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when the commander had left the command post in the center of the capital. The Jung air base was also devastated, although there was little loss in the way of civilian life there.
    In fact, the Ghatazhak had simultaneously attacked six Jung strongholds on this night, and there were still more than a dozen smaller bases left to deal with. However, none of them had significant forces, most of them being comm stations or supply depots. Before the morning sun rose again over this part of the moon, all of those bases would be under Alliance control, thanks to the Ghatazhak, and the Falcons.
    The combat jumper finished its perimeter flight and turned inward toward the landing site that had been set up a few hundred meters from the center of the village. As they descended, the crew chief activated the side doors, causing them to slide aft out of the way, opening either side of the main bay of the jumper to the night air. Dust swirled as the jumper set down, its lift turbines screaming. Commander Telles and Master Sergeant Jahal stepped out of the jumper and moved away at a brisk pace as the jumper immediately climbed back into the sky to begin circling the village once more.
    “Damn,” Master Sergeant Jahal said under his breath as they walked through the makeshift triage area. “The Aurora’s guns fucked this place up.”
    “What was the last casualty estimate?” Commander Telles wondered as they walked.
    “One hundred and twenty KIA, three hundred and four wounded.”
    “Nearly half our battalion,” the commander observed.
    “Closer to one third,” the master sergeant insisted, “especially considering that most of our wounded will become combat effective once their prophylactic nanite doses have a chance to do their stuff.” Master Sergeant Jahal stopped and looked around at the civilian casualties lying on the ground, waiting for their turn to be treated. “I don’t suppose you want to know how many civilian casualties there were?”
    “Not really,” Commander Telles replied, “however, I expect that Captain Scott will want to know.”
    “Last update was just over fifteen hundred dead or unaccounted for, and twice that in wounded.”
    “Understood,” the commander said.
    “You can expect those numbers to go up over the next few hours,” the master sergeant added. “I’d be surprised if they haven’t doubled by sunup.”
    “Such is the nature of war,” Commander Telles replied.
    “If we had simply bombed the base from orbit from the start, the civilians wouldn’t have had any warning. There would be a lot more among the dead.”
    Commander Telles stopped, turning to look at the master sergeant. “And we would have far fewer dead Ghatazhak. I hope that being around the Terrans has not softened you up, Jahal.”
    “Of course not, Commander,” the master sergeant insisted. He stepped closer to the commander, looking him squarely in the eyes. “You know better.”
    “Just checking, Master Sergeant.” Commander Telles turned back to continue walking.
    “As you should, Commander.”
    “I suppose the collateral damage is of concern, in the political sense,” the commander admitted, “considering that the captain will be inviting the people of this world to join the fight against the Jung.”
    “My thinking exactly, sir,” the master sergeant agreed, following his commanding officer as they weaved their way through the triage area.
    Their course eventually took them away from the triage area, and into the masses of walking wounded, all of whom stared at the sight of the menacing-looking Ghatazhak commander and his master sergeant, in their flat-black body armor, hi-tech battle helmets, and energy rifles slung over their shoulders.
    A tired-looking old man, covered with his own blood from a loosely bandaged wound, as well as the blood of those he had tried to help along the way, looked up at the commander as he walked by. He nodded at Commander Telles. “Thank you.”
    The old man’s comment