You nod, Hail’s timeline makes sense. You wouldn’t want your new recruits realising that their squad leader held the same rank as them just before you got there. Then again, the Savis were an ambitious bunch and might welcome the news of rapid career progression in the face of attrition. But either way, this was still good news. The officers and NCOs of the 280th would be grizzled veterans sure, if not a little traumatized at their horrific losses at your hands these past eight months. But a week with raw recruits was nowhere near enough to get them combat-ready, the new arrivals were probably still figuring out how to line up in the mess hall.

“Alright, so the 280th are sitting safe in the rear until they’ve got their scud together. What about this other half of the base, south and west sections?”

“The 269th.” Hail says with a little less enthusiasm. “I don’t have much on them, except that they were re-routed from Prince’s Folly on the Federation border so I doubt they lack combat experience.”

That was less welcome news, yet another combat experienced Legion being redeployed showed the Savis too felt this slow-burn campaign was coming to a hot end. Better to know it than not know it, but how did Hail know this to start with?

“Alright, I gather you’ve got people watching Main Base Alpha. Risky, especially since we’re restricted to shortwave so that means a few trips through Cradler central to report.”

Hail acknowledges your deduction with a slow nod. “I have lost good men and women because of it.”

“Despite the Council agreeing we wouldn’t do risk any of our forces doing exactly that?”

“In spite of exactly that.”

[3/4]