Washington, White House. January 2nd, 2100
"What a Mess, god- no, Bless The Holy Kaiserin Herself for the generosity."
In his Office, Sitting President Thomas T. Jr. huffed a pricey cigarette, anything with the amount of farmed or grown biological materials like what he was smoking had would be at a Price range only true Elites in the USNAM Society could afford even if only at an Once a year rate. With him, the few he could Trust if just to keep the current Government running. His Head of Secret service, who replaced the last one, a Magician after all. And for the occasion, Airforce Mage program Head, General Todd Hubbart.
"You are sure It's a wise idea? Sure, Mages will level the field IF the worst happens, but to Burn the Bridges with the Red Religious wing?"
One more huff of his Smoke and he lets it out.
"Those religious zealots can go try indoctrinating starving Bears up in Kanata. That church that worships her has been Kept at a bay in here by abuse of the Nation's system, but the followers had been here for longer than those deranged blue terrorists."
The general frowns but can't really argue the point.
"Yes, but, you sure the Party has no chance?"
"Yeah, First the Yellow President loses the seats two terms ago due to that Akitsushiman fiasco, now it's us, losing STARS and being forced to Butcher the Magicians in the Army killed our support. All that Taxpayer money burnt and stolen."
"Fine, but surely we paid a rather excessive amount to get Germania's favor, This will be killed off by any other Party if it doesn't bend to them once Elections are done."
"And do we even HAVE to care? So long your accelerated Training plans give some results, we can rest assured the Party won't be a sitting duck."
"About that…"
Oh Great, he knew Todd since his Marine days, shit already hit the fan.
"Those Germanian Type 101s are Leagues ahead even our best Orb model before the 2024 killing of research of it, and these are about five years OLDER than those top-of-the-Line prototypes. Training will take time, and the trainer she sent…."
General Todd's face is… complicated.
"Go on."
"A Harsh demon. We ARE probably going to get Combat ready Mages in my estimated Time, but… the dropout rates… are terrifying. I heard about the Germanian's infamous Supplementary Lessons, but to think he asked our MRLS units…."
Thomas's face paled. For the love of America. What deal he had done? For the sake of His Party, but even so, how Fear inducing those who manage to pass that Training will be?
"I may have been given a Devil's Deal by her…. For old Times sake, eh?"
The three present took a heavy Drink that day, knowing they got what they wished, by allowing her to send a Demon of a Mage to Train theirs.
US Airforce training range in the Appalachian Mountain range
Lieutnant Karl Fairturn was tired, exhausted, and wanted this hell to end already. On the top of a high spot of a Mountain he and his Brother In arms had to climb to arrive at the Objective, The Person, no, Demon in charge of training them was standing high and might. Germania's Mage force Training staff member, sent specifically to have them up to task as Mages. Whatever the idiots at the White house were thinking, Karl was honestly thinking they made the most stupid deal with a Devil ever.
"All 70 of you arrived? Congrats, rest as I talk about the next task."
A smooth voice, female, yet all 70 knew very well she was anything but a lady.
"Since you all proved to be capable at surviving and reaching even with no Magic, let's test some, for a VERY IMPORTANT aspect for you all."
Suddenly her Mana flares up, and they all see the clearest depiction of Despair, a Massive MRLS barrage, with cluster Munitions to spice this hell even more. Yet they barely reach the half point as she fires a powerful barrage of her own Offensive spells at those incoming Missiles, blowing all of them.
"Next salvo is in five, ready a Defense, Your Rifles, and orbs. I didn't have time to know if they didn't mix Live ammo in there, so good luck."
Not even Two minutes in and the next barrage is fired. This will suck.
"If you want Hope, It's Descending and coming for you all. So pick off ALL of it."
Karl could see next to him Sgt. Peter P. and Second Lt. Gabriel Matrazano weeping.
The mages in Training would later tell those who would enter the next groups of Mages that they will experience the very best form of Despair, with lots of Painful High Explosive Hope raining down them.
Germania, Berun, January 5th 2100
Time went since that Meeting with USNAM president Thomas. It was about a few Months away of a Year since I returned, yet the recovery is going still, any short-term problems have been solved already, but now it's a matter of seeing how the Germanian government handles things for the aspects whose solution can only be seen in the Medium term or longer.
In general, there seems to be quite more people with a shine in their eyes than when the Kaiserin protocols had to be activated, rumors of the Many attempts on me failing by my own intervention on the perpetrators, according to Anya, have made people believe I AM the Holy Kaiserin in full, my general way of behaving publicly just sealed the deal as a lot of the credit for pulling out all main issues hindering Germania's and OZEV's recovery away went for me for giving the Orders.
Church attendance has risen as a result. And to this day I am lost on WHAT does Tanyaism even preaches about? It's easy to see what ANY religion will, the classic "Love your Neighbor and help each other in harmony" is a no brainer, Few Religions can run with an Aggressive, Militantism ideology, one being Islam but that's due to the REGION it birthed, Resource Scarcity, Brutality and Wars among Clans that hated each other's guts makes Peaceful ideas die and be replaced by a more Aggression happy set of ideas.
Since it seems I can for now let things run their course with just keeping an eye, I have Anya get me some Physical registries of Tanyaism, but I do take a moment to see if there's some independent sources elsewhere, not Francois, Albish or RUSS of course. The pile of Books is small, surprising, Anya's answer was that it became not a Popular Publishing thing due to Magician Pressure post 2070s. Censorship huh? Guess I will take what is present for now.
Imagine the followers Opinion that their Patron Deity needs to STUDY the very Religion she represents. Hilarious, even more as the one entering fucking Theology studies is me, Tanya von Degurechaff. An Atheist became a Deity of a religion, and that very Deity has to Study Theology about her very Religion…. The damn Irony is so much I feel we can make bullets of that.
The books are easy and well structured, whoever made them knows how a decent Educational Text has to be formatted, pity they must be dead already, Youngest Book is from the 2040s and a Net search of the Author and Publisher reveals they are both Dead and would be Skeletons by now even if still alive.
Tanyaism is… oddly simplistic. It has the Typical of a non-Islamic religion, cooperate with your peers, pro-equality, abhors wars…. But there's some details of course. Abhorring wars is normal, but Tanyaism DOES NOT condone Violence as a principle of Humanity, rather, it emphasizes it's that very aspect that thus demands we as Humans learn to make use of said principle in proper and Constructive ways. In short, Tanyaism condones using Violence like tyrant rules do or when it scales to the levels a War demands, but accepts it is inherently Human to have Violent tendencies on certain things.
Another is that Cooperation and Mutual Gain is preferable, but we should all be willing to let a bad actor wither away in Misery if they prove unwilling to cooperate or does so in Ill faith to net the larger gains. It can be summarized as in a Trade agreement idea, Tanyaism emphasizes a fair Trade MUST be at the center of a Cooperative relationship, anything less or unfair isn't true Cooperation.
Since I am the one they worship, LGBT rights are present, but the nonsense that was that QIA+ part of the 2020-2035 period for the old LGBT movement (It has died and most new Gay/Lesbian Movements of current year openly denounce whatever those old movements endorsed) is obviously not present, rather, Tanyaism fought tooth and Nail against the Hijacked Trans cause, up to shootouts, For a Church of "peace" they sure have a lot of Warmaniacs ready to defend it. How come such people flock to whatever has me on?
On a summary, it's a Church of an Open and welcoming nature, but also Meritocratic and Reciprocal philosophy. Acceptance and Respect, Merit and Reciprocity, these four mark what key traits Tanyaism is centered about, and from top to bottom does ALL members of it follow them, from what I gleamed through reading and Anya's explanation, the Managerial parts are kind of Volunteer work, with the Highest actual power holding positions being that of the Sisters who run the Churches more hands on task aspects.
My Opinion, a weird and messed kind of arrangement, but maybe it works because one requirement to even BE selectable as a Sister is how much ass you can kick, Corruption and bad crimes done by Church staff usually end with the culprit going to the Police's Jail willingly, when your alternative is being Hunted by Women with Minimum of A rank Mana potential and have proven Careers in their CV resumes related to kicking other's asses, you usually want to be in a Jail rather than splattered to the four winds as Bloody atoms.
Other religions keep quiet as well, and even Commies or off brand Left extremism groups tend to avoid regions with a Church of Tanya, Criminality being lower when my Religion has a presence seems to be the norm, after all, a place that attracts War Maniacs all itching to deliver some Justified ass kicking, leads to the dregs of society wisely leaving those areas.
"Well, enough reading, I should walk a bit too."
Once more in a Light winter set of clothes, this time some Winter Pantyhose, a Knee length dark Navy-blue Skirt, White long Sleeve Shirt with a simple Bluish Silvery Grey Jacket on top, a Winter Beanie keeps my Hair neatly inside it. Today, maybe I will finally go pick what Berun's Central Church has, and see if Sister Amelia is back from her trip. The cold today is amenable for people, so there's families and a few couples walking in the streets or queueing for a Restaurant or the Gamehouses, Cinemas and Sports Stadiums have lost most of their appeal, albeit Aerial Lacrosse remains a popular Audience attraction due to needing Flight capable Mages after all.
"Holy Kaiserin!"
Sister Amelia was just seeing off the Believers who had come for today's Prayer session. On one hand, it's somewhat heartwarming for me knowing I am helping Germania, OZEV, get back to its proper shape as a Nation, but it reminds me of the one detail I can't just accept, maybe for now, maybe forever.
"Good to see you Sister Amelia, has your Vacation been fruitful?"
A faint smile, so a yes and no I guess.
"It did help me, but I haven't got to fulfilling my promises."
"I see, today will be just a visit to the Safe."
We enter and walk in a path towards the Safe she had shown me that day I saved her a second and third time. Still locked and waiting me. As I touch the safe handle, it goes like I always knew how to do it, the Mana Puzzle solved in moments, the door locks start disengaging, then the Locking lugs of those locks, a Minute later and the Door is being opened by me. Ready to have a see at the item inside.
A bad feeling comes, guess not just nice things remain of my Legacy, better safe than sorry.
"Please wait outside."
Amelia obediently nods and puts some distance to wait. Me and Kaiserin Enters. It's not a super spacious Safe room, but the Objects of Interest are two. The first is a Cane, but it clearly reeks of Computation Orb embedded tool, a Cane is a very typical disguise for an assassination tool. Why this is here is a wonderful food for thought, but the other Object calls for some priority for now.
[Peace sure is nice, right? Pity it will likely not last before YOU ALL need to fiight to get it back…]
A Cylinder, metallic, worn and bent, yet its shape is undeniable. A gun barrel, for 9mm, and only ONE long barrel for a 9mm gun has ties to OUR past. The Arnold Smith SMG, a gun I looted from Anson Sioux when my Bayonet attached Rifle got stuck on him, so I took that as a replacement during a Mission, and I used it until that Bitter fight with Poor Brainwashed Mary Sioux ended with her Dead and a whole Mountain turned into a Baseball Pitch mound. That marked my win against Mary as a Mage, the Empire's Defeat as I ended Hospitalized alongside most of the 203rd, and the Turning Point of me going from Soldier to Politician. But that gun…. It never left those Bloody days. Ever.
[And WE will fight, always did, always will.]
[For what? Visha? The 203rd? What you fight nowadays for? You know there's nothing left you would fight for.]
The barrel is mocking me? No…. rather… it's OURSELVES. The barrel is just the Convenient Point for all that's inside OUR damaged parts of the soul to voice their side to US. Artoria is clearly realizing how bad OUR case is.
[Like always, for US, and What we hold dear.]
[And what you hold dear? Your love is dead, no one remains of the 203rd, is there even something in the present?]
I can't help but smirk.
[So far? Only Germania and OZEV. But who knows, maybe WE will find something aside that.]
[Tanya being hopeful on an emotion driven idea? That's new.]
[WE know, but WE don't care if it's a Naïve idea, after all, WE are all in the same boat, right, ME?]
Back to being aware of our surroundings, I notice a weight on my back, Kaiserin, hugging me. The broken Barrel in my hands, I quickly put it back in its Nesting place, reassures my Lookalike, and once I am ready, I pick what I came for. As well as a feeling that WE need to do something, about a thing WE ALL have been avoiding, Peace surely softened us… rather, exhaustion of having to fight tooth and nail for a sliver of it did that.
I leave, with Cane in hands. Yes, WE knew about that, it's just…. So good having this peace, this time to be so free to do as WE wanted…. I need to know how bad the backstage is going, I will need to call Stahl 1, Mike. Once the Safe has been closed and the lock engaged, I decided to see how Amelia's been doing with her rekindled objective.
"Amelia, before I leave, can we talk?"
"Sure."
Once more in the room she lives along another sister of the Church, seated in chairs, albeit I could see she wanted a Lap pillow kind of position.
"Have you been… stuck with a problem?"
A strained smile, guess I hit the spot.
"It's… complicated."
"Can't be more than what I already went through."
"One of My friends has lost her Soul…. And the one who can find is a Reaper in Training…. Who went back to Hell."
"I see, so what's hindering you getting to her? Aside Death of course."
"I don't have anything to Make sure the Portal I need to sabotage will lead to that Hell."
So the issue is there's half a dozen Hells, Guess the US Comic Multiverse thing IS a spawn from hell.
"What One specifically?"
"Errrm…. The one that actually has to Handle the Souls of this world?"
That's easy then, a strong tie and a Soul with a marking as shiny as a Nuclear Explosion, easy peasy.
"Use this then."
I throw her a little Something.
"This is… an US Orb?"
"Used by no other less than Mary fucking Sioux, the Bloody Valkyrie, a Pawn of a wannabe manlet godling, if her soul has had to go through there, her taint MUST be still present."
With that done, me and Kaiserin leave, Amelia went from a polite handshake of the last time to Kissing…. What's with women nowadays wanting to do me in when I AM NOT YET THAT THIRSTY? And why am I feeling an Akitsushiman Pink haired Klutz Miko is seething in Envy? Enough, I rather go check on some specific data I hope Anya and the BND has, Europa isn't exactly stable, OZEV may be back to a proper path, but I know better than think a Bloc comprised of the Empire lands plus new Allies is going to fare better than the Great War empire in facing a lot of the world.
Holy Kaiserin Residence
Once back at home, Anya had readied a full report already, in the time for the short walk from the Church to home no less, meaning my Work Desk had been filled.
"Alright, before I read all the details, give me the summary."
Anya is on full work mode. Good, Elya was always a hardworking person, and honestly, she managed to get ready for any priority Task in a moment's notice, I can see she made sure her Heirs would follow that as well.
"As you wish. Francois is stuck in their Civil issues, but the Military since a few Months ago has been acting with far more Independence than supposed to."
A small Hologram, made via her own Orb, showing an indeed anomalous Army Repositioning, mostly around OZEV border areas, but some have been going South, into the Remilitarized Brest Port.
"Albion has backed off from Reckless naval showoffs, but There's been suspicious large scale purchases of Military-Dolls and T-Dolls by some Albish PMCs and the SAS 13th Task Group."
A few Pointers in the Holographic slide on some Quite open large-scale Purchases approved by the Albish Parliament for their Special forces and the under-contract PMCs running support duties for the Royal Forces.
"RUSS has its Border Forces making Visible Buildups, mostly in the Caucasian and Suomi Border zones. There's also been reports of anomalous Movements by the still under Recovery Asian Federation."
RUSS clearly seems to be either preparing for a necessary offensive at Legadonia and our Southern Europan Allies, or wary and making not as aggressive force build-up just in case, I envy their Ability to be in a Hot Internal dispute with lots of killings and still have something of a functional Force large enough to keep their External enemies at bay.
The Asian Federation, worse than the Albish, only CSR type of extremists or hardliners, and they are CSR 2: Bioweapons Boogaloo, in my opinion. Pogroms, Dozens of Holodomors done in scales to make the Kievan one of the Second Great war be a bad joke and much, much worse in the list of crimes they do.
Once the summary is done, I begin reading the Documents, while still the horror of Germanian Endless paperwork, It seems there's been a vast improvement over how many in the Government, BND, Army and other State run functions organize those Universes of Paper. The BND has neatly combed and kept the Priority data in the front, and any necessary lesser report is attached by order of importance to the Topic. With that alone, I easily fly through most of the RUSS and Albish reports.
It took Three days, but me and Kaiserin did it, the summary? A Massive Military build-up is happening, and all of it is aimed at one place, Central Europa, OZEV. But both Germania's Intelligence and Mike's network net the same conclusion, unnatural. Francois could be argued the Government is far too Unstable and ever shifting which group is in power for the Nation's Forces to wait them to order things.
The Albion forces? They're already stuck in a kind of Detroitfication of their entire homeland that's hitting the Final stages, the people of Albion have already left, and you may already say that even Germania has a more Albish pocket than the Isolated Europan Island Nation. So how they have gotten that IMPORTING last Gen Military Dolls from US manufacturers alongside the materials leaving RUSS from collapsing PMCs would be a good idea is anyone's guess.
RUSS is however the bigger Worry, Quality wise, OZEV can still hold them despite lacking both in Human numbers as well as Robotic based replacements for the lacking numbers of Other Mechanized platforms. But that's considering a 1v1, with how things are moving, this will be The Great War once more.
But that's all Wargame based predictions, even Germanian Military command understands how bad things are, they after all received the same reports I got, and earlier since I avoided these kinds of topics until now. For now, It's still a Build-up stage and merely Fears of what that means given how things have moved. But the unnatural aspect of all this screams hidden hand.
"Fraulein! Called me?"
Mike is finally back, seems he had been spending an awful lot of time in the North Afrikan region.
"Yes, I did. What can you tell me about WHO is pulling all this shit?"
He KNOWS, I am sure of it, and whatever the reason, he and his pals of Stahl team have been playing a long game against whoever is doing this backstage dirty work.
"In the RUSS, they're instigating drama via a group called Paradeus; in Albion, forcing the hands of any Big fish by Another called Providence; in the US, the ZEAL initiative is the cover for a Group named Amalgam…. They have many Groups of such unsavory work. Their name? F.E.W., Flourishing Enforcers of a Will, or just use their more fitting name of WEF."
"Who would've guessed a band of Old Moneys wanting complete world control would do the most Unsavory things to keep and gain more power? Not me."
"So far, they've been riding the world right into a full collapse, maybe they believe turning the world into a Mad Max wasteland will let them control everything?"
The more I hear of those idiots, the more I think I will do the world a Favor if I Pull a Massive attack to create a calamity, maybe once about 400 years After Calamity, the world will be in a better Position and none of those sleazy bastards will have power, who knows? Maybe that will make Capitalistic Mercenary work truly Valuable, so much even I will be able to afford a Luxury Military Jet with my own money.
"Right. You know of them? And been letting those fuckers do all that shit?"
"I can do a lot of things, but what I won't is go Killing all good Plots my good lady."
Wunderbar, let me ask the Mage academy for the Artillery field, and the Army for three extra large supplies of MLRS, SAMs and CIWS batteries, I need to give this damned bastard some remedial Training.
"But fret not. I AM taking good care of not letting the more dangerous plans go away."
Alright, let me ask for twenty Extra large supplies.
