In the Burning Skies
The Story of Shin Kazama

by Rocky Mashima

Over the years, a journalist tends to find himself in many strange places. I've certainly been in my fair share. In some ways it's a curse when you tend to miss the simple things of Japan, like just making some good old fashioned ramen, but on the other hand it's sort of a blessing in that you get to travel the world and see new things. Still, nothing could quite prepare me for my assignment when I was told to do a story on Shin Kazama. I think in all my time, I've never seen such an intriguing story such as that of Shin.

Shin is currently a pilot in the Arslan air force, but he is far from an ordinary pilot. Arslan for the most part had been your run of the mill Middle-Eastern country, until it was recently plunged into the midst of a civil war. Most of what is known is that the royal family ruling Arslan had a dispute between two factions, and that two brothers currently fight over who will be next in line for succession. One interesting twist is that the son of one of those rulers is in fact siding with his uncle against his own father.

Amidst all of this is the military, of which Shin is an enlisted member. Shin is however in one of the most dangerous outfits which is in fact a mercenary air force. A country like Arslan is for the most part not rich enough to afford a civil war. So much so, that the country in fact has taken to hiring others to help fight for them. Finding a plane is only a part of the cost of fighting. In fact it usually costs far more just to train the pilot. So with this in mind, Arslan created a division of its air force for mercenaries who tend to end up with the most dangerous jobs. Each pilot is responsible for his plane, supplies, and the cost for both. For unskilled pilots, this is a source for perpetual debt; for adept pilots a chance to become very wealthy. Either way, they can end up very dead. Still, talking to the pilots you tend to get a strange feeling as if they're trapped in this place. Like something is holding them there and they just can't get away, and death perhaps isn't the worst that could happen. It is in the dry hot desert that these pilots maneuver and dance like angels, and die in hellish flames. It all takes place in this secret base known as hell to some, but known as Area 88 officially.

So how did this Shin Kazama come into such a place? Talking to Shin himself didn't yield too much information as he is quiet and tends to keep to himself, but eventually with a little research and talking with others I was able to piece together much of the story. Apparently it wasn't so long ago that Shin was training to become a pilot in France. Shin was at the top of his class and was destined to certainly get a job once he graduated. It's also known that Shin was in love with Ryoko Tsugumo, who is the daughter of the president of Yamato airlines (YAL). He may have even been in a position to marry Ryoko and take over the business. The story has it that on the night he graduated, Shin was tricked into signing a contract with the Arslan air force. Some rumors have it, that it was in fact his best friend Satoru Kanzaki, who is now a very influential pilot working in YAL, but this has never been confirmed.

As Shin signed a contract with the Arslan air force, and is now obligated to complete an entire tour of duty. It is said that there are three ways out of Area 88. One is that you complete a two year tour of duty, but few ever make it that far in such a dangerous job. The second way out is to earn 1.5 million dollars. Each pilot earns a certain bounty per kill in the field. Tanks and planes are generally worth the most, although at times ground targets may also be worth money to the mercenary pilots who fly the missions. The third way out is to desert, although this is punishable by death should one be caught.

In the midst of all of this I talked to and watched Shin as he went about his daily routine in the vast hot deserts of Arslan. Shin is generally a very quiet man, who likes to keep to himself. The Japanese pilot seems at odds with the other foreign pilots from all over the world with whom he flies with. Shin hasn't made too many friends here at Area 88, although you tend to see that the comradery between the pilots makes them a family to each other in a way. They share a common bond that many of us civilians will probably never understand. If Shin does have a friend, it is probably American pilot known as Mick. Mick was once a pilot in Vietnam, but found that civilian living wasn't for him after the war. Ever since he's been in and out of the military. You could say the two share a sort of understanding. Talking with Mick I got the impression that he was concerned more about what Shin was becoming then what his situation was here. Mick tends to think that the more combat you see, the more it tends to hold a grip on you until you can no longer escape.

I followed Shin around for quite some time, but he was less than enthusiastic to tell me much. Still it's obvious to see that he truly hates what he does to survive. You can almost always see sadness in the eyes of Shin Kazama... and a depth which seems to long for the quiet life which he thought he would have. Shin also seems to feel betrayed in that the thing he loves most in the world (flying), has been turned into a vehicle for him to become a professional killer; something he dreads more than all else. Indeed Shin is considered the top pilot here at Area 88. Where the rules dictate that it's either kill or be killed, a man really doesn't have much of a choices in what he does. Whether Shin will make it back to Japan remains to be seen, although I will personally attest that I've seen his skill in the air, and it is nothing short of spectacular. As I will be here in Area 88 for a while, I will surely have more follow up stories featuring Shin in the future. Certainly, if anyone can make it out alive, it would be Shin, but will he be the same man who went in is the real question at hand.