The crisp autumn wind blows across my face, carrying the scent of maple along. The leaves on the trees were a beautiful copper brown, glowing magnificently as the setting sun’s rays meets them. Relaxing on the bench in the park, I watch as the sun slowly sink under the Pacific Ocean. >‘American sunsets really are as pretty in the movies.’ I think. Interrupting the serenity of the sunset, my watch alarm began to beep thrice, over and over, reminding me that I was due for patrol duties. >‘Tsk, already?’ I say aloud, glancing at my watch. Standing, I turn to gaze at the war-torn town, a stark difference from the beautiful scenery in the opposite direction. Small fires burned in homes and buildings, illuminating them like candles in the dimming light. Bodies littered the streets, bloodstains everywhere. Bullet impacts left holes through every building in town. The schoolhouse had collapsed from intense shelling, and there was hardly any intact glass panes left anywhere in the town. Sighing, I bent over to pick up my AKS-74u before beginning the trek back to the airbase. ----- Walking up the road, I see that the checkpoint into the base was riddled with bullet holes; concrete barriers resisting multiple impacts from large-caliber rounds. Fifteen-foot concrete walls line the airbase, blocking crosswinds, and displaying crimson artwork. Upon reaching the checkpoint, I was greeted by dead American soldiers who had died defending their posts. I shooed the crows away from their bodies. >‘Every soldier deserves a burial. This is shameful.’ I mutter under my breath. Wrecked American vehicles littered the entrance to the airbase. Bits of M1026 HMMWV were littered about, likely exploded from a 125mm HE round. A M2 Bradley sat facing the entrance, TOW launcher deployed. Upon closer inspection, one could see that both tubes were empty, in addition to a small hole in the front of the IFV, which led though the Cummins VTA-903T 8-cylinder diesel engine, and into the crew compartment. Hastily placed sandbags and cartridge casings were strewn about, pieces of American disintegrating belts piled next to them. Before I could take another step into the base, a spotlight illuminated me with it’s blindingly bright light. I heard the loud ‘CHIK-CHUK’ of a DShK charging handle being racked. >‘State your rank, name, and reason for being here!’ Someone ordered. Raising my hand to shield my eyes from the light, I reply, >‘Captain Chenkov, here for patrol sortie!’ >‘Oh, apologies, Captain! It’s protocol around here now. American rebels have been wearing our uniforms to infiltrate and sabotage us. Be careful, Captain!’ He says, before shutting off the searchlight. Blinking rapidly, I wordlessly nod and briskly walk to the tarmac, where my Mi-24 Krokodil awaited. Mi-8s and Mi-28s sat waiting to be rearmed and refueled, coming back from the frontlines with battle damage, some as severe as missing an entire stub wing, and nearly all suffering shrapnel damage. My gunner, 2nd Lieutenant Sokolov, was undergoing preflight checkups on the outer weapon pylons, as the 2 twin flight technicians, Alexei and Anatoly Ivanov, loaded more 7.62x54R belts into the troop compartment. Reaching the Krokodil, I greeted the three, and climbed into the armored cockpit of ‘Veronika’. Donning my helmet, I plugged into the Krokodil’s radio system, as Sokolov entered the gunner’s cockpit. >‘Radio check, report in!’ I say. >‘Alexei, locked and loaded!’ >‘Anatoly, buckled in!’ Sokolov turned around in his gunner’s cockpit and gave me a thumbs-up as he spoke. >‘Sokolov, seated!’ >‘Very well! Preflight checklist. What are our arms for today, Sokolov?’ I ask. >‘Yak-B 12.7mm, 20 S-8DM HE rockets, 20 S-8S Flechette rockets, 2 FAB-250s, and 4 9K114 Shturm missiles.’ Sokolov reports. The Ivanov twins cut in simultaneously, adding, >‘Don’t forget about us! We’re on the PKBs back here too!’ I chuckle at their antics. Although quirky, the twins were invaluable in Chechnya and in the mountains of Afghanistan. >‘Starting her up!’ I say as I power up ‘Veronika’. ‘Engine 1, check!’ >‘Confirmed power Engine 1!’ He responds. >‘Engine 2, check!’ >‘Confirmed power Engine 2!’ He repeats. ‘Fuel pressure is looking good! Hydraulics, good!’ >‘Bringing her up!’ I say, raising the clutch. I felt ‘Veronika’s’ power as she began to lift off. Like a predatory animal, the Krokodil rises from the tarmac. XXXXX - 2 The rattling of the cockpit comforts me as we circle the base. Our Krokodil wasn’t equipped for night operations, but command had ordered us to patrol due to the frequency of the guerilla attacks increasing exponentially during the night. Knowing they had the advantage of surprise and darkness, they struck during the night, effectively halting all convoys during night hours. Without aerial coverage, resupply convoys refused to move in guerilla-occupied territory. >“Sokolov, you’re navigating. Where’s the convoy at?” I ask. >“Uh, 3 kilometers east-northeast, bearing 067.” Sokolov says, his head buried in a map. >“Affirmative, adjusting course.” I banked ‘Veronika’ to the correct bearing, while listening to the Ivanov twins’ rendition of ‘Katusha’. >“Oj ty, pesnia, pesenka devichia, Ty leti za iasnym solntsem vsled. I bojtsu na dalnem pograniche. Ot Katyushi peredaj privet.” They were terribly off-tune, but I joined in anyways. >“Pust on vspomnit devushku prostuiu, Pust uslyshit, kak ona poet, Pust on zemliu berezhet rodnuiu, A liubov Katyusha sberezhet.” >“Can you keep it off the radio?! I’m trying to plot our route!” Sokolov complained angrily. >“Come on, Sokolov! Have some fun! You don’t need to be so uptight all the time! Sing with us!” Alexei shouted. Off-tune Russian singing continued all the way to the convoy. ---- >“There! To the right! That’s the convoy!” Sokolov shouted over the radio. The winding forest road snaked back and forth, my eyes following every curve until I saw the red tail lights of the convoy. >“I see it. I see it.” I confirm. >“Where? Where?” Anatoly asks. >“On the road, where it snakes back and forth like an S. There’s a rock outcropping above them now. You can’t miss it!” I say, guiding him to the convoy. >“Got it!” He responds cheerfully. >“Alright, searchlights on! Let’s make sure these supplies make it to the frontlines, to our comrades. They are depending on us!” I order. >“Yes, Captain.” came the unanimous reply. Over the radio, the convoy contacted us. >“This is 1st Lieutenant Volzhynsky. It’s nice to have you watching over us.” >“Likewise. We’ll give our best. Chenkov out.” I radio back. The order to move was given, and the convoy began down the winding country road. ----https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDQ7hXMLxGc---- >“900 litres of fuel left, Captain!” Sokolov informs me. Glancing down at the fuel gauge, I confirm his readings. I tap the gauge twice, just to be sure. >“Very well. Raise Volzhynsky, tell him we’re off to refuel.” I order. >“Convoy, this is Monolith-7, we are approaching bingo fuel, over.” >“Requesting permission to RTB and refuel, over.” >“Monolith-7, this is Badger Actual, Permission granted.” Sokolov informs us over the internal helicopter comms that we are free to RTB and refuel. Banking ‘Veronika’ right, we begin to peel off from the convoy. The Ivanov twins continue to scan with their PKB-mounted spotlights even as I bring ‘Veronika’ to bear towards the airbase. >“Too bad nothing ever happens.” Alexei says. >“Shut up, you’re going to jinx something.” Anatoly retorts. Before I or Sokolov could butt into their conversation, an explosion could be heard behind us, followed by a frantic radio call for help. >“Monolith-7! Monolith-7! This is Badger Actual! We’ve been attacked! Get back here!” Volzhynsky ordered. Performing another turn, I brought ‘Veronika’ into a attack run towards the convoy. The lead BTR-80 was aflame whilst green and red tracers exchanged fire. The white streak of AT rockets flew into the convoy from a rocky outcrop as 14.5mm tracers flew into the forest. The rear BMP’s autocannon laid high-explosive rain into the surrounding forest, firing wildly. Another barrage of white AT rockets struck multiple GAZ trucks carrying ammunition, causing them to cook off. >“Sokolov! Suppress that outcrop! Alexei! They’re going to be on your side! Open fire!” I order, unlocking the master safe on the S-8 rockets. >BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT Yellow tracers fill my vision as the Yak-B fired, unleashing a 3 second burst. Alexei’s PKB started firing not long after, the green tracers bouncing off the rock, sending them flying in all directions. I let loose 3 rockets from each pod. >FWHAPF >FWHAPF >FWAHPF The HE S-8DM blew chunks out of the outcrop as the S-8S flechette rockets airburst, sending thousands of tiny flechettes out into the forest. Sokolov let loose another burst of 12.7mm from the Yak-B chaingun as I passed over the guerilla’s position. Circling around for another pass, Anatoly began to fire his PKB, cackling like a psychopath. An alarm began to blare in the cockpit, a red light indicating that there was a Stinger missile inbound. With superhuman speed, my hand found the button to eject magnesium flare decoys. Launching 3 sets of flares, I watched the heat-seeking missile dip down, and go after the decoy. >“Sokolov! Did you see where that came from?! Anatoly!?” I yelled. Anatoly’s laughing was all I could hear from the cabin, as Sokolov frantically searched for the origin of the MANPAD launch. >“There! By that clump of trees!” A burst of yellow tracer fire punctuated his sentence. Sure enough, I spotted a faint vapor trail above where he fired. Once again bringing ‘Veronika’ to bear, I unleashed a barrage of S-8DM rockets, flattening that area. All three guns firing, I made another pass over the rock formation that the guerrillas were spotted at, and dropped a FAB on it. The 250lb bomb sent chunks of rock flying into the sky, some potentially striking our Krokodil. Much of the fighting had died down, the guerillas melting back into the forest. About 30% of the convoy was destroyed, with another 4 vehicles disabled. Another warning alarm beeped, clamoring for my attention. It read ‘Fuel low’. >“Sokolov, tell the convoy we must RTB.” >“Badger Actual, this is Monolith-7. Come in, over.” >“Monolith-7, this is Badger Actual. Thank you for the assistance, you saved many lives.” >“Badger, we are black on fuel and munitions. We cannot remain in this airspace any longer. We are returning to base. Over.” >“Good copy, Monolith, Badger out.”