POV {Chief General Rostov(Michael), nearby star system named Buhida, ready to engage should the need arise, GF.}

"Why me?" and other such useless questions were running through my head, but I learned to ignore them. My joy over our total extermination of the enemy air forces had vanished entirely. What came in exchange was anxiety, anger, and, to be honest, fear. Fear not for the thousands that will die today; I long learned to live with that. No, it is fear of losing everything I have been working on for the last two years. My promotion to Chief General happened through a lucky encounter, but I have been preparing and planning how to advance anyway. I'm confident I would have achieved it in due time, even without General Aquila. With the possible failure, which we calculated to be a fifty-fifty chance, I could be stripped of my newly earned title. The upper echelon doesn't care for excuses. They need a scapegoat to cover for their failures. The only thing I can do right now is trusting my subordinates and hoping that fate is smiling towards us.

POV {Chief Commander Bonanza(Nico), Orio, standing together with his friend Chief Commander Reymon(Rico), looking at the ten meters wide path leading into the heavily fortified city of Scaria, GF.}

"Rico, this indeed is a great plan. As we only have one chance, there is anyway no need to save resources. We will do as you suggested. I will personally lead the charge."

"Be save, my friend."

Nico wished me.

"You too, you too."

I mumbled.

We departed with a firm handshake and made our way to our respective camps. Ten minutes later, the operation started.

POV {One of five thousand soldiers from the Galactic Empire standing behind the gates of Scaria, hoping to see another day.}

The anxiety was so high you could feel it in the surroundings. Everyone, including me, clenched their respective weapons in their hands. My gun was the regular plasma rifle used by the Galactic Empire. Our brothers on the walls reported that thirty thousand soldiers have gathered, seemingly hell-bent on breaking through. I have never seen so many highly armed soldiers in one place. The noise their fleet made when they arrived was still profoundly engraved into my bones. The absolute knowing that without a miracle, you wouldn't live to see another day is nerve-wracking to the extreme. As the Galactic Empire mostly uses recruits and older soldiers who can no longer perform as efficiently to protect their planets, as that is the safest task you can be assigned to as a soldier, we are in deep shit. Five thousand experienced and cable men at their prime would maybe have been able to delay the enemy before reinforcements arrive. Still, we untrained and disabled bunch are just like lambs waiting for the wolves to enter our herd. If we only somehow manage to hold on for two days, our General promised us we would be saved. Though no one was happy about this news, it will be extremely tough to endure several hours, let alone two days. Another problem is that the enemies will also most likely know that, so they will try to break through as fast as possible with their whole might. They won't have the spare time or manpower to take prisoners.

Four minutes later, all hell broke loose. The Galactic Federation arranged their heavily armored vehicles in a way onto the passage that made it extremely hard for us to use our stationary-powered railguns, our only advantage. The force behind the railguns is not strong enough to destroy the enemy's heavily armored vehicles fast enough, so we had to resort to using our rifles to kill one of their soldiers after another.

That change in battle tactic quickly led to bloody trench warfare, where we had the upper hand, but what the extensively trained Federation troops lacked in good cover, they made up with numbers and better aim. The enemy troops kept creeping forward. They already managed to cross a fifth of the fifty-meter long passage, and that in only thirty minutes. Seeing our incapability to slow them down, morale dropped sharply.

POV {A soldier of the Galactic Empire, defending at the front line}

Comrades and enemies were dying left and right. The constant adrenalin drill is forcing my body to be on full alert. Thirty more minutes, and a comrade will take over my post. I breathe in deeply in and out and stop ducking behind the wall and go for a quick peek, intending to survive firstly and maybe even hitting an enemy through sheer luck.

POV {A soldier nearby}

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I sigh as I see one of my brothers in arms going for a quick peek just to get a hole bored through his head in a gruesome way. At least he died instantly.

POV {Chief Commander Bonanza (Nico) GF}

I blend out all the shouting of orders and cries of pain originating from the ongoing battle produces as I focus on organizing this whole operation.

"Chief Commander Bonanza, we are getting decimated! We need reinforcements as fast as possible and Valkyrie on our left flank; they are managing to hit us with their railguns from there."

A soldier of the Delta Corps informed me through the SDC.

"Hold on; you will have your Valkyrie and reinforcements in five minutes."

I replied.

"Team Bravo, I need you to go reinforce the left flank where the Delta Corps is currently stationed; take a Valkyrie with you. There is a gap in our defenses there. Let the Captain of the Delta Corps instruct you where to place it.

I ordered through my SDC.

"Will do, Chief Commander."

The Captain of Team Bravo answered.

Six minutes later, a Valkyrie arrived at the left flank. It opened its doors, and twenty soldiers, Team Bravo, exited it. The Valkyrie continued to drive towards the left, the constant fire from the railguns no more than tickling the heavily armored vehicle. The railguns used in this siege are especially set to annihilate hordes of infantry, for example, a revolt of the native population. They never prepared for the case that three whole battalions would besiege this fort since no amount of weaponry can defend against it anyways. The difference is simply too fast.

"Last chance to surrender; there is no need to shed more blood. Open the doors and lay your weapons down, and I guarantee that your soldiers will be cared for."

Chief Commander Bonanza offered to end the battle for the third and last time.

The Galactic Federation's armada managed to proceed even faster than expected; the Galactic Empire troops changed their primary focus on survival and not stopping them after a third of the broad corridor was overran in only one hour.

"Commander Richard of the Galactic Empire here; I'm the leader of fort Scaria. We surrender to your terms. I sincerely hope you honor your word, Chief Commander Bonanza."

The soldiers needed some seconds before the meaning of the words spoken through the speaker sunk in. The relief was evident in the faces of the soldiers on both sides. They only lost more comrades or their lives the longer the battle prolongs.

The gate opened twenty seconds later.

"Stay vigilant. You can celebrate after securing the city."

Chief Commander Bonanza warned every single soldier at once.

Thirty minutes later, in the administrative building of the City Scaria.

"Chief General, I'm more than happy to inform you that we achieved an overwhelming victory. Scaria is firmly in our grasp, the remaining enemy soldiers have been captured, and the higher-ups have been interrogated, though we didn't learn something new through this."

"Well done, Chief Commander Bonanza. It's an honor to work with such a capable soldier as yourself. I hope you will stay in my army after this operation; of course, you will receive extra privileges if you do so. But let's talk about this after the battle is over. Please tell Chief Commande Reymon to come; your part of this operation is complete. Enjoy the rest."

Two minutes later, Chief Commander Reymon started the holo-communication.

"Chief General Reymon, you have been calling for me."

"Indeed, we need to discuss how to proceed. Since we are faced with heavy enemy reinforcements, there are only two options—one of them being to retreat before the reinforcements arrive altogether. Which would nullify our whole operation, and our great campaign would go to waste. I'm telling you this because I want your honest opinion on whether you and your men will be able to defend the onslaught for one day. I just received the confirmation that we will get our much-needed reinforcements. Sadly they will arrive one day later than the enemy entourage. I don't want to endanger three whole battalions if there is no realistic chance."

"Chief General, you can be relieved. I guarantee you that we will be able to hold on. I have never been leading a more cable bunch. I won't allow all the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters to go to waste."

"That is the response I have been hoping for, Chief Commander."

Rostov said with relief visible on his face.

"Chief Commander Reymon, you have my full trust. Annihilate them."

"As you wish, Chief General Rostov."