I know that look (2021 Weekly 211)

“I know that look, sir."
Major ‘Rollo’ finally stopped walking. Miller had a tough time keeping tabs on her CO whenever he moved around. His subtle expressions were a chore to interpret, much more so when he was agitated. And while he tried to hide his grievances, Miller knew that she needed to address all of this.
And just as the man stopped walking, he asked.
"What look?" the look of a man who wore bloodshot eyes. His youthful demeanor had left him decades ago but now his wrinkles were much more prominent. That stare he was giving her didn't help.
"With respect, you're groveling." She stood her ground. Standing tall as she usually did whenever they had these bouts. Physically, this was an image of a six-foot four tall subordinate looking down on her six-foot tall superior. At the same time, mentally, the opposite was happening.
He was sucking out the life of her with that leer. And whatever remained of her after that was further strained with his following words.
"Of course, I'm groveling. Fifth Battalion just got wiped out in nuclear hellfire. And I'm cozy over here receiving their medal."
It wasn’t their fault, Miller knew, but commander Rollo was very critical of himself and the battalion. Heroes of the UEG tend to sell themselves short. Knowing that they had unfortunately played a part in the fifth’s destruction would shake anyone down to their core.
But they just had to keep moving on! She needed to remind him what they were here for. That even with all the advantages one could get, the reality of the universe and circumstances will always bite them back.
"You're not insinuating that we should've just stayed out and die right?" she asked, wanting to remind him that they too were not invulnerable behemoths.
"I should've gotten them out." he replied, as he always replied.
"Sir-" This was supposed to be an opening for Miller, but Rollo had interrupted her that made her stomach drop.
"Molina had kids, you know?" Silence. Felt like ten minutes to Miller but relativity was quite a different experience to everyone.
Instead of comforting the Major, Miller reminded him of the reality they were in.
"We move at best, a hundred kilometers an hour. A nuke's around three thousand. Fifth was near ground zero, never mind that we were too busy hammering the Bastogni at Niemen Normandie."
There was no heroic thrust on the Niemen-Normandie Highway were it not for Molina’s Fifth. They gave Rollo’s own battalion a chance to cutting the head of the Bastogni dragon in a swift stroke. It practically ended the war.
"Molina wouldn't have been in the blast zone if I didn't push so far." Hogwash, Miller thought.
"And if we stayed put, chances are we all would've been given a posthumous award for sacrificing our lives to the cause against Bastogne!"
That egged Rolo much more than he could hide. An entire battalion, dead, just because the planetary government had no qualms with escalating. Yet, he could sympathize with her anger.
The woman truly did believe that what they were doing on this dirt ball was worth everything. She saw him as those stalwart and steadfast heroes from the past – unbreakable, unyielding, and underappreciated. To see him wallow in despair angered her.
He did lead the charge that forced a surrender. Thousands - tens of thousands maybe - saved. The cost? Fifth Battalion.
“I just hope all of this was worth it.” Rollo said to no one. They didn’t get to continue this heated heart to heart. Miller backed down. Finally, content that her ‘hero’ had gotten out of the abyss.
She left him to gather his thoughts.
"Sir."
Earth folk always cared about the cause, thought Rollo. To them there was something always worth fighting for even when they were bled dry and white.
Another figure entered from the door and called for him.
A familiar face wrinkled and older than his. His short stature hid the beast that fell into this quagmire face first and with all his might transformed CENTCOM’s blunder into a sacrificial miracle. Rollo saluted the superior officer.
“Lieutenant Colonel Gerasimov, sir.”
"Major." The man pursed his lips and took out a tac-pad. Rollo’s curiosity gave in, and he couldn’t help but ask.
“I know that look sir.”