True Leadership (II) or ???

Planet: Korhal IV

Year:2533

Place: Summer Palace

- 1730 Military time - Korhal IV's third moon -

All essential staff gathered within the main meeting room for today's mission breakdown. Caesar stood before them dressed in his all-black hazardous environment suit. Or more infamously known as, ghost armor.

While the old fuck and Kimmy held him in high regard, the medical staff and everyone else showed nothing but contempt after realizing he was a ghost agent.

'A freak, in charge of me!?'

'I heard they could read minds. Is he reading my mind right now? I'm gonna report this!'

'How the fuck could high-command allow a freak to become a CO?'

"Listen up," Caesar said, silencing their rampant thoughts. "At 1830 military time or 1900 Korhal time. I, along with the five other agents before you will begin the mission assigned to us. During which time five things must happen! Failure to do so will result in termination, no questions asked."

"Y-y-you'll kill us?" Asked Kimmy, utterly shocked by how little their lives mattered to him.

The room went silent, so Caesar continued. "These tasks are simple. So if you tell me you can but can't complete them. Then yes, I will.

Task one, navigations officer. This ship MUST remain on standby no matter what. Task two, old fuck. I need our second dropship to be borderline! Semi, and only semi! Functional. It must be stocked with fuel cells of various grades.

Task three, all scientists and engineers must remain on standby for the unlikely event something stops functioning. Now, will any of these tasks be difficult?"

"NO, SIR!" Yelled the staff, sighing in relief.

"You're a cunt. A tolerable cunt," added the old fuck.

Caesar smirked, 'not all of them are bad.'

-- 1825 military time - 1900 Korhal time - 2.5 km away from Summer Palace

[Dropship pic]

A piano black, twin rocket turbine, reverse winged dropship decloaked while landing deep within a forest clearing. The dropship opened, allowing Caesar, Bryce, and the four ghosts to step off of it with weapons, armor, and gear in hand.

*Fewshhh.* The ship powered revealing its reflective black paint. As Caesar and the others pulled away, the ship began to blend in with its surroundings.

"Listen up," said Caesar. "We have 30 minutes to infiltrate 2.5 kilometers of enemy forest.

This is not a race, I don't want to see any of you sprinting. Speed walk at most, as we've all seen this forest is heavily booby-trapped, with the wildlife being the biggest of our worries.

Under no circumstance are you to willingly decloak. You better run out of psionic energy, which fuels it before that happens.

In the event you don't, heat-seeking mines will charge you, exposing your position if not killing you. Which will in turn alert our target, causing us to fail the mission.

In the event you do set off the mines I suggest you kill yourself. It'll spear you the heartache and our lives.

Any questions? Because you have 1 minute," finished Caesar.

"Why are the mines a problem if they can't detect cloaked units?" 25013 asked.

"If you step on them they'll still detonate, stupid," snapped 251010.

The young ghosts beamed at each other, determined to prove their skills. Miko (259888), however. Couldn't help but ask, "are we really as bad as you think bad sir?"

Her words caused Caesar to sigh, his body faded away as his words echoed within their minds. 'For basic grade agents, you're all pretty good. However, that good isn't good enough. And yet...I hope you all prove me wrong. So I can learn your names.'

That was a lie, and he knew it. These kids sucked, and their lives never mattered. Not to him nor the confederacy. This was a test. And he wished to pass it, only so he could live up to Suki's expectations.

--Caesar's Pov–

#An: unless you see me type ' ' Caesar is talking out loud. " " represents an agent, who doesn't matter. #

Helmets on, switch to channel 2, no telepathic communication. All agents maintain a 135.25-meter distance.

I'm taking point, agent 259888, on my right. 250013 on my left, agent 251010 stay in the back and mimic my movements. If 245553 (Bryce) movements hitch, shoot him. Engaging in 5,4,3,2, GO!

'Damn, Blue avians are flying overhead already!'

Blue avians ahead. Their eyes are sensitive to movement, they'll notice our cloaking. Slow down, in 6,5,4,3...

Good job.

259888, mine 3 meters to your right, tripwire 50 meters ahead of me.

251010, you're headed right into a mine, change course.

Everyone, slow down and prepare to take cover. In 10...5,4,3, now.

"Sir, Andreas primates are circling the trees above us. And they're alerting the marines."

Ignore them and keep moving, if they start howling then our cover's blown. For now their just alert.

"Um, sir. Can I ask, how you're spotting the minds? They're so deep. I'm struggling to sense them."

"Obviously he's just-"

Comms clear.

Marines 30 meters ahead. No firing, we still have the Andreas primates behind us.

"Sir. Why haven't the spider mines attacked them or the wildlife?"

"A.I…Duh."

Once again. Comms clear!

We're 1.5 kilometers through, meaning everything's about to be more condensed.

Soldiers will appear more frequently, animals will be trudging back and forth, trying to get fed. And mines will be scattered all over the place. So shut the fuck up, and stay locked in.

"SIR, YES! SIR!"

'Idiots..'

259888, you have two mines on your near right and left.

25013, you have a mine 30 meters to left, and there are two more 50 meters ahead of you. In front and behind them are two tripwires.

Heads up, we're approaching a lone marine.

'This guy's right beside a mine and has an outdated heart maker. I could make its computer think his heart has slowed down, causing it to make the heart speed up. Forcing a heartache. But that'll cause erratic movements from the local animals and soldiers. Which won't benefit us.

Meaning there's no way to speed this up, and at this rate, we will be at the palace in 15. Leaving me 45 minutes to execute the mission then extract. Due to these kids' limited psionic energy pools.'

Ok, listen up. Here's how things are gonna. Agent251010, hand me your cameras. Your job is to shadow agent 245553 while planting tear-gas pellets around any key locations you pass by. REMEMBER! If his movements hitch, kill him! Fuck the mission, just kill him.

"I won't fail you, sir!"

Everyone else, your job is to distribute the cameras. Do not get caught! And once your part is done, head to the southernmost part of the beach to await extraction.

The extraction begins once the broken-down Dropship crashes into the forest.

"That will detonate the mines! Attracting everyone's attention."

Precisely so. And because planting those mines is illegal, whatever damage it causes won't be reported. Instead, everything will be labeled a forest fire or shipping accident.

Now. Weapons holstered, and keep distance from the guest, they'll spot the shimmer from our cloaking if we're too close to them.

"SIR! YES, SIR!"