Early the next morning, after Cliff’s troops finished clearing the battlefield, Bruce and Peter sat grim-faced inside the command vehicle, silently listening to the casualty report.
The orderly, sweating from the temples, read the list with a trembling voice. At the end, he nervously squeezed out the final line, "Commander, Commissar, that’s the full casualty report."
Over 1,200 logistics troops lost.
transport trucks gone.
tons of food - gone.
mortars and 80 rocket launchers - gone.
Not a single shoulder-fired rocket or mortar left. All were being moved in trucks - they burned with them, along with nearly all the food. The army left with 60 tons, ate 8, and just lost the rest. Now, 28,000 soldiers had nothing, not even a grain of rice.
Bruce looked like he could crush steel with his bare hands.
"Commander, Commissar - " an officer finally stood up, face pale and voice shaking. "We’ve lost our heavy weapons, our supplies... maybe we should retreat now, while we still have the chance..."
The inside of the command bus - a converted long-distance vehicle - fell silent. Over a dozen officers sat there, stiff and pale, including Hall and Kennedy. None gave the man a glance.
Retreat? What a joke. Junior officers like them retreat and at worst get demoted. But if Bruce and Peter went back now, who knew if they’d get a bullet in the head. If anyone bothered to bury them, it’d be a miracle.
But that wasn’t sothing Hall could say aloud. Peter dragged deep on his cigarette, eyes dead and heavy. He knew damn well - there was only one road left to them now: fight. Or turn traitor and starve as ard outlaws.
After what felt like ages, Kennedy stubbed out the cigarette, stood from the front row, and glanced back at the silent officers. Finally, he looked to Bruce and exhaled shakily. "We fight, Bruce."
Hall t his eyes for a long mont, then gave a grim nod. His gaze swept the cabin like a blade. "Sinovar soldiers aren’t cowards. From now on..."
He pulled out his sidearm. The tallic click echoed in the tense space as he racked a round. He pointed it straight at the officer who dared ntion retreat. The man’s mouth opened in panic - too late.
Bang!
A hole blood in the man’s right eye. Blood splattered the bus walls.
"From now on," Hall growled, voice cold as steel, "anyone ntions retreat again, this is what they get."
Nobody dared et his eyes. Hall gave a curt nod. Peter cleared his throat, breaking the dead air.
"Yes, we were ambushed last night - that’s true. But look at what we’re up against. Compared to the Ridgebreak Battalion or Ashbrook Town’s fighters, we still have the numbers, the edge. Just last night, we got intel: Ashbrook’s force? Barely 1,200 strong. And get this - over 99% of them are female college students. Just one man leading them. A snot-nosed kid barely past twenty!"
That intel didn’t co from the Ridgebreak Battalion. It was Magnus who deliberately let it slip after putting away the Nature Crystal last night - just to keep their enemies from backing down. If they thought his side had over 7,000 troops, they might bolt. Magnus couldn’t let that happen.
Peter had his doubts too. That number sounded shaky, but he had nothing better. Right now, throwing out whatever might boost morale was better than silence.
Bruce gave Peter a glance, then said firmly, "The commissar is right. We got solid intel last night - Ridgebreak and Ashbrook Town together only have a little over 13,000 n and around 4,000 rifles. I’ll make you this promise - if we take Ashbrook Town before sundown, I’ll personally send soone back to Springvale City first thing in the morning.
"I’ll ask the Marshal to station us here permanently to guard the underground grain depot. No more hunger, no more waiting. And the 1,200 female students? I guarantee - they stay here. Anyone who fights well gets their pick. We won’t send a single one back to the slave camps."
Didn’t stir much of a reaction - most officers just stood there, faces blank. Peter frowned. He got it - troop rewards were one thing, but what did that an for the n in charge?
He switched gears. "Also - Bruce and I agreed. Starting now, every officer here gets promoted one rank. And tonight, if we take the depot, we’ll recomnd everyone again. Help the cause? Move up again."
Bruce caught on quick. He let out a laugh. "And don’t forget the 1,200 girls. Forget army protocols - after this fight, you each get the first pick - ten apiece. No reports needed."
Money, won, power. That’s what was left for n like them. In this godless world, talk of defending territory or country had beco a joke - even they didn’t believe that anymore.
Now that they were all on the sa page, things got easier. Just like Magnus expected, Bruce’s army wasn’t rushing straight into Ashbrook Town. They feared Ridgebreak’s ambush from the rear.
So Bruce and the top brass decided - take them both at once. Fast and hard.
At the sa ti, underground in the grain depot, the Ice Regint had already sprung into action. At dawn, Sophia led 300 mbers to clear Ashbrook’s streets. Centipedes, spiders, webs - all gone. Getting ready for battle.
By 7 a.m., they’d eaten and prepped for combat. Charlotte gave a rousing speech. Morale was high. Everyone ready.
Liana, Emily, Sophia and Magnus sat one last ti in the RV lounge for a final strategy talk. The two won offered to lead the charge.
But Magnus didn’t budge this ti. No discussion, no votes. He’d fight this one himself. This battle was his to own.
User Comments
0 comments from readers