Subj: [ffml] [MW] Getting to Work
Date: 99-12-17 01:51:00 EST
From: skyhall@hotmail.com (Sky Hall)
Reply-to: ffml@onelist.com
To: ffml@onelist.com
From: "Sky Hall"
It was shortly after dawn as Tim and Martin strolled out of the officer's
quarters and into the soldiers barracks, a separate, wooden building built
within a large parade ground.
Martin was yawning and stretching as he walked a stepped behind Jim.
"Man, it's early," said the young man. "Why'd we have to get up so early?"
"Just be glad we ate breakfast," said Tim. "It's something these guys
won't get for a while."
Martin was grim as he nodded silently.
Reaching the main door to the barracks, Tim grabbed a gong and a mallet
which he had placed inside a chest outside of the building. Martin opened
the door as Tim entered the building.
The sentry which had been posted to patrol the building was leaning
against the far wall and just beginning to doze when Tim entered the room
and began beating on the gong. He immediately shot up straight and fully
awake, as well as every other man in the barracks.
"UP! UP! TIME TO WAKE UP!" shouted Tim over the beating of the gong.
The twenty men in company jumped out of their beds and stood at attention
before their beds. Tim walked down the center of the room beating until he
saw every man standing and at attention. When he was satisfied, he stopped
beating the gong and handed it to Martin, he quickly put it away.
"Good morning, recruits," shouted Tim, looking up and down the men now
under his command.
When first enlisted, Tim was made aware of the severe loss which had
recently occured to the alliance army. He was made corporeal in command of a
squad of ten men. But it was soon discovered that Tim had a lot more
experience and could certainly train the men better then others, and so he
was given another squad and made a sergeant. Tim was unsure of the sudden
promotion, but since the pay increased and he would be distanced from the
fighting a little more, he took the offer.
"Good," said Tim as he reached the entrance to the building. "Be dressed
and on the parade ground in five minutes. Go!"
Tim stepped outside as the men scurried to work, putting on their pants,
tunics, and boots. They then rushed out of the barracks and formed up two
lines. The corporeals standing on the left side.
"I hope you slept well, recruits, because today is going to be filled with
hard training. The training is necessary, as you know. It teaches you
discipline. It makes you strong. It helps you on the battlefield, and keeps
you together in camp. Let's begin today with some stretching.
"Corporeal James!"
"Sir!"
"Lead the men in stretches," said Tim, turning his back and strolling
about.
"Yes, sir!" James was corporeal for first squad and hurried forward and
stood before the group. He began counting off the stretches and the company
followed his example.
Tim knew from talking to mercenaries that used to be soldiers that the
better soldiers were those who had better discipline, not those with better
fighting skills.
"You can be the best swordsman in the world," a friend had said. "But if
the men around you are not, and they cut and run when the enemy is coming at
you in full force, your skill will mean nothing as you are overwhelmed and
killed."
To Tim, this meant that disciplined equaled courage. And courage was
sorely needed on the battlefield. An swarm of moogles rushing your lines
could make any brave soldier drop his sword and shield and run. But if the
discipline made them stay and fight together as a unit, then victory would
be their's.
James finished the stretches.
"Jayel!"
"Sir?!" replied the second squad leader.
"Lead the men in marching. Drill them around this parade ground till I say
stop," ordered Tim.
"Yes, sir," replied Jayel. He went to the front of the group and began
leading them in marching.
This was the second day that the company had been formed and placed under
Tim's command. James and Jayel had been selected since they showed the most
intelligence, integrity, and had some inkling of being soldiers.
Tim had decided that from dawn till dusk, he would work the men in every
way he knew how. He would work every muscle, every aspect, every idea that
could be applied to the human body. The day before had ended with every man
sore to the bone, and today would be no different.
"You may think it hard now, but it will get easier. You will get
stronger," Tim had said.
Tim had the men run, chop down trees, practice carrying heavy spears and
shields, even play soccer to train and prepare them. An effective army had
soldiers who were mobile, strong, able with weapons and armor, and could
effectively organize themselves and communicate during chaotic situations.
For today, Tim would introduce some fundamentals of combat.
"Begin with discipline, follow with fighting skill," became Tim's motto.
"Bring them back to the center, Jayel," called Tim. Martin himself had
been marching with the men, at the insistence of Tim, so that he would be
learning the ways of the soldier.
Jayel brought the company back and put them in more or less the same
position they had started in.
"That's a good start," said Tim. "Fall in and go to the mess and eat
breakfast, boys. You have thirty minutes. Dismissed." The soldiers scurried
away. Martin stayed behind.
"Do you think that they will be ready for the next battle?" asked the
novice soldier.
"If it is a month away, maybe," said Tim. "The further away a battle is,
the better these men will be for fighting."
As if on cue, the sergeants for the other companies began comming out of
the officers' quarters and going to their respective barracks. They looked
to Tim and his company with a little bewilderment, wondering why they were
up so early.
"As for the others, I'm not so sure." Tim sighed, and Martin joined him.
"I just hope the other sergeants can make their men form good phalanxes,"
said Martin. Tim nodded.
The standing order of training was phalanx training. A strong wall of
shields and spears would stand up well the horde attack favored by the
moogles. Indeed, if the moogles could be kept in one direction, then they
could overwhelm the human soldiers with their numbers.
"Let us hope indeed," said Tim.
--Sky
--------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------
GRAB THE GATOR! FREE SOFTWARE DOES ALL THE TYPING FOR YOU!
Tired of filling out forms and remembering passwords? Gator fills in
forms and passwords with just one click! Comes with $50 in free coupons!
Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------- Headers --------------------------------
Return-Path:
Received: from rly-zc04.mx.aol.com (rly-zc04.mail.aol.com [172.31.33.4]) by air-zc01.mail.aol.com (v67.6) with ESMTP; Fri, 17 Dec 1999 01:51:00 1900
Received: from onelist.com (pop4.onelist.com [209.207.164.243]) by rly-zc04.mx.aol.com (v67.6) with ESMTP; Fri, 17 Dec 1999 01:50:46 -0500
Received: (qmail 22714 invoked by alias); 17 Dec 1999 06:50:45 -0000
Received: (qmail 22698 invoked from network); 17 Dec 1999 06:50:44 -0000
Received: from unknown (209.207.164.241) by pop4.onelist.com with QMQP; 17 Dec 1999 06:50:44 -0000
Received: from unknown (HELO hotmail.com) (216.32.181.115) by mta2.onelist.com with SMTP; 17 Dec 1999 06:56:03 -0000
Received: (qmail 10814 invoked by uid 0); 17 Dec 1999 06:50:43 -0000
Message-ID: <19991217065043.10813.qmail@hotmail.com>
Received: from 207.62.105.34 by www.hotmail.com with HTTP;
Thu, 16 Dec 1999 22:50:42 PST
X-Originating-IP: [207.62.105.34]
From: "Sky Hall"
To: ffml@onelist.com
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 22:50:42 PST
Mime-Version: 1.0
Mailing-List: list ffml@onelist.com; contact ffml-owner@onelist.com
Delivered-To: mailing list ffml@onelist.com
Precedence: bulk
List-Unsubscribe:
Reply-to: ffml@onelist.com
Subject: [ffml] [MW] Getting to Work
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed