Cape Town.
The Third Fleet's temporary command post on the Inland Sea.
Lord Ashvane entered the command room in full military uniform.
The Third Fleet consisted of three large fleets: the Firebreaker Fleet, the Lightning Strike Fleet, and the Valiant Fleet.
The Lightning Strike Fleet was currently guarding King's Bay, the northern gateway to the Inland Sea.
The main forces of the Firebreaker and Valiant Fleets were stationed west of Guardpoint Ridge.
Yesterday, Ashvane had rushed to Cape Town overnight and formally assumed command of the Third Fleet's wartime operations.
That night, Ashvane had issued an absolute order. After seventeen hours of fierce assaults, the Third Fleet finally recaptured Guardpoint Ridge.
The pirate fleet that had launched the surprise attack on Guardpoint Ridge was defeated. As defeat closed in, they set twenty invisible warships ablaze, forming a wall of fire hundreds of meters long where the Inland Sea met the open sea at Guardpoint Ridge.
The remaining Iron Tide Pirates fled amid the chaos. Ashvane ordered his forces to pursue the survivors, but the chase ultimately came to nothing.
Lord Ashvane had originally planned to hold a review meeting at Guardpoint Ridge. Then he reconsidered. The Third Fleet had lost Guardpoint Ridge in the first place; they had no right to set foot there.
That hallowed ground, forged in blood and glory, now bore the stain of disgrace because of the Third Fleet's failure.
Every senior officer of the Firebreaker and Valiant Fleets was present.
For the first half hour of the meeting, Lord Ashvane said nothing.
As commander of the fleets, Ashvane sat ramrod straight, looking each attendee squarely in the eye.
An attendant guard leaned down and told Ashvane that half an hour had passed.
Lord Ashvane tapped his index finger against the table and said gravely, "Commander