She reflected on the fact that practically no one had escaped once the Japanese occupied an area. Early on, there were reports of atrocities, such as the reputed killing of a large number of patients in the Gilong Hospital, which had led to the Government adopting a mandatory evacuation order for any area under threat of occupation. Several fellow officers she had spoken to told of seeing seriously wounded Ostrayan soldiers or civilians being shot out of hand but advancing Japanese troops, and they were only taking healthy people prisoner. Aerial photos showed work gangs clearing rubble off roads and such behind the lines, which seemed to be the primary use of prisoners. How the prisoners were actually treated was unknown.

“We have gotten some high-altitude drone intelligence which seems to indicate the Japs are going to attack Backus Marsh in the next day or two. I’m assigning you to the eighth battalion NOR which is tasked with defending the southwestern side of the town. You’ll be used mostly to provide mental shields to protect the troops from their mentalists. If you can coordinate physical shields with the troops, that would be beneficial as well, even if it is only a local area effect. But do concentrate on the mental shields, as disrupting our positions by taking over soldiers and opening fire on everyone in the area is the most common way they make advances. I will be teamed up with a sniper with a heavy-duty gun, and we will hunt their mentalists while providing support to the southeastern flank. Are you ready for real combat, soldier?”

“I think so, Captain. I won’t know until I’m actually faced with enemy fire and enemy mentalists, I guess, but I think I’m ready.”

“Good. Now I’ve read the report from Sanchez, but just how powerful are you in practical terms?”

Andrew scratched his head. “I have no frame of reference, I’m sorry.”

She studied him for a moment. “Hmm. Sanchez said you could slice ten meters. Is that right?”

“I can probably do a bit more than that. I tried not to show off in front of the others.”

“Oh?” She said and studied him again.

Andrew started to fidget as her steady gaze made him uncomfortable. She turned away and pointed at a tree maybe thirty meters away. Probably more like twenty-five, he decided. There was a branch jutting out from the trunk, not too far above the ground.

“Can you cut that branch off?”

Right. Andrew thought to himself. Time to stop mucking around and hiding what he can do. He’d been looking for an opportunity to impress the Captain. He looked at the tree, extended his invisible force blade, and sliced the branch off about ten centimeters out from the trunk of the tree. He glanced at the Captain, grinned, and turned back to look further beyond where the tree with the branch was. There was a small tree maybe another twenty meters further on, and he cut the trunk clean through about a meter above the ground. He heard a hiss behind him and turned to face the Captain.