- "RUN RUN RUN THREE STRIKES IS HERE"
- —Matthieu escaping the northen platform
Mattheiu "Ibis" Bertin, callsign Ibis. A member of the Erusean Royal Navy, Matthieu began his career as a sailor aboard the frigate Gríðr, where he earned the reputation of being a reliable and disciplined seaman, keeping a cool head under pressure. Despite his relatively young age and lack of experience back then, he was put in charge of the vessel's anti-aircraft batteries, which he commanded very effectively during live-fire combat training exercises. He was also praised for his role in the rescue of 3 sailors that were thrown off the deck of the vessel by a rogue wave on waters near the Comona Islands.
After serving for two years aboard the Gríðr, he was sent to serve aboard the aircraft carrier Njörðr, the flagship of the eponymous Njord fleet stationed in northern Erusea. Impressing his superiors by his skills, discipline and dedication, Matthieu was encouraged by them to try their hand at joining a naval aviation squadron, an unusual move but not unheard of in he Erusean military. By 2015, Matthieu had become a member of the Vǫlsungr Squadron, one of several squadrons stationed in the Njörð, where he became known for his precision flight skills and tactical acumen.
As the Lighthouse War broke out his experience in the navy helped Matthieu distinguish himself in combat when he was deployed against Osean forces. His rise to fame was on July 7, 2019, when his squadron was deployed to Comberth Harbor to conduct a surprise attack on Osean ships docked at the harbor. Bertin and his wingmen managed to neutralize two Osean squadrons and cripple several of their ships, including several cargo ships carrying vital military supplies. He also conducted escort operations for Erusean Royal Navy VIPs, such as escorting the aircraft transporting Rear Admiral Samuel Prin from Farbanti into the city of Anchorhead on late July 2019.
By the beginning of August, the Njord Fleet began preparing for a potential Osean attack on Farbanti, as their forces kept pushing from eastern Usea into Erusean territory. The fleet stopped at the platform facilities in the Snider's Top region to ressuply fuel and ammunition, conduct repair and maintenance at their dry dock facilities and prepare for a vicious battle. A confidential meeting between the Admiral that commanded the Njord Fleet and other high ranking Erusean officers took place on August 9. While there has not been official confirmation from the Erusean military, some trustworthy sources have claimed that during this meeting the captain of the Njörð was handed an encrypted hard drive containing intelligence files. There is much speculation regarding the content of this hard drive, but it is believed that it was related to the investigation on the Submersible Aviation Carrier Alicorn, including data on the cause of the accident that left it on the bottom of the sea, a thorough investigation on its crew and their psychological evaluation, as well as the concerns of the admiralty over the possible reactivation of the Alicorn. This data was to be delivered immediately to the Erusean HQ on Farbanti. Rather than risk interception by Osean SIGINT (signals intelligence) if sent electronically and too urgent to be sent by other means, such as submarine, it was decided to be sent by air, as a lone fighter flying westbound around northern coast of Usea and heading into Farbanti was thought to almost zero chances of being intercepted by Osean forces.
Unfortunately for the Eruseans, the date of this delivery flight coincided with the suprise attack by the OADF's Long Range Strategic Strike Group on the supply facilities and the Njord Fleet, the first of a series of attacks that bypassed Erusea's defense to strike deep in Erusean territory. Matthieu took off from the platform, not to help with the defense of his fleet as he wished, but to obey his orders of leaving the area immediately with his cargo.
Despite the attempts of leaving the area, Matthieu was caught and shot down by Trigger. He was injured in the confrontation but managet to eject, although his plane exploded, destroying any important intelligence he might have been carrying, including his lives.
Because of running away, he is not remembered as a great hero like most other aces, and people often call him as "coward" instead of heroes like most others.