“I think I see the bombers!”, one of the Yamato searchlight operators yelled out, moving the searchlight at a spot in the sky. His superior looks at where he is pointing with a pair of binoculars, and grumbles.

“It’s ours. Fighters to find the bombers. Keep searching.” The searchlight waves passed the fighter planes to other parts of the night sky.

There was a flash of explosions like thunder and lightning in the sky before burning pieces started falling back down.

“Did we shoot down the bombers?” the same person excitedly ask, believing their planes shot down the evil Ruthenian bombers.

The other searchlight beam converges on the falling flaming wreckage dropping into the city.

The superior points his binoculars at the burning objects and was shocked.

“No. It is ours. Our planes got shot down.”

The heavier pieces of Yamato fighter planes crash into the city with a loud distant crunch as they hit whatever it is landing on.

***

Back at the convoy, Rolan was receiving messages from the AWAC overseeing the operation above Tokyo.

“What? You’re going to bomb the airstrip?” Rolan asked for clarification.

“That’s right, so wherever you are, don’t get any closer to the airstrip until I say so, the Wraith fighter aircraft will commence their bombing run at any moment now,” the commanding officer of the AWAC filled him in.

“Copy that, thank you for the warning.”

Ending the transmission, Rolan pressed his earpiece and spoke to one of his men.

“Stop the car in front.”

The Black SUV which was in second place in the column sped up and overtake the leading car.

Max, who was in the leading car, was startled by the sudden action of the Ruthenians. The driver slammed the brake and the tire skidded to a halt.

Max stepped off the vehicle and went over to Bukavac’s right side where Rolan was sitting.He knocked on the window. Rolan lowered the window and looked at him.

“What is it this time?” Max demanded an answer.action

“You should return back to your vehicle, something big is going to happen,” Rolan advised.

“What do you mean by something big?” Max questioned as his gaze flickered atop the Bukavac, looking at one of the special forces manning the Gatling Gun. Are they going to commit another atrocious act against the Yamato? Well not that he cared about the Yamatos it’s just that Britannia is providing Ruthenians safe passage, making them technically involved in whatever plan sanctioned by the Ruthenian government.

Judging from the movement of the soldier manning the Gatling gun, it seems that it wasn’t the case. Still, his questions remained unanswered.

“Look, I think this is a good time to tell me about your brilliant plans. I don’t think I can handle any more of your surprises.” Max said with urgency laced in his voice.

However, Rolan persisted. “Go back to your vehicle, you’ll know soon after.”

Max clicked his tongue in annoyance but did what he was told. He returned back to his vehicle.

Just as his hand was about to reach for the door, Max heard something from the sky. It was a faint rumbling noise. He slowly turned around and glanced up. The night was truly dark, nothing can be seen above but he can hear a sound akin to a roaring engine. Whatever it may be it definitely sounded terrifying as it sent chills down his spine.

He followed that noise with his eyes, trying to find what was causing it. Suddenly streaks of golden light illuminated the dark sky and descended down like shooting stars. It flew across the sky until it crashed on the airstrip.

Numerous explosions powerful enough to make the earth shake erupted from the airstrip. It was followed by an ear-deafening noise akin to a scattered thunderclap that made Max instinctively cover his ears, shut his eyes, and duck.

Something screamed overheard. It was similar to the noise earlier, he curiously looked up and saw a 7 or 10 silhouette similar to an aircraft. But the appearance doesn’t resemble any aircraft designs he had seen in his life. Could it be one of the rumors about the Ruthenian military technology?

Ever since the commissioning event of the new warships for the Ruthenian Navy, the Britannia Empire, along with other nations have been speculating about the military capabilities, as well as technologies of the Ruthenian Empire. For them, the designs were futuristic and deviated from the mainstream.

Wait…why is he thinking about all of this amidst the circumstances he was in?

When the dust settled, Max slowly stood up and looked to where the airstrip was. A faint cry of agony and anguish can be heard. The sound of the embers flickering as the dark orange smoke billowed into the air.

Such destructive power…he didn’t know what hit the airstrip, it was moving so fast for him to identify. But one thing is certain, it didn’t look like a bomb, it more looked like an arrow.

“Let’s get moving!” Rolan shouted from the car, his head sticking out the window. “Max, get inside the vehicle now!”

Max simply compiled. He climbed inside the car and took off once again.

One minute later, they arrived at their destination, the airstrip. Hangars were destroyed, planes burning, and the Yamato personnel choking from the thick black smoke, it was an apocalyptic sight.

“What did my brother order the military to do?” Christina muttered in a trembling voice as she looked out the window.

“Sorry, Your Imperial Highness, due to the Yamato Empire’s unwillingness to cooperate, we were forced to resort to extreme measures,” Rolan answered as he looked out the window too, seeing Yamato personnel lying on the ground, probably knocked out from the shockwave. He can’t tell whether they are dead or alive.-n、o、ve,L “Keep your head down, Your Imperial Highness, we are still on hostile territory. Don’t worry, we are getting out here soon,” Rolan assured.

The convoy stopped and one by one, staff of the Ruthenian embassy exited the buses. The security guards of the embassy fan out around the convoy, setting up a defensive perimeter. The Grand Duchesses of Ruthenia Empire were to remain inside the Bukavac.

Max walked over to the Bukavac again and talked to Rolan.

“I…. don’t know anymore…” Max said, shaking his head in dismay. “First, you gunned down the army surrounding the embassy and now you bombed their airstrip?”

“What more can I say?” Rolan sighed. “We are at war with the Yamato Empire now. His Majesty Alexander is going to announce it on the television in twenty minutes or so.”

“That may be the case, but what you did in this country before the declaration won’t go unnoticed. I hope that your Emperor knows what he is doing.” Max continued, “Now if you excuse me, we must get back to the Britannia legation. We can’t stay here any longer. I hope you understand.”

Just as they were having a conversation with one another, a rumbling noise sounded overhead. Max and Rolan looked up to the sky and saw the Bogatyr making its descent on the unaffected airstrip.

“That’s our ride, thanks for the transport you provided us. I’m sure the Ruthenia Empire won’t forget this favor,” Rolan said.

Max scoffed, after all the trouble they made that could badly tarnish the image of the Britannia Empire, he dared to give thanks?

“Whatever…” Max left and signaled his men with a wave of his hand.

The Bogatyr landed smoothly on the airstrip and the Ruthenians boarded it. Since they can’t take the state-of-the-art Bukavac and the military-grade SUV, they activated its self-destruct feature. Not wanting its sophisticated technology inside it possessed by the Yamato.

It sucks, but the condition of the imperial vehicles is in such a bad state and human lives are far more important.

The vehicles melt and burn into slag that fused to the airstrip runway. The Yamatos are going to have a hard time cleaning the whole mess.

The cargo plane with its passengers lifted off the runway and flew into the night under the protection of the almost unseen fighter jets.

The enemy could do nothing as they never expected an air-raid on their homeland and only underpowered machineguns responded to the raid.

They watch as the large plane leaves the Yamato airspace in the northwest direction.

The extraction of the Ruthenian royalty and the embassy staff was complete.

…

Ruthenia Empire, St. Petersburg. Command Ops. 1735 HRS.

“Your Majesty, the air strike that we conducted to the airstrip of the Yamato Empire has neutralized most of their air force stationed in the Kanto region. The Yamato will have no means of catching up to the Bogatyr. Even if there is, our fighter aircraft is going to intercept them,” Minister of Defense, Alexei reported.

“Your Majesty, this will go down in their history,” Sevastian added. “The people won’t forget what Ruthenia had done to their homeland. They would ask for retribution.”

“Retribution?” Alexander scoffed softly. “Our people are also asking for retribution as well. Since my sister is safe now, we should focus on the next important matter. Are the members of the Imperial Council ready?”

“The members of the Imperial Council and the media, they are all waiting for you in the Imperial Council Building, Your Majesty.”

“Very well,” Alexander stood up from his table and firmly nodded his head. “Let’s get going. We shall inform all the people in my domain that a state of war between the Ruthenia Empire and the Yamato Empire now exists.”