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Somewhere near Old Rangkasbitung Train Station, 19.00 Western Indonesia Time

Cpl. William, 190th "Pelangi Nusantara" Volunteer Battalion, National Volunteer Force.

"On your feet, squad!"

Just as briefed, we're going to execute a night advance with the main is objective to liberate the old Rangkasbitung Train Station area, now used as stores. After that, our next objective will be Rangkasbitung Indah Plaza shopping mall just about 2 blocks from the old station district.

We got two medium tanks as support, something we have to be grateful for. In addition, both A and B companies of Pelangi had regular support with two companies from the 203rd Infantry Battalion followed us with their wheeled eight by eight, especially the Badak II assault guns or fire support vehicle; wheeled armored vehicle with tank guns for the uninformed.

From two approaches, volunteers lead the way. First, the Station Road, which has 2 blocks, and the wider Tirtayasa Road, passing the main building of the Market complex. The near pitch-black of the area was surreal, to be honest.

Radio silence was imposed on our way. However, we're not invisible and soon Stephen's thermal camera caught the opposing side on patrol. "Enemy patrol, Janice, take him out!"

"Target down," whispered Janice who had seen the two-men patrol a bit earlier and quickly fired two successive shot with her SS3.

"That jihadi will fight no more, but we must move quickly to the station.", whispered the 4th volunteer squad leader, Sgt. Nancy Liunita. But surprise was quickly lost when one of our supporting ground drones tripped over a trip flare installed in a storefront.

"Get down!"

"Return fire!"

The drone managed to retreat while firing from it's medium machine guns, added to our firepower as we gave them a befitting reply. The enemy was perched the second floor of the stores and the station itself engaging us in an enfilade, from the front and the left side of the road.

Lt. Rokhim then commanded us to cover the 2nd platoon that had been tasked to head straight for the station, just as our supporting Harimau Hitam reached the optimum firing range and the subsequent blast threw the rebels, some with ready to fire RPGs to their deaths. Using all-around fighting position and tanks ready on call, we're engaging more and more jihadists.

"Technicals incoming!" From Rt. Hadiwiranangun road, the terrorists proceed to pour more reinforcements using pick up technicals. But to their, woe they ran straight to one of the tanks as well as our platoon with anti-tank rockets ready to greet them, and so more blasts echoed through the market area as the bandits manned any cover available and like all of their fight so far, they aimed for maximum casualties from our side.

"Shit, we lost the Sarge!"

I don't know Sergeant Liunita well, but the 4th squad, seeing their squad leader went down with a fatal burst on her head went on a rampage and killed all remaining entrenched jihadists on our left flank. No mercy was given!

Our next move was to cross the railway followed by the regulars, and quickly one of the patrolling UAV on the sky gave us a real-time picture of approaching hostile. "A platoon size foot-mobile rebels incoming" Abe told me.

"Me too, Fire anyway!"

Later on, three rebel-commandeered city's shared taxi vehicles attempted to blow our position up, being rigged as car bombs. Handy's Maximi and one Kobra belonged to the 203rd Battalion dispatched one by killing it's driver, and it's helper. Two other were destroyed in a large explosion by the autocannon fire from the Kobra, further damaged the shops nearby. The rebels tried to use their suicide drones following the failed attack, only to be stopped by the laser anti-drone variant of the eight by eight infantry carrier.

We consolidated while keeping the fire as more and more people want to blow themselves up went on towards our position.

"Target down" I hope it was the last bomber - to my astonishment, he ran on crutches before a headshot dispatched him.

"To all 15th Brigade and volunteers, advance to the Rabinza!" said someone in the brigade command on the radio.

Skirting around the bodies, we resumed our advance led by a tank-like ground drone, christened as the Orangutan engineer that assisted us with it's robotic hands and bulldozer blades to check and disarm any mines, roadside bombs, and booby traps and also to remove destroyed vehicles out of the way.

"What the... Damn!"

Several powerful searchlights lit up our forces approaching the mall, even blinding some of us.

"Warning, the enemy has activating searchlights in that mall, we're disabling the device," said a sniper in a store roof which disabled the devices using his Pindad SPR-2 material sniper rifle, and later engaged snipers guarding the rooftop. Even after the device was disabled, gunfires remained alive from the mall. Rockets also start flying from the rooftop of Rabinza Mall and almost hit the engineering vehicle which backed away, launching it's smoke grenades to conceal itself from further enemy fire.

The rocket instead hit a store nearby and sending debris toward the road below.

"More incoming!" The second rocket squarely hit the engineer drone, knocking it out of commission.

Rokhim gave us the command to frag the enemy while the forced entry procedure was executed. Everyone who have their underslung grenade launchers fired their grenades towards the parking hall and the entrance. The 2nd squad approached the mall near the shattered store windows and entered an abandoned beauty salon with its associated equipment. "Clear, no bomb"

After we were out of the salon, we turned left. Near a general clothing store, gunfire was heard.

"There must be enemies there" I whispered.

"William, frag and clear!" said Stephen.

In compliance to the order, I unpinned an Indonesian made M67 grenade and threw it toward the store. Cries of pain and curses were heard as the grenade went off.

"Go!" Once again with Stephen on the forefront and Handy's Maximi covered our approach, the surviving terrorists were taken care of.

"Double check this place," said Stephen.

"Clear"

"Clear!"

"Clear"

"Abe, what are you doing there?" I asked him as he intensified his eyes on clothing racks in front of him. "Well, checking for bombs sir". To his surprise; the rack contains lingeries and other women's inner clothes. "Well, Abe, done already?" asked the not-so amused Sergeant Stephen.

"Sorry, sir,"

"Move out, squad. A lot of stores to be cleared here and this mall will be our temporary HQ here for the next day mission. The Captain said that 89% of this city had been ours; helped by the fact that a good number of them decided to blow themselves up before our arrival; we better hurry to secure this damn building before sunrise"

Out from the clothing store, we were immediately met by half dozen enemy fighters which were quickly dispatched, clearly surprised of our presence. Another group of 5-man NII rebel fighters tries to assist were also cut to pieces.

"Target eliminated," reported Fujita as his gun dispatched the last charging NII. Later on, two suicidal fighters attempt to blow themselves up in our path near a supermarket only for "BOOM!"

Their suicide belt was detonated prematurely by gunfire, killed both bombers and shattering the glasses in the vicinity. But it also caused several trooper to be thrown back by the force of the explosion.

"Handy! Handy!" Near me, Handy was on his back, His gear must have been affected by the blast! "Are you alright?"

"Damn, they get me good..." he groaned as I found that his left leg and chest was peppered with shrapnel from the bomb. Thankfully the body armor and it's IFS hardware prevented further damage and Putu quickly fixed me up. Both Handy and I was also smeared with blood and body parts from the poor suicide bomber.

In the meantime the 1st squad passed us and voluntarily took over our duties to secure the supermarket. Stephen then asked. "Who also got hit?"

"Janice and Ramlan. They're both alive, thank God. In case of Ramlan, thankfully his radio wasn't ruined, just a scratch from shrapnel, sir."

Then Handy reported "Some scratch on the cabling, and the screen cracked a bit but it's still usable, sir. Just like my Samsung Galaxy back then in Bekasi. 7 months ago I accidentally dropped it in East Bekasi LRT station when I disembarked the train and the screen cracked. Already fixed it before those things started" Everyone chuckled when he finished with it.

With more and more squads inducted to the mall, it's not long before the mall had finally been declared as secure. As we're ordered to rest and recuperate for the rest of the night, we found an abandoned shop near the prayer room (mushala) and we decided to take sleep, definitely with rolling guard duties. Tomorrow, it will be an intensive and more difficult operation.

God, give me strength to complete my duty! Agnes. I miss you. You don't want to miss the action! That's my final piece of mind before I finally found myself drifting into the dreamland.

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A/N: Hope you enjoy! For Indonesian readers, happy Independence day!