[headquarters]

Outside Eureka Aug. 13th 2020 16 C+ 1600 hrs.

The promising and still somewhat young 2nd. lt. Bennet paced the room of his small cabin ferociously considering his options. In a few hours the column carrying the esteemed leader - the honorable Field Marshall DeCorba ( now nominally a colonel in the 1. Cali Volunteer regiment) would arrive.

The guards had been double-checked and a few chewing outs given for the men who had presented themselves in less than "Fighting Grey" stile - never mind the shortages and the fact that they were recuperating on guard duty after months of bloody running battles up and down Highway 1.

It was not that he was starstruck and feared to meet the man lest he make a fool of himself. He had actually once gotten a nod of approval from him as he fired of a steady stream of fire corrections to a machine gun section at the battle of Barstow in `16 as a young cadet even as mortar rounds came whizzing down all around. They were practically brothers in arms as far as that one went he was pretty sure.

Neither was his post anything but operational and indeed these last 12 hours it had been made nigh on picture perfect - his men swearing as they carried more lumber and rigged deeper and redid the camp paint on the truck. Yes. every gun was polished and oiled to a deadly fire blue sheen.

He had even gotten some of the nice rum out - in a real glass bottle and all and some rabbit stew with actual rabbit and not that powdered Landshrimp protein supplement with venison flavored powdered gravy ( TM ) either.

No. All was well with his command.

Yet he felt uneasy. After all he was going to have to be the one to give the latest intel on the ..developments.

Out in the redwood a few birds started up, startled and screeching. Truck engines were approaching.