The militarists crept toward the army of Mistmantlean soldiers chatting with each other, armed only with pistols. They shot poison darts into each of the 32 men using a feudal Japanese blowgun. This occurred within a matter of seconds. The darts would kill the men in minutes. The communists then revealed hand grenades, rifles, dynamite, and semi-automatic machine guns, all stolen from captured Mistmantlean soldiers. The other soldiers spotted them and loaded their weapons, but the Araza people shot them down quickly. Young men clambering out of their tents just waking up were killed before they even knew what happened to them. The Araza soldiers ran through the camp, burning the tents with flamethrowers. Captains shouted orders, and the surviving Mistmantleans took up defensive positions.
Captain Kelp of the 6th Battalion ran behind a rock, where others sheltered. The men reacted quickly, firing at the Araza accurately. "Lock shields!" shouted Kelp, and the men raised their arms in front of them with fire-bulletproof shields strapped to their arm. The soldiers on the right and left flank fired at the Araza people with mortars. But the Araza had brought donitzers with them, and the blew the shields apart and fired direct hits with rifles. The 6th Battalion's casualties were too many, and Captain Kelp ordered his men to retreat. Before the Araza had reacted, the 143 remaining men of the 6th Battalion had disappeared, leaving supplies, ammunition, food, and clothes behind in their tents for the Araza.
The Araza had made it past the first checkpoint. They would encounter the remains of the 6th Battalion along with the 11th Battalion tomorrow.
The communsits had begun the first phase of their plans.