If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking. - George S. Patton Jr., a US Army General in World War II

BGM title: Last Hope (Ace Combat 7)

"Good morning everyone" the commanding officer of my new squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Edo Rahmadi, callsign Legolas, began the briefing. "Today we've been handed a mission of great importance and one that higher-ups believe will expedite the end of this war. We've been tasked to provide air component to the extraction of Ali Mukhtar Al-Yemeni, codenamed Wormtail, once governor of the Yemen Wilayat. Since two weeks ago we have been receiving communications in secret from him. He had pleaded for a meeting with us, saying that he could offer useful information in exchange for immunity from prosecution and political asylum. The intelligence community had known what he intends to do."

He swept his hand and the map changed into the map of Hadhramaut Mountains in Yemen.

"His plan is he and what was left from his supporters, hiding on the mountains with support dispatched from our Special Forces while fighting both Houthis and the UCC, will go overland in a standard vehicle into a Yemen Democratic Alliance (YDA) controlled town of Ash-Shir, from there ISOC (1) will sent air asset to pick him up. However, air superiority often changed in a matter of days there, so we could expect drone attacks from every direction.. "

"...Furthermore, there are still towns with Chukar and Thunder fighters stationed for the ongoing COIN ops against all opposition forces as well as batteries of artillery, MRL (multiple rocket launcher), TBM (tactical ballistic missile), as well as AA and SAMs such as Bavar-313s and PGZ-95s. Troop disposition along the route include a quick reaction brigade of Quds Legion mountain infantry with BvS 10 All-terrain tracked vehicles, and Enigma wheeled AFVs as well as various pro-UCC local militia and Fedayeens in M113s, Pattons, and Abrams. So, to make space for the ISOC we're going to take them out from the air. Furthermore, expect the experimental squadron Waleed at all times!"

The YDA is a united Yemeni liberation front, in which thanks to the Southern separatists realization that an upright restoration of PDRY was unfeasible it decided to ally itself with other scattered anti-UCC and anti-Houthi groups which not necessarily required to support the Southern Movement.

"Our mission is to provide top cover for the pick-up VTOL and it's PASKA (2) and American SEALs covering force and airstrikes against any enemy vehicle and AAs from 118 NAS with support of 208 NAS, while we defeat the drones and any aircraft threatening the VTOLs. The covering force's VTOL and 111 NAS -34s will provide further support and escort to the VIP as he makes his way into the city. Other support includes American F-35Bs from VMFA-533 and VMFA-214 in return that we gave him to them." Legolas went on. He paused to go back to the map of the area.

"Initially, we'll play the part of aircraft on CAP. Just some Indonesian pilots looking for trouble...once the joint assault force's VTOL, callsign Black Star, is in position, we'll push straight into the city. The IF-34s, eight in the first wave, will come in after that and knock out their targets followed by the American JSFs. After that, Black Star will land on town and cover them while they picking the VIP until they leave the city safely." Edo outlined.

"Furthermore, this is also a cover for supplying the YDA, and so there will be more transports in the process. Protect them as well!"

For the mission, the 112 NAS provided six IF-37s while Alert Five will be four more IF-37 from the 103 NAS to keep the odds in our favor.

An E-23 for AWACS, same old song, and dance, except for some extras from the Frogmen force. An Air Force EC-133 would be on hand to help in the electronic part of the fight, and there was the presence of the MV-24 and C-133s. Their major concern would be drones and fighters particularly the ominous possibility of Rizieq and his squadron will show up. As the briefing drew to a close, the Colonel paced a few times, and then stopped behind the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it has been the deepest honor for me to lead y'all into battle. I couldn't have asked you more to do your best, and like Aragorn said, Ride out and meet them head-on!" He said.

"Hoorah!"

You heard me right. Colonel Rahmadi loves Tolkien books and has read his entire series even during his time in the Naval Academy. His callsign, a character in Lord of the Rings, was a testament of the said fact.

...

"Remember when I said back in the Gulf and Somalia that you can be my wingman anytime?"

I chuckled at Snow, now my fellow squadronmate in my new assignment. "Yes. And you too."

Major Muljono laughed harder as four of us exited the personnel elevator to head to our aircraft. "Well.. you still have your dangerous streak, but even while we're in the same rank, you can still be it." I nodded, understand well that he's more senior than me.

"Anyway, welcome to the married club."

"Oh yeah, thanks, Snow." Aris has also been married, in his case prior to entering the Air Weapon School to a school teacher in his hometown Boyolali, East Java.

Two IF-37 squadrons, the 112 NAS Sea Knights, and 103 NAS Tridents are part of the CAW 2.

"Please be safe!" I went back a little to my wife's parting word on the day of the 112 Naval Air Squadron went through their orders to deploy to Sriwijaya. Our belongings had been air-delivered earlier to the carrier from Banjarmasin.

"I will. I promise." She hugged me and as I head to the ready room to gear up, she said. "Fly, my Ocean Eagle. As high as Wise."

"Sea Knight 101 and 102, you're ready for takeoff..."

"Sea Knight 201 checked..."

...

After about twenty-minute long flight passing through a plethora of large, mainly American, Expeditionary Transfer Dock (3) auxiliary ships complementing larger American and Indonesian MOBs, we finally arrived in the operation area in the Southern Yemeni territory and starting our penetration into the place when the UCC had less than effective control thanks to the Houthis and the newly assembled YDA and what was left of Wormtail's forces. There is a little time to relax as drones could come anytime. The mission leader was Snow while I led the second element. The scenery is depressing, but I swallowed the reality whole as I know well that the region had barely recovered from their own Civil War before the UCC seized the whole of it.

Within a minute our AWACS, callsign Singhasari called that the UCC had already scrambled their jets as the "fast jet element" of the Indonesian assault force circled lazily to the south, waiting for the helicopters to reach their initial point.

"Sea Knights this is Singhasari, we've got bandits getting airborne from Mukeiras... They must have known what we're going to do."

So much for that plan, I thought. Another instance of Mr. Murphy at work; I tuned my ears to the location of the bandits and Snow's subsequent orders.

"Sky Knight 102, follow me, 201 and 202 go high, 301 and 302 go low and keep 'em from getting one upon us or the VTOLs. Spare the lasers for drones" Aris radioed.

I am manning Sea Knight 201, so I went high with my wingman, Captain Josephine Huang. A veteran from 105 NAS "Javelin", she was given callsign "Milky" as her parents was an owner of a dairy, as I selected, by voice command, my AIM-122s. The oncoming Chukars were detected by our radars but not vice versa. On the other hand, the enemy's are maneuvering with their radars on, likely to draw us for close combat, in which they might have a chance.

Either way, they will be get rid of. I thought. Just another day in the office.

The AI warned about another pair of Chukars closing in, relatively blind. I banked right into the source and chose a Chukar that was the closest to being the opposite of mine.

First look, first shoot, first kill.

"Fox three!"

Missile warning blared on the JF-20's cockpit and the pilot tried to counter, with no avail.

"Splash one" My radio went on with another report from my wingman "Fox three! He's hit but still kicking. He's retreating. Damn him!"

"Let him go, Milky," I told her.

Another JF-20 went to my scope as I made a quick break to the left, He continued to push, increasing speed to put itself of my eleven then my ten. It then turned in. I keep tab with Josephine, and as the Chukar turned in towards me for a close in PL-13, he was unaware that from his seven Milky had painted him on the radar, and a lock-on after launch of her second Buzzard, the JF-20 exploded, in pieces.

"Nice kill, Milky!"

"You're welcome!"

"Warning, new enemy approaching bearing 123.. " warned Singhasari. "Hercules is on their way to the area, get the drones off them!"

"They're coming from the north, somebody definitely had called for drones." said Sea Knight 301, Major Yonathan "Needle" Ajang. "That bastards,"

"Confirmed, 301, they are drones," replied Singhasari to Needle.

"Just as I expected for dealing with wanna-be defectors," said Ronny, Ajang's wingman.

"Sea Knights arm lasers," Aris quickly ordered.

I pulled up and around for a better view of the oncoming drone, and as the result I am the first to fire the tactical laser pod, slicing off a couple of the first wave with a number of small fireballs.

"Nice kill, Fishnet, all aircraft, commence the sweep!"

The remaining drone scattered to avoid being so hunched up together as expected and one drone head straight at me for a close engagement, only for me to shoot it down with the internal pulse laser cannon.

"I've got two trying for my six... 201, can you please back me up?" Milky commented. I went level and nosed up before I turned to the right to her position and activated my AIM-10s in the process. As I ascended AI called a missile warning, I broke hard, flares out, and reverse turn in order to make some space of me and a newly arrived Saegheh which had just jumped at me. I soon caught sight on it and slowed a little in order to allow my jet to turn tighter and less wasteful in fuel. The drone turned towards me; I pushed the throttles forward again to get out of the way before rolling and making an upwards half-loop and after a half yo-yo maneuver my HMD obtained a good angle for a lock-on after launch.

"Sea Knight 201, fox two!"

The drone snapped left as hard as it was programmed and ascended up towards the clouds and the dull blue sky, but the missile hit it squarely, destroying it. I put down my nose and went back to Milky, just in time as she executed a kulbit and downed one drone. I swooped in from her two o'clock high and took it out with pulsed laser as it attempted to go back behind Milky, without me and her colliding in the process.

"Thanks for coming," she told me. We regroup and circled around to reorient ourselves, as I called the AWACS.

"Singhasari, this is Sea Knight 2-1, request picture"

The AEW soon gave us a live picture from the ground. "The supply mission has been completed and the transports are returning to the base, while the VIP is halfway through the rendezvous point, but they have Quds legionnaires on their tail, head to the city immediately and cover the strikers!"

"Roger!"

Vector has been sent, and it's time to get closer to our objective.

I and Milky followed by Snow and his wingman Captain Riyan Ritonga joined up and form a racetrack right above the city.

"Sea Knight 101 to all unit, stay high to avoid guns or MANPADS."

"Understood 101, on our way."

"3-1 to Singhasari, we're gonna need a fresh pair of birds to cover Mike Yankee ASAP. Sea Knight 301 and 302 have been engaged long enough. 301 approaching bingo fuel... 302 has been damaged and bugged out earlier." reported Needle.

"Roger than Sea Knight, Alert Five dispatched." The E-23 assured the third pair. The tone of voice told me that they'd deliver right away. Anything to ensure the package stay safe.

"Stay safe, buddy," I mumbled at the mention of Ronny's plane got damaged in the engagement against UCC drones and manned fighters.

A second TLP engagement from mine and Milky downed three drones, followed by PLS fire from my leaders' pair.

"Captain, do you have a mean of record? I will explain the situation inside the Caliphate" a new voice went through our radio.

It definitely Wormtail. His codename's namesake is a turncoat and a traitor to his friends, but I hope he worth it.

A younger male voice answered him. "I'm sure that the boys and girls upstairs will be able to hear it with the technology we have."

"Alright then... Initially, as fellow Muslim, I support the aspiration of the new caliphate, promoted by conservative ulemas and a group of young officers in the militaries of the Arab World as well as Iran and Pakistan, in which they sold it as better than Daesh, Al-Qaeda, or others before it.. basically a truly united Muslim world, just like what late Khomeini wants despite he's being a Shiite.. with western supporters including late Kevin Barrett... The ulemas provide religious backing and nominate the Caliph while their head Omar al-Bukhari becomes what you call the power behind the throne or gray eminence. If a Caliph loses favor from him, game over..."

"They have an unseen force guiding them. It's the technology their hackers stole all over the world from both West and East as well as Muslim scientists willing to risk anything for the new regime. When the war started, the performance of the drones was impressive especially above Iran, and even their failure to knock out Israel completely was regarded, for a little while, as a temporary speed bump, because we believe that in the Judgment Day, the Jewish state will be brought to her knees one way or another. The initial victories spurred public opinion in the Middle East to put their faith further on the UCC as well as an increase of foreigners who pledged allegiance to the Caliphate..."

"The combined technology from West and East advanced UAV research within the Arab world in a record amount of time by at least 10 to 15 years, on par with the great powers."

"An ace pilot then willingly made himself and his squadron a test subject to refine the AI for the drones by gathering battle data.. but over time, some of us, including me, become disillusioned about it all, especially with the fact that Yemen had been at war with itself since Saleh was ousted, details that you all might already know."

"Their capabilities are more than just UAVs. Faking IFF designations to make drones resembling Coalition fighters, anti-aircraft burst missiles, directed energy weaponry, anti-satellite capabilities, all of these are astonishing feat for us Arabs. In short, they believe that with the extensive use of modern technology coupled with our faith, we can make up with our losses and in the long run, end this cycle of bloodshed in the Arab World and finally stand against the Imperialists both West and East... but in the end, they were ineffective as the Allies are closing on the Holy Land. They must take responsibility for all of the chaos we saw today, and decades before..."

"...Even with the fact that the modern conflict of the Middle East was sown by the Western powers... I think they're just exploiting our weaknesses... which is the main cause, the Western world only grabs the opportunity... We, Arab Muslims had a lot of chance to straighten ourselves up and be like Thailand, who never got colonized, alas.. things happened."

"...The UCC only makes things worse. And so, with all of my heart, I will turn myself in and willing to submit to any justice process, even if I have to be hanged for my crimes. But in the process, I will make the world know the reality of the Caliphate system. You may call me an opportunist, but in the end, I still have my conscience and today I declared to the world that I no longer belonged to the Caliphate and their wet dreams of new world order. Yemeni people have enough of bloodshed and war. In return... we demand that the world respect our choices of government."

"Such an eloquent piece of confession, am I right, 101?" I asked my leader as I just passed a burning JF-20, courtesy of my Diamondback.

"Yeah.. we can only wait and pray." Snow replied.

"By the way, thanks to your aerial escort and missiles that we are close to the town now. Keep us covered!"

"Understood," said Singhasari. "Black Star, the area is secure, you're clear to land."

"This is Black Star, rendezvous point is in sight, we're almost there."

A couple of minutes later, we sighted the VTOL formation in its final approach, the covering Navy commandos were dropped first to reinforce the resupplied YDA already fortifying the city followed by the rescue VTOL.

"Warning, multiple contacts approaching at high speed bearing 070, angels 15! We can identify them as manned fighters... Rescue craft on the ground are helpless, so our strikers and drones are currently engaging enemy ground forces attacking the city as well as protecting the VTOL. Engage and destroy the enemy!"

"Singhasari. This is Trident flight, we're in the AO and ready to assist!" called the just arrived Alert 5 flight.

"About time, standby, the enemy has been identified as F-313Ds... They are all aces. Be aware."

"Haha, these are going to be fun!" I exclaimed.

"Focus, Fishnet!" Snow immediately snapped me back to the earth as we're racing to meet the threat.

......

A formation of sixteen F-313Ds entered the combat airspace. It's leader, Lt. Colonel Ramin Afshani, callsign Glacier, addressed his men.

"Remember the Caliph's order. Take out Muchtar. Even sixth-generation fighters won't be able to stop us. We've shot down those things before and it will be the same today. Failure is not an option. That's all, gentlemen."

"Aye, sir, Thalaj Squadron (Snow), commencing attack now." replied his wingman.

......

"Things are really just got more interesting here" I grunted as we evaded the beams from the F-313Ds tactical laser system and went to a temporary retreat from the charging Caliphate aces.

Two Qahers attempted to harass me from behind, I cursed and avoid another two who wanted to box me in, then came back around afterward and obtained a good lock.

"Fox two" I snapshot two Diamondbacks, quickly ducking away to avoid being caught in flames.

One went down, but the other broke right and evaded the AIM-10.

"Get the enemy squadron off the VTOL, the VIP is inside and it's taking off right now, stay on station until they reach the safe line!"

"Those infidels don't know the unseen force that is guiding them." said a Thalaj pilot with disgust in the open frequency. As a minority in Indonesia, I am offended with their reference and replied accordingly.