"General, our people inside the Red Fortress have contacted twelve officers from the original garrison..."
At the Revolutionary Army's camp outside the Red Fortress, an intelligence officer delivered his report with meticulous care inside the largest tent.
A bearded, middle-aged general stared expressionlessly at the military map on the table. It showed the Red Fortress's defenses and the surrounding terrain in extraordinary detail, inside and out. It was the very same version Cyrabelle used.
This was the Kingdom's latest military map, and its most highly classified. Only commanders of Cyrabelle's rank were authorized to use it, yet here it was on a rebel general's table. The Kingdom's logistics department had clearly been compromised through and through.
The bearded general studied the map and listened quietly until the officer finished. After a moment to digest the latest intelligence, he said calmly, "Good. Tell them to act according to plan at three this afternoon."
"Yes, sir!" The intelligence officer answered at once and quickly wrote it down in his notebook.
The bearded general continued, "Also tell them to find out exactly how the Royal Guard under Cyrabelle's command is recuperating before noon. Once we take the Red Fortress, we cannot stop to rest. We must pursue them immediately and wipe out her finest troops. That will prepare us for the next operation against Stinnard."
"Yes, General." The intelligence officer recorded the order, confirmed there was nothing else, and left.
After the officer departed, the bearded general gazed toward the Red Fortress. It was as though he could see through the thick tent canvas, across several kilometers and through the fortress walls, to Cyrabelle struggling with the crisis.
The corners of his mouth lifted in a smug smile. "Cyrabelle, it's time for this to end. How many years has it been? Your Kingdom