7 PM at night.
Sky, direction of Baghdad, altitude 25,000 feet.
Two F-15E "Strike Eagle" heavy fighters tore through the thin and icy air at the bottom of the stratosphere.
Under the wings and on the hardpoints of the fuselage, they were loaded with Grim Reaper's supply—GBU-38 JDAM precision-guided bombs and AGM-65 "Little Bull" air-to-ground missiles.
In the cockpit, the highly integrated display screens emitted a bluish light, illuminating the faces of pilots "Poison Snake 1-1" and "Poison Snake 1-2" like sculptures.
"Poison Snake 1-1, this is 'Dark Blade,' I've reached the designated standby airspace and am establishing a circular defense route. Weather conditions in the target area are good, visibility is excellent. Ready to provide ground support anytime."
The voice of the AC-130U gunship commander came through the radio on the public tactical channel.
"Poison Snake 1-1 received, 'Dark Blade.'
