"What's the status of the main battle?"
"Third Line is nearly secured, sir. We control eastern sector completely, central gates area is ours, western wall is contested. The thirty Fallen Heroes we deployed there are... they're devastating settlement defenders, sir. Killing everything in their path. But they're also killing some of our own soldiers—collateral damage from their mindless aggression."
Elric nodded grimly. "Acceptable losses. How many of the enemy's defenders remain?"
"Approximately three hundred twenty effective fighters, down from six hundred forty-three at dawn. They've taken nearly fifty percent casualties. But sir..." Hendricks hesitated.
"What?"
"They're still fighting. Organized withdrawals. Coordinated resistance. Whoever's commanding their defense is exceptionally skilled. They should have broken and routed by now with those casualty numbers, but they're maintaining cohesion."
