Note: If it's not already apparent, this story is written from the viewpoint of Imperial characters, mostly Reinhard's and Kircheis'. With canon pairings, and Kircheis/Annerose, if their relationship works out.

Chapter Two

October 6th, U.C. 797, I.C. 488

Geiersburg, Hospital Wing, Room 12

Alone in the hospital room, Kircheis lay on the hospital bed, pondering his future. Reinhard had left for Odin two days ago, just as Kircheis wished. He had to admit that part of the reason why he wanted Reinhard to leave was selfish; he wanted some time alone to consider his future path. "No matter what you do, no matter what you become, I will always follow you." That was what he had told Reinhard, but…

From the doctors, Kircheis had found out how close he had come to dying. Had Ansbach's blaster bolt hit him a few more inches to the left, he'd be dead. Dead, at the age of twenty-one years old. Even though he had long since accepted the fact that he might die in the line of duty since he entered the military, and it was not the first time, it was still…disquieting. If he had died…Kircheis' mind raced first to Annerose and Reinhard, then to his parents. If he had died, what would have happened to them?

But no, Kircheis was still alive. So what should he do next? After the disagreement that Kircheis had had with Reinhard over Westerland, Kircheis feared that there would be many more such disagreements in the future. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for him to simply walk away. Preserve all the happy memories of fighting together so far, then go into seclusion. Perhaps he should return to his parents' house. Leave Reinhard to his dream of conquering the universe alone. Kircheis was, after all, no longer essential; Reinhard now had the support of many capable, talented and loyal subordinates.

But that very thought speared Kircheis' heart like an icy blade. Kircheis admitted to himself; he could no more do that than to cut himself into half. Ever since the day that this golden-haired angel had shared his dream with Kircheis, Kircheis had sworn to follow Reinhard to the very end. To fulfill his dream. Every single battle they had both participated in. Every shared experience and memory between them. For good or for ill, they were bound together, two halves of the same coin. Past, present and…future too…

In his mind, Kircheis could picture every single detail of Reinhard's face. Golden curls, icy-blue eyes…the inevitable look of disappointment if Kircheis even hinted that he wanted to leave…Kircheis sighed ruefully. Choosing...that was an illusion. Ever since the day he had taken Reinhard's hand, he had had no other choice. And he wouldn't have it any other way. Lord Reinhard…I will follow you, Lord Reinhard. Until I draw my last breath.

December 11th, U.C. 797, I.C. 488

Odin, Schwarz Manor

In November, the first thing Reinhard had done when Kircheis had returned to Odin had been to move the convalescent patient into the manor where Reinhard lived with Annerose von Grunewald, his elder sister – Schwarz Manor. He ignored the protests of impropriety from some of the straight-laced staff and insisted that since he and his sister were going to visit Kircheis every single day anyway, it was much more convenient for Kircheis to rest and recover in his house.

When Oberstein had finally commented upon it, Reinhard had glared at the man before replying icily, "I've lived with Kircheis under the same roof for almost every single day of my life since I was ten years old. Do you really think I'd stop now?" When Oberstein had tried to carry on about his pet theory on how no organization required a No. 2, Reinhard had then pointedly ignore him. Now holding the titles of Prime Minister, Supreme Commander-in-chief of the Galactic Empire Fleet, Fleet Admiral and Prince, Reinhard was the most powerful man in the Empire, even more so than the puppet Emperor, Erwin Josef II. And he would use some of that power to make things go his way, for once.

In any case, even if it made some of his subordinates unhappy, his elder sister was happy enough and that was that. In the aftermath of the Kircheis' almost fatal injury, she had been distant and depressed, but once she had seen with her own eyes that Kircheis was on the mend, she had regained some of her cheer. Even if Reinhard was completely oblivious and blind to affairs between men and women, he'd have been a fool not to see the obvious signs of attraction between his sister and Kircheis.

Of course, it appears I have been a fool for many years, Reinhard sighed mentally. It was obvious that this thing, whatever it was, between Kircheis and his sister, had not sprung up overnight. He had no idea how he felt about the thing between his sister and Kircheis yet. On one hand, his elder sister was like the mother he never knew, the ray of warm, gentle sunshine in his life. On the other hand, Kircheis was his best friend, and the other only person whom he'd ever let into the circle in his heart that he labeled 'family'. Yet, the thought of the two together…

Reinhard shook his head. He'd deal with it if and when his sister and Kircheis ever decided to pursue a romantic relationship. Right now, he had other matters to deal with. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, followed by the entrance of one of the two he had been ruminating about.

"Kircheis," Reinhard commented with a smile when he saw Kircheis once more dressed in the uniform of a High Admiral. "Fit to resume duty at last?"

Kircheis returned the smile. "Yes, Lord Reinhard. It's the start of the new year, I do not want to laze around for too long."

"That's good. You've been doing less than your fair share of work the past few months. I think it's time to change that neh, Kircheis?" Reinhard's attempt at humour was razor-sharp as usual. "I'm going to make you both Imperial Vice Premier and Vice Supreme Commander of the Space Fleet. Oh, and you'd be promoted to Fleet Admiral too."

Kircheis' jaws dropped in surprise. The implications of that overwhelmed him. The amount of power that would confer on him was astonishing. But dangerous. Even though he certainly did not share the same views as Oberstein on the subject of having a No.2 in Reinhard's camp, Kircheis had never sought to be No.2 himself. His only ambition, if it could be called that, was to always be by Reinhard and Annerose's side. To that end, he wished to make himself useful to Reinhard, in any way he could, but not by gaining so much power that it'd make anyone with half a brain wary of him! "Lord Reinhard…please, you cannot do that!"

"Oh? I'm the Prime Minister of the Galactic Empire and the Supreme Commander-in-chief of the Space Fleet. I am the most powerful man in the Empire, save for a mere technicality, and you're telling me I can't make personnel appointments as I wish?" Reinhard's retort was cutting, as usual.

In the end, Kircheis managed to convince Reinhard to change his mind about most of the promotions, even if he still had to accept the rank of Fleet Admiral. When he had tried to argue further, Reinhard had fixed him with a pointed smile. "You saved my life Kircheis. Are you trying to say that my life is not worth at least one promotion? Besides, I expect you to do more than your fair share of work, you know." And Kircheis had to give in.

"Come on, enough of that, Sister is baking us an onion pie today!" Reinhard's eyes sparkled as he led Kircheis to the terrace porch where they frequently had tea with Annerose. It was just like old times.

December 21st, U.C. 797, I.C. 488

Odin, Ministry of War, Officer's Lounge

Kircheis did not come to the Officer's Lounge often, despite his enjoyment of the quiet ambiance. While not a stuck-up nor a firm believer in propriety, Kircheis sometimes still felt uncomfortable with the level of respect that older, lower-ranking military officers showed him. He supposed he would get used to it in time, but he could not help wondering if his promotion had been too fast, too soon. It had after all, been only a year since his double promotion to Rear Admiral, and he was now a Fleet Admiral already, of the same rank as Reinhard!

However, it was part of Kircheis' self-imposed duty to keep an eye on the mood and sentiments of Reinhard's subordinates. In addition, after that official announcement of his promotion earlier today, he really needed a drink. Two shadows fell on his table as Kircheis reached for his glass of red wine. Looking up, he blinked in surprise to see High Admirals Mittermeyer and Reuenthal.

Courteously, Kircheis invited the two to join him, an invitation that they accepted. Once they had all made themselves comfortable, Mittermeyer commented, "It's rare to see you here, Kircheis. Reuenthal and I come here to drink quite frequently, yet we rarely see you here." Kircheis smiled and nodded. Unlike Mittermeyer, Kircheis had no one to accompany him to the Officer's Lounge. He thought of Reinhard in the Lounge, then mentally shuddered. If Reinhard visited the Lounge, there was no doubt that everyone in the room would tense up and fall into formality. Which would defeat the purpose of the Lounge, which aimed to provide a conducive environment for relaxation.

Even Kircheis' presence had caused a stir, judging from the looks that were cast at his table at frequent intervals. Perhaps Reuenthal knew this, for he quickly changed the subject. "Since you're here now, allow us to congratulate you on your promotion, Kircheis."

Kircheis now felt distinctly uncomfortable at the thought of receiving congratulations on his promotion from Reuenthal, whom he felt, along with Mittermeyer, had done much more in their swift action to arrest Lichtenlade. The epaulettes that came with the position rested heavily on his shoulders, as did the blood red cape that denoted his rank. He covered it up with a smile and ruffled his hand through his own hair. "Thank you. Allow me to offer my belated congratulations on your own much-deserved promotions to High Admiral then."

Mittermeyer laughed at that. "What we did pales in comparison to your accomplishment, Kircheis. You saved His Excellency's life! And believe me, we're all grateful for that."

Perhaps it was Mittermeyer's open demeanor. Or perhaps it was the red wine. In any case, Kircheis found himself replying to that statement with a candor that amazed him. "I can't take credit for that… I would have done it regardless. That has been my job ever since we were children…"

Kircheis blinked as his own words penetrated his brain. Was that why he felt so uneasy about the promotion? Getting a reward for something that he had heretofore done without any expectation such? Glancing at Mittermeyer and Reuenthal, he found that the two were wearing identical expressions of surprise. They're probably surprised at my wagging tongue… Ruefully, Kircheis shook his head. "I seem to be unusually chatty today. Please, ignore what I've said."

Standing up, Kircheis made hurried goodbyes to the two High Admirals, before almost fleeing the Officers' Lounge.

Left only with each other's presence, Mittermeyer and Reuenthal exchanged thoughtful glances. At length, Mittermeyer spoke up. "The bond between His Excellency and Kircheis is even deeper than we suspected."

Reuenthal smiled wryly. "On both their parts. Siegfried Kircheis was the first to react in the Hall, to shield His Excellency from the assassin with his body. And His Excellency was so torn up over Kircheis' injury that he didn't leave his side until the latter woke. And now we find out that Kircheis has probably been willing to sacrifice himself for His Excellency ever since they were both children…"

"Even that Oberstein would have a hard time breaking such a bond," was Mittermeyer's only conclusion.

January 1st, U.C. 798, I.C. 489

Odin, Prime Minister's Official Residence, Prime Minister's Office

The people gathered outside the building were cheering loudly in support of Prince Reinhard von Lohengramm's most recent reforms. From his vantage point standing to Reinhard's left, Kircheis glanced at his friend's composed features. Lord Reinhard has never been interested in what others thought of him though…Even if they were positive, Reinhard usually dismissed them by saying that he had no reason to be pleased by the praises of those who were not intelligent enough to understand his plans.

Intelligence, huh? Kircheis pondered on this as he glanced at the other people standing in the room. Hildegarde von Mariendorf, Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, was standing across the room at Reinhard's other side, while Karl Blakke and Eugen Richter, reformers who had given up their aristocrat status. All these people had intelligence in spades, which was why Reinhard was making use of their talents to put his reforms in place.

Technically, Kircheis himself had no place in this room, as he was part of the military and did not hold any position in the civil service. However, despite his promotion, Kircheis had been reinstated as Reinhard's adjutant, a position that he would not give up for the world. He supposed that it was the first time in galactic history that an Imperial Fleet Admiral was serving as an adjutant to the Supreme Commander-in-chief, but since both he and Reinhard were satisfied, posterity would just have to deal with it. And as an adjutant, he went wherever Reinhard went, even when the latter was dealing with political matters.

The weight of the blaster in Kircheis' back was comforting. Even though security had been considerably upgraded since Ansbach's assassination attempt, Kircheis was not taking any more chances. Any future assassins would have to go through Kircheis to get to Reinhard.

Reinhard himself was not paying attention to such matters. He was speaking at length on the policy changes he would be making. "To obtain the people's faith in the system, there must be two things; impartial judgement and similarly, impartial tax rates. Just that." Kircheis thought it was a succinct and apt summary, and could not help feeling admiration for his friend's brilliance. At times like this, he thought he could fully empathize with why the people and the soldiers, and even some of the other officials held such adulation for Prince Reinhard von Lohengramm.

Kircheis found himself agreeing with most of Reinhard's reforms. It contained everything that they had ever discussed, on those long nights when they had been junior military officers on leave from the frontlines. Admittedly, the reforms implemented were much more detailed and finely crafted than their vague talks had came up with, which Kircheis attributed to Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, Fraulein Hildegarde von Mariendorf. An extremely intelligent young lady… Kircheis was grateful that she had chosen to aid Reinhard in affairs of the state. With someone sharing his role of being sounding board to Reinhard, Kircheis would not need to interfere too much in civil matters.

Reinhard had given Kircheis a lot of power; power that could be dangerous if Kircheis was not careful in its use. He did not want others to see him as undue influence on Reinhard however, so he was very careful to give his opinions in everyday matters in public only if Reinhard asked him for it.

After the two reformers had left, Reinhard sat down and Fraulein Mariendorf began reporting on financial matters. Reinhard's response was as gregarious as always. "Financial credit is not a problem. Having appropriated the wealth of the nobles who participated in the Lippstadt Alliance, our finances are resolved in a single stroke. To think they were hoarding it just for it to be confiscated, I rather pity them, neh, Kircheis?"

Kircheis caught Reinhard's upward glance in wake of his caustic wit, and smiled in response. "Yes, Lord Reinhard." At first, Kircheis had called Reinhard by the formal title of 'Your Excellency' whenever there had been a third person around, but Reinhard had flatly insisted that an exception could be made in the presence of his secretary. Since her presence was a constant at all times, Reinhard had became rather tired of Kircheis' extreme formality and Kircheis had to relent in the end. Mentally, he shook his head as he recalled how many people had teased and taunted him when they had heard him refer to his friend as 'Lord Reinhard', for being too respectful and formal. Now, he had the opposite problem.

The next order of business that Reinhard dealt with was a petition from one Arthur von Streit. Kircheis remembered Streit as one of those who had been loyal to Prince Braunshweig. Reinhard had captured Streit during the Lippstadt Rebellion and offered a position to the man. Kircheis had heard though, that the man had turned down the position due to his loyalty to his master. Whatever could the man want?

It turned out that what Streit wanted was the return of some of his relatives' wealth, which had been confiscated in the aftermath of the rebellion. Kircheis was surprised when Reinhard readily agreed. He knew his friend had no love lost for the ex-aristocrats. Then…

"However, there's one condition. Become my subordinate and serve as a member of my Command Headquarters," Reinhard stated calmly. And Kircheis had to suppress a smile at that. Lord Reinhard is still as hungry for talented men… Not everyone was magnanimous enough to utilize the talents of old enemies, but then, Reinhard had always been an exception in that regard. Then, the impact of Reinhard's statement fully sunk in. This old, distinguished gentlemen, this former enemy, would be under his direct command?!

Kircheis recalled that Reinhard had been muttering about getting him a couple of competent assistants for his work as adjutant for days. Reinhard felt that since Kircheis would have to lead space fleets sometimes, he would not be available for his duties as Reinhard's adjutant all the time and replacements at those times would be necessary. Reinhard had been thoroughly unsatisfied with the latest in the line of temporary fill-ins that had taken over that role when Kircheis was recovering from his injuries – Rear Admiral Feldewelt. And now here Reinhard was, hiring new staff. It did not take a genius to figure out Reinhard's intention. Kircheis shook his head mentally as he resolved to smooth any ruffled feathers gently.

January 20th, U.C. 798, I.C. 489

Odin, Ministry of War, Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Office

Kircheis watched as Reinhard toyed with Admiral Oppenheimer, first giving him false hope that the position of Chief of Military Police would be returned to him, then practically setting him up for charges of bribery. Shaking his head as the man was hauled out of the room by Gunther Kissling, Commander of the Prime Minister's Guard, Kircheis chided Reinhard gently, "You're mean, Lord Reinhard."

Reinhard's lounged against his chair, but his smirk was cutting. "I can't abide incompetent and corrupt morons. Of course, this means there's more work for you, Kircheis." His icy-blue eyes flashed in amusement as he regarded the red-haired man standing at his side.

"Yes, Lord Reinhard. I'll publicize this event immediately. In any case, who would you like to appoint as the new Chief of Military Police?" Kircheis immediately knew what Reinhard wanted. Their thought processes were often like mirror-images – after twelve years of living in close proximity with each other, they could even communicate silently, with the briefest glances and gestures.

"Well, let Kesler do it," Reinhard ordered. Kircheis raised his eyebrows at that order. "On top of his current job as Commander of the Capital Defense Force?" Kircheis had met the man a few times before, and had the impression that Ulrich Kesler was a capable and impartial man with a steely integrity; a suitable candidate for the position of the Chief of Military Police to be sure, but wasn't Reinhard afraid of overburdening the man?

In typical Reinhard fashion, the golden-haired man replied, "Yes. I don't care. If it's a man like Kesler, he'll probably carry out his duties well enough. Besides, we need some outside blood in the Military Police Headquarters."

"Yes, Lord Reinhard," Kircheis acknowledged the order and immediately left the room to put it into effect. He knew that his friend prized efficiency, and so he always made it a point to carry out Reinhard's orders immediately. Mentally, he made a note to remind the new assistants that he would be getting of that. He did not want Reinhard's explosive temper and cutting tongue to have the opportunity to manifest itself. He had seen it rip a person's self-esteem into shreds, and felt that it would be too unkind if he did not give fair warning to the others. If there's no one between Lord Reinhard and his surroundings, there'll always be some kind of clash… This was not the first time that Kircheis had had this thought.

January 22nd, U.C. 798, I.C. 489

Odin, Ministry of War, Meeting Hall

Kircheis observed silently from his position beside Reinhard's chair, on the opposite side from where Oberstein was standing, as Admiral Kempf apologized for his failure in a battle against the Free Planetary Alliance's 13th Fleet. Kircheis knew that Reinhard hated the very idea of losing to Yang Wen-li; the latter had thwarted Reinhard's complete victory more than once. News of Yang Wen-li''s new nickname had trickled into the Empire from their intelligence agencies in the Alliance. "The Magician indeed; a fitting nickname for that trickster," Reinhard had snorted when he heard the new name.

More than anyone else, Kircheis knew how much it cost Reinhard to sit there and rationally forgive Admiral Kempf for his failure. Thank Odin that Lord Reinhard has managed to restrain his temper this time…Kircheis thought as the meeting ended, although he supposed. The other admirals all filed out, but Kircheis remained in the room. At length, he left together with Reinhard and Oberstein. No doubt they had more business to discuss. Though he himself disliked Oberstein, Kircheis did not once blame Oberstein for his role in his almost death. Kircheis could understand Oberstein's logic, however, that did not mean that he had to like the man. As far as Kircheis was concerned, Oberstein was dangerously morally-deficient. Yet, he could not ask Reinhard not to utilize the man's talents just because he disliked the man.

As usual, Kircheis fell in half a pace behind Reinhard, to Reinhard's right side, the best position with which to defend his friend and liege lord. Just in case.

In the corridors however, the party of three was waylaid by one Admiral Schaft, Inspector General of the Science and Technology Division. Kircheis knew that this balding, heavily mustached man was the inventor of the directional zephyr particles that he had used to great effect at the Battle of Amlitzer Starzone, so he waited patiently for the man to present his ideas to Reinhard. More patiently in fact, than Reinhard himself, who, after making a sarcastic comeback to one of Schaft's remarks, was turning to leave.

Of course, that was until Schaft presented his idea of moving the Geiersburg Fortress to the Iserlohn Corridor. Affixing twelve warp drives to the space fortress, then dragging it light-years away to the Iserlohn Corridor, so that firepower wise, the Empire would be on par with the Alliance, who currently had Iserlohn Fortress in their possession. Kircheis could practically see Reinhard freeze mid-step. That, more than anything, showed how much Reinhard yearned to defeat Yang Wen-li…

Later on, when everyone had left, Kircheis asked Reinhard, "Lord Reinhard, are you planning to launch an attack on the Alliance?"

Reinhard tilted his face away from Kircheis, towards the window, even as he folded his arms across his chest. That told Kircheis all he needed to know. "But, Lord Reinhard, there is no strategic value in it if we were to launch an attack now."

"I know," Reinhard replied softly, still not meeting Kircheis' eyes. That's when Kircheis knew that Reinhard was set on this course of action. Kircheis shook his head slightly. If someone else could see this sight, they'd be amazed at how childish Prince Reinhard von Lohengramm, military genius and the most powerful man in the Empire, could act at times. Marshalling his thoughts, Kircheis attempted once more to persuade Reinhard otherwise.

"Lord Reinhard, I know that you wish to defeat the Alliance, as do I. But at this point in time, it is meaningless to initiate an offense. There's no basis for it, and we do not have the moral high ground this time. Please, I ask you to reconsider, Lord Reinhard." Kircheis' voice was pleading, towards the end.

Maybe it was the pleading tone that did it, for Reinhard unbent enough to meet Kircheis' eyes. "I'll consider it," he finally said.

And Kircheis decided to be satisfied with that. He did not want to push too hard, as he did with the Westerland issue, for Reinhard's reaction when pushed was to lash out. In that sense, the falling out that they had had over the Westerland issue was also partially Kircheis' fault. Or at least, that was how Kircheis felt.

Poor Kircheis. Always thinking of the best way to help Reinhard...