~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sometimes lying to the ones closest to us is the best option."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I-Is that all?" Jordan asked Ian. Ian nodded before Jordan looked back at the documents that laid on the table, rereading them over again to double-check his thoughts. He looked back at Ian. "This is a job for an Advanced Captain, this is a type of mission that they would get." Ian nodded.

"Yes, but I have no Advanced Captains available and I'm not able to send Ant on a job he isn't skilled enough to complete," Ian said. Jordan looked at the map, staring at it for a few moments. They were in the war room, a small room with a table and boxes underneath it and a map laid out on the table with papers sack on top of the table as well. Major General Quentin and Lieutenant General Ian on one side of the table and Colonel Jordan and Sonja on the other. Jordan looked at him.

"I...I don't know if it is a good idea for me to do something like this, General." Jordan said honestly. He looked back down at the papers. "I-If what Michael says is true, Dan is being kept in a very well guarded area and I don't..." Ian's eyes soften a bit.

"Jordan, physically, you are fine, you've recovered from your injuries...it's the mentally and emotionally part that's damaged," Ian said making Jordan stared at the papers. Sonja touched Jordan's arm making him tense up for a moment and relax a bit. "Michael is going with you, I've asked him to return to base so we could plan this out, he should be back any minute now." Jordan looked at Quentin.

"Y-You said I would only be helping h-him plan, not doing any f-fieldwork," Jordan said to him. Quentin nods.

"I know, I lied, but how else could I have gotten you out of bed? I have been soft on you for these past few months, aren't you eager to get back into the world, Jordan? Because it is eager for you to return back to it." Quentin said honestly. Jordan's eyes looked away from him, not responding making Ian speak instead.

"Normally I wouldn't give Michael a rescue mission, he's more use to data gathering and spying, but I can tell you need the help and I'm not letting you go on a mission alone till I know you can handle it," Ian said before the Colonel spoke.

"W-Why aren't you two going out in the field?" Jordan asked before looking at them. His eyes looked at Ian. "Normally, Lieutenant, you would be eager to go out into the field, so why aren't you?" Ian's eyes soften a bit.

"Because I'm currently the Acting Commander until Jason...until someone else above my rank is able to take the role of Commander and until someone else can, I'm not allowed to be out in the field unless it is absolutely necessary," Ian said. Sonja looked at Ian.

"And what is the chain of command for that position? Who is above you?" She asked. Ian crossed his arms, thinking before he spoke.

"Adam, he's General of the Army, so Adam is first. Then Ty, he's second in command and then Seto, Jason, me, Jerome, Mitch, and Quentin. Ty and Seto have been missing for years and Jason is...Alister is still operating on him...and it's been an hour and a half..." Ian said as his eyes looked down at the table, pausing. Quentin looked at him in disbelief.

"Alister has been operating on Jason?" Quentin asked. Ian nods before Quentin rushed past Ian. He went to the medical ward, going inside and meeting eyes with a nurse. "Where's Dr. Alister?" The nurse pointed to the curtained-off section and he goes over, pushing the curtain back and stopping, seeing Jason laying in bed and Alister sitting in a chair with blood covering his hands and arms. Quentin stared at Jason as Alister spoke.

"Hello, Major General," Alister mumbled. Quentin pointed at Jason as he looked at Alister.

"Is he okay?" Quentin asked. Alister let out a shaky breath and shook his head. Quentin looked at Jason, slowly moving beside him.

"We...We lost him..." Alister said before Quentin took Jason's wrist, checking his pulse. "I've been trying to figure out how to tell you all." Quentin let go of Jason's wrist, looking down at the floor, he looked at a nurse that is stood at the foot of the bed.

"Can you cover him?" Quentin asked. The nurse nodded, taking a blanket and covered Jason with it, Quentin went over to Alister. Alister shook his head.

"No, you can't make me regret this, I try to--"

"He had internal bleeding, right?" Quentin asked. Alister nods, looking at him.

"Yeah, I was able to stop it but...he...he was just too weak," Alister said. Quentin looked at Jason one last time before he looked at Alister.

"I'll tell Ian, you...stay here," Quentin said before he leaves. The nurse gives Alister a wet cloth, Alister taking it and washing the blood off his arms and hands. He leaned back in his chair, the nurse looked at Jason.

"You did all you could for him." She said before looking back at Alister. "He was in really bad shape, doctor."

"I know...how is Captain Max?" He asked. She smiled a bit.

"Improving day by day," She said making Alister smile a little only to lose it. 'Figures I save a Captain but I can't save a General.' Alister thought before he looked at Jason. He stared at him until an idea popped into his head.

"Get Preston, I have an idea."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael walked down the hallway, it has been a long time since he has actually been inside Ian's HQ. He got used to getting messages and meeting up at different locations if they ever needed him or he had info to give to the Generals. Michael looked around. 'War room...where was that again? I bet they are there.' He thought to himself before he spotted Quentin. Michael followed Quentin, going into the same room he went into and was taken aback once he saw Jordan.

"Colonel Maron...You're the last person I expected to be here." He said honestly. Jordan smiled a bit.

"Hey, Michael," Jordan said. Michael looked at Ian.

"We have a big problem." He said before Quentin looked at him.

"Bigger then the problem I'm about to say?" Quentin asked. Michael looked at him.

"I don't know, what is it?" Michael asked before Quentin looked at everyone.

"Jason died on the table...He's gone." Quentin said making silence take over the room. Ian swearing under his breath and Jordan's eyes looking down at the table. Ian looked at Michael, breaking the silence.

"...What did you want to say?" Ian asked. Michael hesitated but spoke.

"I found Ty." He said making them look at him.

"You did, where is he? What's the problem?" Jordan asked. Michael leaned against the table, he looked at Quentin.

"I don't know, but Elise said he is dying and she doesn't know what to do. So I thought maybe you would take a look at him to see if you can save him." Michael said. Jordan looked at Quentin.

"If General Jason did die...once the recruits know about his death, I don't think you leaving is such a good idea," Jordan said. Ian looked at Michael.

"Any chance you can bring him here?" Ian asked. Michael shakes his head.

"Not a chance, he is in no stable state of mind, the likelihood he would even let you do anything to him is low," Michael said making Quentin sigh.

"Of course, Ty hates hospitals, he will do anything and everything to avoid them. But after Jason...he's gonna have to live with me forcing him. We can't lose Ty, we can't lose both Jason and Ty...but we can't lose Dan either." Quentin said. Silence overtook them for a few moments, the situation set in. Jordan looked at Michael.

"You take the Major General and go to General Ellis. Ant and I will go rescue Dan--" Ian put his hand up halfway.

"And what makes you think you have a right to make that call, Jordan?" Ian asked him. Jordan looked at him before Ian continued. "Ant is not a good choice for a rescue mission, not to mention he isn't qualified for the job either. He doesn't have the skills for it--" Jordan stared at Ian as he interrupted the Lieutenant.

"--I know you would pick the General over Dan and honestly, I would make that decision as well if I was in your position since it makes the most sense. Dan may be important to the Sky Army but General Ty is second in command...while our first in command perished, the role of Commander falls to General Tyler. So naturally...he would be a natural choice...while you all are doing that, I want to take Ant and go rescue Dan. I know Ant isn't like any of the Advanced Captains or like Michael, but when he puts his arrogant and entitled attitude to the side, he's a fantastic Captain." Jordan said. Ian sighed, he looked at Quentin.

"What do you think?" Ian asked him. Quentin paused for a moment and shook his head before he looked at Jordan.

"Ant has proven himself to be unable to work well with people who hold a higher rank than him. And while you were in recovery, he was often negative about you to the recruits...I don't trust him working with you." Quentin said. Jordan crossed his arms.

"How can you expect him to be a better Captain if all you two give him is novice missions? Even Commander Adam knew that Captain Ant had potential...he just ran out of time before he could give Ant the chance to prove it. Can you two trust me? If I feel like it isn't working, I'll come back here...with or without Dan." Jordan lied. Ian stared at Jordan and looked at Quentin. Quentin shrugged his shoulders.

"It's your call, Ian. I gave my opinion and I still stand by what I said." Quentin said. Ian looked at Jordan, staring at him for a moment before he gave in.

"I'll let Ant go with you...on two conditions," Ian said. Jordan smiled a bit.

"What?" Jordan asked.

"First of all, I know you were lying when you said you would come back if Ant was being difficult, I know you, you wouldn't leave without Dan even if Ant was being a pain in the ass. I want you to take at least two or three recruits with you of your choosing," Ian said. Ian looked at Sonja. "And my second condition is that Sonja is staying here." Ian looked back at Jordan. "She is still a civilian, I don't care if she is a support system, she is staying here or else I'm not letting you go with Ant. Am I clear, Colonel?" Jordan hesitated for a moment and nodded.

"Yeah," He said before there was a knock on the door and Michael opened it, a recruit looking at them, seeming uneasy and tired.

"What is it?" Quentin asked.

"Urgent message from Captain Nick." They said. Michael took it and gives it to Quentin. Quentin opened it and handed it to Ian. Ian reading it to himself. His eyes widen a bit as he read it and sighed.

"Great...great..." Ian mumbled.

"What?" Jordan asked at Michael shut the door.

"So, the Iron Crew wasn't happy about us taking Jason...they somehow found out where I placed Captain Nick and took Mitch hostage. Both Captain Nick and Captain Ashley were injured." Ian said before Quentin took the note, looking at it. Ian leaned against the wall, putting his hands through his hair and looked at Quentin. "You sure you don't want to be Commander? This is stressful." Quentin nods.

"Pretty positive. They want Jason back..." Quentin said before he looked at Michael. "What have you found out on Iron Crew? Anything?" Michael shakes his head.

"No, I always lose their trace, I always hit dead ends. Since General Jason is the leader of them that must be why I always hit dead ends...but since General Jason d-died...what's gonna happen to Lieutenant General Hughes?" Michael asked. Ian shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, Captain Noah should be back soon, I'll get him in on this, you three leave for your jobs. Michael, you are Quentin's bodyguard, his safety is your top priority, understood?" Ian asked him. Michael nodded.

"Understood, I won't let anything happen to him," Michael said before Ian looked at Jordan.

"And Jordan, please be careful. Keep an eye on Ant, as much as I hate to say this, I need Ant to come back alive from this as well as you. So look out for each other as well as the recruits going with you." Ian said. Jordan nodded.

"Understood, I promise that we all will return here just like we left."