The High Commander

Chapter 1 There was a knock at the door just before dawn. It was late summer and the weather had started turning cold already. A young slender man stood in the open doorway wearing a dark blue jacket of the local militia, white shirt, dark brown pants and boots. The rank of private on his shoulder. “Sir, you are needed in the war room” said the young private. “There are some people here claiming that raiders have attacked their village and they are the only survivors.” “Where were they from?” said the commander. “Sir, they said they were from Ravens Bluff.” The commander was a young man in his late thirties. He sprang from his bed and got dressed. He had the same uniform but with the rank of commander on his shoulder and hat. He grabbed his gun belt and left the room in a rush, the young man following behind him. Baxter was a large fortified town of over nine thousand people along the northern frontier of Aldera. Ravens Bluff however, was a small village of farmers with a small trading post and only ten miles north. They were poor and didn’t have much worth stealing for someone like raiders. And for them to have wiped them out didn’t make sense. Normally they would just harass the populace and demand that they get paid and leave. Something wasn’t right and the Commander would soon figure it out. No one attacked his people and lived to tell anyone about it. As he and the young private left the room, the alarm bells began their ominous droning. They made their way outside. “High Commander John Williams Sir.” the man said with a salute. “As Private Sims has no doubt informed you, Ravens Bluff has been razed. There were only four survivors. We have sent scouts to discern the validity of the claim but I doubt they are lying.” said Captain Aaron Sykes. He was a tall man with a rugged looking face that was topped off with silver and black stubble on top of his head and chin. Deep wrinkles drew dark lines across his forehead and around his dark brown eyes from all the constant scowling. Seemed the man never smiled. But he was a hell of a captain. “Dire news indeed. We’ve never seen raiders work together well enough to overcome any of our outposts. Even a village such as Ravens Bluff. When are the scouts due to return?” asked John. “We should have word back at any moment. They have been gone for two hours already. Also I’ve went ahead and ordered our patrols doubled.” said Sykes. “Good to see you haven’t gone senile in your old age” snorted John. Just then a runner arrived and shouted “Sirs, we have raiders coming from the north!” “Damnit” said John. “How many?” “Hundreds sir. We couldn’t count them all.” “I think I know what happened to our scouts. Get the gunners in position and bar the gates. Move!” shouted John. Chapter 2 To the south was the marketplace, the southern gate laid a half hour’s walk away. On the western side of the courtyard was the Baxter Militia Headquarters and to the east was a street leading to the militia’s training areas. To the north was the Capitol Building, past that was the Northern Gate. Baxter’s gates were large stone and steel structures which was attached to two small towers. Each of the towers held a large cannon, and a gate house where a squad of militiamen carrying lever action rifles operated the opening and closing of the gate. Baxter was comprised of four barracks that were laid out at the north, south, east, and west surrounding the several rings of residential areas. About this time, traders should be arriving to the southern gates at any moment. Commander Williams couldn’t allow them to be harmed by the likes of raiders. “Captain! Get to the southern gate and make sure we get the traders inside before it’s too late!” shouted John. “Yes Sir!” Captain Sykes saluted and flew down the street to the gate. John wondered how the raiders managed to get past the outposts undetected, or worse had they been destroyed. Something definitely wasn’t right. But now was not the time for distractions. He has a town to protect. John hurried to the north gate to see what they’re up against. John grabbed a telescope and realized that the raiders were lined up shoulder to shoulder just in front of the dense tree line. Though they did wear the ragged leather and various pieces of scrap metal for armor. Their weapons spotted with rust. Oddly, none of them showed emotion. Each stood as still as stone apparently waiting for orders to march. John had never known raiders to wait for anything. John stood atop the ramparts looking down at the soon to be battlefield. He ordered the cannon teams to load and signaled the mortar teams to set their ranges to four hundred yards out. If they were foolish enough to attack, they would mow them down with cannon fire and those who continued the charge would be blasted to bits by the large mortars. Not to mention the rifleman on the walls. Neither side moved. “Send runners to the other barracks and make sure they are prepared. They don’t have enough firepower on just the northern side to take the gates. I believe they aren’t the only threat.. Also I want an update on the status of the southern gate. Captain Sykes should have arrived by now.” ordered John. “Yessir!” the men saluted and carried out his orders. #### Captain Sykes made it to the southern gate to find it wide open. There were no guards on the walls despite the alarm bells ringing. There was a considerable amount of blood on the ground yet no bodies to be seen. Even stranger there were no wagons or travelers. Just as he realized the situation, the raiders ran from cover, screaming their fanatical war cries and waving rusted swords and axes. Thankfully Sykes had gathered fifty riflemen to accompany him. “Form up!” yelled Sykes. “Don’t let any make it past us! We have to close that damn gate! FIRE!” Thirty crazed raiders charged the riflemen. Though these particular raiders were ferocious, they weren’t too terribly smart. They had sprung their ambush too early and were quickly cut down by Sykes’ riflemen. Sykes ordered they clear the immediate area while he and ten men shut the gates. They met no further resistance. Apparently they had disguised themselves as travelers and slaughtered the unsuspecting guards. “Private, take five men and send word to the commander. Tell him that the southern gate is secure and that we have enemies in the town disguised as townsfolk. And you,” he said pointing to another young man, ”go and get some reinforcements. The rest of you will take up positions on the wall. I’ll be damned if we let some flea ridden madmen take this town!”