The fire in the Ember Line command tent burned low, flickering against crates of ammunition, worn rifles, and smudged maps. Asa stood near the center table, a weathered rifle slung over his back. Around him were his most trusted: Mora, Kael, Rhea, Devon, and Gad. Their expressions were grave. Time was running out.
Outside, the cold wind whispered through the mountains. The faint rumble of distant drones reminded them the Greenland army was close—too close.
Asa broke the silence. "We move tomorrow night. Through Kheran Ridge."
Devon raised an eyebrow. "That path's a coffin. Steep terrain, little cover. If they ambush us there, we won't have a chance to fight back."
Kael leaned forward, a compact SMG across his chest. "And even if we pass through, if they track us—we're done. They'll chase us straight into the ridge and cut us down from behind."
Asa remained steady. "Kheran Ridge is the fastest route to Sector 12. That's why we're using it."
The name Sector 12 hung in the air like gunpowder.
"We travel at night," Asa continued. "No fires. No flashlights. The women and non-combatants will be in the middle, surrounded on both sides by fighters. Snipers up front. Watch teams every few meters. We don't stop unless we're dead."
"And if we are followed?" Kael asked, tightening the strap on his rifle.
Asa's eyes were sharp. "Then we buy time. We'll leave a suicide squad behind—mine traps, C4 on the ledges, whatever we can rig. They'll hold off Greenland's troops long enough for the rest to vanish into the ridge."
Silence followed.
"They might not make it," Mora said quietly, her pistol resting on her thigh.
"They'll go knowing why they stayed," Asa replied. "And what it means."
Mora gave a single nod.
"But Sector 12?" she pressed. "That's Greenland territory. Fully secured."
Asa turned to face all of them. "Exactly. They don't expect us to move into territory they think they've already conquered. They'll assume we're retreating. We're not."
Rhea crossed her arms, her sidearm tapping against her hip. "Retaking a whole sector won't be easy. Patrols. Fortifications. Surveillance drones. We'll be outgunned."
Asa gave a half-smile. "That's what makes it possible. They won't be ready. We hit hard, disappear, then hit again. They're prepared for a defense. Not a counter-offensive."
Kael exhaled slowly. "You're serious."
"I'm done watching us hide in caves while they build cities on our backs," Asa said. "We start with Sector 12. And if we succeed… we take more."
Devon nodded grimly. "Then we better make sure we get through that ridge."
"I'll scout the safest path tonight," Mora said, already rising.
Kael checked the mag in his rifle. "I'll choose the suicide squad."
Asa's gaze lingered on Gad, who had remained silent. The young man's face was unreadable, but his hands were clenched.
"This isn't just survival," Asa said. "It's the start of something bigger. If we're going to win, we need to fight like we've already won."