Page 79 of Resurgent

“Once we lose supplies, we have a history of either retreating or diverting another unit to protect the route. Either way, they've achieved their objective without ever needing to hold the original position.”

The room is silent.

Major Calderon studies him.

“And what would you do?”

Matt doesn't hesitate when he says, “Let them take it.”

A few people shift and Calderon raises an eyebrow, shocked or impressed, I’m not sure.

“Explain.”

“Withdraw the northern unit before they can trap it. Keep the supply route defended. Let Clowess occupy the town. We should be focused on cutting off their retreat.”

Calderon folds his arms. “You'd willingly surrender territory?”

“For a position we don't actually need in a town that’s been long abandoned? Absolutely. We aren’t protecting anyone or anything by preventing their entry, but if we can cutoff their return routes, they walk right into our trap.”

Something in me clicks; Mattey hasn’t just been learning strategy theories, he’s learning to read the battlefield differently. Look at what Clowess is doing and why, and then find a way to stop them from doing it again.

Major Calderon gestures to the map, “And what would you call that?”

“Strategic bait.”

Calderon nods approvingly. “Exactly. Go ahead and take your seat...And impressive job.”

He turns toward the class.

“Recruit Reyes has identified the primary principle of today's lesson. A commander who reacts to every movement his enemy makes has already surrendered the initiative.

“There is a difference between winning ground and winning a war. It’s imperative the people we trust to lead us, remember that difference.”

Matt returns to his spot beside me, catching me staring at him almost instantly.

I shake my head. “You’re fucking incredible at this.”

Matt grins, "I had a lot of time to study while you healed. And the books were far better company than the ogre sitting in the living room."

That’s how he passed nearly two weeks of me being unconscious and then unable to train. Hours upon hours lying in the bed beside me with books he'd pulled from Hunter's shelves.

Strategy books, military theory, whatever else Hunter has that he’d let Matt borrow and read them while I slept.

I'd teased him about the giant stack when I’d noticed them, and he'd told me he'd only skimmed them when he was bored. I had no idea he’d learned all of this.

The lecture continues, and Matt answers question after question, not always correctly, but often enough that Major Calderon starts directing questions specifically at him.

And every answer is thoughtful and measured.

Patterns and predictions of movements.

It's crazy to see how far everyone has come in the time I've been gone.

Emily is faster, stronger, and somehow even more terrifying.

Sasha has sharpened her spell work.

Even Ian has become slightly more confident with healing.