General Serrano

Isabella looked to her left, seeing General Serrano, his posture straight and his eyes focused on her.

Her mother sat in Romero's chair, opposite Isabella, offering a smile of support.

The room was silent, everyone waiting for her to speak. "Now that Romero has been captured, we must plan our next move carefully," she said, her voice commanding. "But first, I would like to welcome General Serrano's presence to our meeting, as he is here to deliver his report on our war against the guerillas."

Serrano nodded at her, then stood up. He looked around the room, taking in the faces of the cabinet members. "It is my duty to inform you that the military is still struggling to quell the communist insurgency, as they have begun displaying signs of advanced armaments, military training, and sophisticated communication equipment. Their ambushes are now coordinated, and we have lost a lot of good men in the past few days."

Isabella's eyes narrowed. "Do we have any idea where they are getting these supplies from, General?"

Serrano shook his head. "No, Presidente, though I bring evidence that may point to their source of weaponry. This rifle was recovered from a fallen insurgent, one of many."

He produced a rifle from underneath the table, placing it on the surface in front of him. The weapon was sleek and modern, its black barrel and stock gleaming in the artificial light of the conference room.

Isabella leaned forward to inspect the rifle, her eyes tracing its lines. It was a familiar sight, a weapon she had seen many times before, but only in the hands of her soldiers.

"This is a M16, I believe? We made a sizable purchase of them from the Americans after they left Vietnam." Her fingers traced the contours of the weapon, feeling the cold steel under her touch.

Serrano nodded. "Yes, Madam Presidente. It is now standard issue among our frontline troops. At first, we assumed they had scavenged it from our fallen soldiers, but look at the serial number - we kept extensive records of our purchases from the Americans, and this rifle has never been in our inventory. And that's not all. They have access to rocket launchers, anti-air missiles, stuff that even we don't have much of."

Isabella's expression darkened. "Then the question becomes, who is supplying them? You think it's the Americans?"

Serrano shrugged. "We can't be sure, but it is certainly possible. We are, after all, not an ally officially. They might be using the rebels as a proxy to attack us without the Soviets interfering."

The rest of the Cabinet looked worried, but Isabella's mind was elsewhere. She was thinking back to the mysterious Mr. Green, who had met with Romero before her father's **** at the hands of guerillas. Was this part of their plan?

She shook her head, dismissing the thought. "Whatever the reason, we must find a way to counteract their new capabilities. We can't afford to be outgunned by a bunch of guerillas. I'm putting you, General, in charge of this task, and you will have every resource you need to accomplish it. We cannot let the communists get the upper hand."

Serrano nodded, his expression determined. "Understood, Madam President."

Lose [Communist Threat], gain [War Progress]