Chapter 264: The Colonel’s Thoughts

Brandon left the office not long after.

Outside, the compound was quieter than before, although soldiers and vehicles were still moving through the area.

The clouds above Silverpeak looked clearer than the ones he usually saw over Grefort. There was still plenty left to do in the city, but tonight had at least given them somewhere to start.

The four DASFs waiting near the Guardians regrouped around him as he returned to the three APCs.

Brandon approached the middle vehicle and climbed inside. The rear ramp closed behind him.

His communicator rang before the Guardian could move.

"Southern Watcher Six to Southern Command."

"Come in, Southern Watcher Six."

"Sir, we picked up several contacts approaching our position earlier."

"From the MDC?"

"Most likely. No direct contact. We shifted a patrol toward their direction and they pulled back."

"They’re probably snooping around."

Brandon gave it some thought and could understand why.

Voroltz had only seen the forces Brandon brought directly into Silverpeak. Even after tonight, the MDC still had little idea how much of Southern Command remained outside their territory.

There was no reason to start another problem over a single attempt.

"Increase the patrols around the staging areas. If they try it again, intercept them and find out what they’re doing."

"Understood, Southern Command."

Brandon settled back into his seat.

The Radar could already warn his troops if someone approached their positions, but he would rather not let unidentified groups wander close enough to become a problem.

Voroltz could be curious but that did not mean the Golden Eagle army would leave its rear areas open for him.

"Southern Watcher Six, out."

Brandon swiitched channels again as the APC convoy’s engine hummed into motion.

"Southern Command to High Command. This is Commander Brandon speaking."

A response came back after a short delay.

"High Command receiving. Continue, Commander Brandon."

"We have established contact with the armed forces inside Silverpeak City. Faction name—Mountain Defense Command under Colonel James Voroltz. Cooperation and terms will follow by tomorrow."

The other side remained silent.

"The military installation farther south sent a delegation to the MDC earlier, but preliminary discussions between the two sides were unsuccessful. For now."

Brandon watched the Radar map as he spoke.

"City status is mostly intact. One suspected Hive near the center. The recent attack showed considerable intelligence and organized movement. Consolidated reports will be uploaded to the Command Center after six hours, over."

He closed the map.

"Received, Southern Command. Any additional inquiries?"

"Requesting PCV support for Silverpeak expansion. Size: platoon-level. That is all."

"Request has been sent to Golden Eagle. Wait for further updates, Southern Command. High Command, out."

The communicator became quiet. Brandon leaned back and took a deep breath.

The convoy continued on its route back to the main formation.

...

Inside the office, the work continued. Federick remained near the table after Brandon left.

"Agent, I think you left out a few details when you described that army."

Genevieve raised a brow.

"You were the ones who doubted my assurances."

Federick did not answer. Genevieve looked toward Voroltz.

"Yet the Colonel still sent people to snoop around their backyard. Do you think Golden Eagle is going to keep ignoring that?"

Voroltz remained silent. A knock came from the door a moment later.

"Come in."

One of the MDC reconnaissance soldiers entered.

His darker field uniform carried dust along the knees and several pieces of vegetation caught around the lower sections from whatever route he had taken back.

"Report."

"We couldn’t get close enough to their main formation, Colonel."

Voroltz frowned.

"Were you detected?"

"We’re not sure. Their patrol pattern changed while we were approaching, and several of their people started moving toward our direction."

The soldier continued.

"We didn’t risk going any farther."

"What did you see?"

"Enough to confirm what Commander Brandon told us."

He placed a small field notebook on the table.

"It’s battalion-sized. Armor, APCs, infantry, artillery and a large support element farther behind them. We couldn’t identify most of the vehicles."

"Any Valerian markings?"

"None that we saw, Colonel."

Voroltz looked toward Federick.

"Convinced now, Major?"

Federick exhaled through his nose.

"I thought the Colonel was too quick to establish cooperation with them."

He glanced toward the notebook. "Perhaps I was wrong."

"You’re not getting promoted at this rate, Federick."

Genevieve gave Voroltz a look.

"You might have a bigger problem than his promotion if those people realized who was watching them."

"Commander Brandon will understand. SAS like you never had to deal with a Valerian armada showing up under a bird designation. A sea of tanks is just the first. An ocean more would follow."

Genevieve furrowed her brows. Voroltz continued.

"If not for our Teutonian allies, we would have been defeated a long time ago."

He looked toward the reconnaissance soldier.

"Did anyone follow you?"

"No, Colonel."

"Then leave it there."

The soldier saluted and left.

"What about your friends from the south?" Genevieve asked.

"Major Asters is a respectable man," Voroltz said. "But right now, the Golden Eagle Army can provide what the MDC needs without asking us to compromise nearly as much."

Genevieve didn’t reply.

She wondered whether telling them about Kimmy could push things a little further in Hans’s favor.

After a moment of contemplation, she rejected the idea. The MDC knowing Kimmy Asters was with Hans could just as easily create another problem.

What if they thought she had been kidnapped?

What if they believed Golden Eagle was holding her against her will?

Until she knew more about Major Asters and what he was doing in Hawford, keeping quiet was safer.

"Major, keep our eyes on the southern military installation. I want their every movement to be known to us."

"Understood."

"And make our guests happy inside their new home."

"The soldiers won’t be happy about your arrangement, colonel."

The old transport yard wasn’t just empty.

Part of it had been turned into a vehicle holding area months earlier, while several nearby warehouses were being used by MDC troops assigned to the northern approaches. A few civilian families had also been allowed to stay inside the safer buildings after their homes became too exposed.

Giving the area to Golden Eagle meant moving all of them somewhere else.

It was not a disaster, but Silverpeak did not have much unused secure space left. Every warehouse, covered yard and defensible building already had someone making use of it.

That was why some of the soldiers would complain.

"Then give them a damn reason why they should be fucking happy."

Federick didn’t argue and saluted instead. After he left the room, Voroltz spoke again.

"Any leads on that runaway SAS of yours?"

"We’ve identified him as Elias Crowe. Former member of SAS Cell 12."

Genevieve’s expression became more serious.

"Our attempts to ambush him haven’t gone well. He’s extremely dangerous at close range."

"How the heck did the SAS end up with a psychopath in its ranks anyway? I thought your mental screening was supposed to catch people like that."

"Sometimes, people get through."

"You better deal with him one way or another. I’ve already lost enough soldiers to that son of a bitch."

After Genevieve left, the office soon returned to its reports.