Republic Reborn: Against the Stars and Stripes-Chapter 98: Already Soldiers

"Incoming barrage fire!" I shouted without warning, standing above ground and overlooking the recruits as they went about their routine in the trenches.

Just like the night drill a few evenings prior, the enemy attack was once again simulated using noise. This time, we hired spectators to bang on metal pots and pans, while Eduardo fired his swivel cannons on cue.

The cadets who had been briefed beforehand immediately shouted orders for the recruits to either drop to the trench floor or duck behind the parapets. Knowing the drill by now, the recruits obeyed without question, following their cadets’ and NCOs’ instructions to the letter.

At the other end of the trench, Colonel Abad shouted, "Enemy fire! Some of our soldiers are hit!"

Vicente and Dimalanta sprang into action, pointing at random recruits and tagging them as either dead or wounded, instructing them to stay put. The more alert cadets quickly ordered their men to drag the tagged recruits to the rear trenches to simulate casualty management.

Then it was the captains’ turn.

"The enemy has breached the left flank!" Pedro shouted after blowing his whistle. "Enemy soldiers are inside our trenches!"

Cristobal Madrigal and his platoon were closest to the leftmost section of the trench. In stark contrast to his slow response during the night drill, the young cadet immediately sprang to action.

"Fix bayonets!" he bellowed. "To the left flank, charge!"

All twenty-five of his men moved in impressive unison, following him as he lunged toward the left side of the trench where the imaginary enemies had appeared.

"The center of the trench is breached!" Capitan Roque shouted soon after.

In an impressive display, the remaining three platoons coordinated their efforts to handle the simulated breach. It was an impromptu application of the tactics they had been studying during our evening lessons.

Lorenzo’s and Mario’s platoons, stationed on either side of the breach, had some of their men switch firing positions to lay down suppressive fire toward the center. Teofilo Roque’s platoon, which had been in the rear trenches before the drill, advanced through the communication trenches in fire teams to counterattack and retake the position.

To outsiders, the spectacle would have seemed ridiculous—grown men shouting at invisible foes, stabbing the air. But to me, it was a glimpse of their growth. I stood silently, arms crossed, as pride swelled in my chest.

Now came the final stage of the drill.

I mounted my horse, gripping the reins tightly. The senior officers followed suit. The cadets below looked up, recognizing the shift. The mood tensed.

I raised my whistle and blew one long note.

The cadets barked orders: "Onto the fire steps!" Confused but obedient, the recruits clambered up the interior walls of the trench, boots scraping wood and clay as they took position. Some adjusted their rifles, others simply looked around, unsure of what was to come.

I let a few moments pass, giving space for a brief silence.

Then I blew three sharp bursts.

"Over the top!" I shouted, rising slightly in my saddle. "Forward!"

The cadets leapt up and over the trench lip, shouting with instilled fervor, bayonets raised. The recruits followed, more tentative at first, then with increasing confidence. They charged across the open clearing—our designated no man’s land—boots thudding over dry grass and churned dirt.

The officers and I galloped behind them, shouting encouragement.

The dummies made of bamboo and sacks stuffed with rice husks awaited on the other side. They were no match for the adrenaline-charged recruits, who knocked them down, some even breaking them from the sheer force of the charge.

I halted far behind, watching as the recruits erupted in cheers and shouts upon reaching the far line. Some jumped over the fallen dummies like barbaric warriors trampling their slain enemies. I grinned widely at the sight. I never imagined we could produce such caliber of recruits without modern resources or professional instructors to aid me.

But here they were—perhaps already the most battle-ready force in the Republic.

"That was fun," Capitan Roque said as he rode up beside me, an even wider grin on his face. "Do you think they can fight toe-to-toe with the Americans now?"

"I am not too sure..." I replied honestly. There were other factors consider. "But these here... are already soldiers."

---

I returned to Kasily at day’s end, in the best of moods. I savored the grass-scented air, the gentle caress of the afternoon breeze, and the warm touch of the late sun.

The advanced training was nearly over. Tomorrow, Friday, would be our last day—mostly evaluations of the soldiers’ competencies, a mere formality by now, since I had already seen all I needed in the drills and exercises. On Saturday, they would graduate. The cadets would earn their patches, and the NCOs, their stripes.

I hadn’t felt this sense of achievement in a long while.

When I arrived at the Suarez residence, I found Alicia and Isabela in the backyard, helping the maid make rice flour. It was likely for puto—which means something else entirely in Spanish, but in Tagalog, refers to a delicious rice cake that pairs well with dinuguan, a pork blood stew that sounds scarier than it actually is.

The milling had to be done outdoors. Turning rice grains into powder involved a large wooden pestle and a matching mortar—laborious enough that having three women at the task wasn’t overkill.

Isabela was the first to notice me as I rode around to the back.

"Papa!" she beamed. "You’re back! Is Teniente Vicente with you?"

My expression darkened. I immediately had a sense of why she was asking.

"And the rest of the officers... Dimalanta, Tiyo?" she added, a little more nervously.

"Nope," I said. "Your Vicente will be staying in Landi again tonight—for their final night drill." I couldn’t help but enjoy watching the brightness in her face fade. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"Heneral, someone was looking for you," the maid said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"It was Capitan Sadiwa," Alicia clarified, "and he says it’s something serious."