[Blackstone Fortress, the next morning]
The sun had just barely risen over the horizon, but the command center was already humming with a sense of urgency. Voices intermingled with one another as they discussed a particularly interesting topic.
"Commander Duan, good morning."
Commander Duan stepped through the main entrance, greeted by the soldiers on patrol duty. He waved at them with a faint smile, still weak but relatively better.
"Is Commander Wu here already?" he asked, eyes sweeping across the area. Anyone who noticed his appearance there stopped briefly to give him a salute.
"Yes. Commander Wu is in his office."
Commander Duan nodded before heading upstairs, his steps steady despite the aching from within. He paused briefly before the familiar door.
After Deputy Commander Jia was stripped of his title and privileges, Commander Duan lent the former's empty office to Commander Wu. His old comrade needed a workplace during his stay in this base.
