"Pancasila, bukan Palestina!" (Pancasila, not Palestine)- An Indonesian post-Civil War propaganda slogan.

"What a number" a pilot wearing civilian t-shirt with body armor underneath said to himself as he entered a seemingly abandoned classroom inside a school at the city's eastern outskirts. It's another meeting for Maulana with his 'new friends'. Unlike his first meeting in Qom, he saw almost double of number of soldiers and officers, before he looked at a banner with a green star and a following slogan below it.

Dissatisfied of the world, Unite!

"Pustaka. Sit down, will you?" asked Bima, which had arrived before him.

"Let's know each other, should we?" A female officer went to where Bima and Maulana were sitting. "Nice to meet you. The name is Lyudmila Pavlova. You can call me Lyudmila, by the way.

"Nice to meet you Lyudmila. I'm glad to see a Russian in our side." Maulana replied.

"Actually there are lot of our own people, as well as the Chinese, with a good connection which actually know this movement and looking to contribute with it. Our government and the entire Pact are too hesitant despite their professing commitment to the new, multipolar, Eurasian world." the red-haired pilot told him.

"My God." Maulana went wide-mouthed. "Can you explain such 'stuff'?"

Lyudmila, a daughter of an Orthodox priest, then explained to him the condensed Russian national identity of 'Third Rome' with it's main tenets are the rejection of 'western style liberal civilization', with it's most visible sign is the strategic Russo-Chinese partnership as core of the Vladivostok Pact, the Eurasian economic and security alliance.

"Believers will inherit the earth, not unlike most of your Christian and Muslim friends in Indonesia believe, but we Orthodox believe that the East, in particular Russia, is the last bastion, the remnant of believers, the one who hold off the Antichrist, or Dajjal in your book. I must admit that the Western Christians has shown a revival thanks to the Civil War. However.. I believe it's only delaying the inevitable fact that the immoral liberal ideas will swallow it once more. Russians, and other Eastern Christians, in contrast to the Western, believe that ideals are unchanged, and tradition from ancient times must be upheld."

He listened carefully as she reiterated the Eastern Christianity's commonality to Islam, especially the model in which the former Iranian Islamic government was based of and the ancient Caliphate, then finally another open-secret goal of the Eurasian alliance, countering the Western hegemony in which what they called as 'Pax Judaica', when the Jews completely control the global economy and all aspect of live, and in doing so, further delaying or even preventing the rise of the Antichrist/Dajjal.

"While I agree that my country should not work together with Israel and the only way forward, is a one democratic secular Palestinian state with equal rights for all.. do you think that it's too far?"

She went silent a little.

"By the way, what's your unit, Miss?"

"Call me Lyudmila please, by the way, this is some of my friends; Nikolai, Boris, Pavel, Anna, and Makhomed. We are from the 302nd Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment, 11th Air Army, part of Eastern Military District. We've been deployed to Urumqi and later Dushanbe as part of our Pact commitments."

"Is that a Fullback unit?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Pustaka, Candle called you" He turned to saw a soldier called his name behind him. He went into other room while Bima, Aschberg, Alain, and Costner waiting for him for some talk.

To be exact, an interrogation.

"I'd like to ask you once again.. are you ready, and willing, to one day turn against your commanders for this? As we don't want snitches here and we prefer facing those who openly opposed us."

"Yes. I will ensure nothing's going to stand in my way. if necessary." said Maulana sourly, Alain raised his eyebrow.

"Not even your squadron leader 'Wellspring' and his deputy, the Angel of Azrael?" he asked while he saved that name in the recesses of his mind, making sure to look further into it later.

Maulana sighed deeply, his hands rubbing together, his heart went like a soaked sandbag as he had decided of such. In the end, he disregarded any thoughts of doubt and nodded.

"Yes. One day, in the name of the popular resistance...I will kill them."

Aschberg, an F-35B pilot and colonel of the US Marine Corps, smiled and nodded in satisfaction while he leaned back in his chair before he spoke.

"We will finish this Albert Pike's war. Then, we strike back! We fight for peace in our respective countries and regions, no matter the cost. A world without liberalism will become a reality. I hate to turn against my country with it's historical part in putting the end to the Holocaust, but for sake of the human race, I will walk my talk."

"For the people, not the Washington oligarchy!"

"It's time to put an end to the modern Babylon"

"Carthago delenda est!" (Carthage must be destroyed)

"Left and right, secular and religious, nationalist and cosmopolitan, parliamentary and radical opposition, all will join us."

"We are the Counter Hegemony, a true force for good."

"The world order is changing, we have to be in the right side of history." said the determined Maulana.

They head back to the first room.

"Alright, people" Aschberg banged his gavel into a table nearby him to start the meeting.

"Let's share to each other what we know about the status of Allied and UCC forces."

Upon the mostly intelligence presentation, Maulana raised his hand.

"What's our plan of action?"

"We will remain hidden, for now, and finish this war. UCC have to be get rid of before we can go further to deal with those politicians. I know of a few things that will help out our cause. Meanwhile I hope everyone will do your part, quietly of course, to get more people that might sympathize with us. And not everything needs violence, but always ready for such." said Aschberg.

...

September passed, and November took it's place.

We're back in reserve again to make way for more sixth gen-equipped squadrons to play their role above Iraqi skies in dealing with more and more agile enemy drones thrown at them in conjunction with manned assets. The battle for Baghdad and Basra are still raging with almost inhuman-like resistance of UCC including their vaunted Quds Legion and local militias who support their cause, both Sunni and Shia groups.

"We will extinguish every form of resistance. Only a few will be spared!" I remembered the vow of the American president we listened to prior to the invasion.

Involvement of Israeli F-35s and drones in the process only serve to enrage them even further. Just as we're expected.

Unknown to the Allies, the Iraqi and Egyptian campaign will be one of the bloodiest in the war, on par with the Indo-Pakistan campaign and the Vladivostok Pact's liberation of the UCC-occupied Central Asian region. Also an ongoing campaign against pro-UCC and other insurgencies in occupied or liberated territories with extensive use of suicide attacks also taxed our manpower, equipment, and supplies considerably.

"Today we're honoring the life and memory of our fallen comrades of the 112th Expeditionary Air Wing who had made the ultimate sacrifice for the unity of our country. Assigned to the 11th Squadron.. Captain Merry Alvionita, Captain Danus Pratama, and First Lieutenant Herdiansyah... "

I don't know them well as much, but I can feel it. The sense of emptiness, questioning, all of it. But I might had too much use with loss now as part and parcel of being a soldier.

"Present.. arms!"

Upon the command from the base commander pilots and ground crew hand saluted while Paskhas and MP pointed their underside of their rifles towards the coffins, draped with the Red and White. In a slow beat of the drum, the coffins, five in total were loaded ceremoniously into an awaiting Hercules II.

I feel sorry to burst Maulana's hope for a quick end of the war. Hope he realize the truth.

Inside the Colonel's office after the ceremony, "What we're going to do now, Colonel?"

"Of course, keeping with all of your schedules. Training, CAP, keeping yourself fit, and I suppose that this is also a good time for calling your families."

"Understood, sir."

"Anymore questions?"

"Does intel have new updates about the GRM, Colonel?"

"They will tell us when they have it. For now, keep your eyes peeled. There must be their man inside us so we need to be careful. But please don't worry too much. One day everything will pass. Mark my word, Major Paulus."

"Sir" I stood up and saluted him.

"Dismissed"

The next day I decided to go to the recreation room in what used to be a VIP lounge for the airport and connect my secured laptop into the cloud.

"Calling your parents, Wise?" My face broke to a smile when I heard that voice and smell a familiar flowery sensation behind me.

"Raden.. yeah. You too?"

"Of course. Well, gotta go. And tell them my regards, okay? Love you."

"Tell them my own regards as well. Raden. I gonna need some private time now." I smiled.

"So am I... Wise, duck!!"

All hell breaks loose as bullets flew through the glass and into the room, followed by the alarm.

"Son of a bitch!"

I quickly put away my laptop and pulled out my sidearms and Evy did the same, only to saw four MP with assault rifles arrived and assumed combat stance.

"Majors, stay there. We are looking for an officer that seems to have lost his mind and start shooting randomly with an automatic weapon. This base is in lockdown!"

"Damn.." I can hear she swears. "Just like Nidal Hasan, then."

However no more signs of any impending shot, such as reflecting sun from optical sight, for example.

The shooter seems to be escaping.

Still, It might be not like it seems.

"The shooter failed to cause any damage nor casualties but managed to escape. In the process, he left these following messages." said the wing's S-2, intelligence officer, that night in an extraordinary briefing specifically dealing with the attack.

""

"" (Democracy and human rights are not an idea or practice that was born from an ivory tower or given by the state. It's born from resistance against all forms of oppression and colonialism, a sacred practice of people's resistance)

"Fucking communists with their rhetorics on human rights. Just as I expected those GRM SOB definitely contain such scum in their ranks." As the S-2 continued his explanation my right fist pumped up, my blood is boiling, and I can feel everyone's outrage as well.

To boost morale, we decided to have our collective monthly birthday celebration a day later.

"Happy birthday to you!"

From the Squadron CO to the most junior lieutenant, all in flight suit, sang together as we stand near a table in the ready room as six of us having their happy time in November; Major Alexia, Captains Tandiari and Sanusi, and Lieutenants Syarif, Perkasa, and Lestari.

Gifts are few, but as people took photos and videos and life broadcasts I can see from their faces that the recognition of their special day is more than enough in face of hardship we face everyday.

"What's the fun, Bachtiar?" I asked the smiling Acehnese as we enjoy some cookies and carbonated stuffs after the candle party concluded.

"Oh yeah, Major. Just got myself reminded with a couple of jokes.. Wanna hear?"

Andik, sat next to him gave him a nudge and said, "Well, tell it then. Let's forget yesterday's event for a little while, shall we?" He looked at other pilots nearby including Evy.

Without much delay he proceeded to tell us one joke question about something 'small'

"What's small, white, and tall?"

"Rice stuck on an airplane, Haji" Maulana answered. Some who listened to Bachtiar bellowed in laughter, others reacted in a more subdued manner. "Again, Haji! Again!" Timo, sat near Evy, spluttered before laughed some more.

We live with swords, but laugh is a best medicine.

...

A short explanation of 'Third Rome' national identity of Russia. https://nationalinterest.org/feature/third-rome-rising-the-ideologues-calling-new-russian-empire-16748