"Operation Vips VANQUISH" ... but it wasn't

Commando's Log; Thursday, 6 November 2025 – TheLaW reporting for duty

Before we dive into the events of this mission, I’d like to take a moment to salute my fellow commando who held the line while I was on leave from the battlefield.
I had been granted temporary leave to visit family and recharge, but now I’m back — boots laced, ready for action, and eager to get back into the fight.

Mission Briefing

This battle wasn’t just another match on the schedule — it meant something.
This squad was the first opponent we ever faced, and the first one to defeat us. That loss stayed with us, buried deep in the back of our minds. So when we got the chance to meet them again, the air around the camp was heavy. We were calm on the surface, but every commando knew: this was a redemption mission.
We had something to prove... to them, but even more to ourselves.

Set 1 – The Wake-Up Call

The battle began, but our unit… was still half asleep.
The enemy moved fast, finding gaps in our defense, picking us apart one position at a time. Every attack felt like a test we hadn’t studied for.

When we finally snapped out of our daze.. maybe from the shock of enemy fire or from the sting of pride, it was already too late to recover. The set slipped away before we could steady our rifles.

But even though we lost the opening round, something clicked. The squad was finally awake. The fight had officially begun.

Set 2 – Tactical Response

Now the commandos were locked in. Communication was sharp, movements calculated, and trust absolute.
The enemy tried to protect themselves by raising their shields against our front-line artillery. But commandos don’t waste ammo, we adapt.

We quickly scouted the field, noticed that their backcourt was unguarded, and switched strategies.
Suddenly, our attacks came from deep. Precise, unexpected, and deadly.

Our outside hitter deserves a Medal of Honor for the way he dissected the enemy line. Every hit was a strike of intent, and by the end, their formation was in ruins.
Set won. Confidence restored. The mission was back on track.

Set 3 – Momentum Lost

We marched into the third set with momentum on our side and fire in our eyes. The goal: break the opponent’s spirit completely.
But the enemy refused to crumble. They revealed a new weapon. A jump serve that caught our defense completely off guard.

They hadn’t used that move in our first encounter, and it disrupted our rhythm just enough to turn the tide.
Despite an early lead, they clawed their way back and flipped the set in their favor.

We fought hard, regrouped, and counterattacked, but the enemy’s resilience was impressive. The effort was there, the heart was there, but the points just weren’t enough.
Set lost — a harsh reminder that even the best soldiers can lose ground when focus slips.

Set 4 – Regroup and Retaliate

At the start of the fourth set, morale was low and energy fading.
But then our chief made a crucial tactical change — a shift in formation that changed everything. Suddenly, our defense started to click. Our shields blocked enemy fire left and right, while our artillery returned fire with precision.

The combination of backcourt fire, outside bombardments, and diagonal strikes left the enemy scrambling for cover. The momentum swung in our favor again, and with every point we gained, the fire in our unit grew stronger.

We took that set with authority. The battle was tied, and the enemy could feel the ground shaking beneath them.
The commandos were coming.

Set 5 – The Final Stand

We entered the last set with confidence and determination.
Our chief, ever the strategist, noticed that every set we’d won was played on the right side of the court. So he gave the order to fight on that side again. A psychological edge to keep our momentum alive.

But the enemy wasn’t planning to surrender. They struck with brutal precision, attacking hard and fast, tearing through our defensive lines. Within minutes, the scoreboard read 8–3. We had a mountain to climb.

Our reserve troops on the bench rose to their feet, rallying behind us with unshakable energy.
Their shouts ignited the fire we needed. We clawed our way back point by point until we were just one point behind. The comeback was within reach.

Then came the turning point.
A massive strike from our side sent the opponent’s libero crashing to the ground. The gym went silent. It looked like our point. But somehow, the referee saw something else and gave the point to the opponent.

That single call shattered our momentum and handed the victory to them.
Set lost. Battle lost.

Final Debrief

We may have lost this battle,
but the war is far from over.

This squad of commandos is learning, growing, and adapting after every fight.
Our unity is stronger, our tactics sharper, and our hunger unmatched.

We are regrouping.
We are refocusing.
And we are coming for you.

– Commander TheLaW, signing off