That night, the entire Phasewalker High Command participated in a discussion that would determine the fate of the Phasewalker Corps. Some were in New Sara, where the meeting took place, themselves, such as Caity. Others, like Ryan Carlson, participated over a satellite phone.

More advanced networks weren’t built in yet, and if things went wrong, they never would.

But as the meeting started, even Major Nelson was silent. As eager for a fight as he was, he didn't need to be an experienced officer to know that fighting a faction with a spaceship wouldn’t end well for them.

Just look at the fight between Fortress Alpha and Camp York: with technological advantage, the Phasewalkers absolutely crushed the ill-equipped defenders. If the table was turned, Caity doubted the Phasewalkers would do much better than those York Troopers.

“Can we verify their authenticity?” Major Riley raised the question.

It would be funny if, after everything, Jason turned out to be lying and there was no such thing as the UHC. Also, it would be a huge relief. Sadly, Caity had to shut that idea down.

“We are fairly certain they’re authentic. No way to know for sure, but I asked around. Some locals did hear about the 12th Field Army, stationed in a set of military bases north of New Sara. General Kenneth was their commander. And the guards...the way they moved, they’re definitely elite soldiers.”

“100,000 soldiers…” Major Nelson’s voice trailed off.

“Any chance they really do want an alliance?” Ryan asked quietly. “They talked about how they want to unite the humans and fight the Mutants. Maybe they won’t waste resources on us to bring us into the fold by force?”

“Possible, but unlikely.” Caity bit her lips. She would love to think that way, but she knew she couldn’t. “That’s like us allowing a small group of survivors to live in New Sara that is not under our authority. It will never happen.”

Swapping places, Caity knew she wouldn’t be so merciful. If she had a starship and an army of 100,000 and a tiny settlement of several thousand combatants was in her way, she would wipe it out without batting an eye. So why would this General Kenneth do anything differently?

“If we fake a surrender, then maybe we can strike them from within?”

“We will not be the first faction to try that. I highly doubt they’ll not be ready. Even if we do take them by surprise, the number difference will be too great.”

Once again, Caity shot down Major Riley’s proposal.

Suddenly, one of the Commanders of the Support Battalions spoke up. Major Dunkin of the 5th York Battalion.

“Sir, forgive me if I say something wrong, but why don’t we just yield to the UHC? I mean...the Portal is gone. We are trapped here. We may as well join forces with a fellow human faction…”

Major Dunkin was chosen from one of the York Troopers who passed the recruitment exams. Like every other Commander of the Support Battalions, he was taken across the Portal to Earth as well. But although all the locals who were blessed with the truth about the Phasewalker Corps, he was the latest to do that. As a result, his loyalty to the Phasewalkers was a bit...iffy.

The room was suddenly dead silent. Colonel Caity Hunter froze before slowly looking up at Major Dunkin.

“The Portal may be gone for now, but as far as we know, it may return any moment. And when we do, if the truth about the Corps is released to the UHC, what do you think they will do? Will they just ignore it? Will they strike a deal with us? Or will they simply abandon this war-torn world and invade our world instead with superior technology? What happens then?”

Her gaze was as cold as ice, and on the other end of her gaze, Major Dunkin felt himself shaking slightly.

“Of course, you don’t care, do you, Major? You don’t care if our world lives or dies. All you care about, all you are after, is your own survival. As long as you can get a high rank, it doesn’t matter if you are in the Phasewalker Corps or the UHC.”

Caity tilted her head.

“The Phasewalker High Command has no place for people like you. Major Dunkin, you are hereby relieved off command.”

Major Dunkin collapsed right then and there. He did have selfish intentions, but he had no idea Colonel Caity would turn on him like this! He has served the Corps for weeks! He at least deserves a warning first! But it was too late. Two Security Troopers standing guard inside the command center grabbed onto the man and pulled him out of the building.

His fate was sealed. A local who knew about Earth...there was only one way to shut him up, and that was with a bullet to the head.

It suddenly occurred to Caity that if she surrendered to the UHC, this was what could happen to her. She could be executed with next to no solid reason and no one would dare saying a word to her defense.

Surrender, and she would be giving up the control of her fate to someone else.

Finally, Major Nelson spoke up again, not at all impacted by the death of a random local who he didn't care about in the slightest.

“Even if we give in, the secret we hold may not be exposed. We can lurk among the UHC, and when the Portal reappears, we will guard it once again.”

Caity shook her head.

“If we really surrender to the UHC and stay under it for a few months or even a few years, our men will no longer belong to us. I know everyone here will keep your mouths shut, but sooner or later, one of us will talk, and when that person does...it will all be over.”

“Maybe we can request that Fortress Alpha still be placed under our full unsupervised control?” Major Fox suggested. “But...it’s highly unlikely. If anything, this only alerts the UHC that we are trying to hide something.”

“So we can’t fight and we can’t yield.” Major Nelson tossed his hands up in frustration. “It seems like we are out of options.”

“Actually…” Suddenly, Ryan said something in the satellite phone. “we still have one option left.”

“Really? What?” Major Nelson raised his eyebrows.

Ryan didn't answer but simply turned to the Colonel. Caity sighed. Yes. She knew what Ryan was talking about.

The Mutated Ants.

If the Phasewalkers could lure the Mutated Ants into the direction of the UHC...the UHC would be forced to take on the entire horde. There was no way for them to escape. No way to relocate 300,000 people quickly. Even if they defeated the Ants, their forces would be dwindled. This would ensure that the UHC wouldn’t have the attention to spare on forcing foreign human factions into compliance.

On the side note, the Mutated Ants would be slaughtered too. It was a win-win.

Caity not-so-subtly changed the topic.

“We’re not at that stage yet. I will go talk to Lieutenant Kenneth and ask him to bring me to see the UHC. I’ll tell him this is necessary for us to make our decision. It should buy us some time.”

“Some time? To do what?”

“To be ready.” Caity turned to the rest of the Phasewalker High Command. “Recruit new troops. Reinforce our settlements. I will check out things in the UHC. If all else fails and we resort to war, I want every territory we control to be turned into a fortress. This way, if we prove to be too problematic to subdue by force, we may be able to negotiate a favorable deal that allows us to remain relatively independent from the UHC.”

The others in the building quietly nodded. This wasn’t the most dramatic, but as for now, that seemed to be the only way.

Caity went on the trip with a squad of 50 Security Troopers. In reality, just like when she took a trip to Camp York, it wouldn’t matter if she took an army to protect her. If something went wrong, she would be doomed. But Caity was determined. If Apollo at Camp York wasn’t her end, then there was no reason this United Human Confederacy would be either.

The only reason she took 50 Security Troopers instead of 50 random troopers was because she needed a slight show of force. Her strategy with the UHC revolved around demonstrating the strength of Fortress Alpha. Wouldn’t be too easy to do if her personal guards were of low quality.

They took with them four Leopard APCs.

As the convoy was about to be sent on its way, the Security Troopers acted swiftly. Deflector Shields were attached to their non-dominant arms. Defender-II and Defender-III were ready to be drawn any second. Red markings were across their Guardian IV Armors.

They were the toughest of the Phasewalker Corps. They couldn’t be bested even against the top the UHC had to offer.

Caity and Jason got onto a Humvee. Cara and Jaime sat in the back. Caity didn't know why this random woman was sending death glares at her, but she ignored her provocations. Instead, she focused her attention navigating around Jason.

“So, Lieutenant…”

“Please, call me Jason.”

“Jason, I couldn’t help but notice your last name. Kenneth. General Kennedy is your…”

“He’s my father.”

“Oh…” Caity raised an eyebrow. She was a little surprised that the leader of a faction as powerful as the UHC would send his son, the practical prince of the empire, on envoy missions like this one.

Tossing that idea aside, Caity tried another approach.

“So, Jason, I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“You said your faction had 300,000 survivors and 100,000 military personnel, right? That’s 400,000 people to feed everyday. How are you even managing that?”

Food has always been a scarcity in this day and age. The larger the settlements, the more unlikely it was for survivors to just scavenge for food. The Phasewalkers still had some resources left in storage. If they could use it as leverage…

“I mean...how did the UEC feed people before everything went wrong? We have farms dedicated to growing wheat and corn and such. And we raise animals for food.”

“You...what?”

“Yeah...we were lucky. The area near where the 12th Field Army station wasn’t as infested as the rest of the world. After we changed our objective from cleansing to defending and holding out for the long term, we raided a few farmlands and got everything we needed to build a self-sustaining agricultural colony. Couple that with some grain warehouses we raided...I’d say we’re all settled for the near future.”

“Oh…” Caity did her best to smile, but she couldn’t help but let disappointment creep into her heart. Suddenly, she paused. Hundreds of thousands of people were saved from starving to death, and she was disappointed?

Sometimes, she was afraid of what she had become. She was made into a decent commander, but what did she lose in the process?

The Colonel shook her head and tossed her doubts out the window. No time for that now.

The convoy kept on going. Time and time again, certain Mutated Animals would leap out of the ground and charge at the Humvees and the Leopards, only to be shot dead right where they stood by the gun turrets mounted on the APCs. The Phasewalker drivers acted expertly, not at all fazed by the terrifying monsters.

A few hours into the drive, Caity suddenly looked up into the air. There, a squad of three Arbiter X glided across the air.

“Sir?” One of the Security Trooper drivers asked through the satellite phone.

“Oh...don’t worry.” Jason reassured. “It’s our patrol. We should be safe here. The only Mutated Animals from here to the Capital should be the dead ones used as food.”

Caity nodded. “All units, stand down. They are friendly.”

The convoy kept on going. Gradually, Caity started seeing soldiers and civilians alike. The UHC soldiers looked almost identical to Phasewalker Troopers, the only difference between that Phasewalkers had the red Phasewalker sigil and different colored markings on their armors.

As for the civilians...Caity didn't notice it at first, but she was shocked when she saw the look on their face. It was one of...satisfaction? As impossible as it was, these people were glad, not just because they were alive, but also because of the environment they were in.

This was different from anything Caity has seen from local survivors outside of the Phasewalker faction. The ordinary survivors of Camp York were driven mad by all the chaos in the camp. Those in New Sara were willing to do anything just to survive. But these survivors of the UHC, they looked happy. Safe. A few of them were even casually chatting with the UHC Troopers.

Things like this would be nearly impossible anywhere else.

“Funny thing.” Beside Caity, Lieutenant Kenneth shrugged and explained. “A while ago, General Kenneth asked for volunteers to help with constructing defenses against the Mutants. Trenches and bunkers and such. We were expecting a couple hundred people, at most, but at the end of the day, tens of thousands signed up. There was no compensation or anything. They just decided to help.”

Caity glanced at the lieutenant. She could tell there was a touched look on his face. Telling from experience, she knew how difficult this would be. Asking for the populace to get out of their beds and work together and help defend against a threat that wasn’t on their doorstep yet? Nearly impossible. It would take a lot of trust between the military and the people for something like this to happen.

Judging from how these civilians were acting, Caity could tell they weren’t being forced either.

So...was the United Human Confederation really the good guys here?

The Phasewalker shook her head. No. It was probably just an act. She has read stories of how the North Korean government would put up fake shops and force its people to act nice and happy in front of foreign guests. Just to put up a show. It was probably the same case here.

But as the convoy drove deeper and deeper into UHC territory, she was less and less certain.