~To defeat your enemy, you must crush his spirit~Myamoto Musashi
THE HEGEMONY RIGHT FLANK
The sudden assault of the irregulars was as brutal as it was bloody. Some were well armed, some had missing arms. But every second spent fighting was one less that could be spent preparing a serious offensive. Palindros snarled orders sending thousands of reinforcements to the extreme right, which meant for some troops a mile or more of marching to assist, however even as the Empire's assault force began to make a breach, reserve troops began to close it, and force the attackers back. One of the Hegemony officers took advantage of the situation, and began an unauthorized counterattack, hitting the flanks and rear and driving the enemy back whence they came. The heartened Hegemony soldiers began to break ranks in pursuit, arrogant in their unlooked for victory, and crossed into Numidars; so confident were they that many did not notice until to late that there were many spears and arrows and bolts piercing the flesh of their comrads....
COUNTERING THE COUNTER, THE NUMIDARS OFFENSIVE
As the sacrificial troops fulfilled their duty, bringing thousands of Hegemony troops accross the border in hot, disordered pursuit, the elite units of the Numidars Guard took aim and fired, loosing bolts, spears, and arrows into the oncoming mass. Without the benefit of a shield wall and with distraction and disorder ruling them, many were cut down like wheat before the scythe. The remainder were exposed on the plains before the ambush site, and the Numidars Heavy Horse charged into their ranks, cutting down many and surrounding others. The Light Horse went further, striking and passing stragglers or survivors, and pressed on to the disordered right flank, harassing them with many throwing spears and crossbow bolts, further disordering the flank. The trickling in of reenforcements did not help, but added to the chaos as they encountered an unexpected resistence that they were ill equiped to deal with. The situation was further exacerbated by the appearance of heavy cavalry on their undefended left, as each squad of horsemen finished with their group of Hegemony troops, they charged into the fray to support the light horse. The booming of drums also announced the marching of infantry. The retreat was sounded somewhere beyond the rear of the Hegemony line, and it was quickly obeyed, but the retreat began to disintigrate almost immediately, and quickly turned into a complete rout of the whole wing. Thousands fell or surrendered as their comrads fled past to the relative safety of established positions some distance to the rear. The Empire soldiers were quick to establish new defensive positions, and others of greater mobility quickly set about the business of harassing or pursuing any hegemony troops in the vicinity. The battle was not over, merely the first day of the Numidars Offensive. Gregor Ironfist was pleased, it had been profitable. The slaves who fought were freed that night, the remainder of the suicidal were gathered together to preepare for their second chance at finding a vengeful death, and the Godslayer host was one day closer to a vicious counterattack.
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