'The drones are cloned on the Sukhoi and the F-22. With their pilots, the US fighters should be able to hold their own against them. But even three vimanas will wipe out a squadron of human fighters without any effort. We need to take out the Asuras first, and then some of us can stay back to help against the drones. The attack team will need to go into Kalki's base as soon as we spot an opening. We have less than an hour to go.'
Indra's plan was sound, though Aaditya knew that many human pilots would surely die, flying into a conflict that they had little idea about. Something struck him. 'Brahma, the moment we enter the fight….'
Brahma anticipated what he was about to say. 'Yes, the moment we enter the fight, our existence ceases to be a secret. Ganesha is already taking care of that. Explanations and introductions can come later, but for now, we just need to ensure that we and the humans do not get in each other's way.'
At that moment, a message of historic proportions suddenly appeared on the command screen of every US warship in the vicinity. 'We are coming to help and are on your side. Do not attempt to fire on us. Your radars will not pick us up, but if any of your pilots sees us, know that we come to fight by your side.'
Aaditya could only wonder what the US officers must have made of this message, but he imagined that they, like him, were too preoccupied with trying to survive the fight than wondering about the implications of the revelation they had just witnessed.
Aaditya was now just a few dozen kilometres away. He watched his display fill with dots as one of the US carriers launched a brace of additional fighters to join the fight and the second carrier launched a squadron of fighters to help out the Lincoln. The third carrier was still some distance away, but the US forces were throwing everything they had into this battle.
Indra had assumed command. Aaditya heard his voice boom over his headset.
'Launch astras!'
More than ten thousand years after they had last clashed on such a scale, an all-out war between the Devas and Asuras had once again erupted. And once again, the fate of mankind hung in the balance.
***
The Devas had closed to no less than fifty kilometres before they fired. Indra had told them they needed to make every shot count and moreover, give Kalki as little warning as possible. Aaditya fired two astras, targeting one of the Asura vimanas that was now rocketing towards the US fighters and he saw blurs of blue on his peripheral vision as the other Devas fired as well. He gnashed his teeth in frustration as the Asura pilot intercepted one of his astras and rolled out the way of the other. However, one Asura had fallen to the first volley as the Devas now joined the drones and remaining Asuras in a swirling, massive dogfight.
Aaditya and the Devas were patched into the American pilots' communication system. Several of them shouted 'Fox 3', as they launched their long-range AMRAAM missiles at the drones that were now rapidly filling up their radar screens. Aaditya heard one or two of them whoop in triumph as a couple of drones disappeared. But they had no idea of the vimanas that were lurking in between the drones, invisible to their radars. He watched the Asuras launch a volley that took down four American fighters. They had to take down the Asura vimanas before they made mincemeat of the American fighters. Aaditya zoomed in closer, seeing a drone come at him from his right. He swiveled his head to lock in on it, and sent a burst from his vajra. The beam caught the Sukhoi drone near its cockpit, and it disintegrated in a flash. Aaditya rolled out of the way of a missile that had been headed his way and when he came upright, he saw that his assailant was now headed straight for him. Good, he wouldn't have to go looking for the Asuras. Now that they knew the Devas had joined the battle, they were making a beeline for the vimanas.
The Asura fired two more missiles, and Aaditya intercepted both with his astras, but did not have time to fire back before the saucer shaped vimana passed him. Aaditya took his vimana through a sharp turn. The Asura was trying to turn towards him so that he could fire again. Aaditya fired an astra at point blank range, watching the saucer as it glowed red-hot for an instant before it disappeared in a flash of intense light.
'There's a saucer on my back. I can't get him off!'
An American pilot was being pursued by an Asura. Aaditya calibrated which fighter had made the emission and took his vimana to the scene of the chase, climbing high so that he could swoop down for his attack pass. He looked down in admiration as the American pilot weaved and turned, avoiding one burst after another from the saucer that was right behind him. As skilled a pilot as he obviously was, Aaditya knew that the American was living on borrowed time unless someone took the vimana off his back.
Aaditya took his vimana into a near vertical dive, focused on nothing else but the red dot he saw on his display. As he got closer, he could see the saucer clearly before him. The Asura at the controls must have been so frustrated by his inability to shoot down this American pilot that he never even knew what hit him. Two astras slammed into him as he and his vimana were vaporized.
Aaditya pulled alongside the F/A-18, slowing down so that the American pilot could see who had just come to his rescue. He gave the pilot a `thumbs up' sign and then peeled off.
This battle was however far from over.
The other Devas had made good progress as well, and the number of red dots on his display had thinned to a handful of drones. There were no Asura vimanas to be seen. Either they were all gone, or else Kalki was holding back the few that he may yet have left.
The Americans were shooting down drones at a steady rate, though Aaditya did see several American fighters go down as well. Shiva and Durga were staying close to Aaditya, but Indra and Vishnu were cutting a swath through the drones.
Another battle was being waged under the seas as well. Two American submarines had tried to penetrate Kalki's base, and Ganesha had already sent all the Devas a message that both had been sunk.
All the Devas now regrouped above the battle. Indra spoke for all of them. 'Kalki will now unleash all his drones. There may be dozens, or even hundreds of them. We will hold them as best as we can. The Americans know they're in an all out war, and they will be getting reinforcements. Aaditya, you know what you have to do when that does happen.'
Aaditya knew only too well. He found his stomach tightening as he contemplated what he had to do soon.
On the ocean surface the familiar sphere was emerging from the water. A gap opened in its surface and drone after drone flew out of it, looking like a swarm of locusts. The Devas wasted no time. Astras slammed into the drones, incinerating many of them before they had even reached level flight. Aaditya fired a couple himself, but then focused on his own mission. As the only one who had been inside Kalki's lair, it was critical that he make it inside, and find out Kalki's command centre. He dove towards the sphere, drones still emerging from its opening. Shiva was on his right and Durga on his left, sweeping aside any drones that tried to attack him. Narada was right before him. It had been an incredibly risky mission, but Narada had insisted on flying it, arguing he was not as good in aerial combat as the other Devas and wanted to make himself as useful as possible.
Narada fired two astras, destroying a drone at point blank range, but then his vimana seemed to be wobble as beams reached out from the sphere. There was no apparent damage, but Narada's vimana seemed to slow down as the descent into the sphere continued.