"The Islamic caliphate can't be restored by force. Occupying a country and killing half of its population... this is not an Islamic state, this is terrorism." - Abbas Shuman

The Sriwijaya heads south for some hunting deep inside the African Theater. But a surprise awaits them there. How the pilots will deal with it?

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All notable international news media focused their view on Iran.

The world watches as a Korean-made KMRAP III mine-resistant vehicle from the Imperial Iranian Army pulled in front of the flag pole of the House of the Prime Minister building, used to be House of Leadership, the official residence and office of the Supreme Leader during the Islamic Republic Era, in Tehran.

The Prime Minister of Iran, Aref Ghaffari, once a dissident during Islamic Republic Era and had been imprisoned by the mullahs twice stepped out from the other armored vehicle nearby and went inside the armored vehicle; Iranian Imperial Guard military policemen watched him closely with their ST Daewoo K15 assault rifle and German-made Heckler and Koch MP12 submachine guns stood ready.

On the top of the flag pole in the compound's lawn a small party of 65th NOWHED Brigade paratroopers officially raised the Iranian Imperial Flag; green-white-and red with Golden Lion and Sun in the center on the pole. Meanwhile the Caliphate flags, both the black-white-green-red with black crescent and star in the center used as the national ensign and the Black Standard, also known as Tawhid flag and used as it's War Flag were sprawled on the ground and was then imprinted with the wheel of the MRAP as a symbol of it being disgraced by the Iranian people despite their Muslim majority.

The Prime Minister later climbed upon the vehicle's armored transparent gun shield and accepted a megaphone from his aide.

"My fellow Iranians from all race, gender, creed, and religion, today marks a new day in the history of our country. Today marks the day that we have broken the Caliphate tyranny in Iran! Our capital has finally free!" He began triumphantly.

"We'd just restored democratic governance in this country under His Imperial Majesty the Shah as our uniting figure and was rebuilding in every aspect when the Caliphate rose up and subjugated us. But the world saw that we deserve to be a sovereign and democratic nation, and they had come to aid us, in exile, and our freedom fighters inside the country. Our country has been united with them against a common enemy and today that alliance shows one of its biggest achievements yet!" He said passionately.

"It was not just our own forces who helped us to retake this city but also friendly forces from America, Russia, China, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, France, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and many more Asia-Pacific and European nations gathered under the banner of the grand United Nations Coalition; NATO, PPDU, and the VP as well! In particular the Indians and the Europeans, including the Russians, gave us a place to lick our wounds and now they stand with us, ready to destroy those fascists which called themselves as Muslims! Along with India, Russia, Korea, America, and Israel, there are many nations which were also provided us with the tools to carry on and win!" He added, thumping his chest a few times.

"On the behalf of the country I send my thanks to the every single allied soldier, sailor, airmen, and marine, the finest men and women you all have in your disposal for their role of this victory. Not only those in the front line, but also those who support, maintain, and keep our forces ready in the timely manner and keep the peace in the rear."

"But this is not the end of the conflict. The Caliphate won't stop their reign of terror unless we destroy them up in their source! We will give them the same amount of suffering that we were subjected to when they came upon our land! We will show them that their power-hungry ways will only lead to ruin and destruction!"

His voice had become loud, almost shrill, The man threw up a fist, national pride coming from every inch of his body.

"Now, along with our allies, His Imperial Majesty has given us this order; the Armed Forces of the Imperial State of Iran will march side by side with the United Nations Coalition into the Arabian Peninsula!" He declared to the roar of the citizens and soldiers in the streets, and even more in various refugee camps across Asia Pacific and Europe or in diaspora.

The speech was closed by a flyby of eight Iranian F-35s along with various allied aircraft and drones, my own included, as the 120 was chosen to represent Indonesia along with four IF-33 from the Air Force 55th Squadron, two C-133 Hercules II from the 34th Squadron (Airlift), and four AH-67s of the 38th Assault Helicopter Squadron of the Army Aviation, while the flypast itself was closed by with the formation of six M-346 Masters of the Iranian Air Force Golden Crown display team.

We passed through the city in a four-ship formation commanded by Colonel Alan himself.

To further cement the liberation, the remnants of Caliphate forces were ordered to surrender by both the Governor of the Wilayat of Iran, Aziz Eskandari and the overall commander of UCC Military Forces in Iran General Kamran Moussadegh. The signing ceremony was held in Arg-e Bam fortress in the city of Bam, Kerman Province. Both men, handcuffed in their hands and foot as insurance policy by Iranian provosts, signed the instrument of surrender along with the representatives of other UCC military branches, with exception of the bulk of the Fedayeen militia that publicly refuse to surrender. The representative of Allied powers were led personally by the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Iranian Armed Forces (Artesh) General Bahram Yazdani. Due to the sheer number of countries participated in the United Nations Coalition all parties agreed to have regional-specific representatives instead of all members sending one of their own to the ceremony. Representing NATO were the United States, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, and France, meanwhile PPDU were represented by Indonesia, Australia, India, Japan, and Korea, followed by Russia, Kazakhstan, and China for the Vladivostok Pact.

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Sriwijaya

We are being gathered again back in the carrier.

Our skipper Colonel Fachri stood inside the briefing room alongside the CAG, looking at the assembled pilots from the Carrier Air Wing Five, including me.

"We got a change in our orders, instead of Iraq, we're going to Africa. We're going to sail around Cape of the Good Hope before taking position at the Gulf of Guinea. The front is stabilizing for a moment, as the Israelis are consolidating their position in the West Bank and Sinai in preparation for a planned assault into Jordan and Egypt with the latter case, the operation will be a joint land and amphibious assault with the amphibious component led by NATO, while the latter also are entrenching in Iraq to replenish itself after the bloody battle for the city which was over three days ago. Especially after several local humanitarian ceasefires were enacted in the Levant, Yemen, and Iraq to allow more humanitarian aid to be delivered, despite we know that the Caliphate want it's subjects to resist until the bitter end.

"Furthermore, we also have to redirect some of our deployed forces in Indo-Pakistan area, mostly from the Guard, into relief effort as we all know, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake has hit Kashmir region in India and what used to be Pakistan. Supply lines have been affected and refugees to tend are taxing our resources."

"On the other hand, Africa still have significant fighting, in particular, a joint African Union, NATO, and partner forces such as Brazil and Argentina are going to liberate Mali and Niger by overland journey via Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, the latter had recently been liberated by Allies one month ago, while the African Union forces in Nigeria were also still facing stiff resistance by the resurgent Boko Haram, the main UCC-affiliated forces in the Western Africa in general. We will bolster the existing carrier group in the area, the American Carrier Strike Group Nine with it's flagship the USS Forrestal (CVN-86) along with Okinawa Expeditionary Strike Group with it's flagship USS Okinawa (LHA-14), and the French Tornade (Improved Mistral-class, L9016) task force."

Colonel Suebu then explained to us what we are going to face in African front. He emphasized that this African war is not like the previous ones that mostly fought by the Europeans in the early 21st century, with autonomous combat drones and suicide craft are the primary air threat to both land, air, and naval forces in the region.

He also implied that we are going there in order to "reduce" China's share in this part, thanks to the top brass don't fully trust the Chinese in line with the PPDU's open secret policy. Speaking of China, it's Armed Forces had significant presence in West Africa with almost two divisions and one brigade supported by Type 001A aircraft carrier Jiangsu conducting strikes primarily in Nigeria backing the African Union forces.

We are eager to keep fighting despite two separate exposures of conspiracy to mutiny.

Ten sailors and aviators including one Cakalang ASW drone pilot from the 509 NAS and one 117 NAS pilot has been tossed to the brig and as far as I heard, those guys are to be flown to KRI Multatuli (LCC-565), a derivative of the 10 November 1945 class LHA built specifically as an amphibious command ship this evening in order to face court-martial.

If proven, they will be sent back to the Motherland, in which they will spend up to 15 years in No. 9 Joint Floating Military Penitentiary, a jail barge permanently moored in Semarang. The said prison housed male service members with sentences over ten years, and prisoners convicted of offenses related to national security. To keep morale high as we head southward new movies were shown, while sailors and marines with musical or dance talent show their own in impromptu performances inside the recreation room, both traditional and popular music.

I'm particularly impressed with the show of Balinese dance by a group of seven fellow-sailors.

As we're sailing, CAP are still maintained despite the Eastern African states in general were either neutral or supporting the Allies, along with GQ and other emergency drills for new sailors. The commanders were also doing their work to convince us that our duty won't be boring.

And it's never such thing, as immediately after we reached the Gulf of Guinea two weeks later, 1800 local time we have our first real GQ since the Operation Artaxerxes.

"General quarters! general quarters! All hands man battlestations! Set material condition "Zebra" through the ship. We have enemy Inghimasi (martyrdom/suicide) aircrafts inbound, Pilots get ready for launch, all damage control and firefighting crews to your station!"

"Who's the CAP today?" I asked Major Stella nearby which also rushed along with other pilots to the ready room.

"The 104, but they are returning to base and we are going to relieve them, I think." she answered. Soon a "Pilots, man your planes" announcements went on, and we went up to the deck and as fast as we can, into our fighters, as reports indicated a massed wave of suicide attack planes were inbound towards the fleet.

"Incoming!!" Just as the catapult had shot my plane off into the sky I can see on my radar up to twelve obsolete MiG-21s attempted to dive into various ships including the Sriwijaya. SAMs and gun CIWS along with occasional laser beams; went skywards onto the incoming suicide planes. In the textbook-outcome of the scenario, the missiles, shells, and laser beams mowed down the MiGs, despite their best effort to scatter from the defensive curtain.

Meanwhile, AEWs from various carriers nearby along with drones are keeping each other updated, both from the PPDU, NATO, and the Chinese.

"Cartenz, what's the status of the fleet?" asked Major Stella. Soon the extent of the attack, and the damage inflicted to the combined fleet becomes clear.

"Most of the suicide planes have been shot down so far, along with some drone F-16s operated by the UCC used as missile platform which was intended to augment the Inghimasi fighters; but we have casualties; Chinese CNS Shenzhen and two from the Americans; USS Indianapolis and USS Milwaukee .... wait a minute.. Second wave of Inghimasi planes incoming, bearing 090, angels 9!" replied the E-23.

Soon we punch throttle and head towards the suicide MiG-21s; many of them were purpose-built in clandestine factories for such purpose.

"On my mark fire, Fox 2!" ordered Stella. Seconds later we turn around and dived towards the formation of the MiGs; the high speed dive increased the velocity of the Diamondbacks exponentially and ripped our intended targets apart on launch. No chute, for obvious reasons.

Another, much larger wave of sixteen Fishbeds went from the same bearing as the previous wave. Juan ordered us to activate our PLS to greet the MiGs. I fired four pulses at one of the MiGs in the middle of the group, blowing it to pieces almost instantly. However, this time the Inghimasi pilots had decided to duke it out in a dogfight, completely altering their intended mission despite their planes being hopelessly outclassed against older 4th generation jets, let alone the 5th and 5.5th generation fighters we flew and the increasing number of 6th generations entering service.

"These guys are crazy!" shouted 1st Lt. Arif.

"Well, what else labels that fit for them?" replied Stella before she climbed in pursuit of a MiG-21 in front of her. On the other hand. I'm increasingly pitied those flying Inghimasis, especially as I realized that the pilots could also be POWs pressed for the duty that basically another form of their execution.

"No way back for them." I decided to repress the growing train of feelings inside to focus on the engagement.

"Shit!" Without second thought I executed evasive maneuver as one of the MiGs at my four fired one R-73 towards my plane. Yes, this current encounter also revealed that those suicide planes also carried AAM and drop tanks, both to extend range and enhance the explosion in case of a hit on Allied ships. I rolled as one Fishbed shot past me into the clouds before returning to his intended course, the fleet, abandoning the dogfight. Perfect timing for the Diamondback shot. One -10 went off, and the said MiG went down into the Gulf of Guinea below.

Things went further interesting as six F-16s joined the furball. The maneuvers its exhibited helped us recognize the F-16s as autonomous drones.

Sea Eagle 2 flight led by Major Kurniawan split up to focus on the remaining MiGs while my own flight turned right to greet the drone F-16s. My first salvo of Buzzards against the drones only yielded a single kill. Soon I went back to cannon and laser pod then went close, evading 20mm cannon fire from some other F-16s on the way. The fighting went closer, circling and diving and rolling.

"Sea Eagle 103 Fox two!" A 80 degree good lock tune was what I needed. One F-16 exploded immediately with one stray MiG-21 Inghimasi got hit with the resulting debris and went out of control, while another missile damaged another drone Falcon, which retreated from the battlefield.

As the drones were pulling back two surviving MiGs somehow managed to escape the dogfight but maintain their intended course. True believers in martyrdom, fighting to a suicidal end. In the end I let my wingman, the newly-assigned 1st Lt. Gunawan "Mask" Mustafa to earn his ace status by shooting down both MiGs; his previous kills were one Sofreh Mahi drone and two J-31s during operation Artaxerxes.

"This is Cartenz, all Inghimasi craft has been shot down, the drones are retreating. Congratulations for your excellent performance. Thanks to you we have only two MiGs went in the range of our ship defenses. All aircraft, return to the carrier! Out!"

"You hear Cartenz, line up on me, we're heading back." she commanded.

"Hooyah"

Even better, we have no losses in aircraft or pilots so far. But I believe that they will try again next day, as the liberation of Western Africa are making progress..

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I hope you enjoy this chapter!