The authorization arrived shortly after dusk, and Caleb Vance wasted no time putting the operation into motion. The commercial estate was surrounded before Graham Mercer could leave, with Northern Phalanx personnel securing the access roads while the authorized inspection team approached the main building. Caleb remained at the command vehicle with Aris, monitoring the operation through the team's cameras. He had learned from Fort Halden that an enemy's apparent advantage could become a liability if he refused to react according to expectations. This time, he would not enter an unfamiliar building simply because someone wanted him inside. The officers reached the main entrance, announced their presence, and demanded that everyone inside comply with the inspection. For several seconds, nothing happened. Then the door opened, and two security guards emerged with their hands visible. They offered no resistance and confirmed that several people were inside, including Mercer. Aris glanced

POV: Third Person.The first explosion shattered the northern perimeter at 8:12 p.m.Caleb was halfway through a briefing at Northern Phalanx headquarters when the building shook. Lights flickered overhead, and a second blast rolled across the compound, followed by the sharp crack of gunfire from the eastern access road. Men rushed toward the windows, but Caleb was already moving, issuing orders before the emergency siren finished its first cycle.“Lock down the command building. Nobody moves without identification. Aris, take the eastern team and find out what we're dealing with. I want the wounded evacuated before anyone pursues the attackers.” He reached the operations corridor, where personnel were pulling on tactical gear and checking their weapons. “And nobody fires at a target they cannot identify. If this is meant to make us panic, we won't give them what they came for.”Aris met him near the main stairwell, his radio pressed to his ear. “The outer security post is down. Two v