There is no such things as Palestinians - Golda Meir

.........

Leaflet was the first to raise the alarm of disbelief.

"Yeah.. but are you sure about those planes, Union? There are no records of the UCC possessing Raptors and the only Lightnings they got was captured or from defecting pilots. Did they just come out of nowhere?"

But no one had any time to answer, as the incoming F-22 and F-35s were closing in fast.

"More contacts bearing 160, eight unidentified F-22s!" called Union again.

"Well, there is no such thing as straightforward combat anyway," I said to myself as we reorganized to answer the challenge. Then one of the straggling, damaged JF-20 that was making his retreat, facing the risk of being jumped by the Pact in the process just exploded after a blue beam hit it.

"My God!!" Then my radio went to live with a certain man called us.

"Be advised.. this is Thunder lead, we're coming at your position to assist you with those interlopers"

"Thank you, Thunder 1.. any assistance's welcome" It's Genesis to speak. "Any info about those new guys?"

"Ummm..." Paulus answered her. "Those Raptors and Lightnings aren't responding to our IFF, everyone confirmed that.. while my AI suggested they will turn against us."

"What's their agenda here?" the only question I can say right now to my idol, while my gut feelings told me that they are actually hostile as well, and my AI assistant also suggested similarly.

"Those people are specifically aiming at us" I realized just as missile warning sound blared over the cockpit; two Buzzards streaked past my plane and Caddy's.

"Here we go!" I told everyone disregarding any need for being in a secure channel; "Union this is Rinjani 3-1, those guys just took down a Caliphate bird! They've got American markings but they won't get off our tail!"

"Thunder 1-3 confirmed, we're under attack by American marked F-22s and F-35s, this is blue-on-blue situation, I repeat, blue-on-blue!" The AI helped me to recognize that the said callsign is Major Evelyn. One of the best female aces in Indonesia so far and some claimed to be the most beautiful.

"Union here... no further reinforcements for us, and so... they've gonna be hostile. Furthermore... I also caught wind for a similar group of fighters engaging Pact forces up north."

"What's the said formation?" I asked the AWACS just as I managed to land a couple of cannon fire to one of the F-22s in front of me.

"... Two squadrons worth of Su-57SM and J-20Cs." Union answered. "All planes clear to engage these Raptors and Lightning, no hesitation!"

"If you want to make sure that the assault team gets home, take them all out."

It's Colonel Dubois from the American squadron... I thought they will be with us too in dealing with those hostiles.. maybe because the latter somehow managed to get their hands on American planes. Not the newest Mustangs or Hellcats, but Raptors and Lightnings are backbones of the US Air Force and a significant force to be reckoned with skilled pilots in control, the same as rogue Firefoxes and Finflashes that those Eurasians are currently being engaged too.

No such thing as overkill.

Everyone agreed that taking down those jokers means an easier trip home for the assault force. Furthermore, no aces will turn down real combat, with manned pilots, if he or she had the option. Including me. While most of the time there is no choice but to engage. And with Rizieq and his squadron were currently MIA, I could use the challenge, and Wise also know it too despite his plane got better spec than us Rinjanis.

"Shit!" Me and my CSO for today, Major Liwinata "Fury" grunted as we barely dodged two laser strikes from two F-22s at the same time.

The bandits had good coordination, communication, and synchronization with each other while in flight, Very good.

Even with AI, it was hard to get a solid lock on one of those guys before they managed to throw it off. And that's when I first encounter one of their tricks, as my HMD showed eight new targets after a little "glitching"

"ECM!" I shouted on the net. Then my female AI assistant explained. "The enemy is using a 6th generation grade, saturation type decoys, I am figuring out how to recognize the real target from the fake, but it will take some time.."

"Thunder lead here. Even AI is not much help here, for now, and hopefully only for today.. so we are going to have to visually scan for the source, that's the only way to detect it."

"Thanks, Thunder 1." I answered at Paulus, which broke right as a missile passed through his plane and he reversed course to engage whatever targets are to be prosecuted first.

I switched targets until it locked onto the one that I was absolutely sure was a real plane and not just an empty square. I fired a pair of my AIM-10s then for some extra kick, pulsed lasers. Only one missile actually connected with the target, and it barely did any damage to the Raptor. So I decided to use the pulsed laser again and this time luck strikes as the fighter belched smoke on its engines and a couple more pulsed beam blew it out of the sky, even as its wingman relentlessly hounded me with missiles and cannon. With the first F-22 was taken out, Fury told me to go after the second Raptor.

"2-2 here, 2-1 is down! No ejection!"

I had no time to grieve for Nighthawk, while I was met by the same trick that the Raptor's wingman had used and a missile came from both sides. Praying that it would work, I brought the IF-X into the near stall speed, before rolled clear; the missile passed through my plane harmlessly while I picked up speed to avoid crashing nose-first into the desert floor.

"That was close, Charge, you're alright?" asked Scale, sounding irritated and worried simultaneously.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, still focused on the Raptor, which I soon gained a lock and fired another short burst of pulsed-laser. The Raptor attempted a cobra but a counter maneuver opened the room for me to take it down with my 25mm.

"Thunder One here," Paulus called us again. "I think I know what they are actually targeting. It's me and my squadron which are their main objective."

"Rinjani 1 to Thunder, let us fight together."

"Affirmative. Our allies are mopping up the remaining enemy fighters and drones," answered Paulus.

"Together we can. Let's watch each other's back. Especially Cauldron and Potion Squadron." I have no idea why I suddenly barged into the radio conversation, but I know I had to say it.

......

Even with the fact that the bandits were outgunned by sixth-generation fighters flown by the 11th Squadron, they seem to know how to handle such fact. Radio chatters from other squadron indicated several pairs and even flights of damaged UCC fighters remained for a fight to the death.

While dodging a missile from a Raptor behind him, Leaflet went on the net. "Those idiots... That's the result of inbreeding for you, people," he grunted as he evaded yet another pulsed-laser strike by the said F-22.

"...Don't they realize that their so-called Caliphate's pretty much using them as pawns? Pfft...I doubt they even care. Just blindly following orders like that..." he continued. Normally I want to reply, but my hands were full. Finally, Scale and I got reunited and in the process removed one F-22 from his tail before I resorted to a Kulbit. The said Raptor in front of me had a softer flight profile while often got me locked each time he or she has an opportunity.

"Fox two!" Lock-on after launch.

One AIM-10 hits. The damaged Raptor decided enough is enough and retreated from the area.

Even with losses that they took so far the mysterious squadron maintained their coordination in pairs, matching one another's speed and maneuvered around one another. Those joker's markings becoming more clear as I barely avoid a collision with one hostile F-35.

"How come they managed to mimic America's marking schemes and the star?" I wondered. Those bastards are slippery.

"Heads up!" shouted Scale.

"Rinjani 3-4, splash one Lightning.." Then Paulus also confirmed a successful engagement with he downed two of the hostile F-35s, followed by Andik.

"Not again." I found myself tailed by not one but two F-22s. They were coming up on my wing and Scale is high enough so that they wouldn't risk colliding with each other. I hit the brakes hard close to stalling, forcing the Raptors to overshoot.

I picked up one Raptor and locked it for a laser shot. Perfect timing as both Raptors were hit and I saw there was noticeable damage. "Haha! How do you like that, you traitors?" Any damaged plane would take a significant toll on those people, especially as they are outnumbered, to begin with.

Then an unfamiliar voice over the net startled all of us.

"Hey, who is this?" I asked, not bothering with proper procedures.

"You... die!!" It sounded like a man, and I thought he wasn't much older than me, which means he is younger than Paulus or Evelyn. "I'll have you, Charge!"

How the hell he knows my name or callsign?

Whatever. Time to get rid of that prick from my face.

"What's... going on...? Who is this?" Scale joined up on my wing. Fury also asked the similar one from his station.

"Who on earth is this guy??"

"...Don't forget our objective... those people are only collaterals... Focus on Wise, I repeat, focus on Wise!!" another voice, an older man, from the radio entered our headset, which I deduced was from the overall leader of those rogue squadrons of Raptors and Lightnings.

"But sir... those former penals are killing us!" that man who taunted me replied to his leader.

"This is a direct order..."

"Colonel Hutapea is right..." I mumbled while evading a burst of 25mm from the said wingman who did try his luck to attack me from below. "He is the main target..."

"What the hell..." To our surprise the formation regrouped and sure enough, they were heading towards the approximate location of the Thunders.

"They are suicidal!" Genesis remarked. "They won't survive a direct engagement with their current state."

"Rinjani 3-1 to Rinjani lead, give us your orders," I called her.

......

"Hello, Wise." An unknown male voice that I recognized as American went through my headset.

"I presume you are the leader of this little group, am I right?" I asked the one who did just hailed me while evading gunfire and missile at the same time.

"You'll know me better next time, but my job is to kill you." I decided to arm the PLS cannon and fired at the oncoming F-22 that my AI suggested was ready with its tactical laser as well.

I made a short burst before the AI warned me to break right, hard, as the said F-22 fired the laser.

"You're good," that voice said. "I can see why you are called The Angel of Death."

"Oh yeah?" I asked. "Gah.. he's very good." Andik and I were forced to bank away as pulsed laser swept the sky in front of us. Two Raptors are in the fighting stance against us, while above there are more Raptors, Up and down, left and right; they seem to be able to separate Andik and I from the rest of the squadron.

However, I had a surprise for them; above us, two Raptors exploded.

"Splash one"

"Splash one!"

Evy and her wingman Siregar streaked into my view as part of my plan.

"Perfect engagement, Raden!" I exclaimed as I reposition myself as well as Andik.

"Those jokers can't compete with the Thunders," she told me. "Time to end this!"

However, radio chatter from the rest of my squadron as well as the 19th people showed an anticlimactic end of the encounter.

"Those people are retreating!"

"Thunder 2-3, they are disengaging, repeat, bandits are disengaging. Requesting order."

"Rinjani 4-3, confirmed, bandits are retreating.."

"I think we should let them go, for now... no, we must." I keyed my radio to the entire squadron as well as Rinjani; I used my seniority to Colonel Kurniasih. "Thunder lead to Rinjani lead... we must disengage."

"Are you serious, Colonel?" replied Thunder 2-1. Major Angkawijaya.

"If we pursue, those people might lure us into a trap that we have no idea about. We still have a scientist to cover... All Thunders... disengage from them and return to the AO. This is an order. Acknowledge!"

"... You're correct, Wise." It's the voice of General Bergman. "We're one step in having our package safe in our hands. Overall, you all doing well but what just happened to you is not part of this operation and was not your primary objective..."

The American general didn't seem at all perturbed by what had happened.

All this, and the losses, are for nothing? I asked myself, as the general continued his transmission with a dismissive tone. "Go back to the operation area so we can go home. Over and out."

However, a voice that I recognized as Major Mulyana of the 19th Squadron, also known as "Leaflet" add further fuel to our question, as he rushed in and demanded an explanation. "Sir, those people were using our frequency. It's encrypted, but suddenly those people with the Lightnings and Raptors we've seen just crashed in and threatened us, and we lost one of us! Honestly, this is a serious situation and we have a right to know!"

"Watch your tongue when speaking to your superiors, Major," Bergman said in a dark tone. Taking a deep breath, he added, "There isn't anything you can do about it now. It's too late to chase after them and if anybody's stupid enough to try it then I'll consider it desertion. And about your friend, it's his fault."

I groaned inwardly, and I can feel the disappointment and anger growing from my own pilots and Genesis' one as well, but no one said anything as Bergman continued his lecture to us. "Continue to maintain air superiority, that's your order. We can discuss what you see later in the debriefing, any more complaints?"

"You're being serious, sir?" asked now-Major Fauzi Bowo "Sumpit" scoffing as though he found it hard to believe.

"We'll discuss this later, people. Move." I can hear Genesis responds to the complaints of her pilots. The rest of the mission went without any more problems, and a few more drones and enemy fighters fell victim to our forces.

"Mission complete, The package has reached the safe line. All aircraft, return to base."

Unlike most of our mission, today we left the combat area with more questions than answers...

.........

Hope you enjoy, Yes it seems anticlimactic, but there will be revelations of why General Bergman acts like he owns the world!