Fight on and fly on to the last drop of blood and the last drop of fuel, to the last beat of the heart - Baron Manfred von Richthofen a.k.a Red Baron, highest scoring World War I ace.

...

,

As the canopy opened and I scrambled out from my jet, I breathed a sigh of relief as all pilots under my command patrolling the Red Sea went back safely. Eight Saegheh drones with bombs which were heading towards Bushehr, aiming towards its nuclear power plant, have been shot down along with two of it's escorting Typhoons.

"Just another good day, right, Major?" asked my wingman, 1st Lt. Rustam "Duke" Handoyo, before he lit his Djarum cigarette, and knowing that I am not a smoker, he distanced himself from me a little bit.

"That's what I and this squadron want every day to be, Lieutenant."

I remember that he was the one that boldly declared his intention to "Smack an Arab".

But today I can see that he is moderated a little with the harsh reality of Middle East air. He's right to be a little away, as I am in a need for some fresh air. Today it's cloudy, but wasn't raining. During our stay here, while I missed the generally greener view of my homeland, I saw people tried to restore or live their normal life as best as they can, especially with their lawfully instituted government has been restored and the UN assistance in the rebuilding of its infrastructure and industrial base with some of our troop deployment are geared towards reconstruction works; mosques are still blaring their call to prayer, school students are going to their place of study, with occasional Allied military escort and civil-military operations such as distributing school supplies and even play with them, while some members of the Imperial Iranian military also act as substitute teachers in some instances; farmers were tending their crops, and shepherds were looking after their flocks, some were close to our compound with the always alert soldiers and drones, both ground and air, ready to engage anything that's hostile.

The reconstruction was also helped by the fact that up to 350.000 captured or surrendered UCC soldiers, sailors, airmen along with Fedayeen fighters and civilian collaborators were mobilized primarily in agriculture, mine clearing, and construction, often under threat of Fedayeen or RAI attacks in the process.

The same practice were also used in occupied Pakistan and Afghanistan. Others who are deemed reformed enough or cooperative but in the particular case of Iranian members of UCC security forces ineligible to join Imperial Iranian forces were used as auxiliary police in support of United Nations Coalition MPs and formed police units (FPU) from its constituent nations. We also know that a good number of POWs were also quartered in Allied soil including Indonesia.

"What are you doing, Major?" asked Rustam as I am looking with my binocular beyond the Hesco barrier, while standing in a chair in order for my head could see through the high sand wall. He took another chair and stood besides me.

"I wonder what they are doing, Lieutenant". Half a kilometer away I see three kids, probably not older than ten, playing with each other.

"Oh, come on, they are just playing, still, you have the point, Major, Who knows they are keeping an eye for us," said Rustam.

"Well, Lieutenant, in Pakistan or Afghanistan they are more likely to be the latter. Remember what I told you people about Quetta? Or our friends in Afghanistan? Rather safe than sorry." Rustam nodded as he remembered what he'd been told about the attack on the squadron in their previous assignment in Allied-occupied Pakistan.

"On the other hand the Iranians like us, well, their other choice is the UCC or the so-called Revolutionists, which we're all know were as bad as the former. They are no fool to let themselves be ruled by those mullahs once more. This war had strengthened their pre-Revolution identity, Major." said Rustam.

"Indeed Lieutenant. Old and proud, that's Persian civilization to you."

Suddenly a telltale sound of an explosion and gunfire startled us, and I and Rustam ran into the nearby gathering of personnel, gazed towards a distant hill north of us with smoke bellowing on it with their guns ready and unlocked. I followed their example by releasing the safety from my gun before I hear a voice behind me and Rustam.

"I just got information that Army patrol caught a couple of Fedayeens or Revolutionists hiding there probably with mortars or rocket launchers already zeroed on us, and are dealing with those insurgents with the help of our own drones," said Andrea.

"Otherwise it might be something to distract us before attacking." In fact, I can see guards began to assume combat posturing at their posts.

No attack so far, and the Colonel soon called us to head to the briefing room as fast as we can.

---

"We received information of an imminent transport of mass-destructive warheads, possibly air-burst like that we encountered a month ago, or microwave warheads, most likely to be mounted on cruise and ballistic missiles from Saudi Arabia into Iraq. The objective for you is to cover strike assets that will take out the convoy. Drones are in position to support our search effort. Expect heavy fighter presence in the area, especially as up to four new squadrons of UCC fighters and drones have been transferred to Saudi Arabia in anticipation of an invasion and against all odds, many damaged air bases in the remaining UCC territories, like King Khalid, Ali al-Salem, and Prince Sultan have been repaired and are currently operational.." I explained to the seated pilots.

I can see some of the pilots had concern on their face, along with always-possible drone swarm attacks in the process. Most of them are loyal to the Motherland and more than willing to crack some Jihadi skulls, much more than when we begin fighting them in India. We have a strict policy of no peace treaty or any deal with those terrorists; however, there are times that we are willing to have a parley with them, such as in the weeks leading to Eid, in which there will be a large scale prisoner exchanges conducted under the purview of the ICRC along with unilateral humanitarian ceasefire often initiated by headquarters of Armies.

Furthermore, we are high on revenge, too, with one of our own that was shot down and ejected during that mission with the Navy, Captain Refri Julianto, flew as Thunder 1-4 has been confirmed KIA, shot point-blank by those bastards. His body, riddled with twelve bullets, has been repatriated yesterday while Thunder 2-3, Major Suwondo Eka Perkasa, was confirmed as captured and is currently languishing in a camp somewhere near Basra, Southern Iraq.

"How about our allies in the area? Manned assets I mean, Major." Pandu asked.

"We got this flight of Korean KF-25s based in Isfahan, We can also count naval forces with the USS Lexington backing a flight of Raiders are going to distract those sand monkeys by raiding some targets in Southern Yemen, Oman, and the UAE, meanwhile our AWACS will be from the Singaporeans with callsign, Carver."

"However, HQ had given the main part of destroying the convoy to the prisoner squadron. We're going to hang back a little while as they are wrecking it before we can enter the immediate AO on the highway." They also know the implication of we being in the rear of the 13th Squadron.

"We had come too far to retreat now, ladies and gentlemen... Now we are going to show them the meaning of misery to them. Any more questions?"

"No sir!"

Clocks have been synchronized; plans have been made, And at 1700 hours the 11th have already lined up on the runway.

I led the mission personally with the second flight was commanded by Major Todo Pakpahan, callsign "Ridge", plus two as spares if any planes have mechanical problems. This time I listened to such a scenario unfurled in one of my flight members, 1st Lt. Nurul Hidayah, callsign "Warhawk", as her element went on a take-off roll the warning lights went on, warning about a flameout on her left engine. As a result she immediately rejected the takeoff.

Replacing her was 1st Lt. Umar "Baron" Syarief. This is his fourth sortie.

To make things more interesting, no laser pods available, the only strong anti-drone weapon we got are a pair of R-75S anti-air burst missiles each plane.

We head east to meet with the Singaporean AWACS before head south and lower altitude to reduce detection. The Gulfstream had reports from AWACS Sipir, who permanently handled the 13th Squadron, that the said squadron will soon pass through the Red Sea and rendezvous with us along with a Korean KF-25 squadron following behind.

"Sir, I got two slow-moving contacts..." said my wingman for today, Capt. Geoffrey Gunarto, call sign "Osprey" He mentioned the bearing and the altitude and then identified the bogey.

"An-188s, be aware, they also served as drone carriers," I warned. "But they might also want to lead you into an ambush" I added upon I looked at the pattern of the Antonov's flying. Then I saw two missiles heading on it and it discharging chaffs along with deploying some of its drones, to no avail, as one missile directly slammed into its tailplane, disintegrating it and sent the Antonov into the Persian Gulf. The second Antonov also met the same fate.

"Padlock 1-3, splash one"

"Padlock 2-1, enemy down!"

Here comes the prisoners. "Osprey" muttered.

"Carver to Thunder and Hornet. Sipir had authorized us to engage the surviving drones as the 13th are to continue straight ahead."

"Understood, we see them now. We're going to keep those things off their back." I replied.

I ordered my flight to use guns to start taking out the cruise-missile shaped, and small-sized, Ababil-7 drones. They are mostly used as recon but also, like larger Saeghehs, can be filled with explosives. However, this time, those drones are for some other things...

"Warning, Thunder and Hornet, the enemy had launched four air-burst ballistic missiles, it's heading towards you. Get lower than 6500 feet.."

We saw our laser satellites are doing their job in intercepting the missile with their lasers.

"Two missiles intercepted, but two are still flying.." Another shot of laser up above destroyed the third missile. The final, however...

"Burst warhead approaching.. 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. impact!"

The missile defense satellites had bought us time to went down into a safe altitude, still, it's jarring to see the large burst of metal from the Burkan missile raining down on us.

"Sitrep!" I roared as the explosion dissipated.

"1-2, reporting"

"1-3 reporting, I can't believe it... This thing reminds me of Japanese sanshiki (2)."

"1-4 here, thank God for the satellites"

Major Pakpahan also reported that his flight is all accounted for, to the joy of me.

"Carver, what's the status of the penal squadron?"

"Sipir reported that they had entered Saudi airspace and destroyed some of the electro-optical sensors on their path. Thunder flight and Hornet flight proceed into the ingress route opened by the prisoners, vectors is being uploaded as I speak."

"Roger that" I called back, as my HMD had shown that the data has been uploaded securely.

"Hornet 1, affirmative," said the leader of the Korean flight.

...

We went deep into Saudi territory, full ECM despite using the flightpath opened up by those unfits, and soon we are 900 miles south of a town called Shoba Nisab, while the 13th Squadron, all flying IF-33s were both engaging the convoy and also any fighters coming at them.

Two blue-ish lights from exploding vehicles indicated that those convoys indeed carrying a mass destructive microwave warhead, the same thing as what I encountered in Afghanistan.

"Be advised.. the 13th is engaging the convoy, provide overwatch, and engage any threat aimed at you, do you copy?"

"Copy that, Carver."

"Affirmative, Carver, we're orbiting the area"

"Hornet 1, copy that."

"How about the drones?" I asked.

"Our scope confirmed that all drones are engaging enemy ones.. wait.. heads up, we got Qahers heading south southeast, bearing 160, angels 17, 200 miles and closing.."

"This is Sipir to Thunder and Hornet, I'm taking over from Carver for this instant, you're to cover Padlock Squadron! Padlock 4, get your bastards to engage the oncoming fighters! Do it now before I throw you lazy fucks to solitary!"

"Affirmative, Padlock 4 breaking"

"Roger Sipir, we're going to hang back," I replied.

"You hear that warden say, we're going to watch their back!" called my wingman.

"But not engage. It's their job unless they are going visual on us. That's our order."

"Major.. do you think that they are all.. as expendable as you think??"

"What are you talking about Captain? Your question might be regarded by some of our commanders as insubordination." I asked him.

"Well, just my feeling that some of them might not deserve being there or... Never mind, we better talk about this on the ground, got a missile heading my way, breaking!" Geoffrey replied as he broke right to evade one PL-21 launched by a Qaher, which he managed to pull it off.

"Padlock 4-3, I'm hit and going down, mayday.. mayday.."

Another one got his redemption with his life as a price. I muttered to myself as I obtained a good lock with a stray Qaher that decided retreat is no option for him and opted to fight me in visual range and the plane took the missile after three separate maneuvering attempts. I can't see any chute as the missile impact was near the cockpit area.

Then we sighted a flight of TF-25s, flew straight towards our relative position. Just in time as my radar detected another flight of the prisoner squadron, callsign Padlock 3 went from four o'clock of my plane and fired missiles into the horizon. One explosion.

Carver updated us with the info that the 13th fighters are retreating with the convoy was wiped out.

"Alright Thunders, let's get out of here!" I said before we are going all way back again to Larestan, while the Koreans went back to Shiraz.

While flying over the enemy territory I am reminded again and again that you won't know when your time will come. Some will never see the end of it, but some will live to a ripe old age with their family. To me, those men in the prisoner squadron had paid the ultimate price our commanders taught us as part of the cost of rolling back those desert-dwellers and prevent them to threaten our country anymore.

I am ready for it, but longer I'm here, I'm thinking how Evy will live with it, or if it's her?

Whatever happens next, I can take comfort that no Jihadi planes or drones decided to appear behind us!

---

1. Explanation of air-burst munitions technology, and it's logical to imagine such a system being used in larger platforms like non-nuclear ballistic missiles. https://www.aselsan.com.tr/en-us/capabilities/air-and-missile-defense-systems/self-propelled-and-air-burst-munition/atom

2. An Imperial Japanese Navy World War II-era combined shrapnel and incendiary anti-aircraft round used mostly in naval guns, also called as Beehive round. Such shell works by forming a barrage of flames and shrapnel as it detonated in the proximity of aircraft in its attack formations.