Chapter 17

Bago ako pumasok sa isang labanan, dalawang katanungan lang ang itinatanong ko sa sarili ko. What would be my strength and my weakness in this fight? What are the chances of winning and losing?

As a pilot— or someone who's about to enter a fight, strength is always the courage. But in this fight, it isn't just the physical abilities, the expertise, but also the information, because there's always a battle tactic.

The terrorists in this modern day were not just trained to attack, but also to strategize. That's why in this airfight, you'll lose if you take your enemy lightly.

"We're on the site, initiating another battle formation," I announced.

Nang mapagmasdan ko ang kasalukuyang nangyayari sa himpapawid alam kong madali kaming mauubos sa unang posisyon namin.

They have a good quantity of aircraft. But I shouldn't be threatened by the quantity, because our units have the quality.

May mga piloto rin akong nakilala mula sa Mennace na nasa UASA at maging sa Sundon States Air force. I know that these pilots with me will never let me down. Because this is not just their fight as pilots, but for someone who is fighting for their country— and family.

A good quantity will never ever beat a good quality.

Masyadong malakas ang loob ng mga sindikatong ito dahil sa bilang nila. But they will not intimidate us, because we have the pilots—good quality of pilots that you they don't have.

I looked at the radar and found the enemies. I spotted the biggest plane— my target.

Nagsimula nang gumawa ng distansya ang grupo ko, ilang minuto na lang ay maaagaw na namin ang atensyon ng mga kalaban at kami naman ang susugurin ng mga ito.

I hit another communication button.

"Connecting to Mithia's base control room, this is the Flight in command for Charlie and Delta units, requesting a clear communication path with Air Command for Alpha and Beta units."

I need to talk to Commander Thanh San. I can't locate his jetplane.

While waiting for the control room to connect me with Commander Thanh San, the airfight between my units against the enemies started with continuous gatling guns, air twists and dodging of every bullet.

With just a few minutes after we entered the airfield, I successfully crashed ten aircraft, but with every enemy falling, my units were also declining.

A battle will always have deaths— but this battle will never have my death.

To be a leader, you have to possess a number of eyes that could watch your team— not to use them as your shield, but as someone to protect them as a leader.

I always wanted to fly alone, but once I entered a field with a team, I would always vow to myself that I'd touch down with my team. May malagas man o wala.

Mariin akong nakatitig sa unahan.

Few minutes left and I'd hit my own comrade. We are in the same situation with two jet fighters on our tail.

"Charlie 0024."

I pressed the button to give the pilot a command. "Copy that, Lt. Monzanto."

I looked at the planes on my tail. My hands tightened their grip. And I felt the sweat all over my face. I could see the distance between those planes on my tail.

"Follow my countdown."

"Eight," I abruptly slanted my jetplane to the left side avoiding another missile.

"Seven." Napahinga ako nang maluwag nang nagawa rin itong ilagan ng kakampi ko.

"Six," we continued to dodge the attacks from our behind.

"Five."

"Four." Mas dumiin ang pagkakahawak ng kamay ko.

Three."

"Two," huminga ako nang malalim.

"One!"

With our full strength, good calculation, and speed, together we pulled our aircrafts up and made those planes on our tails crash at each other, giving us that huge explosion.

Narinig ko ang malakas na sigaw ng katulong kong piloto.

"It's too early to celebrate," I said.

Hindi ko na inabalang punasan ang pawis ko habang pinagmamasdan ko ang pinakamalaking eroplano na pinalilibutan ng maliliit na eroplano.

Those small planes were protecting the mother aircraft. Doon nagmumula ang mas maliliit na eroplano na siyang umaatake sa amin.

With the estimated capacity of fifty to eighty jetfighters, malaki rin ang posiblilidad na naglalaman ito ng bomba na maaaring bumura ng isang probinsiya o kaya'y isang bansa.

I should explode it while in the air, because it will cause a larger damage on the ground. Pero sa eroplanong hawak ko ngayon, alam kong hindi ko ito mapapasabog. I need another plane to crash it down.

Muli akong tumingin sa ibaba, sa lugar na napupuno na ng apoy, usok at ingay ng takot. Saan ako makakahanap ng eroplanong kailanganin ko?

Nagpatuloy ako sa paglipad sa himpapawid, pag-ilag at pagpapaulan ng bala. Dumadami na ang bilang nang nakasunod sa akin, at may mga kasamahan akong gusto akong tulungan pero sa huli ay sila ang napapasabog.

"Stay with your locations! Leave this to me!" I shouted at them.

Hinayaan kong sumunod sa akin ang mga kalaban habang isa-isa ko silang inubos. They got the number but I have the skills, but I am not perfect, and my plane was about to run out of bullets. My plane was hit and my system was getting out of out of control. The window in front of me was also broken.

Hindi ko na rin marinig ang radyo mula sa Mithia Airbase.

"Lieutenant Monzanto, I am losing you. The system is losing you," I heard some from headquarters.

"W-what? I am on my way. Hang in there, baby." Mahina na ang dating ng mensaheng iyon pero alam kong galing iyon kay Peter.

Tipid akong ngumiti. "Silly. . ."

Hindi ko na sinubukang sumagot dahil alam kong nagsisimula nang mamatay ang komunikasyon ng eroplano ko. I could even see smokes on my control buttons. My fly was getting uneven with more planes on my tail.

When my plane was hit again, I know that it's just a matter of time before this plane will crash. Agad kong napansin na sumuporta sa akin ang mga kasamahan ko.

Naghanap ako ng lugar na maaari kong pagbabaan. An emergency landing with my uneven plane— I couldn't even imagine how could I possibly land safely, but I had to take the risk.

Habang nagsisimula nang bumaba ng lipad ang aking eroplano, agad akong nakapansin ng eroplano ng kalaban. It was slightly hit on its right wing, sa halip na gumagawa ito ng gulo sa ere pinahihirapan niya ang mga tao sa lupa.

Sinimulan ko itong paulanan ng bala pero mabilis itong nakailag sa kabila ng kanyang sitwasyon. I tried to fire another bullets but it's all over. Naubusan na ako ng bala.

Muli akong huminga nang malalim. Hindi ko hahayaang magtagal pa itong lumilipad at nakapamiminsala.

The damn plane is firing bullets at civilians on the ground!

Kinabig ko ang aking eroplano at mas binilisan ko ang pagpapalipad dito. Sobrang baba na ng lipad namin.

At mas sumiklab ang galit ko nang makarinig ako ng pagsabog mula sa ibaba. How could this pilot bear of these shits?

With my full speed, I didn't just tail the plane but I fly besides it. Pinantayan ko ito at marahas kong ibinangga ang sarili kong eroplano rito.

"Lieutenant!"

I made a big impact against his plane, causing both of us to crash. Pero mas malakas ang epekto nito sa kanya dahilan kung bakit mabilis itong bumulusok sa ibaba at sumabog.

I pulled over my control wheel to avoid the large impact. Magagawan ko pa ito ng paraan. Halos sumigaw na ako habang pilit kong minamanipula ang aking pagbagsak.

"Not yet!" I shouted.

Halos manlambot ang buo kong katawan sa pagsadsad ng aking eroplano sa lupa, sa gitna ng mga gusaling nag-aapoy at umuulang mga bala.

Ramdam ko ang pagdugo ng aking ilong, pawis at matinding panghihina ng aking katawan. As I started to remove my shoulder harness and seatbelt with my trembling hands, I uttered continuous curses as it got stuck, I harshly threw my mask and desperately looked down to free myself from my own jetplane that was about to explode.

"Please, I don't want to die because I got stuck!"

Nang sabihin ko iyon tuluyan ko nang natanggal ang harness at seatbelt. Nagmadali akong lumabas ng jet plane. At eksaktong paglabas ko ay halos mapamura ako nang mag-angat ako ng tingin.

May babagsak na gusali sa eroplano ko!

"Shit!"

Sa aking natitirang lakas mabilis akong tumakbo papalayo sa pabagsak na gusali.

When all I wanted was to survive and escape from that dangerous place, I found a little girl crying, lost, alone near an abandoned car.

"What the—" napailing na lang ako bago ako tumakbo patungo sa batang babae.

I jumped down at her, embraced myself to protect her, and rolled over our bodies to avoid the collapsing building.

Sinigurado kong suportado ko ang aking bigat para hindi siya masaktan. And when I know that we've escape a little, I started to get up. Agad siyang humabol sa akin at yumakap habang kapwa kami nakasalampak sa lupa. Bahagya kong tinanggal ang yakap niya sa akin habang hawak ang kanyang mga balikat.

"Are you alright?"

Hindi ko na hinintay ang sagot niya. Agad ko siyang binuhat at nagsimula na akong muling tumakbo. I need to find a car.

Lakad takbo ako katulad ng mga taong nakakasalubong ko. Hindi ko na pinansin ang pag-iyak ng batang babaeng buhat ko. We will survive together.

Sinuri ng aking mga mata ang paligid hanggang sa makakita ako ng sasakyang posibleng magamit ko. Muli akong tumakbo patungo rito. Ibinaba ko muna ang umiiyak na bata. With my elbow, I broke the window. Opened the door and carried the little girl inside.

"Fasten your seatbelt, hurry!" agad sumunod ang bata sa sinabi ko.

Agad akong umikot at naupo na ako sa driver's seat. Inilahad ko ang kamay ko sa kanya.

"Give me your hairpin, faster." It took me just a second before I started the ignition. Ibinalik ko ang hairpin sa bata.

I am glad that the car's full tanked.

I need to find a place where I can communicate with the headquarters. I need another plane—a better plane to crash their mother plane.

Habang pinahaharurot ko ang sasakyan, malayo pa lamang ay agad naagaw ng atensyon ko ng isang pamilya na kasalukuyan nang tinututukan ng malalaking baril ng mga terorista.

Not a family. Saglit nagpakita sa akin ang imahe ng buong pamilya kong nakangiti sa akin at tinatawag ang pangalan ko. Ramdam ko ang biglang pagkirot ng dibdib ko.

"Don't look. Close your eyes." Malamig na sabi ko sa bata.

Nanatili ang bilis ng sasakyan ko. I glanced at the rearview mirror.

"I said close your eyes! I will throw you!" agad tinakpan ng batang babae ang kanyang mga mata sa takot sa sigaw ko.

I'm sorry, but I can't let you see another cruelty.

Itinodo ko ang bilis ng sasakyan ko at walang habas kong sinagasaan ang mga terirosta. Rinig ko ang sunud-sunod na bagabag ng katawan sa bawat pagtama nito sa sasakyan, ang biglang pagbako ng daan, at ang pagdanak ng dugo sa bahagyang nabasag na salamin.

There was a body on my head, I immediately made a U-turn, throwing the body down, and I let my wiper clean the blood on my windshield.

Muling tumulo ang mga luha ko habang pinagmamasdan ang dugong unti-unting nalilinis sa aking harapan, hindi ko na mabilang. . . hindi ko na mabilang ang buhay na napapatay ko.

Ibinaba ko ang bintana ng sasakyan ko at malakas akong sumigaw sa isang pamilyang nakaawang ang bibig sa kanilang mga nasaksihan.

"Get inside! We need to hurry!"