Meanwhile, at the MOA Complex, Conrad Hotel.
Thomas was in the command center, sitting at the head of the table as he was playing with a rubik's cube that he had gotten from the toy shop at the MOA shopping center. As he was immersed in playing it, he was interrupted by the young officer working in it.
"Sir," a young operator said, removing his headset and turning toward the center of the room. "We just received an encrypted distress transmission… It's from Bataan."
That single word changed everything.
Across the room, Thomas Estaris, dressed in his usual black tactical uniform with Overwatch insignia over his chest, slowly turned his head.
He had been leaning over a steel table, but now he stood fully upright.
"Put it on screen. Now," he said.
The operator didn't hesitate. Fingers flew across the keyboard.
The wall-mounted screen lit up.
Reaper One-One's live feed came into view—hovering in thermal mode over General De Vera's military compound.
Everyone in the room froze.
