Author's Note: Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? I've been bogged down trying to revise this chapter to include what I've learned during Nanowrimo, but it's all part of the learning experience, I guess. Looking back on it, there are a lot of things I would've done differently if I started the story now, but I've already revised several older chapters, so I won't stick myself on the would've-should've and I'll just move on with the story.

Here the story starts to reconnect with the main game's storyline. It also shows a taste of just what a CO is capable of when fighting. I apologize for the 3-month break. Well, time to get this story moving again, shall we?

Act II: Retaliation

Field Training I: Reality

Golden Fortress Mess Hall Kitchen

Three and a half days later

December 8, 11:10 AM

The disappearance of David Carroll from public sight had become a major subject of discussion for the recruits of Training Squad 4. With the shock of the battle less than two days ago still fresh in their minds – as well the death of a squadmate – the three remaining squad members had nothing real to talk about except for the fight in the capital... and the whereabouts of Pits.

Captain Steele had prohibited the officers from talking about David. As such, rumors had begun to spread throughout the recruits. In Training Squad 4, the traditional roles of skeptic and rumormonger had changed. The superficial injuries the squad had taken were gone; however, they were still in no condition to finish their training. In the eyes of Sergeant Levins, though, they were rested enough for cleaning duty.

"I tell you, that was Breakcom skill right there." Turd idly mopped the same spot on the floor over and over. "Didn't you see it? Pits... he was like a beast shooting 'em dead."

"Sure. As if you weren't too busy wetting your pants to watch." Sticks sat in the corner, scrubbing in the cracks of the floor. "Forget it. Pits is gone, and they're never going to tell us where he is."

Far sighed and remained silent, as usual. Sticks and Turd turned to look at her. "Didn't you see anything?" Turd asked. "Nah, you were actually fighting, weren't you..."

Silence reigned in the kitchen for a few minutes as the Squad halfheartedly continued their work. Then, Sticks spoke up: "Why aren't they letting us watch the battle for the capital? Isn't that more important than any of this cleaning crap?"

"Typical idiot grunt." Turd and Sticks looked over as Far spoke up. "The days following an attack is the best time to enforce discipline. Otherwise, the base will cease to function. What's happening at the capital is only a distraction from the task in front of us."

"Yeah, that's bullshit." Turd threw his mop across the room. "I'm going to go look for him."

"What?" Sticks almost screeched. "If you're caught, Sarge will whip all three of us!"

"Then come with me. Or try to stop me, if you think you can." Turd glared down at the two of them defiantly. "We deserve to know where Pits is. Is that really so much to ask?"

Another moment of silence. Then, Sticks stood up and followed Turd out. As the two left the room, Far rolled her eyes, then left with them.

"Alright, here's the plan. We split up and go looking everywhere that's not locked. If you see Sarge, hide somewhere. Any other officer, just make up something."

"I thought you said you had a plan," Far quipped. Turd responded by turning and heading down the hall.

"Why... why's he so..." Sticks muttered.

"Apparently the guy did save his life," Far observed. "Though I didn't peg him as the grateful type."

"What do we do now?" Sticks asked.

"Leave him be. We're going to finish cleaning." Far grabbed the thin kid by the arm and dragged him back into the kitchen.

Golden Fortress Officers' Lounge

90 minutes ago (9:40 AM)

It had become a morning ritual: upon awakening, all officers would stop in the lounge and get an update on the battle for the capital. Captain Steele had taken to giving the staff a summary of the previous day's events in order to keep things operating at the base; there was no more time to halt the base's operations.

Thanks to Andy's help, the base had received a major facelift since the attack. The walls had been repaired and the artillery had been upgraded to remote emplacements. In fact, the walls around the base had been expanded to cover some of the valley behind the mountain pass, and in that area Andy's troops had built a brand-new factory which was now churning out tanks to replace the losses from the battle.

Of course, that equipment would be useless without soldiers. Reinforcements were arriving by the day, in the form of survivors from Blue Moon's initial blitz that had been rescued from their captors by Sami's division. The Golden Fortress was slowly becoming a foothold from which Orange Star could operate in the Alara Region; Blue Moon currently didn't even have an OF there yet. Of course, that wouldn't be a good move yet, and the rescued soldiers were not yet reorganized.

Captain Steele got up in front of the large TV, which now displayed several graphs and a map of Jefferson City. "I'd like to summarize the last 24 hours of the battle for you."

"The rumors are true; Blue Moon has broken through the second wall at three locations." Steele circled three spots on the map, all in the southwest of the city. "The civilian shelter areas are currently still under Orange Star control, but supply lines leading out of the city have been cut off. Of course, even if that were not the case, Olaf's new blizzard has blocked the roads out anyways."

Steele shifted the map over. "We do have good news, though. Three of Blue Moon's four close-range airbases have been destroyed by our commandos, forcing their aircraft to go further away from the city to resupply. Additionally, our anti-air units have shot down most of the aircraft that participated in the first days of the battle. The net result is that Blue Moon air support has been stunted considerably, while our airbases at Jefferson Central are still operational."

A colored overlay appeared on the map, displaying the progress of Blue Moon's unit throughout the last 24 hours. "I won't lie; though we've inflicted far more casualties, Blue Moon's march through the city hasn't slowed as much as we would have hoped. Therefore, it remains a very real possibility that Jefferson Central will be the only Orange Star position left standing within a matter of days. Blue Moon hasn't been distracted by our raids in the west and east; all that has done for us is draw Blue Moon's OFs away from the battle. However, it is further proof that Blue Moon is pursuing an all-in strategy by attacking Jefferson City. If we can weather this tide, it will be a perfect opportunity for counterattack."

"That's it for now. Any questions?" Steele looked around at the audience. "Very well. You have your assignments for today. No new deviations from standard procedure."

Steele's next destination was the officers' gym, which had been closed since the attack. In truth, all the damage it had taken was now repaired. No; the room had been converted by Andy into a special course requested by Steele. All this for the training of Special Advisor David Carroll.

The subject in question did not arrive for another half hour. When he finally stumbled in, rubbing his eyes, Steele immediately charged in and launched her foot at his side. Unlike the last two days, David quickly dodged it.

"Good. You're improving."

"I won't let you humiliate me like that again." David stepped up. "Are you trying to drag things out or something? For the last few days, all you've been having me do are meditation and attention exercises."

"That'll change today. We're going to learn how to draw out your power without you snapping into a trance." Steele pressed a couple of buttons on her console, quickly checking the news, then put it away before David noticed.

"This isn't like what they talk about in movies, visualizing spaces and all that crap. In reality, it's just like flexing a muscle that most people don't have. As such, it'll take a little bit of practice to get your power to work properly, but that's not what I'm aiming to do." Steele stared into his eyes. "Rather, your command ability is more important. Once you're able to tap into your power at will, that instinct for command will remain with you for life."

"And the point of this?" David started doing stretches.

"We have to take pressure off the capital. In approximately one week, OF-Lieutenant Andy's forces will launch a counterattack from this location. That will act as your field training."

David froze. "What? You're deploying me in one week? That's insane!"

"You'll understand when you can tap into your abilities. At the very least, you'll have the mental capacity to handle a small part of the operation, while Andy takes care of the bulk of the assault."

"This doesn't make sense. Nothing about the Break system makes sense. It shouldn't be possible to gain that kind of knowledge automatically."

"I know, right?" Captain Steele chuckled. "Alright. It's time to begin." With that, she took out a pistol from her holster and fired it at David's face with a loud bang.

David fell backwards, realizing only after a moment that it was water and not blood that was producing the wet sensation he felt across his entire face.

Steele smiled slightly. "Of course I wouldn't actually shoot you. That idea has proven quite disastrous in the past. This was just to get your adrenaline pumping."

David stayed on the ground, catching his breath as his heart pounded out a breakbeat. "Damn you..."

"Take a few seconds if you need to. When you're ready, we're going to fight."

David didn't move. "Fight? How?"

"Hand to hand, of course. I won't use my abilities yet, but you'll likely need yours to survive."

David sat there for what felt like an eternity to Steele. She frowned. "Or I could attack you on the ground. Do you want that?"

The young man scowled and slowly stood up. The two officers stared each other in the eyes; David daring the other to make the first move, Steele wondering if the boy would be bold enough to do it himself.

As it turned out, he wasn't. After a second of waiting, Captain Steele pushed forward in the blink of an eye, her right fist coming in straight towards David's head. David ducked to his right, then countered with his own right, a wide haymaker from far out. Steele deftly ducked under the punch and responded with a punch just above David's ankle, sending him tumbling sideways onto the floor.

David glared up at her as he stood. To Steele, it wasn't a defiant glare, but one that reflected a feeling of defeat. She waited for him to strike again; when he didn't, she tossed the water pistol at him like a stone. As he ducked, she dived in again, attacking with a flurry of punches as he curled his arms in front of him. Steele frowned, grabbed his right arm, and pulled him upwards. As she did, he struck with his left knee, aiming under her ribcage. However, she pulled him up more quickly than he expected, and his knee hit on the surface of the rib. Steele smirked and tossed him across the room, where he struck the ground and slid a few feet across the polished wood floor.

"At least you have some fight in you. But I recall saying this was a fight, not a drill exercise." Steele walked slowly towards him as he picked himself up. "Don't stop to dust yourself off, Carroll. We aren't through until I say so."

David stared into her eyes but didn't take the bait. Steele shook her head. "This isn't going to work unless you push yourself. Or do you plan to die just like your brother did?"

"You bitch!" That got the desired reaction out of the boy. David charged at the Captain, grabbing an overturned metal target plate on the way and holding it in front of him like a shield. Steele laughed and punched it out of his hands and into his face. David jerked back, a few drops of blood falling from his face, then kicked off and tackled the Captain, knocking the two of them towards the ground. She grabbed the front of his uniform and pulled him towards her head, sending him over her body and onto the floor. As he struggled to stand up, she stomped on his back, causing spit to fly from his mouth and a gurgling scream.

As Steele stomped on his back a second time, she felt a shift in the Break energy around her, and took a step back. David got up slowly, but there was a change in his movements. As he turned around to look at her, she could see a red glint in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

"That was a mistake," the young man said, his voice suddenly like sandpaper.

"Really?" Steele raised her eyebrow. "More confident now, are we?"

"I'll let you jerk me around like a puppet all you want, but you don't talk about Ralphie like that. You have one chance to take that shit back."

"Make me." The officer smiled as the boy slowly walked towards her, staring at her more like prey than another human. As he got close, he suddenly charged forwards, sending a flurry of punches at the Captain. She deftly rolled to the left, circling to his side and punching just above the boy's right hip.

This time, he dodged the blow, stepping away from her fist and responding with a hard left hook that caught Steele on the side of her face. She took the hit without moving, and as David moved to follow up with a right hook, she reached out and grabbed at his hand with her right. David changed targets, straightening his arm and punching her above the elbow. As he charged forward, arms pummeling forward, Steele couldn't back off fast enough and took several body blows. Then, the area under her feet glowed, and she pushed off the ground in an instant, landing about five meters away.

"Perfect. Time for lesson two," she said, her voice steady despite the hits she had taken. Indeed, aside from a wrinkled uniform and a little blood on her face, there was hardly any sign she had been hit at all.

"I said TAKE IT BACK!" David copied her maneuver, building up energy at his feet and leaping forward with his arm drawn back. She barely had time to widen her eyes before his high-momentum punch crashed down on the side of her head.

And yet she didn't react; in fact, it was David who screamed, his hand engulfed by the sensation of having just tried to punch a tank. As Steele's right fist came at David, the threat lines crossing his mind spoke of a far greater damage area than her body displayed. It was as though her arm had become the size and weight of ten artillery shells. The blow knocked David across the room and into the wall, leaving a web of large cracks in the sturdy concrete.

"And lessons two and three right there. Are you aware now?"

David tried to stand up, but fell over again. Steele went through a couple light arm stretches as she spoke. "Comnet abilities aren't at their strongest when your life is in danger. They tend to awaken due to strong emotion or conviction... or similar things."

"...urgh..."

"What I'm saying is based on the evidence, saying something like that was the only way to bring out your abilities. This time, you can still feel that energy around you, right? The sweet, golden mist that dances through the air?" Steele walked across the gym towards him again. "That cushion of power which broke your fall and stopped my blow from killing you outright? That energy you brought to your feet to leap like that?"

"Stay... away... monster..." David stopped struggling to conserve his strength.

"From the way you fought... your ability. It's a Threat Web, right? You can sense where the lines of threat in the world are and will be, and you can move to avoid them or direct your threat lines into the enemy for a certain chance of connection."

"I said... shut up." David glared up at her. "You're just like the Sergeant, aren't you?"

"I know I'm pushing you beyond your limit, and I won't deny that I do somewhat enjoy your torment. However, this is for the good of Orange Star. I can sense that power around you fading already."

"Like hell I'll let it happen." David stood up fully. Captain Steele saw that this time, he had a full aura of Break Energy surrounding him. "I won't give you any excuse to screw with me again!"

"Very well. Let's continue, then."

The two of them continued fighting for the next 10 minutes, steel versus senses. Eventually, David fell to the ground, unable to move. Steele sat down in front of him. "It feels hard to pull in more energy from the air, doesn't it?"

David couldn't even respond. Steele continued, "Break Energy is generated as a side effect of the battle. Since we're in a peaceful area right now, there isn't much more available in this room. Breakcoms and Projectors can preserve some in their bodies, and the Break Amplifier can contain and focus a large amount, but prolonged storage can be hazardous."

Steele stared at the young man for a few seconds, waiting for a response. When none came, she stood up and started to note the damages to the gym on her datapad. "That's enough training for now. Do the mental exercises I've assigned you, and if your powers haven't regressed by tomorrow, we'll be doing a less violent form of training as a break."

"Hey."

Steele turned around. "Yes?"

"At least... that awful cold feeling... disappeared... quickly." David's face, though covered in blood, held a relaxed look, something that hadn't even come to his features in sleep.

"Good. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Steele stood up and offered David a hand; the young man used it to pull himself up.

"Just so you know... I'm still angry." David brushed himself off.

"As expected."

"Hey, Captain..." David said. "Why do you fight?"

Steele froze up. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering."

"I..." Steele sighed. "I owe Orange Star a great debt. Especially CO-General Nell. I'll tell you about it when you aren't angry."

"Heh. That could take a while." David walked with her towards the door. The two soldiers left the gym, the tension not fully drained from their bodies.

11:20 AM

After David was sure that Steele was no longer following him, he turned and walked back towards the center of the base, back towards the data room. He marched into the room, entered his login information, and waited as the computer brought up the files he wanted, every moment stretching longer and longer until his impatience boiled over and he kicked over a chair. As the loud noise echoed down the halls, he froze; as several seconds passed with no other sound than the groan of the base's heating system, he relaxed a little.

When David had felt that power again – when he saw those lines of threat appear throughout his perception, and this time not just in his vision, but his hearing and scent – he knew that there was something he had to know. Something he had to see. He knew now that he wasn't helpless, that he had a power granted only to a select few. And by accepting that power, there was a responsibility he had taken on, one that mattered more to him than anything for Orange Star.

The computer beeped, and David brought up the file: his brother Ralph's personal dossier. He scrolled down across the details of his military service, and found a link to the file he had been looking for. As the information was downloaded from Orange Star's network, he felt his heart race again.

At last, the file he was looking for. The official report on the death of OF-Major "Coral". Ugh, that very name made him flinch.

Confirmed to have been killed in action on November 24th, early morning, while serving near the border regions. Body never recovered, presumed taken by Blue Moon. David felt his teeth clench.

Break Energy fluctuations in the area of engagement indicated... a direct confrontation between two Breakcoms? Goosebumps rose on David's skin as he scrolled down. Multiple Breakcoms known to be in the area at the time, including CO-General Olaf, self-proclaimed mastermind of the invasion. However, the OF who engaged Coral (David flinched) had been identified, based on a photograph taken by Orange Star spies.

David almost fell over in his seat. There it was – a photo of a slouching man with long, silver hair, a long, thin rifle strapped on his back and a pistol on his belt, a long black coat, and soulless eyes. And there, in his right hand...

It was unmistakable. In his hand was a badge shaped like a gold star, his brother's picture emblazoned in the center.

David scrolled down some more, a thrill of anger and revulsion running through his body. OF-Captain Vladi, "The CO Killer", threat level red. Sound-based abilities. Very high Break storage potential. Offed two other OFs as well.

David knew it. This was the man he had to kill.

Suddenly, a shout from the hallway: "God damn it, who the hell keeps putting these locks on everything?" The noise sent David falling backwards in his chair with a yell of surprise; then, the chair fell over and David crashed to the floor. He knew that voice to be Turd's.

"Huh? Hello? Who's in there? Pits, is that you?" A knocking on the door. David scrambled backwards, hiding behind one of the bookcases. He knew that Turd couldn't get inside without a keycard, but he would've needed a keycard to get into this part of the base to begin with! What he he'd swiped one from a guard? David couldn't face him, he just couldn't-

"Hello? Come on, man, open up! I know you're in there!" Ah, good. He didn't have a card. Well, he could suspect David was inside all he wanted. There would be no way he could get in.

"Jeez! What, are you mad at me? Do you think it's my fault Wreck died or something? Is that it? Or what? Just come out and talk to me!"

David kept quiet. Just how long would it take for this idiot to leave?

"Just open the- aw, shit." Footsteps going away from the door, another set of footsteps coming closer. David took the chance to run back to the computer and log off.

As the footsteps faded into the hallway, David considered making a break for it. No, that wouldn't work. But-

"Recruit! I hope you have a good explanation for dirtying up the officers' area with your maggot boots!"

"What? Oh, hey, Sergeant, er, sir!"

It wasn't Levins, but some other David was relieved that someone had finally caught him. As his heart slowed back to its normal pace, he started to wonder: why had Turd been looking for him?

David quickly banished the thought from his mind. He logged back in, then brought up Vladi's full profile.

Recruited by Orange Star 8 years ago, first fought in a war against Green Earth. Made a name for himself as a commander, but preferred to go out into combat himself. Almost killed by Green Earth CO Hawke during the war. During the Orange Star civil war, sided with the Blue Moon faction. Reportedly refused promotion from the rank of Captain so that he wouldn't lose the opportunity to command from the field. Two years ago during a territory dispute over colonial islands in the Eastern Ocean, he killed a Green Earth CO named Kyrie. Hm... David pulled up another article related to that incident.

The Canasta Islands, an area far south of the Yellow Comet mainland. Heavy oil reserves had been discovered there, in addition to the iron mines that had been known for a century. Green Earth had been given the island in an agreement with Orange Star after Blue Moon was annexed, but once Blue Moon's revolution was complete, they demanded the island back. Green Earth sent their infantry specialist, Kyrie, to the island with a large army as a show of force. Two Blue Moon OFs, Vladi and Petrine, encircled the island with their fleet, and as the battle went on, Vladi infiltrated their airfield and destroyed it. Green Earth's fleet under CO-Admiral Drake broke a hole in the blockade, but when they arrived, Kyrie was dead and Vladi claimed responsibility. Since the incident, the island has been a warzone, and the nations' Cosmo Land borders have been subject to raids by both sides.

That didn't make any sense, though. When Blue Moon invaded, that would have been the perfect opportunity for Green Earth to launch a larger attack. No doubt they offered Green Earth a deal under the table, such as a free slice of Orange Star's Cosmo Land territory. Come to think of it, Orange Star's relations with Green Earth hadn't been too hot either. Yellow Comet, on the other hand... the other nations had to stay on their good side in order to retain access to the International Command Academy, which was technically on Yellow Comet's turf.

David put those questions into action, reading up as much as he could about it before his next training session that afternoon.

Golden Fortress Mess Hall

12:00 PM

"So, thanks to you we're on punishment duty." Far summed up Turd's words in a single sentence.

"That's not the important part! I know that was his voice in there." The other two stared at him sadly, disbelieving. "Dammit, what about this is so hard to believe?" Turd slammed his fist down on the table.

"Don't obsess over it. Training starts again tomorrow, you know, and I hear we're going to be deployed in a week." Far took a bite of her baked potato. "Now this is the stuff."

"Heh. Well, you were right about the desperation, Sticks." Turd sighed and looked down at his still-untouched plate. "You'll see. Soon, you'll see."

The two of them looked over at Sticks, who was shoving his food down his throat at the speed of a hungry dog. Turd chuckled a little. "C'mon, Sticks. Sarge isn't here right now."

Sticks didn't respond. Turd shook his head. "It really does feel too quiet, with Pits gone." He didn't mention the other absence.

Golden Fortress Improvised Training Gym

Four days later

December 12, 4:00 PM

Physical training had ended two days ago. Now, David was receiving a crash course on command procedure. A minature command room had been constructed in the center of the gym, complete with a mock-up of a Break Amplifier in the center. David wondered where this OF Andy was; he'd seen the commander's repair work throughout the base, but he hadn't seen the kid since the battle.

"Yesterday's training was all you needed to know about logistics for now. Mostly, your support officers will handle those details. However, between battles you'll need to study up on it. God knows how many officers I've seen screw themselves over by running low on supplies." Captain Steele looked neutral, as usual. David sat in one of the chairs, staring out into space.

"Here's the rundown. Battlefield images as displayed on your tactical console are compiled from satellite pictures and unit video feeds. Your support officers will compile the tactical display. You give orders through the console, and then the support officers will pass them on to the units. Of course, you can give a direct order if you wish."

"Yeah, yeah. We practiced all that yesterday."

Steele frowned; for the last few days, the kid had been far more motivated. She had checked the records at the data room and noted that he had researched his brother's death, but figured that now wasn't a good time to give him any lectures about revenge. "Very well then. If you're really on top of this, then tell me about Dark Spots."

"Simple. They're electromagnetic storms that interfere with our spy satellites, restricting battlefield awareness. These storms only started happening after the Break Nova during the Great World War."

"At least you were listening." Steele leaned back. "The Command Network is something completely different. As the advisor, your role is to pay attention to the Comnet and the tactical overview at once to make sure that the OF or CO you're working with doesn't miss something important. The Comnet, while a powerful tool, can make one shortsighted."

And then, she turned and beckoned towards the door. "Alright. Come with me, Special Advisor. We're off to the Command Room so you can try this for real."

"Wha-?" Before David could object, Steele dragged him out of the gym.

"Our Command Room at the Golden Fortress isn't anything like the HQ Towers you'll grow accustomed to. For once thing, we don't have a Break Amplifier. Either way, I'd like to walk you through a simple battle to get you used to this."

Soon, David found himself sitting at a console with a strange map in front of him. Steele stood behind David, eyes boring a hole in the back of his head. "Also, I want to remind you that this overview is merely an abstraction of actual battlefield events. For instance..." Steele pushed a button, bringing up a blurry photograph that appeared to be the same battlefield from overhead. She clicked on part of the picture, and the console zoomed in. "Because sometimes your support officers make mistakes. If something seems off to you – use your intuition – then you can double-check their work."

David looked back at the tactical overview. The map showed a large plain, surrounded by mountains. Two Orange Star infantry markers were displayed in the valley, and two Blue Moon markers were on the mountains to the east. Steele smiled a little. "Here's an easy one. Our troops were scouting in this area during a Dark Spot. When it cleared, it turned out there were some Blue Moon scouts there too, who started advancing towards our troops. I reckon our boys out there have the advantage, though; our scouts appear much better-rested, while Blue Moon's scout teams are further apart. In short, I reckon we can flank them."

"I..." David looked back at her. "You mean, these are actual..."

"Yes. Don't believe me? Look for yourself." Steele pressed another button, and a shaky camera view of an open plain appeared on the screen. It continued moving, showing several Orange Star soldiers running through the grass. "Shall I turn on the sound?"

"No... that's fine." David mentally hit himself; why was he getting all nervous now?

"Alright; you tell me what's the best thing to do here." Steele looked at him expectantly.

"Uh..." David stared at the screen. "Our scouts are close to that one enemy group there. If we flank them with both squads at once..."

"Perfect. Give the orders."

David put his hand on the trackball at the console, selected one of the units, then set its destination on the screen. He repeated the action with the other. "Now what?"

"Now, we wait. Our units on the ground have their own abstractions of the tactical overview, so they're perfectly aware of the situation they're in. I don't expect contact for another 10, maybe 15 minutes, so take that time to familiarize yourself with the command console. During a real battle, you won't have time to take this kind of break. Of course, some battles will be nothing but a break. Either way, you can't let down your guard."

David fiddled with the screen for 10 more minutes; then, he was interrupted by a beep from the console. He clicked back to the tactical overview, and saw that the two Orange Star infantry units were right next to the Blue Moon infantry. Red squares surrounded the images on the screen.

"I... then, how's the battle..."

"That's the nasty thing about being in command. You can't affect the way each engagement goes... of course, an OF or CO can influence in over the Comnet, but they can't afford to devote too much brainpower to managing a single firefight. And without the Comnet..." Steele looked down at him. "Well, some advice from a veteran: don't be tempted to watch the helmet cams right now."

A few minutes later, the blue infantry disappeared from the screen. "Huh..." David looked down, seeing a status marker on one of the orange infantry. As he clicked the picture of the soldier, a report appeared on the screen: one soldier had taken a shot to the leg, and one had experienced equipment failure. Steele smiled a little. "The support officers also take into account a unit's organization, equipment repair level, and health to create an estimate for the unit's current combat potential."

"Um." David gulped. "Don't say it. I know. I'll have to get... to get used to seeing casualties."

"Even I wouldn't be callous enough to say it like that."

"If a unit disappears, then..."

"Then they were killed, captured, or most likely are withdrawing from combat. You'd have to go into the report screen for an estimate of how many were killed or wounded in the process, but it'll be another few minutes before we know for sure. In more chaotic battles, we might never know."

A few minutes later, the other blue infantry marker was gone from the screen. Steele clapped her hands together. "And that's the end of this skirmish. Feel okay?"

"Yeah... it's easier than I expected." David leaned back.

"Of course, that's just the beginning. We haven't covered terrain or mixed-unit tactics, for instance. But a lot of it should be self-explanatory, since you're a Projector."

"Stop reminding me."

"Well, that's the end of today's training. You can go if you want, or you can stay and familiarize yourself with the console a little more."

"The second one sounds good." Maybe I can find out just what's going on with this Andy.

As Captain Steele walked to the other end of the room, apparently taking a phone call, David accessed the base's records.

Huh. It seemed that they were building up quite an army. David hadn't known about the factory that had sprung up overnight, for instance; it almost scared him. This Andy... David had heard tales about Breakcoms' combat abilities, but never anything about construction like this. It made him wonder: just how many Breakcoms actually have a constructive type of ability?

Curious, David made sure Steele wasn't looking – he'd much prefer she not comment on this – then accessed Orange Star's Breakcom database.

"Huh. You're calling me pretty early today, CO-General. I'll take that as good news." Steele stared into the screen.

"We've officially hit a stalemate in this battle. Blue Moon can't advance, but we have to open up a new front in order to draw their troops away from the capital. We're running out of supplies." Nell forced a smile, dried makeup cracking on her face.

"So that means we're deploying tomorrow?" Steele said.

"I'd like to give you more time with Special Advisor Carroll, but I'm worried that Sami will do something reckless..." Nell winced before continuing- "and Max already has, and perhaps endangered the entire war effort in the process. A T-Copter will be by to pick up you and Sergeant Levins tomorrow at 1700 hours. I will take over the Advisor's tutoring."

"But if you're doing that..."

"I'm switching the day shift with OF-Major... no, OF-Colonel Jackal. I'll be commanding night operations from now on." Nell's face indicated that would be a major relief for her.

"You're really invested in Carroll, ma'am."

"Perhaps. Maybe I see potential in him, beyond the end of this war."

"To replace you, perhaps?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Nell's smile this time was far more natural.

"True. We have this war to worry about first, after all."

"I understand you've worked with CO-Major Sami before?"

"Once." Steele winced. "I think we... worked well together, but at the time, pride got in the way."

Nell giggled. "I'll make sure she listens to you, but the rest is your job."

"Yes, ma'am. Anything else?"

"The assault from this area will have to start sooner than expected, so... the troops here will be trickling into the battle. The enemy will outnumber them and have better equipment. As the current commander of the base, I thought you should know the danger your men will be in."

"And all of it is under the command of a novice CO and a newbie advisor."

"That's the situation."

Steele didn't let her emotions show on her face, but her tone told it all. "Perfect. Anything else?"

"That's all. Dismissed."

Nell's face disappeared from the screen. Captain Flora Steele sighed; she really, really hoped the kid was up to the task. She worried about what he might do without her supervision. Then again, he'd have an OF to look after him... right?

Orange Star Cosmo Territory, Eugenia Province

The previous day

December 11, 5:30 PM

"So. You're the monster who's been doing this, huh?" A mountain of muscle stood at the edge of a thick forest, barren deciduous trees close together like a tall, leafless maze of wood, the setting sun at his back. Around him stood several soldiers, staring in horror at thin spike-like objects upon which were perched various body parts, bloody civilian clothing strewn across the ground. "Answer me!"

"Heh heh..." The silver silhouette that stood opposite him bared his fangs. "Do you enjoy my work? I don't normally consider myself an artist, but I think-"

A fist cut through the air before he could finish. The dark man moved quickly, slipping out of the way as his opponent's knuckle met thin air. "-these served their purpose quite well. After all, it led you here, did it not?"

"Your name. I like to know it before I kill someone." The giant CO cracked his knuckles.

"What a coincidence. I share that sentiment, CO-Colonel Max of Orange Star." The man laughed, a hoarse, dry noise that made Max's escort soldiers grimace. "I am Vladi. I can see by your look you've heard of me."

"Yeah." Max waved his hand, signaling his soldiers to get away. "Nell told me you were a disgusting son of a bitch. What, did you kill these civilians for target practice or something?"

"As I said, it was all just to draw you out. Killing the scouts you sent to these woods was such a bore. Killing even weaker prey, much more so."

"Alright." Max pounded his fists together. "One last thing. What words do ya want on your tombstone?"

Vladi laughed once, a raw, guttural sound. As he did so, he spread his arms and opened his hands. Max looked around, then heard screams from his soldiers as they fell over, trembling with pain. Vladi shook his head mockingly, then deftly whirled around and dashed into the woods.

"Son of a bitch!" The large man went in after him.

"CO-Colonel Max! Wait!" yelled one of his soldiers, but to no avail.

Max ran into the forest, his teeth firmly clamped together. "Get back and fight me!" he screamed.

"Gladly."

Max heard something cut through the air, and grabbed a small fallen log to block it. A moment later, a metal stake was stuck through the wood, stopped several inches away from Max's chest.

"Hah." Max threw the log at full speed towards the source of the stake. A blur moving through the trees told him he had missed.

Around him, Vladi's voice echoed. "You really are an idiot, aren't you? Did you think this environment was a good place to fight me?"

"Yeah." With that, Max pulled in energy from around him, then kicked the nearest tree, pulling it out of the ground, even as deep as the roots. He grabbed the tree and spun it; his weapon didn't get far until it hit a rooted tree. After a moment of impact, the upright tree was pushed over on its side, its roots snapping or pulling out of the ground. This same process repeated itself for all the trees around Max, leaving behind a circular pile of logs and branches, the sounds of falling giants permeating the air.

As wood hit mud and splashed it into the air, Vladi jumped down from the top of the canopy, landing behind Max and firing his weapon again. Max kicked his foot backwards, his foot intercepting the bottom of the stake as it flew towards him and sending it up and over his head.

"So showy..." Vladi laughed again, then spoke as he hopped slowly backwards, voice still audible over the din. "Learn some science, Max, or you'll keep wasting your strength like that."

Max turned around and dashed at Vladi, who leaped into the air and landed on the outside of the circle of fallen wood. "Anyhow, I'm done playing," the silver-hair man finished. "I will enjoy killing you, CO Max."

"In your dreams!" Max threw a punch at Vladi, sending a pocket of air at high-speed at his enemy. Vladi dashed away, disappearing among the trees. As Max prepared to give chase, Vladi opened his mouth and released a terrible screech. Max, not expecting this, reached his hands up and covered his ears instinctively. A moment later, a stake went crashing into the large man's lower back, jerking him forward but not knocking him over.

"Heh... really." The large man grimaced, hatred for his adversary ever more apparent on his face. He groaned, then yanked the stake out of his back, releasing a stream of blood. A patch of Break Energy was all it took to stop the bleeding.

Another screech flowed through the air, disorienting Max again, but this time, he expected it and was able to sidestep the stake that came at his body. As the vibrations faded, he propelled himself forward, smashing through a tree in the direction the stake had come from. But then, it turned out the man wasn't there anymore, and a stake narrowly missed Max's left side.

Time to crank it up a notch. Max grinned, then pulled in an immense amount of Break Energy. His enemy wouldn't see this coming. As another screech came out through the air, Max yelled:

"MAX BLAST!"

A surge of destructive energy blew out in a wave around him at high speed, flattening trees and kicking up the mud that covered the ground until it looked as though a small fuel-air bomb had hit the area. The yell that came from the direction of the sunset told him that his enemy had been hit, and he quickly rushed to take advantage of this surprise.

And there in front of him, Vladi was picking himself up, his dark coat tattered. However, the glint of excitement in his dark eyes had not been replaced by fear. Far from it. Still, Max pushed off the ground with Break Energy, dashing forward in preparation to attack-

-and the man whirled around and ran away again. As Max gave chase, he ignored the spreading pain in his back. For the next quarter of a minute, they were again heading towards the edge of the forest. Max's strides were larger, and he could Breakdash faster, so he was quickly catching up, but when Vladi reached some trees that were still standing, he leaped once onto the side of a tree, and then up again into the branches.

I hope he wants some more Max Force, 'cause that's what he's gonna get. Max's punch sent a wave of energy cutting through the trees, knocking a whole line of them over. His adversary leaped again, moving sideways onto the top of another tree. Max sent another force wave into the wooded maze, knocking trees over and laying bare the edge of the forest, where Vladi ran back out onto the plains. This wasn't where they had entered – Max's soldiers weren't there waiting for him – but Max felt he could maneuver against this madman far easier out here. Besides, his back was really starting to hurt.

Then, Vladi jumped up, the sun at his back – Max lost sight of him as he came down and the sun blasted him in the eyes. As he dodged to the right, expecting a stake to come at him, he hit the ground but didn't hear the sound of any stakes. Instead, he heard a click, and then his legs came out from under him and he felt his B-field flicker, peppered with some kind of metal. As he tried to get up, he saw the remnants of a tripwire, with an attached explosive. And then there was Vladi, standing over him with his hand outstretched-

Max felt his muscles tear as a nasty vibration ripped through him. His entire body cried out in a series of sharp pains, but he still kept it together enough to throw a hard right punch at Vladi's, whose expression barely had enough time to turn to terror before-

His fist connected with that terrified face, and the gaunt man went spiraling into the air, flying a little ways upwards and then landing facedown a few feet away. Max tried to follow up the attack, but he stepped on a small metal object-

-that exploded with a bang, along with several other small mines around him. Several pieces of superheated metal finally broke through his B-field and became embedded in his body. The pain was too much, and as his battle frenzy disappeared, he felt his entire back aflame, the worst pain from the stake wound he had received earlier. Max realized then that the stake had been poisoned.

Unable to move, his only consolation came from the fact that he did not see his adversary stand either. At least, that's what he thought for a few seconds. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was the nightmarish sight of Vladi's empty, bloodshot eyes staring greedily down into him, the man raising his weapon-

And then the man disappeared, and the world collapsed into a kaleidoscope. Max thought he heard the sounds of a helicopter, then Vladi's voice, then... Sami's...?

And then his world exploded a second time, and his brain gave up trying to process it all.