vstars Chapter 639 Encirclement and Suppression
Chapter 639 Encirclement and Suppression
"A bunch of good-for-nothings! The entire thousand-man squad is gone!"
Adon's roar exploded in the tent, sharp and piercing, making everyone's eardrums vibrate.
On the ground in front of him, a row of soldiers knelt in neat rows, their heads bowed, their spines taut, yet they could not hide the trembling in their bodies, for fear of further angering their commander.
"I sent out a thousand elite soldiers, the best men selected from the legion, not a thousand useless cowards who would only die!"
"I sent you to wipe out the Hawk Band, who were nothing but a bunch of bandits who ruled the mountains. And what happened? You didn't even have a chance to fight back before being completely wiped out. And you still have the nerve to come back to see me alive?"
The soldier kneeling at the front had a hoarse voice, trembling with suppressed sobs, almost incoherent:
"Commander, the Eagle Corps had laid an ambush. They blocked the mountain path, and we couldn't deploy our formation at all. The brothers fought desperately but couldn't break through. In the end, only a few of us were left..."
"ambush?"
Adon abruptly stopped, his tone filled with disdain and rage.
"What did I tell your centurion before we set off? I told you to scout the terrain beforehand and march cautiously! Did he just ignore me? Now that we've lost the battle, all he can do is make up this kind of excuse!"
However, he completely forgot that when he ordered the expedition, he didn't say anything about the centurions being cautious. He only thought about a quick victory and wiping out the Eagle Group as soon as possible to save face for himself.
Now that things have gone wrong, his mind immediately shifts all the blame onto the soldiers, refusing to reflect on his own decision-making errors.
The soldiers dared not refute, and could only bury their heads deeper, their shoulders trembling slightly, silently enduring Aten's accusations.
Adon's anger showed no signs of abating. His chest heaved violently, the veins on his forehead throbbed, and his mind was filled with the humiliation of the news of the "annihilation of the Thousand Men."
Since he became commander, although he didn't have any outstanding achievements, he had never suffered such a great loss.
A force of a thousand men was wiped out in an instant. If word got out, the commanders of other armies in the surrounding area would only laugh at his incompetence. Those who had always been dissatisfied with him might even take the opportunity to cause trouble. Whether he could hold onto his position as commander would become uncertain.
"Give me the order!"
Adon's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable force.
"All generals must arrive here for a meeting within half an hour. Anyone who dares to be late will be punished according to military law! You lot, get back to your barracks and await your fate!"
The soldiers scrambled to their feet and retreated, leaving only Adon in the tent.
Half an hour later, the generals arrived one after another and stood neatly inside the tent.
Atun sat in the main seat, his face frighteningly gloomy. His gaze swept over each general like a knife, causing them to lower their heads and dare not meet his eyes.
"I'm sure you've all heard about it."
Adon's voice broke the silence, filled with barely suppressed anger.
"The thousand-strong squad sent to wipe out the Hawk Band is all gone."
A low commotion immediately arose in the tent. The generals exchanged glances and discussed among themselves. Some seemed surprised by the Hawk Band's strength, while others were indifferent. After all, the mountainous terrain was complex, and the Hawk Band was familiar with it. It was foreseeable that Aton would suffer a crushing defeat by rashly sending a thousand-man team deep into the mountains.
"Quiet!"
Adon shouted sharply, and the tent immediately fell silent.
"A bunch of rabble managed to cause our army to lose a thousand soldiers. This is a disgrace! A disgrace to all of you!"
His gaze swept over the generals one by one, his tone full of accusation, as if this crushing defeat had nothing to do with him, the commander-in-chief.
"Now, I must mobilize my forces to attack the Eagle Band, wipe out all enemy strongholds in the mountains, and avenge our fallen soldiers. Which of you is willing to lead the troops into battle?"
After he finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the tent. The generals looked at each other, but no one stepped forward.
Adon immediately understood that these generals were all shrewd and calculating old hands who always weighed the pros and cons before acting.
The campaign against the Hawk Band sounds like a rebellion, but the mountainous terrain is complex and the mountain roads are rugged. The Hawk Band has just won a battle and their morale is high. It is a tough nut to crack.
Moreover, there is nothing of value in the mountains. There is neither fertile land nor prosperous towns. Even if they win, they will not gain much profit and will lose a lot of troops and supplies. If they lose, they will be held accountable and may even lose their lives. Naturally, they are unwilling to do such a thankless task.
"What? Are you all mute?"
Adon's voice was filled with disappointment and anger.
"You all boast to me about your bravery and skill in battle, saying you're willing to go through fire and water for the legion, even sacrificing your lives. But now that we really need you, you're all cowering like cowards?"
A general stepped forward reluctantly, his face clearly showing his embarrassment:
"Commander, it's not that we're unwilling to go on the expedition, but the mountainous terrain is too treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack. The Eagle Band has been entrenched there for many years, familiar with every mountain road and every pass. If we rashly enter the mountains, we're afraid we'll repeat the same mistakes. Moreover, the area is barren, and the supply lines are long and dangerous. Even if we win, there will be no real gains, which is really not worth it."
"Yes, Commander."
Another general immediately chimed in, “The Eagle Group is nothing but a bunch of bandits. They won’t amount to anything. There’s no need to make a big fuss about them. We just need to strengthen the defenses of the surrounding fortresses and cut off their supply lines. Before long, they will naturally collapse on their own. It’s not too late to deal with them then.”
"absurd!"
Adon roared, slamming his hand on the table.
"A thousand soldiers are gone, and you call that not a threat? If we don't eliminate them today, they will surely turn on us when they have grown strong enough. At that time, the losses will not be just a thousand men! You all only think about your own interests and completely disregard the safety and honor of the legion!"
Just when he was at his wit's end and about to be overwhelmed by anger, his gaze inadvertently swept over the back row of the tents.
There stood a group of military advisors sent by the Kingdom of Heldran.
Adon always looked down on these foreigners, feeling that they were using their status to boss people around in the legion and had no idea about the actual situation of Yoda's legion. He felt that letting foreigners command his army was a great humiliation for him as the commander.
In previous military conferences, he either dealt with the suggestions made by these advisors perfunctorily or rejected them outright, never considering actually adopting them.
But now, the generals are all shirking their responsibilities, and no one is willing to take the order.
News of the annihilation of the thousand-man squad has spread. If we delay sending troops to retaliate, we will not only fail to give an explanation to our superiors, but also cause the morale of the legion to plummet.
Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to try anything, regardless of whether these foreigners are capable or not.
Adon took a deep breath, suppressing his dissatisfaction and contempt, and pointed to the military advisors in the back row, his tone impatient and casual:
"Anyone want to say something?"
His fingers swept aimlessly across the room, finally stopping on an advisor.
The consultant calmly took two steps forward and bowed slightly in acknowledgment.
Adon sized him up, his tone stiff and arrogant:
"who are you?"
"Dest, Senior Military Advisor to Heldland in Yoda."
The other person's voice was calm, without the slightest hint of flattery or fear.
Adon nodded, somewhat displeased with this neither humble nor arrogant attitude, but said nothing more, directly posing his question with a hint of testing in his tone:
"If you were in command of this battle, how would you fight it?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Destin immediately gave his answer:
"All supply routes through the mountains must be stopped immediately."
"Nonsense!"
Without a second thought, Adon retorted sharply, his face full of disdain and anger.
"There are still many troops stationed at the front. If the mountain supply routes are shut down, how will their food, fodder, and weapons be transported in? Are we going to let them fight on an empty stomach with unarmed guns?"
Dester's expression didn't change at all; instead, he frowned slightly, his tone questioning and incisive:
"If your supply lines are robbed one after another in the mountains, how can the soldiers on the front lines get any food?"
These words were like a resounding slap across Adon's face. Adon was stunned for a moment and speechless.
Before Adon could react, Dester continued:
"It's better to be slow than to let the supplies fall into the hands of the Midland army. The most important thing now is not to rush to send supplies to the front line, but to cut off the Hawk's external support and retreat, making them like fish in a barrel."
Adon's expression was somewhat unpleasant, but he had to admit that there was some truth to what Dester said. He suppressed his displeasure and embarrassment and gestured for Dester to continue.
"At the very least, we need a full-strength infantry regiment of five thousand men."
Dester's voice remained calm.
"Surround the entire mountain area without leaving any gaps, forming an impenetrable encirclement. At the same time, watchtowers were built around the mountain area, and people were sent to monitor it around the clock. If anyone came out of the mountains, whether a soldier or a civilian, they would either be captured and interrogated alive or killed on the spot. They must not be allowed to pass on messages, let alone obtain any supplies from the outside world."
He paused for a moment, then continued to explain his plan:
"Winter will arrive in less than a month. Heavy snow will block the mountain roads, forcing the Band of the Hawk to retreat to their settlements for the winter. Lacking supplies and besieged, they will be unable to obtain outside assistance, leading to a decline in morale and a significant drop in combat effectiveness. By concentrating our forces and attacking these settlements one by one, we can completely annihilate the Band of the Hawk at minimal cost."
Adon was stunned; he had never imagined that war could be fought like this.
In his mind, fighting a war is simply about gathering troops, charging forward, and overwhelming the enemy with superior numbers and equipment; there's no need for any complicated plans.
Dester's plan was well-organized and comprehensive, and it certainly sounded feasible.
He pondered for a moment, feeling that although the plan was sound, mobilizing a 5,000-strong infantry regiment would be too troublesome and would consume a lot of food and military supplies, which he was reluctant to do.
But on second thought, if he could completely destroy the Band of the Hawk, wash away the previous humiliation, and shut up those who mocked him, this investment seemed worthwhile.
The generals around them also started discussing it. Some thought that Dest's plan was too conservative, while others thought that this method could indeed avoid repeating the same mistakes. Still others were calculating how much benefit they could get if the plan was implemented.
Listening to the crowd's discussion, Adon became increasingly convinced that Dester's plan was feasible. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted:
"Alright! We'll do it your way! I'll immediately deploy a 5,000-man infantry regiment, and you'll be in full command of it!"
Dester bowed and accepted the order, then retreated to the back row.
Seeing that Atun had made his decision, the generals said no more and all expressed their willingness to cooperate with the troop deployment.
When Aton saw that things were settled, his anger completely subsided, and he was even somewhat glad that he had thought of asking these foreign advisors for advice.
He was smug, feeling that he had made a brilliant decision, which not only solved the problem of no one being willing to go to war, but also washed away the shame, killing two birds with one stone.
The meeting ended quickly, and the generals left the tent one after another. Alton sat alone in the main seat, increasingly uneasy, and other thoughts began to surface in his mind.
Five thousand men? That's a considerable force. If they're all handed over to a foreign advisor to command, and something goes wrong, we'll lose our own troops, and the responsibility will fall on his shoulders as the commander.
Moreover, he harbored a deep resentment. Letting a foreigner command Yoda's army and assigning him a force of 5,000 men would be a laughing stock if word got out.
Others would say he was an incompetent commander who couldn't even command his own army and had to rely on foreigners for help.
Besides, the Band of the Hawk is nothing more than a group of bandits. The reason why the previous thousand-man squad was destroyed was simply because the soldiers were careless and failed to unleash their true strength.
Now that Dest is in command, even if the number of troops is a little less, it should be enough, right?
He thought to himself that two thousand-man teams, totaling two thousand men, was not too few, but it would also avoid the waste caused by having too many troops, and it would also demonstrate his decisiveness. It was simply perfect.
More importantly, isn't Dester a military advisor? Since he's an advisor, he must know more about military affairs than I do, and his military knowledge is far greater. Therefore, he must have the ability to win with fewer troops.
If two thousand men can wipe out the Hawk Band, not only will he be able to wash away the shame, but he can also prove to everyone that he, as the commander, knows how to use people well and accomplishes great things with the fewest troops. In the end, the credit will still be his.
Thinking this through, Adon felt even more pleased with his own idea. He immediately summoned the legion commander, his tone tinged with smugness:
"The previous order to send a 5,000-man infantry regiment to Dest has been changed. He will now be given two 1,000-man squads, totaling 2,000 men, to lead the troops into battle."
The legion commander was stunned for a moment, an incredulous look on his face, and quickly tried to dissuade him:
"Commander, Advisor Dester's plan clearly states that five thousand men are needed to encircle the mountains and form an effective encirclement. Two thousand men are far too few; they simply cannot cover the entire mountain defense line, and there will inevitably be many gaps. If the Band of the Hawk breaks through, not only will all our previous efforts be wasted, but they may also take the opportunity to counterattack, with unimaginable consequences!"
"Cut the nonsense!"
Adon interrupted him sharply, his face showing impatience.
"Am I the commander, or are you the commander? I said two thousand men, so it's two thousand men! The Band of the Hawk is nothing but a rabble, nothing to be afraid of."
"The previous thousand-man unit failed because its commander was incompetent and commanded poorly. This time, with two thousand men and the command of a military advisor, we are sure to succeed."