The commander's office still looked like how it was before they left for the battle against monsters in the city.

The holographic displays that usually showed tactical maps and mission parameters were dark, replaced by a single screen dominating the wall. Numbers scrolled across it: casualty reports, damage assessments and resource expenditures. Data that represented lives lost and a city scarred.

Tatehan sat in one of the chairs facing the commander's desk, his armor finally retracted, his face visible. He was exhausted, not just physically, but mentally. The weight of what he'd seen today pressed down on him like a physical thing.

The weight of what he saw...

Fighting had been fun, in a way. Taking on that first Boulder-back Behemoth: jumping, floating in the air, all those cool moves, it had felt exhilarating. The adrenaline, the power and the control.

But the aftermath?

Seeing the lives lost, the families affected and the grief in people's eyes.

That part wasn't fun at all.

Lyra sat beside him, her posture straight despite her own exhaustion.

The commander stood behind her desk, her arms crossed, her expression grim as she reviewed the data.

"Thirty-three confirmed dead," she said, her voice flat but barely restraining anger. "Another hundred and forty-two injured, twenty of whom are critical. Three residential towers partially collapsed. The market district is completely destroyed. Infrastructure damage across twelve city blocks."

She paused.

"And that's just the initial assessment. The numbers might go up as search teams continue clearing rubble."

Tatehan's hands clenched into fists on the armrests of his chair. He'd been clenching his fists a lot after the fight.

Thirty-three dead.

Thirty-three people who'd woken up this morning with no idea it would be their last day. Families torn apart…

Children left orphaned…

All because of one man.

"What about resources?" Lyra asked quietly. "How much did this cost us?"

The commander pulled up another display, showing inventory levels and expenditure reports.

"We burned through forty percent of our medical supplies," she said. "Ammunition reserves are down to sixty percent. Vehicle repairs will take at least a week, and that's if we can source the parts. And personnel..."

She hesitated, her expression darkening further.

"We lost eight soldiers. Five more are out of commission for at least a month."

The room fell silent.

Eight members of the Red Crest Clan who'd fought and died defending the city.

Since the Red Crest Clan ran Waython Hollow—though they operated with soft power, the commander not even acting or showing any sign that she effectively governed the city—they were deeply affected by the damages.

Tatehan leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Were other cities hit?" he asked. "I mean, the one near us."

The commander paused, then nodded.

"Yes," she said. "We've received reports from four other locations."

She pulled up a map of Mars, highlighting several cities scattered across the planet's surface.

"The city of Loenitt," she said, pointing to the first. "They've been affected recently by the Obscuron as well."

She moved to another city.

"New Helios. Also affected."

Another city lit up on the map.

"Reon Outpost, heavily affected."

And finally, a fourth city.

"Ironhaven, on the western edge. Same situation."

The commander stepped back from the screen, her arms crossing again.

"All four cities, including ours, have been targeted by the Obscuron recently."

Tatehan stared at the map, his mind processing how the city would look like. He wondered how life would be in the cities. How futuristic would they be. Would some be more advanced than waython hollow's technology or would they be behind?

How was civilizations on this cities?

Crazy how the obscuron was had attacked them and probably was still doing. So it wasn't just Waython hollow. That was expected by the way but confirming felt nice.

Tatehan exhaled slowly, then looked up at the commander.

"We need to work together," he said.

The commander raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"The cities," Tatehan said, gesturing to the map. "All of them. Loenitt, New Helios, Reon Outpost, Ironhaven. We need to meet. Coordinate. Work together to stop him."

The commander frowned.

"That's... ambitious," she said carefully. "Most of these cities operate independently. They don't trust each other. Some of them actively compete for resources."

"The Obscuron just proved that none of us are safe on our own," Tatehan said. "He can hit any city he wants, whenever he wants. If we stay divided, he'll pick us off one by one."

Lyra glanced at him, then nodded slowly.

"He's right," she said. "We need to present a united front. Pool resources, share intelligence and coordinate defenses."

The commander was silent for a long moment, her eyes flicking between Tatehan and Lyra.

Then she sighed.

"You're talking about a summit," she said. "Bringing together the leaders of five independent cities, convincing them to work together against a common enemy."

"Yes," Tatehan said.

The commander shook her head slightly.

"Do you have any idea how difficult that's going to be? These people don't trust each other. Hell, half of them probably blame us for provoking the Obscuron in the first place by destroying that fortress."

Tatehan met her gaze, his expression serious.

"Then we convince them," he said. "We show them the data. The casualty reports. The destruction. We make them understand that if we don't work together, we're all dead."

The commander stared at him for a long moment.

Then, slowly, a faint smile nearly touched her lips.

"You really think you can pull this off?" she asked.

"I don't know," Tatehan admitted. "But we have to try."

The commander nodded slowly, then turned back to the map.

"Alright," she said. "I'll reach out to the other city leaders. Set up a summit. Neutral ground, somewhere all parties can agree on."

She glanced back at Tatehan.

"And you'll be the one going."

Tatehan blinked.

"Me?"

"Yes," the commander said. "You're the one who destroyed the fortress. You're the one who killed Cherak. You're the face of this fight. If anyone can convince these people to work together, I guess it's you?"

Tatehan opened his mouth to argue, then closed it.

She was right.

'Should be fun exploring other regions of Mars,' he thought.

"Fine," he said. "When?"

"I'll let you know," the commander said. "Could be a few days or could be a week. These things take time to arrange."

She turned back to the screen, pulling up another set of data.

"In the meantime," she continued, "we need to focus on recovery. Repair the damage, restock supplies and tend to the wounded. And we need to figure out where the Obscuron's main base is."

Tatehan's eyes narrowed.

"His main base?"

The commander nodded.

"If we're going to stop him, we need to go after the head. Find his primary fortress, the place he's operating from. Cut off the snake at the source."

"And you think that's a fortress?" Tatehan asked.

"Has to be," the commander said. "Somewhere heavily fortified and heavily defended. Probably in space i don't know."

Tatehan leaned back in his chair, his mind already turning over possibilities.

A fortress.

Just like the one they'd destroyed.

Except this time, it wouldn't be half-finished. It would be fully operational. Fully armed and fully defended.

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