----- "Sovereignty is to nations what freedom is to men. We want to be able to decide, by ourselves, our commitments, our laws, our way of life." -------

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

14 Tubagus Hasan Street, later Siliwangi Road, Rangkasbitung, 1145 Western Indonesia Time

Pvt. Alvgeir Larsen, 190th "Pelangi Nusantara" Volunteer Battalion, PLC

We're provided overwatch and flank security as National Guardsmen took their turn to push westward towards another settlement ahead of Siliwangi Road, just in time as the barbarians, term used in some European circles to Islamist gangs marauding the continent but also a fitting designation for what I am now facing here were trying to counter-attack.

At first, it was just the faint rustle of leaves and the snap of a twig. Not enough to home in on or know for sure if there really was someone out there. But soon, Sergeant Stephen called for a drone to check things out, and it's camera laid bare the figures who were slowly advancing in a staggered column on either side of the trail and the nearby villages. I could see the Australian being pleased with the finding. When they were about 50 meters from the squad, those bandits stopped.

My heart skipped a beat. Had they known us being here? Had the element of surprise been lost?

The two lead NII rebels, now fully exposed and clearly visible to the squad by drone, turned and looked back. Another figure, ten meters behing them, waved a pistol and pointed it forward, whispering a command in Indonesian. They were the point element, and the one with the pistol was obviously their man in charge.

When the lead terrorist came to within 10 meters, I slowly released the safety of my HK433, raised it to my shoulder. But Sergeant Stephen was the first to open fire, which knocked the jihadi back and unleased the well-rehearsed and deadly ambush drill, started from my gun, followed by the Palestinian guy. Meanwhile, two hand grenades were thrown from William's position, peppering shrapnels at five rebels trailing them. The machine guns opened fire along set sectors with a withering cross-fire that knocked down those still standing after the mines had detonated. To my astonishment, Agnes, Wang, and Rudi opted not to deploy their 40mm, instead, joined the rifleman in taking out the attacking force.

Two more squads of NII rebels fell in the same way, thanks to Ahmad's quick thinking in shooting down two NII drones trying to probe our position prior to attack. Then Lieutenant Rokhim gave us a call to displace and head straight for Siliwangi Road. Covered with our battle taxi, the advance continues.

"Patrols by undesirables indicated that the bandits were deploying their vehicles at Siliwangi sector and the attack is imminent. They took out few of these, with inevitability of heavy casualties." explained Lt. Rokhim from his truck's net. "The Captain wants the whole company to head towards the local religious office. We have an Indian battalion, the 33rd "Vijayalaya" Volunteer Battalion, occupying the road nearby. Those "Thambis" are in a need of reinforcements."

"Who are Thambis?" I can hear William questioning, and an answer from Agnes, who sat on his front. "Corporal, what I know about them, it's how Southern Indians, especially Tamils, called themselves. Literally it mean little brothers."

"That's interesting to know, Private." I replied while checking my HK433 a couple times to ensure it would fire if it needed. So far, she did well, but I won't take any risks.

"Yes, the said Indian battalion" Stephen replied. "are mostly South Indians, but other groups exists. Remember, people, there are more than one Indian battalions."

Not much long the column put into a stop, just as automatic fire began to pepper our disembarkation point. And that's when I heard shouting in the language that I did not recognize, only thing I know that it was neither English, Indonesian, nor Arabic, nor Urdu.

"Short burst only, remember, short burst only!" I can hear the other squad who followed us were taking up position and opened fire, followed by ours.

"Glad for you to come." A dark skinned man went on to face Captain Wuwur. "I am Captain Krishna Menon. Former Indian Army."

"Alright, tell me your situation."

"Right now" the officers lowered their head, with snipers that could strike anytime. "These terrorists want to outflank us, they want this sector back. And drones had indicated Communists are moving some of their fighters, they want to create mayhem on their own."

"Here it comes!" One of the Indians called as mortar shells raced downwards at our position. Instead of explosives, white smoke poured from it.

"Smoke screens, get ready! They might send their suicide bombers first!"

For a terror group sure they had a better understanding of tactics than expected. I had my HK433 unlocked, bracing for the inevitable assault.

Then came their vanguard. In his accented English Captain Menon ordered his volunteers to open fire. With their mostly Kalashnikovs and few AR-15s but also Indian-made Israeli designs like the Tavor rifle and Negev machine guns, the first wave were cut down; with some detonated their suicide vests early.

"Check ammo!"

The second wave consists of fighters with heavier body armor than the first.

"You're lucky." Said one of the Indians at me. He was simply called Private Paramasinghe. "Two of my buddies" he pointed forward" got blown to pieces when those savages struck."

As I opened fire with them and my newly found Indonesian comrades in arms, I can't help to remember the time when I was in Germany with one of the freedom fighter group called the "Hanseatic Legion". On how much pleasure as we rode alongside regular German and US military liberating one town after town from the clutches of the Islamic State of Europe (ISE); the umbrella group of jihadists there, and how calling them "savages" and "barbarians" was part and parcel of our struggle.

Absolutely no mercy was given; we strung up some of their dead on utility poles, just like what I had seen here, while some others who're captured alive were either publicly hanged or guillotined after a quick trial or their appeals exhausted, with French patriots supplied the know-how to build one. The UN has it's place, but in this case they can sod off. Now we really understand how the Iraqis felt when they liberated one ISIS occupied town after the next... my commander, a 40 years old former German special forces officer with four tours in Afghanistan and one assisting the Kurds in Iraq, had told us.

After servicing one with two rifle shots, I decided to unpin one of my remaining frags just as more fighters were bounding, towards our position, before let it off on one terrorist wielding a PKM covering his comrades.

BOOM. He's gone, and with him, one rifle-armed fighter.

The snipers of theirs were kept busy by small drones as well as our own snipers; regulars in particular. Then we heard it. A hum.

"Multiple vehicles, right flank!"

"Something with wheels" I could hear Stephen's statement as I moved onto that area.

"Confirmed" said one of the Indians positioned slightly behind the main line of contact with a kind of controller associated with unmanned vehicles. "Multiple technicals inbound, and shit... two APCs."

The enemy attempted a counterattack with technicals led by two captured Anoa APCs and two Sanca armored trucks. The lead troop carrier fired it's 40 mm grenade launchers and forced us into cover.

"Clear the backblast!" The familiar shout from Abe was followed by the screech of a rocket being ignited.

It went straight at the lead Anoa. The six by six APC, once belonged to the Indonesians themselves was now a burning scrap metal. It was followed by the rest of the convoy; with the fact that our officers dealt with it by calling suicide drones to the rescue.

But it was not the final wave, as Ahmad piped in with his own drone.

"Warning! 30 trucks, technicals and possibly suicide vehicles incoming; oh no they were led by a bulldozer!! We might need air strike or artillery here"

"This is London 6, artillery is on the way" We can hear the blasts of several ST Kinetics-made 155mm SLWH Pegasus, license-made as HT-2 (Towed Howitzer in Indonesian). Multiple impact destroyed the lead bulldozer and several trucks; forced them to turn back. "They are retreating" I could hear Janice piped in, her eyes were still on her sight.

In the meantime, Stephen had his radio connected to the platoon HQ; "Lieutenant, how's the rest of the line holding?"

"Light losses, but still fine, stick to your position, Captain's order".

With a lull on fighting, barring occasional sniper fire, it allowed the engineers behind our position to launch their armored bulldozer to clear the way from the wreckage. But it won't last long, as the left flank of the Indians reported being under attack. And our squad was the first who put a response.

"We have to bring him to safety!"

"Shite, I'm hit!"

And we're forced to lower ourselves as multiple machine gun fire inundated the Indian position. "Damn, I once thought that the FDNI was a bunch of looters only!" I could hear Corporal Widya on my right side throwed a fit as he aimed his SS2 at the oncoming black or green clad fighters. Their lack of proper PPE were much more profound compared to the Jihadists, however their fanaticism did give us trouble of putting one fighter down.

"Forward, kamerad! Remember our main objective, Jakarta!" one communist fighter that must be their leader raised his rifle, urging his comrades to hurl themselves into a certain death. As an example for his men, the leader put himself on the front with his Kalashnikov that the FDNI got from who-knows-where blazing.

His effort was admirable, I have to admit, only for Janice's SS3 to put an end to it by a single round on his temple.

"Frag out!" Covering Widya as he's reloading, Putu's hand let loose on her frag, which went right on the money as the explosion gave room for those who in need of reloading, or resupply, to get it done - speaking of resupply; local HANRA fighters was really helpful, if they weren't engaging, they helped us with resupply; either it by truck or unmanned autonomous wheeled supply vehicles; called by the Americans as Squad Mission Support System or Sistem Dukungan Misi Regu (SDMR) in Indonesian.



SMSS robotic supply and ammunition carrier vehicle

"Surely that some of them are high." quipped one of the Indians as he's reloading his Negev. "Just like when my dad was still around, giving Naxalites and Northeast rebels their own medicine, left and right."

"He must be proud of you." replied the other, his insignia indicated a squad leader role. "Bharat mata ki jai!" (Long Live Mother India) shouted the latter, as he pulled the trigger on his Tavor and opened fire, covering the gunner.

Meanwhile, one foolhardy red fighter somehow made it to our position, his rifle was already with a bayonet in it; however I was faster, and in seconds, he collapsed with his torso pierced by my own bayonet.

"So much for fighting for the oppressed. No wonder the Five Pillars smoked them all in Europe..."

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

Cpl. William

A new order soon arrived, and with the Indians got reinforced, we're allowed to continue our advance. Back to the main road, we rendezvoused with two unmanned armored bulldozers and Black Tiger tanks, ready to clear the way for us.

Our advance were also backed by a team of snipers.

"Boom!"

"What was that?" Asked Abe upon hearing the explosion ahead.

"They hit IEDs... Worry not." It was Stephen who replied. "They are meant to take hits." Sure enough, the bulldozers pulled back to our position, all with several burn marks but overall were still operational.

Slowly but surely, we advanced. "Move it!" I could hear Captain Wuwur ordered the second platoon to assist in evacuating the trapped civilians still in the area.

"Incoming mortars!"

A few minutes later... "Company, halt!" ordered Captain Wuwur from the net.

"What's going on, Captain?" asked the 3rd platoon commander, Lt. Yohannes Tawing, on his own radio. He and his volunteers, mostly from Jabodetabek like our platoon, were attached with the dozers when we was tending the Indians.

"Enemy emplacements; MG teams, RPG, and possibly snipers as well" said the Captain. Being the lead platoon, I saw Lt. Yohannes put on his binoculars and began to scan the area; sure enough, his hand signal indicated that the enemy is present ahead. "The Mandiri Bank branch office has the greatest concentration of the enemy and there is a possible HVT, one of the field commanders of the rebels in this area." said Yohannes.

"Good info" said the Captain,

Three well-hidden sniper teams, armed with Pindad-made SPR-2V4 .50 cal bolt-action sniper rifles, opened fire, eliminating a MG team hidden in an abandoned shop, plus an NII sniper and an NII field commander hidden in the bank, respectively. "Merdeka" (Independence) we could hear the signal from the snipers before the communication was ended.

Shouts of takbir and "Death to Infidel" pierced the air and the surviving rebels returned fire. Indonesian forces fired toward the opposing force's muzzle flash.

"Those people were indeed competent enough to avoid exposure" I said to myself while firing my SS2 with others.

"Fire in the hole!" Rudi leap-frogged closer to one of the heaviest enemy presence, a machine-gun position in an abandoned apothecary, before plunked his 40mm at the store. "Great shot!" exclaimed Stephen as we heard scream and curses from the rebels inside. Suddenly...

"Sniper!" shouted a volunteer from the Rainbows' 3rd platoon as one of his comrade collapsed by a sudden crack.

"Down!!" Lt. Rokhim wasted no time to order us that, just as several more sharp cracks were hitting our position.

Unfortunately for the rebels, we have enough gunfire locators to know where they are, coupled with our swarm of drones dominating the skies.

Later we heard a bang from behind. "Target eliminated", said one of the regular sniper from his hidden position. To finish the remaining rebels, we called upon the tanks, which made the short work of them, facilitating our advance.

"This is Trowulan, be advised, we saw the enemy had set up mortar and air defense positions in an abandoned house's parking lot on-grid 48MXT 384 329. Command had set up an airstrike for that, be ready".

"Sounds good for a precision airstrike"

Just in time as we were greeted by intense fire from a local courthouse in the intersection on Ir. H. Djuanda Road. Then, two AT-5 Spandrel (9M113 Konkurs) anti-tank missile headed towards our position. One damaged one of our fire support vehicle and another penetrated a Kobra; cries and flames came from the destroyed APC.

Later an RPG rocket flow towards another Badak but this time the it's ADS detonated it prematurely. Automatic fire also emerged from various single-family houses in the vicinity. Captain Wuwur ordered, "Alpha Victor Blue, go left to R.A. Kartini Road and support the regulars and other forces there to engage the enemy on those houses."

"1st Platoon, follow Cuka Yellow 6 to clear the courthouse." Others were watching the general area.

"This is Boomerang 2-1, coordinates received, precision strike incoming," said someone with an Australian accent. We heard a loud roar of fighter jets approaching from the north, Two RAAF Boeing Woomera stealth combat drones flew over and dropped two 250 pound GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs that eliminated the mortar and air defense position and collapsing several houses, which I hope contained enemy fighters too.

"What on earth is that drone?"

The sergeant burst into an explaining mode, without thinking either his charges was interested or not. "The one that you just seen is the development of the Loyal Wingman program, optimized for strike duties. The Chinese have the Sharp Sword, the Woomera is our answer." In the meantime, secondary explosions from detonated IEDs in the blast area have also compounded the damage.

"Thank God those things are in our side." I whispered, while Agnes nodded her head in agreement, before her eyes went towards me. And she smiled at me even with the background of destruction we have to be used to for a while....

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

A/N: Hope you enjoy!