Ca Ira | yoonmin

Seven

There's a sharp ache in his left leg, shooting up his spine and spreading into each of his toes, impossible to ignore.

Yoongi sucks in a deep breath and ignores it, shifting his focus onto Namjoon's lanky figure amidst the piles of sketches spread out on the vast table.

"...that's about four battalions, to be amalgamated with the other two of existing troops. The real goal of training will be to weed out the weak right off the start, and move the skilled ones to frontline as skirmishers." Namjoon's voice is calm and orderly as usual, as faint rays of moonlight shed through the window behind his hunched shoulders.

Yoongi purses his lips before responding, "Only the skirmishers will receive weapons right away. Even with the two cannons being melted and fashioned into some sort of makeshift bayonets, we will never catch up in supply at the rate we're recruiting."

Namjoon splats his hands carefully onto the table, "Understood. That won't change for a while. But as I have told you before, there's no other way. The assembly wants to mount a war at the border for morale, and simultaneously defend Paris from all the foreign troops waiting to swoop in and reinstate the royalists. You need a much bigger army. General Hoseok is reviewing the document I drafted for a national conscription program before presenting it at the next meeting."

"I can't argue with you, in principle, I agree." Yoongi shifts in his seat and shifts his gaze towards the gloomy courtyard outside the window, "But we are essentially sending new soldiers into battle without training or weapons to defend themselves..."

"Yes." Namjoon's eyes are unflinching. "We've gone through this already, I don't care what others are telling you, or what strategy books you've read, your troops are too inexperienced and disorganized for traditional battle formations. The only way they can push through in battle is by sheer momentum - skirmishers in the frontline to shock and confuse the enemy, then large battalions to follow behind and ram through with brute force. High casualty rate, to be replenished continuously."

Yoongi winces at the words, "They are not objects. You're talking about thousands of soldiers with almost no chance of survival."

"Well." Namjoon tilts his head as he responds, "To be exact, 2300 soldiers per battalion, half won't make it through each battle, in the worst case scenario that is."

Yoongi tried to brush off the words, but fails and feels his heart grow heavy instead.

"If the political scene stabilizes, if we obtain more resources in the future, we can always revise the strategies. But general, you have to remember, a soldier is only as useful as the role he serves in battle. And right now, this is the only way your infantry units will be able to complete the tasks set forth by the assembly."

Namjoon's voice is gentle and diplomatic as usual, but the air in the room suddenly feels suffocating, and Yoongi pushes out a long exhale. He thinks absently of all the people he knows in this very barrack, the friends and comrades that have fought together to survive through the past two years, and the throngs of fresh young faces stepping through the gates daily, eyes filled with dreaded excitement. Namjoon's solutions are indisputable, necessary for the goal, and Yoongi wants to nod and buy into it, but the words stutter and stick at the back of his throat, refuse to come out.

Namjoon glances at him, and inquired cautiously, "I know it's a lot to absorb. We can continue tomorrow if you wish? It's late anyways."

Yoongi's gaze traces the way he thumbs at the sketches absently, thoughts drifting. Eventually, he sighs and responds, "Maybe, tomorrow..."

Namjoon's eyes soften, as his lips curl into a small smile, "It's ok, you're still recovering from the fall. Tomorrow morning, I'll go over the records of supplies again, and we can talk. Sleep on it for now, get some rest."