章 95: Alistair - 012
The tactical displays flickered with updates, each new piece of information adding to the mounting sense of panic. My fellow lieutenants had already issued their orders, opting to leave any pinned or captured men behind. It was a pragmatic decision, but it went against everything I stood for.
We couldn't abandon our brothers, not again.
"Commander." I called out, dismissing the feeds from my own mission.
Phulnos turned to face me, "Lieutenant Galen,"
"Sir, I would like to commandeer this operation." I firmly said.
Phulnos arched an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity and challenge in his gaze. "You think you can do better, Galen?"
I replied, meeting his gaze with unwavering confidence. "Give me command, and I'll get our men out."
Phulnos studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Don't make me regret this."
"Thank you, sir," I said, moving to the central console.
The room seemed to slow down, every detail coming into sharp focus. I analyzed the battlefield, anticipating the enemy's movements and our own forces' needs. My mind raced, processing hundreds of feeds simultaneously.
The infantry feeds, the spatial display, and my analysis bleeding together to form a comprehensive simulacrum of the situation with shadows of the future phasing around the vision.
"All units, listen up," I said, my voice clear and authoritative. "This is Lieutenant Galen. We're going to turn this around."
I quickly issued my first command, "Pilots, smoke the city."
The tactical displays shifted as I began issuing orders. Each agonizing second threatened the remaining slivers of a chance of success.
"Galen. VLAGFDF985, Precision Strike. Single bolt. Latitude 48.274214 North, Longitude 75.931201 East. 48.274253 North, 75.931211 East. 48.274242 North, Longitude 75.931197 East. 48.274224 North, Longitude 75.931203 East. Confirm."
"We have men in those grids, sir." one of the operators warned.
"Fire." I commanded, without hesitation.
"But, sir." the operator protested.
I glanced at Phulnos. His face told me everything was in my hands.
"All shots from this vessel land exactly where meant. Our men are outside of the average impact radius. Operator, Fire!"
"Attention remaining units, all enemy controlled REMOS will not be an issue in 5... 4... 3..."
I ordered, "Beta, advance on 3-7-Alpha. Regroup under Alpha Squad. Charlie, disable your REMOS and advance to 4-5-Delta. Regroup under Delta Squad."
"Pi, advance 7-0-Lambda, regroup under Lambda."
Time for the prison guard to be dealt with.
"Gamma, incoming from 9-1-Delta. Neutralize them."
The partial companies quickly reformed into 51 full companies, each receiving updated callsigns. Large waves of enemy infantry hid under bunkers, but that was a solvable problem.
"Pilots, strafe 8-1-Kappa through 2-9-Omnicron. Double pass."
Phulnos watched me closely, his expression a mix of skepticism and intrigue. He could see the strain, the effort it took to process hundreds of feeds simultaneously. But he didn't intervene.
"Epsilon, Tau, Rho, Lambda, Mu, stagger advance main holdout." I continued, witnessing the response from the enemy in my mind's battlefield.
They would cluster together, trying to rule-out a frontal assault with their firepower. The assumed positions would be overly exposed to any elevated counter.
"Alpha position on depots in 9-9-Iota and 0-1-Theta. Over-watch the advance."
This was a necessary diversion. With the enemy gathering to counter a perceived last-ditch effort, weaknesses would sprout along other routes. I rerouted the pilots to lay down heavy ordinance to pressure the enemy into this choice.
Pi, Beta, Gamma, and Omnicron flanked left, hidden by fire and smoke. Pi breached their outer perimeter and created a large breadth for the other companies to push through. Beta spearheaded the march. Gamma supported the center and Omnicron the sides.
"Psi, Xi inbound hostile reinforcements 1-1-Alpha, 8-9-Delta, 0-1-Gamma." I called out.
"Tau, break off and raid the structures on your right. They have prisoners."
We ousted all defenders and entrenched, weathering an offensive by the stragglers around the capitol. My coordinated effort paid off, our forces moving with renewed purpose and efficiency. The tide of the battle began to turn, and we slowly drew all companies into the former bastion of the enemy.
"One final smoke. Engulf 9-9-Omega."
"Exfil pilots, cloak and descend once the smoke is fully dispersed."
"All units, exfil in 692 seconds, mark."
"Lieutenant Galen," Phulnos began, his voice cutting through the hum of activity. "That was an impressive, most impressive."
"Thank you, sir," I replied, meeting his gaze. "But it was a team effort. Our men executed perfectly."
There was a moment of silence as everyone absorbed the gravity of what had been achieved.
Carter, spoke up. "Galen, I have to admit, I had my doubts about your approach. Leaving no one behind is noble, but it seemed impractical given the circumstances. You proved me wrong."
Lieutenant Keppay chimed in, her tone thoughtful. "Your ability to process so much information in real-time was extraordinary. Just what was your modification?"
Phulnos said, his voice carrying authority. "Lieutenants, prepare your reports."
As the meeting adjourned, Phulnos approached me, his expression more personal now that the others were dispersing. "Galen, you did well."
Phulnos placed a hand on my shoulder, "We need leaders like you. After this front has been achieved, I would like you to join me with some of the other Commanders on Gastronova III."
As Phulnos walked away to attend to other matters, I headed to our hangar bay to welcome my men back. The dropships were just beginning to unload, the massive cargo doors of the Centurions slowly descending to reveal my men. The sight of them, alive and well, filled me with a sense of pride and relief.
"Well done, men," I called out, my voice carrying over the noise of the bustling bay. "You all performed exceptionally out there."
I couldn't help but notice the absence of Kellan. A pang of worry struck me. We had rescued the POWs, every single one in the encampment.
Trying to mask my concern, I turned back to the men. "Get some rest and recharge. We'll debrief later."
Once in the privacy of my room, I pulled up the data skimmed by Paul, searching for any information on Kellan's last known position.
The data revealed that his squad had been transferred to a native black site. My heart sank. The note on the log said he volunteered himself when the prisoners were elected for this purpose. My chest tightened with a mix of pride and fear. Kellan had done what he always did—put others before himself.
I tapped into the command network, linking directly to Phulnos. "Commander, it's urgent."
Phulnos's face appeared on the screen, his expression serious. "What is it, Galen?"
"I need permission to lead a retrieval operation," I said, my voice unwavering.
Phulnos's eyes narrowed as he considered my request. "Galen, we just completed a major operation. We can't risk more men for a single one."
"I understand, sir, but Kellan is a valuable asset."
Phulnos sighed, "No Lieutenant. One man is not worth dozens."
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