Dedicated to Grantpatterson68

2nd Sgt. William's POV

Our commanders had shown us how the UCC are using chemical weapons in their conquests, and even before that all of us have been trained for such events including in joint exercises with regular, active duty people.

Still, nobody expects we will receive the end of it.

"Gas.. gas.." Lt. Brandon shouted from the mike, already masked from the tone of his voice.

"Gas.. get to the vehicle!"

"Gear on or you're fucked up!" barked another sergeant nearby to his squad.

"Stay low and keep firing!" I ordered my Squad, backed by a Weling firing it's 40mm and .50 cal, all with their masks on. The mission must go on despite the gas, and the UCC know it as well, as we saw and engaged their soldiers using masks as well, covering each other while others don their MOPP garments.

"Ramlan, cover fire. I'm looking for Rudi, he's got runny nose."

"Yes, sarge!" before proceeding to fire his SM5.

I run into a bombed out store when I saw him already injected himself with atropine with Handy applied the decontamination zinc-oxide powder to his clothing and skin. In front of our defenses Fedayeens with their black armbands were not so lucky and dropped down like flies on the streets ahead, suffering for lung muscle paralysis.

Furthermore, there will certainly be civilians got hit as well. Stuff happens, and we can't help them right now...

"Sarge, we should check for others who need atrophine! We must help our comrades!" Widya suggested to me.

"Indeed, Widya" I replied to him under my mask.

"I think these SOB used Sarin.." Handy said, had relocated before firing a short burst with his SM5.

"Just like almost 50 years ago in big Tokyo, then." Rudi replied inside his mask as well, dryly. We were covering ourselves behind a couple of concrete movable road medians when our system detected the gas.

"Or Syria, whoever done that back in that time." Ramlan added, meanwhile I ordered Putu and Janice to look and check for any comrades nearby in need of help, while the good news is so far no one becoming fatalities yet in our side.

"Stay still.." I can hear one of the 1st squad soldier is injecting a second shot of atropine, indicated with a discarded injector attached to her downed buddy's left breast pocket.

Slowly but surely we're advancing, again, through enemy and civilian dead bodies; nothing we can do, except putting them out from their misery by jamming our bayonets to their body. Two blocks ahead the enemy decided to deploy their mechanized assets again. Still with our NBC suit on, we put ourselves in cover. The first wave consists of two Enigmas and two Patria AMV with 30mm autocannons.

"Backblast area clear!"

Abe fired his SLT for the umpteenth time, it directly hit one of the AMV's turret ring, disabling it, before one Nag missile from an Indian Kestrel behind us destroyed the Finnish-designed vehicle. The conventional AFVs, unable to break through the Indian and Indonesian defenses soon gave way for several high-speed civilian cars that we immediately recognized as VBIEDs, Anti-armor specialists and autocannons greeted the oncoming car bombs.

"BOOM"

The huge fireball emanated from the ignited trucks, the occupants either burned, and or exposed to the sarin-contaminated air.

"Fuck yeah!" shouted Widya.

"Jai Hind!"

"Forward, now!" barked Lt. Brandon.

"Move!" I ordered. Meanwhile two Pandu tanks with urban combat kit and APS arrived in the Indian position behind us, escorting one ARV version of the tank to get rid of the wrecked vehicles.

Meanwhile "Lieutenant, the Captain is on the line for you!" said the RTO handing Brandon the receiver.

"Cikar Blue 6 to Cikar 6 Actual, come in!" he said.

"I need a SITREP", Capt. Wuwur replied.

"2nd platoon is separated from us, ma'am, but they had told us that they are on our way here."

"I see, good, the 1st platoon is holding well despite the gas. We're currently engaging a mechanized platoon backed by a pair of hostile tanks and two attack helos trying to retake HCG Hospital. We lost three of ours, and three more who have to be evacuated, however, as they had expended their atropine injections. And the enemy's presence in the airport is threatening our position." said the Captain.

"Understood, we're going to hold our position here and after the 2nd platoon arrived, we're heading to your position, while clearing out the airport."

"Cikar 6 Actual to Cikar Blue 6, granted, remember, stay masked until further orders from battalion HQ. And before you advance, I already called for our cavalry to further back you and the Indians; the 3/7 Cavalry is sending a section your way."

"Understood, over and out"

Lt. Simangunsong's 2nd platoon subsequently rendezvoused with us in an intersection with their IFVs.

"Well, a lot of contacts on our way as well as dealing with POWs, so we apologize for our tardiness."

"Never mind, we are all engaged. By the way we should stay here. we got a squad of armor from Angkong Company, 3/7 on our way." said Lt. Brandon, still masked.

"ETA?"

"30 seconds"

Two K3 tanks rolled into our position slowly, crushing any debris and other obstacles in their path. The lead tank was equipped with dozer blades.

"Angkong 2-3 and 2-4 reporting, just point us at them, Lieutenant."

"Take out those Altays up ahead, in front of that gas station, exact location has been plotted. We're going to keep RPG and ATGM off you while you're engaging. Keep us covered as we're heading towards the 1st platoon's position."

"Location noted, sir" replied the lead tank commander. Due to the threat of another gas attack the tanks were all buttoned up and I know that both of it had its NBC protection system engaged.

"Stand by... load sabot. Identify tanks, 11 o'clock, fire!"

Even while fully in our MOPP gear along with ear protection, the muzzle blast of 130mm Rheinmetall tank gun was strong enough to make our ears ring for a while. The armor-piercing depleted uranium dart soon went through the weakest part of the Altay's armor, the turret ring. The ammunition inside immediately cooked off and while the blow out panel managed to vent the gases out of the cabin, the penetration also damaged the turret as well.

As the three-men crew, had abandoned their stricken tank had opened fire at us with their rifles, another Altay arrived and fired dangerously close to my position. In response the K3 fired two sabot rounds that destroyed the tank for good; the crew forgot to open their blow-out panel.

"Absolutely beautiful!" remarked Ramlan, as he saw the turret of the Altay flew up into the air, crashing back down into the ruined chassis of the Turkish tank.

"Allahu akb.." one UCC NCO which once the tank commander of the first Altay's battle cry was cut off as he got a fatal burst on his forehead from Agnes.

The enemy crew were all dead, and the tanks slowly crawled forward followed by the IFVs of the 2nd and 3rd Platoon along with Indian troops, judging on their epaulettes, are from 17th Rajputana Rifles.

We turned left into Bhomeshwar Main Road and it's residential area while the Indians went straight into the city's airport. Most of the occupants including me rode atop the armored vehicles, with gears on. We have no time for a through decontamination yet and jumped out when we met with enemy fire from houses and apartments nearby. IFVs are in the front, while tanks trailed behind, then we decided to cut corners and head straight into Airport Main Road.

I volunteered to look for threats inside the airport's airside with an IFV backed by local resistance forces and the Indians.

"It seems they are withdrawing" said Agnes. However..

"Shit, more tanks! In the runway!" Furthermore UCC troops was still present in the terminal building, greeted us with the small arms and RPG fire.

"Sir, the Indians are pinned down by enemy tank nearby, we must help!" Handy suggested. I called one Type 30 team to set up position in an abandoned Hindu temple, while our IFV fired it's own Type 30 into two Altays in the airport straight into their topside armor. One hit, disabling it immediately while another fired at one K3 supporting the Indians in the main road and while scoring a hit, the HEAT round got intercepted by it's APS, however.

An Indian Pandu tank pushed forward before fired it's own 130mm, breaking the Altay's track and before the rest finished them off, the turret hatches opened up; the crew were surrendering.

"Get down, hands over your heads!" shouted an Indian soldier to the surrendered Altay tank crew. 3rd Platoon kept hold of the temple and it's surrounding area as the 2nd Platoon entered the terminal building.

"Enemy is clear, but we have prisoners" the radio crackled.

"Call those Indians, we need to keep moving!" said Lt. Simangunsong.

2nd and 3rd platoon continue to advance into the main road, leaving the airport to the Indian reinforcements in full MOPP gear, just as three mortar shells fell into the runway, and the gas detector went off.

"Shit, it's the gas again. Thank God we're still geared up" cursed Rudi. Soon near HCG Hospital we finally linked up with the 1st Platoon and reporting the situation before moving again.

Then, from the hotel nearby the Caliphate fired two RPG-30 rockets, followed by heavy automatic fire from the lower floors.

"Duck!" An Indian Kestrel got hit in the wheel by the rocket, disabling it. More and more rockets are aimed at us, one directly hit the asphalt, showering shrapnel to a group of Indonesian soldiers.

"Son of a bitch, they got Andra.."

"We lost Bayu.."

"Damn those camels!"

Any casualty is always a hit for us. Even when we don't even know their names.

"Heads down, cover your ears!" I told them.

Two Indian tanks nearby then fired two HEAT rounds, blowing several section of the building's fence apart and the Caliphate solider behind it.

"Snipers, engage, engage." signaled Capt. Wuwur.

"I think we're punching the hole in their defensive lines.. I think this is one of their barracks!" shouted a soldier of the 2nd platoon nearby.

"More likely their HQ" said another soldier.

"Cikar Blue 3 to all 3rd Platoon, 2nd squad, 3rd squad, forward to the hotel, the rest cover fire!" ordered Lt. Brandon.

"You heard the Lieutenant, we're going in!" I signaled my squad to line up near the building's entrance, only for a bullet pass through from behind above my head.

"Check your fire, goblok (idiot). You almost hit 2nd Sergeant Christopher!" yelled a second sergeant from 6th squad to the poor soldier, whose looks was not much older than 18 to 19 years old, that almost created a blue on blue situation.

Guns blazing, we pushed in, thankfully no IED to impede us.

UCC troops went down from one of the big staircases that led to upper floors. I see them first and fire three round burst at the oncoming enemy fireteam backed by Handy's Ultimax, it's bipods mounted on a table full of brochures and magazines while behind one of the hotel's couch were Abe, Rudi, and Ramlan. Janice, in the meantime covered herself in a pillar nearby with her D15 SMG engaged one or two UCC Quds Legionnaires heading for our position from the dining room.

"Frag out!" Putu called.

Silence reigned on the lobby.

"Let's check the kitchen."

We break through the dinner room with one or two UCC soldiers popped up, all went down with the combined effort of the 2nd as well as the newly arrived 3rd squad.

Upon we reached the kitchen I paused to listen at the door and signaled that someone was inside then opened the door slowly. A UCC Quds soldier was looting some of the silverware, not realizing that a group of UN Coalition soldiers are behind him.

The 3rd squad leader, 1SGT Didik Supratman, spoke Arabic and tried to convince him to surrender; the UCC soldier's MPT-76 was lying on a cutting board just outside of his reachs. Slowly he reached behind his back while the sergeant slowly, gently stepped forward with her gun raise.

"DIE!" screamed the legionnaire as he chucked a cutting knife he managed to grab behind his back. Sergeant Didik managed to dodge the strike. Before the former can reach his rifle two of his soldiers opened fire.

A few minutes later the ground floor appeared to be secure. the newly arrived 1st Platoon took over the engagement up the main staircase while for the 3rd Platoon, 1st and 2nd squad went up the emergency stairs and 3rd with Lt. Brandon joined went up a secondary staircase.

"This is 2nd squad, we're on the third floor. Proceeding to check and clear," I reported as I opened the door, already checked from possible IEDs.

"Clear," said Rudi as he gazed out the door with his rifle raised.

"Has someone cleared this floor?" Handy asked as he saw bullet holes and blood on the wall.

Widya examined the blood and shook his head, "I don't know, this is dry. It must have been here for maybe several hours"

I said. "Looks like so however was here was on our side or using our weapon. Look, 6.5."

"Check that door," said Widya pointing to door marked in English and Hindi 'Employees Only.'

"It looks like someone broke it down once before," noted Agnes seeing damage to the door frame and that it was recently repaired.

"This should work," said Putu releasing the safety of her Komodo DS11 and aiming it at the door. She fired one shot into the door jam and two where the door hinges were. The door slowly fell backwards into the room.

"Go!" shouted Putu as she led her fireteam into a room full of security monitors. There were only a few UCC soldiers in the room and they were overpowered.

There was one soldier in a corner who was staring down the barrel of my gun. The soldier, not a Legionnaire upon I look at his patches, slowly placed his Caracal 816 on the ground and raised his arms slowly. Widya pulled out a plastic cable zip tie, wrapped it around the soldier's wrists, and tightened them.

We left the restrained soldier for someone else to deal with and cleared the floor. On the third floor I aimed at the first UCC soldiers popping out from one of the rooms, two of them and I pulled the trigger. Four shot, two to each soldier and they fall to the ground, with one even got hit in the head.

"Two down, more to go"

We're already used to see death and sent others to it. Adrenaline rushed through our veins, and more and more rooms checked and cleared, leaving dead jihadists on our wake. No losses so far. But worry began to seep on us on when this thing will end. However, as we pushed our way further and further up I have to put aside the worry as a door open up and one Caliphate soldier attempted to wrestle away my rifle from me.

I groaned as I am getting the upper hand with the man pinned down at a wall near the door and started to choke him, and he slumped down, out of breath, then I finished him off with a single 6.5 to his temple. The UCC could barely offer any meaningful resistance as we went through the fourth floor then the sixth floor, the ninth floor, and every third floor.

"This is Cikar Blue 6 Actual, we're pinned down on the main staircase outside of the conference room, we've sighted UCC VIPs, all squads make your way to the 21st floor," said Lt. Brandon.

"This is Cikar Blue 1-6, we're on the 20th floor, ETA 40 seconds."

"This is Cikar Blue 2-6, we're on the 17th floor, ETA 120 seconds," I said. We were in a hallway with a row of windows that faced the street.

"This is Cikar 6," said Capt. Wuwur from the outside, "all Cikar call signs be advised, we got an incoming -129, all units take cover."

"This is Angkong 2-3, releasing smoke screen, APS ready and on full power."

Abe, always with his SLT ready looked down onto the street from a window and saw the two K3s shooting smoke grenades from launchers mounted on the turret.

The T-129 ATAK pulled into view, and before it's gunner managed to fire its autocannon which already aimed at the hotel Abe pulled his launcher's trigger; the rocket went straight into the tail rotor, the Turkish attack helicopter listed and began to spin.

"Everyone look out!" Ramlan warned. The spin was about to bring the chopper's tail crashing into the floor windows of the hallway they were on.

Rolling, scattering, and diving, we managed to avoid the concrete and twisted metal that flew through the air upon the impact of the chopper.

"Uh, guys... a little help here," I said. The chopper had taken out part of the outside wall and some of the floor; I was dangling by one hand. Abe and Handy with others in support both dived for my hands and pulled me back onto stable ground.

"You're alright, Sarge?" asked Janice.

"Yes, but my rifle is toast," I said, looking down the chuck of floor missing to the street below where my SS4 was, though not likely in working condition after a 17 story drop. And I left the MPT-76 I took back in Morbi inside my vehicle.

"Sarge, we have to get upstairs, and you gonna need a rifle," said Putu. "By the way, I got myself a CAR-816 and a couple of 5.56 mag for it. And it's bayonet as well. Here."

I received the Emirati-manufactured AR-15-style rifle from her, and make our way straight into the conference room. The location of the enemy HQ plotted by the intel.

We dashed the stairs; I opened the door to the 21st floor and drew back as a burst of rifle fire hit the door. Without exposing his head I fired a couple of burst from the Caracal.

'Fuck, there isn't any way around, we can only go through this door,' I thought. "Handy, Ramlan, cover fire, everyone else... mount bayonets, or switch to your SMGs and shotguns."

Handy and Ramlan took their turn to cover us, causing the Caliphate soldiers to scatter and seek cover.

"Charge!"

Abe plowed into an oncoming soldier leaned out from a doorway, pinned him into the wall and twisted the bayonet while the soldier screamed and shrieked in pain, blood pouring out from his chest meanwhile I overpowered another one behind the doomed jihadi into the floor before I plunged the Caracal's bayonet straight into his chest.

We're now running off pure adrenaline. At least 18 Quds legionnaires has been sliced open by our bayonets or got shot at by shotgun pellets and or overpressure 9mm rounds. Looking down I saw that Abe had blood all over his uniform and hands.

"This is Blue 3-1, we are almost in the conference room."

"This is Blue 2-1, we are at a side entrance to the conference room," I said seeing an employee's entrance to the room.

"Breach and take anyone you can, Cikar Blue 3 Actual out."

"Okay, everyone line up along the wall, we'll breach and clear. Someone get a charge on that door," I ordered.

Rudi pulled out a C4 charge and wired it accordingly. He jogged away from the door and waited for the signal.

The signal comes, he pressed the detonator's button. There was a small blast and the area around the doorknob was blown off.

"Go!"

Inside is a large room with high ceiling and several tables and chairs, some were misplaced or overturned. Agnes was the first to fire her SS4, gunning down two Legionnaires.

Even with our excitement I still able to get a good bearing. "Agnes, look out!"

She barely avoided being hit on her back of her head by one UCC officer, which was immediately taken out by Abe in a short burst, then we all hit the ground when a burst of automatic fire peppered our position in return.

The firefight goes on, almost forever until finally our radio crackled with the following word.

"Cease fire!" and "Room secured!

......

December 19th, 2041, 1030 hours.

It's time for us to get a more thorough decontamination.

"At least we're not dead. You've been a good squad leader to us and we wouldn't know what to do," said Widya, referring to the loss of my rifle as we were put into a bath to clean ourselves in a nearby tent while our equipments are being decontaminated.

"Glad you think so, cause I really have no idea what I'm doing," I told him. "I'm just getting things done as I go."

The girls are in a separate booth, for obvious reasons.

For sake of the process, even simple things take more time, like getting out from trucks or going to the bathroom or for Muslims, the nearby prayer room. Rinse and repeat.

The operation was coordinated by a forward HQ set up by our 15th Infantry (Mechanized) Brigade Combat Team as well as the Indian Army 23rd Infantry Division. Coalition trucks from Indonesia, India, United States, Japan, and others had been driving around bring in decontamination equipment and other supplies.

"After this, we should look around and help those CBRN guys," I told my friends.