Sure they can. As a last resort, they could execute traitors from the last battle at the beginning of the next one.
This is both a significant cost to the general and a motivation for traitors to continue defecting and recruit further traitors. As a general I would allow for the loss of two soldiers to friendly fire (-2 points, 2 less combatants) for each traitor (that doesn’t submit willingly to execution). The victims do get to defend themselves. In addition the ‘execution’ civil-unrest at the start of the battle could constitute a non-trivial distraction in the battle.
It makes a difference that the soldiers have little to lose but pride but the generals quite a lot more.
This is both a significant cost to the general and a motivation for traitors to continue defecting and recruit further traitors. As a general I would allow for the loss of two soldiers to friendly fire (-2 points, 2 less combatants) for each traitor (that doesn’t submit willingly to execution). The victims do get to defend themselves. In addition the ‘execution’ civil-unrest at the start of the battle could constitute a non-trivial distraction in the battle.
It makes a difference that the soldiers have little to lose but pride but the generals quite a lot more.