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2010 hours. GMT. H.Q SAC, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

"So boys and girls, I am charging you with a very important job." General Mike Kozlowski said to the assembled staff officers. "We have been given the mission of hitting military and strategic targets in the Soviet Union in retaliation for the attacks on DC and New York. The only real restriction that the NCA have placed on us is that we should not make the attacks look like they are the first wave of a nuclear strike."

"Just how are we supposed to do that, Sir?" Brigadier General Mark Sheppard asked CINCSAC. "Unless we are going to cut loose some Beaks from alert duty then our only other option is to use BUFFs firing cruise missiles. We'd be dependent on the senior Voiska PVO man on duty deciding that it was a conventional attack."

"I'm aware of that, Shep." Kozlowski replied. "I'm not keen on launching a mission that will invite a one megaton warhead on my headquarters in return."

"In that case, Sir, we don't have a whole lot of options." A colonel from SAC intelligence remarked. "If the NCA do not want us using Beaks for this mission then BUFFs with AGM-129s is our only real option, and such an attack could easily be misinterpreted as a nuclear attack."

"Can I just point something out, Sir?" Brigadier General Sheppard said. "How did NORAD know that those sub-launched cruise missiles were not nukes, and how did the navy know that the missiles those 'Backfires' shot at their carriers did not have nuke warheads? They looked at the context of the attack and made their judgement accordingly.

"My best guess would be that whoever is on duty at Voiska PVO headquarters is going to judge that in the current circumstances we'd not use nuclear weapons against them; after all the Central Front is holding, if only just and there has been no exchange of nuclear weapons on the battlefield. What reason would we have for launching a limited nuclear strike against Leningrad, or Moscow?"

"How are they going to know that it is a limited attack, though, Sir? They may believe that it is the precursor of a much larger attack. If we go after targets in Moscow, for example, they might think that it is a decapitation strike."

"The Hotline is still operational, Colonel." Sheppard replied. "We tell them once the missiles have been launched."

Kozlowski shot his Chief of Staff a surprised look.

"Shep, let me get this straight. You propose to let the Soviets know about the attack in advance?"

"Sure, why not, Sir? Only at the last minute of course, once the missiles are well on their way and the BUFFs are clear. Since they'll be '129s the Soviets will have little way to track them anyway.

"I'd send a message on the lines of: 'you have no doubt detected American bomber aircraft launching cruise missiles at your country. This is in direct retaliation for the attacks on our nation's capital and New York City; these missiles are carrying conventional warheads. We retain the right to launch further retaliatory strikes should the Soviet Union attack American soil again'.

"Besides I hear that the navy is hitting the Kola Peninsular with Tomahawk missiles right now. Those are conventional, so the Soviets should have gotten the idea that we just want to beat them, not blow up half the planet."

"Okay, Shep, I think you've made a few good points." Kozlowski commented. "You guys work me up a target list and I'll submit it to the boys at the Pentagon.

"I think this sort of thing will need to go to the top for a final decision."

2025 hours. Over the Florida Straits.

'BLEEP! BLEEP!'

The Radar Warning Receiver on Colonel Vorishnov's Mig-29 was letting him know that he was being scanned by an airborne radar, probably a US Navy Hawkeye, or an aerostat radar balloon. The later had originally been deployed to detect drug smugglers flying their 'product' into the South-eastern United States, but their radars were equally capable of detecting low flying fighter aircraft.

Vorishnov knew that it was inevitable that his aircraft would be detected; he just hoped that they could get to within striking distance of their targets before they came under serious attack from the American defenders. The Colonel had read about the 'Charge of the Light Brigade' during the Crimean War and had the feeling that this mission was a later day recreation of that particular military tragedy.

*

An E-2C Hawkeye of VAW-88 'Cottonpickers' was also flying over the Florida Straits, though to the northeast. While their assigned carrier, USS Forrestal, was made ready for operational service, VAW-88 and the rest of CVWR-30 had been assigned to shore bases in Florida and the Keys. The Hawkeyes and Tomcats of the air wing had been placed under command of NORAD's Southeast Air Defence Sector (SEADS) to augment its F-15 and F-16 fighters.

The operators in the rear of the aircraft had been monitoring the contacts taking off from San Antonio de los Baños in Cuba. Initially NORAD had assumed that it was normal training flights from the Soviet regiment based there, or Cuban air force routine patrols. However the contacts had rapidly turned towards Florida and descended to only a few meters above the surface of the straits, indicating something very different.

The Hawkeye was linked via JTIDS to H.Q SEADS at Tyndall Air Force Base, a USAF E-3A Sentry flying over the Gulf of Mexico, several aerostat balloon radars and ground radar. As a navy aircraft it had been assigned to control the Tomcats and Hornets that had been forward deployed to NAS Key West. Of those fighters two F-14B Tomcats of VF-301 'Devil's Disciples' were on Combat Air Patrol.

"Devil 101, COTTON 102, CITRUS FRUIT has confirmed that bogies are to be considered hostile, you are clear to engage, over."

"Roger that."

The two Tomcats turned up-threat and engaged their afterburners. Meanwhile on several air bases Quick Reaction Alert aircraft were being scrambled to join the air force and navy fighters already on CAP duty.

Civilians got the first indication that something was wrong when the Emergency Alert System cut into television and radio broadcasting to warn those living in southern Florida that an air attack was immanent.

2030 hours. Outside Katlenburg-Lindau, FRG.

The Lynxes carrying 1 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders landed in a field outside the town. For a moment a scene from 'Apocalypse Now' was transported from the Silver Screen to West Germany. Major Vian leapt out of the helicopter carrying him and part of the H.Q platoon.

The battalion battle group was already spreading out heading for their assigned positions. At the final O Group before take-off Lieutenant Colonel Colin Mitchell had outlined the positions that the various sub-units of the battle group were supposed to take up, so little time would be wasted on landing.

Some German Territorial Army engineers had already begun to construct defensive positions for 24^th Airmobile Brigade, so the battle group was largely saved from having to do much of this work themselves.

Vian found that the Germans had constructed a pair of very sturdy semi-sunken sangars, linked by a communications trench, with excellent overhead protection made up of sand-bags and doors taken from houses in the nearby town to serve as his Command Post. All his men needed to do was to set up the company radios.

While his men beavered away setting up Javelin firing posts, GPMGs, Minimis and Heavy Machine Guns, and improved their fox-holes and slit trenches so that they suited their preferences Major Vian took a good look at the lie of the land. It was certainly not perfect tank country, that was certain, even without the Bar Mines the Royal Engineers were currently laying Soviet armoured vehicles would bunch up in front of the battle group, making them excellent targets.

Alternatively they could try bashing through the brigade's positions by using the road that ran through Katlenburg-Lindau, though presumably the brigadier had taken note of that possibility and planned for it.

Once again the Major wished that the British Army had invested in a long-range anti-tank missile for its ground troops, rather than just relying on medium-range missiles like the Javelin and short-ranged anti-tank rockets like the LAW 80.[i] Any long-ranged anti-tank support would have to come from the Army Air Corps Apaches and fixed wing aircraft that would be supporting the brigade.

*

"Not too bad a position, considering, Sarn't Major." Vian remarked as he ducked back into his C.P.

"Could be worse, Sir." The Company Sergeant Major agreed. "Looks like the battalion snipers going forward." He added pointing to a few figures in ghillie suits cradling long rifles off in the distance.

"Well that's the last we'll see of them for a while." Vian replied.

Both knew that once in position the men of the sniper platoon would effectively disappear, remaining concealed for hours upon end. From their covert O.Ps they would report on enemy movements and when necessary engage priority targets.

In their hands the powerful L115A3 rifles could be as deadly as any missile, or bomb.

Vian looked up as he heard the sound of aircraft engines. Two Su-39 'Frogfoots' rapidly came into view transiting through the airspace above the battle group, though they were evidently unaware of the British troops below them.

To the major's horror one of the gunners from 19 Regiment Royal Artillery manning Startreak Light Multiple Launchers that were attached to 1 Argylls swung the launcher around towards the aircraft.

"Hold your fire! You'll only…!" He began to shout.

It was too late, however, as a missile shot out of the upper tube on the LML, tracking the 'Frogfoot'. Travelling at 1,250 meters a second the three explosive darts that formed the warhead reached their target in an eye-blink, blasting the 'Frogfoot' out of the skies. The second aircraft took rapid evasive action and disappeared out of sight before any other gunners could engage it.

The kill was poor compensation for the fact that the gunner had effectively just telegraphed their position to the enemy. Vian had also heard that soldiers who fired MANPAD SAMs tended to attract heavy artillery, or mortar fire.

"That's torn it." The CSM commented. "We're in for it now."

2035 hours. HMS Bristol, the Solent.

HMS Bristol and the remaining members of the 2^nd Support Group had handed over their convoy to the 5^th Support Group, which was made up of French, Dutch and German warships, and had made a fast run up the Channel to re-supply at HMNB Portsmouth.

Captain Yoxall scanned the shoreline through a pair of binoculars. Normally returning warships were welcomed back by a few civilians, usually relatives of the ship's company, but all Yoxall could see today on the ramparts were armed soldiers.

The day before someone had fired an RPG at HMS Bedford as she entered harbour, causing minor damage and a few casualties. Now the ramparts had been closed off and were manned by armed soldiers, while ships entering and leaving Portsmouth had their close range weapons manned and posted armed sentries on their upper decks.

"Nice to be home, even if it's only for a few hours, Number One." Yoxall remarked.

"Quite right, Sir." Commander Carter agreed. "At least the town looks like it hasn't been hit."

Yoxall lowered his binoculars and crossed back to the centre of the bridge. Navigating into Pompey was somewhat harder than it had been pre-war; despite all of the precautions the navy had taken the Soviets had still managed to lay a few bottom mines. Two ships, the Isle of White ferry and the USS Clark had found those mines. Fatally in the case of the ferry, and its wreck was now a navigation hazard.

Hunt and Sandown class MCM vessels were now busily working to find any remaining mines, though it was a slow and laborious business.

Yoxall watched as a Sandown worked on a contact; buoys bobbing about on the surface marked that it had mine clearance divers down working on a suspect device.

"Now there's a job I wouldn't do for all the money in the world, Jimmy." Yoxall remarked. "The army and air force EOD job is hard enough, but to add the danger of drowning, I don't know how they do it."

"I know exactly how they do it, Sir, they're all bloody weirdoes. I've met a few of them and not one of them was normal."

Yoxall nodded his head; he knew exactly what Commander Carter meant. For a number of reasons dangerous jobs seemed either to attract strange people, or turn ordinary people into oddballs. It was probably because of the intense stress they were under on a daily basis.

"Bridge, Ops room."

Yoxall picked up the handset in front of him.

"Ops room, Captain here."

"Sir, we've just been passed a message from FO Portsmouth, ADOC has just declared Air Raid Warning Red for the Portsmouth area."

"Very good, make sure the other ships are aware." Yoxall replied before replacing the handset. "Action Stations everybody.

"Now there's something I never thought I'd say on the Solent."

"Do you want to light up the radars, Sir?" The OOW asked.

"Well, we're not much use without them, Lieutenant.

"Get yourself down to the AIO, David; I'll fight the ship from here if necessary."

"Sir."

*

The Soviet Frontal Aviation lieutenant leading the flight of three Su-34 'Fullback' bombers, the fourth aircraft assigned to this mission had been shot down by a Typhoon of 56 (F) Squadron, was feeling quite please with himself. He had managed to get through the final layer of British defences and nothing now lay between him and his target.

He was just beginning to smile when an insistent bleeping began to sound in his and his WSO's earphones.

"What the hell's that?" He asked, genuinely puzzled.

"It's a SAM radar, but it can't be there aren't any near here…"

'BOOM!'

One of the other 'Fullbacks' exploded into a million pieces, scattering its carcass over the Hampshire countryside below.

"+*@#, it must be! They must have moved a SAM battery down here…"

Before the pilot could finish his sentence there was a bright flash.

*

The first Sea Dart in the second missile salvo shot off the rail of the launcher on Bristol's stern, climbing rapidly, seeking its target, a second missile following soon after it.

Captain Yoxall watched it climb away into the sky on a pillar of smoke before disappearing from sight.

"Bridge, Ops room. One target confirmed destroyed, engaging second target."

"Well done, Ops room." Yoxall replied. "Get me those other two aircraft."

"Second target confirmed destroyed, third aircraft turning away. It's out of range now I'm afraid bridge."

"Never mind, two out of three is good going." Yoxall said. "Stand down Action Stations Officer of the Watch, go to Defence Stations until we're berthed."

"Aye, aye, Sir." The Lieutenant replied.

2040 hours GMT. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

"Look alive people, we have hostile aircraft inbound." Captain Caine told the crew of the Battery Command Vehicle. "You've also no doubt heard the rumours regarding Battery B; well I can tell you they're true. The battery was hit by enemy Special Forces just under an hour ago and has been put out of action.

"I doubt that there is a coincidence that the attack took place now and just because we're within one of the most secure locations in the United States does not mean we should not keep our eyes open for enemy ground forces. I want all of you to know where your personal weapon is and make sure you can reach it quickly."

To emphasise his point Caine picked up his M4 carbine and slung it over his shoulder. He did not think he would need it, but one never knew and it was better to be safe than sorry, as Captain Speedle had found out to his cost.

*

Captain Caine might have been even more concerned had he known about the Soviet submarine that was currently lying off the Florida coast, only a few miles away from his location. It was an 'Oscar II' class SSGN that had had some of its missile tubes modified so that it could launch small submersibles carrying Naval Spetsnaz. The submarine had been in position off Cape Canaveral AFS for over a week now waiting for the go code to launch the Spetsnaz it was carrying.

Once they were safely ashore the boat would launch its cruise missiles as part of the general attack on Florida.

The approach to the coast had been difficult for the Soviet frogmen; at least three of them had drowned. However the survivors had set themselves up in a beach house that had been built for Apollo astronauts and their families and changed into the USAF Security Forces uniforms that they had brought with them.

A short time after they had arrived a Security Forces patrol mounted in two Humvees stopped outside the beach house. Inspecting the old building was part of their normal routine. Five minutes later the same number of SFs who had entered the beach house emerged, got into the Humvees and drove off.

The original occupants of the vehicles remained inside.

2050 hours. USS Joseph Hewes, Key West.

'GENERAL QUARTERS! GENERAL QUARTERS! ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS! AIR RAID WARNING RED!'

"What the hell?" Commander Talbot, USNR, the frigate's captain, exclaimed as he fell out of the cot in his sea cabin, having been woken by the sound of the GQ klaxon.

*

The USS Joseph Hewes and the FFG-7 USS Samuel Eliot Morison had arrived at NAS Key West two days before in preparation for meeting up with a convoy currently forming up in the Gulf ports. Commander Talbot had taken the opportunity to allow his crew generous shore leave while they awaited the arrival of the merchant ships.

He had idly wondered whether his extremely conservative Senior Chief would approve of letting the crew go ashore at what was reputed to be the Gay capital of the United States.

Alongside the two frigates were three of the Pegasus class hydrofoils, USS Pegasus herself, USS Taurus and USS Gemini. The other three were out on patrol, keeping an eye on Cuban warships in the area.

*

"What the hell is going on, X.O?" Talbot asked as he struggled into the CIC, still putting on his anti-flash gear. "Is this a drill?"

"It's no drill, Sir." The Executive Officer replied. "AWACS has picked up hostile aircraft from Cuba heading towards the Key. The Morison has also just sounded GQ."

Before Talbot could reply there was a dull roar as a pair of F/A-18+ Hornets of VFA-303 'Goldenhawks' passed over the frigates on full afterburner.

"Jesus H…" The captain muttered as he crossed the CIC to take a look at the air picture. "It looks bad."

A small group of contacts were rapidly approaching NAS Key West. It looked like they would probably reach the point where they would be able to launch their stand-off missiles before the two intercepting Hornets were in AMRAAM range.

As Talbot continued to watch a few small contacts suddenly appeared on the screen to the northeast of the key.

"Oh +*@#, looks like SLCMs."

2055 hours. Over southern Florida.

Colonel Vorishnov was amazed that he and his section of six Mig-29s heading towards CENTCOM Headquarters were still alive. He had overheard many of the other members of 168^th Fighter Regiment reporting that they were under attack by American fighters, or were trying to avoid surface to air missiles.

Most of the regiment, it seemed, was spread out across the Florida Straits and southern Florida. The attrition was appalling and Vorishnov especially pitied the pilots who had come down over the Everglades.

'BLEEP, BLEEP, BLEEP!"

Vorishnov glanced down at his ECM display. It indicated that his aircraft was being illuminated by a search radar associated with the Surface Launched AMRAAM system. He armed his weapons and fired off a pair of Kh-31 anti-radiation missiles.

One of the other Mig-29s also fired off a pair of Kh-31s. The SLAMRAAM batteries were perfectly capable of engaging anti-radiation missiles, but it meant that they would probably be too occupied defending themselves to be able to engage the Migs effectively.

Vorishnov selected his next weapons, a pair of Kh-29D missiles, deciding to retain two weapons for his secondary target at Cape Canaveral AFS, and fired them both in quick succession. He was just about to turn away when the third and six Mig in the formation exploded, giving the lie to the idea that the Kh-31s would prevent the SAM batteries from engaging them.

He dove for the ground, releasing chaff and activating his ECM. There was another explosion before he escaped the engagement zone of the nearest SLAMRAAM battery, marking the death of the fifth Mig in his formation.

He pulled up less than a hundred meters from the ground, just avoiding a missile that had been targeted on him and headed towards his secondary target.

2101 hours. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Captain Caine watched as the air force Security Forces patrol approached his battery's outer guard post. His men had set up a sandbagged position with an M60E3 machine gun, a low sandbag wall with barbed wire in front and on top of it, and a stop stick across the gap in the wall where vehicles were allowed to pass.

One of the guards at the post pulled back the stop stick to allow the two Humvees; Caine reflected that he should not really have done that until the identity of patrol was confirmed, but it was not as if they were enemy Special Forces…

'BOOM!'

The explosion of the grenade caught Caine by surprise. Before he could react one of the Naval Spetsnaz had leapt out of the second Humvee and had taken over the M60 and opened fire, raking several of the battery's other defensive positions.

The captain un-slung his M4 carbine, flicked off the safety catch, took aim and opened fire with rapid, aimed single shots. He saw a few spurts shoot up from the sandbags, but it seemed they were doing a good job of absorbing the 5.56mm rounds.

Caine ducked back into cover as the gunner on the leading Humvee opened fire on him with the pintle mounted Browning HMG. The barrage of 12.7mm rounds was suddenly cut off as one of the M1097 Avengers providing point defence to the battery riddled the Humvee with bullets from its FN M3P machine-gun, before proceeding to shoot up the sandbagged M60, killing the gunner.

Unfortunately a minute later the Avenger exploded as it was hit by an RPG round. However the defenders had already turned things to their advantage, the battery's Quick Reaction Force was already manoeuvring to take the attackers in the flank, while every spare hand who could hold a rifle, or man a machine-gun kept the Spetsnaz pinned down.

Caine and another two soldiers jogged forward to the next nearest cover, firing as they did so. The remaining Humvee began to reverse as it tried to escape the killing zone; Caine pumped round after round into the vehicle as he attempted to stop it. The Humvee was finally brought to a halt by a 40mm grenade from an M203.

'WHOOSH!'

Caine looked over his shoulder and saw a HAWK missile rapidly climbing into the stratosphere. Well at least the attack had not stopped his battery from doing its proper job.

*

'WEEWEEWEEWEEWEE!'

Colonel Vorishnov's RWR was screaming at him now, warning him that a hostile SAM was tracking his aircraft. He held on for a second longer to guarantee that his two remaining Kh-29D missiles would hit the target he had chosen before turning away.

It was too late; the HAWK missile proximity detonated just behind and below the Mig, fragments tearing into the fuselage. Vorishnov pulled the ejection seat handle a second before the aircraft exploded and broke up.

2110 hours. Shannon International Airport, Republic of Ireland.

Just beyond the outer perimeter fence two men had taken up position in a hidden Observation Post, from where they could observe the comings and goings of aircraft using the airport and take note of the defences that the Irish Army had set up to protect Shannon.

The Irish Army had deployed a battery of six EL70 40mm Bofors guns, nine RBS-70 firing posts and the associated Flycatcher and Giraffe air defence radars from 1 Air Defence Regiment to protect the airport from potential air attack.[ii] Infantry, backed up by Scorpions of the 1^st Armoured Cavalry Squadron, carried out foot and vehicle patrols to cover the possibility of ground attack.

The senior observer made copious notes regarding the various activities, trying to discern any patterns among the movements of the security forces. If the army and Garda fell into predictable patterns, then that might come in handy in the near future. If they were smart and used unpredictable routines, then things would be much harder for his group.

As he continued his vigil an aircraft he recognised as a USAF C-17A Globemaster III touched down. This was something new and interesting and it went in the notebook, here was direct evidence that NATO aircraft were using Shannon. It was now a legitimate target.

2115 hours. RAF Aldergrove, Northern Ireland.

It was no surprise to Flight Lieutenant Darkshade that it was raining heavily as his Hawk T.2 touched down on Aldergrove's runway. He had read somewhere that the Irish summer lasted around two days, so it was no surprise that it was pouring in April.

"Looks like the Irish were expecting us and laid on some decent weather, Simon." Flight Lieutenant Jonathan 'JGB' commented from the rear seat.

"Sure looks like it, mate." Darkshade replied.

As part of the deployment to RAF Aldergrove each of the six Hawks that had been chosen to form part of the detachment were carrying a second pilot to save on having to use scarce transport aircraft assets. Once the Hawks had safely landed and taxied to the dispersals set aside for them the four Tornados that formed the real firepower of the detachment landed and took up their assigned positions.

Meanwhile Darkshade opened the cockpit of his Hawk and immediately began to wonder if he had in fact joined the navy.

"Dear God, JBG, I thought that Scotland was wet, but this is something else again."

"Looks like I should have packed my umbrella, mate." JBG said, also wondering if he had joined the Senior Service.

2130 hours. 'Heavy fighting continues on Golan' - A.P.

Tel Aviv, Israel - Reports from the Golan Heights indicate that heavy fighting between the Israeli Defence Force and the Syrian Army is continuing. The fighting began yesterday after a large scale missile attack by Syria against military and civilian targets in Israel.

Initial fighting was limited to an artillery duel, but it is today reported that tanks and infantry have joined the fighting and that fighter aircraft have clashed over the battlefield. The Ministry of Defence in Tel Aviv has refused to comment on the situation, but has confirmed that the army's Northern Command, which covers the Golan, has been mobilised, as has Israel's large force of reservists.

In contrast to the fighting on the Golan, the borders with Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt are reported to be quiet.

***

SMS12,
Thanks, glad you liked it. I had a great holiday, thank you.
The Lebanese cabal will certainly be pleased to see Syria get a good kicking.

Matt,
Thank you, and yes I guess those Gators will not be short of food for a while.
I've heard that Key West has quite a reputation for parties, and that sort of thing. It is supposed to be a bit more liberal than the rest of the southern US.
The Syrians are probably really going to regret attacking Israel.