[War] Attack preparations begin

[Bruin]

Being appointed Commander of The White Crusaders, Saugus' first task given to him was to raise a militia capable of military action against its enemies.  He was now to report back to the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor of The White Council the status.

He sat down at the table alongside Bruin and Hoffs, looked directly at them, and nodded.  "They will be ready.  Our militia stands at 15 strong at the moment, with more members enlisting each day.  A worthy Marshal has been appointed, Vortex.  A few more officers still need to be selected, that will conclude shortly.  Combat trainings have been ongoing over the last week," Saugus said with conviction.

Bruin asked, "Do they understand the risks they are taking?"

Saugus nodded.

Hoffs fired back, "Make sure they know they have the sincere appreciation of the members of The White Council."

"They know," Saugus responded.

"What are their strengths, weaknesses," Bruin questioned.

"We have the numbers.  With the size of The White Council, we should be able to field a considerable sized militia, that is our biggest strength.  Our weakness lies in two main areas.  First, our soldiers are typically not as well equipped as our enemies.  We know our merchants are working hard to craft better equipment for us, and we appreciate it.  Secondly, our soldiers are not as experienced in combat as many of our opponents.  That is something that can only be earned on the battlefield.  Don't get me wrong, they are good men and women – and given time they will become a very formidable force," Saugus finished and began to take a drink of his water.

"We appreciate your honesty," Bruin said.

Hoffs looked right into Saugus' eyes, "You have done well so far.  As you know, The White Crusaders were formed so that we would stop being on the defensive.  Your purpose, to take the fight to the enemy.  It is along those lines we give you your first combat directive.  The members of TnT have long harassed and murdered our members.  As you know, they live in the desert area surrounded by mountains just south of Umbra, in their home town they call Stonehaven.  Your task, lead your troops into Stonehaven and defeat their warriors – they will never suspect it so we can catch them off guard.  Deal to them a heavy blow that will be difficult for them to recover. 

Now be careful.  While it may be imperative for us think like the enemy in order to win this war, we are to never become them.  Therefore harm no citizens, harm no visitors, and harm no non-combatants.  Make sure your warriors know without any doubt, they can only attack their warriors.

And do so quickly.  The machines of war have been running for sometime now, and soon our enemies will begin to suspect something is up and learn of our plans, so be sure to strike before they are made aware of our plans.  The tactic of surprise is perhaps our biggest ally at the moment."

Saugus let out a deep breath, stood up, "It will be done."

As Saugus was heading back to the barracks, he began to think to himself.  "An attack on Stonehaven?  I knew they were serious about taking the battle to our enemy, I just would have never thought they'd have the stones to take it this far, politicians and all.  Perhaps this is the kind of thinking we need if we are to win this war."

Saugus entered the barracks, the room fell silent, and all the warriors begin to gather around him.  "We have our orders.  For many years we have watched in horror as our enemies have invaded our towns, slaughtering our brothers, sisters, mothers, and friends.  We now fight for them, for this Saturday we attack Stonehaven.  We launch our first assault at 12 noon (PST), and follow up every hour on the hour for at least 3 assault waves.  Gather your supplies, inspect your armour, and enjoy your last day at home for attack preparations begin at dawn day after tomorrow."