Hey Fellas.

Here is another story from me. This one is based upon the ideas of a reviewer named C.E.W from my other story "The Song of the Red Eagle". This is a spinoff of that story following two minor characters in that story. I suggest you read the other story, though it is not required. I will give full credit to the reviewer for the character ideas and storyline. I have taken a few liberates with it.

Harold Romanov was a respected major in the alliance. His life had been full of events, such as the Jon Grissom's expedition through the Charon Relay, the first contact war and the fact that he was a notable N7 operative didn't quell his reputation as well. He was born in 2129 to Nicholas Romanov who was the grandson of Alexander Romanov, one of Mads Romanov's nephews.

Harold had heard much of this Mads Romanov through his childhood. Every summer spent at his great granddads house, he heard stories about the Great Russian officer, the pride of the family. A terrible shame he was shot back in 2017. Alexander had never met Mads, but his father was his brother, and so he too had spent countless summers hearing about him.

Harold met Alec Ryder during the original expedition through the Charon Relay. They quickly became good friends, doing everything together. Harold would follow Alec to hell and back if he had to. They fought together during the first contact war against the Turians on the human colony of Shanxi. They were both recommended to the N7 program and quickly rose through the ranks of the alliance.

25/11 2174

Harold was sitting at his desk at his office at the alliance headquarters in Vancouver. The clock was close to midnight, but his table was still full of paperwork that needed to be done. He looked over at the two picture frames sitting at his desk, the two most important people in his life. His now deceased wife Michelle and his son Joseph.

Joseph was born in 2158, a year after the first contact war; his birth had been the best and worst day of his life. Harold had met Michelle in the last days of the first war; he had received a bullet wound to his shoulder and she had been the nurse that took care of him. They fell in love and were married a year later.. Harold was sure he was blessed, until Michelle died in childbirth. He never truly came to peace with her passing, and so he buried himself in work instead of taking care of his son properly.

Joseph spent most of his time with his grandparents, although Harold and Joseph were distant, they still loved each other. Joseph looked forward to every time his father would come home, every time Harold would tell him stories and take him out to play. Joseph was now a teenager and has already rebelled against Harold, but Harold saw himself in the young man.

Harold wondered what he could have done differently. His friend Alec had done the same mistake by choosing work instead of his children. Alec's wife Ellen had given birth to twins in 2163, although Joseph was five years older, he still loved to play with twins, Sara and Scott Ryder. Harold didn't see Alec a lot these days, mostly because Alec had been reposted to the Citadel as a military attaché. There were rumor that Ellen was ill with cancer that could not be cured; Harold hoped to god that they were false. He didn't want his best friend to go through what he did.

Harold suddenly heard knocking on the door, he wondered who it was. Very few people came to visit him and even fewer at this hour.

"Come in!" Harold yelled.

A figure came through the door. Harold looked at him, he seemed familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on where he had seen him before. He had boots that went to just before his knees and a thigh holster with an old school revolver in it. It all seemed very strange to him, no one in the alliance had that type of uniform, yet it could have sworn he had seen it before.

"Harold Romanov?" The man asked as he walked towards the chair in front of the desk.

"Yes, who is asking?" Harold was curious who this was.

"You probably don't know me, but I'm Mads Romanov" The man answered.

"Mads Romanov? But he died like 150 years ago, who do you think you are? Using my families name like that!" Harold was furious; how did anyone have the nerve to take the identity of the pride of the family?

"I know it must seem strange, I'm still trying to understand how I ended up here. I was put on ice. Russia did not want to lose their best officer and decided to cryo freeze me. I don't expect you to believe me, but at least give me a chance! I lost everything, my parents, my sister and brother. I never got to see their children!" Mads was very good at convincing him.

"Alright I'll bite" Harold said as he sat back down in his seat.

Mads pulled down his sleeve on his right arm to show his tattoo. It said:

Mads Aleksandrovich Romanov.

31/8 1992

Mads' birthday were not known outside of the family. Mads shared several stories from his childhood and his time in military and how it felt to wake up after such a long time. He told him that he had visited the resting place of his family and friends.

"I decided to check up on currently living Romanovs. I have already visited your parents' house and said hi. Your achievements are proven; you make a soldier such as me very proud" Mads said with a smile.

"I can't believe it. I grew up hearing stories about you, every summer my great grandfather would tell me about you. I have seen all photos and videos of you" That's why he looked familiar; no one could create such a perfect copy of a human. His scars backed up his story about getting shot in Syria all those years ago.

"What now? Will you return to the alliance?" Harold asked.

"Yes, I have been offered a position by Captain Anderson. I'm afraid we won't be talking too much, I'll be starting a new life, but I would love to meet your son" Mads said, he felt saddened that he wouldn't have time to see them much.

"I think we can work something out, I would like you to meet my best friend Alec Ryder" Harold said.

"I would love to" Mads said as he got up from his seat and began to walk to the door, he stopped to write something on a notepad and walked back to Harold's desk to place it down.

"You can contact me through my extranet account" Mads said. Harold nodded and watched him walk out the door. Harold wondered if he had dreamed it all. He called up Joseph to tell him about it, Harold wondered if he should tell Alec about it, but it would probably be against Mads' wish of a new life.

The legend walks again. I wonder what influence he will have on the galaxy. Harold thought to himself.

Harold decided to take the next few days off to get his head around to the events that had just happened. He told Joe everything and the Romanov family spoke together about what this meant for them. Should Russia every want their royal family back, he would be the one to take the throne.

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