Karl Geronimo

Karl Geronimo is a US Navy fighter pilot and the husband of JGSDF helicopter pilot Ayako Fujimoto. Despite his job in the USN, he has served with the Swiss Air Force, Belgian Air Component and the German Luftwaffe as an exchange pilot for all three. He appears first in Eagle Legion: A Valiant Beginning, then in the main EL series, The Rise, The Road Ahead, Redemption and Revolution.



Early Life
Karl was born to Anelito Geronimo, a pilot for Swiss Air, and Desiree Pena, a flight stewardess on February 1, 1984. Karl grew up in a strict household where formalities and politeness were evident in traditions. Because of this, Karl never committed a single sanction or violation later on as a teenager, growing up to be a young man who centered himself on God and serving others and having an upright sense of justice. Because of the family’s wealth, Karl was a true-blue Atenean from Grade School to High School until he decided to move to the University of the Philippines for college studies.

Romance
Having had a crush on several girls during soirees, Karl was somewhat sad as they later on had boyfriends. Eventually he met Ayako during the year the Order(though still unknown at that time) attacked Manila, when the latter with her parents Hiro and Naoko where visiting the Philippines. At first, Karl wanted to talk to Ayako; he adored her cute and elegant face and her slender and slim body. But his formality made Ayako think that he was too rigid; as a result she left him flustered and sad.

They would meet again later on, this time with better results. They became friends, but she revealed that she had a relationship with Karl’s bully, Shinzo Ogawa. Eventually, he discovered Shinzo used her for illegal pornographic activity. Being the justice-loving person he was, he reported it to the police with the help of Weene Rickenbacker, who also had a road rage case against Shinzo and showed Ayako the incriminating evidence. Thus, Karl and Ayako were no longer just friends, they already had a relationship. Eventually in the year 2010, they married.

Military Career
Karl first served in the IJSF as part of the US Navy’s commitment to the international war against the Imperial Order. He fought with bravery and commitment, but he was looked down upon sometimes by some of his fellow USN personnel for his Asian ethnicity. Despite this, he earned the admiration of the majority. He eventually attained the rank of Squadron Leader of VFA-103 at the remarkable young age of 26.

Because of his skilled wit and remarkably excellent flight skills, the USN decided to offer him the chance to serve as an exchange pilot. One year after he and Ayako married, he chose to serve the Belgian Air Component as such a pilot. His proficiency with German allowed him to communicate more with his Belgian peers more often in the language than in English. It took him only a while to get used to the F-16AM as a pilot and eventually admire way the Belgians treated him. This would reverberate in 2012 when he served with the Swiss Air Force as a Hornet pilot, in this case flying the Hornet. His skill with both speaking German and flying the Hornet impressed the Swiss pilots practically to the core. Finally, he trained to fly in the Luftwaffe’s Jagdgeschwader 74 as a Typhoon pilot. Overall, his trips to Europe made him like the place more than the US. In all three, he helped defend the respective countries against Order attacks.

Personal Life and Traits
Karl is a very polite, formal and respectful young man. He might say jokes from time to time but he remains careful in his words and attitude not to offend anyone. He is also proficient in wielding both hand-to-hand implements, such as with the bolo and arnis sticks, and guns, with his specialty lying in handguns.

As a husband, Karl is devoted and loving to Ayako. He has cared for her more than anyone of her boyfriends ever had, even though Ayako takes this sometimes to the point of thinking of Karl being overprotective. He is also wily and resourceful in housekeeping and managing time between work and play with his family.

As a pilot, he is proficient in German, Japanese, English and French. He also loves taking trips to Europe not just for seeing the natural beauty of France, Switzerland and other countries, but to take photos of the air forces of Europe and collect models for his young son Robin.

Quotations
'“Why, oh why!? Ayako!?”'- Karl, speaking to himself and to an invisible Ayako when he is all alone and after his second meet with her.

“I do find serving the USN fun as a pilot, but not without people jeering at me and taunting me.”- Karl, expressing his sentiments to his best friend Mark about racist expressions made at him.

'“(in German) Let the skies of Switzerland sing to the smell of jets and freedom! URA!”' – Karl after the successful defense of Switzerland.

“Target down!” – Shooting down a fighter.

“Bandit on my twelve!” – Engaging a fighter.