,

Gloria and one of her friends, Adriana Rotinsulu, are staring out of the balcony door of the former's apartment, enjoying the much cleaner, in the 2040s, Jakarta's air. Her adamant refusal to have anything to do with the Family Readiness Community, the Armed Forces-wide development from various existing family organizations such as the Persit in the Army, Jalasenatri in the Navy, Pia Ardya Garini in the Air Force, and Dharma Wanita Bakamla in the Coast Guard; on the 120 NAS base in Karawang meant that she and Adriana, the latter is the girlfriend of Juan "Stone" were, for the most part, taking on the challenge of having loved ones deployed in combat alone. The few in the squadron's ranks, mostly younger folks below their 30s that shared her view had expressed their solidarity, but several still went to the, sometimes derogatorily called by some as, "gossip club" nonetheless. Lt. Col Alan's wife, representative for spouses and significant others of the 120 Naval Air Squadron, was a nice but nosy woman, which Gloria frowned upon.

"Ack, I'm becoming one of them." Gloria groaned.

"Who are you talking about?" asked her Manadonese friend.

"You know."

"The FRC?"

"The same."

"I think this time we can be especially grateful for our choice to avoid attending."

"Blech, I can agree. It's only a matter of time before someone reveals someone out of us is having an affair. Probably with other pilots out there."

They soon burst into laughter, a good way to come with the fact that they were going through many holidays devoid of their lovers. Chinese New Year, Easter and other religious holidays like the Eid, Christmas, and even the Independence Day. Both Yoel and Juan had made sure their ladies had received gifts and oral confessions of their love by video call or hologram calls. That didn't make it any more comforting though.

Gloria looked at her laptop, focusing on her pile of assignment from her campus and projects from her workplace as the laughter faded, along with Yoel's gift, a keychain from KRI Sriwijaya and shaped like the said aircraft carrier. In the reverse side the motto of the ship was engraved, in Indonesian; Menjaga Kemakmuran di Laut dan Udara, translated as Guarding (Indonesia's) Prosperity in Sea and Air.

"When he comes home, I want to cook his favorite dish, Spicy shredded chicken. He said that both Majapahit and Sriwijaya doesn't serve it, for now."

"Yummy" Adriana said, as she also loved the said dish. "By the way, I'm going to bring some Haggen Dazs to Juan when he comes home, probably for Christmas. You know he loved that even in the rainy season. I don't know why on earth he doesn't caught a cold or coughing afterwards, even since we start dating."

"Sounds a good idea." Gloria smiled. Then they laughed again about the quirks of their man, temporarily distracted from the events across the sea. The war had forcefully grabbed Indonesia's attention once more just like the civil war, though it still seemed to be distant and hard to connect to the last war that heavily affected regions of Java, Sumatera, along with Papua and the lesser extent Sulawesi. Only those directly affected, like Gloria and Adriana, really had it in their minds, while for the most part people were still focused on rebuilding their lives affected by the civil war. Debates raged on the nation's media and the citizenry over if Indonesia should be involved, including it's accession to the Japan-lead PPDU for the first instance, but dissenting voices were few and far between.

It was hard to get away with opposing the war and not being reminded that the UCC had fired the first shots with the attempted suicide attack on the National Monument and the consequences if the Armed Forces failed to do their duty in Asia. Protesting when dead bodies had been solemnly carried home since the first day was significant, but far from popular.

As it's Saturday, Gloria want to have a good day off with her work and study for a while, so she looked towards the TV, then Adriana. The Manadonese approved. Gloria turned it to the news from Metro TV, just to see if anything had happened in the front. They joined just as a report was underway as the anchor, Joseph Marbun, was talking away.

"...Armed Forces HQ released a statement confirming that the surge is underway with three new army divisions, two squadrons of Second Fleet warships, and four new Air Force wings with support units including two regiments of Police Mobile Brigade are enroute, but declined to give specific details for national security reasons. Meanwhile, in statements released by United Caliphate Press Agency, the government of the UCC, confirmed the raid on the capital, and that Caliph Omar survived the attack. The UCC also claimed to have driven Western Allied forces, fighting side by side with the Tsarist Russian armed forces at least 40 miles into primarily Russian-occupied part of Libya and captured the major city of Sirte. No comment has been received from either Russian or other Pact and Allied sources. In the Indian Ocean Theater, both Allied and Pact forces had confirmed that the increased intensity of UCC commando and allied guerilla attacks, including suicide bombings have tied down a significant number of its units in Pakistan. By comparison the Indian government declared that such attacks in India had been largely contained by the second day, owing the accomplishment of its own paramilitary forces..."

The anchor's voice became narration to images of the fighting in various Pakistani regions like Islamabad, Haiderabad, Gwadar, and most importantly the Khyber Paktunkhwa bordering Afghanistan, which the latter had saw both Allied and Pact forces and cooperative tribal militia forces are fighting UCC-aligned forces there, but despite being used to war reports thanks to the still-fresh Civil War, it still turned their stomach somewhat to see the already damaged buildings went ablaze or destroyed by bombs.

"...Meanwhile from the Mediterranean Theater, the element of Franco-German 4th Corps are holding the line as the UCC had launched a surprise airborne raid in a bid to retake the city of Algiers, former Algeria, which was captured by NATO forces three weeks ago..."

"... Allied headquarters had announced that a multinational British-American brigade had entered the city of Nairobi, with the city's inhabitants went down the streets to greet their liberators; in the meantime a Chinese mechanized brigade had stopped 25 km short of the city in the process..."

"...Still in the African theater, viewers, fighting continued in UCC-occupied northern Nigeria, as the Nigerian military with the coordinated assistance from both the primarily American air strikes along with Chinese paratroopers, are advancing towards the city of Zaria..."

"...Two states of the USA, Vermont and Washington, have activated the National Guard in response of a remnant of the banned Nations of Islam had launched a series of uprisings in which almost 25 local and state law enforcement officers have been killed in various shootings and racially charged riots..."

They still paid attention as the news went back to the homeland.

"...The National Counter-Terrorism Agency had called for the increased readiness of citizens for possible attacks by UCC aligned and other Islamist groups and said that there will be another round of drills in major Indonesian cities..."

Despite reports from Paulus that Allied air forces had began to bring the fight into Iran, the situation of the occupied Pakistan are still chaotic. Furthermore, the reports also implied that violent radical groups supporting the UCC will certainly attempted to strike directly into Indonesia, again. Both Gloria and Adriana had family they cared about. For Adriana, she knew her parents in Manado, the city which is a tempting target for any supporter of UCC to demonstrate their cause due to its Christian majority demographics, as stubborn as anything, wouldn't leave the house they'd lived in since they'd been a young married couple. They would take out their shotgun and blow off whoever tried to invade their house.

Gloria also thinks about her and Paul's nuclear family in Palangkaraya and their extended family which mainly resided in Tarutung, Tapanuli Province, but also in Jakarta, too. Along with that, in her office rumors began to emerge about a possibility of an introduction of limited, co-ed, conscription. She know that she will definitely be spared, but the possibility of her, and Adriana, being drafted could still happened.

Soon, Gloria switched the channel into the one currently airing a cooking show, to further take their minds off the war and probably, to find inspiration to spoil their man upon their return.

---

,

We got a short time to mourn for our lost comrades.

Theressa's position as Executive Officer was assumed by Major Yanuar.

"Fire!"

The three-volley salute from the squad of seven Marines part of the ship's Marine detachment accompanied the memorial service above the flight deck, in which the bodies of six of our own fallen were loaded into Kestrel tiltrotors for their long trip to India before being repatriated to Indonesia.

Soon it's back to missions. New pilots straight from training squadrons in the homeland are being inducted, qualifications and requalifications were practiced, further accompanied by CAP and ASW patrols. It's not for long before a new mission awaiting us as my flight went airborne.

"We had receive reports that the UCC had managed to commission a good number of new surface vessels despite the blockade and the attack on their yards in the Persian Gulf and they will attempt to break ours in order to support their planned counteroffensive to regain control of Pakistan."

Two days ago our Cakalang patrol drones had clashed with UCC-copied Gowind-class corvettes. Additional sighting and skirmishes of the CAP with UCC patrol aircrafts, drones, accompanied by fighters further confirmed that their Navy was back in force after being heavily beaten in the same sea as we are positioned now. Furthermore their submarine force are still a significant threat and one of their use will be to insert commandos to strike at our forces in Pakistan as a prelude for the counteroffensive or perhaps in India along with their attempt to sink or damage our carriers. Last but not least, any weakness in the UCC's surface fleet was partially offset by shore-based drones, fighters and bombers with it's trained crews.

Along with the Sriwijaya, the nearby allied formation is the Korean UKS Joseon, and surprisingly, the Russian RFS Izmail.

"Mahakam lead this is Syailendra... come in Mahakam" Our familiar, assigned E-2 called us.

"Go for Mahakam", The 5th' Deputy Commander, Lt. Col. Fakhri Husin, 9 kills, callsign "Rooster", from 199 Naval Air Squadron "Cadik" replied.

"Mahakam, you're cleared to press to the IP (identification of position). Koreans just got hits at the very edge of their drone radars. Their callsign in Herring 2 and Herring 3. Confirmed as surface contacts.. Heading 315, 500 miles. At least five radar returns.. Expect Korean and Russian aircraft to join you on their way."

"Roger that Syailendra, Mahakam and Honai flight, follow me.. Sea Eagle 2 and 3, proceed on course to CAP stations."

"Affirmative, Mahakam. Sea Eagles, break to pairs, proceed on heading 280 to CAP.. Syailendra, requesting picture" asked Juan, now a Major, leading us today.

"Two bandits just entered our radar range, standby for ID.."

Eight IF-34s than split into fourships then pairs. Not long the AEW had identified their target as a pair of Turkish-manufactured, Ukraine-designed An-188MP screening ahead followed by six JF-20s covering them alongside twice as many MiG-35s.

"Herring 2 confirms, looks to be ten ships total; two Luyang IIIs, four Al-Hijazs, and four Gowinds.. Sea Eagle, multiple bandits heading 210, Angels 22, 295 miles and closing" relayed the Advanced Hawkeye.

Stone counted the odds of eight IF-34 vs eighteen MiGs and Chukars.

"This is Sea Eagle lead to Syailendra, any chance that you can vector some help our way?" He asked.

"Working at that, Sea Eagle, hang in there, stick closely to the friendly ships."

We're getting close to the bandits and began to select targets, Sailing below us from the east, looking for bandits was a Russian Navy destroyer squadron led by nuclear-powered Lider-class RFS Marshal Grechko, classified as cruiser by NATO, followed by two conventionally powered Smelyi-class, RFS Bespodchadny (merciless) and Vertkiy (nimble).

"Be advised ... I got two flights of Russian Felon-Ds heading your way and they will contact you soon, connecting now."

"Sea Eagle flight, good evening, this is Vecher (evening) flight, ready to engage the enemy together.." called the leader of four Russian Navy Su-63s embarked on the carrier Izmail.

"Sea Eagle to Vecher, glad to see you coming."

"This is Sever (South), ready for orders" called the second Russian Felon flight.

Then "I got those guys in our eleven, take their friends on the right, try and get two." I said to my new, recently inducted wingman, 1st Lt. Patricia Sutanto, callsign "Hornet".

"Got you, Fishnet, permission to break after I shoot?" She replied.

"Granted, but don't go too far."

She threw me a thumbs up, then I began to looked ahead again, with the Fulcrums are getting closer each second. Soon I got a lock on two oncoming MiGs, 130 miles away.

"Sea Eagle 110, Fox 3, fox 3!" The first shot of the battle is ours; two Buzzards aimed at two Fulcrums before they went too far apart from each other.

"Sea Eagle 111, Fox 3, fox 3, breaking!" Patricia echoed.

I can see and know that one of the MiGs are close to lock-on using their IRSTs from two o'clock. For a few second a lock warning echoed inside my cockpit before abruptly cut off, I looked around and saw two glows of orange and black.

"Good hit, good hit, Sea Eagle" called Juan, which also my flight lead.

"More contact incoming, eight JF-20s! Same altitude, same heading!"

In the meantime as seven more MiGs went down by the combination of Russian and Indonesian fighters, the survivors retreating behind the more advanced weapons platforms ready to confront one of desirable combination of forces to some Indonesians critical of the so called "Western domination"

"Sea Eagle 111, come back on me, 108 and 109, we're coming, gonna help box those two groups in."

"Do svidanya" (goodbye) said a Russian as his Sukhoi found itself in a turning fight with a stray JF-20 which was quickly concluded by two AA-14 launches.

"Sever 1-3 to Syailendra, reporting one Antonov down" said another Russian, as he reported that one enemy patrol plane has been downed.

"Understood, continue to engage the enemy, out."

Meanwhile, me and Patricia had began our long turn right, maintaining our cohesion in order to box the MiG-35s, while the JF-20s keep searching for the Indonesian and the Russians.

"Be advised, Mahakam and Honai had launched all Bruisers, moving out to back Sea Eagle, Vecher, and Sever." The DCAG called.

"Understood" Juan replied.

My radio then crackled as I'm attempting to lock on the JF-20s.

"Take it down so we got a clear shot here, 109" called Juan to his wingman, 1st Lt. Humaidi Syarif, callsign "Copper".

"Lock on, Fox three!" Called Humaidi soon after some maneuvering, downing one MiG and damages another, the Fulcrum attempted to retreat but not for long, as he went into my gun range. Coup de grace.

Soon the AI began to warn me about oncoming copies of PL-21 launched by the Chukars. Smart money they are using lock-on after launch. Neither me or Patricia were able to see the missiles but our instincts kicked in, which means break into the missile's perpendicular and chaffs out.

"Hun... dan!" I swore in my mother tongue as I turned my plane towards a nearby JF-20 painted on my radar.

"Fishnet, Stone here. Copper is trying to draw one for me. You.. get the other off my tail, will you?"

"Understood sir, moving to intercept." Me and Patricia soon barreled into a mix of JF-20 and MiG-35s. One of the bandits, a JF-20 which on a high and left position soon dived towards me as I turned tail. Meanwhile Juan soon assumed pursuit position on another bandit, still a Chukar.

"Enemy MiG, 11 o'clock!"

This time Patricia broke off my position and tracked the said MiG which are heading towards me, but suddenly he dived, now in a defensive engagement against the Indonesian and Russian fighters.

"Fox two!" I heard her call. Soon I continue my pursuit but slowed down my descent, just in time as a hypersonic Russian-built Zirkon or SS-N-33 passed us. Then as I went down, I've got another target of opportunity, a JF-20 which are trying, apparently to engage the Russians.

"Goodbye" I released two AIM-10 from the external pods, one miss, but the other hit the jet squarely in the fuselage and disintegrated it.

"Sea Eagles, regroup on me, we are heading east towards the Russian formation..." called Juan.

As our flight head towards the Russian naval formation we can saw the flash of lights and tracers nearby.

"Poliment-Redut ships are as tough just like the its NATO counterparts (including the American AEGIS)..." I said to myself as I saw a ruined form of a JF-20 went down from the S-500s launched from the Grechko, which had also engaging its CIWS, both guns and lasers in an interlocking fire with its escorts to destroy incoming UCC missiles.

But there are more missiles, and it definitely not solely launched from the air. A flash soon told me that the Grechko was hit. As I scanned the aftermath, in which I can see the part of the cruiser's superstructure was dented and covered in black soot, a clear sign of damage, I could see four MiG-35s were fleeing, Russian naval Sukhois on their tail.

"Let them have it, we're turning 090" Ordered Juan.

Then "I got high-speed contacts on 12. Syailendra, this is Sea Eagle 109, bogey dope."

"Be advised we have incoming enemy drones, ID'ed as eight Sofreh Mahi combat drones. Exercise extreme caution for their lasers. They also carrying more missiles aimed at our fleet. We're currently vectoring Honai flight and a flight of F-35B from Korean Joseon, callsign, Blue Horse, to reinforce your position but they will take a while to arrive. Stay in your position and engage the drones at all costs!"

"Roger that" Juan replied. And speaking of lasers no pods are available for our flight due to a need of maintenance.

"Well, beggars can't be choosers" I said to myself as we went closer to the drone formation.

"Look out!" Two Sofreh Mahi converged in my position.

"Fox two!"

"Fox two!" Patricia fired his own AIM-10 after my own shot.

"Splash the enemy drones"

"How about we try to hack these like what you told me about the raid in Riyadh?" Patricia asked me as we are tracking the remaining drones.

"Good idea."

"You mention hacking? That's what we're going to do, Fishnet" my leader agreed.