'It’s the Chaktaw.'
– The northern perimeter of Thebes offered three lines of defense.
Furthest out, the remains of a wall broken into isolated pillars of stubborn concrete and piles of debris loosely formed into berms. Stretches of rusting barbed wire, spiked ditches, and crosses that made Trevor think of tank- taps from his home world completed this line of physical obstacles that stood in poor condition, no more than an annoyance to an attacker.
According to Major Forest, explosive charges controlled from the 'Perimeter Command Center' overlooking the battlefield comprised the second line of defenses.
The third and final ring included concrete bunkers and earth works hiding infantry and machine gun nests. However, gaps in this line and a lack of personnel inhibited its effectiveness.
Trevor and Johnny followed Nina to the Perimeter Command bunker, an armored observation platform behind the three rings. There they found Director Snowe as well as an older black man named General Gronard. The General commanded three thousand soldiers of the First Legion manning the northern lines with elements of Snowe's Third Legion in support positions.
As he waited for the battle to begin, Trevor noted that the officers in the bunker spent more time consulting manuals and maps than observing the field before them.
When he expressed concern to Nina about a lack of preparation, she told him that The Committee had authored a booklet on procedures for defending the northern perimeter. The military followed that booklet-each and every time-to the letter.
Fortunately for the defenders of the city, Nina said that the Chaktaw had their own play book and they followed it time and time again. This was a well-learned and oft-practiced confrontation, and both sides knew the steps like country folk at a square dance
'They’re coming in. Heads up; artillery!'
Shouts of 'inbound!' echoed across the defensive lines.
Trevor ducked behind the protective plating of the bunker, but still dared a view toward the battlefield. He watched the first artillery bursts hit the lines. Seeing what that artillery did…it filled him with a sick sense of dread.
Not again.
Red balls of incoming fire smacked the ground with seemingly little effect; barely a tremor but leaving a glowing, hovering sparkle. That sparkle sucked in everything within a few meters like air rushing to fill a vacuum; sucked in and vaporized.
'Awe…shit. I hate these guys,' Trevor grumbled.
'Huh? You’ve fought the Chaktaw before?' Forest asked.
Johnny, crouched in a protective position, answered, 'We never learned their proper names. We dubbed them ‘Vikings.’ I suppose we can update our Hostiles Database.'
'What’s a Viking?'
'Never mind. It doesn’t matter. But they were some of the best fighters we faced.'
'Yeah, well, some things are the same over here,' Nina said
The strange artillery rounds poured in for several minutes but managed to inflict only a dozen casualties. It seemed the men of Thebes had grown accustomed to such a bombardment.
Bwoom! Phfffttt!
A ‘shell’ landed close enough to the bunker that the wind from the suction blew through the open viewport, causing papers and loose objects to whip about.
Nina told them, 'After the artillery they’ll try to find a hole, charge through, and we'll beat them back. After that, they'll go away until next time.'
'The machinations of their stratagem are quite apparent,' the Reverend analyzed. 'They are bleeding your manpower and supplies dry.'
Nina answered, 'Yeah, well, tell us something we don’t already know. They’ve been doing this for months.'
From across the bunker, General Gronard spoke in firm, steady voice issuing orders through a communications station. 'Prepare batteries one through six for reprisal fire.'
Trevor recalled the Battle of Five Armies noting, 'They did the same to us one time, but on a smaller scale. Back then they tried to do the job in hours. You've got more people than we had then, so they need months to do the job. Same tactic, just on a larger scale.'
Reverend Johnny replied, 'Ah yes, but I fear a bayonet charge is not a feasible solution.'
More enemy artillery slammed the three defensive rings. Shouts. Screams.
Frustrated, Nina said, 'I have no clue what you two are talking about, you know?'
Trevor touched her shoulder and said, 'It’s not important. You say they do this all the time. Do you respond the same way each time?'
'Of course. We always beat them back so until they change, why should we?'
Trevor overheard Director Snowe saying to Gronard, 'Where is your reprisal fire? Get those batteries going.'
'They had a technical problem in fire control. It should be operational in a moment.'
Trevor turned to Nina. 'Counter battery fire. That’s what you do, each time?'
She nodded.
Trevor stood-actually hunched-and moved over to the two commanding officers
'Director Snowe, General-Go-Tard?'
'Gronard.'
'Sorry. Listen, don’t fire your artillery.'
Gronard's expression suggested Trevor spoke words of insanity. He said, 'The Committee has set the procedures for defensive warfare based on extensive-' A nearby explosion caused him to pause. 'Each time we are successful. I see no reason to change tactics.'
Trevor’s said in a calm, reasoning voice, 'No, you do see a reason to change tactics. You’re a General. You’re a warrior. But you don’t want to go against The Committee.'
'The Committee is in charge.'
'The Committee is three bureaucrats trying to micromanage this war. You’re a General. You have to know that using the same tactics time and again is going to fail.'
'The Chaktaw don’t seem to think so.'
'They’re setting you up. You know that. What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about The Committee; if General Gronard had all the responsibility for protecting this city?'
The General considered. The incoming artillery barrage slowed to an occasional pop.
Gronard looked at Snowe who nodded, a little.
'Batteries one through six,' the commanding General radioed. 'Hold your fire. Re-set range to…to…' Gronard looked out from the bunker with his binoculars. '…re-set range to Alpha plus two hundred meters. Do not fire until I give the order. Do you understand?'
An unsure voice on the radio answered, 'Um…yes…sir.'
Gronard addressed both Trevor and Director Snowe, 'Right about now, they’re wondering why we haven’t returned fire.'
Snowe's eyes narrowed and he added, 'They may believe we lack ammunition.'
'Then they’ll come,' Gronard smiled. 'Probably thinking today's the day they break through.'
Stone asked, 'Am I right to guess you usually detonate those planted charges in the second defense line on their front wave?'
'Not today,' Gronard said. 'Today we’ll wait a bit.'
Snowe asked but without any sense of alarm, 'And if they do break through?'
'That’s what Third Legion is for, right?' Gronard answered with a question of his own.
'Where are the Third Legion support elements?' Trevor thought a step ahead.
'They’re in a staging facility by the weapons depot,' Snowe answered. 'They could be here in five minutes by foot.'
Trevor turned away from the two commanders and approached a table in the middle of the bunker. There he
