Well, the term's been a lot more busy than I ever expected, so I haven't had as much time to write. I had most of this chapter written, but it was missing something, so I've been spending the last few weeks getting it polished. Right now, it still feels like something's missing, but if I stay too perfectionist about it, then it'll never get published.

I'll try not to take too long with the next one, but I can't promise anything. Could be a couple months.

Venture Capital III: Evening Star

Golden Fortress Main Complex

December 4, 6:00 PM

"Black Hole?" David Carroll blinked. "You mean, the first revolt in Green Earth five years ago?"

"It's true that the Black Hole Army began as one of the uprisings that culminated in War of the Triple Rebellion." The Captain brought up several pictures on the screen; the center of the collage depicted a middle-aged man in a black trench coat, cold dark eyes framed by a tan face and white hair. "Familiar?"

Dumb question. That face was familiar to every man, woman, and child who had paid attention for even a moment to the international news five years back. As it had back then, the image chilled David Carroll's spine, even though he knew the man was not in the room. "CO-General Hawke. Black Hole's leader. Green Earth... never caught him."

"Right. And this?" The computer flipped to a picture of ruined tanks in a flooded city. The image struck David; he had seen it before five years ago, albeit digitally altered. For one thing, in the picture he remembered, those tanks had been Blue Moon vehicles.

"You're telling me... it wasn't Blue Moon that attacked the mainland capital during the war? That's ridiculous."

"Exactly." Captain Steele leaned back. "But it's true. If the people knew the full scope of the Black Hole rebellion, we'd never hear the end of it. It was thanks to Olaf's treachery we were fooled into invading Yellow Comet and Green Earth. However, efforts by former CO-Marshal Hachi and CO-General Nell contained his advance after his treachery was revealed."

Steele's eyes glazed over in memory. "Yes, back when the title of CO was considered worthy of respect in Orange Star. I'm sure you noticed, Carroll – while the news kept saying the same things about heroism and such clichés, CO-General Olaf's plot was a huge blow to us. Even today, in Blue Moon, the CO has final say on military matters. In our nation, that ever becomes further from the truth..."

"Get to the point." David wasn't in the mood for anything cryptic.

"Maybe this will make things a little more clear." Steele navigated over to a video file. "This is a record of the circumstances surrounding the attack. Perhaps this will be enough proof for my claims."

Over five years ago, Triple Rebellion War

Orange Star/Blue Moon Border

April 27, 9:55 AM

A canyon disappeared into the distance through the back window of an Orange Star mobile HQ. Within view were a seemingly endless column of vehicles, tanks and armored personnel carriers alike, departing from a battered garrison pockmarked with craters. Said garrison, while beaten, still proudly flew a tattered Orange Star flag.

It was a wonder that Task Force Davidian was still in one piece. What had once been a force comprised of six divisions, a fleet of battleships and cruisers, and an attached air wing had been reduced to a third of its original size, even before factoring in the wounded. The task force was commanded from a vehicle the size of a suburban house, but armed and armored twice as well as full-size headquarters. It was the only such vehicle remaining from the six that had set out to attack Green Earth.

Inside the mobile HQ's command room sat three Orange Star COs and one OF-in-training. The oldest of the COs, a white-haired yet muscular old man, was presently asleep in a makeshift bed near a hastily patched wall. The other two were engaged in an argument with a man in a dull orange uniform, obviously a military man but more resembling of a politician. His wrinkled face barely contained the pain and rage of a rabid animal, an expression only enhanced by a loud, ambient noise, like static, from his end of the call.

"Blue Moon's attack force is broken and defeated, yet... you're just going to let them get away, General?" Nell's voice had none of the calm it would hold five years later. "That... that bastard Olaf..."

"You cannot pretend you have no part in the blame, CO-Colonel!" On the other end of the transmission, a sound like a thunderclap could be heard, followed by swearing from a support officer. "Do you know how much we'll have to sacrifice to keep this disaster quiet? And one of your own kind has already run off and is doing god-knows-what! Of all of you people, CO-Colonel Grit was the last one I would expect to take such reckless action! His troops are no match for Blue Moon, even if they are on the run!"

"So your solution to all this is to declare a cease-fire behind our backs?" Nell looked like she was about to say more, then suddenly grabbed her chest as though in pain.

"Nell, lay off it. You're gonna kill yourself at this rate." Max grabbed her arm, but she broke his hold with surprising ease. A moment later, though, she collapsed again, gasping in pain, and Max helped her over to the beds, scolding her in quiet, inaudible tones.

The final person in the room, clearly recognizable as Sami, responded with a far more measured voice. "We understand your position, General. However, with all due respect, isn't CO-Colonel Grit an asset of ours? We can afford to just let him go."

"Yeah!" Max interrupted, running back over. "Let me go after him. I'll drag him back kicking and screaming if I have to!"

"That... might be necessary." Bernstein's look darkened even further. "As the CO-Colonel has dropped off our tracking entirely, it is highly possible that he is no longer affiliated with us."

"What? You aren't sayin'..." Max's eyes widened. "Hey, General Blockhead! You better take that one back!"

"If you have any proof that he isn't..."

"I don't need proof! Grit's my fried, not a traitor!"

Bernstein's tones turned instantly to ice. "And we've already seen how much friendship counts among your kind."

"You wanna play that game, do ya? Here's the facts, General Chump. None of us liked Olaf-"

The General pounded his desk in interruption. "Funny,you all seemed pretty buddy-buddy back when he was with us. For instance-" Before Bernstein could elaborate, a red light started flashing off to his side, and a siren sounded. He growled. "CO-Colonel Max. CO-Colonel Nell. CO-General Hachi... wherever that blasted windbag is. I... request that all of you return to Titiania immediately. Besides, you really wouldn't presume to give chase with that skeleton of an army, would you?"

"Yeah, I'm coming back alright. And when I do, I'm gonna pound some sense into you!" Max punched the transceiver so hard it almost broke. "Jeez! Stupid son of a-"

[break in video] -

Nearing Orange Star Mainland Capital, Titiania

April 27, 5:24 PM

"...since Bernstein's transmission this morning, I've been unable to contact the capital, and neither can any of the bases close by. I wish Nell was awake..." Sami paced back and forth in front of the transceiver. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, and now bucketfuls of water fell from the sky at a rate decidedly detrimental to visibility. Some stretches of road were even fully submerged in large puddles.

"Let her sleep. After what she's been through..." Hachi was typing away at one of the consoles.

"Y-yeah. Well, we're approaching Titiania from the west now. Once we get back..." Sami gasped. "Uh, CO-General... Hachi..."

Hachi was also staring at the transceiver. "What in God's name..." he muttered. "Operator, get me a full visual!"

"Can't, sir. We're getting interference of some kind... but it's not a Dark Spot."

"Damn it!" Hachi pressed a few more buttons. "Are we still..."

"Yes, sir. No contact with the capitol building, but we're almost within short-range transceiver range with the national guard here."

"What's the big deal, guys?" Max kicked the door open and ran over to them, then switched the console to a "window" view displaying the outside of the vehicle. "Jeez, I haven't seen that kind of storm in..."

He trailed off as the mobile HQ went over the hill and the view from the valley became clear.

A few seconds of stunned silence.

"Battle!" Sami yelled. "Down in the valley! Who the hell...?"

"Operator! Battle stations!" Hachi typed at the console in a series of motions he'd perfected years ago, first bringing up a satellite map, then placing markers for all the units in his line of vision.

"CO-General!" The operator's voice. "I've established contact with the guard units; connecting their information with your tactical display now! General Bernstein is safe, and in command! They're pinned behind hostile forces, but-"

"Send messenger convoys to Fort Trace and Fort Victoria and petition them for reinforcements if they haven't already sent them! And put me in contact with the General!"

Bernstein's face appeared on the viewscreen, now displaying a confident ferocity different in quality from the indignant fury of that morning. "About time you showed up. Have any trouble on the way? We have a real shitball on our hands here."

Hachi laughed sarcastically. "Where should I start? The hostiles in our capital, the flooding in the city, or the fact they hold our main headquarters right now?"

"So. You didn't see any of them on the way here? Interesting..."

"Any of who, General? And those don't look like Blue Moon troops, either."

Bernstein's manner darkened. "They don't act like 'em either, Hachi. I want you to relieve the national guard troops at the fort and give them your Comnet. We'll hit these jokers with a three-pronged attack."

"Got it. Max, you take command of the Task Force."

As Hachi left the room, Nell arrived, swaying with drowsiness but looking decidedly less ill than before. "General. I think I know what's going on here."

Before she could continue, Bernstein's face flickered, and then a second screen turned on, displaying the torso of a man none of the commanders in the room recognized. He was a lanky, middle-aged man with thinning brown hair and what had once been a pair of night-vision goggles on his forehead – the device had been so heavily modified it wasn't clear just what it did anymore. His clean-shaven face, while bright with youthful vigor, was more wrinkled than would be normal for his age, and his light brown eyes were wide with childish irritation.

"Great, more Orange Star assholes?" The man lifted his hand and took a big bite from a candy bar. "Can you come back later, please? I'm running an experiment here, and there's no telling what'll happen if you people damage the equipment."

"You're a Breakcom, aren't you?" Nell took the man's silence as an answer. "What the hell are you doing in our capital? Who are you affiliated with? Who is your commander?"

"Sorry for the intrusion, sister, but this was the only place suitable for my current test-"

"Test?" Max looked like he was about to explode.

The man laughed, a sound like nails being driven into a animal's limbs. "The weather controller, of course. And of course, it's all going wrong. It appears my theories were completely incorrect in this case, but there is still data to be gleaned. If I'm not mistaken-"

"I asked you a question." Nell burned inside, a cold flame eating away at her guts as she started to realize what was going on. "Who are you affiliated with? What nation?"

"I forgot my introduction again, didn't I? I am CO Rush of..." He snickered. "Well, I'll let my friend answer that one. I don't care for the politics of it all. Back to the tests."

Rush's face disappeared and was replaced by what appeared to be another Breakcom. This newcomer, a broader man around the same age, wore a helmet and a faded plaid button-up shirt, sporting a patch on the front with an insignia resembling the blades of a wind turbine. His dirty blond hair was cut close to the head. He smiled, a malicious twinkle in his eye. "The nation that'll soon unite the world, of course. Or did your old friend Olaf not give you the memo?"

Max pressed a button on the console and the two faces of their enemies disappeared, drawing a shocked glare from Nell and Sami. "What? These lunatics are pissing me off, and you know they're not gonna give us anything. If we want answers, we'll have to pound it out of 'em."

"That's so rude, CO-Colonel." Max turned, startled, as the helmeted man's face reappeared on the screen, smirking sickly. "While you were away, the COs you left behind covered up our arrival in your nation."

"Billy and Olaf... so they were both in on it, as I thought." Nell glared at the screen.

"In return, we aided them a little in their rebellion. And now, all around your country, we are rising up. We are a new nation... Black Hole, born from the suffering of your people."

"What do you mean, around the country?"

"Ah, Nell. Perhaps a better question would be why you didn't run into us on your way back from the border."

Sami gasped. "You waited until we returned to the capital... and then, you signaled your armies to attack?"

"Smarter than you look."

Nell spoke up. "I thought there was a communications blackout around the city."

"Not the right question. You wealthy types always had the wrong priorities." The plaid-shirted man almost spat those words.

Nell ignored the bait. "In short, how are we going to split our forces. That's what you wanted us to consider."

"Exactly!" The man cackled. "I am Sharek, Black Hole commander representing the oppressed masses. Your people are in danger across the nation. Tell me, who will you choose to save? The elites hiding in your capital? Or the common people whose lives are ruled by your wars?"

"Or..." Sharek erupted into another fit of cackling. "Will you split your forces and lose both? The clock is ticking, you know. In less than a week, this valley you've built your capital in... it will be nothing more than the continent's latest high-elevation lake. Can your nation survive without it? I wonder, I wonder..."

By now, Nell's anger had risen to a slow, cold burn. When she spoke, it was a quiet, threatening whisper: "This time next week, Sharek, I'll be the one laughing. Mark my words."

Present Day

"I think that's about enough of that." Captain Steele closed the window with the video.

"So... you're kidding. Black Hole..." David reached a hand to his forehead.

"Olaf made a deal with them to leave Blue Moon alone. They flooded Titiania and destroyed a large area of our country. Black Hole was no local rebellion; they were a threat to all of Wars World."

David had another flash of the forces that had attacked his family: those black-uniformed soldiers who had made no claims of any origin country. He stared at the ceiling. "Why was this kept a secret?"

The Captain laughed a little. "What do you think the people would say if they knew? Blaming Blue Moon gives them a real threat to hate. Blaming a far-off rebellion that slipped through our intelligence net would give them a shadow to fear. Who do you think the military wants our people to worry about? Our belligerent neighbor, or a long-dead group of terrorists?"

"How do we know they're dead?" David had to ask.

"We conducted an operation in conjunction with Green Earth and Yellow Comet and destroyed their headquarters. To be truthful, we can't really be sure, but Blue Moon is a far greater threat to us right now anyways. If we see any signs of Black Hole returning, we can focus our attention back on them." The Captain looked at his shocked face. "What is it?"

"That's... that just not right." David scratched his head. "Keeping all this secret, making it look like-"

"Information is power." Captain Steele put a hand on David's shoulder; from anyone else, it would have been reassuring, but to David, the gesture was a warning. "If you have a problem, take it up with Nell. Or the soldiers that are giving their lives for us right now in the capital."

Steele withdrew her hand, leaving David shaking as she smiled down at him. "I swear, at least Breakcoms take this well. Anything else you want to know?"

David stumbled backwards until he hit the wall. "Who... who are you? The Sergeant implied you were involved in the Breakcom program, but would even a Captain know all this?"

"You're right. I was an instructor in the Breakcom training program before I requested the transfer here."

"Why? Why would you leave the... it seems more suitable for you."

Steele looked past David, her eyes unfocused. "It once was, but I've moved on."

David decided not to press the issue. "Captain... what now?"

"Now we wait for Nell to contact us. Feel free to browse any information accessible to your new clearance level." The Captain handed David a new ID card.

Rank: Special Advisor.

Jefferson Tower

6:42 PM

When Nell disengaged from the Comnet and turned control over to OF-Major Jackal, General Vance still had not returned to the Command Room. General Carpenter now sat where Vance had been hours before.

"Good evening, CO-General." Carpenter looked deflated. "Things are going a little better on your end, I see."

"A little." Nell smiled wearily. "Still, we've blunted their initial attack. About an hour ago, I expected Blue Moon to be through the second wall by now."

"We aren't out of the woods yet. Our spies say that CO-Colonel Grit is giving command to one of his OFs and sending him to the front lines. If any of their Breakcoms come to the front lines, it could be trouble."

"Grit's going back to try and stop Sami's sabotage, then."

"So it seems." The General stared out the window. "For once, I wish we had more OFs available, but President Drapela refuses to authorize any more transfers to Cosmo Land."

"Probably for the best. We don't want to leave the mainland vulnerable."

"So what?" Carpenter said. "If we fall here, there won't be anyone left to defend the mainland anyways."

"If necessary, I will go out to confront these OFs myself. Can't let some youngsters get a one-up on me, now can I?" Nell walked towards the door.

"Ah. I won't keep you." The General turned her eyes back to the screens.

Nell turned her head at the door. "General... you shouldn't forget to rest either."

"Hah... I won't push myself. Have a good sleep when you can get to it."

Fort Halberd HQ Tower

7:15 PM

OF-Colonel Sasha did not want an advisor right now, nor did she feel she needed one. The Comnet Trance was hardly an ideal escape from reality – after all, she couldn't afford to make any mistakes – but the last thing she needed right now was an idiot second-guessing her ideas.

Yet, Captain Skliarenko had insisted on advising her in the battle. He may be a good tactician, but when it came to large battles like this, he tended to ask too much of the troops. Well, let him try. Even though he has the strategic capacity of a baked tuna, he'll probably spend the whole evening obsessing over the failure at the Golden Fortress, so he wouldn't get in her way.

In contrast, Sasha was used to coordinating this kind of battle. As she cycled through the divisions under her command, though, she could see that even though they had captured Fort Halberd, there was a long way to go. Unfortunately, the amount of experience she had with the Comnet meant that she still had enough mental capacity to think while in the trance, so there was no escape here from her irritation.

Orange Star had deployed commando units throughout the territory Blue Moon occupied, using a network of hidden tunnels under the city. Short of razing all the abandoned buildings, there was nothing she could do to end their guerilla-style attacks; whenever an enemy position was identified, they were gone within a minute. She brought up her dossier on the enemy OF in command: a Major, codenamed "Jackal". Extremely skilled at coordinating attacks... when the situation's under her control. When the bullets start flying back, not so much.

Clever, Nell. So our ground forces will be in danger even if we don't press the attack.

The forward companies were now resting while the reserves moved to the front lines. However, several groups were forced to stay behind to protect their supply lines, leaving Blue Moon's forces without much forward momentum. All Sasha could do was coordinate the Spetsnaz and hope to outmaneuver an OF who had the positional advantage.

Jefferson City

South Sector, within the First Wall

Blue Moon-Occupied Territory

7:30 PM

A shower of water fell through the damp evening air and came down on the backs of Scout Squads 3-5 and 3-6 as they made their way across the rubble-covered roads, the sounds of battle and car alarms echoing across the dead city. Supposedly, there were no Bowlheads in this area, and yet according to the Comnet, raiders had already hit the other camps in this area. The main army was resting for the night, but there were apparently no areas in the city that could be considered real safe zones.

Sergeant Gurov scanned the dark street, peering out at the green-tinted world he was so used to. It was situations like this his squads excelled at, although he was annoyed that this kind of mission would be necessary in what was supposedly a secure area. Any lesser scouts would become complacent; he was sure that was the only reason these raids were working. Well, that was urban combat, especially this deep in enemy territory.

Gurov's squads moved along cover, scanning the shadows for any signs of movement. They couldn't see it above the clouds, but the sounds of aircraft filled the night. The rain didn't help matters; Gurov had fought in worse conditions, but the reflections off the water interfered with the output of his IR goggles. Any heavier and they'd have to go without it, a hazardous idea.

The tension rose to a crescendo as they approached the next building on their patrol route. This was where a small Bowlhead squad had been detected by their sats a quarter of an hour ago. This one was a small one, thankfully, the size of a large house, standing out in the midst of the high-rise structures that surrounded it. Squad 3-5 peered into the burned-out doorway, inspecting the entryway for traps, then entered slowly, the surveyor of the squad inspecting the walls to make sure it wasn't about to collapse. Gurov and his squad waited outside, some pressed against the walls, some circling into the alleyway to make sure no Bowlheads were waiting with a detonator.

The white noise that now filled the night increased in volume, and Gurov felt his back grow increasingly damp. He ignored it. The squad returned from the building, giving a hand signal: all clear. Gurov looked at the building; apparently, it had been a souvenir shop until today.

The next structure on their patrol route was much larger: an old metal warehouse. Gurov ignored it; Blue Moon was already using it as a supply point and shelter.

Across the street, Gurov's squads reached a high-rise building, perhaps a banking office. This one hadn't taken any apparent damage during the battle. These were the most difficult; he really couldn't declare a building like this all-clear, especially not since Orange Star had developed countermeasures to thermal vision. That way, his squad had to investigate deviations in the patterns that could well be an anomaly. All that could be done would be a rough check through the building. If there was anyone hiding in the upper floors, standard procedure was to leave it to the snipers Blue Moon had stationed in the skyscrapers.

As Gurov entered the building, he heard a rustling across the room. His squadmates turned their rifles towards the source, then relaxed as they saw it was just a stray cat running away. They trekked through the building; aside from the broken glass all over the floor, a lot of the office on the bottom floor was mostly intact. The elevator looked fully functional (not that he'd be dumb enough to try it out) and was even still hooked up to the building's emergency power system. Even the secretary's computer was still on, abandoned on the login screen as the civilians had fled to the shelters.

Gurov made a note over the Comnet that the building might have financial records that their hackers could access, marking it on the "map" in the network. His soldiers searched the first five floors and found nothing unusual, then moved on. In fact, it would not be until his next patrol shift that Sergeant Gurov would make contact with enemy soldiers.

Golden Fortress Main Complex

8:04 PM

David had returned to the archive room upon hearing that Nell was now available to speak with him. He felt awfully numb about the whole idea, and not just because of the bad news she had delivered the last time they'd spoken.

Captain Steele was still there, scanning information about the battle on her terminal. Seated at one of the smaller terminals was the Sergeant, with an expression that told David that the man really wished these computers had Solitaire installed.

Come to think of it, David had noticed some changes around the base. This time, the hallways didn't seem as wrecked as earlier in the day. Maybe that OF Andy had something to do with it.

As David entered, the Sergeant stood up and walked over to the main terminal. "Alright. The kid's here. When are we getting to work?"

"Patience, Frank." The Captain sighed.

"I know, she's busy." Levins sat back down. He opened his mouth slightly, then shook his head a little.

A minute passed in silence. Then, a ringing noise came from the main terminal, and a second later, a screen appeared with the star symbol of the Orange Star military. The Captain pressed a button, and the face of CO-General Nell again appeared on the screen.

"Captain Steele. Sergeant Levins. Recruit... no. Special Advisor Carroll."

"Ma'am." David saluted.

"I wish we could meet your promotion with more fanfare, Advisor, but I'm pretty sure that's the last thing on your mind right now. Well, I'll cut to the chase."

Nell shifted over a little, but her slight smile and formal expression did not change. "For the last six years, Orange Star has been embroiled in its worst crisis since the Great World War. In light of the latest shift in this conflict, I have made the decision to appoint veteran soldiers as Special Advisors to our COs. You have been called here today because I am putting you under consideration for those positions."

David hid his surprise under his gloom, and Captain Steele looked to have already known. The Sergeant, in contrast, was left gaping at the screen. "CO-General... I..."

"You have a question, Sergeant?"

"I have a responsibility at the Golden Fortress. I can't leave these kids hanging. Not like they are now."

"That has been taken into consideration. Future training of Platoon 4 will be taken over by Sergeant Dracov from OF-Lieutenant Andy's support staff."

"Wh-" The Sergeant bit his tongue. "Our appointments are immediate, then?"

"You will depart when the situation stabilizes; you may even have time to finish training this platoon before you leave. You do not need to worry about defense of this position; OF-Lieutenant Andy has begun construction of a war factory within the base perimeter. Captain Steele will leave later."

"Fl- Captain, you've already agreed to this? You could've told me!" Levins' expression was somewhere beyond anger.

"You were preoccupied." The Captain continued to stare at Nell's image.

"Special Advisor Carroll. You are to stay here and undergo field training for your position. Captain Steele will supervise."

"Yes, ma'am." Though none of this makes any sense to me...

"Perfect. I will contact you again as soon as possible. For now, remain at the Golden Fortress in case Blue Moon does decide to attack. I'm sure you will make our nation proud."

"Yes, General." Captain Steele saluted as Nell's image disappeared from the screen.

"Captain... permission to speak frankly?" David had something he needed to ask, but seeing Nell had been more intimidating than he had expected.

"Go ahead, Advisor."

"Why is Nell picking a kid fresh out of training for something like this? I mean, the future of the country is riding on this. Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to pick an experienced officer?"

"Or a more stable one," Levins chimed in. He looked like he wanted to say more, but a warning look from Steele stopped him, and he sighed, staring a hole in David's head.

Steele smiled a little. "I think I know what Nell has in mind. She's been known to assign partners based on who might work well together. It will make sense to you soon."

"Captain, can we talk? Without the kid here?" The Sergeant shuffled his feet.

"I'm fine with it, Captain, as long as you don't need me for anything else." David turned to leave.

"Sure." Steele sighed. "Special Advisor is a unique rank, Carroll. You don't need my permission to leave anymore."

"Then I'll be going for now. You know how to reach me." David hurried out the door.

"Stupid kid," Levins growled. "Flora, just what the hell do you see in him?"

"I remember a certain someone wasn't much better when he started out." Steele finally displayed a full smile.

"Pfeh." Levins returned to the terminal near the entrance and sat back down, lightly kicking aside one of the reading desks on the way. "I wasn't nearly as bad. I mean, the kid doesn't even know what he's fighting for."

"Perhaps. I think Nell intends that he find it here."

"So, she's gonna partner him with..." The Sergeant frowned. "Won't that just mess up the kid's brain even more? I mean, if he really is that similar to the kid's brother..."

"Maybe it'll help him get over it. But that wasn't what you wanted to talk with me about, was it?"

Levins didn't turn around. "Come on, Flora. I thought we were planning to stay here a while."

"That used to be the plan." Steele sighed. "I know you were never a patriot, Frank, but how long do you think we'll be able to stay together if Blue Moon takes over?"

"So... the moment we dreaded is here, huh. And you made the decision for me."

"Hey, that's my authority as your commander." Steele began to pace around the room. "If we stay here, we risk being taken prisoner, and you know that I'll be marked for death as a Projector after that stunt I pulled during the attack. With COs at our sides, our chances of survival increase dramatically."

"Fine, fine. You win, as usual." Frank Levins stared off into space. "You've already guessed who we'll be assigned to if we pull this off, huh?"

"CO-Lieutenant Rachel is still at the mainland, so there's only two choices."

"Hm." Levins snapped back to attention. "I guess working with Max might not be that bad. But of course, you get the dangerous job again."

Steele laughed. "You want to switch?"

"I swear, you make light of the strangest things," Levins said.

"One of us has to. Well, about time we got back to the lounge. We don't want to get the officers whispering again, after all."

"Ugh. Don't remind me." The two of them took one last look around the room to make sure the terminals were logged off, then walked back into the hallway.

December 5, 1:50 AM

The evening operations continued as before. Blue Moon sharpshooters took up positions on the rooftops, while Orange Star commando teams continued probing conquered territory, looking for weaknesses in the Blue Moon army's positions. Blue Moon's forces attempted to push forward in the western area of the city, but broke off the attack as the rain reduced visibility far too much to continue.

The rain only grew heavier as the night continued, yet even as December 4th had ended and the next day had begun, Orange Star's commandos continued to operate. Blue Moon was able to stop some of them, but they knew the city better than the Blue Moon scouts, and were able to evade detection most of the time. Even so, Blue Moon's losses were trivial compared to the size of the assault. That stormy night was only a lull in the battle; the next day, fighting would begin anew.

On both ends of the battle, an OF sat in their command chair, focusing on moving around their troops. OF-Colonel Sasha sat alone in concentration; OF-Major Jackal, a woman of 22 years and a small frame, had many others in the room. Over the din of the room's equipment, one could still hear the loud music blaring into the OF-Major's headphones. Even in the Comnet trance, a crazy grin was fixed on her features, as if painted there. The other support officers in the room seemed afraid of this monster in their midst. Her long-haired, shades-wearing advisor, Captain Allen, sported a lazy grin as he slowly stared around the room.

The tension in the room increased as the battle continued, until one point in the middle of the night, during a lull in the action: "She's not bad, ya know." Allen stood near the command chair, chewing on a rations bar.

"Wh-what?" One of the support officers spoke up.

"Ya know. Ain't a wild beast the best sort to take on a horde of demons like these Moonies?" Allen smiled, a malicious look visible behind his half-circle shades. "And far as wild beasts go, Jackal's the best there is. So I ain't gettin' why you're all freaked."

The rest of the officers in the room remained silent. Allen sighed. "Figures. Everywhere, all the same." The Captain started looking around the room, glowering at each support officer in turn. "Well, at least someone here get on that report I asked for."

"Sir. We've compiled a list of confirmed kills and losses from the Comnet."

"Yeah, yeah, gimme that." Instead of waiting for the unfortunate man to send it over to his portable console, Allen walked over to the officer and stared down at him until he scrambled out of his seat. Allen sat down and leaned back, putting his feet up against the wall behind the terminal. After scrolling through the report, he proceeded to visually devour all the rest of the information on the screen, much to the displaced officer's irritation. "Sir... I have-"

"Wait your turn, Lieutenant Droopyconkers. Or do ya got a complaint?"

After a full three minutes, Allen laughed a little, then got up from the terminal and returned to leaning against the command chair, his head as far back as his neck could take it. "Hah. Everything cool, then. Keep it up, lackeys."

Golden Fortress Officers' Quarters

3:00 AM

David felt the darkness in his new room close in around him, lazily sailing through his frail flesh like the humid air of a stormy night. He no longer knew why he was going along with such a crazy idea. Him, an advisor? Ridiculous. His squadmates wouldn't understand; they'd just consider it an honor. Well, he had no intention of trying to explain it to them. The Sergeant would just yell at him, and the Captain was cold as ice.

The boy hadn't expected an easy ride when he became a soldier, but he'd trusted that he would at least have people he could trust around him. A ridiculous, romantic notion pulled from the most whitewashed of war movies, perhaps. Even so, David had felt that he had been living in that reality throughout his training. But now, one of his squadmates was dead, and he could no longer face the rest of them. Even his brother was gone, perhaps forgotten in the pile of corpses littering the country. And all for what?

David knew his superiors couldn't be trusted. He couldn't figure out the reason Captain Steele had told him about Black Hole, but he knew what the true purpose of it was: to show what could happen to Orange Star if the country wasn't protected.

How pointless. He already knew the country had to be defended against Blue Moon. He had seen the invaders with his very eyes, shooting to kill. The head of the damn army herself had told him he had the country at his back.

None of that mattered to David. All he could feel was solitude.

OF Jackal

Rank: Major

Affiliation: Orange Star

Skill: Increased base attack power. Loses extra attack power as HP is lost. Lower defense than a CO.

Power: SURGICAL STRIKE *****

No enemy counterattacks this turn.

Secondary special forces commander and Nell's part-time advisor. She's an uptight tactician with a short fuse.

Hit: Cards

Miss: Dice

"You... you're dead."