17:34 planetary capital time, 17/09/1620 PD,
CorDefCom HQ, Ascension Spire, Cornucopia

Häkkinen was in the Command Room again looking over the Venterran lines which had now circled around Ascension Spire. The spire's artillery cannons were wrecking havoc on the encroaching Venterran forces, but the Venterran aircraft had started to find gabs in their defences and they were slowly eliminating the spire's outer defences. Most of the civilian population was moved in the spire's underground bunkers just under the factories which had been installed by the Firebases of the Support Dreadnoughts. The other spires of Cornucopia faced the same problems, two of them had already been breached by Venterran forces and the fighting had intensified. As Häkkinen stared again over the holomap showing him that Venterrans had breached the defensive lines, it became clear that Ascension Spire would soon face the same fate as the other spires. This war was a dreadful one, but news would soon spread to Häkkinen that would likely shatter him.
- "Sir, incoming transmission from the Venterrans." Shouted Colonel Qiu Ruogang, the Officer in charge of communications. 
Häkkinen strolled towards the Colonel's console with a face that said it all. Leave me alone, I've got a goddamn war to win.
- "Well, what is it?"
- "Sir... It's..."
- "Whatever it is, you better tell me. The Venterrans are going to push against our last defensive lines before they are able to breach the Ascension Spire."
- "I'm sorry, Sir. The Venterrans have glassed Ignis."
- "What?!"
Häkkinen felt as if a stake had gone through his heart. The pain nearly paralyzed him. He needed to see confirmation. He pushed the Colonel away and saw the transmission sent out by the Venterrans. It showed Recklez on his bridge as he looked over a planet. Shockingly it was indeed Ignis and Häkkinen felt the stake twisting in his heart. As the Venterran plasma beams fried Ignis' crust, a tear came from Häkkinen's right eye. He knew the spot which was first targeted. It was the capital city Lahti where three of his children lived alongside his elderly parents. All wiped out in a single blight. The message then zoomed out, showing dozens of plasma beams fire on even the natural wonders of Ignis. His world was now on fire.
- "Sir, the Venterrans are launching their attack." Shouted one of the Officers, unknowing of the Field Marshal's current state of torment.
Häkkinen turned around. His eyes were visibly red from the pain and the Command Room fell silent. He sniffed one more time before stepping towards the holomap.
- "Then we'll keep fighting. We must hold the Ascension Spire's walls."
Häkkinen then held off the Venterran attack for one more week. What seemed like a sure victory at the time with what the Venterrans hoped to be a compromised Commanding Officer, turned into one of the fighting's most brutal carnages.