit over two years have passed since a chapter was published. [[Word of God]] is that a [[Creator Breakdown]] is responsible, and that updates are fully intended to resume once the author's situation stabilizes.

* [[Shadow Archetype]]: Neo Roanoke's GAT-X505 Nightwing is a dark copy of Ken [[Di Falco]]'s ZGMF-[[X 00 A]] Preybird, and Karen Willet's GAT-X510 Reaver is a copy of Kira Yamato's ZGMF-[[X 10 A]] Freedom.

* [[Ship Tease]]: Early in ''Birds of a Feather'', between {{spoiler|Ken}} and {{spoiler|[[Bridge Bunnies|Miriallia Haw]]}}. The former, being largely [[Oblivious to Love|oblivious]] doesn't even notice until it's pointed out later. Ironically, the latter gets caught up in an assassination attempt on someone else in the sequel due to having come back to Orb for the former's wedding to {{spoiler|[[The Captain|Murrue Ramius]].}}

* [[Shoot the Hostage]]: {{spoiler|When an enemy captures Ken and Preybird just before 2nd Jachin, Ken tells Kira to shoot him and kill the enemy; Kira decides to [[Take a Third Option]]. While everyone goes home safely, Ken believes that Kira doesn't have the resolve to see events to their conclusion, and Kira believes that Ken's become a [[Kill'Em All]] fanatic. The fallout from this directly leads into their abortive duel at Jachin.}}

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** In ''Cry of the Falcon'', Ken's first callsign? Moebius One. Later, he's tagged by Hamilton as the Demon Lord. Both were considered the best pilots of their respective Ace Combat games (04 & Zero).

** When Halberton and Ken meet prior to the Orbit Battle, they remind each other that '' "There is only one rule in war: Survive."'' This was Ace Combat Zero's tagline.

** In ''Cry of the Falcon'', one of Ken's former ZAFT teammates begins her story by saying "[[Ace Combat Zero ~~the~~ Belkan War|It was a cold and snowy day]]."

** In ''Cry of the Falcon'', one of Ken's former ZAFT teammates begins her story by saying "[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War|It was a cold and snowy day]]."

** Ken frequently refers to the PLANTs as "The Homeland" and to "The Revolution", ideals close to the heart of one [[Honor Harrington|Victor Cachat.]]

*** "The Homeland" is actually used in canon several times, particularly early in the series.

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* [[Xanatos Speed Chess]]: Ken spends the entire fic doing this. {{spoiler|[[Magnificent Bastard|Rau Le Creuset]] reciprocates.}}

* [[X Meets Y]]: Ace Combat meets Gundam SEED.

* [[You Have Failed Me]]: As something of a nod to the character's canonical... lack of total competence -at least compared to his predecessor from SEED- this happens to {{spoiler|[[Fashion Victim Villain|Lord]] [[Smug Snake|Djibril]]}} after a particularly spectacular debacle that not only fails to achieve its objective, but actually results in {{spoiler|some of the Earth Forces' own units being ''[[Nuke'Em|nuked]]'' by one of their own weapons.}} Cue [[Boom! Headshot!|summary execution]].

* [[You Have Failed Me...]]: As something of a nod to the character's canonical... lack of total competence -at least compared to his predecessor from SEED- this happens to {{spoiler|[[Fashion Victim Villain|Lord]] [[Smug Snake|Djibril]]}} after a particularly spectacular debacle that not only fails to achieve its objective, but actually results in {{spoiler|some of the Earth Forces' own units being ''[[Nuke'Em|nuked]]'' by one of their own weapons.}} Cue [[Boom! Headshot!|summary execution]].

** [[And the Fandom Rejoiced]], both out an in-universe: Djibril's replacement is a more pragmatic villain who understands her strengths and weaknesses, and gains the respect and willing cooperation of her military forces.