The first rays of dawn broke over Yumiko's shoulder as she followed the formation down, rapidly descending into the patchwork carpet of clouds beneath them. Objects on the ground gained greater clarity as the outskirts of Shuangyashan, China came into view. A mining town under siege, tall columns of smoke billowed from burning mountains of coal set ablaze by errant artillery from the previous day's fighting.

"The Romanov mechanized assault guns are your primary target. They are thinly armored so you do not need a direct hit. However, your guns will be ineffective. Just drop and dash. We will not have the element of surprise for very long. Talon Leader out."

That was it as far as final instructions? Yumiko swallowed again, popping her ears from the atmospheric pressure change, as the descent continued lower.

"Unknown aircraft, identify yourself!" a male voice barked over the radio.

"Shuangyashan Air Defense, this is Talon Squadron. Do not fire, we are here to help." The answer came as deeply spoken as possible by Talon Leader, attempting to mask gender. Women were forbidden on the battlefield, even though technically they were above it. Still, if caught, it would make little difference.

"Talon Squadron? We were told to not expect any air support."

"Well, commander, now you have it."

Sunlight finally cascaded across the landscape enough that Yumiko dared to drift from formation. Dropping lower than the aircraft immediately in front of her, she gained a clearer view of Shuangyashan proper and their objective beyond. On the opposite side of the meandering Anbang River, camouflaged amongst the river grasses and low lying trees, the unseen enemy awaited. Her hands continued to tremble as she throttled back. Less speed meant a greater chance of getting shot, but with only a single five-hundred-and-fifty-pound bomb she had but one chance to hit her mark.

Ahead of her, three columns of outdated Hayabusa fighter craft initiated their joint attack run, led by a single, modern Hayate. To those on the ground they likely sounded as if a swarm of killer bees, buzzing low and slow over the rooftops, intent upon precision over speed. This time though they weren’t dropping practice drums, this was for real. Last in line, in the center column, Yumiko would be the last to drop. Would there be anything left for her?

The first earth toned plumes rose from the west bank. Boom. Boom-boom. The muted explosions met Yumiko's ears just over the drone of her engine. Moments later a fourth, then a fifth. There was no telling if any found their mark. A seventh explosion, then a ninth? She was losing count. Yumiko pulled up, getting in a direct line behind the aircraft in front of her. This way it would look more like one plane approaching, rather than two. Why was she assigned to be last?

Nervous anxiety chewed at the inside of her right cheek as she continued to wait, slowing her airspeed even more, as the others ahead were dropping slower than practiced. Only half way through her column and any chance of surprise they had was gone. It would not be long until someone started shooting at them.

Additional explosions, some more fiery than others, further filled the sky with entwisting trails of dark chaos.

Yumiko wondered that by the time she reached the other bank of the river, would she even see anything? The smooth waters of the Anbang presented directly ahead. She readied to release her bomb, fingers quivering at the toggle. Hopefully whatever tank she struck would be unoccupied. Even if they were the enemy, they still had mothers and fathers too. Yumiko started to count down in her head, preparing for release. Ten. Nine. Eight. Sev-

A black cloud suddenly engulfed the aircraft immediately in front of her.