"Prepare everyone, it's going to be DEFCON 2," Adrian said quietly.
The command center immediately shifted tone after that.
Operators moved faster.
More screens came online.
Additional radar feeds appeared across the walls as surveillance coverage expanded further south. Outside the reinforced windows of the command building, parts of Basa Air Base were already changing posture. Trucks moved. Floodlights activated across sections of the perimeter. Security teams repositioned.
Inside the airspace above Metro Manila, the F-22s and F-35s continued their combat patrol.
"Falcon One, fuel status?" Adrian asked.
The reply came a few seconds later.
"Combat endurance still acceptable, but missile count is dropping."
"Raptor One same here," another pilot added. "We burned more AMRAAMs than expected."
Adrian nodded slightly.
That was the problem.
The flyers didn't stop coming.
Every engagement burned through expensive missiles and ammunition faster than anticipated.
Then—
