Khmeimim Air Base of the Russian Air Force in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria...
Sergeant Floch Brusov of the Russian Naval Infantry finished his patrol rounds at the perimeter of the base, and returned to the security office.
"So you're back, Sergeant," His superior, Captain Boris Lobov, snuffed out a cigarette and lifted his assault rifle, slinging it over his back. "I guess it's time for my shift, huh?"
"Y-Yes, sir," Floch acknowledged.
"Don't be so uptight, Lieutenant," Lobov jabbed Floch in the ribs. "I heard from Lieutenant Kirstein that there's a big shipment of vodka that just arrived from Sevastopol. We should have round tonight."
"Yes, Captain!" Floch saluted.
As the Captain walked off, an Air Force pilot came up to them. "Hi Floch! I prepared some meat in the mess hall. You interested? Jean is already there."
"Sasha," Floch rolled his eyes. "Is eating all you can think about? Why are you here anyway?"
"I'm on my way to the hangar! My friend in the Air Force, Connie, is on a mission and his squadron should be returning any time now."
Floch nodded disinterestedly. "Yeah, yeah, whatever then. I won't keep you."
Twenty-Five Kilometers away in downtown Latakia City, Syria…
Falco Grice looked up to sky watching a dozen fighter jets scream overhead. Sometimes he wished he could be like them, soaring away to somewhere… somewhere far away, far from all this…
"Damn fucking Russians!" Falco's companion, Gabi Braun was much less impressed. "I heard they hit Idlib again during the night!"
Over the past few weeks, the Russian and Syrian Air Forces had heavily-bombed Idlib in northwest Syria, indiscriminately killing rebels, terrorists, and civilians alike. Meanwhile, on the ground, the Assad regime forces, aided by fighters from the Shia Islamist terrorist group Hezbollah and the Palestinian terrorist group Liwa al-Quds, continued their brutal advance into Idlib, often executing rebel prisoners, regime opponents, and civilians accused of sympathizing with the rebels, usually without trial or mercy.
Falco sighed despondently, dragged back to reality by Gabi's vehement exclamations. "Yeah, well what can we do about it?"
Thousands of soldiers and mujahideen far more experienced than us have fought and perished fighting against the Assad regime and their Russian infidel allies. We couldn't even defeat the damn Hezbollah takfiris!" Falco referred to the Lebanese Shiite Islamist terrorist group which supported the Assad regime.
"Well, it's time we changed things around and got some revenge!" Gabi gnashed her teeth. "They- they are all infidels and takfiris! We must kill them all! We can't forgive… what they did to us!"
Irrelevant Historical Footnotes:
Three years ago, on June 22, 2015, seven radical Islamist Taliban attacked the Afghan National Assembly (Parliament) in an attempt to assassinate Afghan's new defense minister, Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai. One Taliban detonated himself in a suicide attack, and the other six died in combat against Afghan security forces. Two civilians were killed and 40 civilians were wounded.
Six years ago, on June 22, 2012, the corrupt and incompetent socialist President of Paraguay Fernando Lugo was impeached, and succeeded by his social liberal Vice President, Federico Franco. This would bring down the short-lived but disastrous socialist regime of Paraguay, and fatally weakens both the socialist Patriotic Alliance of Change and the liberal Authentic Radical Liberal Party. Eventually, this leads to the restoration of the conservative, democratic Colorado Party in 2013, and brought stability back to the country.
However, a group of dangerous, communist hardliners, the Free Fatherland Party (PPL) and the Paraguayan People's Army (EPP) continues to wage a guerrilla war in Paraguay's rainforests.