"I will have a meeting with the leader of the CRM in a few days, and at that moment, we will decide whether we will attack each other or not, although I already have a clear answer." Airon walked towards Alicia, smiled at her, and said to everyone, "Lower your weapons, it's an order."
Mercer, who saw all of Airon's soldiers lower their weapons with just one command, remained momentarily silent. He looked around for any trap, but seeing that there was nothing, he focused on Airon again.
"Your war is not our concern. We already have a difficult life in this place, and no involving ourselves in your war..." Mercer had made a decision.
Pamela Milton walked towards Mercer and said, "We already have your leader. It will be easy to prevent your people from bothering us."
Airon smiled coldly, took off his jacket, and revealed his metallic hand. "My arm hurts. One month is not enough time for me to adapt to this kind of injury."
"How?" Alicia looked at Airon's left arm, now metallic. She had witnessed her partner fighting and now becoming infected was not easy to process.
"We encountered a community of at least thousands of people. They made our lives impossible. The child somehow succumbed to their religion and ended up cutting off my hand with a walker's blood-stained knife." Airon didn't want to think about something like this now.
Alicia fell silent. A child attacked her partner? It made sense, but many other things would have had to influence for Airon to get injured. With no time, she remained silent.
"Mercer, we have clean cities, no walkers, and they are protected by thousands of military personnel who served in the army before all this. We have a sophisticated system, crops, greenhouses, livestock... We lack nothing, absolutely nothing. If we join forces, we can have the manpower to prevent being crushed by the CRM..."
Mercer was sweating cold. Would Pamela Milton accept something like this? But he was willing to follow Airon. He could feel it, a born leader who is willing to give his life for his people. He knew this because he was the first to step forward to negotiate. He perceived that a man like the one before him did not act on impulse.
"Come on, Mercer, you are a true commander... If you choose to follow me, I will give you custody of all of Florida, where you will have access to the sea. Once we take control of one of the active satellites, we can reclaim the navy, at least the ships and submarines still at sea."
"Mercer, we can't trust these people. You know they will kill us when they have the chance. Florida free of walkers? Impossible!" Pamela Milton shouted.
"It's true, Mercer. Why trust someone like me?" Airon had certain expectations of someone like Mercer, a born leader.
"The CRM, composed of the army that decided to concentrate all the military power of this country in one state to create its base, abandoned the people. And now, I, along with my people, swear to God that we will reclaim every inch of this land."
Airon's eyes burned with vigor. He wanted to hear Mercer's response right now. He needed strong leaders to continue hiding his dominance, knowing what was to come.
"The CRM is creating a closed world. I don't want the new lives to feel oppressed by their hierarchical system, Mercer. The soldiers will listen to you, you know what I mean." Airon glanced at his watch as if expecting something.
"Prove it, prove that you have the power to stand up against something like the CRM!"
"Mercer!" Pamela Milton was incredibly furious.
"Lower your weapons and escort Mrs. Milton to rest!"
The soldiers of the Commonwealth looked at Mercer with pride. They had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Today, Mercer finally took a step forward.
Airon smirked as he shook Mercer's hand, hinting at a glimpse of camaraderie. "I see you have made a wise decision, Mercer. Come, let's meet in a more suitable place to talk."
Both of them left the room, leaving the others behind, and headed to a more secluded corner. Airon stopped and stared intently at Mercer, his eyes filled with determination.
At this moment, Airon spoke to Mercer with more sincerity. "Allow me to be clear, Mercer. The Commonwealth has no chance of surviving if attacked by the CRM. Your resources and defenses are not enough to withstand our power."
Mercer clenched his fists, facing the harsh truth presented by Airon. "Do not underestimate our forces, Airon. We have at least 30,000 troops ready for combat. We won't be an easy prey even without your assistance."
Airon let out a contemptuous laugh, mocking the figure Mercer presented. "30,000 troops? I can crush that number with a single strategic move. Don't fool yourself, Mercer. The superiority of the CRM is undeniable against the Commonwealth. It's like pitting the people against the army, the military might is vastly different."
Mercer looked at Airon with determination in his eyes, showing no signs of yielding to his enemy's arrogance.
"You may underestimate the will of our people. We are willing to fight to the end to protect our community. We won't allow the CRM to subdue us without resistance."
The conversation between Airon and Mercer was filled with tensions and veiled threats. Both leaders challenged each other, each defending the strength of their respective factions. The fate of the Commonwealth hung in the balance, and the battle for power and survival loomed on the horizon.
"Well, it's time. I will show you the full extent of my military might."