Another week started, and King Ukhaan delivered the news in a proclamation to the military that all commanding officers were to be granted emeritus status in preparation for a great adjustment to the command structure. The back-lash, as expected, was instantaneous. In fact, some of the snubbed officers packed up and left that very day.

In the meantime, Lolo and Ulana got busy establishing the new command structure. They called their thirty-five hand-picked men to the training field. Only a small fraction of these men came from the group of now emeritus officers.

“Gentlemen,” Lolo opened, “my name is Huo Lohse Lang and this is Ulana Zugeer. We are your commanding officers. Congratulations, you are all now promoted to the rank of captain.” A collective buzzing erupted through the ranks. “Ahem,” Lolo cleared her throat to recapture their attention. “Ulana is passing out your promotion letters from the king and your command assignments to you now along with the names of all the soldiers under your command. We will be teaching you how to properly train your men in the afternoons. In the mornings, you will take what you’ve learned and apply it as you train your own men. Over lunch, you will assemble together to discuss your progress as leaders with each other, exchange notes, and learn from each others’ experiences. Let me make myself very clear. We are at war, gentlemen! There is no time to be casual. If you want to survive, if you want the men you have been given responsibility for to survive, you will train harder than you’ve ever trained before in your life. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

“You have each been given charge of about a thousand men. You will need help to train them properly. Your first task as captains is to meet with your men and identify individuals that you believe will make good lieutenants. These men need to be brave, clever, humble, loyal, good soldiers, better leaders, and capable of both giving and obeying orders. These qualities have nothing to do with seniority. You must be able to trust your lieutenants with your life and with the lives of your men. You will bring your selections here tomorrow afternoon for my inspection and approval. Keep in mind that you will likely want about one lieutenant for every two to three hundred men in your charge. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir!”

“You have twenty-four hours. Dismissed!”

***

To Huo Lohse Lang, Phoenix Tribe, Palace, Guest Quarters

From Kuchezan Utu, Panther Tribe, Leader’s House

June 10

Dear Lolo,

I don’t even know where to start! Thank you for your help. Three Lion Tribe soldiers showed up in the village four days ago, and they have been incredible to work with. We are already seeing vast improvements across the board.

I heard from Sharisip yesterday that the Lion Tribe extended an invitation to the Snake Tribe to request military training support as well. I don’t know who you talked to, Lolo, but thank you. This will go a long way to ease our minds.

As I’m writing this, my father just informed me that he got a letter from the Wolf Tribe leader inviting him to a meeting this weekend to discuss a treaty with all the tribe leaders for a refugee alliance. I understand that to mean that the four main tribes are opening their borders to the smaller tribes in the event that we are attacked. Something tells me that you had a hand in that too. Huo Lohse Lang, there are no words. Thank you!

Kuchezan

***

To Fortus Arum, Lion Tribe, Palace, Guest Quarters

From Huo Lohse Lang, Phoenix Tribe, Palace, Guest Quarters

June 11

Hey Fortus,

Thank you for your letter! That wasn’t so difficult, was it?

And thank you for your efforts working with Artibus, and for sending some men to the Panther Tribe. I got a letter from Kuchezan this morning saying that Artibus’s men “have been incredible to work with”. Pass the compliment on to the Lion General for me?

I’m assuming by now that you’ve heard about the tribe leader’s meeting this weekend to discuss a refugee treaty. Great minds think alike! You, Philige, and my dad all had similar ideas. I know King Ukhaan intends to send Surakh, the crown prince, to the meeting with full authority to act in his name.

Ulana and I are shaking up the Phoenix Tribe military. I lost my temper on the unbelievably incompetent Phoenix General my very first day here, and now King Ukhaan has assigned Ulana and me to fix everything. They were still using peace-time training methods! We’ve offended a lot of people, especially all of the now former commanding officers, but it was necessary to put worthy men into leadership positions. This afternoon, the new captains are bringing their potential lieutenants to me for approval. I just hope they take me seriously and ignore conventional seniority in favor of men with actual ability and potential.

Wish me luck!

Lolo

***

“Captains, assemble together with your men,” Lolo ordered the field full of soldiers. Thirty-five captains assembled in thirty-five rows. Each captain had brought three to five men for Lolo’s inspection. “Captains, sound off, one, two, one, two, starting with you, soldier,” Lolo addressed the captain on the front row and each captain shouted their number down the line. “Ones with me, twos with Ulana. Move!”

The girls had prepared basic battle simulations to test the potential lieutenants and their captains. They each led their teams to the far ends of the field.

“Alright soldiers, you are going into battle,” Lolo informed her team. “Ulana’s men will be attacking you in twenty minutes. You must prepare a defensive position. Work together. Show me what you can do.” With that, Lolo moved out of the way to take notes and give the men room to work.

The first ten minutes were chaotic as most of the captains competed with each other to have their ideas heard. Lolo sat back rolling her eyes as she watched the time tick by.

“One at a time! One at a time!” someone shouted. Everyone settled as a young captain that had hitherto been sitting back and listening took the spotlight. “I’ve heard arguments for two plans with a variation. Plan one is to group up with our lieutenants to work in small pods. Plan two is for one of us to take command of everyone so we can work together as one body. Raise your hand if you are in favor of the first plan.” Only a handful of the captains raised their hands. “It would seem that you’ve been out-voted. I nominate Captain Akhlakh as our leader for today’s scrimmage. Any opposed?” No one argued, though a few grumbled. “Akhlakh, you are our commanding officer. Now, the variation I heard was to divide into two teams, so one team can greet the enemy and the second can lie in wait to flank them. All in favor, raise your hand.” Everyone raised their hand. “Fine. Akhlakh, choose your co-leader and divide the groups.”

The captain stepped back to give Akhlakh the floor. Within three minutes, the team was working together smoothly.

“Captain,” Lolo snagged the young soldier as he prepared his lieutenants to move out. “What is your name?”

“Baatar.”

Lolo nodded and dismissed him. Captain Baatar. She would have to remember that.

By the haphazard attack from Ulana’s team, it would appear that they too had wasted most of their time jostling with each other to be heard. Ulana joined Lolo on the side of the field to observe the battle drill.

“You had trouble with too many ideas and not enough leadership too, huh?” Lolo asked.

“Ugh!” Ulana groaned. “Why do men always have to establish a hierarchy?” Ulana watched as her men got trounced. “But what are you talking about, Lolo? Your men appear to actually be a team!”

Lolo smiled. “That’s because the new Phoenix General is on my team.”

After the battle, the teams switched offense and defense, so Lolo’s team would now be attacking Ulana’s. This time, Lolo’s men half expected Captain Baatar to bring order to the chaos, and within ten minutes, a battle strategy was established. Once again, Huo Lohse’s team destroyed Ulana’s.

Lolo and Ulana took their notes to their teams to hand out promotions to the lieutenants they approved of. A few captains had to completely rethink their paradigms for how they selected lieutenants, but most captains seemed to have chosen well.

“Captain Baatar, a moment of your time, please?” Lolo called him over as the rest of the group was dismissed.

“Is this him?” Ulana asked, sizing him up. Captain Baatar was not particularly impressive to look at. He was about Ulana’s height with a narrow build, wild, curly black hair and grey eyes, and he appeared to be somewhere in his mid-twenties. But he radiated a quiet, self-assured confidence, and Lolo had selected him to be a captain because he was also a capable soldier.

Lolo nodded. “Captain, will you please come with me?” She led the confused captain back to the palace to request an audience with King Ukhaan. The king was in a meeting, but he was gracious about the interruption.

“Princess Lang, welcome! Who is this?” The Old Phoenix was surprised to see that Huo Lohse had brought someone with her.

“Forgive the intrusion, your excellency. I wanted to introduce you to your new Phoenix General.”

Captain Baatar’s head whipped up from his bow of respect to the king. “What?!”

“Oh,” Lolo grinned mischievously, “I almost forgot. Congratulations on your promotion, General Baatar!”

***

Huo Lohse adjusted her training plans to involve General Baatar with intention. Thrilled to have discovered him so quickly, her goal was to prepare the young general to take over her training role a quickly as possible and establish him as the Phoenix Tribe military leader. As such, she was now spending many hours each evening providing the general with specialized leadership training, teaching him everything she knew about military training methods, developing his personal swordsmanship style and capacity, giving him advice on leadership philosophies and principles, and answering his many, many questions.

The more time Lolo spent with the general, the happier she was with her choice. Baatar was a humble and hard-working person, in other words, he was teachable. And yet he was extremely intelligent, commanded respect, and inspired confidence. Despite a somewhat negative first reaction from the rest of the captains to Baatar's promotion, it only took them a few days to realize that he was, in fact, an excellent leader, and they would do well to listen to him.

***

To Huo Lohse Lang, Phoenix Tribe, Palace, Guest Quarters

From Fortus Arum, Lion Tribe, Palace, Guest Quarters

June 13

Lolo,

You actually lost your temper? I’m sorry I missed it! Good luck with training. Hopefully you are happy with your new commanding officers.

King Hospes accepted the invitation to join the meeting this weekend. I’ll be attending too as part of his security team. I will send you a report afterwards.

Fortus

***

“General Baatar,” the Old Phoenix called him forward, “what is your report?”

“This week, we’ve been running battle simulations. Huo Lohse Lang and Ulana Zugeer have been training our commanding officers in the afternoons who then train their own men in the mornings. I am pleased to report that the quality of our training has improved dramatically, and it will continue to improve as our officers develop as leaders. All of our captains are well supported by good lieutenants now, and the men are responding well to the new chain of command.”

“What about your personal training, general?”

“Huo Lohse Lang is an excellent teacher. She is helping me to prepare letters to the generals from each of the main tribes to establish lines of communication and, hopefully, to enable me to draw from their more extensive leadership experience. I recognize that I am young and inexperienced, but I am working hard to become the leader this military needs me to be.”

King Ukhaan nodded approvingly. “Anything else to report?”

“Yes, your majesty. Emeritus General Chadvargi has been gracious enough to continue in his role as our head military recruiter. Our army continues to grow rapidly. We’ve surpassed thirty-five thousand troops as of yesterday. I anticipate that the rate of new sign-ons will decrease over time, but, for now, we are happy to accept the large numbers. We have infrastructure set up to accept forty thousand troops. We may need to consider expanding that potential.”

“Prepare a request for us to review at our next council meeting,” the king smiled. “Ulana Zugeer, do you have anything to say?”

Ulana stood up to address the council. “I defer to Huo Lohse Lang, your majesty. She has been primarily responsible for the training schedule, promotions, and adjustments. However, I will add my observation that this military now feels like a real army.”

King Ukhaan nodded. “Princess Lang, anything to add?

“Yes, your excellency.” Lolo stood up from her seat next to the king. “General Baatar is making excellent progress. I anticipate that I will be able to turn the reins over to him completely within the next two weeks.”

“So soon?!” The king was pleasantly surprised. “He’s only been in command for a week!”

“The military has already accepted him as the Phoenix General.” She smiled. “He is self-sufficient, and I trust that he is capable of resolving issues as they arise through his own personal study and by reaching out to other military leaders that we are currently working to establish rapport with. He certainly has the tenacity and raw talent to lead this military on his own. For the next couple of weeks, I intend to make sure that he has the resources he needs to be successful, and I will observe from a distance for the remainder of my time here in the exchange to offer pointers where necessary. After that, I believe that you are in good hands with General Baatar.”

The general flushed under Lolo’s praise, and King Ukhaan smiled widely. “Excellent work, all three of you.”

Huo Lohse smiled at Ulana and nodded to General Bataar, and the three of them took their seats.

“Surakh, come forward please,” the Old Phoenix beckoned his grandson. “Tomorrow is the tribe leader meeting to discuss a refugee alliance with the small tribes. Are you ready to go?”

Surakh nodded.

“I want to remind you that we have a certain obligation as one of the main tribes to provide assistance to the smaller tribes when needed. Attend the meeting with altruistic intentions.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Listen well to the other tribe leaders. Return with a full report of what the small tribes need at this time and every suggestion for aid mentioned at the meeting. Sign the treaty when a consensus has been reached, and bring me a copy of the treaty for review. The Phoenix Tribe will do its part.”

“Yes, sir,” Surakh bowed and left.