Four distinctively red-painted delta-wing aircraft, not different from the European Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, or Gripen, barreled through the winter skies of Grameus. Following them, a large aircraft with multiple unknown inscriptions in its fuselage, glowing in the rough and foggy skies due to the radiating light under the downpour of snow.
<<Overseer to Nightmare, 4 Boogies detected, 83 kilometers away, bearing 1-5-2, altitude 6,400 feet, speed 300 knots, unidentified model, this is not Muish biplanes specs, over>>
<<Nightmare 02 to Overseer, copy that, requesting visual confirmation>>
<<Denied, withdraw upon the protocol established by Major Beltane; not a biplane, thus nightmare flight is prohibited from engagement until the careful verification of unknown model, over>>
<<Nightmare 2 to Overseer, affirmative>>
Five Annonrial military aircraft flew in a formation, carefully over 18,000 feet above the ground. In the chilling air of the winter, the magically insulated fuselage of Phantom, the reverse-engineered and downgraded version of Ravernal Empire's Valach, twin-engined, heavyweight, delta-winged, all-weather air superiority fighters that reminisced the J-10 of the People's Liberation Army Airforce that is now classified as Garalia's P-42 Phantom lightweight, air dominance aircraft by Annonrials, flew in the sky, performing recon missions after the agreement reached by the members of the Alicorn squadron to take down a couple of Marin biplanes as a trophy during their stay in Grameus.
Though it seems easy to shoot down an enemy aircraft with their technological superiority, the chances of being discovered are the greatest problem, and they aren't allowed to happen. However, the chances of the Marin biplane pilot surviving the attack and telling the tale are not zero. They could parachute after being downed, hide in the woods, and await rescue.
Furthermore, if they discover an unknown model flying at the Grameus, they must exercise caution; it might be a new model of Mu, a fairly powerful civilization that has been somehow helping Topa by arming them with their outdated aircraft inventory, or the unpredictable Milishial straying in the Grameus for territorial expansion.
Then, as they maintain course, the EWACs of Annonrial opened up their comms once more <<Another formation detected, number 12, bearing 1-7-1, speed 140 knots, altitude 2,500 feet, it matches the Marin biplane specs of Mu, it's risky to intrude any further, let's resume recon tomorrow... Return to base, I'll repeat, return to base>>
The formation banks to the east, circling around before disappearing at the horizon.
Radar Site 11, Topa Kingdom
As one of the major projects of ASEAN, the ASEAN Chain Ground Control, Interception, and Rapid Response Network (ACGCIRRN, Ak-Ge-Sirn) is a series of overlapping networks of a comprehensive system of ground-based radars intended to fully cover ASEAN territories, the Altaras Strait, the southern and eastern Philades, and the Rodenius continent with several dozens of radar sites to make a large, real-time defensive surveillance bubble that would warn the ASEAN of impending air attacks or monitor aerial movements in and out of the territorial control; further, it will also guide the commercial aircrafts to lessen the chances of accidents, or to properly direct them if they stray off course due to the unexplainable phenomena that always affect the new world and ASEAN aircrafts. Thus, this was given the same priority as churning out satellites to be rocketed into space.
This gave rise to the remanufacturing of old 50's and 60's radars in large numbers. They're cheap and easy to mass produce without the overcomplicated structures of modern military grade radar, as their belligerents were simply a medieval, world war level, early cold war civilization that they deemed indeed a threat, but the remanufactured units had proven they were sufficient to deal with them at the moment while the ASEAN joint development and research ministry developed their own next generation multiple purpose radars reverse engineered from their leftover inventory that had been stuck after the transfer.
So far, their projects are 30 percent complete, with the Rodenius and Altaras sites as a priority to be completed within a two-year timeline, and they plan to achieve 100% operation status by 2027 or 1644. The mass production sprees continue as ASEAN jabs anything that could bring their economy back on foot, which essentially means mass producing cheap, low-quality products to be exported to other countries like what China is doing. Despite being inferior to Earth standards as they shifted keenly on quantity over quality in their economic system, their products still outshine both Muish and Milish-made products, though overcomplicating logistical nightmares on the vessels and aircraft that are low in numbers like the JAS 39 Gripen or some types that are so few, or only unique existence in the ASEAN inventory, to the point they can't even get cannibalized parts, are being considered to be decommissioned and put in a reserve for their preservation.
On the other side, ironically, for the limited number of items and vehicles that are being considered to be decommissioned, old decommissioned aircraft like UH-1 variants, MiG-21, F-5, S-211, A-4, and others are being considered to be brought back into service. Moreover, some are planned to be converted into unnamed aerial aircraft, like what Americans have done to the F-16, to become force multipliers, target tugs, or stop gaps until they are able to reproduce even 40 percent of the performance of an F-15 in service. At the very least, supersonic capabilities are the bare minimum specs that are necessary to maintain an aerial edge in any country in this world. Their present attempt is currently focused on reverse engineering the venerable F-16, if ever successful, F-16 Variants will become the mainstay mass production model of multirole fighter for the entirety of ASEAN for decades to come.
In tandem with that, after the end of the ASEAN-Parpaldian war, the F-18 model became the sole candidate for the rumored CVL(X) program that is expected to be approved in the parliament for the modernization and arms expansion policies of ASEAN, which actually, in response to how poor their firepower delivery was without any proper airfields in the far-flung regions of western Parpaldia, they were forced to use helicopters such as the Mi-8, Eurocopter AS332, and UH-1 as deterrents against multiple intact Parpaldian wyvern orders and Milishial carriers, forced the ASEAN to divert several attack helicopters to be based on their limited purpose Merchant Aircraft Carriers, or MACs, as both fighters and interceptors for their defense against Milishial carriers and wyvern lords of Parpaldia.
Inside the control room, where Muish, Topan, and Southeast Asians, along with several Altaran military attachés, were dispatched to observe the live fire exercises, which originally wanted to deploy their newly acquired Marin into service but nailed it due to a separate military exercise being held in Lauria, in which they are also participating, thus instead, they deployed observer here.
<<Four Muish Supermarin, presently maintaining course at the training theater, altitude 6,400 feet, speed 310 knots>>
<<Tactical UAS in position>>
<<Topa 3rd fighter squadron entered the theater, speed 140 knots, altitude 2,500 feet>>
Currently, there's a friendly game, a simulated air combat scenario pitting Topa against Mu. Of course, ASEAN should be involved, but both countries know it will be an obvious one-sided result.
The original take here is that six Topan biplanes should be able to take on one Muish next-generation monoplane aircraft; that's the logical ratio for Mu and ASEAN, who already knew that the performance of monoplane aircraft from Mu could utterly decimate five outdated biplane aircraft singlehandedly. However, whether it's pride or confidence, Topa offered that a ratio of four biplanes to one monoplane should be reasonable, thereafter Mu offered to use biplanes only for a fair competition which Topa humbly refused. Not knowing how bad the matchups were, the Supermarin version here is the newest, the Mk. 7, which almost reached a speed of 600 kph. It's the near-peer competitor of the second generation Antares of Gra Valkans, and the pilots here are veterans of border wars between Mu and GVE. Right now, Mu and the ASEAN attachés are currently imagining how badly Topa fare once the battle with an absolutely disadvantageous ratio began.
<<Sir! Unknown aircrafts entered the training theater, five of them>>
The one who monitoring the Muish and Topa units shouted on the officer in charge, prompted him to look at the radar, five dots without IFF transponder implanted by ASEAN to avoid friendly fire is non-existent on those formation.
"What? Is that stray wyvern... monsters?." The officer raised his brows, there's no air force unit here other than the three countries. It was probably a monster formation but it was winter, they should be hibernating.
<<No sir, forward formation are flying at transonic speed, altitude 18,000 feet, it's no living thing>>
The officer hearing that paused for a second and then, "Scramble interceptors... Have Topan and Muish aircrafts out of that airspace now."
<<Affirmative>>
The operator nodded as his fellow controller began to direct a pair of F-15s warming up on the runway toward their objective.
However, the attaches of other nations began to clamoring in low voice as they don't understand about the situation. They saw and hear the unknown flying things but none of them think they're that dangerous.
"Col. Malik, can we ask about the situation?." A Muish captain asks for confirmation; they do not yet know the magnitude of the possible danger, but ASEAN is overdoing it from their point of view.
"Captain Hender, this is a standard protocol of our country, we must identify those unknown units for future references. Furthermore, we already know that a good chunk of Southern Grameus is recognized ASEAN territory, both domestically and internationally, if ever those are indeed aircrafts, then we must police our airspace with decisiveness and resolve."
The Muish, who know about the division and sharing of Grameus as their territories with up to 20 countries, including the Muish themselves, acknowledge their division of landmasses on this uncharted continent. He and his country don't want to delve into the dealings of ASEAN as long as it is not against Muish interests. Thus, he obediently and respectfully backdown as he talked about his camp, telling them not to be alarmed by possible trouble in the airspace they didn't want to entangle with.
<<They're altering their flight course, should we cancel the sortie order?>>
"Just deploy our aircraft, I want to confirm whoever they are or they're just some weather anomaly here, so chase them."
Then, 5 minutes later. The pair of F-15s flew with several haloes on the cone of fire from their twin nozzles, which appeared in intense light as they sped through the foggy, poor-visibility runway. They were followed by another pair of F-15s and a flight of F-16s after being confirmed by the tactical UAS that had been forwarded to the unknown formation and spotting the light discharged by unknown aircrafts that were circling for a second before disappearing on the horizon.
____________
The interception unit of ASEAN barreled through the air as it passed the Muish and Topan aircraft in a matter of minutes. They maintain a constant speed of 800 knots as they creep closer to the unknown units at this high altitude. They wanted a peaceful interdiction on whomever they were, as accordingly, there's no significant civilization in the Grameus to be able to field a machine capable of speeding at transonic speed, and living things shouldn't be able to endure this speed without getting shredded by air pressure either. Thus, ASEAN ATC is sure and dead set on verifying this unknown formation. They're probably Milishial aircrafts, as their specs almost match the estimated performance of patrolling Alpha V of Gaius' fleet during their stay on Altaras.
On their radar screen, they closely monitor any movements of the formation, which is further supplemented by the ATC on the ground.
Four boogies immediately break off the formation, one pair going to a higher altitude, and the other pair going straight on the interception unit of ASEAN. They've been detected.
<<Control, we've been detected, aircrafts of unknown nationality is performing aggressive maneuver, we're requesting instructions, over>>
<<Weapons hold... try to communicate with them first, can you, over?>>
<<Affirmative, out>>
The pilots immediately maneuvered their fingers in the weapon control panels as they locked their eyes on the unknown aircraft with aggressive maneuvers on their head-up display.
The leading aircraft, with callsign Romeo, and its wingman, Digger, cautiously maneuver their aircraft while trying to establish contact with the unknown formation.
<<Unknown formation, this is SEADF squadron of ASEAN, by the treaty stipulations of Le Brias 1640, almost 2, months ago, the Southern Grameus are hereby divided by ASEAN, Superpower Mu, and Topa as their sovereign lands; presently, you're intruding on the ASEAN territorial airspace inside the stipulated international clause, state your purpose and affiliation, over>>
They repeatedly open the communication in multiple frequencies. However, none answered, and they continued to make aggressive maneuvers towards the outnumbered pair of F-15s. Their only option was radio because the problem is that they only have radios and don't have man-pack portable Mana comms because they are too bulky, heavy, and big to be mounted on aircraft. Thus, they fail to consider that this formation might be an aircraft of magical civilizations. The only remaining choice was the most dangerous one, visual communication either by light signal or hand signs on close encounters with them and hoping it won't escalate the brewing encounter.
<<Digger, on me>>
But seconds later, when they were about to make the move, 40 kilometers from the unknown formation position. On the radar of two F-15s, the formation located at high altitude appears as four distinctively small dots that reflect on the radar and rapidly detach from two aircraft at high speed. No radar lock warning and no missile approach warning system are responding to the probable attack. But they still instinctively used their muscle memory and performed evasive maneuvers.
<<Defensive split!>>
With afterburners fired up, accelerating their speed and increasing their altitude bit by bit. Intense G attacks the pilots as they're dead-focused on looking at the four rapidly approaching objects; then, the thing that hadn't responded earlier finally blared to life, their MAW ominously rang, and at the same time, they saw a pair of purple light-emitting objects on the horizon.
<<Smoke on the air! Smoke on the air!Missiles!>>
Two persistently chasing objects that leave a standing-out trail of purple smoke in contrast to the majority in ASEAN inventory of white, are creeping at a speed greater than twice the speed of sound.
Two F-15 dizzily danced and weave through the air as they maneuvers to evade and shake off the incoming missiles. <<Countermeasures! Flares>>
<<Control, we are under attack...>>
Thus, in this encounter, the ASEAN military's first baptism by fire from a modern civilization in another world inevitably occurred.
Pilots and weapon control officers' overlapping communication makes a number of interrupting noises as the respective aircrafts unleash bursts of flares, lighting up the sky, making the pyrotechnic decoys sprung forth, attempting to lure out the missiles.
The Annonrial EWACs controlling the long-range engagement with their Mana resonance device, which acts as a laser designator and director of the missiles fired by Phantoms, failed to differentiate the flares from the energy signature of the F-15, thus they hit the wrong target. Three explosions manifested in the sky, and the final one strayed off course, and it was too late to redirect the missile given the distance and position, so the Annonrial operators left it alone and began to input another target output to launch another missile that could be classified as medium range with guidance similar to JDAMs by Earth standards. Not so different from Milishials, but unlike them, Annonrial has better experience in reverse engineering Ravernal leftovers. They got better and broader options, including parallel doctrine in battlegroups in the air with fighter squadrons being directed by EWACs on the battle space, which is non-existent in Milishial and they failed to realize that if ever they have dedicated resonance marking aircraft like Annonrials, they won't need to use their missiles akin to a V-2 rocket or anti-tank missile despite their missile technology being comparable to that of the 1960s, yet still slumped using them in an immature and almost impractical way of inducting them into service. If they could constantly maintain resonance on their aerial target and improve accuracy, that alone could top their danger threat by several notches.
Meanwhile, another difference between Milishial and Annonrial made Mana resonance devices is that Annonrial's fundamental targeting technique was basically tracking any form of energy signature, while Milishial could only track magical signatures, formally known as "mana," which is another form of energy signature in this world, just a little bit peculiar due to its physic-destroying logic, on how it generates or catalyzes an appearance on the environment. Thus, the reason why the F-15 was tracked was because of its electrical output in its systems and the innate energy formed upon turning the turbines and the nozzles' thrust, which were detectable to a certain degree by Annonrials, albeit being miniscule, but they were detectable to a certain degree and could be differentiated from living things.
At first, they only tracked the seething energy that was byproduct of the thrust of the jet engine, and thus the missile warning system of ASEAN failed to detect them, like IR missiles used against combat aircraft in the 1960s before the full development of IR countermeasures. They then switched to target the electromagnetic signature of F-15s that made the arrows of light of the Annonrial act as pseudo-magically semi-active radar homing missiles above 30 kilometers away, activating the MAW system of ASEAN at the very last minute.
Seeing the elimination of threat and finally regrouping away from the attackers, the ASEAN F-15s with BVR weapon systems target the EWACs of Annonrial, not knowing the extent of their capabilities or purpose. A single AIM-120 BVR missile was dropped before igniting its solid fuel rocket motor, leaving the iconic ASEAN white plumes of smoke, screeching towards its target. The pilots and weapon officers motionlessly monitor the missiles as they rapidly close the distance without seeing any alterations on targets flight course.
________
A few moments ago
On the Annonrial side, at the magical counterpart of EWAC's aircraft, the U-3 Almagest, four pilots wearing suits like those of astronauts watched a crystal-like holographic projection on the air. It's a 3D model of the terrain and space that functions like a Synthetic Aperture Radar. On their sides of the aircraft, four phantoms flew in an orderly fashion, protecting them from any elements and ensuring a formal and disciplined formation.
However, they notice something odd appeared on their 3D model; it's just suddenly manifested out of thin air, which is 75 kilometers away from their formation, raising enough curiosity and suspicion to make their brows rise. Because their detection range at this altitude should be enough to cover 300 kilometers of battlespace, this pair of rapidly approaching formation has only been detected at a 70-kilometer range, completely bypassing the almost 230 kilometers of radar range of Annonrial.
"Did we have another unit in this area of operation?."
"Alicorn Squadron had the sole abilities to fly this far, the 950-kilometer range is too much for Galleria unless they will only go on a ferry mission or be unarmed when flying at this location."
Galleria has a combat range of 750 kilometers and a ferry range of roughly 2,200 kilometers. Meanwhile, Phantom is designed to escort and join a high endurance Almagest battlegroup. Thus, they needed to have an extended range with the help of a large capacity internal fuel tank and a newly developed conformal fuel tank that boasted the combat range of a Phantom to roughly 1,500 kilometers, and if added with external fuel tanks, it could extend to almost 2,000 kilometers. That's how versatile and capable the Annonrials' long-range escort fighters are.
This is why the Annonrial operators are tilting their heads at this unknown, high-speed, high-flying formation.
"They aren't mark with imperial transponders."
"Hostiles? Milishial perhaps?."
"Most likely, Muish and Eimorians shouldn't have the ability to reach this heights."
"Isn't there's a ASEAN presence reported here?."
"ASEAN? What they will do to this remote region? Patrol? Those formation aren't patrolling in my opinion."
"The other worlders? What they will gonna get staying here? Wilderness of monsters and harsh alien jungles?."
"Leave them alone, we'll continue to withdraw, alter the flight course."
"I concur, let's avoid any confrontation."
Finally, the crew of Almagest have the reason to Beltane to stop any further recon missions due to possible Milishial presence, however. "They're still accelerating, they altered their course same as us, they already detected us."
"Shot them down."
"But?." One of them questions
"You want to let them discover that an unknown aircraft that is not different from theirs and that relics left by our ancestors are flying here? This will buy us some time after destroying them, they should avoid if not, need time to prepare for a second group that time consuming to assemble in this remote place, but at that time we will ask to postpone the farming operation and withdraw from the Grameus before Milishials able to assemble a combat search party."
"Okay... Direct Nightmare 02 and 03, inputting target, prepare Varix medium range, arrow of lights. Set standard two shot per designated targets."
"All nightmare flight, wolf hound tactical maneuver 3, target... Unknown hostiles."
"Input completed...Fire."
After completing their positioning, four Varix medium-range missiles were immediately unleashed from their fighters. A noticably purple trail of light and smoke rapidly leaving their aircraft, racing towards their unsuspecting prey. They manually controlled their trajectory, though even without their help, those missiles should be able to track the location of F-15s due to their seething energy out of the aircrafts, but as standard protocol to make sure they'll not going to stray due to other factors, it was standardized for them to manually control them even with a small deviation until the very end, toward the unknown aircraft, before they finally let it fly in a semi-active radar homing behavior upon reaching their targets, then leave the built-in magical detectors to do the rest of the job of accurately locate and chase their targets, but then, much to their surprise, those aircraft immediately broke to the left and right.
"Put the forward nightmare in standby."
"Prepare to connect another shot against those aircrafts."
"I believe those four would be enough to take them down; it's a waste if those are enough to take them down, but we still unleashed another batch of arrows of light."
"... Those aircrafts is increasing their speed...! It's breaking point of twice the speed of sound!."
"What!? How could it be?!."
They're surprised about the speed then that moment, they saw the movement of those aircrafts, they're dancing on high speed while shaking off Varix, which is impossible even with the phantom; they might be maneuverable comparable to those aircrafts, but they simply don't have the speed and persistence to endure long term exposure to high-G maneuvers like them. What the hell are they looking at right now? thought of Almagest operators. It's been 20 seconds and counting. Furthermore, in the instruction book of Annonrial, 10 to 15 seconds in a high-G maneuver is the only bare minimum limit that a light wing could endure.
Though they misunderstood those high speed maneuvers of high danger, the F-15's evasive maneuver equates to roughly 6 Gs only, the most concerning only when they accelerated to increase the distance between them and the incoming missiles. Furthermore, the ASEAN pilot is properly trained to endure high-G environment with the help of a G-suit. Unlike Annonrial, which is reluctant to explore and develop any G suit or how to make its own High-G training program.
Seconds later, a large amount of heat signature illuminated their 3D terrain, and Varix was attracted to them, with three getting destroyed and one going astray too far from the location of the F-15 and no way of chasing it back, so they left it behind.
"Prepare second shot!."
"They disappeared! They're outside the range!."
"Should we pursue?."
However, the encounter only lasted for 3 minutes, and yet it feels so long for them. Then, on their monitor, something flickered—a high-speed object that appeared almost transparent on the screen. It's closing in fast. "What's that?." They asked, and none of them managed to conclude it was harmful, as they thought it was another disturbing weather phenomenon that made a thin layman's energy field, which is common in branches and Grameus to be detected as a high-speed, transparent energy force the size of a eagle, almost thrice smaller than the RCS signature of F-15s on their radar.
Boom!
Their cockpit was smashed through by an unknown attack, the aircraft trembled disproportionately and quickly disintegrated as the fuselage quickly depressurized, the operators were sucked out of the falling, burning Almagest, unable to defend or evade the unforseen attack.
The remaining nightmare flight was shocked and tried to retreat. However, one of them immediately exploded, without any warning, in an unforeseeable attack, and further fueled by the lack of powerful built-in radar, their performance was comparable, if not worse, to night fighter-mounted radars of the late stages of World War 2. They're helpless without the help of an Almagest, they're blind and unable to retaliate against long-range attacks of their enemies, thus, their ability to conduct long-range missile strikes was removed, defanged, and the remaining choice was to run or face annihilation here.
Boom!
Boom!
Another two were claimed by a BVR attack, completely one-sided. Fortunately or not, the final one saw something hit his comrades before being blown to smithereens. "Arrows of light?!." Then followed a white, pointy object, heading straight for his cockpit, where he clearly saw it as an attack, an unavoidable one. He closed his eye, accepted his destiny, and the cockpit toward the fuselage was pulverized by the missile attack from the SEADF reinforcements.
____________
Esperanto Kingdom
"They might have the answer about those unknown attackers?." An old man, in a enclosed room asked. In front of him, several people kneeling down before him.
"Yes."
"Can they help us?."
"Certainly they said, as long as we establish contact with their country, South of Grameus." A man, in knight armor answer.
"Where are they?."
"They left the city."
"Umoh... Send a team to find them, and ask to accompany them. Gather all the capable knights and soldiers with our aristocrats to ask help from them, aseyy an?."
"ASEAN, my king."
"Good Cohen, now sally forth. And save our country from this predicament.... We finally knew we aren't alone, and our ancestors' long-cherished wish of leaving the cage called Grameus is right before our eyes, we will not allow ourselves to be destroyed! Before achieving it!."
"Yes My King!."
"Mobilized our forces! All men and women, aged appropriately, will be drafted into the military! We will protect our country from invaders to the last man! Hadrian, prepare an exodus of 10,000 children, craftsmen, intellectuals, and soldiers, lead them out of the country, then head towards the abandoned village of Gahian to hide them, even if the fortress falls, and all of us killed, those who will survive will rebuild the country from ash, I'll leave it to you."
"I won't fail you, My King!."
The king heaved a sigh as he looked at the ceiling, thinking of finally fulfilling the dearest wishes of their ancestors by stepping out of Grameus, while also being anxious that the country might fall into ruins under his reign.
________________________________________________
Another major U turn of the settings, coz realizing ASEAN will be cornered if ever I continue the shitty take I'll do on the following chapters.
Abridged chapters next