“Commander Riley! They’re here!” An eager soldier, who had quickly knocked on the door to Axton’s office, rushed in. Axton looked up from the map on his desk and nodded. “Thanks for letting me know! Send them to where Urep’s forces went. I’ll brief them tomorrow morning, and let them know that I apologize for the cramped living quarters.”
“Understood!” The soldier saluted Axton and ran off, leaving Axton staring at the map. “We should have enough troops to reclaim Norvstrom…but…what would the enemy’s response be to reclaiming the most vital town in the area?”
“Most likely launch a ferocious counterattack in hopes of destroying you before you become too much of a pest.”
Axton looked up and saw Kailyn as she entered the room. “Apologies for not knocking on the door, but considering it was already open…”
Axton nodded. “It’s alright, but you’re also probably right. If we reclaim Norvstrom, we’ll become a major threat to the rebels…”
“The one thing that Killian is trying to prevent is a war on two fronts, and if you continue to win and drive back his supporters, he’ll send more resources our way to defeat us. However, talking about what might happen after the battle isn’t what I’m here to talk about. Do you mind if I shut the door?”
“Go for it.”
Kailyn quickly closed the door and walked up to Axton’s desk. “I want to talk to you about the governor that we’ve been entrusted with protecting.”
“...what about him?”
“I’m sure you noticed just how…quickly he was willing to abandon the people of this region, leaving them to their fates. Unfortunately, there’s a reason why he was made governor of a remote region with a relatively smaller population than the rest of the nation. While it’s obvious many politicians don’t have the needs of the people in mind, some maintain at least an outward front of compassion for the people. Urep only looks out for himself and no one else.”
“What happened to make you think that?”
“Killian, while making the wrong decision in starting the war, was right about one thing: corruption within the government, especially with our governor. It’s a widely known secret that Urep has taken massive bribes to allow some unscrupulous individuals to take root in Norvstrom. Shakedowns of the local residents for ‘protection’ are common, and Urep looks the other way. During his political rise, he was a mayor in Belon. At first, he truly was a politician for the people. He was a staunch supporter of human rights and increased freedoms for all. However, after he won governorship over the northern territories that border Acray, where solid leadership is needed most, that’s when his slide into the person he is began. Bribes, repression of freedom of speech if it was critical of him, and even some alleged links to criminal syndicates and even having been investigated for potentially being involved in a murder.”
“Then…why is he…”
“He still has connections, such as with our prime minister. They grew up together, so Urep has been able to continue his political career while also not causing as many issues as he had in the past.”
“I see…well then, I’ll have to take whatever advice he gives with a grain of salt so to speak. Do you know if the men he brought with him are loyal to him or to Eshal?”
“I’d bet my money that many of them are loyal to Eshal, but I wouldn’t be surprised if about a hundred of them are loyal to Urep himself. My advice is this: just like he was planning on using you as his ticket back to the capital to safety, you use him to your advantage while you can. He does know how to lead and inspire people, so make use of that talent. Use his political connections, and if he balks, be sure to talk in a very public area. He does cave when it comes to peer pressure.”
“How do you know all this?”
“Intelligence reports that I got when I first became commander. You would have received your own, but considering civil war broke out right after you had taken command…”
“I never got them.”
“Correct.”
Axton sighed. “What a time for me to assume command…thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
“Anytime. I’m the reason why so many of your troops were killed, and I expect to receive a bunch of hatred from the nation after this is over. I just want to do what I can to prevent more deaths than what is necessary, with both your troops and the innocent civilians.”
Another knock on the door interrupted the chat. “Come in!”
Jaylee opened the door. “Axton, I see that the reinforcements have arrived. So, what’s your next plan should we not get any other orders?”
“We attack Norvstrom, and I think I already have a plan of attack, though I’ll need to scout out the enemy forces before I can issue the orders.”
“What’s the plan?”
Axton waved both of them over to where he was looking at the map. The map was a five year old map of Norvstrom which included details about military installations in the city. “With Our forces being around equal strength, we’re at a clear disadvantage, even with the reinforcements. Sure, we now have archers which helps in a semi-walled town, but these fortifications here and here directly block our way to the governor’s mansion, where I assume our two commanders will be leading their troops from.”
“So, what do you have in mind to even out the odds?”
Axton looked at Kailyn. “Luckily for us, the enemy is still under the impression that you joined their side and were under orders to march towards Norvstrom once you had defeated us. Those orders will be carried out. Having Kailyn and her troops infiltrate the town, she can have soldiers at the choke points that make it difficult for us, eliminating much of the resistance towards us at those locations. This would then allow our troops to have a direct path towards the mansion. Capture the commanders, and the rest of their forces will either surrender, flee, or become so disorganized, their resistance would be easily able to overcome. If everything goes according to plan, most of our soldiers will return unharmed and will live to fight another day.”
Jaylee nodded her head in agreement. “I…actually wholeheartedly agree with this strategy. Though Kailyn and her troops will face the most danger…”
“I understand, and I’m sure my troops will understand too. This gives us the best chance of victory and will limit the amount of house-to-house fighting and civilian casualties. I’m in.”
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