Air Devils

President Byron Graves walked to the lectern. His dark face looked solemn and collected at the same time. He reached it.

“Tonight, I can confirm significant casualties to the nations of North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China. In a series of drone strikes, we destroyed portions of the cities of PyongYang, Riyadh, Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing. We estimate that there were at least ten to twenty five million people combined who perished in the destruction. This is a great win for the United States as this will be a leveling like Japan. Like that nation turned around from its imperialistic stance, the states which effused terror, despotism, and immorality, they will be given a new Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

Once they realize they cannot contend with a tiger that has teeth and just devoured their ill ideas, they will be at the mercy of America and its allies in case they try to revert to their old ways. We see in history that America formed great ties with the Japanese through trade after using nuclear weapons against it. We intend to keep that same energy. If it is at all possible, we seek to implement peace with these five countries and to establish not American rule, but mutual benefit. Americans and the world can rest easily tonight knowing that these nations now know the full might of the American people. Good night and There is no God but God bless America.”

2 hours earlier

“Lieutenant Summer!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Get in here!”

The person yelling lieutenant was United States Marine Corps Major Conway “The Watch” Gibbs. He was light skinned like a sandpaper kind of color. He sipped coffee and chewed on nicotine gum. A lot. He spit the juice like it was tobacco in a mug that read “Thanks for the Jugs!” and featured an ample bosomed woman smiling with two jugs of something good.

The lieutenant was Marine First Lieutenant Leon Summer. He was light skinned too. He heeded the call of his superior officer.

“Yes, Major,” he walked around the corner of Dover Air Force Base, Dover Delaware. The Marines had been camped out at this post for the past three years gaining reconnaissance with the airmen.

“I want you to see this screen,” Gibbs commanded.

“Yes, sir, it looks like a swarm. That’s from us.”

“The combat drones are running in perfect formation over the targets,” Gibbs pointed out.

“Yes, sir. I was responsible for instructing the other lieutenants––”

“I know that. I just want you to see the beauty of total war. It’s not about killing people even though that is part of it. It’s about scorching the earth because war is bloody hell.”

“Yes, sir. We’ve never seen or done anything like this. The concerted effort of the various drone swarms are what makes it special.”

“We’ve got to break them down before we can even smell the death in the air coming from the winds,” Major Gibbs said. His lip quivered slightly.

“Atten-hut! Brigadier General Jenny Spicer on deck!” The men and women shot to their feet. It was just a short space. Some corridors and stations for flying the drones. Brown walls and black desks made up for the sparse decor. When Brigadier General Spicer walked through the space she liked what she saw but didn’t give any hint as to what or why she was happy. She was a Marine, too. Dark-skinned, the color of a boysenberry she walked like she was on a tightrope.

“At ease,” she commanded. She walked up to Major Gibbs.

“What’s the status report on this one?”

“Ma’am it’s riding a little low but it should be okay.”

“Show me the numbers.”

“I have them right here, Ma’am.”

She looked at the screen and tapped and expanded the picture.

“That’s it…they’re all flying. They’re all flying….I thought they weren’t but you just showed me, Watch. Thank you.”

“Of course, Ma’am. We’re in this fight no matter what the airheads say.”

“Hey, I started out as an airhead. I just switched over to the Devils for the thrills.”

She departed with quickness. The Marines all stood at attention as she left the mini bay.

First lieutenant Summer manned his board. He guided along with Second Lieutenant Harold Pinkney. He was tallish and brown skinned. This was actually his first mission outside of flying an actual jet. He felt the surge of the throttle and breathed deeply as the screen displayed the five aircraft over the intended sites.

“I bet we could kill more people if we had more drones.”

“It’s not about the kills,” Summer reminded him. “It’s about the message. We didn’t strike first. These nations are basket cases in the world and colluded to produce terrorists and other bastards. That people got caught in the crosshairs is something entirely different.”

Pinkney waved his friend off from what he said. “I still think that Marines kill. That’s why they brought us to Delaware on Scared Force base just to show the world that we can operate these demons of the sky.”

“You say that now….”

“I’ll say it again,” Pinkney grew indignant.

“We’re supposed to rain down hellfire without a single boot on the ground. I guess that legendary statistic is really true…the Air Force has more kills than any of the other branches. After tonight, we’re going to be ranked at the top.”

Summer sighed.

“Summer! Pinkney!”

“Yes, sir!” They reported to his compact space.

“You two are going on a quest in the next hour. This mission will change the fate of the world forever and for the better. I want you to understand the repercussions. You both will be screened for mental-health and be cleared by a doc. You understand that?” The way he said it was clipped at the end and it sounded like dat. He chewed fast and spoke faster. “This is what we went to OCS for, boys. This is our turn to––”

Captain Delana Ferbert came to the tiny room’s entrance. She was brown skinned with light eyes. She stood taller than the men at five feet eleven to Pinkney’s five feet eight and Summer’s five feet nine frames.

“Sir, the swarm is beginning to disperse over the intended targets,”

“Thank you Ferbert.”

“You’re welcome, sir.” She smiled and went back to her station.

“Sir, we knew about the swar––”

“I just wanted to have her say it. Now, you both are going to be going down in history as the men and women who devastated five of America’s enemies. The profound statement that this will make will be recorded in American history for all time. Do you understand me boys?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Get to your stations and make Chesty happy, wherever the hell he is!”

Summer and Pinkney slapped hands and ventured to their respective control station.

“What about the people though…” Summer finally asked.

“People? We’re talking about monstrous nations. No American blood will be spilt from this action. We are in the clear for some action and it is well deserved for these brutes who thought we could be pushed around. And we let them. Now, we’re going to give them the favor of being destroyed and let them build their own infrastructure back again. I’d love to hear them chant ‘Death to America!’ piles of smoldering radioactive ash.”

The drones closed in and dropped their payload. The mushroom clouds over each city looked spectacular. Like great plumes of dry ice forming into a puff of smoke, they reached higher. This appeared in full color and three dimensions in the Metaverse. All of the Marines could visualize the destruction with the full intensity of the bombardment.

First Lieutenant Summer guided his drone along with Captain Ferbert and Second Lieutenant Pinkney. They headed home back to Delaware as air Devils who dominated the skies.

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