Micky reviewed the tactics with the junior centurions. He understood why they chaffed so much. He himself was not under a direct senior centurion before, and now he was the senior centurion. This was why he was trying to get their inpute so much instead of simply ordering one of his well planned and well worn tactics.

But Micky was not a well worn senior centurion, he was a fresh faced commander that got fast tracked through things rapidly. However he was not stupid. He did his best, and that was… well it was never good enough, but it would have to be.

Micky surveyed the field of his soldiers. He was proud of Emily for going over some last minute drills. It would both serve as a good refresher, and help those who were about to die, to calm down a little. Afterall, this last minute training probably would save their lives, if they lived at all.

The mage units were prepared and sorted for defensive casting, and even the mounted squadrons were training for defense. Though, there wasn’t much for them to do besides be quick relief should the inevitable happen and the shield wall is broken.

Micky looked upon his soldiers proud. He had come so far, from a farm boy from the sticks, just a village kid. Now he was a soldier fighting in the army for the kingdom and the needs of his people. This war, it would bring in much needed, well everything, at least should it go right. Though the way that the enemy had been fighting Micky had no doubts that they were doing the right thing. That scum was just not right. While Micky didn’t agree with the legate on many things, he agreed they were scum. They ignored treaty and propriety, above and beyond what was militarily right. They didn’t allow surrender and massacred all that tried. Not to mention that raiding has been outlawed since who knows when. It destroyed to much sentient territory if they raided the edges and left them to fend against the monsters alone, in ravaged lands.

Micky shook his head, all this because he got his nose stuck in to finding his friend that was at a station too much higher than him.

Ordering the march Micky mounted up on his quilin… Only she was sporting a new gash across her face. Questioning his handler why his mount had been so grossly mistreated the handler stammered out “It, it wasn’, wasn’t me sir, sir… it was the legate he tried to stee, steal her, I mean requisition her, from the stables… He uh, fell… And his guards got real angry. However, if was, uh, quickly, uh, settled...” Micky was sure. He would have also been right pissed should the legate have ‘requisitioned’ his mount from his own stables, or worse, murdered her in camp before she could even see her first battle. Instead he was proud for taking it to the man, ha!

He mounted up, slightly more prideful of his position than he was before. “I wasn’t about to let that asshat sit on me! I may be relegated to a… mount… but I will not simply allow myself to be mounted by anyone.” She shot back over the link. Micky nodded in understanding and scratched her head around her horns. She protested, while leaning into the scratches. There were benefits in being linked as they were…

Prin sat tall and proud on her new mount as well. She was part of his honor guard. He would have a rotating member of the trifecta and their retinue as his honor guard for the foreseeable future. At least until he could trust his new subordinates. He had to say that Emily and Jonathon were doing well on that front. While Emily was the competent soldier commander, Jonathon was a competent leader and easily delegated like a pro. And not in the bad way, like delegated, but actually dividing up the work to the best suited. In fact, Micky was thinking of having him as his permanent assistant and scribe for the time being. He needed an officer to take notes at the meeting anyway. So far it had been the seconds who had fought each other to get out of it, but he would need centurions for the meetings that the seconds couldn’t be allowed to, and the meetings that even they weren’t allowed in.

But that was all for later. He would have to survive this battle to think of what should be done afterward.

As the enemy gathered across the field Micky knew it was time. He ordered the charge headlong into the lion’s mouth. He could not stall any longer. So that is exactly what he ordered. But Micky did not stay back, no he charged ahead, at least for the first leg. It was true that any qualified [Sniper] could pick him out of the crowd and take him. However, it was just as true should he stay back behind the lines. At least the first leg should be safe. The enemy will be holding their shots in order to make sure they aren’t wasted on low leveled, or priority targets. Ironically this was exactly what Micky was hoping for, since what commander in their right mind would charge at the lead?

It paid off, and gave the soldiers a moral boost. Then he flagged and allowed his further mounted riders to take the lead. This chafed his pretty little mount to no end… after all she was petty too…

But it was a good thing that they did. It didn’t take long for the enemy to start picking units off. Soon there would be no more ‘Lead’ soldier and simply a charge. It didn’t matter anyway, with this formation there would be a clashing one way or another, and it wasn’t productive to the strategy anyway. By maintaining the head of the spear, and preventing it from breaking, Micky’s flanks should be able to overtake him.

The lead units started to clash ahead of Micky and out of his hands. The infantry were flagging behind as was planned. With the mounted charging ahead they would control the engagement, creating a V shaped charge. Now, they could settle into a defensive formation without facing the enemies siege out in the open. Having the most maneuverable take the lead was precisely for this moment. It was actually Barthalimu that had suggested it. He was another of the junior commanders that had joined Micky recently. Kux had checked him and all the other command out, running double time. She was a really industrious spy these days, never a moment to relax.

The mounted clashed and soon the infantry joined them. This left the mounted cavalry to fall back behind the shield line. Launching all of the mounted units defensive skill in rotation, they held off the onslaught while the defensive magic formation took hold. It was quick and dirty work but it would hold until something stronger could replace it. And not a moment too soon as [Meteor]s landed upon the shield along side thick boulders, obviously launched from their siege engines. No need to be accurate when there are so many just standing together.

Micky ordered the shield wall to be condensed. Let them breach the outer shield and fight inside the cover. This would prevent outside artillery but inside ranged attacks could easily be launched in return. This would open up the outer edge to counter magic, but Micky felt secure that the mage corps would be moved so close, at least not so soon.

It was a dead heat, the enemy was better trained and better equipped. However, they were not prepared for defensive tactics in their homefield. They didn’t know what to do, and instead were forced to move more units to assualt the allied position. This took off more pressure from the forward assault on Micky’s flanks. Normaly this tactic wouldn’t have worked, but it was so different from the norm that they had yet to figure out what to do.

Then the lightning came down from the sky. Giant bolts of lightning fell upon the enemy from the allied camp. Micky almost called a retreat right there, but they were landing outside of his encampment. He could not say the same for most of his allied forces though. They were so mixed with the opposing forces that the bolts had to hit the most thick areas as well in order to make sure that the enemy did force a counter offensive. However, either way, the field was won this day!... Yay? Why did Micky not feel assured?...