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them.''
"Your pardon and understanding, honored Teacher," said the Ashregan commander, '
'but I fail to see how this impacts on our present situation."
Place-bereft-Inward took up the explanation. "This strange thesis holds that the
more difficult the situation, the harder Humans fight. It is when everything is
going their way that they are apparently at their most vulnerable. In order to
make use of this knowledge we must for now accept this reversal of reason
without trying to understand it.
"The Humans are superb fighters, but they are not superbeings, and they have
their own unique weaknesses. It is through our comprehension and utilization of
these vul-nerabilities that they shall be defeated, not by any attempt to impose
our system of values upon them."
In the silence that ensued the two Amplitur perceived that their attempt to
spread enlightenment had produced only bewilderment. "I shall be specific."
Place-bereft-Inward's words were accompanied by a mental suggestion of badly
needed reassurance. "The majority of our people will pull out, but not to
retreat. Some will race toward Planetary Headquarters, giving the arriving enemy
the im-pression that all are attempting to flee in that direction. It will seem
the natural thing for us to do. Meanwhile the bulk of our forces will head not
for the perceived safety of the headquarters perimeter but for the dense hilly
jungle to the southwest."
"That places us farther from potential safety or rein-forcement than anywhere
else," one of the elder Crigolit was unable to forbear from pointing out.
"Precisely," the Amplitur replied with cool confidence. "It is the last thing
the enemy would expect of us. From a strategic standpoint it is an almost Human
move. New problems require equally new and radical solutions.
"After the enemy has wrested this installation from the modest force which will
remain to 'defend' it, and after they have begun their pursuit of the group
which will be sent fleeing northwestward, but before they can consoli-date their
new conquest, we will counterattack. Not in an attempt to retake our position
here, which would concen-trate our forces dangerously, but all up and down along
their line of assault. This time the element of surprise shall be ours."
"Your pardon, honored Teacher," said the obstreperous female Ashregan officer,
"but this strikes me as strategy based on hope as much as knowledge. The Humans
excel at the kind of fragmented combat you propose.''
"That is so." Both Amplitur agreed readily. "But you forget the Cossuut unit.
Surprise and support from the rest of our forces should enable them to make a
much greater impact than they would be able to if attacking on their own.
Remember also that our assailants are not all Hu-mans. According to the reports
there are Massood and noncombative species in the attacking force as well. If
these can be thrown into confusion or panic, it will greatly complicate the
Humans' ability to fight, since they have come too far to quickly evacuate
support personnel."
"And our fighters will be fresh and rested," High-manyfold-Leaving pointed out.
"That counts for much."
While there was some continuing discussion both Am-plitur impatiently suggested
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that their allies put any re-maining objections aside in the interests of speed,
concurring that insufficient time remained for the luxury of independent debate.
So it was not surprising when the assembled officers declared in a body, "We
accept the plan of the Teachers."
"We feel wellness at your decision." The Amplitur re-plied simultaneously,
gratified by the unanimous accep-tance of the foregone conclusion.
Chapter Sixteen
Hidden deep within difficult, highly vegetated terrain, the forces which had
withdrawn in hasty but orderly fashion from the interior of the mountain
fortress were barely able to monitor the Weave attack when it finally arrived.
Those limited Ashregan, Crigolit, and allied troops who had been left behind to
mount a semblance of a defense fought long and hard before they were overwhelmed
by the ferocity of the assault, bravely sacrificing themselves in the cause of
the Purpose. The Amplitur could not have hoped for better results.
Holding alertly at their assigned position, Ranji's group was aware of what was
taking place only through infre-quent and cautious internal communications. They
were too far away to hear the rumbling explosions which issued with pernicious
regularity from the interior of the tabletop mountain as its conquerors
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