A/N: Good evening. Say hello to the phoenix of fanfiction. After much deliberation I've decided that I don't give a damn if no one reviews this, I don't care how many people favorite, I want to finish this story, this damn thing has been glaring at me for two years now and I'm making it my mission to finish this story professionally as opposed to what it began as which was frankly. Shit. Expect a much more polished story from this point on.

Shall we begin?

Chapter 48: The Purple Phoenix

The year is 1939, and war looms over Europe. Everyone has their eyes on Hitler's Emerging Third Reich, especially as his actions become even more radical and demanding.

This attention on Hitler and his Third Reich has drawn eyes away from the looming wild card that is the Reborn Byzantine Empire. Hitler may have formed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Stalin, thus sealing the fate of Poland as a soon to be partitioned state between the Soviet Union and the German Third Reich, but the Byzantines have their own plans.

The Greco-Roman Fascists in power of the Byzantine Senate which was reformed upon the reinstatement of the empire have decided that the time has come to re-realize the dream of Justinian the Great, or die trying. The main problem that lies with in this plan is the fact that the recently reunified empire is industrially backwater, militarily large, but completely outmatched by something like the German Wehrmacht, which is the brick wall that stands in the way of the empire.

The Empire sat in a war room with some of its highest military staff, including the man who started the Imperial rebirth, as the Empire has taken to calling the pan-nationalistic movement that swept over former Byzantine states. This man is the new Emperor who has taken upon himself the title of, 'Emperor Constantine the X'. An extremely nationalistic man, with an ambition that would put Alexander the Great to shame sit at the head of the table in the war room.

He looks at the map which was detailing the invasion plans into Italy, which involved multiple Naval landings all along the coast line in the Adriatic sea and a land invasion from the Illyrian coastline into Italian-Veneto. However something was off, there seemed to be no plans to do anything other than a full out offensive.

Constantine looked up, "And what if the information that was 'leaked' to us by, unknown 'allied' forces of the supposed invasion date of Poland by the Barbarians to the north is wrong?" the Generals around the table muttered about, "Sir that seems unlikely…"

Constantine scowled, "You would so easily trust people who would just as soon see our empire crumble again just as much as they would see Hitler's Germany fall back into a state of economic failure?" he shook his head, "The first rule of Roman politics, Trust no one, the second rule, Use everyone."

Some could say that Constantine was one of two things, he was either a paranoid ultra-nationalist, or he was a true Roman politician. Many would say that was the same thing.

Triestan looked down at the map, "What does it matter? We handily outnumber the Germans at least three to one, a few fortifications here, and here." He pointed along the Austrian-Yugoslavian border, "and down along Hungary and we'll be fine." Despite having limited intelligence on the German military, Triestan didn't know of the significant military advancements the Third Reich had over the Byzantines outdated WWI Military.

Constantine however was not convinced, "Numbers alone don't win battles, Besides we lack the time to properly establish a defensive line there that would be anything more than men sitting in trenches." He leaned forward deep in thought.

A general spoke up, "I propose that we reopen diplomatic channels with the barbarians, Perhaps, if our intelligence is correct we can reach a similar agreement with them that they have with the Russians."

Constantine shook his head, "Is my military cabinet run by idiots?" the general looked confused, "Hitler's on thin ice with one ally in Europe proper. Why in Gods name would he throw that ally to the wolves and live himself at odds with another super-power?" he did make a fair point, as it would be out right folly on the part of Germany to abandon their only mainland ally.

The men in the cabinet sat around the table looking at the map still, but while this was going on the last steps were being taken in what would lead the world to another conflict.

Hitler had already sent his ultimatum to the Polish, "Danzig, or War".

Poland chose war.

Just now is the message being received by the Germans back in Berlin, and soon the ground rumbled to life, as tons upon tons of iron and diesel roared to life, and men began mounting into the back of their military trucks. The German War machine had awoken to life, with enough fuel on the fire to for world conquest. Their first destination was Poland