‘Trying to save yourself?’ continued Kobin.
‘You should concern yourself more with being amidst an attack,’ said Alkon.
‘Your fort has been damaged, should you not be commanding your men?’
‘I have already given the orders. Repairs are being made. The wounded are being tended to. I came here to find the boy you allowed to escape.’
‘I allowed to escape?’ repeated Kobin with almost a laugh. ‘If your soldiers were more disciplined, the man I sent to get him would have brought him to us. Apparently the birds in the sky were of more interest.’
‘Do not patronise my men, Callibrian. You still have a lot to answer for.’
‘Your security was breached. He was helping himself to your weaponry unnoticed. If I had not sent a soldier to him, I do not think it would be I who had a lot to answer for. It is by luck that we have discovered this flaw in your men.’
Alkon released his breath, lowering his brows as he made his way back down the ramp. As he reached Kobin he stopped and inclined his head as if to speak directly into his ear. ‘That strike caused the deaths of many men,’ he said. ‘The soldier was right to be distracted. Remember, it was by your request that I left this place unmanned. And yet you will stand here … daring to criticise?’
Kobin grinned. ‘I requested that the boy be left alone, not for this place to be unmanned. I will be informing the High Council on my next report I am asked to give.’
‘Do what you will, Callibrian,’ said Alkon, glaring at Kobin, ‘it matters not to me.’
Before Kobin could say another word, Alkon stormed off to a building that was unharmed, leaving Kobin to do as he would outside and ending the conversation. Once comfortably seated inside, Alkon summoned his second-in-command. Lieutenant-General Liet Revarn entered the small office like room a short time later.
‘Why didn’t we see them coming?’ yelled Alkon, hitting the desk in such fury that most of the pens and other items on top fell onto the floor. ‘Is our radar worthless?’
‘It appears so, General,’ said Liet. ‘But what I find of more interest is how they knew we were here.’
Alkon seemed too enraged to hear him. ‘We can expect more attacks! Make sure all positions are manned at all times. I will not have any more deaths under my command. Is that clear?’
‘Yes, General, it is how it should have always been.’
‘My mind flies faster than any fighter right now, my friend, please do not insult me. The High Council will not be pleased with this. It is the first blemish on my record, my first failure!’
‘They will be lenient. You still have the chance to prove yourself at Waikor. This may even work to our advantage.’
Alkon calmed, taking his seat and looking into nothingness, his mind’s eye becoming his only vision. ‘Advantage…?’
‘Indeed. We are now able to call for reinforcements. Our claim is simply that more than half our force was killed in a freak attack. No general could have suspected such a thing in these circumstances.’
Alkon’s eyes jerked upward at Liet. ‘Do you not know how many men have died? Do you not realise the amount of loss we have suffered? You are a heartless man, Lieutenant. Soldiers are not replaceable machines! This is not our advantage!’
Liet remained without expression, waiting, and Alkon’s features soon lost their hardness.
‘I apologise, my friend, I am still a little shaken. You are right … you mean not that we are to simply replace them, but that we must do what we must to ensure victory. The force given to us was too small. I will call for reinforcements.’
‘Ask for ten thousand,’ said Liet.
‘Ten thousand! The Alliance cannot afford to give us ten thousand more men!’
‘The war with the island of Cralun has been won. There is a force awaiting deployment.’
‘How can you know this?’ asked Alkon.
‘My sources are to remain private, General. Please accept my apology, but I cannot jeopardise their lives.’
Alkon nodded as he raised his elbow onto the armrest and put his head against his fingers. ‘Very well. You make the call. I will take no responsibility for the High Council’s wrath when they refuse.’
Liet bowed, and Alkon sat in silence, deep in thought.
‘General, there is still the matter of how they knew our location,’ said Liet.
‘What?’
‘How did the enemy know our position?’
‘I do not know. A lucky guess?’ asked Alkon, making random circles in the air with his hand. ‘Scouting crafts? I cannot say. Scouting crafts would not have brought such weaponry, unless…’