The war room was quiet except for the hum of the holo-screens. Jason Lockwood sat alone, his elbows propped on the sleek steel table, eyes sharp as blades as he studied the moving projections above the glass surface, he had a lot going through his mind, he wanted a lot to fall into place, he was the one to make the hard call and had to find a way to make everything work, as the coach, you take both the failures and the success.
Clips of the Stellar Titans, Eternal Era's first opponent of the week, replayed endlessly. Their captain a behemoth midfielder named Kronstadt, bulldozed through defenders on one screen.
On another, their goalkeeper launched counterattacks with throws that traveled half the pitch. Jason's gaze was unflinching. He'd been here a thousand times before, dissecting enemies like prey.
But this time was different.
