November 1st, 2023, 10:00

  The South State, Seoul, Jongro-ku, the Blue House (the president’s office)

  The government officials gathered at the Blue House to discuss the attack on Iran that could potentially lead to a war in the Middle East.

  Before Minister Kang Kyung-hee came in, the Corean government had demanded a response letter from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but the Iranian government insisted it was the act of the IS. Despite Russia officially admitting their actions, the Iranian government never apologized and admitted their fault.

  “I never thought the Iranian government was this dumb. We now have a justification to retaliate. Madam President! We must give the order to strike right now,” National Security Director Kang Hyun-soo spoke in a firm tone to persuade the president.

  “I also believe we need to retaliate against Iran. I think we should lower the intensity of our initial attack first,” Chief Secretary Lim Jong-won spoke to lessen the president’s burden.

  Minister of National Defense Kang Ui-sik asked a question, “Chief Lim, by how much exactly?”


  “I think it would be fine to commence the attack on the military facilities, but we should hold off from attacking the civilian and drilling facilities.”


  “I understand holding back from attacking the civilian facilities, but you want us to not attack the drilling sites, which are the cause of this oil shock?”


  “Yes, that’s right. The Arab League has used the oil shock to retaliate rather than using its military. This must mean the organization does not want to clash with our military. I don’t think there’s a need for us to agitate them further by attacking their drilling facilities, and shouldn’t we at least avoid causing damages to them to alleviate the oil shock in a short period? If all of Iran’s drilling facilities were destroyed, then that could extend the oil shock. As a result, that would cause our expenses to rise, too.”


  “You have a great point, Chief Secretary Lim. That’s right, Minister Kang! I would like the first wave of attacks to exclude the drilling facilities of Iran.”


  “Yes, understood, Madam President!”


  * * *

  November 1st, 2023, 17:40 (Kurdistan Standard Time 11:40)

  The Republic of Kurdistan, West Azerbaijan, Maku, Azerbaijan Park (the 1st reconnaissance platoon’s forward base)

  As of 14:00 today, the peacekeeping forces were ordered to transition into a state of war. If they had been charged to occupy the Republic of Kurdistan’s territory and watch the borders previously, they were now officially going into war against Iran.

  To the sergeants who had been here for half a year with only a few days left before being discharged, this was bad news. Most of the men who applied to be here had the mindset to serve on the expeditionary force for the pay and get discharged with a large sum of money.

  This didn’t mean the men were incapable as they had the mental capabilities to overcome the dangers and threats. However, an official war between two nation’s militaries held far greater dangers than what the men could think of.

  The men from the 1st reconnaissance platoon had gone into 24-hour watch since the Iranian revolutionary guard’s special forces raided their base. The squad leader’s and vice-squad leader’s team took shifts even during meals for the watch. Once again today, the 2nd squadron’s four men finished their lunch while the rest of the men kept watch, and the squadron went back into the barracks to take a break before going into their shift.

  “God! The weather is hot, the sandstorms feel like shit. Sir, I’m envious of you,” Corporal Kim Gil-tae laid down on his bed and spoke to Sergeant Hong Han-ho while looking at him.

  “Hey, you’re making fun of me, corporal?”


  “Sir? What do you mean? I’m just envious.”


  “All of us who have been deployed here will have their discharge delayed indefinitely.”


  “Sir, really?”


  “Yes, the quartermaster told me earlier today.”


  “What?! Is that related to the declaration of war with Iran today at 14:00? So, we have to stay here and serve until the war is over?”


  “Well, the people up top must have ordered it!”


  “God! This is unbelievable, sir!”


  “I mean, what are we going to do? I suppose we must perform our duty as soldiers and get discharged once things are over.”


  “Wow! I can’t believe you think so. That’s cool. I would have raised hell……”


  Private First-Class Na Han-jin, who had been checking his equipment, joined the conversation, “Come on, Corporal Kim, sir! If you do, you’ll just spend the rest of your service at the brig until all of this is over.”


  “Hey! Why you! I’m just saying. Do you really think I would?”


  “Hey! Our break is going to be over soon, so quiet down. Everyone, get ready for our shift! When we go into patrol, we are now in a war, so make sure to bring all of your equipment. Understood?”


  “Yes, sir.”


  * * *

  November 1st, 2023, 19:30 (Local Time 14:00)

  The Indian Ocean, N 22°50’3.93″ E 62°46’30.04″ (the 12th carrier strike group’s location)

  The 12th carrier strike group was four days away from reaching the area 340km from the entrance of the Gulf of Oman located south of the Sistan and Baluchestan Province. They were now preparing for battle so they could fight at any second.

  Ten minutes ago, the navy’s strategic command gave the order to commence the first wave of retaliation against Iran at 14:00.

  The Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin Hocula heavy cruiser’s (CG-1101) crew that was in charge of protecting the 12th carrier strike group’s flagship Baekbum Gim Gu (CV-001) from enemy submarines, ships, and vessels was busily moving around making preparations.

  “Sir, our vessel’s ship-to-ground missiles are ready for launch.”


  “The Gim Gu’s 16 Phoenix bombers are standing by for takeoff, sir.”


  “The Park Yeol and Sohn Byung-hee are prepared to launch also, sir.”


  The operators summarized the reports coming in from the other vessels and reported them to the admiral. Brigadier General Kim Ki-young, the admiral of the 12th carrier strike group, looked at his watch and gave the order to attack.

  “Hmm, it’s time. Let’s begin.”


  “Firing our ship-to-ground missiles!”


  The Chunmugong Lee Sun-shin (CG-1101) was the first to launch its Skydragon A missiles from the 48-cell C-VLS-II (Vertical Launchpad) under the admiral’s orders and they started to shoot up into the sky.

  The 16 Skydragon A missiles drew their trajectory with white smoke in the sky. Once the cruise missiles reached their maximum altitude, they lower their heads and flew towards the shoreline. The other two Hocula heavy cruisers followed suit. The 48 rounds of Skydragon A cruise missiles split into 8 groups and flew across the ocean’s surface at Mach 3.5.

  Eight CUF/A-29NP Phoenix unmanned bombers emerged from the Baekbum Gim Gu (CV-001) connected to the connection rods. When the bombers detached from the rods, they rose to the sky at a 45-degree angle. Then, an additional eight bombers emerged.

  The 16 Phoenix CUF/A-29NP unmanned bombers were classified as a 7th generation aircraft and it was a historic moment where they were deployed in the field for the first time.

  The second group completed its ascension, and the 16 CUF/A-29NP Phoenix bombers all started to fly towards their designated targets at Mach 20.

  * * *

  November 1st, 2023, 19:37 (Iran Standard Time 14:07)

  Iran, Tehran, 13th province, air force base

  Four CUF/A-29NP Phoenix bombers reached the air force base at Tehran after taking off from the Baekbum Gim Gu (CV-001) six minutes ago, flying at a speed of Mach 20. When they were in range of their targets, they started opening up their central weapons compartment.

  Click! Whirrrrrrl~

  Eight C-SDB-10 (plasma cluster rounds) connected on an 8-sided wheel on two connection rods started to rotate and release the payloads.

  The C-SDB-10 (plasma cluster rounds) were GPS guided and adjusted their four rear wings to control their trajectory, before striking the runways of the Tehran Air Force Base 30 seconds later.

  Boom! Boooom! Bang~

  A total of 32 C-SDB-10 (plasma cluster rounds) rounds swept across the Tehran Air Force Base. The runway became covered with large holes and littered with shrapnel. The buildings within the base were burning and the Igloos housing the F-14 Tomcats were covered with large dancing flames as well.

  The windows of the nearby building were broken by the soundwave of the explosions and concrete shrapnel flew hundreds of meters and showered the nearby houses.

  The Tehran Air Force Base, which was near a residential area, turned into a living hell of eternal fire. The lucky thing for them was the unmanned Phoenix bombers had not used a C-SDB-20 (plasma cluster rounds) with a wider range to avoid causing civilian casualties.

  The four unmanned CUF/A-29NP Phoenix bombers successfully finished their mission, and when they finished recording the footage of the results, they raised their altitude and flew back home.

  The air force base’s fuel tanks, jets, and other materials continued to explode and the explosions rang across the entire city before the air raid sirens started going off to have the anti-air forces fire their cannons into the empty sky.

  * * *

  November 1st, 2023, 19:38 (Iran Standard Time 09:08)

  Iran, Zanjan, the Zanjan Air Force Base

  While the Tehran Air Force Base was in chaos, four other CUF/A-29NP Phoenix bombers emerged at Zanjan Air Force Base and gifted them 32 rounds of C-SDB-10 (plasma cluster rounds) and C-SDB-20 (plasma rounds).

  The Zanjan Air Force Base was also plastered with explosions and screams of despair filled the air just like the air force base at Tehran.

  The Zanjan Air Force Base was full of the latest jets from Russia that were brought in on October 1st – the 4th generation jets Su-27 Flanker and 5th generation stealth Su-57 PAK FA jets.

  Usually, these jets would have been stored within glass, but the C-SDB-10 (plasma cluster rounds) and C-SDB-20 (plasma rounds) did not discriminate and destroyed them all.

  The lucky thing for Iran was that 40 jets had been moved to two commercial airports. This allowed some of the Iranian jets to survive the bombings and prevented its entire air force from being wiped out.

  Corea’s joint chief of staff was actually aware of this fact beforehand. However, civilian facilities were excluded as targets so they decided to leave them alone.

  * * *

  November 1st, 2023, 19:40 (Iranian Standard Time 09:10)

  Iran, East Azerbaijan, Tabriz Air Force Base

  The Tabriz Air Force Base, which was near the Republic of Kurdistan and the greatest threat to the nation and Corea’s peacekeeping forces, was also covered in flames and filled the clear skies with red and black smoke.

  The Tabriz Air Force Base only operated fifty 3rd generation F-5E Tiger II bombers that were over 50 years old, but based on its distance, it posed the greatest threat to the Republic of Kurdistan and the peacekeeping forces.

  The joint chief of staff wanted to lower the threat so they sent in four additional CUF/A-29NP Phoenix jets to bomb the Tabriz Air Force Base.

  Just like an air force base that ran outdated jets, its igloos were not sturdy as well. The 32 rounds of C-SDB-10 (Plasma cluster rounds) destroyed every igloo and jet. The runway was also severely damaged and no longer functional.

  * * *

  November 1st, 2023, 19:40 (Local Time 14:10)

  Iran, East Azerbaijan, the Agajari Air Force Base

  The Agajari Air Force Base, which also was a threat to the Republic of Kurdistan and the peacekeeping forces, was hit by four CUF/A-29NP Phoenix bombers.

  Iran’s 32 next-generation attack choppers AH-285 and ground attack jets, which posed the greatest threat to the forces on the ground, were also attacked by the bombers and had black smoke rising into the sky.

  The C-SDB-20 (plasma cluster rounds) exploded initially in the air to drop dozens of bomblets that fell on the AH-285 attack choppers.

  Booom! Bang, Boom! Booooom!

  When the bomblets created a second explosion, numerous shrapnel flew towards the ground and the choppers became covered in holes like swiss cheese.