Cover Photo: Photo ID 473737. 24/05/201. Abyei, Sudan. UN Photo/Stuart Price.

Chapter 1: The Beginnings

UNMISS UN Compound, Rubkona city, Bentiu Province, South Sudan

0800 hrs. July, 201X

South Sudan, the youngest country in the world, only had 2 years of peace after forming before the civil war grasped the country and tore it into shreds. The world looked on in horror as the South Sudanese army, the rebel forces, and ethnic groups fought each other while murdering, looting, and raping the populace of the opposing sides. UN resolutions were passed quickly and peacekeepers were sent in only to protect the civilians. POC sites*, manned by men and women from other countries, were created with refugees rushing for safety immediately. Medical care and food for anyone able to enter the newly made refugee camps. However, both indigenous forces saw the peacekeepers as just another enemy, just another group in the way. Rebel soldiers and government-supported militias began attacking humanitarian convoys, killing civilians and peacekeepers alike. No help came from the South Sudanese government, with restrictions and denials piling up, trapping the UN soldiers inside their compounds. With the UN mandate as it is, the peacekeepers were forced to standby as civilians were killed or kidnapped just outside their walls. Yet the mission continues as good intentions push on, with more countries joining in the UN Mission In South Sudan.

The Japanese Prime Minister Motoi Shinzo's plan of expanding the JSDF's international and national responsibilities has led to 3rd Recon and the rest of the 350 strong Japanese contingents to participate in the crisis.

Of course, Lieutenant Youji Itami had not wanted to leave his warm bed and internet connection. He would love nothing less than to sprawl in his bed, phone in hand, and just play gacha games and watch anime with his wife. But that very wife, Risa, had wanted to do more with her life. She chose to do so in South Sudan, forcing Itami to volunteer to protect her. His bad luck struck however, as he made landfall, he was sent to a UN compound in Rubkona city as Risa entered the Unity province POC camp. A full 2 miles of dirty road blocked him from seeing her, in a country with no wifi, limited phone service, and a government that hates him. Great.

The Lieutenant looked out the second story building, out to the Rubkona New Market. Rebel and government force attacks in the area had slackened off, allowing the South Sudanese people to get back to their lives temporarily. He could only imagine the chaos and bustle of noises just 300 meters away. Sighing from the extreme heat, he finished off the little water he had left in his canteen. It was time once again to beg the local forces to allow the UN soldiers to leave the compound to obtain water.

Itami reached out to pick up his radio and tried to get the Canadian in charge of the POC site on the line.

"Compound Rubkona to POC Unity. Unity, can you read me? Over."

"This is Unity, how can I help you? Over." a bored voice replied.

"Can you get Captain Tahir on the L-Line? It's for the weekly water run. Over." Itami responded with an equally reluctant tone while tripping over the L. An affirmative was given as the radio officer went off to find his commanding officer.

After a couple of minutes, the radio came back to life.

"This is Tahir, that you Itami?" a female soprano voice came through the speakers. The voice almost could be described to have a musical vibration to it.

"Yes, Captain Tahir, is it okay for us to get water today?"

"Yeah, luckily the SPLA** is allowing us to collect water, but under heavy restrictions. No vehicles whatsoever and no heavy weapons, only rifles and pistols." Tahir's voice responded, her frustration hammering evidently through the radio waves.

"Alright," Itami replied.

"While you're out, do a quick patrol of the market. I've been hearing some dark rumors about the SPLA in the area."

Sighing heavily, Itami acknowledges, "Copy all, we will leave the compound in 10 minutes. We will keep...radio commun-ication with you, out." Only pausing as he struggles with the English words.

Groaning as he stood back up, he snagged his blue helmet and exited the building. Stepping into the scorching sunlight, he instantly ducked into the shade created by the nearby wall, waving for the Sergeant Major to approach him.

"Kuwahara, over here please," Itami calls out in rapid Japanese.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Kurokawa returns with his gruff voice, strolling over from the gate of the compound.

"Gather the squad and inform the Rwandan soldiers we are going to get water."

"Yes, Lieutenant." Sergeant Major Soichiro Kuwahara, or The Old Man, always was the ideal career soldier, never questioning orders and performing his work admirably.

Turning around, the Sergeant Major turned around and broke the silence of the compound.

"3RD RECON TEAM, FALL IN FOR INSPECTION." He then took off to inform his Rwandan counterpart of the upcoming operation.

Men and women wearing dotted desert camouflage rushed out of the buildings and off the walls, forming a square with an empty spot in the left front corner. Each person sporting a "Buddy" Type 89 rifle, clean uniforms, and rather monotone faces. The only problem with the square was that it was formed halfway across the compound, forcing Itami to move out of his hiding spot and that Shino Kuribayashi had an extremely malicious smirk.

Groaning internally, Itami begrudgingly sulked the 20 steps to the front of the squad.

"Sergeant Shino Kuribayashi, why was the squad formed up so far from me?" Itami asked, already guessing that the CQB expert would feign innocence.

"Sir, could you explain what you mean, sir?"

{Of course, you don't.} Itami looked past the troops to acknowledge the fact that the Sergeant Major had returned to fill the hole in the square and the Rwandan Peacekeepers leisurely taking the defensive positions that the Japanese had left earlier.

"Anyways, we are heading out to get water and to patrol on foot. We will cross the field and go through the market. Then we head back. Let's go."

The Sergeant Major calls out, "SQUAD, TO THE RIGHT, DIS-MISS." The square turned sharply to the right and marched forward, before dispersing to prepare for the march. Much to the disappointment of Kuribayashi, the lieutenant instantly points to her and a couple of others to carry the massive plastic water tanks.

After the preparations, the team started out on the 500 metre trip, with Kuwahara taking point and Itami pulling up the rear.

"POC Unity, POC Unity. This is Compound Rubkona. We have left the compound walls. We will report after filling up on water, over." Kurata reports through his handset in perfect English, getting a reply immediately afterward.

"Understood, Compound Rubkona. Be advised, your new call sign is Recce 3-Actual. QRF is the Rwandan force at your compound, call sign Lion 2-1. Good luck, out."

The Sergeant then readjusted the radio pack and turned to Itami. " So what're the chances of attacks, Lieutenant?"

" Hopefully low. The whole town has been pretty quiet." Youji responds, peering out to the busy market across the field, and begins the march.

Kuribayashi started complaining after 50 meters.

"Why do I have to carry this heavy shit? I'm the CQB fighter, I should be the point man," she laments to Mari Kurokawa, the medic of 3rd Recon.

"Maybe you should stop picking fights with your superiors," Mari suggests quietly beside her, watching outwards for threats while trying not to alert other team members in vain.

The whining continues, "Maybe we should get a better superior. I wouldn't mind following the Sergeant Major into battle. Just not that Otaku."

"Personally I don't think he's too bad." The medic's eyes don't leave the locals as the group enters the market, "This is his first deployment after all, and we are here just to help the people...here."

She had spotted children playing in the market by a burnt car and a couple of older men with massive healing shrapnel wounds sitting on the curb. Shino stopped talking as she saw Kurokawa's downtrodden face. Kurokawa was always a lot more sympathetic to the locals and always entered a depressed state when seeing their predicament. Her empathy even caused her trouble. Just a couple of months ago, a fistfight broke out between the medic and a Chinese soldier who had disrespected a local. Kuribayashi had to step in to break up the scuffle. The rest of the trip was filled with a deafening silence among the squad, while the market also quieted down as the local shopkeepers started staring at the passing Oriental faces, causing their customers to follow suit. Their eyes were filled with caution as they flicked from the blue helmets to the Asian faces to the black rifles each man and woman was carrying.

They walked past the market and neared the water pumps, The Old Man's voice echoed through the squad's radio.

"Eyes up guys. Three armed fighting age unknowns watching over the pump."

Itami's voice followed after, "Close formation and stand ready, I'm coming up to talk to them."

3rd Recon halted and faced outwards muscles tense, and fingers hover over triggers. Itami moves past the men and women he commands and walks up to the armed men with Kurata right behind him. As usual, the armed men had no distinguishing factors to identify who they fought for. Standard AK-47s, t-shirts and shorts with sandals (good ole' battle sandals), no headgear, and an RPG tube leaning against the wall. For all the peacekeepers knew, they could be the South Sudanese army, rebel forces, or one of the 20 militias roaming the entire county.

"Sergeant, introduce us to these fellows and figure out who they are." Itami orders as he motions him forward.

"Good morning, gentlemen. We are with Japanese peacekeeping forces, UN," Kurata points to his blue helmet and the global insignia, "may I ask which army are you fighting in?"

The taller of the three, clearly the leader, lowered his rusty Kalashnikov, stuck his chest out, and pointed his thumb at himself.

"SPLA."

"Perfect, would you mind if we fill up our water tanks?" Kurata continued.

The leader just eyed Kurata from top to bottom before nodding and gesturing forward. However, as the squad moved up, a predatory smile filled the leader's face. He was leering at the team medic, Kurokawa, with rather lecherous gazes replicated by the other 2 men.

"Hey, Old Man," Itami had walked up to the Sergeant Major and began whispering, "you watch over Kurokawa. If this gets nasty, you take her and run. Grab Sergeant First Class Tomita and tell him to do the same."

The Sergeant Major nodded and crept over to Akira Tomita, who was already standing near the medic, ready to intervene if needed.

The Lieutenant then moved over to the pump and helped with filling the tanks faster. The three guys were now egging each other on, trying to get one of their comrades to engage with Mari. To her credit, Mari had shifted to the opposite side of the squad and turned her back to the militants. Finally, the leader ordered one of his subordinates to talk to Kurokawa. As the young man approached the female medic, an animalistic roar rose up into the air.

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*POC sites: Protection of Civilians Site

**SPLA: Sudan People's Liberation Army, as of 2018, the South Sudan People's Defense Force (SSPDF)

A/N: First ever fanfic, please don't kill me. Please leave reviews and like if you think this is good. Anything that doesn't fit in, please inform me, I am researching at the same time. I know the Gate hasn't come up yet, but it's coming. I will finish this, but no idea how soon the next updates will be.

(An imaginary cookie to anyone who figures out the inspiration of the title)