One thing the Onis army had over Starbrite? Their bases had signs. Nice, easily read, prominently located signs. Which way to the latrines? Follow the signs. Need to find First Company? Sign. Quartermaster? Second left then first right. Follow the signs, you can’t miss it.

Truth noticed a distinct lack of signs for “Command Center” or “Officers Quarters,” however. He sighed. He would mock the pointless security efforts, but he was an infiltrator and he was, actually, unable to find what he was looking for. Truth found a discreet place to stash his two wheeler and followed the highest ranked person he could spot.

Said person led him to the latrines. Which, fine, it had been a while since he went, and there was a higher rank person leaving at the same time he was, so he called it a net win. This person went to a little metal hut, picked up some paperwork, and walked to another little metal hut. The person in the second hut had fancier epaulets, so Truth reckoned he was the more senior officer. The guy he was following saluted first, which just about confirmed it.

Fancy-epaulets quickly looked over the paperwork, and frowned. “This is confirmed?”

“Yes, sir. It came through the Cadre altar, using the current code.” The junior officer nodded heavily.”

“Understood. Dismissed. Send Deputy General Wong to see me.”

“Yes, Sir.” There was a lingering feeling to the words. What was in those orders? Truth decided to hang around and wait.

This guy’s epaulets looked fancy, but not that fancy. He could call a deputy general over? Was he a political officer and able to boss around line officers? Truth didn’t know how Onis’ army worked, but it sure sounded like it.

Fifteen minutes later, an older man walked in. Fierce mustache, fierce eyes, a rolling strong gait. The spitting image of a vanguard general, Truth thought.

“New orders from the Capital?”

“Yes, Deputy General, there are.” Epaulets smiled. “Generally, we are being ordered to press the attack with full vigor, not retreating one step from our duty to bring a swift conclusion to this war of Jeon aggression and their many acts of terrorism.”

“Naturally.” The General didn’t roll his eyes. Neither did the political officer. Truth narrowed his.

“To fulfill that duty, the Brigade will advance and capture the following strategic locations within its zone of operations. The mission is to be carried out immediately. Here is the list.”

The general picked up the paper and read, eyes darting quickly across the page.

“I cannot execute these orders. They violate existing standing orders, Army regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”

“All of which are superseded by commands from the Central Planning Committee, as you are well aware. And these orders come directly from Central.”

“I must confirm this with General Wu. I cannot execute these orders without confirmation.”

“You have your confirmation, Deputy General. Me.”

“You are a political cadre, Captain. You cannot give orders to line officers.”

“I can see Central’s orders enforced, though. These came over the secured Cadre channel and the code confirmed. So you will not break information security and you will execute your orders.”

“My soldiers will get torn apart. The whole battalion will be slaughtered if we follow the orders as written. We won’t be combat effective this time tomorrow.”

“That sounds like defeatist talk, Deputy. That sounds exactly like defeatist talk. Not to mention dereliction of duty, and cowardice in the face of the enemy!”

“Make threats. Let’s see how they play out in front of a court, shall we? Or do you want to try for a field execution? Let’s see how that works out.”

“You think I won’t?”

“Right before a major attack? No. Because then YOU would have the responsibility for the results. I will call General Wu. He will confirm with Central. If he confirms the orders, I will naturally see them carried out exactly. However, given the shocking nature of the so-called orders, I have every reason to believe that these are false orders delivered by the spies and infiltrators of Jeon.”

“You know damn well they are legitimate!”

“Do I? I also know that internal security and political cadres are very nervous these days. Now just why is that, hmm? Something you want to share with the rest of us?”

“Spreading malicious rumors too? Keep digging, Deputy. Keep digging!”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“No. I won’t be bullied on this. Loss of an entire command is a court martial offense, regardless of whether you were executing orders or not. I will certainly not do so on the basis of orders whose validity I cannot confirm.”

The General turned to walk out the door. He made it one step. The political officer's eyes went flat and he pulled an amulet out. The general froze. Truth watched as the veins slowly protruded on his forehead. He could see the muscles in the older man’s neck throb and strain.

“In my twenty years of service, I have never had to use my Tiger Token. Congratulations, Deputy General Wong. At the very end of your service, you managed a real achievement. Let me remind you of a few facts. First- The Party and the People are one. Second- the Army serves the People. Third- The Party cannot be defied, as the People die without their protection and guidance. Which results in the fourth fact- you don’t get to argue with me!”

The last words came out in a hiss. “So. Now that you have dropped us both in the shit, you are going to march out there and give your orders. You will impress on your subordinates the need to succeed at all costs. You will explain that they will receive support in the air, with spells, with golems, whatever lies you need to tell them to get them to attack without any hesitation or reservation.”

The General was starting to turn a faint blue. Lack of oxygen, Truth thought, though he could see faint glyphs slowly spreading across his face.

“Damn you for making me do this. Damn you!” The political officer’s face was turning red in contrast to the General’s purple. “I was this close to being promoted. This close! But do you think they will promote me if I can’t keep a single arrogant little Deputy under control? No! You undisciplined little shit! They aren’t even your troops! You are the fucking Deputy you sock puppet piss hole!”

Something died in the General’s eyes. Truth was watching for it. Something in him broke. His body relaxed, and he resumed his usual fierce appearance. “I have received my orders and will execute the People’s will perfectly!”

The political officer collapsed into his chair. “See to it that you do.”

The general spun and marched out. The political officer didn't move for a minute, then wiped the sweat off his face. He balled up the handkerchief in his fist and slammed that fist down on the table hard enough to make the pens jump onto the floor.

He hyperventilated for a minute, then pulled himself together.

“Going to need a new deputy. Or maybe he died with his brigade. A fierce general leading from the front, a hero of the People. I can salvage this. I can salvage this!”

Truth slowly nodded. Apparently the General had been implanted with something, or enchanted with something. Some kind of mind breaking curse. That kind of thing, it might not kill the body, but it might well kill the mind forever. Truth could see how that might have negative career consequences for the aspiring political officer. It also seemed that his guess was right about decapitation attacks. The real General was somewhere off-base. His Deputy ran the show here. How that made a difference to troops who were suddenly without a general, Truth didn’t know.

Apparently it wasn’t going to be a problem for this battalion. Need to have soldiers for there to be a breakdown in command.

The ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ was still a mystery, though. Not that this prick would know the answer. He was just following orders. Orders he didn’t question, that would result in several thousand soldiers he was responsible for, dying.

Truth examined the amulet on the desk. It was an interesting thing- it was a palm length device shaped like half of a tiger lying down. It had been split in half the long way, and he could see almost microscopic traces of spells running along the edges and practically coating the split center line. He imagined there was a matching half somewhere else. Perhaps at Central. It would certainly not be usable by any random person that picked it up. That would be too stupid.

Maybe something more symbolic was appropriate. Incisive whispered a warning when he reached for the token. Truth grinned and moved fast. He snatched up the Amulet and spun towards the officer. Incisive yelled Danger, and Truth smashed the Tiger Token straight through the officer’s forehead and instantly let go. The token burst into a sudden blaze of heat and light, immolating the officers’ head.

Truth thought he looked like a struck match. The sense of danger hadn’t left, though. Truth quickly ran Obliteration over himself in case he picked up a curse, but no, that wasn’t it. Something about the fiery ball itself. Was there… a distant screaming, getting louder, coming from that fire?

Truth made a swift exit from the tent and ran back towards his two wheeler. A wailing scream started covering the base. The tent was starkly visible even in the daylight. Brilliant light was pouring out of it.

He didn’t wait to find out what was being summoned. Nothing nice, he assumed. A bare second after he killed the political officer, an infernal dog burst through the tent walls. It’s baying cry promised pursuit without end.

Truth grinned. Good luck with that.

He peeled out of the base in a cloud of dust and was on the road again. Would the Deputy follow the orders he was given? Truth had no idea, and wasn’t interested in finding out. Spreading chaos and making political officers and secret policemen feel scared was plenty. He didn’t want Jeon to fall. At least, he didn’t want it conquered. He still had people he cared about living there. It would be all too easy to become an “Unfortunate but regrettably necessary collateral damage.”

Had they already defined away the notion of an innocent Jeon civilian? Probably. It was so much more convenient when everyone, denizens, children, Level Zero’s, everyone was evil. It made a sort of sense. If they weren’t supporting the military/government/criminal elements in Jeon with their labor and taxes, with their complicit silence, the crimes against Onis would never have occurred.

Killing indiscriminately meant that your soldiers were put at minimal risk. You had a duty to protect your citizens, and what were your soldiers if not that? Slaughtering without care was thus moral and just. The people you were protecting were definitionaly virtuous, and the people you killed were definitionally wicked. What could be more proper than that? But since people can be soft hearted, it would be best to keep the pictures of tiny hands reaching out of rubble away from the masses.

Not that those masses could do anything about it. It was just more pleasant for everyone this way.

Maybe he should leave the people of Onis a note. “I completely understand your anger, and share it. However, since your problem solving methods are extremely expensive and bad, just leave vengeance to me. I am a violence professional, and my rates are extremely reasonable.”

He pressed on for the border. Things were only going to get worse from here. He didn’t know why Onis was ordering their men to get slaughtered, but he was sure he wouldn’t like it when he figured it out.