In the crisp, quiet hours of noon, Vice Admiral Herto Stessler's office felt like the calm before the storm. Warin stood rigid, his spine straight as an arrow, while Stessler paced behind his desk, each step echoing like a somber drumbeat in the vastness of the impending crisis.

"We've received a distress call from the West Department," Stessler finally halted, his gaze piercing Warin with the weight of his words. "Colonel Foster’s 8th West Brigade is in dire need of evacuation. The situation is... grim."

Warin shifted uncomfortably, the gravity of the task dawning on him. "Sir, is there truly no one else? Am I... Are we capable of conducting a rescue of this magnitude?" Doubt shadowed his features, a rare crack in his usually steadfast demeanor.

Stessler, leaning heavily against the dark wood of his desk, let out a weary sigh. "In truth, you're not qualified for this, Warin. Not on paper, not by experience. But we're out of options, and time is a luxury we don't possess." He looked at Warin, his eyes somber yet burning with an unspoken challenge. "It's a gamble, and frankly, a near-suicide mission. You and your squad rescuing a brigade of 5000? It's unheard of."

...

Yet, it was Warin's response that cut through the despair. "Sir, if there's even a chance to save those men, then our lives are a price I'm willing to pay. We all are." His voice was a beacon of resolve in the dim light of the office.

Stessler, visibly moved by Warin's courage, extended a dossier across the desk. "This is the latest intel from the West Department. Godspeed, Lieutenant." The words were a benediction, a prayer for the daring soul before him.

Without another word, Warin turned on his heel, the mission's weight settling on his shoulders as he set out to gather his team.

...

Gathered in the dim light of the shining sun, Warin's squad listened intently as he laid out the mission. Miro and Aki's eyes sparkled with the thrill of the unknown, eager for the action, while Daw and Karen exchanged uneasy glances, their apprehension a tangible cloud in the crisp morning air.

"We'll be swift, taking only one armored vehicle to blend in and move quickly. Stealth is our ally," Warin explained, mapping out the terrain and their approach. "Our objective is not just survival but to strike at the heart of the enemy with what they least expect: a direct assault to capture their new weapon."

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"The terrain exists of dense forests", Warin mentioned. "We'll use this to our advantage."

As night fell and they approached their target, the dense forest enveloped them in darkness, their mission a shadow moving against the backdrop of an uncertain war.

Leaving their transport near the West Department and leaving for their goal through the dense forest, luck favored them. Two UOM soldiers, unsuspecting, became their key to understanding the enemy's new terror. Warin, realizing the ammunition matched what they had secretly transported to the East Department, chose silence over revelation, his mind racing with questions and betrayal.

As stated beforehand, the plan unfolded in the darkness: Aki and Miro to lead the brigade's survivors to safety, Karen and Daw to secure the West Department with the stolen weapon, and Warin, from his hidden vantage point, to oversee the evacuation.

...

Yet, as Aki and Miro found the brigade in disarray, the loss of Colonel Foster a blow to their morale, they stepped into roles of leadership unforeseen but necessary, guiding the brigade's remnants with quiet determination. Splitting the 4000 survivors and leading them in the darkness of the dense forest to safety.

...

Karen and Daw, presenting Stessler's command token to the leading Admiral, Hanna Kehlman at the West Department, were granted permission to enter, their mission critical to the defense and survival of their forces.

...

In the meantime, from his secluded lookout, Warin watched, pride and fear warring within him. The smoothness of their operation, a dance on the edge of disaster, felt too perfect, too unchallenged.

...

"Everything's going smooth...why am I uneasy then?", Warin muttered to himself.

...

His musings were cut short by the cold kiss of steel against his neck, a whispered threat in the darkness. "Move and you're dead."

Calm in the face of danger, Warin couldn't help but commend the skill of his unseen foe. "Impressive stealth," he remarked, his voice steady, even as the blade pressed closer.

"Shut your mouth.", the foe ordered, which was met with Warin's wry acknowledgment,

...

"Sheesh...tough crowd...," a moment of levity in the face of uncertainty.

....