2 July 2034, 0835 hour, Kadipaten, Majalengka, West Java, later Plered, Cirebon Regency, West Java Province.

PFC. Janice Sinambela, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, A Company, 190th Pelangi Nusantara Volunteer Infantry Battalion, National Volunteer Force

"This is Kujang 12, your objective has changed. Head to Cirebon immediately, I repeat, head to Cirebon immediately" My radio crackled with the new order for our combined force to immediately advance to Cirebon, northeast of the town we are currently positioned and one of the strategic cities in the Java's North Coast. I began to think, are our forces there need reinforcements? Better think positively.

We quickly boarded our trucks and head to the city in the highest possible speed supported by APCs and medium tanks via Cirebon-Bandung Highway.

Suddenly near the town of Palimanan, we heard a loud bang and were jolted out, almost thrown inside it's interior if we were unstrapped. Fujita shouted in his own language "Kuso!!" (shit or damn in Japanese). Alvgeir, who was sitting near the door pulled the emergency door release and that's where we realized that one IED had got us upon entering the border marker.

"NII anjing," (those NII dogs) cursed Widya upon discovered the damage inflicted on the Australian-designed vehicle. Its port side front tire has been blown off in the explosion. Thankfully he isn't hurt at all by the explosion especially due to the front seat was occupied by the squad leader.

"Thank God for mine resistance!" Ramlan exclaimed. "Vehicles can be replaced but lives matter more," said Widya.

"Get down and return fire!" ordered the Sergeant as our sensors confirmed more rebel ambushers began to engage us. Their act costed them dearly, as later Sgt. Stephen told us that we got roughly 55 EKIA. On the other hand, we had to abandon the truck.

"People, let's go into that truck," said Stephen as a couple of Australian supplied Hawkei tactical trucks stopped. Our driver and co driver did not came with us in order to tend to the wrecked vehicle for further repair or disposal - their specialization was precious.

The lead vehicle commander, an Australian but spoke Indonesian clearly, asked from the safety of the cabin. "You are in need of a ride, hop in, we cannot lose momentum."

"Good luck!" I waved on our trusty driver Private Luki and the vehicle commander/gunner Sergeant Sulistyo. With a hearty smile, they let us go. Their duty would no longer be with us...

Like in Banten, the roar of jet engines and beat of rotors welcomed us, as well as artillery bombardments.

Soon, the driver announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Cirebon. Time to reclaim its glory".

Our exact position is in Oto Iskandardinata Road near a known tourist spot, Batik Trusmi, a batik shop. Before that, near the exit of the Kanci-Palimanan Expressway/Toll Road which besides it also contained a high-speed rail line with a station in Kepompongan, in Cirebon-Sumber road, the driver had announced that reinforcements from Siliwangi Division had arrived as well.

In total, Forces from Bandung and Majalengka participating in this operation were our battalion, now attached to the 309th Infantry Brigade West Java National Guard and the 22nd Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division "Siliwangi" and what we also obtained, the 321st Raider Infantry Battalion, the spearhead of the assault.

"Reminder to all forces in the southern sector (Panembahan Sector) this part of the operation will be under my command", said Colonel Mochtar Susanto, CO of the 309th Brigade from the radio. "Also be advised, this city has already had its signal jammed, Activate your gear now." he further added.

Upon dismounting, we immediately took up firing position on the left and right side of the nearby Panembahan Road. Backed by armor we searched stores and houses. In an alleyway, we suddenly fired upon. "Return fire!"

A fierce close-ranged firefight ensued. "And stay down," I said upon my pistol took down a Jihadi.

"Fire in the hole!" shouted Rudi upon throwing a grenade to a house which the enemy was hiding. We can hear shouts and cries of pain after the explosion. "Split up and search those houses," said a National Guard Sergeant to his men, who also accompanied us.

Led by Widya, my fireteam entered a nondescript house covered by Fujita's one and found it clear from IEDs. In return, three jihadi emerge from the kitchen and attempt to shoot us but we are quicker, and they all lay dead.

"Janice, you're bleeding," Widya told me.

"No problem, corporal, just a grazing bullet in my neck," I said. "Well, just several more centimeters and you will be wrapped in the red and white," the concerned Widya told me.

In one room, we captured a map, showing us the main enemy activity in the city. Minutes later we continue our advance into the Plered Cake Market (Pasar Kue Plered) when we head a loud, sharp crack.

"Sniper!"

"Take cover!" said one soldier.

In a slowing advance as enemy fire from the rooftops and improvised firing position in houses and shops intensified our officers turned to our armor. Two Black Tigers were called to suppress the area with their 30mm cannons.

"Sir, we got the Lieutenant for you" Ramlan hollered.

"Squad, we will enter that ruko (combined shop and house)! Lieutenant's order!" barked Stephen.

Vehicles continued firing, backing infantry searching buildings in the area. Upon entering that store, across a local mosque, four jihadi fighters went down to engage us. I was lucky that I had my Pindad PM-3 submachine gun - basically a cut down SS2 assault rifle - ready for this occurrence.

Upon entry the squad split up, now with the Lieutenant and his operator had joined my team, searching several rooms before a surprise waited for us.

"Astaghfirullah hal adzim!" (I seek forgiveness from Allah) shouted the Lieutenant upon entering a room in the house part of the combined-use house. We found four young girls and three older, possibly 25 to 35-years-old women chained and held in the room, alive but disheveled and definitely abused, sexually enslaved and to be trafficked by the rebels. We were all shocked and disturbed by that discovery.

"This is Alpha Victor 3-6 request medevac priority, we found rebel's hostages in a ruko across the mosque, white-colored and with steel gates." Indonesian Red Cross volunteers backed by Brimob police officers took over the matter for us, to bring the victims for medical and psychological treatment.

"Move out, people" Stephen ordered us to move out from the house and rejoined the rest of the 1st Platoon, which are still locked in house-to-house fighting.

With my team covering me as well as the 3rd fireteam, I went on into a prone position, readying my SS3. An MG squad of the jihadi terrorists were pinning down another squad of the 1st platoon, 550 meters away.

"Crack"

"Target down!"

Then, we advanced into our next stop - a gas station. In the meantime, Rudi pulled out his binocular, "Jan, got a man smoking, in that house, might be a lower-level jihadi commander, with a helmet and white T-shirt with an SS2, surrounded by a squad of infantry."

I checked the drones for second opinion, confirmed.

Without wasting time I aimed and squeezed the trigger for the umpteenth time. As expected, upon the death of their commander, the enemy occupying the gas station opened fire.

"Lights out," said Widya nearby who fired his rifle which blew off a rebel's head. Another jihadi rebel pops out from his cover, a beam supporting the gas station's shelter and wildly firing his SS2 before Rudi's SS2 stopped his rampage.

"RPG!" Fujita shouted when an RPG rocket flew on our left side of the gas station. It missed and hit the nearby wall in the station, holed it.

Later on, an American-supplied Stryker APC came to our side and the commander said: "Get in!"

We decide to ride atop that armored vehicle and move further into the city alongside the Guards soldiers and the rest of the volunteers. HANRA guerilla fighters also started to pop out in the general area, engaging enemy stragglers and help evacuate the dead and wounded.

Minutes later our tablet went off near a shop named Banana Keraton, signaling enemy detection. The Stryker then stopped and we disembarked under the APC's machine gun fire. I switched back to the PM3, while I passed one of my frag to Rudi, who once more volunteered to do the throwing.

"Fire in the hole" shouted Rudi.

"Boom!"

"Go!" We entered another close combat. But we have another surprise. "Warning, IED detected in the area," I said. "Mark it for the EOD then get out ASAP!" Stephen hollered on the squad radio.

We returned to the Stryker which continued its advance along with a few more armored vehicles. Tanks and fire support vehicles were having a field day of some sort blowing rebel positions, not without losses through - one such occurrence was one Harimau Hitam medium tank on our left were knocked out by rebel's anti-tank missiles, before suicide drones dispatched the gunners. We could also see several armored bulldozers and engineering vehicles at work, flattening suspected enemy hideout and clearing IEDs.

"This is Alpha Victor Lead, all platoons halt your advance because we will re-consolidate and hold the intersection near Kedawung police precinct." The battle is fierce, but we managed to reach a strategic position in one day.

......

2 July 2034, 1125 hours, Somewhere in the Kedawung District, Cirebon Regency, West Java.

PFC. Agnes Tantono, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, A Company, 190th Pelangi Nusantara Volunteer Infantry Battalion, National Volunteer Force

Our position was 50 meters behind 3rd squad soldiers. The Lieutenant wants his platoon to be closer, especially since the 3rd and 6th squad had taken casualties on the outskirts of the city proper. The entire platoon now occupied the buildings in the vicinity of a T-intersection.

Along with our APC, the squad took up position in a park, in the middle of the intersection, supported by a squad of Brimob police officers and several armed civilians. Loyalist forces had hastily erected fortifications from woods and sandbags. Two Pindad SM5 heavy machine guns also had been installed to guard the strategic approach and provide heavy firepower against enemy technicals.

"Sir, drone feed detected a large number of rebels, possibly suicide bombers, approaching this position," warned William to Stephen, who subsequently informed our nearby Brimob support.

"Get ready boys and girls, the terrorists won't go down without a fight. As always deadly force is authorized" I also can see another group of volunteer soldiers perched on the roof of the shops near our position for vantage points.

"Technicals inbound, from Brig. Gen Darsono Road!"

Soon the HMG opened fire first and demolished the first wave of technicals.

"Firing!" said Abe squeezing the trigger of his RPG which exploded and destroyed the trailing vehicles and infantry supporting them.

"Conserve your rocket, Abe" Stephen said. "Those people have armored vehicles here." Surviving NII fighters engaged us in foot and firefight ensued.

"Oh God, I think some of them are kids!" I told Willian. Several fighters engaged us were indeed looked very young and under-age, several already firing their rifles toward our position.

"You'll be fine, but you have to engage!" His reassurance was enough for me to squeeze the trigger once more. Then there was a kid nearby with a black headband with Arabic characters, not older than 14 carrying an AK and shooting at our position, surprisingly managed to graze my right hand.

"Well, he is a lost cause,"

William was correct, and so I wasted no time by aiming for the boy's head.

The rest of the child soldiers attempted to flee, only to be shot dead by an older man, possibly their handler, which later fell to a Brimob sharpshooter somewhere in the area.

A police officer cursed upon downing a rebel with his SIG MCX. "Stay down!".

"Another kill" pondered me silently after my shot hit another rebel's head, an European looking man using an M16. I can see blood spurting high upon the slug hit him. They definitely somewhat suicidal.

"BOOM!" An NII rebel's suicide belt exploded upon being hit by Handy's machine gun fire. Later a group of female NII fighter attempted to charged our position, only to be moved down by the MGs.

"Armored vehicles inbound! Tuparev Road, with several technicals!"

Four captured Anoa 2 6x6 APC from Tuparev Road approaching and turned left, intended to reinforce the NII position somewhere in the city but were ambushed by our defenses. The first one was destroyed by the RPG-7 equipped police squad. The second was destroyed by Abe's RPG-32.

"Ramlan, get some fire support!" said Stephen.

"This is Alpha Victor 2-4, requesting fire support at grid 49MBN 273 545!"

"Confirmed, this is Kilo 6, Killer birds launched"

We watched as wing-like factory-made explosive-laden single-use UAVs whirled overhead before smashing through the armor of the captured APCs, forcing the nearby rebel footmobiles to flee or face death in form of explosion and shrapnel from the wrecked armor.

"This is Alpha Victor 2-4 to Kilo 6, Suicide drone is effective. Excellent work, out"

Meanwhile the Brig. Gen Darsono road still has multiple enemies in the immediate area. I run to the MG position guarding the approach and provided cover fire to protect the crew, as several more FPV drones on our side were loitering overhead, some subsequently engaged rebel ones, mostly multicopter types with explosives. William also helped me during that time.

"Frag out!" I shouted upon throwing another frag near a suspected enemy firing position estimated 25 meters nearby.

"Boom!"

"Allahu Akbar!!"

I can heard shouts and cries of pain in the blast area. 5 minutes later, two cars approaching our positions.

"Car bomb approaching!" called one of the Brimob policeman. The HMG facing Tuparev road fired a single round and the result is as we expected, a massive explosion engulfed the vehicle. Just another enemy IED failed its job to kill us.

The subsequent sitrep and the subsequent response from the company commander were encouraging, to say at least.

"Excellent, northern element of the Siliwangi Division and special operations capable forces which spearheaded the assault from the west were advancing with heavy resistance supported by airstrikes and artillery and the Marines-Coast Guard task force also had fully secured the coastal area of the city. I also need to inform you that local citizens and HANRA fighters had begun an uprising against NII occupation.The bad news is we have a report of communist fighters clashing both with the loyalists and the NII. So this mission will once more be a three-way fighting. Keep your eyes peeled for such contingencies. Until further orders 1st platoon should hold your current position, Alpha Victor Lead out."

"Roger that, ma'am" Rustanto ended the transmission.

"Get down!" said a police officer. Two friendly cruise missiles flying overhead toward the enemy position somewhere in the city proper and hit the target. Later more enemies pop out from the building's windows and rooftops. I can see Putu relished the moment by individually engaging such enemies, from the prone position

"Target down," she called upon her shot hit a rebel whose preparing to fire an RPG against us. She said later that she can see his eyes wide open in shock upon the 7,62 mm NATO slug entered his head, and she enjoyed such sight. We held our position for a while when we saw the elements of Siliwangi Division continue their advance with Black Tiger IFV and K2A1 tanks, further accompanied with multiple ground combat drones.

Then "Boom!" We heard an explosion and later see smoke rises from the suspected blast site somewhere near us "Damn, I think one of the vehicles passing us has detonated an IED." I said

"Be advised the Alap-Alap 6 had encountered IEDs and multiple missile attacks, One IFV and three ground drones disabled, Heavy casualties," said Captain Wuwur on the radio. Rustanto later replied. "Should we leave our position to back them?"

"Confirmed, you can advance now. This is your new order. We're covering their flanks. And oh, high command had came with a new plan - we are going to slowly choke them using something pertaining to wall, like what the Americans did in Iraq back in 2008." said Wuwur.

"1st Platoon, advance!" said Rustanto on the radio. Stephen repeated the order to our squad. "Move forward, we are going to back the heavy units. Go!"

The entire 1st Platoon of the A company moved forward, followed by C company and a squad of HANRA fighters. This will be another fierce and long urban combat...

......

A/N: And so the battle goes on!