Yuell, Principality of Gallia

February 28, 1935 EC

Batory Andrzejevski

Batory Andrzejevski sat in his dormitory room, allowing himself the rare luxury of slouching in his chair as he stared blankly out his window. His roommate had not returned for quite some time – 96 minutes, to be exact. Batory allowed himself during this surprisingly long and welcomed period of solitude to finally relax, normally never letting his guard down around anyone in public or in private for the past year and a half he existed as an international college student in the Principality of Gallia.

It was still not yet spring and nature was eager to demonstrate this, with snow still falling in large quantities outside and blanketing the campus of the University of Yuell in a uniform white. According to the weather reports, it would be the last day of snow for most of the year. The scene Batory saw from where he was sitting was one a man could perhaps only find in a fairy tale; the quad was blanketed with thick snow, the buildings' baroque appearances seemingly amplified in power with the snow decorating its edges and surfaces.

In spite of this, Batory let out a small snort. It was almost as if the Europan continent forgot it was committing collective suicide yet again for the second time in two decades under the weight of its own past sins and unresolved grievances.

The young man could see his fellow students outside enjoying the snowfall as if they were half their actual ages. He couldn't exactly blame any of them, frankly. The East Europan Imperial Alliance had declared war against the Atlantic Federation only a month prior and was busy killing its way deep into Federate territory; already, three Federate republics had effectively ceased to exist. In spite of this, Gallia was somehow still at peace, its citizens preparing for war but also still pretending that everything was all right. The stores were still open and the trains were still running on time; even with classes cancelled until further notice and the students free to leave, the young men and women of the University of Yuell studied, loved, fought, laughed, and raged as on any other regular day on this accursed continent.

There was a great power in pretending everything was normal; Batory knew that. He craved that. To pretend that everything was fine, and that everyone would be where they were in another year – the power of fooling oneself as such was undeniable. It kept civilizations together in the face of crisis, families intact at their breaking point, and individuals sane in the face of calamity.

But Batory knew he would never escape reality no matter how hard he tried to delude himself. He himself was a walking testimony that behind the façade, ugly things were happening. Batory knew that Gallia would soon be swept up in the fires of war simply because he expected the Imperial scum to get high off the fumes of their own initial success again. He knew that he would soon have to bring to completion the task his superiors had given him before he departed his homeland potentially for the last time.

It was all so infuriating, and yet… Who could he talk to other than the ambassador? And how much could he help?

For a moment, the man wanted to join them, the students frolicking in the snow seemingly without a care in the world. He could feel a strong sensation in the back of his head and the tips of his arms and legs; his brain was aching to break free of its long-standing mental chains and commit him to dressing up and wading his way into the snow. To finally break composure and to laugh, play, and behave as a normal man recently turned 19 for just once in his life. It was so tempting – apparently the years of military training and augmentations back home in the Diarchy were never able to completely kill off the inner spark of humanity within him.

So tempting, stronger than usual now. Batory had to start half-consciously fighting his own body to stay in that chair, or at least in his room. But stay in that chair he did; a child soldier broken and reforged into a career killer over the course of a decade and a half couldn't break convention and let loose so easily.

As if to remind him that he would never truly be the same as those he studied with here in this idyllic city of Yuell, the window in front of Batory reflected his face back at him, taunting him. The image that stared back had long brown yet greying hair tied up into a short ponytail, dull hazel – almost golden – eyes, and an almost emotionless expression betraying only the slightest hint of bottled up frustration. It also had the familiar mass of burn scars on the left side of his face and neck, partly hidden by his hair.

The augmentations did not come for free, nor did the training, the pain tolerance, and the combat experience. Batory wished so badly that he could tell someone, if only to get some of the weight pressing down on him off his chest, but he couldn't. No one would take him seriously, and it would lead to more questions that would perhaps jeopardize the assignment for which he was sent here. He would always brush off comments about his facial injuries with, "Border War."

It was torture. Physical torture was no stranger to Batory – it was part of his training, after all. But this was mental in its entirety, and that was a whole different beast with or without training. In a university hosting thousands of undergraduates, even with fellow Viszevars, he never felt more alone.

But in the end, he agreed to be here. So who exactly was to blame for his displeasure?

/

Seongnam Base, Empire of Kokuria, Diarchy of Kokuria-Yamatai

June 5, 1933 EC

Warrant Officer Batory Dmovski

707th Special Weapons and Operations Reconnaissance Detachment, KISHIN

His face hidden underneath the domestic-duty gas mask and K00 standard-issue helmet, Batory Dmovski stepped outside the gates of Seongnam Base, his home base of operations. He stared briefly at the black government car waiting to pick him up as an armed guard stepped out of the vehicle's front passenger seat. Returning the guard's salute, the familiar two-finger salute inspired by his Europan ancestors, Batory advanced as the guard briskly maneuvered around the vehicle to open the rear passenger door for him.

As he stepped forward, Batory had a nagging thought in the back of his head. He knew that whatever required the new Ambassador to Gallia to fetch for him directly with the collaboration of KISHIN was most likely going to send him to Europa. It was the original home of his ancestors and frankly the last place he ever wanted to be. Batory resisted the temptation to look back at the gates of Seongnam one last time; for all he knew, it would be the last time he would ever see his home of the past decade and a half, with all of its torments and all of its blessings.

For all he knew, this would be the last time that he'd ever be in Kokuria, his homeland, without being stuffed in a box or an urn.

Batory gave a brief nod to the guard, dressed in the same KISHIN black uniform as he, as he climbed through the door and into the limo. Sitting inside what he knew to be the armored passenger compartment were two older men and a younger woman. The warrant officer instinctively labeled the men as the new Ambassador to Gallia and the Director of KISHIN, but didn't exactly know which one was which, nor did he really understand why he instinctively assumed they were. Seongnam hadn't exactly provided him with that data, as the ambassador was a very recent appointment to replace the current one and few really knew who the head of KISHIN was – a way to allow the intelligence agency to operate with maximum secrecy.

The woman, Batory assumed, was one of their secretaries – but again, this was more of a guess than anything else. The Crows could do many things with their enhanced abilities, but directly reading minds wasn't exactly one of them.

All that KISHIN had said about the occupants was that they were very high up in the political totem pole – high up enough for the agency to allow him to introduce himself to them.

He removed his gas mask and helmet that shielded his identity from public eyes, placing them on his lap. The hood followed soon after, falling behind his back. Under regular circumstances, Crows were to never show their faces or tell their surnames to anyone outside KISHIN as a means of operational security. But these people were so far up the chain of command that it didn't matter.

"… Warrant Officer Dmovski Batory is at your command." Batory softly and monotonously spoke to the other passengers in Kokurian as he bowed his head. The vehicle started to move.

The woman, to Batory's slight surprise, spoke first.

"Dmovski-junwi-ssi (1)," she replied in the same language with a strong air of professionalism. "We first wanted to thank you for accepting this assignment. We understand that you were wounded in Manju during the war with the Empire, and hope that you have well recovered."

Batory hid his surprise at this statement, something that he was very accustomed to doing as part of his occupation. Very few bothered to ask people like him much beyond what they were out to do. As the Vinlanders joked, people ask who someone was, but not how they were.

"… I believe I am fit to return to duty," replied Batory without a hint of emotion. The Border War in the northern steppes of Kokuria had gone spectacularly well for the Diarchy, for the most part. Outside of the Imperial superheavy command tank that had caused significant damage to the 10th Armored Brigade, and the armored train that had slowed down the Diarchic general counteroffensive, the war was really mostly a slaughter in favor of the Asian power. It was a slaughter in more ways than one.

That being said, the Crow never exactly forgave himself for not detecting the presence of the Imperial Sniper that had put a bullet through his shoulder. He was only 500 meters away, well within range of mental detection and more than far enough away for him to dodge the damned shot. Whatever he was distracted by, it was evidently enough to weaken his passive anti-ballistic protection as well.

Oh well, Batory muttered internally. I can't see the wound anymore, anyways. I'll know better than to let my guard down again.

The woman nodded, disrupting Batory's inner monologue. "Of course, junwi-ssi," she continued."The Two Houses are always indebted to their men and women who serve them and the people no matter the cost. We needed you in particular to be our agent this time, as… well…" The woman paused, and then finished her thoughts.

"We needed you because you're not Asian."

Batory didn't react. He already knew the reason why they needed a full-blooded Viszevar like him. He started to secretly dread the conversation, his suspicions being seemingly confirmed.

"… You need me to blend in," answered the Crow. "And for a long-term basis… If all you needed was for us to kill someone or destroy something, you wouldn't be so picky about what the agent looks like."

The woman nodded once more in confirmation. "Correct, junwi-ssi. This will be a long-term operation."

Batory's heart sank underneath his emotionless exterior. Long-term operation. His odds of ever seeing his home again decreased even further, especially with reports that the Europans were about to repeat history and start yet another war.

Hmm, sighed the warrant officer internally. I suppose dying in the continent of my ancestors is certainly one way to honor them, as much as I don't want to go there.

What's left for Viszevary over there, anyways?

The man sitting beside her then spoke up, this time in Standard Europan – seemingly to test Batory regarding his ability to blend in. He appeared to be in his late 40s, with a slim body, sharp eyes that betrayed the owner's wit and experience, and a full set of facial hair. "Warrant Officer Dmovski, I am the new Ambassador to Gallia. I am Sugihara."

Sugihara extended his hand, and Batory took it in a brief handshake. It was unusual for Batory to shake hands and it still felt strange for him; the military usually did salutes and even with all of its Europanization, the Diarchic culture still called for bows to show respect. And Seongnam Base didn't exactly prioritize social behavior in its classes. However, the handshake did distract him from that sinking sensation, so he swiftly grasped the opportunity to think about anything else.

"… Ambassador Sugihara," Batory quietly replied in the same language. "… I would like to ask you for the details of the assignment."

Sugihara shot a quick glance at the woman sitting next to him, and received a brief nod from her in return. The ambassador then turned back to Batory.

Oh, so she's even higher in rank than he is, thought the Viszevar. Interesting.

"Of course, warrant officer. As you know, the Europans are on the verge of war again," spoke Sugihara with the air of a practiced orator, softly and precisely. "The Diarchs are quite concerned about what the Empire will do, now that the fight for Ragnite has escalated with the Empire's failure to secure the Donghae Mining Complex as of three days ago."

Batory nodded in understanding. The Donghae Mining Complex in northeastern Manju was one of the largest strategic resource mines in the world, potentially able to fuel the Diarchic state and its alliance bloc for another couple of centuries. Of course the Empire wanted it, and of course the Diarchy beat the East Europans back for their troubles with a thousand of their captive sons being summarily shot like diseased cattle in a horrific fit of vengeance by the Viszevaric elements of the Kokurian forces.

"Due to their defeat in Manju," Sugihara continued, "the Empire has once again focused its attention westward toward Vinland and the Federation. However, we have good reason to suspect that they will target the Principality of Gallia again."

Ah, Gallia, thought Batory with amusement and some respect. The little country that could. Despite the Diarchic betting markets suggesting that the tiny country would start singing King of Kings at gunpoint within a month of its being invaded by the Empire in the last year of the First Europan War, it not only ground the Empire to a halt, but also beat it back completely. It naturally stood to reason that the Empire would find a burning need to demand satisfaction for that humiliation soon, even more so considering that this wasn't the first time the Gallian nation had embarrassed the East Europan great power.

Gallia was truly a country after the Diarchy's and old Viszevary's hearts.

Batory nodded again. "… Of course," spoke the Crow with the same monotonous intonation. "… You need some sort of protection at the embassy in the Gallian capital in light of this, or you suspect the Empire will commit special units this time… Is that correct, Ambassador?"

Sugihara smiled thinly. "You are perceptive, sir," he graciously replied, still using Standard Europan. "Yes, the new posting in Randgriz has been deemed hazardous. We suspect the Empire will invade Gallia again within the next five years, and the Joint Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to make a potential conquest to be as painful for the Imperials as possible. This is where you and KISHIN come in."

"We will rely upon you to pass intelligence to the embassy regarding Gallian and Imperial military assets," interjected the woman right on cue. "By doing so, you can assist KISHIN in properly gauging what sort of threats we can expect from the Imperials in case of additional hostilities in our area of geographic control."

The woman, who was now almost certainly KISHIN in Batory's estimation, continued. "KISHIN will also need you to engage in hostilities against any Imperial or Federate incursions during this timeframe, junwi-ssi," she explained. "The Diarchy cannot afford to let such a mass producer of Ragnite fall into rival hands. The Two Houses have authorized us to allow you to develop your own plans as to how to do this, within reason."

Batory didn't react this time; was there a need to? A five-year deployment was not what he desired in the slightest, but he was a Crow. This was ultimately what he was trained for and was conditioned to die for. If nothing else, he would potentially get to kill Imperial bastards, which was always a bonus in the Viszevaric subculture of Kokuria.

"… I understand, Ambassador, thank you, " remarked Batory. He paused for a moment before continuing. "… But you did not answer my questions in full… Are you expecting anything much more than a standard invasion force?"

He continued to stare at Sugihara. "… After all, the Joint Ministry of Foreign Affairs and KISHIN have asked for someone like me, Ambassador… Not any of our human operatives, but a Crow."

The KISHIN woman cut in. Batory noticed that unlike the previous times, she was not as well composed. And he noticed that Sugihara for the first time had also started to show a sign of nervousness.

"Yes, junwi-ssi," she said with some trepidation. "Our agents embedded in the Imperial OKR (2) detected some unusual activity along what the Empire apparently calls the Siegval Line, currently under construction several hundred miles from their capital of Schwartzgrad."

The woman paused again and fiddled with her spectacles. Even the third man whom Batory assumed to be KISHIN started to fidget silently in the car. The Viszevar knew this was going to be bad; anything that truly worried those in KISHIN was going to be a significant challenge for the Diarchy.

But that didn't help Batory prepare for the bombshell.

"Based on the Siegval Line reports, KISHIN thinks the Empire has at least two operational Valkyria."

The Crow remained silent along with the rest of the car. He didn't know what to say anymore. An actual Valkyria would be something not even the best of the Crows could reliably kill in a frontal confrontation just yet, and she would be a terribly powerful force multiplier for the Empire. But the Imperial bastards had two or more?

Batory turned his head and stared out of the window of the car as it entered the mountain city of Seongnam and drove down its main thoroughfare. It was a beautiful summer day in Seongnam, the city quickly becoming a pride and joy of Kokuria for its incredible rate of modernization and for its role as a center of science and technology. The city was teeming with people dressed in a mixture of Europan clothing and traditional attire, seemingly still high from the euphoria of a very recent victory over the Empire. More and more buildings in the Europan and Vinnish forms were being erected every day.

Seongnam was a microcosm of what the Diarchy hoped to become. And yet, most of its inhabitants didn't know just how hard they would soon have to fight. There were two Imperial Valkyria. Two. And those were just the ones KISHIN knew existed; many more would potentially be readied soon.

Batory felt like a man condemned, sitting in the limo with some of the Diarchy's most powerful individuals. But at the same time, he didn't mind it. As long as he killed Imperials and made his death count, what was there to fear?

The Viszevar may not have been born for the Diarchy just to be molded into one of its finest executioners for the express purpose of dying for it, but that was where he was now. There was no other potential future he saw for himself at the moment. Just fighting, and dying, was all the Diarchy asked from him and expected from him.

The warrant officer reluctantly broke his gaze from the sights of Seongnam and looked back at Sugihara and the KISHIN personnel. He looked them all in the eyes. He knew that even if he wanted to refuse now, he would have no choice. Better to die in battle against a hated enemy and make his conquest of a Ragnite producer as painful as possible than to cower in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

"… Valkyria or not, Ambassador," finished the Crow. "I am ready to deploy."

/

Yuell, Principality of Gallia

February 28, 1935 EC

Batory Andrzejevski

Batory came to a compromise, a move that quite surprised him in retrospect. While he wouldn't throw caution to the wind and behave in a fashion completely contrary to his enforced nature, he would take the time to at least experience the Gallian winter in a peaceful setting one last time before he finally left Yuell to go to Randgriz. Sugihara had secured for him entry into the Gallian Militia, although he had expressed some skepticism yet again as to why Batory would go for that as opposed to some kind of Gallian Army position.

The Viszevar recalled his answer quite clearly. It wasn't the first time he had to explain the rationale, although he knew Sugihara merely asked with the Crow's best interests in mind. "… The Militia will be sent to do the dirty work and will never be shown the respect it deserves," he had remarked. "… It would be the best place for me to see the most combat and conduct operations while keeping a relatively low profile."

The ambassador, Batory remembered, simply shrugged and promised to pull the strings required. It apparently paid off, as Batory received the final documents required to join the Militia yesterday; these papers were lying on his desk, signed and ready to hand in to the recruiters. As planned, Batory would be serving under the surname "Andrzejevski" as an attempt to obfuscate Diarchic presence against the expected Imperial attack.

All that would be needed for him to depart tomorrow was to gather up his belongings, as little as they were. Out of reflexive habit borne from his lifetime of military training, Batory lived a Spartan lifestyle and traveled lightly; all of his clothes and essentials fit into one large suitcase, with any other items fitting in his shoulder bag. Of course, these items were all already packed. At first light, Batory would leave the University of Yuell and take the 9:30 AM bus to Randgriz.

In the meantime, the Crow finally rose from his seat and got dressed. He opened the suitcase to find his turtleneck sweater and his coat, as well as his pistol holster and bayonet buried at the bottom. The holster housed his personalized K1/15 pistol, also known in the Diarchic military as the "Archer" – with a maximum magazine capacity of eight rounds and modifications installed on this particular unit to take Europan 9mm submachine gun cartridges, it was arguably one of the most powerful pistols in Europa. Batory had made sure he at least took this handgun with him alongside several spare magazines and his army-issue Y0 sword bayonet; this collection of weapons was in a sense his right arm, the ultimate fallback weapons in case things took a turn for the worse ahead of schedule.

Batory swiftly put on his sweater and strapped the bayonet sheath and holster, holding his Archer and two spare magazines, over it. He then put on his coat, conducted one last equipment check to make sure his weapons were all concealed properly, and then opened the door to go outside.

The first thing that Batory noted as he took his first steps out into the snow a scant few minutes later was just how quiet it was. Despite there being dozens of students laughing and talking in the main quad of the university campus, a certain dead silence hung in the air dampening the area. The loudest sound for the Viszevar was the crunching of the snow underneath his feet as he languidly took a walk through the quadrangle, with his hands casually clasped behind his back.

Under regular circumstances, he would have been mortified to making such noise as he moved. But this was peacetime, and this was simply taking one last chance to relax before he no longer had a chance to. After all, it was hard to say whether anyone on campus posed any serious harm to him even if they desired it. Batory planned to make the most of this short period as he could.

He closed his eyes as he continued his slow stroll through the quadrangle, taking in every sensation he could to savor this brief moment. The Crow appreciated very much how different it all felt – the refreshing cold on his face, the muted atmosphere, and just how calm everything was. It felt very similar to the winters in Kokuria, although the mountainous landscape considerably enhanced the experience over there. Batory felt a tinge of regret – why hadn't he done something like this sooner, or more often?

3:00 Non-Combatant Range 5 Duck Now

Batory instantly heard his inner voice ordering him to get down as he felt someone throwing something in his direction. Granted, he knew that this was going to be a snowball, or something legitimately harmless. Nevertheless, his combat training instantly kicked in and he immediately performed a short duck. As Batory predicted, a snowball flew overhead a moment afterward where his head once was, and landed in the snow on his left with a wet thud.

At least his inner voice also knew that it was a snowball, something harmless. Otherwise, it would have pushed him to do more and to move even faster than at that moment. That would have been… very bad, Batory grumbled internally as he got back up and swiveled his head to his 3:00.

The thrower was someone that the Crow knew only at a superficial level, a boy in his physics courses; so superficial was Batory's knowledge of him that the Crow didn't even recall the other young man's name. Naturally, Batory never once entertained the thought of asking who he was; it wasn't particularly important to him and he did not enjoy the idea of having to also reciprocate just yet. The Viszevar did know that he was a doggedly optimistic and happy individual, and the boy demonstrated this by smiling widely at him and pointing finger guns.

While Batory normally would have had no kind words for people who threw things in his direction, he wasn't so socially inept as to consider this a hostile act. Unless the snowball had a rock in it, it was never going to hurt him anyways. Resisting the urge to also scoop out snow from underneath his feet and throwing it back at the other in jest, Batory merely gave him a short wave and a slight smile.

It was a peaceful moment, one that Batory was not certain he would ever experience again. As he had thought to himself before, he planned to make the most of this time as he could. And so, he continued his walk down the quadrangle, enjoying the peace and quiet of a university and its student body that were determined to continue propping up the façade of tranquility for a little while longer.

Less than 24 hours later, Batory left the university grounds and started his transit to Randgriz to finally begin his operations in earnest as planned almost two years ago.

/

(1) The Kokurian language attaches titles after the name, not before it. Junwi is warrant officer, and ssi is the equivalent of mister or miss, to be used to respectfully address others regardless of their social rank.

(2) Oberkommando der Reichsarmee, the Imperial Army High Command.