The scout reports arrived as the sun reached its peak.

  Jonah sat with the three faction leaders among the massive boulders, a crude map scratched into the dirt between them. Sarah had returned first, her Ghost Blade abilities allowing her to approach undetected. The information she provided aligned almost perfectly with Jonah's memories.

  "Palisade walls," she said, tracing the perimeter on the dirt map. "Not the thin stick fencing we saw the goblins use. These are actual logs, thick and sharpened at the top, angled outward. Someone with construction experience designed this, or whatever passes for an orc architect."

  "How thick are we talking?" Garrett asked.

  "Each log is about a foot in diameter, packed tight with no gaps. The angle makes climbing nearly impossible without ladders, and anyone who tries will be impaled. Watchtowers are positioned here, here, here, and here." Sarah indicated four points on the map. "Elevated platforms with clear sight lines in every direction. We stopped about three hundred meters out to avoid detection."

  Jonah studied the layout. The settlement occupied a natural depression, the valley walls providing additional protection on two sides. The orcs had built their palisade across the open approaches, creating a formidable defensive position. Breaching it would cost lives.

  "Sentries?"

  "Ten visible. Four in the towers, two per tower working in shifts. The other six patrol the perimeter in pairs, completing a full circuit every fifteen minutes."

  "Only pairs on patrol?"

  Sarah shook her head. "The patrols are in pairs, but there are also solo scouts. Single orcs moving through the surrounding forest in irregular patterns. I counted three, but there could be more. They don't follow predictable routes."

  Jonah frowned as he processed the information.

  Tactics from his original life resurfaced—simple, yet effective strategies that were still relevant. Not everything they faced or how they dealt with it needed to be replaced.

  The orcs didn't remain inside their settlement all day.

  They hunted, venturing out in groups to procure food. These hunting parties would split their forces, reducing the number of defenders inside the walls from a hundred to roughly sixty.

  The remaining forces were distributed between the watchtowers, patrols, and the hunting party itself.

  Thirty orcs outside the settlement, sixty inside, and ten on watch and patrol duty.

  "How often do they send out hunting parties?" Jonah asked.

  Sarah's expression shifted. "We observed one returning this morning. A large group, maybe thirty strong. They brought back something that looked like a corrupted deer, only bigger. Much bigger. It took six of the giant orcs to drag it with makeshift ropes."

  "Did you see them leave?"

  "No. We weren't in position early enough."

  Jonah calculated the timing. If the hunting party returned in the morning, they would likely leave again around midday or early afternoon, creating a window when the orc forces would be divided.

  "We wait," he announced. "We'll watch the settlement until they send out another hunting party. When thirty of them leave, we move."

  Derek frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Wait? We have eight hundred fighters. They have a hundred orcs. Why not attack now?"

  "Because a hundred orcs behind fortified walls will kill two hundred of our people before we even breach the defenses, maybe more. And then we'd still have to fight them." Jonah met Derek's gaze. "But thirty orcs in the open forest, separated from their defenses? That's a fight we can win with minimal losses. Perfect for an ambush to eliminate as many as possible. And sixty orcs defending walls built for a hundred? That's a breach we can achieve if we're smart."

  The logic was sound, and even Derek couldn't argue with the projected casualties.

  But Jonah saw the calculation behind the man's eyes. Derek was already planning how to position himself and his people to leverage the battle for political advantage, claim credit for the victory, and, above all, seize the settlement stone before anyone else.

  Jonah began drawing on the dirt map, his movements precise. "Here's the plan. When the hunting party leaves, we split our forces. Three hundred fighters will pursue the orcs in the forest, ambushing them before they can organize, picking them off in small groups before engaging their main body."

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  He looked up at Derek and Garrett. "You two will lead that force. Coordinate your strategy before the signal to move."

  Garrett nodded, his face grim. He had already accepted Jonah's leadership.

  Derek's expression shifted rapidly through surprise, calculation, suspicion, and finally settled on a mask of agreeable cooperation that fooled no one.

  "Both of us?" Derek asked. "That's a lot of leadership for one engagement."

  "Thirty orcs in hostile terrain is not a simple fight. You'll need coordinated command to prevent them from scattering and regrouping. Garrett handles the western approach, you handle the eastern. Trap them between your forces and crush them before they can retreat to the settlement."

  "And the main assault on the walls?"

  "I'll lead that. Chen Wei will take a smaller force to circle around and attack from the rear. If we can reach the settlement stone while the defenders are focused on the frontal assault, we end this quickly."

  Derek's jaw tightened. "I should have men with the main assault force. My people have proven themselves in every engagement. They deserve to be part of the primary attack."

  "Your people will spearhead the attack. Eliminating the hunting party is the priority. If we don't take out those thirty orcs, we'll face a hundred enemies instead of sixty. Worse, a retreat would allow them to strike our rear, inflicting catastrophic damage. Victory would come at the cost of half our forces. This engagement determines whether we succeed with acceptable losses or bleed for every inch."

  "I meant—"

  "I know what you meant." Jonah's voice dropped flat. "You'll lead the forest engagement with the assigned forces. No substitutions. No holding back your best for the 'real' fight."

  The tension hung heavy between them.

  Chen Wei watched the exchange, his expression unreadable. But Jonah caught the slight curl at the corner of his mouth, a ghost of a smile that suggested the young faction leader understood exactly what was happening.

  Derek was being deliberately separated from the settlement stone. His ambitions were being managed through tactical necessity.

  And Chen Wei had recognized the maneuver instantly.

  "Derek," Chen Wei's voice cut through the tension. "Jonah's right. The hunting party presents the greater danger. Forest combat against scattered enemies demands experienced leadership. You and Garrett are the obvious choices."

  The support was pointed. Chen Wei was siding with Jonah, making it clear that any objection Derek raised would be met with unified opposition. Garrett had already supported the plan, making Derek the sole dissenter.

  Derek's face darkened, but he had no room to argue.

  The tactical logic was sound.

  The political isolation was complete.

  To fight now would only make him appear to prioritize personal ambition over mission success and the safety of the army.

  "Fine. Three hundred fighters. Forest engagement. Ambush tactics." The words came through clenched teeth.

  "Good." Jonah turned back to the map, dismissing the confrontation as settled. "You'll need to position your forces before the hunting party departs. Move into the forest east of the settlement, find terrain suitable for an ambush, and wait. When the orcs pass your position, hit them hard. Don't let any escape to warn the settlement."

  Garrett spoke up. "What if they scatter? Thirty orcs could disappear in a dozen directions in that terrain."

  "Then you pursue in coordinated groups. No lone hunters, no heroes chasing individual targets. Stay in formation, maintain constant communication, and trust your numbers. You have a ten-to-one advantage. Use it."

  The briefing continued for another hour.

  Jonah detailed positioning for every element of the force: watch schedules for the scouts observing the settlement, communication protocols between the forest ambush team and the main assault force, and contingencies for a dozen potential scenarios. Everything he could think of.

  Throughout it all, he kept part of his attention on Chen Wei.

  The young faction leader absorbed the information, asking questions that revealed his sharp tactical mind and offering suggestions that improved Jonah's proposed approaches. He was intelligent, capable, and increasingly inscrutable.

  Of the three faction leaders, only Chen Wei possessed true political acumen, a talent for plots and intrigue. Derek fancied himself skilled in those areas, but his moves were obvious and his ambitions transparent. His clumsy manipulations were easily anticipated by anyone paying attention.

  Chen Wei was different.

  Jonah had no idea what motivated the man, no clear understanding of what drove his decisions or what goals he pursued beyond immediate survival. That ignorance made him more dangerous than Derek and Garrett combined.

  I'll have Martinez keep an eye on him. He won't make a play for the settlement stone; he's too smart for something that obvious. But floor three is a different matter. When we connect with other human bubbles and politics become more complex than managing eight hundred survivors, Chen Wei will become a real threat.

  The briefing ended, and the leaders dispersed to organize their forces.

  Derek stalked away with barely concealed fury, his lieutenants falling into step behind him. Jonah watched him go, counting the fighters who followed and noting those who lingered near the main formation.

  Derek would leave a hidden force behind, a token number of his most loyal people positioned to seize the settlement stone if the opportunity arose. The man couldn't help himself; his ambition was a compulsion that overrode tactical sense.

  But Justin would handle that problem.

  The Lightning Titan lounged against one of the massive boulders, electricity crackling lazily between his fingers as he watched Derek's departure. His eyes tracked every face in the retreating group with unsettling intensity.

  "You memorized them?" Jonah asked quietly.

  Justin's grin spread wide. "Every single one. Names, weapons, classes, the way they walk, the friends they keep, the enemies they've made. I know Derek's people better than Derek does."

  "And if some of them stay behind when the forest team moves out?"

  "Then they get to explain to me why they're not following orders." Lightning arced between Justin's palms with a sharp crack. "I'm very persuasive when I want to be."

  Jonah nodded. The mad gleam in Justin's eyes should have been concerning, but instead, it was reassuring. Derek's schemes would crumble against someone who couldn't be intimidated or manipulated.

  The man genuinely enjoyed violence.