Shadow Slave

Master Jet gestured to the projection.

"All of Antarctica is divided into three parts. West Antarctica, East Antarctica, and the Antarctic Center."

West Antarctica was mostly submerged in water and consisted of a scattering of islands, some of them small, some of them large. East Antarctica was one large landmass that was peppered by numerous lakes, with a prominent mountain chain in the middle of it. The Antarctic Center was a long, narrow landmass that rested between the two, occupied almost entirely by tall mountains.

Soul Reaper continued:

"West Antarctica is mostly devoid of human population, so it presents little interest to us. The Antarctic Center is an administrative and technological hub of the quadrant, while East Antarctica is the largest and most densely populated region of the continent."

She paused for a moment, and then added somberly:

"The First Evacuation Army is going to set sail in two weeks. We will reach Antarctica two, maybe three weeks after that. By that time, the Chain of Nightmares would already be starting. Local garrisons are already experiencing an increased number of manifesting Gates, but the number will explode by the end of March. After that, it will only keep growing."

Master Jet stared at the projection for a bit, and then said calmly:

"No matter how many soldiers we send, we won't be able to contain the flood of Nightmare Creatures that enter through these Gates. This… is something that had never happened in history before. Even the great wars that the First Generation fought pale in comparison to the Chain of Nightmares. Don't forget that almost all abominations back then were of the Dormant Rank. We aren't that lucky."

back and crossed her

is going to be of the Second Category and Third categories. That means Awakened, Fallen, and even Corrupted Nightmare Creatures, in numbers greater than anything we had seen. Of course, something even worse

dim. Noticing it, Soul Reaper

objective. Once the army makes landfall, it will split into three parts, with each part pursuing a distinct objective during the first phase of the operation. One of the objectives is to turn a small number of select cities into fortified evacuation centers that can withstand the siege of Nightmare

several point on the map,

a short process. Finally, the third objective is to establish and maintain the

raised

"Yes?"

at other Masters with a dubious expression, then

for the disaster to strike before starting to evacuate people? Wouldn't it be easier to get

Reaper gave him a rueful

a few more years. Our level of preparation is wholly inadequate, and there are no established means to start the evacuation prematurely. In short, the government was caught with its pants down. The deployment of the First Army is a messy and slapdash affair, which means that a lot more soldiers

then nodded in

Jet glanced at

By then, the Second Evacuation Army should be already fully formed and arrive to reinforce the depleted First Army. This phase is simple… which is not to say easy. We will pull back all our forces to the siege capitals and hold them for as long as it takes to evacuate every civilian. After that, the third phase will result in a complete exodus of humans from Antarctica and the consequent heavy continental bombardment. The Southern Quadrant will

a poignant pause, then

to play a special role throughout all three phases of the evacuation. The First Irregular Company will not be tied to any existing battalion, regiment, or division. We will not be supporting or leading