Theme song: Two Steps from Hell: Sons of War

......

17.20 Western Indonesia Time, June 4th, 2034, Somewhere in (occupied) Maja, Lebak Regency, Banten, Indonesia.

Corporal (Kopral Satu) William, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, A Company, 288th Volunteer Infantry Battalion "Pelangi Nusantara" Greater Jakarta National Guard

"...20 captured NII fighters were paraded in public before trial in Solo..."

"...North Balikpapan district, in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, which was briefly occupied by NII in a coordinated attack, has been liberated by Army, Police, and local citizen. Estimated 25-50 were killed..."

"...A known firebrand cleric found dead near Kualanamu Airport today, his body dismembered. Police is currently investigated a possible revenge killing..."

"...Ciamis police confirm bodies found near the Mayor's office were known NII members which probably captured by people's self-defense group, castrated and killed on the spot..."

"...TNI announced the liberation of the City of Blitar, in East Java, previously partly occupied by FDNI.."

"...A suspected hacker working for the FDBI had been captured by Surabaya Metropolitan Police. He confessed his admiration of communism and a one-man plot to cut power supply in Surabaya, Gresik, and Sidoarjo, via malware. The Defence Ministry offers him to work for them in return for amnesty but he said that he still considered it, while remained held in custody at the Surabaya Metropolitan Police Office.

"...12 National Guard soldiers were killed when their vehicle was ambushed by NII in Mane, Pidie Regency, Aceh during the pacification operations there..."

"...In international news, Israeli forces entered war-torn Lebanon for the first time since the War in 2006 and set up a security zone in Southern Lebanon..."

...........................................................................................................

It has been seven months since the blast.

Right now, I am on my way to the occupied sector of this regency, armed and ready, safely protected from roadside bombs by the armored mine-resistant truck that I am inside with 12 more people like me.

Oh, perhaps a simple introduction is an order. William Sakti Christopher is my name.

Born in Jakarta on Heroes Day, on November 10th, 2012.

People call me William. A typical Northern Jakarta Protestant Chinese upper-class and an heir of the family business. Studied Management at Pelita Harapan University for that reason.

While my father's company was involved with the nation's growing arms industry and my great-grandfather fought in the 1945-1949 war of independence, nobody from my extended family was in the military or police until now. And while I am good at basketball and cycling, I am far from a real outdoorsman.

However, my dad did train me to use guns to defend our household ever since a fifth constitutional amendment established a right to bear arms, just like America's Second Amendment.

It didn't help by the fact that the security establishment are more or less supportive for such policy thanks to the spike of violent civil unrests, both from the extreme left and right, inside and outside the country, as a consequence of a revolutionary policy against old guards plus events overseas.

A bit of history lesson;

First, Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 after 8 years of frozen fighting in Eastern Ukraine. At the same time, it increased the post COVID-19 of US and China's Cold War tension.

The subsequent costly victory of Ukrainians was not a reprieve, however, with an black swan in 2025, a full-scale war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The war finally resulted in a nuclear exchange, one city for each belligerent, crippling both nation's psyche and resulted in oil prices temporarily skyrocketed before new reserves in Asia, The Caucasus, the Americas, and Northern Europe stabilized the situation somewhat, but the damage has been done.

In addition, a year before, Turkey has been expelled from NATO due to its government fell to Islamic fundamentalism.

A new refugee crisis as a result of the Great Middle East War and a need to integrate Ukraine to its fold was a straw that broke the camel's back for the European Union, undoing further post COVID-19 economic recovery.

As it's disintegrating institutionally, three years later, Islamic jihadists embedded with illegal immigrants and refugees inside European territory, banded together in a group called the Five Pillars, took the opportunity and launched a continent-wide uprising, sparking the European Civil War, battling Europeans and what was left of the US Armed Forces presence in the region.

Our own countrymen's support of such "jihad" were luckily few in number, or that's what we thougt before everything went downhill.

Meanwhile in the Asia-Pacific, multiple natural and environmental disasters inside China and a creeping international isolation had sparked a bloodless coup by the military supported by the country's business community. As part of a transition to a new civilian government at the expense of the Communist Party, it agreed to an American offer for a new nuclear arms limitation deal along with Russia's new Tsarist government - formed by a coup after their humiliating defeat in Ukraine - a detente, relaxation of tension.

It also means a change of name. No longer the People's Republic of China, the country's new official name is now the State of China.

With the fact that the new government are basically a hybrid oligarchic ones that does not yet issue a proper apology and compensation for COVID-19 pandemic, along with the fact that their foreign policy still maintained a claimant stance in South China Sea, Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, Northern Indian borders including the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, and most importantly, Taiwan, which resulted in the latter inhabitants openly expressed doubt about the viability of reunification talks with the mainland, the only thing we Asians were grateful for that development was the transition was less bloody than what we expected. However, there was an exception.

Losing their most reliable ally, a desperate North Korea attempted a last-ditch action to show their viability; an invasion of South Korea. The bloody affair was finally settled with the execution of Kim Jong-un and his entire family by the victorious South with American and Japanese assistance, and so the end of one of the longest Cold War conflicts. while further south in Vietnam and Laos, spurred by Chinese example, peaceful revolutions successfully removed its long-entrenched Communist regimes.

Back inside the truck, I am grateful for the working air conditioner who kept us cool and somewhat comfortable, as sitting side by side with a full combat load is not exactly the coziest transportation arrangement exists.

"BOOM!"

"Hold yourselves up and check your weapons!" boomed our squad leader, an Australian guy sitting in a jump seat between the side passenger seats.

"Yes sir!"

Mortar shelling was one of the ways those rebellious traitors were greeting us.

In return, we heard wailing sounds from behind our lines, then an explosion, a befitting reply from our guns.

Why an Australian?

Well, Sergeant Stephen Downing was one out of many foreigners who come to Indonesia voluntarily to fight for our flag. The passage of a new constitution in 2025 was an impetus for a revolulutionary policy I had mentioned above, One of it's result was change of demographics and in the process, a new meritocratic thinking was imparted in every single aspect of our nationhood, in many cases, by force, almost overnight. To those who want a condensed explanation, his policy was anchored in the following sentences; Those who love and want to build Indonesia are welcome here regardless of race and birthplace. You hate it, leave it.

In the meantime, the driver, ignoring the blast and gunfire outside casually switched the radio to his satisfaction.

- Stephanie Poetri 'I Love You 3000' -

Baby, take my hand
I want you to be my husband
'Cause you're my Iron Man
And I love you 3000

"I remember the time when my parents introduced me to Marvel," Agnes muttered.

"After all this time, It still saddens me that Boseman died too soon, you know that..."

"I agree, Abe. You know that I like him, along with Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans."

"....While I prefer Downey and Pratt.." she continued.

Few of my relatives told me that I wasted my life as a corporate heir to suddenly turn 180 degrees and took up arms as a lowly enlisted soldier. I couldn't care less.

"How's your family doing with you are in the Army?"

"Well, everybody is talking on the war's going on, buddy." he began while looking at his primary weapons, an M4 carbine and RPG-32 anti-armor rocket launcher. "But at least, mum and dad and Tania are holding well. Jakarta, as much for its troubles, is still a safe place to live if you know to defend yourself. Especially with my dad has got himself a gun, semi-auto ex-army SS1, in fact."

"You people seem close to each other, maybe as some of you are in the same university?"

"Yes, sergeant," replied Abraham Goenadi, or Abe as we call him.

"That's right, Sergeant. We've different majors, but we've known each other quite long time." said Handy Jayakusuma, we call him Handy. He's sitting on my left side with his Australian-supplied Maximi machine gun secured safely on the truck's floor.

"Mark my words, guys." In front of me, the long-since recovered Rudi Andos Lumbantobing, or Rudi in short, interrupted us while checking his compact Pindad SS2-V5 with an underslung grenade launcher in it just like what Agnes had as her primary weapon. "There is no turning back, our moment is here."

I agree with Private Rudi," Stephen replied. "Such a spirit from you."

"Thank you, sir." Behind his smile and spirited aura, I know that I have to keep an eye on him. "Those zombies want us dead anyway..."

Rudi being Rudi. The loss of his girlfriend was clearly be always in his mind, hence his caustic statements about our enemies. I can't blame him as Livia was my friend too.

"I'm a Muslim, Rudi, and before you once more bring out the Middle East... I will stick to my points that I showed to many people... the Palestinians - and Arabs in general - are not all jihadists nor pedophiles nor suicide bombers, and not all the Jews are swindlers, pedophiles, nor greedy crooks, and we Indonesians had shown how diversity is our strength, sorry, Sergeant..." he continued while Sergeant Stephen kept his eyes trained at him. "...so why not we strive to be an example for Arabs and Jews to one day, if God wills, to be able to live together in one democratic state?" replied Corporal Widya Pratama or Widya as we know him, assigned as the second fire team leader. "Anyway, Janice? Earth to Janice."

A middle-upper class Sundanese Muslim, Widya studied Management like me and Handy, and his primary rifle was a Singaporean SAR-21.

"Yes, Widya?" A petite girl on Widya's front ripped out her earphone. Meet Janice Immanuel Sinambela. The marksman of the team with a scoped semi-automatic 7.62x51mm Pindad SS3, she is also our little gang's musician and majoring in it. Classically trained one and often won piano competitions, she's also a regular fixture in her church playing her piano. And just like Rudi, she's an upper-class Bataknese Protestant.

"Ready to introduce yourself to the enemy?"

"Oh yes, Widya. My hands are itchy to deal with those people who'd interrupted my dream to teach piano to kids."

"Private Ramlan, check your radios."

"Yes, sir," answered Muhammad Ramlan, a Javanese Muslim, majoring in Industrial Engineering. His hands went on a few consoles on the backpack positioned below his feet. "All on a tip-top shape, sir!"

Last but not least, two seats from Sergeant Stephen, sat the artist of our little band of friends, a Balinese Hindu by the name of Ni Putu Ayu Lestari.

"Everything shall pass in the end."

"I agree, Putu," Abe told her. Everyone has their own hopes and dreams...

"Anyway..." Abe started. "I think somebody should add the question of why the Jews got kicked ..."

"Ssshhh... we'll discuss this later!" I barked. "Sergeant Stephen is looking at you, you won't want to get yourself in trouble!"

"Yeah, Sorry, um... corporal." He's clearly was not yet used to call me, nor Widya, with the proper rank.

In the meantime, Stephen went on to check the third fireteam, led by Second Corporal (Lance Corporal equivalent) Saki Fujita from Japan; the fireteam was all-expatriates with it's members consisted of Private First Class Wang Ling, from China, Private Alvgeir Larsen, from Norway; and Private Ahmad al-Bukhori, a Palestinian Arab.

Radio traffic from the Sergeant slowly but surely become another source of entertainment, showing the state of our allies; on our immediate front and back were two more Sanca-II trucks like what we're now inside. carrying more squad of volunteers - each vehicle can load 13 people on it's back - while the lead vehicle was a Kobra, an Indonesian name for Pindad license-produced Pandur II wheeled IFVs used by the regular Army.

................................................................................................

"30 seconds!"

So far no ambushes. My mind went to digest the fact that the higher up is indeed care for volunteers like us, which tend to have less standardized loadout, unlike the regular army.

Necessary supplies and also artillery support were part of that. On the other hand, to answer the question of "why we need volunteers?" is the fact that thanks to traitors in between, we have to call for more hands to arms, including from overseas diaspora and willing foreigners to bolster our initially hard-pressed regular forces.

If you remember Ukrainian, Syrian, and Iraqi example of state-sponsored foreign-accepting volunteer forces as augmentation to the regular military, that's what our force was. The National Volunteer Force or Pasukan Sukarela Nasional, PSN, in Bahasa Indonesia. A part of Army National Guard Command, unlike in the Middle East and more in line with the Ukrainian ones, the NVF expressly forbid any sectarian narratives in its ranks.

Each kilometer we passed, small talks become rarer, our hands were mostly on our guns, our ears opened wide ready to receive that order to dismount, and whispers of prayer echoed inside.

"Be advised, we got hostile vehicles ahead!!" radioed the lead Kobra, followed by a heavy thud that I know was from its 35mm autocannon installed as an upgrade from the earlier 30mm one. Our radio was filled with it, followed by a large explosion.

"Got them, it was a suicide car bomb... No damages to friendly units. Proceed... They are harassing us with those things and drones."

And we reached the tail end of our little trip as the convoy lurched into a halt.

"Victor 1-6, all units dismount." That's the order from our platoon leader, 1st Lieutenant Abdul Rokhim.

"Move now!" boomed Stephen. Janice dismounted first followed by the entire squad.

Private Luki Tejaswana, our driver, and the vehicle commander, Sergeant Sulistyo stayed inside to keep watch the truck and firing it's remotely controlled heavy machine gun, CIS 50 MG, originated from Singapore, also known by its Indonesian nomenclature SMB or simply Heavy Machine Gun in English.

"We are going to occupy that building."

"Yes, sergeant!"

Our orders were to garrison a two-story building, an abandoned house of one of the richer inhabitants of the village we're in, while the regulars advance straight on the main road into the NII occupied village ahead.

Just ahead of us, we got the first taste of who our enemy is, as a squad of green-clad NII gunmen with rocket launchers tried to aim for our convoy, only to be torn apart by our truck's .50 cal

"Frag and clear, Ahmad."

"Yes, sergeant." Pvt. Ahmad unpinned his grenade and when I opened the door just enough for the grenade to went inside, the Palestinian let it go.

Two dead bodies, green-clad and with their SS2 laid on their side, but no bombs, so far. However, a footstep from the ladder near us announced that we got company.

But our hands were faster in the trigger and in a short burst the three more terrorists fell down, dead.

Our first real combat test is now fully underway.

"Agnes, move!"

Her eyes narrowed, she was barely able to properly hold her gun. She looked at me.

"Just breath, I'll be with you."

"Well... for our families..." She raised her SS2 and covered me while I pushed forward, looking for remaining rebels inside if there were any after the short engagement.

"You'll be fine." That's what the Sergeant told us while standing behind my fireteam.

.........................

Outside our position, the other squads who were also mounted on Sancas took their position around abandoned houses and the surrounding wooden areas.

"Get into position, those people are friggin' everywhere and know we're here," told Stephen to us.

We're lucky that the house has a toolbox that helped us to strengthen our position.

"Hammers and nails, baby, hammers and nails," quipped Abe as he's busy boarding up a few windows. all in the name of concealing our positions.

Now we're going to have it occupied until further orders.

A quadcopter had us visible outside the house. From the direction, we understood that the said drone was ours.

"Heads up" a word from the recon drone operator on Ramlan's radio were clear as day, in contrast to the creeping darkness outside. "Victor Red 1-6, enemy patrol on foot; 60 degrees east, 2 klicks (2 km) of your position house."

"Roger"

The night vision cameras helped us identifying the oncoming enemy fighters, NII, thanks to the bandits were using their trademark jihadi headscarves.

Agnes proved herself that she's no longer as uneasy as before by opened fire first. Followed by Handy's Maximi, costing the oncoming rebels five of their own. Their leader shouted commands, and they spread themselves out trying to find some cover between fences or trees, accompanied by their quintessential Takbir battle cry.

"Say goodbye," muttered Janice as a jihadi with RPG was about to fire; his brain matter spurting high as her gun hit the mark.

20 minutes later, I got my first taste of shooting as sounds of gunfire started from the pointed direction and we returned the favor. I also heard somebody shouting their trademark jihadi war cry while shooting at us, which I promptly double tapped with lead on his neck and head, all unprotected.

Explosions were also heard in the vicinity of the village; the regulars should be fighting right now, especially with more and more Sancas, Kobras, and even Harimau Hitam medium tanks passed through us somewhat unmolested, plus multiple swarm of drones from friendly lines.

"More RPG's ahead..."

"I see them" Janice reported and quickly dispatched the gunner who was aiming at one regular army armor. Shouts and curses showed how enraged they were; and all of their attention was now on the house.

"Go to hell, raghead!"

"That's what I just want to say, Agnes..." I chuckled while keep firing on a few rebels who were still trying to approach the house. "You're doing very well!"

I can also heard Putu cursed in her mother tongue as her Australian supplied Lithgow F90, a derivative to Steyr AUG spilled blood.

"Til valhall! (To Valhalla!)" I could hear Private Larsen's shouting while firing his rifle. From the right side of the house, the foreign fireteam laid waste to the rebels like the rest of us. For Larsen, his resume include a military service in the Norwegian Army soldier with extensive experience in Afghanistan, and later a job in the oil industry upon discharge.

"Nice shot, sir." I can hear Handy praising Alvgeir with a shout, who had killed three rebels trying to ambush another column of regular army passing through us, and so all attention was on us once more.

"Just doing what I really love, son." another short burst from his German-made HK433 took down one jihadi trying to set up firing position with his captured MAG machine gun.

"Private, focus!" exclaimed Fujita in English as the Japanese was reloading his Daniel Defense M4; that company was one of the higher quality makers of such platform in the United States. Then...

"Take cover!" barked Stephen as two thuds and explosions, He quickly took another guy with a burst, and I did the same. A few of the ragheads were suppressed by Handy's machine gun fire. But the rest of them kept rushing on. A technical showed up, but before it can do anything.

"Clear the backblast!"

Abe pulled the trigger and the RPG rocket obliterated the armed Ford Ranger pickup.

"Well, this is just like back on my time in Iraq." Stephen muttered.

"Same case as when I was in Afghanistan." said Alvgeir. "Now, we're here to prevent this country to went down the same path as that place Americans rightfully call as a sh*thole."

"Good to know, sir" Rudi replied nearby, and switched to his SPG-2, license built M320 GLM while I am reloading my standard SS2.

Rudi aimed that weapon on the oncoming crowd, his grenade impacted right beneath one guy's legs. Splat.

Followed by Rudi, Private Wang also fired his own, in his case, however, the Mainland Chinese volunteer used South African supplied Milkor MGL, enough to waste a whole platoon of terrorists if aimed properly.

Along with a whole squad caught in the blast and received a shower of shrapnel, Agnes launched her own grenade from her SS2 with two rebs stopped dead in their tracks. Looking down I see the rest of them falling one by one, some by the short burst of Handy's Maximi.

Janice scoped the last guy, just when he was about to fire his RPG, taking him down.

Explosions ahead, and gunfire. A town under process of liberation.

"This is Victor 6..." the woman's voice was our company commander, Captain Hendrika Wuwur, hailed from Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. "Drones detected incoming enemy armored vehicles. Get yourself ready."

Oh great. Here comes their "cavalry."

Luckily our training did show us how the ISIL - and Mexican drug cartels - greatly perfected the art of improvised armored vehicles and how we can counter it, especially as we have advantage in technology thanks to the Indonesia Future Soldier, or IFS, Combat Management System developed by an Indonesian private company, helping us assess targets before they even know it. Even with our less-standardized loadout including modified commercial drones, we have real time picture of things faster than the enemy, further augmented by foreign satellite support.

That system heart is a tablet like computer that includes a multi-system navigation module so that a squad leader can see the location of each soldier on his small, book-sized, computer. With this computer, he or she also can give orders to his squad, and send videos and photos to headquarters. As well as this, each soldier has their own smaller telephone-sized tactical computer to receive orders as well as intelligence. Our helmets also had cameras and sensors, especially thermal, while compared to regular force, we got simplified version with less capability but still superior to the terrorists.

"... any air assets available??"

Then came the truth.

"Damn... all air assets occupied." growled Stephen.

"They can encircle our regulars or even strike beyond! What shall we do, sir?" Handy remarked.

The answer came from our right flank.

"3rd Squad is engaging."

"Someone has to assist them," I muttered. I looked at my squad.

"Abe, I will volunteer to assist 3-6 White, bring your RPG with me."

"Are you crazy?" Janice asked. "It's open on the outside!"

The sergeant gave us the final say, "Well, no such thing as overkill, We'll stay here and keep the terrorist out for you, Corporal. Go forth, they requested it!"

"And so, I'll go with you, Corporal." I turned around and felt determination on Agnes' eyes, coupled with how she was holding her SS2 with extra grenades on her waist, much more with the fact that she is the ammo carrier for Abe's RPG. I tapped her shoulder and managed a smile.

"Well, neither Abe and I can do this alone, anyway."

"I will go with you as well, Corporal. Want to show you guys what is my true allegiance after years of sojourning."

"Good idea, Private Ahmad."

By now, the formation of enemy improvised armor is around 100 meters from our position; our fellow volunteers, many are college students like us hence moniker Tentara Pelajar often used to refer to the NVF, are currently keeping the column occupied plus a squad of Mobile Brigade police officers.

A few ragheads appeared from the adjoining street near the 3rd squad position. Before they are aware however I already raised my SS2 and double tapped one, and then two in a quick succession.

I repositioned along the wooden area and abandoned house, few terrorists on our tail. Agnes turned on the two men and fired a long burst. They're out of the picture.

Just on the other side of one of the houses I saw one of the "scrapyard panzers", still stationary.

My hands tapped on Abe, and he ranged the RPG, while Agnes put herself in a ready to load the extra rocket.

Abe pulled the trigger. The rocket raced to it's target. The rebels scattered, but we were long gone as the vehicle exploded.

One more for the good guys!

......

A/N: Hope you enjoy!