Ters-Ly War (1)

  A minute and an unimportant number of seconds later, all reflecting on the soldiers' eyes, the 5 Lymocan fighters flew together in circles, up and down, with Terkans remainings falling from clouds of grayish smoke. Only 2 Terkan warplanes escaped. One with smoke and some fire coming off its left wing, which was crucial to its thin structure. The other was mostly alright, with some deep bullet holes in its surface.

  The Lymocan fighters moved a little slow after the breathtaking, quick show where the soldiers’ eyes couldn’t see it well, but it was depicted mostly by the flying bullets and exploding or failing missiles.

  Meanwhile, the Terkan warplanes escaped to the sea, avoiding going further north to not meet the Lymocan navy, but 2 frigates were close enough. Even with the tens of kilometers’ distance between them and the Terkan warplanes, a special ‘toy’ in their arsenal was propped up.

  Like a 6-barreled machine gun, but instead of guns, cannons, yet not artillery. This weapon with 12 square shaped cannon canisters locked onto the warplanes. Both frigates only had 1 of this type, and they were connected to a thick, circular base beneath them.

  They rotated with ease and stopped, seemingly calculating before firing 12 small yet thick missiles each. The frigates sounded with light ‘po po po’ sounds with each missile shot into the sky. The Terkan warplanes sped up despite the damages to their structures, identifying those as very destructive.

  However, they were quite a bit damaged, so they could only speed up a little before those missiles flew towards them, each in a different angle and with unique trajectories. The Terkans immediately employed their anti-missile devices, but the missiles flew around with as much flexibility as possible, while others went through helplessly.

  The frame needed to avoid the spikes areas was too close, with those missiles avoiding it barely doing so by a couple of meters at best, mere feet at worse.

  A few had to fly into the field of spikes, of which only 3 came out unharmed. The warplanes continued fleeing, with those 3 catching up to their tails. One had their engine struck, directly inclining downwards, rapidly reached by 6 other missiles.

  Its explosion wasn’t big, but the damage was swift and direct, leaving no chances for the warplane’s structure to get lucky. The other warplane was slowing down, unable to turn to the south with its damaged wing. It was either north or ahead/east, while flying east meant stabilizing the warplane to not tilt northwards.

  The other two missiles that crossed the spikes areas successfully neared the warplane, causing the pilot inside to panic, looking behind left and right until one missile exploded just 2 meters from its damaged wing.

  Immediately, the warplane spun, spiraling downwards as the other missile exploded near the cabin. To finish it off, just before it landed, one after another, the other missiles exploded bits and bits of its structure, seemingly calculating even the trajectory after another missile hit it, on and on, with great synergy.

  With the last enemy warplane gone, the soldiers looked at the ‘battlefield’ in the air with newfound longing. The Lymocan fighters went back into formation to head north, with 2 of those slightly planing unto the sea.

  “Yeees! Take that! That’s what you deserve! Weeuaaah!” The colonel looked at the soldier he helped earlier with a calm face. The soldier jumped about and flung his arms before falling to the ground, nearly hyperventilating. The colonel crossed his arms before looking at the sky.

  Of course he felt like the soldier, but him acting like a young man now might make these soldiers, all important elements of Lymoca, fall before they ever should.

  “Huff, huff, huff…!” - “Haaah, cough… ahh…” - “Huff…”

  On the other hand, the Lymocan pilots were having problems to just breath and keep both eyes open, but they were aware of what they did, and very proud at that. The pilot who dodged at the last moment looked at the 2 fighters slowly falling to the sea.

  On the ground, the colonel took the radio from a soldier and talked with the same commander as before. He looked at the two fighters descending into the water and questioned, “I see two falling, is everything alright?”

  “Their pilots are injured. The navy will treat them, and water is safer— all of it.” The commander replied. The colonel understood those words, its emphasis, everything. With narrowed eyes, he nodded before looking around to pass the radio to the army’s general. “Understood. Thanks for the help, my condolences.”

  “Received.” The commander flatly replied, but the colonel wasn’t there to see the other side’s reaction. Thus, he just replied with, “Lye.”

  “Lye.” Their communication ended like that, with the colonel passing the radio to an old man, who also saw the destruction of all enemy warplanes in the first, actual skirmish between both countries. War had started; its terror was now beginning.

  The fighters landed on the water a couple of minutes later. 4 frigates went over to help, 1 was enough to pick the fighters’ important parts that at least remained. The others were to ensure no other attacks befell them. These pilots were all stars in the Lymocan forces now.

  As the skies were more or less won over, Luis authorized the Admiral Secretary’s use of 20 fighters if a situation arose and it was required. Once there was a HQ in Terkan territory, the Defense Secretary will the command of the rest of the air forces sent into the war effort.

  The army on the ground watched as 50 light support helicopters flew over the enemy territory and blew each mine, triggering them and rapidly clearing the way for them. After a large minefield terrain was cleared, the army sent a unit to check the following mine locations, proceeding until they had gotten rid of them all.

  As for the city they were meant to ignore, they now realized it was empty through means…

  … Hours later, with all the mines triggered one by one, leaving a land of grass and dirt soft, but still more than enough to travel, with no more on their way to the first city, the army advanced. With only a distance of 80 kilometers, the army closed in after 2 hours.

  They passed by some towns and villages. These were full of people who took photos and videos of the Lymocan front column entering their land. They might have time before Lymoca could limit internet usage with the IWS agreement to upload them.

  The Admiral Secretary ordered 7 fighters to take off and patrol in case it happened again. Lymoca had very few fighters, but while Terka had a similar quantity, they weren’t from the same equal quality that Lymoca enjoyed in their air forces.

  After passing by some more settlements, the marching line neared the dark city, with the morning gray sky lighting up a bit of the world around them. The light support helicopters had already checked the surroundings, with some frigates coming closer, checking there weren’t any survivors or enemy sightings.

  But just as they were heading towards the city in order to investigate…

  Wwwhhhooossshhhhh~…

  The marching line spread like mad ants, their respective anti-aircraft weaponry getting ready to defend their positions after spreading far enough. The 7 fighters shot from the distance to their aid, with the Admiral Secretary ordering the other 13 to take off, and sending a message to Luis.

  Those weren’t 10 or a few more incoming enemy warplanes, but possibly all of Terka’s aircraft!

  The army watched as a few dozens of enemy warplanes with the characteristic of bombers flew towards them from the west, directly ahead of them from the other side of the city. However, before they could brace themselves, and the 7 fighters positioned themselves to destroy as much of those bombers, missiles flew off from the enemy bombers.

  Furthermore, bombs with propellers were also thrown off immediately. All directed… towards the city!

  Boom boom boom… Booom boom boom… Kkkkkrrrraakkttt! Thump- THUD, thud thud thud…!

  Multiple explosions rang out everywhere in the city. The Terkans were destroying their own city, with missiles aiming at the buildings in the eastern side, and the bombs landing on the western side of the city. The army watched as big explosions congregated everywhere in the city.

  Tall buildings fell like cotton sugar falling on water, and others were bombed to the side, falling onto another and accumulating smoke everywhere. When the gas in the city spread, the still ranging explosions reached it, unleashing a massive chain reaction of explosions to make the earth quake for a few seconds, even several kilometers from the city.

  “What the hell are they doing…?” - “…” Many high officials watched this and could only come up with an answer. The world had been too far away from things, even those such as wars, to let ideals like these come up from nowhere.

  … As this happened, the footage the Lymocan army had of the first skirmish, from afar, but still impacting, spread in Lymoca. It didn’t take more than a few minutes for those news to reach everywhere.

  Furthermore, it wasn’t just the army watching this. Even though it was morning now, there was elevated terrain in the distance, with settlements build on top, safely and with great view to what was happening to their land. Many didn’t understand, as Terka’s air force was unknown, but they would soon know. Nobody can fool the IWS of such a blatant attack; self-attack, for that matter.

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  The enemy bombers still had more to give out. They were bombers, so of course they have copious ammunition. But the 7 fighters had already come close with top speed, slowing down as they locked their guiding systems and started firing at the enemy bombers.

  Missiles flew off the fighters soon after, destroying 10 bombers before promptly retreating together. They fired off machine guns and fled at top speed back to the southwest. The fighters chased them, easily avoiding their machine gun fire, much lower than their other warplanes.

  “There you go! Go fuck them up! Waaargh!” - “With their fucking tails fucking tucked between their… legs, ugh. Fucking morons…” - “Así los quería ver, puercas!(That’s how I wanted to see you, swines!)” The soldiers shouted, seeing their air forces humiliate the few dozens of enemy warplanes, forcing the enemy to flee while they surpassed them several times their number.

  “Motherfuckers!” - “KILL them! AAGH!” - “How dare they? How dare they!?” Meanwhile, the Terkans watching this also shouted and called out for the fighters to chase the cowardly higher number of warplanes in the sky.

  They didn’t know who was from which side, but those lots destroyed an important part of their country, an entire city! That was so inhumane! No matter what, they wanted those guilty dead!

  10 minutes after the incident, with several frigates moving in after Luis was communicated, immediately ordering the navy to search for civilian casualties as soon as it was safe for them. Similarly, the Terkan president had something to say to the world.

  Like a virus, it appeared everywhere in the southern Moonblue countries and Lymoca’s social media. It was a pre-recorded video of him sitting in a small room, wearing a military attire with his white beige cap on the table before him, raging about.

  “Lymoca has broken the peace! They are going to threaten all of Terka! I request my fellow countries to support Terka! This criminal nation won’t be forgiven. Their aggressions transcend humanity! They must know what it means to no longer be considered human!”

  “They won’t take a single settlement in my country! My people, rise! Grab a stone, a knife, use one of your bones and break it into several little parts, then grab the sharpest ones— KILL LYMOCAAAANS!”

  It was something, alright. But almost like waiting for this moment, from Lymoca, a pre-recorded video of the president, of which the time it was recorded wasn’t known because it only showed Luis’s office, was uploaded in Lymoca’s governmental social media accounts.

  Luis spoke with his back straight, showing his desk in good volume with his figure, looking between the camera and whatever was behind it. “Considering the different points of view in the Moonblue supercontinent, and knowing what people is capable of doing, just like ordering in the middle something by mistake. Something that wasn’t seen since the recreation of our civilization in this Fourth Sanctum Order— I have decided, with my cabinet and, hopefully, the will of the people… To break relationships off with Cerka and Torka.”

  “I don’t hate the people of these countries, not even of Terka, I would never hate on the people of any country. What this is about is the relations with the governments of these countries, who have chosen time and again to discredit Lymoca’s reputation and ignore its history and facts. I’d like to remind everyone again, this isn’t for the peoples, but their governments only.”

  “I have already stated it before, but I will again and again, as many as they are needed so my words can be heard farther and further. Lymoca won’t harm civilians nor go into cities where people might be endangered. We will only neutralize the Terkan military forces in a direct confrontation, away from the people, to detain the puppeteered Terkan government heads.”

  “This is also my message to Terkans. We aren’t marching on your land to conquer it and make it ours,” Luis smiled, amused. “Nor to ‘take it back’, if that’s what some ‘experts’ tell you nowadays, from history that is far left behind and that isn’t showing the overall situations. As a matter of fact, Lymoca will present, in my morning press conferences, not only the advances of the war, but we will also give history lessons where we go back to those times.”

  “Thank you for listening to me. Everyone knows these aren’t times for one to feel joyous with this situation. I call upon to respect all peoples’ lives and their CMDC. This covenant is our future.”

  There was a clear, striking difference between both presidents and the nature of their approach to speak to the world. Social media and its use to communicate to the world was both an easy tool and a feared one by those who go against the majority. Few dared to expose themselves.

  To put it bluntly, Terka’s president was like a quirky dog barking behind railings, while Lymoca’s president observed from a very different position, seeing everything that there is to see.

  ***

  Lymoca, Proteros City. Supreme Court Justice, private meeting. 4th week’s 6th day.

  Things didn’t go better for Terka as the days went by. Just 2 days after the incident of destroying the city, with the morning press conferences, Luis exposed Terka’s head of state’s actions. While this did give the image that wherever Lymoca’s forces went to, everything might be destroyed, it also horribly tainted the Terkan president’s reputation.

  Before, it was only disgust for his conduct. But now, it made anyone frown. Furthermore, according to the city damages, Terka didn’t calculate the possibilities of massive destruction. Thus, gas, electricity, and water weren’t cut off. Only water was half cut-off, not intending to let the Lymocan army get free supplies.

  Terka had planned to cut everything in one go, but they learned it wasn’t that easy to leave an entire city without such vital supplies. Something normal to have for such an important thing, like a city, but alas…

  Cors wanted to send humanitarian aid, which they did, as another country of the Humane Key. They sent tens of thousands to help clear debris and more with the Lymocan navy, which several frigates sent with small machinery that aided find… bodies below the rubble.

  Even if the Terkan president wanted to make a masterful plan of his, trying to slow the Lymocan army down; evacuating the city was so important, but they hadn’t achieved that, let alone actually slow down the army.

  … Just this morning’s press conference showed the world that 729 people were found dead in the city, mostly grayed corpses, with not a small quantity of families. The worst was when various children were found alone, with not even traces of others’ clothes around them.

  Now, the Terkan president was truly alone. At least regarding social media. The army and navy still received reports from Melenon’s shores, of how ANS has been keeping on sending resources to Terka through Cerka, all the way to the southwest of south Moonblue.

  Meanwhile, the army kept advancing, finding another 3 abandoned cities. While Terka ‘got better’ at destroying their own cities, cutting off some gas, all electricity and water in time… With the results of just the first one, people felt mortified that the Terkan government kept doing this.

  Things went silent around the world. Even ANS remained quiet, not telling what little naughty things they were doing behind everyone’s back while everyone watched Terka commit atrocities for ‘war effort’, while Lymoca kept marching without battling.

  However, while there was no fight, instead of lowering the Lys’ moral, be it at Terka or back in Lymoca, they only grew more determined. That might not be what Terka desired would happen.

  Cerka and Torka also remained quiet, with Lymoca’s previous announcement cutting relations with them leaving them quieter than even the east. It almost made one think the Torkan and Cerks governments paid their national news anchors to keep it quiet, too.

  Nevertheless, what Luis hadn’t given information about yet was of the hidden trails the army had found. Furthermore, after studying them, it was found out that a hidden Terkan force was somewhere where the navy still had a notorious range to offer support. Things got tense.

  Right now, however, he was at the SCJ building, having a talk with the 13 Supreme Ministers, who only let him and Fox come to the meeting.

  This was a huge change, however. Was it any other time, and just like Vanessa Valyer has shown, she would’ve brought the trial to a start with no questions asked.

  Furthermore, the 10 Supreme Court Ministers, of 12 present, wore unsatisfied expressions since the Supreme Justice Minister brought Fox into the meeting. They wanted to eat Luis alone, of course they did, knowing Luis was all image and talk, but could break. All thanks to their ears, tickling from some little birds’ songs.

  Regardless, Fox sat with his back reclining on his metallic seat, while the 13 Supreme Ministers sat in comfy chairs. Luis also sat on a seat which one could find in any food stall in the streets. Fox’s arms had been crossed for a while now, occasionally looking at the talking Supreme Ministers. The room was a little too big to be private, but it had purposely dim lights, which he liked. It also kept the noise outside out, and the noise inside short, like a smooth vacuum.

  Strangely enough for 13 out of 15 people in the room, Vanessa Valyer was being more talkative than ever.

  “And the situation with the war is what is the most disgusting. I mean, how could you start one? You should’ve lied low… this isn’t correct, president Luis Heartez.” At this moment, with Vanessa Valyer crossing her arms and sitting on her chair, looking bothered, a Supreme Court Minister spoke to Luis, even standing up to attract more attention, even though it was just them.

  Luis shrugged, “When my kitchen is broken into and a thief steals an object, I’ll be calm. When a guest breaks my kitchen, I will allow myself to get angry.”

  The Supreme Court Minister frowned and barked with disgust, “What the hell is that even supposed to mean?”

  Luis shrugged a little. Fox gave him a glance, feeling this President was so used to him that he started talking with the same attitude he sometimes uses.

  “See? There isn’t a no wa-” Before the Supreme Court Minister could continue, Vanessa sat up, but the man didn’t notice until she lightly cleared her throat, like a whisper. The room going silent, she looked at Fox, speaking with a suddenly drawing voice. “What do you have in your mind?”

  “…” Fox looked at Vanessa, impassive with 7 impenetrable black pools, and sat up before clearing his throat, barely making a sound. “Luis is the President now. He may not be in the future. If you really want to put him down like a dog, choose the method of giving him hope, then taking it away from him. You talking here like this makes me want to look for a crappy camera somewhere. It’s that or ignore him as he fails to go for his 3rd term.”

  Luis looked at him, calm, collected, wise… silently wanting to fume from the inside. Vanessa stared at Fox unblinking until he finished, blinking once before showing a trace of a smile, not knowing he noticed. Then, she looked at her people and saw their dumbfounded expressions.

  “Sigh, let’s go with that. There’s always more than one choice in the matter. I can’t just force everything anymore, it seems.” Vanessa looked up, gesturing with her chin up before darting her eyes back to Fox. Then, she stood up, with everyone getting ready to leave.

  The meeting was decided and over by the ringleader’s choice and her people’s… stupidity. One word from Fox was all it was needed. Nevertheless, 10 people walked out of the room, further dissatisfied.

  “Fox, may I speak with you a little?”

  As Fox and Luis walked out after the meeting finally ended, with Luis looking like an addict who couldn’t wait to return to his office gain, Vanessa stopped them with a petition.

  Fox turned around, with Luis looking back a few steps ahead before leaving him behind. The boy knows how to walk back home by now.

  Fox glanced at Vanessa, whose short frame of the Túacan’s natural red hair and rosy lips, with her azure eyes and white skin, faced him; a beauty of beauties.

  Fox tilted his head, blinking in sign of approval.

  …