Despite the effectiveness of our newly trained soldiers, we were surprised—also more than a little put-off—to learn of the PDF leadership, most notably General Sturm’s displeasure in the ‘reckless abandon’ our forces. We would have called it ‘brutally efficient’ and ‘relentlessly victorious’ but apparently, again, we were disturbing the tranquility of the war-ravaged planet.

We were left in an untenable position where we were subject to the will of an incompetent and weak leadership but in a position where we lacked both the authority and capacity to remove them.