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August 5th, 2018.

4th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1st Air Wing, JNAF

"Ulsan Tower to Symphonia 2-1 and 2-2, you are cleared to take off."

Upon the clearance, the first element of Symphonia 2 took off. followed by the second element.

Arima Kousei has been promoted to 1st Lieutenant and is leading the second element of Symphonia 2, with Igawa Emi as his wingman, also already a 1st Lieutenant. Meanwhile, Emi's leader, 1st Lt. Nara, was transferred into Symphonia 4 (D flight) and promoted into captain to replace it's old flight lead, Capt. Alberto Akizuki (an immigrant from Peru) which was sadly killed when his F-15 crashed in a training sortie. In Nara's place, 1st Lt. Nakajima Yoshiro was assigned as Capt. Natsuki's wingman.

The 4th Sqn once more assigned into the Yellow Sea sector, as intelligence had reported that the Chinese, despite not yet openly intervene, had intensified it's aid to the North Koreans including military equipments and other supplies such as fuel and ammunition. In addition, Islamic Republic of Iran, the main partner of North Korea missile programs also has confirmed to deliver supplies to both its volunteer forces and North Korean government via China or Russia. Coalition's interdiction efforts by mostly 5th Generation fighters managed to restrict it's delivery in some degree, along with blockade of Yellow Sea and the East Sea of Korea (Sea of Japan) by Allied naval assets. Speaking of navy, there are reports already that Coalition vessels has been fired upon by Chinese air and naval forces over the Yellow Sea, especially mine countermeasure vessels, as North Koreans had extensively mined their coastline up to 200 nautical miles with four coalition vessels has been damaged in the process. Alongside mines, kamikaze attacks by obsolete KPAF fighters such as J-5/MiG-17s or J-6/MiG-19s towards Coalition army and naval positions had also been confirmed.

As the result, the rule of air engagement was revised to allow Coalition pilots to fire on marked PLAAF (People's Liberation Army Air Force) and PLANAF (People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force) fighters and bombers, along with PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) vessels shall they attacked Coalition aircraft and ships in the area. Previously, attacks from China are mostly executed by unmarked aircrafts or with North Korean markings and rarely targeting Coalition ships.

4th Squadron soon refueled and soon positioned themselves between Korea Bay and Yellow Sea, close to Chinese territorial waters, on 15.000 feet.

"Be advised, we have two contacts bearing 240 and closing fast, Co-alt, identified as up to two squadrons of J-11 Flankers and Saeqehs, second contact, same bearing, Angels 2, identified as J-6, Prioritize suicide aircraft first!" said a Royal Air Force Airbus A330 Lookout (1) AEW1 AWACS callsign "Highland".

"This is Rogue flight, we are en route to engage the Kamikazes" said a flight of USN Super Hornets. Meanwhile, Japanese F-15s are to engage the Flankers and Saeqehs. The latter was tasked for anti-ship duty using North Korean copy of Russian Kh-35 anti-ship missile, Kumsong-3.

"This is Symphonia lead, all Symphonia call sign assume formation and spread out, we are now commencing the mission" said the 4th Squadron CO, Lt. Col. Toyotomi Hamada.

"Hai" answered all Symphonia flight leaders.

They flew over various Coalition aircrafts such as F-2s, F-16s, F/A-18s, Tejases (2) and Rafales assigned in lower altitudes to hunt North Korean kamikazes, strike aircrafts, and the remaining KPA Navy assets, mostly fast attack crafts.

"Keep your radars on sweep mode" Hamada ordered as the 4th Squadron radars began to obtain contact with the enemy squadron.

Symphonia 2 is tasked in engaged one of such enemy flight.

The F-15s had perfectly in missile range, and Kousei's finger is on the trigger, ready to fire his AAM-4s, but the flight lead has not given them permission to fire. Soon the pianist concluded that Natsuki wants the first shot too. As the result he soon gain lock and presses the trigger. Natsuki done the same, almost at the exact time. Two AAM-4 streaked over the sky on Mach 3. But all of it missed.

"Missile, evade!"

The Flankers had retaliated by firing it's R-27 (AA-10) missiles, but the effort also unsuccessful and only produced one near-miss, which due to the missile detonated prematurely near Natsuki's F-15. His wing has been peppered by shrapnel but no damage was taken.

Symphonia 2 engaged the Flankers, meanwhile Symphonia 1 focused on the less-maneuverable Saeqehs.

"Fox two!" Emi fired one of her AAM-5s on a Flanker attempted to carry it's famous Cobra maneuver. As the North Korean pilot inside lowered his speed, the missile, using it's lock-on-after-launch capability, immediately homed into the Flanker and destroyed it. Her fifth kill.

"Shin (die)!" she said upon she saw her prey exploded instantly, giving the occupant no opportunity to eject.

Igawa Emi had officially becoming an Ace.

"Red Wing, break!" Kousei warned his wingman as two R-27 heading towards them. He soon acquired two Su-27 heading straight towards them and without wasting time, he locked on and fired two AAM-4s.

"Symphonia 2-3, Fox three!" He banked left, followed by Emi, as two explosion were registered on the horizon. Two kills for Kousei and like Emi, he is now an Ace, had scored 6 kills in total. Later, two Saeqehs was painted by Emi's radar, and she soon took out both Iranians with her AAM-4s.

Unfortunately, they soon heard a report dreaded by most pilots.

"Symphonia 4-2 is down! Confirmed no chute!" It's the first air-combat loss for the F-15.

"Splash two Saeqehs!" another report came, this time from Symphonia 3. Then "All strike aircraft confirmed destroyed" still from Symphonia 3.

As the battle goes on, Kousei checked his radar and.. "Damn, I've got another group of planes from the North."

"AWACS, bogey dope" requested Lt. Col. Hamada.

"Standby, be advised we have a mission update for you. We tracking at least four squadron, approximately 72 aircrafts. Confirmed as North Korean, two four-ship flight of Fishbeds, and wait a minute.. we saw eight Venezuelan Su-30MK2 Flankers behind the MiGs." AWACS Highland replied.

"Kuso! (shit)" Symphonia 2-2 cursed upon hearing the socialist Venezuelans, oceans away from their home, had send fighters to support the DPRK's war effort.

"All right. Symphonia squadron, you are cleared to engage at will. If you are run out of missiles and or fuel bug out and let other Coalition squadron to engage."

"This is Grun (green in German) leader to Highland, we are rendezvousing with the Japanese squadron and proceed to engage the enemy" said the leader of a squadron of Eurofighter Typhoons, this time from the Luftwaffe (German Air Force).

"Symphonia to Grun, good afternoon, we'll join you to bag them all. All Symphonia call-sign, weapons free!" Hamada replied and later gives his pilots a clearance to engage.

Soon, Kousei obtained a solid radar lock on five enemy jets, as he has only five remaining AAM-4s.

"Fox three!" He ripple-fired his remaining AAM-4s, which destroyed three KPAF Fishbeds and two AMBV (Aviacion Militar de Bolivariana de Venezuela/Venezuelan Military Aviation) Flankers.

"Double-ace! Congratulations, 2-3!" Capt. Natsuki, also already an ace after bagging three MiG-21s, praised Kousei.

"Just doing my duty, sir!" Kousei replied. Emi, pursuing a Venezuelan Flanker, can only smile under her oxygen mask when she listened her boyfriend attempt to keep himself humble, but soon she pulls out a high yo-yo to counter her enemy's Cobra attempt. Outwitted, the Flanker was soon hammered by a burst of 20 mm cannon from Emi's Eagle, causing both of it's AL-31 engines to fail and crashed it into the sea below.

"Splash one Venezuelan Flanker, they bailed out (Sukhoi Su-30 has two crewmembers)" Emi reported her kill.

The remaining enemy fighters, outgunned, broke off and started to retreat from the battle area. The Luftwaffe Typhoons remained on station commencing combat air patrol, while the Japanese broke off, one by one, to return to Ulsan.

It's the crowning moment for Kousei and Emi, while the victory also give their first taste of losing a comrade in combat..

A/N:

1. In this timeline the Royal Air Force replaced the ageing E-3 Sentry with an Airbus A330 based AWACS aircraft, designated as Lookout AEW1 in service.

The project is real, through as the Indian Air Force are looking to complement their Beriev A-50 (based on Il-76) AEW with Western made platform, with the A330 won the tender. (Source: Flightglobal)

2. HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) Tejas is an Indian-made single-engine multirole fighter. In this story the aircraft has been fully operational in 2010.

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAL_Tejas)