>>5988172Meeting the anxious gaze from the Senior Lieutenant’s small sharp eyes, you wave your hand in a gesture that dismisses all offense. “I always appreciate insights from my staff, Senior Lieutenant Shcherbin.” The tension dissipates. “The search platoon will be moving into unknown territory to the south and therefore exposed to unknown threats, accordingly any reconnaissance missions should be reconnaissance in force.”
Shcherbin bows his large head in agreement, “Yes sir, of course sir. I will have Platoon B readied to conduct the operation. Do you wish to speak to that platoon’s commander as well?” You think, yes, it would be good to know more of the staff; you communicate as such to Shcherbin, who promises to have both platoon B and V commanders meet you at the assembly area for the operation in front of the school.
“Anything else sir?” asks the senior lieutenant.
You press your lips firmly over your teeth to prevent any hint of a smile from showing, “Yes, Shcherbin, there is one more thing that comes to mind: these soldiers are not ‘bitches’, they are brave young men defending the Antegrian Patrimony. I expect you to avoid comments like that in the future, is that clear?”
The anxious look returns to Shcherbin’s face. He nods his affirmation. “Yes sir, perfectly clear, sir.” You both stand together in the hallway for a moment. Taking the initiative, you make it clear that, with that comment, the meeting is over. The Senior Lieutenant salutes again, then turns and briskly waddles back down the hallway, presumably towards the principal’s office.
For your own part, you walk back out to the front of the school, now the designated assembly area for the two operations you wish to run. You are not kept waiting long, within 10 minutes a man in his early thirties with a badly receding hairline is approaching your one-car convoy. He salutes and presents himself as Lieutenant Abel Bakriev, commander of Platoon B, 7th Glorian Internal Ministry Company.
Placing the man at ease, you outline the plan for the operation: “The objective is to locate, if possible, the power supply for the city and identify any possible damage or sabotage causing disruptions to that power supply.” You see the lieutenant nodding along. “Your platoon will proceed in force south down the main road.” It is helpful that, being without the aid of a map, you can simply point to the road right next to you. “You see the electrical line there?” You point to the wire running between two poles next to the road. Bakriev looks: “Follow that south, sir?”
“Yes, exactly, follow the line south and record any damage to it.” From your experience with Shcherbin’s comments and with Meliev, it is manifestly clear that this unit has not operated in a combat environment before; they are much too complacent about threats in a contested operational zone.
