"Still no sign of friendlies?" Arseno asked.

"No," Rama whispered in reply. "Not yet."

Rama and his squad mates remained in position as more rebels arrived at Tiger's Nest. They'd been hiding ever since they narrowly escaped the rebel ambush inside the fortress. Some distance away, the rebel commander Kusnanda paced back and forth, barking orders to his men to seek out any Imperial spies in the vicinity.

Rama checked his watch as beads of sweat ran across his forehead and down his nose and cheeks. Nearly thirty minutes had passed since he fired his flare, and still no one had shown up yet. It occurred to him that this latest attempt to capture Siregar may well end up in failure, as did all the previous ones.

The sound of breaking twigs made Rama pick up his binoculars again. Scanning ahead, he saw a rebel patrol squad heading in his direction – Kusnanda's men, judging by their uniforms. Most of the Red Berets who defected to Siregar's side had done so under his command.

Not good,he thought. Red Berets were specially trained for jungle warfare. Out here they have the advantage.

A moment later Rama felt someone tap his shoulder. "Hostiles approaching," Sidarto whispered. "We've got a clear shot on them. Your orders?"

"Open fire," Rama said. "They won't push us around this time."

Upon receiving permission to open fire, Sidarto signalled the rest of the squad to spring their ambush. Soon a salvo of shots rang out from their cover, taking the rebels by surprise. The rebels scattered as soon as the first shot was fired, with a few heading uphill to take positions at a nearby bluff.

Sensing the rebels' momentary confusion, Rama ordered his squad mates to go on the attack, determined to finish them off before more rebels could come to their assistance. As the rebels tried to regroup, Rama managed to get close enough to one and dispatch him with a headshot.

His squad mates, on the other hand, weren't so lucky. Seconds after Rama made his kill, Hadid and Seto were both fatally shot in the neck. Meanwhile, Arseno and Sidarto – the squad's two most experienced members – were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they too had fallen victim to enemy fire.

The sound of gunfire soon echoed through the jungle. After a brief moment of disarray, the rebels finally managed to regroup and push Rama's squad back to their initial positions. With the rebels raining down continuous fire upon them from the top of the bluff, Rama and his squad mates braced themselves for a long, drawn-out firefight.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, another salvo of gunfire rang out from the far end of the bluff. The rebels stopped firing at Rama's squad and turned their attention instead to the source of the gunfire. A fierce firefight soon ensued, followed by several minutes of eerie silence.

Rama and his squad mates remained in hiding throughout the interval. He had no idea where the second salvo had come from or whether the rebels were still around or not. All he knew was that the fighting had ended.

The source of the gunfire made themselves known shortly afterwards. A squad of Marines appeared on top of the bluff, close to where the rebels had positioned themselves earlier. As soon as Rama saw them, he motioned his squad mates to follow him towards the bluff, hoping the Marines would notice them.

"Ahoy!" Rama called out, holding his rifle over his head and waving his arms. "Hold your fire, we're friendlies."

The Marine squad leader went down the bluff immediately, accompanied by two of his men. "BKN Special Ops," he exclaimed. "Never thought we'd be the ones to save your arses."

Rama didn't reply and looked around the skirmish site. He'd lost Hadid, Seto and another squadmate at the cost of two rebel dead. Had it not been for the Marines Kusnanda's men would have likely overwhelmed him and his squad.

"Guess we owe you one," Rama told the Marine squad leader. "Name's Rama."

"Sergeant Rizky," the Marine squad leader shook his hand. "What are you doing out here?"

Rama removed a small twig that had fallen on top of his ear. "We're on Siregar's tail when the bastards suddenly showed up," he said. "Gave us one hell of a fight too, until you lot came and saved our arses. And you?"

"We're part of Task Force Kujang," Rizky replied. "Got separated from our team during a rebel ambush. When we tried to find our way back we heard gunshots coming from this direction. That's how we found you."

Rama nodded in understanding. Every member of his squad had been accounted for except Arseno and Sidarto. A few moments later he heard a rustling noise coming from the trees nearby. Rizky and his men were just about to aim their rifles towards the direction of the noise when Arseno and Sidarto suddenly emerged, hands raised above their heads.

"Arseno, Sidarto," Rama exclaimed. "Where've you been?"

"On our way to hit the rebels' rear," Sidarto said. "Seems the Marines already did the job for us."

Rizky smirked upon hearing the remark. Rama, on the other hand, wasn't as amused. He turned around and walked away as soon as everyone in his squad had gathered.

"Where are you going?" Rizky asked.

"We're going back to Tiger's Nest to nail Siregar," Rama replied. "We could really use your help."

Rizky turned to look at his men, then slid his helmet visor down over his eyes before looking back at Rama and his squad. "The pleasure's ours," he replied. "Let's kick those rebels in the arse."

-----------

Chiang and Assegaf watched carefully as scores of troopers began moving into their assigned defensive positions around the Aerodrome.

Most had come from Bravo Detachment 90, an elite infantry unit under the command of the Air Force. Accompanying them were several ad hoc units, comprising of Marines and Raiders that were not sent into combat in Tiger's Nest. Of all ground forces stationed in the Aerodrome only the Death Troopers stayed behind, ostensibly serving as a mobile reserve that could be deployed wherever and whenever they were needed.

"Why did you insist on the Death Troopers remaining here?" Chiang asked. "You could've put them to better use in Bogor."

"They're here because of our precarious situation, Director," Assegaf replied. "We haven't yet resolved our communication problems, and we still aren't sure about the enemy's full strength."

Chiang crossed his arms. So far Assegaf had remained reticent, and each time he tried pressing him for more details he'd be met with cryptic answers, none of which could satisfy his need for explanation. He'd grown tired of the Arab's aloofness, and decided it was time to remind him of his end of the deal.

"Your hour is almost up," Chiang said. "You promised me you'd talk about Al-Irsyad."

As usual Assegaf kept a straight face. He narrowed his eyes before fixing his gaze on Chiang. "I will do so in the interest of upholding my end of the deal," he said. "But I ask you to allow me to withhold some sensitive details until we can ascertain the enemy's next move."

Chiang frowned. He wasn't going to entertain the Arab's endless mind games anymore. But then something else clicked in his mind. Perhaps he can turn this conversation to his advantage...

"Very well," Chiang said. "But know this. As the Emperor's spy chief no deception, however small, escapes my eye. Whatever you choose to omit can be used against you."

Assegaf sat in his desk chair. "You must know that this is among my people's most closely guarded secrets. We Hadhramis are prone to tribal conflicts, even long after we left our ancestral homeland in search of riches abroad. Most prominent thereof is the conflict between Sadah and Masyaikh, which predates even the Republic's founding.

"The Sadah lay claim to being heirs of the Great Prophet, peace be upon him," he continued. "The Masyaikh descend from great men of Arabia's past. Others descend from warrior kings and merchants. Al-Irsyad was founded a century ago when certain Masyaikh decided to reject the Sadah's authority on religious matters. Since then, relations between our tribes have worsened."

"This still doesn't explain why they're involved," Chiang said.

"Tell me, Director," Assegaf said, inclining his head. "Do you know the ex-General Thalut Abdat?"

Chiang fell silent. Of course he knew. "Yes," he said. "I was in charge of his arrest after the failed coup. Why did you ask?"

"He and the other coup leaders were plotting to kill me, along with a few other senior officers. Did you know why?"

"No," Chiang said quietly. "I was taken off his case shortly after handing him over to the Detention Centre. But I've heard rumours. About how you were both embroiled in a power struggle to earn the Emperor's favour."

"Abdat had long envied my standing with the Emperor," Assegaf said. "But his hatred runs deeper. Shortly after his interrogation I found out he was part of a plot, conceived by a few Irsyadi leaders to get rid of certain prominent Sadah including me."

And Chiang suddenly understood. Assegaf's reticence, his reluctance to talk about the Irsyadis, and the fear in his eyes when interrogating Abu Amr – it all made sense now. "You are afraid," he said. "That a tribal dispute concerning your people would spill over to the present battle."

"Exactly," Assegaf said, rising from his chair. "Now you understand the reason behind my secrecy. For too long my people have been plagued by tribal conflict. With the Empire in turmoil, my enemies have found in Siregar the perfect ally to help them settle their scores." His eyes narrowed. "They must be stopped."

Seconds later Assegaf's intercom sounded, and Pradipta's likeness hovered above the desk once he accepted the call. "Sir, we've restored a few communications channels, but frequencies are still unreliable."

"Any word from outside?" Assegaf asked.

"No sir," Pradipta said. "But we're picking up some intel. The rebels have taken over a few districts in South Bogor and are making their way towards the city centre. In addition, there are several unconfirmed reports of Army personnel joining their ranks."

"Contact Siliwangi Command once again," Assegaf said with grave concern. "If that doesn't work –"

"Then you'll contact Imperial Centre," Chiang cut him off. "And get a hold of the Emperor."

Pradipta's eyes shifted uncomfortably from Assegaf to Chiang and back again. "Yes sir."

Assegaf maintained his composure, seemingly ignoring Chiang's interruption. "Check also if General Subroto's reachable," he instructed Pradipta.

"Of course sir. One moment"

Pradipta turned aside to speak with a nearby comm officer. "Negative," he told Assegaf afterwards. "We can't reach him. Signal interference's too strong. Same goes for Siliwangi Command and Imperial Centre."

Assegaf fixed both Chiang and Pradipta with a gimlet stare. "We're on our own. Now it's up to us to bring down the enemy's trap."

Chiang eyed him in response. "I hope, for your sake, that we do."

-----------

"The Joint Chiefs are here, Your Highness," Ryan Lee told Emperor Hakim.

The Emperor dismissed his chief bodyguard soon after, and the doors separating the waiting room and the audience chamber parted. Normally he would dispatch one or two senior advisors to meet with the Joint Chiefs in his stead, but upon learning that the rebels are now embarked on a killing spree in Bogor, he decided to summon them for an audience in the Palace.

Bin Sanad watched as the Joint Chiefs and several other top officers walked into the audience chamber. Upon being granted permission to stay inside the Palace for the duration of his task, Bin Sanad had followed the Emperor wherever he went. Of course he was required to keep a certain distance from him, and two Imperial Guards were always present to enforce that rule.

Gathered before the Emperor were the Joint Chiefs; Admiral Naufal Chaniago, General Ardi Santoso, and Field-Marshals Aditya Rahadi and Ivan Febrianto. Also present were several top officers from COMSEC, including Director Mahmal Nugraha, Advisor Ridwan Asher, and Governor-General Novell Harits. BKN was represented by Inspector Generals Alif Firdausi and Qadir Alattas, both of whom the Emperor had requested to attend the meeting. Only Harits, Mahmal and Asher attended as holograms; the rest were all physically present.

"Gentlemen," the Emperor began. "You've all known of the recent outbreak of fighting in Bogor, have you not?"

Harits was the first to reply. "Yes, Your Highness. How unfortunate. Just when we thought we had Siregar cornered, he opened up a second front in the city."

"The insurgents are a major nuisance, Governor," Santoso said. "But so far they seem to be kept in check by local troops and –"

"The destruction of Bogor's Police Headquarters says otherwise," Firdausi cut in, "not to mention the communications blackout that happened shortly after. I suspect there's a saboteur involved."

"We must root out whoever's responsible for this debacle," Harits said, turning to face the Emperor, "or else we risk jeopardising our ongoing operation."

The officers were gathered around a large circular table, with the Joint Chiefs seated facing the Emperor. Above the centre of the table floated various maps and panels, some showing the locations of Imperial bases and installations in West Java, others footage of the ongoing unrest in Bogor. On display was a satellite map of Bogor in 3-D – with symbols denoting the positions of both loyalist and rebel forces.

Firdausi gestured to the map. "I suggest we mobilise a quick reaction force to help Marshal Assegaf and Director Chiang push back the insurgents."

"Whence do we muster this force, Inspector General?" Santoso asked.

"Jakarta Command," Firdausi answered. "Some of our best forces are stationed here in the capital."

"Then we'll have to cut the number of security checkpoints by forty percent," Santoso said. "There may be more rebel cells here in Jakarta, waiting for the perfect opportunity to start an uprising. We can't let them have it."

"Before we move on," Mahmal spoke up, "do you have any idea which rebel cells are involved in the Bogor uprising?"

"No, Director," Firdausi said. "But we've been paying close attention to Bogor's Empang District. Apparently it's been a centre of Islamist extremist activism and recruitment for some time."

"I see," Mahmal said gruffly. "What grounds do you have to come to that conclusion?"

"For that, I believe you must ask Inspector General Alattas."

Mahmal turned to Alattas. "Please, Inspector General."

Alattas took out his flashdisk and plugged it to the nearest port. Seconds later, the holoprojector flashed a dossier containing information on various groups and individuals, each filed under different national security concerns.

"Our investigation began after Jakarta was cleared of pro-coup forces," Alattas began. "Following the coup, BKN made a number of high-profile arrests involving key military and government officials. Among them were ex-Generals Thalut Abdat and Herdan Nadeen, former Pontianak Senator Arif Fauzan, and former deputy finance minister Ahmed Bin Jessar.

"I was in charge of Abdat and Bin Jessar's interrogation afterwards," he continued. "We found out they were responsible for influencing certain elements within Al-Irsyad al-Islamiyya to support the coup. Of particular concern is the organisation's Bogor branch in Empang, which is led by none other than Abdat's younger brother Zahid. Needless to say, we put them under surveillance."

Harits raised a hand. "You forgot to mention one other detail. Tell us – why were the Irsyadis involved in the first place?"

Alattas eyed him sharply. "With all due respect, Governor, this isn't the time nor place to bring that up."

"Qadir," the Emperor told Alattas, his raspy voice deep and forceful. "You will answer the question."

Alattas looked up the dais. "Yes, Your Highness." He wouldn't dare refuse the Emperor, not even once.

"Abdat, Bin Jessar, and several other Irsyadi leaders planned to assassinate certain public figures as part of the coup. Governor Harits and Marshal Assegaf were among their targets."

All eyes turned to Alattas as he spoke. "Why did you not mention this earlier?" Mahmal asked. "What was the reason behind the plot?"

"Forgive me, Director," Alattas replied abruptly. "This is a matter strictly concerning my people."

Harits rose from his chair. "Since you're unwilling to say more, perhaps I should tell the others myself.

"Inspector General Alattas isn't the only one of Arab descent here," he gestured to Asher and himself. "I am a Sayyid of the House of Aydarus, though my family have long ceased to bear the clan name. The Irsyadis and their Wahhabi ilk have long sought to establish themselves in Borneo, but failed thanks to my family's efforts. They wanted me dead so they could take over the local mosques and spread their teachings."

Alattas shot him a hard look. "Khalas! Enough! Your outburst isn't –"

"Your Highness," Harits cut him off while addressing the Emperor, "we're letting traitors get away too easily with crimes against the state. If Byoma were still alive, both Siregar and the Irsyadis would've thought twice before plotting against the Empire."

"Yes, Governor," Alattas said, still upset at being cut off. "We know how much you miss the 'good old days', never mind the fact that we're constantly putting down revolts. Good luck trying that approach with Al-Irsyad. You'll soon have another revolt on your hands. And the Saudis will be around to stir things up if it happens."

"Let's return to the current situation in Bogor, Inspector General," Mahmal said. "Your last statement sounds like an implicit admission of Irsyadi involvement. If that is true, we have no choice but to let BKN look further into the matter."

"I said no such thing, Director," Alattas told Mahmal. "I only told Governor Harits about the consequences of taking repressive action against Al-Irsyad. You see, we are not dealing here with just any organisation, but one with a significant presence among the Arab and Muslim community."

Mahmal turned to Asher, who had so far remained quiet. "Minister, what do you make of this?"

"I agree with Alattas we shouldn't act too hastily," Asher said. "However, we can't ignore the fact that elements of Al-Irsyad had been implicated in various acts against the state. I suggest we let BKN look into Al-Irsyad's involvement in Bogor's unrest before we determine the appropriate course of action."

"That shouldn't be hard," Firdausi said. "We already have operatives there."

Asher looked at the Emperor. "Your Highness?"

"Proceed, Minister Asher," the Emperor said. "I expect a full report soon."

"Any objections?" Asher turned to Harits and Alattas.

"No, Minister," Harits replied.

"None at all," Alattas followed suit.

"Thank you, Minister," Mahmal looked at Asher. "Now that we've dealt with the Irsyadi question, let us move on to the military situation in Bogor. General Santoso, if you please."