The scene that greeted me when I arrived at Fernando's position was grizzly, to say the least. The majority of the casualties were Marines that had lost a limb. Thankfully as long as we retained the limb, the Medics could do something about it depending on when they arrived.

I searched the area, spotting Fernando’s ever imposing figure directing the Marines and Medics in a calm fashion. I was fairly certain that he could be on an exploding ship and still remain stoic and calm.

“Fernando! Give me options!” My own plan b would be brought up after he spouted out his very realistic, and logical choices. This time, I’d stick with my plan, however.

“Sir, we took a beating but held. I sent men to reinforce positions, and have the Medics working on reattaching limbs where they can. Sadly, we don’t have access to the more advanced medical technology on this planet right now. I suggest we keep a core elite here and move the rest of the men to the flanks. Hopefully, it will lessen casualties and help us hold longer.”

Ok, solid plan. I was about to go a bit awol on it though. “Fernando, what do you actually see our chances at?” I spoke softly, making sure only he could hear me.

“Forty percent, Sir. If your Ghost hadn’t managed what she did, less. But ultimately, without taking the Blood Wolves leader, all we have done with her actions have forced the remaining Pirates to unify under on driving force.”

I eyed a bit of damage on Fernando’s armor, he must have been on the front lines for that damage to even show up. I couldn’t afford to lose him in the next sortie, I wasn’t an idiot, of course, I knew he might die. I’d do my best to prevent it though.

“Alright, my orders are simple. I want you, and everyone here to fall back to the Command Center. It’s massive enough to hold everyone, with only one entrance. Based on what we saw, the Pirates don’t have the means to destroy the structure, let alone breach it. Leave the ramp extended, and hold it no matter what. I’ll be going out and joining up with Nova to take out the Pirates main force.”

Fernando's response was immediate and rather vehement. “Sir, with the utmost of respect, I will personally sit on you if you do something that idiotic. We saw the beginning strike, we have no real idea what they have in terms of munitions. Your Ghost stated that she only saw boxes, not the ammo itself. It’s to heavily guarded, which implies they have knowledge of a cloaking enemy and are taking measures to prevent it.”

I opened my mouth, intent on denying his claims and to state I was the Commander, not him. He held a single armored hand up to stop me and continued, a bit more calmly.

“I will accept any punishment you deem necessary after this is over, Sir. However, we cannot afford blind faith. I’ve had a few of the Civilians, those that are more accustomed to technology and building, working on the Marauder suites. None of our men can pilot them, but I have a single Marine that has been in there learning the controls. We customized the weapon for it to rapid fire the grenades as well, if means far less ammunition in the long term, but will allow us a rather large surprise for the enemy. I implore you to trust me, Sir. Allow me the chance to show you exactly why I was sent to be your personal soldier, to lead your forces.”

The last was said in a purely pleading voice, begging me to not make him go through with his threat of sitting on me. I closed my eyes, and my mouth, thinking over everything. I wasn’t skilled in this area, Fernando was. My expertise was more akin to Nova’s, surgical strikes.

I admit I’d thought this too much a game, even after telling myself it wasn’t, not fully, and fell into the trap that anything I did would work in the end, just like that game. I was wrong, these people, these individuals the System seemed to have generated inside this Pocket Universe for the game I was placed in was alive. At least they were to me now, added to it with the knowledge they would leave with me if I survived and won.

Opening my eyes, very slowly, I nodded. “Fine, Fernando. Show me, prove me wrong and keep our people alive. For this battle, the remainder of it, you are given full command. I’ll have Nova report to you, and follow your orders.”

It was, perhaps, the single most intelligent thing I had done that day. Within minutes Fernando had men running everywhere, and I saw the big hulking machine that was a Marauders armor walk toward us, the soldier wearing it stating ‘Let’s get some!’ in apparent joy. Medics ran around us, in an orderly fashion on Dr. Greene’s orders, and the injured were cleared away to be treated, while the dead were lined up outside the Command Center, a tarp covering the bodies, their tags placed on an odd little alter next to their heads.

I could only blink at the military precision, and control that was suddenly exuded everywhere once I stated Fernando had full command of this situation. “Sir, I need you to ignore the flanks for the rest of this. I want you up here with me, Granit (our Marauder), and my Corporals, Jenkins and Welsh. I’ve ordered your Ghost to wait until the enemy starts moving, and then slip inside their cordon to take out their remaining command structure, or at least sow confusion in her wake.”

Errr, what? Me, Fernando, Granit, Welsh, and Jenkins….Five people, against possibly hundreds? “Trust” was his only reply when he saw the uncertain look on my face. I could only nod, I had given him command, after all, kinda botching my entire plan b.

The following hour was filled with back-breaking work as I joined the few Marines still present, before rushing off to their assigned positions, in unloading crate after crate of our last explosives, mines, grenades, and the odd missile.

Fernando then began having all the mines placed at odd intervals, five yards apart, fifteen yards apart, then five yards apart. With it still being dark, the enemy shouldn’t have any means to see our activity, clearly anyway, and Nova would report movement when it happened.

Fernando literally turned the entire field into a death trap, I knew why it wasn’t done the first time, besides the few set explosives to create chaos in the enemy ranks, but it still rankled a little that we could have saved some men, even knowing this was a war, and men died.

“There, the leftmost section will be where our missiles hit. The Pirates left that mostly unoccupied in their first push. I doubt they have a real military mind over there, so they will likely go with the hope we won’t worry about that section, a gamble, but a good one if they hit us from that direction. Granit, I want you to unload everything you have in a rapid burst when they get to the second fifteen-yard mark, the Commander will call out when he sees them pass it. Welsh, Jenkins, on me. Our job is to take out any groups moving toward the flanks as we can, lessen the numbers.”

When Nova finally called out that they were on the move, we were as ready as we could get in the limited time we had. Dawn was also just breaking on Mar Sara, and while the sky seemed beautiful, it was marred by the sounds of explosions, gunfire, and the screams of the dying, defenders and attackers alike.

When all was said and done, we had held out against their second, and final attack. I had no idea what the enemy was thinking, but they sent everything at us. Fernando had been right as well, we would have all died in the Command Center if we went with my plan. They had missiles of their own, and they had used them. The hull of our Command Center itself was damaged badly in their attempt to force us to act in panic.

Fernando had prevented that from happening, and I’d taken out each launcher as they appeared once I knew what to look for. We had lost another ten Marines on our flanks in the assault, while Granit had literally just caused mass pandemonium as he killed at least two hundred Pirates on his own.

In the end, the battle ended with the Pirates, what few remained, retreating with their tails between their legs, and Nova calling out that she had a prisoner, the Blood Wolves leader, a disturbingly animalistic looking woman, sharp predatory features belying the cunning and paranoia she seemed to be known for.

I’d left that woman in a room with Dr. Green and Fernando, who looked at me with betrayal. I had smiled at the time, a small revenge. I’d used Dr. Green for her medical knowledge to keep the woman alive, I had no intention of not doing everything, and I meant everything, to get all the information I could out of her. Three hours later I had word from a very deflated Fernando that the Pirate, Hika, had cracked in the first hour of Green going over every bit of medical knowledge she had on some...disturbing topics. I’d found my chief torturer.

I had also learned, very simply, that Fernando was now plan A, B, C, D, E, and F. If I needed other plans I was likely fucked, and I now knew to never, ever, fight the man. I really hoped to learn his background someday, because he was a frighteningly competent strategic man. Nova even complimented him, which shocked us both.

Following that we held a funeral for the fallen men. Thirty-five in total, not all of the wounded had made it. We burned them, and spread their ashes over the settlement, which I had decided to name, Bastion, in honor of the first real battle all present had been a part of. Hopefully to show our impenetrable defense, even at the worst of times.

The Tags of each Marine that had fallen were set up in the Barracks, on what Fernando called our walk of honor. It would be what every Marine that we trained in that Barracks saw on completion of their training as they went out to the cheers of witnesses, all Military personal Tags would be placed on those walls when they fell, a solemn honor to them, and to show the new recruits that they followed ‘Heroes’.

The last camp of Pirates had left our area of the Wastelands sometime in the night as well, they had never actually been a part of the plan. I had a feeling they would be back, but for now, we had won. I’d set Fernando on building our defenses or at least planning them out. What he gave me as a rough sketch, him and a few of the SCV Rigg crew leaders, was a city layout, starting at the center moving out toward the resource fields in our immediate area.

When everything was squared away, and I had finished a very short training session with Nova, who was ordered to sleep after I saw how dark the circles under her eyes were, did I finally pay attention to the boxes that had been hanging out, just out of site, since the battle had come to a close.

System Announcement!

Congratulations Player: Damian Fern! You have successfully defended your settlement against the Pirate menace, claiming the Wastelands in their entirety. Resource locations will be easier to find in the Wastelands from now on.

You have made use of a Marauder Armor, customized, in the final fight against the pirates. All Marauder Armors will now be built with the rapid-fire addition in the future.

Congratulations Player! You have unlocked the means to mass produce Marauder Armor, Customized, at the Barracks assembly line!

Congratulations Player! For defending against the Pirate menace, all surviving soldiers have had their military standing increased, respectively. All Militia Recruits have been promoted to Marines, all future recruited soldiers will start at Marine upon completion of their training at the Barracks. Medic Novice has become Veteran Medics due to saving many lives during the siege. Marauder Recruit has become a Marauder Elite, for single-handedly killing two-hundred and five enemies without complications in a new suit of armor, all future Marauders will be trained as Advanced Marauder.

Congratulations Player! Your Hero Unit, Nova Terra, has gained three levels, becoming level five. She has unlocked increased health regeneration, increased energy regeneration, and the number of Elite Marines available per month has increased to two!

Congratulations Player! Your Semi-Hero Unit, Lieutenant Fernando, has gained three levels, becoming level five. He has unlocked Defensive Formation, Resource Management, and all Marines will now be able to equip a shield to increase their defense!

Defensive Formation - All soldiers under the command of this unit gain an increase of twenty percent to their defense.

Resource management - All resources gathered have a five percent increase in quantity.

Congratulations Player! You have been awarded the Combat Shield design, for Lieutenant Fernando reaching level five, this increases your Marine Defense by an additional ten!

Attention Player! For Nova Terra reaching level five, The System rewards you with a single use upgrade card to be used for personal skills or traits!

System advises Player that he still retained a Hero Upgrade card, as well as a Personal Upgrade Card.

Attention Player! Your Ghost rank has increased to Ghost Novice! Your personal Psi-Energy has increased to two-hundred!

Attention Player, your Commander level has increased to level two! Further details available in Status!

Congratulations Player for unifying the Wastelands under your banner! The system awards you a Royal Signet Ring, and Coat of Arms for your Magistrate House!

System advises Player that customization of person Coat of Arms, and Royal Signet Ring may be done at your personal terminal in the Command Center!

Congratulations Player! You have been gifted an Adjutant for completing the Achievement ‘Unify Your Land!’

Adjutant - Personalized A.I designed to assist the Player: Damian Fern. It is capable of giving a small briefing on Campaign Maps, as well as advising Player of other Achievements!