Bandung, February 17 2030
IBC's reporter, Irfan Widianto look at the woman in front of him, dressed in blue polo shirt and white 3/4 trouser Captain Kiara Wijaya (nee Sadamichi) did not look like a fighter pilot at all, much less a captain. She smiled at him warmly.
"Sorry about the state of the house, we just came home last night" she said, motioning toward the state of disarray presented by the living room.
"Could you tell me about the first time you set foot aboard KRI Garuda?" Irfan asked.
Captain Kiara laughed, "I was nervous as hell. Back then, 5th Naval Strike Fighter Squadron was famous for the numbers of contact they got with Malaysian air force and their role in drawing the first blood. I remembered receiving my transfer order a week after that incident. I was sitting alone at the galley of KRI Yudhoyono when my Squadron leader hand me the transfer letter"
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KRI Yudhoyono, February 24 2013
"Your transfer request came through, KRI Garuda has a spot for you on their team. This is your paper girl, bon voyage" Captain Arianda Lubis said.
2nd Lieutenant Sadamichi Kiara, a half Japanese female pilot, looks up. "Really? Which squadron?" she asks.
"5th Squadron, you hit the jackpot Jailbait" Captain Arianda said.
That night 2nd Lieutenant Kiara perform her last launch from KRI Yudhoyono, she sit alone inside her F-14B, heading west to reach KRI Garuda on the Java Sea. Slow music filled the cockpit, accompanying her solo flight. She was never particularly fits in with her former squadron and she feels understandably nervous meeting the famous squadron.
'would they accept me? would I be up to their standard?' she asks herself. Lost in her own musing the young pilot continue her way westward.
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1st Lieutenant Armani and 1st Lieutenant Agriya were chatting in the shadow of the Island, the flight deck crews are preparing the arrester cables.
"Who's coming?" Agriya asked.
"Our new number two I think" Armani said.
They both turn around to watch the coming fighter with interest.
"She's going to bolt, I bet she's going to bolt" Agriya said.
Armani shakes his head, "Nope... she's too low, trap but on the first two cables I think" he replied. All the while the F-14 came closer and closer. It hit the deck and snagged the 2nd cable.
Armani smirked, "What did I told you?" he said.
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2nd Lieutenant Kiara climbs down from her fighter and looks around her in awe. KRI Garuda is the larger of the two Indonesian Carriers.
"D'you like the sight? Its quite spectacular isn't ?" someone asked her. Kiara whipped her head around and see two men dressed in moss colored flight suit.
"Yes it is. It's bigger than Yudhoyono for sure" she said.
"Of course she is. Garuda is Indonesia's major feat of engineering since Borobudur!" the man from before said.
"Could you show me the direction of 5th Squadron's locker room?" she asks.
"Sure, come on, I'll take you there. The name's Armani by the way" the young man from before said.
"I'm Kiara, nice to meet you" Kiara said as they both start walking toward the ladder that will takes them down, leaving Agriya outside.
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Galley, February 24 1800 hours
The pilots and off duty crews and marines are gathered in the galley. The TV screens there shows President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono talking at the press conference.
"We will not stand down and let our sacred motherland be defiled by the invaders! Earlier this week Malaysia declared war on Indonesia, I asked my generals and their reply was:"Let them come, we'll be waiting for them!"" President Yudhoyono's words rang clear inside the quiet galley.
Suddenly the alarm signalling lunch preparation came through and all men and women rush out from the galley.
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