Victor walked into the conference room with urgent steps. His War Council had already gathered and was waiting for him.
"Where is the attack coming from, Mav?" he asked, briskly joining the group at the head of the conference table. Their faces looked sullen as they had been awakened from their sleep. The council members had expected no attacks before dawn.
"The enemy is approaching from the ocean, sir," Maverick said, his eyes on the laptop screen. "Your instincts were right about keeping an eye on the coast."
Victor nodded. "How large is their fleet? And what class of ships do they have?"
"Their choice of naval ships is curious, sir. I had expected Monolith to bring destroyers, but they've brought thirty Littoral Combat Frigates (LCFs) instead."
"Hmm. It naturally means the enemy wants to bring the ships up close to the shore."
"What would that achieve?" Michael asked. "Our anti-aircraft guns are equipped to handle ships as well. They will riddle holes in their frigates."
Victor shook his head lightly, thinking hard. "LCFs have longer range and are designed to attack the land from water. They could send their ships in two waves. As the first wave approaches the shore, the second wave provides cover for the soldiers to land and attack our infantry units."
The council members exchanged curious glances.
"I see," Maverick said, nodding to himself.
"How large an army can be packed into thirty LCFs, Mav?" Victor asked.
The five-star general pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "They can probably carry troops as large as two thousand soldiers, along with land artillery. If that large an army lands at the coast, we are in a lot of trouble."
"Two thousand?!" Michael exclaimed.
Victor raised an eyebrow. The Puppetmaster wasn't holding back. He had launched a full-scale invasion. But something didn't fit right. Leading a large army into Springfield wasn't his modus operandi. He must have something else up his sleeve.
"How many troops do you have, Lance?" Victor posed.
General Lance Baker, who had been rubbing his knuckles anxiously, looked up. "Sir, I have mobilized ten platoons with troops numbering five hundred. These are war veterans with excellent training and discipline. You won't have any complaints."
"What about your naval fleet? Have they arrived yet?"
Lance nodded with pride. "The Secretary of Defense let me have five destroyer ships that are already waiting by the coast."
Victor turned to Archibald. "Drew… How many NWO agents have reached Springfield as of now?"
"According to the latest entry, three hundred forty-two agents have checked in. I expect at least four hundred total by the time we intercept the enemy."
Victor nodded and rubbed his chin. "So it's likely we will be outnumbered."
"But sir, we have General Valerie, General Maverick, and General Archibald with us," Kai said with enthusiasm. "They are individually equivalent to a hundred troops each. And, of course, we have you, who can handle an entire army by himself."
Kai, Michael Bolton's son, had joined Victor's War Council. In his father's absence, he would be in charge of Regal Rock and hence needed to be aware of the battle strategies.
"I know," Victor replied. "However, I suspect the Puppetmaster will introduce at least two of his generals in this battle. Apart from their superior abilities, they have Nanite, Disintegra, and Thanatos powered weapons. The enemy's technology is superior to ours. Considering the worst possible scenario, if I fall somehow... I need you guys to win the battle for me."
Victor's words cast a pall of gloom in the conference hall. The prospect of such a powerful, invincible man, who single-handedly ended the Pacific World War, dying was quite inconceivable. But the fact remained that the enemy had acquired Thanatos—Victor's Kryptonite. Moreover, they had an unlimited supply of Nanite and Disintergra.
Val pursed her lips. Philip Typhoon, a deceased General of the Puppetmaster, almost defeated her on Krull Island. It seemed the enemy had perfected the substance Nanite and developed world-altering applications.
If Angela Kaufmann was still alive, the NWO could have come up with resistant technology. However, their weaponry tech had become stagnant and outdated after her death.
"We will handle this battle, sir," Val said with sincerity. "You won't even have to participate." Her words motivated the others, and they murmured their support.
A thin smile appeared on Victor's lips. "That's more like it. My War Council needs to step it up a notch. The enemy has attacked Springfield underestimating the might of NWO. Are we prepared to show them how horribly wrong they are?"
"Yes, sir!" they said in unison.
Victor acknowledged their resolve and stood erect. His eyes darted across the conference table. "Alright, here's the plan. Lance!"
"Waiting for your orders, sir!"
"You will be in charge of our three Burke-class naval destroyers along with your fleet. It will be the first line of defense. Don't let the enemy ships get in!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Val!"
"Here, sir!"
"You will be in charge of all NWO agents. Transport them to the northern coast in Greyhound armored cars. Make them occupy the green bunkers. The group will operate our howitzers and anti-aircraft guns. You will be the second line of defense!"
"Understood!"
"Drew!"
Archibald stepped forward. "Yes, sir!"
"You will be in charge of Lance's ground troops. Michael Bolton will accompany you. Move the troops to the coast to occupy the brown bunkers. You will be the last line of defense!"
"Affirmative!"
"Mav!"
"Yes, sir!"
"We'll need eyes on the battlefield. How many drones do you have? And are all of them operative?"
"I have thirty-six drones, sir. Twenty of them are in perfect condition and ready to be airborne."
Victor nodded. "That will do. Your job is to monitor the entire battlefield and seamlessly coordinate between Val, Drew, and Lance. Is that clear?"
"Got it, sir! But what about our air forces?"
"Let's wait until the enemy demonstrates their long-range weapons. We'll unleash our fighter jets on a requirement basis."
"Understood, sir!"
Victor took a deep breath. "Don't consider it an exaggeration when I say Springfield is humanity's last hope. If the Puppetmaster occupies the city, it will be not long before the country and, eventually, the world fall under his tyranny. I can't promise all of us will come back alive from the battlefield. But I can say with absolute certainty that none of us will die in vain! The Puppetmaster will rue the day he underestimated us!"
Victor's speech galvanized the War Council members. They raised their arms and hooted battle cries.
"Let's pulverize the puppets!"
"Death to terrorists!"
"Let's show them hell!"
"Hail Caesar!"