Captain Price entered the bare meeting room with a heavy heart. The room was bare, with only a long table and a few chairs. A large screen on the wall, and General Shepherd's serious face appeared on this screen. Price sat down slowly, the memories of the failed mission, the exchange of fire, the chaos, and especially the moment when one of his men was hit, kept coming back to him. A mistake? Or just bad luck?

Shepherd began without preamble "tell me what happened."

Price took a deep breath. "We were on target. Everything was going according to plan until we entered the building. Then everything happened quickly. The intel was faulty. We walked straight into an ambush." Shepherd's gaze hardened. "And what about Sergeant Miller? How did he get killed?" Price felt his stomach clench. "We were all under heavy fire, General. Miller was in the rear guard, securing the door while we worked our way further into the building. Then the sniper came. It happened so fast. I warned him, but it was too late."

Shepherd shook his head. "Couldn't you have assessed the situation differently?"

Price looked straight at the general. "Perhaps. But at that moment we acted to the best of our knowledge and belief. The target was time-critical and we had no room for delay. The decision"

Shepherd leaned back, his eyes fixed on Price. "So you take full responsibility for the loss?" Price nodded slowly. "Yes, General. The responsibility is mine. It was a decision made in seconds that meant the difference between life and death."

Shepherd looked at Price, then spoke in a quiet but firm voice: "This will have consequences, Captain. For you, for the team, for everyone."

Price nodded silently, got up and left the room. Outside he breathed in the cold air, trying to shake the weight of guilt from his shoulders. Slowly he looks at you, you were waiting for him. "This could be something," he mutters and walks away.