20-03-2026, 02:09 AM
Three Seconds.
[REDACTED}, Xsampan Air Space
September 4th, 5718
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Palmo kept his finger off the trigger. Just an average training exercise he thought to himself. The radio buzzed with life. "Star-4, status check." He quickly responded, "Star-4, all systems golden." He kept his eyes forward, but allowed his gaze to drift ever so slightly. It was a clear blue sky. It was lovely. He could stay up here forever. The jet responded to his every command. What more could he ask for? Just a routine training exercise. The radio interrupted his thoughts. "Star-4, you're drifting. Correct to zero-eight-four, stay close to Star-1, over." He quickly responded with a short "copy". A slight touch on the stick, and the plane responded with ease.
"This is Control to all Callsigns, we are green for the exercise to begin. Drones will be entering the AO momentarily. Prepare to simulate engagement." This was it, he thought. He kept his plane in formation. Ping. The radar made a sound. Ping. Another sound. Two blips were appearing. The exercise was beginning. The radio went back to life, as Palmo listened. "Star-1, taking point, all Callsigns prepare to break off and engage." Palmo saw the jet ahead of him go forward rapidly. He broke off as the rest of the formation did the same. Star-3 climbed, Star-2 dipped, and Palmo rolled to the right, as he kept his eyes glued to the radar. More pings. Great, he thought to himself. More drones. Too many.
Palmo managed to tail a drone. He used his radio, "Control, requesting to engage". He kept his finger on the trigger. It was just a drone. He kept trying to tail it. The radio gave the all clear. "Fox two." The missile roared as it fired, locking onto the drone. "Splash". He confirmed on the radio. One down, several more to go. Ping. Another drone entered the AO. Surely this was getting excessive. What was Control simulating, a Great Terran War? It didn't really matter. The radio got hectic fast, unfortunately for Palmo. "Control, confirm several new targets." The radio confirmed, and Star-1 continued. "Affirm. Star-2, take high. Star-3, support Star-5. Star-4, continue to engage."
Things were getting a bit hectic. But it's fine. It had to be fine. Just had to set into the pattern of engaging the drones. He tailed another drone. Rinse and repeat, he thought to himself. "Requesting to engage." He didn't get confirmation. Just a "standby". Silence. Guess everyone else was asking Control the same thing. He kept tailing the drone. "Confirmed." He squeezed the trigger, and the missile streaked forward towards the drone. "Splash". Ping. How many drones are there? Oh. A lone one. Easy pickings, he thought to himself. He rolled, and moved to tail the drone. It wasn't tagged. Weird. Did the IFF go off? "Control, got an unmarked ID here, request permission to engage." Silence. He kept tailing. Several other Callsigns were engaging. More silence. "Control, requesting permission to engage unmarked ID." Static. Maybe it's part of the exercise? He put his finger in the trigger. The radar was locked on. Was this really a drone? It didn't move like one. It had to be apart of the exercise. The IFF would've flagged otherwise. "Fox two". He pulled the trigger and the missile went away.
"Mayday, mayday, Star-1 hit, I repeat, Star-1 hit, I'm going down-" Palmo froze. What. The radio buzzed with life "This is Star-2, what the hell just happened?" Palmo felt his breathing increasing. That- no, the IFF would've identified it as Star-1. It couldn't have been friendly fire. "All Callsigns, disengage immediately. Star-1 is down, repeat, disengage immediately". Palmo felt his heart drop. "This is Star-3, no visual on Star-1, maintaining altitude. I think Star-4 last had visual." The radio was full of overlapping voices as Palmo felt his chest tighten. It couldn't have been Star-1. It couldn't. IFF would've, should've, flagged it. "Search and rescue authorized, coordinates-" Palmo couldn't pay attention to the radio anymore.
"Confirm, all Callsigns, disengage immediately. RTB immediately. Star-1 is down, presumed blue-on-blue." Palmo tried to calm himself down. He just had to get back to base and land, and explain everything. Just stay in formation, finger off the trigger and try to stay calm. What did he do?"
[REDACTED}, Xsampan Air Space
September 4th, 5718
---------------------
Palmo kept his finger off the trigger. Just an average training exercise he thought to himself. The radio buzzed with life. "Star-4, status check." He quickly responded, "Star-4, all systems golden." He kept his eyes forward, but allowed his gaze to drift ever so slightly. It was a clear blue sky. It was lovely. He could stay up here forever. The jet responded to his every command. What more could he ask for? Just a routine training exercise. The radio interrupted his thoughts. "Star-4, you're drifting. Correct to zero-eight-four, stay close to Star-1, over." He quickly responded with a short "copy". A slight touch on the stick, and the plane responded with ease.
"This is Control to all Callsigns, we are green for the exercise to begin. Drones will be entering the AO momentarily. Prepare to simulate engagement." This was it, he thought. He kept his plane in formation. Ping. The radar made a sound. Ping. Another sound. Two blips were appearing. The exercise was beginning. The radio went back to life, as Palmo listened. "Star-1, taking point, all Callsigns prepare to break off and engage." Palmo saw the jet ahead of him go forward rapidly. He broke off as the rest of the formation did the same. Star-3 climbed, Star-2 dipped, and Palmo rolled to the right, as he kept his eyes glued to the radar. More pings. Great, he thought to himself. More drones. Too many.
Palmo managed to tail a drone. He used his radio, "Control, requesting to engage". He kept his finger on the trigger. It was just a drone. He kept trying to tail it. The radio gave the all clear. "Fox two." The missile roared as it fired, locking onto the drone. "Splash". He confirmed on the radio. One down, several more to go. Ping. Another drone entered the AO. Surely this was getting excessive. What was Control simulating, a Great Terran War? It didn't really matter. The radio got hectic fast, unfortunately for Palmo. "Control, confirm several new targets." The radio confirmed, and Star-1 continued. "Affirm. Star-2, take high. Star-3, support Star-5. Star-4, continue to engage."
Things were getting a bit hectic. But it's fine. It had to be fine. Just had to set into the pattern of engaging the drones. He tailed another drone. Rinse and repeat, he thought to himself. "Requesting to engage." He didn't get confirmation. Just a "standby". Silence. Guess everyone else was asking Control the same thing. He kept tailing the drone. "Confirmed." He squeezed the trigger, and the missile streaked forward towards the drone. "Splash". Ping. How many drones are there? Oh. A lone one. Easy pickings, he thought to himself. He rolled, and moved to tail the drone. It wasn't tagged. Weird. Did the IFF go off? "Control, got an unmarked ID here, request permission to engage." Silence. He kept tailing. Several other Callsigns were engaging. More silence. "Control, requesting permission to engage unmarked ID." Static. Maybe it's part of the exercise? He put his finger in the trigger. The radar was locked on. Was this really a drone? It didn't move like one. It had to be apart of the exercise. The IFF would've flagged otherwise. "Fox two". He pulled the trigger and the missile went away.
"Mayday, mayday, Star-1 hit, I repeat, Star-1 hit, I'm going down-" Palmo froze. What. The radio buzzed with life "This is Star-2, what the hell just happened?" Palmo felt his breathing increasing. That- no, the IFF would've identified it as Star-1. It couldn't have been friendly fire. "All Callsigns, disengage immediately. Star-1 is down, repeat, disengage immediately". Palmo felt his heart drop. "This is Star-3, no visual on Star-1, maintaining altitude. I think Star-4 last had visual." The radio was full of overlapping voices as Palmo felt his chest tighten. It couldn't have been Star-1. It couldn't. IFF would've, should've, flagged it. "Search and rescue authorized, coordinates-" Palmo couldn't pay attention to the radio anymore.
"Confirm, all Callsigns, disengage immediately. RTB immediately. Star-1 is down, presumed blue-on-blue." Palmo tried to calm himself down. He just had to get back to base and land, and explain everything. Just stay in formation, finger off the trigger and try to stay calm. What did he do?"
"Yet I am here, and here I shall remain to behold the world in all it's beauty"
"The world is but a stage. Why cry, when you can laugh instead? For laughter is humanity's preserve. Laugh it all off, fret not, Let's just enjoy the moment."
"The world is but a stage. Why cry, when you can laugh instead? For laughter is humanity's preserve. Laugh it all off, fret not, Let's just enjoy the moment."