By the time the sun had fully risen.
News of the war had spread throughout the Republic of Burkina, and the air above every city was thick with the smell of gunpowder.
The Ministry of National Defense conference room, Presidential Palace.
All the senior military officers who had received the news were now seated in the conference room, their expressions somewhat grave.
"We've already ordered the nearest troops to provide support, but... with just over two thousand armed police, I'm afraid they won't hold out until reinforcements arrive."
A blond, blue-eyed colonel spoke.
"Damn it, what the hell is going on with the Vidal Brigade? It's been almost an hour, and we still can't reach them. Even if they were ambushed, surely seven thousand men couldn't all have vanished at once?"
"I think the whole lot of them have defected!"
"A pack of white-eyed wolves. We only paid them their full military salaries last Friday, and today they've defected. If we'd known, we shouldn't have given them a single cent."
"What's the use of saying that now? We should be thinking about what to do next."
The officers debated among themselves, each putting in a word, making the already cramped defense conference room feel even more crowded.
Sankara sat at the head of the table, quietly listening to the officers' discussion while working through the most reasonable analysis he could make from the available intelligence.
Had the Vidal Brigade, whose equipment was hardly excellent but whose ranks numbered seven thousand, lost contact because the National Liberation Alliance had wiped them out in a short time?
If that possibility had crossed Sankara's mind when he first received the news.
Then now, Sankara considered its likelihood almost zero.
The reason was simple. Even just over two thousand armed police could barely hold off the National Liberation Alliance's attacks, so what about the Vidal Brigade, a regular army unit?
Then why had contact with the Vidal Brigade been lost? Had the entire brigade defected?
It was possible, and highly likely at that.
But Sankara thought there had to be more to it.
As the only force stationed in Nijia, responsible for keeping watch against and defending against the National Liberation Alliance, the Vidal Brigade bore a deep hatred for them.
Even if it was not a blood feud as deep as the sea over the slaughter of their entire families, it was at least the kind of grudge born of someone sneaking up a mountain at midnight to dig up their ancestral graves.
And then there was the National Liberation Alliance's utterly inhuman way of doing things.
Sankara believed the vast majority of the Vidal Brigade's soldiers could not possibly surrender to the National Liberation Alliance.
So, had something gone wrong with their senior officers?
"Haah-"
At that thought, Sankara sighed inwardly.
Just as that officer had said, there was no use talking about this now. Even if they found the reason, what could they do? Could they change what had already happened?
"Whew-"
Sankara took a deep breath, exhaling all the frustration in his heart.
He should think about how to respond next instead!
In fact, deep down, Sankara did not consider this a crisis that would shake his rule. Instead, he saw it as an opportunity to consolidate his rule completely!
Everyone calls the Transport Captain human scum, and he really was a beast, but some of his maneuvers in political struggles are still worth learning from.
Sankara thought to himself.
Because the Transport Captain was not only adept at maneuvers like "move the machine guns five meters forward," but also at using all kinds of orders to screw over warlords who were not on his side.
Now, within the Republic of Burkina, there were plenty of "warlords" who were not on Sankara's side.
Of course, these men did not quite qualify as true warlords yet, but they relied on their troops to throw their weight around, accepting deployment orders but refusing summons. Even if they were not warlords, they were not far off.
Perhaps I can use this opportunity to learn a few of the Transport Captain's tricks, screw these "warlords" to death, and then take back all military authority!
At that thought, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Sankara's mouth.
"???"
Katelai, who had been keeping his attention on Sankara, was utterly baffled when he saw the smile on his face.
Wait! Mr. President, look at the situation we're in! The fire is practically burning our backsides, and you can still smile?
Katelai was deeply puzzled.
Yet for some reason, when he saw the smile on Sankara's face, his panicked heart slowly settled down.
"The units have only just been expanded. Nearly seventy percent are new recruits, and they haven't even had half a month of training. Sending them onto the battlefield now-isn't that sending them to their deaths?"
"If our troops don't go, are you expecting those local forces to do it? Believe me, the moment your orders reach their headquarters, they'll have a thousand reasons to refuse."
"Exactly. We ordered the Aksang Brigade, the nearest unit, to reinforce Nijia half an hour ago, but they still haven't moved a single step!"
"The fall of Nijia is a foregone conclusion. What we need to consider now is how to hold the cities behind it and stabilize the defensive line!"
"Who knows how long those police in Nijia can hold out? Hopefully they can buy us a little more time to prepare."
The officers continued their discussion, but none of them could come up with a particularly good solution.
Just then.
Knock, knock, knock-
Having already formed a preliminary idea, Sankara rapped his hand against the table. Only after everyone had quieted down and turned their eyes toward him did he speak:
"I strongly dislike something you just said: 'The fall of Nijia is a foregone conclusion.' In my view, even if Nijia will fall in the very next second, during this second, while it has not yet fallen, we must do everything in our power and think of every possible way to reinforce it!"
"Every extra second we waste here is one less second in which Nijia can be rescued, and one more armed police officer holding out there will die."
"Therefore, in my capacity as president of the Republic of Burkina, I hereby order!"
The instant he finished speaking.
With a swish-, every officer in the conference room rose to his feet.
"Immediately dispatch the Dugagu Division's 1st Light Armored Brigade and 2nd Infantry Brigade, and the Vagar Division's 4th Light Armored Brigade and 5th Infantry Brigade, currently undergoing reorganization and training, to reinforce Nijia."
"Huh?"
Every officer froze at Sankara's order.
But before they could react, they heard Sankara continue:
"Whether or not they are new recruits, once they put on that uniform, they are soldiers. A soldier's mission is to defend their home and country, even at the cost of their lives!"
"Besides, only actual combat provides the best training!"
"Furthermore, defending home and country is the mission of every soldier. So immediately order the Aksang Brigade, Drago Brigade, Ailidun Brigade, and Duojialong Brigade, the units nearest Nijia, to accompany our troops in providing reinforcements!"
"Tell them that their four veteran brigades will serve as the main force in this operation to relieve Nijia."
"At the same time, in recognition of the outstanding contributions they are about to make to the country, the Ministry of National Defense will issue each of their brigades one billion North African francs!"
"???"
"!!!"
Some of the quicker-witted officers had already detected something unusual in Sankara's orders.
Why do I have this strange impression that the president is going to screw all four of these brigades to death?
An officer thought to himself.