"Lord Gustav, should we order an all-out assault? Under these circumstances, our remaining Mecha Forces should still be able to cause them some trouble," the adjutant said hesitantly.
Gustav hesitated for a moment. He knew that if this offensive was thwarted, the military would be even more dissatisfied with him.
If a general not only held dangerous ideas but could not even deliver victory, what value did he have left? Who would still speak up for him?
But despite his bitter reluctance, he had not yet lost his composure.
"No. Sending more troops in under these circumstances would accomplish nothing except draining a little more of their energy. It isn't worth the cost. Order a halt to the offensive," Gustav said through gritted teeth.
"Yes, sir! Also... the Mecha Forces have sent an inquiry. What should they do next?" the adjutant asked cautiously.
If the offensive was being called off, what would happen to the remaining Mecha Pilots? Surely they could not be ordered to launch a suicide charge? Those mecha were not drones.
As far as they knew, the enemy they faced belonged to their own species. And among members of the same species, who did not have some Geneva Convention guaranteeing humane treatment for prisoners? Surrender was naturally an option worth considering.
Had they known that their opponents were actually aliens from another civilization, probably none of them would have even mentioned surrender.
So, under these circumstances, should they continue sacrificing themselves pointlessly, or choose to... surrender?
But how could Gustav, their commanding officer, bring himself to tell them to surrender?
Not only had his operation failed, he would now have to order his own troops to surrender to the enemy. For a general, that was an unbearable humiliation!
To surrender or not to surrender, that was the