Here is chapter 2. It is much longer. Please note that there is some swearing also. Just a heads up.
Chapter 2: Counterattack
Five pilots sat in the briefing room at San Monzez Airbase. The room was dark and quiet. There were about 20 seats in the room and in front of them was a digital screen. A banner hanging on the wall in the back of the room featured three blue arrowheads arranged to form an equilateral triangle and below them were the letters ISAF which stood for Independent States Allied Forces.
A man in full military uniform stood in front of the digital screen on the wall and announced, “Alright men, listen up. We will launch an attack on a Belkan convoy that is making its way inland from Farbanti. Dagger squadron, you will attack the convoy with you’re A-10 attackers. Your primary objective is the tanks and supply trucks. We don’t know whether there will be enemy air support so you will have an escort. Mobius 1, you will be providing escort for Dagger Squadron. This operation will allow Erusean forces to escape and will delay Belka’s advance.”
The critical information for the mission appeared on the screen including a map of the strike zone, enemy, friendly, and neutral forces, number of enemies, target type, and weather.
It was 1:09 AM when Tom Johnson climbed into the cockpit of his F-22 Raptor. He sat into the seat and strapped himself in. Tom activated the battery and avionics. And then turned on the cockpit lights. He flipped a switch on the dashboard and the canopy closed. Tom then hit the engine ignition switches and the engines roared to life. The four A-10 Thunderbolts had already taken off and were en route to the intercept point. Tom taxied to the runway and awaited takeoff clearance.
The controller said, “Mobius 1, you are cleared for takeoff.”
Mobius 1 pushed the throttle lever forward and the jet zoomed down the runway. The plane climbed into the dark sky. About an hour later, the planes reached the strike zone.
A familiar voice came over the radio, “Sky Eye to all planes, attack the target. Don’t let any escape. Dagger Team, engage. Mobius 1, provide air support.”
It was a cloudy night with light fog much like the night Mobius 1 had participated in the liberation of San Salvacion. The moon hung low in the sky and looked like a blurry ball in the black sky due to the haze. Its eerie yellowish light shown upon the gloomy forests below. Tom watched as Dagger flight tore the enemy convoy to shreds. An AA gun fired at the attack planes and since his mission was to protect them Mobius 1 swooped down and opened fire with his machine gun, destroying the AA gun. Within minutes, the convoy had been destroyed.
Sky Eye announced, “Good job, everyone. The target has been destroyed. All planes RTB. Wait. We are detecting enemy fighters. I count eight bogies in Su-35s. Dagger Squadron, drop to low altitude and withdraw ASAP. Mobius 1, engage immediately!”
Tom replied, “Roger, Sir.”
He rolled his F-22 onto its side and turned it int the direction of the enemy fighters. Then Tom pushed the throttle lever all the way forward, igniting the afterburners and sending the jet rocketing across the night sky.
A few miles away, the lead Belkan pilot ordered, “Ofnir 1 to all planes. Those Usean fools fell right into our trap. Ofnir Squadron, take out the escort first and then shoot down the attackers! You are cleared to engage!”
As Mobius 1 flew towards the bogies, his missile alert went off. Tom glanced at the radar ans saw three QAAM missiles streaking toward him. He banked his F-22 on its side and allowed the missiles to pass. The alarm did not stop however. The missiles turned and were coming up behind him. Tom suddenly reduced throttle and applied the air breaks, slowing the craft down. The missiles crisscrossed in front of his plane and came around for a third pass. Once again, Mobius 1 was able to shake them, but this was getting out of hand. Tom did something he had only done a few times before. While he was normally able to outmaneuver any missile, even a QAAM, this was obviously some new kind of QAAM. A normal one would have lost its lock by now. Tom pushed the countermeasure button and three flares were jettisoned from the aircraft. Tom waited and then a bright flash and explosion confirmed that at least one missile had gone for the flares. However, Tom saw two were still chasing him. He then decided to try a trick he had seen in a movie. While this was not a good idea, Mobius 1 was getting desperate. He pushed the control stick on its side, causing the F-22 to go into a roll. The missiles, being heat seekers, followed the exhaust trails that now went in a spiral pattern. They spiraled around each other until they made contact and exploded. Mobius 1 saw this in the plane’s reflector mirror and chuckled to himself. Then the missile alarm went off again. Another QAAM. Tom decided to try another trick. He flew past one of the Su-35s and then turned. He flew up behind the plane and then cut the throttle and allowed himself to slip under the enemy plane. The missile locked onto Ofnir 7's plane now that Mobius 1's heat signature was no longer the strongest. As Mobius 1 came out in front of him, Ofnir 7 said, “I have you now!”
Suddenly, his missile alarm went off and before he could react, the QAAM hit his plane, reducing it to burning shrapnel in an orange explosion.
Ofnir 1 shouted, “Dammit! He destroyed Ofnir 7! Take that ISAF bastard out!”
Ofnir 1 watched as the culprit flew by ns saw an emblem on the tail. A light blue sphere with a tan outline and a dark blue and black mobius strip in the middle. A blue ribbon below the emblem read in tiny black letters “Mobius Squadron”. Ofnir 1's attention was then directed to the ISAF emblem of three light blue arrowheads that formed a triangle.
“ISAF worm!” , he muttered with much spite.
Tom was quite contempt with himself when Ofnir 1's voice came over the radio, “A bold move, pilot. Most would have never thought of that. However, there are still seven of us and only one of you. Prepare to meet your maker!”
Tom shrugged off the empty threat and said, “You know, whatever! I am the pilot who destroyed Stonehenge and Megalith so I can certainly take care of you, you Belkan slime!”
Ofnir 1, obviously ticked off, shouted, “We are Ofnir of the superior Belkan Airforce! You have no chance against us!”
Once again, Tom shrugged off the threat and got a lock on Ofnir 3 and fired. Ofnir 3 banked away from the missile and shouted, “Ha! Nice try!”
Mobius 1 said aloud, “Loser!”
When the enemy had banked away from the missile, he had put himself right in Mobius 1's gun pipper. Tom unleashed a volley of bullets on Ofnir 3's plane, destroying the left engine. Ofnir 3 cussed loudly on the radio before ejecting. Tom watched as the Su-37 crashed below.
At that moment, Sky Eye announced, “Mobius 1, there is another group of fighters approaching from the southeast. Five planes inbound at high speed. They are Erusean Su-37s!”
Tom whispered, “Terminators. Could it be...”
Meanwhile a man in the cockpit of the lead Su-37 said, “Yellow 13 here. Lets get some revenge for what those Belkan creeps did to our base. The F-22 is friendly. Engage the flankers!”
A few seconds later, Tom saw the five fighters streak by. He saw the yellow wingtips and the dark and light gray camouflage bodies.
Tom gasped, “Its them. It’s the Yellows!”
Yellow 13 fired his machine gun at Ofnir 2 and a second later, the Su-35 was spinning out of control trailing smoke and flames. Another Yellow quickly downed Ofnir 4 and damaged Ofnir 6.
An Ofnir pilot shouted, “This is Ofnir 8, I’m hit! I’m going down! Ahhhhh!”
Ofnir 1 shouted in shock, “Ofnir Squadron, we have been defeated! Retreat!”
Ofnir 5 protested, “But Capti...” His plane was incinerated before he could finish. Ofnir 1 fled and 6 before they could be shot down.
Yellow Squadron had only been there a few seconds and had downed four planes. Suddenly, one of the Su-37s came along Tom’s plane and he could make out a number 13 emblazoned in yellow just below the cockpit.
Yellow 13 said cheerfully, “Ah, I remember you. You’re Mobius 1. I was hoping we would meet again. But don’t worry. I am not your enemy this time.”
Tom asked, “I heard you were dead. How did you survive?”
Yellow 13 replied, “I’ll explain later. We have been assigned to San Monzez AB since our own was bombed by those Belkan scum. What do you say we discuss it over a drink?”
Mobius 1 said, “Sounds good to me. See you there, I guess.”
The planes flew off into the night.
