Scott had told Poulengy nothing, though the senior general suspected he knew what his star pupil was about to do. He had, after all, trained him. For his part Scott hesitated a moment. With his feet spread shoulder width apart and his two hands behind his back he surveyed the sea of faces staring at him. Every now and then he paused as he looked into the eyes of one of the soldiers he was about to send into battle. The only noise that could be heard in the crowded gym was the hum of a soda machine in the corner. When Scott finally began, he did so in a low, but commanding voice, “Listen up and listen well, people.”

“Several days ago,” he stated in a loud voice that carried well beyond the rear rank of the battalion, “The governor of Idaho expelled all federal officials from his state. He followed this action with a statement that he would no longer accept the authority of the Federal government as supreme. Yesterday a unit of the 17th Airborne Division was dropped on the outskirts of Boise with the mission to reimpose that authority. In the course of that operation shots were exchanged between members of the 17th Airborne and the Idaho National Guard, resulting in casualties on both sides.”

Poulengy could see that Scott was struggling with the realization that one of the casualties could be his son. Silently, the senior general found himself whispering under his breath, “Keep it together, Scott.”

Inhaling, Scott averted his eyes by looking up at the ceiling, blinking them as he did so in the hope that a tear forming in his right eye would dissipate. When he was in control of himself again he looked back down at the troops, fixing his gaze on one of the hundreds of young, anxious faces watching his every move.

Ready, Scott continued. “Last night the paratroopers were extracted from Idaho, leaving no Federal troops in Idaho. Today, by order of the Chief of Staff of the Army, in response to a directive approved by the President of the United States and acting in accordance with the power invested in him by the Constitution, the 4th Armored Division has been placed on alert for immediate deployment to Idaho. You, the soldiers of this battalion and your sister battalions, have been given the mission of returning Constitutional authority to the state and people of Idaho, by force if necessary.”