by N. C. Reed
“Yes,” Davies nodded. “And that would hurt. We would need to divert enough manpower from here that it would severely weaken us on this front. And while they're weakened as well, it's not enough to keep them from attacking even if we maintain our current strength level and trust that they won't strike south.”
“Something is off about this,” Parno shook his head. “It's too easy.”
“Milord?” Davies asked.
“It's too easy,” Parno repeated. “It's like they don't care if we see this move. Almost as if they're daring us to do something about it. Or maybe even trapping us into it,” he thought back to the first time they had seen Imperial soldiers moving west along that road.
“Would they sacrifice two infantry divisions to set that up?” Davies sounded incredulous. “Even for them...”
“No, I think you were right about those,” Parno was shaking his head. “I think that was just an exercise. Meant to let their men work off some steam and keep their generals from raising too much hell. But the fact that we destroyed those two has lit a fire under them. That's not a bad thing,” he added as Davies began to apologize. “I'm just saying that was the catalyst for all this. Maybe it is that they're just going to set up shop to show us that if they want something they’ll get it. Or to get us to split our forces.” Parno paused, hand on his chin as he studied the map.
“The thing is I've had this uneasy feeling for several days now,” he said finally. “As if there was something I was missing, somehow. I'm not saying that's what it is, just that's what it feels like. I get those feelings when things are tense and I'm in a position where I can make a bad mistake. It's like an intuition, I suppose.”
“Is it usually right?” Davies asked, interested.
“Usually,” Parno nodded. “But is that a strong enough guide to commit so many men to what may be a snipe hunt? I honestly just don't know,” he admitted. “But there is something wrong here, General. I know there is, I just can't put my finger on it.” Abruptly, he turned away from the map.
“Have scouts continue to watch that column. And send someone for General Wilbanks, please. Oh, and I need a Pioneer company prepared to ride. Horse mounted with pack animals only. They’ll need to move fast. They need to be prepared to destroy the bridges here, and here,” he tapped two places on the map. “Ideally, they’ll be ready in the morning, but definitely the day after.”
“I’ll make those arrangements now, milord,” Davies nodded.
“I need to walk,” Parno said absently. “I need to think.”
-
Parno walked through camp without really paying attention to where he was going. A screen of Berry's command kept him inside a bubble as he moved, ensuring that he wasn't disturbed and occasionally that he didn't walk into a tent or a wagon. Parno took no note of that as his mind worked the problem before him.
If he ignored the large troop concentration moving west right now, they would certainly be in a position to strike south. The infantry would move slowly and the artillery wouldn't move any quicker. He estimated it would take them at least five days of good travel time and a minimum of two river crossings to reach Jason. To reach Shelby would require a minimum of three river crossings and take at least twice that long, even with good weather.
A scout riding from Unity would need most of a day riding hard to reach Parno at headquarters and let him know that the Imperials were striking south from Unity. Assuming he could prepare a response to march by the next morning, he would need a minimum of three days for a cavalry force to reach Jason, and that was in a perfect world where they got away before full dawn and rode until it was too dark to see. Four days would be more accurate, which would be cutting it very close.
Next was the fact that in order to counter such a big move he would need to commit almost all of his cavalry to the action, leaving him perhaps one division to spare that would have enough mobility to guard his flanks or respond to an emergency. He wasn't sure that was enough, even if it was Wilbanks' newly trained outfit. And he really thought he would need Wilbanks' division to aid the cavalry sent toward Jason, but he wasn't sure.
Allen, Coe and Vaughan had done very well, and their men had done wonderfully. He could always add Fordyce and Bellamy's divisions to Allen's 'corps' and send them all hurtling toward the enemy incursion. With the Pioneer company ahead of them, damaging or destroying key bridges, the enemy's rate of advance would slow considerably, especially with the river crossings. He couldn't recall any easily reachable fords along those rivers, which would mean they would have to either build a log bridge to cross on or else build a ferry. He would go with log bridges himself, floating on the water and lashed to the shore, but would that allow for so many wagons to cross? Would it support the weight? He needed to ask an engineer that question. He turned to tell Harrel to make a note of that and stopped short.
Harrel isn't here any more, he reminded himself sadly. He had come to depend on the very capable secretary, never realizing that he was much more capable than he let on. Shaking his head, he continued his walk, making a mental note to ask an engineer about the weight issue.
They would lose at least a day constructing new log bridges, and perhaps as much as another day getting everything across the river on such a flimsy construct. Floating bridges, no matter how well constructed could not support the same weight and speed that a solid, embedded bridge could handle. While they could make many floating bridges with the manpower at their disposal, the bridges themselves still wouldn't support the weight. No, at least a day would be lost. Maybe two.
Extra time in which his men could maneuver into position. Perhaps even strike the enemy as they sat against the river, waiting for new bridges to be constructed. That could prove decisive, catching the enemy unprepared. But how likely would they be to simply leave their forces in line of march instead of deploying them into defensive postures while they waited for the brides to be finished?
“Not very,” he murmured, unaware he had spoken out loud.
“Not very?” he almost jumped out of his skin as Cho Feng spoke from beside him. “Not very what?”
“Wha-, when did you get here?!” Parno demanded, looking around. His escort were all looking anywhere but at him, some obviously fighting not to laugh. They looked away guiltily when he glared, but were unable to smother their humor.
“I have been here for some time,” Feng's face was stolid. “Watching you walk and think. Amazing how you cannot do one without the other. It is a wonder you get anything done.”
“Oh, you're a funny guy, aren't you?” Parno growled.
“You have not answered my question,” Cho Feng said.
“What question?”
“You said 'not very', and I asked what you meant.”
“I did?” Parno frowned. “I don't remember saying that.”
“Well, you did,” Cho assured him. “Now what did you mean?”
“I was thinking about how likely the enemy was to leave their troops conveniently in line of march while they stopped to build bridges. The answer was 'not very'.”
“An excellent observation,” Feng nodded. “And an accurate summation no doubt. What does this do to your line of thought?”
“I have to figure whether I can afford to ignore this movement or not,” Parno continued. “Can I move troops in time to oppose them if they head south? If they turn toward Jason then I would have at most five days to get a force large enough to stop them in place. Jason is the largest city in this region outside of Shelby, but unlike Shelby it has no garrison at all, just a small militia detachment. There are no defenses, nothing. If they get that far they can destroy everything and everyone and unless I can get a large enough force there in time I can't prevent it.”
“Can you?”
“Technically,” Parno nodded slowly. “But it would all but strip us of cavalry on this front. And if they can't bring the enemy to a decisive engagement then they would have to stay there, holding them at bay. Which would leave us permanen
tly weak here. Our defense of this position would be reduced to tenuous at best and make any offensive movement completely impossible, even if we got 2nd Corps back and factored in the new men now being trained. We would face a permanent standoff, almost.”
“What do you know of your enemy?” Cho asked. Parno considered that before answering.
“So far my enemy has not shown any real creativity but... he hasn't needed it. He had the strength to bull his way this far south before we could stop him. While his past behavior indicates he won't do anything bold or rash, I can't count on that. His recent failures and partial successes will make him want to take some kind of action. The question is what he will do, and where.”
“What can you do short of moving so many troops to counter this new development?” Cho prodded.
“I could send my cavalry in force to try and wreck the entire expedition, but again that leaves me without their presence here. In addition to that, our own losses would no doubt be considerable in both horses and in men. Otherwise, all I can do is keep an eye on them and have men standing by to be prepared to make their move south as difficult as possible. Destroying bridges, laying traps, that kind of thing.”
“What are you overlooking?” Cho asked him, eyebrows raised. Parno thought about that, knowing that Cho had already found something lacking. It hit him like a brick.
“The Tribals,” he almost breathed. “Where are they and what are they doing?”
“Very good,” Cho nodded. “They may not be a large force but they are ruthless and fast moving, correct?”
“Yes,” Parno nodded.
“Do not forget to factor such a group into your thinking, young warlord. If you do they will appear and surprise you at the worst possible time.”
“Any time right now is the worst possible time,” Parno admitted. “I had hoped for just a little more time.”
“The enemy has apparently decided to refuse you that time. You must examine realistic options. This is open ground, no?” Cho coached.
“It is, but it is also desperate ground,” Parno replied. “We had to fight and try to hold them here refusing them further entrance into our Kingdom.”
“Why?”
“Why what?” Parno looked puzzled. “Why fight? I just told you.”
“What is here but ground,” Cho motioned around them. “What do they gain if you withdraw?”
“They gain the field and can go where they please,” Parno pointed out. “Not least of which is to out maneuver me and head for Shelby, catching Raines between this force,” he pointed north toward the enemy lines, “and the one across the river. I can't allow that to happen.”
“The further the enemy encroaches into your territory, the more difficult his position becomes, yes?” Cho asked.
“Possibly,” Parno nodded. “I chose to fight here because the army was already here and the enemy gave battle. I had weapons that could turn the tide so I used them.”
“To what advantage?”
“To buy time,” Parno replied, trying to see what Cho Feng wanted him to see. “I needed time. I still need time. I was buying that time here.”
“A wise stratagem while the enemy is still and offers no more than straightforward battle. But that time appears to have ended, no?”
“It appears to,” Parno nodded.
“So realistically now, what are your options?” Cho pushed. “Not just with the mobile force moving west, but overall. What options lie before you?”
“I can wait and let the enemy have the initiative, I can retreat and let them have more ground, or I... or I can attack,” he said suddenly. “I can attack them even as they are preparing to attack me.”
“Can you though?” Cho asked. “What does your enemy number?”
“With that bunch gone... around two hundred thousand I should think,” Parno chewed on his lip. “All of it infantry, apparently, since we think they sent all their available cavalry west with that column.”
“And what can you muster?” Cho asked.
“We can muster around half that with 1st Corps, plus another... forty-five to fifty-five thousand cavalry, depending on what I have to send to screen against a movement south.”
“And you think that is sufficient to attack an entrenched and prepared enemy?” Cho asked.
“Not in most cases, but if they're preparing to hit me then they will be occupied with those preparations!”
“And if you are wrong and they are not distracted but are in fact inviting you to attack in hopes that you will?”
“Then my army will be badly hurt if not destroyed and we lose the war,” Parno lost his enthusiasm all at once. “But Cho, I can't withdraw,” he added. “This is a good position and we're in decent shape. Entrenched fairly well behind good barriers and with our artillery sighted and set. We need to hold this position if we can.”
“Is there any way that this enemy movement can make your position here untenable?” Cho asked.
“Only by striking south toward unprotected towns or threatening Raines' flank and rear at Shelby,” Parno replied.
“So,” Feng put his hands behind him, looking at the ground as they walked, clearly in lecture mode. “You cannot risk attack on a grand scale for fear of losing not just the battle but the war. You can interdict the moving column but only by weakening your position here. But what if they do nothing?”
“Which ones?”
“What if this column seizes this small town?” Cho asked. “It is abandoned, is it not, according to your cavalry leaders?”
“Yes.”
“Then it is of no consequence,” Cho made a shooing motion with his hand. “It means nothing. The importance of the position for the enemy is the intersecting roads that lead south. Yet there is no guarantee they will use those roads. They may simply occupy the town and surrounding area for no other reason than to distract you and pull troops away from this front.”
“Yes.”
“So, what are you plans?” Cho stopped abruptly. “You know all of these facts, young warlord. You have a great deal of information. You know the capabilities of your army, and you are familiar with the capabilities of your enemy. So, what is the most prudent move, considering your options and your requirements. Are you on desperate grounds?”
Parno considered that for a moment before shaking his head.
“It isn't so simple this time,” he said finally. “The ground is open, allowing maneuver warfare, but... if we allow them to start moving forward while we're retreating, we may not be able to stop them again. We have to hold them here if we can. Just a few miles south they're planting crops and growing beef that we need to feed this army and the rest of the people. We can't give up any more. Right now, we have to tighten our belt and do without as you said. Lose more and... we face starvation. My army can't fight if it's starving.”
“A hungry army faces defeat at the hands of a well-supplied enemy,” Cho nodded. “Again, I ask you, what will you do? You know your options and the disposition of the enemy forces. You know that offensive warfare, while tempting, is not feasible. Your answer lies before you.”
“I think this movement is one of three things,” Parno ticked items off on his fingers. “One, it's a feint to draw my cavalry away before they attack my position. Two, it's just a dare. We destroyed two divisions that tried to take that town and now they're going to take it in force and dare us to come and take it back. And three, it's in preparation for moving south.”
“Of these which is most likely?” Cho queried.
“Either the feint or the dare,” Parno decided. “Even though a force that large could be a threat in open ground, it's slow and ponderous. The enemy knows if they head south our cavalry can interdict them.”
“And of those two, which would you expect?”
“I...” Parno paused. “What if it's a combination of the two?” he had a sudden inspiration.
“What?”
“What if their general is being crafty?” Parno explained. “He sends th
is group to take the town as a dare, and if I respond to it then he launches an attack on my position here. If I don't react then he has established a strong position independent of his main lines and will have time to harden it in a way that would make it almost impossible for me to eradicate.”
“An independent position that must be periodically resupplied, no?” Cho prodded gently.
“Yes,” Parno nodded slowly, trying to see what Cho was hinting at. “I can isolate that new position and prevent resupply, perhaps. And,” he began to warm up, “the likelihood of that relatively small force heading south on their own, so far from resupply, is unlikely as well.”
“Excellent,” Cho nodded firmly. “I ask you again; what can you do? There is one way to prevent the enemy from occupying the town,” he suggested. Parno looked at him in puzzlement, but slowly realization dawned.
“I can destroy it,” he sighed, shaking his head. “Homes, businesses, personal belongings...” he trailed away thinking about what he was considering.
“I would submit to you that any who fled would have taken their most important possessions with them when they departed,” Cho said softly. “And the loss of even a home outweighs losing one’s life or losing a war upon which rests your very existence.”
“I know,” Parno said sadly. “I just hate to do it.”
“Of course, you do,” Cho agreed. “No good ruler would gleefully engage in destruction of his own people's homes and livelihoods. Yet no good ruler would allow his nation to be overrun when he could by any means prevent it.”
“I need to get back.”
-
“General, summon General Allen,” Parno ordered as he walked back into the headquarters tent. “I need to see him as soon as possible. Has General Wilbanks reported yet?”
“Here, sir,” Wilbanks said from behind him. Parno motioned for Wilbanks to join him at the wall map.
“I need you to detach one battalion from your division and send them here,” he indicated Unity on the map. “Upon arrival they are to ensure the town is empty and then burn it to the ground. I don't want the Imps to find anything but ashes when they get there.”
