Looks of renewed hope replaced the grave looks of despair on the generals' faces.
"How do we set up this decisive battle?" General Santaran asked.
"We set it up in how quickly we allow Kingdom Pass to fall to the enemy." I said somberly.
The generals stared back at me blankly. The concept of allowing Kingdom Pass to fall quickly was obviously a strategy that they had never even given thought too before.
"Even without the Attorgron invasion from the rear it is doubtful whether Kingdom Pass could withstand the bombardment by the advanced siege weapons that the Zoarinians have created. They will be able to pick our wall and defensive installations apart at a distance that is out of the range of any of our weapons to respond to. The whole success of the battle for Kingdom Pass will hinge on three things, surprise, angered pride and carelessness on the part of their inexperienced field commanders. They expect us to stay behind our wall, as we have done for centuries as we let them come to us. They will be content to engage us only lightly and pick apart our walls at a distance, while they wait for the Attorgrons to get into position behind us. They will then attack us from both sides with the utter destruction of our army being the end result. We will surprise them by meeting them in force in front of our wall instead of standing behind it as we have always done. The front half of their army is comprised of mercenaries, with inexperienced field commanders. Their untrained commanders will rush at the chance of whittling down our forces in what will appear to be a bad mistake on our part. They will rush foreword heedless of the potential cost they will encounter against our best troops and whatever traps and snares we can arrange outside the walls in the little time left to us. Once the onslaught begins, confusion will reign on their part as we chew up their forward brigades. When they realize the cost being taken of them they will retire from the fight and I hope to have attained a small decisive victory that will bolster our troops and demoralize their less experienced troops. The Zoarinian people are a proud people and our actions and the needless loss of their troops will incense the Zoarinian generals into doing something impulsive. In an effort to regain momentum and revenge for the fallen, they will commit themselves fully before the Attorgrons have had a chance to move into position behind the city. It will become a matter of honor to be the first in defeating us. They will bring their advanced siege weapons to the front and begin pounding holes in our wall."