Quality Vs. Quantity; Ch. 6

"Burn, gook scum, burn!"

Two jets thundered overhead saturating the jungle with napalm. The two jets made their pass, hit the afterburner into sky, and were out of sight. Captain Kesha and now Lieutenant Ivan were assigned to the 51st Air Support Squadron in China. After his completion of flight training shortly after the fall of Frankfurt he was stationed in China to fly close air support missions for the invasion. The fighting shifted to China while NATO and the Russian forces in Europe built up a stalemate on the French-German border.

"Shit! They're coming through flames!...there's only ten of us and the tanks haven't arrived yet!"

"Pasha! Call up the air support we need every chemical and anti-tank weapon dropped on that field!"

"...but sir?...are chemical weapons legal?"

"You heard about how they used them in Europe and Geneva is gone...now shut up call the strike and get your chem gear on!"

"Yes sir...KILO-INDIA we are TANGO-UNIFORM request chemical and anti-tank assistance!"

"...Roger, dropping...hang on to your skirts girls!"

"You heard our comrade in the sky! Get your chem gear and hold tight!"

The Su-37's again kicked their afterburners and began a 15,000 ft dive from 20,000 ft.

"Lao!"

"What?!"

He could barely hear him through the earthquake of artillery.

"Do hear that?!"

"Hear wha...."

Kesha hit 5,000 and released four chemical munitions. He was followed closely by Ivan who had the Chinese armor locked and fired four missiles. They pulled out of the dive skimming the ground with their guns blazing hoping to hit something. Eight large explosions rocked the Chinese ranks. A heavy mist formed around the helpless infantry and the tanks never knew what hit them.

"Thank you comrades I will make sure you get a medal for this!"

"No problem! Glad to be of service comrade!"

The two aircraft began their approch back to the airfield and were ready to call it a night. They got up to 20,000 ft and switched the autopilot in their aircraft.

"So, Ivan tell me, do you have a girl back home?"

"No, never really had much luck with girls. My friend Alexander always got that luck, but then he died on the highway on the way to Frankfurt. I guess you can only win one of the wars...the real war or love...I think I'll stay alive. You have a girl Kesha?"

"That's where you're theory is wrong. I'm married got two kids and I've been fighting just as hard in this war and I'm doing great."

"Yeah I guess you're right, or you're just lucky!"

"Hey there's the base! Want to do a fly-by to piss off the commander?"

"Yeah sure...whoa check your 4 o'clock!"

"Oh shit isn't that one of our missile sites?!"

"Who cares evade!"

That day the anti-air batteries were having a problem with the friend or foe system and fired on Captain Kesha. Kesha saw the flash, but was preparing to land and couldn't fully maneuver. The flash lit the base and smacked into the Su-37 and turned it into a fiery ball of aluminum and heat. Kesha had no time to eject all he could do was try to steer away from the base so that the plane wouldn't crash into any base structures. The system was shut down, but too late for Kesha.

When Ivan landed he was mad at the air defense officers and immediately punched one of them . Then Tanya heard what happened and came over too him.

"Ivan stop! Alexander wouldn't do that!"

"I don't care, that man had a future!"

"...and Alexander didn't?!"

"Alexander died because he was fighting someone that wanted to kill him! Kesha died coming home and was shot down due to complete foolishness!"

Ivan debriefed and went to the barracks to sleep and try to cool down. Tanya on the other hand went to the welcoming ceremony for the American military observers. The United States was welcome in the Chinese war, but not in Europe due to the deep distrust Russia still had with the US. The observers were General William, Lt Col Daniel, and Sargent Paul.

"This is awesome sir!"

"Oh that's right Daniel I almost forgot how obsessed with Russia you are!"

"Hey colonel! Are you even Russian?!"

"No Paul...I'm Scottish, French, and German..."

"I'm not even going to ask why you like Russia so much..."

"Good it would be too long of an explanation."

"You two shut up and I might let you mingle with the ladies!"

"I got a girlfriend, but I'm sure 'comrade' Daniel here would love to be able to flirt around with a real Russian girl!"

"Oh shut it! We're here for professional business anyway!"

"Welcome American comrades!"

"The head commander and the US General exchanged salutes.

"Glad to be here! Any events tonight?!"

"Yes actually we are having a welcoming banquet and here is a bottle Russia's finest vodka!"

"Thank you! I don't drink...Paul, Daniel, how's you alcohol tolerance?"

"Well I take a sip and I pass out, but I'm sure Daniel and his need to be Russian can kill the bottle!"

"Shut up! Can we share with them sir?"

"General Pyotr do mind sharing the bottle with us...we're American and we can't kill the bottle without dying..."

Pyotr turned to his aide and muttered something and they both laughed.

"...are you sure you want to do that?"

"Well of course..."

"Alright, but you may want to get ready, here are he keys to your quarters, so you can change into your civilian clothing...I wish you luck..."

Pyotr walked off laughing hard and none of the Americans could figure out why.

Daniel heard singing and glass break just outside his quarters. He slammed the door open only to see that the whole base was drunk.

"Oh my god! It's college all over again!"

"Hey! Tovarish! Do you know the...the...oh the berry song?!"

"Uh...no?"

"Comrades gather!"

He and the rest took a sip of vodka and began dancing and then came the worse yet most exciting part.

"Come come! Sing with us!"

"Kalinka kalinka kalinka moya!"

"Wow this is crazy! Kalinka kalinka kalinka moya...and I can't remember the rest!"

He managed to get away for a minute and walked over to the barracks, but he had forgotten his Russian with the excitement and accidently walked right past the sign that said, "this is the female barracks, all males stay out or you will be arrested!". He heard a loud scream.

"Kak tebya zovut?!"

"Say what?...What are you doing in the male barracks?...You're beautiful, but that's beside the point!"

"Oh you are American?...This is the female barracks!"

He looked at a sign the read just what she ha said. He was extremely embarrassed and tried to apologize.

"I'm very sorry, I'm Lt Col Daniel Wilson. Who are you?"

"I am Tanya..."

"What's your rank?"

"I have no rank...I'm here with my...my..."

She began to cry and Daniel had no idea what he did.

"Uh, like I said I'm very sorry, you're very beautiful, and I'm very much dead if I don't get the heck out of here!...See you around base I guess."

Even with tears on her face she smiled at him making a fool of himself at the shock of seeing her...

Everyone had somehow heard about Daniel's accidental encounter with Tanya and was giving him a hard time. Ivan did care for him one bit however. He thought this guy needed to stay, because Tanya shouldn't get over Alexander this quickly. He was also a little jealous.

"So Daniel...you gonna hook up with that Russian chic?"

"Paul, shut up...it was an accident...and besides I live in the US and she lives in Russia..."

"So what go for it man you need some love in your life! Who knows maybe it was meant to be that you get with a Russian chic!"

"You know I don't believe that crap..."

"Whatever man...I mean what's the worse that could happen?"

"Break her heart...put me in a depression when we separate...stupid stuff..."

"Ok, do what you want, but I think you're making a mistake..."

"Yeah yeah I'm going to go watch Chinese get napalmed to clear my mind."

Daniel tied his boots put his hat on and got in a chopper that was meant for the front. The whole ride all he could think of was, not whether or not he loved Tanya, but whether it was possible.

The Mi-8 landed Daniel and a few troops at a forward observing post. Daniel watched the Russian tactic that consisted of blowing everything up, then walking in and killing what's left. He wondered why Geneva had said nothing of course there was that terrorist attack there. He shrugged it off and watched the columns of flames engulf the jungle and the Russian tanks rush into them. It was now evident why the Russian advance had almost not resistance; there was nothing to resist with! He wondered about the tactics, but he wondered most about Tanya...