"All's fair in love and war", or so they said. He sat in the command post, and contemplated the latest developments. What about when love was part of the war, though? And what happens when the fairness of your decisions affects others? There had to be a better answer. Thinking back, he wondered how it had all come to this. The tumult and sleepless nights, the casualties, the losses, it all added up to the horror of war. Even those victories he could claim often seemed inconsequential. There were so many aspects of war, so many different faces. How could the commander address all the issues at once? when there was fighting on one front, how could he focus on the battles raging on the other fronts? Again, the constant changes of focus pulled the attention so quickly from feeling the highs of the good things, only to be dragged down by the losses.
Losses which he knew were often overestimated. His comrades often told him he was over- rationalizing. Reading too much into the situations, they said. But yet, in times like these, how could one help but think? It seemed like much of the war didn't matter to others; they couldn't see the fights being faced. Those on the home front didn't understand the terrors of the battlefield. How he longed for peace. Not just on one front, but all of them. If only that final peace could be reached. He knew it was possible, and often longed for it, but couldn't ever draw the courage to try for it. That peace would be a hard one, he knew. All those it would be for would not see it as he did. There were those who would be horrified by it, yet could it be more horrible than the war raging even now? He thought of the causes that brought things to a head. His allies, he knew, stood behind him, and helped him in the battles on their fronts, but much of the fight he felt could not have their aid. If only he had a powerful ally, one to stand through the war with him, to shoulder the losses, and defeat the many foes. He knew that such an ally must be found, and yet wondered why he felt this need so strongly. Such allies were hard to find, yet he knew his side had much to offer. Comrades told him that such an ally was not necessary, but if he really had to find one, it would come about in the right time. He knew this to be true somewhere inside, and wondered how it could be that part of the war was being fought about things to fight the war with.

The long-range plans also troubled him. There were those who advocated a conservative plan of attack. Stay with the known offenses, and use a safe strategy. Many advisors told of the dangers of more radical plans. What if they failed, and the army lost it's support? What if too much of the strength and resources were used up, and there was nothing to fall back on? Others, to the contrary, advocated a more different plan. It focused more on short-term victories, and called to update the plan as the battles were won , and while losses were possible, the victories promised to be far more spectacular. Until recently, he had felt very comfortable with the current battle plans. He had reliable supply lines , and stability seemed unquestionable. In the long run, things seemed to be very safe. Yet attacks on this front left him feeling vulnerable. What if this direction wasn't the right one? What if the losses he was reaping because of this plan were too much? How great a loss, and in what area, was too much? The radical plan was growing more and more attractive, and its victories grew more promising. Yet every now and then, questions would arise, as to the wisdom of cutting off established supply lines, and as it were, burning bridges behind him. He knew there were always losses in war, he just hoped he wouldn't burn any bridges before the troops could safely make it across. Demolitions were always such a risky tactic, and he hated to destroy anything without securing a fool-proof secondary plan.


Never much of a gambler, he usually went with the safest plan. However, it seemed like now things were changing. The safe plan was showing no progress. The losses were becoming greater, until he feared his sanity would suffer if he continued. Risks were often dangerous, but in times of war, radical action was often needed. Having decided upon this, he set about plotting the new course. The problem was, he decided, that such a course would change constantly. While it would be possible to plan ahead somewhat, the statistics would need to be analyzed more often, to plan for smaller changes. Thoughts then turned back to his allies, and quest for that mysterious super-ally. He gradually was realizing that such an issue could not be resolved by his own negotiations, and he found a somewhat troubling, peace in that. There were no easy answers. But, as he surveyed the battlefield yet again, he knew that with the losses always came victories, and even now, some fronts were nearing settlement. While there would always be other skirmishes, there would always be peace as well. With this renewed comfort, and a smile on his face, he climbed into his transporter, and headed out in search of new directions and the victories they would surely bring.
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