Chapter 23: United Front.
Broken windows at the old municipal building let the weak light of morning pass through, creating odd shadows on the aged flooring. At one of the windows, Jax Ryker stood staring across the horizon. Tension permeated the air; a storm was building ground rather than in the skies. A fresh opponent was on their way.
A continual presence that both guided and burdened Jax, the Echo of Eternity hummed at the rear of his consciousness. It provided him strategic insights, hints of opportunities, and possible repercussions. But now the echo remained quiet, as though waiting for him to follow his own intuition.
Jax evaluated their next action while his palm clenched against the windowsills. Arriving was the adversary, a disciplined force aware of the team's newly constructed bastion. Their objectives were obviously dominance, slavery, and resource acquisition. Jax understood they couldn't let their earned paradise be taken under attack.
Behind him, the municipal building hummed with activity. Their de facto combat leader, Victor, oversaw the defense-minded preparations. His booming voice broke through the anxiety as he barked orders and planned drills, mastering the raising of the troops. Victor made sure every member of the team knew their responsibility.
Alina wrinkled her face with focus as she moved between the hastily built infirmary and the makeshift armaments. She was checking their medical supplies to make sure everyone knew simple first aid should the worst strike. Ever the keen-eyed scavenger, Marcus was building traps all throughout the wastelands, his hands steady even as his mind ran with memories of every trick he had ever perfected.
But like the calm before the storm, Jax's and Victor's conflict hung heavy in the air.
Experienced warrior with military background, Victor was quite orderly and pragmatic. He observed the world in black and white: some followed rules and others did not. Jax's more adaptable approach—led by the Echo of Eternity—was to him a wild card from which one could not depend in a crisis.
Conversely, Jax appreciated Victor's experience but understood that their survival called on more than just discipline and strength. The Echo had shown him that, with careful preparation, discretion, and, occasionally, risk, battles were regularly won or lost long before they started.
Jax felt the familiar thrill of the echo pulsing in the back of his brain as Victor guided the squad on the principles of hand-to-hand fighting and strategic stance. It was a soft prod, a reminder he still had another duty: play.
Jax hurried up to where the combat leader was watching a sparring bout between two of the newer recruits. "Victor," he said. "We have to talk."
Victor raised his head, his eyes narrowing just slightly. "We have a tight schedule here, Jax. What is it?"
"I have been thinking about the possibilities," Jax began, choosing his words deliberately. "The echo indicates an attack approach that differs from standard tactics; they will not attack us directly; instead, they will try to divide our forces and cause internal instability before making their move."
Victor's jaw got rigid. "And you're doing this on a houch? We need solid tactics, not guesswork."
Jax suppressed a sigh. "It isn't speculation. The Echo has been accurate in past times. That's how we have survived for so long.
Victor stiffened his posture and crossed his arms. "Surviving scavengers and skirmishes is one thing; this is an all-out attack. We follow the schedule. Strong perimeters, defensive stances, and an explicit chain of command. We maintain this place thus.
"We have to be flexible," Jax said. "We can keep one step ahead if we can forecast their moves. Otherwise, we are just waiting to get overwhelmed."
Victor stared at him for a long period, the conflict between them almost obvious. He then nodded quickly and turned aside. "Fine. The strategy will include your "predictions." But Jax, you stick to your role and assign combat decisions to me when the fighting starts. You never mistake this."
Realizing this was the greatest compromise Jax could make, he nodded. "Agreed. Let's ensure we're ready.
The day progressed as the team worked feverishly to get ready for the forthcoming onslaught. Jax moved around the structure, his mind focused on the Echo's observations, revealing weak points in their defenses and helping the others to fortify them.
Alina went up to him as he was changing the makeshift barriers next to the main door. "How are you finding it, Jax?"
"Busy," he remarked, smiling slightly. "But that is a good thing; it keeps the nerves in check."
She nodded and looked around the room for something or someone. "Victor is a rough guy, yet he excels in what he does. Right now we need that.
Following her eyes, Jax saw Victor across the room guiding some of the less experienced combatants into their stances. "I understand. He's exactly who we need to command the defense. I just wish we were more in agreement."
Alina's lips curled into a weak but comforting smile. "You two want the same thing, Jax. We all do. Survival. We just have varied means to get there."
He groaned and ran a hand over his hair. "I just hope those various approaches don't get us all killed."
She replied, resting a hand on his arm, "Hey," softly but firmly. "We will get through this; we have faced better odds before."
Leaning on her confidence, Jax nodded. "Thanks, Alina. Just make sure we're ready.
The sun had sunk beyond the horizon, leaving the city in heavy shadows; the bitter air crept in and acted as a potent reminder of the horrible reality the squad faced as the day turned into the evening.
The group convened in the main hall of the municipal building for a last briefing. Originally used by city authorities to address regular civic duties, the chamber was now crowded with battle-worn survivors, their features hardened and determined.
Rising in front of the gathering, Victor commanded their focus. "We have prepared as best we could have." The opponent can show up hours later or wait until morning. Still, we shall stay in our current posture. Our house is now this building; hence, we shall guard it.
Jax listened from the side as the Echo offered him little cues about the approaching showdown. Every sense was tuned to the approaching peril; his instincts were on full alert. But he also noticed resolution when he gazed about the room. To be denied their refuge, these people—his people—had battled too much and too hard.
"Positions," Victor murmured, his voice slicing across the space. Marcus, keep those traps ready; Jax will be with me at the command post; you will manage the exterior defenses. Alina will be in charge of supply coordination and medical bay management. Everyone else: kindly play the designated roles. And keep in mind also sharpness, clarity, and confidence derived from your training.
The group split, each person marching deliberately to their designated spot; the plan had been developed; all that was left was to implement it.
From here, Jax could observe the battlefield and issue commands as needed. Originally a mayor's office, it was now bereft of all amenities and crammed with maps, radios, and makeshift armor. Victor joined Jax at the command post.
Looking at Jax as he came, Victor's face was inscrutable. "Are you ready? {{{
Jaux nodded. "As ready as I will ever be."
Victor mumbled in response, then turned back to concentrate on the maps strewn across the table. "We have the advantage since we are more familiar with the area than they are. We will charge them for every inch they try to acquire. The opponent is well organized but not unbeatable."
While the Echo gave Jax future enemy operations and counter-strategies, he studied the maps. He could forecast where the enemy would attempt to breach their defenses, where they would send their most potent fighters, and where they would be most open to counterattacks.
Quietly, Jax said, "They'll try to flank us from the east," drew a line on the map, and "It's a weak spot—narrow, but should they pass, they could split our forces."
Victor nodded; his eyes narrowed as he considered the options. "We will reinforce it; I will send some of the best shots up there with crossbows to pin them down should they try."
The strain between them dropped steadily as they continued to discuss techniques. One half of the same coin is motivated by instinct, the other by discipline. But by now their common goal linked them.
"Victor," Jax started, breaking the brief silence. "I know we never always see things the same way, but... I'm glad you're here. I would not trust anyone else with this."
Victor looked at him; the hard lines on his face melted just slightly. "Likewise, Jax. Though we approach things differently, ultimately we are both working for the same objective. Just avoid letting that echo of yours bring us too much trouble.
Jakes laughed.
"I'll do my best." Eventually the strain between them relaxed.
Everyone was in position; nerves were tight and muscles coiled like springs; the only sound was the creak of the old structure lowering, like if the walls themselves were holding their breath. The hours passed before the storm descended over the building.
He hated this part—the waiting, not knowing when or where the attack would happen. It gnawed at him, making him question even the Echo's forecasts. Jax stood by the command room window, staring out into the darkness. The echo was silent again.
But at this point there was no time for questions.
His pulse skipped a beat as he leaned forward to try to glimpse the figures in the dark; an unexpected movement caught his eye—a flutter of shadows against the far-off woods.
Jax said, hardly audible, "They're coming."
Victor showed up next to him right away, his gaze squarely on the horizon. "Where?"
Jax pointed and spoke steadily, "There. Though they are sending a tiny detachment to the east—as expected—the main army is marching from the west." They'll strike us from both sides at once."
Victor's jaw locked. "Then we are ready. Let us show them what happens when they mess with the wrong people."
Marcus had set his traps deftly; therefore, the quiet night was soon disturbed by the snap of mechanical jaws and the groans of the fallen. The first attack started as a whisper in the night, with hushed people slipping through the darkness trying to reach the walls unseen.
The Echo came to life, sending Jax a consistent stream of information—enemy movements, possible weak points, and chances to strike. He sent the information to Victor, who then issued commands to the defenders from the command room. His heart was pounding.
As Jax expected, the major attack came from the west. The enemy, a well-organized militia armed with improvised weapons, attacked the structure with violence out of desperation, but the team was ready, with crossbows and slingshots spewing death from the walls.
Victor was a natural power; he was in his element, barking commands and moving to bolster the defense. His very presence calmed the defenders.
Jax stayed at the command post, using the echo to guide their efforts. He could see the war playing out in his thoughts—each movement and countermove, each twist and turn of fate. Despite the chaos, he stayed cool, his focus unbroken.
Jax advised Victor to "pull back the northern flank," pointing out a flaw in their defense. "They are trying to burst through!
Victor nodded, his voice above the sounds of battle clear. "You've heard him! Northern flank, fallback, and regroup—don't let them pass!"
The northern side regrouped just in time to support the line and defeat the invaders; the defenders moved with accuracy, their faith in Victor and Jax apparent in their quick obedience.
As the fight went on, it became clear that this was not your usual skirmish. The opponent was too organized and determined; they came here for blood. The enemy was relentless, pressing on wave after wave, testing the fortifications, and hunting for any weaknesses they could find.
Jax grumbled, his eyes straying between the battlefield and the maps on the table. "They're not backing down," he said, "they will keep coming until they break us or we break them."
Victor groaned in accord. "Then we will break them. We have waited this long; we are not allowing them to occupy this spot."
Jax nodded, but he could not get rid of the sense that something was off. The Echo was offering him possible results, but they were all too erratic. The opposition was always shifting and modifying strategy, which made them lethal.
Speaking to himself rather than Victor, Jax said, "They're planning something." "We need to be ready for anything."
Then the echo sounded a piercing, desperate alert, as if on cue.
Victoria! The east side is really pushing hard. They want to split our energies!
Victor growled beneath his inhaled breath. "Damn it! We cannot allow them to split us; they are smarter than I would have given them credit for.
The Echo delivered Jax ideas and counterstrategies, and his thoughts flew. "We must hold the line, but we also have to be ready to change our emphasis should they breach. Should we split our forces, we will be unable to hold either side."
Victor nodded, his eyes closed with intent. Next we hold. We defend both sides with everything we have."
The crew stayed strong, their faith in one another and their leaders unwavering. The opposition pressed harder, their assaults more organized and vicious, but the conflict went on with the defenders struggling with all of their strength.
Jax kept sending intelligence from the Echo, guiding their activities, predicting enemy movements, and creating counterstrategies; Victor was always present, his directives plain and unambiguous, and his leadership a rock the defenders turned on.
And then the tide started to turn, exactly when it seemed the enemy would burst through.
Victor, they are overextending on the west side. The Echo of Eternity surged with unexpected clarity, telling Jax how to capitalize on the enemy's rage. We can drive them back, therefore requiring their retreat!{
Victor answered without delay: "All right, everyone, direct your fire on the west!Press them back now!"
As the defenders rallied and targeted the overstretched enemy forces, their attacks grew increasingly forceful. The sudden shift in tempo startled the militia and caused them to stumble. The defenders hit fiercely in that doubtful period.
Realizing they were losing the war, the opposing lines disintegrated, and their men ran in anarchy. Driven back and regaining the territory they had battled so valiantly, the defenders pushed their advantage.
The fighting stopped exactly where it started.
Their numbers destroyed, the adversaries withdrew into the darkness, and their will to fight shattered. Weary but triumphant, the defenders watched the last of the attackers disappear into the evening.
Jax sighed deeply; his body slumped with ease. Quiet once again; the Echo of Eternity had fulfilled its temporary purpose for now. Jax understood this was only beginning, even as the excitement subsided. Conflicts and enemies to run into would abound. But they had triumphed tonight.
Usually austere, Victor clasped him on the shoulder, a rare smile bursting through. "Good work, Jax. We couldn't have done without you."
Jax grinned back, his weight of their victory seeping in. "We wouldn't have done it without each other. "This was a crew effort."
Victor nodded, his appreciation of Jax obvious in his gaze. Indeed, survival out here depends on presenting a united face.
Jax stopped to consider as the crew started to assemble and treat the injuries. Not because of any one person's efforts, but rather because they had battled together; they had surmounted enormous challenges and came out triumphant. Their differences had been pushed aside; they trusted one another and stood united against the gloom.
Jax knew that was their strongest ability.
The city was broken in the morning, pink and gold drenching the heavens. Rising tall and battered but unbroken, the municipal building was a testimony to the perseverance and will of the people who called it home.
Jax felt tranquility come over him as he watched the sunrise from the rooftop. Silent now, the Echo of Eternity's goal was temporarily fulfilled. But Jax knew it would be there when he needed it, guiding him across a dubious future.
Joining him, Victor peered out to the horizon with a solemn face. "We did well, Jax." This is not the end, though. More exists there—more conflicts and challenges.
Jax nodded, his will strengthening. "I know. Still, we shall face it together, whatever transpires. One presents a united front.
Victor grinned—a rare and real expression. Indeed, together.
And with that, the two leaders stood side by side, ready to face whatever lay ahead as the new day broke.