MidReal Story
Loyalty's Crucible: A Soldier's Redemption
Scenario: The soldier is called to his Commander's cabin. A soldier is punished by his commander for taking a decision out on the field mission without asking commander's permission
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James Miller
disciplined soldier, subordinate to other protagonists, short brown hair, stern but loyal
Sarah Jennings
fellow soldier and confidante, friend to James, long blonde hair, resilient and supportive
Commander Richard Ford
authoritative figure, superior to James and Sarah, greying hair, strict yet fair
"Miller, get your ass in here!"
I hear the commander’s voice bellowing from his cabin.
I look over at Sarah, who is sitting on her bunk, and she gives me a nod.
I stand up and walk to the door of our cabin.
She’s right; I can’t keep him waiting.
I open the door and step out into the corridor, then make my way to the commander’s cabin.
When I reach it, I knock on the door and wait for him to call me in.
"Enter."
I open the door and step inside.
Commander Ford is sitting behind his desk, looking down at a piece of paper.
I left my friend and fellow soldier, Sarah Jennings, behind as I was urgently summoned by Commander Richard Ford.
As I stepped out of my cabin, I glanced at Sarah, who had her eyes fixed on the book in her hands.
She looked up and gave me a reassuring nod, understanding that this was something I had to face alone.
I acknowledged her gesture with a brief smile before heading to the commander's cabin.
Upon entering, I found Commander Ford sitting behind his desk, appearing stern as usual.
He questioned my decision to leave our defensive positions to pursue an unauthorized rescue mission beyond our usual territory, emphasizing the risks and consequences involved.
Despite my attempt to explain the necessity of rescuing our captured soldiers due to their critical condition and lack of reinforcements, he remained unmoved by my rationale, reminding me of his previous warnings about such actions.
His voice was cold and unyielding as he bluntly informed me that three soldiers were killed and two injured during the operation they had to mount to save me.
The mission had been costly—both in terms of lives lost and political implications for our outpost.
"Sit down," he says, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.
I do as he says and sit down, waiting for him to speak.
"Do you know why I called you in here?"
he asks, his eyes locked on mine.
I nod.
"Yes, sir."
He sighs and leans back in his chair, studying me for a moment before speaking again.
"You’re not authorized to leave our defensive positions. You know that. So why did you think it was a good idea to take a team and go after those soldiers on your own?"
I’ve been preparing my answer for this question since the moment we were rescued from that hellhole, but it’s still hard to put into words what happened on that mission.
"We couldn’t just leave them behind," I say quietly.
"They needed our help."
"You went after them without backup," he says, his voice cold and unyielding.
"Do you have any idea how reckless that was? How many lives were put at risk because of your decision?"
I can’t meet his gaze as he speaks; I know he’s right.
I keep my eyes trained on the floor as I reply.
"They were critical, sir. They needed help right away, and we couldn’t wait for reinforcements."
He sighs again and leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk.
"I’ve warned you before about taking unnecessary risks," he says.
"Your actions could have had serious consequences for this outpost. Three soldiers were killed, and two more were injured during the operation we had to mount to rescue you. The cost of your decision was too high."
He pauses for a moment, letting his words sink in.
"You let your desire for revenge cloud your judgment. You disregarded a direct order to maintain our defensive positions, and it could have cost you your life."
His voice is low and steady as he speaks, but I can still hear the anger in it.
I clench my jaw, resisting the urge to speak out of turn.
I know he’s right, but I’m tired of being reprimanded like a child.
I’ve done my best to follow his orders and be a good soldier, but sometimes I have to make decisions on the fly.
I can’t always wait for him to give me the go-ahead, especially in situations like the one we were in.
"Sir," I say finally, "with all due respect, I had no choice. If we hadn’t gone after them when we did, they would have been dead by the time reinforcements arrived."
He shakes his head.
I hear the commander’s voice bellowing from his cabin.
I look over at Sarah, who is sitting on her bunk, and she gives me a nod.
I stand up and walk to the door of our cabin.
She’s right; I can’t keep him waiting.
I open the door and step out into the corridor, then make my way to the commander’s cabin.
When I reach it, I knock on the door and wait for him to call me in.
"Enter."
I open the door and step inside.
Commander Ford is sitting behind his desk, looking down at a piece of paper.
He looks up at me as I close the door behind me.
I take a seat and wait for him to speak.
"Do you know why I called you in here?" he asks.
His voice is calm, but I can hear an edge to it that tells me he’s not happy.
I nod.
"Yes, sir."
He sighs and shakes his head.
"Then you know why you’re here. I want to hear your side of the story."
He leans back in his chair and stares at me, waiting for an answer.
"I did what I had to do, sir," I say finally.
"We couldn’t just leave them behind. They needed our help."
"You didn’t have to go after them alone," he says.
"You could have waited for reinforcements. I warned you about taking unnecessary risks. You put yourself and your team in danger because of your actions."
He pauses for a moment, letting his words sink in.
"I had no choice," I say quietly.
"I knew they were in trouble, and I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. I know I went against your orders, but I would do it again if it meant saving their lives."
He stares at me for a moment, his expression unreadable.
Finally, he nods and leans back in his chair.
"You need to be more careful, Miller," he says.
"You’re a good soldier, but you let your emotions get the best of you. You have to remember that we’re here to defend this outpost, not seek out personal revenge."
I nod, my jaw clenched tightly as I try to hold back my frustration.
"Three soldiers are dead because of your actions," he continues.
"Two more are injured. This outpost has suffered a major setback because you couldn’t follow orders. I hope this is a lesson for you."
His voice is cold and unyielding as he speaks, and I can hear the anger in it.
I’ve never seen him like this before; he’s always been a strict commander, but he’s never been this angry with me before.
I can’t meet his gaze as he speaks; I know he’s right.I keep my eyes trained on the floor as I reply.
"They were critical, sir. They needed help right away, and we couldn’t wait for reinforcements."
He sighs again and leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk.
"I’ve warned you before about taking unnecessary risks," he says.
"You’re a good soldier, but you let your emotions get the best of you. You have to remember that we’re here to defend this outpost, not seek out personal revenge."
I nod, my jaw clenched tightly as I try to hold back my frustration."Three soldiers are dead because of your actions," he continues.
"Two more are injured. This outpost has suffered a major setback because you couldn’t follow orders. I hope this is a lesson for you."
His voice is cold and unyielding as he speaks, and I can hear the anger in it.
I’ve never seen him like this before; he’s always been a strict commander, but he’s never been this angry with me before.
I can’t meet his gaze as he speaks; I know he’s right.
"Miller," he says sharply, and I look up to see him glaring at me.
"I’m not finished. I’m ordering you to stand down from your position as sergeant effective immediately. You are demoted to corporal as of now."
My heart sinks at his words, and I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut.
Being demoted is a serious blow to my career in the military; it will be years before I have another chance to move up in rank, if I ever do at all.
"Understood, sir," I say quietly, trying to keep my voice steady despite the shock and disappointment I’m feeling.
"This is your last warning, Miller," he says coldly.
"If you pull a stunt like this again, I will have no choice but to bring you up on charges and order a court-martial. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir," I reply, my voice barely a whisper as my heart beats painfully in my chest.
He stares at me for another moment before nodding curtly and standing up from his desk.
"That will be all. You’re dismissed."
I stand at attention for a moment longer before turning on my heel and saluting him one last time.
He returns the gesture before turning away from me, and I quickly leave his cabin and make my way back to the living quarters that Sarah and I share together.
She looks up from her bunk as I enter, her expression concerned as she watches me silently from across the room.
She looks up from her bunk as I enter, her expression concerned as she watches me silently from across the room.
I meet her gaze and nod, and something in my expression must give away how I’m feeling, because she nods in understanding and slowly stands up from the bed, setting her book down beside her as she crosses the room to stand before me.
I look down at her, my heart heavy with disappointment and regret at what I’ve done.
"I’m sorry," I say quietly, my voice rough with emotion.
"I let you down."