For Our Unity

Chapter XII: Once More Into the Fray

19 June 2034, 19.30 WIB, FOB Merdeka, Rangkasbitung, Lebak Regency, Banten

Cpl. William

Upon being relieved by a Brimob police company with the area deemed safe enough for the military to pull out, we're back in Rangkasbitung and to the expectation of some, we're given a time off here inside the wire. 

That night, pleasant tunes of guitars and violins fills the air in the common recreation room - if explosions from rebel drones that were shot down were not counted or cracks from the guards on duty - Ranks were diluted as troopers, Indonesians and foreign volunteers alike chattered with each other and shared their exploits. 

Noses were assaulted by smell of various types of cigarettes - including from the Sergeant himself. Outside it was rainy, but warmth was something this room provided to us. Just us, ordinary guys and girls but in uniform, in company of each other.

Especially for Agnes, it was a much needed relief from what we have seen so far, or what our foreign volunteers described about situations back in Europe for example. The verdict? We barely held ourselves against the temptation of their barbarism.

"Corporal, want some? This is what we can give in return of your hospitality." One of the Indian volunteers offered something to drink, turned out to be a milk tea from his own land - Cautious as we all been trained to, I looked at the darker skinned man before taking his offer. Agnes accepted it too, and having nothing better to do, we better get on with the flow.

In between tea-sipping, a question went out from her mouth. "Do you know why we're still here in one piece?"

"Easy" I answered. "We all believe in a Maker" 

"My father said this when I decided to enlist... Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for The Lord is with me... He told me that I must hold on with this."

"Sounds like what Reverend Sujanto will say." I chuckled, referring to our campus chaplain.

The next day, June 20th.

We're back to a routine wake up call at half-past five and sharing the same bath; with obvious separations. Austere, but what do you expect from a war? Even with that situation, we managed to clean ourselves up with strong soap and other hygiene things, some provided, some were personally bought by the soldiers before enlisting.

Afterwise, common breakfast. I owe those combat service support people in the rear who provide us with all of these foods. If hungry, anything will be delicious with regular truck-borne supplies and occasionally, air-drops, citing a need for Air Force folks to exercise their skill in that. 

As usual, during the breakfast, the fort tuned it's TV to the morning news.

"...and that's how you can optimize the growth of your vegetables.." said a reporter finishing a report about a victory garden in Yogyakarta.

"...A fairly successful sabotage attack by the NII in Martapura, South Kalimantan caused a temporary power outage in the city and 15 police and armed citizen killed and 10 more wounded. The rebels lost 35 men in the process and four more detonated themselves, killed 2 civilians in two separate places, both pitchmen (pedagang keliling)..."

"...Representatives from Arab League states meet in Amman, Jordan in another round of peace talks with the fighting factions in its member states. This is the third time since the collapse of the UN-brokered Baku Protocol in 2032..."

"...The NASA Orion SLS-10, a manned mission to Phobos and Deimos, moons of Mars, had been launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying 6 crewmembers, 3 Americans, 1 Russian, 1 Japanese, and 1 Indonesian, Sean Budiman..."