Chapter 7: Battle Training

(Town Hall Armory – the next morning)

"These are not your gunpowder-driven, projectile-shooting firearms of the last century," said Michael. "These fire a beam projectile which disrupts the target's heart. It fires once, each time you pull the trigger, up to 100 times without recharging. You aim with the laser designator, and you can miss if you are not careful. They are for home, and city defense, and to hunt when the season opens. In war, each of you will have additional energy packs. If you aim well, as a group you can repel or kill any living force of up to 8,000 at a range of 500 yards."

Michael waited for the response. When none came, he added, "Your rifle scope has an infra-red setting to reveal those which are not what you know as living. Yeshua, Jophiel and myself will fight those. Your energy bolt will only make them stronger, so try not to hit them."

"What if it's a deer?" asked Mark. "Then how do the shotguns work?"

"For hunting, the scope has a range and body weight detector that automatically adjusts from a small deer, or antelope, up to a buffalo, or a large dragon."

"We don't eat dragons, right?" replied Thomas. "That's a lot of meat going to waste."

"True, but it is tainted by the devil," explained Michael. "When you kill a dragon, it will consume itself with fire in six hours, six minutes, and six seconds, 06:06:06. They regenerate in six years, six months, and six days. Annihilating them will give you six dragon-free years."

"How many dragons are there in New Eden?" replied James.

"In the new world, there are 666, but none reside in our valley," advised Michael. "As you know, there are other towns, and others who are not as blessed as you outside of our valley. The dragons are able to torment them. There are several kinds that are of no harm to you, in other areas. You know them as sauropod dinosaurs."

"What of the carnivores?" Allen asked. "Is that what you call dragons?"

"That is for a future time when we may encounter them," said Michael. "Mark asked about the shotguns. Those are of the same principal as the ones that fire many small pellets that you may know from the old world. These also use a beam cartridge, and have a larger area of impact at a shorter range. For defensive purposes, at 120 yards it will stun every living being within a five-yard spread and it will kill at 50 yards or less."

"What about for hunting?" inquired Mark.

"The militia power pack is not for hunting," corrected Michael. "There are other power cartridges for that. We are here to learn defensive tactics; how to prepare an ambush, and kill your enemy while he is far from town. We have a simulator, so take a rifle and cartridge, and our training shall begin."

The far wall of the armory became a reactive screen. Michael used a laser pointer to show a group of spear-toting men with shields entering a pass through the mountains. He said they were still nine miles away, but tripped an electronic beam to alert the militia to reach their defensive positions. The beam continued to count them in a row of four abreast, and reached 44 thus far.

Following the spearmen were 24 mounted cavalry with lances, with 100 archers behind them. Then the artillery appeared; 10 ballistae and a trebuchet, drawn by large horses, followed by carts with which to transport the loot. This caused some consternation among some of the militiamen.

"Is this what we're up against with rifles?" asked Ken. "This should be a piece of cake."

"The ballista and trebuchet can hit you at 500 yards, the same range that you will begin firing at them," explained Michael. "The bows and arrows can reach you from 200 yards."

"But not accurately," argued Thomas. "I had a friend who hunted with a compound bow, and it wasn't accurate past 50 yards."

"Out of 100 arrows, one can get lucky, and they will fall down upon you from above," said Michael. "Allen and Mark, you will come to the first ambush position, and act as snipers, taking out the artillerymen, starting in the rear. Charge your rifles, and watch the screen. The position you will shoot from is here." Michael pointed on the map, and then the image changed. "Snipers, pick your targets, and commence firing."

"When the artillery crews begin falling, someone sounded an alarm. Allen took him out, but now we have the archers firing up the mountains in both directions. Mark got the officer in charge of the ballista and trebuchet, and his second in command. Now you withdraw, and we go to the next position."

Mark stood to return to their original seats, and yelled out. Something stung him in the rear of his thigh. Michael warned him never to underestimate any weapon. "That was a simulated arrow with most of its energy spent, but still enough to slow down your escape. Allen observed the archers readying their arrows, and waited until they passed before getting up."

"Actually, I was just watching what they were doing," replied Allen. "What about creating an avalanche about now to demoralize them?"

"Killing them at 200 yards with a silent weapon demoralizes them, as did taking out the officers," advised Michael. "They expended three volleys of arrows trying to drive you off, and now, they believe they have. However, you have delayed them for several minutes."

"Is this the weaponry we will face?" wondered Bruno. "It seems rather lopsided in our favor, not that I'm complaining."

"Yes, at some point, you will face this in battalion strength," noted Michael. "In time, they will have rifles, and cannons, with demons and tamed flying dragons working for them."

"Air support would be nice," reasoned Allen. "It gives us a chance against those flying dragons."

"In time, you will have your unmanned aircraft, Allen. One you would fly would have no chance against a winged dragon or pterosaur," warned Michael. "Now, on the simulator, you see the cavalry mounting a charge down the East Road towards town. They believe they are harder targets if they move faster. The foot soldiers have broken into a run, but they will be exhausted and careless when they reach rifle range."

That was the point where Allen and Mark moved to the rear transports, and from rear to front, learned to pick off one after another. When the heavy equipment drivers were out of the battle, and the infantry engaged, a rear group could seize the horses and wagons. If none of the enemy survived the attack, should they return again, they will bring greater numbers. They could also try different tactics at some point in the future.

During the simulation, the defenders wiped out the attacking force, and accumulated 74 equines, 24 cavalry horses, and 50 Clydesdales pulling six wagons. The victors could put them to use on the farms. When they captured enemy weapons, the militia would study, disassemble, and then scrap them if they could not make use of them.

"Next time, we will simulate a larger, two-pronged attack and pursuing survivors so none can warn of our defensive tactics," said Michael. "We will also have new people to instruct on defending more ground. Take your weapons home and one power pack with the number 2 on it for each. Tonight begins Sabbath, so keep it, and always remember how God brought you out of Babylon."

Each man left the armory with one of the pulse rifles and shotguns. They now knew how they would defend their homes from an attack five miles out against an ancient medieval force. It would be different with dragons, sorcerers, and gunpowder added to the mix. The training would progress, and include new recruits when they arrived.

"I'm not so sure I like the 'take no prisoners' plan," said Steve on the way to the parked vehicles. "After all, we could get information from prisoners, and possibly recruit them to our side."

"I can understand why, Steve," reasoned Allen. "God told the Israelites to smite their enemy, to the last man, woman, and child, plus the livestock. I believe it had something to do with the corrupted gene pool."

"That's those crazy theories about the fallen angels breeding with animals and humans," countered Steve. "Don't tell me you believe the Apocrypha?"

"Did you notice that some of the enemy soldiers in the simulator were a lot bigger than the rest? The artillerymen and spearmen were huge!" exclaimed Allen. "I want no part of those guys in hand-to-hand combat with spears or swords."

"I thought that was part of the game," said Mark. "Then again, that arrow in my thigh felt pretty real. At least I didn't get one in the rump like Ken did."

"Very funny," remarked Ken. "We need better cover over our shooting positions; maybe a pillbox, or a bunker."

"Good idea," agreed Mark, "especially from an ambush position."

"Didn't they use flamethrowers to take them out in the Second World War?" countered Jim. "If they have dragons, all one has to do is land on top and you guys are well-done. It also limits your ability to escape if they overrun the position. The French did that with the Maginot Line, and the Germans went around it."

"For a first war game against a force 40 times our size, we did well," said Bruno. "We need some camouflage coveralls when Jim gets time. I'd feel a lot better if they don't see us."

"Camouflage, lightweight body armor would work, too," said Mark.

"We'll have it when we need it," revealed Jim. "There will come a time that we need to take the fight to our enemy, instead of waiting on his next move."

"That's where air strikes will come in handy," opined Allen, "not to keep repeating myself."

"I hear you, but we already have a huge technological advantage over even firearms of our world," replied Jim. "Well, here we are, home again."

"Yes, and the garden calls," noted Allen. "We don't work at all tomorrow, remember?"

"That's why I'm going fishing," said Jim. "Carol took care of the garden today, so I'd have time when we got done."

"I may poke around the creek if I do anything. Lena wants berries and that's a lot of picking to do."

"Pick us some, and I'll bring you a fillet."

"Fair enough, my friend. I'll see you later then."

"Later," replied Jim, and they went inside their respective homes.

After two hours of picking wild strawberries, the sweetest there are, Lena gave Allen his leave. He brought her back to the house to help clean them, but she shooed him out to go catch some fish for dinner. On the eve of Sabbath, one could keep two days worth of meals.

Allen returned to the acreage, and walked back to the brook that wound through it. It was hidden beneath the trees, and already darker in the woods than in the berry patch. In most places he could jump across without getting his feet wet. In between were larger pools, some as much as six feet deep, with deeply undercut banks. Casting a fly rod was not an option, but a small ultra-light spinning outfit, and twister tail plastic grub worked great.

He had just added his fifth nice brook trout to the wicker creel when the alarm sounded. Turning quickly to the vehicle, he met Jim dragging a 35-pound salmon to his SUV. They both headed to the armory, dropping off the fish on the way.

"I hope this is a drill," said Jim as they raced to Town Hall.

Yeshua was there, along with Jophiel and Michael. A flying shuttlecraft of some sort landed, and they all boarded. Plainly, this was not a drill, but the real thing.

"Into your battle dress," said Yeshua, who then turned to the command module, and told it, "Sector three. Militia, charge your rifles. There is a raiding party from the south coming up the river from the coast."