27
Mobilization
By fall, almost a full cycle into the civil war, the Loyalists had driven the TGA out of Lamaine Shane, Lower Azollo, Ock Mezan, Muhl and most of Turvin. In Turvin, only Soni and Tuht remained in TGA hands. They still controlled Azollo, since the Loyalists had yet to set their sights on the conquest of that last continent, but Loyalist militia units were actively engaging the TGA on a daily basis and growing stronger each day. It was clear to most observers that the TGA had been beaten but they stubbornly refused to accept their fate.
In the new command center in the Tunisu Islands off the southern coast of Turvin, Leek, Tam and the general staff were gathered to discuss a final assault on Soni and Tarizon’s capital city, Shisk. All agreed that if Shisk fell, Videl Lai would have no choice but to surrender and the war would be over.
“The intelligence reports coming in from the area indicate the TGA is fortifying its defenses in expectation of our assault,” General Zitor advised. “The battle for Shisk will be a costly one for both sides. As you know, General Bratfort’s 4th TGA Army, which was driven out of Quori, has been transported to Soni where it is in the process of being reorganized, strengthened and refitted. Knowing the General, it will be a formidable army when we engage it. This force, along with the 24th Army which has defended Soni since the war began, will make our task doubly difficult.”
“Why don’t we do what the TGA did in Shini—drop a hundred thousand super vipers on the dome?” General Lugman suggested.
“No,” Leek protested. “That would result in the death of a lot of innocent civilians and leave the city in ruins.”
“I agree,” Tam said. “We need to come up with a strategy that will minimize collateral damage. Remember, Shisk has been the capital of Tarizon since unification. There’s a lot of history there that must be preserved.”
“What do you suggest then, Commander Lanzia?” General Lugman asked. “How are we to penetrate such a formidable defense? There must be over a million men in those two armies.”
“I think we should mass on their northwest perimeter and drive into Soni like a locomotive.”
“What’s a locomotive?” General Lugman asked. “I’m afraid I’m not an Earthchild, so I don’t know these things.”
“It’s a means of mass transit on Earth similar to our trams but much slower and less efficient. But a locomotive is heavy and when it gets moving nothing can stop it.”
“But that will cause much destruction as well.”
“True. But we can restrict the assault to a narrow corridor that is mainly industrial and won’t cause a lot of unnecessary deaths. We’ll drive straight through to the Capitol Building quickly before they have time to regroup.”
“What makes you think they can’t and won’t stop this locomotive?” General Lugman questioned. “They’ll have the entire perimeter guarded.”
“True. So, we’ll have to create some diversions.”
“What kind of diversions?”
“Threebeard said he could easily get the mutants living inside the dome to go on a rampage. This would pull defenses away from the perimeter to deal with the civil unrest. We could also mass troops at one or two other logical invasion points to make them think we’re coming in there rather than at the assault point we ultimately pick.”
General Lugman shook his head and sighed. “But we’ll have to mass troops on our targeted entry point too, so they’ll be expecting us there.”
“No,” Leek replied evenly. “At nightfall there’ll be few, if any, Loyalist forces at the targeted entry point. The redeployment will be done quietly during the night.”
“But they have night vision equipment. Someone will be watching the perimeter and will see the redeployment.”
“Maybe, so that’s why I thought it would be a good night for a celebration. The one cycle anniversary of the formation of the Loyalist movement will be here in seven days. I think that calls for lots of fireworks and loud music.”
General Zitor began to laugh. “Brilliant, General Lanzia! The fireworks will blind anyone watching with night vision equipment and the music will camouflage any noise we make in the redeployment.”
“It sounds like we’ve got our work cut out for us,” Tam said. “Do you think seven days is enough time for us to get in position around the city? What if the TGA tries to hold us up at the Soni border?”
“We have to be ready. Reliable sources have advised us that Videl Lai will only be in the city another eight days before he goes to Dark Land for a conference with leaders of the Azollo nations. We must commence our assault before he leaves.”
“Then I’d like the 5th Army to spearhead the attack, sir,” Tam said.
Leek nodded. “Yes, my thoughts as well. The entry point I have in mind is closest to where your army will be situated when it arrives at the dome.”
Leek went to a map on the wall of Shisk and the surrounding terrain. He pointed to a tram station and entry station on the northeast perimeter and then took a marker and drew a straight line to the Capitol Building. “If we follow this line we can create a narrow corridor for our troops to pour into the city with minimum destruction of life and property.”
“What’s to prevent the TGA from cutting through the corridor and encircling half of our troop?”
“I’m sure that’s exactly what they would normally do, except, about the time they get that bright idea, we’ll attack from the south. They won’t dare weaken their defensive positions while under an all out attack.”
General Lugman sighed. “Well, I could see your plan working if nothing went wrong, but it could well end up in a colossal disaster.”
“Anything we do will be risky, but I like Commander Lanzia’s strategy and move we adopt it,” General Zitor said.
“I concur, “Tam said.
“Well, I’m sure Threebeard helped you concoct this plan,” General Lugman replied. “So, it would be useless for me to oppose it, but permit me to play devil’s advocate, as they say on Earth, so we can address the obvious weaknesses in your strategy.”
“Yes, I appreciate your candor, General Lugman,” Leek said in a sincere tone, “and I look forward to your keen observations as I tend to be an optimist like my father.”
“Yes, your father. That reminds me, someone told me of how he helped the Loyalist on Earth escape the TGA. When this is war is over we’ll have to honor him in some fashion.”
Leek nodded appreciatively. He wondered what his father and mother were doing at that moment. Could they even imagine what he was doing here on Tarizon. He thought of his little sister Marcia. He yearned to tell her of all his adventures. He laughed as he imagined what her reaction would be.
“What was that?” General Lugman asked.
“Ah. . . . Nothing. I was just thinking of a game I played with my father as a child. It was called ‘Axis and Allies.’ Today reminds me of playing that game.”
“Except today men will die if your strategy turns out to be flawed,” the General noted.
“Yes,” Leek replied confidently, “so we must do everything in our power to make sure it works. If you discover any other weaknesses, general, I want to hear about them.”
“Believe me, I won’t hold anything back.”
“Good. Then I think we’re done here.”
That night Leek called Lorin as he had been doing for some time now. He looked forward to their little bedtime chats. Although they’d tried for a while to keep their conversations of a personal nature, that soon proved impossible as they valued each other’s opinions and counsel on the war and politics. He punched Lorin’s number into the GC. She answered at once.
“Is it midnight already?” Lorin said softly.
“Yes, the days are flying by, aren’t they?’
“I should say so. How’d the meeting with the general staff go?”
“They accepted my assault strategy without much o
f a fight.”
“That’s because they’d rather you put your neck on the line than them.”
“You think so? I got the impression General Lugman had a plan he’d have liked us to consider.”
“Lugman’s a git. He seriously considered supporting Videl when he took power. My father had a hard time convincing him that would be a mistake.”
“An opportunist, huh?”
“To the extreme. I’d watch him carefully.”
“Well, he should be happy your father talked him into siding with the Loyalists.”
“Yes, but I’m afraid gratitude and loyalty aren’t words in his vocabulary.”
“Well, it would be stupid for him to betray us now when the tide is going in our favor.”
“Yes, you’d think so, but nobody said he was very bright.”
“I’m more worried about Videl Lai slipping through our fingers.”
“I’m sure he’s got an elaborate escape plan should Shisk be taken.”
“What do you think it is?”
“If I were him I’d go to Azollo and try to solidify his power there. He still controls the entire continent so he’d be fairly safe for a while.”
“But isn’t his power slipping in Azollo? I thought our militia were about ready to openly oppose him.”
“Yes, I said for a while. If we take Shisk his days are numbered no matter where he goes.”
“What about Clarion? He’s got an attack cruiser there.”
“Yes, I suppose that would be his final destination if he thought all hope were lost.”
“I’ll put Captain Shilling on alert in case we need Earth Shuttle 26.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t go chasing Videl to Clarion.”
“I know, but maybe we can catch him before he gets to there.”
“No. Just let him go. I don’t want you dying after the war is already won.”
“Well, don’t worry about it. Hopefully we’ll capture him before he leaves Shisk.”
“When do you leave for your staging area?”
“We’re leaving for Rour in the morning. We hope to cross the Soni border in a couple of days, so we’ll be at Videl’s doorstep on the anniversary of the war.”
Lorin knew the plan only too well. She and Threebeard had helped Leek develop it. She knew it was a bold and dangerous plan, but the best one they could conceive after much thought and consideration. They cared about the population of Shisk and the preservation of its treasured history which necessitated a surgical strike rather than a brutal show of force. They thought it important to show some semblance of human decency in this otherwise hideous war.
“So, how are you feeling?” Lorin asked.
“I’m tired, of course. We’ve been working eight kyloons a day for some time now getting mobilized.”
“I know the feeling. I’ve been working the same schedule trying to help new state governments get up and running.”
“Yes, that must be difficult.”
“It is. You know politics. Everyone is jostling for power and pleading for my support.”
“Are they holding elections or are you appointing new state leaders?”
“I’m establishing interim governments by appointment for now, but the term of my appointees will be short. Elections will be held within a cycle.”
“God! I don’t know how you do it. That’s a monumental task with so many states.”
“And your task is easy?” Lorin laughed.
“Well, mine is more straightforward.”
“I don’t know about that, but it’s really not so bad. I trust my cell leaders, so I’m appointing them or persons they recommend. . . . Hey, I saw Tokin today.”
“Oh, you did! How is he?”
“Fine. He’s growing fast. You won’t recognize him when you get back.”
“I bet. How’s Tehra and Sophilo?”
“They’re both doing well. They miss you. Tehra’s worried about you. I’m worried about you, too.”
“Hmm. Tell them I miss them a lot and not to worry. I’ll be outside the dome in my command post away from all the action.”
“Don’t let your guard down. Videl would like to put a bullet in your head just as much as you’d like to put one in his.”
“We’re going to make sure he’s too busy to be plotting my demise.”
“I hope so. I’d die if anything happened to you.”
“Nothing will. Don’t worry.”
Leek hadn’t been worried about his own personal safety until Lorin had reminded him that Videl would be desperately trying to find and eliminate him in order to crush the Loyalist spirit on the eve of battle. He suddenly felt paranoid. Would someone in his own ranks try to assassinate him? He’d known there must be moles in his organization. He didn’t trust General Lugman but would he plot an assassination? Leek looked around for Rhin. She came to him, feeling his apprehension.
“Watch out for me, girl. There’ll be enemies lurking about these next few days.”
Rhin looked at him and their minds touched. “I know. I can feel treachery in the wind.”
A chill came over Leek. He swallowed hard.