First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 185
Chapter 185: Signal
The command center made a decisive decision: "Lower the control room and armory to ensure equipment safety. Sixth Team scouts, go check the situation at the guard towers immediately and issue them a warning. If they need weapons, transport equipment from Warehouse Three to them. Signal tower, prioritize sending combat readiness alerts to the entire army in place of the guard towers. All personnel are now at Level One combat readiness. Recall outer perimeter soldiers immediately! Quickly!"
"Yes, sir!"
"The enemy has new weapons, everyone must remain vigilant. But whenever possible, prioritize civilian safety!" the commander continued, "Cornell, where are you now?"
Cornell replied, "Almost there."
He was an obedient and reliable person.
The command center said, "You're responsible for evacuating civilians. Contact Alliance rescue forces. After they take over, lead your Alliance soldiers to shelter first. Aircraft will wait in the rear and move according to instructions—"
Cornell: "Understood."
The commander lowered his head and continued issuing orders: "Hurry up with channel adjustments, restore communications! Don't let them panic! Have them hold their positions—we're sending reinforcements immediately!"
The guard towers were currently in the hands of those Alliance trainees. To be honest, he wasn't completely at ease.
If they abandoned the towers, they'd lose their most crucial high ground.
Now they could only hope these seemingly unreliable youths could unexpectedly rise to the occasion and hold the line temporarily.
Meanwhile, around the guard towers.
When communications were cut, everyone immediately knew something was wrong.
Because they weren't using training channels but military frequencies assigned since they were also responsible for guarding the towers. If this were just an exercise, the other side wouldn't have severed their connection to headquarters without warning.
Before Lian Sheng could issue orders, everyone had already begun responding. With their experience from the 36th District and training from Cornell and Harry...
It had to be said that environment and atmosphere were crucial. After being immersed in Kafa's war-torn conditions, they'd all developed combat readiness. Even though just minutes ago, they'd been joking about similar scenarios.
They set down training equipment, picked up real firearms, took cover, and remained alert.
Just in case, the tower guards had left them some actual weapons. But since "just in case" was unlikely, the weapons weren't particularly powerful. Explosives were only available at the tower's top.
Were they supposed to stop the enemy assault with just their guns?
When would communications be restored? What was the enemy's current formation? How many were there and what weapons did they have? What was the command's strategy—retreat, defend, or suppress? Should they stand by or join the fight? Was Alliance military involvement in Kafa's internal politics even permitted? Where were Kafa's forces now and how should they coordinate?
Too many questions.
When it came time to actually fight, they realized how many factors needed consideration in battle.
Without commands, they didn't even know when to raise their weapons. Although Lian Sheng might not know much more than them, having a commander was incredibly reassuring.
The pressure was immense—every decision was difficult. No wonder those in command positions were extraordinary.
At the guard tower's observation deck.
Lu Mingyuan sat on the floor, trying again to contact headquarters unsuccessfully. Communications with all units were still jammed.
He looked up to see Lian Sheng's exasperated expression and said, "It's fine, don't panic. After the signal jamming in the 36th District, I came prepared. At the Sixth Army, I got an anti-jamming device from their tech department—a small signal transmitter. While it can't counter large jammers or central data breaches, it handles ordinary jamming and can actively send weak short-to-medium range signals."
"Wow!" Lian Sheng squatted down excitedly. "So? Will it work?"
Lu Mingyuan: "I don't know—haven't used it yet."
He pulled out a flat black device from his waist. "Luckily it's small enough to carry. Brother Dao said to shake it first before use. Slap it on. Then twist, and it's ready."
Lian Sheng: "Wow..."
No need to study hard anymore.
"..." Ji Ban said, "That's just inputting anti-jamming fixed code, right?"
Lu Mingyuan shook the device, then clunked it onto the control panel's back, aligning the slots.
Instantly, the screen went dark as strings of code flashed across the controller, with green lights and red dots blinking intermittently.
Everyone was slightly alarmed since they didn't know what normal operation should look like.
Lu Mingyuan said, "Wait a bit longer."
The two squatted together while Ji Ban kept monitoring the surroundings.
The team was familiar with this area—with ample experience, they'd hidden well despite unclear battle conditions. Currently safe.
The comrade who'd actively drawn blood then wisely retreated had also successfully escaped pursuit.
Lian Sheng felt relieved hearing Ji Ban's report. The kids had grown up.
But they couldn't relax—the rebel forces entering still carried weapons while searching the area. They wouldn't advance without eliminating all guards in the sector.
More rebels kept pouring in from the breached front toward the central base.
Soon, they'd reach the guard towers.
Lu Mingyuan asked, "How did this happen? How could they break through so easily? What happened at the front?"
"The mechs are still at base. Although personnel were deployed, heavy weapons remained here, meaning the breach was likely unexpected," Lian Sheng said. "Hey, Ji Ban. Can you see the base from here?"
Ji Ban: "I'll try!"
He turned the large scope toward the rear platform, adjusting magnification and focus.
After observing, he finally located it. Noticing the entire area looked different, he double-checked in disbelief: "Whoa. The base center collapsed underground! Probably built underground shelters."
"If they responded that quickly, they must've gotten word, just hadn't relayed it to us yet," Lian Sheng rubbed her fingers. "To breach Kafa's defenses unexpectedly, they must have weapons they shouldn't possess. Everyone must be careful."
Ji Ban: "But they haven't used them yet."
Lian Sheng: "Secret weapons are always limited, kid. Without knowing our deployment or actual strength, why waste them here?"
Lu Mingyuan sighed in relief: "Then they're safe if they stay put. Hope they can hold out. Kafa reinforcements should arrive soon."
Since headquarters had responded, they knew about the towers.
They were Alliance trainees here for adaptation—technically soldiers, but priority was evacuation during emergencies to ensure safety, not participating in actual combat. Even diplomatically, Kafa wouldn't abandon them.
Lian Sheng looked at Lu Mingyuan: "Think sacrificially, kid. If they don't emerge, who's most at risk? Who would their weapons target?"
Lu Mingyuan: "...Ah!"
The towers—the most visible reconnaissance points.
Meaning the three currently worrying about others while guarding this place.
After a moment of concern, they realized it was pointless.
Lu Mingyuan asked, "Who are they really? Breaching the central zone with organized troops means they're a full-fledged armed force."
Lian Sheng said, "Kafa hasn't violently suppressed them, so nominally, they're war-weary civilians."
Lu Mingyuan: "War-weary civilians don't have this level of organization or arsenal."
Lian Sheng: "Civilians don't listen to villain explanations."
Collective action lowers IQ and increases suggestibility. In sensitive areas like Kafa, military actions were scrutinized a hundredfold, severely restricting their options.
Facing civilian uprisings, whether through inaction or suppression, would draw criticism.
Suddenly, the control panel's blinking lights stabilized and went dark.
Lu Mingyuan's eyes lit up: "It's working!"
"General, communications with the towers are restored—seems they reconnected themselves," a technician at command center reported almost simultaneously. "Should we open the channel?"
The commander exhaled slowly: "Patch me through to Cornell."
The technician, who'd been ready to connect, pretended not to see the green light and switched channels instead.
Sending reinforcements now would disrupt Lian Sheng's team. Kafa's overall situation was too precarious—as Alliance military, they were more useful on the frontlines.
They needed manpower but lacked sufficient numbers.
They couldn't explicitly make such requests—the Alliance government wouldn't approve.
But those students had bypassed jamming themselves and hadn't immediately requested extraction. According to frontline reports, they'd remained calm without panic.
Perhaps these students were far more capable than he'd imagined.
He'd have to rely on them temporarily—they desperately needed assistance.
Meanwhile.
Hearing new audio in her earpiece, Lian Sheng quickly announced: "Attention all! This is not a drill—enemy forces have breached the front and entered the central zone. They may possess high-yield unknown weapons. We are in danger!"
With communications restored and Lian Sheng's voice in their ears, everyone sighed in relief. Fighting alone was terrifying.
A male student instinctively asked: "Do we retreat?"
"Hold the towers until Kafa reinforcements arrive!" Lian Sheng ordered. "We've trained here long enough to know the terrain. Use your weapons to suppress them!"
Student: "Then what's our current objective?"
"Avoid excessive force—prioritize civilian safety! There may be innocents among them. Violent suppression could be exploited to escalate tensions," Lian Sheng said. "Of course, eliminate high-risk insurgents when necessary."
The student protested: "But they're already rebelling! With dangerous weapons! Aren't they all... you know?"
"Brother, understand this. In war, civilian and soldier status alone determines who's disadvantaged—regardless of who they are or what weapons they carry!" Lian Sheng explained. "This is their internal political conflict—we're just Alliance trainees! Without explicit orders, excessive force would cause diplomatic issues!"
This was civil war's cruelest aspect.
Whether soldiers or commanders, whether considering national or human factors, they struggled to aim at their own people.
Especially since the military's long-term disadvantaged position had psychologically conditioned civilians to see them as weak.
Ji Ban had repositioned the device to monitor frontline developments.
Lian Sheng paused.
Fundamentally, she wasn't an Alliance citizen—she hated all wars of aggression and meaningless civil conflicts.
History repeated itself eerily, even across millennia.
Abandoning the towers now would create endless problems for Kafa, causing worse casualties later. Stationed here, she couldn't stand by.
But while she could decide for herself, she couldn't decide for others.
They had no inherent stake in Kafa. Though an Alliance affiliate, these weren't Alliance combat troops.
Even if she maximized their safety, staying was still risky.
Lian Sheng said bluntly: "Frankly, Kafa is understaffed and may not relieve us immediately. They're fighting half-heartedly too—staying carries risks. While the enemy hasn't attacked, you can evacuate via safe routes. I'll guide you."
Before she finished, everyone erupted in whispered outrage.
"What? What do you mean, Lian Sheng?"
"It's Commander."
"What do you mean, Commander? Do you think we're that kind of people? If we were scared, we wouldn't have come to the 12th District!"
"Once a teacher... bah! I mean Cornell gave us this mission—we hold this position! Can't embarrass the Alliance!"
"I've disliked that kid for a while."
"Same! Let him see what big brothers can do!"
"If we fled at the first sign of danger, I'd despise myself. What kind of soldier—more like royalty!"
"Kafa's an Alliance affiliate—can't just dump this mess on them. Stop wasting time, Commander!"
Lian Sheng smiled faintly: "In that case, prepare for prolonged defense. Get ready for combat."
Her expression hardened as she barked: "All personnel follow my orders! Execute Plan B! Main forces advance toward centerline! Scouts monitor and report! Stay safe! Move out!"
Everyone whispered: "Yes, ma'am!"
With communications restored, the tower team could act freely.
Lian Sheng grabbed explosive weapon cases, slung two across her body, and carried two more, preparing to leave.
The other two looked up at her.
Lian Sheng said: "I'm delivering supplies. Stay put, keep reporting, and don't panic. Updating the map's on you."
As she exited, her commlink buzzed again. Answering, she found a transmission from the main channel.
Cornell's muffled voice came through: "Our front collapsed—need to reinforce first. Otherwise chaos spreads."
Meaning they needed to buy time.
Lian Sheng understood: "Do what you must."
Cornell pondered: "Thanks. I'll assist you."
Comments
Post a Comment