- "The Black Wolf, Fenrir, hunted in the skies of war. In its wake it brought death, destruction, and calamity. It inspired both fear and awe in equal measure to those who witnessed its magnificent hunt. By the war's end, it returned to the shadows, disappearing just as quickly as it had appeared... I've heard this story many times now, repeated almost verbatim by many veterans of the Anean Uprising. But despite telling the tale of a terrifying creature of death, they always seemed to be in high spirits when talking about it. For all their talk, they know as well as I do that there was a man behind the beast the entire time. A man with a heart. A man with a soul. A man who fought for what he believed in to the very end."
- —Unknown reporter - c. 2028
Shane Hale is a mercenary ace who turned the tide of the Anean Uprising, flying for the Osean Federation under the mercenary group Calamity Haven. He is the main protagonist of Ace Combat: Blue Skies.
History
Not much is known about Shane's history. However, he is apparently one of the best pilots on record to come out of the Osean Air Force Academy. Some time after graduating and becoming a pilot for the Osean Air Defense Force, he left to become a mercenary pilot for Calamity Haven.
Personality
Inside the cockpit of a fighter, Shane is a determined, focused and relentless pilot, however he is not above disengaging an enemy to assist an ally in need. He is extremely determined to keep his wingmen and allies safe at all costs, and is an unintentionally stoic and inspiring leader in times of fierce battle, with his amazing flying skills rallying others to fight on. While not in the air, Shane is mostly carefree and casual about even serious situations, always liking to hang out with his wingmen and always willing to help out with any problems his friends may have. He is naturally quiet, tending only to speak only when spoken to, or when something need be said, and he doesn't like bothering others with his own problems, sometimes resulting in his friends having to force his troubles out of him.
He has a natural tendency to feel more at peace when in the sky, stemming from his love of flying since an early age. He feels that the sky is here "[he] really belongs", and he hates being kept on the ground for too long. When unable to fly, he can get restless, and is always eager to get back in the cockpit for anything ranging from dangerous missions to training flights.
Abilities
Shane's abilities in the air are unmatched by almost all other pilots on record. He has been compared to the mercenary ace pilot Cipher of The Belkan War, due to them both possessing unmatched combat ability and being mercenary pilots. Shane possesses almost inhuman perception and coordination, able to multitask to an abnormal degree while still keeping a high situational awareness level, allowing him to operate the Flight Integrated Support System on the ASX-123 Arondight. Shane's reflexes are also abnormally high, allowing him to quickly assess a situation and react in the correct way instinctively. His combat style in the air is said to be akin to an focused and agile hunter, earning him the nickname, Black Wolf.