"The Cruise Missile's signal is gone. It may have been shot down. The attack failed!"
Inside a combat Command Vehicle, Mace, the Dawn Consortium's battle commander, listened to the soldier's report without a flicker of expression.
"Where is the Reis Legion?"
"The Reis Legion is ten kilometers from Dead Mine Town, awaiting our order to attack."
"What did the scouts find up ahead?"
"No sign of Dead Mine Town's sentries. Our flanking maneuver worked. We're currently forty-one kilometers from the town."
Mace studied the attack plan he had drawn up on the electronic screen for two seconds.
Then he gave the order in a low voice.
"Tell the Reis Legion to attack Dead Mine Town. We'll support them with long-range strikes."
"Yes, sir!"
Mace turned to the staff officer beside him.
"What do you make of that probing attack?"
The staff officer was reviewing the attack data.
He replied:
"Judging by the missile's signal, they must have an air-defense weapon capable of intercepting threats in their final approach, perhaps some kind of interception system. The most likely explanation is those missile-launching armored vehicles we lost earlier.
"According to the records, they carried four Air-Defense Missiles. Those may be what intercepted our missile. Otherwise, I can't imagine where Dead Mine Town got its air defenses. It's the best explanation."
Mace considered the staff officer's words.
"We already suspected Dead Mine Town had an exceptionally good reconnaissance network and would be watching us and the Reis Legion closely. That network played a major part when Rook and Maguire's entire convoy disappeared and the Reis Legion was wiped out."
"The success of our flanking maneuver proves it, too. But we only have this one chance. Once the Reis Legion attacks Dead Mine Town, if they still can't take it, we'll have to use