Project Charlemagne: Loose Ends
40 Years after the War
Londinium
The death of Vice-Admiral Fredrich Canaris and the subsequent fall of the Abwehr was incredibly damaging to the Allied war effort. The loss of the precious stream of information from the Empire was only softened by the success of the codebreakers of project Ultra.
The success was top Secret however, and between since the fall of the Republic, and exile of most of its forces, allied morale was at an all-time low. Londinium was still reeling from all these latest developments and the Government was hastily mobilising for a war they were not ready for, knowing that the Empire's new hegemony could not remain unchallenged.
Meanwhile, the Empire seemed to be less affected by the news of the double agent in the heart of government, at least on the surface. To this day we do not know quite how much the man's actions affected his home country as the whole affair was quickly covered up by the military and much of the documentation surrounding the incident has been lost or destroyed. – Andrew WTN Special correspondent.
July 1st Unified Year 1925
Holding Cell No.4, Offices of the Abwehr, Berlun 16:00
It had been two days since Wilhelm had declared he would get her out of her cell and back in command of her unit, two excruciatingly long and nerve-racking days, which could have quite possibly been her last.
She didn't know what insane little scheme the little Machiavellian had dreamt up to resolve this disaster, but past experience had taught her that it would be nothing good. She was only in this mess because of the boy's vendetta with Vice Admiral Canaris and she was sure that whatever the brat had been doing out there would only make her situation worse. Why couldn't you just do what I asked? She bemoaned inwardly, lamenting her now lost dream to hide out and start life anew in The Unified States.
Frustratingly, she knew that there was nothing she could do about any of this, she was trapped here with limited access to the outside world and she no longer had any control over this situation. He was aware that some might find comfort in this knowledge, but it did nothing to ease her own concerns, she would have much rather been working to counter this turn of events herself than waiting around. Unfortunately, her hopes now rested on either Wilhelm's plan being successful or Admiral Canaris being merciful and neither outcome seemed especially likely.
She passed the time pacing her cell while she waited for what she was sure would be news of her impending doom. She recalled once seeing a lion stalking up and down a rather cramped cage in a zoo during her previous life, and she wondered if the animal had felt a similar frustration. Doubtful, she always suspected that people projected their own thoughts and emotions onto animals, and their actions were misconstrued and humanised by the uneducated. The predator was probably just hungry at the time and was viewing its spectators as a potential snack that was frustratingly out of reach.
Besides, the lion didn't have to worry about an impending execution; at least not while it stayed in the cage. If she were going to compare her situation to an animal in a pen, she probably had more in common with the livestock in an abattoir. Although at least they weren't aware of their impending fate.
The waiting around made it seem like time had almost ground to a halt and she found herself almost wishing she could get whatever lay ahead of her over with. She tried her best to push that sort of defeatism from her mind, waiting for the firing squad was always better than being in front of it; it offered a slightly longer life expectancy at least.
Curiously, the thought of dying didn't evoke all that much fear from her, at least not for the moment; perhaps all the close scrapes she had been through had dulled that feeling. Instead, she felt a smouldering anger in the pit of her stomach. She could only imagine how Being X would react if she were to die again, especially while so young. The thought made her skin crawl.
She silently cursed the fake deity. Although this particular mess was undoubtedly the brat's fault, it was Being X who was ultimately responsible for this new life and everything that came with it. It didn't feel quite right completely blaming the boy for all her troubles, especially after she'd tried to bargain with Canaris for her freedom. He may have been a pain, but he was at least trying to help her in his own warped and convoluted way. They'd just ended up with their wires crossed again.
Being X was a spiteful cruel creature however and would undoubtedly arrange events so that he could prove his point. She wouldn't be surprised if this whole situation was that thing's doing, after all, the creature had already corrupted Dr Schugel, who was to say it had also given visions to Canaris? Or any number of other people for that matter?
She felt like she'd been so close to proving the fraudulent god wrong. It wanted to prove that without all the comforts of the Salaryman's old world, she would fall on her knees and pray to it for 'salvation'. She had vowed to prove the creature wrong and build a comfortable and prosperous life instead; she was going to prove that humans don't need false gods. She had been steadily climbing the ladder that would get her that life but unfortunately, Being X had no sense of fair play and seemed to be hell-bent on throwing every possible obstacle in her path.
She sighed as she crossed to the small barred window in her cell. She was too short to properly look out of it but she had found that if she stood underneath it, she could at least look up at the sky. When she thought of Being X and obstacles, she often found her mind drifting back to the little Colonel. Was Wilhelm one of Being X's obstacles or just another victim of the creature? Perhaps he was both, she'd seen how fearful he was of the faux deity so she doubted he was a willing pawn but that didn't mean being X wasn't using him too.
Regardless of what he was, it seemed like she was constantly being lumbered with him. At first, it seemed to be solely the doing of Wilhelm but even when he tried to distance himself from her, events brought them back together. That was why she suspected Being X's interference, it seemed too neat to be a coincidence. She wondered if she should have been less hostile towards the boy.
If she'd gained his trust earlier a lot of what had happened could have been avoided.
Then again, maybe that would have backfired too, just as it had in her current situation. She now had his trust, but it was based on a false premise and she still didn't feel especially comfortable about that and all it had done was encourage him to go off and do something stupid.
She sighed and rubbed her temples as she tried to imagine what he might have done to worsen their situation. One thing was certain, that boy needed to be kept under control. He was too dangerous and unpredictable to be left without supervision.
Her thoughts were broken by a commotion from upstairs. Although she'd been stuck here for around a week now, she'd tried not to pay too much attention to the noises in her surroundings. Given the reputation of the Abwehr, she thought it wiser not to think about such things but even she hadn't been able to ignore the sudden increase of activity in the last few days.
She had not been able to see much of what had been happening, of course, but there were a few strange things she had noted. There were definitely more people around and it seemed as if all her guards had been replaced with new faces almost overnight. Additionally, they treated her slightly more cordially than the regular Abwehr drones, but she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. She resolved to ask Visha about these changes on her next visit.
Her Adjutant had visited that morning but unfortunately, she didn't have a lot of details to give her, but she did have a few pieces of interesting information to share.
It seemed she had been correct; her subordinate reported an increase in military and law enforcement personnel around the Abwehr offices. When she questioned Lieutenant Serabryakov about this, her subordinate had apologised and looked sheepish before admitting she did not know why this was and that no one would tell her. Although she did reveal that the Abwehr guards tasked with enforcing the Battalion's confinement had also been removed and they were now free to come and go as they pleased. Within normal military regulations of course.
All of this had been done within a day of Wilhelm's last visit and for a brief moment, she wondered if the boy, had actually pulled through for her. However, her heart dropped immediately when she asked about the little Colonel, as Visha had looked nervously at the guard in the corner and simply answered: "Sorry Ma'am, I can't say."
The message was clear, she'd been ordered not to mention anything about him or what he'd been up to and that didn't bode well.
Soon after, Visha had been forced to leave and the room had fallen depressingly silent again. Tanya found herself tensing anxiously every time a guard passed the cell, expecting to see the Admiral enter with orders for her execution. It wasn't exactly a pleasant way to spend the day. Now evening was approaching once again and her thoughts returned to survival as she continued to wear a grove in the stone floor.
She had hoped she could cite the Empire's minimum age requirement for execution, that way she could at least postpone her fate for a few years, perhaps even have the sentence commuted. However, she had received a reply from the defence lawyer she had contacted during her confinement. Apparently, the same rules that bypassed the minimum age for joining the military also bypassed the minimum age rules for military execution. In short, the Military only had rules for soldiers, not for age or gender. Infuriatingly, not even this little girl's body could save her from the firing squad.
She froze as she heard footsteps approaching along the corridor and found herself holding her breath as she heard the familiar rustle of keys in the cell door.
Is this finally it?
Tanya stood agog as the door swung open revealing a small but familiar figure.
"What the hell happened to you?" She asked with a raised eyebrow as Wilhelm entered the cell, unable to hide her shock at seeing the boy.
He was covered in a hundred small scratches and he appeared to be nursing a wound on his side. He also sported a bandaged wrist that sat snugly in a sling and he seemed to be walking slightly strangely, although that could have just been her imagination. If she didn't know better, she would have guessed he'd been blown off a roof again, but she doubted that was possible. This was Berlun, the Imperial capital, she was sure she would have heard something if he had repeated that stunt and the chances of him having another psychopathic clone running around were small indeed.
She wondered for a moment if this was some sort of ruse, she wouldn't put him past it to fake an injury for some unfathomable and convoluted reason. She soon dismissed this idea however, she recognised Christina's professional handiwork in the skilfully placed dressings for his wounds. She had witnessed the woman's prowess the last time the little colonel had been injured and could see that the woman knew what she was doing. If she wanted to either fabricate or exaggerate his wounds, she could have done much more than this.
This was something else.
Despite his injuries, Wilhelm wore a cheerful grin that had Tanya feeling slightly anxious, especially considering that it was Wilhelm that had gotten her into this situation in the first place. It was the same grin he had worn back at their old headquarters on the Rhine whenever he had been feeling particularly smug or triumphant. It always made her feel suspicious of the boy and although she had since found it to be more uncomfortable to be around him when he acted serious or upset, she knew that his self-assured grin usually brought her trouble.
Still, he was in a good mood, under the circumstances, it was difficult to view that in anything but a positive light. Perhaps the likelihood of her being put in front of a firing squad had somehow been reduced or at least staved off for a little longer. Obviously, whatever foolish thing he had planned to get her out of this mess had succeeded or at least not ended up with her immediate execution.
"I'm afraid I might have gotten myself into a little bit of trouble while I was trying to clear your name," he said with an exaggerated act of faux innocence before his smile returned and he held out his uninjured hand. "But I can explain that on our way out."
It was as he stretched out his hand that she realised that this time he had not been disarmed on entry. His sword and pistol were still at his waist and his orb remained attached to the iron cross around his neck. This was another unusual occurrence, although she doubted he could pose too much of a threat to anyone in his current state, no one else had been permitted to visit her while still in possession of a weapon.
"I'm free to go?" Tanya questioned cautiously as she studied the boy's words carefully. He was clearly telling her she could leave her cell, but his innocent act had raised her suspicions. He knew all too well she saw through his deceptions, so she could only conclude it was for the benefit of someone else or this was some sort of trick.
His smug smirk softened into a genuine smile as he nodded confirmation, although a tell-tale flicker of playfulness remained in the corner of his eyes. He had let his usual mask slip completely and for a brief moment, she saw the rare sight of a legitimately happy Wilhelm. She could sense from his expression he wasn't faking this, the smile showed both authentic relief and optimism. She was going to be freed, but how? And at what cost?
Again, it felt strange seeing Wilhelm being so sincere and stripped down from his usual falsehoods, but for once it was a reassuring feeling. It seemed that every time he was honest, she saw him in a new light, for a brief moment she could see why people were so happy to follow him. She found herself believing that smile and almost felt compelled to take his outstretched hand before she forced herself back to her senses.
What am I thinking? I know better than to drop my guard around him she chastised herself regarding him with renewed suspicion. He didn't react however and continued to smile at her as he waited patiently.
Cautiously, she made for the exit, eschewing his outstretched hand as she passed causing a slight look of disappointment to cross the little Colonel's eyes. She reasoned that whether he was up to something or not, it would be better to be outside of her cage. At least once she was out, she could reassert control over her life once again.
As she peered out the door, she noted two guards waiting and shifting uncomfortably in the corridor. This explained the boy's 'saint' act in front of her, he was careful about who saw the real him, so it had clearly been for their benefit.
She didn't recognise these soldiers however, neither were the usual Abwehr goons that usually frequented the dungeon, and they definitely weren't part of Wilhelm's company. They were gendarmes she realised as she studied their insignia, military police whose job was usually to keep the peace and deal with criminal matters related to the armed forces. Both looked as if they would prefer to be somewhere else and seemed to be trying to find something else to occupy their time. She started to turn to question Wilhelm about them when he suddenly appeared at her side and linked their arms together, leaning some of his weight onto her.
"Thank you, Major" he winced in exaggerated pain as the guards looked on with concern. "My injuries are quite sore, I appreciate the support."
The guards didn't seem to know where to look or what to do in the situation, and in truth, neither did Tanya. Fortunately, none of them would have to suffer through this awkward situation for long as it appeared that Wilhelm was ready to get rid of their escort.
"I'm sorry for slowing you down gentlemen," said the boy laying it on with a trowel. "You have other duties I'm sure, you should go on ahead, the Major and I can find our way back to Colonel Rerugen."
The guards glanced at one another and seemed to consider whether or not they should argue for a moment before saluting and marching away. Obviously, they had been ordered to escort them out but under the circumstances had decided that it would be less of a hassle to leave rather than argue with the Prince. She probably would have come to a similar conclusion in their place.
Meanwhile, Tanya's ears perked up upon hearing the name of her superior and frequent messenger for the General staff. She had great respect for the man and immediately felt more secure knowing that he was around. Perhaps she really was free. But why would he, or indeed any of the General staff be here? The Abwehr was not within their jurisdiction, and for that matter where were all the Abwehr personnel?
As the guards left the little colonel relaxed and took on more of his own weight again. Although he loosened his grip, he did not unlink their arms but instead turned his smile back towards her as his usual smugness returned to his features.
She was about to snatch her arm back away from him and chastise him for the unwanted physical contact but stopped as she caught a glimpse of pain in the corner of his eye. It seemed he hadn't been entirely untruthful when he had said his injuries were causing him trouble. Perhaps he really did need some support, she still hadn't found out exactly how he had suffered these injuries.
She decided to be magnanimous and allow him to use her to support himself for the moment, there was no one else around so he couldn't do anything to embarrass her and at least she didn't have to carry him this time. In a strange way the slight warmth of contact with another person was somewhat comforting after her confinement, even if it was with Wilhelm.
She remembered once reading that most humans have a biological need for human contact, a neurological desire to satiate the part of the brain that governed a person's need for social interaction. Neither She nor the Salaryman had never really believed it to be the case, but the past week had made her reassess this idea.
Her social interactions had been extremely limited during the past week and she barely had as much as a handshake from anyone. Even Visha had been forced to keep her distance due to the watchful eyes of the guards. She had been reprimanded for the hug after her first visit and had been forced to stay at the far side of the room. It had almost made her visits more awkward than comforting.
It was probably this biological need that elicited this unusual response around the boy she reasoned, normally she'd be happier punching Wilhelm in the face rather than holding his hand, but today she would allow the friendly gesture. She would feel better once this neurological desire had been filled, and once she felt like herself again, things could go back to normal.
"I told you I'd get you out" he smirked quietly as they made their way through the labyrinthine cellars of the Abwehr offices.
His swift change back to his annoying self was almost enough to make her regret her decision to allow him to cling to her but now wasn't the time to be petty. She should have expected him to revert to his irritating self-assured self sooner or later, she would just have to ignore it as she always did. He would tell her exactly what he'd been up to, even if she had to wring it out of him.
"But what exactly did you do to achieve it? And what did it cost?" She asked not bothering to hide her accusatory tone. They knew each other well enough now that the little Colonel would realise she would be both curious and suspicious about what he had been doing and judging by his attitude so far, he had been itching to tell her all about it.
"Cost? Why nothing, except a few wounds that will heal quickly enough, at least for you and me" he grinned before a slight flicker crossed his eyes. "Well that, and perhaps a chunk of my pride."
The last few words were a murmur, as if he'd been thinking out loud to himself. She wondered what he meant by that and what exactly he was implying when he said it hadn't cost them anything. She suspected he was being deliberately careful with his words, but she couldn't tell whether it was part of an effort to cover something or if he just didn't want to ruin his story. He did have an annoying habit of being dramatic at times like this. She was about to question him further when his expression changed drastically to that of an excited child ready to share something new with their parents.
"But you'll never believe it Major!" The boy exclaimed with exaggerated shock before his face contorted into a cruel smirk. "It seems Admiral Canaris was the traitor all along."
Tanya narrowed her eyes at the Colonel with suspicion, causing him to break character and chuckle slightly before he began relating his account of events in his usual demeanour.
"As you know, after my last visit I went to meet the good Admiral to discuss your incarceration" he began as they turned a corner that led towards the elevator that led out of the basement.
"But suddenly he became violent!" He cried with overembellished fear. "He shoved me across the room into the drinks cabinet causing all these cuts. Then he lunged at me! I tried to dodge but hit the bookcase hard and cracked my poor rib. He came closer and I was forced to protect myself!"
He halted bringing them to a stop as he let the last words hang in the air for a few moments and Tanya saw the spiteful grin cross his face. It was a far cry from the peaceful and reassuring smile that had sat on his face earlier, but it was just as genuine. She wanted to say he looked almost crazed, but she recognised the expression, she could almost feel it in herself. It was the same feeling she had when she had thought she had proven Being X wrong, the same feeling anyone would feel after beating the thing that had caused them so much pain and misery.
It may have been an irrational thing to embrace but she couldn't deny the intoxicating feeling when you finally achieve your goal. She almost felt jealous, she'd always had that feeling ripped away at the last moment, but Wilhelm was relishing it now. His message was clear, Fredrich Canaris was dead, Wilhelm had killed him.
After a moment, the boy calmed himself and his expression returned to his usual confident smile. He turned back towards her and gestured with his head that they should continue towards the elevator, the movement causing a fleck of golden hair to cross in front of his eyes.
"The Landespolizei found me injured and crying over Canaris's body" the boy smirked before switching to his fake childlike voice that everyone but her seemed to believe. "I…I didn't mean to…h..he attacked me, I hit him with the statue."
Wilhelm must have been the only ten-year-old boy that could sound so proud about crying. Still, faced with a scene as he described, the law enforcement people would conclude that Canaris had attacked Wilhelm and that he had acted in self-defence. Especially if he'd sounded even half as convincing as he had just then. His acting prowess must have improved, if not for the fact she knew him and could see the grin on his face she might have believed his words herself. She would have to be even more careful around him in future.
None of this explained why she was now free however, true Canaris was out of the way but he'd already set up the evidence to frame her. His death shouldn't change that.
"The investigating officers searching the house found some very troubling information" the boy continued returning to his usual self. "Information worrying enough that they felt the need to inform the High Command and request a search of the Abwehr headquarters."
Tanya's eyes widened in realisation, that explained all the strange activity at least, and the presence of the military. When the country's intelligence service is under suspicion, only the army can safely come in and take control. Wilhelm had obviously planted something incriminating in the Admiral's house, but how did that clear her of the crimes she'd been framed for?
"It went better than I could have imagined, they were only supposed to find the information Sophia planted that showed Canaris had framed you and he was responsible for the message to the Allied Kingdom" He grinned becoming excited once again. "You've no idea how much he and his corrupt little band have been up to."
Finally, they reached the elevator and stepped inside. Wilhelm flashed her another grin before disentangling himself from her and leaning up against the wall leaving her to operate the controls of the lift. She slid the metal safety gate across before selecting the ground floor and crossed to the opposite side of the small room and put a hand on her hip as she regarded him critically.
Wilhelm had admitted to murder and had once again manipulated the truth to get away with it. The rules of society said she should be appalled by this, but she found it difficult to summon the disgust that civilisation would usually have demanded in such a situation. The man had imprisoned her and threatened to have her executed on wrongful charges and it had all been to get Wilhelm to do what he wanted.
Although she could sympathise with the desire to keep the boy under control, she naturally disagreed that she should have to suffer for it; it was yet another despised attack on her personal freedoms. Then again, Canaris had been constantly been trying to take away Wilhelm's personal freedoms from the start, and if the little Colonel was to be believed he had also set them up to fail in Letzenbourg. Was it any wonder the boy had resisted him?
"I'd be lying if I said I did all this just for you" the boy half-whispered as the lift began to ascend, "I needed to get back at him for Haussmann and I needed to be free of him for good. I would have gone after him anyway, although maybe not quite so hastily."
The boy paused for a moment and his face darkened as he furrowed his brow.
"I would have gone after him anyway" he repeated as his fist tightened around the hilt of his sword, "but he shouldn't have dragged you into this… I'm sorry."
Tanya blinked in surprise at the boy's apology, she hadn't expected him to admit any responsibility for her imprisonment, let alone apologise. She was also taken aback by his admission that her freedom wasn't his only motivation. True, if he had said it was, she wouldn't have believed it, but she had still expected him to make the absurd claim. Yet again the little colonel had disproved her assessment of him, and she found herself respecting his unusual bout of honesty.
As the elevator reached its destination Tanya could almost see the public mask of Prince Wilhelm Viktor von Hozollern descend over the boy's features once again. With his true self hidden behind the Saint, there would be no further bouts of honesty today. He pushed himself away from the wall, eschewing her support this time as a soldier pulled open the gate on the other side revealing the familiar figure of Lieutenant Colonel Rerugen and a worried-looking law enforcement officer that Tanya did not recognise.
If the Lieutenant Colonel was surprised that they had arrived without their escort he did not show it in his expression, instead, he regarded them with a slightly tired and harassed look. Evidently, the unenviable task of dealing with the fallout of the little colonel's little stunt had fallen to him. It was an understandable choice, given the man's formidable reputation for organisation but she doubted his task would be an easy or pleasant one. It sounded to her like it would involve an awful lot of unpaid overtime.
Both men saluted Wilhelm and the boy returned it in his usual lackadaisical manner. Tanya made more of an effort to impress, partly out of habit and partly so her own reputation was not affected by the boy's blasé attitude. She quickly snapped a textbook salute to Rerugen and the policeman, making the little Colonel's greeting seem even sloppier by comparison.
The police officer seemed surprised and pleased by the gesture, it wasn't usually required for a military officer to salute their equivalents in the civilian world, but since her situation still seemed fragile, she thought it better to be safe than sorry.
He introduced himself as the Leitender Polizeidirektor of Berlun and the Brannenburg region. Tanya was by no means an expert on police rankings, but she believed that he was the highest-ranking field officer in the region, with only career bureaucrats and politicians ranking above him. She supposed it wasn't surprising given the people involved in all this, but she had never expected to meet such a high-ranking police officer in her lifetime. Then again, she'd never expected to be framed as a traitor either.
Fortunately, that no longer seemed to be the case and once the brief pleasantries were over, he practically begged for a few moments in private with the Little Colonel, and the pair left leaving her and Rerugen to their own devices.
"I'm assuming Prince Wilhelm explained to you what happened?" Asked Rerugen staring out at the hubbub of activity as soldiers and officers exited the building with innumerable files, destined to be meticulously investigated by military intelligence. "He was quite insistent being the first to see you."
Tanya nodded an affirmative, she knew precisely why the little Colonel had been so insistent on seeing her first, but explaining the whole story to her superior would be risky. Almost everyone believed that Wilhelm was what he pretended to be, it was unlikely they would ever believe her word over his. Besides, although there were several things she would like to see the boy punished for, freeing her by getting rid of Canaris wasn't one of them.
She followed his gaze and watched the scene unfold in front of her. It was surprising how much information the Abwehr had stowed away, watching the men moving the files was like watching ants filing in and out of the nest. It would take a great deal of time to sort through so much information and she wondered if they had enough manpower to uncover everything that the Admiral and his cronies had been keeping secret.
"The High Command passes on their sincerest apologies for all this and would like you to attend the meeting later so they can give you an official apology." He continued with before pausing for a moment. "On a personal note, I never believed the claim that you had been working for the enemy and neither did the General Staff."
That was a relief, she had been worried this incident might mar her career progress but it seemed that her superiors hadn't been quite taken in by Canaris's fraudulent evidence. It was also pleasing to hear such a show of support from Lieutenant Colonel Rerugen, it might have been a small gesture, but it was a welcome one. She knew already that the man was destined to follow in the footsteps of Zettour and Ruddersdorf, so being on his good side could only lead to good things.
"We would prefer for this incident to remain secret," he continued carefully. "It would threaten the stability of the country if the High command's authority were threatened any further. Not to mention the reputation of Prince Wilhelm and the Imperial Royal family. I hope you understand."
"I understand," repeated Tanya as she suppressed a sigh, feeling her previous cheerfulness at the praise evaporate almost as quickly as it had appeared.
What a pain, thought Tanya. Every soldier was subject to what essentially the earliest equivalent of a non-disclosure agreement and it seemed the Lieutenant Colonel had felt the need to remind her of that. She doubted they were his own words, he was often used as a mouthpiece for the General staff but the words stung nonetheless. It wasn't as if she could go to the press, even if she wanted to.
This world may not have the iron-clad contracts that could ruin you like in the other world, but they could still accuse her of treason for such an action. It was highly unlikely she would get any reparations for the whole affair either, this world had yet to develop the sort of systems of compensation where an individual could sue their employer or the government for their failures. Ultimately it seemed she would gain no restitution for her troubles. She tried to reassure herself that at least keeping this secret might help her promotion chances.
"All this has become quite a headache for everyone involved," Rerugen sighed lifting his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Although he was a traitor, I can't help but wonder if things would be better if the Admiral was still alive."
"Sir?" Tanya questioned in confusion. If Wilhelm's plan had worked, surely they wouldn't care that Canaris was dead. In their eyes he was a traitor, Wilhelm had just saved them the bullet.
"The Abwehr appears to have been set up like a spiders web with the Vice-Admiral at its centre" Rerugen explained. "We know he has both overt and undercover operatives throughout almost every civilian and military organisation within the Empire and it appears he was the only person who knew the full extent of his network."
So it wasn't that they doubted the little colonel's fabrication, just an unexpected consequence of the Admiral's death. Still, it shouldn't be all that bad, should it? The Abwehr had a chain of command just like any other organisation, although their head may have been privy to a few secrets the second in command should be able to pick up the reigns and rebuild.
"Additionally, we have no way to be sure if other operatives have been collaborating with Admiral Canaris" the Lieutenant Colonel continued. "Since they almost all reported to him, they are all suspect and because they have a presence in every government and military department, it is entirely possible everything is compromised."
What the hell have you done Wilhelm? Thought Tanya as she digested her superior's words. Were they really taking this so seriously? If what Rerugen was telling her was true, Wilhelm had inadvertently turned the entire Empire's intelligence community against itself. With such suspicions in the air, no department would trust anything that came from the others, Wilhelm had essentially blinded the Empire.
"It couldn't have come at a worse time," growled Rerugen with frustration. "You were right, the Republic is reorganising on the Southern Continent. If we ever needed reliable intelligence, it's now."
Tanya felt a deep sense of dread as she realised the enormity of the situation. Not only had Wilhelm accidentally sabotaged the Empire's information gathering capability, but he'd also done it at the time when their enemies were at their most vulnerable. The Republic were still regrouping on the southern continent and the Allied Kingdom had yet to mobilise. Although it was doubtful they could capitalise on this to end the war, attacking them now would do tremendous damage and hasten their end. But that was impossible without accurate and trustworthy intelligence.
I would have gone after him anyway, although maybe not quite so hastily. Wilhelm's words echoed in her head, was she to blame? Would he have acted differently if he hadn't been trying to free her?
No, she thought as she calmed herself and pushed the notion away. It didn't' matter, there was no point trying to speculate what the boy might have done, and it was entirely possible the outcome would have been the same. The only true way to have prevented this was to know what he had been up to all along, or better yet to have stopped his vengeance plot against Canaris in the first place.
Tanya turned to see the smug little Colonel hobbling his way back towards them with a cheerful grin on his face. Did he even realise what he had done?
She knew he could be useful when he wasn't scheming or being a pain. He perhaps wasn't a great officer, but he was a good leader, he was intelligent and a skilled fighter. Even without his connections, he had the potential to be an invaluable human resource. But he had to be controlled, he couldn't be allowed to use the world as his personal playground anymore. If he did he could drag them all into ruin.
Tanya stared at him a few moments more until he seemed to notice and flash her a smug but cheerful smile.
You need to be controlled Wilhelm, and I'm the only one that can do it.
Xxxxxxx
July 1st Unified Year 1925
Supreme High Command Conference Chamber, The Reichstag, Berlun 18:00
Lieutenant Colonel Eric von Rerugen felt uncharacteristically uncomfortable as he delivered his report to the High Command, General staff delegates, and the various other guests in the richly appointed conference room within the Reichstag. He stood amongst the most powerful men in the Empire who all wore grave expressions as they considered the repercussions of what could possibly turn into the greatest scandal the country had ever seen.
There was an unusual amount of people present for such a high-ranking meeting, usually, only those who were needed for the day's business would attend these briefings. Today however the room was filled with additional personnel as the government struggled to process the news that one of their own had been working for the enemy.
The extra faces in the room were all linked to this development in one way or another, the General staff especially had sent a sizable delegation to make sure their civilian overseers knew the depths of their displeasure with the situation. Aside from himself, he was joined by Adjutant General Marchese, the head of the General staff, the Directors of Operations and the Service corps Lieutenant Generals von Miltke and von Stein as well as their deputies von Zettour and von Rudersdorf.
Other notables in the meeting included the Commander of the Landpolizei, the President of the Reichsgericht and Crown Prince Adalbert who had been sent to observe the proceedings on behalf of the Emperor. Then, of course, were the two people that had been entangled in this mess more deeply than anyone else, Major Tanya von Degurechaff and Prince Wilhelm von Hozollern.
It wasn't usual for someone of Rerugen's rank to be present at a gathering of the country's de facto rulers; such an honour was usually only bestowed upon the highest levels of the General staff and occasionally their deputies. However, the last few day's had been anything but usual, and as the staff officer given the thankless task of liaising with both the local law enforcement and the few members of military intelligence still deemed trustworthy, he was perhaps the only man qualified to give the council the full picture of events.
The layout of the room also contributed to the tense feeling in the atmosphere. The long conference table had been moved to one side of the room and the council members and General staff sat along one side like judges presiding over a court case. Meanwhile, Rerugen was stood in the centre of the room in front of a smaller table, which supported his briefcase and a selection of files that he had brought to the briefing, while the remaining guests sat along the walls like an audience in an auditorium. All this combined made the room feel like a combination of a courthouse and pantomime, and Rerugen wasn't sure if he felt more like a prosecuting attorney or an entertainer struggling to remember his lines.
The anxiety caused by standing in front of such an assemblage of important people was not the primary source of his unease however, he had plenty of experience with such presentations during his career and had grown used to putting those feelings aside. Neither was it the enormity of what they'd uncovered, although as more information came to light, it was becoming an increasingly distressing concern.
The reason for his disquiet was the evidence he was presenting to the High command in his preliminary report. He had always prided himself on his ability to organise data such as this and present it in a clear and concise manner, so that the evidence showed the truth of the matter. Although he had done that with the information they'd collected from the Abwehr, he couldn't help but feel like something about his findings didn't add up.
He was sure that Vice Admiral Canaris had indeed been involved in many illicit activities that ranged from questionable to downright criminal. They'd found more than enough in his files to prove that. They'd only begun to scratch the surface of what he had been involved with, but they'd already found a mountain of information showing he had been blackmailing officials, withholding vital information, fabricating evidence for his own needs and most worryingly supplying their enemies with intelligence regarding troop movements. There had even been women coming forward accusing of crimes of a more vile and personal nature.
Whatever his motivation for doing these things, he was without a doubt a criminal and a traitor to the Empire.
For Rerugen, the problem lay in how these crimes had been exposed. The man had been intelligent and skilled enough to build up a spy network made up of operatives that were seemingly completely loyal to him; a network that operated like a terrorist cell, with only Canaris knowing the full extent of their activities. Until this incident the man had been extremely careful with his actions, he had been operating undetected for years and had infiltrated every part of the Imperial bureaucracy. This would have been impossible without cautious and meticulous planning.
So why had such a cunning and circumspect man risked everything he had built to attack a member of the Imperial Royal family? Why the sudden bout of reckless behaviour?
The young Prince had testified that the man had become panicked and enraged after he had questioned him about the legitimacy of some evidence against Major Degurechaff. Rerugen believed the boy's story, Prince Wilhelm seemed extremely confused and genuinely distressed about the whole incident. He'd even been genuinely remorseful about Admiral's accidental death despite the fact that the man had violently attacked him.
Then there were the little Prince's wounds and the collateral damage to the scene of the crime. It was clear the boy had been in the struggle for his life against the older man. If not for his desperate act of self-defence, he might have been the one that was found lying dead. Although from what he'd learned of Canaris and the Abwehr, it was more likely that the boy would never have been found at all.
After considering all this information, it was clear to everyone what had happened; the Prince had inadvertently stumbled upon some fraudulent evidence that Canaris had used frame Degurechaff in order to cover up his own misdeeds. The Admiral had attacked him to protect this secret. All the physical proof supported this theory, but it didn't quite make sense to Rerugen. He felt like he was looking at the picture from the wrong angle.
He'd been trying to find a way to articulate this feeling as he delivered his report to the gathered Politicians and Generals but what exactly could he say to them? There was proof that supported this version of events, and he had no way counter to that. He couldn't simply tell them that something felt wrong without any evidence to back up his suspicions.
"You look as though you have something to add Lieutenant Colonel," General Zettour asked just as Chancellor Luthor had been about to dismiss him and allow him to return to his seat.
He should have known the old fox would notice his concerns, they had been working together for some time now and both he and Rudersdorf had stated several times that they valued his opinions. It was only natural that the man would sense he was holding something back in his report.
"Only that I find it a little hard to believe that a man as meticulous and cautious as Admiral Canaris would act so carelessly" he stated resisting the urge to inject too much of his personal feelings into the argument. "I don't doubt the Prince's story but surely someone as capable as the Admiral should have been able to cover his tracks without resorting to assaulting Prince Wilhelm."
The room fell silent for a moment and many of the gentlemen present shared sideways glances at each other. Rerugen was already aware that Canaris may have had blackmail material on many in this room and he had already been quietly advised by his superiors to keep quiet about it. Unfortunately, that meant they were happy to ignore anything that wasn't convenient for them, this was the ideal opportunity to make that blackmail material disappear. The accepted version of events would allow them to deal with this situation quickly and quietly so they would much prefer to ignore anything that compromised that.
"Even Admiral Canaris was capable of making mistakes Colonel," the Chancellor said carefully as his frown deepened before he glanced over at General Marchese.
"Indeed, I'm sure we are all aware of how illogically people can act when cornered," the General staff head added, giving Rerugen a look that told him it would be in his best interest to drop the subject.
Zettour glanced over at the Lieutenant General and raised an eyebrow as if to question him but he seemed to think better of it and remained silent. Clearly, this was not an avenue that the Command wanted to explore and even his superior wasn't willing to rock the boat.
With the matter settled, at least in the eyes of the bureaucrats, Rerugen was dismissed and he was permitted to retake his seat at the far side of the room.
As he sat back down, he caught a glimpse of Prince Wilhelm who smiled at him sympathetically. Perhaps he shared his unease about the situation and had hoped to get a proper answer as to why the Vice-Admiral had attacked him. He had been the victim after all, and at the time he had not known that the Admiral was behind the fraudulent evidence. The whole situation must have been deeply confusing and worrying for the boy.
Next, the council called Major Degurechaff to stand before them and Rerugen felt his sense of unease grow. He began to wonder if his apprehension about this situation was linked to her. He had long-held doubts about her character, and he would be lying if he said they didn't affect his impressions of her and her actions. It was possible this bias had also affected his interpretation of this incident.
He hadn't been lying when he said that he didn't believe she had been working for the enemy, as far as he was concerned it wasn't even worth entertaining the idea. In a way, he wished that he could believe in that possibility.
Tanya von Degurechaff was the ideal soldier, gaining the silver wings was proof of that by itself but she was also an outstanding officer. She was intelligent, dutiful and always followed orders to the letter no matter what was asked of her. Technically she was the perfect servant of the Vaterland, but in Rerugen's eyes, she was too perfect.
She was like a machine, a monster in the form of a little girl. She would happily perform tasks that no normal soldier could ever bring themselves to do and she did it without showing a hint of guilt or regret. If she were told to burn down her old orphanage, she would do it, as long as it was proven to be 'technically legal'. If asked, she and her troops would assault an enemy position with little or no hope of survival, and she would follow those orders without complaint. She referred to soldiers as human resources, as if their lives should be spent like currency and she found new and terrible ways to push the rules of war to their limits, revealing how truly appalling such conflicts could be.
He wished she would show some scrap of empathy or one flaw that proved she was as human as the rest of them. But she never did, she was a walking embodiment of what the Empire expected of its soldiers and she was only eleven years old.
Is this what the Empire has made of its future generations? Murderous dolls that would spend their lives without argument and obey orders no matter the moral implications?
The thought chilled him to his core, but he seemed to be the only one that saw it this way, just as he was the only one that saw the discrepancy in Canaris's actions. Perhaps he was the one that was mistaken, maybe his bias against Degurechaff had clouded his interpretation of this incident.
He looked up at the girl just in time to hear the Chancellor finish uttering his official apology. None here would admit it, but they were all quietly terrified that she would reveal this incident to the people. If she did, it would be an unprecedented disaster. The level of corruption that had been unearthed meant that almost the entire government was guilty of something, technically the whole High command and maybe even some of the Generals should be arrested and replaced.
They couldn't afford that right now, not while they were still at war. There was no telling what the other powers might do during the chaos that would ensue while the country was left without a government. As much as it infuriated Rerugen, they all knew that a corrupt leadership was better than none at all.
They needn't have worried though, just as he was sure she wasn't a traitor, Rerugen was also certain she wouldn't reveal what had happened. As he had remarked before, she was the perfect soldier; she'd been told to keep quiet and so she would. He doubted she would have entertained the idea anyway, she was intelligent enough to know what was at stake.
"Thank you, Sirs, my only wish is to return to my duties and serve the Vaterland" She declared once the Chancellor had finished, causing the assembled dignitaries to breathe a sigh of relief. She too was then allowed to return to her seat and the meeting moved on to its next order of business.
"We were scheduled to discuss the Charlemagne Treaty and the enquiry about the loss of Letzenbourg," Chancellor Luthor sighed as Prince Wilhelm made his way towards the table, despite the obvious discomfort of his injuries. "Can we even continue considering the enormity of what we have learned?"
It was an understandable question; Canaris's activities had thrown everything into disarray. What had seemed like a well informed and rational conclusion yesterday now seemed like a confused and ill-considered mess. It seemed like every recent decision would need to be reconsidered to be certain they were doing the right thing.
"It's not all bad news Chancellor" the Foreign Minister chimed in happily tilting his head at the little prince. "I can confirm that Prince Wilhelm and Prime Minister Bech, signed an amended version of the treaty this morning."
"Amended treaty? They've already negotiated territorial concessions, what more have we given them?" The Industrial Minister asked with a mixture of surprise and annoyance before remembering the young royal in front of him. "Not that we don't appreciate your country's heroic sacrifices, your highness."
"As of today, the Emperor is the head of state of Letzenbourg, although the treaty will have to be formally renewed upon Prince Wilhelm's coming of age" the Foreign Minister began ignoring his colleague's rude interruption. "They will be an independent nation of the Empire and will be allowed full control of their domestic affairs, but we will handle their diplomatic relations. In return, they will receive territory from the republic upon the end of the war and the Empire will honour its debts to the Letzenbourg banks."
"What! But they turned against us! Those debts are void!" The Financial Minister shouted practically leaping from his chair, causing most of those assembled to glare at him. It was already common knowledge that both he and the Industrial Minister had been hoping to profit from the treaty and until this recently their causes had been supported by the former spymaster. As such, neither was especially popular at the moment.
"We didn't all turn against you," a small sad voice piped up from the table in the centre of the room. "Although I take full responsibility for those that did."
Rerugen's heart ached for the boy as he guiltily spoke those words, once again he sounded truly remorseful about his brother's coup in Letzenbourg. For the second time in the last few days, he heard the boy wrongfully accept the blame for something that wasn't his fault. It was understandable why people compared him to a saint.
The boy was the opposite of Degurechaff, he felt too much for other people and his sense of duty made him experience guilt far more acutely than what was healthy for a soldier. He feared it would all get too much for the young prince one day but privately he hoped there were more Wilhelms in the world than Degurechaffs. If there were, maybe future generations wouldn't be as morally bankrupt as he feared.
He glanced around and studied the expressions of the others around the room. He saw the Crown Prince shift in his seat from the corner of his eye as the young prince spoke. The Imperial heir glared at the Finance Minister with contempt as the man seemingly tried to avoid paying the country's debts by blaming their allies. He wasn't alone in his dislike of the bureaucrat's actions, the military representatives especially seemed unhappy about the man's behaviour.
Rerugen could understand their frustration as he felt a measure of it too. It was insulting to think after everything they had fought for, they couldn't pay off a debt to a valued ally. What of the honour of the Imperial army? He understood all that war was expensive but using such petty excuses to default on a debt left a bad taste in his mouth.
The Minister's argument didn't even make much sense anymore. Although it was true that the old Regent had switched sides, many more stayed Loyal to the Imperial cause, including Prince Wilhelm and a sizable resistance in Letzenbourg. Letzenbourg troops had taken part in the operation to encircle the Francois army, while an organised resistance overthrew their republican occupiers before the Imperial army arrived.
Additionally, the evidence about Canaris raised a great many questions as to the cause of the defection. The old spymaster had spread the disinformation that had led to it, the small country had been one of the man's worst victims.
Knowing all this made the young Prince's words feel like salt in an open wound. It was clear to everyone that the boy could not be blamed for the defectors in Letzenbourg and both he and his loyalists had fought tooth and nail since the fall of the city. Yet still, the boy felt the need to take responsibility for the disaster and some members of the council seemed to want to feed off the boy's guilt for political gain.
"The agreement has been signed, we will not go back on our word" the elderly chancellor declared in a tone that brooked no argument. The red-faced finance Minister reluctantly returned to his seat, he was clearly unhappy with this result. "Now as for the Letzenbourg incident..."
"Prince Wilhelm must be punished for his failure!" The Finance Minister interjected again, clearly unwilling to drop his unprovoked attack on the prince. "His reckless attempt to recapture the city could have jeopardised everything. The Empire can't afford to take such risks; he must resign immediately!"
"I concur" the Industrial Minister agreed and the room erupted with disgruntled voices as they began to argue over the boy's fate. Factions immediately began to form with some the civilian councillors rallying around the two Ministers while the foreign Minister and the military delegation spoke in support for the young Prince.
The commotion wasn't limited to those at the table as the onlookers added their opinions to the din. It seemed the only silent figures in the room were himself, Major Degurechaff and the Crown Prince, who had now turned crimson with rage. He looked ready to speak out against the councillors and began to stand in order to vent the Royal family's displeasure at the men when Prince Wilhelm spoke out.
"I should be punished!" the boy said somehow cutting over the din, "I failed at Letzenbourg, I failed my soldiers and I failed the Empire."
The room fell silent as the boy's words hung in the air, even those who spoke against him were surprised by the little prince's declaration. Rerugan glanced back at the imperial heir and saw him fall back into his seat with a dumbfounded expression. Meanwhile, Degurechaff wore a sour look that spoke volumes about her own distaste for the situation, it was clear that neither agreed with the little Prince's confession.
The boy couldn't really believe he was responsible for the loss, could he? At this point the faction against him only seemed to want to use the incident as petty retaliation for the terms of the treaty, it was clear to everyone that the fall of the city hadn't been his fault. It had been impossible for him to liberate the city under the circumstances.
"You see, even the Prince admits his wrongdoing" the Minister replied petulantly and Rerugen felt his disdain for the man grow further. He almost felt like speaking out himself but General Zettour cleared his throat and the attention of everyone gathered fell on the usually restrained officer.
"With respect, I disagree," said von Zettour calmly, making himself heard without raising his voice. "The Revolving door operation was top secret; the Prince could not have known that his actions would endanger it. He saw the situation develop and reacted to it, just as we would expect any good soldier. We encourage such flexibility in our officers, punishing him for exercising it would give the wrong message to our troops."
Zettour was right, punishing the young Prince for something like this would give the impression the general staff didn't want them to act without explicit orders. Such a thing could be disastrous from an operational standpoint; he could already imagine troops too afraid to move to support their comrades for fear of repercussions.
"He lost his own capital city! His incompetent leadership has been put on display in front of the whole world!" the Finance Minister continued seemingly oblivious to the increasing hostility against him in the room.
"The results of our enquiry indicate that the city would likely have fallen in record time if reinforcements had been sent. Additionally, he performed admirably during operation lock pick," Rudersdorf observed whilst puffing on his cigar before glaring back over at the Minister. "It was Canaris who advised against sending troops to Letzenbourg, it isn't the Prince's competence that has been brought into question by this situation."
The room fell silent again as the General's accusatory tone caused the council to shift awkwardly in their seats. It was obvious to everyone there that the military had lost a great deal of confidence in their civilian overseers. Everyone in the room now knew these men were corrupt and it had been due to this corruption that Canaris had gained so much power and influence.
In the past, the General staff would simply bow to the requests of the High Command despite the potential political power that they wielded. It was quite rare for the Military to use much of its political clout but today they seemed willing to put their foot down. The General staff were telling the High Command they would not allow them to punish Prince Wilhelm over a political dispute. They would need to clean up their act if they wanted to rebuild the trust that had been lost.
"Under the circumstances, I believe we should drop this matter," the Chancellor said eventually, clearly understanding the tone of the room. "If there are no more objections, this enquiry against Prince Wilhelm will be dropped and he will retain his position in the Imperial army."
This time the Finance Minister remained silent, it seemed even he had figured that this battle was over, if the military was arguing with the civilian branch it didn't bode well. Usually, Rerugen would be uneasy about the military having too much influence but with all the allegations of corruption in the High Command, he felt happier knowing that his superiors were keeping an eye on things.
Rerugen suspected many of the men present would find themselves quietly replaced I the next few months, the report the Crown Prince would deliver the Emperor would no doubt see to that after this debacle.
The Chancellor breathed out a tired sigh of relief and looked ready to end the day's proceedings when a familiar voice spoke up; one that never failed to send a chill up his spine.
"I object," said the Devil in the guise of a little girl.
Authors Notes
Hello everyone and thank you all for reading.
First things first, translations: Landespolizei is the state police in Germany dating back to the formation of the German Empire, Leitender Polizeidirektor is chief police director and Reichsgericht was the supreme criminal court of Germany from 1879-1945.
I decided to go with these because they are a little more flavourful than their English equivalents, hopefully, it still made sense and I apologise to any German readers I have if there are mistakes, my knowledge of German is quite limited.
Second, a big thank you to Stenv my long-suffering beta reader and Vickers-Vimy-1919 who has also been helping greatly with feedback, ideas and advice, I'm very thankful for all the help they've given me. Both are also writers so check out their stuff (Vickers has yet to publish here yet but watch this space).
Next, one of the reviews asked about my update schedule. As it stands, I'm now doing an update every three weeks (give or take a day), this seems to be manageable and I'm trying my best to keep to this 3-week rule. However, if there is any delay in future, I'll do my best to let you know.
That being said, I'm hoping to get the next chapter out a little quicker than that. We're about at the end of this arc and I would like to bookend it a little before moving on to the southern campaign.
In one other piece of news, I may have someone to make a cover for this story for me. The problem is, I don't really know what to ask for. I have had Wilhelm riding the Tank suggested but I'm not really sure how well that shows what the story is about. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.
Once again, I hope you are still enjoying my story, thank you for the reviews and thank you for reading.
Xanen