Chimera

“Damn hard to say, Suman,” Potgam said as he considered that question. “This is war we are talking about here. I can’t give you an estimate because we don’t know how hard the survivors of the Highland Division north of Thimpu will fight. Only thing I can say is that every bit of support, men and time you can buy for us is useful. Colonel Misra leading the Paras is fully aware of the overall situation and is expediting things. That is the only guarantee I have for you right now!”

There was silence on the radio for several seconds.

“Very well, warlord,” Suman said finally. “You have the ball. Run with it as best as you can. Meantime, I will get my operations people to divert as many resources as we can free up. We are fighting under a nuclear umbrella now, my friend. Let’s keep that in mind. Panther-actual, out!”

GOLMUD

NORTHERN TIBET

DAY 11 + 0740 HRS

The first rays of sunlight sneaked under the low hanging clouds and illuminated the eastern slopes of the mountains. But none at the airbase had time to muse over the beauty.

As the valley reverberated under the characteristic whine of Il-76 engine noises, few looked up. The KJ-2000 touched down on the concrete of the runway, leaving puffs of smoke in its wake and rolled all the way to the end of the runway. Aircraft landing at such high altitudes had to land faster and had substantially longer roll distances. It sped past the main tarmac where a smaller KJ-200 was parked with engines switched off. The tired and weary crew of that aircraft were stepping off and boarding a military bus that would take them to their secure bunker residences.

Further down the line five Su-27s stood on the tarmac, loaded out to full capacity with air-to-air weapons. Two of their brethren were rolling to take their place on the runway for take-off just as the large AWACS aircraft rolled off it and headed towards its designated area under the guidance of a utility vehicle in front of them.

OVER NORTHERN BHUTAN

DAY 11 + 0745 HRS

The EW operator on board the Indian CABS AEW aircraft checked his watch and noted the time on his notepad with a pencil. He looked over his shoulder to see Group-Captain Roy standing with his arms crossed, looking at the data on the screen.

Twelve hours to the mark… Roy thought and smiled.

The PLAAF had gotten complacent and fallen into a cycle of operations that had become highly predictable. Just a few minutes ago the replacement KJ-2000 for the one that had returned to Golmud had broadcast its radar emissions for him to see and detect.

The Chinese 76TH Airborne Command and Control Regiment and the rest of its parent 26TH Air Division were running defensive operations like clockwork out of Golmud with Su-27 and J-11 support from 19TH Division’s roster. Almost all of these aircraft were now on DCA tasking over central Tibet.

It doesn’t matter why they fell into complacency. Just that they did… Roy thought as the EW operator typed up the latest track information and transmitted it to the operations center at Shillong.

As he had done before.

BAGHDOGRA AIRBASE

NORTHERN INDIA

DAY 11 + 0830 HRS

In the fields north of the airfield, word came down to the battery commander and his crew from SFC headquarters. They had been briefed beforehand and had several hours to prepare.

They were ready.

Within minutes the noise from the hydraulic pumps filled the air and the first of three Agni-I ballistic-missile launchers elevated their precious cargo. As the missiles reached their elevated position, they jutted above the nearby trees. The sunlight glistened on the green-brown camouflaged missile fuselage carrying the black re-entry warhead on top.

Moments later the ground reverberated and an exhaust of fire and smoke flashed out of the nozzles on the first missile, filling the air and forming a cloud that enveloped the missile within seconds. The tip of the missile elevated above the gathering exhaust and the missile lifted into the clear blue morning skies underneath a pillar of flame.

It was followed seconds later by the second missile and then the third.

Within a minute all three missiles were in the air and their pencil thin trailing exhaust outlined their northbound parabolic trajectories for all the citizens of Baghdogra to see…

GOLMUD AIRBASE

NORTHERN TIBET

DAY 11 + 0835 HRS

There was little time for the Chinese to respond.

The KJ-2000 airborne radar aircraft over Lhasa immediately picked up the launches as the missiles moved above the elevation of the Tibetan plateau and accelerated far above into the upper atmosphere. Soon they were above and beyond the detection range of the Chinese radars.

The warheads separated from the boosters and fell back into the atmosphere. The three black warheads moved above all remaining Chinese air-defenses and entered the atmosphere on their way down south of Golmud…